Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1x08 - "The Elysian Kingdom"

Star Trek: Strange New World’s episode 8 ‘The Elysian Kingdom’ - PART 1

Once upon a time in our galaxy not so far away (on Stardate 2341.6 to be precise) the Federation flagship USS Enterprise sailed peacefully across the cosmos under the command of the swashbuckling and ever more seasoned explorer Captain Pike. This week I wonder which character that Pike will play, a chef? A pirate? I can not wait to see!

Pike’s crew were weary through trials of cooking, marriage, conflict and combat so were taking this opportunity to partake in true exploration and scientific research across the galactic ‘seven seas’, continuing on their 5 year mission to chart the stars of the final frontier. The spacefaring crew were treated to a beautiful CGI nebula which was quite the site to behold, it’s ruby red hues and crimson to pink shades were rendered extremely well by the effects department, like a beautiful sunset on the horizon. The Enterprise continued to make her way through the empty ocean like expanse of space, scanning for anomalies and sending out probes as they made their way forward in their expedition of scientific enquiry. The crew were prepared for an eventless yet informative Jonisian Nebula stay, full of new discoveries and scientific marvels - though they were not to know of the epic adventure which was about to unfold before them…

The Physician’s daughter Rukiya, resting on a bed in the castle’s hospital ward, shared a tender moment with her father as he read her a traditional children’s book. Rukiya had been read this book over a hundred times before just like some of us mortals must have watched ‘The Cage/Menagerie’ over one hundred times before as well. We can probably relate to Rukiya’s frustration with this repetition to some extent. What if we could change the ending to the story Rukiya questions? Her father replies that even if we have heard (or watched!) a story many, many times before, it does not mean that the ending can not miraculously change one day - some fans have been wishing this of ‘The Cage/Menagerie’ recently, but who knows…. Star Trek canon does *seem* to be set in stone.

King Rigley watched over the battlefield outnumbered as the forces of Sir Rawth amassed against him, fast approaching his kingdom. Sir Rawth had turned against the king of Elysia and Princess Thalia had been captured by the evil Queen.

The King must make a decision, should he rescue the princess from the clutches of the Queen, or should he attempt to recover the fabled ‘Mercury Stone’ and thus save his Kingdom?

Back on the ‘intergalactic high seas’ the shipmates, quartermasters and old sea dogs continue to cherish their time to explore, not knowing that a mist was about to descend upon them as the result of a magical intervention. The crew seem to have tempted fate and instead of Pike’s ‘hijinks’ of weeks gone by, he instead casts a ‘high jinx’ upon the crew of the Enterprise as a mysterious mist descends like a curtain dropping across her decks, only for this ethereal mist to be to be lifted once more as this weeks pantomime begins to truly commence…

Back in the Kingdom of Elysia, what must be many years earlier from the epic confrontation he had read of and been foretold, King Rigley enters his throne room surrounded by his social ring of power - the loyal Sir Adya and the treacherous Amand Rauth amongst them. King Rigley had foreseen the future and knew that this man would eventually betray him. The suspicious king cast a knowing glare at Sir Rauth… though surely the future is *not* set in stone and this man, his dear friend, will *not* eventually rise up against him?

King Rigley seemed a bit delusional, like he was not quite himself. Perhaps it was the shock of having foreseen the future through the words of his children’s book. King Rigley and his loyal men wanted to find answers to these delusions so decided to make their way to the bay.

Walking through the castle corridors, King Rigley and his loyal companions made up of the kingdoms finest men and women could not help but notice the beautiful set and stage design from the interior designers, Rigley knew that he had a mighty fine castle.

Upon entering the bay, King Rigley encounters the white mage Chapel, concocting a healing potion in her bubbling cauldron. Using medical wizardry the King discovers her very high dopamine levels… perhaps this is a clue? Princess Thalia makes a dramatic entrance with her beautiful well groomed dog, yet to be kidnapped by the evil Queen as foretold in stories of old. The wizard Caster also makes his entrance, though he seems to be suffering the same delusion as the King, perhaps if they work together they can figure this whole thing out…

Our fellowship continues their journey through the dungeons, admiring the forna and flora along their way, the wise Wizard Pollux next joins our fellowship agreeing to help them on their long and perilous journey. Pollux’s long raven black locks flowed behind him in the castles environmentally controlled breeze as he marched onwards boldly with our band of intrepid heroes.

