MSA at centre of new Star Trek: Discovery

[dwchan]

Does anyone love the new Star Trek Discovery as much as I do? This is a post from MaleSurvivor on FaceBook on Oct. 18 about last week's episode (Choose Your Pain) being on the topic of MSA:

"The rebooted Star Trek series has been winning rave reviews so far, portraying a new look at the Starfleet crew.

However, the most recent episode took the series in a whole new direction, one that focused on the oft-forgotten topic of male sexual abuse.

'The captain of this ship has taken a liking to me,’ Ash Tyler tells Lorca when he is finally rescued off the Klingon ship and Lorca questions how one man could have survived with the Klingons for so long.

The subtle language used may make the accusations difficult to hear but when Tyler proceeds to kick the shit out of the female captain L’Rell, you can tell he is using it for his revenge in many ways, giving her back just some of the pain he has felt."

 

[dwchan]

Last night's episode really resonated with me!

The heart of the episode “Lethe” is the relationship between Michael Burnham and her adopted Vulcan father, Sarek. There was a terrorist attack on Sarek's shuttle and he was close to death. Because of a mind link, Michael was able to enter into a flashback of the moment when it was decided she would not join the Vulcan Expeditionary Group. Eventually, we find out that it was actually not Michael’s failure, but Sarek’s, as he had to make a choice to pick only one of his “non-Vulcans” to attend, and he chose Spock over Michael. To make matter worse, Sarek has been lying to Michael, making her think that she wasn’t good enough for the Expeditionary Force.

All this time, Michael thought she had failed her father. But it was actually Sarek who failed, and, in fact, the entire power structure of Vulcan society failed her by being illogically xenophobic. Wow!

Similarly, all this time, I thought I had failed my father for not being a better son, for not being a better student, for not being stronger, for not being able to stand up for myself, for not knowing what I want to do in life, and for allowing the abuse to happen...basically, for being a failure!!

The following dialogues evoked so much emotion in me last night:

When asked by a fellow officer Ash Tyler how her Vulcan dad was, Michael described him as "stubborn and impenetrable as always" (This is exactly how I would describe my dad).

Michael went on to say: "I always knew I could never be who he wanted me to be. But I realized today that it goes both ways. I'll never get from him what I want either."

Ash: "It's tough."

Michael: "It's okay. Part of me feels unburdened." (I am starting to feel unburdened too)

Ash: "Still, I'm sorry."

Michael: "All my life the conflict inside me has been between logic and emotion. But now it's my emotions that are fighting... I think about him, and I want to cry, but I have to smile. And I feel angry, but I want to love. And I'm hurt, but there's hope. What is this?"

Ash: "Uh, it's just being human."