STD "Choose Your Pain" Thoughts
Oct. 16th, 2017 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caitriSo this might actually be the most hopeful episode because it's all about escaping from different kinds of prisons; it's the sort of ep that shows off its complex writing, and you can really see through the intersecting layers of the story...and makes me look forward to reading the inevitable volumes of academic criticism.
There's three prisons here: the Klingon prison ship where Lorca is kidnapped; the science module thing where the space critter is being tortured; and the prisons of regret where Michael and Saru both live. Also in a weird way, Star Trek's historic closet, because the last scene is devoted to the adorable Space Boyfriends.
I love that Lorca gets some time here to fledge out his backstory: His tragic manpain is that when his ship was captured he escaped...and destroyed it so that his crew wouldn't be tortured and worked to death on Praxis. That is some hella survivor's guilt, and an incredibly human layer to add to the war-mongerer he is despised as--because he actually KNOWS what war is far better than most everyone. There was also some interesting dialogue from Harry Mudd about Starfleet Captains looking out the windows of their starships that placed a class emphasis point of view on things that generally isn't seen on Trek, but one that I think works. (I always think of that TNG ep "The Lower Decks" from the point of view of the low-ranking officers, and how everything suddenly looks so much different and messier when none of the decisions are in your hands.)
In the Klingon prison the prisoners have to choose their pain--literally enacting 'the prisoner's dilemma' puzzle with three prisoners who can choose to punish themselves or someone else, with a 2/3 rule. I was half-waiting for Lorca to choose the pain for himself as self-flagellation; that's what Kirk or Picard would have done, I think. Instead, he and another prisoner fake things out and end up escaping, and Lorca clearly has a man for life. He also continually refers to the guy (apparently the character's name is Ash Tyler, and I totally had to google it) paternally as "soldier." Oh, said guy has also been serially raped by the woman commander of the ship, so that's a lot of baggage. ....Basically it's classic hurt/comfort stuff and I NEED THE FIC ALREADY.
(FYI There's currently 77 stories on AO3. Good job, gang. But....we need more!)
Apparently I overlooked that Rainn Wilson played Harry Mudd? I've never cared for that character, but yay fan service.
Anyway, back on Discovery, Saru angsts about being a good Acting Captain while Michael tries to save the space critter, arguing that is likely sentient, and that bearing that kind of pain is a sacrifice that should be chosen. The ship's doctor--but apparently not CMO--agrees, and surprisingly enough Science Asshole Stamets chooses to bear it himself. We only see the aftermath where he's lying unconscious and then comes too, giggling a bit. But....I that was such a beautiful moment. And then the arc concludes by setting space critter free.
And then the very end: Sweet Doctor and Science Asshole are space boyfriends who apparently share quarters. They brush their teeth in the mirror and snark at each other and it all comes from love and my heart, she grows. But I teared up a bit because I'm a squishball: This is only the second scene of mutual love--the first being that between Michael and Georgiou in the pilot, though that was agape (well prob not in the fic....)--we've seen and it's between an interracial gay couple. Like, that's the utopian future I want: Interracial science space boyfriends. (And girlfriends. I could 'ship Michael/Tilley.)
Final thought: I like that this episode's MA rating was brought to us by the phrase "That is really fucking cool!" TWICE! <3
There's three prisons here: the Klingon prison ship where Lorca is kidnapped; the science module thing where the space critter is being tortured; and the prisons of regret where Michael and Saru both live. Also in a weird way, Star Trek's historic closet, because the last scene is devoted to the adorable Space Boyfriends.
I love that Lorca gets some time here to fledge out his backstory: His tragic manpain is that when his ship was captured he escaped...and destroyed it so that his crew wouldn't be tortured and worked to death on Praxis. That is some hella survivor's guilt, and an incredibly human layer to add to the war-mongerer he is despised as--because he actually KNOWS what war is far better than most everyone. There was also some interesting dialogue from Harry Mudd about Starfleet Captains looking out the windows of their starships that placed a class emphasis point of view on things that generally isn't seen on Trek, but one that I think works. (I always think of that TNG ep "The Lower Decks" from the point of view of the low-ranking officers, and how everything suddenly looks so much different and messier when none of the decisions are in your hands.)
In the Klingon prison the prisoners have to choose their pain--literally enacting 'the prisoner's dilemma' puzzle with three prisoners who can choose to punish themselves or someone else, with a 2/3 rule. I was half-waiting for Lorca to choose the pain for himself as self-flagellation; that's what Kirk or Picard would have done, I think. Instead, he and another prisoner fake things out and end up escaping, and Lorca clearly has a man for life. He also continually refers to the guy (apparently the character's name is Ash Tyler, and I totally had to google it) paternally as "soldier." Oh, said guy has also been serially raped by the woman commander of the ship, so that's a lot of baggage. ....Basically it's classic hurt/comfort stuff and I NEED THE FIC ALREADY.
