Strange New Worlds 1x02 - 'Children of the Comet' ~~ { Spoilers Within }

Stark · 15-05-2022 4:57pm

Quite enjoyable. Only quibble I have with the show so far is Ortega. She just seems too cutesy/informal to be a Starfleet officer. Like the side comments to Number One while that alien was on viewscreen could easily have escalated an already tense situation. All the other characters I like though.

pixelburp · 15-05-2022 6:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067113#Comment_119067113

I have a feeling the cockiness may be part of her arc, or episode focus. The little chat with Pike during the crisis seemed like everyone's aware she has a high, outspoken opinion of herself - feels like an opening for some growth. Which is more than you could ever say about the Disco bridge crew.

ixoy · 15-05-2022 10:10pm

2 for 2! Could we be getting Trek back finally? Like pixelburp above, my happiness is tempered by the fear they'll screw it up because what we have so far is what many of us wanted for ages - good, episodic storytelling. Proper Trek morality. A bridge crew that interact with each other. A captain that respects his crew and values their opinion where no one person is always right. Simple things but that the live-action series has been unable to deliver yet and only 'Lower Deck's has given us. Please keep it up.

Sleepy · 16-05-2022 11:39am

It's STAR TREK! Been a long time since we've had it on our screens. It's almost worrying how well this has started. Maybe I'm just overly cautious about fandoms since the Game of Thrones was ruined but right from the intro this generates the same feeling that TNG did when I was a kid and I'm just waiting for the showrunners to ruin it...

FutureGuy · 16-05-2022 11:46am

While it was fantastic, I am giving them a pass on the fact they interfered with the natural course of the planet and broke the Prime Directive.

pixelburp · 16-05-2022 11:53am

Wouldn't the Prime Directive exclude apocalyptic circumstances? Avoiding interference with the natural course of sapient development is easier when the people have been wiped out lol 🤓

TheIrishGrover · 16-05-2022 3:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119066565#Comment_119066565

Everyone got something to do, in the best format of an ensemble show.

^^^ This ^^^

Uhura, Spock, Soong, Pike, Ortegas, Number One, (Brother?) Kirk, new engineer, ALL got screen-time. Got enough screen-time. That is EIGHT characters getting the screen-time required. Their scenes did not seem rushed. All in around 45 mins. That is actually genuinely quite a feat. Pike was NOT the lead. Everything was NOT resolved by one person but by many (OK, Brother Kirk going full-on Alien Prometheus scientist stupid was a bit bad but was needed to add a bit more jeopardy). A STARTLING difference between this and Disco.

PhiloCypher · 16-05-2022 3:37pm

Part of me thinks a duff episode is inevitable and part me thinks why ? With only 10 episodes instead of the 26 they had to pump out back in the day maybe they'll be able to filter out all the **** ideas and we'll just get 10 solid / Great episodes.

pixelburp · 16-05-2022 4:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071098#Comment_119071098

My thinking too. 10 episodes is not a big ask and assuming the season pans out with a consistent level of quality, at worst maybe an episode or two are merely "meh". Then again Picard was 10 episodes and ... yeah.

I watched the trailer for episode 3 and (on the very off chance people are that spoilerphobic, I'll hide it) it looks like it'll be taking another typical Trek plot. That's a good sign this is "just" going to work the formula.

Mystery Sci-Fi virus infects the crew.

PhiloCypher · 16-05-2022 5:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071186#Comment_119071186

I'm absolutely fine with then re-imaginining trek/genre tropes if the writing is as good as it has been in the first 2 eps.

I read an interview with the showrunner where he talks about ep5 being a Spock focused body swap episode and that it will act as a palette cleanser for a drama filled La'an episode (ep4) that will presumably delve more into her history with the Gorn.

corkie · 16-05-2022 8:40pm

@pixelburp Had a look at that trailer, at least they aren't copying the Voyager episode.

Pike: The music you recorded. Any idea what [the comet] was trying to say?

Uhura: I haven't been able to translate it yet. It might take days.

Spock: You have less than one hour before the comet will impact Persephone-3.

Uhura: You do a lot of reminding people of deadlines, sir.

Pike: She does have a point, Spock.

https://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/she-does-have-a-point-spock/

Has Spock ever been called out on that before?

Greyjoy · 17-05-2022 11:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069906#Comment_119069906

I think by strict definition of the Prime Directive Starfleet can't intervene even in apocalyptic scenarios. There's certainly a bunch of TNG episodes where different crew members have broken the directive in order to save an alien race from destruction. But the directive states Starfleet can't intervene in the natural development of other species. The fact that the comet wasn't "natural" probably gave Pike and the Enterprise leeway to intervene in this case.

GSPfan · 17-05-2022 5:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074366#Comment_119074366

Technically they didn’t know it was artificial until they tried to destroy it. :)

But…

Destroying a comet which would wipe out a planet full of species without those species ever knowing about it is surely allowed. It would be extremely wrong to only help species who have warp capability in these scenarios.

The Prime Directive essentially prohibits artificial advancement of a species technology for fear of them using it to wipe themselves out. We got that explained in the first episode.

Bobtheman · 17-05-2022 5:25pm

I like it. I like mounts performance. He is no shatner or Stewart in terms of acting but id give him time.

Shatner's acting gets a bad press but he made Star trek along with others. He nailed that performance.

Mount has Shatner's swagger and Picards thoughtfulness (so far) but early days

GSPfan · 17-05-2022 6:11pm

Regarding Ortegas…

I don’t think her attitude is unparalleled. Chekov became very quippy in the movie years of TOS. Dax had her moments too. Tom Paris was another one who had a witty comment in him.

