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

[Tuskin38]

Well, they can't all be winners. Does anything happen at the end of this episode that we'll need to know going forward?

This episode is a winner. You should watch it.

 

[JRoss]

M'Benga's daughter is now an energy being living in a nebula that had spontaneously formed itself into a mind.

For real? Thanks, man. I just couldn't finish it.

 

[DaveyNY]

M'Benga's daughter is now an energy being living in a nebula that had spontaneously formed itself into a mind.

Another fitting Star Trek premise that ends somewhat happily.

 

[Jedman67]

Pros: Solid acting, amazing cast
Also, Erica is outstanding. Gimme more!
Straight up fantasy star trek plot with a bit of science thrown in. No deus ex machina, no last minute technobabble solution. Just plain, old fashioned story telling that tugs right at the heartstrings.

Cons: My ***ing kids interrupting me every 5 minutes. I'm trying to work watch star trek here!
10/10
5 stars
Loving it!

 

[fireproof78]

It's going somewhere? Are they bringing back Benny Russell? Cool!

Yup. Why not?

 

[Mr Awe]

A weak 7. Second episode in a row that didn't really work for me. But it was a bit better than last week's pirate story. This episode felt like one of those weaker season 7 TNG episodes where they tried doing something different, but it didn't work. I just couldn't care about the fairytale setting. I also couldn't get past too many obvious plot holes.

Clearly, M'Benga and Hemmer could've used the ships technology to incapacitate the crew. Shoot, just grab a phaser and stun anyone who gets in your way! That would be for their own safety so they don't die from sword fights and arrows! I also thought of using the transporter before Hemmer. Why not contact Starfleet for help?

So, not being able to care about the setting and the obvious plot holes removed much of the enjoyment.

There were a few bright spots. Mainly the twist that the entity tapped into the daughter's mind was inspired. What a tough choice for M'Benga. I'm glad he got confirmation that it was the correct decision even though how that happened at the end was vague. Did she time travel or does time subjectively pass faster as an entity?

I was surprised that the daughter storyline is done. It feels like a mid-season course adjustment because it was a rather abrupt end to that thread.

 

[Mr Awe]

Of course they shoehorn in an expository "it's okay!" ending to make sure you don't think about the fact that a 10 year old is basically abandoned, which I think cheapened the impact of the choice. Like they didn't trust the audience enough to leave it ambiguous, so they have to make sure you know that it's ethically okay to leave the girl with a stranger.

Yup, great point. Not only was she 10 but it's an off the cuff decision with no real information.

Also, why not ask the entity for information about how it cured her? Maybe M'Benga can replicate it?

But, agreed, the overly pat ending with the visit was to prevent viewers from thinking about the irresponsibility of that decision.

 

[indranee]

This is exactly my take. The only reason I won't give it a high mark is because it doesn't do anything to move the show's story forward, and I do feel as if this was a deux ex machina kind of deal for the writers to get rid of Rukiya the easy way and leave M'Benga unfettered. That doesn't sit well with me. I was looking forward to his dealing with his secret and actions in terms of the ship and Starfleet.

I enjoyed the story though. Anyway, a 7 from me.

Maybe I might feel differently in the morning, but I thought that episode was amazing. I gave it a 10.

I didn't know what to feel about this episode as it was airing. I got a little TNG's Imaginary Friend, mixed with TNG's Clues, Mixed with Dramatis Personae (DS9), and I wasn't entirely a fan of making Pike the coward. However, once we got to the Quarters and we saw Rukiya, this episode changed dramatically for me. It went from this silly romp to this episode about love, family, and having to let go and it provided a nice conclusion to the Rukiya storyline. I especially liked older Rukiya showing up saying she's happy and safe and it's time for M'Banga to make his own stories. I actually almost got choked up during that scene, and it made the entire episode worth it.

 

[Mr Awe]

Just getting ready to watch it. Reading all the positive comments for this and the other episodes (including my own), I wonder if the Disco show runners are paying attention to how much love SNW is getting and perhaps taking note about how episodic TV can still be done... And many of us don't need/want a season-long arc story line.

The problem with Discovery (and Picard) isn't its serial nature. Instead, it's the poor writing that can't sustain a story over a full season. So, you get the long mid-season slumps. Other shows have pulled off season long (and longer) stories effectively. Going to episodic stories would relieve them of the burden of doing something they haven't been able to do. In other words, serialization isn't the problem, it's the writers not being able to do serialization.

 

[TRON JA307020]

I think you need to rewatch that scene.
It certainly did indicate that.

Ambiguous. Sounded like once the entity left the disease would start again. Didn't say if it would continue where it was or just start anew. So no it didn't clearly state it.

 

[Belz...]

It's going somewhere? Are they bringing back Benny Russell? Cool!

