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CLL 30 - Strange New Worlds Season 2
114 Plays1 year ago
CLL 30 - Strange New Worlds Season 2
On this supersized episode of Captains’ Logs and Lightsabers podcast, Chris and Jonathan are joined by fellow GNN A/V Club stars John Mark Tolly and Shah. Mark is the host of both War of the Stars: A Star Wars Podcast and Star Wars Through The Eyes of a Child. Shah is a regular co-host of The Geek Gauntlet Podcast and YouTube show live every Saturday night at 10:00 PM EST. The hosts and guests talk about their geeky exploits in HDYGTW, discuss their thoughts about Ahsoka episodes 1 and 2, and briefly cover some news. Then it’s warp factor 5 into the brilliance that was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 episode by episode. It’s a SPOILER-FILLED discussion, listen along and then head to the GNN posts about the episode to sound off yourself on SNW Season 2! Your comment could be featured on a future episode of CLL Podcast!
0:00 Introductions
2:50 HDYGTW
7:35 Ahsoka Premiere Discussion
13:28 News Recap
16:00 SNW Season 2 Breakdown
28:50 Ad Astra Per Aspera
35:02 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
43:00 Among the Lotus Eaters
47:55 Charades
56:50 Lost in Translation
1:06:00 Those Old Scientists
1:14:24 Under the Cloak of War
1:21:52 Subspace Rhapsody
1:36:00 Hegemony
1:44:00 Self-Promotion & Salutations
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsor Message
00:00:00
Speaker
Captain's logs. On the prologue. I'm Captain Millennium Falcon. This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise. I already have one message from Starfleet coming in on secured channel.
00:00:28
Speaker
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Meet the Hosts and Guests
00:01:14
Speaker
Hey, welcome to episode 30 of
00:01:17
Speaker
Captain's Logs and Lightsabers podcast. My name is Jonathan. I am one of the hosts of the show. I'm joined this week, this episode and every episode by my co-host Chris. How's it going? I'm good, Jonathan. How are you doing today, man? I'm good, man. We are here to talk about Star Trek Strange New World, Season Two. And just like the last time we talked about a Star Trek series,
00:01:41
Speaker
I couldn't just give you Chris and I, so this time I found not one, but two guests to join us. So first of all, we're gonna welcome Jean-Marc Talley. He is the host of the War of the Stars podcast on GNN. How's it going?
00:01:56
Speaker
It is going good. It is actually good to be talking Star Trek.
Star Wars and Star Trek Fandom Discussion
00:02:00
Speaker
I love Star Wars, but I'm also a Trekkie at heart. So it is going to be exciting to talk about one of my favorite Star Trek series of all time, Strange New Worlds. Yeah, it's a wonderful series. And I'm going to introduce our second guest. And that is he is on the Geek Gauntlet podcast, which is also a live YouTube show every Saturday evening. Welcome Shaw. Hey, how are you doing? What's up?
00:02:26
Speaker
Not much, man. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you coming on. This has been a long time coming, trying to get you on the show, huh? Yeah, it's been a while. I'm a big fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, so here I am. All right. All right. So of course we are going to talk Star Trek, Strange New Worlds. But first, we're going to, how did we geek this week? So let's start with Chris. How did you geek this week?
00:02:55
Speaker
All right. Well, I haven't done too much geek stuff recently, but last week with my Star Trek fan club, the USS Stella Parada, we went to Star Wars night at PNC Park, watched the Pirates play the Cubs, got to watch Darth Vader, some stormtroopers and some red, I guess, Emperor's bodyguards come on the field. And we had a really good time with this. Just a good time for Star Trek fans to geek out about Star Wars a little bit. And it was great that we won 2-1. Very nice. Yeah. How about you?
00:03:25
Speaker
Uh, not this past weekend, but the weekend before my wife and I went to painting with a twist and it was my first time there. She'd been there a few times already. Um, but we did like a blacklight painting. It was kind of cool. Oh, that's pretty neat. As far as that at Ross Park Mall. Uh, the one we went to is in Greensburg. Oh, Greensburg. Okay. Yeah. Nice. All right. Shaw, how did you geek this week, buddy?
00:03:50
Speaker
Um, let's see, um, I just started watching the live action one piece most recently. I'm up to episode three and I've started rewatching, um, Naruto Shippuden, but there's a whole bunch of episodes I've missed. So, you know, I got the list for the fillers episode to skip and yeah, that's pretty much it.
Live-Action Adaptations and Fan Clubs
00:04:12
Speaker
Nice, nice. So the live-action One Piece, is it better than the live-action Cowboy Bebop? I haven't watched it, but I've heard terrible things. I only saw one episode of Cowboy Bebop, but I hear it's very, very bad. So far, I'm liking One Piece. I mean, I only remember it from a very, very long time ago, from the Four Kiss Dugs. I do have some issues, like the casting for Usopp is not a guy that should be cast, and they didn't give a prosthetic nose.
00:04:41
Speaker
You know, I'm supposed to have a long nose, but other than that, there's a lot of really good things about it. Good, good. That's good to hear. I'm sure fans are at least mostly happy, right? Yep. And, oh, Chris. So, yeah, so 501st was there, right? At the Pirates game? Yes. Yes, they were. Okay. Yeah, I know we talked to them a little bit at the last Steel City Con. They seem like a pretty good group of guys.
00:05:08
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. Any more thought about when or if you're going to join them? When I have the money to put together the costume, that's... Yeah, that. Yeah, that and you need time too. It's a big commitment to get into a big Star Trek or Star Wars fan club. But I think it'd be really cool and kind of extra neat for us for the show, for me being in the Star Trek fan club and you in the Star Wars one. I think it'd be wonderful.
00:05:35
Speaker
We're going to make it happen one of these days. We have to. Just not sure when. All right. Mark, you're the last one up, man. How did you beat this week?
Theories and Excitement for Ahsoka
00:05:45
Speaker
Well, other than, of course, watching the first three episodes of Ahsoka, not a lot. I was sick the last couple of days and been fighting a cold and some other things, so I haven't really done much. Although from hearing you talk, I just got to say, and I say this in all
00:06:05
Speaker
just in love, but pirates suck. I can't say much. I'm a diehard Cardinals fan and we have been horrible this year.
00:06:17
Speaker
Oh, that's a shame. Yeah. I mean, that's fair. You know, at least we're division rivals, right? That's right. That's right. Yeah. That's actually I do want to get out to PNC Park sometime. Looks like a beautiful stadium. Oh, it's amazing. The Pittsburgh skyline when you see it from the seats, especially at night, can't be talked. It's wonderful. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We actually had our me and my wife had our first my wife's a Cub fan and we actually got to go to our first game at Wrigley.
00:06:47
Speaker
Oh, nice, which was really it was a Cardinal Cubs game too, which made it even more more cool. I bet. Yeah, yeah, we. Cubs won, so I guess that was good. That was good for her. But anyway, yeah, I didn't really deal a lot of geek stuff other than watch. Watch Ahsoka and that was about it. Hey, that's nothing wrong with that. I mean that we've had three episodes in two weeks. That's yeah.
00:07:17
Speaker
I don't know if you watched it more than once or so far, just once. OK. Yeah, probably will watch the last episode again here pretty soon. Get ready for our show. Yeah. Very nice. We'll record. Yeah. All right. So I know one of the stars, you just released your reaction to the first two episodes of a Soka. But do you want to give us just a brief one or two, you know, minute just
00:07:46
Speaker
summary of what you liked and tease everybody to go listen. Yeah, just listen to the show. I kind of went blank there for a second. Sorry. One thing I like about our show and I can get into this more later on when I really talk about the show is that
00:08:03
Speaker
me and my co-host Garrett, we don't always agree on everything. So it was, you get a good back and forth banter between us. And, you know, we both, there's stuff we liked. I liked the, definitely, you know, just, you know, the character development and, you know, kind of moving the story forward. And the fact that
00:08:26
Speaker
you kind of see where the story picks up at the end of Rebels and how it kind of ties into the start of Ahsoka. And I will say just from what I've talked to with my co-host Garrett, this week is going to be interesting because we have, looks like we have two completely different views on this week's episode. I'll just leave it at that. So it could be fun.
00:08:50
Speaker
All right, I'm looking forward to it. I know it downloaded. It's in my queue. I will start listening tomorrow on my drive to work, so I'm excited. Chris, what did you think of the first couple episodes of Soka? Did you get a chance to watch them yet?
00:09:07
Speaker
I watched the first two episodes. I didn't get to watch episode three yet. So far, I think it's really good. I really love Star Wars Rebels and I think it's a wonderful continuation of that series. Kind of see what's been going on with Ahsoka ever since the series ended and Sabine kind of just kind of hiding in Ezra's old place, not really doing a whole lot. Then this whole thing with her being trained as a Jedi, that kind of came out of left field for me.
00:09:32
Speaker
I'm looking forward to seeing how the show kind of plays out in that whole situation. But otherwise, I think it's really good. It was worth the wait, definitely. Good. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a fan. But I mean, listeners of the show know that I'm an Ahsoka fan. So I've been excited for this for quite a while. And there are some things I'm a little not sure of.
00:10:01
Speaker
Anyway, I don't want to give up too much, because I have seen episode three, so it's all kind of leading together. But I thought the first two episodes were a good reintroduction to the characters. I loved that we got live action Ryder Rizzotti and Clancy Brown. I love that we got that. Yes, that was a surprise, definitely. I was not expecting that at all.
00:10:31
Speaker
in the same character he voiced. Right, right. I like when I like when live action is able to do that. I know they're not always able to. But I do like when they're able to take the voice actor and put them in, you know, play the same character like live action, like with Bo Katan. Yes. Yeah. Being played by Katie Sackhoff. I mean, she nailed that role in The Mandalorian. So it's always cool, cool when that happens.
00:10:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And, and show, I know you were chiming in there for a bit with, um, you know, with, uh, writer's audio and, uh, Clancy Brown, what would you, what were your thoughts on the episodes? The first two, at least the first
Star Trek News and Speculation
00:11:12
Speaker
two. Okay. Well, I've seen all three, but I really, I'm enjoying it. I haven't actually seen all of rebels, but like, I know enough of it to know all about us all kind of all that stuff. And like, I know what happened in the last episode and like, I'm really enjoying it.
