Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3x05 - "Through the Lens of Time"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
It clashes a little bit with Spock (temporarily) going blind and no one talking about replacement eyes.
He opted to keep the VISOR in later times, but season two tells us that he didn't choose it over new eyes originally.
Pulaski: "There is another option. I can attempt to regenerate your optic nerve, and, with the help of the replicator, fashion normal eyes. You would see like everyone else."
LaForge: "Wait a minute. I was told that was impossible."
Pulaski: "I've done it twice, in situations somewhat similar to yours."
Ahh okay thanks for the reminder. This also makes me wonder if despite the regeneration Dr. M'Benga was attempting -- even without the issue of the malevolent being pretty much inhabiting that poor guy's dead carcass (in the most basic way -- I mean, his BRAIN was gone) -- was more or less an experimental treatment at that point. Maybe it became like Holodeck tech... shelved until a future date.
Are we sure that Gamble is really gone?
Enjoyable, mysterious episode. I loved the resolution of the landing party being split up. Pelia is a crack-up!
Enjoyable, mysterious episode. I loved the resolution of the landing party being split up. Pelia is a crack-up!
TOS Trek movies had medicine that could regrow kidneys so new eyes should be possible
For all the buzz about SNW's rotation of genres, it's interesting what a horror-focused season this is. Three out of five episodes have been horror.
I really liked this episode. I might say I loved it, but I still have some Disco PTSD that stresses me out when I encounter serialized setup for future events in nuTrek.
As is often the case with SNW, the biggest drawback was that I just wanted more of so many things... we're jumping ahead with Spock/La'an the same way we did with Spock/Chapel, and it would be so great to be able to take more time on those relationships.
Similarly, when the away team gets separated, each pairing has so much dramatic potential that I wish we had spent more time exploring those tensions.
But I do love everything we get. This was a lot of my favorite Trek tropes (possession, ancient civilizations and their mysterious remnants), all done exceptionally well, and using the modern tech to scale up dramatically from what we've seen before. It kept making me think of tie-in novels, which used to be the only place where Trek characters could make discoveries of this scale.
I really liked this episode. I might say I loved it, but I still have some Disco PTSD that stresses me out when I encounter serialized setup for future events in nuTrek.
As is often the case with SNW, the biggest drawback was that I just wanted more of so many things... we're jumping ahead with Spock/La'an the same way we did with Spock/Chapel, and it would be so great to be able to take more time on those relationships.
Similarly, when the away team gets separated, each pairing has so much dramatic potential that I wish we had spent more time exploring those tensions.
But I do love everything we get. This was a lot of my favorite Trek tropes (possession, ancient civilizations and their mysterious remnants), all done exceptionally well, and using the modern tech to scale up dramatically from what we've seen before. It kept making me think of tie-in novels, which used to be the only place where Trek characters could make discoveries of this scale.
I actually enjoyed that the Spock/La'an relationship is apparently commonly known at least among the bridge crew and they are not making a big deal out of it. Basically, not a casual thing, but not the typical drama filled classical couple either. Just friends realizing a mutual attraction and enjoying time together.
We're now at 3 episodes this season where they've tied some element of the episode to TNG, not quite breaking canon but definitely bending it enough to the point where we're noticing lol.
Conceptually, I think this was the most interesting episode this season, although I'm a bit torn on the execution as a whole. The more horrorful elements were really well done. The grenade explosion in particular was really affecting, and we've seen enough of Gamble that his corruption/death was honestly a surprise. I did like the idea of the multi-phasic room, but I never really felt any tension there. The CGI background work tried to do a lot of the heavy lifting, as they mostly stood around in (literally) the same place, but I wonder if they had made it feel more claustrophobic or maze-like if it would've worked better. I do think the foreshadowing they're doing towards Korby's fate is well done, as they're establishing him as a competent expert, but clearly with certain... fascinations.
There were two things I didn't care for. Firstly, I thought the dialog, especially at the beginning of the episode, prior to the opening credits, was really awkwardly written. I'm not sure it's all that different than any of the other episodes, but something about it actively caught my attention as being really clunky as a whole. Secondly, the Batel/Gamble fight was... weird. I'm really doubting Batel survives this season, and her turning into a Gorn seems more and more likely. We'll see how the final execution plays out, but for now it just comes off as a bit goofy to me. (It actually reminded me a bit of that Pah'Wraith Kira/Jake fight, when they squared up at each other).
Finally, congrats on Scotty becoming a Pokemon trainer.
Conceptually, I think this was the most interesting episode this season, although I'm a bit torn on the execution as a whole. The more horrorful elements were really well done. The grenade explosion in particular was really affecting, and we've seen enough of Gamble that his corruption/death was honestly a surprise. I did like the idea of the multi-phasic room, but I never really felt any tension there. The CGI background work tried to do a lot of the heavy lifting, as they mostly stood around in (literally) the same place, but I wonder if they had made it feel more claustrophobic or maze-like if it would've worked better. I do think the foreshadowing they're doing towards Korby's fate is well done, as they're establishing him as a competent expert, but clearly with certain... fascinations.
