Star Trek Continues ”Embracing The Winds” - Detailed Analysis & Review

In today's Star Trek Continues podcast, we talk about the episode "Embracing The Winds" which tries to address Janice Lester's claims that "your world of Starship captains doesn't welcome women" in the episode Turnabout Intruder. This episode does a good job of looking at a contemporary issue in a new way through a Star Trek lens.

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Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven.

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars.

And I am a Nerd.

 

This is episode 101 of the podcast. 

Today, we’re talking about the Star Trek Continues episode “Embracing the Winds.”

 

And I’m excited to announce that the third book in my Jewel of The Stars series is now available in eBook and print from all the usual retailers. You can find links to many of them by going to books2read.com/jewel3 (and that’s the number 2 in books 2 read)

 

Let me quickly read the back cover blurb and then we’ll jump into this episode.

 

Tourists on a cruise. Stranded in an alien battleground

 

When their warp drive mysteriously stops working, the luxury cruise ship Jewel of The Stars becomes easy pickings for humanity’s enemy – the Dracnor. And there may be an enemy agent on board.

 

Before the fall of Earth, a madman made doomsday predictions on Captain Les Miller’s doorstop. How did he know the invasion was coming? Now that same man has been spotted walking the promenade. Les must stop him, but the evidence contradicts what he knows to be true.

 

Will the legacy of an ancient war mean the end of the galaxy’s last free humans?

So if that sounds interesting to you, please consider checking it out. You can find the first links to all the books in the series at AdamDavidCollings.com/books

 

The description on Star Trek Continues.com reads

 

While the Enterprise is sent on a seemingly routine mission, Kirk is recalled to starbase where he faces an ethical dilemma that challenges the very core of Starfleet Command.

 

This episode was written by James Kerwin and Vic Mignogna

It was directed by James Kerwin

And it first aired on the 3rd of September 2016

 

Star Trek has a problem which was introduced in the original series episode “Turnabout Intruder.”

That episode postulates that women are not allowed to be Starship captains in Starfleet.

Of course, we’ll see a number of female captains after this, in Star Trek 4, Yesterday’s Enterprise, and Voyager just to name a couple, and we even saw a female Captain before this, back in Enterprise.

It seems a very out-dated concept to think that there are not female captains in the 23rd century. So how do you deal with this?

 

This episode of Star Trek Continues is one approach to try to explain this issue, which I find very creative.

 

Another approach, postulated by the youTuber Lorerunner, is simply that Janice Lester was mad (just look at her) and the whole rule against women being Starship captains was all in her mind. I don’t mind that explanation either.

 

Interestingly, Star Trek Continues re-shot the final scenes of Turnabout Intruder as a transitional short film to connect to the new show before their first episode.

 

So Kirk and Spock have been called down to Corinth IV. Sulu is along for sightseeing and Mckennah for work research.

 

We get a nice little bit of continuity back to the episode “Lolani” dealing with the fallout in the Orion Syndicate, and how things may be changing due to Lolani’s influence.

And that’s beautiful. This is the kind of ongoing continuity you just didn’t get in the original series. Not to this extent.

 

Sulu makes reference to one of his ancestors being in an internment camp during World War 2, which is a nod to George Takai who actually lived that experience.

 

I love the planet. Very TOS but with effects that couldn’t have been done in the 60s.

 

I have to ask, are there any high ranking Starfleet officers who don’t indulge in Romulan ale? Perhaps Admiral Ross really was the only one. Even Spock relents and drinks after the news he’s about to be given.

 

They meet Commodore Gray. She and Kirk have had some differences. She also appeared in Lolani, where she ordered Kirk to return the Orion slave to her master.

 

The Crew of Hood have been lost. Some sort of life support failure. No evidence of foul play

 

Kirk and Spock have been called here because the Hood needs a new captain and crew.

Starfleet have chosen Spock

 

Kirk has mixed feelings. I get this. He’s proud of Spock and happy for him, but he doesn’t want to lose his first officer, and his friend.

 

But there could be a complication with spock’s promotion

A Commander Garret had also applied for the job. They decided she wasn’t the best suited for command.

She has an excellent service record.

She has filed an appeal that she’s been selectively overlooked because she’s a woman.

 

The Federation was founded around the time of the Romulan war. Earth needed military allies.

The Tellarites were founding member.

