An add-on from me - Derem's expression when talking about the forced / expected marriage elements of the play. George did it well.
Also - why is Tarima's uniform a crew-neck. Have they made a special uniform for shock-collar wearers.
Spoilers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 1x08 – “The Life of the Stars”
Also - why is Tarima's uniform a crew-neck. Have they made a special uniform for shock-collar wearers.
The only thing thay came across as massively odd was no Kyle, otherwise its the people on the Miyazaki (Sam, Caleb and Jay-Den), the people on the Bridge (Genesis and Darem), and the Sadal's. It's curious as to what trauma therapy Kelrec is providing Kyle.
I really don't know what to think here, because the episode started slow paced and self-indulgent, and had some of the best scenes of the series to date by the end.
I'll start with the bad, because most of the bad was at the beginning. The episode was completely ill-conceived on a base level. First, the inclusion of Tilly was random, almost feeling like they felt they had to have her appear once, so they chose this episode. What's particularly jarring here is that Tilly is now a drama teacher - something which in no way comports with the (thin) resume we know about her after five years of Discovery. This is a new Tilly, because it's not really Tilly, it's Mary Wiseman, teaching kids about the healing power of theatre, something that Wiseman (as a thespian) obviously cares about.
The whole play scenario is also just ill conceived. First, it kind of stretches credulity because Starfleet Academy is supposed to be space college, not space high school, and you don't have gen-ed requirements in the fine arts by that age. Though admittedly, considering how much community theatre was on TNG, maybe there's just so much down time that this stuff is considered more essential in the future. But the bigger issue is that most viewers (myself included) know nothing about Our Town, meaning the metaphor this episode is meant to hinge on will fall flat for most of the audience. This is is the writers writing for the industry - for writers and actors - waxing poetic about the depth and healing power of drama. This whole side of the episode probably seemed brilliant to them, but flies over our heads.
Thankfully, that's only half of the episode, and we're quickly introduced to the SAM/Doctor sideplot (with Ake coming along because Holly Hunter is the lead, and needs something to do). Picardo is acting his heart out here, and given weighty material. Kerrice Brooks is great in the one scene where she's in the shuttlecraft and talking around her fear of death as well. There's things I don't like about the setup of the Doctor's trauma (really, he's lived for 900 years, and the one pain he's been holding onto forever is his holo-child? Torres was apparently the biggest monster in history), but Picardo sells it so utterly I don't give a shit. This stuff is all great - no notes.
Turning back to the other side, I guess we have to talk more about Tarima, since she's the character who goes on an arc here. Unfortunately, even though she lands somewhere better, I was left by the end of this episode from having shifted from indifference to active dislike. It might be Zoe Steiner's performance (which I continue to find lackluster) but I'm really sick of her "not like the other girls" bullshit, and just wish that Caleb would wise up and date Genesis instead. Obviously everyone is deserving of love, etc. etc., but she's very much in a "needs to figure her shit out" portion of her life, and everyone should stay far, far away from her in a romantic sense.
Oh, and I guess last week's episode was completely unnecessary? The only possible thing from it that actually mattered was the few minutes of romantic tension between Caleb and Genesis, which Tarima wasn't even there to see, and so she shouldn't have a reason for jealousy. Besides that, we could've skipped ahead and nothing would have been lost at all.
So yeah, hard to rate because the first 20 minutes or so were really, really bad, and then it won me over in spite of myself as better and better scenes came to the fore. There's some great character work mixed in here. Too bad it's not attached to a better plot.
I'll start with the bad, because most of the bad was at the beginning. The episode was completely ill-conceived on a base level. First, the inclusion of Tilly was random, almost feeling like they felt they had to have her appear once, so they chose this episode. What's particularly jarring here is that Tilly is now a drama teacher - something which in no way comports with the (thin) resume we know about her after five years of Discovery. This is a new Tilly, because it's not really Tilly, it's Mary Wiseman, teaching kids about the healing power of theatre, something that Wiseman (as a thespian) obviously cares about.
The whole play scenario is also just ill conceived. First, it kind of stretches credulity because Starfleet Academy is supposed to be space college, not space high school, and you don't have gen-ed requirements in the fine arts by that age. Though admittedly, considering how much community theatre was on TNG, maybe there's just so much down time that this stuff is considered more essential in the future. But the bigger issue is that most viewers (myself included) know nothing about Our Town, meaning the metaphor this episode is meant to hinge on will fall flat for most of the audience. This is is the writers writing for the industry - for writers and actors - waxing poetic about the depth and healing power of drama. This whole side of the episode probably seemed brilliant to them, but flies over our heads.
