Spoilers Star Trek: Khan 1x02 - "Scheherazade"

[Avro Arrow]

Second episode releases on Monday, September 15! Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode Description: As they acclimate to the beauty and promise of their new home, Khan and his people also encounter deadly dangers waiting to catch them unawares.

Runtime: 33 minutes

 

[Tosk]

A shorter episode, but I enjoyed it. I wish I had the restraint to wait and listen to them all together, I'll wager it's more effective that way.

Back when the trailer was released I did worry slightly that the performance style was going to be way too big for my taste, but I'm finding everyone quite good. The dialogue is well written and keeps the "I'm describing what we're all seeing!" effect to a minimum.

 

[Zarm]

I am really struggling with this series. They are not telling a bad story, per se (though the pace at which they're telling it suggests to me a massive time-jump coming, or a much longer series than advertised)... but this really doesn't strike me as Khan (emotionally and environmentally sensitive?! Worried about having upset Marla, and introspective about whether he's ever truly loved), or Marla (where do I even begin? This is Kristin Beyer feminist Marla, she shares 0% of Space Seed Marla's traits; even just in this episode, she has to restrain herself from arguing with Khan over how he's treating her. I am reminded of Galaxy Quest: "Did you guys even watch the show?" And that's just this episode, episode one was even more of a hot mess for her. Maybe this is how she 'should' have been, but this is simply not who she was, and if you want to try and 'redeem' the character from a modern viewpoint, you need to actually start with the character that existed, not invent a new one out of whole cloth), and doesn't really ring true with the Augments (who present like X-men, oppressed and just wanting not to be misunderstood- a number of them shy and gawky and very... contemporary, in their talk and behavior).

None of these ring true to the onscreen evidence we've seen. They fit somewhat with Prodigy and SNW's attempted retcons regarding augmented individuals- but not with the established traits of this specific group of augmented individuals. (If you want to cast the Federation's attitude toward augmentation as bias or prejudice wrongly spread against all groups, the one group that should still live up to the reputation are the ones that caused the reputation!) It feels like they want to take the whole 'Khan was the best of the tyrants, there were no massacres under his rule' dialogue a bit too far- ignoring the whole takeover, attempted torture of Kirk to death to force compliance, being prepared to cut McCoy's throat as soon as he awakens... etc. There still needs to be that 'superior ambition' aspect, the haughty and regal conqueror's mindset... and I don't see that in these Augments.

Again, I understand the desire to humanize your protagonists... and I think showing positive sides of Khan and his people is fine. This just seems to go a little too far, to me- I can't envision this Khan or these augments trying to take over the Enterprise to begin with.

Likewise, the characterizations seem to me to fall into the same trap that we've had with SNW's Vulcans, or Raffi and the Utopia Planitia workers in Picard... the writers' utter inability to imagine people who think and act from a different culture perspective than their own. People in other countries on Earth in the modern day, or just a few decades ago, acted more different from 21st century humanity than the average aliens in modern Trek, or Augments in this series. I barely even buy them as being sufficiently culturally different to be from the 90s as regular people, much less genetically enhanced soldiers that formerly ruled a large section of the Earth (or served under one who did).


So again, not badly acted. The audio drama is well-produced technically. And while this initial pace is a bit slow, I don't think it's telling a bad story or badly-written... as a stand-alone story. But I am having a harder and harder time reconciling it with the characters in Space Seed or Wrath of Khan in the slightest.

 

[Saul]

It's keeping my attention but it was a smaller, less eventful episode this week other than finding a certain creature...

 

[David cgc]

None of these ring true to the onscreen evidence we've seen.

Given the show's overt theme is history versus reality and myth versus fact, I think it's intentional that every character has a bit of self-delusional. From the beginning of the episode, where everyone decides that the guy just fell or, at worst, took his own life in shame, rather than even considering that his death was a reprisal for his disloyalty, to Marla's little, "Oh, woe is me, I spent a year on the Enterprise and no one would be my friend" story, when we saw she was an antisocial, unlikable weirdo who slept surrounded by portraits she made of dictators and (if we can include a deleted scene) disdained the people (especially men) of her era as being overly soft and sensitive. Even from this episode itself we can tell there's something that doesn't quite ring true about her feeling frozen out on the Enterprise like she couldn't have put herself out there. And Kirk actually did know her name, even if apparently hadn't heard it aloud before.

