Star Trek: Short Treks: Ask Not
November 14, 2019 10:08 PM - Season 2, Episode 3 - Subscribe
When an attack on Starbase 28 leaves a surprise prisoner under Cadet Thira Sidhu’s watch, she is faced with making a decision that may threaten her standing in Starfleet. Who's that man in the black mask?
Memory Alpha doesn't have much, as is usual for an episode that just dropped that day, but there wasn't much there; I think that this is the shortest Short Trek yet. Copious regulations get quoted, not all tests are announced ahead of time, a phaser is brandished, and 1701's engine room has never been prettier; it sure doesn't look like this.
Memory Alpha doesn't have much, as is usual for an episode that just dropped that day, but there wasn't much there; I think that this is the shortest Short Trek yet. Copious regulations get quoted, not all tests are announced ahead of time, a phaser is brandished, and 1701's engine room has never been prettier; it sure doesn't look like this.
Very strange Short Trek. Did they think no one watching this remembered the opening scene of Wrath of Khan?
Apart from that, about the only new thing here was that I found myself wondering if Masked-Pike was from the mirror universe or something, but then he started in with the regulations.
Still: any chance for Anson Mount to show his chops is worthwhile. I hope he gets to do a post-Rigel VII battle Short Trek or something.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:28 AM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Apart from that, about the only new thing here was that I found myself wondering if Masked-Pike was from the mirror universe or something, but then he started in with the regulations.
Still: any chance for Anson Mount to show his chops is worthwhile. I hope he gets to do a post-Rigel VII battle Short Trek or something.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:28 AM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Yeah, if nothing else Anson's tenure as Pike has really made me retrospectively angrier at how poorly utilized he was in Marvel's Inhumans.
posted by Kyol at 11:02 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Kyol at 11:02 AM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
Yeah, if nothing else Anson's tenure as Pike has really made me retrospectively angrier at how poorly utilized he was in Marvel's Inhumans
I was going to say his portrayal of Pike has made me mostly forget Inhumans!
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:37 PM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
I was going to say his portrayal of Pike has made me mostly forget Inhumans!
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:37 PM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Twist: the cadet failed the real entrance exam, which actually was for Section 31. The winning response would have been to phaser the prisoner at maximum stun the moment he showed any signs of resistance. An acceptable alternative would have been to throat-punch Pike after he revealed his cruel ruse.
posted by Nelson at 4:52 PM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 4:52 PM on November 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
A quick disposable character
After the last batch of Short Treks, I'm inclined to take a "lets just wait and see" approach before filing someone into that bin. Was anyone expecting to see Saru's sister or Queen I-Have-a-Planet-for-a-Twin-Sister ever again after their Short Trek Episodes?
I really have a feeling that groundwork is being laid for a Mount-Romijn-Peck Pike-era Enterprise Trek Series, and that includes introducing new characters and developing more modern interpretations of what the original 1701 looked like.
And with Cadet Sidhu, we know she has a husband who will be on leave from the USS Bouman and visiting with her right when she's beginning her tenure on the big E. How much do you want to bet there'd be a crisis that makes it so he has to be transferred to the Enterprise with her.
Unrelated to that, the continuity porn of all those obscure regulations being quoted struck a good balance between being subtle and natural, and being blatant fanservice. Who would have ever expected that the details of the Reserve Activation Clause would have ever been fleshed out, for instance?
posted by radwolf76 at 6:00 PM on November 15, 2019 [6 favorites]
After the last batch of Short Treks, I'm inclined to take a "lets just wait and see" approach before filing someone into that bin. Was anyone expecting to see Saru's sister or Queen I-Have-a-Planet-for-a-Twin-Sister ever again after their Short Trek Episodes?
I really have a feeling that groundwork is being laid for a Mount-Romijn-Peck Pike-era Enterprise Trek Series, and that includes introducing new characters and developing more modern interpretations of what the original 1701 looked like.
And with Cadet Sidhu, we know she has a husband who will be on leave from the USS Bouman and visiting with her right when she's beginning her tenure on the big E. How much do you want to bet there'd be a crisis that makes it so he has to be transferred to the Enterprise with her.
Unrelated to that, the continuity porn of all those obscure regulations being quoted struck a good balance between being subtle and natural, and being blatant fanservice. Who would have ever expected that the details of the Reserve Activation Clause would have ever been fleshed out, for instance?
posted by radwolf76 at 6:00 PM on November 15, 2019 [6 favorites]
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I enjoyed it, as I've enjoyed all of the Short Treks. I mean, I'm sure TNG had an hour long episode, probably featuring Wesley, covering this exact thing, but keeee-rist that's about 40 minutes too long. A quick disposable character and Captain Pike and 4 minutes to sell Starfleet Ideals aaaaaand GO.
posted by Kyol at 9:24 AM on November 15, 2019 [1 favorite]