00:11:27
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just really enjoying it. I'm curious about the masks Inquisitor guy about who he really is because that seems like a like something we're gonna find out later And we have some theories on war of the stars. Yeah, we think it is. Yeah, there's a couple of options. I mean More maybe on Starkiller, which would be awesome. Yeah, that's what we think it is. We think a Starkiller but I
00:11:53
Speaker
I believe episode three kind of ruins that theory just because they do actually credit the voice for that character and it's not Whitworth. Sometimes they'll do that when they'll have someone else voice and then him showing up later. Or it could just be a red herring. Yeah, that too.
00:12:18
Speaker
Disney likes, they like to do that now. And then it turns out to be something completely different or even not an important character at all. Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. I wonder, I wonder what we're going to get. I don't know. Excited to, I wonder, excited to see. Chris, do you have any theories about who that could be? The Mastin, um, dark Jedi?
00:12:46
Speaker
To be honest with you, no. I'm not as steeped into the lore of Star Wars as maybe you guys are, so I'm kind of at a loss exactly of who this might be. But I'm looking to kind of start figuring some of that out as the series goes on, maybe kind of pick up some hints and go from there. But I'd love to have a discussion with you guys during this whole season, kind of see what comes true and what doesn't.
00:13:10
Speaker
Yeah, we'll definitely break down episode by episode. I just wanted to talk about it really quick and move the ship out of the asteroid field so that we can send a clear transmission.
00:13:28
Speaker
I know we want to get to Star Trek Strange New World Season 2, but Chris, were you able to find any Star Trek news for us before we jump into Strange New World? Well, I know that the Star Trek Picard Season 3 Blu-ray is supposed to be coming out, I believe it's next week, Tuesday the 5th.
00:13:48
Speaker
So yeah, so that that's going to be coming out. I also read online that some of the Star Trek actors are trying to bring fans to Los Angeles and New York for Star Trek Day, which is September 8th, to help support them with the current strike. Hmm. OK. Yeah, I saw that on TrekMovie.com. Yeah, I'm not surprised. I mean, there's been a lot of fans engaging in pickets. Yes. Strike. So.
00:14:17
Speaker
Uh, fans, actors alike, everyone, you know, it's, it's, it's interesting to see the level of support that they get. I mean, it's just not feasible for me to go to LA to even considered it, you know, even if I wanted to, um, a little far away from me. Yeah. I'm sorry. No, no, that's good. Um, anything else? When, when?
00:14:42
Speaker
Do you remember the date Lower Decks season four premieres? Yes, September 7th. OK, perfect. So can't wait. Yes, I know. We are going to be flush with content for a while, folks. Definitely.
00:14:58
Speaker
Good good. It's gonna be good. We haven't really even talked about lower decks much at all on this on the show I mean other than just briefly in passing we never act we never broke down entire season So I'm kind of looking forward to starting season four and then you know, maybe we'll do like a retrospective Series after that or something. Absolutely. Sounds like a blast And you guys are welcome to come on as well. So
00:15:23
Speaker
Yeah, so September 7th, we've got Star Trek Lower Decks Season 4. I'm looking forward to it. That, Ahsoka, we might still get Skeleton Crew this year. Who knows? It's going to be a good year for Star Trek and Star Wars fans. Definitely. Definitely. Don't get technical with me. Magic is the beginning of the wisdom of Barris. It's just a huge support.
00:15:52
Speaker
for not listening to this.
00:16:08
Speaker
to join me.
Strange New Worlds Season 2
00:16:10
Speaker
All right, we're going to start with episode one of season two. The episode title was The Broken Circle. This is the episode where the Enterprise receives the distress call from Laan. She compels Spock to disobey orders from Starfleet and go
00:16:34
Speaker
assist her. So yeah, they have to go to a planet that is a dilithium mine, but because of an agreement between the Klingons and Starfleet, they alternate every 30 days on this planet. And of course, it's when the Klingons are just starting the rotation too, so the distress call comes.
00:17:04
Speaker
Shaw, what did you think of the episode? I enjoyed it. It was a good start. Like in the the ridges on the forehead back for the crayons and the hair. I mean, nobody likes the original Discovery crayons. Yeah, I mean, it was a good start. You know, we knew that we were pushing stuff to the side, waiting for the whole Unus stuff for the final episode. And yeah, I really enjoyed it.
00:17:32
Speaker
Yeah, same. Chris, what did you think of the episode? I liked it. It was a great start to the beginning of the season, and I loved how they started planting little seeds of what was going to happen during the rest of the season, such as Chapel trying to get this medical field. I don't even remember what it was called, but some sort of field
00:17:55
Speaker
medical expedition, something to that effect. And they started talking about Roger Corby, who will come up later on down the line. I agree that having the original Klingons back with their foreheads, that was really nice to see again. I agree the Discovery Klingons really weren't that.
00:18:12
Speaker
great to look at, in my opinion, to be honest. But yeah, it didn't look right, you know. So at least they went and did that again. Spock was singing and drinking blood wine with them. And of course, that was a little bit of fun there. I just also the fact that they had that commandeered Federation ship and they were going to use it as a way to start to retrigger the Federation-Klingon war again was, was it was an interesting kind of storyline. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a good, exciting start.
00:18:38
Speaker
Yeah. You mentioned Spock and the Bloodline. Did anyone else get any major Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes whenever Laan was there with the Klingon? Very much reminded me, at least, of when we meet Merry and Ravenwood for the first time in Raiders. Mm. Yeah, I can see that. That's a good point. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. All right. So I don't know. Am I the only person that noticed that?
00:19:09
Speaker
Apparently, I didn't even think about it. Okay, I want I mean, I watched the episode the other day, but I thought that the very first time I saw it too. So I don't know. I guess I'm gonna have to take to Twitter and see if anyone else made that connection because
00:19:29
Speaker
I don't know. Anyway, Mark, what were your thoughts on the episode? Like you, I really enjoyed it. Although I will say on a personal note, I think the episode we're going to talk about next, the Una episode, I think that should have been the season opener. I just think it would have tied in to keep that a little bit better.
00:19:52
Speaker
But I did like it. I'm a big fan of the different ships, and seeing the new design of the D7, I was in love. The classic D7's always been one of my favorite ships in Star Trek history. So seeing it, the new redesign of it looked really cool. I loved, again, Spock.
00:20:19
Speaker
singing with the Klingons, and all I have to say is to quote Worf when it comes to the Discovery Klingons, we do not speak about that. We do not speak of that. And on a personal note, for the next season of Strange New Worlds, I would love to see the original series Klingons
00:20:39
Speaker
on screen at least once. The no forehead ridge, smooth, smooth, smooth forehead Klingons. I would geek out for that so much. At least once just to see that once so that we know it is still canon. Please, I want it. Would you be okay if it was just like a background character walking? Yes. Okay.
00:21:02
Speaker
Because that might be the best we can hope for. Even see even seeing one of the like someone like core show up. Yeah. I mean, he would be around during this time period. So to see him show up, you know, you know, somewhere or even see his name would be pretty cool. But I enjoyed the episode. I liked, you know, kind of the hints of what we'll get with Banga.
00:21:30
Speaker
in chapel and their background. That was kind of cool. So yeah. Yeah, I like how that ended up paying off. You know that. Yes. Yeah. Obviously, I'm like, he's got super soldier serum. What is this? Yes. Yeah, I like how that paid off. That was really cool. And then, of course, you know, we get to pay off the end with the the Gorn attack ship.
00:21:56
Speaker
You know, we see the, we see the, um, what Admiral April or, or yeah, yeah. Admiral April is staring at is, is that's, you know, the, um, suspected Gorn attack ship. And then of course that pays off at the season finale. So I liked how, you know, we got little bits of where the season was going in that episode.
00:22:16
Speaker
Even though it's episodic, it still has some serialized threads running through the whole thing. That's one thing I wanted to ask you guys about. Do you guys like the episodic tone of the series instead of having it serialized?
00:22:32
Speaker
Chris, you're the biggest Trekkie of us all. So I'm interested to hear what you think. Yeah, I personally do. I like it just reminds me of the shows watching the original series Next Generation, all of them growing up and just being able to say, OK, this week we got this one. And then next week we got something else to look forward to something different, you know, to kind of mix the story up throughout the season. Not that I hate the 10 seat, the 10 episode arcs. They're fun, too. But I like it's like a little mini
00:23:00
Speaker
Little chapter of something every week that I just enjoy that and the fact that you can jump in if you're you know You can jump in like yeah if you just watched season two you can we just watch season two and you're not gonna be completely lost as to What's going on? Yes, you know, there might be a few things you you might kind of be like, oh, what's that about? But for the most part, you know, you can jump right in and be like, okay. This is what's going on Yes, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I agree with you. Mm-hmm
00:23:30
Speaker
Yeah. What do you think, Shaw? Are you a fan of more serialized or? It kind of depends on the writing. I mean, I do prefer kind of a combination, you know, sort of like storytelling with little bits of continuity here and there that leads into things. Like back in the day with Dr. Who back in the day, like the first few seasons would have
00:23:52
Speaker
stuff that would kind of link to the final episode um so yeah i mean i do i like this season i just would have like a little more sterilization just like maybe two more mentions of the gore and during the season other than that i think that season three is probably i mean season two of this of of um straining the world is probably the best season of a caveat of star trek because every single episode is good there's no nothing you're going to pass nothing you're going to skip
00:24:22
Speaker
Yeah, so yeah, it's really cartoon because I haven't seen all the cartoons. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Lower Decks is episodic for the most part. You have little references here and there in successful, you know, in continuing episodes to things that happened prior, but
00:24:41
Speaker
Well, Prodigy was serialized pretty much. Well, no, it was episodic, mostly with serialized threads thrown in too, right, Chris? Yes, it was. And Mark, yeah. Yeah, most of the episodes were standalone. Yes. Yeah, it's nice to have episodic track back in a few forms. I think sometimes with the serialized though,
00:25:06
Speaker
They always seem like such impossible stakes. They're always building to such impossible stakes. And then it's like the finale is always a letdown. How many times can Discovery have saved the galaxy from utter destruction? Yes, that's a good point. It just felt so same every season. Just felt the same.