The fellowship next stumble across one of their very first trials of this adventure… one to surely test their metal; the Swamp of Infinite Death! This is not to be confused with the Bog of Eternal Stench, the stakes are obviously a lot higher this time - infinitely so. Perhaps the should considering draining this swamp for future adventures in the Elysian kingdom in order to make it easier to traverse the terrain on journeys such as this one being undertaken by this particular expedition of adventurers.

The group of companions find a secret entrance, an opening to an underground world of cave systems. They travel through underground tunnels in order to fulfil their quest, I’m not quite sure who was holding the map at this point but I’m sure they knew their way.

Upon emerging from the tunnels they happen to stumble upon the throne room of the evil Queen Neve. A battle commences, swords are drawn. Magic both black and white are cast… hi-potions and ethers surely were put to good use and definitely the odd phoenix down. Maxed out HP levels were depleted and MP was drained.

Who will be the victors?

To be continued ….

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *snores*

Sorry, I fell to sleep at this point in the episode as I watch them late at night. I can’t even remember what I was watching but I definitely think that it was a Star Trek episode. It’s quite fun so far though. I’ll watch the rest again tonight and finish this review in a part 2 later. I don’t know what to rate it yet as I think I only got to about half way through.

 

Brilliant, brilliant , brilliant and brilliant.....top marks for me, very fun episode, took me right back to TOS I Mudd.

 

I would love to have seen Hemmer and Tilly interact. I wager she'd make his antennae twitch happily.

 

I'd guess that it would be more of an annoying twitch.
Happy, Peppy People seem to exasperate him more than anything else.

 

Does this man talks like this in real life as well? or he thinks whispering is serious acting?
I am sorry but his voice is like fingernails on a chalk board..
This was a torture to watch erm... listen

 

Which is besides the point. You are putting words into my mouth. Don't do it.

If we take it that Benny wrote DS9, we know that he would never write such a soft take on bringing one's imagination to lif: it could kill you and destroy the station.

 

Pretty sure Jollydark was talking about just this episode. And the "high school Hamlet" aspect was probably a deliberate choice by the actors, writers and director. After all its a child's book and a child's mind.
Is Oretegas your latest "whipping boy"?

 

Because Trek shouldn't change, but if it doesn't change, it's the same old boring tropes, but if they do something different, it's not Star Trek, but if they keep on following the same formula, Star Trek is dead.

 

Long live Star Trek!

 

Look, just give me the same characters, the same show, the same emotional experiences I had when I first watched it, including all of the context surrounding my life at the time, and do it consistently across the entire series, but make it different. Easy peasy!

 

Why?

I don't know why this is so HARD!?

It's more that it appears that SNW is enjoyable for many and the feeling of being left out is a difficult one to surmount, especially among other Trek fans. I speculate that or Ortegas is just a symptom of not liking SNW but not being able to put a specific pinpoint as to why, so the problem must be the characters, or the set dressing, or the stories lacking "depth" as if all stories in Trek were "super deep, man."

 

THAT’S IT!!! [/Charlie Brown]

 

That makes absolutely no sense.

 

Watched it again. Kinda reminds me of Q-pid.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Qpid_(episode)

 

If wishes were horses. Watch it.

 

Far Beyond the Stars makes very clear what influences Benny Russell had and what objectives he had for his writing. Although he does not outright reject it, he certainly distances himself from simple flights of fancy and insists his writing will have greater social purpose.

 

Ok. But that's not every single story ever written. One need only study various authors works to realize that authors do different things across their lifespan.

 

Sure, he could have written anything, perhaps scripts for art porn in the 1970s. But it wouldn't follow from his character.

 

This assumes a static character.

This is not my experience when talking with authors.

 

Just look at movie directors. Joel Schumacher creates a lump of cheese dunked in a tire fire called Batman & Robin yet four years earlier helms one of the darkest and most sophisticated urban dramas of the past 30 years, Falling Down. Artists can apply themselves to different genres.