Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3x01 - "Hegemony, Part II"

[eschaton]

I will disagree that it felt like a person. It felt very much like a monster. I know the goal is to build towards a more an understanding of aliens being in the right, something Trek sometimes lapses in.

But, it always felt like a force than a person. Something Kirk could not reason with.

That's my take on the episode. I'm sure others take more from it but the hints of rational thought in Arena feel very surface level, like reminders by Kirk that this is a captain of his own stripe.

I think the salient point of Arena isn't whether or not the Gorn is a monster, so much as Kirk doesn't treat it as a monster. That's why the Metron decides, in the end, that humanity might have hope of becoming something better in the future.

But yeah, it's not as club you over the head about the monster being misunderstood as say Devil in the Dark. But TOS was chock full of "monsters" (from Charlie X to the salt vampire) which were treated with a dose of compassion different from more mean-spirited shows from the time, like the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits.

 

[Yistaan]

Where's Una and her magic blood to help wheelchair Pike in TOS?

 

[F. King Daniel]

I really enjoyed this one. Uhura's skullcap thing looked weird, and in profile I was having Disco season one L'Rell flashbacks, but that's the only quibble and it's minor.

Seems like they've put the Gorn into Borg Sleep Mode until TOS, in other words "We ain't explaining or fixing nay of your continuity fanboy shit!" (which is IMHO fine as SNW is a quasi reboot thing)

 

[Seven of Five]

Been thinking about the episode all day.

The action was on another level even if I'm still not fully sold on SNW's Gorn being like Alien.

I also think making the Gorn sleep was too reminiscent of the Borg.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

My main criticism of the actual episode:

A SHITOAD of technobabble. Like, way more even than back in VOY times.

Agreed, didn't like this for this reason, felt like the worst of the Berman era where they'd set up an impossible situation and then get out of it by manipulating fake technology. The scant character scenes were good as always, the cast is the great strength here and why I'm still watching, but this was a fumble narratively.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

Let Downs:
Shockwave, Pt II

How could Shockwave be a let down when it contains the greatest moment in Star Trek history, and possibly the entire history of television?

 

[FredH]

I think the salient point of Arena isn't whether or not the Gorn is a monster, so much as Kirk doesn't treat it as a monster. That's why the Metron decides, in the end, that humanity might have hope of becoming something better in the future.

But yeah, it's not as club you over the head about the monster being misunderstood as say Devil in the Dark.

I think it’s especially significant that Kirk ultimately doesn’t treat the Gorn as a monster, even though it has consistently acted like one. The Horta is trying to protect its children; the Gorn may have been defending their territory, but they chose not to warn off the colonists and to ignore their attempts at communication. Unlike the Horta acting from desperation, the Gorn are willfully malevolent (at the time). It’s a much bigger step for Kirk to refuse to kill it even despite that.

 

[Enterprise1701]

The Gorn are always monsters.

Sorry, but Arena didn't make them less monstrous. The crew assumes they are in the wrong with no due diligence. Even the alien arbiters note that Kirk's mercy would not have been reciprocated.

I can't say I agree.

 

[thribs]

Kirk fought an actual Gorn though. Not these Xenomorph wannabes.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Kirk fought an actual Gorn though. Not these Xenomorph wannabes.

That's not how it works

 

[Brainsucker]

I assume the Gorn in tos moved so slowly because of sleepiness from hibernation

You're wrong. Gorn TOS was fast. It just filmed in slow motion mode. Or just think it that way, slow motion.

 

[Nerys Myk]

You're wrong. Gorn TOS was fast. It just filmed in slow motion mode. Or just think it that way, slow motion.

So Kirk was filmed in slow motion too?

 

[Brainsucker]

So Kirk was filmed in slow motion too?

Just think that way. Just watch the scene in youtube, and make it 1.5x faster, and it still look normal with today movie action standard.

Plus, think that the TOS Gorn is a very old Gorn who suffer in some muscle and bone disorder. So it no longer capable to move like normal.

 

[thribs]

That's not how it works

To me this is DiscoVerse stuff so I see it as an alternate reality.

 

[Nerys Myk]

To me this is DiscoVerse stuff so I see it as an alternate reality.

Still not how it works.

 

[fireproof78]

I can't say I agree.

That's ok.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Those binary stars were really small, right? I'm no Science Guy, but that seemed weird. Can stars be that small? I might Google "tiny stars" in a minute. Again: not Sciene Guy, please don't make fun of me.

I agree with a lot of people who have already posted: the episode was a good enough resolution but disappointingly lacking in anything unexpected. I liked seeing the crew again, it looked very nice and Scott/Pelia was a fun dynamic. But I was hoping we'd learn a bit more about the Gorn but instead they seemed even less interesting here than in Part 1.

 

[the G-man]

...and so it begins again...

Once more into the breach, dear Trek Fans.

Wow. I did not realize until today it was back. Time to reorder Par. Plus, I guess.

 

[Mudd]

That was preposterous and confusing and rushed enough to be any random episode of Doctor Who.

 

[KennyB]

Where's Una and her magic blood to help wheelchair Pike in TOS?

She's only available as required by the plot........