Strange New Worlds 2x01- 'The Broken Circle' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723801#Comment_120723801

Yes I still think the Tholians would have been a far better choice as the alien threat because at least no canon would have changed then and they could have remained slightly mysterious too. Also as they are an insect specios so them doing the things like keeping other species for there young to feed on etc would have made more sense as many insects do that.

I think the only reason they did not use them is because they would have cost more to do maybe. A pity.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724217#Comment_120724217

I don't mind what we have seen so far but if it goes full Gorn war then that's too far.

Evade

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724021#Comment_120724021

The Earth Romulan War originated in TOS.

Stark

Pelia sounds like she's been smoking 80 a day since she first arrived on Earth.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724399#Comment_120724399

True TOS was absolutely shocking with its own continuity. Probably has as many errors as it's prequels.

They couldn't even decide on the names for the Federation/Starfleet throughout the run.

CastorTroy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724475#Comment_120724475

Well being the Ghost of Christmas Present is a tough job so maybe she shares Past's cigars.

Bobtheman

I liked it. Truly an ensemble show. It moves forward quickly unlike Discovery.

But the last ten minutes seemed to be drawn out. The drinking session.

However it's a strong start. The actress playing the laminite was great. She pitched it perfectly. Doing quirky is damn hard to get right. Over do it and you get jar jar binks or **** nelix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717232#Comment_120717232

Or erasing Discovery from history... Please let it be that

pixelburp

Yeah gotta add that sense of confusion about the tone of this episode: odd to have the 2 most senior officers basically absent, with the plot itself fairly throwaway - but those are quibbles because that was, in keeping with last year, a tonne of fun. The Space Adventures continue, and continue to have that sense of exploration and the unknown.

Carol Kane was a Carol Kane character, and so a breezy bit of senior affability; and I'd forgotten how well Ethan Peck had acquitted himself playing Spock. A Spock experiencing an emotional crisis, but not overplayed as Quinto was prone to in the Abrams films. Even the glib chumminess seemed a little dialled back from before; but maybe I'm just used to it, or perhaps it was because M'Benga and Chapel's sidebar was played fairly straight.

I suspect the angle that might be threaded for the Gorn is a secret war; April hinted that the intent will be to keep the Federation and Starfleet ignorant of Gorn incursions, adhering to canon while adding threat.

Sudden Valley

Really enjoyed the episode. Strange how in most incarnations of Star trek they seem to be able to make the doctors/medical staff well rounded characters. I think I'm totally lost in the history of the star trek universe now with all the shows they've had.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120724727#Comment_120724727

She played it a few too many rungs into over-quirky for me, especially in a show that already has more than enough quirkiness. It feels a bit like a hat on a hat.

Otherwise quite enjoyed though, decent episode.

ilovesmybrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727996#Comment_120727996

I'd forgotten how well Ethan Peck had acquitted himself playing Spock

Yeah, strongly agree with that. While the episode itself wasn't particularly strong, I did think Peck came across very well. Maybe a small bit quick to, you know, rob a bloody starship, but he did feelm very much like he could be a far younger version of the Spock from TOS.

I won't upset myself by going back through the season 2 Discovery threads, but I think I was quite negative initially about his introduction. That may partially due to the idiocy of going down the Star Wars route of having everyone related to everyone else and making Burnham his step-sister, but I think he also is getting better material to work with here.

I'm more and more thinking of the crossfield being taken over and destroyed was intentional shade.

They dropped a few sly digs last season, as did Lower Decks

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729632#Comment_120729632

Maybe a small bit quick to, you know, rob a bloody starship

Not though if one considers his emotional impulses are behaving erratically and out of his control at this point. By the episodes end they hung a hat on Spock's unconventional behaviour with the Klingon captain noting as much.

Spock has always barely kept his emotions in check. I always hated that film Spock went through Kolinahr. His duality should be his defining feature

Sudden Valley

So i guess any sort of relationship Spock has with the nurse is doomed canonically speaking? They seemed ro lean heavily on it in the opener

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730530#Comment_120730530

I suppose he could have a short relationship with her but then after that they never say anything about it.

