Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Children of The Comet Review

[@jackdaone6469]

Your overall point about how Spock is treated, with snark and condescension, plays into a persistent problem modern Trek has that is also in Strange New Worlds: Everyone talks like a 20-21st century human and not like a 23rd century one.

[@SonoftheAllfather]

They talk like left-wing normie millennials (just like the show's creators), not just "20-21st century humans."

[@ryancarroll3957]

No. Like a 21sr century college age AMERICAN

[@HerrEllsworth]

I totally agree. The chief aspect of sf is to get you into "their world", to understand the background and nature of this universe and to remove yourself from your own world. This Trek doesn't want to do that, it just wants this universe more relevant to you so you don't have to make any great mental leap whatsoever.

[@wamp9175]

I agree 100%. It's SO unprofessional.

[@berylg52]

The narrative purpose of SNW, as indeed of all Trek, is to tell morality tales. All of the characters are stand-ins for our current culture. If, in these tales, the aliens were REALLY alien, it would be more like the heptapods in "Arrival." So almost every alien species Trek presents are bipedal humanoids. (There was a lantern hung on this necessity in both TOS's "This Side of Paradise" and TNG's "The Chase." The fact that they all sound like 21st-Century humans is our entry into the story. If you try to sound too unusual, you end up with dialogue that sounds like Yoda.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

NO ONE will ever do Spock like Leonard Nimoy did Spock. Most actors don't have a clue how to really play an alien.. an entity so different from us that it is truly incomprehensible to those who deal with him. I am very uncomfortable concerning how modern culture seems to assume a person has to Fit in to their culture and surroundings. That, if they don't, it is the culture's fault and culture and others must change. They never do the 'stranger in a strange land' properly. They always seem to miss the mark. Sometimes, we don't fit into our society and there is no way to change ourselves to do so, so we accept our differences and find some way to deal with the situation we find ourselves, sometimes leaving, sometimes not.... Sometimes we really don't want to fit in, we are fine with being uncomfortable and slightly off center from everyone in our family or community. It isn't our community's fault, it isn't ours. We live as uncomfortable outsiders. Leonard Nimoy, somehow, found a way to play the perfect 'stranger in a strange land' so perfectly that he can not be replaced. Those that wrote his lines, also did a wonderful job of presenting an alien amid human beings. Part of and separate from the community. Don't expect that kind of story telling magic to happen twice in a 1000 yrs.

[@theSpartan187]

NGL I really enjoyed Zachary Quinto's version

[@joshuacalkins]

So you don’t like seeing Spock dancing, singing, laughing and having casual sex? Can he at least tell knock knock jokes on the bridge? 😁

[@dandeliondown7920]

"so we accept our differences" That is very Star Trek. Your comment is full of compassion. A movie that does a magnificent job on this topic is Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, 1936).

[@ayanithtalreign]

Spock, like other Vulcans, believes that his way of life, specifically adherence to logic and repudiation of emotion, is provably superior in practice. In fact, he is willing to debate the merits. Rather than fitting in, the Vulcan side seeks to guide with an outsider's voice. That he was also half-human gave him an outsider's perspective for both cultures. He is thus unique. Over time, he reconciles his place in a logical way: As a Vulcan and as a human, he is capable of providing more aid than if he were solely a Vulcan. His dual heritage is useful, even if often troubling.

[@brachiator1]

The key thing is that Nimoy found a way to bring a producer's conception and a writer's text to life. That is what a good actor does. And what good actors continue to do. Also, it is an interesting challenge for any author to creatively depict an alien. We are all only human.

[@GilesMcRiker]

I think people would be a lot more forgiving had this been kurtzman's first series however, in light of the disasters that Discovery and Picard have turned out to be, people are quite understandably a lot less willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to SNW's very mediocre and derivative debut episodes

[@Scottlp2]

It has humor (STD took forever to develop any) very much like TOS, likable characters, warm and fuzzy vibes like TOS, and reasonable plots. I’d much rather see this than anything since Enterprise. NB:Kurtzman and I believe gold whatever both were involved with Fringe which was great character driven SF, so they can do it.

[@brachiator1]

I agree that Strange New Worlds features a very appealing cast of characters. I already am pre-disposed to like this show and hope that it continues to improve. By comparison, I thought that DS9 was pound for pound the best Trek series after TOS, and I found the series Enterprise and its crew to be dull and ultimately not worth caring about.

[@sillypuppy5940]

I have managed to not watch a single moment of STD or Picard, but thought I would give this a go. I've seen worse, so will continue to watch, albeit with some trepidation... will it all turn to shit?

[@hobbs1701a]

You are more than likely correct!

[@syferz]

Yeah, I watched the first few episodes of STD as they aired, realized that it was trash (in my opinion) and as a life long trek fan, found myself unwilling to continue with the series, when Picard was announced I just worried that they wouldn't understand the character, and they didn't, so I didn't watch that. This show however, does feel like a modern prequel to TOS, I think it actually does a good job establishing characters and not worrying about plots for the first 2 episodes, I'm about to watch the 3rd episode right now, but I'm actually happy with the tone and characters, eventually I hope they throw some great plots our way, but for now, it's more about developing the show than hitting a home run in the first few episodes.

[@1down4upworkshop61]

One of my many problems I have with Nu Trek is the way Vulcans are written. It's like the writers think that Vulcans in general and Spock in particular have no emotions. Instead of having volatile emotions buried and under constant control. Hence, the way they are written makes them come off as Data ...

[@radioflyer68911]

A full Vulcan would come across as a robot, a half Vulcan would have a small hint of emotion that you could barely notice. An actor won't want to be cast as a full Vulcan. That would be a very boring job.