00:25:36
Speaker
like faster, more intense, like George Lucas would say. I don't know. I don't know. I just, I want to, I want to love this. I want to like discovery and, and I just, I'm, I'm met on it. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I enjoy, I enjoy it for what it is. It's, you know,
00:25:58
Speaker
But it definitely would be at the bottom of my list if I was to rank my favorite Star Trek series. I mean, it would be near the bottom for me. It's not that I hate it. I'm not one of those people that, oh, Discovery, you shouldn't be canon. Listen, if you watch or listen to my show, I'm a huge, I'm a huge, hugely against anyone who said something, anything should be struck from canon.
00:26:23
Speaker
But I'm just kind of like, man, you know, and not to get on a tangent. But for me, I think Discovery should have started in where it's at now. Yes. You know, it should have started in the future. And that way you don't have to retcon everything and make all of these, you know,
00:26:44
Speaker
you know, weird things to make sure that like, okay, why doesn't anyone talk about this special ship that had the ability to travel instantly anywhere in the galaxy? Yes. But anyway, we're not talking about we're not talking about discovery. Shaw, what did you want to say?
00:27:03
Speaker
Um, well, it does get better over time. And I do have a personal theory that both discovery and strange new worlds are holding a timeline because of the time travel stuff that happened with season two. The fact that, um, uh, Michael Burnin is only alive for the time travel. So yeah, that's just my personal theory about those who see the series. They keep insisting it's prime timeline. So I don't know. Well, you, you know me.
00:27:32
Speaker
Who knows? You know me, Jonathan, I'm a big canonista kind of person. So I agree with what Shaw is saying. I have a hard time seeing how those two series align with as prequels to the original series. I mean, they say it's prime and it's prime. Okay, fine. But, you know, for me watching it for 30, how many 30 some year, 35 years, I just don't see how they gel in certain areas. Yes. Certain areas. No. I don't know. Well,
00:27:58
Speaker
We'll see, I guess. Only the writers will let us know. Pretty much.
00:28:04
Speaker
never underestimate the power of the writer's room. Anyway, so we did get off on a real big wide tangent there. So let's try to reel it back in here. I think that's all that we can say about episode one. So we're going to move on to the next one. And Mark, you were talking a little bit about this earlier.
Episode Highlights and Storytelling Preferences
00:28:25
Speaker
So episode two is an episode called Add Astropuris Aspira.
00:28:30
Speaker
This is the courtroom drama episode with Commander Una Chin Riley, number one, she's facing her court marshal, possible imprisonment, and dishonorable discharge from Starfleet due to her genetic modifications that were
00:28:50
Speaker
done at birth and that she had no control over. But anyway, Mark, we'll start with you. I know you have some thoughts. Yeah, I thought it was a good episode. I mean, I thought it was a, you know, Star Trek has done has a long history of doing these sort of courtroom style episodes like this, you know, measure of a man. The minute
00:29:15
Speaker
Menageries part one and two. I thought it was really well done. And it was good to see a little bit of more background of the Oona character for me. And yeah, I just thought it was an overall good episode. And, you know, I enjoyed it.
00:29:38
Speaker
All right, Chris, what are your thoughts? I really enjoyed it, too. I always enjoy the courtroom episodes that Star Trek has, like what was just said, The Measure of a Man, The Menagerie Part 1 and 2. You had author-author during Voyager 7 season. There was the fourth season episode. I can't remember the name of it, but it's where Worf is accused of destroying a Klingon civilian ship. That was a really good one. But the one that it reminded me the most of was the original series from the first season, Court Marshal.
00:30:07
Speaker
And even down to where the defense attorney was actually given a book, an actual real book by Laon, it was about some sort of Starfleet rules or protocol. The character in Court Marshal Samuel Cogley loved books. He hated computers. So I thought that was actually a pretty cool kind of nod to that. Also just getting to know a little bit more about the Illyrians I thought was really interesting as well.
00:30:37
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's always it's always cool when Star Trek kind of introduces you to a new race. Yes. And you kind of get to know know a little bit about that about that new race and what makes them, you know, special and unique. And yeah, it's always I definitely want to give kudos to the young actress who played the defense attorney. She nailed that role.
00:31:01
Speaker
Oh, that was really good. Yeah, her intensity and the way she was questioning Admiral April about him breaking the prime directive. I mean, she nailed that part. It was just excellent. You know, I'm not sure what her name was, but kudos to her. Yeah. What'd you think, Shaw? I enjoyed it. I mean, I was rather engaged through the entire thing. I do like the courtroom stuff every now and then. I mean,
00:31:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, let's yeah, I like the background on Una and where she's from and all that. And yeah, it was just really good. Yeah, I do guys Yeah, it's it's a classic Star Trek storytelling device with the courtroom drama. It's every series has had some form of it.
00:31:47
Speaker
Um, sometimes multiple episodes. So yeah, uh, I, I thought it was very well done. Um, it, I, I was a little lukewarm on it the first time I watched it, but I, I enjoyed it a lot more, uh, when I rewatched the show. Yeah, it definitely plays better the second time around. So at least for me, it did. Chris, any, anything, uh, any like cool Canon connections that you noticed?
00:32:13
Speaker
oh absolutely yes so they did a really good job recreating and redesigning the courtroom the uniforms the dress uniforms did a really nice job with that the bell that they were using in the courtroom scene it was the same as it was in the menagerie in court martial and in space seed i don't know if it was in any other episodes but a few of them
00:32:35
Speaker
I don't know if you guys know, you probably noticed this because you seem like the big cannon, that the courtroom scene was also the main headquarters scene for Discovery, when they're all meeting to discuss what to do with this, the new planet destroying thing that's out there.
00:32:59
Speaker
That's the same building they just redesigned, redesigned it into the court, into the courtroom for has changed the world. Same exact set. Yeah. I didn't know that. That's neat. Yeah.
00:33:14
Speaker
That's kind of cool that they saved that and were able to reverse it. That's definitely a Star Trek thing that they do, is just taking old sets, slapping a new painted coat on them, turning a couple of things around, do different directions, and reusing the same set over and over again. Yep.
00:33:34
Speaker
There was one other little thing that I saw in the courtroom that I thought was really cool. If you notice when they're on the stand, they either have their hand on a glowing disc on their chair. That is also from the original series. They put their hand there and the computer would read their service records, things of that nature, and would also be able to detect if they were lying or not. Yeah. Wow. Okay. I didn't notice that. That's a good eye, Chris. Wow.
00:34:00
Speaker
But I mean, I should expect nothing less, honestly, right? I'm too geeky when it comes to track me. I'm just way too geeky. All right. Any other thoughts on episode two? I think it was a good one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:17
Speaker
Like I said, I really came around on it the second time, so. All right, so we'll move on to the next episode. This one's a bit of a heartbreaker, huh? So this is episode three, the episode titled Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. One is sent back in time to the 21st century Earth along with Captain James Kirk to prevent an attack which will alter the future of humanity.
00:34:47
Speaker
Some yeah, some some intrigue some Like mystery solving and some romance right it's it's a pretty interesting pretty solid episode I thought Yeah, yeah, yeah, I you know you feel bad for the on oh after all of it, but All right, Chris. We'll start with you. What what were your thoughts on this one? Oh
00:35:10
Speaker
Overall, I thought it was a pretty solid episode. I liked the whole time travel approach to it. It definitely reminded me of several other episodes from Star Trek's history. It shows also how Laan and Kirk, even though this was an alternate Kirk, that those two are going to have some sort of chemistry together, which we end up seeing later on in the season. I thought it was interesting, too, that the temporal cold wars were still being apparently fought because I know in four seasons of Enterprise, they were supposed to have been concluded at the end of Stormfront Part 2.
00:35:39
Speaker
But I don't know that it even besides that but the episode itself is actually it was entertaining
00:35:46
Speaker
I don't like the fact that they moved the eugenics wars up because now it does not. It's going to be really hard. Like if you try to put the saga, the series together, they're saying that it happened in what? It's going to be like, what, the 2050s now when it was supposed to be in the 1990s. But you're going to watch the original series and they're going to say what was in the 1990s. And then in Star Trek two, you're going to have cons calling himself the augment saying that he launched from Earth in the year 1996. So it doesn't that that irritates me.
00:36:15
Speaker
I think they could have easily solved that by saying, you know what? The Eugenics Wars happened, but they were behind the scenes, like in Greg Cox's trilogy. Right. Yeah. But other than that, I thought it was a good episode, though, other than that. Yeah. Yeah, I know they've taken liberties with the canon before, but that's a pretty liberal amount of liberty, right? That's not a liberty. 60 years?
00:36:42
Speaker
I think that's on purpose, though, that they're having plans for it because, you know, they're mentioned because it all started because of the car season three because of that because the time travel that happened there. So I think they have plans for that. They're going to probably do something with theogenic wars later because we haven't actually seen it on screen.
00:37:02
Speaker
Yeah, that's a good point. It really is. I'm sure, I mean, Akiva Goldsman seems to have a real excitement for Conde and Singh and his lineage and that whole story arc. So I'm sure there'll be something down the pike. Yeah, yeah. All right, Mark, what were your thoughts on this one? I really enjoyed this episode. I liked, again, like you guys said, I liked the time travel. I liked the fact that
00:37:25
Speaker
know, they didn't time travel to the same place they always do. I like the fact that instead of going to New York or Los Angeles or San Francisco, they went to Toronto of all places. It was very cool. I think it was also might have been like a little bit of an inside joke because... Oh, for sure. Like back in the day, anytime they wanted to stand in for New York City, that wasn't as
00:37:48
Speaker
you know dirty as New York they'd always shoot in Toronto so that might have just been a nice little in um again being the the uh the Starship geek that I am it was cool seeing the uh the bird of prey the old uh the Romulan style bird of prey the little picture of it
00:38:06
Speaker
And the fact that you can still keep the canon that no one is actually knows what a Romulan looks like Even though they've seen a Romulan because she was in disguise as a human So you still have that kind of in the you know
00:38:22
Speaker
Uh, going on with it, but, um, yeah, a good episode. Um, you know, like the little romance between the two and the fact that, you know, even though you had that romance, you know, it's kind of that there's nothing that will ever come of that, or it seems like it will, won't ever come of that. So you feel sorry for Lo and, or I can never pronounce her name. I think is how they usually on.
