Star Trek Strange New Worlds (TV Discussion)

[Andy 4,082]

Star Trek Strange New Worlds is off to a cracking good start!  And while the aesthetics recall some of the Kelvin Universe updates, this is a gorgeous looking show, and more true to the TOS and TNG roots than just about anything since.  
 

This is the best Trek I’ve seen in almost 30 years. 
 

I am seriously loving the self-contained stories each episode.   The captains log wrap up at each conclusion to leave you pondering what you saw feels very Trek, and very comforting.  I’m two episodes in and there are developing storylines, but not stretched out as the main focus. So there’s none of that plodding, drawn out pacing problem you find with shows like Picard.  They’ve brought back the adventure and I’m loving it. 
 

a couple of things

 

Spoiler

There was almost a hint of a possible spark between Uhura and Spock in episode 2… a nice little nod to the fact that they could’ve had a romance if the wind blew differently in this timeline, but nope, they are setting up Chapel and Spock. 
 

Chapel and Number One on the Enterprise at the same time?  Impossible then (Majel Barret) but very cool.  She is very plucky and fun in this iteration. 
 

Pike is haunted by visions of his own death in the future.  It’s important, but he’s not the depressing trainwreck other modern era characters are written to be.  This guy truly cares about and loves his crew and takes his life and death responsibility seriously.  This is consistent with a haunted Pike who we saw in The Cage.   He doesn’t love the Enterprise the way Kirk does, and is reluctant to command because of the awesome responsibility.  Yet he’s still a fun Captain to be around. 
 

I do see some room for improvement… Lt. Ortegas comes on strong. Some of her sarcastic quips land with a thud, but I hope they’ll work that out and we grow to love her.  Some amazing (if improbable) maneuvering of the Enterprise under her hand in the second episode. 
 

La’an Noonien Singh is a descendant of Khan!  But we are not to encounter the Botany Bay for another 10 years.  So why include her?  She is security chief, and has demonstrated tolerance for pain and survival… perhaps she has genetic advancements?  While I like the actress, it’s a missed opportunity  they didn’t cast an actress of Indian descent, which would’ve been the perfect way to tie into Khan’s background being a Sikh from Northern India. 
 

The alien communication through musical tones is nothing new. I had to chuckle that it was 4 tones, because 5 tones would be, well you get the idea.  It might be tempting to say they ripped off Close Encounters, but actually Star Trek beat CE3K to the punch with an early 70s children’s record story “The Crier in the Emptiness”, which features a keyboardist attempting to keep up a complex duet of conversation with a musical entity!

 

 

 

We are two episodes in and I am feeling incredibly satisfied. Chicken Soup for the Trekkie Soul.   Cool aliens, expensive looking and appealing effects, thoughtful classic Trek style science fiction.
 

I’m home. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

This show seems like it could have more of the right idea compared to the other Kurtzman era shows I despise, but I'm really not on board for yet more re-using of TOS characters.  Next!

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Glad to read it's not another serialized show.

And, it's based on TOS?

That raises the chances I'll check it out- from none to slim😄

[karelm 2,903]

I loved it!  Cast is great and script seems to be directed by people who actually love trek *cough* jjabrams *cough*.  Definitely feels closer to Rodenberry's vision than trek has been in decades.  One thing I wish they didn't do was...

Spoiler

 

bring in kirk.  Just not needed, maybe at best allude to him in a series finale as a "promising young lieutenant with a formidable reputation" as Spock raises a suspicious eyebrow.

 

Definitely makes me want to see next episodes.

[Andy 4,082]

Spoiler

When they said Lt. Kirk was coming aboard, I figured it was Jim. I had a laugh when Sam Kirk makes his appearance,  mustache and all.  He’s definitely acting like a member of the Kirk family, although unlike his brother, doesn’t have a proclivity to avoid and cheat death, with his cardiac event in this episode and his eventual end in TOS.  I may be misremembering, but I had always thought his appearance in Operation Annihilate was as a colonist, not with Starfleet

. 

