Well, in a word, yes. If you're trying to establish a world with rules, then when you just break those rules, it breaks the story. You can say that you, personally, do not care. Okay, that's fine. But it's going to stick out like a sore thumb to anyone who has been watching Trek for a long time. You can do a series where none of the leads are in the chain of command. But you still need to have an actual chain of command on the ship. Otherwise it breaks the verisimilitude of the world. Plus, it becomes monumentally clear that the Writer's are forcing Saru to choose Tilly and lose the ship because they want the audience to see Burnham as the better choice. That does not jibe with the Saru we've seen of previous seasons, or even that season. They're forcing him to make out of character choices to make the audience believe that Burnham is the better captain.
I recall a definite command structure, it's just that circumstances have led to the actual captaincy being fluid. Also, I don't think Star Trek is quite as rigid in ranks as people think it is.
Finished S3 and am onto S4. One constant thing thru the first 3 seasons is that they try to do way to much in the season finale and especially with S3 it hurts it. I think they could have cut the mirror episode from a two-parter to a single episode and let the finale be a two parter. Deadline with Osyra in part 1 and Su’Kal in part 2 perhaps. as for S4 aside from Burnham being unnecessarily bitchy towards the President, I quite like the first two episodes.
Wow, I had the exact opposite reaction. The President had no place questioning her orders during a mission on the bridge. Burnham was doing her duty as she saw fit. I still don't understand this Burnham bias.
I think Burnham even calls her out, saying the overstepping was Rillak trying to make a name for herself as the new Federation leader.
If they're following DS9, then the Federation President is also the commander and chief of Starfleet.
Technically, but of course even today I don't see Biden visiting a carrier and questioning the orders of a captain on the bridge. Starfleet captains also have had a measure of autonomy throughout history and are both used to making such decisions, and usually have complete command on their own ship even when higher ranking officers come on board. The timing of Rillak's interference was really off to me.
No, don’t get me wrong. Burnham absolutely was in the right to take issue with the President questioning her orders. I’m talking about her general attitude about The President at the ceremony and then coming along on the mission in the first place. And even the follow up, seriously asking her if she’d ever been to the Commanders home world, trying to call her out for politician BS.
They are in a unique situation. This era, and ESPECIALLY the actual ship Discovery, blur the lines of "Starfleet" vs. "Federation". Discovery essentially single handedly rebuilt the Federation. Anything that Discovery does reverberates through the entire Federation. It makes a bit more sense in this context for the President to be more actively involved. Discovery was the ship/crew that rebuilt the Federation, and said Federation is hanging on by a thread as it is. Yeah, the President is going to be involved.
Good evening. It was a rough week. Thursday passed me by. But here we go for: Star Trek Discovery 4x12 Species Ten-C Ad & recap. Hailing frequencies open. 15hrs till DMA. 16 compounds of emotion. Black licorice is gross but still love Reno Dots spraying Peace Graffiti Ten-C ate the Dots. Ten-C looks like the alien probe on The Abyss. Intro playing. Discovery is like a bug in a jar. Oh she needed the licorice as gum! Book is the 5th Clevand Booker. Excellent performance by Tig. They love using that VR wall. The shuttlebay is all VR wall. Earth's General is in over her head. So humans created a new language based on math. Fascinating. It's Civil War on Book's ship. Evil scientist is being evil. Reno is the voice of reason on his shoulder. Michael & Saru in the ready room. Saru just yelled. This scene just got weird. They need to tell them to stop the DMA by using math. DMA + air = terror Sparkle sparkle Great sadness. Plasma vent They didn't like that. "You have to stop us, whatever it takes." Credits. One more for season four.
End of the rewatch tonight. Star Trek Discovery 4x13 Coming Home Season long Recap It ended with Reno's call. Now we got Tilly & the Cadets. This is not the spinoff I wanted. Federation HQ moves like a ship. Then a slice left from it. Weird. Earth General gone goofed. N'var president is gonna Spock it up with a mind meld. Did not go well. [Intro] The cat door was clever. Reno's back safe. USS Mitchell! Lovely tribute. Earth General now on her own mission of redemption. Things look dire for Tilly & the Admiral. Here's the shuttle craft. Transporter accident. Did they really just kill him? No way. Still dire for Tilly & Admiral. I liked their moment. Crazy vfx for the Ten-C home. Oh no. Noooo the fate of Earth & Nvar is on the Federation President making an awful speech. Now Michael is making her speech. Really? The asteroids are flying backward now? Billions of 1s are safe. Reincarnated. Uhhhhhhhhhh. Sure. Now Book has his speech. Epilogue A ferengi bartender! That's racist. Tilly's back with her family. Saru sharing a moment with his new woman. Michael & Book are great together. "We're gonna be okay." Shoreleave. United Earth President was a great cameo. Good episode. I'll go as high as to give it 8 Andys#sttnc Thank you to everyone who joined me on the rewatch. Next week, Star Trek Indiana Burnham and a Romulan Dial of Destiny. Or so I hear. Final season is near. #LewAshby
Finished my rewatch today. S4 is easily the best season of the show. It has some flaws for sure but I enjoyed it.