Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x05 - "Charades"

[ananta]

I really enjoyed the episode until the last few seconds. The Spock/Chapel relationship is a real shark jumping moment for me, unless I consider this a reboot rather than a legitimate prequel. For all their many issues I never quite got to that point with either Enterprise or Discovery. But this really isn’t the same Spock and Christine and it definitely alters what would follow. Heck, it’s implied in “Naked Time” that Spock doesn’t even know Chapel’s first name. But still, I don’t want to become one of those muppets who froths at the mouth about CANONNNN issues. Episode 3 basically confirmed this is an altered timeline/universe with its time travelling Romulan and whatnot. I can live with it…

I CAAAANN live with it!

It was otherwise a fun episode, nicely done, with a gloriously alien species and plenty enjoyable moments. And I loved seeing Amanda again.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

Not Chack?

Yeah I don't like any of the mashed-up ship names for this pair. But I have a friend who thinks this Spock is the snackiest of all the Spocks and thus he has dubbed this Spock, Hot Spocket.

 

[Unique]

Ethan Peck also NAILED IT 100% in his performance across the board here. He was amazing.

I also love the way Anson Mount played Pike in this situation. It's nice to see acting that really goes beyond just saying the lines. Some of the stuff done by everyone is subtle, but just really adds to the entertainment value of the episode as a whole.
.

Pike’s slow turn with the food tray was <chef’s kiss>. Enjoyable performances by all.

 

[Amaris]

Baseline assumption is that somehow love will make it work. But, love isn't the only thing. Love takes a lot of work and if you cannot communicate, even due to illness or space illness, then it creates a negative space for distrust to grow.

It isn't that they "really love each other." It's that there is a conflict rooted in Spock's interaction with his Vulcan and human sides and T'Pring is not always able to reconcile that, especially against the demands of her parents.

This. I've met former married partners who divorced despite still loving the other person. Love is powerful, but it's not omnipotent. It can't save everything.

 

[Nyotarules]

T'Pring's dad is oddly un-Vulcan

A planet of billions will have diverse behaviour

 

[El Maestro]

I was talking about Amok Time.

Here I don't side with either one. Yeah, you can't communicate in a relationship you're going to have problems and after the mind swap T'Pring probably would be more understanding than Spock was giving her credit for.

Yeah she probably would have. Plus there was that TV/movie thing there she got mad at him for doing something that was not entirely unreasonable and only kind of sort of let him explain his side of it and ended things (for now).

 

[F. King Daniel]

This was a weird one. Pubescent human Spock was very cringe, but parts were touching. Pike's U-turn during Spock's venting at the end was hilarious.

And the ending.

The ending.

All is forgiven, 11/10 best episode ever.

 

[cooleddie74]

This episode was just entertaining from start to finish. Something that's rare in Trek of any kind in the past twenty-odd years or so.

 

[fireproof78]

I CAAAANN live with it!

*stares in Sisko who can't live with it*

 

[Amaris]

This was a weird one. Pubescent human Spock was very cringe, but parts were touching. Pike's U-turn during Spock's venting at the end was hilarious.

And the ending.

The ending.

All is forgiven, 11/10 best episode ever.

I still catch myself giggling when I remember that scene. That "oh, shit" u-turn was the best.

 

[Jag2112]

Screencaps gallery for Charades now online:

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/sc-SNW2-5.php

 

[Unique]

I still catch myself giggling when I remember that scene. That "oh, shit" u-turn was the best.

I’ve rewatched that part 3 times just to savor it.

 

[cooleddie74]

This is how you do physical comedy in Trek. TOS pulled it off for the most part but most series and films since haven't quite pulled off the job or have fallen well short. This was pretty much "Ferengi rescue team" funny and it's been ages since any Trek episode or film (that isn't LD) has made me laugh this much.

 

[David cgc]

Let's not forget, we don't know what's going on with T'Pring's life. It's entirely possible she's already got some kind of Vulcan work-husband thing going on with Stonn. She's not exactly bringing her A-game to making this a functional arranged marriage, either, she's always been extremely judgy about Spock's job and his heritage so far. Last season, her idea seemed to be he should have to be a drop-in fit to her life, and she was just humoring his fun little space-hobby job until they formally tied the knot and he became her husband. Spock's not even a celebrity yet, and T'Pring is already concerned she won't be able to emulate her parents' dynamic.

I've gotta say, I was really pessimistic about the Spock/Chapel/T'Pring triangle, but this episode does seem to be setting up "Amok Time" pretty well, there are pretty clear lines to plenty of elements in the five-second explanation we got of why she ended up doing what she did.

This was a weird one. Pubescent human Spock was very cringe, but parts were touching. Pike's U-turn during Spock's venting at the end was hilarious.

And the ending.

The ending.

All is forgiven, 11/10 best episode ever.

I imagined this was your reaction as the episode went on.

 

[cooleddie74]

 

[Unique]

This is how you do physical comedy in Trek. TOS pulled it off for the most part but most series and films since haven't quite pulled off the job or have fallen well short. This was pretty much "Ferengi rescue team" funny and it's been ages since any Trek episode or film (that isn't LD) has made me laugh this much.

The last time I saw a Trek captain do something that funny was when an episode opened with Troi saying something like, “My mother is coming for a visit” in a voiceover, and then it cuts to Picard peeking warily through a door into the hallway. He looked exactly like a mouse trying to figure out where the cat is.

 

[Unique]

Screencaps gallery for Charades now online:

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/sc-SNW2-5.php

Pike with the tray is 613, if anyone cares.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Also was Mia Krishner pregnant during filming of this, by chance?

 

[fireproof78]

This. I've met former married partners who divorced despite still loving the other person. Love is powerful, but it's not omnipotent. It can't save everything.

True story time: in college I was a hopeless romantic and tried all the romantic things. Didn't work. One time though I sat down with a couple friend and they asked for some support due to struggles with fighting. Sat down, identified their values (didn't have the terminology at the time; do now) and how they could communicate more effectively.

Got a note from them later on that said "We couldn't have made it without that knowledge."

Love is a many splendid thing but it requires hard work, self-knowledge and willingness to communicate what you need with your partner despite the discomfort.

 

[DaveyNY]

I love The Goonies!

Heh... That was Chunk.