Review on Stupidity of Star Trek Discovery Tilly

SPOILERS ARE JUST A REVIEWER'Southward Style OF SAYING: "I Dearest YOU"

Earlier anyone thinks that I didn't like STAR TREK: DISCOVERY 's sixth episode of the season, "Scavengers," I did very much enjoy it. I simply had to go past the stupid stuff that actually annoyed me. And so let'southward get that out of the way get-go…

Okay, I just need to say it: Discrete NACELLES ARE RIDICULOUS!!! Seriously, who thought of that? I desire to see some fan with VFX skills take a CGI model of Discovery , cut to Saru ordering the ship to warp, and and then have both nacelles whoosh forward and out of sight while the rest of the transport simply sits there motionless. (You reading this, SAMUEL COCKINGS???)

Also, the NCC-1031-A was completely unnecessary…and incorrect. When the U.Due south.Southward. Enterprise was refit in Star Trek: The Movement Picture, it remained NCC-1701. The "A" came later on a different ship because its predecessor had been destroyed over the Genesis planet. Same with the bloody B, C, D, and E…and whatsoever other letters that came later.

Those personal site-to-site transporter badges might non be stupid, only they're abrasive as anything…just ask anyone who is trying to make out in a turbolift only as Linus shows upwardly and announces, "This isn't the scientific discipline lab!" simply before disappearing once more. Yes, hooray for the comedy relief, but the gag got old really fast and brought upward a lot of very disturbing questions:

1. Does everyone on the Discovery suddenly have the superpower of teleportation? (Suddenly, Nightcrawler of the X-Men isn't particularly impressive anymore.)
2. What about privacy on board? Can you materialize inside someone'southward bathroom and go, "Oops"? I actually might non feel specially safe on a send full of people who tin can suddenly announced anywhere at anytime.
3. Isn't there a danger of materializing inside of someone else…or something else? One would hope there'southward a "shove" function built into the beam, but what if two people ship simultaneously into the same spot?
4. How exercise people doing delicate tasks requiring steady fretfulness and concentration guard against the sudden, unexpected pop-ins that now happen regularly?

All three examples come under the heading of "just because yous Tin do something doesn't mean that you SHOULD do that matter." The writers decided that the futurity has some astonishing stuff. Only perhaps they went a little too amazing with things like personal transporters and "programmable" matter and detached nacelles. When technology becomes more than similar "magic," you might have jumped a shark or two.

Just one more kvetch before I go to the good stuff: while I'chiliad more of a canis familiaris person, I like cats, too…and fat-shaming a feline is not cool (unless it'southward Garfield). The jokes about Grudge's size bother me—perhaps because I have a weight problem myself. Information technology wouldn't be advisable to brand those snarky comments near Tilly's shape, and then why is it okay to mock the true cat?

Okay, I'm done complaining. Let'south start saying some nice things…

As nigh reviewers noticed, this was the "standard" prison house interruption episode that nosotros've seen a one thousand thousand times before on Star Trek and elsewhere. The formula is the same: someone important gets captured and must be freed, the heroes infiltrate the prison pretending to be someone they aren't, we meet a prisoner on the within who is "practiced" and makes us intendance about the plight of the other prisoners (so at present the jail-suspension has to exist everyone), something goes wrong and the heroes are discovered, just with the help of the prisoners, the good guys succeed and everybody escapes with only one death or injury (commonly the "practiced" prisoner we met inside who made the states root for anybody to escape).

So yeah, all the boxes checked on that.

But the prison house break was only the goad to bring in 2 other much larger story points for the episode (and for the series), and those are going to be my focus because they're both actually very solid dramatic choices by the show's creators.

THE EMPRESS' NEW (LACK OF) GROOVE

The outset of the two plots is Georgiou'south newfound "whammy" (probable put on her past Kovich last episode—although who knows?—perhaps it'due south but her increased distance from her universe of origin). The reason this particular twist worked so well is that information technology takes the former empress far away from her comfort zone as a graphic symbol. This is a solid tool of storytelling, as explained first to me by the nifty J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI discussing the second flavor of the series Babylon five: "What you need to exercise," he said at a con back in 1995, "is establish the 'rules' of your universe then people know what to expect. And then, once they're comfortable, then you lot outset breaking those rules in unexpected ways. That's how you go along them interested and excited." And he certainly was right!