00:38:53
Speaker
and her meeting her ancestor or the person who will be one of her ancestors and coming face to face and knowing what he will do and what he will become.
00:39:06
Speaker
and knowing that despite what he will do, she still has to let him live because that has to happen.
00:39:25
Speaker
Yeah. Um, I enjoyed the episode. I mean, I'm a big fan of time travel and alternate timelines and stuff like that. That's kind of how I got into science fiction. You know, so yeah, I mean, I liked it. It was a lot of great own character work with Leon and all that. And it's always nice seeing Paul Wesley as Kurt. I was always good.
00:39:46
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, interesting seeing all the twists and turns. I'm trying to remember what the Romulan reporter lady who the actress was, because I remember she was someone I knew from something, but I can't remember. But yeah, all in all, it was good. Yeah, I thought it was a good episode. Like I said, you know, you have
00:40:10
Speaker
Everything that happens between kirk and lon and then you know, she can't ever tell him Well, she's not supposed to tell him of course, you know Anything that happened because that was never supposed to happen that you know that trap that trip back in time But yeah, you just you feel really bad for her. Um, I did like how the was it it was the romulan um
00:40:37
Speaker
That said that there would mention the temporal cold war right yeah yeah so i thought that was a fun little nod to enterprise. Yeah it's not the first one of the last one of the season either that we will find out here.
00:40:50
Speaker
I don't remember which episode with the other reference was. Oh, it's coming up in the crossover from Lower Decks. Oh, got it. Right. Yeah, that makes sense. They should do more with that. Yes. Right. Just close the door on it during Enterprise. They need to do more of that. Especially from all the time trials and the more recent shows, they definitely should do more with it. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
00:41:20
Speaker
I don't know. Um, it was a good episode. Uh, anybody have any other thoughts about this one? Oh yeah. Um, I just, um, looked it up. It was, um, Elaine Kane playing, um, the rhyme and the poor lady. She, yeah, she, she was on empower rangers. She was on in Teen Wolf and she's been in other stuff. Okay. Um, I didn't see any of those two shows that you mentioned, but I'll have to look at the rest of her credits and see if I recognize her from anywhere else.
00:41:49
Speaker
Um, Chris, any, any final thoughts on this one? No, I thought overall it was really solid and it was entertaining. And I love that. Else again, the whole thing with the lawn Kirk arc, how that's going to be developing and how she actually contacted the real Kirk at the end of the episode to start getting that together. If that was, it was, it was solid. Definitely.
00:42:08
Speaker
All right, let's move on to episode four, and that is Among the Lotus Eaters.
Exploring Themes in Strange New Worlds
00:42:16
Speaker
So this is the one where the Enterprise crew returns. They go to a planet that judges up tragic memories. Pike and the landing party find themselves forgetting everything, including their own identities, as he confronts a ghost from his past. Yes.
00:42:31
Speaker
Mm hmm. So Mark, why don't you kick this one off? I really enjoyed this one. I like the callback to the cage. I like that. I like the just bringing back a planet that was been mentioned in the original series. And then, like I said, the cage bringing it to life. It was just a really good, good episode.
00:42:58
Speaker
And I think it really stretched the ability of the actors quite a bit. Yeah, it's always fun when the actors get to play different versions of their characters or just play completely off-type because of some crazy
00:43:17
Speaker
atmospheric disturbance or subspace wave, you know, it's always fun to see episodes like this. Now, one thing I was kind of disappointed in is I know that I cannot think of the character's name. I know I should hand in my my track card, the pilot.
00:43:36
Speaker
Ortegas. Ortegas. I know that we were told or promised a Ortegas episode and this seemed like it was going to be the Ortegas episode this episode. But all we got was my name was Ortegas and I fly the ship. So as a little disappointed that we didn't get an episode this season that focused on Ortegas. I was hoping for it and a little disappointed. But I still liked her arc, a little bit of her arc in this in the series.
00:44:05
Speaker
And just seeing the crew kind of out of their element and trying to figure out what is going on and how to fix this. All right, we're just going to go in order. Shaw, why don't you give me your thoughts? Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I mean, I had a little bit of focus on Otagus, not a lot. One of those science fiction things of changing, just altering things a little bit, but keeping the main characters.
00:44:35
Speaker
the ton of things or having them forget who they were, but still being who they are, that I really liked. And yeah, I mean, it was just really good. It was a mystery of why and how and who and all that. And yeah, I liked it. Yeah. Chris, what were your thoughts, man? I really enjoyed this one. It actually felt like a TOS episode, in my opinion. Classic one where you had the captain and some of the landing party on the planet while the Enterprise is off trying to deal with something else in space.
00:45:02
Speaker
That was a nice little nod to that. I also love that they actually developed the Kalar, because all in the cage, they were just a bunch of brutes is really all they were. Now we get to see what's going on about the kind of caste system that's going on, where you got the ones who were the workers out in the community, and they're allowed to be able to forget their memories and who they are. But the people inside the castle, they get to keep theirs. And they have
00:45:29
Speaker
You know, they're protected by that whatever or is in in the palace, you know, so that that was really interesting It kind of reminded me that kind of the caste system that went on in an episode of the original series called the cloud minders where you had the Stratos silly city dwellers up in in there in Stratos the city but they have the trog lights down down below in in these mines that are full of gas that are causing their
00:45:53
Speaker
intelligence to be slowed down and minimized. And by the end of the episode, they kind of come together. And that's kind of what Pike kind of did in this episode as well. And he had that asteroid removed. So that way there was no more contamination from the asteroid for the people. Yeah, yeah, it's it.
00:46:10
Speaker
I mean, the writers obviously know exactly what they're doing when they make callbacks like this. They write an original episode with callbacks so much from Trek history. If you have been a fan for years and years and you've seen everything, you really appreciate those little nods and those little references. Yes, definitely. Yeah.
00:46:35
Speaker
I thought it was a fantastic episode. I love how we're getting so much more incredible content for Captain Pike who never ever got his run until Strange New World. He never got to live on because the pilot or the show went a different direction.
00:46:59
Speaker
All right, this, the next one, it was a fun episode. So a shuttle accident leads to Spock's Vulcan DNA completely being removed from him by aliens because they thought they were fixing him. So it made him fully human and completely unprepared to
00:47:24
Speaker
have the ceremony to praying in her family. Hilarity ensues while the crew tries to help Spock be Vulcan. All right, we'll start with Chris.
00:47:45
Speaker
Yeah, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this one. Oh, really? Okay, so as a standalone episode of Strange New Worlds, I thought it was really interesting. We got to kind of see more of the Vulcan marriage rituals that come to play.
00:48:04
Speaker
I like the fact that we saw Chappell starting to prep for her two month fellowship through the Vulcan Science Academy and more foreshadowing of what's coming. It was great seeing Ethan Peck being able to kind of just play a human and be himself. And then he had to have the human characters actually trying to teach him how to be Vulcan again to try to hide the fact that the mother-in-law would think of some sort of deformity or something like that.
00:48:33
Speaker
So yeah, over I also love the part with with Amanda kind of talking about her memory of Spock, and how she saw him actually being accepted by his peers, because for a long period of time that didn't happen. And apparently she picked that memory because she remember what it felt like being kind of shunned by the Vulcan mothers because she was human. So that was that was really cool.
00:48:56
Speaker
The only thing that really about this whole to bring arc is against the whole canon thing. So from when I watched a mock time in the original series, it was pretty established that Spock and to bring hadn't really seen each other since they were children. And even when to bring comes on the view screen near the end of the episode, a horror even asks Spock, who is she's lovely, but who is she? You know, so
00:49:21
Speaker
I watched it and now and the Vulcan meeting rituals were very secretive. Nobody talked about that. But in a strange new world, Spock's flaunting to bring around like, you know, nobody's business is like, this is my girlfriend, everybody. I'm marrying this girl. Oh, it's it's not secretive. And so that kind of pulls me out of the story a little bit. So maybe that's like the downside of me having so much experience with the with the saga, because I'm seeing those little discrepancies and it kind of pulls me out of stuff.
00:49:50
Speaker
Um, but as an episode itself in strange new worlds, I thought it was great. It fit everything that's been going on since the pilot. Yeah. Yeah. Um, yeah, I, I had a feeling you were going to, um, bring that up as far as, you know, as, um, you know, cause yeah, they, they weren't, they did not see each other since they were children. It was, it was an arranged marriage from the start and.
00:50:16
Speaker
Yeah, I'm interested to see where they're going to take it. Absolutely. I will never say no to seeing more of Amanda Grayson. I love
00:50:32
Speaker
Mia Kirchner's portrayal of the character. She's a phenomenal actress, and she just she brings so much to the role of Amanda Grayson so much more than we've ever seen in past iterations. Well, yeah, because she she was last in Discovery whenever we meet Ethan pecks Spock for the first time, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And this is the first time she was in Strange New Worlds, correct? I believe so. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to make sure I got it.
00:51:00
Speaker
straight. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss her anywhere else. Yeah, I love her portrayal. That's one of the things from Discovery I truly enjoy. Shaw, what were your thoughts?
00:51:13
Speaker
Well, speaking of Amanda, actually, like, this is the first time I actually liked the character. Like, I've never really cared much about the character prior. Not to like here or anything, just to never, like, give him much thought to her. But like, this made me actually like the character. I mean, it was one of those nice hijinks type of thing where characters are swapping lines and all that. And yeah, I liked it. I enjoyed it. Yeah. All right, Mark, your thoughts.
00:51:37
Speaker
Honestly, I love this episode. Like Chris said, as a standalone episode, it was really good. I thought this felt like one of the most TOS episodes of the season. Just the whole, the way it was set up, the humor of it, the way the humor was bounced over more serious topics. My favorite scene was Kirk
00:52:02
Speaker
I happen to be held back yelling at George Kirk saying, I'll break you, Kirk. That literally made me, I thought I'd been drinking something I would have done a spit take there. That made me literally laugh out loud. It was just a fun episode. And that's one thing I like about you. You've had a couple of very serious episodes.
