Star Trek Strange New Worlds, what did you think?

Vael

Legend
It's way too early to say this, but still, I kinda want to put down this marker ... SNW will have the best first season of all the Trek series. I've been really impressed how quickly the show gets going and it just feels so confident.
Just want to say ... I was right. SNW's first season didn't miss a beat, and the season finale was also impressive.
 

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BookTenTiger

He / Him
Someone online mentioned the "ST Finale" being two hours long, and I got excited... until I realized they meant "Stranger Things," not "Star Trek."

I'll still be enjoying the finale tonight!
 

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist
Someone online mentioned the "ST Finale" being two hours long, and I got excited... until I realized they meant "Stranger Things," not "Star Trek."

I'll still be enjoying the finale tonight!

Part of me cannot wait to hunker down with SZK and watch it tonight.

But another part of me wants to postpone that viewing for as long as possible, filled with the dreadful knowledge that once consumed, there will be no further episodes for so very long.

Parting with this season will be such sweet sorrow.
 

BookTenTiger

He / Him
Part of me cannot wait to hunker down with SZK and watch it tonight.

But another part of me wants to postpone that viewing for as long as possible, filled with the dreadful knowledge that once consumed, there will be no further episodes for so very long.

Parting with this season will be such sweet sorrow.
If you watch it at x0.0001 speed, the episode should last you all year!
 

Mallus

Legend
Parting with this season will be such sweet sorrow.
Season 2 just finished shooting!

S01E10 was a strong end to a strong first season. Damnit Jim, they did it. They figured out the tone, cast and writing for an updated TOS for the 21st century. Sure, it’s not as groundbreaking as the original, which helped bring science fiction for adults to the US television landscape. Credit where credit is due, it’s not as groundbreaking as Discovery, which pioneered more than one new take on Trek before settling into a kind of epic Becky Chambers vision of the future Federation.

SNW is merely good at everything it sets out to do. Which is great.
 

Ryujin

Legend
Part of me cannot wait to hunker down with SZK and watch it tonight.

But another part of me wants to postpone that viewing for as long as possible, filled with the dreadful knowledge that once consumed, there will be no further episodes for so very long.

Parting with this season will be such sweet sorrow.
You may not have as long to wait as you think:


EDIT - Aw, jeez. I need to refresh before posting.
 

Stalker0

Legend
Great epsiode.

One thing that was really interesting was it was very against the grain of the typical ST story. The captain pushes for peace, even though others think he's crazy, but he holds to his belief....and ultimately, its the right call, and a salvation for so many. That's the typical ST plot.

But no....this time, the captain FAILS, the decision he makes in opposition to everyone around him (including a fellow captain) is.....WRONG. Its refreshing in a star trek story and is really cool. And it ultimately is a very interesting framing for Pike, for all of Pike's great deeds...its literally the universe's way of saying, "but your not ALL that". Talk about a hit to the ego!

My only critique of the episode, which is quite minor, is I felt many of the main characters were basically cameos. I honestly didn't need to see L'ann or Chapel in this episode, they really didn't contribute anything to the story, and were there for seconds. Could have shaved a little actor budget there and maybe added in another X or Y.

I also thought Paul Wesley was a solid take on a young Kirk, interestingly though he had some of Kirk's rashness and belligerence, really we saw more of his tactical cunning. Kirk was pretty brilliant in this episode, coming up with awesome idea after awesome idea.

One interesting consequence of this, now Pike knows that the Romulans are a real threat, not a boogeyman. How does that effect his decisionmaking going forward, does he alert starfleet command? Even if peace with the Romulans is found in the current timeline, they clearly start out on an aggressive posture (and according to older Pike the federation does not do that well in the war). That should in theory serve as a wake up call....Maaaaayyyybe we should be building a few more attack ships and a few less exploratory vessels, etc.
 

Rabulias

the Incomparably Shrewd and Clever
An excellent end to an excellent season! A compelling use of Pike's foreknowledge as a story springboard. And now we know why the production photo of Jim Kirk had captain's insignia. I am betting when we see him in season 2 (barring other time travel shenanigans) he will be a lieutenant.

From that last scene, Pike seems to decide "OK, universe, I can't change the accident and my fate. Fine. But I will do my damnedest to change some other things." With the first up being changing Una's fate.

Preparing for the Romulans is a thornier question. (Interesting that Pike is the only person in the Federation who knows what the Romulans look like...) It sounds like the only way to thread the needle and avoid a devastating war is for events to proceed without him or his knowledge.

Also, I wonder if that while he can't prevent the accident, maybe he can allow the accident to proceed, but save all the cadets (including young Maat) in some way. I will have to go back and watch The Menagerie episodes again, or maybe someone here can confirm: is it established canon that some cadets die in the accident?
 

Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
Dang, that was good! I can't believe we have to wait until next year for more.

Loved the red TOS movie uniform.

Kirk? Was that a misdirection and he's not in s2? If so, they fooled us all!

Scotty's voice. No McCoy, Sulu, or Checkov though.

Poor Number One.

