Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x06 - "Lost in Translation"

[JoseNoodles]

9/10 A good Uhura-centric episode, reminiscent of TNG's Night Terrors but maybe not going all in on the horror aspects. Wesley's Kirk really shined here. The last scene where Kirk formally meets Spock was great in that it didn't oversell the significance of the moment. Admittedly, the bits with Una and La'an felt tacked on, especially La'an's scene with Kirk near the Medical Bay, and Pelia's and Una's discussion on the shuttle.

Some Notes:
The refinery looks like it is made out of the same CGI model used for Starbases and Satellites on Discovery and Strange New Worlds. The mission just the Enterprise and the Farragut, but we see several more Farragut-type starships near the refinery at the end. Where did they come from?

 

[The Wormhole]

Especially since AFAIK he doesn't do TV guest spots.

Not since his career took off, anyway. With the sole exception being Marvel What If. But I think What If might have had a bit of a budget to play with, given how many big name actors they secured for it.

 

[Rainard Fox]

I'd like to see more Pike (in compare to Kirk too). I literally signed up for this!

And I'd like to see a decent development of Una's character. Unfortunately, she fell into the trap of "we'll say 100 times how good she is in her position, but will show this one-and-half times in two seasons." Waste of potential.

 

[Unique]

I'd like to see more Pike (in compare to Kirk too). I literally signed up for this!

And I'd like to see a decent development of Una's character. Unfortunately, she fell into the trap of "we'll say 100 times how good she is in her position, but will show this one-and-half times in two seasons." Waste of potential.

Yeah, I want to see her kicking ass and taking names with that Illyrian super strength. We haven’t seen that since she carried the dummy that was supposed to be Hemmer.

 

[vulcancicada]

I loved this episode! Best one of the season for me.
Really liked:
- New Kirk - I enjoyed Wesley bringing more seriousness and depth to the character now. It took a bit but, I really like new Kirk. (At this point I am seeing TOS as a sixties TV version of real events in the near future).

- Uhura-focused episode was great and it was nice to see Hemmer again

- the exploration of grief and how it is experienced - Pelia realises why some crew members avoid her because of their attachment to Hemmer; plus Uhura working through the loss of her family and showing how events can more acutely affect a person already dealing with trauma

- the plot was recycled but classic and well executed (I think SNW is trying to be TOS but with a 21st century spin)

- I liked that La'an actually interacted with this Kirk and realised that he wasn't the same Kirk she kind of fell in love with in the alternate timeline - I don't like La'an and this Kirk as a couple and that conversation kind of proved it. Also La'an may be a bit not ready for getting romantically involved with people.

- loved the Spock/Kirk handshake and meeting

- Spock/Chapel conversation was great, I love the representation of a woman with an amorphous idea of commitment, I really relate to Chapel and the way she thinks about lovers and relationships (I think they were portraying it kind of as a problem earlier in the season but, it doesn't have to be).

 

[SG-17]

9/10 A good Uhura-centric episode, reminiscent of TNG's Night Terrors but maybe not going all in on the horror aspects. Wesley's Kirk really shined here. The last scene where Kirk formally meets Spock was great in that it didn't oversell the significance of the moment. Admittedly, the bits with Una and La'an felt tacked on, especially La'an's scene with Kirk near the Medical Bay, and Pelia's and Una's discussion on the shuttle.

Some Notes:
The refinery looks like it is made out of the same CGI model used for Starbases and Satellites on Discovery and Strange New Worlds. The mission just the Enterprise and the Farragut, but we see several more Farragut-type starships near the refinery at the end. Where did they come from?

It makes sense that a refinery on the edge of known space would function as a Starbase so it being visually similar would make sense.

 

[Rainard Fox]

Yeah, I want to see her kicking ass and taking names with that Illyrian super strength. We haven’t seen that since she carried the dummy that was supposed to be Hemmer.

Wait, wait. Isn't she supposed to have only one Illyrian modification (I mean improved healing)?
It wouldn't be fair if every her skill and talent was genetically explained. She is a dedicated person who works a lot, not a person bitten by Illyrian spider.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

We've seen the true "Big 3" of TOS, Kirk, Spock and Uhura meeting for the first time.

