Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Broken Circle
June 15, 2023 9:54 AM - Season 2, Episode 1 - Subscribe
[Season Premiere] Needs of the many? Needs of the few, or the one? Whatever; we gotta do a thing, even if it's not strictly... logical.
You know what the worst thing about Memory Alpha living nearly forever is? Boredom:
- Although this is the season premiere, Pike is hardly in it, and it seems as if the situation that was last season's cliffhanger--Una being arrested for not revealing her genetically-engineered status--won't be resolved until next week (and that it will be is an assumption of mine, of course). The episode focuses on Spock, M'Benga, and Chapel. I don't think that this is canonically the first time that Spock has been in command ("The Serene Squall" last season should count), but since this is the first time in a non-emergency situation AFAIK it should count for something.
- Carol Kane joins the crew as Pelia! She's a "Lanthanite", which again AFAIK is a new species, some of whom have lived among humans for some time (is your neighbor a Lanthanite? Are you?) and are very long-lived, like El-Aurians (Guinan's people). I don't know if she's going to be on the ship for long, but I'll be sorely disappointed if she doesn't declare someone "mostly dead" at some point.
- The Klingons feature heavily in this episode, and physically are more like the TOS movie/TNG-era Klingons than the ones in the first season of DIS. (The S2 DIS Klingons seemed to be moving in that direction, since some of them had hair.) Their uniforms are gold-on-black armor, rather than silver-on-black, which is kind of like the TOS series uniforms, and the baldrics that the commanders are wearing are also from the TOS series (and what Worf wore in TNG S1). Otherwise, they're very much like the Klingons that most of us are used to from the TNG era, very party-hearty when they're not fighting you (and sometimes when they are).
- The hidden ship is identified as a Crossfield-class, which is the original class of Discovery, although the nacelles seem different.
- This also seems to be when Spock gets his Vulcan lute (which I still think of as a "lyrette" because that's what it was called in the original Starfleet Technical Manual); I'd swear that we've seen one hanging on the wall of his quarters in DIS-era Trek before, but I could be wrong.
"After explicitly ordering you not to go, you risked hundreds of lives, and you risked peace in the quadrant."
"If you could lower the volume of your voice, Admiral."
"Oh my god. Are you hungover, Spock?"
-- April and Spock
Poster's Log:
Well worth the wait; SNW comes back with its mix of both the familiar (if not the deliberate callback; I just rewatched Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and it's probably no accident that this time it's Spock stealing the Enterprise to retrieve a missing crew member against explicit orders), and a bit of daring in some of its choices; Pike's and Una's appearances are almost cameos before the episode is handed over to Spock and the others. And even with that, even though Spock and his emotional travails are centered in the episode, we get some good character development for M'Benga and Chapel, talking about their experiences during the war, and an honest-to-gosh corridor fight scene (shades of the MCU!). Even a bit of cross-franchise reference, with La'an winning the drinking contest a la Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The last scene shows that things with the Gorn are heating up, setting up a seasonal arc, while the rest of the episode establishes some emotional stakes for some of the crew.
Poster's Log, supplemental: I don't think that it's entirely coincidental that Oriana has two mommies, and that Pelia describes her revelation of her extraterrestrial status to Amanda Grayson as "coming out", during Pride Month.
Next week: who is Pike so keen to get as Una's lawyer? Reference to someone we've already seen in the franchise? There were some lawyers in TOS, particularly in the episode "Courtmartial."
You know what the worst thing about Memory Alpha living nearly forever is? Boredom:
- Although this is the season premiere, Pike is hardly in it, and it seems as if the situation that was last season's cliffhanger--Una being arrested for not revealing her genetically-engineered status--won't be resolved until next week (and that it will be is an assumption of mine, of course). The episode focuses on Spock, M'Benga, and Chapel. I don't think that this is canonically the first time that Spock has been in command ("The Serene Squall" last season should count), but since this is the first time in a non-emergency situation AFAIK it should count for something.
- Carol Kane joins the crew as Pelia! She's a "Lanthanite", which again AFAIK is a new species, some of whom have lived among humans for some time (is your neighbor a Lanthanite? Are you?) and are very long-lived, like El-Aurians (Guinan's people). I don't know if she's going to be on the ship for long, but I'll be sorely disappointed if she doesn't declare someone "mostly dead" at some point.
- The Klingons feature heavily in this episode, and physically are more like the TOS movie/TNG-era Klingons than the ones in the first season of DIS. (The S2 DIS Klingons seemed to be moving in that direction, since some of them had hair.) Their uniforms are gold-on-black armor, rather than silver-on-black, which is kind of like the TOS series uniforms, and the baldrics that the commanders are wearing are also from the TOS series (and what Worf wore in TNG S1). Otherwise, they're very much like the Klingons that most of us are used to from the TNG era, very party-hearty when they're not fighting you (and sometimes when they are).
- The hidden ship is identified as a Crossfield-class, which is the original class of Discovery, although the nacelles seem different.
- This also seems to be when Spock gets his Vulcan lute (which I still think of as a "lyrette" because that's what it was called in the original Starfleet Technical Manual); I'd swear that we've seen one hanging on the wall of his quarters in DIS-era Trek before, but I could be wrong.
"After explicitly ordering you not to go, you risked hundreds of lives, and you risked peace in the quadrant."
"If you could lower the volume of your voice, Admiral."
"Oh my god. Are you hungover, Spock?"