[DarthDementous 1,059]

Well, so far it’s better than ‘Picard’ yet ultimately TOS but stupider and more emotional which feels like a complete antithesis of Trek

 

A friend I was watching with had a good observation, we’re only about 8 episodes into TOS (the last one we watched had Kirk beating up children which was wild) but he said that ‘Brave New Worlds’ tries to have emotional moments consistently whereas in TOS they’re usually anomalies and as a result have more impact when they do happen

 

It actually feels like an unholy combination between TOS and The Orville, some scenes with Pike I could picture Mercer in his place instead, albeit without the wit and snappiness of dialogue. It wouldn’t surprise me if CBS took notice of The Orville’s popularity and decided to take influence, although it would be hideously ironic

 

Either way I’m not too disappointed, I’m watching TOS and The Orville with friends simultaneously, and much like with Picard it will be nice to throw this into the rotation to help us better appreciate what those shows do right in comparison

[Tallguy 3,365]

Three episodes in and I'm loving it. It's enough like Star Trek that I love that I'm on board, but different enough that I'm not to fussed about continuity. (I like the new take on the character but there is no way that is Chapel.) 

 

Pike feels the most like a captain who has to manage and lead a crew out of ALL of the captains we've ever seen! 

 

This is appointment TV for me now. Which is amazing. 

[Andy 4,082]

Up to Episode 7 and wow, this is quickly ascending to my favorite show.  The tone of each episode is different, so you never know what you’re gonna get.  But they’ve each been wonderful in their own way. 
 

This cast is magnificent.   They look like they’re having a blast, and it’s coming through in the product.  
 

I am loving that we get to see T’Pring so much. Who knew she could be so fun to watch?

Each show is so well paced. It’s refreshing to experience storytelling that isn’t bloated or filler. 
 

The end reveal of 7 had me squealing.  

[bruce marshall 1,315]

"Well, so far it’s better than ‘Picard.."

 

 

Im in!😙

[Brónach 1,301]

5 hours ago, Andy said:

 The tone of each episode is different, so you never know what you’re gonna get.

 

This is key to me.

5 hours ago, Andy said:

This cast is magnificent.   They look like they’re having a blast, and it’s coming through in the product. 

 

Yup

[Jay 37,287]

Production Has Wrapped On ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2

[Andy 4,082]

I love this show.  Ep 9 was a complete ripoff of ALIENS, but I don't care, and the writers aren't being subtle about it.  The past 2 episodes (8 and 9), it's been a show that's not meant to be taken too seriously... until suddenly it is.

 

They have taken big liberties with canon and continuity, and unlike Star Wars where it is irksome, I'm willing to go with the flow here.  In fact, if they want to completely disregard the timeline and have Pike survive his future injury, I'm for some reason okay with it.

[Tallguy 3,365]

3 hours ago, Andy said:

 The past 2 episodes (8 and 9), it's been a show that's not meant to be taken too seriously... until suddenly it is.

 

Right? The Elysian Kingdom was "fun" but totally disposable. It was not so much fun as it was "Hey, this is totally the kind of show they did every once in a while on shows in the 1960's." Which made it kind of fun. And then... Well then it did that.

 

Unfortunately there is pretty much no way to make the SNW Gorn fit with Arena. And pretty hard to make Christine, Spock, and T'Pring fit into Amok Time.

 

If that's the price I pay for Star Trek that I like this much? Sign me up!

 

Oh. And I now have a conundrum. As much as the last episode was an Alien, ahem "homage" it was still not as scary as Alien. And my kids aren't quite old enough to see Alien. But when they DO see Alien they'll know all the tropes! I mean, they'll probably know that anyway. Heck, I did and I saw it in 1986. (Right before going to the theater to see Aliens. So good!)

 

So I'm not going to show them Alien first. But I'm not going to put the brakes on Star Trek until they can see Alien. Ahhh the trials of a nerdy parent.

[Andy 4,082]

Plus, you can’t skip the episode because of the ending. I get it. I’m happy for you being able to enjoy it with your kids. My daughter is in college now and while I’ve gotten her to watch a lot with me, Star Trek ain’t one of them.   Most illogical. 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I love all things Star Trek, except fake star trek the kelvinverse.

[Brónach 1,301]

I didn't like the ninth episode, it's just a retread of things.

 

So far it's missing better music, or radical messages, or at least an episode as great a Crisis Point in the first season of Lower Decks.

[Tallguy 3,365]

I have very mixed feelings about Quality of Mercy.

 

This was my least favorite episode so far. I still liked it. I got value and entertainment from it. But for everything they did that was good they seemed to do two things that weren't as good or outright bad.
 

Spoiler

The good: Spock and Pike. That was terrific. I felt like this is the captain that Spock will nearly throw away his career for. The "Elseworlds" Balance of Terror wasn't bad as an idea.

 

That comet was actually pretty good. It was a nice update of the original scene.

