#tom. reflection

[mobius-m-mobius]

#there are two types of actors 😂💖

[maedhrus]

“you are now running the risk about me yapping about how edward little is good at and well suited to command” BESTIE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I NEED THIS

i mean i shouldn't really OK OK YOU'VE TWISTED MY ARM i suppose i have to!! (also this got Soooo insanely long my apologies. my ranting and raving continues under the read more)

so the predominant fanon interpretation of edward little, from what i've seen in fic, posts, etc., is that he's a wet paper towel of a man who fumbles his way from mishap to mishap. now, i definitely agree that there's an element of truth there. he strikes me as a man who's had a number of battles with something like depression/anxiety throughout his life, and costuming does a great job making matthew mcnulty look woebegone and wretched and insanely fuckable

however! i think a lot of these takes focus too much on how edward fucks up his command/power without examining the Why and, when you properly look at the circumstances in which his big Fuck Ups happen, it's not exactly illustrative of a man who's shit at his job. actually, to me at least, it speaks of a man who's actually very competent but is being repeatedly shot in the leg by factors outside of his control. he succeeds in command pretty much as often as he fails and these successes are very hidden and threaded into the background that it's really easy to miss them if they're not what you're looking for

when we first see edward properly, he's eating dinner with the rest of the expedition's command and is happy and relaxed. at this stage of the expedition, they've met and even exceeded expectations by covering a good bit of distance, making it through one winter with only 3 deaths (and the deaths are not officers, which probably says a lot about class and rank and how the officers aren't particularly grieved by this loss but that's another essay methinks), and have no reason (thus far) to suspect that the rest of the passage won't be as easy. then, franklin mentions old ice to which crozier's alarm bells start ringing and - importantly - he immediately looks to edward, who meets his gaze and seems to be equally concerned. this suggests to me that, even though edward has had no prior experience in polar service, he's either learned or been taught enough to discuss the conditions and environment with his commanding officer. and crozier clearly trusts him enough with these logical concerns. it suggests to me that they've previously discussed the ice conditions and are aware of warning signs of a colder winter, and that edward has learned enough to respond to these conditions. despite his lack of experience, he has adapted and learned and is working well enough that crozier (who is already pretty grumpy and self-pitying atp but also one of the most capable polar explorers of the navy) looks to him, only him, and seems to communicate "we'll have to consider this. it's a bigger deal than franklin makes it out to be". this whole episode is just edward confident and capable and succeeding in his station

we next see edward in ep 3 talking to crozier about silna. in the book, he leads the north party in search of leads and is snowblinded by this but i view that as only quasi-canonical to the show. now, the manner in which edward is speaking about silna and the netsilik is indisputably racist and countless other people smarter than me have dissected silna's treatment by the expedition men and provided incredible commentary on their inherent imperialism and its harms. but for the purposes of ned little, i think it's important to consider what he's arguing. we can assume edward knows next to nothing about the netsilik aside from what has been reproduced to him by victorian author etc., reproducing an inherently racist worldview. this informs his concerns and is why he's worried about the possibility of a retaliatory attack. he expresses what are (to his mind) valid concerns about (crucially) the survival and well-being of the crew. crozier, who knows more about the netsilik, dismisses these concerns in a sarcastic manner. edward is a considerate and empathetic man, but still one who is subject to the biases of the time he lives in. when crozier asks if they should have put her down the hole as well, edward's expression is one of "yeah fucking of course not but are we not even going to talk about what might happen" and the exchange both serves as a demonstration of the expedition's racism and imperialism, but also shows the first signs of the relationship between edward and crozier beginning to unravel. crozier isn't explaining his previous interactions with the netsilik to edward, he's dismissing his concerns entirely. you could make a point that crozier ay have previously mentioned his dealings with the netsilik but still, to dismiss his second's concerns easily and in the manner in which he did is a failure of crozier's leadership, not edward's. blanky is the one who check edward for his biases while also reminding him logically why the don't need to fear the netsilik retaliating. franklin also dies in this episode, and we see edward on deck with hodgson and irving where he's attempting to keep an eye on the hunting blind. crozier comes up and he immediately passes his spyglass to crozier, at which point crozier spots the trouble, issues a command that edward immediately follows, and terror responds. effective captain and lieutenant command allowing a trickle-down of efficiency. edward is next seen with a mourning jfj, looking sad in the face of his commande's grief. this doesn't have anything to do with command, per se, but does again show edward's empathy. nothing about edward in this episode suggests poor leadership. if anything, he's considering the men when crozier isn't (though hidden beneath period-typical racism)

