Strange New Worlds 1x10 - 'A Quality of Mercy' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

Very good final episode. For anyone who needs a reminder for what Happened in TOS (Prime) Timeline.

TBH i actually sped through some of the episode again - talk about rewatchability - epic

I think that may be the best episode of Trek i have seen in 20+ years

• Canon fits perfectly, i cannot see any reason for complaint
• Yesterdays Enterprise style WHAT IF story - beautiful -
• the actor for Kirk impressed me - i know a few people have had doubts and i get it - its an iconic role, and needs to be handled respectfully - but i think the actor captured Kirk/Shatner from the original series - and is a LEAGUE above Pine in JJ Trek
• @ilovesmybrick you make PERFECT sense in how you describe the interaction of command styles - Kirk and Pike - different but both fantastic captains - i know you are not sold on the Actor, but i am at ease, if he crops up again, il be content. I recently ran through some old TOS eps (incl balance of terror - the dialogue in this episode fitted perfectly with that outing too btw) - but yea, having recently done some TOS, i can say the new actor done a good job IMHO - like i said - No Shatner, but equally, no Pine (for which i thank the universe)
• This for me is the season high - almost makes me wanna calibrate my grading so it doesnt push any of the other episodes down
• IF I MUST COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING - the cliffhanger - unnecessary - not a canon issue, or a problem with the inevitable story of Number Ones legal issues, But no need for it in this episode, which for me as perfect without it- IMHO

Trek done right and in style excellent episode and fantastic series.

Only gripe is we have to wait so long for more 😄

@castertroy

I linked to the wiki breakdown of that episode, 'Balance of Terror'. <<< Not 'Battle'!!?? which which brought up 911 links.

There is a playlist of 7*5mins clips on youtube of the episode.

Brilliant episode! Very good take on a Trek classic. Romulans were cool and kept the classic TOS look. Barely noticed the ridges. I liked the Romulan Fleet style. I say we will see those ships on STO soon enough.

Not sure about the Kirk character yet. Seems very wooden, but just might need time to develop.

Great to see the WOK uniforms, but no need for the shiny bits!!!

Finally, I thought the episode should have ended with Pike sitting in the chair smiling. No need for the Una bit, could have easily been the first episode of S2.

This is the best first season of any Trek show. Solid all the way through. Already looking forward to Season two.

yea i agree with the Una Bit - but man, i have just watched TOS Balance of Terror - seriously todays episode is fantastic but im dying to rewatch now AGAIN - il be rewatching for a third time (i have no life)

The Una bit was already foretold, nothing like self fulfilling ending to the season - didn't bother me - I'm sure she will back quickly

As others said what has made my enjoyment of the show more intense (and while I love Star Trek I'm no nerd) is that it shines through and through that the writers know Star Trek and makes it so much more enjoyable, unlike Disco which seems its just full of writers brought in to write a sci-fi show

Just watching it again. I must say I did not think the actor for Hansen was any good. Trying to hard I think. Enterprise can you see. Not that it really matters anyway as he is not in it very long. The part where the Romulan weapon finishes his base off do and he is basically floating in space was well done.

I do think the Romulan cloaking and decloaking was very cool and the plasma weapon was well done and brilliant modern interpretation of the original.

I actually think the actor doing James Kirk in this did a good job after watching it for a second time. Yes it's a bit wooden but he was in charge of a much smaller, much less powerful and capable ship than the Enterprise so probably also has a lot less experience that when he is Captain of the Enterprise during this time and he also has not met Spock or probably even Dr.MCcoy yet his two best friends and that all helps to shape the Kirk we know in TOS and the one here in SNW.

He is still very much young, inexperienced and arrogant.

It will be interesting to see what William Shatner thinks of the Kirk here if he watches this.

Just a pity they made a balls of phasers in this from both the farragut and Enterprise. I still see slight kurtzman influences. Hope he keeps his dirty hands off SNW and that's the only time that happens.

Yeah, very decent end to the season, quite happy with that. Pike is such a great character, played perfectly.

