Thoughts about the character changes from S1 to S2 with reference to Connor's techie skills

[deinonychus_1]

Recently I've been having some quite intersting discussions with Munchkinofdoom re the change between S1 and S2 with Connor, and the sudden appearance of his techie computer and engineering skills. Leaving aside how much you take canon at face value for the use of these skills (which myself and Munchkin do entirely disagree about), I've been

Comments

[deinonychus_1]

it should be remembered that he *isn't* a palaeontologist. He's an evolutionary zoologist. His expertise shouldn't be confined to prehistoric creatures and because of that he shouldn't know everything there is to know about them.

The trouble with that is that it doesn't fit with what we see on screen. To all intents and purposes, what Cutter comes across as onscreen *is* a palaeontologist. He has never yet misidentified a creature or time period. And just as a random question, what is the difference btween an 'evolutionary zoologist' and a 'palaeontologist'? I know a palaeontologist studies fossils of past animal life, so what's the actual distinction? I kind of always wished that they would jst call him a palaeontologist on the show and be done with it.

Cutter, of course, has the get-out clause that he is the star of the show and he is never wrong and always has the right information to hand, at least when it comes to the creatures. So while Connor may not be a direct duplication, when he does try to provide backup in that area, he can never do anything more or better than Cutter.

[joereaves]

Well a palaeontologist studies prehistoric life through the physical remains, kind of like an archaeologist studies human life through its remains. An evolutionary zoologist is a zoologist (ie someone who studies any animal life), but focussing on evolution, which depending on his specialism could be purely modern animals. A palaeontologist certainly wouldn't be on any kind of expedition where they'd be tracking panthers for example, but Nick has been. There would be some crossover between the two disciplines like there is between history and archaeology (although less crossover I would think since there isn't any history that can't utilise archaeology), but they're different.

Honestly Cutter shouldn't have the amount of knowledge he seems to. I would think his knowledge should be more general (ie it's a raptor of some kind rather than it's 'specific species of raptor'). It's slightly sloppy writing in always giving him the answers when they should come from Connor more often.

[deinonychus_1]

To some extent Cutter does suffer from the Daniel Jackson effect - apparently knowing everything about every time period for whaever is relevant that week. It goes with the territory of being the star of the show, however unrealistic.

I think again this is why they moved Connor away from being just a Cutter clone, because in that situation there was no way that Connor could ever shine at anything with Cutter being who he is.