So you give a troublemaking newcomer the same trust, respect, and leeway that you give to a loyal, time-tested comrade? Being fair isn't always being smart.
Why can't Ro wear her Bajoran earring?
- Thread starter I am not Spock
- Start date
They no doubt went through proper channels to get their special dispensations...indeed, both were wearing their costume variants before Riker even came aboard the Enterprise. Ro also wound up getting such a dispensation by the end of the episode, so there's no point crying over the fact that she was inconvenienced for all of one episode.
Yeah, what happened to the supposed "enlightened" humanity of the future with respect for all lifeforms and their beliefs?
Okay, for one thing we don't know the "full story" on why Troi wore the outfit she did. The only reason why she changed is because Jelico demanded it and he only did it because he "preferred formality on the bridge." Keep in mind Troi's primary job on the ship was to be a counselor so it makes some sense she'd wear a non-standard uniform when dealing with patients (so they wouldn't feel they were confiding with a fellow/superior officer, but a friend or a mental health professional.) We also know that it was an on-screen excuse to get Marina Sirtis out of the bunny suit.
We don't know the history or reasons why Worf got to wear the baldric.
Was Riker being an ass? Yeah, perhaps, but considering who he was dealing with can you blame him? Ro was very, very far away from being a model officer and she was handed a very prestigious assignment, serving on the Federation Flagship. She was dismissive and indifferent to the command structure and acted as if the rules didn't apply to her. She was a heartbeat away from being dishonorably discharged and thrown out on her ass and probably thrown into what serves for jail/prison in the Federation. She didn't ask permission to wear the earring on to the ship, she just did it.
Troi's clothing -likely- was part of making her patients more comfortable around her. It was essentially part of her job not wearing a uniform; when acting outside of her patient obligations Picard allowed her to have some flexibility in the dress code, likely sometime after "Encounter at Farpoint."
We don't know how, when, or why Worf got to wear the baldric but it too was likely something he earned by being a model officer, obeying orders and not causing trouble. We can probably assume at somepoint he asked for the privilege to wear it.
Ro had none of this. She was a trouble maker, by record alone. You deal with trouble makers by doubling-down on the rules towards them even if it means being petty. Let her wear the earring without asking permission or earning the privilege she'll take that inch and go a mile.
That's what she had proven by the end of the episode, though, that she was an officer worth investing some trust into and she had earned some slack on the uniform.
We don't know the history or reasons why Worf got to wear the baldric.
Was Riker being an ass? Yeah, perhaps, but considering who he was dealing with can you blame him? Ro was very, very far away from being a model officer and she was handed a very prestigious assignment, serving on the Federation Flagship. She was dismissive and indifferent to the command structure and acted as if the rules didn't apply to her. She was a heartbeat away from being dishonorably discharged and thrown out on her ass and probably thrown into what serves for jail/prison in the Federation. She didn't ask permission to wear the earring on to the ship, she just did it.
Troi's clothing -likely- was part of making her patients more comfortable around her. It was essentially part of her job not wearing a uniform; when acting outside of her patient obligations Picard allowed her to have some flexibility in the dress code, likely sometime after "Encounter at Farpoint."
We don't know how, when, or why Worf got to wear the baldric but it too was likely something he earned by being a model officer, obeying orders and not causing trouble. We can probably assume at somepoint he asked for the privilege to wear it.
Ro had none of this. She was a trouble maker, by record alone. You deal with trouble makers by doubling-down on the rules towards them even if it means being petty. Let her wear the earring without asking permission or earning the privilege she'll take that inch and go a mile.
That's what she had proven by the end of the episode, though, that she was an officer worth investing some trust into and she had earned some slack on the uniform.
Last edited:
They're running a starship with a military command structure, not a hippie commune.
Yeah, what happened to the supposed "enlightened" humanity of the future with respect for all lifeforms and their beliefs?
Sometimes being a dick is the first officer's job, and even Picard says Riker's the finest
"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, he's not doing his job" - Saul Tigh
Well, that's "par for the course" with the Enterprise crew. Anyone who wasn't part of their inner-circle got treated like dirt. Makes you wonder how any of them survived their other postings.
--Sran
Does not compute. Uni form = one form = everybody looks the same. But Worf used something, Troi wore something else, in the tng movies some officers wore ds9 clothes.
In the future, the word uniform must have some other meaning.
Or perhaps Riker is an ass? He wants to hurt Ro but really has no excuse to. Yeah, he's an ass.
In the future, the word uniform must have some other meaning.
Or perhaps Riker is an ass? He wants to hurt Ro but really has no excuse to. Yeah, he's an ass.
They're running a starship with a military command structure, not a hippie commune.
Yeah, what happened to the supposed "enlightened" humanity of the future with respect for all lifeforms and their beliefs?
Herbert!
Uniform today is either uniform or its exact opposite for very practical reasons. On one hand, if everybody wears the same style, it makes logistics easier, plus it pushes people off their personal pedestals and down to the same dirt with everybody else (which is a crucial factor in the early stages of training a conscript army, and in keeping professional soldiers from becoming uncontrollable later on). On the other hand, a hierarchical organization needs to be reinforced with symbology (especially when it's not a close-knit meritocracy, and armies generally never are), and a battlefield organization needs brightly and blatantly visible symbols as subtlety doesn't carry well through dirt. Emphasizing the specialties
of the specialists and the privileges of the privileged is a must.
Worf wearing a sash is probably akin to Scotty or a Scotsman of today wearing a kilt as a uniform variation: it's a historical privilege that's good for morale, because it wouldn't do to have the Scots rebel or the only Klingon in Starfleet not be happy with his lot.
Troi wearing what she wears is more likely a psychological experiment of some other sort; most starship counselors might be civilians. Dunno. All I know is that Jellico made a big mistake in putting her in a uniform for the meeting with the Cardassians. Having her choose from her usual wardrobe would certainly have insulted the Cardassians more...
Timo Saloniemi
of the specialists and the privileges of the privileged is a must.
Worf wearing a sash is probably akin to Scotty or a Scotsman of today wearing a kilt as a uniform variation: it's a historical privilege that's good for morale, because it wouldn't do to have the Scots rebel or the only Klingon in Starfleet not be happy with his lot.
Troi wearing what she wears is more likely a psychological experiment of some other sort; most starship counselors might be civilians. Dunno. All I know is that Jellico made a big mistake in putting her in a uniform for the meeting with the Cardassians. Having her choose from her usual wardrobe would certainly have insulted the Cardassians more...
Timo Saloniemi
Kira did at the end of DS9.
Why? a racist doesn't have to hate all races - more importantly I wasn't actually being serious...
Commander Kira wasn't aware of this. Though I like how the first thing Starfleet did to her was effectively demote her when she was going out of her way to take a special mission for them. The naval equivalent of colonel is a captain.
^Her temporary commission nonwithstanding, she wasn't a member of Starfleet; therefore, she wouldn't have been expected to follow their uniform codes.
--Sran
--Sran
If you're wearing the uniform, you're expected to follow the uniform code. Otherwise there's no point to the uniform.
She was granted a temporary commission, that means you're temporarily a member of the service, with all the rights and responsibilities there of.
Kira was a major, then was promoted. The next step is Lieutenant Colonel, which is indeed the equivalent of Commander. And LTCOLs can often be just called Colonel.
Similar threads
