Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3x03 - "Shuttle to Kenfori"

[Mudd]

I dunno, it just felt dumb in execution. There's a lot more tension when you have things like say the clicker in TLOU, where they cannot find you if you stand completely still.

No. What you're looking for are horror tropes, and despite the zombies this wasn't a horror story.

The zombies were a bit of plot to hang the stories on, but the show was about the personal stories of the characters - what PTSD Ortegas did and why, M'Benga's choices, what Pike is feeling about Marie.

 

[eschaton]

No. What you're looking for are horror tropes, and despite the zombies this wasn't a horror story.

The zombies were a bit of plot to hang the stories on, but the show was about the personal stories of the characters - what PTSD Ortegas did and why, M'Benga's choices, what Pike is feeling about Marie.

I said exactly that upthread. The episode isn't about zombies at all. Which is why their inclusion here is so empty and feels like fanservice. You could basically have the exact same episode with say hostile alien lifeforms, and the plot would work out exactly the same.

They're nothing but temporary complications in the overall A-plot, which is to get the maguffin and save Batel while M'Benga has to confront his demons. They feel like a narratively useless distraction, because that's what they are.

 

[Trekker4747]

I said exactly that upthread. The episode isn't about zombies at all. Which is why their inclusion here is so empty and feels like fanservice. You could basically have the exact same episode with say hostile alien lifeforms, and the plot would work out exactly the same.

They're nothing but temporary complications in the overall A-plot, which is to get the maguffin and save Batel while M'Benga has to confront his demons. They feel like a narratively useless distraction, because that's what they are.

Exactly. " Why zombies?" an enraged demon alien banging a rock on the roof of a shuttle makes just as much sense.

 

[Mudd]

No, they served the narrative purpose of creating a sense of peril. You just didn't like the choice this week.

It was fine. Better IMO than pinning them down in a firefight with a transporter malfunction, if simply because the reason for their existence forces the reveal of what the chimera blossom treatment will do to Batel.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, but their "sense of peril" is an over used trope that's been, well, dead for 5 years. (I don't know, but I doubt TLOU is getting the same attention TWD was in the end and it kind of fizzled out itself.)

So.. Why zombies? I think any other "threat" (minus the Gorn) would have worked and not felt like it was a threat selected by some singing dolphins in a tank under Paramount studios.

 

[Quinton]

Maybe singing dolphins would have worked. We have Cetacean Ops now.

Goldsman, Myers, you hacks. It was right there in front of you!

 

[Trekker4747]

"Cetacean Ops" has been around since the TNG tech manual.

 

[valkyrie013]

Hmm. Is it me or has SNW Klingons have been.. Meh. as in most of there appearances in SNW. Not there new appearance ( But gold.. really?) But story/character wise have beem well not good

I liked the episode, but didn't need the zombies, could have been just them against the alive klingons and them getting captured or something. Should have been this badass woman klingon warrior like a Predadator stalking MBenga, but we got Meh..

EDIT:
For Ortega's.. She didn't know there was a shuttle waiting, how could she have known? Get there as soon as possible as they might be in danger. 6 hours is A LONG TIME.

 

[Artoo Atari]

Fun, solid episode. Beautiful effects and nice character development. I haven't gone back to watch TOS M'Benga, but I look forward to any SNW episode featuring badass combat medic M'Benga.

 

[eschaton]

No, they served the narrative purpose of creating a sense of peril. You just didn't like the choice this week.

Don't think the peril worked for a couple reasons, some of which I noted upthread:

• As this is a prequel show, and both the characters survive until TOS, we know on an intellectual level neither is in any danger.
• It was never clearly established that one bite was enough to turn someone, which is a key part of zombie mythology. I guess we're supposed to presume that, given Dak'Rah's daughter just straight-up shot her last henchmen after he got overwhelmed, but it was curious to not include this.
• The whole existence of phasers/disruptors makes zombies seem way, way less threatening. The story comes up with stupid reasons to make Pike/M'Benga lose their phasers early on, but still the Klingons are better armed than anyone in a zombie movie.
• While the episode opens with some initial creepy-ass tension, it completely gives up on this after the first zombie attack. The second attack happens randomly following a bunch of clumsy exposition from M'Benga, and the rooftop stuff is frantic, then set aside when they find the convenient force field, then frantic again. I know the episode was pressed for time due to having to balance out the B-plot, but it's still pretty strange to me they dropped the whole "my goodness, we have to get all the way up to the roof" and then hard cut up to the roof. Why not have a scene where they try and sneak past the zombies, and almost succeed, until they make one dumb mistake? I mean, two episodes ago, we at least got a scene like this with the Gorn.

