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

* In the classic ''[[Star Trek: theThe 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.

* Also prevalent in ''[[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation]]'', especially in the episode "I, Borg". Picard decides ''not'' to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to destroy the Borg, an entity that had cut through the galaxy like locusts, including ''assimilating Picard himself'', because to use a newly individualized Borg against his race would be wrong. Somehow. Picard was severely reprimanded by his superiors for making that choice and, later, he admits that while what he did was the ''moral'' thing to do it may not have been the ''right'' thing.

* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' gives us the Jem'Hadar. They are programmed to obey the Vorta without question, even when they know better. In one particular instance, a bunch of half-dead Jem'Hadar walk right into a Federation ambush their Vorta sent them into, knowing beforehand he was doing it on purpose so they'd all die and he could defect, simply because they are bred to obey. This serves to make them surprisingly relatable in several episodes.

* In ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', Captain Janeway turns down many opportunities to get the crew home by refusing to violate the Prime Directive. The irony there is that her willingness to violate the Prime Directive in the first episode is what left the ship stranded.

* In ''[[Firefly (TV)|Firefly]]'', Captain Malcolm Reynolds chooses to take in and shelter Simon and River Tam, despite the fact that having them on board increases the danger to his crew and actually puts all them in danger multiple times. When asked why he would do something so risky for people he barely knows when he seems like such a rational, cold-hearted bastard, he doesn't respond, tries to avoid answering altogether, or offers some flimsy excuse that everyone can see through quite clearly.

* Subverted in ''[[The A-Team (TV)|The A-Team]]''. Even though the team usually fits the trope to a T, in one episode Hannibal secures the help of General Fullbright by promising to turn himself in if he assists him. Afterwards, Hannibal escapes and says "In war there are no promises; only strategy."

* Prince Arthur in BBC's ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' has demonstrated this trope repeatedly, as far back as his risking his life to save Merlin in 1X04, all the way up to {{spoiler|literally putting his neck on the line to keep his word to Morguse}} in late season 2.

* Delenn in ''[[Babylon Five5]]'' always at least seems like [[The McCoy|the sort of person]] who would put [[Honor Before Reason]]. In fact she several times [[I Did What I Had to Do|does what she has to do]] and once or twice what she definitely doesn't have to do. But she always gives the impression of putting [[Honor Before Reason]], prefers that as her default, and sometimes has a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] while doing so.

** It is notable that Delenn seems to have some confidence that [[Combat Byby Champion|Combat by]] [[Self-Immolation]] will in fact turn all the Minbari to her side and that after her death her instructions for rebuilding the Grey Council would be followed. In any case both the warrior caste and the religious caste accepted her right to rule by virtue of the Starfire Wheel, despite the fact that the warriors had won the war. Which means ordinary Minbari must have had a sense of honor, enough to counter the scheming of the politicians.

* [[George Clooney|Doug Ross]] on ''[[ER (TV)|ER]]'' was driven to do what was right for children, regardless of the consequences to himself or his career. That's admirable, but he was also very short-sighted when it came to the consequences of his actions to his friends and colleagues, and eventually left the hospital in disgrace due to some very questionable decisions.