[@Trekkie46]

Except that in each of the three reboot movies, Spock cries and yells out in anger. From what I've seen, they tend to be overly emotional.

[@1down4upworkshop61]

@@Trekkie46 I forgot about how JJ treated Spock ..

[@davyboy9397]

I can't stand the way they act because they seem overly emotional. Although I don't believe this change isn't exactly brand new. Enterprise started doing this a little bit

[@ab5olut3zero95]

@@davyboy9397 enterprise played up their smug, overly critical nature and was set in a time when the writings of Surak had been lost and ignored- before Logic was all but worshipped by the Vulcans. I agree, it was off-putting in Enterprise. That said, the ENT Vulcans seemed to come off as more smug and somewhat annoyed at the upstart Humans than anything else, not really overly emotional or logical.

[@jurestormchaser5382]

This is typical in Nu Trek: no analysis, no experiments, no trial & error - just getting everything right immediately by pure conjecture. It makes for very little science in science fiction.

[@GeorgeCarlinWasAGod]

These 21st Century "Modern Day Sheep" will watch anything that Hollywood produces. I really hate living in this time period.

[@kal0247]

What really gets under my skin about new Trek is the dialogue, the way these officers speak to each other is just insane these are supposed to trained military people with a chain of command but they are rude,snarky and just defy orders whenever is suits them😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨Great well detailed review but it's what I expect from this amazing channel, can't wait for your review of episode 3,keep up the great work👍🏽

[@StellarAudyssey]

Yes agree, the dialogue maybe the worst aspect.

[@ab5olut3zero95]

As a Soldier, that drives me BATTY. I know what Servicemen are supposed to sound like, and even JJ could mostly get that right. The new Drek seems to intentionally get it wrong, constantly.

[@kal0247]

First of thank you for your service to the county and second it's ear these writters are complete morons to think professional military people talk like,I'm a manager of a small company and my workers are more professional than the people in these new Trek shows, Picard, Kirk,Archer,Sisko and Archer would of never let this shit fly🤦🏽‍♂️

[@Shadowkey392]

Guess what? That’s every crew in Star Trek you just described.

[@kal0247]

Not even close😒🤦🏽‍♂️

[@AkuTenshiiZero]

Honestly, one of my biggest problems with NuTrek is that it has the completely wrong aesthetic. These rooms don't look like they belong on a Federation starship. The original series, TNG, DS9, and Voyager all had sets that were actual, physical rooms made of wood and plastic. It gives a certain texture that you just can't replicate with special effects. It's just a massive pet peeve of mine that the sets in NuTrek don't look like rooms where people would work and live, they look like video game environments.

[@marpsr]

Or the Apple Store…🙄

[@hobbs1701a]

Not only that, remember in TNG Relics, when Scotty commented on the size of the guest quarters

[@harackmw]

If only that were the only problem with NuTrek

[@LtFoodstamp]

That's true. It's all a bit too intense looking. Looks neat on screen, but imagine having to lfe in it 24 hours a day... It would grow old real fast.

[@louisblackforester]

I couldn't agree more.

[@joethebartender1013]

Strange New Worlds is the epitome of the phrase 'too little, too late'

[@SheldonAdama17]

Star Trek is dead. At this point Kurtzman is molesting the corpse using the teddy bear from Critical Drinker’s Doctor Who analogy.

[@AncestorEmpire1]

“THE MESSAGE”

[@david-2]

Aye, true dat. At this point I see no need to watch these shows, and I must say that this attitude greatly improves my quality of life. No more annoyance at the crappy scripts and the obvious political and social biases of the writers. There's plenty of content, if you want it, so let go of the past and stop watching any of this garbage.

[@christheghostwriter]

Yet here you are

[@craigmarksully]

Defiling a corpse is shameful Kurtzman. Desist immediately.

[@Spirit250-D]

This was an excellent critique. I had a the same feelings about Spock myself. I will say though seemingly recycled plots are almost inevitable when you're dealing with the 55-year-old franchise. I really like how Spock and especially Uhura solve the riddle of the comet with music, as the are musicians and scientists. Uhura using her linguistic skills combined with her musical talents I thought was pretty cool. There is some lazy writing forsure in certain spots, but it's pretty typical for all star trek. That said, I'm looking forward to your review of episode 3, I think your gonna have a field day. Lol

[@GeorgeCarlinWasAGod]

Except Uhura was NEVER a part of Pike's crew.

[@jceggbert5]

I'm a bit frustrated with many of the youtube people (you included, to an extent) that have hated and bashed on discovery and picard due to them being 'bad trek' and wanting Trek to be like old trek but also hating on SNW because it's 'too derivative'. They're finally listening to critics and fans who want trek to be like old trek, but are just getting more complaints about how it's too much like old trek. I'm a few episodes into SNW and I've been nearly at tears watching it because it's like seeing an old friend again. It's Star Trek. The episode you discuss in this video is the most TOS-like plotline I could imagine, and I enjoyed it immensely.

[@inthefade]

What is with this trend in mainstream media where the only conventionally attractive people are evil? Main characters are always... Just kinda bland and uninteresting-looking. I know it is actually an attempt to "subvert conventional beauty" or whatever, but... It's just messed up, honestly. It's such a bizarre phenomenon.

[@dandeliondown7920]

I agree. Natural beauty (that we are born with) is a reflection of good health. It is a gift, like musical talent or physical strength. Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but every person finds some people beautiful. Clear eyes are always attractive, and of course clear eyes reflect healthy living. In my experience, most naturally beautiful people are healthy, confident, friendly, and helpful.

[@zeehero7280]

SO YOU SEE, AUDIENCE, EVIL WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH, BECUASE GOOD IS UGLY!

