Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Among the Lotus Eaters
July 6, 2023 5:52 AM - Season 2, Episode 4 - Subscribe
Pike and the away team explore the Rigelian sunshine of the spotless mind.
I've gotta get my Memory Alpha back!:
• Reed Birney (Luq) had a recurring role on House of Cards and more recently appeared in The Menu.
• Rigel VII and the Kalar both appeared (in Talosian illusion form) in TOS: "The Cage" (FF very previously).
• Behind Zac's throne is a closeup on Alexander the Great from the Alexander mosaic of Pompeii.
• The episode's title is a reference to a Greek myth.
Poster's Log:
This one, while still good, was not as impressive as the last two IMO. Glad they split up the action/tension nicely between the ship and the surface, especially because the surface stuff was just creeping up on getting tedious. But as usual, the acting was dialed-in (one of Stream Trek's consistent strengths, now that I think about it), and good casting and strong work from our two main guest stars.
Loooots of subtle callbacks here, some perhaps unintentional (e.g., the amnesia-away-mission plot of TNG: "Thine Own Self") and some clearly intended (TOS: "A Piece of the Action" and "Patterns of Force"). "The Cage" isn't so much a callback here as a foundation, but fortunately the Rigel VII stuff in it is entirely skippable—embarrassing, really. Indeed, I will continue to be pleased with this show if much of its runtime consists of fixing stuff from the old canon (see also last week's treatment of the Eugenics Wars).
I'm sure it's just me, but the Enterprise computer's voice seems to be sounding more and more like Majel with each passing episode.
I really did think Pike just might kill Zac.
Maybe the dumbest moment in SNW so far was Pike's just-before-commercial line "I have to go to the palace to get our memories back!", which was much too Ric Olie for this franchise. Trek at its best trusts its audience to pay the barest minimum of attention.
Poster's Log, Supplemental:
…Oh, and they were in fact in a cage. Heh, I see what you did there.
I've gotta get my Memory Alpha back!:
• Reed Birney (Luq) had a recurring role on House of Cards and more recently appeared in The Menu.
• Rigel VII and the Kalar both appeared (in Talosian illusion form) in TOS: "The Cage" (FF very previously).
• Behind Zac's throne is a closeup on Alexander the Great from the Alexander mosaic of Pompeii.
• The episode's title is a reference to a Greek myth.
Poster's Log:
This one, while still good, was not as impressive as the last two IMO. Glad they split up the action/tension nicely between the ship and the surface, especially because the surface stuff was just creeping up on getting tedious. But as usual, the acting was dialed-in (one of Stream Trek's consistent strengths, now that I think about it), and good casting and strong work from our two main guest stars.
Loooots of subtle callbacks here, some perhaps unintentional (e.g., the amnesia-away-mission plot of TNG: "Thine Own Self") and some clearly intended (TOS: "A Piece of the Action" and "Patterns of Force"). "The Cage" isn't so much a callback here as a foundation, but fortunately the Rigel VII stuff in it is entirely skippable—embarrassing, really. Indeed, I will continue to be pleased with this show if much of its runtime consists of fixing stuff from the old canon (see also last week's treatment of the Eugenics Wars).
I'm sure it's just me, but the Enterprise computer's voice seems to be sounding more and more like Majel with each passing episode.
I really did think Pike just might kill Zac.
Maybe the dumbest moment in SNW so far was Pike's just-before-commercial line "I have to go to the palace to get our memories back!", which was much too Ric Olie for this franchise. Trek at its best trusts its audience to pay the barest minimum of attention.
Poster's Log, Supplemental:
…Oh, and they were in fact in a cage. Heh, I see what you did there.
Memory palace you say?
I'd also put "The Omega Glory" here, and maybe even The Man Who Would Be King (although it's more like The Man Who Wouldn't Be Yeoman, amirite?). Possibly one of the people who worked on this show might have taken a peek or two at The Body Keeps the Score and incorporated it in both a figurative and literal sense (oh, what the heck, let's throw in Memento as well). But at its core it's not so much about Amnesia Planet or someone setting themselves up as a tinpot (or whatever that ore was) tyrant as it was about the three who went on the away mission, who may be the crew members who have the most (or worst) things to forget.
