Worst. Fragmentation. Bomb. Ever.
The DREAD issue which alienates Tilly from the rest of the crew is her "snoring".
But no, Autism is fine and dandy, nothing to write home about.
Tilly was reminding me of someone something fierce. It just clicked. We have our new Ezri.
- Thread starter Quinton O'Connor
- Start date
The DREAD issue which alienates Tilly from the rest of the crew is her "snoring".
But no, Autism is fine and dandy, nothing to write home about.
You can do better.
Lol, it's more a fatherly instinct thing
I had no issue with Cadet Tilly... I thought she was quirky if not slightly annoying at times, then when it mattered (on the away mission), she was calm and assertive and did her job.
My wife and I thought the exact same thing, that she is this series' version of Barclay.
Although Wiseman has said she was not described this way, she certainly feels as if she is. Although, honestly, they keep redefining the autism spectrum so by the 23rd century it would not be surprising to find that 90% of all humans are on it.
My wife, an alternative high school teacher, works extensively with kids on the spectrum, kids with criminal histories, trans kids, kids with abusive histories, pregnant teens... you name it.. I think some of those people deserve being portrayed on-screen as later in life- real people have real things that happen to them.. It influences who they are and it is not always pleasant. As great as it is that Stamets is openly gay, or that Burnham's first name is Michael, it would be absolutely OK with me for Cadet Tilly to officially be an autistic (savant?).
Also fascinating is that Tilly specifically stated that "Michael" was a very unusual/atypical name for a female, indicating that Burnham may be unique in human culture for that fact. Keep in mind, in the other threads on her name, the best we could come up with for other women named Michael was less than half a dozen individuals throughout all of human history.
I just hope Cadet Tilley doesn't change Burnam, Stamets, Lorca and Sari into bears. #changeyerfate
But I did quite enjoy her. Didn't find her that grating. To me she was more Barcley 2.0.
My wife and I thought the exact same thing, that she is this series' version of Barclay.
Although Wiseman has said she was not described this way, she certainly feels as if she is. Although, honestly, they keep redefining the autism spectrum so by the 23rd century it would not be surprising to find that 90% of all humans are on it.
My wife, an alternative high school teacher, works extensively with kids on the spectrum, kids with criminal histories, trans kids, kids with abusive histories, pregnant teens... you name it.. I think some of those people deserve being portrayed on-screen as later in life- real people have real things that happen to them.. It influences who they are and it is not always pleasant. As great as it is that Stamets is openly gay, or that Burnham's first name is Michael, it would be absolutely OK with me for Cadet Tilly to officially be an autistic (savant?).
Also fascinating is that Tilly specifically stated that "Michael" was a very unusual/atypical name for a female, indicating that Burnham may be unique in human culture for that fact. Keep in mind, in the other threads on her name, the best we could come up with for other women named Michael was less than half a dozen individuals throughout all of human history.
I like her better than Ezri
This was an oddly 20th-century viewpoint, I thought. It's 2017, and I'm not at all surprised to hear names I've never heard before, or to see names that deviate from traditional gender distinction. I'd think it would be perfectly common by the 23rd century, especially in an organization made up of many worlds. But I guess baby boys are still dressed in blue in the Trek future.
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Like I said, as a person on the Autism Spectrum myself, I can see why and how Tilly could be read as being on the Spectrum, even if that wasn't the intent.
I just don't personally ascribe to the theory myself, largely because I can see myself in her without having to attribute her quirks specifically to Autism.
To the OP's point, though, I can see the similarities to Ezri, although the character Tilly reminds me the most of is Harry Kim.
I just don't personally ascribe to the theory myself, largely because I can see myself in her without having to attribute her quirks specifically to Autism.
To the OP's point, though, I can see the similarities to Ezri, although the character Tilly reminds me the most of is Harry Kim.
Accepted and common are two very different things.
Boys and Girls, have things that by and large are naturally common amongst themselves. The amount of gender neutral people are incredibly small, and there is no reason to think that number would be more "common" in the future. Unusual will always be unusual, that doesn't mean good or bad, or deserving of more or less respect but there will always be unusual names, unusual behavior, unusual people.