[@sharkdentures3247]

"Better than Discovery & Picard"? What I left in my toilet is "better than Discovery & Picard"! Do NOT cut them ANY slack! Do NOT let them "lower your expectations" for Star Trek by putting out TONS of garbage!

[@Elerad]

I haven't watched any of these actual episodes, but I'll continue to watch your responses, as well as Chato's. Hope you keep 'em coming as they've been very useful and informative. Regarding your take on Spock, I'm reminded a bit of how I responded to Ben Cross's version of Sarek in 2009's Star Trek. He just had none of Mark Lenard's presence, dignity, and gravity. But... that's Mark Lenard. That's a tough freaking act to follow.

[@ConceptJunkie]

Dave and Chato are both really insightful reviewers. Doomcock can be as well, but he has a little bit too much fun insulting the things he reviews. The Critical Drinker's analysis is always spot on.

[@lilymack4028]

Why would u watch critiques of the show instead of the series itself? That makes no sense. Do you do that in the rest of your life? Value other's ideas & opinions over your own?

[@odojang]

You hit it right on the nail; SNW is moving backwards. And I would say it's intentional. Kurtzman wanted since DIS and even more so with PIC to erase Classic Trek and replace it with his own, lesser, mediocre, shallow (and exclusively sellable) product. The pilfering of almost the entire main crew of earlier TOS characters is not happenstance. Seems the best he can do is rehash old Trek with dumber, botched versions, like his mentor J. J. Abrams did with The Force Awakens ripping off A New Hope. Oh well, still got 8 episodes to prove me wrong and finally bring Star Trek to us.

[@hobbs1701a]

Everything you said has an air of truth to it! Kurtzman sucks a lot of balls!

[@Shadowkey392]

Boy do I pity you. So determined to hate good things.

[@StreetPreacherr]

I'm actually starting to have trouble getting over just how HUGE the ship looks to be! Every hallway seems RIDICULOUSLY wide, and the Bridge is just HUGE, with an absurdly widescreen display that appears would just make it difficult to observe the entire screen without having to physically rotate your head to focus on whatever is important. Rather than using a format that can entirely fit into the captains field of view, and simply ZOOMING in to examine whatever happens to be critical? And in episode #3 the SICKBAY appears to occupy at least TWO FLOORS? I've recently been watching TOS IN EARNEST for the first time, and I think their sickbay might have had 3 BEDS? Have they made it clear that this IS NOT meant to mimic the Enterprise from TOS, which for instance had Shuttle Bay Doors that weren't much wider than the Galileo Shuttlecraft itself? In Strange New Worlds the Sickbay is larger than the Shuttlebay was on TOS!

[@radioflyer68911]

Yeah, the sickbays on TOS,ENT and Voyager's were rather small for the ships of those sizes, but there's no reason to go overboard. They had to make do with the size the soundstage allowed. In STMP they gave the impression there was more to the sickbay than was seen, but they made it smaller for TNG. I think they could have made TNG's sickbay work with the TMP sickbay style with a little effort.

[@V2000-t8v]

👍

[@mem2881]

those shows were limited in budget. 3 beds doesn't make any sense. Also a lot of people seem to not understand how displays work. its never a bad thing to be able to see more. you can still zoom in and focus thing in the center, need be. The biggest difference that throws people off but they cant pinpoint is the wider aspect ratio that have been used since season 2 discovery. You can fit more in frame horizontally which gives it a more cinematic, grandiose feeling among other things

[@PetersonZF]

Yes, the internals are too big. I can accept it being a bit roomier than the TOS Enterprise, but it feels like a Galaxy class on the inside. In fact Pike's quarters look bigger than Sisko's on DS9!

[@riogrande5761]

Bigger budget, bigger sets. TOS was on a much more limited budget back in the 60's and at the end of the 3 year run Gene Roddenberry was hundreds of thousands in debt from the costs of the show vs. add revenue. But as always, the producers these days are in a sounding chamber and know more than the fans of many decades.

[@eddstarr2185]

I agree with you, Dave, Star Trek is stuck in a ditch, just spinning it's wheels. If no one has the courage or talent to move the Star Trek universe forward, then we're looking at another missed opportunity. Concerning Spock, I'm impressed by how "relaxed" Leonard Nimoy's Spock appears in the original series. Ethan Peck's Spock appears to have a metal rod shoved up his spine. He looks uncomfortable, always at attention. Leonard Nimoy's Spock was always more "Nimoy", than "Spock" - a testament to superb acting.

[@zeferage2430]

If you go back to the pilot episode of tos, and yhe first few episodes of season one, I think he was not as relax as in later episodes and seasons. Whether intentional or not, maybe strange new worlds is mimicking this? Not that I have wanted new trek here but just a thought.

[@Elfrunner]

"That green-blooded son-of-a-b!tch! It's his revenge for all those arguments he lost." -McCoy, _Star Trek III_

[@distractionbeast778]

Spot on. Spock is a bit of an empty suit. Honestly, I don't think any Vulcans have lived up to Nimoy's performance. He was comfortable in the character and that really came across on screen. Most Vulcans just feel stiff, angry, brooding, or condescending. Saavik (Alley) was probably the best after him, then Sarek (Lenard) , and Valeris (Cattrall, minus a bit of stiff acting). Vulcans used to be very expressive, even if they suppressed emotions. Most later actors seem to miss this.

[@gthomashart3926]

Perhaps modern actors seem to have difficulty in such practical facets as raising an eyebrow🤔

[@ConceptJunkie]

I think that's a good insight. Spock did not speak in a monotone, and he even occasionally smiled. Mark Lenard absolutely nailed his role as Sarek and I would consider him a definitive actor of Vulcans along with Leonard Nimoy, especially when he was portraying Sarek when he was ill on TNG. I would also add Tim Russ' performance to the mix. Yes, he was more of the deadpan style, but I still really feel affection for his portrayal of Tuvok, even though I'm not a big fan of Voyager. We also have to consider that it's reasonable that Vulcans' personalities would differ just as humans do, even if they would not likely differ as widely.