Tellarite men are very adversarial and argumentative. And they frown on female starship captains.  (They probably wouldn’t be accepted into the federation at this point in time, certainly not in 24th century, but at the time of the Romulan war, Earth REALLY needed military allies, and the Tellarites were that. Plus they were one of the major races that Earth helped to broker peace with before the Federation was founded.)

The Federation isn’t technically bound by this but after the admission of Corridan (a continuity nod to Journey To Babel), the Tellarites are threatening to pull their seat from the council.

 

Kirk says Starfleet has always had female captains (see Enterprise). Laura is an example, but she commands a starbase, not a constitution class ship

There is no rule officially.

Kirk and Spock are both of the opinion that Garrett deserves the ship and should be given command.

 

But upon further reflection, Spock starts to consider that Starfleet may have been correct in their assessment of Commander Garrett. Maybe Spock IS the best person for the job. He says his opinion is not based on her gender.

 

Kirk says something interesting. He says “maybe it should be.”

 

Starfleet has never given a woman command of a constitution class starship. He’s always thought that was just how the cards fell, but perhaps there is a greater good to be considered.

 

Spock says that if they were to actively and deliberately choose a female officer, Commodore Gray would be the better option, but she doesn’t want the job.

 

And this is an issue which has certainly had relevance of the last century, even today.

 

When you have an imbalance like this, the way I see it, there are two ways you can address it.

The first is to simply remove the bias, and then proceed, hiring based solely on qualifications and suitability. If you have an equal number of candidates from each group, then theoretically, over time, the imbalance will go away, and you should have a roughly even split, though there could be many other factors that would make it not so simple.

And in a sense, this seems like the fairest way. Just treat everyone on their merits.

The problem with this approach is that it’s slow. It could take a long time for that imbalance to be corrected.

 

The other option, which is what Kirk seems to be proposing, is that you actively seek to correct it, by deliberately hiring from the minority group. In this case, females. You steer the ship the other way to correct it.

This will set things right much quicker, but it has its own problem. It means that well-deserving people in the majority group will start to miss out. If you’re a male candidate, and would make a great captain, your career is basically on hold. You’ll miss out on a job you’re qualified for because of your gender. Which, ironically, is the exact problem you’re trying to solve. It’s just that it’s happening to people on the other side now.

There are no perfect solutions. I’m sure people much smarter than me have been trying to solve this.

 

Now Spock is willing to forgoe his own opportunity in favour of Garett, maybe partly because as a Vulcan he has less ambition for personal advancement, but mostly because I think he beleives that is what is right. Spock is a good person.

 

So now that the desire and intention is there to hire Garret because she is part of that minority group, (and I mean minority in the sense of Starship captains, not in the sense of the population) there is one last thing to consider.

Is she actually right for the job based on her merits?

 

Kirk is firmly on team Garrett right now. But he’s been ordered to interview her and form his own conclusions. Spock points out that perhaps Kirk’s opinion is coloured by his desire to keep his first officer and friend on the Enterprise. He admits he can’t deny that is part of what he’s feeling.

 

Garrett served on the Constitution, the original prototype that the class was named after. When Kirk mentions the loss of that ship, the death of her captain, at Nimbus III, nice little Star Trek 5 reference, Garrett clamps up and doesn’t want to talk about it. Her testimony, and her personal logs are all on record. She feels she has nothing more to say, and doesn’t want to discuss it face to face with Kirk, a matter he finds unusual, and perhaps a little troubling.

 

Kirk has filled McKenna in on what’s happening. She decides to check in on Spock to see how he’s doing, and he seeks her advice.

It may not be prudent to provoke the Tellarites at this time. McKenna says the Tellarites rarely make good on their threats, which makes Starfleet’s hesitance to give a woman command of a Starship that much more problematic. (which in a sense, I think, takes away some of the drama) She thinks Spock’s issue is something else.

 

She had to work hard to convince people that having a counsellor on board a Starship was a necessary thing.  (which I find extraordinary) but she never felt that the reluctance was because she was female. However, if there is bias in Starfleet it needs to be addressed.

 

And I think that’s a good word. I don’t think Starfleet is being deliberately sexist, but there might be a bias, and it might not even be intentional.

Spock, as someone whose appearance has often been perceived to be the most important aspect of his identity, has sometimes felt that bias as well.

 

McKenna says if she ever has a daughter, she would want her to know that anything is within her reach if she works hard enough.

