Spoilers Strange New Worlds General Discussion Thread

[Uhura's Song]

I seem to be in the minority who feels that season 2 is either as good or even better than season 1.

Not that imdb ratings necessarily reflect reality, but the first season has an average rating of 7.86. While season 2 received 7.97. So I'm apparently not alone.

Just finished a rewatch in preparation for season 3 . And on second viewing, Season 1 , I like slightly less and Season 2 slightly more. Both are good but I much prefer Season 2 . Mainly for 2 reasons. The actors seem more settled and there's better chemistry between the characters. Not sure if Covid played a role in Season 1 but there was a slight disconnect at times.. . I also think Season one had more "run of the mill" storylines . Both seasons are still miles ahead of most modern Trek in my opinion.

S2 took some bigger swings. Both are excellent. But I will grow that minority. I like S2 a touch more.

For my money, S1:

Excellent to Classic: "Momento Mori," "Spock Amok," "All Those Who Wander".

Very good to Excellent: "Strange New Worlds," "Ghost of Illyria," "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach," & "A Quality of Mercy."

Good to Very Good: "Children of the Comet."

OK to Good: "The Elysian Kingdom." The beginning was tough, but in total it might be higher.

Meh to OK: " The Serene Squall."
---------------
S2:

Classic: "Ad Astra Per Aspera"

Excellent to Classic: "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," "Charades," "Those Old Scientists," "Hegemony."

Very Good To Excellent: "Among the Lotus Eaters," "Under the Cloak of War "

Good to Very Good: "The Broken Circle," "Lost In Translation."

I am still not sure how I feel about it: "Subspace Rhapsody."
-----------

It is real close for me. If push comes to shove, I'd take S2 by a hair.

The Comet episode is pushing Excellent save for the battle scenes and Elysian Kingdom coukd easily by higher. I think the VG to Excellent category in S1 is stronger, but Excellent & Classic better in S2.
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But SNW is my favorite streaming Trek, easily, and I think on par with my other favorite Trek shows:


Excellent: TOS, TNG, DS9, SNW
VG: LD, PRO
Good: VOY, ENT, DISCO, PIC
OK: TAS

 

[Jayson1]

He does a fairly good job. Not everyone can be Chris Doohan. Besides, this Scotty’s accent sounds a little more authentic to me.

Hopefully they will respect canon and have him loose one of his fingers. Scotty looses a finger or the show gets kicked out of canon like Discovery!

 

[The Wormhole]

SNW's incidental background and mood music is so TOS in feel and structure that it's one of the best things about the show. Playful, whimsical and otherworldly. Early TNG also had music along those lines but by Season 3 had jettisoned most of those musical cues.

TNG S3 still had some good music. Yesterday's Enterprise and Tin Man are especially notable for their music, and of course TBOBW1 is probably the best incidental music in TNG, period. S4 is when the music became the auditory wallpaper that TNG is now remembered for.

 

[eschaton]

S2 took some bigger swings. Both are excellent. But I will grow that minority. I like S2 a touch more.

I think Season 2 was a slight disappointment to some because Season 1 was pretty unexpectedly (for a Trek series) solid out the gate, and you'd need to squint to see improvement. Plus there were more "gimmick episodes" (Charades, Those Old Scientists, Subspace Rhapsody) which stand out in these modern short seasons more than they would have in DS9 or something. Add to this people who wanted Moretegas were really let down as well.

YMMV, but I also really didn't like the random season 2 retcon that M'Benga was a traumatized war veteran. It was pretty transparently an effort to give his character something after resolving his season 1 arc around his daughter.

In general, SNW seems like a show that's continually aiming for B+ when it doesn't shoot for the moon with wacky high concept stuff. That's great - it's better than most modern Trek - but I don't get the idea we're going to get an all-time classic out of the show at this rate.

 

[Jayson1]

TNG S3 still had some good music. Yesterday's Enterprise and Tin Man are especially notable for their music, and of course TBOBW1 is probably the best incidental music in TNG, period. S4 is when the music became the auditory wallpaper that TNG is now remembered for.

It all went downhill soon as Berman fired Ron Jones for being to good at his job.

 

[fireproof78]

but I don't get the idea we're going to get an all-time classic out of the show at this rate.

That's ok. I don't really watch modern shows for classic episodes. It's a weird thing but I think that all time classic things don't really occur to me at my age.

 

[Turtletrekker]

"Classics" are rarely recognized as such in the moment anyway. It takes time to achieve that status.

 

[Mudd]

SNW is already an all-time classic, up there with TOS.

 

[cooleddie74]

TNG S3 still had some good music. Yesterday's Enterprise and Tin Man are especially notable for their music, and of course TBOBW1 is probably the best incidental music in TNG, period. S4 is when the music became the auditory wallpaper that TNG is now remembered for.

Fair points!

And auditory wallpaper does sum up much of TNG's soundtrack, episodes like "Relics" and "Schisms" being later exceptions where the music was both evocative as well as atmospheric and eerie.

 

[Mudd]

"Tin Man" was Jay Chattaway's first TNG score. Evidently the producers sat him down for a nice chat afterward.

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[Jayson1]

What was wrong with Berman? His stance on a good music is crazy.

 

[Noname Given]

I too enjoyed SNW S2 a little more than S1 - but both seasons are EXCELLENT.

 

[Tuskin38]

Ron Jones's music for some of the 90s Star Trek games I thought was pretty good as well. Look up the soundtracks for 'Starfleet Academy' and 'Starfleet Command'

My favourite TV series music however is DS9.

 

[ClayinCA]

What was wrong with Berman?

....I mean, do we even HAVE that kind of time?

 

[137th Gebirg]

Might be able to put out a list before the sun burns out...

 

[cooleddie74]

A Valentine to the solar system.

 

[Daedalus]

Hopefully they will respect canon and have him loose one of his fingers. Scotty looses a finger or the show gets kicked out of canon like Discovery!

That'd be some extreme method acting!

 

[137th Gebirg]

A Valentine to the solar system.

We are all very pleased...

 

[cooleddie74]

The white heat death of the cosmos is the only way to enjoy it.

 

[Jayson1]

That'd be some extreme method acting!

The upside is this gives us a reason why Scotty becomes a alcoholic.