[@PetersonZF]

Erm... Tuvok? Easily second best after Nimoy, for me.

[@dramaticwords]

I liked T'Pol... but some of the ENT writers didn't know what to do with her. I didn't like how they made her a drug addict or a rape victim.

[@ConceptJunkie]

@@PetersonZF Tuvok was definitely good. Tim Russ totally nailed being a Vulcan.

[@jinky0u812]

It scares me sometimes how much you feel EXACTLY the same way I do about, not just Kirkman Trek, but almost all movie and TV subjects. Your "2010: The Year We Make Contact Review" was a video I was hoping to make someday myself and was so thrilled to see you made one and felt every bit the same way as I did about it!

[@hudsonball4702]

SNW is a little better than Discovery and Picard indeed. I think it's on the right track, or at least not following the wrong track like the other 2 shows. Using a food allegory, Discovery and Picard are Mud soup while SNW is Adding sugar to that mud.

[@joshuabrown-goddard9784]

While a bit sloppy, the conclusion that it was musical was logical as their voices and sounds they made walking and beeping from the tricorder didn't cause a reaction. I agree with your assessment of Spock, and I agree (hope) that this is being written as a younger Spock who is not as developed as Nimoy. While I felt most of your review was negative I like that a bit of hope shined through with the direction the show is taking. Safe and done before isn't always a bad thing. It's also worth noting that TNG, VOY, DS9, ENT; they all took a while to find their footing. So far I enjoy SNW as a return to form in that it depicts a positive forward thinking atmosphere. It may take a while to find a balance, and let the writers feel comfortable trying something new.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

SNW is better than good enough. Discovery was new. Though new Spock is lame compared to the other Spocks.

[@richard_zeller]

The music part to me was very sloppy. Every sound we hear resonates at a particular pitch (usually multiple pitches)...there are often layers of harmonics that make up any number of sounds we make...speaking, singing, yelling, whistling...even breathing or walking. If harmonics are what causes it to react, it should have been reacting the moment the walked into the place (and at least the moment they started talking)....then you would have seen a more deliberative and less accidental realization of what makes the thing tick. I grant you I watched it very late at night, so I might have missed something...and the writing has to fit within the time frame of a single episode (oh yeah...I LOVE that this show is back to episodic writing rather than the serialized garbage we've been getting from the other series'), so it is what it is...but I did find that part very sloppy.

[@BryceByerley]

In the pilot "The Cage" and the new Pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before” Spock was more emotional...mostly because they didn't develop the character yet. I doubt the writers are this clever on this series, but the awkward wandering Spock in SNW might be an attempt to show the journey of his attempt to make the Vulcan side of his ancestry more dominant.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

@@BryceByerley They did a better job with him in Episode 3. He seems more like Spock in it.

[@syrales5539]

pros: - aliens with non human skull proportions for once - comet mystery is ok - uhura char exposition like tng fe had certain episodes from someones specific view

[@MisteRRYouTuby]

8:19. That is correct, Dave. Because any time these “producers” try to create anything new to Trek, it is entirely wrong from beginning to end, so the only choice here is to reimagine events of the past in a new light; the path of least resistance is the safest path and so they are not going to attempt anything new.

[@dramaticwords]

But of course, by playing it safe, they are also not following the footsteps of Star Trek, which often introduced original ideas.

[@williampearson6299]

@@dramaticwords Uh, sick of you guys just making shit up. They gave you want you wanted, a retread, so dnt complain about it now that you have it. No new ideas because fanbase is way too toxic. Rather just wait for old fans to die off

[@dramaticwords]

@@williampearson6299 Clearly, you have no idea what I wanted. I wanted Roddenberry's ST. I wanted a show that did not go out of its way to reimagine/retcon classic ST, while at the same time introducing new, original stories about exploring "strange new worlds," "new life and new civilizations," new situations, new ideas, etc. I wanted original characters who were likable and admirable. And I wanted the writing to be top notch. Didn't get any of that in nuTrek.

[@artboymoy]

Oof. Lighten up, Francis. I am not gonna sing the praises of SNW as I have many a beef with the execution and story points. But complaining that the show isn't treading any new ground and just doing reiterations on stuff that older Trek shows have done is really a weak complaint. I felt that Voyager was weird in that it was kinda doing an episodic format rather than a serialized format which it seems to have been perfect for. There are only so many story types to do in episodic Trek like: Crew encounters anomaly, crew encounter alien ship, crew explores a world, etc... What makes it new is how the characters investigate, examine, take action and resolve it. That's what I'm looking for in this show and in watching The Orville. If they can get me to like SNW as much as I'm liking The Orville, then I'll be happy with it. But SNW has a ways to go. I already didn't like that Pike is gonna be thinking about his fate every episode and wish they left it behind in the first. Really liked Uhura and Spock in this episode, so hope he's a mentor for her since she doesn't seem to have a superior officer or department head she is suppose to report to. And the episode should have just been dealing with her character stuff since it opens with her personal log, it should have ended with it as well. The space battle and chase, bluff, and the whole dealing with the Shepards felt rough and facepalmy. But we'll see what todays episode is like. One of the benefits of episodic TV.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

I definitely like SNW better than Voy. I know hardcore fans like DS9, but it is unwatchable for me and not really Star Trek. I'm a Kirk era fan. Ent is mixed bag with an awful lead.