Likewise, when Marla gives the whole "No first strikes, no massacres" speech to Khan, he doesn't react like it's true, or even minimizing his accomplishments. He reacts like it's a whitewash.

 

[Lord Garth]

this really doesn't strike me as Khan (emotionally and environmentally sensitive?! Worried about having upset Marla, and introspective about whether he's ever truly loved)

The emotionally sensitive part, I agree with you about, although I'll suspend my disbelief and accept as seeing Khan portrayed in a more positive light. In fairness to Khan, he did tell Marla he wasn't used to being asked questions where he had to be introspective.

As far as the world itself, he is environmentally sensitive and that would seem out of character. He should have a "survival of the fittest" mentality, but I'll take the interpretation of he wants to learn the rules of the world before he makes the rules of the world.

I believe it when he says that on Earth he felt he had to conquer before rebuilding the world. The benevolent part, I take issue with because then at least some of the world powers in the 1990s wouldn't be against him. So I take issue there. I think this is trying to rationalize how the Eugenics Wars happened without devastating our world in the real 1990s. I think To Rein In Hell took the same approach, though I haven't read it, where they tried to have the Eugenics Wars happening in the background.

Marla (where do I even begin? This is Kristin Beyer feminist Marla, she shares 0% of Space Seed Marla's traits; even just in this episode, she has to restrain herself from arguing with Khan over how he's treating her. I am reminded of Galaxy Quest: "Did you guys even watch the show?" And that's just this episode, episode one was even more of a hot mess for her. Maybe this is how she 'should' have been, but this is simply not who she was, and if you want to try and 'redeem' the character from a modern viewpoint

I'm not going to deny that they reinvented Marla's character, but they did start by responding to her actions in "Space Seed". She was a relative nobody on the Enterprise prior to "Space Seed". I think she's right that Kirk probably didn't even know her name before that episode. I can see her doing very little or interacting very little with the crew prior to that episode, being a Historian and not having anything to do with the missions. Khan is right that Marla was in a prison of sorts herself.

She seemed submissive to Khan in "Space Seed", but she did counter him when she didn't allow for him to kill everyone on the Enterprise. So that is an example of her from that actual episode of standing up to him in her own way.

As far as in Star Trek: Khan, they made her stand up to Khan more but she's also completely out of her element now. I think she's adapting to her changing circumstances where Khan hoped that she would be stronger and she had to be stronger to survive on Ceti Alpha V. Running out of time, but that's all I have to say for now.

 

[Zarm]

Given the show's overt theme is history versus reality and myth versus fact, I think it's intentional that every character has a bit of self-delusional.

...Et al...

Likewise, when Marla gives the whole "No first strikes, no massacres" speech to Khan, he doesn't react like it's true, or even minimizing his accomplishments. He reacts like it's a whitewash.

...Well, dang. Okay, yeah. That is... extremely pursuasive! Okay, I'll buy it that- and listen to the rest of the series with that concept in mind!

 

[Gepard]

(where do I even begin? This is Kristin Beyer feminist Marla, she shares 0% of Space Seed Marla's traits;

I was hesitant to comment on this given how it could come across, but this bothered me in the first episode as well. Adding on to her character to give her more layers and dimensions is good, but based on the first episode they appear to have stripped away the characterization she did have, e.g. a romantic easily swayed a by a powerful historical figure. Her motivation now seems be two things:

1.) Ambition to prove herself as a historian (makes sense, compatible with TOS Marla)
2.) Ambition to prove She is Woman, Hear Her Roar (not as compatible with TOS Marla)

Khan doesn't seem like much of a seducer here either, though, so I guess the lust angle is just gone. I shouldn't be surprised I guess; it's problem with how both sexes are written these days too. It just really sticks out in this case.

 

[Christopher]

So only the first episode was put on YouTube? We have to find the others elsewhere?

 

[Turtletrekker]

So only the first episode was put on YouTube? We have to find the others elsewhere?

It would seem so. I downloaded an app called "Pocket Casts". Anything but iTunes...