-- April and Spock
Poster's Log:
Well worth the wait; SNW comes back with its mix of both the familiar (if not the deliberate callback; I just rewatched Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and it's probably no accident that this time it's Spock stealing the Enterprise to retrieve a missing crew member against explicit orders), and a bit of daring in some of its choices; Pike's and Una's appearances are almost cameos before the episode is handed over to Spock and the others. And even with that, even though Spock and his emotional travails are centered in the episode, we get some good character development for M'Benga and Chapel, talking about their experiences during the war, and an honest-to-gosh corridor fight scene (shades of the MCU!). Even a bit of cross-franchise reference, with La'an winning the drinking contest a la Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The last scene shows that things with the Gorn are heating up, setting up a seasonal arc, while the rest of the episode establishes some emotional stakes for some of the crew.
Poster's Log, supplemental: I don't think that it's entirely coincidental that Oriana has two mommies, and that Pelia describes her revelation of her extraterrestrial status to Amanda Grayson as "coming out", during Pride Month.
Next week: who is Pike so keen to get as Una's lawyer? Reference to someone we've already seen in the franchise? There were some lawyers in TOS, particularly in the episode "Courtmartial."
I loled when Carol Kane's character was like "damn son I'm fucking bored let me stay on your fucked-up ship"
posted by rhymedirective at 10:53 AM on June 15, 2023 [24 favorites]
posted by rhymedirective at 10:53 AM on June 15, 2023 [24 favorites]
"I would like the ship to go. Now."
posted by Etrigan at 12:25 PM on June 15, 2023 [21 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 12:25 PM on June 15, 2023 [21 favorites]
who was first through the door
and showed us the stars.
Hailing frequencies forever open...
posted by Etrigan at 12:27 PM on June 15, 2023 [36 favorites]
Mod note: One comment deleted. Let's avoid spoilers.
posted by loup (staff) at 2:00 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by loup (staff) at 2:00 PM on June 15, 2023
inspec-tors
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:14 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:14 PM on June 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Thanks for creating a post! I watched the episode over lunch today and was hoping we could get into it on FanFare. I was a big fan of Season 1 overall, because it felt fun and goofy and campy in the right ways.
Some reviews (spoiler alert, spoiler alert, and in the NPR link it goes beyond the first episode):
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Review — “The Broken Circle” (TrekCore)
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 is a classic sci-fi adventure (NPR)
Why 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' is the 'Trek' series we really deserve (USA Today)
I'm not super deep into Trek canon - TNG was my growing-up Trek and I watched some DS9, some Enterprise, most of S1 of Picard before it kinda turned me off - but I'm loving the idea of Emotional Spock as an evolution that causes ripple effects through the ensemble, especially with Pike and Chapel. (Was I shipping Spock and Chapel hard during S1? Was I delighted when they got their 'staged' moment of passion in front of Angel and T'Pring? Yes, yes I was.)
It's also cool to see Ethan Peck and Christina Chong getting to use more of their range as actors. Chong conveyed an ease in La'An that will help the character evolve beyond the one-note hardass persona of S1. I really liked how we got some additional perspective on M'Benga and his chill/nonreactivity.
This episode was a banger. Now I'm even MORE excited for this season.
posted by sockshaveholes at 3:18 PM on June 15, 2023 [7 favorites]
Some reviews (spoiler alert, spoiler alert, and in the NPR link it goes beyond the first episode):
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Review — “The Broken Circle” (TrekCore)
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 is a classic sci-fi adventure (NPR)
Why 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' is the 'Trek' series we really deserve (USA Today)
I'm not super deep into Trek canon - TNG was my growing-up Trek and I watched some DS9, some Enterprise, most of S1 of Picard before it kinda turned me off - but I'm loving the idea of Emotional Spock as an evolution that causes ripple effects through the ensemble, especially with Pike and Chapel. (Was I shipping Spock and Chapel hard during S1? Was I delighted when they got their 'staged' moment of passion in front of Angel and T'Pring? Yes, yes I was.)
It's also cool to see Ethan Peck and Christina Chong getting to use more of their range as actors. Chong conveyed an ease in La'An that will help the character evolve beyond the one-note hardass persona of S1. I really liked how we got some additional perspective on M'Benga and his chill/nonreactivity.
This episode was a banger. Now I'm even MORE excited for this season.
posted by sockshaveholes at 3:18 PM on June 15, 2023 [7 favorites]
The promo cast ensemble poster has all the cast lit by bright colours with Nurse Chapel off to the side in Black and white.. that feels like foreshadowing 🫤
posted by Faintdreams at 3:21 PM on June 15, 2023
posted by Faintdreams at 3:21 PM on June 15, 2023
This episode was a banger.
I concur! Ethan Peck especially is showing a remarkable amount of range, while still being essentially Spock.
Minor quibble #1: I fast-forwarded through the fight scene. It was a little too long, and the roid-vision got old quickly.
Even shallower minor quibble #2: I thought the key lighting was unflattering to Carol Kane, and I thought she looked much better on The Ready Room than she did on the actual show.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:17 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I concur! Ethan Peck especially is showing a remarkable amount of range, while still being essentially Spock.
Minor quibble #1: I fast-forwarded through the fight scene. It was a little too long, and the roid-vision got old quickly.
Even shallower minor quibble #2: I thought the key lighting was unflattering to Carol Kane, and I thought she looked much better on The Ready Room than she did on the actual show.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:17 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I loved Pelia basically swanning onto the bridge all you kids really need to raise your shenanigans game. Now I am only going to show you this once -- this is how you create mayhem and plausible deniability in the right ratio.
posted by Karmakaze at 5:59 PM on June 15, 2023 [24 favorites]
posted by Karmakaze at 5:59 PM on June 15, 2023 [24 favorites]
I will regard Pelia as Actual Carol Kane until it is specifically denied on-screen, and even then I will simply choose to believe that it's only part of a cover story she's telling.
posted by Etrigan at 6:00 PM on June 15, 2023 [18 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 6:00 PM on June 15, 2023 [18 favorites]
I thought this was an okay episode, but not particularly great. The sort of filler episode that we used to get in the traditional longer TV seasons, but in a 10-episode season feels like a let down, even moreso for a season premiere. It was written by Kurtzman and Goldman, neither of whom are among the strong writers on this show.