00:52:26
Speaker
Uh back to back three very serious episodes and you have this kind of Let's just kind of lighten the mood a little bit. Let's kind of you know You know get bring a little levity to it, uh to the show So it was really good again, like you said etha seeing ethan peck being able to really flaunt, you know Expand his you know horizons and be himself. Um, I loved uh the dad That was the most
00:52:55
Speaker
the most emotional Vulcan I've ever seen. I'm sorry, but like the whole the whole thing where they're pike is making the dishes and he's like, oh, this is delicious. And the mom says, it's not traditional. Oh, yes, I noticed that it is. It is not traditional. I didn't notice that before. Okay. Just how impact he is and just
00:53:20
Speaker
Yeah, it was just great. I loved the acting was superb in it. I hated the mom to brings mom, which I know you were supposed to do that. So yeah, those were really, really good. I really, really this was one of my favorite episodes of the season. Not my favorite, but one of my favorites of the season. Could you imagine having that woman as your mother-in-law? Oh, oh, heck no. Oh, heck no.
00:53:48
Speaker
Oh, they ended up not getting married, right? Yeah, right. Correct. Yeah, right. Right. Mm hmm. Yeah. And I believe it didn't Spock and chapel end up getting together at the end of this episode. Yes. Yes. That's a whole other other canon thing. We won't get into that spiel, but yeah, I think you and I talked about that a little bit at Steel City Con with that one vendor. Yes. Yes.
00:54:15
Speaker
They always had a thing in TOS, like her experience. There's always sort of a tension between them. Yeah, there was. So the way I always took it was is that Chappell had a major crush on Spock from afar and he was completely oblivious to it. There was even kind of in a line about in Plato's stepchildren in the third season about how she kind of always wanted to. She always cared about Spock and wanted to show that to him. And I guess it wasn't possible.
00:54:43
Speaker
So yeah, that's about it. But I mean, Ethan Peckin, what's her name, Jess Busch? They out did chemistry together. There's no denying it. Oh, yeah. In the show, they fit perfectly. Yeah. Did the internet give them a couple name? Not yet. I don't think they have a ship name yet. I'm surprised. That's a good point. The internet is usually on it before it even happens. Spock Chapel, maybe.
00:55:17
Speaker
That's a good one. Sounds like something I put on the wall. Or chalk. Chalk? Yeah. Yeah, chalk is probably better. Easier to remember.
00:55:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, for sure. This is buckled. Yeah, no. All right. I think we'll move on on that note. So the official ship title is Chalk. All right. Sounds good. You should be here first. Maybe. I don't know.
00:55:57
Speaker
Episode 6 is called Lost in Translation. Uhura seems to be the only one who can hear a strange sound that seems to trigger some terrifying hallucinations among the crew. So, who wants to kick this one off? Good horror, Star Trek. Yes, yes. I think possibly the most horrific episode since that early one in Discovery with
00:56:24
Speaker
The tardigrade, like making bloody mess of everybody. Yeah, that was although although I will say the the the episode last season with the gourd was pretty terrifying, too. True. And this season's finale is pretty intense as well. Yeah. But yeah, this one was more like just the psychological terror of it. Right. Right. A little less. Yeah.
00:56:50
Speaker
Yeah, it was it was so good. And it's always good, you know, good seeing a horror centric episode like this. Oh, letting her shine. I like this actresses. I cannot remember her name, but her taken over. Yeah.
00:57:07
Speaker
Um, I like her, her take on Ohora and I mean, huge, huge, uh, shoes to fill. I mean, uh, yeah, yeah. Taking over from a lead, like a TV legend, um, is just, I couldn't imagine filling those shoes like that. Right. Right. Yeah. That, I mean, imagine being cast in that role. Like you are the second actress to play this character.
00:57:34
Speaker
Uh, and well the fur heard yeah third. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely I forgot the the kelvin movies i'm not even In trek tv. Okay, the second actress to play her at trek tv. Um Yeah, so yeah, it's and yeah and to fill those shoes. Um Yeah Um She's she's doing a phenomenal job. Um shaw. What are your thoughts?
00:58:04
Speaker
Oh, I enjoyed it. I mean, it was an interesting mystery and I personally like mysteries and a lot of character work for Uhura. And yeah, the actors did a very well job and yeah, it was just a good episode. Yeah. And to think a few episodes later, we'd get, um, you know, we'd get to, you know, we'll get to see the musical talent of Uhura.
00:58:29
Speaker
Which was always a big part of canon as well, which we knew about because season one of Strange New Worlds They did have an episode of her showing off some music stuff. That's true. That's true Yeah, but a horror was always you know, she was constantly Featured playing music or singing on the original series. So it's it's good to see the tradition. I did like that they quickly, you know, I
00:58:53
Speaker
put what would become the relationship between Jim Kirk and Ahura right off the bat when she pretty much shut him down like, hey, I'm not into what you're putting out. And so they kind of get that like,
00:59:11
Speaker
You get that dynamic pretty soon that they respect each other. It's definitely a, you know, if there's a friendship, but there's definitely a professional relationship there. There's nothing that they didn't try to force some, some sort of romantic or some sort of. Trist between the two. I like that they kind of have that like, all right, these two are, yes, Kirk has a reputation, but he's also an officer in Starfleet and there's, you know, that they, that they didn't go down that road.
00:59:41
Speaker
because they could have done that. Yeah, their relationship is strictly business. There's still a friendship there and there's still a camaraderie there that I think you can see starting to build, which will lead to their relationship in the original series, but there's definitely that respect aspect there.
01:00:06
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, Kirk is not typically someone who has said no to so I think that immediately I love and I love the fact that even though you know, this was a definitely a a Kirk or not a Kirk, but a horror centric episode. I like seeing the relationship between George and Jim.
01:00:27
Speaker
the two Kirk brothers. Kirk is the golden child, the youngest first officer in the history of Starfleet. As we know, he'll become the youngest captain in the history of Starfleet. George is happy where he's at. Jim, not being able to understand, how can you not have any desire to want to
01:00:54
Speaker
you know, get to the rank and be a captain or whatever and that kind of, I like that kind of relationship and that kind of tension between those two.
01:01:06
Speaker
the actual armed forces in the United States. You have servicemen and women who never have aspirations to be higher ranking, generals and such. They just want to do the job that they enjoy doing and not get into the politics of leadership in the military. So yeah, it very much parallels our world.
01:01:36
Speaker
Definitely. Chris, I'm curious to hear what you have to say about
01:01:42
Speaker
this Uhura-centric episode? This was a really good episode, and we finally, for the first time, got some true backstory about Uhura. She never really got expanded on in any of the original series or in the movies. I mean, we actually find out what happened to her parents and that she had a brother and that the three of them died in a shuttle accident and that she wasn't there and she never actually got to see the wreckage of what happened, but she had created a memory in her own brain.
01:02:09
Speaker
of what had actually happened. So I mean, just that nice little nugget there is something new and refreshing to hear about the character. Also, it really, it was definitely a very Star Trek themed episode where you have this base where they're trying to refine deuterium and it turns out that they're actually killing or seriously harming another race that they didn't know about. And even Pike makes a comment about that, about how the station is meant to be,
01:02:36
Speaker
mining this for this deuterium so they could go out and explore space. And here what they're doing is they're actually destroying new life that they're finding. You know, I thought that was really, that was really powerful. And it went harkens back to some other episodes throughout the saga, like the first season, the next generation home soil, and the fourth season, the next generation galaxy's child, where they were destroying life, or they actually killed a space creature by accident.
01:03:01
Speaker
So I thought that was really good. We got to see Pike become fleet captain for a tiny little bit, which tied in nicely to the Menagerie because that's when Kirk said he met Pike for the first time. So they actually brought that into play. We got to hear a little bit more about their father and how he was actually became first officer on the USS Kelvin.
01:03:22
Speaker
The only thing I didn't really like about it is I thought that there would be more. They hyped up the meeting of Uhura introducing Kirk to Spock, but it kind of just happened last second at the very end of the episode and didn't really get much beyond a handshake, in my opinion. So I thought they could have built on that a little bit more. It had a nice big scene, but it just wasn't meant to be, I guess. But overall, I thought it was a really interesting episode.
01:03:46
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, it was a really fantastic episode. And I mean, thinking back to what the first season of TOS, the first episode where, you know, an alien race was being harmed, or perceived harm, you had the devil in the dark, where, you know, you had the the mining colony that were being attacked by that, the creature who is what, just trying to protect her kids, right? Yes, the horta.
01:04:16
Speaker
The hoarder. Yes. Yes. I couldn't remember the creature's name, but yes, that it's a classic Trek story telling, you know, episode. So yeah, it's this one ranks up there with with the best of them, I think. Yeah. All right. Any any final thoughts on this one before we move on? No, I can't think of anything. OK. Sure. Anything? All good. All good. All right. All right.
01:04:44
Speaker
I think this is one that we are all looking forward to talking a lot about. And that's episode seven is those old scientists, otherwise known as the lower decks crossover episode.
01:05:03
Speaker
Yes. TOS. Perfect. I didn't even notice that. Wow. Okay. I didn't even make a joke about that. I was like, what do you keep calling it? TOS? Okay. Yes. Oh, yes. Those little scientists. Yeah, I think that I must have missed that one. So an accident while investigating a time portal sends
01:05:26
Speaker
Beckett Mariner Brad Boimler through a time portal to from the 24th century to the 22nd century where Captain Pike and crew must try to get them back into their own time before they completely and utterly destroyed the Strange New World's timeline. So yeah, this one was this played like the perfect
01:05:55
Speaker
You know a mashup of lower decks and strange new worlds and it played into the strengths of both shows phenomenally just I my personally I enjoyed you know, just all of the the specific, you know, all the the the comments that you know, Pike and crew made about the way that Boimler and Meritor talked to each other just that they're they're they're the way that they speak and
01:06:23
Speaker
they speak in references and it was just that dynamic. Finding a way to point out what is clearly a classic style of anime in the comedy, a very frenetic way of speaking and kind of a language all its own. Chris,
01:06:46
Speaker
Let's see what you had to say. This was a really fun episode. I was a little nervous if they were going to be able to pull it off. But Jack Quaid and the lady who plays Mariner, I can't remember her name, Tawny Newsom. Tawny Newsom. That's it. Tawny Newsom. I think they nailed their roles in live action. I mean, it really felt like they were coming out of the cartoon. And you can see how much fun they were having during the entire episode, just making it. They had a blast.
