Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022) - Season 1 (1 Viewer)

[joshEH]

...Sybok!!

 

[joshEH]

 

[Josh Steinberg]

^That really needs an Oprah Book of the Month sticker.

 

[Sam Favate]

I kinda want that.

 

[Walter Kittel]

S01E07 - The Serene Squall

Spoiler

This episode expands the universe of ST: SNW just a bit. We are introduced to the character Dr. Aspen (Jesse James Keitel) who requests Pike and the Enterprise's assistance with a humanitarian rescue on the edge of Federation space. She has a number of interactions with Spock early in the episode that eventually reveal a deeper purpose as the episode proceeds.

While traveling to the rescue site the Enterprise is snared in a laser net reminiscent of the kind produced by the Tholians. While it recalls that episode, in TOS the web was "spun" by one or more ships whereas the construction of this net was less geometric and created by an array of mechanisms situated on the asteroids in the field. The Enterprise rather uneventfully escapes the trap and moves out of the frying pan and into the fire.

While the away team beams to a colony ship, a hostile group of combatants simultaneously beams aboard the Enterprise with the intent of capturing the ship. Pike and his away team are taken prisoner and Pike formulates a plan of action involving amongst other things food preparation.

The ultimate goal of the chief antagonist is revealed to be the release of Xaverius from the Vulcan Rehabilitation Facility overseen by T'Pring. To achieve this result an attempt to trade Spock for Xaverius is made. Ultimately the plan fails (partly due to Pike's efforts and a subterfuge involving Spock, T'Pring and Chapel.) The individual orchestrating the plan escapes to become a potentially recurring antagonist. Spock reveals to Chapel that he believes Xaverius' real name is Sybok and that Sarek is his father.

I found this episode to be just a bit predictable, but there are some solid character moments in the episode (especially for Spock, T'Pring, and Chapel) and a bit of skewed sense of fun that still made it an entertaining episode. I liked the idea that the world of SNW got a bit bigger.

- Walter.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Followup with question / speculation...

Spoiler

When Dr. Aspen / Angel was transported from the bridge of the Enterprise I was wondering about the mechanism. My recollection (which may be mistaken) was that personal transporters weren't introduced into the universe of Star Trek until season three of ST: Discovery nearly one millennium in the future. I suppose it could have been a signal to a confederate or an automated system aboard her craft requesting transport. (?)

- Walter.

 

[joshEH]

Followup with question / speculation...

Spoiler

When Dr. Aspen / Angel was transported from the bridge of the Enterprise I was wondering about the mechanism. My recollection (which may be mistaken) was that personal transporters weren't introduced into the universe of Star Trek until season three of ST: Discovery nearly one millennium in the future. I suppose it could have been a signal to a confederate or an automated system aboard her craft requesting transport. (?)

- Walter.

Spoiler: SNW

Personal transporters were seen on TNG, DS9, and VOY, and there actually isn't anything in canon that would preclude them having been in existence in the 23rd Century as well, so that moment wasn't canon-breaking or anything.

Also, we see Khan/John Harrison using one in Star Trek Into Darkness, which, while although technically in the Kelvin Timeline, it's been established in subsequent Secret Hideout TV shows that technological development has been relatively on-pace between the two universes, as this episode canonically proved with regard to this particular tech.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I didn't love this episode, though there were a number of strong moments that stood out to me. But it did further drive home how the episodic format has liberated the writers from consistency of genre and tone. This was full of pulp and camp, some of which worked and some of which didn't. I appreciate how the show keeps trying new things.

Jess Bush is really good at selling Nurse Chapel's unrequited feelings for Spock, but it does seem a strange choice to have them essentially in the same place as TOS this early in the show's run. I think I would have rather seen her crush on him develop slowly over time.

The Jefferies tubes are one of the more faithful bits of set design, matching both the angle and color scheme of the ones featured on the Enterprise in the original series. And these are one of the few things that actually feel less advanced and sophisticated than the original, with metal ladder rungs instead of the gray steps in the abstract, futurist style:

Pike and his away team are taken prisoner and Pike formulates a plan of action involving amongst other things food preparation.

I kind of want a captain's "Iron Chef"-style cook off between Sisko and Pike now.

Spock reveals to Chapel that he believes Xaverius' real name is Sybok and that Sarek is his father.

A bold choice to lean so heavily into Star Trek V.

I found this episode to be just a bit predictable, but there are some solid character moments in the episode (especially for Spock, T'Pring, and Chapel) and a bit of skewed sense of fun that still made it an entertaining episode.