I do rather like the idea that we're going to get some backstory about the Klingon war and how it involved/affected the characters who were in the fighting. We know that Pike/Spock/Una did not see combat, but having M'Benga, Chapel and Ortegas all being veeterans is cool. I hope they explore that in detail. The super soldier serum that M'Benga "always carries" seems a bit much until you realize it's his PTSD that makes him do it.
My complaint with the intro of Pelia is that it's "small universe syndrome" for her to know Spock's mother. Otherwise, I loved that she caught on to their ruse instantly and was ready to rock and roll. Seems pretty clear to me that we are likely to only get her in a few episodes, like Hemmer last season, and then she'll probably be replaced with someone else (but hopefully not Scotty).
Otherwise, this felt like a generic Trek action episode. It's like they didn't want to go straight to the court martial episode, but didn't want anything too high-stakes to take away from it either.
posted by briank at 6:17 PM on June 15, 2023 [5 favorites]
I do rather like the idea that we're going to get some backstory about the Klingon war and how it involved/affected the characters who were in the fighting. We know that Pike/Spock/Una did not see combat, but having M'Benga, Chapel and Ortegas all being veeterans is cool. I hope they explore that in detail. The super soldier serum that M'Benga "always carries" seems a bit much until you realize it's his PTSD that makes him do it.
My complaint with the intro of Pelia is that it's "small universe syndrome" for her to know Spock's mother. Otherwise, I loved that she caught on to their ruse instantly and was ready to rock and roll. Seems pretty clear to me that we are likely to only get her in a few episodes, like Hemmer last season, and then she'll probably be replaced with someone else (but hopefully not Scotty).
Otherwise, this felt like a generic Trek action episode. It's like they didn't want to go straight to the court martial episode, but didn't want anything too high-stakes to take away from it either.
posted by briank at 6:17 PM on June 15, 2023 [5 favorites]
The sort of filler episode that we used to get in the traditional longer TV seasons, but in a 10-episode season feels like a let down, even moreso for a season premiere.''
I loved it because it felt like a filler episode. I miss filler episodes. Bring on more filler episodes!
posted by Pryde at 7:12 PM on June 15, 2023 [16 favorites]
I loved it because it felt like a filler episode. I miss filler episodes. Bring on more filler episodes!
posted by Pryde at 7:12 PM on June 15, 2023 [16 favorites]
This was okay. A nice reintroduction/reorientation for the show. (Didn't Uhura leave the ship at the end of last season?) And La'an effectively left for one episode and will now, presumably, be back on the ship. So strange for them to ship these characters off only to have them basically come straight back.
The fight scene was far too long. There was no dramatic tension with M'Benda and Chapel maybe dying, but Spock's emotional response was great.
A fun diverting adventure to kick us off.
posted by crossoverman at 7:58 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
The fight scene was far too long. There was no dramatic tension with M'Benda and Chapel maybe dying, but Spock's emotional response was great.
A fun diverting adventure to kick us off.
posted by crossoverman at 7:58 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I loved it because it felt like a filler episode. I miss filler episodes. Bring on more filler episodes!
I have always wanted a Star Trek movie that was just a slightly more complex regular episode. Just... visit some aliens, solve a problem, get some nice character beats. Not everything has to be a galaxy-spanning threat.
posted by Etrigan at 8:27 PM on June 15, 2023 [20 favorites]
I have always wanted a Star Trek movie that was just a slightly more complex regular episode. Just... visit some aliens, solve a problem, get some nice character beats. Not everything has to be a galaxy-spanning threat.
posted by Etrigan at 8:27 PM on June 15, 2023 [20 favorites]
I am not enamoured of the berserker-juice, both story wise and physiologically. Even given a designer PCP there are costs, and besides, it's only a physical augmentation - there ain't no potion to take for skill.
Do like the costumes for civilian dress, especially compared to the (mostly by a large margin) ridiculous TNG civilian costumes.
Did anyone else think that the CG for thefake false Federation ship pulling out around 'pillars of creation'-like stellar phenomenon? The scale felt really ridiculous.
Appreciated the note to dearly departed Nichelle Nicoles.
posted by porpoise at 8:48 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Do like the costumes for civilian dress, especially compared to the (mostly by a large margin) ridiculous TNG civilian costumes.
Did anyone else think that the CG for the
Appreciated the note to dearly departed Nichelle Nicoles.
posted by porpoise at 8:48 PM on June 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Lanthanites are, I'm almost certain, new (as would be their heretofore unrevealed mortal enemy species, the Actinites)
She's from a mysterious planet known as the Rare Earth! (At least up until she went with the Enterprise, at which point she became trans-Uranic!)
posted by traveler_ at 8:57 PM on June 15, 2023 [16 favorites]
She's from a mysterious planet known as the Rare Earth! (At least up until she went with the Enterprise, at which point she became trans-Uranic!)
posted by traveler_ at 8:57 PM on June 15, 2023 [16 favorites]
I am not enamoured of the berserker-juice
Yeah, that was awful. Pretty much all the scenes with the doctor and the nurse were awful. All that fighting and strobe lights is not Star Trek, not in any iteration. They're medical personnel, what are they going to break their delicate surgeon hands punching Klingon mooks in the face? Dumb dumb dumb.
That aside I liked all the Spock character development. They are really taking him to a different place than we see in TOS and I'm curious where it goes. I'm on the fence about Pelia, there's a bit of a Dr Pulaski vibe about her.
