YMMV / Star Trek Discovery Short Treks E06 "The Trouble with Edward"

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • It has been noted that Larkin possesses a Section 31 black and chrome Starfleet badge, with the episode set around the time that organisation became defunct. Being in Section 31 or a former member reintegrated into the regular fleet might help explain why he's in Starfleet even with his clear lack of interpersonal skills & why he thinks creating genetically modified tribbles with bio-weapon level reproductive abilities is a good idea. It makes Lucero's treatment of him and her lack of concern regarding his death somewhat more understandable, as Section 31 agents were disliked at the best of times and had a lousy reputation after nearly destroying the Federation.
  • It's unclear if Lucero is meant to be a classic Trek paragon or a somewhat dysfunctional new Captain, with her and Larkin's character flaws playing off each other and escalating the situation. She handles the Larkin situation in a less diplomatic or militaristic way than Picard or Janeway would have (contrast with Picard's handling of Barclay or Janeway's management whenever a crewmember's Maquis past ended up causing trouble). This question of character is helped along due to the tone of the episode being a dark comedy, with both main characters played by actors known for comedic roles, rather than a typical Star Trek classic science fiction story.
    • Despite Lucero transferring Larkin, there is no further punishment for his private insubordination when she tells him he's leaving, and no close control over his movements while they wait two days for his transfer ship to arrive. While some point to this as evidence Lucero is a "bad Captain" and equally to blame for what happened, Starfleet Captains are shown as loathe to confine fellow officers to quarters solely due to insubordination. Captain Jellico, arguably the most hardass Captain in the franchise thus far, relieved Riker of duty when he was blatantly insubordinate and only threatened to confine him to quarters as a warning for Riker not to escalate his poor behaviour. Personal freedom is a significant aspect of Starfleet, even when disciplining officers, and confinement to quarters is seen as not far removed from being sent to the brig.
  • How much of a point Larkin has in his pre-death rant just before he is swallowed up by a wave of Tribbles as Lucero evacuates the ship as he refuses to leave. Is it a Strawman Has a Point or Right for the Wrong Reasons moment for Larkin (calling Lucero the "dumb one" and calling his Tribble modifications "one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time") after Lucero failed to stop him from continuing his experiments, even at the cost of his death, the loss of the ship and causing the start of the Tribble menace?

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