Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x01 - "The Broken Circle"

[Rahul]

Star Trek once made a whole damn episode about how it is okay for grown-ass men to cry to express their feelings (TNG's "family"). That shit was dope.

Just don't turn another sci-fi show into a Mexican telenovela. It stops being dramatic and becomes annoying really fast.

 

[cooleddie74]

And he experiences a flood of emotions when his Vulcan physiology reverts 5,000 years to when his people were emotional and warring savages. Spock's half-human as well, so that can't be any help when he feels something deep down inside his soul and wants to do the civilized Vulcan thing, suppressing it. He's had the deck stacked against him since birth but somehow ends up healthier and more balanced an individual than most other natives of his home planet.

 

[fireproof78]

IDIC.

IDIC.

IDIC.

 

[El Maestro]

So many fans seem to want all the characters from TOS to show up on the bridge EXACTLY as they will be 8 years in the future. No time for naivete. No time for immaturity evolving into maturity. No time to fall in love truly for the first time. NO. These men are GODS to them. They are invincible, They are James Bond caricatures. Heck Kirk falls completely in love with TWO robot women and male fans eat it up like it makes him Robert Barrett Browning. I like seeing Spock's vulnerability. It's not weakness to fall in love. They want Spock to be a man without a chest. This is a man with functions below the waist, great intellect above the waist but nothing in between. Spock looks at Chapel in sickbay, and the horror of having to kill two friends, one of whom is the woman he finally realizes he loves is a wonderful moment.

And the ship looks different too, those BASTARDS

 

[cooleddie74]

Even Kirk in the second TOS pilot is different from the Kirk we see one year later in-universe in "The Corbomite Maneuver."

 

[Captain Jollydark]

While I agree that making Spock cry is something that loses dramatic effectiveness if it's overdone, I really don't think your reaction to it is proportional. And there's nothing wrong with crying in general -- it's healthier than holding it in. We should see more characters cry, and we shouldn't see crying as somehow a bigger deal than kissing or smiling or laughing. The healthy, free expression of emotion is a good thing.

And nothing ever broke Michael Burnham. She's as awesome as ever.

And she will always be awesome in my heart and mind.

I confess I had trouble with Spock crying at first. I think it's because I associate it with his shame and reluctance to be anything like a human being in TOS and SNW S1. But then I was like, yeah, he's a mess. And the explanation for what fractured in his mind in order to deal with the Gorn was good enough for me. He'll muddle through it and we know he will over-correct at some point so I'm open to the struggle right now. I love watching the process of these characters becoming who they'll be.

 

[ussrowe]

So when we eventually get to the TNG prequel show that shows Mot the Barber as a Bolian supersoldier before he started cutting hair that'll completely make sense?

As long as NuTrek doesn't do anything ridiculous like retconning a plain, simple tailor like Garak into having been a superspy i his youth I will be ok.

 

[Pauln6]

True but Chapel did NO martial arts at all. She just led with her tiny fists and decimated grown Klingon males. It's Kira Nerys syndrome where Kira punches out Damar with two blows. It's nonsense. If the writers had given it some thought the "juice" could have juiced up Chapel's adrenaline, making her faster, sharper minded and and capable of taking a few phaser pistols, thus evening the odds. Sigh! Once again we are the victim of the fake "strong female character" trope: i.e. Invincible Shemale. Chapel deserves to be smarter than this.

Yes, I clapped like a giggling schoolgirl when Chapel hyposprayed someone into oblivion in season one because it was a great nod to her TOS character and a smart way for her to contribute This combat scene just had me scratching my head but mostly because she isn't Starfleet. It makes your security characters look like chumps if everyone, including the civilian nurse, can fight as well as them, or better. The characters should have some light and shade and I agree that the trope gets annoying but it's a bit unfair to lay it all at the feet of the women - I didn't think M'Benga should have been that tough either - just tougher than her because he is at least Starfleet. Basic self-defence moves would be fine, I guess.

Maybe the juice makes them exude pheromones that weaken Klingon strength, possibly some kind of variant to the augment virus to even up the field. We could also take into account that these were scavengers, not necessarily warriors, who were initially caught off guard. Despite all that, I think that our doctors' combat skills were overdone. All they had to do was not have as many Klingon opponents to keep it more believable and less Daredevil. The drama would have been the same.

 

[fireproof78]

People really underestimate the training nurses go through. I'm a mental health provider and I'm trained in self defense as part of my job.