And speaking of the worst, fucking Pasalk, man; probably not the baddest of badmirals (I'd still say that that was a showdown between Cartwright and Leyton), but he's sure trying hard.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:20 PM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'd also put "The Omega Glory" here, and maybe even The Man Who Would Be King (although it's more like The Man Who Wouldn't Be Yeoman, amirite?). Possibly one of the people who worked on this show might have taken a peek or two at The Body Keeps the Score and incorporated it in both a figurative and literal sense (oh, what the heck, let's throw in Memento as well). But at its core it's not so much about Amnesia Planet or someone setting themselves up as a tinpot (or whatever that ore was) tyrant as it was about the three who went on the away mission, who may be the crew members who have the most (or worst) things to forget.
And speaking of the worst, fucking Pasalk, man; probably not the baddest of badmirals (I'd still say that that was a showdown between Cartwright and Leyton), but he's sure trying hard.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:20 PM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’ll be the one to say it because I know we’re all thinking it. When the computer uses light bars to show the way to Ortegas’ quarters… that’s not right! TNG showed us that guide lights were a new feature on Galaxy-class starships. Riker was impressed by it on “Encounter at Farpoint”. And yet the original Enterprise has that feature now a century earlier? Clearly last episode’s time travel adventure had an unanticipated ripple effect concerning the premature development of guide lights!
posted by Servo5678 at 3:35 PM on July 6, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 3:35 PM on July 6, 2023 [14 favorites]
Maybe Riker was just a yokel. He also seemed wowed by holodecks, but we have canonical evidence (from an ep I can't remember right now but may have been VOY) that they'd been around awhile by then.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 5:35 PM on July 6, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 5:35 PM on July 6, 2023 [9 favorites]
"I have to go to the palace..."
I read that as a "Get your ass to Mars! Get your ass to..." type deal where he's trying to remind himself. Although for this type of memory loss (I feel slighted by the disrespect that synapses got this ep by the writers) that kind of reminder is by definition useless.
posted by porpoise at 5:52 PM on July 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
I read that as a "Get your ass to Mars! Get your ass to..." type deal where he's trying to remind himself. Although for this type of memory loss (I feel slighted by the disrespect that synapses got this ep by the writers) that kind of reminder is by definition useless.
posted by porpoise at 5:52 PM on July 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
I enjoyed this, but I would have been just fine if the tinnitus sound effect was less loud and more brief each of the million times it happened. Maybe it was worse because I was watching with headphones?
posted by snofoam at 6:05 PM on July 6, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by snofoam at 6:05 PM on July 6, 2023 [11 favorites]
Maybe Riker was just a yokel. He also seemed wowed by holodecks, but we have canonical evidence (from an ep I can't remember right now but may have been VOY) that they'd been around awhile by then.
Although not called this by name and it was in the Oort Cloud of canonicity that is the 1970s animated series, in the episode “The Practical Joker” we saw the rec deck on Kirk’s Enterprise doing all the holodeck things.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:31 PM on July 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Although not called this by name and it was in the Oort Cloud of canonicity that is the 1970s animated series, in the episode “The Practical Joker” we saw the rec deck on Kirk’s Enterprise doing all the holodeck things.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:31 PM on July 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Like the seasn premiere, this was pretty much a standard Star Trek episode. While I thought that maybe the premiere should have been flashier, for the fourth episode of a season, this was just about right.
This story was a little more directly callback-y without as much wink-wink fan service as last week's episode, so I liked that. It does indeed borrow from a handful of other Trek episodes, which, honestly, is kind of the mandate this show has in the first place. The away team consisting of the three crew members with the most emotional baggage to let go of was good, but I wish there had been a little more effort in showing how losing those burdens might not be the worst thing. Once again, this is where the writers need to figure out the difference between SHOW and TELL (Luq tells them things that we ought to see them experience).
Really enjoyed the scene with Ortegas being terrified. I hope this isn't "The Ortegas Episode" we've been promised, because it still didn't go very far, but Melissa Navia nailed the confusion and panic and desperation. It was good, I thought, that Spock was also affected because it's sort of a trope that he is able to overcome stuff like this and be the one to save the ship, and they didn't go there (not unlike not letting Pike deliver a big speech in the court martial episode).
