Derem dodged a bullet?

[agoodwinsmith]

SPOILERS for Starfleet Academy Episode 7 - Ko-Zeine
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Episode 7 is a cool down from the trauma/drama of episode 6, where a War College instructor and a War College student lost their lives, and many were wounded, and all on the training mission were at risk of dreadful consequences. It is apparent that the school year has continued on since the Miyazaki crisis, and there is now a short Spring Break - All Worlds' Day - and the Academy and College are emptied. We follow two pairs of Academy students as they appear to highjink their way through more life lessons.

 

Caleb and Genesis do what appears to be the standard Disrespect the Place and the Equipment, but turns out to be a full reveal of how far Genesis will go to achieve her goals. In previous episodes we have seen her natural leadership, and lateral thinking under pressure. Here we are shown that she is a candidate who is following in the Kirk-rules-are-just-guide-lines attitude.

 

Derem and Jay-Den face the old Trek Trope of the Political Betrothal in Childhood. We learn more about who Derem is and who Jay-Den is becoming. Derem was promised in childhood to a royal person, Kaira, who will inherit the responsibility for a whole planet.

 

Derem is surprised by the timing of the marriage. He was expecting to complete Starfleet Academy, serve a number of years, and then return to take up his duties. Things have sped up because Kaira is inheriting earlier than expected.

 

Kaira tells us that Derem's selection as her future consort was decided by a "birthdate lottery". Derem tells us that he was raised with her, almost like a sibling. Other things we learn from both of them show that Derem is being treated as female human consorts are often treated - their interests and vocations are not only secondary, but expected to be relinquished as needed.

 

And Derem meets the moment, and gives up his interests and achievements without a second thought. As we discover, he has regrets, but he is determined to put them aside and, as he says, "make it work".

 

Kaira is happy to accept his obedience, as royalty often does, without really understanding that it is a sacrifice - willing, but nonetheless a sacrifice. It is only when Jay-Den gives the Ko-Zeine's (Best Man) toast to the new couple, that Kaira understands what Derem's willing obedience is costing him.

 

And then she immediately rejects Derem, and ejects him, forcing him to abdicate so she can have the marriage annulled. She then makes the rejection his fault because he had personal interests that he put aside for her. She effectively says that he shouldn't have had any interests that were not the same as hers, and that willing sacrifice was not enough, and, in fact, insulting. Then she notes that she will be the first woman to rule Khionia alone.

 

This puts new light on Kaira's previous actions. She obviously has not been communicating with Derem or he would have known about her mother's health scare. She arrives with her own Ko-Zeine, Quill, apologizing for not being present when Derem arrived - although she was apparently aware that the matrimonial abdustion was occurring. Kaira is holding hands with Quill, and it is obvious they have become very close in Derem's absence. Considering that she is envigorated by the challenge of being the first woman to rule Khionia in her own right, and that Derem would always have been an ornament to her life, and not a partner - not even a junior partner - it is likely that she was looking for a reason to put him aside all along.

 

It appears that the audience is expected to believe that, as brutal as the process was/is, Derem will be "better off" returning to Starfleet. However, we are not shown a shot of Derem gazing happily/dreamily/wistfully at the meteor shower, unlike Kyle and Jay-Den, Genesis and Sam, and solitary Caleb.

 

Derem has experienced a crushing rejection. He can't return to his previous groove because his goal is no longer available to him. Will he ever be able to return home, or will he always be known there as the Failed Consort? If this calcifies his experimental asshole persona it will be a tragic waste.

Comments

[sabotabby]

God, this annoyed me, especially since I quite enjoyed the episode before and Derem has been growing on me (whereas I liked Genesis right away and continued to like her in this). I couldn't get past the worldbuilding implications of the episode. It's suddenly just easy to pop between worlds? Why didn't they study the warp slug as an alternative to dilithium crystals? Why wouldn't you label toxic materials, a technology we have had for ages in the present day?

Most importantly, if Derem is a fish guy who uses technology to look more human around humans, why on earth would his people also be doing that on what's close enough to being their own planet that they use it for ceremonial purposes? Like even if it's a harsh environment that they need special technology to access, why would they look human as opposed to fish people in suits? They shouldn't have evolved to find humans inherently more attractive than fish? Why were they complaining about wearing wet scale clothes? It's so so weird. I mean I know the Doyleist reason is budgetary but it makes no sense for the species and led me to wonder if they forgot Derem was a fish guy until right before they aired it.