[@adamstallwood2367]

I agree, it's unfortunately nothing new. That being said, looking at this episode wholly for what it is, my favourite moment was the cooking/dinner scene (apart from Uhura's tragic backstory, urgh) and I wished it was longer. I feel like one of the biggest aspects of modern star trek that's missing for me, is simply the moments of quiet. Just characters having coffee or chatting over dinner, doing a job together, or talking about life in a shuttle ride, you know, character development... One of my favourite aspects of DS9 was the relationships that developed between the characters, O'Brien and Bashir for example, because it makes you care and feel invested. Modern trek seems to hate quiet, there always seems to be music of some kind playing or characters rushing around constantly, it just makes everything feel empty. Anyway, that's just my thoughts.

[@slyaspie4934]

Yeah agree some of the little chats at the bar with Garak and Quark are good character building and quotable "it's insidious" 😉

[@majorhavik395]

I think back to the poker games with the TNG crew. So many great nuances for each character, especially Data.

[@AmericanNope]

@@majorhavik395 or Geordi and data working together on problems in engineering or various characters working in the Jeffries tubes. All just those moments of life where you get some more background and color into the characters and their relationships

[@berylg52]

If I can step outside the series for a moment. Compare this dinner scene with one of the several similar scenes from "Firefly." Apparently between takes during filming, the cast would sit around the big table in Serenity's lounge set. The later scenes shot around that table came across as spontaneous and genuine. SNW is a new show and the writers and cast haven't yet found the sweet spot for the ensemble to come together. Remember TNG had embarrassing 1st season. "The Naked Now" anyone?

[@brachiator1]

I was reminded of the movie Master and Commander and the historical fact that during the Age of Sail, a captain was expected to have an occasional dinner with junior officers. It was a nice touch to see a possible allusion to this tradition in SNW.

[@mattorlando415]

Musical harmonics as a language is literally from a star trek book of tos about the first mission that kirk had in charge.

[@pt29999]

Didn't one of the Men In Black movies have that too?

[@Celesteparadise]

1st thing that came to my mind when he mentioned it

[@brettcooper3893]

Strangers From The Sky?

[@mattorlando415]

@Sascha Sebastian it wasn't a criticism just an observation. They should do it more cuz all those stories for the most part are better than any recent star trek stuff.

[@Daimo83]

@Sascha Sebastian The reason you wouldn't cannibalise other Star Trek fiction is... because you had better ideas.

[@scasey1960]

This show is to appeal to women where logic isn’t the rule but shaming is the norm. The Spock character was broken into Data, Warf, and the empath in Next Generation. Today’s “create by committee” is the female mode of operation, avoids accountability, and is a financial disaster.

[@capitalcitygoofball1987]

I never thought I'd say this, especially after The Force Awakens and Halloween 2018, but "derivative and safe" seems a helluva lot better than the crap we've been getting fed on STD and Picard.

[@amassing]

TNG didn't really hit it's stride until S3 - and they were long seasons back then. If you watch TNG S1 again without the filter of nostalgia then you can level many of the same accusations at it - recycling ideas from previous generation, forgettable story lines, great Captain but supporting cast is poorly developed, pace and tone just seems off but the seeds of something better are apparent. I'm not sure it would have got a second season in today's TV climate. I hope this show gets the time to develop into something great but I fear that the damage done by Discovery and Picard is going to make that very tough. The one thing I really hate though is the way that the bridge crew back-chat and make snarky remarks to the captain and other officers - can you imagine this happening on Picard's bridge? I realise that Pike has a more relaxed style of command but this still feels utterly wrong for Star Fleet.

[@kevingiven3463]

The show needs better writing, but so far, I'm very pleased with the direction it's going. I've been watching Star Trek since I was 6 years old, even when the original series was on the air, and I am glad that there is original new Star Trek that I can still watch! After Discovery, I thought I'd be done with new Star Trek so I'm happy with Strange New Worlds overall and I hope the show gets better with age.

[@DiggitySlice]

Don't let yourself be taken in. These people hate you. The new female character has already outwitted the old male characters are every turn. Accept that nothing lasts forever and move on

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

I agree. SNW is decent and has room to grow. So far I like it better than most of the series, and I like a couple of the characters, so I'm good. Voy and DS9 were unwatchable for me. I didn't like anybody on DS9, and it made Trek into Tom Clancy meets Star Wars. I think only the hardcores like it. I only liked Seven on Voy, and it overused the Borg. The Next Gen movies were pretty terrible and unacceptable, including FC if we are honest. (I wish they were in an alternate timeline.) And Ent was a mixed bag with severe problems, including an awful lead character. Season 3 of Ent was terrible and cringe and proto-Discovery (with some good ideas). We shouldn't have nostalgia goggles, especially for Star Trek.

[@morgangallowglass8668]

Hard to imagine that "Spock" could graduate from Star Fleet Acadamy and NOT have some basic understanding of humans.

[@BalrogUdun]

The story sounds good because it was a DS9 episode. A bajoran prophecy about a comet leads them to try and stop a comet about to destroy the wormhole then to find out the exact way they handled it turned out to fulfill the prophecy in a way they didn’t except.

[@szlava3641]

Basically plagiarism?

[@DanAdlingtonOnline]

If you remember Next Generation it had a mediocre first Session but really started to find itself later. I think the show has potential and if the audience can give it time I think it will shine.

[@dramaticwords]

That argument is getting pretty tired by now. SNW is made by the same people who made STD and STP. And before that Kurtzman worked on JJTrek. They've had a long time to learn how to make good ST, and they haven't learned it yet.

[@DanAdlingtonOnline]

@@dramaticwords Why don't you join the writing team and kick them into shape

[@dramaticwords]

@@DanAdlingtonOnline LOL Wouldn't help. Remember when they got Michael Chabon, award-winning writer, to be showrunner for STP? The writing still sucked. I'm guessing Kurtzman drags everyone down to his level.

