Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x02 - "Ad Astra Per Aspera"

[Amaris]

That might be going a bit far. My takeaway was that April really does believe that the regulation is correct. Sure. believing this is of personal benefit to April, since his career depends on acting as if he believes it. What was that old line... you can't make a man understand something when his paycheck depends on him not understanding it. Something like that. But that doesn't mean that he's insincere.

Prejudices? Yeah, also true.

But how else could things be? It's just not believable that everyone in Starfleet, and in the Federation generally, knows that this law is unjust and are just going along to get along. The only way you have a more-or-less decent civilization endorsing unjust laws is if a lot of the decent people are (mistakenly) supporting those laws.

If there weren't millions, or even billions, of Aprils in the Federation, this situation would have been untenable. And it's canon that this situation is tenable, since it endured for many decades after SNW.

That's the entire basis of systemic oppression, and that people going along with it because they're comfortable enough that it doesn't affect them is critical to the story itself. April is actually in a position to voice his dissent to such an unjust law, and instead ends up reinforcing it.

Why? Because he thinks there's a way to compromise over someone's civil rights.

I see this in politics all of the time, when deciding my fate and the fates of millions of other people, so I don't believe it was at all too far. If they'd had another episode, I would imagine they'd have done some digging into systemic injustice, which is at the root of so many marginalized communities.

I agree, but I guess this is why the episode didn't completely work for me. The scifi mcguffin they used for the allegory wasn't set up to be as intrinsic as someone's gender, sexual, or racial identity... even if they declare April to be racist.

Like the episode's use of 'passing' several times, in the same way that they made Shaw deadname Seven in Picard S3, is clearly meant to invoke contemporary fights about Trans rights, but for me at least, they didn't do the job of making augmentation as something fundamental to Illyrian society. The fact that they wrote in that some Illyrians chose to stop practicing it to conform with Federation laws I think unnecessarily complicates matters, particularly if it's meant to be Trans allegory, because it makes it seem like it's a choice and not something intrinsic to them.

Yeah, that they made the augmentation a choice puts a small dent in the analogy, but I think it still works because Una is rejected because of the circumstances of her birth rather than anything she did, and actually now that I think about it, there are children born with male and female genitalia, and the parents often do choose one or the other, resulting in severe dysphoria later in life for the child.

 

[Paul755]

Fantastic episode. Not quite a 10 but a high 9 for sure.

Star Trek does the legal drama stuff so well. From “Court Martial” to this, they have all been good. Even the vastly underrated “Rules of Engagement.”

I would sign up for a Star Trek JAG show yesterday if they could keep this quality.

Still hate the re-imagined Dress Uniforms though. So overdesigned.

 

[Yistaan]

Actually Pike will be lucky if he doesn't survive the court martial and kicked from Starfleet. Because then he'll be saved from his cursed fate.

Given what he knows, he'd have to try to find some way to protect Spock too (by also getting him kicked out of Starfleet or some other way) and brace themselves (as civilians if not prisoners) for a Romulan war...

 

[Mudd]

Like the episode's use of 'passing' several times, in the same way that they made Shaw deadname Seven in Picard S3, is clearly meant to invoke contemporary fights about Trans rights,

Actually, the resentments caused by the cutting of community ties and denial of kinship in order to pass harks back to issues in American Black culture.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

Yes but they don't have a place in persecuting said children by passing laws banning them from their military for genital mutilation. Its a shame that 1960s silly view of genetics is still part of the franchise.

Thank you.
I was trying to figure out why the OPs argument didn't quite hold water but my brain didn't want to do logic and reason. Your brain was a good brain. Your brain did the thing.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

And every day he deals with Pike and Una will be one where he wanted to send her to prison for most of her life. Pike and Una may not be furious over it but I suspect April will be.

And is doubly hypocritical because he was willing to overlook Spock STEALING THE ENTERPRISE.

He is a HUGE bigot. Like Admiral Cartwright levels.

I don't think that was what we were supposed to take away from that scene. He wanted the chance to talk about her accomplishments but Pike's lawyer choice made that impossible. April may have been the one who helped Batel pull strings for the plea deal. He's biased, prejudiced, but he's not a HUGE bigot.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

Actually, the resentments caused by the cutting of community ties and denial of kinship in order to pass harks back to issues in American Black culture.

I was going to mention this, but I'm old. Youngsters may not be aware it's a borrowed phrase applied to current marginalized groups just trying to get by in a hostile world.

