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In "The Menagerie", we learn that traveling to Talos IV isn't just a bad idea, it can literally get you killed under General Order 7:

Starfleet General Order 7 was a directive that forbade contact with the planet Talos IV. It specifically stated, "No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV."

General Order 7 was made part of Starfleet policy following the visit of the USS Enterprise to Talos IV in 2254.

In particular, the end of "The Cage" seems to hint that they made that rule after Pike left"

Pike: Wouldn't some form of trade...mutual cooperation..

The Keeper: Your race would learn our power of illusion, and destroy itself, too.

But when Michael Burnham realizes Spock is trying to go there in Discovery, she gets no warnings and has no hesitation about setting a course.

Was there no death penalty at that time?

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    Personally, I'd recommend writing off the whole death penalty business as Early Installment Weirdness. YMMV.
    – Harry Johnston
    Commented Apr 15, 2019 at 4:46
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    @HarryJohnston: If by Early Installment, you mean, early episode, more than one detail of this episode is different from later episodes. I think Spock smiles, for example. Many shows, Simpsons as a very good example, look very strange to people who started watching after a couple of seasons. Bonanza I think has the same thing, where Cartwrights seem to be a violent clan.
    – releseabe
    Commented Apr 15, 2019 at 8:48
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    A lot of the court-martial framing apparatus in "The Menagerie" doesn't hold up very well to close inspection...
    – user888379
    Commented Apr 15, 2019 at 15:41

1 Answer 1

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Well, let's try to map it out.

  • 2254 When Captain Pike visits Talos IV.
  • 2257 When Michael Burnham visits Talos IV. (no warning)
  • 2267 When Captain Kirk visits Talos IV. (warning)

An interesting thing to consider is that we don't know the real reason for the restriction to Talos IV. We, Star Trek fans, have assumed it was because of Captain Pike. Now, we could just as easily assume it was because of Michael Burnham. In all reality, it could be because of yet another subsequent visit in a story yet to be told. The only thing we know for sure is that the window between 2257 and 2267 is when it occured. Everything else is speculation or outside of canon - so far.

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