The scenes with Batel (does she have a first name? I don't recall any mention of her name so far) were a little iffy for me. I thought Pike was saying they should take a break because her career might be jeopardized by associating with him now that Pasalk seens out to get him, not because he is committment-phobic. But the rest of the scene, and the scene with Una telling him he is didn't hit right. Again, maybe we should get to see Pike be like that with others rather than be told about it.
posted by briank at 6:47 PM on July 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
This story was a little more directly callback-y without as much wink-wink fan service as last week's episode, so I liked that. It does indeed borrow from a handful of other Trek episodes, which, honestly, is kind of the mandate this show has in the first place. The away team consisting of the three crew members with the most emotional baggage to let go of was good, but I wish there had been a little more effort in showing how losing those burdens might not be the worst thing. Once again, this is where the writers need to figure out the difference between SHOW and TELL (Luq tells them things that we ought to see them experience).
Really enjoyed the scene with Ortegas being terrified. I hope this isn't "The Ortegas Episode" we've been promised, because it still didn't go very far, but Melissa Navia nailed the confusion and panic and desperation. It was good, I thought, that Spock was also affected because it's sort of a trope that he is able to overcome stuff like this and be the one to save the ship, and they didn't go there (not unlike not letting Pike deliver a big speech in the court martial episode).
The scenes with Batel (does she have a first name? I don't recall any mention of her name so far) were a little iffy for me. I thought Pike was saying they should take a break because her career might be jeopardized by associating with him now that Pasalk seens out to get him, not because he is committment-phobic. But the rest of the scene, and the scene with Una telling him he is didn't hit right. Again, maybe we should get to see Pike be like that with others rather than be told about it.
posted by briank at 6:47 PM on July 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
I continue to feel like the show is hitting its stride in terms of making use of the whole ensemble (across the season) and bringing the Trek canon to life with absolute tons of heart. They’re doing some great work. Do I have minor quibbles with plotting and dialogue? Sure. It’s a Trek show. But SNW has been a fun ride from the start, which is just what I hoped it would be.
posted by sockshaveholes at 7:31 PM on July 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by sockshaveholes at 7:31 PM on July 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
What was the meaning of the bit where La’an and M’benga ran a finger from their nose to their cheekbone?
posted by FallibleHuman at 8:19 PM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by FallibleHuman at 8:19 PM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
For a moment I thought Luq was played by Chuck Wendig, and I was hoping he'd start talking about the qualities of various heirloom apples.
Mount and crew really sold the confusing of not knowing anything. But I really wanna smack whoever decided we needed a lot of tinnitus SFX. I get enough of that in my life, I don't need additional doses!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:52 PM on July 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Mount and crew really sold the confusing of not knowing anything. But I really wanna smack whoever decided we needed a lot of tinnitus SFX. I get enough of that in my life, I don't need additional doses!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:52 PM on July 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
My opinion continues to be slightly out of step with FanFare, I thought this was an excellent episode! The writing, acting, set direction, costumes, call-backs to the original series, even the morality play of it all were *chef's kiss*
It felt like the best bits of TOS but brought into the modern era, which is my happy place. More like this, please!
posted by Space Kitty at 11:11 PM on July 6, 2023 [10 favorites]
It felt like the best bits of TOS but brought into the modern era, which is my happy place. More like this, please!
posted by Space Kitty at 11:11 PM on July 6, 2023 [10 favorites]
I enjoyed this, but I would have been just fine if the tinnitus sound effect was less loud and more brief each of the million times it happened. Maybe it was worse because I was watching with headphones?
They definitely made a choice to bring it forward in the mix. With my (budget) home theater setup, the ringing started in the front left/right but ramped up quickly in the surrounds. Sounded like the ringing was coming at you before digging its way inside your head.
posted by nathan_teske at 12:24 AM on July 7, 2023
They definitely made a choice to bring it forward in the mix. With my (budget) home theater setup, the ringing started in the front left/right but ramped up quickly in the surrounds. Sounded like the ringing was coming at you before digging its way inside your head.
posted by nathan_teske at 12:24 AM on July 7, 2023
What was the meaning of the bit where La’an and M’benga ran a finger from their nose to their cheekbone?
That’s still to be explained. They did this once before (maybe in the premiere) and we saw a flash of that in the Previously On in this episode. Maybe it’s how people with the classic sci-fi “apostrophes in the middle of their names” greet one another.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:20 AM on July 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
That’s still to be explained. They did this once before (maybe in the premiere) and we saw a flash of that in the Previously On in this episode. Maybe it’s how people with the classic sci-fi “apostrophes in the middle of their names” greet one another.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:20 AM on July 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
I could see where all the ideas came from, but I found the setup and the dénouement both feeble. What kind of world is this where you can get into the castle by knocking out 2 guys, and where work is done by a few people hitting rocks and sawing one piece of lumber? The ideas about both labour and security were either dreamlike or laughable.