01:07:15
Speaker
I love the fact that they have the portal and how they tied it in with the orions. It was nice to see the orions doing something different besides just being slaves and, you know, bullies in the galaxy. So that was fun. I don't know about you guys, but I at some point, I finally wanted to like punch Boingler in the face.
01:07:34
Speaker
He kept saying, I don't want to screw up the timeline. I don't want to screw up the timeline, but he's acting like a fool and can't control him. I was kind of saying to myself, Laan, will you please just take that guy and just lock him in his border somewhere? He's clearly not stable enough with it because he keeps talking about it. It was good for the episode, but it was driving me crazy.
01:07:57
Speaker
It's just incredible how Jack Quaid just was able to embody Boimler because it's a lot different, trying to portray an animated character and the mannerisms that an animated character can, because the medium of animation can do so much more. It was interesting to see him personify Boimler so perfectly.
01:08:23
Speaker
Absolutely. And of course, getting them to, you know, we all have our celebrity crushes or our celebrity interests and to meet, you know, for them to meet there is that that's a pretty powerful thing. You know, so yeah, so I thought that that was really that was good as well. I'm trying to think what else if there was anything else about the episode.
01:08:41
Speaker
I love how he thought he broke Spock. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Yes, exactly. Oh, and this was the episode where a big thing of enterprise was brought up. So apparently it became a Starfleet tradition that each subsequent ship with a certain name had a little piece of material from the original ship.
01:09:00
Speaker
actually put into theirs. And that's actually how they were able to reactivate the portal and send Boimler and Mariner back to the 24th century. They had a piece of whatever it was from NX01 Enterprise. And they were talking a lot about Captain Archer. And we learned that how much Hoshi was admired by Uhura. And it was so nice to finally see Enterprise getting a little bit of respect that it never got. It's like it's about time here. That's right.
01:09:29
Speaker
So that was wonderful. I thought it was a good episode. They managed to do it really well. Two thumbs up, definitely. All right. Shaw, let's hear from you, man. I really, really liked it. I mean, speaking of Jack Quaid, since this episode was directed by Jonathan Franks, that scene where he sits on the saddle and goes, Riker, he made that on the spot, which is really cool.
01:09:56
Speaker
Yes, that was a great line. Like this is the one episode this season I actually saw twice when I think we watched it. Like it was so that was that good. I mean, I only have some information. I only see a couple of episodes of of floor decks. So I have a little bit of knowledge of the characters. But yeah, it was it was just really good, really funny. And yeah. Yeah, I yeah, this one was a lot of fun. I didn't get a chance to revisit this one before the show, but
01:10:26
Speaker
It's I think I'm going to jump around a little bit and watch the final four episodes before I go back and watch rewatch episodes four and five. I think that's or four or five and six rather. I just want to see how you know, because
01:10:46
Speaker
You had some tonal shifts in between every episode. You had your comedic episode, your crossover episode, then you had a serious episode, then you have the musical episode, and then you have another very serious, very high states episode. I want to see how those four play together back to back to back. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So.
01:11:07
Speaker
Um, all right, Mark, uh, you were the last one this round to give us your thoughts. So what'd you think? Well, first of all, uh, I adore lower decks. Um, just adore, like this is part of the new track of the new Star Trek stuff that's come out lower. Um,
01:11:26
Speaker
Stranger Worlds is probably my favorite, but I adore Lower Decks. I think it's so great. So seeing these characters in live action was great. Hearing the Boimless Scream, when they're, him and Spock are trying to, seeing that live action was great. My wife wasn't, I watched this with my wife.
01:11:50
Speaker
Um, and I think, you know, lower decks is definitely one of those shows that you have to have a certain sense of humor to get. Um, and if you don't get that sense of humor, then you're just going to be like, Oh, this one, you know, she thought it was kind of silly and kind of stupid, but I loved it. Um, anytime you see Spock smile, it's somewhat disconcerting. Very much buried.
01:12:16
Speaker
It's not supposed to happen. The fact that you see him smile more than once. And I think it was also neat, the fact that Una was the reason that he got into Starfleet.
01:12:33
Speaker
you know, seeing the poster of her, the Starfleet recruitment, that she would become the face of Starfleet recruitment. I thought that was kind of cool, too. So overall, I love this episode. Yeah, especially given, you know, what happened to what almost happened to her at the start of the season. Yes, I know exactly. Yeah. So it was a nice payoff. Yeah. All right. All right. Any any final thoughts on this one? Nope. Although OK.
01:13:03
Speaker
Okay, all right, so we are moving on to Episode 8 under the Cloak of War.
Deep Dives into Character Arcs
01:13:10
Speaker
Pike and the crew welcome aboard a Klingon defector to the Enterprise, but his presence on the ship
01:13:17
Speaker
triggers the revelation of some very shocking secrets for Nurse Chapel and Dr. Mbenga. So this one was a very heavy, a very tense episode from the start. And of course, this is one of
01:13:37
Speaker
the payoff moments from the the season premiere you know we we get a little tease of that in episode one and now here we are front and center with that conflict and then um so mark hmm what were your thoughts on this one i thought this was a really really good episode um i like the fact that
01:14:00
Speaker
you know, as the show goes on, there's, you know, not a lot of really cut. It's a very, like, in a lot of ways, it was a very great episode when it came to who the good guys were, who the bad guys were, what everyone's motivations were, you know, and, you know, seeing the backstory, you know, the backstory of Mbenga, finding out that he was basically Special Forces. Right. Yeah, it was just kind of cool. And then seeing, you know,
01:14:31
Speaker
And seeing the difference between those who were in the war, because if you remember from Discovery season two, they make it very clear the Enterprise was not involved in the Klingon war. It was out somewhere else. So seeing those members of the crew who were involved in the war and how they react to seeing this Klingon general who had this reputation on the ship compared to those who weren't
01:15:01
Speaker
You know, uh, the acting was just, I mean, you know, Banga, you know, basically just almost breaking the table, uh, squeezing, squeezing that, that chair, that table so hard, so hard. You thought it was going to break. And then him going into his, you know, his office and just losing it. I thought it was just so powerful. Yeah. You don't typically see that level of, um, you know, performance from him. He's so.
01:15:31
Speaker
He's normally so even-keeled. It was good to see him show so much emotion. Yeah, that was really, really good. And the fact that you have this whole idea, you can get a debate between
01:15:50
Speaker
What's Roddenberry's view of humanity, what humanity would be, and more realistic where humans, by this point, were supposed to evolve, to get petty, but to see them have that level of hate. You can tell Umbenga, in some way, hates the Klingons because of what they did.
01:16:16
Speaker
And him trying to overcome, you know, come to terms with that. And what does that mean? And in many ways, he doesn't. I mean, he, you know, he kills the general. And that was one thing that confused me because was that self-defense or how did that work? Because it was not really. Yes. Really. I thought it was not very, very ambiguous as to what happened. You know, so but I really enjoyed it. Yeah.
01:16:46
Speaker
Yeah, it was definitely, it was nice to have a very light episode previously to prepare for this one because, yeah, it definitely, you needed something, you needed the levity of those old scientists to really, really,
01:17:13
Speaker
prepare you for this one because this one took a lot. Yeah, I liked it, but it's definitely not something that you can watch over and over again. Yeah, yeah. All right. Shaw, what did you think of this one?
01:17:30
Speaker
um i liked it i think that they could have done a little more with it with like or take her stuff but all in all it was good i mean i do like um that they left the ending ambiguous whether he killed him on purpose or not or whether it was true or not because i mean
01:17:47
Speaker
You could see either way where it could have been just a mistake or he did have that knife out. I mean, it could have been for meditative and you probably couldn't blame him for that. So yeah, I liked it. It was really good. I like it. Nice and ambiguous. Yeah, I like it. Yeah. Chris, why don't you tell us your thoughts on this one?
01:18:13
Speaker
I thought it was a pretty decent episode. It was interesting to learn more about chapel and Mabenga and about what they had gone through during the Klingon war. I also thought it was interesting that this ambassador was actually taking credit for the Klingon soldiers. I believe it was Mabenga who actually ended up killing them.
01:18:32
Speaker
But he is well known for killing his own brutality, kind of led to him killing off his own troops. And that ended up not being true. I agree that we could have gotten more about Ortegus' background. I think really overall this season, she's been severely underused.
01:18:49
Speaker
beyond just saying I fly the ship and I'm good at it basically. I wish they would have done more there. I also like the ending of it being ambiguous as well. That also is not the first time they did that in Star Trek. In third season, next generation, the most toys. After Kivas Vajo, he kills his female lieutenant, and when they're beaming data back to the Enterprise, there's a weapons discharge.
01:19:15
Speaker
But when he comes on board the ship Riker asks him about it and data kind of leaves it as you know Did I or didn't I kind of kind of situation that may have might have just been an error that was going on But it was left ambiguous for all of us to kind of figure it out Did he actually do it, you know? So I thought overall was a pretty good episode definitely a lot darker than the previous episode And then what we're going back into coming up in the next one. Yeah, right, right. Oh Mark, what are you gonna say something? Oh, no. No, I was just okay with you guys
01:19:45
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very, very powerful episode. And yeah, I echo everything about it being ambiguous because it gives us something to debate, something to talk about. You know, was it, was it done? You know, and everybody's going to watch it is going to have an opinion, you know, whether it was done with malice, with intent or truly accidental.
01:20:13
Speaker
Yeah, good episode. I want to watch it again to see what you know, see if I can pick up on anything else that I missed the first time I Yeah, let's move on to episode 9 subspace Rhapsody the
01:20:31
Speaker
the long promised musical episode of Strange New Worlds. An accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the enterprise to break uncontrollably into song and share their innermost thoughts and feelings. But it is unfortunately the field is expanding and it's a race against time to basically prevent
01:21:02
Speaker
another potential war and well, just far reaching damage of this field. I was interested to see how they were going to
01:21:14
Speaker
explain this in Trek terms. And I mean, you had to figure it was going to be some sort of anomaly. I mean, what else would it be? But I thought it was clever. And then of course, you know, the eventual solution is harbored by our horror. And yet another classic, you know, another yet another character building episode
01:21:43
Speaker
for Uhura. Chris, why don't you start us off here? When I first heard this episode being announced, I was like, oh no, this is going to be the low moment of all Star Trek and it's going to be the jump the shark moment for Strange New Worlds. I was very, very impressed with the episode overall.
