Spoilers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 1x08 – “The Life of the Stars”

[Tosk]

Of course, Tilly was one of the least consistently written characters in Discovery. She starts out kind of neurodivergent coded, then it goes away and she's bubbly. Her role on the ship changes from just one junior assistant to Stamets, to apparently the only other person who knows about the spore drive other than him on the ship. Her lifelong dream is to be a captain, until it isn't. So having her suddenly veer yet again is at least consistent with past inconsistency.

Tilly is Janeway's successor.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It's an extension of "show, don't tell." In this case, the episode literally told us using the play and class what the message was. Instead, just *show* us that by creating a new, compelling story that brings those themes to life.

I'm unsure how that violates "show don't tell."

 

[Nerys Myk]

Why was Reno the captain in the simulator??? ....also with this show being 900 years after TOS why do they even need to go to a derelict ship for training where they can die?? Holo technology can create any scenario.

Pretty sure dying was not on the table. It was supposed to be safe and was used in the past for the exact same exercise.

 

[Fateor]

Tilly is Janeway's successor.

Na, like it or not Janeway actually earned her promotions.

 

[Tosk]

Na, like it or not Janeway actually earned her promotions.

It was a reference to Janeway's infamous ability to flip-flop thanks to the writers.

 

[cooleddie74]

And, hoo boy, was Janeway written inconsistently.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Weird episode. A few great moments at the end, with Picardo getting to act and Kerrice Brooks doing a great job. Some strong moments between Ake and the Doc too. I realy really really wish they'd shown more of the Doctor raising Sam. What we saw was great, but it took up such a small amount of the episode...

The rest is them all talking about some play I've never heard of (I'm not American) and doing almost nothing to familiarise the audience with it. I don't know how much of the dialogue in the episode was directly lifted from the play, but I'm guessing a lot? Like I thought the Doctor's voiceover at the start was really weird, and really strangely delivered, and it wasn't until I read this thread that I found out he was quoting the play (even though he hadn't read it at that point in the episode.)

Sad to say as well that Zoe Steiner is just not a very good actress and can't handle the dramatic material they're giving her. Wish they would give Bella Shepard that kind of stuff instead.

 

[StarTrek1701]

I understand what the episode was about. The episode makes it clear that the Voth are not incapable of change, it just takes them forever to do it.

My point was that the age of a species should not be a determiner of whether or not they 'evolve' into god-like beings. The notion that every species has to become a Q or whatever, ignores how evolution actually works, but also begs the question why a species needs to become 'god-like' in the first place.

Trek from the beginning of TOS has treated evolution itself like a speedrun.
Until Threshold LOL.

 

[Fateor]

Sad to say as well that Zoe Steiner is just not a very good actress and can't handle the dramatic material they're giving her. Wish they would give Bella Shepard that kind of stuff instead.

I'd say it's more she's being directed to maintain the "psychic space waif" archtype while also being asked to go full CW drama and the two just aren't really that compatible.

 

[Midquest]

It's always interesting to see how in or out of sync I am with Trek fans writ large. I think, with this show, I've, uh, never been less in sync? I think I can say that this is my favorite Star Trek show of the modern era (which I've liked a lot). What I've loved about it is that it is, despite its place in the timeline, a sort of birth of the Federation show. It's giving me some of the sense of freshness, possibility, and investment that I don't think I felt since the 90s era. It's also done a great job with smaller stakes, giving characters time to participate in smaller dramas. The smaller dramas tend to feel bigger. Of course, this is not entirely fair, as it has not yet had, say, three seasons to do something that disappointed me. We'll see what happens next.

But I like this episode quite a lot. I found it immediately captivating, and thought the setup with Tilly was quite good and sensible. I found nothing slow in that first section, and the fact I think that first section provided a lot of the foundation for the emotional heft of the rest.

The use of the play was really a lovely thing, and added a great deal of nuance and intimacy to the proceedings. I wouldn't hesitate to say that parts of this episode held their own with some of the best, most thoughtful scenes of the '90s. There was some exceptional writing throughout this episode.

Tarima is not my most favorite of the characters, but I still really liked the depth of character study they afforded her. And SAM and the Doctor were highlights.

 

[Dar70]

Pretty sure dying was not on the table. It was supposed to be safe and was used in the past for the exact same exercise.

Still why travel all that way when they have all the resources to do it right their at the academy.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Still why travel all that way when they have all the resources to do it right their at the academy.

Why not? Real world setting. Seems like a good exercise.

 

[eschaton]

I'd say it's more she's being directed to maintain the "psychic space waif" archtype while also being asked to go full CW drama and the two just aren't really that compatible.

I think she's also struggling to not slip into her native accent.

Not sure why she couldn't just have an Aussie one - the Trois were inconsistent as well, after all.

 

[Turtletrekker]

So, for the 60th anniversary we've gotten an episode that calls back to DS9 and an episode that calls back to Voyager. I wonder if Strange New Worlds season 4 will do anything anniversary coded. Of course, the very existence of the show is a call back to TOS.

Anyway, I liked this one. I do agree with those that say that SAM's story should have been the A plot and the Tarima story the B plot, but that would seem like a waste of Mary Wiseman.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'd say it's more she's being directed to maintain the "psychic space waif" archtype while also being asked to go full CW drama and the two just aren't really that compatible.

Unless there was a CW show about a Psychic Space Waif. (Was there? I have no idea.)

 

[cooleddie74]

Weren't most CW shows about psychic space waifs?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

 

[Tuskin38]

It's always interesting to see how in or out of sync I am with Trek fans writ large. I think, with this show, I've, uh, never been less in sync? I think I can say that this is my favorite Star Trek show of the modern era (which I've liked a lot).

Well, you're not out of sync with the fans on this website, if you look at the poll numbers on every episode thread so far, this series is well enjoyed here. Most votes are above 6-7

 

[firehawk12]

In the Federation? Yeah, I'd believe it. In Starfleet? Yes, I'd believe it.

And I see mandated therapies as well in my job. And I'm not a member of the armed forces who and junior service members can be ordered by their CO to attend therapies. Same with anger management classes, parenting classes, etc.

However, I'm granting the methodology a measure of dramatic license because that's how these things work in drama. But it is believable enough to me.

Obviously, mileage will vary.

Mandated therapy sure, mandated theatre class though? It feels like the kids were being sent to detention, but since it's "college" they can't have detention and made it a "class" instead... but they could have invented any excuse for Tilly to be there.

And since they didn't include the War College guy/Jay-Den's partner, either that character is totally fine with watching one of his friends die now or there is an actual therapy program that the character went through.
(More realistically they didn't want to pay for that actor for a couple of days lol)

 

[Uhura's Song]

That was a proper episode of Trek. And a darn good one. The first A episode of the season for me.