Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

[C_Miller]

I also wonder what's up with all these prequels. We haven't had a series starting in the 21st century that sets things in the 24th century, maybe right after Voyager, and continues the story. Everything's a prequel except for Picard and its Dystopian rather than Star Trek future.

While others have pointed out that there have been Post Voyager (or rather Post Nemesis if we want to be even more specific) shows such as Prodigy and Lower Decks, I still would like a series set on an Enterprise in the 25th Century, perhaps later in the 25th Century so we can have a new one. I know it would have to do something as Strange New Worlds is covering that TOS/TNG ground extremely well, but I think having a Next, Next Generation is something the landscape is missing. Definitely am more interested in that than a 23rd Century set Section 31 show or a 32nd Century set Starfleet Academy show.

[Minerboh]

I would like to see a post DS9 series or feature. See how the crew dealt with Sesko's ''passing'', how the Federation goes with the Dominion, rebuilting Cardassia and other stuff.
Hope that Picard Season 3 will give an update on these matters (or at least a couple of them) with the return of Worf.

[Sutekh]

I would like to see a post DS9 series or feature. See how the crew dealt with Sesko's ''passing'', how the Federation goes with the Dominion, rebuilting Cardassia and other stuff.
Hope that Picard Season 3 will give an update on these matters (or at least a couple of them) with the return of Worf.

Yeah, I am much more interested in the future of the Gamma quadrant, Dominion, Cardassians, etc. (even Ferengi!) than in the future of anyone from Voyager, and yet, other than Worf mysteriously leaving his DS9 crew for every Next Generation movie, we really haven't seen much of the DS9 races and storylines.

Has Bajor joined the Federation? Is Cardassia an ally? How are the Dominion? Did Bashir ever recreate his cure for Ketracel-White dependency and free the Jem'Hdar from the Founder's yoke? Are the other Dominion races (Karemma, Dosi, Son'a, Hunters, etc.) a bit more prevalent in Dominion political affairs? What's up with the Ferengi, are they Federation allies, competitors with the Orion syndicate, allied with the Orions and Dosi in a mercantile 'third faction?'

That said, the future setting of Picard is pretty crapsack-dystopia, and I'd rather not see where the Picard writers take any of that stuff. Trill will get blown up and the JemH'dar turn into a slave race / assassin enforcers of a secret black ops faction within Starfleet or something grimdark like that.

[C_Miller]

That said, the future setting of Picard is pretty crapsack-dystopia, and I'd rather not see where the Picard writers take any of that stuff. Trill will get blown up and the JemH'dar turn into a slave race / assassin enforcers of a secret black ops faction within Starfleet or something grimdark like that.

In fairness, the Jem'Hadar are a slave race. And it's not like Starlfeet has never had a secret black ops faction before.

[Captain Craig]

Episode 5 - Spock Amok
aka Freaky Friday

An enjoyable character piece on different levels for Spock, Una, Singh and Chapel(maybe Ortegas). With Dr. M'Benga given more humorous small scenes, if still revealing to bits of his personality.
After a few episodes of "ship in danger" we take a standard Trek turn into a static show. Space Station repairs = shore leave.
Enterprise Bingo being explored as an "exercise" in understanding the crew had several good moments with Una and Singh. So where does that leave "where fun goes to die", is Una a bit more..***** now? Time will tell. I like that we again saw Robert April. An excuse needs to be made to get him on an Enterprise ship adventure. Have him ruminate about when he captained the ship.
This new ally species the Rongovians are one that looks like its features are based on a badger. Will they be throwaway or will they return in the Pike era of Star Trek?

[C_Miller]

While The Ghosts of Illyria wasn't my favorite episode of the bunch, I think after Spock Amok, I can safely say that the show has gone 5 for 5. I can't really compare this week with last week because they are such different episodes, but I would argue that this was as successful at light hearted comedy as last week was at tense action.