I really wish that La'an could have dropped the Belter fashion for this season.
posted by Nelson at 9:41 PM on June 15, 2023 [7 favorites]
Yeah, that was awful. Pretty much all the scenes with the doctor and the nurse were awful. All that fighting and strobe lights is not Star Trek, not in any iteration. They're medical personnel, what are they going to break their delicate surgeon hands punching Klingon mooks in the face? Dumb dumb dumb.
That aside I liked all the Spock character development. They are really taking him to a different place than we see in TOS and I'm curious where it goes. I'm on the fence about Pelia, there's a bit of a Dr Pulaski vibe about her.
I really wish that La'an could have dropped the Belter fashion for this season.
posted by Nelson at 9:41 PM on June 15, 2023 [7 favorites]
Didn't Uhura leave the ship at the end of last season?
She was a cadet on a training tour last season (we are not meant to wonder how she managed to stay on the ship quite so long). Now she has graduated from the Academy and is an Ensign, with the Enterprise as her first posting.
With luck she won't be stuck in that rank as long as poor Harry Kim was.
posted by suelac at 10:34 PM on June 15, 2023 [8 favorites]
She was a cadet on a training tour last season (we are not meant to wonder how she managed to stay on the ship quite so long). Now she has graduated from the Academy and is an Ensign, with the Enterprise as her first posting.
With luck she won't be stuck in that rank as long as poor Harry Kim was.
posted by suelac at 10:34 PM on June 15, 2023 [8 favorites]
So strange for them to ship these characters off only to have them basically come straight back.
You've just described approximately 12% of all television episodes made between 1960-2000.
posted by rhymedirective at 6:16 AM on June 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
You've just described approximately 12% of all television episodes made between 1960-2000.
posted by rhymedirective at 6:16 AM on June 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
Do like the costumes for civilian dress, especially compared to the (mostly by a large margin) ridiculous TNG civilian costumes.
I think that the intention with a lot of civilian clothing in the TNG era was to show people wearing stuff that would seem as outlandish and impractical to us as, say, your average 80s outfit would seem to people of a few centuries ago. One thing that stuck out to me, though, about the undercover outfits in this episode is that Spock's jacket has a very visible zipper; Gene Roddenberry (and, apparently, George Lucas) hated the idea of mundane clothing fasteners still being used in the future, and banned them from being used in costumes (at least visibly) for as long as he was in control.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:38 AM on June 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think that the intention with a lot of civilian clothing in the TNG era was to show people wearing stuff that would seem as outlandish and impractical to us as, say, your average 80s outfit would seem to people of a few centuries ago. One thing that stuck out to me, though, about the undercover outfits in this episode is that Spock's jacket has a very visible zipper; Gene Roddenberry (and, apparently, George Lucas) hated the idea of mundane clothing fasteners still being used in the future, and banned them from being used in costumes (at least visibly) for as long as he was in control.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:38 AM on June 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I do think the civilian clothes in KurtzmanTrek are too close to what we wear today. I think there must be a happy medium between "wouldn't look out of place in New York in 2023" and "Jake Sisko".
posted by rhymedirective at 9:49 AM on June 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by rhymedirective at 9:49 AM on June 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
New York might be a little too fashion-forward to anchor one extreme. Minneapolis?
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:11 AM on June 16, 2023
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:11 AM on June 16, 2023
Haha, fair. How about New Orleans?
posted by rhymedirective at 11:16 AM on June 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rhymedirective at 11:16 AM on June 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
"O wow i'm thrilled to see more Strange New Worlds!... Wait didn't I just see (thing they did) in some other trek show's season's first ep, did they write this with ChatGPT or something? ... I've tapped the right arrow key like a dozen times and that stroboscope scene is still going"
posted by yoHighness at 12:09 PM on June 16, 2023
posted by yoHighness at 12:09 PM on June 16, 2023
Partway through the episode I said a quiet thank you to Picard season three for lowering my expectations of modern Trek to a point where this was a joyous watch (with the exception of the overly-long corridor fight).
Damn I've missed that opening theme tune.
posted by Molesome at 12:18 PM on June 16, 2023 [10 favorites]
Damn I've missed that opening theme tune.
posted by Molesome at 12:18 PM on June 16, 2023 [10 favorites]
WHY did the camera turn upside down during the middle of the too-long fight? right before they dropped down into the other corridor directly below?
Review & watch every future SNW episode asking "Would this go better right now if M'Benga would shoot someone up with super-soldier juice". Because, he carries it everywhere, literally everytime; and there's no significant downside to using it.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 3:03 PM on June 16, 2023 [14 favorites]
Review & watch every future SNW episode asking "Would this go better right now if M'Benga would shoot someone up with super-soldier juice". Because, he carries it everywhere, literally everytime; and there's no significant downside to using it.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 3:03 PM on June 16, 2023 [14 favorites]
"I would like the ship to go. Now."
I don't think they'll ever do better than "Warp Me!"
posted by mikelieman at 4:36 PM on June 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
I don't think they'll ever do better than "Warp Me!"
posted by mikelieman at 4:36 PM on June 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
I'm not sure why everyone's assuming there's no downsides to using super-soldier serum? They basically went super-soldier -> hard vacuum of space -> frozen almost to death on a transporter pad -> time jump -> M'Benga's apparently functional again, Chapel's still recovering. Just because we never saw the consequences of using that drug or heard them explained to us by a character, doesn't mean they don't exist.