Part of why the twist worked for me is because the other Kurtzman-era Trek shows have been so earnest with their efforts at inclusion that the characters reflecting underrepresented groups of people have been pretty unfailingly decent and noble. The non-binary Dr. Aspen seems to be another character along those lines, so when the twist comes and Angel goes full-on bitchy queen, it's this fun double-take. And Jesse James Keitel, who has a drag background, knows just how to flaunt that sort of exaggerated confident swagger.

When Dr. Aspen / Angel was transported from the bridge of the Enterprise I was wondering about the mechanism. My recollection (which may be mistaken) was that personal transporters weren't introduced into the universe of Star Trek until season three of ST: Discovery nearly one millennium in the future. I suppose it could have been a signal to a confederate or an automated system aboard her craft requesting transport. (?)

It was also a different transporter visual effect than the one used for Federation transporters in this show, so I think we're supposed to infer that it is not Federation technology, but rather something Angel seized pirating out beyond the Federation's borders.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Jess Bush is really good at selling Nurse Chapel's unrequited feelings for Spock, but it does seem a strange choice to have them essentially in the same place as TOS this early in the show's run.

I agree that it does seem early in the show's run, but I chalk it up to awareness of that plot point from TOS amongst fans watching SNW. "Let's get the show on the road, since everyone knows where it might lead."

A bold choice to lean so heavily into Star Trek V.

I am no fan of Star Trek V, but I was intrigued by the character of Sybok at least during the early scenes in STV. We get a brief glimpse of the character at the end of the episode, so I am curious as to who they will cast for the part. In STV, IIRC no one aboard The Enterprise knew that Spock was related to Sybok, so I wonder if that will figure into SNW's approach to that canonical aspect of the original series / films.

It was also a different transporter visual effect than the one used for Federation transporters in this show, so I think we're supposed to infer that it is not Federation technology, but rather something Angel seized pirating out beyond the Federation's borders.

Thanks for that detail. So perhaps senility hasn't hit me as hard as I feared after Josh's reply to my question. Clearly it has been awhile since I've viewed other Trek franchises.


I definitely enjoyed Keitel's performance in this episode and would be okay with an appearance of Aspen / Angel on a somewhat recurring basis as a nemesis of sorts to Spock and the Enterprise crew.

- Walter.

 

[Nelson Au]

Spoilers:

I will have to watch this week’s episode a second time to see if my feelings will change about it. It reminded me of an homage of sorts to the way By Any Other Name is structured. It starts off serious and deadly and makes a turn to Looney tunes where the mice turns the tables on the cat. The minute Pike talks about cooking up some food as he’s being tortured and the gang leader agrees, it went bonkers.

I'm also surprised by how much they are incorporating T’Pring! Of course we never knew during Kirk’s Command who she is until Amok Time. So the writers clearly want to explore this area. They do show Chapel is well aware of her.

I will say I didn’t see it coming that Dr. Aspen was part of the gang and wasn’t who she said she is. When she went full on Captain Angel and had that swagger and was so flamboyant, I was wondering if we were seeing Osyraa of the Emerald Chain. She had the same character traits.

And nice to see the Jeffries Tube being used so much! This was a fun episode, but I have to wonder how much of this will continue. I know Roddenberry put the brakes on Gene Coon for going into comedy too much during the second season of TOS. it is fun to see them lighten up every now and then. The Top Gun sequence of “She’s Got That Loving feeling” to get the pirates to mutany against the leader was also pretty goofy for Pike and Una.

Osyraa/Captain Angel’s plot was also unexpected as to what her true goal was. So again, surprised the writers chose to introduce that practitioner of choosing one’s pain. These characters appear to be coming back to possibly cause more trouble.

I’m worried and sad that this series only has a few episodes left for this collection of stories for this year. It will be a long wait for the next collection. It seams odd to call this a season with only 10 episodes.

 

[Walter Kittel]

She had the same character traits.

I didn't make that connection watching the episode but in retrospect I would agree that Aspen recalls Osyraa. I did see the turn from Aspen to Angel coming when Spock went to Engineering but I did not anticipate her ultimate goal and whom it was centered upon. That was a surprise.

It will be a long wait for the next collection

Agreed. Even though we still have three episodes to go, I am already missing the show, or at least beginning to realize that it will be a long wait for a program that has rapidly become one of my favorite series.

- Walter.

 

[Sam Favate]

I really liked this episode. To some degree, it was a standard captured ship episode, but the stuff with Spock and T’Pring was great, as were the scenes with Spock and Angel. Also, I don’t have the words for how good Jess Bush is as Chapel. Her scene with Spock and their “ruse” was intense and heartbreaking. I could see the passion she has for Spock, all while knowing it can never be. This is the kind of depth for her character that I never imagined we’d get, and I welcome it.

And the reveal at the end was also very welcome. Not only did I enjoy that character in the movie, but it’s a bold choice for the show to reference a film that isn’t beloved. I hope we see more of him.