I liked the yurt village, though.
posted by zadcat at 5:50 AM on July 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
I liked the yurt village, though.
posted by zadcat at 5:50 AM on July 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
What was the meaning of the bit where La’an and M’benga ran a finger from their nose to their cheekbone?
I think it's a Klingon War thing, some reference that veterans make to each other. No idea what it means, though.
posted by Mogur at 7:02 AM on July 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think it's a Klingon War thing, some reference that veterans make to each other. No idea what it means, though.
posted by Mogur at 7:02 AM on July 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think it's interesting how the Enterprise's peril was because of a mistake Spock made, taking them into the river of Lethe debris field of unknown elements that Ortegas realized she had to get them out of. I agree with sockshaveholes though that this episode didn't satisfy as a full Ortegas episode. I'm hoping for something that establishes her character more than just "I fly the ship". Although it is kind of refreshing seeing a young woman be hyper-competent at a specific skilled job and take pride in that.
Also Melissa Navia did a great job playing the terror of the ship being struck by rocks, not understanding what was happening, feeling powerless to stop it. Her crying out to the computer "somebody make it stop!" was really relatable. Combined with the slow realization of the ground crew that they are losing themselves and it was a good horror episode.
Agreed the rock breaking and tree sawing were comical depictions of a labor camp. Zack could have been a lot more interesting and richer with more than 2 mooks to boss around, too. But they've only got ~20 minutes to establish all this stuff and they hit the important notes for the memory horror. Remember the scene towards the end where Pike attacks Zack using a metal serving tray to deflect the phase rifle bolts? That was ridiculous and I assume deliberately so, the show producers having a little fun with how flimsy the whole setup was on Rigel VII.
The lagniappe on the A plot was poor Luq. Donald Blythe did great and made that role way more interesting than it could have been. I love that actor, he has big That Guy energy for me.
posted by Nelson at 7:23 AM on July 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Also Melissa Navia did a great job playing the terror of the ship being struck by rocks, not understanding what was happening, feeling powerless to stop it. Her crying out to the computer "somebody make it stop!" was really relatable. Combined with the slow realization of the ground crew that they are losing themselves and it was a good horror episode.
Agreed the rock breaking and tree sawing were comical depictions of a labor camp. Zack could have been a lot more interesting and richer with more than 2 mooks to boss around, too. But they've only got ~20 minutes to establish all this stuff and they hit the important notes for the memory horror. Remember the scene towards the end where Pike attacks Zack using a metal serving tray to deflect the phase rifle bolts? That was ridiculous and I assume deliberately so, the show producers having a little fun with how flimsy the whole setup was on Rigel VII.
The lagniappe on the A plot was poor Luq. Donald Blythe did great and made that role way more interesting than it could have been. I love that actor, he has big That Guy energy for me.
posted by Nelson at 7:23 AM on July 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Memory Alpha says Luq was played by Reed Birney. Or have I been trolled?
posted by zadcat at 7:51 AM on July 7, 2023
posted by zadcat at 7:51 AM on July 7, 2023
Donald Blythe was the character played by Reed Birney on House of Cards (US). I assume Nelson was doing the thing where people refer to actors by their character names?
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:02 AM on July 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:02 AM on July 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Memory Alpha says Luq was played by Reed Birney. Or have I been trolled?
Donald Blythe is the character Reed Birney played on "House of Cards". Nelson's link takes you to the Hourse of Cards wiki.
At first, I thought it was maybe the guy who plays the therapist in those "don't be your parents" Progressive Insurance ads, because the voice was so similar.
posted by briank at 8:04 AM on July 7, 2023
Donald Blythe is the character Reed Birney played on "House of Cards". Nelson's link takes you to the Hourse of Cards wiki.
At first, I thought it was maybe the guy who plays the therapist in those "don't be your parents" Progressive Insurance ads, because the voice was so similar.
posted by briank at 8:04 AM on July 7, 2023
Yes, sorry, I mixed up the character name and actor name despite the actor's name being right there in the excellent post. What can I say, he's That Guy to me. I should be more respectful; Reed Birney has a Tony from his work in The Legitimate Theatre. Anyway he was great in this episode for what could have been a forgettable bit part.
posted by Nelson at 8:27 AM on July 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 8:27 AM on July 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I liked this episode a lot, thought it was just good Star Trek. I may have some critical quibbles, but enjoyed the whole episode, which is ultimately all I want from a TV show.
