The Bridge

[F. King Daniel]

I'm just going to hazard a guess, then, that the Federation was unaware of the Stratos/Troglyte divide on the planet, since caste-based discrimination is forbidden under Federation law.

Do they actually say that in an episode?

 

[Mytran]

caste-based discrimination is forbidden under Federation law.

Was that the case in the TOS era?

EDIT:
Oops! Got gazumped

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Do they actually say that in an episode?

DS9 'Accession"

Was that the case in the TOS era?

There's no evidence that it wasn't always the case. So in a very real sense, it's retroactive.

 

[Mytran]

DS9 'Accession"
...
There's no evidence that it wasn't always the case. So in a very real sense, it's retroactive.

Wouldn't this very episode suggest that it wasn't always the case?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Wouldn't this very episode suggest that it wasn't always the case?

Not necessarily.

Like I said, the Federation simply might not have known about the thing with the Troglytes. (I find it extremely likely that Stratos actively covered it up.)

 

[The Wormhole]

Or the Federation intentionally looked the other way, wanting Ardana as a member that badly.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Or the Federation intentionally looked the other way, wanting Ardana as a member that badly.

I'm not quite ready to be that cynical.

I doubt it was the zenite, anyway. Presumably Ardana had been a member of the Federation for some time as of this episode. Yet it was only during said episode that the Federation needed the zenite. Prior to that, Ardana probably appeared to be just another world seeking admission. There wouldn't have been any hurry.

 

[Timo]

So let's look at the end of the episode. Is anything going to change? Doesn't sound like it.

Kirk: "Perhaps some form of mediation can be helpful in your difficulties. The Federation Bureau of Industrialization may be of aid to you."
Plasus: "I will tolerate absolutely no interference! You will not set foot here as long as I rule!"
Kirk: "Believe me, Sir, I have neither the time nor the desire to return here. Only answering your charges against me will force me back."

Having the Ardana setup is no showstopper as regards retaining UFP membership. It wasn't prior to the adventure, it wasn't during the adventure, and it wasn't immediately after the adventure. Perhaps something changed by the time of DS9. Or perhaps it always only was an issue for acquiring UFP membership, and if the jury doesn't notice or mind, that will be it - you're in and you stay in.

Of course, Ardana could play technicalities here. If Droxine chooses to try out the mines for two months, then being a trogyle is not caste-based at allll...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Shawnster]

DS9 'Accession"

It feels like the Federation changes fundamentally between TOS and TNG. In TOS the Federation feels like the equipment of the UN, only with a unified military. Ambassadors were exchanged between member worlds and member worlds had a variety of governments. Maybe Ardana's caste system is the equivalent of the caste system in India or apartheid in 1980s South Africa, yet both those countries were/are UN members.

TNG era the member worlds feel more like a unified whole akin to the United States where each state is mostly the same with only minor governmental differences.

 

[Seal87]

I have a few questions concerning I g the bridge. Obviously, viewers see the more interesting things in screen, but I’m curious about what we don’t see.

When it was the Captain’s shift on the bridge, how much time did he spend there? If there was t much going on, did he leave and do other things or stay in the bridge for 8 hours.

I wonder if there was ever awkward silence in the bridge or if there was constant chatter about things going on.

What was the top rank of the ones on the other shifts?

There is a noise track for the bridge, to help with the awkward silence. Depending on the conditions of emergency or standard operations, there would be main staff at specialty stations or a rotation. In Chain of Command Jellico speaks of changing the shift rotation. In Robot Chicken, there's a night shift that handles a crisis while the day crew is asleep. With the same one coming on as they relieved, that would mean just 2 shifts in rotation. But we can also see episodes where Dr. Crusher is in the big chair, and the lower deck staff is at the helm.