Thankfully, that's only half of the episode, and we're quickly introduced to the SAM/Doctor sideplot (with Ake coming along because Holly Hunter is the lead, and needs something to do). Picardo is acting his heart out here, and given weighty material. Kerrice Brooks is great in the one scene where she's in the shuttlecraft and talking around her fear of death as well. There's things I don't like about the setup of the Doctor's trauma (really, he's lived for 900 years, and the one pain he's been holding onto forever is his holo-child? Torres was apparently the biggest monster in history), but Picardo sells it so utterly I don't give a shit. This stuff is all great - no notes.
Turning back to the other side, I guess we have to talk more about Tarima, since she's the character who goes on an arc here. Unfortunately, even though she lands somewhere better, I was left by the end of this episode from having shifted from indifference to active dislike. It might be Zoe Steiner's performance (which I continue to find lackluster) but I'm really sick of her "not like the other girls" bullshit, and just wish that Caleb would wise up and date Genesis instead. Obviously everyone is deserving of love, etc. etc., but she's very much in a "needs to figure her shit out" portion of her life, and everyone should stay far, far away from her in a romantic sense.
Oh, and I guess last week's episode was completely unnecessary? The only possible thing from it that actually mattered was the few minutes of romantic tension between Caleb and Genesis, which Tarima wasn't even there to see, and so she shouldn't have a reason for jealousy. Besides that, we could've skipped ahead and nothing would have been lost at all.
So yeah, hard to rate because the first 20 minutes or so were really, really bad, and then it won me over in spite of myself as better and better scenes came to the fore. There's some great character work mixed in here. Too bad it's not attached to a better plot.
I've enjoyed this series mostly. Although episode 7 sucked and I didn't think it could get any worse until this week's. But this episode was so dull I couldn't concentrate on it. It is to SFA what Masks is to TNG, unwatchable drivel. It is becoming what all the nay sayers argued it would be; 90210 in space. Every first season has a few duds but this was appalling. Hopefully we get 2 more great episodes
Without Genesis as a leader, they're doomed and they killed her leadership soul.
Other than being about young people, the similarities are pretty limited. Did you watch that show?
Every time this comparison comes up, I remember most of the people here are middle-aged and older and need to reference a show from my youth that ended almost 30 years ago. It makes me feel old.
To be fair rebooted 90210 ended 13 years ago.
Yes, but I'd be surprised if many people who make the comparison are aware there was a later incarnation.
I'm giving it a 10. It made me cry.
An easy 9 - it was much better than last week.
I loved seeing Tilly again, and her and Reno had me howling.
I loved the Doctor remembering his holo family from Real Life.
And poor SAM. She is becoming a firm favourite of mine.
I loved seeing Tilly again, and her and Reno had me howling.
I loved the Doctor remembering his holo family from Real Life.
And poor SAM. She is becoming a firm favourite of mine.
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Why are you confused? Discovery Season 4 gave us the 1st year, Discovery Season 5 is their second year, and now they are in the third year. That is the class that was born on Starfleet HQ in Space. It is pretty well explained in Discovery. And this Starfleet Academy class is the first to be back on Earth, the first to start a new year on San Francisco since the Burn. Earth was isolated from Starfleet before Season 4 of Discovery, as seen in Season 3țs episode People of Earth.
Anyhow, this was a nice episode, and bloody brilliant compared to last weeks episode. I really loved the theatricality and the parallel to the play. Very nicely done and directed, the last scene is amazing. Kudos for them to make it like this. When I saw Tilly, for me it was a surprise that she didn't involved some math, but I guess all characters grow, so there is growth in Tilly, especially that she probably has a different perspective, now that she was on the "space" Starfleet Academy. All in all, a solid 9/10 for me.
One little nitpick, the Makers say that SAM will have two sets of memories. She will keep her OG memories from SFA from before she glitched and she will have her new memories of growing up as a child with the Doctor. Why? Wouldn't those two sets of memories cause a conflict? Why not just reset her and have just the new memories of her as a child with the Doctor? That would create a more consistent set of memories that give her a continuous life from birth to now being 17 and going off to SFA.
I presume the first set was given back to SAM, after the 17 years with the Doctor and got the second set, so that she could handle those memories.
Two sets of memories but not two personalities. It is not like the Data/Lore situation from Picard.
Opera Club was one of the options for the required electives seen in Episode 1, Calica seems to have been another, they were required to pick so many in the first semester and continue some onto the second. So we've seen they do have some sort of Gen-Ed requirement.
Like Picard's memories as Kamin?
i really liked it. A 9 out of 10. Some really emotional moments. Doctor and Sam plot did get me a bit teary
Yeah, the show is absolutely nothing like 90210. If I had to make comparison, I get more of a Buffy vibe from it, but Academy really is its own thing.
I did not think of that, but yes, I like that analogy.
There were 2 90210 series. One was not too long ago 2008 to 2013
I never watched the newer series. I can see why people feared this show would be like it based on the last 2 episodes. It's too chatacter driven for a show about learning of and exploring the galaxy
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