Also Melissa Navia did a great job playing the terror of the ship being struck by rocks, not understanding what was happening, feeling powerless to stop it.
I've been down in the ol' anxiety pit this week, and Navia's acting was so effective it almost made me turn off the episode; it was too real.
The lagniappe on the A plot was poor Luq
Agreed, his performance made the whole shoddy world-building (of the 'forgetting' and 'remembering' ones) work emotionally.
posted by LooseFilter at 8:44 AM on July 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
Also Melissa Navia did a great job playing the terror of the ship being struck by rocks, not understanding what was happening, feeling powerless to stop it.
I've been down in the ol' anxiety pit this week, and Navia's acting was so effective it almost made me turn off the episode; it was too real.
The lagniappe on the A plot was poor Luq
Agreed, his performance made the whole shoddy world-building (of the 'forgetting' and 'remembering' ones) work emotionally.
posted by LooseFilter at 8:44 AM on July 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
I apologize for not having understood the House of Cards reference.
posted by zadcat at 9:17 AM on July 7, 2023
posted by zadcat at 9:17 AM on July 7, 2023
After last week's speed run of PIC S2 and this week's rehash of the plot points from PRO: "All The World's A Stage", I have to wonder how many new ideas the SNW writers room has.
Don't get me wrong - this is a fine episode and excellent Star Trek. But it's weak compared to the rest of the season so far and it does feel like something Trek's touched on very, very recently.
Ortegas continues to be my favorite non-Pike character on the show and Melissa Navia's portrayal of fear and doubt in this was :chef's-kiss:.
posted by hanov3r at 9:36 AM on July 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Don't get me wrong - this is a fine episode and excellent Star Trek. But it's weak compared to the rest of the season so far and it does feel like something Trek's touched on very, very recently.
Ortegas continues to be my favorite non-Pike character on the show and Melissa Navia's portrayal of fear and doubt in this was :chef's-kiss:.
posted by hanov3r at 9:36 AM on July 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
What was the meaning of the bit where La’an and M’benga ran a finger from their nose to their cheekbone?
This is the secret signal they have in which they are indicating to each other that they know the Enterprise shouldn't have guide lights in the corridors because it's a Galaxy-class starship innovation.
posted by Servo5678 at 10:32 AM on July 7, 2023 [25 favorites]
This is the secret signal they have in which they are indicating to each other that they know the Enterprise shouldn't have guide lights in the corridors because it's a Galaxy-class starship innovation.
posted by Servo5678 at 10:32 AM on July 7, 2023 [25 favorites]
Amnesiac Pike brutalising his former security officer near the end of the episode but the guy had been acting being an asshole so well I definitely wanted Pike to shoot him... prime Kick the Dog (TvTropes link), though I guess they did also justify it with saying the radiation increased aggression.
posted by yoHighness at 1:08 AM on July 8, 2023
posted by yoHighness at 1:08 AM on July 8, 2023
I thought Navia's acting was not convincing at all. Seemed very flat to me. I liked the contrast of Luq's belief that "ignorance is bliss" with Pike's drive to restore his memories. I wish they had delved deeper into that.
posted by obol at 1:32 AM on July 8, 2023
posted by obol at 1:32 AM on July 8, 2023
I liked the yurt village, though.
It's a shame they had forgotten good insulation practice.
I enjoyed this episode, one of the better ones. Classic trek elements, puzzle to sort out, I liked it. Definitely seems like an upturn with this and the last one.
One minor quibble, how did Luq remember a a legend?
posted by biffa at 11:20 AM on July 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's a shame they had forgotten good insulation practice.
I enjoyed this episode, one of the better ones. Classic trek elements, puzzle to sort out, I liked it. Definitely seems like an upturn with this and the last one.
One minor quibble, how did Luq remember a a legend?
posted by biffa at 11:20 AM on July 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
I noticed that they couldn't stop on their 20 km trek to the castle because they would freeze, yet they then slept on the stone floors of their outdoor cages (though perhaps the Rigelian contractor pitched High Lord Zacarias on the subfloor radiant heating).
posted by fairmettle at 12:17 PM on July 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by fairmettle at 12:17 PM on July 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
I'm struggling with this season because each episode seems fine but not that exciting to me. Whereas the first season felt really fresh and interesting - but perhaps that was in contrast to mostly bad PIC and the very inconsistent DISCO?
