Just Started SNW RE: Uhura
- Thread starter Gary777
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I feel like this new version of Scotty might be more inspired by Simon Pegg's version from the movies, since there he definitely was that sort of comic relief character who has stuff happen to or around him in contrast to being a more proactive agent in the story.
That's true, but also probably part of my issue with it.
Pegg's Scotty was very much not "THE" Scotty. He was an alternate universe/timeline Scotty.
SNW Scotty is explicitly "THE Scotty", the same Scotty who will punching Klingons in the face for calling the Enterprise a garbage scow in a few years, a character who was very much NOT comic relief.
Spock is great. I wish they would tone down the "i'm gonna have emotions and stuff to explore humanity because of that one time he smiled in the pilot in events that happened a decade ago in-universe" stuff but otherwise, Spock has been very well done. I also hope we really get to see the event that... happens now(?) where Spock essentially rejects his humanity to dedicate to the Vulcan way.
Uhura is cool. She does a great job with the character. I can totally buy her as Uhura. My only small issue with her is minor and insignificant.
Kirk is... fine. I'm not in love with nuKirk, but I don't hate him either. I don't know that I have a specific criticism, I just don't... buy him as Kirk. I can't really tell you why, but I just don't see Kirk. Like everytime he's on screen, i'm kind of pulled out of it and am very aware that i'm watching like, somebody who is supposed to be Kirk.
Chapel is fine. I have some issues with the specific character arc in SNW, but overall she's alright. I'm largely indifferent to Chapel.
I'll reserve total judgement on Scotty until we get more.
Waiting Scotty crack open a bottle. Martin Quinn is a Scottish actor so that accent is for real.
Hmm. Just mentioning that there's a SNW Scotty is a bit of a spoiler for those of us who are little more than halfway through the second season. 
You’re not wrong, actually. Coincidentally, there’s only three more days to go before this fact would cross the six months threshold of it having to be treated as a spoiler, as that episode aired on 10 August 2023.Hmm. Just mentioning that there's a SNW Scotty is a bit of a spoiler for those of us who are little more than halfway through the second season.
If you really want to avoid spoilers, I would strongly advice you to stay out of threads in a show-specific subforum. Mods are trying to keep an eye on spoilers very diligently if they are mentioned in one of the other subfora. But it’s often unavoidable to run across them in the place that’s meant for discussion about the show in question (even though, as I said, they are certainly a no-go there as well.)
The notion of these fun, vital and intriguing characters "growing into" the stuffy stereotypes and cliches of the TOS characters from sixty years ago is a depressing one.
Peck's Spock into Nimoy's? Jess's Christine into Barrett's wooden, mopey Chapel? No, thank you.
Fortunately, the creators of SNW seem so far to be better writers than that.
Peck's Spock into Nimoy's? Jess's Christine into Barrett's wooden, mopey Chapel? No, thank you.
Fortunately, the creators of SNW seem so far to be better writers than that.
But... those are the characters. If the writers don't want to use those characters, there's not actual reason to bring those characters in. Literally nobody from TOS needed to be involved short of Spock.
But they ARE using the characters, and Paramount has been abundantly clear this is NOT a reboot. So... the writers are actually not doing a great job with some of these characters.
If you're expecting Pike's Enterprise to at some point suddenly look exactly like the TOS Enterprise, I think you're in for a world of disappointment, and I would expect the same from the characters in terms of either appearance or behavior. There's no need to resurrect dubious behavior and attitudes from the '60s in the 2020s.
It was a show written in the 60's with 60's sensibilities. I see no reason to copy those sensibilities when telling stories for a modern audience. Star Trek isn't a period piece.
Then either don't use those characters, or make the show a reboot.
The creators have insisted that this all one, continuous story. That creates certain expectations. In the case of SNW, it quite literally is a period piece... the creators chose to set it within a period of the established universe.
If they didn't want to use the established characters, they should just have not used the established characters.
Yup.
As one narrative goes it fits in the broad connections, while giving that modern touch that I would expect.
Trek is not a period piece requiring faithful reproduction like a historical drama.
I have been in a world of disappointment since the new era of Trek began. (edit on that... that's an overstatement. Discovery is garbage, but i've liked most everything else. SNW is much improved over DSC, even if I still have reservations about the ascetics. They're... better.)