By virtue of something being unusual, there will always be less exposure to it and thus, understandably more curiosity of it.
There will always be common boys and girls names, and uncommon ones. Lindsey Buckingham effing rules, but his name is uncommon. Michael Burnham is an effing badass, but her name is uncommon.
Well, Tilly's reaction gave us an inkling as why the creators named the character "Michael:"
It's so that people meeting her for the first time will recognize her immediately as one of the criminals who started the Klingon war. If the writers had given her a name like "Mary," 23rd century media would have to be forever inserting her middle name - "Mary Thomas Burnham," same as "Lee Harvey Oswald" or "James Earl Ray."
It's so that people meeting her for the first time will recognize her immediately as one of the criminals who started the Klingon war. If the writers had given her a name like "Mary," 23rd century media would have to be forever inserting her middle name - "Mary Thomas Burnham," same as "Lee Harvey Oswald" or "James Earl Ray."
That's the best thing about a well written character, being able to see one's self in them.
I have Tourette syndrome, yeah it's uncommon and sometimes I'd like to "think" that the rare character with a twitch and I could have that in common, but then I remember "Ya know, doesn't matter why, they have a twitch, I have a twitch, maybe the diagnosis is different but we have a similar happenstance in common.
then I remember that almost doesn't even matter because a person is more than a twitch. I may have nothing important in common with someone save for sharing a twitch, which is relatively unimportant if the person was a complete ahole.
And could also lead to some people believing (if they recognize the name) that the perp is a man, and be very surprised when they meet her.
*Angry person builds up a full head of steam, ready to yell at Mike.*
*Burnham enters and identifies herself*
*Angry person deflates, revelation of her ID surprising enough to make them step back and re-calculate*
It's a common trope in literature.
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Apparently so. I've gotten used to hearing all sorts of odd, made-up names for kids... it certainly is not surprising to me anymore to hear a girl with a boys name or vice versa. I'm so over that- you'd think by the 23rd Century we all would be.
That viewpoint and line of dialogue seemed strangely out of place given the context and the universe in which it occurred. BUT, we have to (should be) taking that as canon now... so in all of those threads and discussions and heated debates about Cmd. Burnham's first name, a lot of that seems to have been for naught, as it seems that in the 23rd century it is still uncommon and mostly unheard of.
True, it is.. but in thinking about it in terms of that reaction to a male vs female, I think it is insulting to the "other". "I was super pissed and going to kick Mike's ass!" Until angry person realizes it's a woman and suddenly those feelings are negated or reduced? That somehow a woman doesn't deserve the scorn but if "Michael" was a dude, he would, and the ass-kicking would commence?
So much for equality and fairness... if someone does something that brings you to have those feelings and you are about to confront them, but then the reveal of their gender/sex makes you reconsider, I find fault in that. I, personally do not conduct myself that way... if I'm crazy pissed at you and I've got a problem and want to confront you, I don't give a damn if you're male, female, both, neither or somewhere in the middle... I'm going to frakking have some words with you, regardless.
The fact that people, we as humans, back down or become more confrontational based on our "opponent's" gender or sex is ridiculous and disingenuous to the truth.
I do think that the given name of Michael to Cmd. Burnham was as stated, to be instantly identifiable as "the first mutineer in Starfleet".
But to the topic, I think Cadet Tilly is going to be an interesting character and a protege of sorts for Burnham. I look forward to seeing how that develops.
Conspiracy Theory
Cadet Tilly is the mastermind of this whole affair.
Why would an innocent special needs cadet be placed as a roomate for a lifer?
Why was Tilly picked for the secret mission on the shuttle?
She's playing Burnham and us all...
Cadet Tilly is the mastermind of this whole affair.
Why would an innocent special needs cadet be placed as a roomate for a lifer?
Why was Tilly picked for the secret mission on the shuttle?
She's playing Burnham and us all...
She's actually a Q, or a Douwd. I like this theory.
Not just due to that. It's the introduction of surprising, unexpected information that throws you, not what information it happens to be. Like if you're about to shoot the bad guy and they take their mask off and it's your significant other who you trusted implicitly...or if you run to greet your friend and hug them after a long time gone and it's a stranger instead.
31's disingenuous operative?