Star Trek - Discovery - 1.03: Context Is for Kings

[williamjm]

First, let me give one of my favorite rants about film and TV prison idiocy:

Prison guards do not carry guns or rifles!! Even Emergency Reaction Teams only carry non-lethal arms, like rifles which shoot pellets containing pepper-spray, mace, bean-bags, etc., and/or shock/stun weapons. Why? Because they are vastly outnumbered. Bring a rifle, shotgun or handgun into the facility, and you risk it being taken from you - and used not only on yourself, but other guards, as well. Even the Sheriff's Department has to stop at the front gate and surrender their weapons, before they are allowed to enter the facility! [Yes, tower guards do carry rifles - but the towers are not in the facility, with the inmates!]

Star Trek, unfortunately. has done the same. Not unexpected, though. It makes prison look even more dangerous than it is.

With Federation technology I would have thought it would be possible to biometrically lock the weapons so only their owners could use them which could solve the problem, not that I expect the writers to actually have thought of that.

I like this new angle and showing of the darker side of ST universe. It feels so much more plausible (minus the magical spores) than what the utopia previous series painted to the viewers.

I think it's not unprecedented to show this darker side - this sort of black ops vessel is a bit reminiscent of what we've seen of Section 31 in the older shows and it wouldn't be surprising if Lorca was Section 31 himself. Other people online have pointed out the Discovery's designation happens to be NCC-1031.

 

[ralphkern]

Other people online have pointed out the Discovery's designation happens to be NCC-1031.

Ha! Operational security is as paramount in the Star Trek universe as it is in the Simpsons.

 

[Dave]

As this series is supposely 10 years before the adventures of Captain Kirk and the original Star Trek series in 1966, than I'm ready to bet Lorca will broke several rules. The Federation will add new rules later, as a consequence.

True. There was no Standing Order Number One in Enterprise and all those Captains that contaminated the cultures of planets in TOS that Kirk had to clean up after didn't follow the Prime Directive. So, this series could be all about the instigation of the Prime Directive aka Standing Order Number One.

One small tiny problem though, Standing Order Number Four was instigated following Pike's visit to Talos IV. One would expect that Standing Order Number One was written prior to Standing Order Number Four.

...this sort of black ops vessel is a bit reminiscent of what we've seen of Section 31 in the older shows and it wouldn't be surprising if Lorca was Section 31 himself. Other people online have pointed out the Discovery's designation happens to be NCC-1031.

This is highly likely, and there is a big Star Trek fan base that loves all things Section 31 related which they would tap into.

Ha! Operational security is as paramount in the Star Trek universe as it is in the Simpsons

Again, to be fair, we aren't taking here about anything that would be known as Section 31 within this time period, but something that would grow from its roots on the Discovery, to much later become an organisation known as that, and for that reason.

 

[Glaysher]

Again, to be fair, we aren't taking here about anything that would be known as Section 31 within this time period, but something that would grow from its roots on the Discovery, to much later become an organisation known as that, and for that reason.

Section 31 was in Enterprise and has existed since the start of Starfleet

 

[Bugg]

I'm not sure whether I liked the episode or not. It was an improvement over the first two, but I found my mind wandered at a couple of points, so it wasn't really keeping my attention.

It wasn't helped by two of her fellow prisoners being played by actors who have recently appeared in The Expanse. It made me realise I'd rather be watching that than this.

Sticking with it, though. I want to give it time to find its feet. I remember how bad TNG was at the start.

 

[Dave]

Section 31 was in Enterprise and has existed since the start of Starfleet

Apologies, I guess I just forgot that. Only watched Enterprise episodes once and quite a while ago. In which case, I retract what I said. Ralph is correct, it is indeed like the Simpsons! Which means giving the ship an NCC 1031 designation is plain stupidity by Starfleet.

 

[ctg]

Apologies, I guess I just forgot that. Only watched Enterprise episodes once and quite a while ago. In which case, I retract what I said. Ralph is correct, it is indeed like the Simpsons! Which means giving the ship an NCC 1031 designation is plain stupidity by Starfleet.