what happens next is ep 4, and crozier's alcoholism in the face of a worsening expedition and more dire circumstances is in turn effecting his ability to command. as a result, his lieutenants (and steward) are having to work overtime to compensate for this and it's starting to wear. when jopson comes in to tell crozier that edward wants to know if he wants the command meeting rescheduled, crozier is shocked that the meeting "is tonight". i've already yapped here on why this is very telling and Not! edward pushing responsibility onto jopson but the tldr is that he knows crozier likes jopson and trusts him with a good deal, but also, more importantly, edward is Pissed that he needs to do this, and crozier is so consistently drunk that he just Cannot be approached. tuunbaq then comes onto the ship and kills strong and evans, and edward is seen on deck with crozier who tells him that "[the creature's] come onto the ship, edward." because even here! they haven't lost trust in each other entirely! edward is relying on crozier's expertise and crozier is sharing his concerns with his second, who he then gives orders to (open up the armory etc.), which edward sees carried out (calling peglar, who is a petty officer and is considered trustworthy by command). he then informs crozier of the lack of tracks found and crozier takes this information on board. irving suggests silna's knowledge of the creature and crozier agrees that they'll question her at some point. effective leadership between the three of them! at this point, silna is kidnapped and hickey, manson, and hartnell are brought before command to answer for this. crozier, jfj, and edward all become fed up with hickey's manipulation of the situation and both jfj and edward attempt to make him shut up (unsuccessful. he's never even been on a ship before). when crozier deals out punishments for the three, edward is the one to vocalise his protest. (iirc there's a post somewhere that talks about lashing in this period and i THINK anything over 10 was deemed excessive but do NOT quote me on that and if anyone has the post in question PLEASE send it to me) edward protests because he's very firmly entrenched in naval regulations but also, imo, because he recognises that the amount of lashes is excessive (this also possibly harkens back to his distrust of the netsilik and him knowing that crozier did, ultimately, want silna questioned so a degree of bias is undoubtedly at work here). he uses the argument of a court martial being necessary because that's the element of due process they should be following but crozier immediately shuts him down with a technicality. they aren't, entirely "lost", but the situation is such that the admiralty would probably want a court martial in this situation). hickey continues to aggravate crozier (successful. he has no idea of command hierarchy and thinks the captain's his BFF) at which point crozier reaches his limit and order hickey be punished as a boy, an excessive punishment made to humiliate and done in part due to crozier's own pride being challenged ("disrepect to the girl. and to me"). because crozier is now incensed (and because he has given edward a direct order) edward has no choice but to obey at risk of he himself being arrested for mutiny. he assembles the crew for punishment and then, again pissed at crozier's attitude (ultimately, in a drunken stuptor, he had three men lashed to excess, violating due process and seeking to humiliate one because of personal insult) he sends irving in to tell crozier the necessary information about the poll, not because edward's scared, but because he is infuriated and wishes to protest crozier's command in the only way he can; avoidance. edward is trying to lead effectively, but crozier's own failings are offsetting this

