From: tlynch@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: First Duty (Spoilers)
Date: 9 Apr 92 01:22:05 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

goodwin@orionsci.uucp (Ben Goodwin) writes:

>Spoilers for First Duty


>Sorry, hated almost everything about this one.  I am not kidding.

Well, you can't please *everyone*...

>I couldn't buy the whole premise.  Let's see, Wesley knows that the
>maneuver is dangerous and regardless of whether they pull it off or
>not there is going to be a reprimand at the least.  

Maybe, maybe not.  It's awfully tough to give a formal reprimand to people
who are outright legends at the time.  It's even tougher to mean it.

>Joshua whatshisname
>isn't ready for the maneuver.  Wesley stated at sometime that Josh had
>been shakey as of late and yet Wesley decides to risk it all on a stupid
>childish prank.  

Wrong in some respects.  Wes never said that Josh was shaky; Locarno did
when he tried to put the blame on him.  I believe Josh being not-quite-ready
for the stunt was established, but not the "problems" Locarno tried to
allude to.

>I couldn't buy this characterization of Wesley.  

You mean he's a human being and an occasionally brash young kid?

>And then when the board questions him he lies.  

You mean he's a human being and an occasionally brash young kid?

>And he refuses to answer to Picard.  

This surprised me, but not in a negative way.  Peer pressure can be a VERY
strong thing, and in retrospect it's not surprising Wes was so susceptible.
It was a shocking moment, but an intentional, well-founded one.

>I am not surprised by Picards actions in the conference room.

Who was?

>Wesley has shown himself to be a mature person in the last 4 years and
>now this?  Sorry, ruined it for me.

You mean he's a human being and an occasionally brash young kid?

(I trust my point is getting across here.  You're complaining because he's
not perfect, when most people's complaints about the early Wes were that
he was amazingly, and unrealistically, perfect.  You can't have it both
ways.)

>The leader of nova squadron was a jerk.  Who would follow him?  

Evidently a great many people.  I wouldn't have wanted to serve under
him myself, but he seemed to capture a certain charisma that I could see
affecting a lot of people.  Hey, I wouldn't be very interested in serving 
under a young Kirk *either*.

>Oh, and to the person who compared the leader of Nova Squadron to
>James T Kirk, I have this to say; NFW (No F*cking Way)!  

I've discussed this elsewhere.  I think you're overreacting; Kirk was
hardly perfect or a god, and you're bordering on worship here.

>Boothby, totally unnecessary waste of time.  

Why?  I found him interesting and downright entertaining.

>Sorry, I liked the Vulcan.  I was cringing as he cross examined the
>cadets and showed that they were obviously lying.  

So was I, but more along the lines of "and this guy's getting PAID?"  Woefully
unimpressive.

>The scene in Picard's ready room was fabulous.  Saved it from an F.
>Stewart was great.  Even Wesley did well in that scene.

Agreed, but...didn't you argue a few paragraphs back that Wes lying and
then refusing to answer Picard was way out of character?  Um...I'm
confused here.

>Didn't really like the scene where Picard informed Beverly that Wesley
>was OK.  I'm no psychologist, but the wooden, hypnotized manner didn't
>cut it for me.  If my little girl (22 months) was injured and they told
>me she was alright, I'd be overjoyed.  Beat the grim reaper again.

You say that now.  Are you *sure* that if there was a major accident,
that you would *only* feel overjoyed at her being alive?  I can readily see
a certain shock entering in, and Bev's worked beautifully.

Tim Lynch (Cornell's first Astronomy B.A.; one of many Caltech grad students)
BITNET:  tlynch@citjuliet
INTERNET:  tlynch@juliet.caltech.edu
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R.I.P. Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992.  You will be missed.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current