Star Trek Strange New Worlds, what did you think?

Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
They kept that same voice through Ortegas in the new series, but without any of the backstory. I had felt that Ortegas' hostility was a bit much beyond what we normally had seen from the character, but now comparing it to the original show it felt even more.

With respect, we have seen Ortegas trigger happy all season. Even in the fantasy episode, Ortegas is the one most interested in skewering people with a sword.
 

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Stalker0

Legend
With respect, we have seen Ortegas trigger happy all season. Even in the fantasy episode, Ortegas is the one most interested in skewering people with a sword.
With even more respect, ignoring the fantasy episode (as the characters were not themselves we can't use it as a frame of reference, hehe or else L'ann is going to look very different), while Ortegas has sometimes been assertive and even aggressive, she's never really been trigger happy, and never been belligerent to the point where the captain had to have her stand down. In fact, there have been scenes where she was the reluctant one, often double checking the captain's orders (are you sure you want to go in there) kind of thing.

There was clear anger in this episode we had not seen before. Now I'm not saying its unjustified, it just felt a little off compared to episodes before, we have never seen her get to that point, and I never really understood why. Was she just so distraught and angry about losing the starbases (which would be very understandable), was there some backstory there with Romulans we are unaware of? Is it simply that older Ortegas is an angrier, more belligerent person?

There are several reasons to explain why Ortegas might be angry, again I would never say it wasn't justified, I just wanted to understand better what was driving her character.
 

Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
...while Ortegas has sometimes been assertive and even aggressive, she's never really been trigger happy...

Beyond assertive and aggressive - they're always suggesting the ship go into combat. Very "shoot first ask questions later"

...and never been belligerent to the point where the captain had to have her stand down.

Well, for everything that happens, there must be a first time for it, no?
 

Stalker0

Legend
Well, for everything that happens, there must be a first time for it, no?
Sure, but what was it about that scenario that made it the first time, that's what I was curious about. Aka what is driving the character of ortegas?

I just want to understand her character better is all.
 

Blackrat

He Who Lurks Beyond The Veil
I loved the last episode. Had to watch Balance of Terror immediately after and noticed how they used a lot of the original dialogue.

I have two points of disappointment though. Uhura should have sported the classic hairstyle (although I did appreciate the earrings being similar), and the Romulan Commander should have been played by James Frain…
 

Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
Sure, but what was it about that scenario that made it the first time, that's what I was curious about. Aka what is driving the character of ortegas?

I don't know that one needs more than anger and fear of impending war with an enemy that has major tactical advantages and a history of destructive aggression to explain the observed behavior. YMMV.
 

Maxperson

Morkus from Orkus
He always struck me as pretty professional and by the book. The Kobayashi Maru was the exception -- it was supposed to be surprising. He frequently did his duty when he didn't want to -- putting Spock on trial, for example. He is in no way a maverick.
He broke the prime directive several times. In Star Trek IV when Kirk is put on trial, they say he violated 9 directives, but list only 6. In Amok Time he straight out defies orders in order to save Spock. In A Private Little War Kirk again defies Starfleet orders, even noting that he is doing so in his log. And there's a bunch more. He obeyed regulations and orders unless he felt he knew better and the situation required him to violate those orders or regulations.
 
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Stalker0

Legend
My one issue with the premise of the final episode.

Ok, we have established that Pike being captain of the enterprise later in life is bad....got it. So....why not retire? I mean he started the season basically retired, just save himself and go live a quiet life in a cabin. They establish this concept that Pike has to die, but don't really back that up.
 

tomBitonti

Adventurer
My one issue with the premise of the final episode.

Ok, we have established that Pike being captain of the enterprise later in life is bad....got it. So....why not retire? I mean he started the season basically retired, just save himself and go live a quiet life in a cabin. They establish this concept that Pike has to die, but don't really back that up.
They patch that up by remarking that every time Pike saves himself Spock dies. Apparently the Klingon monks looked over such futures.
Tom B
 


Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
They patch that up by remarking that every time Pike saves himself Spock dies. Apparently the Klingon monks looked over such futures.
Tom B
Yeah, there's no way around it. If Pike doesn't go through with it, Spock suffers it instead.

Thus the whole 'I owe you a debt' conversation, and Spock's motivations in The Menagerie finally making sense!
 

Mort

Legend
Supporter
He broke the prime directive several times. In Star Trek IV when Kirk is put on trial, they say he violated 9 directives, but list only 6. In Amok Time he straight out defies orders in order to save Spock. In A Private Little War Kirk again defies Starfleet orders, even noting that he is doing so in his log. And there's a bunch more. He obeyed regulations and orders unless he felt he knew better and the situation required him to violate those orders or regulations.

Plus, to the time cop guys (when they show up on Deep Space Nine) Kirk's name is practically a swear word.

Kirk knew the book inside and out -but, as you said, he violated it whenever he thought his way was better.
 

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist
Plus, to the time cop guys (when they show up on Deep Space Nine) Kirk's name is practically a swear word.

Kirk knew the book inside and out -but, as you said, he violated it whenever he thought his way was better.

To Kirk, rules were like the regulation Starfleet uniform.

Sometimes* ... you just need to break them.

tumblr_pw7kjteeMV1uxj1t8o4_r1_540.gif



*Sometimes being approximately 50% of all episodes.
 


Plus, to the time cop guys (when they show up on Deep Space Nine) Kirk's name is practically a swear word.

Kirk knew the book inside and out -but, as you said, he violated it whenever he thought his way was better.
Well, that seems to describe every Captain character we spend any amount of time with, though. Pike, Picard, Sisko, Janeway...

And I think Starfleet is okay with that, because they know their handbook is a good start, but you don't know what you'll meet out there and you have to adapt. If you violate the handbook because you didn't know better, bad, you violated the handbook because it didn't fit the scenario.

Hunting that Romulan Bird of Prey in Balance of Terror was also a perfect example - Kirk asked for permission, but he didn't get a response by Starfleet in time due to the distance. Their response - after the dust cloud had already been spread wide - was to give him authority to hunt that ship down.
 

Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
Hunting that Romulan Bird of Prey in Balance of Terror was also a perfect example - Kirk asked for permission, but he didn't get a response by Starfleet in time due to the distance. Their response - after the dust cloud had already been spread wide - was to give him authority to hunt that ship down.

"Look, my fellow Admirals, we know our orders can't reach Kirk before he has to act. He knows it. He's going to do whatever he darned well pleases. Given that, we might as well authorize what we know he's going to do anyway. Saves us the trouble of court martial, if you ask me."
 




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