 

[valden]

hmmmm...not surprised by the mixed to negative reviews this episode is getting across the spectrum.

Chapel and Mbemga as action heroes is really getting bahsed by fans on treklore and trekmovie, calling the magical powers cliche and down right silly. Although I did say this was an issue in the first season that it made no sense to give medical people action scenes especially when it is legacy characters like chapel or mnbega that we know. I think the action scenes with legacy characters should be left to people like sulu, kirk and uhura since it fits their profession more.

surprised also by the backlash with spock and chapel, many calling the romance set up cringe, spock been ooc. i think some fans may have gone easier if they have just been new characters?? however i think spock/chapel worked a lot better in season 1 when she was pining and he was curious, the chemistry is their for will they or wont they but it gets awkward and cringe even for vulcan standard once they get there. also the fact that they are doing it so early, only means it will end by episode 7?


i read a review on trek movie that spock has now gone to loving his finace to loving chapel. well this is what happens in streaming trek and the cw style writing they mostly have. same goes for this episode that is more suited for a DC Crises story with supergirl and the flash than star trek.

Episode was average, it this is what they have in store, we are in for a bumpy road.

 

[Nerys Myk]

t makes your security characters look like chumps if everyone, including the civilian nurse, can fight as well as them, or better.

There were no security folks present. I'm sure if La'An was there, she'd have passed on using the Popeye Juice and kicked more ass.

 

[fireproof78]

That's right, medical professionals, stay in your lane. Combat is not for you.

 

[Mr Awe]

This episode earns a 7. Almost an 8 but not quite. Solid entertainment.

There was lots to like in this episode. I enjoyed the overall setup and learning about this dilithium crystal mining planet and the arrangement with the Klingons. The new Chief Engineer seems like an interesting character and looking forward to learning more about her. Having Spock steal the Enterprise was great. That whole situation was handled nicely. I also like the new backstories for M'Benga and Chapel. The trauma from the Klingon War. M'Benga effectively presents a visceral reaction to the horrors of that war.

The downside for me was the magic juice that saved the day. Basically, this hitherto unknown substance converts M'Benga and Chapel into super warriors able to take down a dozen Klingons. Pretty much a magical solution. They're imprisoned and save the day. I didn't care for that aspect and the unbelievability takes you out of the story. Although there were nice moments between M'Benga and Chapel

Also hokey was the Enterprise and the fake Federation ship trading shots in the ice cloud. While I can imagine a dormant Enterprise being undetected, once the shots start flying, the Klingon ship would notice them.

I enjoyed the story. Nice character moments. An interesting setting. But the magical solution took away from it. A more creative solution would've lifted this story. I'm sure there will be more about the magic juice going forward. Seems like something they're setting up. Probably performance enhancing drug developed for the Klingon War. But meh. Came out of nowhere.

 

[Amaris]

And he experiences a flood of emotions when his Vulcan physiology reverts 5,000 years to when his people were emotional and warring savages. Spock's half-human as well, so that can't be any help when he feels something deep down inside his soul and wants to do the civilized Vulcan thing, suppressing it. He's had the deck stacked against him since birth but somehow ends up healthier and more balanced an individual than most other natives of his home planet.

This. I love Peck's portrayal of Spock. It makes sense to me, that Spock dealing with his human half early on, being burned, and trying to be more Vulcan than Vulcan later in life until he finally comes around to the happy medium of "logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end" in his twilight years.

 

[Pauln6]

That's right, medical professionals, stay in your lane. Combat is not for you.

Lol. That's not quite what I mean and I think most of the characters in SNW have VERY wide lanes in any event, but TOS was marred IMO by having Spock gobble up every other character's niche. Chapel taking out one or two male Klingons while juiced would have still been a "Whoa" moment. I think it was having her take on three in one go and winning was perhaps a bit much. M'Benga on the other hand had canonically built up his strength by slapping Vulcans in hospital, so that's fine.

 

[valden]

This episode earns a 7. Almost an 8 but not quite. Solid entertainment.

There was lots to like in this episode. I enjoyed the overall setup and learning about this dilithium crystal mining planet and the arrangement with the Klingons. The new Chief Engineer seems like an interesting character and looking forward to learning more about her. Having Spock steal the Enterprise was great. That whole situation was handled nicely. I also like the new backstories for M'Benga and Chapel. The trauma from the Klingon War. M'Benga effectively presents a visceral reaction to the horrors of that war.