[@asiastormy8728]

What will make the show better would be to take away that Halo's KWAN HA-like security officer with the bad attitude.

[@RS-ls7mm]

Star Trek always showed advanced tech. Especially in medicine. Clearly STD and Picard were pandering to the current defects because according to old Trek they would have been cured and the causes removed long ago. Defects is the opposite of optimism.

[@zeehero7280]

While its true late 24th and 25th century medicine is a lot better than 23rd century medicine, nearly all human health conditions would be cured by then, and most injuries able to be fully recovered from.

[@rhettgervaisauthor]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said in the last video. Ethan Peck, while being a good actor, does not have the presence of Leonard Nimoy.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

He is worse than the other Spocks.

[@MGLeal]

I think one of the reasons OG Spock never cared about what others thought of him is because it wasn’t LOGICAL. Vulcans base everything they do on logic. Now it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings because that has always been a struggle for him to control being half-human. I hope that they stir Spock back to the way he was instead of becoming Alien Data.

[@radioflyer68911]

Having a human mother gave Spock a better understanding of humans than the average Vulcan. That's why he was at home on the enterprise.

[@Grasslander]

Another example of how the show's producers completely ignore what "logical" means. It means to understand connections, patterns. Understand why A leads to B. But the Spock writing butchered the word down to "efficient".

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

Also, both Spock and McCoy were bigoted to some degree.

[@Transfixed]

Notice also that La'an was too cool to try singing even though lives were at stake, yet even Spock had no qualms.

[@metalrob6713]

Despite of how similiar themes and ideas that SNW and other Trek shows share, it's not really a suprise, many shows like to borrow ideas from each others. I simply was expecting good old, "classic trek" show, space exploration, meeting unkown alien species and solving diplomatic problems, that's what I want from Star Trek, that what Discovery and Picard didn't had.

[@Grasslander]

Yes, but solving problems, overcoming obstacles, are too masculine things. These shows are written by people who never opened a mechanics magazine for kids when they were boys. They learned to complain instead.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

I agree. It's ridiculous to ask for something new at this point. That's Discovery. I like SNW better than most of the series, and I like a couple of the characters, so I'm good.

[@Regin314]

He is being a bit harsh for this series... I'm not saying he doesn't have points but he should be understanding why its happening... nothing new is showing at this time ... true but after the many misstep this franchise has taken , you think he would understand the why... sometimes its time to step back and go back to formula.. have them get their footing, try and repair the damage done to this franchise and when in a more comfortable position then try something new...

[@benjones4732]

I suspect that chunk that broke off will turn out to be the Guardian of forever, which would certainly explain the knowledge of the future.

[@mrhyde2250]

Uhura is introduced as being on a student rotation. Perhaps she is a temporary crew member. That could correct canon a bit I think. I believe Chapel was introduced similarly. Now, Uhura needs an attitude adjustment. Not cool. And Spock needs confidence. The first two episodes were enjoyable but episode three made very little sense. The ship is too big!!!! La’an is a miserable human being!!!! But kinda badass. 🤷‍♂️ Anson Mount was BORN to be Pike!!!!

[@deadaimusic1889]

I actually dropped the series in this episode. I couldn't get over how frightened Uhura was on the comet. It was as if she had 0 training and was a civilian expected to perform on her first mission. I was yelling at my screen, 'GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR AND DO YOUR FUCKING JOB.' But she kept giving the same scared expression she'd been wearing for the last ten minutes and I couldn't take it anymore. I closed out and watched Voyager instead.

[@Transform108]

IMO best first 2 episodes of any Star Trek. It is unfair to expect that this show necessarily bring something new to storytelling. Star Treks prior did not often really bring new things themselves. They rehashed many stories from other older stories.... What this show does bring is 23rd century psychological awareness. What would that look like? Being able to observe two sides of the coin. Discovery FAILED at this... It remains to be seen if this follows that ... but I am hopeful. Remember we never got early Spock. Years before Kirk ... this is a young young Spock. That character will be naturally quite different.

[@davyboy9397]

I really dislike all the NuTrek portrayals of Spock ...... Karl Urban's portrayal of McCoy is the only bright spot of the Jar Jar Abram's Trek

[@Argonnosi]

Okay, full retread isn't so bad. If you go back and watch TNG season 1 and Voyager season 1 you realize that TNG is just a retread of TOS and Voyager is just a retread of TNG. Given time, both broke off to do their own thing and make their own contributions, but both started repeating the lines of the previous successful Trek. The other series we've seen, the failures and the flops that have done nothing but diminish the series do not retread at all. They are wholly new. And this might have been the problem. A franchise is like a song sung by many singers where one picks up the notes where the other left off, but to maintain cohesion the previous singer must pick up the lines of the previous version and then find its own footing. This may be what we are seeing and, if that's the case, I have hope for Trek after all.

[@ConradSzymczak]

Science Fiction devolves to Space Opera, and now Space Garbage......

[@richard_zeller]

BINGO! You nailed I think my biggest issue with this Spock vs. original Spock: Original Spock had charisma and respect (if not fear), this Spock is almost android-like. There's a ton more I could point to, but that's the primary issue. (Original Spock was NOT unemotional, he simply had learned how to box his emotions up and keep them out of sight....original Spock was not cold and machine-like, he was very emotive despite the attempts to control his feelings [his facial expressions were priceless]....old Spock understood playful banter and could even get downright condescending at times, new Spock simply observes and reacts). I have issue with Uhura as well...but I think that might change over time given how much more mature the original was, I'm willing to give this one time. Kirk is as you say, a complete waste in this series so far. Pike was better this episode hopefully that trend of improvement continues. All in all, I agree...this show is vastly superior to Picard and Discovery, but its hard to recommend it to anyone just yet. But I'm willing to give it more time...