A great episode, but based on a familiar Trek trope, "Oh teh noes! We're hurting aliens we didn't know existed!"

 

[Jedi Marso]

Also as Wrath of Khan confirmed that Spock knew how Kirk cheated on the Kobayashi Maru, and presumably Kirk would've taken it already (as Burnham confusingly mentions cadets taking it in the Academy despite herself not going to the Academy), Spock should already know of Kirk at least by reputation.

Maybe, but when you meet someone face to face for the first time, you don't bring up the fact that they cheated on a Command School test. Plus, by TWOK, Kirk and Spock have been shipmates for over twenty years. It is also not unreasonable to assume that Kirk told him the story long after they met, and Spock didn't know about it all during the time he was serving with Pike. It probably wasn't something the Academy bigwigs broadcast all over starfleet.

 

[Unique]

Wait, wait. Isn't she supposed to have only one Illyrian modification (I mean improved healing)?
It wouldn't be fair if every her skill and talent was genetically explained. She is a dedicated person who works a lot, not a person bitten by Illyrian spider.

The effortless way she picked Hemmer up and carried him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes seemed to imply she’s much stronger than average. I mean, it was an obvious dummy but what’s the point of that scene except to establish that she’s super strong?

 

[bookworm8571]

I really liked this Uhura centered episode and the way it focused on communication like “Children of the Comet.”

Christine Chapel has commitment issues, which is probably what leads to the implosion of her relationship with Spock. She got what she wanted and now has cold feet. I would like an alternate universe and a different ending.

Poor Sam Kirk. Enthusiastic, nerdy academic and older brother of a career superstar and ladies magnet but who leaves crumbs wherever he goes and annoys Spock. I wish he was not destined for a tragic end.
That’s one of the harder parts of watching a series when you already know the end. Come on, writers, surprise me. Turn it into another timeline and throw out canon.

 

[Yistaan]

It probably wasn't something the Academy bigwigs broadcast all over starfleet.

Maybe not in the Prime timeline but there was this massive Academy wide trial with a tribunal or something in the Kelvin timeline...

 

[DigitMZ]

Yeah me too, but I can't really figure out why though. On the face of it (literally),he doesn't look remotely Kirk-like, and I'm not getting any of the mannerisms that would be reminiscent, and yet there is this vibe that I'm buying into that sells the character. There's probably something in the 'never say die' attitude and the thoughtful yet risk-taking tactician stuff that's coming through?

I think because you can see a certain kind of bravado that is currently being held back because he's -not- in the position yet where he can unleash it. He's a lieutenant, and is bound by the chain of command. You can occasionally, I think, see this particular brand of Shatner Kirk when he has to deal with people higher in command than him.

But the more freedom he has to be himself, the more it starts to be -that- Kirk, I think. It feels like Wesley is basically adding bit by bit till we get the CAPTAIN KIRK. I'm fine with watching him grow, the same way Spock grows, and I expect the others to.

 

[Yistaan]

Kirk's going to be that sitcom neighbor who always shows up even though he lives in another house (I mean ship)

Poor Sam Kirk. Enthusiastic, nerdy academic and older brother of a career superstar and ladies magnet

I mean Sam's married or has a girlfriend at this point in time and there was no indication he was unhappy with her that I remember

 

[Noname Given]

Writing this before reading the rest of the Thread:

Another 10 from me. (I LOVE this iteration of STAR TREK - I really hope it's allowed to continue and get a full multi-season run whenever the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes are resolved.)

Overall this cast just works and works well. I don't feel like I'm watching another weekly TV show, the proformances and production values make every one of the episodes feel like a feature film. No one is 'phoning it in' here, and the scripts themselves have been great with good character beats and dialogue unique to each character (and for me the latter was often missing in a lot of TNG, the dialogue was often just interchangeable and anyone could have said it for the most part.)

- I love that they didn't figure out a way to just 100% 'speak' to the aliens in a common vocal language at the end.

