Spoilers Strange New Worlds 1x01 - "Strange New Worlds"

[Jayson1]

Yes but that's not the kind of change we're talking about. For instance, if one wants to be a huge purist, the Enterprise Bridge in The Cage is essentially the same as in regular TOS, with minor alterations, while the one in DSC is completely different (and much larger) but is supposed to be in the middle of the two, and then changes quite a bit for SNW. The Enterprise also can't be the same ship because it's so proportionally different. We ignore these, not because they are particularily possible, but because we ascribe them to out-of-universe changes, while for some reason the ethnicity of an actor is very important.

I don't they are seen as that important. Except from the usual Youtuber suspects. I just think people see the changes happening in a different universe from the Prime as a sort of in universe reason to explain it. Comes down to how important people feel the need to tie these new shows with the old shows vs simply letting the new shows stand on their own with a new timeline with it's own shared continuity that is different from the old shows shared continuity.

I think the big issue is more with CBS. I feel like they are afraid they are going to loose tons of old fans if they don't say everything is in the prime universe because they think fans will then find these new shows as not legit if they are not connected to the old stuff from a continuity angle. They clearly want to do new stuff, these modern shows but they are still kind of afraid of letting go of the Prime Universe tether.

 

[UssGlenn]

I did a search, and it appears that no one has mentioned the fact that some version of the movie "Silent Running" has been adopted into the Trek universe. Forests in Domes around Saturn? Anybody?

 

[TRON JA307020]

I suppose Sam could have been off duty when he died, thus explaining why he wasn't in uniform...

Still, though, as devoted as Jim is to Starfleet, I would think that if his brother was in the service as well, something would have come up.

And if Sam was stationed at Deneva in service to Starfleet, why wasn't anyone with him? Why no fellow officers? What would a Starfleet science officer be doing there alone?

By the time of operation annihilate Sam might have left starfleet years prior to live on the colony as a scientist. In the episode Kirk just lost his brother. Why would he feel it necessary to tell everyone "yeah he was with Starfleet a few years ago." That's not going to help move the story or help Kirk trying to find a way to save his nephew and sister in law. As a matter of fact Kirk spends little time talking about his family in detail in that episode. He's too caught up in trying to save them.

 

[Belz...]

I don't they are seen as that important. Except from the usual Youtuber suspects. I just think people see the changes happening in a different universe from the Prime as a sort of in universe reason to explain it.

Allow me to use another example, just to put the "possible change" and "alternate universe" things to rest: in several shots of TNG and TOS we see one version of the model from one angle followed by a different version when the angle changes. If one wants to be really literal or picky, that's physically impossible. But we accept the impossible because we know it's a budget issue. We accept the out-of-universe reason for the in-universe incoherence. And I say this as someone who's bothered by this sort of thing. My point, I guess, is that I think we have to let go of those things, including the ethnicity of a character, which is not really important.

 

[Vger23]

The only character that didn't land for me was Nurse Chapel (which seems to be a minority opinion thus far).

I feel like this era of Star Trek requires a quirky young character in every single iteration, just like the previous requirement was always "a non-human character who we can explore various facets of humanity through due to their differences."

Chapel is basically just the SNW Tilly/Adira/Jurati...at least the way they presented her here.

I didn't dislike her, but I thought her characterization was a bit predictable, and she certainly doesn't behave like the character namesake on TOS. Of course, there's a long way to go here...so it will probably shake itself out.

 

[BigJake]

Don't really get the reason for the backward rating scale, but it was a solid 2 (normal 9). Strong as an outing of old-timey episodic Trek. All the character work was solid, the story was nothing particularly new... but then the basic message remains as relevant as ever. And it was fun to see this kind of premise executed with modern effects.

I feel like the Gorn-as-nightmare-race must have a specific grounding in something that I've missed (and I did miss a sizable chunk of S2 Discovery which I still need to go back and watch). Could take or leave that, I guess. But everything else was fun.

 

[Mudd]

Chapel is basically just the SNW Tilly/Adira/Jurati...at least the way they presented her here.

I see what you're getting at, but what Chapel has - or lacks - that's different from all three of those is the aspect of personality that is most challenging about them: a scattered quality to their self-expression, like their smart brains are always running half a step ahead of their mouths and they're likely to trip. They are therefore sympathetically socially awkward. I see Chapel so far as voluble and quick-witted but always sharply-focused on the moment and the people around her.

 

[Vger23]

I will say that the two most recent Star Trek series...which are admittedly in their infancy (those being Strange New Worlds and Prodigy) have definitely done a nice job capturing the classic feel of Star Trek as a fun, engaging outer-space adventure.

Now, I'm definitely talking out both sides of my mouth here...because I love DSC and PIC for being different than what came before and challenging the franchise to go into different directions. But...I love PRO and SNW for being more similar to what the franchise has presented in the past.

Whatever, it makes sense to me, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[TheMadCloner]

I enjoyed it.

It was important that they addressed not only Pike’s worry about his accident, but also the fact that he doesn’t have to worry about dying until that point because he knows he’s “safe” no matter what he does. There was some nice dialogue about those two issues and I think they handled it about as well as they possibly could.

 

[Vger23]

I see what you're getting at, but what Chapel has - or lacks - that's different from all three of those is the aspect of personality that is most challenging about them: a scattered quality to their self-expression, like their smart brains are always running half a step ahead of their mouths and they're likely to trip. They are therefore sympathetically socially awkward. I see Chapel so far as voluble and quick-witted but always sharply-focused on the moment and the people around her.