The downside for me was the magic juice that saved the day. Basically, this hitherto unknown substance converts M'Benga and Chapel into super warriors able to take down a dozen Klingons. Pretty much a magical solution. They're imprisoned and save the day. I didn't care for that aspect and the unbelievability takes you out of the story. Although there were nice moments between M'Benga and Chapel

Also hokey was the Enterprise and the fake Federation ship trading shots in the ice cloud. While I can imagine a dormant Enterprise being undetected, once the shots start flying, the Klingon ship would notice them.

I enjoyed the story. Nice character moments. An interesting setting. But the magical solution took away from it. A more creative solution would've lifted this story. I'm sure there will be more about the magic juice going forward. Seems like something they're setting up. Probably performance enhancing drug developed for the Klingon War. But meh. Came out of nowhere.

i must say I am feeling a little bit vindicated to see more people now saying some characters are doing things not really in line with their profession, i don't mind magical stuff in trek if it is Q pulling the strings, I saw a fan on comic forum saying it may have made more sense if it was Laan and Spock that got a bit upgraded with the magical stuff and did the action scenes, since they already know how to fight??

this is alex kurtzman nonsensical story telling style stricks again, even in discovery the characters were not that good in given then their power set that fit their range of profession like how michael knew some things better than saru, maybe i can give michael Burnham a pass because i have accepted she is a mary sue kind of character but Chapel been be all lara croft??it is so Kurtzman generic that does not work here in SNW, although it does work a little in discovery and at least michael was a new character with a star fleet profession that was quite vague.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Lol. That's not quite what I mean and I think most of the characters in SNW have VERY wide lanes in any event, but TOS was marred IMO by having Spock gobble up every other character's niche. Chapel taking out one or two male Klingons while juiced would have still been a "Whoa" moment. I think it was having her take on three in one go and winning was perhaps a bit much. M'Benga on the other hand had canonically built up his strength by slapping Vulcans in hospital, so that's fine.

We know little of Chapel's history. And of this episode we know more. By seasons end we may know even more.

 

[Mudd]

Rewatching this now. The teaser has some great imagery.

 

[valden]

i must say I am feeling a little bit vindicated to see more people now saying some characters are doing things not really in line with their profession, i don't mind magical stuff in trek if it is Q pulling the strings, I saw a fan on comic forum saying it may have made more sense if it was Laan and Spock that got a bit upgraded with the magical stuff and did the action scenes, since they already know how to fight??

this is alex kurtzman nonsensical story telling style strikes again, even in discovery the characters were not that good in given then their power set that fit their range of profession like how michael knew some things better than saru maybe i can give michael Burnham a pass because i have accepted she is a mary sue kind of character but Chapel been be all lara croft??it is so Kurtzman generic that does not work here in SNW, although it does work a little in discovery and at least michael was a new character with a star fleet profession that was quite vague.

 

[Xerxes82]

No you don't. It makes perfect sense. M'Benga knew there were Klingons on the planet, he knew there was a chance he'd be captured, he knew he would probably not be able to smuggle a weapon, but he also knew he could take the serum and give himself a temporary hand-to-hand combat advantage based on his experience in the war.

It's bigger than that, but you have to connect some dots. When they first bring up the ion radiation, before they ever leave spacedock, M'Benga rattles off the cause and Chapel immediately jumps in with "We weren't in the war, he just reads weapons manuals." As though M'Benga shouldn't be talking about the knowledge he is sharing.

Chapel later asks M'Benga if he's alright, in what appears to be the context of dealing with Klingons. He responds something to the effect of "Can I ever be alright? But I'll manage."

Then, right before they take whatever the green (goblin/hulk) serum, Chapel asks M'Benga "Do you always carry it?" She has seen whatever this is before, knows what it does, and is only mildly surprised that M'Benga has it on his person.

The pretty clear implication is that these two got up to some dirty, probably violent stuff during the Klingon War that isn't supposed to be public knowledge. I get the impression that M'Benga was traumatized, either by something done to others that he witnessed, something he himself did, or both. Combine that with the anti-Klingon strength serum? M'Benga doesn't like Klingons. He actively carries a chemical to help him defend himself against them HAND TO HAND, which is the kind of thing that suggests, to me anyway, that it's personal.

It isn't OUT OF CHARACTER. It's ESTABLISHING character. Something happened to M'Benga and Chapel during the war, which will presumably come up again later. This is laying groundwork for later developments.