STD: What's Past is Prologue

[Worffan101]

http://sfdebris.com/videos/startrek/c113.php

Chuck reviews another episode of the yeast infection that is Discovery, and is again frustrated with the mushroom lore.

I do like how Chuck is willing and able to point out the potential Shakespeare counterpart of Lorca, while also calling out all the garbage logic, garbage fake-science, and garbage writing in this garbage episode of a garbage show.

When he says "And yes, I'm belaboring that point", I'm like, "no, Chuck, you don't need to apologize, this is something you need to say". Because Burnham IS a freaking idiot here, on a ridiculous level.

[Linkara]

Two points with Chuck I'll disagree on - the first is stopping Lorca. With his high aspirations and ambitions (plus his willingness to lie and commit a grand deception to get what he wants) there's no guarantee that he'd be any better than Georgiou, nor any guarantee he'd keep his aspirations SIMPLY to the Mirror Universe. After all, "destiny" placed him in that universe in particular and maybe to keep Michael happy he'll save the Federation from the Klingons as long as they'll bow to him. What better way to show just how powerful an Emperor he is than ruling TWO universes?

The other is in Michael saving Georgiou. While it was a development that made sense for her character, as we see with the remaining episodes of the season it is NOT framed as a good choice. It was, in fact, a terrible mistake that could have resulted in billions of deaths. I'm okay with characters making mistakes as long as they're driven by their own internal logic and consistency and indeed Michael's feelings of guilt about Georgiou have driven a lot of her character development, so I am okay with her making this call even though is was phenomenally stupid and wrong... a fact she finds out for herself.

[Wargriffin]

I honestly think its the Writers were in love with Michelle Yeoh and were looking for any excuse to keep her around.

Hence why we trade out Lorca for The Emperor

[Worffan101]

Two points with Chuck I'll disagree on - the first is stopping Lorca. With his high aspirations and ambitions (plus his willingness to lie and commit a grand deception to get what he wants) there's no guarantee that he'd be any better than Georgiou, nor any guarantee he'd keep his aspirations SIMPLY to the Mirror Universe. After all, "destiny" placed him in that universe in particular and maybe to keep Michael happy he'll save the Federation from the Klingons as long as they'll bow to him. What better way to show just how powerful an Emperor he is than ruling TWO universes?

The other is in Michael saving Georgiou. While it was a development that made sense for her character, as we see with the remaining episodes of the season it is NOT framed as a good choice. It was, in fact, a terrible mistake that could have resulted in billions of deaths. I'm okay with characters making mistakes as long as they're driven by their own internal logic and consistency and indeed Michael's feelings of guilt about Georgiou have driven a lot of her character development, so I am okay with her making this call even though is was phenomenally stupid and wrong... a fact she finds out for herself.

What makes me disagree here is that the writers clearly didn't INTEND for any of this implied story. They just wanted to get their money's worth out of Yeoh and had no idea how to finish the season, so they had her brought along and NOT instantly thrown in the brig by Saru.

I mean, think about it--Saru should after even the most cursory debrief of Burnham be aware that Mirror Georgiou is a cannibalistic fascist zealot who likes throwing WMDs around and designed and built a ship that (because the writers continue to have no sense of scale) would have DESTROYARED THE UINVERS, right?

So why doesn't he immediately throw her in the Brig? he can't trust this psychopath for even a second, and he should be instantly aware that something's up both because of his magic coward powers (side note, I hate the way they handled his "my species are cowards" angle, but that's another rant I don't want to get into right now) and because there is a dead woman walking around in front of him in a Terran uniform--and since this is Mirror Georgiou, she will not be acting like regular Georgiou. There is NO REASON to let her wander around free and EVERY reason to lock her up and throw away the key because she's a genocidal psychopath with delusions of grandeur. Where regular Georgiou was basically Picard with boobs, Mirror Georgiou is a cheap thug who thinks she's a Great Woman of History--ironically much like Lorca, who after all that "the captain's probably evil!" stuff turns out to be...a cheap thug who thinks he's a Great Man of History.

Honestly, even when this show sort of gets something write they manage to screw it up.

I'm frankly kinda surprised that Chuck didn't discuss the incredibly lazy "LOL he's just like Trump!" nonsense they pulled with Lorca, too. That was some shockingly bad writing.

[Karha of Honor]

I like Michelle Yeah but sometimes she needs subttitles. That is why i was hoping she was gone after the pilot.

[SuccubusYuri]

I do like how Chuck is willing and able to point out the potential Shakespeare counterpart of Lorca, while also calling out all the garbage logic, garbage fake-science, and garbage writing in this garbage episode of a garbage show.

I can't be the only one who noted we've now done episode 13 and there is a gaping, empty Trek-shaped hole in the Christmas specials, right? xD

The Reality Bomb Mushrooms are a huge obstacle for me, as well. Although if someone were to sell me something called "Reality Bomb Mushrooms" at a music festival...I digress, I could have swallowed it easier if it was JUST the destruction of the Network. Arguably, that would have been way better because you can then explain away why this tech no longer exists in the Prime universe, even if it's never shown on screen, you've just established that the spore drive is dependent on the even-handed temperament of the Terran Empire, and its later successor states. No one is losing money on how that race ends.

Put me in the camp that thoroughly exploring Mirror Lorca would have made a much more interesting thread for the whole series. It could have been an interesting twist on the story DS9 did with Sloan, how, maybe, paradise needs a man like him developing its weapons and black ops, as he becomes a helpful resident of the Prime universe.

[clearspira]

I like Michelle Yeah but sometimes she needs subttitles. That is why i was hoping she was gone after the pilot.

The first time I ever saw her was Tomorrow Never Dies - couldn't understand her then either.

[clearspira]

I do like how Chuck is willing and able to point out the potential Shakespeare counterpart of Lorca, while also calling out all the garbage logic, garbage fake-science, and garbage writing in this garbage episode of a garbage show.

I can't be the only one who noted we've now done episode 13 and there is a gaping, empty Trek-shaped hole in the Christmas specials, right? xD

The Reality Bomb Mushrooms are a huge obstacle for me, as well. Although if someone were to sell me something called "Reality Bomb Mushrooms" at a music festival...I digress, I could have swallowed it easier if it was JUST the destruction of the Network. Arguably, that would have been way better because you can then explain away why this tech no longer exists in the Prime universe, even if it's never shown on screen, you've just established that the spore drive is dependent on the even-handed temperament of the Terran Empire, and its later successor states. No one is losing money on how that race ends.

Put me in the camp that thoroughly exploring Mirror Lorca would have made a much more interesting thread for the whole series. It could have been an interesting twist on the story DS9 did with Sloan, how, maybe, paradise needs a man like him developing its weapons and black ops, as he becomes a helpful resident of the Prime universe.

Chuck did say last time we had a Christmas Trek that we had seen the last of the Christmas Trek reviews. I guess that he doesn't consider any of these bad enough to warrant a 0. We've only had one season (of one hopefully) so its understandable.

[Drooling Iguana]

All scores are relative to their series and Discovery isn't over yet, so no scores can be given and therefore there can't be any zeroes.

[Aotrs Commander]

*watches review*

There are not enough skulldesks in the world.