I thought the body swap premise was incredibly well done from the performances of Ethan Peck and Gia Sandhu, to Pike’s reactions, to the genuine character moments that the characters experienced. Pike’s speech about why Spock is an asset to Starfleet while knowingly telling his betrothed the same thing was just great writing. The humor was standout, but the humor was always used to inform character, which should be the goal. To be honest, as much as I enjoyed the body swap, the Enterprise Bingo sequence was probably my favorite aspect of the episode. I know La’an has not been a favorite here, but I think she really came into her own here and has great chemistry with Number One. This storyline really felt like the best of Lower Decks and the scene with

Pike continues to be doing everything he can to become my favorite Captain. Both speeches he made in this episode were as strong as any of the ones he made in previous episodes and Discovery. The writers have really mastered the Captain’s speech and are taking advantage of that storytelling tool in a shorter season. He is expertly combining the features of all the best Captains. He has Kirk’s cavalier personality, Picard’s diplomacy, and Sisko’s camaraderie with his crew. And Anson Mount plays every facet of his role beautifully. The resolution to his storyline was also great and very Star Trek.

I’m not as canon focused as many other Trek fans, but my one gripe about Strange New Worlds at this point is that they used Nurse Chapel for no other reason than this character is awesome and the one from TOS kind of sucks. By far my least favorite regular character on that show. It’s not just that she has a personality, which is already a deviation, but her personality is so distinct. She’s cool I kind of wish they just created a new character. It’s not hard to imagine that a different blonde nurse fell for Spock. Women being attracted to the oblivious Spock is kind of a recurring theme within the franchise.

[ChrisIII]

Yeah, I am much more interested in the future of the Gamma quadrant, Dominion, Cardassians, etc. (even Ferengi!) than in the future of anyone from Voyager, and yet, other than Worf mysteriously leaving his DS9 crew for every Next Generation movie, we really haven't seen much of the DS9 races and storylines.

Has Bajor joined the Federation? Is Cardassia an ally? How are the Dominion? Did Bashir ever recreate his cure for Ketracel-White dependency and free the Jem'Hdar from the Founder's yoke? Are the other Dominion races (Karemma, Dosi, Son'a, Hunters, etc.) a bit more prevalent in Dominion political affairs? What's up with the Ferengi, are they Federation allies, competitors with the Orion syndicate, allied with the Orions and Dosi in a mercantile 'third faction?'

That said, the future setting of Picard is pretty crapsack-dystopia, and I'd rather not see where the Picard writers take any of that stuff. Trill will get blown up and the JemH'dar turn into a slave race / assassin enforcers of a secret black ops faction within Starfleet or something grimdark like that.

Trill survives well into the 30th century in DISCOVERY (There's a few episodes set there), although it's fallen on hard times like the rest of the federation.

The Federation president in DISCOVERY is also half Cardassian. One of the prop masters said Cardassia actually joined the Federation. There's also redesigned Ferengi as part of Starfleet and a USS NOG.

[thwhtGuardian]

Man, this show just continues to knock it out of the park. The character work here was both fun and well done.

[ChrisIII]

The previews kind of played it up a bit as Amok Time 2.0 by focusing on the dream sequence, but it's a nice surprise it was Turnabout Intruder 2.0 instead but intentionally funny this time

Interesting that we see some Starfleet semi-hazing, I think this is something mentioned a lot in the other series but never really seen that much apart from officers talking about their academy shenanigans.

[BeastieRunner]

Another great episode. Was kinda bummed Uhura took a back seat this episode but it allowed Chapel, Una, and La'an to shine.

La'an is really becoming a good character now.

The one character I thought was going to steal the show has been pretty absent (Ortegas). Wonder if they're getting an episode focus soon?

The body swap was done really well as was the humor.

5 for 5!

[nx01a]