Because look: if there's a super-soldier serum with no downsides, then you have to factor that into not just every future episode of this show but you also have to find a way to explain its absence in every single episode of every single previous Trek show ever. So, Occam's Razor: either you retcon every Trek series ever, orrrrr you could say, hey, the doctor who carries this around everywhere because of his Klingon-War-PTSD probably doesn't care about the risks its side effects have for his health and wellbeing, even though Starfleet probably cares a lot about those side effects. One of these two options seems, to me, to be much simpler. But I guess it's a measure of how much I liked Season 1 that I'm willing to trust this writers' room more than some folks here apparently are.
I did feel Pike and Number One's absence though. Would've gladly traded away 45 seconds of hallway fight for 45 more seconds of that pair.
I liked Pelia as a character but man, a long-lived species that was secretly living on Earth this whole time? I'm half-wondering if they've just found a way to smuggle a vampire onto my sci-fi show.
posted by mstokes650 at 8:47 PM on June 16, 2023 [11 favorites]
Because look: if there's a super-soldier serum with no downsides, then you have to factor that into not just every future episode of this show but you also have to find a way to explain its absence in every single episode of every single previous Trek show ever. So, Occam's Razor: either you retcon every Trek series ever, orrrrr you could say, hey, the doctor who carries this around everywhere because of his Klingon-War-PTSD probably doesn't care about the risks its side effects have for his health and wellbeing, even though Starfleet probably cares a lot about those side effects. One of these two options seems, to me, to be much simpler. But I guess it's a measure of how much I liked Season 1 that I'm willing to trust this writers' room more than some folks here apparently are.
I did feel Pike and Number One's absence though. Would've gladly traded away 45 seconds of hallway fight for 45 more seconds of that pair.
I liked Pelia as a character but man, a long-lived species that was secretly living on Earth this whole time? I'm half-wondering if they've just found a way to smuggle a vampire onto my sci-fi show.
posted by mstokes650 at 8:47 PM on June 16, 2023 [11 favorites]
Yeah, sure, hallway fight went on too long, blah blah blah this ruled. Chapel, Spock and M'Benga are my favorite characters on this show, so I'm super-down with centering the season premier around them.
Ethan Peck continues to just kill it as Spock.
Carol Kane!!!
I'm interested to see how the Una stuff plays out (especially since her incarceration seems to be part of that same "future timeline" that the S1 Finale spent so much time and effort to convince Pike not to mess with) but let's be real: that's not going to be nearly as much fun as this was. I'm also still not totally on-board with taking The Gorn seriously, but it's clear that SNW really, really wants to make that happen, so maybe I'll come around. We'll see.
For now, though, Carol Kane!!!
posted by Navelgazer at 9:17 PM on June 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
Ethan Peck continues to just kill it as Spock.
Carol Kane!!!
I'm interested to see how the Una stuff plays out (especially since her incarceration seems to be part of that same "future timeline" that the S1 Finale spent so much time and effort to convince Pike not to mess with) but let's be real: that's not going to be nearly as much fun as this was. I'm also still not totally on-board with taking The Gorn seriously, but it's clear that SNW really, really wants to make that happen, so maybe I'll come around. We'll see.
For now, though, Carol Kane!!!
posted by Navelgazer at 9:17 PM on June 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
Ortegas saying “Pedal to the metal” was a direct Galaxy Quest reference, wasn’t it?
(Also, this was a damn good episode of Star Trek. Bold move pulling the stars from the first episode… and it paid off. SNW’s supporting cast is SO good, and the writers know how to write for them)
posted by schmod at 9:30 PM on June 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
(Also, this was a damn good episode of Star Trek. Bold move pulling the stars from the first episode… and it paid off. SNW’s supporting cast is SO good, and the writers know how to write for them)
posted by schmod at 9:30 PM on June 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
Because look: if there's a super-soldier serum with no downsides, then you have to factor that into not just every future episode of this show but you also have to find a way to explain its absence in every single episode of every single previous Trek show ever.
Right, and the one time that I can remember that the franchise did use Space Speed (I'm calling it that, for what I hope is an obvious reason), it was in the DS9 episode "Valiant" in which a certain acting captain's chronic use of that or something similar did not work out well for them in the long run.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:46 PM on June 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
Right, and the one time that I can remember that the franchise did use Space Speed (I'm calling it that, for what I hope is an obvious reason), it was in the DS9 episode "Valiant" in which a certain acting captain's chronic use of that or something similar did not work out well for them in the long run.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:46 PM on June 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
a long-lived species that was secretly living on Earth this whole time? I'm half-wondering if they've just found a way to smuggle a vampire onto my sci-fi show.
A secret alien with an outlandish accent, at that. She doesn't really seem like the blend-in type. I like your vampire analogy. Perhaps she's from Transylvania by way of Staten Island.
posted by Nelson at 5:32 AM on June 17, 2023 [13 favorites]
A secret alien with an outlandish accent, at that. She doesn't really seem like the blend-in type. I like your vampire analogy. Perhaps she's from Transylvania by way of Staten Island.
posted by Nelson at 5:32 AM on June 17, 2023 [13 favorites]
I predict that the super serum will be one of the many plot devices that Trek introduces and then promptly forgets about.
posted by octothorpe at 8:09 AM on June 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by octothorpe at 8:09 AM on June 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
From your lips to Alex Kurtzman's ears.
posted by briank at 9:58 AM on June 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 9:58 AM on June 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
Mod note: One comment deleted. Let's avoid spoilers.