I’d say give her time. I like her so far. The Marvel Universe has popularised quippy characters in tv and movies so it’s probably Star Treks attempt to fit it in. But there has been similar characters in previous Trek.

I would be much more worried if all the bridge crew were acting like her. I hope there is a lot of individuals in this crew with their own distinct personalities.

JayRoc · 18-05-2022 10:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076805#Comment_119076805

Shatner is actually a hugely underrated actor in my opinion.

corkie · 18-05-2022 10:14am

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-scotty-laws-physics-strange-new-worlds-easter-egg/

They try to make connections to almost anything now.

Greyjoy · 18-05-2022 11:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076767#Comment_119076767

In the scenarios where the alien race in question isn't aware of the intervention the writers tend to handwave breaking the Directive as a sort of "no harm, no foul". But even in those situations Starfleet is not supposed to intervene - it creates a 'slippery slope' ethically speaking where if they save one race then why not another? Then you have Starfleet picking and choosing which races survive and which don't - they're now playing god. This argument was debated really well in a scene from TNG in the episode "Pen Pals" where the bridge crew wrestle with whether or not to save an alien race :

https://youtu.be/4mH-L6UCCAE

What I really liked about the scene is that neither side of the argument is presented as being completely 'right'. There's no easy answer to their problem.

AMKC · 18-05-2022 3:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079873#Comment_119079873

An excellent episode that. I love it when Picard says Quote: "Oh Data your whisper from the Dark has now become a plee" I wonder was that Picards plan all along. Ask Data to cut of the Frequency knowing he would have to turn it on first and she woukd either be there or not or maybe it was not planned at all it was just luck.

I love it as well when Picard say what about if its war?

Oh now we are not so secure in our morale attitudes.

My answer to Picard on what about war would be No we have to let them solve that themselves unless one side is being totally wiped out of course in which case it is not really a war it is a genocide or a slaughtering.

A war is something where either side have a chance of winning .

corkie · 18-05-2022 7:21pm

@Greyjoy This argument was debated really well in a scene from TNG in the episode "Pen Pals" where the bridge crew wrestle with whether or not to save an alien race :

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Pen_Pals_%28episode%29

"Your whisper from the dark has now become a plea, we cannot turn our backs." - Picard

^^ For anyone who needs a recap of what happened in the episode.

Strange concept art, with large ears? << https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sarjenka

GSPfan · 19-05-2022 10:54am

Regarding the Prime Directive….

What’s stopping another race of aliens interfering with these worlds? Are they inside Federation territory or something and therefore there are no Klingons or Romulans or Cardassians around?

But isn’t the Enterprise out there exploring strange new worlds? Does that mean worlds they know exist from star charts and ling range sensors but nobody has visited them? If that’s the case then how could it be claimed as federation space?

Anyone got any ideas?

Greyjoy · 19-05-2022 12:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119081183#Comment_119081183

I feel like the little sigh that Picard gives before the "whisper from the dark" line indicates that he realises his hand has now been forced. That suggests to me it's not something he planned and that he feels they've now got no other choice but to intervene.

Stark · 19-05-2022 12:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084354#Comment_119084354

There were definitely times in TOS where Kirk had to intervene in pre-warp cultures as the Klingons had already gotten there and messed everything up.

Greyjoy · 19-05-2022 12:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084354#Comment_119084354

Usually with these kind of 'exploration' stories they tend to be on the fringes of Federation space ("where no-one has gone before"). It also gives the writers the added bonus that the ship & crew can't call on Starfleet for support - they're on their own and have to deal with the problem themselves. Starfleet are surveying these worlds but not claiming them as 'Federation' space (the only way to do so would be for the world itself to join the Federation). There are probably lots of non-warp civilizations within the borders of Federation space itself but I would imagine they're strictly "off limits" for travel or contact purposes.

Other races could intervene with lesser developed societies and in those scenarios it gives Starfleet the leeway to try and mitigate the 'damage' caused by contact with the more advanced civilization. Of course that could lead to situations like TOS "A private little war" with the advanced powers fighting wars by proxy over 'neutral' worlds.

GSPfan · 19-05-2022 5:04pm

@Greyjoy - Makes sense.

corkie · 25-05-2022 7:23pm

Star Trek - TNG Writer on Strange New Worlds Episode 2!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f6sqA80DkE

First episode review posted here.

flazio · 04-07-2022 3:31pm

Watched this last night, I kind of agree that the plan to alter a comet's course to save a pre warp species should have merited an eyebrow raise from Spock at the very least. I know he isn't as high up in rank as T'Pol was on the NX-01 (at least not yet) but you just know her and Archer would have spent half the episode debating the should or shouldn't we do this.

Speaking of Spock, I'm not sure if they are trying to nod that the Kelvin universe Spock/Uhuru relationship is possible if circumstances were only a little different. It was just in the back of my mind whenever the two interacted if maybe these writers were trying to light the same spark. We'll see how that plays out.

corkie · 04-07-2022 7:55pm

As I have seen more episodes after this, I won't divulge anything about your theory.

@flazio Kelvin universe Spock/Uhuru relationship

I had forgotten about that part of Kelvin Movies.

https://fanlore.org/wiki/Spock/Uhura_%28AOS%29

TV Legends Revealed | Was 'TV's First Interracial Kiss' Nearly Between Uhura and Spock?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_and_Uhura%27s_kiss

Strange New Worlds 1x02 - 'Children of the Comet' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

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Star Trek - TNG Writer on Strange New Worlds Episode 2!

Strange New Worlds 1x02 - 'Children of the Comet' ~~ { Spoilers Within }