Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1x10 - "A Quality of Mercy"

[blssdwlf]

Sorry to be late to party (as always), just to nitpick here, Kirk says,”…pushed to Warp 9…” on the Farragut? Shouldn’t it be “pushed to Warp 7”?

Just like how some details with people and creatures have been changed in SNW, the technology is also a bit different in TOS.

 

[fireproof78]

Give it all she's got!

 

[Mr Awe]

It helps when your ship has working phasers to show that strength

Yup, and that's why hesitating was bad!

 

[Mr Awe]

The biggest problem, I feel, is that the character contrast they were trying to set up simply does not ring true. We've seen Pike out-think and out-maneuver tactically superior foes and unleash hell without hesitation against the enemy in space battles on two different shows, now. The "mistake" the episode forces him into feels... well, forced. And the resulting lecture from Kirk would've felt unearned even coming from an actor who could remotely match Mount's charisma (and I'm sorry he's getting so much flak, but let's face it, Paul Wesley is just not that guy).

I can't think of a way to fix this episode, really. I would have loved to love it, a "Balance of Terror" what-if looks on paper like it would be right up my alley, but there are just too many pieces here that don't fit, too many elements that don't land. As regards everything from story and heart to character studies and thrilling space battle tactics, "Memento Mori" has this outing beat by a mile for my money. (Admittedly this is also partly because I am not wild about SNW dwelling repeatedly on Pike's Impending Doom, much less about a storyline that's totally driven by it.)

I agree with your take on it. I've called it a flawed premise because it forced Pike to look bad. He was overly trusting of the Romulans throughout the episode. The story needed him to misjudge them to "prove" that he couldn't change his fate.

Even if Pike started out trusting the Romulans, he would've changed his tune very quickly after seeing them attack the outpost. It would be like a US commander being soft and trusting after Pearl Harbor. But the premise of the episode didn't allow him to adapt.

I would've rather had a brand-new adventure to close out the season.

The good thing about this episode is that at least it seems to nail shut the case for Pike's fate being unchangeable. I don't think they'll focus on it much going forward.

 

[Mr Awe]

Sorry to be late to party (as always), just to nitpick here, Kirk says,”…pushed to Warp 9…” on the Farragut? Shouldn’t it be “pushed to Warp 7”?

Ahead full plot speed!

 

[TRON JA307020]

I agree with your take on it. I've called it a flawed premise because it forced Pike to look bad. He was overly trusting of the Romulans throughout the episode. The story needed him to misjudge them to "prove" that he couldn't change his fate.

Even if Pike started out trusting the Romulans, he would've changed his tune very quickly after seeing them attack the outpost. It would be like a US commander being soft and trusting after Pearl Harbor. But the premise of the episode didn't allow him to adapt.

I would've rather had a brand-new adventure to close out the season.

The good thing about this episode is that at least it seems to nail shut the case for Pike's fate being unchangeable. I don't think they'll focus on it much going forward.

Pikes fate can be different then we think. How long did he stay on Talos? Can the Talosians extend life? For all we know he's still alive in the early 25th and can meet Picard .

 

[fireproof78]

I agree with your take on it. I've called it a flawed premise because it forced Pike to look bad. He was overly trusting of the Romulans throughout the episode. The story needed him to misjudge them to "prove" that he couldn't change his fate.

Even if Pike started out trusting the Romulans, he would've changed his tune very quickly after seeing them attack the outpost. It would be like a US commander being soft and trusting after Pearl Harbor. But the premise of the episode didn't allow him to adapt.

I would've rather had a brand-new adventure to close out the season.

The good thing about this episode is that at least it seems to nail shut the case for Pike's fate being unchangeable. I don't think they'll focus on it much going forward.

Revisiting the sense I got (wrong perhaps but this is my interpretation) is that Pike's avoidance of the accident wasn't the only thing he started avoiding. He started becoming risk adverse more cautious, and not wanting to risk lives, such as those cadets. Which is part of why he didn't appear to adapt.

