Spoilers Strange New Worlds General Discussion Thread

[UssGlenn]

It might work for Scotty. Scotty was 11 years older than Kirk. But the others besides Spock? No way.

Scotty is actually one I think couldn't do it since he needs time to serve on all those ships he talks about in Relics.

At the moment it looks like Uhura, Chapel and M'Benga (who leaves and comes back perhaps?). They don't come out and say Chapel joined Starfleet after Corby disappeared, in WALGMO. It could work if the reason they delayed their marriage was because she wanted to serve in Starfleet. That's why she didn't go with him on the expedition in the first place, which actually makes way more sense than what is implied in the episode.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think the reason his entrance exam was so rigorous is because he was younger than is normally allowed. There's no way everyone goes through that to get in.

Goes through what? The psychological test? Why wouldn't that be standard procedure? It's individually tailored to each applicant, after all.

And we've known about tests like that ever since "Bread and Circuses" (Captain Merik failed his).

Statistically speaking, some of Kirk's crew were there before him

Eh?

 

[Tuskin38]

I just want see what, if any, exterior changes they've done to the Enterprise.

I also hope they built a proper engineering set, and will ignore that CG monstrosity from the short trek.

 

[UssGlenn]

Goes through what? The psychological test? Why wouldn't that be standard procedure? It's individually tailored to each applicant, after all.

And we've known about tests like that ever since "Bread and Circuses" (Captain Merik failed his).

It's unfair that only one candidate from Relva will attend the Academy this year, and a loss to the Federation if the rest of you do not return to test again.

I phrased my objection inelegantly, it makes no sense that only one candidate per testing site gets in per year, so there must be something special about this particular entrance exam. Perhaps Starfleet only has a certain number of spots for "out of the ordinary" candidates each year? The cadet that got in became the first Benzite in Starfleet. He just happened to be competing against a child prodigy (who was too young to take the normal exam)?

Eh?

The entire 430 member crew, save Spock, didn't leave the ship when Kirk took over. Therefore, the question is how many stayed and for how long had they been aboard. Statistically, some of the crew will have been there over 5 years.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

it makes no sense that only one candidate per testing site gets in per year

Maybe this was because they were taking the exam at a "satellite campus" (Relva VII), not at the main Academy grounds.

 

[BillJ]

I just want see what, if any, exterior changes they've done to the Enterprise.

If they straightened the pylons, I would be good without any other changes.

 

[flandry84]

You would think that if you were good enough to pass the exam you should be good enough to go to the academy.
For example is there a limit on the amount of cadets that West Point accepts from say,Texas?Of course not.
Just put that episode down to early series weirdness.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Right now, it just seems that Uhura is the only TOS main character to carry over. M'Benga was a guest character in a couple episodes but is a blank slate otherwise they can paper over. Chapel is mostly a joke on my part and probably not who Nurse Miller is.

One or two (or even three) side characters does not make this show TOS Babies. There's no indication of a McCoy or Sulu or even Scotty appearance (although the latter makes the most sense of any of them). Just a character (Uhura) who also, I might add, had very little of her own agency in most of TOS and could therefore qualify as a blank slate herself, even if she (like Spock and literally Pike) is bulletproof.

There are still the rumors out there of a Kirk appearance, but not in the main cast, apparently, so his arc is probably centered around a guest appearance in an episode or two, probably not even set on the Enterprise.

Also, I don't think it's a crazy, outlandish idea to think that some of the TOS cast were highly dedicated officers who predated Kirk in their Enterprise careers. It might be neat to have Sulu or Scotty on the ship, filling in the same niche as Kyle and Leslie in the old show.

 

[flandry84]

Cue Shatner saying that he would like to take part,then denying that he said that,then saying he wouldn’t get involved if his life depended on it.

 

[BillJ]

M'Benga was a guest character in a couple episodes but is a blank slate otherwise they can paper over.

It would seem early for M'Benga who looked to be at most in his mid-30's in TOS, being a full MD and having spent time on Vulcan. I think it would be a stretch for him to be on the Enterprise in SNW. Though one can never predict anything with this group.