01:22:00
Speaker
I was afraid that they were just going to sing through the whole episode, no reason, no explanation. But they actually, you can tell the writers really sat down and came up with something that made it plausible, something that made sense and was Star Trek, you know, in nature. And I thought it was excellent, the way it all played out, the way how they all figured out what they needed to do to actually
01:22:19
Speaker
you know, overcome this situation. And the reality was they didn't want to sing. The ironic part. We all wanted them to sing and have fun. But as the characters themselves, they were they were like, we don't want to do this. We don't want to share our feelings like this. I mean, heck, you think Pike wanted to actually fight with his girlfriend on the bridge?
01:22:36
Speaker
in front of everybody in the song? Yeah, probably not. I think they did a really good job with it. The songs that they developed for were really a lot of fun. I actually had it playing for my clients in my office at my private practice. And they actually were getting into it. They're actually coming on and they were watching and they're like, oh, this is really interesting.
01:23:00
Speaker
So it was a lot, it was good, it was interesting. I'm trying to think what else. Yeah, I think that's about it. I felt bad for Spock. I mean, he was like publicly dumped in front of everybody in song and she seemed to be relishing it. I'm dumping you, I'm going on this archaeological thing, you know? It was like, you know, for Spock. But yeah, I mean, it was a lot of fun. It really was.
01:23:24
Speaker
All right. Um, Chris, your favorite song from the soundtrack. Oh boy. Uh, I would say it was probably the one that the very first song, I can't remember the name, but the first song that they started singing. Why are we singing? Is that, yes, that's it. I think that's what it's called. Why are we singing? Oh, well that makes it nice and easy. Yeah. That was, that one was my favorite. Yeah.
01:23:49
Speaker
yeah all right um shaw your thoughts on this one um i really liked it i mean i was one day announced that was happening i was optimistic about it since we know that ahura sing um the actress that plays leon has a um has a music career currently um i'm pretty sure i remember something about amson mance the actor that plays hike doing something musical so i was you know looking forward to it um
01:24:17
Speaker
It was a pretty good episode. I mean, the music wasn't anything I would save on a playlist, but it wasn't anything I would actually skip. There were some musical episodes of shows that definitely have songs that are skippable. And you have the story, continuing for each character and stuff. Stuff with Leon and Kurt was really good. And yeah, all in all, just a really good episode.
01:24:41
Speaker
All right. Did you have any songs that stood out to you or were your favorite? Nothing I can remember all the time in my head, but I mean, like I said, there's nothing that's skippable. They're all things you listen to, not in school. All right. All right. Mark.
01:24:59
Speaker
I'm curious here on your thoughts on this one. Well, I like Chris was very apprehensive, but I was very pleasantly surprised about this episode. I thought it was fun. It definitely had definitely feelings of what's more with feeling if anybody was watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I definitely could see the thing there. Again, like Chris said,
01:25:25
Speaker
I like the fact that they weren't just singing because they were singing, that there was a reason behind it, that they tied it into the story and gave them a reason. And the fact that they publicly went out and said, this is not normal. We should not be doing this. Yes. And I'm going to preempt you with your question, my favorite song, Klingon K-pop.
01:25:56
Speaker
And in hearing the story behind it, and I was watching a thing where they were talking with the director, the guy who directed this episode, and he said the same thing that you said, Chris, that is this to jump the shark moment. And, you know, he said with any time you're doing comedy like this, and you have a bit that's so over the top, you have to commit. When you're looking at the script, you say,
01:26:20
Speaker
Klingons are going to start doing a boy band bit. You're just like, okay, just go, let's go full bore. We have to commit to it. We have to commit to the bit and, and paid off and dividends in my, in my, and the fact that you have the, the flashing lights going on with it. Oh, that was, yes. Um, you just, you just knew this stuff about that.
01:26:46
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah. And because, you know, cleanups have do have a musical tradition, you know, clean on opera. And, you know, maybe in the back of your mind, you're expecting like when they sing in an opera and they go, nope, they're going full boy band. They're going full boy band. It was great. I loved it. Right.
01:27:04
Speaker
Yeah, and Chris, I kind of it sounded like you were grumbling a little bit like you didn't like K-pop. The K-pop part was my cringe moment of the episode. We talked about that at Steel City Con. Yeah, I think they could have gone the Klingon opera route, created something unique. But I also logically, I guess it would make sense that they were singing some sort of human kind of music because the signal that a horror sent into the anomaly was actually
01:27:32
Speaker
human in nature. So that would make sense that it would kind of go on that way with them. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And I like what you're saying, Mark, about committing to the bit. I mean, yeah, those Klingons had to be, you know, those actors had to be on board with it. I mean, why not? It's something so completely off the wall. And it was expected, but unexpected, if that makes sense. Like, it was just, it just
01:28:01
Speaker
Yeah, if you're gonna get Klingons to sing in a musical episode, yeah, why not? Why not make a K-pop? Literally K-pop, Klingon pop. Yeah, I mean, I personally, I love this episode. Yeah, it's... I have listened to the soundtrack quite a bit from start to finish. I've listened to it an embarrassing number of times.
01:28:28
Speaker
I may have been solely responsible for getting it to the top of the streaming charts. I don't know. Which it did do for a while. It made it to the top of the streaming charts on Apple Music and Spotify, I believe. Yeah. Yeah. And who'd have thought? And yes, Mark very much wants more with feeling vibes.
01:28:54
Speaker
And then I think the inspiration was clear from the start that the writers and the songwriters and the writers of the episode definitely had that one in mind. Yeah. Yeah. All right. My favorite song, I really, really enjoyed I'm the Ex, Ethan Peck's Spock song. I thought it was a wonderful, like,
01:29:19
Speaker
The song had double meaning, right? He's the ex-boyfriend and the ex in the equation. Very clever and very clever in the writing, very clever in the structure and it fits spot so well because what's more logical than algebra, right?
01:29:42
Speaker
So that was my favorite song. And I mean, I guess honorable mention was definitely was Keep Us Connected, which was a horror song. I really liked that one as well. And then of course, you know, she gets you know, she's the one that
01:29:58
Speaker
Divine, you know is able to divide the solution that will break the subs they are the the field So basically by getting everybody to sing in unison As you know as the as the ensemble closing number for the for the musical It's it made this nerd heart this it made this broadway nerds heart. Happy. Let me see Let me just say that. Yeah, I I still think that
01:30:25
Speaker
Once more with feeling is the superior musical episode, but this is close. Hmm. Anybody else who's seen both Buffy and this want to weigh in on what is the better episode? Oh, definitely.
01:30:38
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Every episode is probably the best. It beats the Arrowverse Supergirl crossover. Beat that one. Definitely. They have a couple of little bad ones. All the Angel, not Angel, all the Zero and Hercules ones are never really that good. I'm trying to think of more, but I can't remember more crossover, more musical episodes. Yeah.
01:31:07
Speaker
can't think of too many major ones. It's always a gamble when they do one and doesn't always pay off. All right, Chris, were you a Buffy watcher? I can't remember. I never watched a single episode of Buffy. Okay. Okay. I'll take a look at which one's better.
01:31:27
Speaker
That sounds good. And Mark, I think you're the last one to weigh in on this one. Yeah, I mean, I watched Buffy, but I wasn't like a religious viewer of it. But I definitely think what's more with feeling was was better. Yeah, yeah. Kind of the the originator of the entire conceit of a musical episode and still the best. All right. I had a feeling we were all going to agree on that, but
01:31:53
Speaker
It was for me, it was it was close for a while, whether I was going to give Strange New World the edge if I'm being perfectly honest. So but no, no, Buffy is better. I went back and watched it and it just it just feels it just feels better executed. You know, the songs are better. Yeah, yeah, I was wondering if I was going to go the other way or not, but no, no, still Buffy.
01:32:20
Speaker
All right. Any final thoughts on Subspace Rhapsody, gents? I got two real quick things. I'm glad that they were able to find an actress to play Uhura who could actually sing. Could you imagine if in this episode we had Uhura supposing to try to sound like Nichelle Nichols but have the voice of Roseanne instead?
01:32:39
Speaker
That was a nice bonus that we got the good actress and the good singer in one package. The other thing is, this is amazing that people were debating this, but one part of the episode was where Kirk said that Carol was pregnant with his baby. There is a big debate going on on Facebook in the Strange New World fan pages
01:33:03
Speaker
if he should have known she was pregnant or not. But if you watch Star Trek II, Kirk did know about David. He even says, I did what you wanted, I stayed away, why didn't you tell him? A lot of other people seemed to think that he never knew and he was just shocked to find out. No, he knew. I was surprised how much debate that that was causing online in the fandom.
01:33:27
Speaker
Well, to be fair, the movie was a long time ago and some people probably haven't seen it for a long time. Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I ever had that question in my mind. She didn't pull a Beverly. Right. Yeah. She did not pull a Beverly. Correct. That's true.
01:33:49
Speaker
Yeah, that was a questionable decision, but it may, I guess from her perspective, it made sense. I mean... I was afraid of your dangerous lifestyle. No, I'm afraid of your dangerous lifestyle. How many lives did Starfleet destroy that were important to Crusher, right? Yeah. You have to understand where she was coming from. Absolutely. Yeah. So, all right. Anybody else have any final thoughts before we do, before we discuss the season finale? I
New Challenges and Character Debuts
01:34:18
Speaker
don't have anything.
01:34:20
Speaker
Okay, all right. The season finale, episode 10, Hegemony. The Enterprise investigates an attack on a colony at the edge of Federation space. They face the return of a formidable enemy in the Gorn. We see quite a few different versions of the Gorn in this one, including the
01:34:46
Speaker
I can't remember what they called the big one at the end. Anybody remember? I just called it the big corn. Basically, the xenomorph corn is what I call it. That's my thing when you said the name of it. I said AKA Aliens 3. Pretty much. I was not expecting George Kerr to go, game over, man. Game over.