I don't think it needs to look exactly like it... but things should look much closer. But I am talking less about the visual aesthetics right now, i'm talking about the characterization. Fine, change the visuals... but the characters should be the characters.
I don't really see why you can't get the personalities of these characters down without the few questionable things from the 60's.
Like sure, if they bring in McCoy... maybe drop the casual racism towards Spock. Absolutely.
Otherwise, who is a problem? Spock is stoic an unemotional... so was Tuvok. Is Tuvok some relic of a terrible bygone era?
Kirk's womanizing is vastly overstated in pop-culture. Current SNW Kirk is fine.
OG Scotty was just a bit more of a macho, masculine dude. There's nothing wrong with that.
TOS Chapel was a bit more mopey... although i'll give credit to SNW there with that actually making some sense given where the story is going. I'm pretty sure things don't pan out all that well for Chapel and her fiery spirit gets a bit defeated. I'm REALLY hoping for a story that exposes her and M'Benga's lies about what happened to the Klingon, resulting in both of their careers stalling, Chapel being a nurse forever and M'Benga getting relegated to just a side doctor on the ship.
Because it's a TV show. It's not a historical drama, as Fireproof78 stated. There's really no other answer required. It's a modern television show, produced in the 21st century. It's not gonna look like 1967.
Frankly, the show does nothing but improve those classic characters. Uhura has become more than a switchboard operator. Nurse Chapel has become more than a lamp post of a character, only hired cuz she's the bosses mistress.
The great thing about SNW is that now, when I watch TOS, I don't see those shallow, dull characters. I see these vibrant, exciting characters, with filled in backgrounds and motivations.
Strange New Worlds has made The Original Series better.
People change.
SNW gives us more insight in to the how and why.
SNW gives us more insight in to the how and why.
I don't disagree, for the most part.
And the DVD set was out in time for Christmas. As Nurse Murch said when Gordo delivered his sperm sample, "My, that was quick."
At any rate, my tongue was so far in my cheek with my "spoiler complaint" that it was starting to stick out my ear. And Scotty's voice did turn up (albeit from another actor) in "A Quality of Mercy," although I quite honestly don't remember it. And it's good that he's finally being played by an actual Scotsman.
Chapel was always a minor character in TOS, even after she went for, and got, her MD sometime before TMP. And of the characters Majel played, Chapel was always her least favorite. It did not take me long to warm up to the SNW version of her character.
And to get back to the original thread topic, Nichelle was never really satisfied with opening hailing frequencies (and that was even lampshaded in an episode). I think Ms. Gooding is doing an excellent job of portraying the same Uhura who would later "have Mr. Advenure eating out of [her] hand" ("Oh, this isn't reality . . . this is fantasy!").
Granted we only saw Jeff Hunter’s Pike in one episode, but what I saw of him was nothing like how Anson Mount portrays him. It’s like they are two completely different people.
Really, none of the TOS-centric SNW characters act like their TOS counterparts. You can say ‘people change’ til the cows come home, but these are fictional people completely at the whim of the writers. If the writers wanted to write those character like they appeared in TOS, they could have done so. And while I applaud them taking these characters in new directions, the idea (as Serveaux mentioned) that they will eventually ‘become’ the TOS crew, is pretty silly. I mean, who is rooting for SNW T’Pring to turn into a conniving bitch who wants Spock dead so she can shack up with Dull Guy?
Really, none of the TOS-centric SNW characters act like their TOS counterparts. You can say ‘people change’ til the cows come home, but these are fictional people completely at the whim of the writers. If the writers wanted to write those character like they appeared in TOS, they could have done so. And while I applaud them taking these characters in new directions, the idea (as Serveaux mentioned) that they will eventually ‘become’ the TOS crew, is pretty silly. I mean, who is rooting for SNW T’Pring to turn into a conniving bitch who wants Spock dead so she can shack up with Dull Guy?
Rooting for?
No.
Fascinated by the drama unfolding? Damn straight. Same goes for all the other characters. Pike I didn't expect to be the same because he wasn't fully himself and had pretty horrifying revelation that he has to make peace with. That's going to change a person.
It isn't 1:1 and I don't expect it to be. I do think it informs TOS far better than I expected it to and welcome that. I don't think they are two completely different people. I think they are people at different points in their lives affected by how life has impacted them.
