Spoilers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 1x04 – “Vox in Excelso”
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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Must be them darn Northern Klingons.
But seriously, "Birthright" had Kahless cry an ocean so clearly Spock was just making a crack as Spock is actually very prone to doing.
Some fans really can't take that Nixon going to China isn't a real Vulcan proverb.
And we're back after a bit of a miss last week, with a pretty rapid veering in tone. Whereas last week felt like a young adult show with some Trek set dressing, here we have a regular episode of Star Trek with a tiny bit of young person drama pasted on top.
The decision to reduce the Klingons to a handful of refugees was an intriguing one - somewhat of a role reversal. What happens to a proud warrior race when they lack the numbers or technology to actually win honor and glory in combat? That said, I would've expected something more like the surviving Klingon houses offering up themselves as mercenaries rather than just plain refugees. Jay-Den's family setup, in particular, didn't make much sense to me, as they seemingly lived as hunter-gatherers, yet still had access to a starship and could leave the planet? The budgetary limitations of the show were really evident here, as I could see alternate takes of this where we got to see a real Klingon settlement.
That said, the episode lives and dies on the character arc of Jay-Den, and I think it paid off here in spades. He started as one of the more intriguing of the cadets, and there's some payoff here. He goes on a full character arc, starting the episode profoundly conflicted due to his natural proclivities making him feel he's failed as a Klingon, and then recognizes, over the course of the episode, the identity of a "warrior" can be metaphorically seen in many ways. Maybe I'm just in an emotionally fragile spot right now (my mother died last night), but the family dynamics made me a bit misty eyed on multiple locations. It's nice to see young person drama which is about identity - something weightier than simple melodrama. I've no complaints here.
Caleb is also used well, in one of the few episodes so far where he's clearly not the main character. Seeing him try to be a good friend to Jay-Den, but unable to cross the emotional barrier in part due to not understanding Klingons (and due to Jay-Den pushing everyone away). Jay-Den had to be the one to take action and heal their budding friendship, but I'm glad they're back to buds.
For all that the promo material semi-leaked that Jay-Den was queer, I don't get that vibe from this episode yet, unless he's quite closeted. Darem obviously came onto him, but he just seemed flustered about the whole thing. Considering he had two dads, I don't think we have canonical Klingon homophobia in universe. Though clearly the arc is about queerness in a metaphorical sense. Jay-Den doesn't meet his father's expectations of what a warrior (man) should be, and feels he was rejected shamed himself as a result. He learns a different way to be.
The stuff with Ake and her Klingon former lover was fine. Who was the actor here? Feel like I've seen him in something else, but it's always hard to tell under the makeup.
If I have any complaint (other than the cinematography), it's that the whole mock debate section of the episode felt forced - a way to include the entire cast and make it feel like an academy story. At least they had already set up Jay-Den as shy, meaning he's working to overcome a limitation in his character. The choice of the Doctor to lead the debate was a bit random, however - I hope we won't see the same three adults teaching all of the classes going forward.
On the whole, a good episode, marred just a bit by some execution issues.
The decision to reduce the Klingons to a handful of refugees was an intriguing one - somewhat of a role reversal. What happens to a proud warrior race when they lack the numbers or technology to actually win honor and glory in combat? That said, I would've expected something more like the surviving Klingon houses offering up themselves as mercenaries rather than just plain refugees. Jay-Den's family setup, in particular, didn't make much sense to me, as they seemingly lived as hunter-gatherers, yet still had access to a starship and could leave the planet? The budgetary limitations of the show were really evident here, as I could see alternate takes of this where we got to see a real Klingon settlement.
That said, the episode lives and dies on the character arc of Jay-Den, and I think it paid off here in spades. He started as one of the more intriguing of the cadets, and there's some payoff here. He goes on a full character arc, starting the episode profoundly conflicted due to his natural proclivities making him feel he's failed as a Klingon, and then recognizes, over the course of the episode, the identity of a "warrior" can be metaphorically seen in many ways. Maybe I'm just in an emotionally fragile spot right now (my mother died last night), but the family dynamics made me a bit misty eyed on multiple locations. It's nice to see young person drama which is about identity - something weightier than simple melodrama. I've no complaints here.
Caleb is also used well, in one of the few episodes so far where he's clearly not the main character. Seeing him try to be a good friend to Jay-Den, but unable to cross the emotional barrier in part due to not understanding Klingons (and due to Jay-Den pushing everyone away). Jay-Den had to be the one to take action and heal their budding friendship, but I'm glad they're back to buds.
For all that the promo material semi-leaked that Jay-Den was queer, I don't get that vibe from this episode yet, unless he's quite closeted. Darem obviously came onto him, but he just seemed flustered about the whole thing. Considering he had two dads, I don't think we have canonical Klingon homophobia in universe. Though clearly the arc is about queerness in a metaphorical sense. Jay-Den doesn't meet his father's expectations of what a warrior (man) should be, and feels he was rejected shamed himself as a result. He learns a different way to be.
The stuff with Ake and her Klingon former lover was fine. Who was the actor here? Feel like I've seen him in something else, but it's always hard to tell under the makeup.
