Worffan101 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:56 am
Doug Jones is a FABULOUS actor. He's wonderfully creepy as the death-gaze dude on Arrow, he's the generally acknowledged master of full-body makeup...and Saru is just a horrible character rooted in racialist stereotypes and dated themes.
I understand most of your arguments (but disagree or don't care), but don't understand this one.
Worffan101 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:56 am
Rekha Sharma is a veteran genre actress and seasoned performer who actually made me give a shit about the generic, bury-your-gays storyline that Star Trek Online stuck her with. So of course she gets killed off after like two episodes and her mirror doppelganger has like 5 minutes of screen time.
This may be proving your argument, but who is this?
1. Saru is a racialist character who is defined by his species stereotype. All Kelpiens are cowards therefore Saru is a coward and all his stories are about overcoming his inherent fearful nature. Also his species' biology makes even less sense than Kes's.
2. She played Tory Foster on nuBSG and Commander Landry on STD. She's also done a lot of guest roles in genre TV over the years. She was also in one episode of the Star Trek Continues fan film!
"A culture's teachings - and more importantly, the nature of its people - achieve definition in conflict. They find themselves, or find themselves lacking."
— Kreia, Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:57 pm
As someone preoccupied with anxiety at times, I like the exhibition of Saru as a character. But I guess it's possible that I'm reaching there.
When it's treated as a character attribute and not a racial attribute, I think it comes across much better in the show. I for one really like how Jones has taken the performance beyond what the script would have had him be. He's a very shrewd character, with enough hardship in his career that his natural inclinations both make sense and provide him something to struggle with on occasion.
At least, until they decided to wipe all that development away and replace it with... just Saru but angry?
BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:57 pm
As someone preoccupied with anxiety at times, I like the exhibition of Saru as a character. But I guess it's possible that I'm reaching there.
When it's treated as a character attribute and not a racial attribute, I think it comes across much better in the show. I for one really like how Jones has taken the performance beyond what the script would have had him be. He's a very shrewd character, with enough hardship in his career that his natural inclinations both make sense and provide him something to struggle with on occasion.
At least, until they decided to wipe all that development away and replace it with... just Saru but angry?
You say racial, and I see that in allegory maybe, but he is in fact a different species. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see what that ability of his people signifies as a racist aspect upon our own understanding of people.
BridgeConsoleMasher wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:48 am
You say racial, and I see that in allegory maybe, but he is in fact a different species. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see what that ability of his people signifies as a racist aspect upon our own understanding of people.
Yes, strictly-speaking it's a "species" trait, the same as "Vulcans are logical". But as allegory, Trek tends towards treating them in a way that is what some would believe are "racial" traits (such as often used in fantasy settings, as well). It's inaccurate and often problematic, but hopefully the terminology is well-understood.
S2's revelations definitely do some good work at undermining the stupidity of this premise for his people that was established in S1, though not without other issues (mostly related to the lack of follow-up).
"A culture's teachings - and more importantly, the nature of its people - achieve definition in conflict. They find themselves, or find themselves lacking."
— Kreia, Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
