Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

[Dekafox]

It's at least worth a No-Prize, I'd say, as far as explanations. Given (actual) Klingon society is a lot about keeping face as well, singing kicking in at the wrong time could certainly upend ambitions and cause duels and other "issues" between Klingons spending on what the song forced them to spit out. For example, what if the captain of one of the ships in the area actually liked Tribbles for some unbegotten reason, and when they ordered him on a tribbble hunt, being in range of the field caused him to spit out a positive ditty about them in front of his superior? That'd certainly be dishonerable by Klingon standards.

 

[Copper Bezel]

Maybe you and DVD can get together and write that episode!

 

[DefaultOption]

Anya was a bit paranoid when it came to bunnies, and it came out in song during Buffy's musical.

It's been twenty-odd years, but my wife and I will still bust out "must be bunnies" when we need an unknown something to cast blame upon.

 

[Dekafox]

Maybe you and DVD can get together and write that episode!

You may snark, but that's why I specifically called it out as a No-Prize explanation - remember how that used to be a thing, where someone would write into the letters page with a valid explanation for a otherwise plothole, and that was basically the response? Mostly Marvel stuff(including Transformers I think?) but still. Just like those instances, it's probably not something the authors thought of, but it fits in the hole as good as a lego brick clicking into place.

 

[Copper Bezel]

You're still really hyping this, big words like "valid", are you saying you want SNW to have a letters page you can write into? X ]

 

[Dekafox]

Isn't that what internet forums are these days?

 

[Copper Bezel]

Naw, back then those mags had way more circulation than forums have in 2023

 

[Cybersnark]

Another issue with Klingons singing is that Klingons are traditionalists. It's not just singing, it's singing the "approved" songs in the "proper" way. This musical field was making them improvise, which must have felt like an attack on their culture (which Klingons have always been defensive about, and which was one of the causes of the war they just fought (believing that the Federation was coming to erase what made them Klingon; thus the "Remain Klingon" battle cry, "tlhIngan maH taHjaj"[*]).

(* Which long-time fans will recognize as a perversion of Kahless' motto: "tlhIngan maH," meaning "we are Klingon." Kahless' words were a declarative statement, not a defensive exhortation. Being Klingon isn't something you should need to be reminded of. Klingon is simply something you are, as long as your hearts beat, and regardless of what anyone around you says. A true Klingon has no need to fear assimilation, because they will always be Klingon simply by virtue of existing.

Historical Kahless would've been appalled at T'Kuvma, and how the Empire has embraced his xenophobia [which is just another word for cowardice].)

 

[Copper Bezel]

Honestly, I feel like it would've worked better with a random god-like alien behind it all, even if that particular plot mechanism has been done to death in other musical episodes (Buffy, The Flash, and sort of in The Brave and the Bold). I mean, it's Star Trek; god-like aliens putting the crew in silly situations is almost routine.

Taking a walk and got to really picturing this.

Uhura starts to suspect the Fold is a person or people, but nothing concrete, just enough concern that it might be so that this is the reason they don't blow it up, instead of the inflammable subspace deal. The first Klingon ship has arrived with a men's choir theme a bit like the opening "Deliver Us" number from Prince of Egypt and incorporating the classic Klingon theme from the TOS movies. Enterprise has responded with something that's not exactly Star Trekkin', but definitely includes "we come in peace" in the chorus. Now, the two ships are standing off with phasers and disruptors ready while the captains negotiate a tense rap battle, and with the two additional Klingon D7s fast on the way.

"Captain! We're receiving another hail ... from the fold, sir."

Angelic choral voices raise up in a tuneless singsong, "Ugly bags of moooostly water, USS Enterprise...." ending on a single resonant vocalization from which a single voice slowly emerges, the immaculate, heavenly voice of the Fold itself,

ROBERT ******* PICARDO

 

[MrBlud]

I largely enjoyed the season finale

But…

Spoiler

Really laying it on extra ******* thick. Maybe people transfer to the Enterprise because it’s the ******* flagship and NOT because the entire TOS crew rotated through a few years before they did it for real. I’d be less surprised if ******* “Bones” McCoy showed up to save Batel because he happened to be rowing by in a spaceboat with Sulu.

That said, once I heard the accent I was so hoping they’d keep it to “Mr Scott” and go through only for him to be killed and with his dying breath to ask them to tell his Brother “Montgomery” he’s sorry (or something) just to get a little surprise/variety in there.

Also, shout out to that “Best of Both Worlds” caliber cliffhanger.

 

[The Predaking]

I watched the Musical Episode last night and loved it. I was a bit sad to see Chapel break up with Spock, but I guess it had to happened. Maybe this is what pushes Spock to be more Vulcan-like during TOS.

 

[Axaday]

We watched 4 episodes last season and then it was never what my wife wanted to watch, when we sat down. I waited. But I am on a two week staycation and I'm getting caught up.

The storybook episode wasn't fun for me. They wind up making it very consequential at the end, but if it doesn't come to more eventually it felt like a pretty unsatisfying ending to a story arc. I haven't seen the "Balance of Terror" redo yet or the musical episode, but it sure seems like this show is awfully interested in doing event episodes.

