“What Is Starfleet?” takes a reasonably primary journey and spices it up by telling it by way of the lens of Beto’s documentary, full with declassification labels, house FOIA requests, and official-sounding voice-overs. However the precise story is fairly simple. The Enterprise crew is distributed on a humanitarian mission to assist mitigate a battle between two sister planets: Lutani VIII and Kasar.
Lutani VIII attacked Kaysar in an try to put declare to its sources, and in consequence, thousands and thousands have died, totally on the Lutani aspect. Pike and firm are supposed to decide up some “livestock” and transport it to assist with the Lutani rebuilding efforts. Which seems to be a slightly hilarious time period when the creature they’ve been despatched to fetch is gigantic, glowing, and may shoot radiation at a degree able to destroying small ships. (The present refers to it as an area dragon, however actually it appears to be like like nothing a lot as Intergalactic Mothra.) Anyway, the house dragon’s radiation powers are so huge, it’s just about a coin flip over whether or not Lutani will use it to assist feed its individuals, or to assault its neighboring enemies and delay the combating and dying.
For some purpose, Beto’s satisfied this humanitarian mission is definitely some kind of secret plan for conquest or step one to the Federation colonizing Lutani VIII, Kasar, or each. There’s not likely a acknowledged purpose for this, apart from Beto merely desires to consider it, deftly splicing in some ominous quotes and snippets from calls with the Starfleet higher-ups to assist body a selected predetermined narrative. However to the shock of everybody, the creature itself has a request: It desires to die. The house dragon, which appears slightly historic, is uninterested in residing a lifetime of captivity through which its nature can be utilized as a weapon each time another person chooses. It’s bleak and really bittersweet, however in the end, the crew decides that it has to honor this sentient being’s needs. They assist the creature fly into a close-by star, and all—even Beto—appears to be like suitably emotional afterward.
So far as the documentary we’re meant to be watching goes, it doesn’t assist that Beto’s expertise as a filmmaker are just about on par with Jughead from Riverdale’s writing acumen. He’s terrible. Half his pictures are achieved in uncomfortably excessive close-up, as if he’s questioning what it could be like if he managed to get a digicam instantly up somebody’s nostril, or Dunder-Mifflin-style spying round corners on conversations he’s not meant to be a part of. However the actual drawback is that there’s no actual pressure right here. It’s not clear if anybody (both on the planet of the present or amongst these watching at dwelling) cares about Beto’s opinion of Starfleet, and, extra importantly, we already know he’s improper.
There’s just about no crew that’s as devoted to doing no hurt as Captain Pike’s is, or to doing the precise factor even when all the principles and laws are in opposition to them. Beto’s seen that. A number of instances! The concept these individuals, who collectively make selections as a group and have household dinners within the captain’s quarters on the common, are in some way additionally secret conflict criminals who enjoyment of oppression and conquest is laughable. There’s in all probability a worthwhile dialog available in regards to the Federation and the idea of empire, or how Starfleet chooses to work together with varied alien teams. However the concept the Enterprise is in some way going to get uncovered as a secretly monstrous place to serve simply…it doesn’t work. There’s no purpose to consider it would. Which makes the “lesson” Beto has to be taught really feel…pointless? Even when it’s a genuinely heart-reading kind of story.
After all, Pike and the crew are going to assist he seemingly historic house dragon that wishes nothing however to be at peace after a lifetime in enforced servitude. After all, the Enterprise goes to assist shield their homeworld and their offspring from the assorted species who search to make use of their skills as a weapon for their very own ends. And after all, the care and real kindness of the crew shines all through, of their willpower to assist a creature that’s being so overtly abused. Beto is an fool.
