[mayleavestars]

one of my fav scenes in discovery is the lorca-cornwall interplay where she tells him she’s gonna take his captaincy away… because there isn’t a pre-established star trek captain who hasn’t had to put up with a cartoonishly evil or incompetent admiral, or straight up defied orders from one. (rn i’m only coming up with the search for spock and improbable cause but there’s probably more.) so discovery not only subverts a well-worn star trek cliche (the audience finds itself agreeing with the admiral for the first time) but incorporates the cliche into the characters’ worldview.

the way lorca sees the world has himself at the center as its maligned savior. that’s what separates him from other star trek characters who’ve done morally wrong things. take in the pale moonlight as the most famous example: sure, sisko ultimately decides that “two lives and the self respect of one star trek officer” are outweighed by the safety of the alpha quadrant, but he still ACKNOWLEDGES that cost. he says he’d do it again, but he doesn’t feel good about it.

lorca may know his actions are morally wrong but he’s come to believe so firmly in their necessity that he views the cost with near-total disregard. even more than that, though, he believes in his own heroism. when cornwall calls him out, the way he sees her is “annoying incompetent admiral who doesn’t understand that the protagonist NEEDS to do this”. where sisko’s actions in ‘pale moonlight’ make him feel awful, i’d argue that lorca gets a thrill from his actions in… every episode. he’s come to view the world in such a way that dissent and even horror prove to him that he’s doing something right. he’s the lone ranger, the single defiant captain who understands the way the world works. and he’s carrying out his vision at any cost.