Honor Before Reason/Live-Action TV: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

* [[Game of Thrones]] has Eddard Stark embody this trope and it does him far more harm than good. His eldest son Robb also inherit it from him.

* In the classic ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode, "Spectre of the Gun", Kirk becomes increasingly desperate to escape the surreal nightmare [[Death Trap]] he and his landing party are thrust in. However, when the sheriff suggests he ambush the Earps to murder them, Kirk becomes nearly hysterical that he cannot stoop that low regardless of how dire the situation is. However, after the party figures a way to beat the trap, Kirk keeps to that same principle to spare the defeated Earps and that act impresses the aliens to not only let Kirk's party go, but also open up relations with the Federation. Thus by keeping to his principles, Kirk pulls a real victory out of the affair instead of mere survival. The same thing happens in "Arena" when he refuses to finish off the Gorn. Although by that point the Gorn wasn't in any shape to take advantage.

** Ironically, the outcome of "Spectre of the Gun" was due to [[Executive Meddling]]. In the original script, Kirk ''does'' let pragmatism trump honor, and shoots Wyatt Earp in the back. The aliens release Kirk not because they're impressed by his principles, but because, having read his mind, they know he ''believes'' in honor, and conclude that for him to have violated his own principles, he must be insane, and therefore not culpable for his actions.