 

[Mr Awe]

Pikes fate can be different then we think. How long did he stay on Talos? Can the Talosians extend life? For all we know he's still alive in the early 25th and can meet Picard .

Well, that's the bald headed, telepathic elephant in the room. But there's really no need to alter his fate.

We know that while Pike does get burned and stuck in the chair, we also know that he ends up going back to Talos IV and being with Vina, his love, and able to live a normal life. Shoot, he might be able to travel the galaxy by mind power or however Vina did it in Discovery.

But Pike doesn't know any of that. He only saw the accident, the injuries, and the wheelchair.

So, while I'm sure he'd rather not be injured, we know comes out of it better than expected. I hope we get to see a bit of what his life is like after being taken to Talos IV. How's he living courtesy of the Talosians?

 

[Mr Awe]

Revisiting the sense I got (wrong perhaps but this is my interpretation) is that Pike's avoidance of the accident wasn't the only thing he started avoiding. He started becoming risk adverse more cautious, and not wanting to risk lives, such as those cadets. Which is part of why he didn't appear to adapt.

That's a good in-story interpretation for it.

 

[blssdwlf]

Yup, and that's why hesitating was bad!

I know right? Kirk shouldn't have hesitated a whole 16 seconds to fire after he decided to charge into the Bird of Prey. Bad Kirk!

 

[Mr Awe]

^Alright, I'm not rehashing this! But, no.

 

[Captain Dove]

I thought it was excellent. Which has already been said, but... it was.

 

[blssdwlf]

^Alright, I'm not rehashing this! But, no.

I didn't say anything about "hesitating" first But, you don't need to respond since you're not rehashing this. Taking my Kirk-tinted glasses off, I can see that Pike only hesitated for around 7 seconds compared to Kirk's 16 seconds. And Pike had the excuse that he was out of range to fire. In the end, Pike was extraordinarily patient with Kirk because he saw some major potential in Kirk. Season 2 should be very interesting to see Pike mentoring Kirk to become the TOS-Kirk. YMMV

 

[Voodoowoman2]

Leila Kalomi is Ortegas' cousin. Ortegas has always hated Spock for tossing her aside. Or at least, that's what I'll assume until proven otherwise.

I don't get the people that think Spock will meet up with Leila any time soon. Wasn't that little "thing" when he was at Academy on earth? He won't see her again for years.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I don't get the people that think Spock will meet up with Leila any time soon. Wasn't that little "thing" when he was at Academy on earth? He won't see her again for years.

Never underestimate the ability of these show runners to shoehorn in the tiniest bit of fan service or waste any opportunity to exploit small universe syndrome...

 

[cooleddie74]

Not the Academy, but it didn't happen until he was on Earth in 2261 for whatever reason he was on Earth that year.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

The Romulans only listen to strength. Kirk showed it. Pike didn't. There was no diplomacy in Balance of Terror.

I said "history is full of" as in even after the small Romulan attack Pike was not wrong to believe that it could be stopped from going further.
Much like Klingons that show of strength thing is only a load of crap they like to say but is often ignored over real universe politics.

 

[Gary Bitchell]

Never underestimate the ability of these show runners to shoehorn in the tiniest bit of fan service or waste any opportunity to exploit small universe syndrome...

Good. I hope they do. I like Trek being a small universe, and I like fanservice. When I don't want those things, I go watch OTHER sci fi.

You could always do the same.

 

[BreadfanV43]

Another solid episode. At first, I thought it was a one off, but this show is really trying to stay true to what Trek is all about. It is far from “great” but considering Picard and (especially) Discovery, it appears it has an actual potential for building a solid fanbase.

 

[fireproof78]

Never underestimate the ability of these show runners to shoehorn in the tiniest bit of fan service or waste any opportunity to exploit small universe syndrome...

Isn't that what the more vocal fans want? I mean, if a show is done, either in the Trek past or Trek future, there is always the question of asking after specific characters. It seems to me that the show runners are giving the audience what they are saying they want. So, if that's a problem then perhaps we should look at the demand?