ep 5! ned rage time! he is angry. angry, angry, angry. most of the men have left, they're running a ship with 10 crew, and even as a decorated lieutenant, he is reduced to an errand boy, used to further his captain's addiction, being made to lie to his commanding officer, and is made to go out - with other men - in conditions that could easily kill any of them. i think it could be argued that, at this point, crozier is aware that edward's upset with him and is sending him out intentionally, not only because as first lieutenant it's on edward to mediate between crozier and fitzjames, but because he wants edward out of sight, out of mind. on erebus, edward communicates with jfj and is made to escort silna back to terror (a fact he protests because of bias but, more significantly, because he's aware that the men on terror are the men who kidnapped her initially and so is concerned over her safety). he then permits goodsir to accompany them. hornby dies before they reach terror and, whenhe edward goes to inform crozier of this, crozier is upset, but more so at the fact that they've run out of whiskey. when jopson comes in, edward can't cope with the fact that hornby's death is being mentioned alongside the liquor situation. as if the two are of equal weight. edward is now facing a captain whose concern for his men is taking a second place to his concern for his drink. and yet, he cannot protest this. not with a captain who has demonstrated himself to be wholly unreasonable. not when to question his order could rightfully be called mutiny. he accompanies silna to the meeting, treats her courteously, is rightfully confused/terrified when she tells them it's not a bear, but a funky Spirit Bear, is shut down by crozier who again dismisses his fear (not necessarily incorrectly). when crozier's patience again runs out and he orders edward remove her from terror, edward vocally protests which is actually kind of huge! he's supposed to follow crozier's orders and knows that crozier's temper is on a knife's edge but he also knows that to kick silna out - especially when she's so clearly scared - is the wrong thing to do. blanky is the one who protests the most vocally (and the look he and edward exchange suggests that they share a certain confidence and have perhaps discussed the extend of crozier's command abuses) before jfj enters and, when crozier becomes physically violent, edward (along with blanky and jopson) immediately leaps to respond, helping to pull crozier away to protect fitzjames and stop a captain who has clearly exceeded his directive and is now dictatorial in command. when the tuunbaq comes onto the ship, we see edward helping to distribute guns (foreshadowing) and he both comes onto deck to help out, and also is the first off the ship to see if tuunbaq is lying dead, ascertaining the direction it ran off to which is no mean feat, especially because he's now one of the few who knows the bear is, to some degree, spiritual and a rogue element. he is seen sitting in silence with crozier before fitzjames, mcdonald, and jopson enter, and when crozier leaves, he put the gun down not necessarily because he's being a bad leader, but because the reality's hit him that he's in command of terror, second in command of the expedition (he started off as fifth), and that crozier and his experience and knowledge is absent, and may leave altogether. he's once again leading to the best extend that crozier in his self-destruction will let him

we see edward in ep 6, exhausted from having to assume captaincy while also maintaining the illusion that crozier's unwell. he gets the men gathered for dundy to yap to and shares a Meaningful Look with jopson as they both gear up for more of the work that is frankly beyond their pay grades. hickey tries to ask him for juicy juicy info and edward ignores him. not the worst advice for dealing with the rat king. he discusses their ration situation with jfj and worries about having enough supplies for walking out which jfj shuts down and they do both ultimately have a point here. they need enough food they can effectively carry. but, again, this is just edward being a good leader and considering the best survival prospects for his crew! at carnival, he accompanies crozier through his bad trip and we can see, when crozier orders men out of the bath, it's edward whose command they follow when he nods at them to scurry. the last bit we really see of edward leader-ing in this ep is when he helps the other officers clear a way for the men to escape when stanley flambés and is there in the background assisting clean-up