 

[1001001]

That was pretty good.

Last week: The Undiscovered Country.

This week: The Drumhead.

8

 

[firehawk12]

Actually, the resentments caused by the cutting of community ties and denial of kinship in order to pass harks back to issues in American Black culture.

So I actually thought about "Passing", the film starring Ruth Negga. That can work as well, but since it's tied to changes to one's body and how society is against it, it's hard not to see the Trans parallels. The Federation's anti-augment stance is very similar to the growing American and UK stance against gender affirming care and how it's "abuse".

I guess the more colloquial term used is "stealth", but passing is used by the community as well.

Yeah, that they made the augmentation a choice puts a small dent in the analogy, but I think it still works because Una is rejected because of the circumstances of her birth rather than anything she did, and actually now that I think about it, there are children born with male and female genitalia, and the parents often do choose one or the other, resulting in severe dysphoria later in life for the child.

Yeah, I agree. I also swear there was a line about how she didn't have a choice in the matter, but I can't find it while scrubbing through the episode.

On another board, it was pointed out to me that Illyrians adapt themselves rather than their environments, which reminded me of Indigenous communities learning to co-exist with the environment rather than try to destroy it. If it was something fundamental to their culture and if they pointed out that Illyrians were being forced to "assimilate" (yes, why not make the overt Borg-colonialist reference), then I feel like that would have worked for me too.

It's just in this in between place where they made it a choice and it's not clear that augmentation is a medical necessity, so it just felt flat to me as a motivation - both for the Federation to so ruthlessly persecute these people, but also for these people to be so tied to it.

 

[Jedman67]

I agree, but I guess this is why the episode didn't completely work for me. The scifi mcguffin they used for the allegory wasn't set up to be as intrinsic as someone's gender, sexual, or racial identity... even if they declare April to be racist.

Like the episode's use of 'passing' several times, in the same way that they made Shaw deadname Seven in Picard S3, is clearly meant to invoke contemporary fights about Trans rights, but for me at least, they didn't do the job of making augmentation as something fundamental to Illyrian society. The fact that they wrote in that some Illyrians chose to stop practicing it to conform with Federation laws I think unnecessarily complicates matters, particularly if it's meant to be Trans allegory, because it makes it seem like it's a choice and not something intrinsic to them.

Code the episode for jews facing discrimination, especially pre and postwar Europe, and Jewish immigrants to the US assimilating into local culture and giving up what makes us Jewish, and suddenly the episode becomes very frightening.

10/10

 

[Uhura's Song]

The argument made seems to be 'she was a victim who was forced to be augmented against her will by her parents and then suffered massive persecution because of it, hence why she needed asylum'.

Of course, now that I think about it, it seems odd you can get asylum from your own "country" because it's contextualized within the prejudices of the Federation itself. It would be like a Trans person and their family feeling from Florida and requesting asylum in New York due to the evil laws being passed there, which I would totally understand, except both states are within the USA...

She is seeking asylum in Starfleet from the Federation. All Starfleet is Federation, but all Federation is not Starfleet. They are not the same thing.

Incidently, that is why they cannot grant her asylum & kick her out. I believe I saw that questioned earlier.

 

[StarMan]

Woah, it's the Queen herself (Yetide Badaki from American Gods). Fantastic performance.

"Admiral, it would seem the rules of Starfleet only apply when a Captain deems that they do." - yep!

This one unexpectedly got me in the feels at the end. You might be right @eschaton - certainly the best SNW episode so far in my book, at least.

Great episode. 9 / 10.

 

[Charles Phipps]

April says the law is just and moral as well as exists for a reason.

Which adds a righteous to something objectively evil.

Which is the WORST kind of prejudice. Even worse than something motivated by money.

 

[Uhura's Song]

I'm a bit unclear on the findings of the court. The legal argument against Una included her submitting false information to Starfleet (lying on her application to Starfleet) and being a prohibited person in Starfleet (owing to her permanent DNA modification) plus two counts of sedition (I don't believe the two counts of sedition were ever identified). I think it's questionable that just because she sought and was granted asylum in accordance with Starfleet Code 8514 that she would be exonorated from Codes 614-617 plus the false submission charge (and possibly the two sedition charges although I don't know what they are). In what way does 8514 nullify the charges against her? She is undoubtedly guilty of submitting false information to Starfleet and breaching Codes 614-617 and should have been found guilty. The court ruled that an asylum seeker is exempt from the law. Have I interpreted this correctly because it doesn't seem right?

