I just started watching Discovery season 3. I was quite traumatized by the low quality of s02, but I decided to give season 3 a chance because I like most of the characters. Now comes the point. I do like Saru a lot nowadays, but at first I was put off a bit by his treatment of the tardigrade. Did any of you mind his lack of empathy for the animal? Or were you alright with him treating the creature as a resource without thinking twice? It feels kind of wrong to me when his own nation is treated as a resource on his home planet.
I always thought that was the point. People are often a byproduct of the environment that shaped them. Saru’s lack of empathy to the creature is a watershed moment for Saru, storyline wise.
That does make sone sense, yeah. I’m confused, because Saru is otherwise depicted as very empathetic, it’s even pointed out verbally, but this situation was different and it came so early on that it was hard for me to believe his empathy for a while afterwards, so I’m not very sure what the writers wanted me to think.
I think it was also a desperate situation. Lorca was in immediate danger and I am guessing Saru would, even with his empathy, have reasoned that a sentient being’s life, especially someone as important as Lorca, was more important. He also let the tardigrade go back to its home in the mycelial network after the emergency was over and it would have died on either the Glenn or the Discovery if that hadn’t happened.