As an aside, I am starting to dislike the copy/paste starship fleet all warping in at the same time thing. It happened in Picard, it happened in Orville, it's happened here. It keeps happening. I just don't think it looks very good and also, presumably when ships are rushing there from all different locations and distance, how come they all time their arrival to the same second? Do they meet up before, wait till they're all together, then leave together?

(In this case it was OK, it was a single fleet of mining drones which was presumably already together, but in Picard and Orville it wasn't).
 


Ryujin

Legend
An excellent end to an excellent season! A compelling use of Pike's foreknowledge as a story springboard. And now we know why the production photo of Jim Kirk had captain's insignia. I am betting when we see him in season 2 (barring other time travel shenanigans) he will be a lieutenant.

From that last scene, Pike seems to decide "OK, universe, I can't change the accident and my fate. Fine. But I will do my damnedest to change some other things." With the first up being changing Una's fate.

Preparing for the Romulans is a thornier question. (Interesting that Pike is the only person in the Federation who knows what the Romulans look like...) It sounds like the only way to thread the needle and avoid a devastating war is for events to proceed without him or his knowledge.

Also, I wonder if that while he can't prevent the accident, maybe he can allow the accident to proceed, but save all the cadets (including young Maat) in some way. I will have to go back and watch The Menagerie episodes again, or maybe someone here can confirm: is it established canon that some cadets die in the accident?
The accounts that I've read seem to indicate that Pike got out "all the cadets that survived" the initial incident, so clearly not all did survive.
 

Ryujin

Legend
Dang, that was good! I can't believe we have to wait until next year for more.

Loved the red TOS movie uniform.

Kirk? Was that a misdirection and he's not in s2? If so, they fooled us all!

Scotty's voice. No McCoy, Sulu, or Checkov though.

Poor Number One.

As an aside, I am starting to dislike the copy/paste starship fleet all warping in at the same time thing. It happened in Picard, it happened in Orville, it's happened here. It keeps happening. I just don't think it looks very good and also, presumably when ships are rushing there from all different locations and distance, how come they all time their arrival to the same second? Do they meet up before, wait till they're all together, then leave together?

(In this case it was OK, it was a single fleet of mining drones which was presumably already together, but in Picard and Orville it wasn't).
From previous shows it seems that they generally go to a marshalling location, and then proceed to the final destination. For example when Starfleet intercepted the Borg, on their way to Earth, they rallied at Wolf 359.
 

Hex08

Hero
Balance of Terror!!!! My all-time favorite Star Trek episode. This was a really cool take on it, including some of the scenes and dialog being identical, or close to, to the original episode. My favorite bit was that it showed while there can be different command styles, all valid and worthwhile, some styles are better in some situations. Pike is more a man of peace and explorer where Kirk is more aggressive and a risk-taker. In this case, Kirk's style turned out to be the one that worked.

Spock realizing that Pike is choosing to sacrifice himself, not only for others but also for Spock specifically, goes a long way towards explaining Spock's behavior in The Menagerie.

And once again, Chapel gave a great scene. When she was talking to Pike in sickbay about Spock you could just hear the sorrow and compassion dripping off of her. For a character I was initially unsure of Jess Bush has made me love her.
 
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Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
Spock realizing that Pike is choosing to sacrifice himself, not only for others but also for Spock specifically, goes a long way towards explaining Spock's behavior in The Menagerie.
Yep. That debt he owes now makes his behaviour make much more sense. I was always a little dubious about the way he acted.
 

Stalker0

Legend
presumably when ships are rushing there from all different locations and distance, how come they all time their arrival to the same second? Do they meet up before, wait till they're all together, then leave together?
In a situation where you possibly entering a battle, coming in "formation" makes plenty of sense. I assume they all adjust their warp speeds to ensure a simultaneous arrival. Considering all the other crazy things starships can do, this seems like a fairly minor thing.
 

Vael

Legend
Balance of Terror!!!! My all-time favorite Star Trek episode. This was a really cool take on it, including some of the scenes and dialog being identical, or close to, to the original episode. My favorite bit was that it showed while there can be different command styles, all valid and worthwhile, some styles are better in some situations. Pike is more a man of peace and explorer where Kirk is more aggressive and a risk-taker. In this case, Kirk's style turned out to be the one that worked.

I was reminded of the Q&A Short Trek, where Una says that Pike: views resorting to force as an admission of failure. It's an interesting take that doesn't demean Pike, it's just ... as a Captain, is your first instinct to shoot or talk? Kirk and Sisko, they'd shoot. Most of the others would talk. Pike would, so would Picard, Janeway and Saru. Burnham, ironically, has evolved from a character that would've shot at the beginning of Discovery, to one that now I think wouldn't.
 

Thomas Shey

Legend
From previous shows it seems that they generally go to a marshalling location, and then proceed to the final destination. For example when Starfleet intercepted the Borg, on their way to Earth, they rallied at Wolf 359.

If you've got a potential combat situation, while you want everyone there ASAP, having them come in piecemeal can be really tactically bad.
 




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