 

The bad: I know SNW is playing fast and loose with Star Trek lore, usually successfully. But for some reason the notion that Pike would have been captain if he didn't have his accident is not what happened. Pike was promoted, Kirk was assigned the Enterprise. More to the point, Pike's accident happened while Kirk was already captain.

 

I gather the logic is that some of Pike's crew left when he left the Enterprise. It was actually cool to recast Styles with Ortegas. And I suppose that giving us Sulu AND Scotty AND McCoy AND Kirk would have been a heavy lift.

 

Trying to recast both Kirk AND the Romulan commander was a tough sell. I have no problem with recasting. So far SNW has done a terrific job with everyone. But you're replacing Shatner and Mark Lenard. I don't need to have carbon copies but both of these characters should be imposing figures. This wasn't young Lieutenant Kirk, this was CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK. And he just didn't have the gravitas. They got close to conveying the nuance of the Romulan, but not quite.

 

I can see why they got rid of The Centurion for brevity's sake. But that meant that there was no one to communicate to the audience the lay of the land on the Romulan ship. They should have leaned into it harder with Decius.

 

The ugly: Oh that Romulan fleet looked like ass. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't look good. It doesn't fit with the story. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. Call the guys that made The Expanse! The "eight million ships" in Rise of Skywalker was bone stupid but it was at least well done. (Yes, I realize that one of those ships in ROS was the entire season's FX budget for SNW.)

 

The Almost TWOK Uniform: They managed to do their own spin on TOS uniforms that are cool in their own way. Every change they made to the monster maroon was a step down. Those sleeves where hard to look at.

 

 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Dave and I are overwhelmed with it. This is Star Trek at its best.

[Tallguy 3,365]

14 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Dave and I are overwhelmed with it. This is Star Trek at its best.

 

The show in general or this ep in specific? 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

The episode in question. It is a Star Trek fans episode

[Andy 4,082]

Yeah I loved it. Kirk was a bit underwhelming, but I think he was playing the role seriously as Shatner did in Balance of Terror. 
 

They’re pushing on the limits of the timeline, and yet here they are, definitively saying there is no deviation from Pike’s eventual fate.  And he basically sentenced a child to death.   There’s a lot of heavy stuff in this finale. 
 

The one thing I’m confused about is Paramount has said Kirk will be in Season 2, but this episode was 7 years in the future.  So Kirk will be 7 years younger next time we see him in SNW?

[artguy360 1,843]

16 minutes ago, Andy said:

Yeah I loved it. Kirk was a bit underwhelming, but I think he was playing the role seriously as Shatner did in Balance of Terror. 
 

They’re pushing on the limits of the timeline, and yet here they are, definitively saying there is no deviation from Pike’s eventual fate.  And he basically sentenced a child to death.   There’s a lot of heavy stuff in this finale. 
 

The one thing I’m confused about is Paramount has said Kirk will be in Season 2, but this episode was 7 years in the future.  So Kirk will be 7 years younger next time we see him in SNW?

Did they use any makeup to age the Kirk actor a bit in this episode? I thought he looked a little more wrinkled than I expected Kirk to be.

[Andy 4,082]

Hmmm perhaps they did. I’m not sure.   I hope he is used sparingly. This is Pike’s show. 

[blondheim 1,157]

This new title theme gives me Zelda Overworld/Hyrule Field vibes. It sounds like it could have been the temp for it. Anyone else notice this?

[Tallguy 3,365]

There's kind of a bridge at 1:00

 

 

that reminds me of the teaser for Day of the Doctor.

 

 

Does anyone know if / when a soundtrack of Season 1 will be available?

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

I have to admit that the main theme is still a bit of a dud for me... it just never really gets going and gently skirts around the original theme without either quoting it (and then perhaps launching into something else) so you get the Courage fanfare segueing into into driving rhythm with great promise but the theme just kinda mumbles from it rather than soars. I've grown to quite enjoy the Discover and Picard themes (although the styles wouldn't have been my first choice for Star Trek, but I like them on their own terms) but this feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. It needs to either be exciting and heraldic (Jerry/TNG/TMP), fanfare-y and stately (DS9), somewhere in between (the Orville... !) or be a bit more mysterious and quirky (Alexander Courage meets Bernard Herrmann). Even Anson Mount's delivery of the opening monologue feels a bit flat, but then he's not Patrick Stewart, fine though he is. Ah well, at least the visuals are great and the show itself sounds great, I've still not put my cash down for Paramount+ yet... but then with the Orville, I somehow don't feel like I'm missing out so much!