There were two things I didn't care for. Firstly, I thought the dialog, especially at the beginning of the episode, prior to the opening credits, was really awkwardly written. I'm not sure it's all that different than any of the other episodes, but something about it actively caught my attention as being really clunky as a whole. Secondly, the Batel/Gamble fight was... weird. I'm really doubting Batel survives this season, and her turning into a Gorn seems more and more likely. We'll see how the final execution plays out, but for now it just comes off as a bit goofy to me. (It actually reminded me a bit of that Pah'Wraith Kira/Jake fight, when they squared up at each other).
Finally, congrats on Scotty becoming a Pokemon trainer.
I was worried this wasn’t going to click with me early on in the episode because they were really going hard on the romance pair-ups, but once it picked it up, it seldom let go. Great ep, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from this thread.
Also, I hate to say it, but I’m glad Gamble had a tragic arc. His inclusion felt weirdly forced at the start of the season, so I was hoping he was being used as a plot point, and he sure was. I can appreciate his character far more on rewatches.
Also, I hate to say it, but I’m glad Gamble had a tragic arc. His inclusion felt weirdly forced at the start of the season, so I was hoping he was being used as a plot point, and he sure was. I can appreciate his character far more on rewatches.
I enjoyed it! A new and unique looking alien species, even though we only saw one of them. The interdimensional puzzle was interesting too. I'm not thrilled that they seem to be teasing a galaxy level threat again by introducing the Vedza, but if they do it like last season at least they won't be the focus of every episode. Batel definitely seems to be working toward Gorn Queen now.
When they introduced him it felt a lot like the random redshirt the TNG crew had suddenly known all their lives. So I was definitely expecting something like this.
When they introduced him it felt a lot like the random redshirt the TNG crew had suddenly known all their lives. So I was definitely expecting something like this.
Last edited:
Well, that wasn't' creepy at all... <shivers>
I guess whatever it is being imprisoned in the orbs has had dealings with the Gorn before, or perhaps it is so malevolent that all long living societies have it encoded in their DNA to recognize it.
I wonder if the El-Aurians & Q have encountered these entities.
I gave the episode a 9, partly because it reminded me of the TOS episodes that creeped me out as a kid and the fact that I enjoyed it.
I guess whatever it is being imprisoned in the orbs has had dealings with the Gorn before, or perhaps it is so malevolent that all long living societies have it encoded in their DNA to recognize it.
I wonder if the El-Aurians & Q have encountered these entities.
I gave the episode a 9, partly because it reminded me of the TOS episodes that creeped me out as a kid and the fact that I enjoyed it.
When M'Benga placed that medical device over Gamble's burned-out eyeholes, was anyone else thinking we were about to see the invention of the VISOR?
I'm kind of going back and fourth on how I felt about Gamble's death.
I mean, the possession was so effective, but I think they might have over-manipulated the setup. That opening pushed the lightness and comedy of Gamble so hard. The distance between that and where we land gives his fate a cruel and mean-spirited dimension that I always find a bit unTrek, the few times it pops up (Icheb in "Stardust City Rag", the red shirt deaths in Prodigy season 2).
I'm kind of going back and fourth on how I felt about Gamble's death.
I mean, the possession was so effective, but I think they might have over-manipulated the setup. That opening pushed the lightness and comedy of Gamble so hard. The distance between that and where we land gives his fate a cruel and mean-spirited dimension that I always find a bit unTrek, the few times it pops up (Icheb in "Stardust City Rag", the red shirt deaths in Prodigy season 2).
Time for Star Trek: Event Horizon it seems.
This episode had quite the long, slow windup, with a pre-credits opening of like 10 minutes. It managed to check all the boxes of the serialized character arcs. Korby is around again, for some reason, and Chapel isn't really settled about how things ended with Spock, though Spock seems fine. Weirdly, La'an and Spock seem to have told everyone they were boning off camera, though it's apparently no big deal and promptly jettisoned. Ortegas's brother is back to flirt a bit more with Uhura without ever making a move. Batel's medical condition is put to the fore, again. And Nurse Gamble returns, to great impact - for the last time, it seems. Not every one of these plots really needed to be addressed before the opening crawl, which sets the episode on the wrong (unfocused) foot.
The real plot finally gets going after the title drop, and following Gamble's injury, it quickly splits into a traditional A/B structure, with one playing as a pretty normal set of Trekkian archeological mystery/problem solving, while the other is firmly sunk into eldritch horror tropes.