ep 7 shows that edward has successfully led the advance party to establish land camp and i think that this fact alone can dispute any arguments that doubt his capabilities but! regardless! what is notable is his discussion with crozier, where they seem to rekindle some of their earlier repertoire. edward speaks bluntly where crozier doesn't ("if you're referring to the bear...") and then, when tozer approaches them, even though he primarily shows respect and adherence to edward, edward still yields the final call to crozier and while, he is vocal on his disagreement, he still buttresses crozier's command. and this is what is required when leading a lot of people! preserve an illusion of consistency in command! (and as a quick aside, he's rightfully stressed to har the news about their rotting supplies but still goes to reassure irving who is spacing tf out and is then the happiest in the room to have jopson promoted because he Cares) crozier then, to the extent of our knowledge, voices that some of tozer's names aren't "sound" without telling edward just what names he doubts, namely hickey's, which is important considering that crozier is aware of hickey's risk, doesn't love tozer's plan, and also hears the name alongside armitage's who - at this point - he still trusts. when hartnell corrects him on this, we again don't see crozier communicate this to edward and this is so so relevant to ep 8!! edward doesn't know armitage is in the Hickey Squad and, because he has worked with tozer and seems to respect him, has little reason to not trust them with the guns, especially when, at that point, crozier's mandate has changed (the fog has rolled in) and, to take the guns back at that stage would very likely result in a riot. the men are scared. they are uninformed. edward is alone in command because fitzjames and hodgson aren't there. he only knows that irving (his friend) is dead. he doesn't have the authority to shut it down because the situation is quickly evolving beyond one where any authority can! for more on this see the tags here. then, when crozier and co returns, fitzjames seems to immediately throw edward under the bus and crozier (who, at this point, has to deal with the fact that they've burned away any potential of help from the netsilik so is incredibly stressed) speaks to him in a manner where you'd be forgiven thinking that edward is a lieutenant, non an ab. yes, he is subordinate to crozier, but he also followed the order crozier gave him (again, the fog had rolled in) and is being corrected for being the only one in authority there who took Any charge of the situation. when crozier mentions hickey, edward queries the evidence against him because the last time crozier punished hickey, it was to excess and designed to humiliate him. edward thus far has no reason to think that crozier isn't victimizing whiskey and scapegoating him for irving's death. when edward ultimately learns that his biases were wrong, irving was killed by his countrymen, this kind of visibly destroys him and he immediately course-corrects, admitting fault and ensuring that crozier knows the marines under tozer aren't to be trusted. a service that crozier never paid him. he freezes when tuunbaq attacks the camp because, again, he's very aware that it's an Evil Spirit Bear and once crozier jolts him to awareness, he immediately follows and goes off on his own to re-arrest tozer. even when tozer informs him of all the ways crozier has let them all down, edward remains loyal to his captain before armitage scrambles his brains like alphabet spaghetti. worth noting that in this episode he also has george "i do say" hodgson in his ear looking for reassurance that his murder of the netsilik family was justified, a reassurance that edward doesn't quite give him, instead evading and trying to comfort hodgson as best he can because, again, as a leader he needs to ensure that hodgson (his own second) maintains a working relationship with him and is capable enough to do the job, something he's not going to get Unless he reassures him.

he fucks up in terror camp because crozier failed to disclose his suspicions fully, he was essentially abandoned by his commanders, he's scared of the spirit bear eating them, and he's trying to do right by his dead friend and the men he's leading. men who are looking to him for leadership

in ep 9, he's seen scouting ahead to keep a visual on tuunbaq and the mutineers then takes his own turn hauling alongside the men. he's seen patting men on the back and helping peglar when he falls because, again, edward cares so! fucking! much! about these men and he's naturally inclined towards physical comfort. we get to the command meeting and, from the glances shared between edward and dundy, i get the sense that dundy was the one to approach edward with the idea of abandoning the sick and edward felt honour-bound to raise this point, both because dundy brought it to him and out of concern for the men. because it's harsh, but it's also true that they don't have the supplies necessary to care for the sick and the healthy atp. pulling the sick significantly raises the chances that they'll die alongside them and edward knows this but it Kills him to raise this point. he can't fully meet jopson's eyes because he's ashamed of having raised this point, and it might be one he doesn't even fully agree with but he has to raise it. because it's not just about what he wants. he has around 60 men who are looking to them for deliverence home and if they don't get there, it will be edward who carries that guilt. it's not cowardly; it took courage to voice it and he hated himself doing so. most importantly, he did it because command needed to consider the option at the very least. when golding comes with news of leads, edward's entire face lights up because he's a way for them to save the sick as well. here is deliverance. but it's a lie and there's so much anger bubbling inside edward, disappointment to see hodgson there, grief when hartnell's shot that he can't bring himself to lower his gun. crozier has to make him and of course he does. crozier was the one to arm him. he lays the burden of command on edward's shoulder. he lays the lives of the men on edward's shoulders and edward carries it. vows that they will live

we finally get to ep 10 where edward, having been abandoned by crozier, still fights his corner, echoes his points, reminds the crew how much they need him. he fights for the sick and he fights for the men and he's essentially mutineed against by dundy who called a vote knowing edward was still asleep (and yeah it's funny how ned came back and immediately went for Nap Time but also! he's just kind of doing what crozier did in ep 4. "i'm not sending men out into a squall. not tonight.). dundy is supposed to be edward's second. he's supposed to support his command decisions, not undermine them by stoking the fears of the men who don't want to waste more effort and time rescuing a captain who has, for so much of this expedition, been absent to them. he's in that tent, alone, his only support lying nearly dead, and his only choices are to follow the men or go alone. he can't go alone. he would be outnumbered, outgunned. he cannot rally the men because, at this point, they cannot be rallied. not these men. not to save crozier. but edward leads them forward because he has to. because he was ordered to. because he still hopes that the sacrifice and loss will be worth it and even one man can get home. but his hope fails him. his circumstances fail him. all he ever gets is close. he tried to lead and did his very best. they were in an impossible situation and no one could have given more. it just wasn't enough