This comment by a mod got several flags with notes asking if spoilers below the fold were ok. Yes, they are, but for episodic tv/movies/whatever, please keep the spoilers to just that specific episode. The removed comment contained information about episode three.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:12 PM on June 17, 2023 [8 favorites]
This comment by a mod got several flags with notes asking if spoilers below the fold were ok. Yes, they are, but for episodic tv/movies/whatever, please keep the spoilers to just that specific episode. The removed comment contained information about episode three.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:12 PM on June 17, 2023 [8 favorites]
And if you're looking for backstory that the show will probably completely gloss over for the Illyrians and Una and how it's probably going to go, the four issue IDW SNW miniseries was worth the cover price. Still in stock, digital discounts on the first couple of issues, fun times all around.
posted by Kyol at 8:51 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Kyol at 8:51 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
especially since her incarceration seems to be part of that same "future timeline" that the S1 Finale spent so much time and effort to convince Pike not to mess with
While the future timeline seemed to suggest Una was still in prison, I suspect this timeline will have her out after the next episode. He was specifically warned not to mess with the future of the people killed on the mission that disables him, otherwise that leads to Spock's death. I think changing the outcome of Una's life will not be a big deal.
posted by crossoverman at 9:07 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
While the future timeline seemed to suggest Una was still in prison, I suspect this timeline will have her out after the next episode. He was specifically warned not to mess with the future of the people killed on the mission that disables him, otherwise that leads to Spock's death. I think changing the outcome of Una's life will not be a big deal.
posted by crossoverman at 9:07 PM on June 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Squeeze.
:: Bounce ::
Yes, yes YES!
SNW is back and it's still good and I -
:: Bounce ::
posted by Faintdreams at 4:11 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
:: Bounce ::
Yes, yes YES!
SNW is back and it's still good and I -
:: Bounce ::
posted by Faintdreams at 4:11 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Also "This is My Station" is going to be my go-to "Fuck off I am the Expert and have Authority here" phrase for a long while.
posted by Faintdreams at 4:13 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Faintdreams at 4:13 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
An OK episode. I don't watch Star Trek for slow motion fist fights though.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:23 AM on June 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:23 AM on June 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
At this point I'm not sure if all "future" shows simply purchase off-the-rack Demobaza gear for the wardrobe dept, or the wardrobe depts simply copy the latest Demobaza designs, especially boots and backpacks... they're quickly becoming the New Rocks of the 2020's for "this is some future gear" visual shorthand.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:24 AM on June 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:24 AM on June 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
Wow, the medical gear is a never-ending bag of tricks. I would have preferred some sort of camouflage to do subterfuge than literal Hulk juice, though. (And that was one of the things I disliked the most about the first season.)
Kane's character better drop some Gary Seven and Isis references before the season is over or I shall be cross.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:45 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Kane's character better drop some Gary Seven and Isis references before the season is over or I shall be cross.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:45 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
This episode is currently available for free on YouTube, though I don't know for how long. I agree with most of what's written here - I like Spock/Chapel (and an explanation for perhaps why Spock was so emotional in The Cage) and I also thought the fight scene went on too long. Though well choreographed.
posted by wittgenstein at 8:21 AM on June 22, 2023
posted by wittgenstein at 8:21 AM on June 22, 2023
WHY did the camera turn upside down during the middle of the too-long fight? right before they dropped down into the other corridor directly below?
That was to make my wife feel like barfing. (Non-canon.)
posted by kirkaracha at 11:24 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
That was to make my wife feel like barfing. (Non-canon.)
posted by kirkaracha at 11:24 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
WHY did the camera turn upside down during the middle of the too-long fight? right before they dropped down into the other corridor directly below?
I assumed they were showing that the local gravity fields had different orientations.
I don't think they gave much of any explanation for WHY, though....
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:13 PM on June 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
I assumed they were showing that the local gravity fields had different orientations.
I don't think they gave much of any explanation for WHY, though....
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:13 PM on June 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
- I'm so grateful that they toned down Ortegas' dialogue in this episode! It's still zippy but it's not the "Xander Harris in a production of Guys & Dolls" quipfest of last season.
- I really like all the body diversity on display among the Starfleet officers this episode: there's a chubby guy, a very petite and seemingly very young woman, and a woman played by a 71 year old actress. These were all really neat touches that didn't feel forced. It made the crew seem real and the setting lived-in.
- I love how every Strange New Worlds episode feels like one of the old Star Trek novels. I can just see this one's tagline: "To save La'an's life...SPOCK MUST STEAL THE ENTERPRISE!"
- What a great introduction to Carol Kane's character. I love that she immediately knew it was a false alarm; not "quickly figured it out" but IMMEDIATELY. It was like when your toddler children are first learning about pranks; you don't spend even one second thinking "maybe he really DID turn into a mummy," you think "how much toilet paper did he just waste?"
- Not a fan of turning the captain's catchphrase into A Thing. I mean, I'm not outraged by it or anything, it just makes me go :/
- I guess this means that Kirk was being a rebel by not having a catchphrase? Also, just as a comedy bit it took way too long; it should have just been basically "Are you gonna do the thing" "what thing?" "all captains have a thing they say" "I want the ship to go now."
- The other issue I had with last season was that La'an's character was so one-note "humorless badass." Which was regrettable because 1. it felt like "we have Carina Drummer at home" and 2. Christina Chong is a fun actress with the chops to do more, as evidenced by the fairy tale episode. As the season went along, we got little hints that she wasn't quite the super-disciplined warrior she seems to be on the surface, and that she's really just a young person trying to cover up her insecurities with a self-made identity. I hope we get more of that this season.
- Which is my way of saying that I really liked her little satisfied-in-spite-of-herself smile at the "are you sure you don't have Klingon blood" line. It reminded me, of all things, of Martin Sheen's bashful grin at the end of Badlands when one of the police officers tells him he looks like James Dean.
- Like the rest of you, I was DEEPLY bored by the entire "First, do all the harm" sequence. (The writers were pretty bored by it as well...they didn't even bother to name the drug.) Hey, remember all those classic episodes where McCoy or Crusher would do a bunch of bath salts and beat the shit out of everyone?? C'mon, just find another way to have the characters sneak onto the ship and send the message, geez.