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

Good point about new Spock. He is a weak point and somewhat like Data. New Uhura basically is Hoshi with worse acting (Park was great) but better writing. I like Pike and La'an. I'm not sold on the other characters so far. SNW is better than good enough though with room to improve.

[@christophertomasello1227]

I don't mean to be harping on Minor details but why is lieutenant Uhura even there?- if we were to follow Canon she'd be 13

[@roberthooper77]

Thus far, I have enjoyed SNW and while it's no Orville, it seems more Star Trek than we've had in years. Low bar, but enjoyable.

[@IblameBlame]

I happened to watch "For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky" the day before watching this episode.

[@jamesraykenney]

I think this is showing Spock when he is at the start of his journey to rid himself of his human side(or even completely before)... If you remember, in the episode that showed him with Pike, he acted VERY different than he did in other episodes. If anything I think they need to have Spock show more emotions in this series, showing that he either wants to experience his human side a bit, or is just not that good at suppressing it yet. I know that his performance in that TOS episode was actually because they had not settled on the way to portray his character yet, but it certainly fits with his ST-TMP quest to totally purge all emotions... I am definitely happy that they are going with the TOS interpretation of the Prime Directive, rather than the absolutest TNG version. I cannot imaging Kirk, or Pike letting everybody on a planet die to a comet or meteor impact that they could easily prevent. In fact neither Kirk nor anyone else in the crew did not even seem to think that they Prime Directive applied in "The Paradise Syndrome", and in that one they spent MONTHS trying to save the planet. A far cry from TNG where Data was almost the only one that seemed to care at all. Looking forward to seeing what you think about episode three. Pike, like Kirk, seems to have a 'spirit of the law' attitude toward regulations. They are definitely going all out on the 'everyone has dark secrets' trope though. I kind of like the one in episode three though...

[@randomd00d19]

I actually like the idea of treading old ground with great effects. Maybe you can grab new fans into the series the way it's supposed to be told instead of the garbage we are seeing with Picard and Discovery.

[@SaltpeterTaffy]

They will never recapture the quality of TNG or even DS9. They cover uncomfortable topics, and these writers clearly require comfort.

[@O1OO1O1]

Have you spoken with the new fans? It's a quick way to ensure we won't get good Trek ever again. The "mainstreamification" of Trek. Star Trek: Kardashians. Star Trek: World War 3 Be careful what you wish for.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

Definitely agree. Asking for new at this point is ridiculous. That's Discovery. I hate shifting, inconsistent rhetoric. RMB also is saying he wants new, but he is a liberal Hollywood type. SNW is better than good enough with room for growth.

[@davyboy9397]

I like the idea, but I have absolutely zero trust in the show runners. As Dave said, it's just a matter of time until a mountain of wokeness is gonna be thrust on the audience...

[@randomd00d19]

@@davyboy9397 True. Which is why I'm not watching it. At LEAST for a few seasons. If they can resist, then sign me up I guess.

[@fatboydim.7037]

I was pleasantly surprised by this episode. At least they appear to be trying. So onwards to ep3 then.

[@fatboydim.7037]

@CW Not if I watch it on Pirate Bay😇

[@Michael18599]

When the shields went down they could have beamed a nuke to the comet and exploded it. *Roll credits*

[@AmazingKevinWClark]

The biggest problem I have with the show is that it's still full of contrived writing. Like you said here, the characters do act naturally and they do things for the sake of the plot like random humming just at the right moment so something can happen. The writers haven't learned a thing and are still writing like a lot of Hollywood does now adays. Also if you want to see a movie with great characters and world building, watch a studio Ghibli movie.

[@user-us5dr2qi2r]

It's funny Spock was the only crew from Pikes enterprise in the origanal. Nothing like messing with cannon.

[@johncodmore]

It's a big ship and a lot of shift changes. Chekov 'remembers' Khan in the second movie, but wasn't in season 1 of TOS

[@user-us5dr2qi2r]

@@johncodmore not that big of a ship Uhura was not a crew member till Kirk. And there has never been a khan in star fleet.

[@jeffmofo5013]

"Derivative" That was the biggest complaint from the newer owners of the Star Trek property. They said "Everything has been written about moral philosophy. There's nowhere to go with star trek. It's all been covered."

[@dramaticwords]

So they have no imagination?

[@jeffmofo5013]

@@dramaticwords yeah, basically.

[@sixstanger00]

The Orville also did a couple of stories like this with Alara (to better effect, IMO) with S1's _"Command Performance"_ and _"Firestorm,"_ - the latter being my favorite episode of S1.

[@arcadeheroes_coinop]

This episode was trying to do Fight or Flight from ENT, but it handled it in a poor way. Compare how Hoshi handled her doubts & first mission to Uhura here and it's no contest to see which of the two is superior from a storytelling perspective. Part of the problem of course is them having Uhura there in the first place - it's just a lazy way at getting another "memberberries" character in there to, like you stated, essentially remake TOS instead of telling the story of Pike as Gene Roddenberry would have told it.

[@alankohn6709]

I think this show is finding it's feet I mean look at some of the early TNG episodes, You could of made furniture from some of the acting. True the stories have been done before but to be fair after decades of episodes spread across 7 series they've covered a lot of stories. I think the writings a little heavy handed and safe but look at it from the writers point of view they are writing a series under the dark shadow of 2 of the least liked and most heavily critically panned series So I will give them the benefit of the doubt as I have enjoyed these couple of episodes more than the Previous season of Disco and Picard combined .

