I feel that Season 2 of Strange New Worlds is also really damn good, continuing the genuine modernisation of Trek started by the first whilst creating new opportunities for interesting stories, and my second favourite episode of the show overall comes from this season: "Those Old Scientists".
"Those Old Scientists" is the comedy episode, a la "Spock Amock" the season prior, which is also masterful. It also doubles as a crossover with another Trek show, the canon adult animated parody Lower Decks. Before I rewatched the episode, I actually decided to watch the first two episodes of Lower Decks and... It's a show I respect more than I do love. I admire that Mike McMahon knows his stuff and set out to make a Star Trek show that just so happened to be an adult sitcom rather than an adult sitcom that bares the Star Trek name like I was expecting. I also dig that LD actively tries to be a genuine part of the franchise, down to bleeping the moments when characters use hard Colourful Metaphors in nice contrast to the edgy nihilistic Game of Thrones rip-offs of its two contemporaries (Discovery and the Chabon era of Picard). However, I can't help but feel like I'm watching an inferior copy of Red Dwarf, even though I admit it does get funny from episode 2 onwards. It's clear that the show is carried by stars Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid, as they are the heart and soul of the show, and they're fantastic with what they're given. And it's because of Newsome and Quaid's talent, coupled with the loving humour and fun situations, that I find "Those Old Scientists" to be so much fun.
This is one of the best "Fish out of Water" stories ever told on Trek. Ensign Boimler and Lt. Mariner's trip to the 23rd Century is made to be as fun as humanly possible for fans of either respective show or both. What makes it work for me is the contrast between the whacky, self-aware nature of Boims and Mar-Mar and the straightlaced Trek nature of the SNW gang: Neither presence overpowers the other, both balance eachother out, and both get their time to shine here comically speaking, with even the uptight Spock giving us some good jokes in the form of his rather happy behaviour. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome steal the show however. They not only work in the live-action format, but they give it their all with some of the funniest lines and moments in all of Trek, with great chemistry with the main cast. I also really love the canon nods here, from Boimler's future knowledge often leading him to worry that he's jeopardising the timeline to the NX-01 and its legacy being key in saving the Lower Decks. It's all so much fun, and to be honest? That's what matters sometimes.
"Those Old Scientists" is the comedy episode, a la "Spock Amock" the season prior, which is also masterful. It also doubles as a crossover with another Trek show, the canon adult animated parody Lower Decks. Before I rewatched the episode, I actually decided to watch the first two episodes of Lower Decks and... It's a show I respect more than I do love. I admire that Mike McMahon knows his stuff and set out to make a Star Trek show that just so happened to be an adult sitcom rather than an adult sitcom that bares the Star Trek name like I was expecting. I also dig that LD actively tries to be a genuine part of the franchise, down to bleeping the moments when characters use hard Colourful Metaphors in nice contrast to the edgy nihilistic Game of Thrones rip-offs of its two contemporaries (Discovery and the Chabon era of Picard). However, I can't help but feel like I'm watching an inferior copy of Red Dwarf, even though I admit it does get funny from episode 2 onwards. It's clear that the show is carried by stars Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid, as they are the heart and soul of the show, and they're fantastic with what they're given. And it's because of Newsome and Quaid's talent, coupled with the loving humour and fun situations, that I find "Those Old Scientists" to be so much fun.
This is one of the best "Fish out of Water" stories ever told on Trek. Ensign Boimler and Lt. Mariner's trip to the 23rd Century is made to be as fun as humanly possible for fans of either respective show or both. What makes it work for me is the contrast between the whacky, self-aware nature of Boims and Mar-Mar and the straightlaced Trek nature of the SNW gang: Neither presence overpowers the other, both balance eachother out, and both get their time to shine here comically speaking, with even the uptight Spock giving us some good jokes in the form of his rather happy behaviour. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome steal the show however. They not only work in the live-action format, but they give it their all with some of the funniest lines and moments in all of Trek, with great chemistry with the main cast. I also really love the canon nods here, from Boimler's future knowledge often leading him to worry that he's jeopardising the timeline to the NX-01 and its legacy being key in saving the Lower Decks. It's all so much fun, and to be honest? That's what matters sometimes.
