Strange New Worlds season 2 - SPOILERS

[Ryujin]

Trope #421: Star Trek Tribunal episode.
I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe the defender's monologue went on a tiny bit too long, but they kinda kept me guessing on how it would resolve and her final gambit was really nice. I really expected that it would be Pike that would do the final monologue, when the conspiracy charge came up, and speculated that he might use his fixed future that this isn't how it could work out (a Captain found guilty of conspiracy is not likely going to teach some cadets, right, but they avoided that.)
I guess the only that could make it better if this or a previous SNW episode had already used the regulation - though it's actually possible it has been used in some Trek episode. But even if not -there definitely have been cases where Starfleet Captains offered/granted asylum before, so maybe that isn't as important.

Also yet another episode where Spock has one of these strong emotional outbursts, he really needs to get this under control.

Indeed. Spock having emotional outbursts is a seasoning that's best used in small (rare) amounts.

 

[MarkB]

Trope #421: Star Trek Tribunal episode.
I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe the defender's monologue went on a tiny bit too long, but they kinda kept me guessing on how it would resolve and her final gambit was really nice. I really expected that it would be Pike that would do the final monologue, when the conspiracy charge came up, and speculated that he might use his fixed future that this isn't how it could work out (a Captain found guilty of conspiracy is not likely going to teach some cadets, right, but they avoided that.)
I guess the only that could make it better if this or a previous SNW episode had already used the regulation - though it's actually possible it has been used in some Trek episode. But even if not -there definitely have been cases where Starfleet Captains offered/granted asylum before, so maybe that isn't as important.

Also yet another episode where Spock has one of these strong emotional outbursts, he really needs to get this under control.

This one did feel a little more constrained by existing continuity than most, needing to wrap the issue up here while simultaneously leaving it open to remain a problem in earlier-series episodes, but the outcome was satisfying. Starfleet granting someone sanctuary from persecution that arose from the Federation's own laws has a certain delicious irony.

 

[Mort]

Also yet another episode where Spock has one of these strong emotional outbursts, he really needs to get this under control.

Really liked that part of the episode and the other crew interaction parts.

Trope #421: Star Trek Tribunal episode.
I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe the defender's monologue went on a tiny bit too long, but they kinda kept me guessing on how it would resolve and her final gambit was really nice. I really expected that it would be Pike that would do the final monologue, when the conspiracy charge came up, and speculated that he might use his fixed future that this isn't how it could work out (a Captain found guilty of conspiracy is not likely going to teach some cadets, right, but they avoided that.)
I guess the only that could make it better if this or a previous SNW episode had already used the regulation - though it's actually possible it has been used in some Trek episode. But even if not -there definitely have been cases where Starfleet Captains offered/granted asylum before, so maybe that isn't as important.

I was expecting a courtroom episode and, as expected, it didn't really hit for me. Since the thread is spoiler marked I will not use spoiler text, but there will be spoilers:

1. Since "real" legal work is boring (for most people) they have to do the typical defendant's attorney rails at the court until they give in to the absolute brilliance. It's common but, for me, It's preposterous;

3. I hate idiot plots that pretend to be smart. Oona doesn't tell her own attorney she was the one who turned herself in (sure she has a bit of a martyr compex, but she wants to win this)? Her attorney, rather than being straightforward ambushes her own client on the stand? Come on. The proposed loophole was actually completely straight forward and should just have been presented to the court as a motion to dismiss. But that's not "good tv."

The courtroom scene, especially the finale of it, was well edited and built to the conclusion just fine - but it was exactly the kind of courtroom scene that always rubs me the wrong way.

Of course, this hit a combination of pet peeves for me - I can see how most people would enjoy the episode - it was well acted and directed.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

The courtroom scene, especially the finale of it, was well edited and built to the conclusion just fine - but it was exactly the kind of courtroom scene that always rubs me the wrong way.

I mean, I completely agree, but I guess I've just come to accept that any extended courtroom scenes on movie and tv will always be preposterous. As far as Star Trek trials go this won points with me simply by having actual legal professionals on both sides.

Overall it was fine. Not a favorite episode, and I understand why they stood on their head to not make it the season opener. But probably above average for a Star Trek courtroom episode, and court/trial episodes are (for better, and worse) a semi-obligatory part of the franchise at this point.

I was disappointed that they didn't play a little more with the ambiguity of whether her famous lawyer really cared about what was best for her client vs. making a landmark case for her cause, which was the only bit of "legal drama" that really rang completely true to me. The downside of episodic Trek is they had to fully resolve everything by the end of the episode, so defense lawyer has to be firmly in the good-guy column at the end.

But the upside of an episodic series is that, rather than having this legal drama I am ambivalent on linger on through half a season, we'll be back to jetting around having fun sci-fi adventures next week like none of this happened. But, since it's Strange New Worlds rather than Next Gen, they probably won't take that imperative to such an extreme that we get no character growth from the experience.

 

[Rabulias]

I really expected that it would be Pike that would do the final monologue, when the conspiracy charge came up, and speculated that he might use his fixed future that this isn't how it could work out (a Captain found guilty of conspiracy is not likely going to teach some cadets, right, but they avoided that.)

I wondered about what changed the future we saw in S01E10 where Una has been imprisoned for 7 years. The only thing that had changed was Pike's experiences in that episode. I guess in the original timeline Pike did not go to see Neera, but after his view of the future (and Una's fate) he was driven to fight harder and so went to Neera and convinced her to take the case? If that's the case, it would have been nice to see a more direct nod to that, but I can head-canon that if nothing else.

Edited to add: I would have thought Pike would fight just as hard to save Una based on who he has been shown to be, not the specific experiences he had.

 

[Mallus]

Nothing like a subtle and realistic legal procedural episode of Star Trek.

Loved it!

 

[Ryujin]

I was looking for, and got, my "Finny!" moment. The guy playing the Vulcan Vice-Admiral couldn't keep the emotion out of his face or, perhaps, played it just right.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Vulcan

You mean the Romulan spy?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

1. Since "real" legal work is boring (for most people) they have to do the typical defendant's attorney rails at the court until they give in to the absolute brilliance. It's common but, for me, It's preposterous;

Maybe that's the way the law should work? Star Trek is supposed to be utopian, not realistic.

 

[Mort]

Maybe that's the way the law should work? Star Trek is supposed to be utopian, not realistic.

It only works on TV because the person arguing is, invariably, a paragon of charisma, justice and virtue. In real life, a legal system relying/allowing this would, near certainly, lead to some really bad results and be very, very far from utopian. But it makes for better TV.