what makes edward a good leader is his empathy, steadfastness, and earnestness. he considers the men beneath him and advocates on their behalf (hickey's punishment). he mitigates the poor leadership of his captain to the best of his ability and as far as the hierarchy allows him (intercedes on silna's behalf). he is cautious and measured, aiming to do right by the greatest number of people, for good of the whole (wants to leave the sick in the hopes than more men will live because of this). he is forward-thinking and seeks to address problems before they arise (marines wanting to form a perimeter). his empathy is taken advantage of, his command is undermined by those who should buttress it, and he is left to die at the side of the man who (debatably) condemned him to it

i acknowledge that this monster of a post that was only supposed to talk about edward's leadership diverged into a play-by-play of his every appearance but! his character is inexorably tied to his rank. he lives and breathes naval hierarchy and, ultimately, dies still in uniform

tldr; edward fulfiled his role as first lieutenant and one of the expedition commanders as well as he was able in the face of a captain who didn't trust him, crew who he trusted too much, and circumstances that none of the crew could survive (they've been dead since the beginning). his character traits including his caution and earnestness make him suited to command and he displayed an aptitude at doing so. portraying edward as incapable and snivelling is entirely in the perogative of the individual creator and has its uses! however, it is also an uncharitable reading that neglects the evidence we've been shown and the circumstances surrounding it

[fromthedeskofcripslock]

Be still my beating heart. “Serve God/Love me/And mend,” in That Voice.

[sunshinetrinket]

one of the most insane sentences in the whole series and its during a scene that is actually kind of heartbreaking

[localgardenweed]

Remembering on Thursday how I got so pissed at the ugly ass designs for the plushies i made new designs out of rage

[bumblingbabooshka]

Tuvoktober Day 4: Dungeon Meshi Inspired Crew Ratings [Patreon | Commissions]

[fugamalefica]

It's actually so poetic that only the Bellamort fandom understands who Voldemort truly is and appreciates and accepts him for it, while those who ship him with others always misunderstand him, trying to turn him into something he's not and would hate to be.

[the-labyrinth-of-me]

Wait did both Alice and Zane record Alan when he was at his lowest point? Didn't Alice make her exhibition to show the world what she sees? To show Alan the truth about himself? That it never was Scratch visiting and terrorizing her, but Alan himself? Did she depict his "self" and Zane depicted his "persona"? The two sides of him that he wishes he can eliminate bc they brought him into trouble (Scratch representing anger and the fallouts with paparazzi and stuff, Zane representing his self-destructive behavior with alcohol and drugs and the party nights)? The both sides that caused his marriage to start falling apart? Was that the reason Zane made that video of Alan when they were on that booze and drug-fueled bender while working on the Return manuscript? Is this party video the companion piece?? Alan's downward spiral, same as Alice's photos? Do they fucking work together aasdffjfjfkfk

[super-lupus]

Bring back Christian Bale to play Thomas Wayne Flashpoint Batman I'm not fucking kidding

[marejadilla]

Tom Bagshaw, “In The Space Between”, 2023, digital painting. Bagshaw was born in Bath, England.

[mobius-m-mobius]

-Julio Cortázar, from "Bolero" (trans. John Joseph Lyons)

Loki S2 Anniversary x Episode 2 - “Breaking Brad”

[touchd0wn-boy]

i'm here

[compacflt]

can i just say that I'm haunted by the image of Ice wearing "one of Mavericks cheapest rolexes". One because of the mental immage of Maverick being the kind of men who not only owns multiple watches but also Rolex, which is absolutely delightful, because oh the quiet vanity of that. And two because of the implied and groundbreaking (to me) domesticity (and defiance of the not talking/acknowledging the thing between the 2 of them) of wearing another person watch. I'm screaming into the void about your brilliance. So I need to ask, do they do that on purpose (before the mission) in a sort if roundabout way of acknowledging each other presence in their life? What would Mav wear that belongs to Ice (apart from that USNA ring eheh)?

