Star Trek - Discovery - 1.05: Choose Your Pain

[Cli-Fi]

No way ! I kinda like the new guy and now I have to hate him ?

Of course! Everyone on this show is crazy!

 

[Dave]

If you were wondering whether to click on that link, then it is either an enormous spoiler or they are playing with our minds. It is certainly possible and would explain the lack of mention of the Klingon Augment Virus up to this point. The other observations that it makes are unmistakably present. Now pointed out, if this is not the reason, then they'd need some other better explanation.

I kinda like the new guy and now I have to hate him?

I actually thought that his story seemed a little weak, and we have discussed the fact that he doesn't appear to have been tortured, starved or beaten. I thought that was just poor writing but it could just be exceptional writing.

The comments about IMDb entries - do actors maintain those themselves? I didn't think so, in which case the picture of Javid Iqbal as only a Klingon is not unusual. Plenty of actors on IMDb have only a blank box. I think that particular piece of "evidence" might be reaching too far.

 

[Alexa]

He was beaten, at least in this episode. They told us klingons let them choose their punching bag every day. We didn't see other prisoners on that ship, but this doesn't mean they do not exist.

 

[Alexa]

Of course! Everyone on this show is crazy!

I'll say enchanted, not crazy. Otherwise, how they got us already hooked on this series ?

 

[Cli-Fi]

I'll say enchanted, not crazy. Otherwise, how they got us already hooked on this series ?

By writing great complex characters on the backdrop of space. These characters remind me of the crew from The Expanse, it'd be interesting to have them against each other. Although I think Discovery characters are 10X crazier with all their mental instability. Makes me think how much space is affecting them all. Obviously Stamets is the most affected. He didn't want to be there in the first place.

At least the expanse crew can normalize. The most "normal" character in Discovery that we know well is Saru, and he is an alien!

 

[Vince W]

I think it's fair to say that we're not really supposed to 'like' any of the crew of Discovery. It's one of the new directions this series is taking. Liking the characters is irrelevant to the story. The story is supposed to make up for our lack of empathy for the crew. I'd say they've got 50% of what they wanted.

 

[Alexa]

I would like Michael back in the same mood she was in the first episode. And the captain is not so crazy. We all know now he needs treatements for his eyes.

 

[Cli-Fi]

I would like Michael back in the same mood she was in the first episode. And the captain is not so crazy. We all know now he needs treatements for his eyes.

IDT that's possible for Michael. She was charged with mutiny by the Federation. Even though she did the right thing and was right. She is now an outcast because false rumors say she started the war when she was trying to prevent. Her attitude right now is perfectly understandable. Though, I do not think military service was a great idea for her in the first place. Has she followed one order?

Eye Treatments do not cause people to keep skeletons in a lair.

 

[Alexa]

Leaders usually do not follow rules, they make them.

All right, I agree this new captain is not somebody who deserves to be followed. Maybe this is the whole point of making the series 10 years before all the others and give us the reasons for all those Federation rules.

 

[Cli-Fi]

I think it's fair to say that we're not really supposed to 'like' any of the crew of Discovery. It's one of the new directions this series is taking. Liking the characters is irrelevant to the story. The story is supposed to make up for our lack of empathy for the crew. I'd say they've got 50% of what they wanted.

I quite like Stamets, but I always like the more complex eccentric characters.

 

[ralphkern]

An ok episode, I think the full implications of it are still to be seen, and at the moment feels a little like a filler.

What did annoy me was the F bomb. Not because they used it (hell, I drop them with casual abandon in real life, and really have to dial back the amount in my writing lest it seems overused), but because of the clumsiness of that use. It felt like they thought they were naughty school kids giving a bad word a go.

If the context had been different, perhaps Lorca staring down the Klingon toturer and telling her, 'F you'. (Or even maybe a semi-comedy moment and saving it for an evitable viewscreen face off prior to to engaging in battle) it would have been FAR more impactful and natural seeming.

The producers clearly felt they were crossing a line, except instead of a confident stride, it was a hestitant shuffle.

 

[Cathbad]

What did annoy me was the F bomb. Not because they used it (hell, I drop them with casual abandon in real life, and really have to dial back the amount in my writing lest it seems overused), but because of the clumsiness of that use. It felt like they thought they were naughty school kids giving a bad word a go.

Exactly the right term - clumsy.

 

[Highlander II]

Does anyone else think that we're missing out on some other characters, like Lt.Detmer (what's up with the face implant?), or the semi-robotic Airiam? I would like to know a little about them as well.

Specifically about Detmer's face implant - she was on the Shenzhou at the Battle of the Binary Stars and was injured there. She's in the pilot and, iirc, gives Michael the side-eye when she first shows up on Discovery.