That's a very fair point. I have to admit that Chapel comes off differently enough in the pilot where I'm not totally up-in-arms or anything. I just initially rolled my eyes a little bit. I also rolled my eyes at the "Noonian Singh" reference, but that character was immediately engaging, and pretty quickly made me forget her last name(s). We'll see how that one plays out as well...

 

[Kaelef]

I also rolled my eyes at the "Noonian Singh" reference, but that character was immediately engaging, and pretty quickly made me forget her last name(s). We'll see how that one plays out as well...

I had the same reaction from when they first announced her name, but she's also won me over so far.
I'm curious to see what connection they establish between her and her most famous ancestor. I'm hoping it's something creative and unpredictable.

 

[eschaton]

I will say that the two most recent Star Trek series...which are admittedly in their infancy (those being Strange New Worlds and Prodigy) have definitely done a nice job capturing the classic feel of Star Trek as a fun, engaging outer-space adventure.

Now, I'm definitely talking out both sides of my mouth here...because I love DSC and PIC for being different than what came before and challenging the franchise to go into different directions. But...I love PRO and SNW for being more similar to what the franchise has presented in the past.

Whatever, it makes sense to me, and I'm sticking to it.

I honestly feel like SNW may be a good example of how sometimes you need to crawl before you learn how to walk.

I mean rather than starting out with a high-concept, serialized opening, Discovery should have done a more semi-episodic first season, which allowed the writers to "kick the tires" as it were, see what character dynamics worked well, who ended up writer/fan favorites, and what initial stories opened up later possibilities.

 

[TheMadCloner]

That's a very fair point. I have to admit that Chapel comes off differently enough in the pilot where I'm not totally up-in-arms or anything. I just initially rolled my eyes a little bit. I also rolled my eyes at the "Noonian Singh" reference, but that character was immediately engaging, and pretty quickly made me forget her last name(s). We'll see how that one plays out as well...

Chapel seems like she is written as being socially confident and assertive, which is the opposite of Jurati and Tilly. Based on what we’ve seen so far I don’t think any of the SNW characters are lacking in confidence. It’s more like TOS in this way; everyone is competent, but not afraid to have fun doing their jobs.

Re: Noonien-Singh, I don’t think it’s a coincidence they put in that Khan scene in the Picard finale on the same night.

 

[Trekker4747]

Which one? DS9's theme was amazing, VOY's won an emmy and ENT's, like it or hate it, is not generic.

By "wallpaper music" I speak more towards the in-show music after around half-way through TNG Season 4 when the music became dull and generic. The themes remained great but Berman's thoughts were that the in-show music shouldn't out perform the story and characters.

The SNW theme feels that level of bland (really, all of the NuTrek series themes do) for this show they really should have gone with something more in the level if ST09 end titles theme. Something exciting and vibrant.

This just sounds like the Trek theme after taking a handful of Valium.

 

[TheMadCloner]

Best “bits” in the episode for me:

- T’Pring being on a first name basis with Pike was amusing, almost like how your SO gets annoyed with that friend you know from work

- Pike and Kirk both riding horses and making breakfast for their girlfriends in the prairies. Pike is doing it successfully, but it’s winter and he doesn’t want to go back to Starfleet. Kirk fails, and it’s summer and he’s going back to Starfleet. Pike knows how he’s going to die, Kirk is “already dead.” Nice touch.

- I like how Picard and SNW have at least tried to address the inconsistencies with the wars of Earth past. I suspect this is their way of saying “let’s just move on now.”

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And it put Pike's sidekick (Spock) in shorts too.

Ha!

The TOS era transporter could disable weapons too (or not beam them in) - see TOS S3 - "Day Of The Dove".

It didn't do that in "Day of the Dove." What Scott did was suspend the Klingons in transit while he materialized the original landing party. (How he differentiated who was who is unclear. It could have been based on who had Starfleet communicators or where they stood in formation, but ultimately it could have been done believably, I'd imagine.) When the Klingons came in separately, they had their weapons. But they were positioned backwards and quickly disarmed.

https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/thumbnails.php?album=69&page=8
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x07hd/dayofthedovehd0227.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x07hd/dayofthedovehd0229.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x07hd/dayofthedovehd0231.jpg

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Still laughing about Spock getting a school uniform.

 

[Belz...]

By "wallpaper music" I speak more towards the in-show music after around half-way through TNG Season 4 when the music became dull and generic. The themes remained great but Berman's thoughts were that the in-show music shouldn't out perform the story and characters.

Thank you for the clarification. I actually never noticed the change in TNG.

The SNW theme feels that level of bland (really, all of the NuTrek series themes do)

Well, it's growing on me, but though I generally with you here I think Lower Decks' theme is actually anything but sedate.

 

[Search4]

How would I know, I watched TOS! And yes, I know it was done ONCE in TOS. It was a tricky thing. Not the norm.

Yeah, it's a minor quibble but there's just no point for it. Shoot, as I said, use the impracticality of intra-ship beaming to help the drama.

Or the emergency medical transporter is optimized for intra ship.

 

[zarkon]

Aside from the Vulcan stuff, this was a very good episode and a very encouraging start to SNW. Certainly more what I've been looking for in Trek then any show/movie in the last couple of decades.

Having a Noonien-Singh on board is a bit eyerolling, but the character of La'an is otherwise good, so I please just ask that she never turns against everyone. I presume there will probably be a Gorn ep at some point, hopefully she doesn't have to be talked back from phasers at max.

But yeah, good cast, good story, basically classic trek circa 2022. It's never going to be exactly like the old shows as time moves on, but it seems to have captured what's important. Strong start to build on.