Booker Bradshaw was only 27 or 28 when he appeared on TOS.

 

[fireproof78]

Also, I don't think it's a crazy, outlandish idea to think that some of the TOS cast were highly dedicated officers who predated Kirk in their Enterprise careers.

Honestly, I would prefer that they were highly decorated officers whom Kirk requested based upon reputation and career records. I don't see the need to have them on Strange New Worlds, nor do I think it will "fill out" the history in a way that will be entertaining.

 

[BillJ]

Honestly, I would prefer that they were highly decorated officers whom Kirk requested based upon reputation and career records. I don't see the need to have them on Strange New Worlds, nor do I think it will "fill out" the history in a way that will be entertaining.

Have to wait and see what new history they create.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Honestly, I would prefer that they were highly decorated officers whom Kirk requested based upon reputation and career records. I don't see the need to have them on Strange New Worlds, nor do I think it will "fill out" the history in a way that will be entertaining.

Eh, it doesn’t really mesh well with my understanding of Kirk's captaincy. His second-in-command is literally the only one known (even in TOS) to have been with the ship for well over a decade, and Mitchell in WNMHGB is implied to have served multiple years previously. While it seems likely he picked McCoy (nothing to confirm this fanon, though), there's no implication that he decided and chose his own crew rather than reshaped and formed an established crew through his own leadership.

But yeah, the crew of 2258 should not resemble the crew of 2265 except in a few odds and ends there. But dripping some in slowly over the course of multiple seasons does sound fun to me.

 

[Tim Thomason]

It would seem early for M'Benga who looked to be at most in his mid-30's in TOS, being a full MD and having spent time on Vulcan. I think it would be a stretch for him to be on the Enterprise in SNW. Though one can never predict anything with this group.

Booker Bradshaw was only 27 or 28 when he appeared on TOS.

Yeah, Olusanmokun is apparently 36 years old (and thus, would be about 46 years old in M'Benga's TOS timeframe). But I don't pay that close attention to actor's ages, especially for a non-established minor role like M'Benga.

Remember, Una was originally played by a woman in her early 30s (Barrett), but is now played by one in her late 40s (Romijn). Ages are malleable when dealing with movie stars.

 

[fireproof78]

Eh, it doesn’t really mesh well with my understanding of Kirk's captaincy. His second-in-command is literally the only one known (even in TOS) to have been with the ship for well over a decade, and Mitchell in WNMHGB is implied to have served multiple years previously. While it seems likely he picked McCoy (nothing to confirm this fanon, though), there's no implication that he decided and chose his own crew rather than reshaped and formed an established crew through his own leadership.

But yeah, the crew of 2258 should not resemble the crew of 2265 except in a few odds and ends there. But dripping some in slowly over the course of multiple seasons does sound fun to me.

I think an appropriate approach would be a mix. Some picked, some inherited. None of which should be featured heavily.

In my opinion.

 

[BillJ]

Remember, Una was originally played by a woman in her early 30s (Barrett), but is now played by one in her late 40s (Romijn). Ages are malleable when dealing with movie stars.

It seems now people don't age quite as badly as they used to. I pegged M'Benga as being in his mid-30's because he looked to be roughly that age, then found out he was born in 1940, making him in his late-20's during TOS.

 

[cooleddie74]

People often aged hard during the early-to-mid 20th Century. Look at Sean Connery's aging between You Only Live Twice(1967) and Diamonds Are Forever(1971). He must have drank and smoke through every orifice during those four years.

 

[Quinton]

It seems now people don't age quite as badly as they used to. I pegged M'Benga as being in his mid-30's because he looked to be roughly that age, then found out he was born in 1940, making him in his late-20's during TOS.

People are definitely aging better, then. :P

 

[UssGlenn]

Is it possible that M'Benga interned on Vulcan after he had his MD, and thus did it between SNW and TOS? That would explain his absence.

 

[cooleddie74]

Beverly left for a year to teach at Starfleet Medical in TNG. There's no reason why M'Benga couldn't serve under Pike and Boyce or Piper and then go to Starfleet Medical or Vulcan for a few years before returning to the Enterprise under Kirk's command.