I spent most of this episode thinking about The Cage, which isn't necessary to understanding or liking this episode, but it was just so distracting. Last season seemed to use canon really well and this year the show seems reliant on it to make it make sense.
And after almost a season and a half waiting for Melissa Navia to do something, I was severely underwhelmed. Maybe we don't need Mortegas?
The sound design was so obnoxious - I kept turning the sound down. My cats were not impressed with the high pitched effect either.
I also think the moral of the story - we need our memories to appreciate our lives is pretty obvious and not that interesting dramatically. I mean, it made me more interested in Pike's romantic entanglement (I was happy with last season when they seemed to be mutally-agreeable fuck buddies), but figuring out how to hold down a relationship as a Starfleet Captain (with another Starfleet Captain) isn't really what I watch Trek for.
It's fine. But as for Strange *New* Worlds, it was really only the first episode of this season that had a NEW world in it. The whole "five year mission" in the opening monologue doesn't make much sense when they are popping back to Earth a lot and not really on an ongoing mission.
Almost halfway through the season and I'm not feeling an ongoing arc or much character growth. (I'm super not looking forward to the Lower Decks crossover, so that already feels like a wasted episode of this show. I don't like LD.)
posted by crossoverman at 12:00 AM on July 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
I spent most of this episode thinking about The Cage, which isn't necessary to understanding or liking this episode, but it was just so distracting. Last season seemed to use canon really well and this year the show seems reliant on it to make it make sense.
And after almost a season and a half waiting for Melissa Navia to do something, I was severely underwhelmed. Maybe we don't need Mortegas?
The sound design was so obnoxious - I kept turning the sound down. My cats were not impressed with the high pitched effect either.
I also think the moral of the story - we need our memories to appreciate our lives is pretty obvious and not that interesting dramatically. I mean, it made me more interested in Pike's romantic entanglement (I was happy with last season when they seemed to be mutally-agreeable fuck buddies), but figuring out how to hold down a relationship as a Starfleet Captain (with another Starfleet Captain) isn't really what I watch Trek for.
It's fine. But as for Strange *New* Worlds, it was really only the first episode of this season that had a NEW world in it. The whole "five year mission" in the opening monologue doesn't make much sense when they are popping back to Earth a lot and not really on an ongoing mission.
Almost halfway through the season and I'm not feeling an ongoing arc or much character growth. (I'm super not looking forward to the Lower Decks crossover, so that already feels like a wasted episode of this show. I don't like LD.)
posted by crossoverman at 12:00 AM on July 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
I had a problem with it looking like there were forty people on the whole planet.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 5:19 AM on July 9, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 5:19 AM on July 9, 2023 [8 favorites]
I thought this was an enjoyable variation on Heart of Darkness. It also follows the grand Star Trek tradition of showing how Humans, when deprived of the structure of Starfleet, become complete bastards (another example is Captain Ronald Tracey). Loved the "planet set." Loved Mount's intensity at the end—he can be a scary guy. But can you really deflect phaser fire with a shiny dinner tray? Because that opens up a whole possibility for Excalibur-style phaser armor. They could have dialed Ortegas' whimsicality back a bit during her dramatic moment, I don't know. Incidentally, I wonder if Ortegas isn't the actualization of Roddenberry's original vision for Tasha Yar, which was based on Vasquez from Aliens.
posted by jabah at 6:51 AM on July 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by jabah at 6:51 AM on July 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
Incidentally, I wonder if Ortegas isn't the actualization of Roddenberry's original vision for Tasha Yar, which was based on Vasquez from Aliens.
I'd say that that's more La'an's groove. Ortegas is someone who really, really loves being a pilot and having adventures, and she mopes when she has to stay back with the ship, and is utterly lost until she finds out what she is supposed to do, and then she gets back in her happy place. The closest precedent would be Tom Paris with the daddy/authority issues surgically removed, and I would imagine that she eventually quits Starfleet when they try to promote her out of the conn position.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:25 AM on July 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'd say that that's more La'an's groove. Ortegas is someone who really, really loves being a pilot and having adventures, and she mopes when she has to stay back with the ship, and is utterly lost until she finds out what she is supposed to do, and then she gets back in her happy place. The closest precedent would be Tom Paris with the daddy/authority issues surgically removed, and I would imagine that she eventually quits Starfleet when they try to promote her out of the conn position.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:25 AM on July 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
I noticed Zac casually mentions the castle dwellers' memories are protected by the castle walls, and their hats. They're going to have to hide that report from Ortegas or she'll never let them live it down. Too cool to wear the hats, huh? (OK the hats were probably theatrical quality and didn't have the correct ore to actually save them, but still...)
posted by Poogle at 3:24 PM on July 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Poogle at 3:24 PM on July 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
I was sort of figuring that Luq was the previous resident of the castle, but that would have probably have been Too Much.
