Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x04 - "An Obol for Charon"

[rhllot]

Never gave that much thought. They COULD be an offshoot for all we know, like the Romulans were an offshoot of Vulcans.

Voq baby leader efreocian for the independence!!!

 

[Vger23]

Though I could have sworn Reno also said something about how she had to go through the spore lab to actually get to the warp drive, which is why it was a problem when the room got locked down.

I'm pretty sure she motioned toward the big , red-lit industrial structure that looks like the one in the TOS engine room when she mentioned something about the warp core.

Random comment:

"The main flaw in this episode however was somewhat poor characterization. First, Pike's conclusion that the alien megastructure was belligerent seemed very random and was transparently for story purposes to create a short-lived conflict. I came out of that scene thinking less of him, which shouldn't have happened."

This didn't bother me. I had Kirk visions swirling in my head here. If I'm the Captain, I interpret anything that snags me out of warp and holds me like a fly on fly-paper as an immediate direct threat to my ship and crew. He DID listen to Suru and Michael when they provided a viable option to it's intent.

Another:

"More fundamental though is the oddness of the sudden deep relationship between Burnham and Saru. We've had no evidence on camera they particularly liked one another. Their relationship on the Shenzhou was distant and prickly, and even though Saru came to forgive Michael, we didn't really see a budding friendship as we did with Tilly. I understand that for narrative purposes Saru had to be close to someone, and since he knew Burnham the longest (and she is the main character) it should have been her. But this relationship just seems...unearned. Which is a shame, because viewed in isolation, not knowing anything about the arc of Discovery as a whole, this character work comes off a lot better."

I agree here. I had the same thoughts as Michael and Suru were conversing before his assumed death. But.... I finally got a very good emotional performance from Michael so I didn't mind it that much. I wish I could have seen such depth when she was pulling away from Ash. Well done SMG!! They have mended their relationship throughout the series. They certainly weren't at odds like they were early on. I think they truly have brother/sister feelings for each other. If I wasn't convinced before, I am now.

Good to see Reno back on screen.... although I thought her nip and tuck with Stamets was a little over the top. Not too bad though. I enjoy her delivery and dry humor. Nice to see Staments get past his pouty self and become engaged once again. Is Jet going to end up being Discovery's Chief engineer?

A note about "Engineering"... in the episode they said the "spore room" wasn't part of main engineering, but when Michael said she was going to engineering to help with the shields she showed up there... and when the bridge calls engineering, Stamets or Tilly answers from the "spore room".

Tilly.... another knock-it-out-of-the-park performance by Mary. (stands and applauds!!) She's just awesome. So much heartfelt emotion and different emotional states conveyed and it all seems so REAL. You go girl!

Suru... I was watching the scene where he's talking Michael into cutting off his ganglia (sp) and I thought I'd missed something and thought about checking IMDb to see if Doug Jones was still a part of the crew after this episode (lol). Great performance by Doug and more great background concerning the Kelpians. I liked how the short 'The Brightest Star' added to this episode as well. Had we not had that, it may have been too much to absorb. This was the first time Discovery tugged my emotional heartstrings.

Very good "Star Trek" story here. Yes, it's been done before (I tire of hearing that because I challenge anyone to come up with something totally new in Trek), but this was done VERY well and wasn't a carbon copy of another trek episode.

The pacing was welcomed; especially after last week. Only a couple "cuts" seemed a little quick.

I believe we've seen the beginnings of learning why this spore drive can't be sustained in trek. It seemed May's primary concern was that her people that were being adversly affected (killed?) by Discovery's jumping. More to follow I'm sure.

Love how they melded the Universal Translator problems into this episode. Probably the best it's ever been done in trek.

Michael had a couple "I'm Michael and I have to save the world" moments, but it wasn't that bad in this one.

Also enjoyed meeting #1 from the Enterprise. "Cheeseburger and fries" ... lol She will become more intergral in this plot I'm sure. I think the actress player her well.

I also liked, as I did the Klingon hair "fix", how they addressed the holocommunicator "issue" in trek canon. Maybe they should have never went there, but at least they addressed it and we can move on.

I don't know that I can knock this one. A GREAT Star Trek episode in my book and I think Discovery's finest effort to date.

Well done. What a monumental improvment over last week!

A 10 for me.

Great review. Thanks for posting...makes me want to check it out again!

They can have the characters enjoy classical and jazz, and we the viewers complain that it's stuffy and antiquated.
They can make up imaginary pop/rock stuff, and then it's some awful, silly noise like in TNG "Suddenly Human."

Or they can just exercise some "wink-wink" levity and use stuff that we are familiar with on a popular level.

Kor

#thisiscorrect

 

[Vger23]

Please tell me this wasn't all we're going to see of Number One as well.

 

[Tuskin38]

Please tell me this wasn't all we're going to see of Number One as well.

It isn't.

 

[rhllot]

There's no evidence of that.

According to the reference book Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years, the Efrosian homeworld was once a province of the Klingon Empire before joining the Federation

 

[Tuskin38]

According to the reference book Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years, the Efrosian homeworld was once a province of the Klingon Empire before joining the Federation

That isn't canon.

