Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 4x06 - "Off-Hour"

[DanCPA]

The controversy over his recasting was silly, especially since his only appearance/reference was in a relatively little-scene animated episode.

Though I would hardly say the character of April himself is better. He's written on SNW as the stuffy Admiral who's only purpose is to give orders that Pike will defy every single time. The "writers" have done the character no favors.

Was there a controversy over his casting for SNW? I wasn't aware, but it doesn't surprise me

 

[fireproof78]

The controversy over his recasting was silly, especially since his only appearance/reference was in a relatively little-scene animated episode.

Though I would hardly say the character of April himself is better. He's written on SNW as the stuffy Admiral who's only purpose is to give orders that Pike will defy every single time. The "writers" have done the character no favors.

April is one of the best characters on SNW.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Really? He went from being a compassionate and well-liked doctor to being an asshole who can't get along with anybody and who contributes nothing to a situation. Why bother bringing him back at all?

We saw him once. He gave Pike a drink. Then he participated in a briefing and a rescue attempt. Not recalling anything letting us know if he's a asshole or well-liked.

 

[Finn]

Did he ever show up in the novelizations?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Did he ever show up in the novelizations?

I'm sure he did.

 

[TRON JA307020]

So. Uh. So they are serving up a soap opera episode next I hear?

 

[Greg Cox]

Did he ever show up in the novelizations?

There's been a fair number of Pike-era Trek novels (I wrote one myself). Boyce is typically the CMO in those books because "The Cage" was the only reference we had prior to DISCO and SNW.

By contrast, "The Cage" never specified who was the Chief Engineer during the events of "The Cage," so there's been more variety and latitude there.

We might note, however, that the idea that a young, wet-behind-the-ears Scotty served on Pike's Enterprise dates back to the very first Pike-era novel, Vulcan's Glory -- by none other than D. C. Fontana herself.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I imagine somebody today if they got the chance would get to flesh out Louvier, whoever he was he loved his ship that's all we know about him.

 

[DarthPipes]

So these "writers" bring Boyce back on the show to establish...

1. He was the fake chief medical officer of the Enterprise "The Cage".

2. Instead of the warm advisor who is well-liked, he's actually a raging prick who doesn't get along with anybody on 2 starships.

3. He's a guy who contributes nothing in a crisis and is used to prop up Chapel's character.

4. The most noteable aspect of his character, his friendship with Pike, was nowhere to be found.

So why did the "writers" bring him back and decide to character assassinate him?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

So these "writers" bring Boyce back on the show to establish...

1. He was the fake chief medical officer of the Enterprise "The Cage".

By that qualification Pulaski is fake CMO and all the fake chief engineers on the D...

2. Instead of the warm advisor who is well-liked, he's actually a raging prick who doesn't get along with anybody on 2 starships.

Who said he was a warm advisor?

3. He's a guy who contributes nothing in a crisis and is used to prop up Chapel's character.

One shot guest stars often do just prop up the regulars.

4. The most noteable aspect of his character, his friendship with Pike, was nowhere to be found.

Based on very little evidence and it's not like characters that are friends have to remind us every episode. Maybe they were or maybe it was just a passing cordial moment. What would it have added to this episode?

So why did the "writers" bring him back and decide to character assassinate him?

What character was there even to assassinate? He was basically just a name and nothing more.

 

[fireproof78]

why did the "writers" bring him back and decide to character assassinate him?

Drama.

was the fake chief medical officer of the Enterprise "The Cage".

TAD

Instead of the warm advisor who is well-liked, he's actually a raging prick who doesn't get along with anybody on 2 starships.

People can be warm to some and cold to others.

He's a guy who contributes nothing in a crisis and is used to prop up Chapel's character.

Making a main character look good? Unbelievable.

The most noteable aspect of his character, his friendship with Pike, was nowhere to be found.

Drama.

 

[cooleddie74]

I love him in "The Cage," but aside from sharing the martini in Pike's quarters the adjective "warm" doesn't really describe Dr. Philip Boyce.

 

[Tuskin38]

bring him back and decide to character assassinate him?

They didn’t character assasinste him, and he had almost no character in The Cage.

The most noteable aspect of his character, his friendship with Pike, was nowhere to be found

Pike and him were not in the same room. Dialogue implies we’ll see more of him, so we’ll probably get scenes of them together.

1. He was the fake chief medical officer of the Enterprise "The Cage".

You have an odd definition of fake. He was just as much a CMO as M’Benga

Why do you keep putting writers in quotes?

 

[Nerys Myk]

1. He was the fake chief medical officer of the Enterprise "The Cage

He was the actual CMO. Nothing "fake" just interm.

2. Instead of the warm advisor who is well-liked, he's actually a raging prick who doesn't get along with anybody on 2 starships.

He and Pike have a definite friendship. Though it was the martini that was warm. Again, no indication he's a raging prick on the Enterprise in SNW. Or that he's "well-liked" during the events of the "The Cage."

3. He's a guy who contributes nothing in a crisis and is used to prop up Chapel's character.

He's there treating patients in the lounge. He made a call as CMO, one that M'Benga backs ups.
Chapel's a main character. Getting "propped up" is part of the job.

4. The most noteable aspect of his character, his friendship with Pike, was nowhere to be found.

It would have been nice if they shared a martini. But they were in different parts of ship

 

[eschaton]

Chabon said he was was going to be a writer on PIC Season 2, but I think Covid squashed that, though he does have a story co-writer credit for Episode 2.

Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49.bsky.social)

We never saw the ion pod in the original version of #StarTrekTOS' "Court Martial". In the remastered episode from 2008, we finally got a brief look at it and its location ⬇️. Now, in #StarTrekSNW's "Off-Hour"⬆️➡️, we finally get a good look at the ion pod and find out more about its purpose. 😊

bsky.app

Yeah, he explicitly said in an interview that he had written two scripts for Season 2, so whatever work he had done was largely pulped.

 

[Yistaan]

Boyce on SNW can't be worse than this comic cover's take on him

Oh wait they just transferred that aspect to M'Benga.

 

[cooleddie74]

Wolverine Boyce.

Dr. Logan is back on duty, and this time he's not using an anaesthetic.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Boyce on SNW can't be worse than this comic cover's take on him

Oh wait they just transferred that aspect to M'Benga.

Yeah. I think of MBenga as more a killer than a healer.

 

[Tuskin38]

Boyce on SNW can't be worse than this comic cover's take on him

He looks like Reed Richards.

 

[cooleddie74]

The Fantastic Fourth Call.