And as someone who DOES have a daughter, I feel the same way.

 

Spock points out that there are things in Garrett’s past which require scrutiny.

McKenna asks him if she’d be under the same scrutiny if she was a man.

He feels she would.

But one can never be certain about others’ motives.

 

McKenna adds “but we can certainly be clear about our own.”

 

Gray growls at Kirk for antagonising Garrett, something he certainly didn’t intend to do. In my opinion, Kirk certainly did nothing wrong. But Garrett has petitioned for an immediate decision. A hearing will be held, and Kirk will be one of those making the judgement. Probably the last thing he wanted.

 

While all of this is happening, Scotty has taken the Enterprise to find what is left of the USS Hood.

 

Star Trek regularly uses the AB Plot format. Where you have two distinct plots going through an episode. It’s generally agreed that this works best if the two are linked in some way, either by plot, or theme. Although it honestly doesn’t bother me when they are completely disconnected.

But in this episode, the two plots are definitely connected.

 

When they find the Hood, there are no lifesigns. But also no evidence of an anomaly. 

Something is ringing alarm bells in Scotty’s head. He doesn’t want to tow it back to the planet until he understands more. Chekov is going to remotely re-establish life support. Not sure exactly how that works, but it sounds handy.

 

He asks to go on the landing party, but Scotty says “not this time,” and then gives the conn to another officer. Chekov is feeling overlooked. Uhura points out that he’s gifted but unfocussed. He has wide interests, doing a little of everything, but has no speciality. Uhura recommends choosing something he’s really passionate about and focusing on that.

Interestingly, I’d imagine being a jack of all trades would be a very useful trait in a command officer. Maybe that’s ultimately why he ends up as first officer of the Reliant.

In any case, it’s really nice to see Star Trek giving Chekov some character development. Who’d have thought it.

 

Kirk was feeling certain in his decision to support Garrett before he met her, but now, after her evasiness about his questions, and now this push for a decision, he’s not so sure.

 

The courtroom is very reminiscent of the original series episode Court Martial, where witness take the stand, touch a glowing metal disk, and have their service record ready by the computer. (They actually used a similar idea in TNG The Measure of a man.)

 

As usual, somebody always asks to forgo the reading, but Gray objects. Spock’s qualifications are material to this case, which, of course, is true.

 

Stonn asks Spock how he’d feel if her were to be given command of the Hood, remembering that he is half human. Before he can answer, he asks if his human side played a part in his decision to turn down a role in the Vulcan science academy. Spock says they did not, which the computer picks up as a lie. Interesting.

 

Kirk objects to this questioning. Spock’s race shouldn’t have any more bearing on the decision than Garrett’s gender.

Stonn posits that a person’s character, abilities, judgements and strengths are shaped, in part, by their heritage, beliefs, race, even gender. He says some people are uncomfortable with the idea of a female captain.

I’m not totally clear on the point he’s trying to make, but it seems he is in favour of Garrett.

 

Kirk speaks plainly. He is convinced that it is absolutely time for a woman to command a constitution class starship. But he is not convinced that Garrett is that woman.

Aspects like race or gender shouldn’t be the reason a candidate is denied, but perhaps it shouldn’t be the reason (or at least the sole reason) they are accepted either.

 

Remember that officer a few episodes back who had the artificial arm? Well he’s on the landing party and uses it to remove something from the Hood’s engine. Another nice callback. I appreciate how Star Trek Continues is making use of semi-regular characters. DS9 was the absolute best at doing that. TOS was probably the worst, although the realities of 60s TV certainly play a part in that.

 

Garrett has been awarded a Tucker memorial medal of honour as well as an aenar award for meritorious service to disadvantaged cultures. Two very nice callbacks to Enterprise.

We get a little insight into what happened at Nimbus III. The official investigation found evidence of human error on Garrett’s part. An investigation carried out by a Tellarite.

She, and others, “plead the seventh guarantee” during the proceedings. I’m not sure exactly what this means, but Garrett says it cannot be taken as an admission of culpability. There are countless other examples in her file.

BLooking at Garrett, Gray sees a pattern of somebody who has reacted with hostility and side-stepping whenever her actions have been called into question.

She defends this saying that Hostility is an appropriate response to undue scrutiny and discrimination.

 

The big question is, has that been the case?

Has she been treated unfairly? Or does she have legitimate flaws that needs to be considered?