I wonder whose birthday is on March 16th, 1972 - from the Starfleet case that Pike opens to get the "memories".
posted by Kyol at 7:02 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
I wonder whose birthday is on March 16th, 1972 - from the Starfleet case that Pike opens to get the "memories".
posted by Kyol at 7:02 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
The hats that did the protecting were the metal helms, not the fur lines cloth that the away team had.
posted by Karmakaze at 8:52 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Karmakaze at 8:52 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Loved this episode's maximum original series energy. A great what if that addresses fears of memory loss and letting go, with not just sympathy but empathy, plus the planet has an annoying god-king and we get all you can eat hand to hand combat.
posted by zippy at 10:28 AM on July 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by zippy at 10:28 AM on July 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
What I don't understand is how 3 dead crewmen on the original mission result in at least a dozen phaser rifles belonging to Zac's bullies?
I got strong SG-1 vibes from this, as well: the episode in which Sam Carter's former fiance has made himself a local god, + the episode where Sam, Jack, and Daniel are lose their memories and work as mindwiped slaves in an underground mine.
posted by suelac at 3:14 PM on July 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
I got strong SG-1 vibes from this, as well: the episode in which Sam Carter's former fiance has made himself a local god, + the episode where Sam, Jack, and Daniel are lose their memories and work as mindwiped slaves in an underground mine.
posted by suelac at 3:14 PM on July 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
There's also The Paradise Syndrome where Kirk loses his memory due to an alien obelisk and has to get left behind so Spock can take the Enterprise to go divert an asteroid from hitting the planet. Meanwhile Kirk is taken as a god for saving a child with CPR, falls in love and gets married, then loses it all but gets his memory back thanks to a Spock mind meld.
posted by Pryde at 4:14 PM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Pryde at 4:14 PM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
For those criticizing the forty people on the whole planet, dubious economy, simplistic labor camp, and single questionably inhabitable biome: those are all original series hallmarks. I don’t want SNW to go all-in on that style, but I thought this was a great episode, minus the tinnitus sound effect being a bit much.
Okay I’ll also grant the phaser rifle count makes about as much sense as the number of photon torpedoes on Voyager.
posted by jedicus at 6:34 PM on July 10, 2023 [5 favorites]
Okay I’ll also grant the phaser rifle count makes about as much sense as the number of photon torpedoes on Voyager.
posted by jedicus at 6:34 PM on July 10, 2023 [5 favorites]
Did anyone else get major "why did you say that name?" vibes from Pike's nick-of-time face turn? It didn't quite land for me, although I didn't have any problems with the beat itself.
posted by lumensimus at 7:28 PM on July 10, 2023
posted by lumensimus at 7:28 PM on July 10, 2023
For those criticizing the forty people on the whole planet, dubious economy, simplistic labor camp, and single questionably inhabitable biome: those are all original series hallmarks.
For maximum TOS energy, the castle should have been a matte painting.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:44 PM on July 10, 2023 [12 favorites]
For maximum TOS energy, the castle should have been a matte painting.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:44 PM on July 10, 2023 [12 favorites]
What I don't understand is how 3 dead crewmen on the original mission result in at least a dozen phaser rifles belonging to Zac's bullies?
The original away team was much larger and, as Pike said, "Spock was bleeding out when I ordered the evac. We fought our way back to the landing zone. I wasn't exactly tracking gear at that point."
For maximum TOS energy, the castle should have been a matte painting.
A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL matte painting. That castle is one of my favorite Trek visuals ever.
posted by hanov3r at 8:56 PM on July 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
The original away team was much larger and, as Pike said, "Spock was bleeding out when I ordered the evac. We fought our way back to the landing zone. I wasn't exactly tracking gear at that point."
For maximum TOS energy, the castle should have been a matte painting.
A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL matte painting. That castle is one of my favorite Trek visuals ever.
posted by hanov3r at 8:56 PM on July 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
A little surprisng, actually, that they didn't use the matte painting, since it is so well-known in Trek lore.
posted by briank at 7:50 AM on July 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 7:50 AM on July 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
Maybe the way all planets have one biome, no one would buy that a planet has two different structures.