Anyway, poor Joaquin. Although, he's only the first. Every single character in this series has a target on their back except for Khan and Joachim.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I believe it when he says that on Earth he felt he had to conquer before rebuilding the world. The benevolent part, I take issue with because then at least some of the world powers in the 1990s wouldn't be against him. So I take issue there. I think this is trying to rationalize how the Eugenics Wars happened without devastating our world in the real 1990s. I think To Rein In Hell took the same approach, though I haven't read it, where they tried to have the Eugenics Wars happening in the background.

That would depend upon whether they're going with the original 1996 date from Space Seed, or if they're going with the post Temporal Cold War late 2020s date that Strange New Worlds established in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Or maybe they decided not to lock down a date for the Eugenics Wars at all, which might be the best choice.

 

[Yistaan]

So was the youtube thing a one time deal? Becaue episode 2 is not on youtube.

 

[Lord Garth]

That would depend upon whether they're going with the original 1996 date from Space Seed, or if they're going with the post Temporal Cold War late 2020s date that Strange New Worlds established in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Or maybe they decided not to lock down a date for the Eugenics Wars at all, which might be the best choice.

I'm only speculating about their rationale for there not being (huge) casualties in the Eugenics Wars. I said the '90s for the purposes of my post, but it doesn't matter. No hard dates were given in this episode. If it happened later, then it explains why WWIII overshadowed it and is talked about more in other Trek. Either way, the Eugenics Wars took a back seat or were in the background.

 

[Zarm]

I was hesitant to comment on this given how it could come across, but this bothered me in the first episode as well.

I get that. And I'm not trying to defend the portrayal of Marla in Space Seed, so much as say... look, it is what it is. I'd just rather see Marla as we know her *grow* a spine than try to pretend she has one all along. See that character, problematic as she may be, grow- rather than replace her with a version that doesn't have the problems, instantly.

 

[Michael]

Listened to episode two earlier today and I must say I enjoyed it even more than the first one. The story seemed more focussed and there wasn’t as much jumping back and forth between time periods and characters. Although I did miss hearing Tim Russ’s Tuvok this week. Couldn’t find the episode on YouTube and listened to it on Spotify instead; this time with one single ad break.

It’s interesting to see that many seem to have a problem with the reinterpretation of McGyvers’ character. I agree that they have changed her, but I don’t mind that they’ve done that and actually think it makes her more interesting and rounded. But also, listening to this you can’t forget we’re basically getting Marla McGyvers’ story told from her own perspective; so I think there’s supposed to be a layer of self-aggrandizement and self-adulation that goes with everything we’re hearing. Why would she choose to portray herself in the most unflattering light possible?

Personally I’m more bothered by the way Khan is portrayed: The whole idea of making Khan a more sympathetic guy just makes me slightly uncomfortable. Although I do suspect that some of that may change once the situation in their new home turns for the worse. TOS Khan seemed like someone who could barely control his aggressive tendencies, and in some scenes in “Khan” it already seems like this aspect is coming to the fore. In my mind Khan is a bad, chauvinistic, amoral man who deluded himself into believing he was only trying to create a perfect world for everyone. The whole idea that he’s just misunderstood and actually a-okay rubs me the wrong way. But I’m very willing to be patient and see where the story is going with it.

The highlight for me is actually the outstanding voice performances by both Naveen Andrews and Wrenn Schmidt, who are delivering some stellar work in this and are just a joy to listen to. Naveen Andrews plays his Khan with so much emotion and a sensitivity that Montalbán’s Khan totally lacked. And Wrenn Schmidt is giving her McGyvers a lot of strength and conviction, even though under the surface she always makes you feel her vulnerability as well.

 

[Zarm]

Oh, absolutely. I may complain about the dissonance that these characters have with me compared to the original versions - but there's no doubt that the actual portrayals of the characters that are written for the series is top notch!

 

[Yistaan]

Naveen Andrews plays his Khan with so much emotion and a sensitivity that Montalbán’s Khan totally lacked.

I wonder if Montalban's Khan needed better direction from Marc Daniels or Meyer, although to be fair there wasn't really room for sensitivity from Khan in either Space Seed or WoK (maybe the scenes with Joachim). I do remember reading that Montalban's initial WoK takes were all shouting all the time and Meyer had a talk with him where Montalban confessed he had no idea what he was supposed to do as Khan and Meyer was then able to help him refine his performance.