• Guy Fleegman@startrek.website
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    1 year ago

    It’s 24XX, who the hell is still getting bent out of shape about homosexuality 400 years from now?

    I’m pretty lukewarm on Discovery, I’ve seen all of it but most episodes only once, so maybe I just don’t remember it. Who got bent out of shape over Stamets and/or Culber being gay?

    • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
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      1 year ago

      There was a multi episode story arc about a teenager (forgot her name, had a teenage boyfriend and got adopted by Stamets/Cullen) coming out as non binary and choosing they as their pronoun.

      It was very heavy handed on drama, whereas if there was any internal consistency, there wouldn’t be any “coming out” at all because “staying in the closet” wouldn’t be a thing. The whole thing felt like having a Jane Austen dialogue in present Norway.

      I would love to be able to say this was a one off occurrence, but pretty much all dialogue is heavy handed, with excessive drama not supported by the fiction. While TNG is rather under acted, DSC is heavily over acted. Out goes technobabble, in comes soap opera.

        • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
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          1 year ago

          Don’t be like that. We’re all discussing in good faith here.

          Before that happens, Adira spends considerable time with the ghost boyfriend on how would that be received and goes through considerable angst processing it. Before even that it’s shown them in considerable anguish to come out to their boyfriend even.

          Of that arc, the one thing well executed was the 90 seconds you pointed.

          So yeah, most of it shouldn’t happen in a welcoming environment in the 25th century. Her adoptive parents had no issue being a gay couple adopting a teenager, in which universe would that teenager ever feel the need to hide their sexuality and insecurities from them? Why the anguish?

          It’s pretty much established since TNG and DS9 that pansexuality is mainstream. In The Outcast, Riker was involved with a non binary alien; the episode wasn’t about the reactions (the crew was absolutely nonchalant about it), with Worf supporting Riker trying to rescue the alien that broke their social customs. You can still send a message with a good in universe justification.

          There’s no in universe justification for Adira. She doesn’t come from a backwards culture, has crazy conservative parents, there’s no atavic crewmate around, no aliens taking offense… It’s a non conflict. It’s bad writing.

          To be clear, it’s a message that needs to be on TV. But it’s a damn shame they did it so poorly when it could easily have been set up to actually create a conflict that would then be resolved. You need in universe bigots to show bigotry being overcomed.

          • USSBurritoTruck@startrek.website
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            1 year ago

            There’s no in universe justification for Adira. She doesn’t come from a backwards culture

            Regardless of your opinions about the storyline, you can address the character by their proper pronouns. Or you can choose to no longer post here.

            • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
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              1 year ago

              It wasn’t intentional. English isn’t my first language and Adira being a female name where I’m from it just slipped out. I did get it right most of the time, but between articulating my thoughts and writing in English, I stumbled here and there.

              Or you can choose to no longer post here.

              What is that?