 

[Trekker4747]

One thing we can handle it to, unlike in usual zombie movied/shows here our characters know what zombies are.

 

[The Wormhole]

now I guess zombies are basically canon now

Zombies have been canon since Enterprise's Impulse aired back in 2003. To say nothing of the fact the novels which some consider to be more Star Trek than the Pope is Catholic have had zombies for years.

 

[Trekker4747]

Zombies have been canon since Enterprise's Impulse aired back in 2003. To say nothing of the fact the novels which some consider to be more Star Trek than the Pope is Catholic have had zombies for years.

Been a good decade since I've seen that one. Give a '79er a hand and refresh their memory.

 

[Quinton]

"Cetacean Ops" has been around since the TNG tech manual.

We have the set now, is all I meant.

And not in any serious tone, mind you, in case that was somehow not clear. lol

 

[The Wormhole]

Been a good decade since I've seen that one. Give a '79er a hand and refresh their memory.

Impulse was an episode from Enterprise's third season where they find a derelict Vulcan ship adrift in the Expanse. Upon boarding it, Archer and the away team learn the crew had become zombies, and while aboard T'Pol gradually begins turning.

Granted, in the end it was learned they weren't actually reanimated corpses but rather exposure to Trelium D caused them to take on zombie-like characteristics, but po-tay-to, po-tah-to. It was still promoted as "the zombie episode," they makeup on the Vulcans was clearly inspired by old zombie movies, and the episode was trying to evoke a horror movie atmosphere, to the point of having ever constantly flashing lights which really get irritating if you're watching the episode at night with no lights on, and I say that as someone who is not epileptic.

 

[Trekker4747]

Okay I remember that one. But here are we actually dealing with "reanimated dead?" I mean, I've always felt the Borg sort of filled the "zombie role" pretty well (and even there we're not talking reanimated dead.)

 

[The Wormhole]

But here are we actually dealing with "reanimated dead?"

Well, again, the Trek novels which, though not canon are still held in high esteem by many in Trek fandom as being "more Star Trek than the Pope is Catholic" actually have had zombies that were reanimated corpses. Hell, they even channeled The Walking Dead and actually referred to it as "the Walker Virus."

 

[eschaton]

Okay I remember that one. But here are we actually dealing with "reanimated dead?" I mean, I've always felt the Borg sort of filled the "zombie role" pretty well (and even there we're not talking reanimated dead.)

We already had at least one true, reanimated corpse in Sub Rosa, with Crusher's nana.

Honestly, given all the goofy-ass shit in Star Trek, literal walking corpses isn't that strange. Though if you want to be pendantic, these aren't literal walking corpses, they're transgenic organisms where Klingon/Human DNA was mixed with moss and some other shit. They just don't show up as lifeforms on scan because scan is supposed to detect "animal life" and they're now partially plants.

 

[Mudd]

While the episode opens with some initial creepy-ass tension, it completely gives up on this after the first zombie attack. The second attack happens randomly following a bunch of clumsy exposition from M'Benga, and the rooftop stuff is frantic, then set aside when they find the convenient force field, then frantic again.

Because it wasn't a zombie horror movie. They're a plot complication.

 

[eschaton]

Because it wasn't a zombie horror movie. They're a plot complication.

I don't know why you keep harping on this.

If you're not going to use something to its narrative potential, you're just "saying the thing." You're just including it so fans of it can be happy the thing they're fans of is being referenced.

It's exactly the same as including a hot woman who is showing cleavage for no particular story reason. Or name-dropping Elon Musk in DIS Season 1 (that aged well!).