With Georgiou, nosotros know who she is by at present: snarky, arrogant, nefarious, merciless, cocksure, and e'er in command of herself and the situation (even if she isn't the one in control). And as long as this "Dr. Smith" grapheme keeps playing her one note, she'southward part of the symphony simply ultimately not a character who volition stand up out much. Oh, sure, we get the occasional "Georgiou the ass-kicker" every bit we did in the 2d episode of the season, and she'due south e'er good for an obnoxious comment to add in some comedy relief for a scene. Simply we really weren't expecting much else with her besides, "Well, she really does care about Michael, so she's just a softy at heart."

Simply this episode deconstructed near all of that with ii key scenes (plus ane from last episode). Early, we run across Geoegiou hesitate plenty that Michael notices. But of class, Georgiou won't admit weakness or ask for help…ever. So the moment passes. Merely later on in the episode, Georgiou is taken out of action by her mental debilitation at a critical moment, and the mission almost fails. This time, Michael can't simply "let it get," and Georgiou is gonna have some 'splainin' to do…and maybe even go some quality time with Dr. Hugh.

Whatever happens, this episode was plain the fix, moving the chess piece into place, and the payoff will begin coming (hopefully) next episode. What I applaud about this is how apace this storyline developed. Last episode, Georgiou began showing her showtime sign of the "whammy." An episode subsequently, and it'due south reached the point of needing to be dealt with. Compare the speed of this development with the glacial pace of past plot elements similar Tilly'due south "Mushroom May" imaginary friend and Ash Tyler's struggle against his own inner Klingon demon.

Speaking of Ash, I demand to interrupt this train of idea to mention how much more satisfying Michael'due south relationship with Volume feels than anything that ever happened with Tyler. That "romance" felt every bit natural as a Twinkie. Book and Burnham (or Volume Burnin' as I like to call them), feels similar twue wove…that dweam inside a dweam. And to be honest, I can't empathise why the two of them had to wait a yr to start gettin' it on in a turbolift. Seems that being alone in Volume's Lego Millennium Falcon for twelve months would have provided plenty of opportunities for doin' da nasty, if you lot know what I mean. (You can always put the cat in a different room for privacy—unless Grudge has a personal transporter, likewise.)

Oh, well…I guess absence and a prison break fabricated the heart abound fonder. Merely at least the creators moved this "volition they or won't they?" plot forth quickly, too. Allow's hear it for speedy service!

NUMBER 1 STEPS IN SOME DEEP NUMBER Two!

Simply the most welcome plot that the writers moved forth quickly was my favorite aspect of this episode, and that was Michael'southward betrayal of Saru and of her coiffure…and its consequences. Three weeks ago, I complained nearly how I felt that Michael Burnham was a lousy choice for first officer because she's such a loose cannon. "How many second chances is this headstrong adult female gonna keep getting???" I shouted through the Internet. Then final week, I compared the Saru/Burnham dynamic to Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock…only with the roles reversed. I mused: "And while nosotros know exactly how the dynamic works with Kirk and Spock when the passionate, lead-from-gut-intuition adventurer is in modify—what happens when the calm and rational brainy guy gets the last word? Will the headstrong maverick want to mind and follow orders the same fashion the past-the-volume logical one would have?"

Well, nosotros now know the answer…and it didn't have very long, did it? Granted, the writers set an almost incommunicable choice for Michael: disobey direct orders or save a beloved friend. Yes, there was also the McGuffin of getting the terminal black box (more on that presently), only we all know why Michael actually went to the salvage planet. There was a Book she just couldn't tear herself away from.

At present, in Star Trek III, Kirk disobeys orders, steals the Enterprise, and blows information technology upward…all to save Spock. His friends help him. In the end, he saves World and gets a mild slap on the wrist along with command of the Enterprise back. In "Scavengers," Burnham does mostly the aforementioned thing (with aid from Georgiou but without blowing up a starship…and she only saves some prisoners, not an entire planet), and notwithstanding her penalisation feels MUCH more severe than Kirk's.

And I say…about frickin' fourth dimension!!!

Granted, I exercise love Star Trek Ii-III-Four, and I believe in what Kirk did. But every bit this latest episode of Discovery explained (very well, in fact!), Michael's decision did not just impact her and Georgiou. Information technology had the potential to affect the lives and careers of her entire coiffure…without their consent! At to the lowest degree Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Scotty, and McCoy all agreed to help Kirk get Spock. This was a frail period where Discovery and her coiffure were trying to earn the trust and respect of future Starfleet. Having their XO disobey the orders of her captain and get A.Due west.O.L. at a time when the Discovery was standing by to be sent on an important mission at whatever moment…this was the epitome of selfishness and (if I may be so bold) sheer friggin' hubris. Non only did Michael betray her captain's trust, she betrayed all of her friends and shipmates.