I would also question that Una actually sought asylum from Pike given that she had been in Starfleet for around 25 years at that point. What persecution was she fleeing at that time (season 1 episode 3)? I don't see how the legal argument of conspiracy made against Pike falls down. Even if Una was granted asylum by Pike (very questionable) he allowed her to continue to serve in Starfleet for several months and therefore most likely commited conspiracy.

Also, the lawyer referred to "Federation law" seemingly interchangably with the Starfleet Code. Are they the same? That seems odd.

Why would Una out herself when she must have known it would implicate Pike and possibly M'benga?

I gave this episode a 7 because I was desperate to like it after the abomination that was last week. More Pike and La'an acting like La'an again were definite plus points. But the more I think about this episode the weirder it seems. I could have done with more of the Vulcan prosecutor. I wonder if Pike was secretly hoping to be charged for conspiracy? In the season 1 ep 10 timeline, Una is in prison after around 7 years (indicating she never took the plea deal there too). Something different happened this time - Pike got the lawyer. Pike changed the future even though he was warned not to do that. Had Pike lost his command then he doesn't get his accident plus he's also not the captain during the Romulan incursion.

I could not find your post to reply directly, see above response.

I think the gist of the legal ruling is a choice between which law to apply. It isn't nullification, but applying one precludes the other. She is seeking asylum in Starfleet from the Federation.

If you put her away for 20 years, you cannot grant her asylum. If you give her asylum, you cannot put her away for 20 years.

I guess they could have exiled her outside federation space, but that really isn't neutral. It is her home. And neither party was asking for that.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This was an outstanding episode.

 

[NCC-73515]

Then the galaxy will be conquered by Romulans.

That happens when Pike is still captain of the Enterprise, which he can't be after he's kicked out

 

[Uhura's Song]

I do think this episode destroyed any respect I had for Robert April.

Why? Because he isn't flawless? Federation is not flawless. Neither are its people, even some of the good ones. Kirk has prejudice. Vulcan's exhibit it all the time. Even some we like.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Why? Because he isn't flawless? Federation is not flawless. Neither are its people, even some of the good ones. Kirk has prejudice. Vulcan's exhibit it all the time. Even some we like.

There's flawed and there's willingly siding with a law that would destroy a friend. If Iron Man tosses Spider-Man in the Negative Zone, I don't consider him a hero either.

 

[ussrowe]

Like the episode's use of 'passing' several times, in the same way that they made Shaw deadname Seven in Picard S3, is clearly meant to invoke contemporary fights about Trans rights

Actually, the resentments caused by the cutting of community ties and denial of kinship in order to pass harks back to issues in American Black culture.

The lawyer referenced prejudices based on everything from race, gender identity, sexuality/love, and religion so I think it's not any one single issue but a little of all of them. Passing as majority status affects many communities, if you have light skin or seem traditionally male/female, if you don't "look Jewish" or wear a hijab, etc.

What's interesting to me about April's speech on upholding the law is: I could see Picard delivering it too, before realizing Riker or Worf or somebody bending/breaking that law was still needed. At least Picard also argued against the law when the planet wanted to kill Wesley for stepping on some flowers. But you know, Captains do choose when not to uphold laws as well.

I don't think April is a huge bigot for his belief in the law but I think it's meant to be seen with some more nuance that sometimes the laws aren't really just.

I'm curious whether seeking asylum is something other Illyrians will be able to do?

Actually Pike will be lucky if he doesn't survive the court martial and kicked from Starfleet. Because then he'll be saved from his cursed fate.

We've already seen he can't escape his fate without disaster happening.

 

[Borgminister]

10 for me.
"Measure of A Man" level great.

As serviceable a job as Una's council did--and the actress was top-notch--I was disappointed in the "it's the law" approach taken by the Vulcan prosecutor after taking over the case. (LOVED the "outburst" scene!) I can't say it was Measure of a Man level great simply because you had Sir Patrick as the defense in that episode, although the parallels of the law being an ass are there, and marginalized people are the most in need of protection. Peck nailed the eyebrow raise in the Gilbert and Sullivan scene too... Another one of those eppies that needs a repeat viewing. Question: Why is an augment in Star Fleet okay, but Una's race not... is it simply a matter of disclosure?