Ask Not. Starfleet has a tradition of testing its members: Kirk and the Kobayashi Maru, Wesley Crusher and the psych scenario, Deanna Troi and her command test are examples. These trials are designed to judge character, loyalty, and the ability to make decisions. When serving aboard Captain Pike’s Enterprise, the drill is no different.

In this episode of The Edge, hosts Amy Nelson and Patrick Devlin discuss the latest episode of Short Treks, “Ask Not.” We delve into the many types of coercion used by Pike is his attempt to get Cadet Thira Sidhu to break her orders and go rogue. We question if this was too harsh compared with previous tests we’ve seen in Star Trek and recognize that even Pike believes it was extreme and inhumane.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Initial Thoughts (00:07:22) Pike’s Odd Behavior (00:13:39) This Is a Test (00:14:53) Types of Coercion (00:17:42) Extreme and Inhuman (00:24:48) Coming of Age (00:33:26) Phaser Action (00:40:20) My Teacher (00:43:12) Closing (00:51:52)

Hosts Amy Nelson and Patrick Devlin

Production Patrick Devlin (Editor) Amy Nelson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Tony Robinson (Associate Producer) Lisa Slack (Associate Producer) Tom Puleo (Associate Producer) Shoaib Mirza (Associate Producer) Richard Rutledge (Associate Producer) James Muldrow (Associate Producer) Cornelia Reutner (Associate Producer) Ryan Maillet (Associate Producer) Chris Tribuzio (Associate Producer) Brian Meloche (Associate Producer) Tony Robinson (Show Art)