01:35:14
Speaker
I did love the episode though, I did love the episode though, but it was very much, it was very Alien, Alien 3, yeah. Yeah, what was with Spock's insistence that he could be the only one to do this? That bothered me too. Like, you're the only one who could do this? No one else on the ship, only you. Well, yeah, because he has physical strength that Dominos has.
01:35:40
Speaker
Yeah, I just thought there could have been a different way to do it. I don't know. Could it have something to do with him? Could it have had something to do with him pining over Christine?
01:35:56
Speaker
No, not at all. No, I was gonna say I don't think that would have had anything to do with it I think he pretty much you know that the breakup was kind of his transition back to The much more stoic and logic driven Vulcan, you know burying the human half, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so okay I didn't think so, but I just wanted to throw that out there Shaw, what did you think of this one?
01:36:22
Speaker
Um, I enjoyed it. I mean, good story, like doing more with the Gorn was good. And I love that they introduced some Scotty. That was really good. Right. The actor was pretty good to play him. So I'm glad about that. And yeah, I mean, it was just really good episode.
01:36:42
Speaker
All right. How did we completely skip over Scotty and even mentioning that this was his debut on Strange New Worlds? That was almost as important as the rest of the episode itself, the main plot line. Mark, what
01:37:01
Speaker
Tell me what you thought of of the actors performance Scotty. I liked it. I liked getting a young Scotty a very, you know, and how every of his whole whole idea of figuring stuff out is very much from an engineer's point of view. I definitely like that. Yeah, I thought it was a very, you know, see, again, we've seen the different iterations of this character.
01:37:28
Speaker
Um, and I love James Doohan, but to actually get one that can actually do a Scottish accent. Well, I mean, it kind of helps that he's from.
01:37:42
Speaker
But yeah, I've seen so many Scottish Star Trek fans who love, they'll say, we love James Doohan. He is Scotty, but that was a horrible Scottish rogue. Yeah. So finally get to one who can actually, is Scottish, was kind of cool. But yeah, overall, just like I said before, a great episode.
01:38:04
Speaker
a good I just again I could I get core based you know very bloody episode I mean to see the you know all the blood smear everywhere and just the darkness of it and just and yes definitely can tell inspiration for the alien movies but just just a really good good episode a good cliffhanger too uh surprise we got the the cliffhanger ending like that yeah yeah I mean
01:38:34
Speaker
I guess they were teasing the Gorn as being a part of the season, and then we don't get them till the end. I wonder if that's why they have us. It's not the first time something like this has been done in Trek, of course. We've had some classic season finales that were cliffhangers. Most of both worlds? Yes, exactly.
01:39:01
Speaker
So it's not, it's not unheard of, but it's good to, it's good that they are adapt or adopting that, um, that with, uh, with strange new worlds. So that means it's hopefully means, I mean, strike, you know, we're at a strike aside. It hopefully, it means that, um, we've got more strange new worlds coming. Yeah. So, um,
Future of Star Trek and Personal Projects
01:39:23
Speaker
let's see, Chris.
01:39:25
Speaker
What what are your thoughts on hegemony and the actor that plays that they got to play Scotty in this one? I thought it was a good pretty good action packed episode, still learning a little bit more about the born and you know, they're, I guess, I don't know if you want to call it lack of empathy for life, I guess with with the way their reproduction is, I don't know.
01:39:49
Speaker
I thought overall it was pretty interesting. I like that it's going to be a cliffhanger just like everybody was saying. It kind of just left it with Pike's kind of not sure what he was going to do in terms of his orders. So I don't think it was like a best of both worlds moment in intensity per se, but it was sure good. Let's see what else did I like about the episode?
01:40:16
Speaker
I guess that's pretty much it. I did like Scotty. They did a really nice job at casting him. He kind of reminded me of a nice mix between James Dewan and Simon Pegg. Reminded me a little bit more of Simon Pegg's portrayal, but with being kind of like the goofy jokey with the technology that he was using. But it was nice to see another original series character in here. And I can guarantee going into the next season, they're gonna start bringing probably some of the other characters in in some sort of way too.
01:40:45
Speaker
There are a lot of rumors going around online that they're going to reboot the original series. I don't know if that's true or not, but I mean, based on how they're bringing characters in, they would have a full cast to do it. I personally hope they don't do that, but it's certainly possible.
01:41:03
Speaker
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the idea of a reboot of the original series. I agree. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I think we should. I think that should be the, you know, sacred. I mean, you know, we got our trilogy of movies in the Kelvin timeline. I think that's and that and then this crew of Strange New Worlds is really all we need. But right. I agree. Personally, I think the next iteration of Trek should be set in the future. Yes.
01:41:29
Speaker
I'd like to see something post, you know, maybe not too far in the future, maybe not like the Discovery era, but something set, let's say, you know, after the Dominion War. I wouldn't mind saying something about, you know, the fallout of what, you know, what's what happened immediately after the Dominion War. Like, right. Like the few years after war.
01:41:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean we got the end of you know, sort of got the a little bit of resolution Well, not not really I guess with Picard that you know those those changelings being the ones that were genetically experimented on by by by Starfleet, but Yeah, I would like to see how things progress after the Dominion war. Yeah Do we you know do I don't know, you know, I assume that the the changelings
01:42:22
Speaker
stayed in the great link that they got their resolution. I don't think they'll be bothering Starfleet anymore, but there's plenty of other threats out there, right? All right. Any final thoughts on this one? All good. Joe, what's up? All good. Chris, you got anything? No, I don't.
01:42:45
Speaker
Okay, well, that's all. We broke down all 10 episodes of Strange New World Season 2. We'd love to hear what you think. Once this episode releases, you can go to the Facebook or GNN posts about it and tell us your favorite episodes, your favorite moments.
01:43:04
Speaker
Anything like that, we'd love to hear from you and your comments might be featured on an upcoming episode of Captain's Logs and Lightsabers. So interact wherever you see our post about this episode and we may read it on the next one. We are fueled by the fans of GNN and we want to hear from you.
01:43:25
Speaker
so make sure you comment make sure if you're listening to the show if you haven't yet like and subscribe gnn has a new youtube channel look for geek news now official type all of that out into the youtube search bar and you'll find us there like a subscribe
01:43:43
Speaker
You'll get all of the episodes of Captain's Logs and Lightsabers, of our other podcasts on the show, including two that are hosted by our guests tonight. Shaw, why don't you tell us a little bit about the geek gauntlet? Give us a 30-second elevator pitch about the show. Yes. Well, we speak of everything geek-related over the week. Every week, we talk about every show, comic book-wise, science fiction-wise and such.
01:44:11
Speaker
Sometimes fantasy, if self is out, we put every as much news from the past week as we can. That's why we call it a gauntlet, because we run the gauntlet of just speaking as fast as we can, of as much news as we can, packing into an hour or so. Yeah, that's what we do. Please come listen. We record every Saturday at 10. Yeah, please come join.
01:44:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. The Geek Gauntlet's a fun show to watch. Really good, you know, really good chat. I know they, you know, the hosts really keep an eye on the chat and it's a very active live chat. So if you are free on, what is it, 10 p.m. Eastern on Saturdays, right? Yeah, 10 Eastern, yeah.
01:44:56
Speaker
10 Eastern, live on the Geek News, now official YouTube channel. That is the Geek Gauntlet, and you also get it on the GNN podcast fee as well. That leads us with Mark. Again, Mark is another one of our GNN podcast hosts, so I'm going to have him tell you a little bit about the two shows that he has. Well, our main one is, of course,
01:45:20
Speaker
War of the Stars, a Star Wars podcast hosted by myself and Garrett K. Jones, who is a fantasy writer. He has written, I think, ore books. He's going to hate me, but I cannot remember the names of them off the top of my books, but he is a published author.
01:45:39
Speaker
And we just discussed Star Wars in all aspects. Currently we are doing our reviews of the review and breakdown of the SOPA series. I've been doing this for about six years and really honored and proud to be part of
01:45:59
Speaker
GNN and my other show that I'm doing which I'm really excited about and it's been so cool is a show called Star Wars to the eyes of a child It's on our YouTube is gonna be up on the gin and YouTube coming soon. I think the first two episodes are already up there But basically myself and my daughter Who's nine or going to be nine? We are watching the Clone Wars animated series in
01:46:28
Speaker
archaeological order and then discussing it.
01:46:33
Speaker
And it's been a it's a lot of fun watching her kind of become a Star Wars fan and kind of go through this journey with her and seeing her fall in love with these characters that I, you know, didn't grow up watching. But, you know, kind of, you know, seeing her kind of grow into the fandom like this has been cool. And ironically, her favorite character is Rex. Nice. She she loves Rex.
01:47:03
Speaker
Do you think we'll get any do you think we'll get Captain Rex in? Ah Soka and least I'm hoping I think they mentioned that I'm not sure fingers crossed Yeah, so and I assume it's gonna be Tim Morrison, right? It has to be it has to be yeah Yeah, I mean he's he's played live-action. He already played a clone in live-action in obi-wan. So Yeah, so yeah
01:47:30
Speaker
Obviously, that's the only right choice, right? Right. Yeah, Chris, I know you have a couple little side projects of your own. Why don't you tell us about those? Yeah, I have a small Star Trek YouTube channel that I do called Pittsburgh's Trek Chat. It's really more of a hobby at this point. I try to get episodes out as much as I can. I've released 96 videos over the last
01:47:56
Speaker
coming up, what, on maybe six years? Just kind of talking about the
Conclusion and Farewells
01:48:00
Speaker
different series and different topics related to the Star Trek universe. But you can find that on YouTube. Just go onto YouTube, type in Pittsburgh's Trek Chat in the search engine, and it'll take you directly to my channel.
01:48:13
Speaker
Oh, right. And as for me, I think I'm the only one that doesn't have any real side projects other than this show. So I occasionally make appearances on a Disney Cruise Line focus podcast, but I talk about Disney Cruise Line with the hosts as well as
01:48:34
Speaker
Some other you know cruise lines that I've been on in my adventures. That's the DCL duo. I've been on there quite a few times I've appeared on a few other shows as well, but you know, this is really the only place where you can find me on a regular basis, so until we Have another episode of captain's logs and lightsabers
01:48:57
Speaker
This is episode 30. My name is Jonathan. I was joined by Mark and Shaw. And of course, Chris, may the force be with you. And live long and prosper. This is The Way.