Only downside really is that I'm not at all gone on the Kirk casting, felt like a charisma-vacuum in comparison to the real deal. The character and performance themselves were fine if it was a new character, but it just didn't feel like anything of Kirk - nothing playful or rascally about him in the performance, he actually seems very emotionally restrained and internalised, which is a really odd choice. It needed someone like Anson Mount himself, who just oozes charm and charisma from the first glance. This chap wouldn't warrant a second look if his name weren't Kirk.

All in all a very good solid first season - episodes 7 and 8 were losing me a bit, wasn't terribly fond of either, but 9 and 10 entirely pulled me back. Trek is littered with misjudged season-1 episodes, so SNW is definitely ahead of the curve - just a shame it's such a short season, would've liked another few weeks with this crew before the long wait.

I will say it was a brilliant ending.

Yes it could have had "To Be Continued" to it but it's not like say BOBW where it was a genuine two parter it might come up in the first episode of season 2 or not till the fifth episode for all we know.

I have to ask do does Pike know Captain Batel? Have we met her before? I do not remember meeting her.

Annnnnd they pretty much nailed it. Certainly any criticisms I have are minor in the grander picture. As others, I love a cleverly worked out Wibbly wobbly timey wimey alternative timeline story. As long as it's thought out well. The differences in timeline have to make sense (Which is why I didn't like much of Marvel's "What If..." episodes on Disney. Their differences often didn't make sense in relation to the initial change. Especially the Thor episode. Anyway).

If I understood correctly, Kirk would have been in the Enterprise chair less than a year by the time that the original version of these events happened in "Balance of Terror". That correct? Anyway, it makes sense: Kirk originally went in more aggressively (With his new position on the Federation top-of-the-line flagship). Romulans didn't message fleet and died. War avoided. Spock lived for "Unification"

Yes, Kirk was a little bit stiff and could loosen up a little bit more. Just a wee bit. All credit to TOS, I don't necessarily want to see

Again, another fine performance from Mount. Showing his doubt AND his steel as required.

I don't have any problems with differences like the Phasers etc. I put these down as shifting tastes in 60 plus years. As long as they didn't do something like kill off Uhura or something simply for ratings. Something that would fundamentally clash with prime timeline.

I know we (I) keep harping on about the difference between this and Discovery. But compare the end walkthrough scene here and (MANY) equivalent scenes in Discovery: Here (Without voiceover) Pike is simply looking at his friends and crew in a new light. Appreciating them. Witness the slightly confused look on their faces (But not Number One's as she knows him better). While Discovery did similar scenes at least once a season, Butnham also appreciating her crew and friends, they all look at her lovingly/worshipful (And then at eachother as to say "Isn't she great?")

I never give anything a 10 as there is always something that can be tweaked but this, for me was a 9.5 :) A series created by people who love Trek, KNOW Trek, for people who love Trek and KNOW Trek but also open to people new to Trek or less into it. I am trying to think is there an episode that would have alienated new viewers and I can't think of one. Sure, some things may have made Trek fans giggle little little girls while new viewers looked on a little confused (Spock Amok especially) but there was nothing there that would leave them out. POSSIBLY the last episode (Had Pike been injured, Kirk would have been in the chair).

So brilliant first season. IMHO, the BEST first season of any Trek (Let's be honest, first season of the rest were ropey at best. I loved Discovery season 1 until the Mirror Universe came in then. ugh.....). A triumph for all involved

Wow. This episode is probably in my list of all time favourite trek episodes ever. Loved it from start to finish. I have no gripes.

For those people with gripes about uniforms and Kirk etc. then you need to realise that you were watching an alternate timeline version of them. Remember Yesterdays Enterprise uniforms having a slightly different neckline on the uniforms? Those changes are deliberate to delineate the original timeline being different from this new timeline created by Pike cheating death and causing changes. The uniform having shiny arms is from a Romulan War future timeline. The portrayal of Kirk as someone already mentioned is a Kirk who didn’t take command of the Enterprise and didn’t meet Spock or maybe McCoy and hadn’t gone through the experience our Shatner Kirk has. Remember when Q showed Picard a future without being stabbed in the heart in that bar fight? Experiences change people. Sometimes profoundly.

I loved the ending also. Gave me even more desire to get to season 2.

The weird thing about Kirk is that if we see him again we’ll be seeing a roughly 7-8 years younger version of him than what we seen in this episode. Wonder will he be played differently.