 

Gray can’t say for certain whether Garrett has been held to a difference standard because she is female, but regardless of that, She says it is the duty of a Starship captain to admit, and learn from mistakes.

But Garrett is still defiant in her belief that she was not in the wrong.

And as viewers we still don’t really know if she’s right. If not then her behaviour here is not appropriate, but if she truly did nothing wrong, then she’s right to defiantly stand by her innocence.

But could she have been right in every one of the incidences in her file? Can anyone be that perfect?

 

Because that’s what seems to be holding Gray back. Not the fact that Garrett has made some mistakes, but that she can’t admit to them and learn from them. Nobody is saying a captain must be perfect. But they must be honest about themselves.

 

There’s a massive power surge in the hood’s engines. The Enterprise can’t beam them back because the Hood’s shields have gone up. The reactor is going critical. Scotty can’t eject the core. It’s looking hopeless.

 

We get some wonderful performances from Chris Doohan and Kim Stringer as Scotty and Uhura realise that they’re going to die. Scotty places his hand on Uhura’s. This could be seen as foreshadowing of the eventual relationship those two will have in the movie era, but I think it’s more just a comfort thing, two colleagues, two friends, who know they’re not going to make it. The look on Uhura’s face is haunting.

 

Scotty orders the Enterprise to get as far away ass possibler, to safety.

 

But Chekov has an idea. Hadley chooses to trust him.

It’s a very risky manouvre, and it injures chekov, but it works. The landing party are beamed back to safety, The Enterprise escaping just as the Hood explosed.

 

Back on the planet, the hearing is back in session. Each candidate can make a motion and then the board will give their verdict.

Neither Spock nor Garrett has a motion to make.

 

Stomm endorses Garrett.

Gray endorses Spock.

The deciding vote is up to Kirk.

But before he can make it, they receive a transmission from the Enterprise. The Hood has been destroyed. There is no ship to command. So no promotions necessary.

 

Kirk has been saved from a difficult decision by the bell.

 

Garrett wants to make one final statement.

There is an underlying issue that still remains.

For decades, she believes Starfleet has overlooked officers for certain positions because they are women. They may admit it, it may not even be intentional, 

 

Kirk asks her if she believes a person should be given special treatment because of their gender, religion or race.

She feels that yes, they should, if their gender, religion or race has historically been used to deny them consideration.

 

Garrett now, has turned her focus from herself, specifically, to other female officers. “It may not be my time, but it most certainly is theirs.” And I think this is an important step in character growth for her.

 

Gray says “We are all in agreement with that. Kirk and Stomm nod.

 

As Spock leaves, Stomm says “Peace and long life” to him.

I think that’s his Vulcan way of saying, “nothing personal, Mate.”

And Spock’s reply of “Live long and prosper” seems to say, “Yeah, not worries. All good.”

Chekov is awake and recovering in sickbay. Scotty scolds him a little. His stunt is worthy of a court-martial. Chekov is willing to take whatever consequence Scotty feels is appropriate.

Then he realises that Scotty called him Lieutenant. “And thanks him for saving their lives.”

And it turns out, this is the origin of the shield prefix code that Starfleet ships will have from now on. Refer to Star Trek II.

 

Scotty suggests a career in tactical. But they still don’t know what caused the overload in the Hood’s engine. That worries Scotty.

I don’t remember if they follow up on this or not. But it would certainly be cool if they did. It’s an interesting setup.

 

Kirk talks to the Tellarite ambassador and learns that there is a growing movement on Tellar Prime that wants to change their policy regarding women in command.

 

When Kirk says goodbye to Garrett, she speculates, “who knows, maybe some day a Garrett will command an Enterprise. And if you haven’t figured it out already, this is when you realise that she is likely an ancestor of Captain Rachel Garrett, of the Enterprise C. The way she says it is a little on the nose, but I like it.

 

This was another well-made episode of Star Trek Continues. I like how it delves into an issue that certainly has similarities and connections to the real world, but is just a little different. A little sideways. I think Star Trek, and sci-fi in general, tackles issues best when there isn’t an exact one-to-one parallel to current events, but that it poses difficult questions that make you think.

 

Next time, we’ll be looking at the episode “Still Treads the Shadow”. I don’t remember what this one is about, so I’ll find out when I re-watch it.

 

Don’t forget to check out Jewel of the Stars Book 3

 

Until next time, 

Live long and prosper.

Make it so.