A lot of stuff that Section 31 did in the previous series were on verge of stupid. Those episodes felt as if they were made because the writers couldn't figure out any other way to get in a bad guy. Section 31 was featured in the Enterprise and DS9. If the producers are going to embrace this then they should fully develop this dark murky world and put the StarFleet command far away as possible.

 

[Alexa]

True. There was no Standing Order Number One in Enterprise and all those Captains that contaminated the cultures of planets in TOS that Kirk had to clean up after didn't follow the Prime Directive. So, this series could be all about the instigation of the Prime Directive aka Standing Order Number One.

One small tiny problem though, Standing Order Number Four was instigated following Pike's visit to Talos IV. One would expect that Standing Order Number One was written prior to Standing Order Number Four.

Order Number four is a death penalty. It contradicts Order Number Seven, which is also associated with death penalty.

 

[Dave]

Order Number four is a death penalty. It contradicts Order Number Seven, which is also associated with death penalty.

I actually meant number seven, the Talosian one. Sorry. Starfleet General Orders and Regulations

Anyway, my point is that the numbering suggests that Gene Roddenberry must have wanted the Prime Directive to have been something developed very early after the formation of the United Federation of Planets, and not something developed over several years following, and as a response to, incidents that occurred. Other writers, producers and directors have written that into it and this series may go further. First Contact also hinted that it was a Vulcan philosophy from pre-Federation.

 

[Vladd67]

Spoiler

Will be interesting to see the meaning of the black badges nobody seems to recognise.

 

[ctg]

Will be interesting to see the meaning of the black badges nobody seems to recognise.

If nobody outside USS Discovery recognise them as legitimate badges than no problem. Did you notice they have no stripes, no chevrons, nothing to indicate rank?

 

[Vladd67]

Some sort of rank and file special security force? Not everyone is an officer.

 

[Cathbad]

Some sort of rank and file special security force? Not everyone is an officer.

Officers often take off their insignia in the field, lest they become sniper targets. Could they be hiding rank to further hide their identities?

 

[Vince W]

Black badges might mean they're part of some sooper sekret science division like Black Mesa.

 

[Cathbad]

Black whut?

 

[Vince W]

Black Mesa was the evil science corp in the Half-Life game.

 

[Cathbad]

Black Mesa was the evil science corp in the Half-Life game.

Ah!

Thank you.

 

[Dave]

Ye Gods! What is mesa? What is you-sa sayin'? Count mesa Jar Jar outa that one.

 

[Cli-Fi]

A lot of stuff that Section 31 did in the previous series were on verge of stupid. Those episodes felt as if they were made because the writers couldn't figure out any other way to get in a bad guy. Section 31 was featured in the Enterprise and DS9. If the producers are going to embrace this then they should fully develop this dark murky world and put the StarFleet command far away as possible.

Hiding in plain sight seems about right and fits Lorcas style. He's pure evil. He had captured the creature in his evil lair!!!!! I mean there was skeletons and stuff in there.

 

[Cli-Fi]

Not me, even if it's plausible in the quantum theory, and the reason for that is because a galactic wide fungal infestation sounds like midichlorians George Lucas invented. That technology however would explain Spocks visions at the new ST movies.

I like this new angle and showing of the darker side of ST universe. It feels so much more plausible (minus the magical spores) than what the utopia previous series painted to the viewers.

The magical spores are one of the coolest new ideas in science fiction that I've ever seen. I remember, back when the midichlorians were first mentioned in the phantom menace people hated the idea. I didn't like it because it seemed underdeveloped and just thrown in there (one of the only problems I have with the prequels). Star Trek is taking that concept a step further and actually makes it less magical. Discovery is researching what we can do with these things and how we can use it for transport. I'm also predicting something bad and dangerous happens with the technology, because of it's lack of mention in other eras, and why the future ships still use warp cores. Humans aren't magically and randomly born with them.

If Discovery was successful in it's mission, no doubt it would be one of the most famous ships in Starfleet. This isn't the case.