pilots/sailors/doctors etc who do high-level specialized work with their hands tend to really be Watch Guys. and “cheap” rolexes (sub $7k ish) are actually pretty affordable if you’re making >$150k a year and want to treat yourself every fifth christmas or something. source: know several sailors & doctors. ALSO the watch ice is wearing in his famous gay plane photoshoot is actually a rolex. So theres some evidence ice at least is (annoying, ostentatious, bad with money, and) a Watch Guy. Maverick’s also wearing a kickass chronograph in TGM so i think he’s also probably a Watch Guy. also… you know, status symbol, honor, et cetera et cetera…

they probably wear each other’s socks because in-regs socks all look the same and they’re both men so who cares. i also hc that they’ve always worn the same size in shirts so each other’s t-shirts are also free game. and was very confusing at the start of their relationship when trying to figure out whose shirt was whose after a midnight rendezvous. lots of accidental shirt mixups. and, yeah, each other’s watches, because most people only see the status and don’t see the detail, and most people aren’t around both ice and mav enough to recognize that “omg last month adm kazansky was wearing the same omega chronometer capt mitchell is wearing today!! theyre totally together!!!” so if ice buys a new watch and maverick salivates over it, sure he can borrow it, whatever. and i think there’s a scene in wwgattai when maverick wears ice’s pj pants hold up lemme find it

“in bare feet.” now wtf does that mean. that could use a rewrite.

ice also wears mavericks leather jacket when they’re on their baseball date in debriefing. at some point when you live with someone long enough your stuff becomes their stuff which was the point of this graf

thinking about it… trying to decide if they’d wear each other’s cologne. that seems like a little much. no i don’t think so.

[graphicpolicy]

Vampirella Stares Into Her Dark Reflections!

Vampirella Stares Into Her Dark Reflections! #comics #comicbooks

Dynamite has announced a brand new series in the Vampirella mythos, spearheaded by one of the most beloved franchise creators and a reunited team, and an epic that jumps headlong into the multiverse of malevolence. Vampirella: Dark Reflections debuts this June everywhere comics are sold! Tom Sniegoski is back once more and teams up again with co-writer Jeannine Acheson as well as interior artist…

[bumblingbabooshka]

I hate when Chakotay is watered down to be Janeway's yes man because their disagreements are actually very interesting. [A lot of rambling analysis of this debate in particular below]

Chakotay in Parallax is very interesting in that he has to navigate a lot of different dynamics. Balance a lot of plates while being watched keenly by everyone around him. Immediately preceding this scene we see him ask B'Elanna for her opinion on the bridge - both as a chance to show her knowledge in his bid to make her chief engineer (because she wouldn't get a chance to otherwise as Janeway has clearly indicated that at this point she views B'Elanna as a troublemaker who won't be considered for the position) and because he just thinks she's a better engineer than Carey and wants the best possible chance of them succeeding. Janeway sees this as unacceptable. Carey is the chief engineer and so he should be called and Chakotay NOT asking for his opinion is an insult to Carey, Janeway, and might make the crew doubt Chakotay (and by extension the Maquis') loyalty to the Starfleet crew.

At this point it seems that to Janeway integration ["They're not your people"] means the path of least resistance, specifically tailored towards the Starfleet crew. She wants Chakotay by her side to keep the Maquis crew calm but also seems unwilling to consider them for important positions aboard the ship. Though she says that the Maquis are not Chakotay's people, not his crew, she certainly doesn't seem to consider them hers [Compare this to later instances where she stresses 'our' crew, here she simply says they aren't Chakotay's: Whose crew are they? Are they crew at all?]. This less leaves the impression of "We need to be a cohesive team" and more "You're not in charge here." She essentially accuses Chakotay of playing favorites. In her mind Chakotay's actions are not conducive to integrating the crews which would (again, in her mind) mean the Maquis being docile and accepting, obedient and content - not making trouble for the Starfleet crew. Chakotay counters Janeway's accusation with one of his own: That he IS trying to integrate them into the crew but her not allowing the Maquis any opportunity to prove themselves or succeed, not showing any trust in any of them (except, implicitly at this point, him) is making things difficult. At this point the Maquis crew are ready to mutiny on his word at any time. He knows this for a fact. Aside from that looming threat (the threat being that tensions are high and if nothing changes and they remain high there might be a mutiny even without his word) - Chakotay knows these people and trusts them. Though Starfleet and Janeway think of the Maquis as a violent bunch of criminal terrorists, Chakotay and a good number of the Maquis joined because they believed in the cause they were fighting for. These are people Chakotay knows WILL fight fiercely for what they believe in and conversely, AGAINST what they perceive as injustice. Even if they're not in the majority - they're used to picking fights which seem impossible to win. At this point Janeway admits that she ISN'T making it easy for Chakotay to integrate the Maquis - specifically talking about practical concerns; how she doesn't feel she can let Maquis crew have roles of importance on the ship because they lack the ability to hold them. "They don't have the discipline, they don't have the training," - asserting that they just aren't prepared for any such roles and it doesn't have to do with them being Maquis specifically. Ostensibly, she's treating them as she might treat anyone unqualified for the job.