[Tallguy 3,365]

I'm sure I'm spoiled these days. It seems like other shows wrap up and BOOM there's a score on the streamers. Has anyone heard anything about this score? It's been forever! (Looks up "entitled" in the dictionary. Oh.)

 

We're re-watching (seriously, when was the last time I watched a Star Trek show more than once!??) and I'm finding a great deal of the music very enjoyable.

 

I'm also re-watching Discovery season 2 with my boy just because he wants to know the backstory for SNW (I couldn't bring myself to watch season 1 again). Even though Disco and SNW share the same propensity for BIG SETS, the aesthetic in SNW is so much more Star Trek. More TOS even. I can't quite pin down the details but the vibe is so different.

[Jay 37,287]

 

[Gabriel Bezerra 300]

Unavailable here

[Jay 37,287]

It's a teaser for Strange New Worlds Season 2

[Nick1Ø66 4,688]

Best part of that trailer is Klingons that look like Klingons.

[Jay 37,287]

I've never understood why any company would geolock a trailer

[Andy 4,082]

3 hours ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

Best part of that trailer is Klingons that look like Klingons.

 

Yes, and this:

 

Spoiler

 

[Giftheck 916]

Now all they got to do is replace the Enterprise with the OG model at the end of it. They have one from Picard, so it's definitely doable

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

 

Yes, and this:

 

  Hide contents

 

#bringbackjameshornersklingontheme

 

Let’s get this trending kids!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

27 minutes ago, Giftheck said:

Now all they got to do is replace the Enterprise with the OG model at the end of it. They have one from Picard, so it's definitely doable

I think that may be in the works.

[Andy 4,082]

Not at all excited about the scene with 

Spoiler

Kirk in the revolving door. Not excited about another time travel with Kirk, if that’s what it is. Even his line “I’m from Space” makes no sense, since the same character would one day declare he was from Iowa and only works in outer space.  Most of all, I don’t want this show becoming more and more about Kirk.  Or Pike passing the torch.  And so far this is a very weak Kirk  

I’m hopeful for S2, and appreciate the light and optimistic tone.  I just have some nagging feelings that they’ll still mess it up somehow.  And I never got that with the Orville.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Just purchased the DVD boxset of Season 1 of Strange New Worlds. I reckon watching the Animated Series has maybe put me in a mood for more Trek, and the general consensus is that SNW is the nearest an ST show has got to the classic series for quite some time.   

[Gabriel Bezerra 300]

13 hours ago, Andy said:

Not at all excited about the scene with 

  Hide contents

Kirk in the revolving door. Not excited about another time travel with Kirk, if that’s what it is. Even his line “I’m from Space” makes no sense, since the same character would one day declare he was from Iowa and only works in outer space.  Most of all, I don’t want this show becoming more and more about Kirk.  Or Pike passing the torch.  And so far this is a very weak Kirk  

 

That's A Kirk, not the Kirk. That's George.

[Andy 4,082]

Can't tell if serious.  George Kirk?  As in Kirk's father?

 

The trailer literally says James T Kirk for the first image.  Second image was the scene to which I was referring.  Pretty sure that's the same actor.

 

Spoiler

 

[Gabriel Bezerra 300]

7 minutes ago, Andy said:

Can't tell if serious.  George Kirk?  As in Kirk's father?

 

The trailer literally says James T Kirk for the first image.  Second image was the scene to which I was referring.  Pretty sure that's the same actor.

Brother. I zoomed in and was sure it was his brother, yeah, not too glad about the joke either then.

[Andy 4,082]

You're thinking Sam Kirk with the mustache.   Too many Kirks.

[Brónach 1,301]

15 hours ago, Andy said:

Not at all excited about the scene with 

  Hide contents

Kirk in the revolving door. Not excited about another time travel with Kirk, if that’s what it is. Even his line “I’m from Space” makes no sense, since the same character would one day declare he was from Iowa and only works in outer space.  Most of all, I don’t want this show becoming more and more about Kirk.  Or Pike passing the torch.  And so far this is a very weak Kirk  

I’m hopeful for S2, and appreciate the light and optimistic tone.  I just have some nagging feelings that they’ll still mess it up somehow.  And I never got that with the Orville.

 

seems to be like a different character should do this bit.

