Spoilers Star Trek Academy [spoiler thread]

[Mort]

Today's episode was, for me, one of the powerful, emotionally meaningful pieces of television I've ever seen. It resonates with me personally. The Doctor has always been my favorite Star Trek character since I first encountered him back in the 90s. On this show, they've clearly been building towards this moment since the beginning, and I'm so happy it paid off so beautifully. Calling back to the Voyager episode about the Doctor's family was perfect (I remember that one hitting me hard too). I'm the adopted father of two wonderful children, so seeing someone choose fatherhood after suffering loss and loneliness like the Doctor does here is very special to me.

A magnificent episode! This show and it's creators really get Star Trek.

I agree the writers clearly get Trek, and I loved the Doctor's storyline here.

My one quibble with this episode - I felt Tilly was shoehorned in - like "we promised an episode with Tilly - and here you go."

I don't recall theater being remotely her thing, or her having any training whatever in dealing with trauma of others (which is what it seems she was brought in for). I will say Mary Wiseman was good as usual, no complaints there.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I agree the writers clearly get Trek, and I loved the Doctor's storyline here.

My one quibble with this episode - I felt Tilly was shoehorned in - like "we promised an episode with Tilly - and here you go."

I don't recall theater being remotely her thing, or her having any training whatever in dealing with trauma of others (which is what it seems she was brought in for). I will say Mary Wiseman was good as usual, no complaints there.

I agree Tilly specially was unnecessary, but they needed someone new to the show I think, and Tilly is the most appropriate and popular "name" they could plausibly use.

 

[Aeson]

This show seems to bring more drama, emotion, and intensity that the other new shows seemed to lack. I have enjoyed them all, but this one made me feel something. It moved me unlike the others. There was more sense of loss with this tertiary character, B'avi, than Tasha Yar. IMO I think they're taking this series in a different direction and I think it's a good one. I still have my concerns about it becoming a teen soap opera where they're more interested in who's having sex with who. No cliffhanger at the end, which is nice. I'm looking forward to the second season.

 

[Ryujin]

This show seems to bring more drama, emotion, and intensity that the other new shows seemed to lack. I have enjoyed them all, but this one made me feel something. It moved me unlike the others. There was more sense of loss with this tertiary character, B'avi, than Tasha Yar. IMO I think they're taking this series in a different direction and I think it's a good one. I still have my concerns about it becoming a teen soap opera where they're more interested in who's having sex with who. No cliffhanger at the end, which is nice. I'm looking forward to the second season.

While I agree with you on the difference in impact, part of that was because of what they were trying to depict. In Academy they're showing how young adults, who are still in training, deal with loss. It's not much different than high school or college, by design. In TNG they were showing how military/paramilitary deal with loss. In that sort of situation you can't grieve in the moment. You need to deal with the situation at-hand and then, later, you can grieve. That takes out some of the impact of such a loss.

 

[Stalker0]

sigh, I do not want to be that guy....but I'm going to be that guy.

The Doctor's reveal just didn't land with me (hehe I feel like such a terrible person for saying it but there it is). So his holographic child dies....but he still had a wife and son in the program. Did he turn them off and never look back?

The show ran for 4 more seasons and I don't remember this ever coming back up. In fact the Doctor goes on all sorts of adventurers including learning to love various things, connecting with Seven on how to become human, etc etc. He seemed like a man who who didn't emotionally fall apart after the daugher's death....he seemed to recover very well.

With the buildup I always assumed it was going to be a later death. Maybe Seven's or Janeways or even a later character in cannon but one we haven't interacted with that much. Someone that pushed him into that state of regret and misery. I'm not saying losing a child couldn't do the trick....it most certainly can (and often does)....but in this case, it didn't.

Are they trying to say he was fine, and only when Sam reminded him of his daughter that it all "came rushing back"? I coudl believe that....I didn't get that impression at first, the doctor seemed just generally reserved and surly in general, it wasn't just a reaction to Sam. Maybe I misread the opener.