Chakotay maintains that some of them, like B'Elanna, have the ability to be trained - challenging her point by saying that IF they're trained there's no reason for any Maquis member NOT to be given a more prominent role on the ship. He isn't suggesting they just unqualified people important jobs. If the problem is that they aren't trained, let's train them. These people have the ability to succeed if you give them the tools they need and a fair chance, he insists. Janeway then switches gears and her argument becomes not "The Maquis are untrained so they can't be given those jobs" but "The Maquis crew are unworthy of those jobs when compared to Starfleet personnel" saying that it'll cause insult and upset among the Starfleet crew if any member of the Maquis were to be promoted above them. Again, her idea of integration is based more on Maquis subservience to the Starfleet crew than it is the two crews working together. (Not that I believe she looks at it that way, it's just where her 'path of least resistance' leads) - though she accuses Chakotay of being too focused on "his" crew, she is admitting here that she believes her real crew are the Starfleet officers aboard, not the Maquis. She also admits here that the system she wishes to maintain (and is asking Chakotay to enforce) is one where there will ostensibly never be any chance of a Maquis crew member being promoted because no Maquis crew member will ever be more qualified, more worthy, than a member of Starfleet. We can see how it'd be difficult for Chakotay to convince his crew to remain calm under these circumstances. There's also Tuvok's behavior toward him at the beginning of the episode where the Vulcan nearly goes over Chakotay's head and when he doesn't do so (as Chakotay reminds him that HE'S the superior officer, the First Officer in fact,) Tuvok acts as if him backing down (partially) and conceding (partially) to Chakotay's authority is a favor to Chakotay.

Tuvok in this conversation is downright insubordinate to Chakotay. Despite Chakotay being the first officer, he doesn't take what he says seriously, argues that his own opinion on what should be done should be followed rather than Chakotay's, lectures the first officer about his conduct, and then almost seems to threaten him with a report. In Starfleet's rigidly hierarchical rules, acting like this to a superior officer (ESPECIALLY the first officer) wouldn't be tolerated and Tuvok knows this perfectly well. He isn't a rebellious character and clearly in other episodes adheres to these Starfleet hierarchies and codes of conduct very strictly. He values them highly. But Chakotay, a Maquis, shouldn't be First Officer. Why should he be given respect for a title he didn't earn? [Affirming Janeway's argument about how Starfleet officers won't be eager to follow a Maquis senior officer] Even though Chakotay tells Tuvok off for it ["I don't have to explain myself to you"] he doesn't threaten to put Tuvok on report or explicitly mention his insubordination. It's unclear if this is Chakotay's personality or if he just doesn't feel he CAN do that. Tuvok is one of the three most senior officers aboard and very close to Janeway. Chakotay has to think of the optics of any situation at all times - we see seconds after this conversation that rumors have already started swirling around B'Elanna being relegated to quarters that've fanned the flames of mutiny. Though we know Tuvok has personal reasons for behaving the way he does toward Chakotay (which he later admits), I really don't think it'd be out of the ordinary for this to be how most Starfleet personnel would treat the Maquis if they weren't outright hostile: Like they're only pretend crewmen. To a lesser extent we even see this with Janeway: In the following staff meeting, she clearly doesn't consider B'Elanna a viable option when Chakotay brings her up and almost ignores the suggestion entirely.