That's not what "half-assed" means. It means that insufficient effort was put into it. It's a reference, and it is complete in and of itself.

This is exactly my take. The only reason I won't give it a high mark is because it doesn't do anything to move the show's story forward

The show has no story. You do understand that it's episodic, right?

 

[TRON JA307020]

If you were in M'Benga's shoes, would you dare take the chance that the clock would've been reset? What if you were wrong?
Worst case scenario: The clock isn't reset. She effectively has hours, if not minutes, and the chances of finding a cure in time are slim and grim. What's YOUR decision, Doctor?

It never stated specifically how much time she had left.

 

[Yistaan]

It never stated specifically how much time she had left.

M'Benga's log says "days have become hours" or something to that effect.

A strict reading of that gives a maximum of 47 hours left for Rukiya outside the transporter buffer.

 

[Trekker4747]

Another reason why I dislike numeral rating systems. I gave it an 8 because it's one of my favourite episodes of the season, and for you an 8 is somewhat disappointing.


Seemed like a full-assed one to me.

Kind of the "curve" I grade on. Both just in general and compared to NuTrek. Its was a good episode. I was entertained. Good performances in it, but some elements of it don't click with me, it's too soon for, and it resolves a story/arc that had barely started. Really, I could have given it a 7 bit I'm feeling generous because overall I like the series.

 

[Mr Awe]

M'BENGA: The patient's condition has not improved. Months have become days and have become hours. Every minute has become invaluable. She has so little time left.

M'Benga can't store her in the transporter buffer indefinitely. He has to materialize her from time to time, which subtracts from her remaining life expectancy. M'Benga's running out of time to find a cure. He's desperate. If he passes up this opportunity, Rukiya will most likely die before he finds a cure.

Ugh. The whole thing infuriates me. For starters, he can reduce time passage from her point of view by rematerializing her for mere seconds.

Additionally, there must be facilities dedicated to using transporters as suspended animation. It's not like M'Benga is both the first person to need this form of suspended animation and to think of the idea. Stashing his daughter in an emergency medical transporter on a starship isn't the smartest idea. Power loses and ship damage, much less destruction, come to mind. Along with nebula roaming entities!

Instead, put her in a dedicated facility for this type of thing. They'd be able to minimize the passage of time for the daughter while maximizing safety. M'Benga made a dumb choice for his daughter.

 

[Noname Given]

A 9.

I really liked the take they had on this situation. They followed a logical progression as I too (like M'Benga first thought it may just be a drug induced fantasy he was experiencing based on his inhalation of whatever drug the computer isolated. For once a truly powerful yet benevolent entity just wanting to help (and also wanted to not be alone any longer) - but its actions here made sense - and I LIKE that they didn't leave the audience hanging or wondering if M'Benga made a good choice (as I don't think a 6-8 year old which is the age his daughter's younger self came across as really has the ability to fully understand the choice - but also it was clear she would die VERY soon, so I can also understand why M'Benga would allow her to choose.)

But yeah, I'm actually happy they ended this on a 100% up note where M'Benga's daughter comes back to tell him she's lived years of a good life in companionship with the entity; and that's she's okay and happy. I also liked that he's the only one they left with any memory of what actually transpired.

They also gave Mellissa Navia (Ortegas) a lot to do; but I hope this wasn't what they considered as one of her focused episodes as because of the situation we don't get any more of her actual backstory.

It's also interesting that we get confirmation that an Aenar's telepathic abilities appear more developed than a Vulcan's as Spock wasn't able to shield himself from the Entity's influence.

I'm sure the cast had a lot of fun as they git to all play differing characters, and some with a somewhat malevolent intent.

 

[cooleddie74]

His daughter reappearing at a much older age has shades of both Sisko appearing to Jake at different stages of his life in DS9 and the much older Daniel Dae Kim astronaut from the temporal planet reappearing - from his perspective - years later aboard Voyager when the crew had last seen him just hours or even minutes earlier.

 

[Noname Given]

Yep!

https://www.instagram.com/runa_ewok/
Currently starring in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with my mama @chrissychong

Yeah, there's a scene where the dog is REALLY INTO licking her neck on camera, and she wasn't freaking out, so I figured it must have been her own dog, or a dog she was REALLY comfortable and trusting of.

 

[Mr Awe]

M'Benga certainly got lucky that the entity was good despite the warnings from Hemmer that it was "not gentle" and could've killed him. Also, the entity put the crew into a dangerous position that was not sustainable. Violent deaths and injuries plus not maintaining the ship over time would've resulted in deaths . . . all for entertainment.

 

[cooleddie74]

The Aenar have a history of feeling isolated and persecuted and have no sight at birth, relying on other senses. To him the entity probably was a threat.