That's BAD.

And honestly, just taking her out of the position of XO was the To the lowest degree that should have happened! I know that Michael (perchance I should go back to calling her Burnham?) is needed to triangulate the black boxes, so keeping her on equally science officer and not only putting her into the brig for a month (like Tom Paris had to endure in the Voyager episode "Xxx Days") makes sense. But how about at least confining her to quarters for a month and demoting her back to lieutenant?

When Michael, tears in her eyes, tells Saru that he'southward doing the correct thing, I wanted to smack her with a Starfleet officer'south manual! Saru doesn't need HER blessing to discipline his coiffure. And she got off easy. Be happy they're letting y'all stay on the darn transport, Michael, 'crusade you could just equally easily analyze the black boxes working from the futurity Starfleet space station HQ…or fifty-fifty from their brig!

In fact, why is Michael fifty-fifty needed to analyze those black boxes? Doesn't anyone else in the milky way know how to triangulate? And hey, why was Michael the just person to always think of looking at the black boxes in the first place? Is anybody in the hereafter an idiot? Starfleet (even what's left of it) should be full of smart scientists. The idea that the wave that destroyed all of the dilithium in the galaxy originated from some central location seems like something that SOMEONE would have thought to look at in the last century, right? But I guess Michael Burnham always needs to be the one to save anybody and everything.

Oops, that was another "stupid and abrasive" complaint sneaking into the web log. Dorsum to the good stuff…

I do desire to tip my lid for the scene where Admiral Vance chews out Saru for not bringing Michael's data direct to him (Vance) in the outset place earlier telling her "no" on the rescue mission. Vance was 100% right, and Saru should experience properly chastised. But it's an interesting dynamic here, as well. Saru is the "new kid in the fleet" and wants to fit in, and information technology's hard to know what and how much to bring to the admiral's attending before becoming too annoying and appearing helpless. And then I also become where Saru is coming from. This scene needed to happen, and I'm glad that it did. Now Saru knows that Vance wants to exist informed—and hopefully, next time, Saru won't be and then skittish.

LAST Ii THINGS…

All right, one more than stupid thing and one more good matter to cover. Coin flip time! Okay, stupid thing goes first…

Why isn't future Starfleet edifice a new armada of Discovery s? I hateful, information technology would be 1 thing if the ship were some kind of indecipherable alien engineering that they had to figure out first. Nosotros've seen that trope about a g times in various sci-fi, from Stargate to The Expanse. But non just does Discovery have its own specs and blueprints in its figurer banks, but the guy who frickin' DESIGNED the spore bulldoze is right there on the ship! Yes, I know that, right now, Paul Stamets is the merely person who can "drive" the transport through the magical mushroom bout, but the Discovery crew is already working on that problem, and I'm sure the smart people from the future would exist happy to help.

And finally, the last of the practiced things—which was kinda tacked on at the stop anyway equally a tagged on C-story—and that was Stamets reaching out to Adira Tal with the hand of friendship. Granted, it was interesting that i of the two master gay characters would achieve out to the non-binary grapheme (with the trans boyfriend), but I don't think in that location was any hidden message there…liberal or otherwise. Information technology'due south simply that every other primary character has major things going on and would overwhelm Adira plot-wise:

• Saru is captain and has his problems with Michael.
• Michael is, well, overwhelming to any character.
• Tilly is her own supernova and already was the "I'll be friends with the new kid" character when Michael first came aboard.
• Hugh is pretty busy being anybody's friend and therapist.
• Jett Reno isn't really tocuhy-feely.
• Georgiou doesn't make friends.

I suppose i of the interchangeable span officers, Linus, or that cleaning guy Gene could have befriended Adira, simply why would we care? And then that left Stamets…and it was a good, positive scene to lighten up an otherwise heavy episode of tension, suspense, disharmonize, and consequences. I'chiliad non sure where this new friendship is headed, nor what's going to happen with "Trill ghost" Gray, but not every subplot needs to move frontwards at warp speed.

As a final side-note, looking back from the bespeak of view of a 53-year-former hubby, I'm not not sure how thrilled I'd be having my girlfriend from back when I was 16 be living inside my head every bit a talking imaginary friend for the balance of my life. Just something to think nearly…

Okay, I've written enough for the week. Next week, every bit we requite thanks hither in America, we can also be thankful for crossing the halfway betoken in the tertiary season of Discovery!

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Source: https://fanfilmfactor.com/2020/11/21/if-you-ignore-the-stupid-and-annoying-stuff-discoverys-sixth-episode-was-pretty-good-editorial-review/