Another great episode.
-I'll be honest here... The awe and joy on La'An and Una's faces as they're literally walking on the hull of a ship in space while a solar sail vessel sails by overhead? I had the same look on my face, too. I'm just happy to have Star Trek that feels like Star Trek again.
-Pike looks SO good in Shatner Green. I can't wait for his first shirt rip. :P
-The alien negotiating tactic was quite interesting. Nicely done with an alien culture and an alien mindset.
-Watching Spock and T'Pring really makes me sad that it doesn't work out. What's even worse is that they both try to make it work so hard. I guess we'll see the relationship degrade over the show.
-I love how the two logical beings are body swapped and don't really consider the change in anatomy which invariably happens in every other gender body swap in sci-fi. Aeryn/Crichton in Farscape comes immediately to mind. So to speak.
-The epic fight theme from Amok Time! I know that entire dream sequence was just nostalgia porn but I loved it. Mission accomplished!
-Chapel's into no strings flings with guys and the odd girl? *slow clap*
-The way Chapel looks at Spock, you just know the writer/director notes were to look longingly/with possible romantic interest.
-That AR Wall is getting worked this season and I'm loving it.
-Doesn't the docked R'ongovian ship look like a gold Andromeda Ascendant... which is also from a Roddenberry created show? Sneaky producers!
-How exactly did that piece of the forward hull manage to survive when the entire forward quarter of the ship got blown off at the end of DIS s2?
-Una and La'An going good cop/bad cop then trying to prove they can have fun and stick it to the man while being the (wo)man themselves was fun.
-The ridiculously tongue in cheek use of the immortality machine (aka the transporter) to reflavour gum.
-The Enterprise Bingo was interesting but there's another canon violation: the mention of Tribbles.
Use the transporter to reflavor gum
Phaser stun duel
Turbolift two floor shout challenge
Set the universal translator to Andorian
Gravity boot hang challenge
Medical tricorder challenge: Vulcan marsupial
Food replicator challenge: durian fruit
Sneak a tribble into the transporter buffer
Sit in the captain's chair
EV suit challenge: unsanctioned spacewalk
Sign the scorch
-The only negative things I have to say about the episode are that Hemmer doesn't appear (probably staying in Engineering to work while it's quiet and free of silly underlings) and that we're not officially 1/2 way through the season. :'(

Favourite shots...
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-21h41m30s313.jpg
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-21h56m53s099.jpg
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-22h06m19s019.jpg

Since TNG was brought up, I'll compare the first 5 episodes of each series based on my viewing enjoyment...
Encounter at Farpoint (A) vs Strange New Worlds (B)
The Naked Now (D) vs Children of the Comet (B)
Code of Honor (F) vs Ghosts of Illyria (B)
The Last Outpost (D) vs Memento Mori (A+)
Where No One Has Gone Before (A+) vs Spock Amok (B)

While Encounter at Farpoint was good and Where No One Has Gone Before was excellent, we also got the most racist episode of Trek ever, the introduction of a joke race the writers actually thought had what it took to become a true Big Bad, and everyone's drunk while Wesley is especially insufferable.
SNW's given us 5 episodes that were all enjoyable and competent across the board, one of which was just IMHO spectacular (Memento Mori).

[Gray Lensman]

Another great episode.
-I'll be honest here... The awe and joy on La'An and Una's faces as they're literally walking on the hull of a ship in space while a solar sail vessel sails by overhead? I had the same look on my face, too. I'm just happy to have Star Trek that feels like Star Trek again.
-Pike looks SO good in Shatner Green. I can't wait for his first shirt rip. :P
-The alien negotiating tactic was quite interesting. Nicely done with an alien culture and an alien mindset.
-Watching Spock and T'Pring really makes me sad that it doesn't work out. What's even worse is that they both try to make it work so hard. I guess we'll see the relationship degrade over the show.
-I love how the two logical beings are body swapped and don't really consider the change in anatomy which invariably happens in every other gender body swap in sci-fi. Aeryn/Crichton in Farscape comes immediately to mind. So to speak.
-The epic fight theme from Amok Time! I know that entire dream sequence was just nostalgia porn but I loved it. Mission accomplished!
-Chapel's into no strings flings with guys and the odd girl? *slow clap*
-The way Chapel looks at Spock, you just know the writer/director notes were to look longingly/with possible romantic interest.
-That AR Wall is getting worked this season and I'm loving it.
-Doesn't the docked R'ongovian ship look like a gold Andromeda Ascendant... which is also from a Roddenberry created show? Sneaky producers!
-How exactly did that piece of the forward hull manage to survive when the entire forward quarter of the ship got blown off at the end of DIS s2?
-Una and La'An going good cop/bad cop then trying to prove they can have fun and stick it to the man while being the (wo)man themselves was fun.
-The ridiculously tongue in cheek use of the immortality machine (aka the transporter) to reflavour gum.
-The Enterprise Bingo was interesting but there's another canon violation: the mention of Tribbles.
Use the transporter to reflavor gum
Phaser stun duel
Turbolift two floor shout challenge
Set the universal translator to Andorian
Gravity boot hang challenge
Medical tricorder challenge: Vulcan marsupial
Food replicator challenge: durian fruit
Sneak a tribble into the transporter buffer
Sit in the captain's chair
EV suit challenge: unsanctioned spacewalk
Sign the scorch
-The only negative things I have to say about the episode are that Hemmer doesn't appear (probably staying in Engineering to work while it's quiet and free of silly underlings) and that we're not officially 1/2 way through the season. :'(

