From: mzimmer@lonestar.utsa.edu (Martin B. Zimmerman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Thoughts on First Duty : SPOILERS
Summary: Things I want to get off my chest
Date: 6 Apr 92 23:55:28 GMT
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio

Ok these are somethings I have to get off my chest; therefore, spoilers abound.
^L
if that did not work, there are plenty of spaces.
^L































Ok personally I am of the oppion that first duty was a very well done episode.

This does make feel better about the writters of the series, with some of the
recent material I was beginning to worry.

I have grown up very close to military personnel; therefore, I am very used
to some of the things that they do and how they do act around each other.
In addition I have spent a lot of time near and on military acadmeies.
So I am used to the ideas of an Honor Code, however, I have never fully
understood where some people get these "Death Before Dishonor" mentalities.

In the episode Wes and his friends are confronted with a situation where
their actions have directly led to the accidental death of a close friend.
Insteed of admitting that they had attempted a dangerious manuver the group
attempts to cove up this fact. Now this is not unusuall, however, in a
Honor Code situation, my best understanding, the cadets are compelled to admit
their error when their accounting of the situation is questioned by a superior
officer with proof that they might be lying.

I can fully appriciate what the Nova Squad leader attempted to do in the
beginning by covering up the error. Yet when he started to cast blame on
a former friend that is the time when the team should of asked to speak
in private with the investigating officer. They would have been better off
to come forward as a team and admit their mistake.

Contrary to what the team leader stated, I do not believe that they would of
all been expelled. Set back a class or grounded for an extended period of time
yes. Expelled, no.

A few things that I must comment on.

Keeping a team together is a good thing, until it is pushed to far.
Teamwork is important, but no team is ever more important than the whole of
the organization it is part of OR the consequences to its members.

A death had occurred, the team should of realized that one of it's members
had paid too big a price.

I did very much like the presentation of the cadets at the acadmey, but a few
point of questions.


1) Why not call a female superior Ma'am? I do not feel that this a derogitory
   remark or any attempt to say that she is less than a male superior.

2) In flying the attempted manuver, why was the team attempting to ingite their
   fuel (plasma trails) in a rehersal run? Had the team successfully compleated
   the manuver would not the Flight Controller seen their stunt, and reported
   it.

3) (I am guessing here) It seems that each of the team members had opened their
   coolant interlocks to individually ignite their trail. I would think that in
   such close proximity (10 meters) one burst of flame would of sufficed to
   ignite the fuel? (Perhaps it was Wesley's job to ignite the fuel.) But think
   about this, the team is ingniting their fuel trails, why have 5 seperate
   explosions in such close proximity. That would lead to the resulting
   explosive death of one of their friends.


Things that I did like.

I liked the idea of studing a Constitution Class Star Ship and having the model
on Wesley's desk. They are at Starfleet, obviously some of Kirk and Co's
adventures has to be required reading.

I thought that the manual door handle was a great idea. Someone hit the nail
on the head. In present day military academies when someone knocks on your
door you must get up and answer it. At that point, even if the knocker is
YOUR subordinate, you are responsible to that person.

As much as I see some people trashing the presence Boothbe (sp) I must say
that I found his prescence an enjoyable look into the events that acutally
shaped the life of Picard.

In addition, I thought I saw someone say that Boothbe (sp) could be the head
of the Psychology Deptpartment and that he only acts like a groundskeeper
to get closer to the Cadets on an informal level. I like this idea, for all
we know it could be true. I know several people who do pretend to be something
that they are not in order to get to know people on an informal basis. It might
be unlikely that after so much time he has yet to be figured out, but I like
this idea.

-> Martin Zimmerman
   mzimmer@lonestar.utsa.edu

Comments and Critiques are Welcome.