Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x08 - "If Memory Serves"

[Alan Roi]

Yeah, I noticed the camera-work too. The director seemed to favor wide lenses, especially in ship scenes. Lens flares were definitely a bit much but I chalk it up to experimenting with the anamorphic format.

I like how the camera work added to the unearthly bit of atmosphere we got from the episode which of course set the stage for the Talosian encounters. It does evoke that early sixties TV series predilection for surrealist filmmaking.

 

[Alan Roi]

I'm going to need some time to digest before I can vote, especially after the opening recap. How could I resist that? Dirty pool, Discovery, but I love you for it.

Setting aside the squee factor, this was a remarkably respectful followup to the Cage. Mount was great, and I was impressed how well it worked when they transitioned directly to him from the Hunter version. I bought that this was the same character. Similarly, I'm already liking New Spock more than Quinto Spock. I really, really want a Pike/Spock/Enterprise show now.

The lady who planned Vina did a good job channeling her predecessor as well, especially during the reveal of her injuries.

The Talosians themselves were kind of disappointing. Didn't like the male actors -- they seemed less alien than the originals. The heads didn't look right, either. Not in the sense that they didn't match the old ones -- they just looked flat and fake. The costumes also looked a bit tat. Maybe '60s sparkle wouldn't fly today, but ugly vinyl shower curtain was worse.

It was pretty easy to see through the big illusions, but that was just set dressing for the character work. And the character work was some of the best the show has given us. Stamets and Culber, Pike and Vina, Burnham and Spock -- even Tyler worked for me, possibly for the first time since the Voq business.

The show finally stopped to smell the singing flowers, and it was all the better for it.

Again, people, MELISSA GEORGE!

 

[Vger23]

They used "The Cage" transporter sound effect for the beam-up to the S31 ship.

 

[cooleddie74]

yeah, Riker's holodeck adventure was chronologically after The Cage

116 years after "The Cage(TOS)" to be specific, but who's counting?

 

[cooleddie74]

Discovery indicates that the Enterprise Mirror episodes were at least canonical. Add into the fact that those episodes then summarized Enterprise as happening (Jonathan Archer "sold out humans to alien species" as his counterpart put it) on the Defiant's computer...

Oh, all of ENT is canon. The haters can suck on one of Trip's maternity nipples.

 

[thribs]

So it’s restricted but not general order 7 yet. I wonder if that’s Control’s doing. Their abilities pose a threat to it and its mission to protect the Federation.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Oh, all of ENT is canon.

So you're saying Enterprise's phase cannons are canon?

 

[Vger23]

Honestly, they could have stretched this one episode into 11 and bookended the season with a set-up episode and a close-out and I would have been over the moon. I totally wanted to stay on Talos and with Vina and Pike etc for so much longer.

 

[cooleddie74]

So you're saying Enterprise's phase cannons are canon?

The biggest. The best. The most canon of cannons. And Malcolm knew all the best cannons, let me tell you!

 

[CorporalClegg]

Honestly, they could have stretched this one episode into 11 and bookended the season with a set-up episode and a close-out and I would have been over the moon. I totally wanted to stay on Talos and with Vina and Pike etc for so much longer.

We'll be back.

(Get it? Cuz evil AI robots from the future?)

 

[Alan Roi]

Honestly, they could have stretched this one episode into 11 and bookended the season with a set-up episode and a close-out and I would have been over the moon. I totally wanted to stay on Talos and with Vina and Pike etc for so much longer.

You don't think that Pike and Vina aren't going to engage in any Talosian illusion nookie whenever his ship ends up in range of their powers in future?

 

[XCV330]

Nice to see Nilsson getting more screen time.

 

[Vger23]

We'll be back.

(Get it? Cuz evil AI robots from the future?)

"Chill out, deek-wad"...I totally get it!

 

[Vger23]

You don't think that Pike and Vina aren't going to engage in any Talosian illusion nookie whenever his ship ends up in range of their powers in future?

If they don't, there's something wrong with the universe.

 

[CorporalClegg]

The biggest. The best. The most canon of cannons. And Malcolm knew all the best cannons, let me tell you!

But will the Klingons pay for them?

 

[Yistaan]

Nice to see Nilsson getting more screen time.

I strongly suspect she's Discovery's mysterious chief engineer.

 

[Vger23]

Nice to see Nilsson getting more screen time.

Sara Mitch must be so bummed that she had to relinquish the Airiam role given the direction this is going.

 

[XCV330]

I strongly suspect she's Discovery's mysterious chief engineer.

Could be. Also. where is Jett Reno?

 

[Yistaan]

Sara Mitch must be so bummed that she had to relinquish the Airiam role given the direction this is going.

I actually thought she was going to play Vina given her resemblance to Susan Oliver, and when Kurtzman announced Talosians back before the start of the season. But once I saw her play Nilsson I knew that wouldn't be the case.

 

[LizStargaryen]

I should be able to rate this a 13 solely based on the "you really think the beard is working" line.

Their sibling dynamic gave me life. I'm the eldest sister and cousin in my family, and we big sisters do that kind of thing all the time.

I was sitting in the audience at SDCC when they announced that Michael was "Spock's foster sister." And I was like "what?" I didn't think they'd ever sell me on the most famous family in the most famous televised SF series of the past half century having a Secret Sister and Daughter. It sounded like a bad soap opera.

This week and last week? I was sold. Martin-Green and Peck definitely have that big sister, little brother energy nailed down. She's full of guilt ("half-breed" is an awful, terrible thing to say, their equivalent of our racial slurs, and he was so little when she said it); he's full of that "you couldn't hurt me, you wish, you're not that important" vibe that my younger sibs had when we were kids and as adults.

It might be too much for some fans. But we don't always get to see sibling dynamics explored. It certainly rang true for me.

Also, Spock being Michael's (and perhaps Sybok's -- not giving up hope!) annoying kid brother explains how well he was able to get underneath Bones' skin so easily. If he were truly an only child without any friends, how'd he get so witty? Where did all that sarcasm come from? It actually works, at least it does for me.