- Oh god, I LOVED the way the Klingon cruiser warped in then just gracefully fell back towards the planet. Just lovely. I also really liked the way the Klingon ship's guns activated at well. Very tactile, which is what you'd expect.
- "You don't die" says Spock in the transporter room scene AND old school Star Trek fans watching the scene.
- I really hope they don't reduce Nurse Chapel's character down to her just being a male character's love interest.
- Uh...you folks wanna maybe spend a little more time on that Klingon captain's facial hair? What the hell. Guess it wouldn't be Trek without dodgy wigs...
- "You sweet un-Vulcan Vulcan" is such a lovely phrasing. Though in general I wished they'd showed Spock to be a bit more conflicted about all the "Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan" lines. I mean, that IS pretty central to his character. But...it's just the first episode of the season, so maybe we'll get more later.
- My favorite thing about Strange New Worlds is how the plots always end about 5-10 minutes before the end of the episode, giving us time to just hang out with the characters. I'm glad that's what they did here as well.
Overall, despite saying mostly positive things I'd give this a 6/10...probably near the bottom of my personal rankings for the episodes we've gotten. The only episode that I think I enjoyed less was the Aliens-ripoff Gorn episode. Too much was handwaved—stealing a Federation ship should be a much bigger deal—and the fight drug plotline was unneccesary and unconvincing. Still, I'm absolutely overjoyed that my favorite Trek show is back!
posted by Ian A.T. at 3:45 PM on July 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
- I really like all the body diversity on display among the Starfleet officers this episode: there's a chubby guy, a very petite and seemingly very young woman, and a woman played by a 71 year old actress. These were all really neat touches that didn't feel forced. It made the crew seem real and the setting lived-in.
- I love how every Strange New Worlds episode feels like one of the old Star Trek novels. I can just see this one's tagline: "To save La'an's life...SPOCK MUST STEAL THE ENTERPRISE!"
- What a great introduction to Carol Kane's character. I love that she immediately knew it was a false alarm; not "quickly figured it out" but IMMEDIATELY. It was like when your toddler children are first learning about pranks; you don't spend even one second thinking "maybe he really DID turn into a mummy," you think "how much toilet paper did he just waste?"
- Not a fan of turning the captain's catchphrase into A Thing. I mean, I'm not outraged by it or anything, it just makes me go :/
- I guess this means that Kirk was being a rebel by not having a catchphrase? Also, just as a comedy bit it took way too long; it should have just been basically "Are you gonna do the thing" "what thing?" "all captains have a thing they say" "I want the ship to go now."
- The other issue I had with last season was that La'an's character was so one-note "humorless badass." Which was regrettable because 1. it felt like "we have Carina Drummer at home" and 2. Christina Chong is a fun actress with the chops to do more, as evidenced by the fairy tale episode. As the season went along, we got little hints that she wasn't quite the super-disciplined warrior she seems to be on the surface, and that she's really just a young person trying to cover up her insecurities with a self-made identity. I hope we get more of that this season.
- Which is my way of saying that I really liked her little satisfied-in-spite-of-herself smile at the "are you sure you don't have Klingon blood" line. It reminded me, of all things, of Martin Sheen's bashful grin at the end of Badlands when one of the police officers tells him he looks like James Dean.
- Like the rest of you, I was DEEPLY bored by the entire "First, do all the harm" sequence. (The writers were pretty bored by it as well...they didn't even bother to name the drug.) Hey, remember all those classic episodes where McCoy or Crusher would do a bunch of bath salts and beat the shit out of everyone?? C'mon, just find another way to have the characters sneak onto the ship and send the message, geez.
- Oh god, I LOVED the way the Klingon cruiser warped in then just gracefully fell back towards the planet. Just lovely. I also really liked the way the Klingon ship's guns activated at well. Very tactile, which is what you'd expect.
- "You don't die" says Spock in the transporter room scene AND old school Star Trek fans watching the scene.
- I really hope they don't reduce Nurse Chapel's character down to her just being a male character's love interest.
- Uh...you folks wanna maybe spend a little more time on that Klingon captain's facial hair? What the hell. Guess it wouldn't be Trek without dodgy wigs...
- "You sweet un-Vulcan Vulcan" is such a lovely phrasing. Though in general I wished they'd showed Spock to be a bit more conflicted about all the "Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan" lines. I mean, that IS pretty central to his character. But...it's just the first episode of the season, so maybe we'll get more later.
- My favorite thing about Strange New Worlds is how the plots always end about 5-10 minutes before the end of the episode, giving us time to just hang out with the characters. I'm glad that's what they did here as well.
Overall, despite saying mostly positive things I'd give this a 6/10...probably near the bottom of my personal rankings for the episodes we've gotten. The only episode that I think I enjoyed less was the Aliens-ripoff Gorn episode. Too much was handwaved—stealing a Federation ship should be a much bigger deal—and the fight drug plotline was unneccesary and unconvincing. Still, I'm absolutely overjoyed that my favorite Trek show is back!
posted by Ian A.T. at 3:45 PM on July 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
Such a joy and also so many "this makes no sense but gets us where we need to go" bits. M'Benga and Chapel kicking Klingon ass: yes! Hulk juice that I think we never heard of before and will never hear from again (unless needed): boo.
A few nits:
- the Federation and Klingon's swapping administration every 30 days, man that's gotta be a hard gig being a project manager on this planet. But also how do you BUILD / HIDE A STARSHIP IN A MINE when you have Federation bosses on station every other month? Did they smuggle parts into the mine in their pockets and assemble a starship in their free time? Howwww?
