Spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks 2x01 - "Strange Energies"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
Brief research indicates the phrase refers to a sailor or a Marine who has been at sea too long. Also, a cocktail.
I realize this episode has been out for a while, but as they say, better late than never. Anyway, after scimming through this thread I was shocked to see that in 18 pages, Stevens is only mentioned one time(!). Personally I found him to be one of the real high lights. Loved every second he was on the screen. Hope to see more of him =]
The general pace, story and humor were flawlessly executed, both in picture and voice acting. Only exception - although I'm aware this might be bordeline nitpicking - being a couple of the Tendi and Rutherford scenes, feeling somewhat lackluster in certain aspects, especially compared to the rest of the action.
All in all a great opening for batch two, leaving me with cheerful optimism for what the rest of the season might have in store for us.
The general pace, story and humor were flawlessly executed, both in picture and voice acting. Only exception - although I'm aware this might be bordeline nitpicking - being a couple of the Tendi and Rutherford scenes, feeling somewhat lackluster in certain aspects, especially compared to the rest of the action.
All in all a great opening for batch two, leaving me with cheerful optimism for what the rest of the season might have in store for us.
I liked it. Not much to add to anybody else's comments.
To provide my exact feelings on LDS: I think it is amazing. Currently my favorite of the new era of Trek (with SNW following closely behind because it only has 10 episodes to showcase itself). While not the exact comedy Trek I would have made (I don't even know what that would have been), I love this show.
I like the exaggerations in LDS because they point out the little quirks of Trek that are funny if you think about them for more than a minute (because, most of the time, there were all created on the fly by writers who needed to turn out a new episode and didn't have time to explore all the implications for 800 hours of Trek spread over 50+ years). I love the slightly exaggerated characters - they are exactly what you would expect for the lower deckers of an organization that supposedly seeks out the best of the best in a universe where everyone seeks to improve themselves and humanity - they are nerds of the best definition doing nerdy jobs in a nerdy organization, in space. The only complaints I have are that there aren't enough episodes, occasionally the humor goes a little far for me (the Mugato episode had a couple of moments that were, to me, unnecessary and not particularly funny but the ending is great), and occasionally the darker elements are less funny for me (mainly "Terminal Provocations", though I don't mind Badgey's brief return in "No Small Parts"). Other than these minor things, I wouldn't change a thing. I hope that McMahon continues to see his star rise within Trek, because we need more of this perspective within the franchise (SNW shows hope as well; and Matalas talks a good game, let's hope season 3 shows he can deliver).
I like the exaggerations in LDS because they point out the little quirks of Trek that are funny if you think about them for more than a minute (because, most of the time, there were all created on the fly by writers who needed to turn out a new episode and didn't have time to explore all the implications for 800 hours of Trek spread over 50+ years). I love the slightly exaggerated characters - they are exactly what you would expect for the lower deckers of an organization that supposedly seeks out the best of the best in a universe where everyone seeks to improve themselves and humanity - they are nerds of the best definition doing nerdy jobs in a nerdy organization, in space. The only complaints I have are that there aren't enough episodes, occasionally the humor goes a little far for me (the Mugato episode had a couple of moments that were, to me, unnecessary and not particularly funny but the ending is great), and occasionally the darker elements are less funny for me (mainly "Terminal Provocations", though I don't mind Badgey's brief return in "No Small Parts"). Other than these minor things, I wouldn't change a thing. I hope that McMahon continues to see his star rise within Trek, because we need more of this perspective within the franchise (SNW shows hope as well; and Matalas talks a good game, let's hope season 3 shows he can deliver).
Watching this episode, something occurred to me:
You can easily tell that LD is post-Simpsons, post-Family-Guy, post-South-Park, &c., whereas TAS predated all of these. Just by looking at the enormous eyeballs in LD., and comparing them with TAS, where the eyes didn't even get painted white. The Simpsons appear to have been a pioneer in coming up with animated characters who were recognizable caricatures of real life celebrities, and yet fit the "big eyeball" style established with the series regulars.
You can easily tell that LD is post-Simpsons, post-Family-Guy, post-South-Park, &c., whereas TAS predated all of these. Just by looking at the enormous eyeballs in LD., and comparing them with TAS, where the eyes didn't even get painted white. The Simpsons appear to have been a pioneer in coming up with animated characters who were recognizable caricatures of real life celebrities, and yet fit the "big eyeball" style established with the series regulars.
It's freewheeling and quite a homage to TOS. Maybe a little rabidly paced in order to meet the half-hour time slot (so there drops one point).
The Mariner prison escape cardio plan was awesome. The arch bleeping in time with her about to say a NC17 word was perfectly timed. So many moments where this show shrewdly puts in little wonderful moments of all sorts...