And… Stonn! The show is leaning hard into TOS backstory and I love it. Making T’Pring recurring is brilliant. Her appearance in TOS was kind of abrupt (wait… Spock has a fiancée?) and this fills in his and their stories nicely, not to mention giving great development to Chapel.

This is the best Star Trek since Deep Space Nine.

 

[joshEH]

This was a fun episode, but I have to wonder how much of this will continue. I know Roddenberry put the brakes on Gene Coon for going into comedy too much during the second season of TOS. it is fun to see them lighten up every now and then. The Top Gun sequence of “She’s Got That Loving feeling” to get the pirates to mutany against the leader was also pretty goofy for Pike and Una.

It's funny, because I remember back around 2007-08 or thereabouts, when Tom Cruise was spotted visiting the set of the (then-) in-production 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek film, and rumors erupted about him possibly being secretly cast as Christopher Pike in the movie. Of course, not long afterwards Bruce Greenwood's casting-news broke, but it's kind of a neat meta-coincidence here.

 

[Jason_V]

Go ahead and call me the spoil sport here, but “The Serene Squall” is meh for one big reason: one second Pike and crew are all locked up (though the mutiny seeds have been planted) and the next they have control. There’s some connective tissue missing there that’s completely jarring for me.

Otherwise, it’s a fine episode that continues some season-long stories. Nothing more for me.

Next weeks episode looks like it’s either gonna be a love it or hate it affair…

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'm already enjoying the trailer having viewed it a few times since it was posted. I pretty much always enjoy the various Trek series and episodes where the crew gets to play 'dress up'. It usually gives the actors a bit of freedom to step outsider their wheelhouses.

My first impressions of the trailer are that the costuming is really well done. Pike isn't sporting his normal coiffure and I like his pendant. Perhaps a badge of office? It reminds me a bit of the pin worn by the Hand of the King in Game of Thrones and it consists of an inverted star recalling the Captain's rank pendant in the Federation.

- Walter.

 

[KPmusmag]

Go ahead and call me the spoil sport here, but “The Serene Squall” is meh for one big reason: one second Pike and crew are all locked up (though the mutiny seeds have been planted) and the next they have control. There’s some connective tissue missing there that’s completely jarring for me.

Otherwise, it’s a fine episode that continues some season-long stories. Nothing more for me.

That did not make the episode "meh" for me, but I was a bit disappointed to not see how Pike took over the enemy bridge. Perhaps I am wrong, but it seems that streaming shows do not have to conform to an exact running time like network shows (every TOS is 50 minutes, for example) that they could have taken another 2 minutes to show that bit of action.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I assume that the episodes are shot in such a way that they could eventually be shown on network television (CBS specifically), hence we see interludes where commercial breaks could be inserted; so that might work against variable run times. I would have liked to have seen more coverage of how Pike and the Enterprise crew wrested control of the Serene Squall away from the pirates, but it didn't affect my enjoyment very much. Sort of felt like this...



- Walter.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

I think their hope was that using a child was so ghastly that it would force the society to reckon with their sins quickly and devise a new way to live, and that they never imagined or intended that sacrificing a child regularly would become the new way of life.

I am much more pessimistic. They needed a child because the mind was less formed and developed and could interact with the command chair interface better. That and as it uses the operator up, it gets more time out of a younger (less worn) body.

I predicted it when they were taking the kid down. I never read the Ursula K Leguin (sp?) story but I was thinking of Drall in B5 in the control center of "the great machine". Of course that was a better trade for the operator.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Haha! Shout-out to South East Asia's "King of Fruit", infamously so noxious even Andrew Zimmer couldn't eat it. Although Anthony Bourdain loved it...

I have never had the fruit, but a half dozen Thanksgivings ago (no home plans) I went on a eating hop with a bunch of local chefs and others to several places to order house specialties at each. These were all in the "Chinatown" part of Houston.

The last place was a Japanese style flavored shaved? ice place with a huge variety of flavored ices. The party ordered like 5 or 6 types, one of which was durian. It was pungent, but it must have been nowhere near the intensity of the pure fruit.

 

[Dave Hahn]

Caught the preview of ep 7 and I think the character of Ortega needs to go she exists to spout snarky one liners, that’s it that’s her character. It is not believable that someone would act unprofessional all the time. Would Kirk allow sulu to ask him if getting closer to v’ger is getting First base close or second date. Of course he wouldn’t say Blind date close like pike does. I’m enjoying SNW but make the dialog souls like something an officer of a starship might say in the 23rd century. They are not guardians of the galaxy

I agree, to a point. We all want these new versions of Star Trek to succeed, and I believe it's important to include younger people in the fan base. Ergo we get a cadet as Number One on Star Trek Discovery and Ortega and others being flippant.