- I buy rage juice, because who doesn't like seeing characters hulk smash, but man are M'Benga and Chapel gonna need at the least a month of jacuzzi rehab and possibly arm and leg casts after punching the crap out of two dozen Klingons.
- the crew's first convo with La'an: "so these Klingons want to acquire Federarion tech". Me: so why did you summon the Enterprise?!?
- Enterprise powered down, hiding in an asteroid field. OK. Enterprise on impulse getting shot at by another ship, yet still being invisible? Um no.
Still, a lot of fun. I think I got spoiled by the excellent writing on The Expanse, and sometimes just have to let it go that characters need to make sense.
posted by zippy at 12:07 PM on July 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
A few nits:
- the Federation and Klingon's swapping administration every 30 days, man that's gotta be a hard gig being a project manager on this planet. But also how do you BUILD / HIDE A STARSHIP IN A MINE when you have Federation bosses on station every other month? Did they smuggle parts into the mine in their pockets and assemble a starship in their free time? Howwww?
- I buy rage juice, because who doesn't like seeing characters hulk smash, but man are M'Benga and Chapel gonna need at the least a month of jacuzzi rehab and possibly arm and leg casts after punching the crap out of two dozen Klingons.
- the crew's first convo with La'an: "so these Klingons want to acquire Federarion tech". Me: so why did you summon the Enterprise?!?
- Enterprise powered down, hiding in an asteroid field. OK. Enterprise on impulse getting shot at by another ship, yet still being invisible? Um no.
Still, a lot of fun. I think I got spoiled by the excellent writing on The Expanse, and sometimes just have to let it go that characters need to make sense.
posted by zippy at 12:07 PM on July 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
Also I deem it canon that Carol Kane is Lanthanite and all of her tv and movie appearances from Taxi to Princess Bride to The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are part of this.
posted by zippy at 12:12 PM on July 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by zippy at 12:12 PM on July 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
- Not a fan of turning the captain's catchphrase into A Thing. I mean, I'm not outraged by it or anything, it just makes me go :/
It doesn't make it any better, but this has been an ongoing gag in Discovery and, I wanna say, Lower Decks? It was ok then but this episode jumped the shark with it though IMO
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:54 AM on July 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
It doesn't make it any better, but this has been an ongoing gag in Discovery and, I wanna say, Lower Decks? It was ok then but this episode jumped the shark with it though IMO
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:54 AM on July 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
Is there backstory they’ve told us at this point, about M’Benga and Chapel working together in the past, even before season one?
posted by brendano at 11:27 AM on July 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by brendano at 11:27 AM on July 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Not a fan of turning the captain's catchphrase into A Thing.
Uggh, it is so cringe. You can do that "come on, you need a captain's catchphrase" joke ONCE. Total.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:50 PM on July 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
Uggh, it is so cringe. You can do that "come on, you need a captain's catchphrase" joke ONCE. Total.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:50 PM on July 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
My feeling on the hulk serum matter is that the drug has an obvious issue, which is that it doesn't seem like the length of time it remains in effect is deterministic/predictable? When characters know they have 5 minutes of super strength they set a timer for 4 minutes so they can get out of whatever melee they're in and hide. When characters are in the middle of said melee telling each other they think it's wearing off, it seems like the kind of shit you don't use routinely, yeah? Because maybe you start a fight and because of whatever hormonal interaction you've got going on, you're out of gas in fifteen seconds?
Also seems like maybe it's a thing doctors keep to themselves, or maybe even just doctors who served in the Klingon wars? Some kind of off label use of a drug that some doctor discovered and only shared with fellow medical professionals for survival reasons but didn't bubble up to command because, well, it makes a doctor's life much harder to give soldiers berserker syndrome, but it makes a doctor's life potentially much longer to be able to punch extra hard for a few minutes.
In any case it didn't bother me that much and the boringness of the hallway fight scene gave me a chance to check my email.
Having just come off playing through Jedi: Survivor though, my first thought was WHOA, THE MEDICAL TEAM IS USING THE DARK SIDE?! and I'll admit that's probably going to be my headcanon for what happened in that scene lol. In Star Trek universe you access the dark side through some manner of fell potion? Seems legit
I'll admit after this episode I googled Ethan Peck to see how gross my growing crush on him is. Happy to discover dude is not even one year younger than yrs truly so I can enjoy my totally not gross, completely innocuous crush in peace.
posted by potrzebie at 11:35 PM on July 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also seems like maybe it's a thing doctors keep to themselves, or maybe even just doctors who served in the Klingon wars? Some kind of off label use of a drug that some doctor discovered and only shared with fellow medical professionals for survival reasons but didn't bubble up to command because, well, it makes a doctor's life much harder to give soldiers berserker syndrome, but it makes a doctor's life potentially much longer to be able to punch extra hard for a few minutes.
In any case it didn't bother me that much and the boringness of the hallway fight scene gave me a chance to check my email.
Having just come off playing through Jedi: Survivor though, my first thought was WHOA, THE MEDICAL TEAM IS USING THE DARK SIDE?! and I'll admit that's probably going to be my headcanon for what happened in that scene lol. In Star Trek universe you access the dark side through some manner of fell potion? Seems legit
I'll admit after this episode I googled Ethan Peck to see how gross my growing crush on him is. Happy to discover dude is not even one year younger than yrs truly so I can enjoy my totally not gross, completely innocuous crush in peace.
posted by potrzebie at 11:35 PM on July 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Lanthanites are, I'm almost certain, new (as would be their heretofore unrevealed mortal enemy species, the Actinites). I predict that some story arc coming soon, possibly involving time travel or flashbacks, will rely upon her species' long lifespan. Kane is as great as expected, maybe better.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 10:23 AM on June 15, 2023 [7 favorites]