Strange New Worlds season 2 - SPOILERS

[Paul Farquhar]

That's why they're kept in a gilded cage and constantly gawked-at.

Unfortunately, I don't think gawking at freakshows does anyone any good.

 

[Ryujin]

Unfortunately, I don't think gawking at freakshows does anyone any good.

Perhaps not, but it does appear to be a basic part of human nature to watch the train crash.

 

[Divine2021]

The idea that British folks have somehow evolved past in laws is simultaneously absurd and hilarious.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

The idea that British folks have somehow evolved past in laws is simultaneously absurd and hilarious.

BOTH ABSURD AND HILARIOUS.

TAGLINE FOR MONTY PYTHON AND MUMFORD AND SONS.

 

[MarkB]

A very enjoyable episode this week, Uhura-focused and exploring some familiar themes but doing it very well. It reminded me of the pilot episode of DS9.

 

[Vael]

I'm more and more impressed with Paul Wesley's version of Kirk. Manages to bring the charm and drive. Major props to Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, quite a few scenes were moved me to tears.

This was a solid standard Trek story elevated by some good writing and great acting.

 

[DammitVictor]

Look up a setting called Mage: The Awakening thatexplores these themes.

The Love react is really insufficient to contain my response: I love every single word of this post and I am enshookenated to consider it. It really... resonates very powerfully with my favorite time travel franchise, The Terminator, and all of the reasons why it is my favorite time travel franchise.

 

[DammitVictor]

Which is not to say you're wrong, or that specific stereotypes don't, no doubt, exist in some people's minds, just to say that the "trying to make a good impression on the nightmare in-laws" is a comedy of manners stock-plot that plays about like that with every other ethnic combination.

If we're going to talk about potentially harmful stereotypes used for humor, the gender dynamic between Spock's in-laws is fascinating. T'Pring's mother is a bigoted harridan who uses her husband's family honor to rationalize and reinforce her own prejudices-- simultaneously very Vulcan and very human-- while her father is a good-natured, open-minded, and spineless doormat who capitulates his supposed domestic authority in order to protect the mere illusion of it.

It's a sitcom premise with sci-fi execution, and it's brilliant. Also, if you imagine that T'Pring's father had gotten Pike alone for five minutes-- he would have asked Pike to give Spock those recipes, so that his household staff could truthfully say they got them from a Vulcan.

I'm not a fan of nuTrek style grimdarkness, but I like episodes like this (or Una's court martial) that show that the cultures and the species of the Federation still have foibles and feets of clay... because Roddenberry's utopia shines the brightest when the franchise reminds us that utopia isn't easy, that everything that Star Trek tell us is possible had to be fought for tooth and nail by us and our children, and zealously guarded by their grandchildren's grandchildren.

Everything our heroes in Starfleet have to fight for in their utopian future is a reminder that their ancestors brought them there from a world that was even darker than here.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

A very enjoyable episode this week, Uhura-focused and exploring some familiar themes but doing it very well. It reminded me of the pilot episode of DS9.

Uhura-focused certainly, but notable for as far as I recall setting the Strange New Worlds record in terms of bringing the most of its characters in for something or other. Not only every main character, but almost every recurring character (even a dead one!).

Having every character in a given episode certainly isn't the most important thing, but it is a difficult writing task for a show like this, and I respect the effort. And having some "all hands on deck" episodes strengthens the ensemble feel of the show.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

SNARFZODIACKILLER SEASON 2 REVIEW, EPISODE 6

NEWHURU IS HEARING THE SCREECHES OF SHREDDING GUITARS? COLOR ME INTRIGUED!

SOMETHING SOMETHING DEUTERIUM, SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING HALLUCINATIONS, SOMETHING SOMETHING MINING STATION, SOMETHING SOMETHING ... WAIT.

WHAT IS THIS? CAN IT BE?

HEMMER! FIRST TO DIE, FIRST IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER. NEWHURU IS NOT CRYING. UR NOT CRYING. IM NOT CRYING!!!!!!! I HAVE TO ADMIT, I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME PLOT IN THIS EPISODE, AS I SPENT THE ENTIRE TIME POURING OUT 40S FOR MY BELOVED BLIND WARRIOR ENGINEER.

WHAT ARE SPACEROSS AND SPACERACHEL UP TO? NOT ADVANCING THE PLOT.

AND THEN ... PRAISE BE TO RODENBERRY, ITS JAMES T KIRK. THE T STANDS FOR TOTALLY AWESOME. KIRK IS IN THE AREA, FARAGUTTING AROUND, AND GETS ON THE SHIP. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRESENCE OF KIRK AND DREAMY PIKE SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER CAUSES THE NACELLE TO EXPLODE, AS THE ENTERPRISE CANNOT HOLD ALL OF THAT AWESOME AT THE SAME TIME. YOU CANT JUST HAVE A CONCERT WITH GNR AND METALLICA AND IRON MAIDEN AND MOTORHEAD AND BLACK SABBATH AND MEGADETH AND JUDAS PRIEST AND PANTERA AND SLAYER AND TOOL AND AND SYSTEM OF A DOWN ALL PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME AS IT WOULD CREATE A SINGULARITY OF AWESOMENESS THAT WOULD DESTORY THE UNIVERSE.

NEWHURU REALIZES THE DANGER THEY ARE IN, AND ALSO KNOWS THAT INVISIBLE SPACE BEINGS THAT COMMUNICATE BY SUCKING OUT UR BRAIN OR SOMETHING ALSO CANNOT TAKE ALL OF THAT AWESOME. SO SHE ORDERS KIRK AWAY FROM PIKE FOR A DRINK WITH HER AND SPOCK IN THE NEWLY RENOVATED TEN FORWARD WITH A CHANDALIER AND A JAZZ BAND. THE JAZZ BAND SLOWS DOWN ALL THE METAL AWESOMENESS AND SAVES THE DAY.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE LACK OF OTHER EXPLOSIONS MEANS THAT THE ENTERPRISE FIRES PHOTON TORPEDOES AT THE MINING THING. MORE 'SPLOSIONS.

FINALLY, NOTSCOTTY EXPLAINS TO THE AUDIENCE THAT WE STILL MISS HEMMER, AND WE ARE TAKING OUR SWEET TIME TO GET USED TO HER WEIRD ENERGY. WE SEE A SHOT OF HEMMER SMILING, BECAUSE HEMMER KNOWS. HEMMER WILL ALWAYS AND FOREVER BE OUR ENGINEER.


LOST IN TRANSLATION RATING: 66.6 MONSTERS OF ROCK