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730530#Comment_120730530

No mention of it in TOS anyway. Though we do know his relationship with T'Pring is doomed.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730694#Comment_120730694

It all comes from an episode of TOS where she does seem to have a thing for him.

It's all a bit too fan fictiony for my liking.

pixelburp

It also comes from the long-standing aspect that Spock has been a bit of a sex symbol. Not so much Kirk but his bestie / life partner.

Sudden Valley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730828#Comment_120730828

the JJ Abrams movies definitely had the Spock Uhura relationship front and centre.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730853#Comment_120730853

An absolutely zero chemistry relationship. Not sure what they were thinking there.

PhiloCypher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730495#Comment_120730495

Fortunately V'ger stepped in in the Star Trek : the Motion Picture and prevented him from completing it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730530#Comment_120730530

Yeh, one presumes the fallout from his relationship with Chapel and general exploration of his emotional side will be so bad he'll recommit himself to cold hard logic in the short term (TOS) and an attempt at a full purging through the Kohlinhar in the long term (Star trek the motion picture).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730889#Comment_120730889

It's from a tiny scene in TOS where he was playing, in the galley, and she was singing/flirting (I think)

Was very random

eadrom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730495#Comment_120730495

He didn't complete Kolinahr though. And throughout TMP he was far more emotionally repressed than he had been in TOS, as a result of perusing it at all (and near-completing it). His arc throughout the film was to realise and accept his own humanity, and his friends.

I don't think TMP did the best job of highlighting that arc but I thought it was really good and essential character development for Spock.

eadrom

Watched this episode again last night and thought it was great, without my own anticipation and excitement for new Trek getting in the way.

A strange opener for sure but that's the only problem really. Ethen Peck is a great Spock. I'm not too interested in the traumatised war veterans arc or the battle-drugs thing but even those scenes were well done. Again, good characters played well.

I still think the alien make-up in these shows looks too much like foam latex or something, it's really distracting. Looking at photos or screen-shots of Worf or any of the Klingons in TNG and I dunno, the TNG makeup just looks a bit better somehow. Like it blends better, or holds a sweaty-shine better. The new stuff looks like dry rubber masks. I keep hoping I'll just get used to it but have been thinking the same since "way back" in Disco season 1. Just doesn't look like skin.

Oh, and a real cringe-inducing worst part of the episode was that stupid "you gonna say your thing?" on the bridge. Really wish they'd just drop that. And having Spock play dumb was just the stupid cherry on the stupid cake. How can he be the only officer on the bridge not to know about "the thing".

Exterior shots of the ship and station, on the other hand, looked spectacular.

TheValeyard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733067#Comment_120733067

TUC: if I were human, I believe my response would be.....go to hell...... if I were human. :D

Greyjoy

A decent episode on its own but a frustrating follow-up to the S1 cliffhanger. It's as if the showrunners wanted to kick off the new season with an action story rather than a courtroom drama of people arguing in a room (even though that's produced some of the best Trek episodes). The Klingons are an improvement from Discovery - they can emote a bit more than trying to act through what felt like halloween masks in Discovery. I'm wary of the Gorn becoming a big threat to the Federation. If Starfleet can keep the conflict "secret" or avoid it altogether it might sidestep canon problems with TOS. But if it becomes a "hot" war like the Klingon war in Discovery it then makes no sense that TOS has what's supposed to be a "first contact" with the Gorn.

If it were my choice I would (re) introduce the Kzinti from the animated series as the big threat. They were a race that were mooted for live action in the cancelled S5 of Enterprise. Given the advances in makeup & cgi since ENT it'd be interesting to see them in live action. There are probably some rights issues to be sorted out with the author Larry Niven but they've also been used in Lower Decks and name-checked in Picard.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733428#Comment_120733428

Not sure cat people would work in a live action series.

It could very easily turn out looking a bit Mr. Mistoffelees

Greyjoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733472#Comment_120733472

They had shots of Caitians (another 'cat' race) in "Voyage Home" which looked pretty good and that was back in the 80s. The fact that they would be in costume/uniform would help a lot. As lot as they don't go fully cgi they could avoid the horror of 'CATS' movie.