 

it's like they were afraid of outright remaking TOS so they're making this more covert remake instead

[Tallguy 3,365]

20 hours ago, Brónach said:

 

seems to be like a different character should do this bit.

 

it's like they were afraid of outright remaking TOS so they're making this more covert remake instead

 

They're making an enjoyable show that actually makes me think and feel from time to time. I'll cut them some slack. Although J. Kirk was terrible in the last episode of SNW last season so I hope he gets better. I liked him in the trailer.

 

When Anson Mount showed up on Discovery he felt like the lead of a show. I wish Kirk felt the same way. He hasn't yet. Ironically the way to distinguish Kirk and Pike in this show should be to make Kirk MORE serious (since Pike is Everyone's Buddy in this show). But since the general perception in the public and the SNW writers is that Kirk is a devil may care cowboy I don't know if they'll take that route.

 

-----

 

Apropos of nearly nothing I played The Enterprise on Spotify just to hear what tracks it would give me next. (I'm getting a surprising amount of the Thunderbirds movie!) I got a track from Ron Jones' Q Who. Before I looked I would have sworn it was Goldsmith. I guess I can see where the Jones love comes from.

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

3 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

They're making an enjoyable show that actually makes me think and feel from time to time. I'll cut them some slack. Although J. Kirk was terrible in the last episode of SNW last season so I hope he gets better. I liked him in the trailer.

 

When Anson Mount showed up on Discovery he felt like the lead of a show. I wish Kirk felt the same way. He hasn't yet. Ironically the way to distinguish Kirk and Pike in this show should be to make Kirk MORE serious (since Pike is Everyone's Buddy in this show). But since the general perception in the public and the SNW writers is that Kirk is a devil may care cowboy I don't know if they'll take that route.

 

Always going to be hard to follow William Shatner, even just finding guys that kinda look like him seems oddly difficult. Of all the original crew/cast to have featured in later shows, none have felt especially like Kirk to me. Have to agree that, out of an otherwise strong cast, the guy playing James T Kirk didn't give me especially Tiberian vibes.

 

3 hours ago, Tallguy said:

Apropos of nearly nothing I played The Enterprise on Spotify just to hear what tracks it would give me next. (I'm getting a surprising amount of the Thunderbirds movie!) I got a track from Ron Jones' Q Who. Before I looked I would have sworn it was Goldsmith. I guess I can see where the Jones love comes from.

That is a sound choice from Spotify there! Made me have another listen to Jones' score which is top notch and a perfect prelude to The Best of Both Worlds. Much though I love Jerry, Jones' Borg theme is far more effective and sinister than Jerry's from First Contact. The use of a synth choir that, in any other circumstance, would only suggest budget constraints, as absolutely perfect. That matched with superbly sinister minor key chord progressions... to be fair, it worked better when the Borg were a more sinister, unknowable and existential threat than in First Contact and later when they evolved (assimilated into?) a somewhat more generic cyborg threat.

[Nick1Ø66 4,688]

Paul Wesley is, um....not Kirk. And setting aside Wesley's performance , which I don't think captures Kirk at all, the writers are also leaning heavily into the largely mythologized portrayal of Kirk as someone who breaks the rules pretty much all the time, which isn't really borne out by the Kirk of TOS. And seriously, how can you cast someone as Kirk who has zero charisma? 

 

Chris Pine, however, was great as Kirk, especially in the first Abrams film.

 

I'm liking Ethan Peck so far as Spock, and IMO he captures the character much better than Quinto, who played him like a thinly veiled psychotic who was holding back the urge to stab everyone on the Bridge.

[Andy 4,082]

Kirk just isn’t needed in this show at all. It feels like a bait and switch. 

[Tallguy 3,365]

14 hours ago, Andy said:

Kirk just isn’t needed in this show at all. It feels like a bait and switch. 

 

He isn't needed or especially wanted. But this is the show that's got me shipping Spock and Chapel for crying out loud. I'll sit back with my popcorn and see what they can do. They have my trust.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Watched ep 1 of Strange New Worlds. It being set before the original series but having more sophisticated tech than it did and an Enterprise more akin to the one in the JJ Abrams movies will take a bit of adjusting to, as will its version of Spock (I was happy with Quinto basically running with a Nimoy impersonation, not so sure about this Peck guy). But we'll see as I watch more of it, I guess.   

[Tallguy 3,365]

24 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

It being set before the original series but having more sophisticated tech

 

You have more sophisticated tech right now. Unless we're talking transporters, warp drive, and phasers. Those seem about the same.