If I have any complaint (other than the cinematography), it's that the whole mock debate section of the episode felt forced - a way to include the entire cast and make it feel like an academy story. At least they had already set up Jay-Den as shy, meaning he's working to overcome a limitation in his character. The choice of the Doctor to lead the debate was a bit random, however - I hope we won't see the same three adults teaching all of the classes going forward.
On the whole, a good episode, marred just a bit by some execution issues.
I admit I'm going to be very interested in @KRAD's take on this episode over at Reactor because this is something very similar in concept (and obviously arrived at independently in a very different context) to one of the characters in the IKS GORKON/Klingon Empire books. Someone who really does note that the attitude of the Klingons toward medicine is stupid and self-defeating as a warrior people. Also, the lack of respect that they give a profession MOST warrior cultures value tremendously.
Also, mandatory link to WHOMP!
www.whompcomic.com
Also, mandatory link to WHOMP!
Whomp! - The Smartest Klingon
A depressed, portly, hirsute anime fan stumbles through life in the ever-pursuit of chicken nuggets and other life-shortening indulgences.
So sorry to hear about your mother, @eschaton. My heartfelt condolences. 
As I find myself doing often when it comes to these shows, I agree with basically everything you’re saying in your assessment of it. I forgot to mention in my review that I thought the footage shot on location didn’t really work for me either.
As I find myself doing often when it comes to these shows, I agree with basically everything you’re saying in your assessment of it. I forgot to mention in my review that I thought the footage shot on location didn’t really work for me either.
Maybe I misunderstood the scene. it seemed Ake was talking to herself so I assumed it was a sort of diary entry.
Well, the doctor quotes Judge Aaron Satie, Norah Saties’s father. So since there was no unfortunate incident with him on The Next Generation, they didn’t need to mention anything.
Oh my god, I completely missed that! So sorry. Thanks for the correction.
Here’s a transcript of the dialog. Especially that latter part makes it seem like she’s talking directly to them, although the episode does not make it clear how and when the cadets are hearing it. Who knows, maybe they wake up in the morning and the first thing that plays in their quarters is her address.
I thought the episode was fantastic. I'm glad we got info on what was happening with the Klingons since they weren't mentioned in Discovery S3-5.
Here’s a transcript of the dialog. Especially that latter part makes it seem like she’s talking directly to them, although the episode does not make it clear how and when the cadets are hearing it. Who knows, maybe they wake up in the morning and the first thing that plays in their quarters is her address.
Thanks. Yeah, the last part does seem to suggest that she is addressing the cadets. But like you said, the episode does not make it clear. I guess that is why I was a little confused. The ep makes it look like she is recording a personal message. But maybe she was recording a message that is delivered later to the cadets, like a voicemail.
I really liked the episode and wrote a favorable review, which will go up some time today. However, I didn't really get into the similarities between Ja'den and B'Oraq, as it's not, as you say, a one-to-one comparison, and I didn't want to get too in the weeds of my novels.
That scene was not in the theatrical cut of The Undiscovered Country, so it’s non-canon to begin with.
In there earlier argument, Jay-Den said Caleb had no family, so presumably some carryover from that.
I really liked the episode and wrote a favorable review, which will go up some time today. However, I didn't really get into the similarities between Ja'den and B'Oraq, as it's not, as you say, a one-to-one comparison, and I didn't want to get too in the weeds of my novels.
But we love the weeds!
The Klingons have always had that would rather die fetish. Worf would rather die then accept his back injury, his brother wanted to die as well, Krug's first officer wanted to die, same old Klingons.
It was, however the portrayal of ships in the fleet I found unsatisfying, which is still an issue with newer Trek. Picard Season 3 got it better, but the effects team was given instructions to emulate the 90s era, but even then the effects team missed one of the signature moves of the Enterprise-D, which is the torpedo scatter volley. Academy has so far been better then most of modern Trek as they gave us that beautiful shot of the Athena arriving in San Francisco, making the ship a character rather then just a prop.
It is becoming an issue that the planets all look the same. In the past they would use a matte painting to set the tone, I would have assumed that a modern 10 Million+ per Episode show would establish a planet with a CGI shot, but I guess that is to expensive. Maybe a matte painting is the way to go? Maybe not literal paint but a static CGI shot.
It is also a problem that Ontario does not have the variety in flora and fauna that California has. In a two hour radius of Los Angeles one has deserts, forests, plains, snow capped mountains, which is why Hollywood was established there in the first place.
In a two hour radius around Toronto one has.....Ontario.
I found it a satisfying explanation for why we never saw any Klingons in the 32nd century in Discovery. I love status quos being mixed up, all the members that left and the unification on Ni'var.
One can certainly come up with a lot of storylines between the 25th century and now. My personal headcanon Ezri's fortelling of the decline of the Klingon Empire comes true and they dissolve becoming full Federation members in the 26th as suggested by Daniels. The temporal war results in the Klingon seceding since their time crystals wrree probably coveted for use in warfare and the Empire reformed albeit smaller in scale and then the burn happened.
One can certainly come up with a lot of storylines between the 25th century and now. My personal headcanon Ezri's fortelling of the decline of the Klingon Empire comes true and they dissolve becoming full Federation members in the 26th as suggested by Daniels. The temporal war results in the Klingon seceding since their time crystals wrree probably coveted for use in warfare and the Empire reformed albeit smaller in scale and then the burn happened.
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