The more traditional Trek section here is the away mission locked in the alien facility. I wondered at first why it was such a bloated away mission, but two characters are done away with quickly (Gamble beamed back aboard, and the token native vaporized due to terminal stupidity), and they wisely use the whole phased room concept to split up the crew into three sets of dyads. The flirting between Uhura and Ortegas's brother does nothing for me (kiss her already, you damn fool), but pairing off Spock with Korby and Chapel with La'an led to some interesting tensions. Korby in particular comes across as more flawed here than in Wedding Bell Blues, with his obsession with immortality setting the seeds for his eventual corruption in TOS. My only concern here is that Spock didn't bring up the whole Katra thing with Korby at all, as there's pretty much canonical proof of the immortality of Vulcan minds within canon, should they choose to go through with it. More broadly, they did attempt to set up a sense of danger/forboding/dread, but the B plot is doing the heavy lifting here this week.
Back onboard the Enterprise, we get to see Nurse Gamble slowly lose his mind as he becomes increasingly possessed by the Vedza. While this section was a bit tropey, it was very well done, with Gamble's actor (Chris Myers) switching between the two modes with creepy perfection. I'm not sure the inclusion of Batel going into Gorn mode and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with him was strictly needed, but I trust they're going somewhere with it this season. I could have done without Pelia's exposition at the end (could have done without Pelia in general in this go around), but I did appreciate the episode began with Gamble's POV, and ended with M'Benga notifying his family of his death. It's a pretty classic move in episodic fiction to give these guest characters a moment to shine before their demise, but it's classic for a reason.
On the whole, I think this was a good episode, but it would have been better if the writers didn't feel the need to tie in several ongoing arcs. If they'd cut out the Uhura/Beto flirting, the stuff with Batel, whatever Pelia and Scotty were doing in engineering, and toned down the opening relationship drama (which is pretty nowhere through the whole thing) this episode could have been one of the classics.
This episode had quite the long, slow windup, with a pre-credits opening of like 10 minutes. It managed to check all the boxes of the serialized character arcs. Korby is around again, for some reason, and Chapel isn't really settled about how things ended with Spock, though Spock seems fine. Weirdly, La'an and Spock seem to have told everyone they were boning off camera, though it's apparently no big deal and promptly jettisoned. Ortegas's brother is back to flirt a bit more with Uhura without ever making a move. Batel's medical condition is put to the fore, again. And Nurse Gamble returns, to great impact - for the last time, it seems. Not every one of these plots really needed to be addressed before the opening crawl, which sets the episode on the wrong (unfocused) foot.
The real plot finally gets going after the title drop, and following Gamble's injury, it quickly splits into a traditional A/B structure, with one playing as a pretty normal set of Trekkian archeological mystery/problem solving, while the other is firmly sunk into eldritch horror tropes.
The more traditional Trek section here is the away mission locked in the alien facility. I wondered at first why it was such a bloated away mission, but two characters are done away with quickly (Gamble beamed back aboard, and the token native vaporized due to terminal stupidity), and they wisely use the whole phased room concept to split up the crew into three sets of dyads. The flirting between Uhura and Ortegas's brother does nothing for me (kiss her already, you damn fool), but pairing off Spock with Korby and Chapel with La'an led to some interesting tensions. Korby in particular comes across as more flawed here than in Wedding Bell Blues, with his obsession with immortality setting the seeds for his eventual corruption in TOS. My only concern here is that Spock didn't bring up the whole Katra thing with Korby at all, as there's pretty much canonical proof of the immortality of Vulcan minds within canon, should they choose to go through with it. More broadly, they did attempt to set up a sense of danger/forboding/dread, but the B plot is doing the heavy lifting here this week.
Back onboard the Enterprise, we get to see Nurse Gamble slowly lose his mind as he becomes increasingly possessed by the Vedza. While this section was a bit tropey, it was very well done, with Gamble's actor (Chris Myers) switching between the two modes with creepy perfection. I'm not sure the inclusion of Batel going into Gorn mode and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with him was strictly needed, but I trust they're going somewhere with it this season. I could have done without Pelia's exposition at the end (could have done without Pelia in general in this go around), but I did appreciate the episode began with Gamble's POV, and ended with M'Benga notifying his family of his death. It's a pretty classic move in episodic fiction to give these guest characters a moment to shine before their demise, but it's classic for a reason.
On the whole, I think this was a good episode, but it would have been better if the writers didn't feel the need to tie in several ongoing arcs. If they'd cut out the Uhura/Beto flirting, the stuff with Batel, whatever Pelia and Scotty were doing in engineering, and toned down the opening relationship drama (which is pretty nowhere through the whole thing) this episode could have been one of the classics.
Last edited:
When we first saw the planet, my immediate reaction was "I've seen this planet on The Expanse." Which isn't meant to be a criticism, familiar locations filling in as multiple planets both within the same franchise and amongst others is a proud sci-fi television tradition which has gone on in the other Treks and other shows as well. Reminded me of that omnipresent Vancouver pine forest that fills in for every planet in the Stargate franchise.
Similar threads
- Poll
- Poll
- Poll
- Poll