The Gary Mitchell stuff was a hoot. Reminiscent of "The Naked Now" or other TNG1 episodes where the crew whisk up a situation from "the old Enterprise" in a matter of seconds, but LD has a certain confidence rather than the TNG memberberrying the scene excessively. Whether I react the same in a later re-watch, but the TNG moments often felt cringey whereas this did not.
The head detaching to fly into space moment was the icing on the cake. So in tune with TOS and yet takes an extra step (so to speak).
Obviously I yummed it all up.
Most of it. When Jack gave everyone his face -- meh, it works in the narrative but was a bit much. If even needed.
Boimler's bunk being a mess was a nice touch.
There was one scene earlier, with the Apergosian guy - crud, the words just leapt out of my ear and are (proverbially speaking, not literally) dancing on the floor while looking up at me in derisive laughter. I'll have to rewatch the scene, write it down this time, then remember to find the notepad and then post the observation. It was a good one, though. :\
The idea points out fairly well that TNG-era has characters way too "forcibly" liking one another. Unless one is Barclay or Ro or Shelby, et al. TOS wasn't as saccharine chummy-chumm-chum-chummy, but they kept it under better control. Partly because they never explored it beyond two characters on any regular basis; in TOS they just did their jobs and there was no clique worthy of "F*R*I*E*N*D*S". Plus, they still, sold how McCoy and Spock could be genuine besties all while both traded significant barbs at one another over the course of TOS. This LD episode comes close to that, ity might be the start of something for later on, but let's see more of Mariner and the Andorian she spat about working together and see what organically grows. (I only just got the set and have started really digging in. Thnkfully YT has few reviews, though one started with season 3, he covered it, and I'm already drooling in anticipation...)
9 out of 10. Maybe 8. The show's still got it. Even if Jack survives.
The Mariner prison escape cardio plan was awesome. The arch bleeping in time with her about to say a NC17 word was perfectly timed. So many moments where this show shrewdly puts in little wonderful moments of all sorts...
The Gary Mitchell stuff was a hoot. Reminiscent of "The Naked Now" or other TNG1 episodes where the crew whisk up a situation from "the old Enterprise" in a matter of seconds, but LD has a certain confidence rather than the TNG memberberrying the scene excessively. Whether I react the same in a later re-watch, but the TNG moments often felt cringey whereas this did not.
The head detaching to fly into space moment was the icing on the cake. So in tune with TOS and yet takes an extra step (so to speak).
Obviously I yummed it all up.
Most of it. When Jack gave everyone his face -- meh, it works in the narrative but was a bit much. If even needed.
Boimler's bunk being a mess was a nice touch.
There was one scene earlier, with the Apergosian guy - crud, the words just leapt out of my ear and are (proverbially speaking, not literally) dancing on the floor while looking up at me in derisive laughter. I'll have to rewatch the scene, write it down this time, then remember to find the notepad and then post the observation. It was a good one, though. :\
The idea points out fairly well that TNG-era has characters way too "forcibly" liking one another. Unless one is Barclay or Ro or Shelby, et al. TOS wasn't as saccharine chummy-chumm-chum-chummy, but they kept it under better control. Partly because they never explored it beyond two characters on any regular basis; in TOS they just did their jobs and there was no clique worthy of "F*R*I*E*N*D*S". Plus, they still, sold how McCoy and Spock could be genuine besties all while both traded significant barbs at one another over the course of TOS. This LD episode comes close to that, ity might be the start of something for later on, but let's see more of Mariner and the Andorian she spat about working together and see what organically grows. (I only just got the set and have started really digging in. Thnkfully YT has few reviews, though one started with season 3, he covered it, and I'm already drooling in anticipation...)
9 out of 10. Maybe 8. The show's still got it. Even if Jack survives.
I think the parody was the point, but it's done well. The repercussion that cleaning things up and, oops, there's also an obelisk that's activated by light at a certain time of day/season is a robust reminder in that the by-the-book types sometimes have a point, even though the maverick types also have a point. And not requiring Guinan to risk the audience taking a nap while she tells Captain Riker on when to throw the book away before the next action scene arrives.
But, yeah, her addressing this in the log and not saying "Computer, bleep the last log entry" - I'd more surprised if they didn't follow up later on.
^^this
Another example: Gene created Q, albeit at first Q wasn't a chaotic good - that came about organically as the seasons went by, in no small part due to John DeLancie (He did advocate for changing lines in "Q Who" to ditch the cliche yelling and to underplay a crucial scene, which involves a greater good later on. The beginning of a trend in Q teaching Picard of things bigger than space and time and thought...)
But yeah, Gene's Vision was overdone in TNG and it's no small wonder DS9 eschewed it (and with some deftness as well.)
I like how his picture in the computer was based off the character model designs from TAS.
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