- I also love the progression to the realization and that there wasn't a technological 'McGuffin' that assisted in figuring out what the aliens were trying to accomplish. Everything flowed nicely and there was a logical progression that allowed the characters to figure it out.

- I also loved that Uhura was certain at the end, but Pike wasn't 100% on board; BUT in the end trusted his officer and what she was telling him, and the manner in which they portrayed Uhura understanding what the aliens were saying without technological assistance.

- I also enjoyed that while they did do sequences where you knew Uhura was hallucinating; they also did other ones that kept the audience guessing (along with the characters themselves) whether or not something was a hallucination.

- I also love the resolution of the Uhura Vs Uhura scene and the result (with her decking Kirk); and LOVED how they had both characters handle the result. Also loved the way they had Kirk talk about 'death in Starfleet' <-- Very much in character and respectful of what has been written for James T. Kirk WRT the subject. The writers do know the character (IMO)

And as someone who wasn't sold on Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk in his first outing after in SNW S1 A Quality Of Mercy, he's 'sold' me with his performance (and the producers with their writing of the character) here. He's Kirk and it's definitely a young 'Prime Universe' Kirk that I can definitely see progressing into the Captain we'll see in 6-7 years in TOS proper. I also love the more natural way they are bringing characters we know will serve together in the future, not just because "Well, we all know that's what happens..." - no, they involve them in situations and interactions that show a bond being developed because of a shared adventure or experience. Hell, even the 'shared experience' that BOTH Kirk and Spock are annoyed by character traits of Sam Kirk <--- And Spock overhearing that exchange (and also just coming by to check in on Uhura), and adding his observation of Sam Kirk gives him a natural in/reason to speak with Uhura and in the end, find out if James Kirk is anything like Sam.

For me, the writers came up with a great way to introduce Uhura, Spock, and Pike to James T. Kirk that still respects Canon and IMO works for me much more than them all just 'meeting at the Academy' in some type of Cadet/Instructor situation. (And okay, I still like ST09 and what they did there too, but for me what they did in SNW works better. YMMV.)

 

[Yistaan]

We already have Uhura, Spock, and Kirk now. They only need to meet Scotty and Sulu.

People want McCoy but he may well not have met up with the crew until between Where No Man Has Gone Before and Corbomite Maneuver, since Piper comes after M'Benga. And Chekov doesn't join until the middle of TOS

 

[cooleddie74]

McCoy is also assigned to Capella IV before joining the Enterprise crew in 2266 so...yeah.

 

[Skipper]

I'm trying to recall any scene with the TOS Kirk at some social event where isn't a on mission or he's not trying to hit on some…

A little help..?

 

[Noname Given]

Also as Wrath of Khan confirmed that Spock knew how Kirk cheated on the Kobayashi Maru, and presumably Kirk would've taken it already (as Burnham confusingly mentions cadets taking it in the Academy despite herself not going to the Academy), Spock should already know of Kirk at least by reputation.

EVERYBODY at the Academy knew.

From STII:TWoK:

Kirk: "I got a commendation for original thinking."

So yeah, what Kirk did on his third Kobayashi Maru run during his time at the academy was WELL KNOWN.

 

[fireproof78]

Another thing, does Spock and Pike ever talk to each other anymore? I want to know why Spock would risk his life and career for him by taking him back to Talos IV. That could have been an undercurrent theme in this series and we really haven’t seen it.

I mean, Pike has been there, supporting Spock and helping him through a lot of smaller struggles. I don't think it needs to be one big thing but just smaller things for Spock to feel that loyalty.

Maybe, but when you meet someone face to face for the first time, you don't bring up the fact that they cheated on a Command School test. Plus, by TWOK, Kirk and Spock have been shipmates for over twenty years. It is also not unreasonable to assume that Kirk told him the story long after they met, and Spock didn't know about it all during the time he was serving with Pike. It probably wasn't something the Academy bigwigs broadcast all over starfleet.

I mean, it's not like there is a reason for Spock to care. He is not in the Command school, he isn't going to be impressed by this test, and it's not something that's just going to pop up.