 

[The Predaking]

We watched 4 episodes last season and then it was never what my wife wanted to watch, when we sat down. I waited. But I am on a two week staycation and I'm getting caught up.

The storybook episode wasn't fun for me. They wind up making it very consequential at the end, but if it doesn't come to more eventually it felt like a pretty unsatisfying ending to a story arc. I haven't seen the "Balance of Terror" redo yet or the musical episode, but it sure seems like this show is awfully interested in doing event episodes.

The Storybook episode had Princess La'an though, so the entire episode gets a pass from me.

Balance of Terror redo is later on in S1 and The musical and cross-over episode is in S1.

 

[Copper Bezel]

The "Balance of Terror" episode is also the season finale, it was going to be an occasion no matter what.

The Storybook episode had Princess La'an though, so the entire episode gets a pass from me.

For me it was Sir Ortegas. Delightful to see the cast playing unexpected characters in any case, though. And a much better device for it than the old crutch of Mirror, Mirror episodes, I don't actually need to know "what if" every member of the cast was evil and bisexual.

I haven't seen the "Balance of Terror" redo yet or the musical episode, but it sure seems like this show is awfully interested in doing event episodes.

It is at that. The best episode this season so far IMO is the story of a redshirt from a specific mission referenced in TOS and features a location where they turned the camera slightly to show the giant castle tower that was just out of frame in 1965. With just ten episodes to work with per season and the doctrine that every episode has to largely stand on its own, even ordinary episodes can feel a bit like "Trials and Tribble-ations". That gives it the ability to pull off episodes like the Lower Decks crossover that have left me giggling in delight through the entire runtime thanks to the sheer density of delightfully clever touches. But I don't think 18 episodes is enough groundwork to float a musical episode, which itself was kind of a mess and didn't seem to bring in the professionals required to pull it off.

As of the end of S1, I felt that the show's capacity to do a different genre every episode was a strength, but I really liked "The Elysian Kingdom", even though it was the conclusion of an arc that didn't feel like it fit well into said arc. This season I'm starting to see the limitations and they've called at least one big shot they couldn't make.

But I gotta be fair here, if SNW is flying too close to the sun, that's still a much better thing than most of Discovery and Picard, which I just wanted to fly into the sun

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

But I don't think 18 episodes is enough groundwork to float a musical episode, which itself was kind of a mess and didn't seem to bring in the professionals required to pull it off.

You are literally the only person I've seen make that accusation. Tastes can differ, and if you didn't like it, you didn't like it. But when the cast includes multiple members with Broadway musical experience, including one who won a Grammy (and was also nominated for a Tony), accusing them of not bringing in the professionals required to pull it off sounds more than a little insulting.

 

[Copper Bezel]

Apologies for the misunderstanding then, because I wasn't referring to the performances - the vocal talent on display was inarguably phenomenal. However, I don't consider the episode's shortcomings to be a matter of taste. If anything I had the impression that they simply expected the vocal performances to carry the episode, and it sounds like in large part they did. That skill is unfortunately put largely to waste with a muddled script and exactly one catchy song buried in the C plot that the episode shouldn't have even had. I have no doubt everyone involved had a lot of fun, but it's not going to stop having been a missed opportunity for me.

But I do apologize for bringing up qualifications as if they were meaningful, Cats (2019) involved a lot of qualified people too. I suppose I'm desperate for what Romulan time travel intervention I think would have resulted in a better episode, and I'd be stabbing in the dark to figure out who was actually responsible. More to the point to just stick to what's visible in the product.

And the main title arrangement and performance was beyond reproach, really good stuff, I suppose it's hardly fair of me to take it for granted and wish it wasn't the best number in the episode.

Spoiler

That said, once I heard the accent I was so hoping they’d keep it to “Mr Scott” and go through only for him to be killed and with his dying breath to ask them to tell his Brother “Montgomery” he’s sorry (or something) just to get a little surprise/variety in there.

They did that already with Guy Fleegman - er, Sam Kirk - referring to him by last name only until he shows up and you find out it isn't Jim.

Anyway I'm going to say first good Gorn episode, I enjoyed this a lot. And yeah, the only thing that would have made that cliffhanger more BoBW would be to literally have him say "fire". I trust that this time around, though, they've actually planned what's going to happen next.

 

[MrBlud]

They certainly have plenty of time since I doubt we’ll be getting a follow up until 2026 due to the strike.

Might not even be on Paramount+ at that point…

 

[tec]

Lords of Kobol!!! it cant end like that!!!!!! studios need to meet the demands of writers and actors NOW!!!

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Not sure if I've been subjected to a cliffhanger like that since Best of Both Worlds.

It's going to be a rough wait.

 

[Copper Bezel]

Not beating the dead horse, I'm not going to go on about the musical episode, but I

Some people hate fun. = P

I can sympathize with someone who thinks that a musical episode is a waste of time and they'll sleep till next week, and is maybe even annoyed about how much gushing they're going to hear about it for the rest of their lives.

I just saw a comment on a YouTube video about SNW being their favorite series because only it could pull off a musical episode, and I ugh'd inside, and then I remembered that thing I'd said and

I thought I was talking about other people back then dammit