It also, again, leaves Chakotay in an impossible position. If he doesn't protect and fight for the Maquis crew, they won't ever be considered a true part of the crew and dissatisfaction will likely spread among them. Dissatisfaction which the Starfleet crew will then use to further label the Maquis as insubordinate, uncontrollable, unfit. Not to mention that if he doesn't advocate for them, he might lose their trust. However, if he DOES try to help the Maquis crew advance the Starfleet crew will view this as 'favoritism' and will further distrust him, won't respect the people he puts forth as worthy. Janeway seems to be intent on not advocating for any of the Maquis crew and also seems unwilling to ask that the Starfleet crew grant leniency. She implies that the Maquis crew need to learn to get in line and keep quiet and it seems almost like [we must remember the optics] she has Chakotay as the only Maquis in a position of power to facilitate that. Chakotay recognizes and pushes against that, saying that he won't just be her token Maquis - there only so she can point to him and say "See? We don't discriminate against the Maquis here." effectively a tool used to shut down any arguments of unfair treatment and a tool to quell the Maquis if any talk of mutiny DOES arise. In this model, Janeway can just tell Chakotay to calm them down and they'll listen because they trust him. She also doesn't have to really listen to anything he says: A token First Officer has no authority; his words don't hold weight. [Chakotay isn't Maquis anymore, they aren't his crew anymore - ok. What is he then? What are they? Nothing, without respect.] This plan seems untenable, as much as Janeway frames it as sensible: "I can't make it easy, Commander. Surely you can understand that," and alternatives as impossible "How am I supposed to ask them to accept a Maquis as their superior officer just because circumstances have forced us together?" - in the long run, how would this be sustainable? In any power structure, you cannot expect a group of people you're unwilling to grant trust or agency to obediently follow you forever. This proposed form of 'integration' in which the Maquis are kept on the bottom rung and told intermittently to stay there quietly by the only one of them granted permission to stand at the top would never be sustainable - especially with a group like the Maquis who again, were founded on the belief that its members should fight against inequity and are already on the verge of mutiny.

I specifically find the statement "How am I supposed to ask them to accept a Maquis as their superior officer just because circumstances have forced us together?" to be interesting because personally I'd say that being forced together for the rest of almost everyone's natural life is a pretty good reason to ask people to adapt and Janeway does understand this but only applies it to the Maquis - the Maquis are the ones who have to adapt, not Starfleet. The only thing the Starfleet crew have to do is tolerate their presence on board.

At this point Janeway again claims that if Chakotay can show her a 'qualified' Maquis candidate she'll consider them. I believe this is true but we already know that Janeway's standards for qualification will likely not fit the vast majority of the Maquis and Chakotay ignores the claim in favor of putting forth B'Elanna again, firmly. Janeway predictably dismisses her as unqualified and Chakotay disagrees, arguing that he knows her. He's worked with her. He KNOWS that B'Elanna can excel at the job even if she doesn't meet Starfleet/Janeway's qualifications. He doesn't value those qualifications over what he's observed about her - just as he didn't value Carey's title over what he knew about the gap between his and B'Elanna's abilities. Then, Chakotay switches gears. He admits that Janeway's right - he does view the Maquis as his crew but that's because Janeway (almost self admittingly) doesn't and if he doesn't, who will they have? [What kind of captain, kind of man, would he be?] "You're going to have to give them more authority if you want their loyalty." "Theirs or yours, Commander?" Janeway frames Chakotay's words pointing out the flaws in this plan which I outlined earlier, as almost a threat (if she doesn't have Chakotay's loyalty it'll most definitely mean mutiny). Chakotay asserts that it wasn't a threat, he's only trying to help by telling her how the Maquis crew will react to what she's telling him. "I'm sorry you can't see that" - not an apology for what he said but that she isn't willing to budge, not willing to listen to him and acknowledge that she might be as biased towards her crew as he is towards his. Chakotay is trying his best to acclimate his crew but if Janeway isn't willing to do the same, to talk to her people as he's talking to his, then this will not end well and that isn't a threat. It's just the reality of the situation. He then asks permission to leave, showing he is willing to observe Starfleet protocol (just as when he asked permission to speak freely), and Janeway lets him go, exhaling at the intensity of their debate when alone in her ready room.

[citizenerased77]

not me rereading a bunch of George Orwell’s work and listening to 1984 inspired music in preparation for the audiobook

i usually despise audiobooks and prefer physical books but i am COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS

the second the music kicks in i know i’m gonna fucking lose it