I definitely liked it, and I think it’s the most enjoyable story in what’s been so far a rather downbeat season. It still has some glaring faults, for all that. If you assume that the computer system = the capitalist system, then what you get is a story that says that capitalism isn’t really that bad, those running it are well-meaning at heart, and the real danger comes from leftists trying to violently destroy it. I’ve also read a critique about how it ties in with the other themes of this season - how we’re shown a universe where there’s systematic injustice at every level of society, but all one can do is tinker around the edges, not make widespread and permanent changes. Other, more subtle and positive readings of the story are possible, though.
Yes, it’s bad that Thirteen doesn’t make very clear that Kira’s murder by the computer is just as wrong as Charlie’s murders. I’m going to headcanon it as her first putting her anger away for the moment due to more immediate matters, and then needing to use Kira’s death as a way to try to talk Charlie around. Later, hopefully she did tell the management that this sort of behaviour from the computer wasn’t remotely acceptable, and reprogrammed the system to stop it ever trying that again. (And yes, Seven and Ace would definitely have made Kerblam go kerblam 😊)
I kind of doubt that was meant to be the theme, but, yeah, it's disturbingly easy to read that way. I really thought it was going to be "even when the people running the system are well-meaning, the system itself can end up being intolerable," which would have worked very well, but... Well, I have no idea what was in the author's mind, but it feels to me like whatever they were going for, thematically, it got buried under an attempt at some clever plot twists, instead. Figures. We finally get an actually good plot this season, and it comes at the price of disturbing incoherence in other areas.
I headcanon the Doctor's reaction (or lack there of) at the system about Kira the same way, but I really feel like I shouldn't have to.
I hadn't thought of "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy," but now I see it!
Yes about Kira's death. The AI has very limited ethics, and in retrospect, they've been so busy signposting everything else, they might have signposted that moment! The computer system did not seem entirely coherent or effective.
Yes, it’s bad that Thirteen doesn’t make very clear that Kira’s murder by the computer is just as wrong as Charlie’s murders. I’m going to headcanon it as her first putting her anger away for the moment due to more immediate matters, and then needing to use Kira’s death as a way to try to talk Charlie around. Later, hopefully she did tell the management that this sort of behaviour from the computer wasn’t remotely acceptable, and reprogrammed the system to stop it ever trying that again. (And yes, Seven and Ace would definitely have made Kerblam go kerblam 😊)
Diona the Lurker
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I headcanon the Doctor's reaction (or lack there of) at the system about Kira the same way, but I really feel like I shouldn't have to.
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Yes about Kira's death. The AI has very limited ethics, and in retrospect, they've been so busy signposting everything else, they might have signposted that moment! The computer system did not seem entirely coherent or effective.
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