#ashtyler

[Ash Tyler lockscreen] 💙

SPOILERS AHEAD S1E11

SPOILERS AHEAD S1E11

SPOILERS AHEAD S1E11

SPOILERS AHEAD S1E11

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

So, unfortunately, Star Trek: Discovery S1E11 went there in the Ash Tyler storyline. It's been telegraphed right from the start but really obviously in the previous two episodes that Tyler wasn't human, but a Klingon sleeper agent. Now in principle this isn't a new trope for the genre or even Star Trek (see Seska on Voyager). However, all story telling is inextricably linked with the context of the times that produce it. As such, I can't believe that the writers and show runners of Discovery have been so completely clueless and tone deaf to one characters storyline being so massively problematic on three separate issues. Here's my issues in no particular order.

1. Having your Middle Eastern looking* actor play the sleeper agent.

Really, no one saw this as a possible issue in the modern political climate? No one thought having the guy with the Muslim sounding name play the guy pretending to be a goodie but whose really a baddie might be buying into some of the worst ideas floating around at the moment? Are they even paying attention?

2. Sexual Assault ult Victims Are Liars

So, as a result of point 1, all the hints and flashbacks to Ash's torture and rape are basically demonstrated as being lies. In the midst of the current controversy of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the community and Hollywood in particular, what genius thought a storyline that uses rape as a false flag plot device was a good idea? We went, in the length of a couple of episodes from showing how to treat sexual assault victims with sympathy and respect to completely undermining that by calling them liars or delusional.

EDIT: So the original post was literally written at 1am. So a bit more.

In response to Ash and L'rell were "lovers". OK sexual assault - prisoners who are under threat of death unless they comply cannot give consent. Therefore, they can't by any definition by "lovers". So Ash was raped. Period. If Ash is really Voq, then yes, he and L'Rell may very well have been lovers. And therefore there isn't any sexual assault. My whole issue is that introducing this level of ambiguity around sexual assault/sexual harassment considering what's happening out in the real world isn't helpful and goes against what Star Trek has always been about. Same goes with the PTSD. It's taken along time for people who suffer from PTSD to have the issue treated seriously. Again, as with the sexual assault storyline, introducing the possibility that it's "all just in someones head and isn't real", is really unhelpful.

3. PTSD Is No Big Deal

This one is related to point 2, in that again it's minimising a pretty horrific topic - PTSD in order to drive a no terribly original plot point. Considering how many people out there, veterans and civilians suffer from PTSD right at this moment, trivialising this issue is not only disrespectful but dangerous. Convincing people that PTSD is a real and significant mental health issue has been a long and difficult road. Trivialising it is an insult to those who didn't make it to the end of that road alive.

Of course it's possible that this storyline itself is a false flag or part of some double bluff, but that really doesn't matter, as the damage is done. To be honest, on the whole I've enjoyed the show so far. It's still finding its feet, with some inconsistency in the quality of the writing, but it's big shoes to fill, so I was willing to cut them some slack. But with the Ash Tyler storyline, there are just too many things that can't be justified. Sorry Star Trek: Discovery but you've fucked it up big time.