Earth is the exception: we’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:33 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Earth is the exception: we’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:33 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Even the labour camp was ridiculous, just a couple of large rocks and a log. Were they renovating the castle? Eating the rocks?
Still, quite enjoyable.
posted by Marticus at 5:08 PM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Still, quite enjoyable.
posted by Marticus at 5:08 PM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
Earth is the exception: we’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.
Incidentally, I wrote this comment on my phone. My predictive text gave me three options after “Eiffel” and none were “Tower.” I was asked, however, if I wanted to refer to the Eiffel Bridge.
I’m feeling okay about our chances in the robot uprising at the moment.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:01 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
Incidentally, I wrote this comment on my phone. My predictive text gave me three options after “Eiffel” and none were “Tower.” I was asked, however, if I wanted to refer to the Eiffel Bridge.
I’m feeling okay about our chances in the robot uprising at the moment.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:01 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
Maybe the way all planets have one biome, no one would buy that a planet has two different structures.
My assumption is that they were going back to the EXACT SAME place that they went to before, since they were trying to recover the stuff they left behinbd previously. Hence, it would entirely make sense that it would be the same gold-domed castle.
In the featurette on last week's Ready Room, the set and production designer actually said they debated quite a lot about using it and went with a different tower because they felt it showcased the abilities of the AR wall.
posted by briank at 10:27 AM on July 12, 2023
My assumption is that they were going back to the EXACT SAME place that they went to before, since they were trying to recover the stuff they left behinbd previously. Hence, it would entirely make sense that it would be the same gold-domed castle.
In the featurette on last week's Ready Room, the set and production designer actually said they debated quite a lot about using it and went with a different tower because they felt it showcased the abilities of the AR wall.
posted by briank at 10:27 AM on July 12, 2023
This episode felt like the writers put four TOS episodes in a blender and poured this out. The problem is that that this episode hints at some interesting questions—how does a crewman left behind adapt, and what are the limits on his behavior? Who are you when your memory is taken away?—but doesn't have time to explore any of them. So in that respect I found it disappointing.
posted by adamrice at 6:09 AM on August 29, 2023
posted by adamrice at 6:09 AM on August 29, 2023
I also think the moral of the story - we need our memories to appreciate our lives is pretty obvious and not that interesting dramatically.
I saw a deeper and more complex moral in it, that I found to be psychologically astute and not that commonly talked about, I think. How much do each of us forget, or look away from, every day, so we don't have to live in the pain of the thought of it? What is our complicity in our own daily Forgetting?
Today my heart was broken by reading that article about D&D players on death row. I want to remember it, and them, but I could not live continuously in the emotional state I am in right now. I will leave the castle and go back to my work soon, which will necessitate Forgetting, for now.
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 11:00 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
I saw a deeper and more complex moral in it, that I found to be psychologically astute and not that commonly talked about, I think. How much do each of us forget, or look away from, every day, so we don't have to live in the pain of the thought of it? What is our complicity in our own daily Forgetting?
Today my heart was broken by reading that article about D&D players on death row. I want to remember it, and them, but I could not live continuously in the emotional state I am in right now. I will leave the castle and go back to my work soon, which will necessitate Forgetting, for now.
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 11:00 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
...and that's not even to mention drugs, and other distractions. I feel the allegory ran deep.
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 11:01 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 11:01 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
Was this a dementia episode?
posted by Paul Slade at 11:28 PM on September 18, 2023
posted by Paul Slade at 11:28 PM on September 18, 2023
> I would have been just fine if the tinnitus sound effect was less loud and more brief
So would my cat. I was frantically trying to turn it down each time it started -- it hurt my ears, and my cat was bothered by it, too.
> What I don't understand is how 3 dead crewmen on the original mission result in at least a dozen phaser rifles belonging to Zac's bullies?
I think he had some line about making them, because I had a "huh, you can make a phaser rifle?" moment.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:58 AM on October 21, 2023
So would my cat. I was frantically trying to turn it down each time it started -- it hurt my ears, and my cat was bothered by it, too.
> What I don't understand is how 3 dead crewmen on the original mission result in at least a dozen phaser rifles belonging to Zac's bullies?
I think he had some line about making them, because I had a "huh, you can make a phaser rifle?" moment.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:58 AM on October 21, 2023
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posted by thejoshu at 9:55 AM on July 6, 2023 [5 favorites]