Favourite shots...
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-21h41m30s313.jpg
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-21h56m53s099.jpg
vlcsnap-2022-06-03-22h06m19s019.jpg

Since TNG was brought up, I'll compare the first 5 episodes of each series based on my viewing enjoyment...
Encounter at Farpoint (A) vs Strange New Worlds (B)
The Naked Now (D) vs Children of the Comet (B)
Code of Honor (F) vs Ghosts of Illyria (B)
The Last Outpost (D) vs Memento Mori (A+)
Where No One Has Gone Before (A+) vs Spock Amok (B)

While Encounter at Farpoint was good and Where No One Has Gone Before was excellent, we also got the most racist episode of Trek ever, the introduction of a joke race the writers actually thought had what it took to become a true Big Bad, and everyone's drunk while Wesley is especially insufferable.
SNW's given us 5 episodes that were all enjoyable and competent across the board, one of which was just IMHO spectacular (Memento Mori).

You forgot to mention that The Naked Now is a very direct rehash of a classic Trek episode, and manages to worsen the original script while staying as dated as the original.

Those two low points you mention give season 3 classic Trek a competition for some of the worst episodes of the entire franchise, although not quite to the last moments of Enterprise

[juan678]

Ethan Peck posted this on Instagram!

[Powerboy]

Yeah, I am much more interested in the future of the Gamma quadrant, Dominion, Cardassians, etc. (even Ferengi!) than in the future of anyone from Voyager, and yet, other than Worf mysteriously leaving his DS9 crew for every Next Generation movie, we really haven't seen much of the DS9 races and storylines.

Has Bajor joined the Federation? Is Cardassia an ally? How are the Dominion? Did Bashir ever recreate his cure for Ketracel-White dependency and free the Jem'Hdar from the Founder's yoke? Are the other Dominion races (Karemma, Dosi, Son'a, Hunters, etc.) a bit more prevalent in Dominion political affairs? What's up with the Ferengi, are they Federation allies, competitors with the Orion syndicate, allied with the Orions and Dosi in a mercantile 'third faction?'

That said, the future setting of Picard is pretty crapsack-dystopia, and I'd rather not see where the Picard writers take any of that stuff. Trill will get blown up and the JemH'dar turn into a slave race / assassin enforcers of a secret black ops faction within Starfleet or something grimdark like that.

Yes to all of this. Also, did Sisko return? How long before he returned?

The problem with prequels is that, no matter whether good or bad on their own merits, there will always be reactions based on their trueness to TOS. While that can be unfair in some ways, it is fair in others because they are capitalizing on the name and concept of the original Star Trek.

But it's as if, except for the disaster that is "Picard", and maybe one other thing that is canon, they've gone prequel crazy and seem to have avoided the rich story potential all of the 24th century shows left them. In fact, "Picard" avoids it too by going into a Dystopian future (and I mean the core setting, not the altered reality) that has nothing to do with continuing the world setting of TNG.

[Powerboy]

Just watched "Children of the Comet". Loved it. As others have said, Uhura got more character development in this episode than in every episode of TOS combined,.

Liked the interplay of the characters, especially Uhura and Spock. The continued subplot of Pike knowing his fate and how he will deal with it continues to be good.

I really don't get the people who rag on the show. I get that there are continuity issues with TOS here and there. But the show is impressive overall.