By Chris Snellgrove
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Whereas many Star Trek followers dislike numerous characters in Starfleet Academythe one they hate essentially the most isn’t one of many major characters. Like members of the early Discovery bridge crew, she has a reputation, however nearly no person watching truly is aware of it. To them, she’s largely “the lady who ate her comm badge.”
This character (who is definitely named Pickford) has solely appeared in three episodes to date, and he or she’s all the time within the background, being typically ineffective. So ineffective, actually, that you simply would possibly end up questioning why the writers put such a silly character of their status sci-fi present. Now, some Star Trek followers have a compelling principle about Pickford: that her stupidity is simply an act, and he or she’s secretly a spy for Nus Braka!
The Girl Who Knew Too Little
Within the very first episode of Starfleet Academy (“Children These Days”), Pickford stood out within the worst doable approach, nervously admitting to the Physician that she had swallowed her comm badge. Critics pointed to this for instance of the brand new present having the form of broad comedy extra appropriate to a Saturday morning cartoon than a new Star Trek present. In spite of everything, this was a personality coaching to be the most effective of the most effective, however she appeared to have the wits and intelligence of a toddler in her first look.
She doesn’t acquit herself very effectively later, both: in that premiere episode, she has a full-on meltdown after Nus Braka’s pirate assault. Later, she’s impolite to the holographic SAM, and in the latest episode (“Come, Let’s Away”), she had one other panic assault in a tense scenario and needed to be escorted off the bridge. Up to now, Pickford has revealed herself to be impolite, silly, and utterly ineffective in nearly any scenario, prompting a rising variety of Star Trek followers to ask why she was put within the present within the first place.
A Secret Spy?
Aside from simply being annoying, the largest problem with Pickford is that she doesn’t appear to be Starfleet materials. Certain, she’s within the academy and wears the uniform, however she appears to have not one of the emotional and psychological self-discipline you’d anticipate from a future Starfleet officer. That is in direct distinction to Starfleet Academy‘s Huge Unhealthy Nus Braka, who presents himself as a goofy joke (full with cackling monologues about time being an origami hen) however is secretly hypercompetent.
That competence was on full show in “Come, Let’s Away,” an episode the place Starfleet asks for his assist in defeating nefarious villains referred to as the Furies. Braka pretends to cooperate, however he manipulates the scenario to his benefit and has his flunkies destroy a Starfleet vessel. Later, he disables and ransacks a complete Starbase, which is kind of the accomplishment; certain, the Klingons in Discovery took out a base, however now, a easy house pirate was capable of acquire the identical accomplishment as one of many fiercest house empires the galaxy has ever identified.
In “Come, Let’s Away,” that is introduced as proof that Nus Braka is a felony genius, however some followers aren’t shopping for it. A rising variety of viewers imagine that the one approach this skeezy pirate is ready to so constantly outwit the neatest individuals within the quadrant is as a result of he has somebody on the within, feeding him data. The first suspect, surprisingly sufficient, is the lady who fed herself a comm badge!
Hiding In Plain Sight
Why do individuals suppose Nus Braka has a spy inside Starfleet? For one factor, he has proven up each time Chancellor Ake takes her college students into house; this was defined within the first episode (he tracked Caleb’s transmission), however within the second episode, he appears to know sufficient in regards to the Furies and their plan to coordinate an assault that destroyed a Starfleet ship and crippled a Starbase. He was possible coordinating with the Furies and presumably along with his spy, which is likely to be why he attacked a Starbase that focuses on researching (as Nelrec says) “labeled issues.”
Clearly, there are lots of characters that could possibly be potential spies for Nus Braka: Genesis remains to be very mysterious and appears to share the house pirate’s Daddy points. Nelrec is frequently disillusioned by working with Starfleet, so he would possibly very effectively workforce up with Chancellor Ake’s greatest enemy. Heck, even the Physician could have turn into disillusioned sufficient (or simply reprogrammed) to alter sides, and since a number of variations of this character exist within the galaxy, Braka might need even changed the Voyager Physician with a replica loyal to him.
Nonetheless, I agree with the followers who suppose Pickford is a secret spy: antics like swallowing her comm badge are an effective way to make sure that no person thinks she is wise sufficient to be a double agent. Plus, her frequent meltdowns may simply be a handy strategy to take her out of the motion. For instance, she may have simply communicated with Nus Braka in “Come, Let’s Away” after being escorted from the bridge, transmitting to the pirate as soon as she is in her quarters and away from prying eyes and ears.
Is Starfleet Academy About To Redeem Its Worst Character?
There isn’t a definitive proof that Nus Braka has a spy, and he could very effectively simply be the felony mastermind he presents himself as. However now that the Federation has positioned him on the high of their Most Wished listing, it stands to motive we’ll see extra of this villain going ahead. Actually, it might be downright surprising if we don’t get some large reveals within the season finale, and a secret spy replace can be the largest reveal of all of them.
Proper now, all my latinum is on Pickford, if solely as a result of it might be such a pleasant heel flip: how cool would it not be if the dumbest, most incompetent cadet seems to be the largest traitor since Seska? This is able to redeem Starfleet Academy’s throwaway character in essentially the most sudden approach and provides us a brand new villain to hate. If nothing else, she and Nus Braka may have an earnest, onscreen debate about essentially the most urgent query within the galaxy: what tastes higher, a comm badge or an origami hen?