(FYI There's currently 77 stories on AO3. Good job, gang. But....we need more!)
Apparently I overlooked that Rainn Wilson played Harry Mudd? I've never cared for that character, but yay fan service.
Anyway, back on Discovery, Saru angsts about being a good Acting Captain while Michael tries to save the space critter, arguing that is likely sentient, and that bearing that kind of pain is a sacrifice that should be chosen. The ship's doctor--but apparently not CMO--agrees, and surprisingly enough Science Asshole Stamets chooses to bear it himself. We only see the aftermath where he's lying unconscious and then comes too, giggling a bit. But....I that was such a beautiful moment. And then the arc concludes by setting space critter free.
And then the very end: Sweet Doctor and Science Asshole are space boyfriends who apparently share quarters. They brush their teeth in the mirror and snark at each other and it all comes from love and my heart, she grows. But I teared up a bit because I'm a squishball: This is only the second scene of mutual love--the first being that between Michael and Georgiou in the pilot, though that was agape (well prob not in the fic....)--we've seen and it's between an interracial gay couple. Like, that's the utopian future I want: Interracial science space boyfriends. (And girlfriends. I could 'ship Michael/Tilley.)
Final thought: I like that this episode's MA rating was brought to us by the phrase "That is really fucking cool!" TWICE! <3
(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-17 02:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-17 06:18 pm (UTC)Also, what no one has mentioned, afaik, is the multitude of minority faces aboard ship: The Black woman protagonist, the Black woman helmsman with dreads, the Black doctor, the Asian bridge officer, the multitude of women everywhere. Just looking at it makes me happy!
Also also, I'm baffled by people into The Orville? But I can't fucking stand Seth McFarlane, so that's just me, I guess..
(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-19 05:54 pm (UTC)I've always hated Harry Mudd and have never understood why he's generally perceived as a "lovable rogue" in fandom. I thought Wilson did a great job with him, making him recognizably Harry Mudd but giving him an updated, edgier feel that fits with the new show.
I was somewhat alarmed at my reaction to Lorca's refusing to let Mudd come with him and Tyler. While I was watching the show, I was all, "Ha! Take THAT Harry Mudd!" But once the episode was over, and I'd calmed down, I was appalled that a Starfleet captain left a Federation citizen in Klingon hands. Kirk would have complained at having to rescue the likes of Harry Mudd ... but he would have done it.
A lot of people seem to think that Tyler is Voq in disguise, that the "everything" Voq would have to give up was his Klingon appearance. Since everybody seems to be expecting it, I hope it doesn't happen. :-)
So what do you think was up with Stanmets' reflection at the very end? How does having tardigrade DNA make a person's reflection linger in the mirror after the actual person has departed?
I loved it when Saru confessed WHY he was so angry with Burnham. Doug Jones continues to be just amazing.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-20 09:24 pm (UTC)Interesting on the Voq-as-Tyler idea. .... Still shippin' Lorca/Tyler though. ;)
And re: the weird reflection: I kept thinking of Loki at the end-scene of the first Thor film, mostly just because of the visual. But given that Ripper's power was to be in many places at once, I wonder if there's an element of that there, or if it's going to be more of a take on "copies" like the old TOS episode where Kirk gets split into "good Kirk" and "bad Kirk." Either way we'll find out in two days!!!!!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-20 01:33 pm (UTC)I am still struggling with getting into DS9. I think maybe I should just google some "best episode" lists and skip around, and then maybe I will be motivated to go back and watch the whole thing, same with Enterprise.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-10-20 05:21 pm (UTC)As for Enterprise: I actually enjoyed the show, and more so in retrospect because they did some interesting things to try to engage with what was going on in the real world (there's an episode that is a straight up redux of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" but about religious extremism and terrorism). One of my favorite episodes is "Carbon Creek" which is 2nd season and is the "family story" of a small group of Vulcans who crashland on Earth in the 1950s. As for the series as a whole--I remember it airing just after 9/11 and being so disconnected that I tuned out, so I ended up bingewatching it like six years later and being really moved/impressed with what they did in terms of storytelling and so on. For instance, in the third season they jettisoned the MOTW form and told a completely serialized story, and then for the final season it became a series of 3-episode arcs to try to keep telling longer stories in a different way. I think the finale is a great ep--it's the one where Riker is visiting the ship on the holodeck during "Pegasus" and the actor is so painfully 15 years older/heavier--but kind of messy in what it was trying to do, and sort of cheated the show by entwining it with TNG and not giving them their own resolution. But it might end up being a useful introduction for that same reason? So.
If you watch these please post and lemme know; I'd love to hear your thinkie thoughts!! :)