 

[Nyotarules]

So what you have a problem with isn’t the music, but the behavior. Those crazy kids in the better human future.

A semi military organisation having a rave playing 200 year old music makes as much sense as a present day barrack in the army or ship in the navy having a party dancing to Schubert. I'm not in the armed forces so maybe they do.

 

[Nyotarules]

Efrosian were not simply Klingon who became independent from the empire?

No, why should they be, were all those human looking aliens on TOS and TNG leftovers from Earth's Eugenic Wars?

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Efrosian were not simply Klingon who became independent from the empire?

Little known fact (because I just made it up) :

The Efrosian Federation President from ST:VI (whose friends called him "Red") was married to a Caitian whose name was......wait for it.......
....Kitty.

 

[Amaris]

A semi military organisation having a rave playing 200 year old music makes as much sense as a present day barrack in the army or ship in the navy having a party dancing to Schubert. I'm not in the armed forces so maybe they do.

Schubert had some sick beats. Seriously, though, there comes a point where technology can only work so much into the human aural experience. Even here, now, in the 21st century, we’re pushing the limits of what the human ear can perceive, and the brain can process.

That aside, it sounds like what you want is what would be considered “dignified” music. Music that sounds intelligent, that people nod their heads and go “yes, I am an adult and deserve an adult size music.”

 

[Greg Cox]

as far as the music goes, could be just a decade long phase or something where everyone is into that period of music, kind of like that odd period of time right after O Brother Where Art Thou when suddenly it seemed like everyone was an expert on Bluegrass for about 6 months, or Swing Revival in the 90s, etc

Or back in the seventies, when the movie The Sting repopularized Scott Joplin and ragtime for a spell.

 

[Kemaiku]

I think we have music down at this point. All that will come in the future is good singers, better sound systems for everyone and every possible variation of sound and lyrics. But It won't be that different.

Even STiD had 21st century music playing in SF bars. What matters is, everyone is still having a good time.

 

[rhllot]

Little known fact (because I just made it up) :

The Efrosian Federation President from ST:IV (whose friends called him "Red") was married to a Caitian whose name was......wait for it.......
....Kitty.

it was very funny hahaha

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

"The artist now known as Prince...not to be confused with the other artist, formerly known as Prince"

Dang, I was so excited to post this exact joke but you beat me to it!

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

it was very funny hahaha

Thanks for coming. I'm here all week.
(And I meant ST:VI, not ST:IV. I fixed my original post)

 

[Kor]

Schubert had some sick beats. Seriously, though, there comes a point where technology can only work so much into the human aural experience. Even here, now, in the 21st century, we’re pushing the limits of what the human ear can perceive, and the brain can process.

That aside, it sounds like what you want is what would be considered “dignified” music. Music that sounds intelligent, that people nod their heads and go “yes, I am an adult and deserve an adult size music.”

Known in some circles as "art music."

Kor

 

[F. King Daniel]

Even STiD had 21st century music playing in SF bars. What matters is, everyone is still having a good time.

ID had a few songs especially made for the movie (versions of which played in the Scotty/Keener club scene in different markets). I think that's maybe our first look at music that's supposed to be current in the Trekverse.

Other than the Klingon metal in VOY: "Real Life"

 

[Nyotarules]

Schubert had some sick beats. Seriously, though, there comes a point where technology can only work so much into the human aural experience. Even here, now, in the 21st century, we’re pushing the limits of what the human ear can perceive, and the brain can process.

That aside, it sounds like what you want is what would be considered “dignified” music. Music that sounds intelligent, that people nod their heads and go “yes, I am an adult and deserve an adult size music.”

Your sound is off since I never said it or implied it.

I don't know how the TOS music came across to its audience in the 1960's but at least the writers made the effort to make something up (whether its good or bad). In the Eden episode, the Federation hippys did not go around singing Nat King Cole or whatever was popular back then in the real world. Uhura in Conscience of the King sang a song which in universe was probably very popular. To my modern ear it sounds old but at least they tried. Other fans would prefer they not bother and stick to what is in universe old stuff and what to us is in living memory, I prefer they make the effort e.g the VOY Klingon music scene with the doctor being an example of what I mean, that scene made sense in universe, and in real life, it sounded alien to me.
Tilly having Bowie (or any other 20th century artist) as a favourite song does not make sense to me. Stamet's Uncle Beatle's cover band, had my eyes rolling, the Prince comment had my eyes rolling down my face and on my lap.
In the Star Trek future the only music that survives is either jazz, European classical music, or the US/UK old top 40 hits ..yeah ok

 

[Kemaiku]

ID had a few songs especially made for the movie (versions of which played in the Scotty/Keener club scene in different markets). I think that's maybe our first look at music that's supposed to be current in the Trekverse.

Other than the Klingon metal in VOY: "Real Life"

Yeah, I saw the UK version in the cinema and remember the early comparing of notes with people who had seen it in other territories.

Not a bad idea to create new music for the show, to get around copywrite problems. Too much effort for them I suppose.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Efrosian Federation President from ST:VI (whose friends called him "Red") was married to a Caitian whose name was......wait for it.......
....Kitty.

"This President is not above the law.

Dumbass."