[@karlpurvis5242]

100%

[@alankohn6709]

@CW Oh I am well aware of the faults but I try not to condemn any series until about the mid point of the first season.

[@karlpurvis5242]

@CW what if it gets alot better nearly all of the time? You dont know. Its only 3 episodes in and from what i've seen so far it's far superior to discovery and picard and easily up there with all the other treks (superior even,early tng was gash and DS9 season 1 was dull) where as this is fun, already grounded,far better sets and effects and a really good cast so I will keep watching with hope it continues to improve. We shall see.

[@karlpurvis5242]

@CW since when is being woke a bad thing? Trek at it's very core is all about being woke. Anyway i'm enjoying it, I argue that you and Dave (and others) are blinded by your hate for Discovery and Picard that even when trek gets back to it's old self (98% on rotten tomatoes and over 80% audience score and many many critics all hailing SNW best trek in over 10 years) you refuse to see it. Continue to be bitter, I will continue enjoying it.

[@alankohn6709]

@CW The way I look at it is if the series that least resembles the crap he was so proud of does way better than his pride and joy then it will be a kick in the nuts for that grinning skid mark

[@name-vi6fs]

The singing makes sense. They've been talking this whole time, and "Kirk shirt" yells when he is blasted away from the device. Her humming is a distinctly different sound from the rest.

[@magister.mortran]

The episode was good, like an average TOS or TNG episode. It wasn't sensational, but much better than anything we had since ENT, better than any episode of Picard or Discovery or even the movies, the best Star Trek in more than a decade.

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

I agree. So far SNW is better than good enough, though light is the enemy or something in the next episode. They blew all their money on trash like Discovery, so I will cut them some slack, and it sounds like a good episode of Farscape.

[@mjbull5156]

An asteroid threatening a planet is also used in "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky".

[@electricflyer81]

It is good to see your entertainment reviews, Dave. I know KZbin has removed your original content but always promote yourself here when you can!

[@allomentproof2573]

The main problem was the constant and extended staring sessions that they have at each other when someone says something not in the least bit edgy. Also how many times were we reminded by Uhura and other crew that it was her first away mission and that she was just a cadet? Must have been 5 times at least.

[@wolfman7284]

With these new series, they always take the top people and try to beat them down to show the dominance of the new woke people. It's a normal trope now, I'm tired of it, and it's an immediate turn-off. If your characters are so poorly written that they can only show their own worth by burning down a fan-favorite, then your characters are worthless.

[@mattd7650]

My biggest criticism would not be derivative story telling. At least that seems more Trek. Set design and acting style tell me it’s not in the trek style more. There are far too many random micro-movements from the actors. I miss that Stage/Theatre actor feel from all the other Treks. Pike is great everyone else needs to tone it down a bit, especially the auxiliary characters. We need Chief O’Brian in the transporter room!

[@Bopperann]

Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek Picard- after these disaster insults, I won't return to the relationship for imitations of what has already been done better. Like, I remember Spock striking me when I was a kid (my dad watched a lot of ST.) Usually my ADHD butt wouldn't even notice such a person, but his dialogue, his actions, and the incredible acting of Nimoy caught and kept my attention. Modern Star Trek, from the flashy scenery to the very patterns of speech, none of it is immersive. I'm VERY aware I'm watching a show. It's disappointing. I can't blame the actors, this is the material they have to work with. In addition, being under the label of "Star Trek" means higher standards of storytelling that aren't met by these writing teams (who, in honesty, were probably rushed and not hired based on skill.)

[@RoddThunderheart]

It's also funny how in the 23rd century people STILL feel compelled to "Make fun of the New Guy!" like kids do in school today. The future is no longer a Utopia where most problems are solved by technology and man seems to have still have the social programs that should have been dealt with the previous centuries. I also wasn't impressed by the headline of the actress who played Uhura was proud of the fact the she stood up to the film company allowing her to leave her hair as it is instead of an afro like Uhura originally was in 60's. This is the deep abyss we're tumbling into where "non binaries" (or whatever) and POCs can stand up to corporations and mould roles into however THEY SEE FIT instead of what the company and the director see as their vision. I'm old enough to remember only a short time ago where the casting/costume person told you what you were expected to wear. Or at least come up with something close to it. (It was a low budget film)

[@zeehero7280]

Hazing would occur in Starfleet Academy, but I'm pretty sure it would be mostly not present while on duty. Also Nu-Uhura's hair is an afro- a very short one!

[@RoddThunderheart]

@@zeehero7280 I can't believe there would be hazing at ALL in TOS or TNG. Hazing feels very immature childish thing for those of the low forehead variety. It just doesn't feel like "advanced" thinking. Hell my native tribes never "hazed" or made fun of the new guy according my Elders. It seems incongruent for advanced civilization to have any need to poke a new guy for fun to experience a new job. Also is this following classic timeline or Kelvin timeline? You can't have it both ways!

[@JeffreyRandall]

Dave, what I don't like is that the series seems dark. So many characters are getting dark backgrounds. Plus, I don't have the rewatch interest that I've had for the older series. I mean I still enjoy watching an episode of Original Series, as well as Next Gen or DS9. Yet I have NO interest in rewatching SNW episodes? Do you understand my feeling?

[@TONYGILLEY]

You forgot to add the TOS episode "For the World is Hallow and I have Touched the Sky" where Enterprise comes across an Asteroid that has a colony living inside of it.

[@ckindust]

There's a scene missing from this episode. With events happening in real time Spock, Uhura, Singh, and Kirk get beamed back aboard and they are all still in their EV suits. About 40 seconds later (again, everything in real time with no gaps) Spock and Singh are magically on the bridge at their duty stations. So right before the Enterprise is hit by some torpedoes, you can see a female science officer at Spock's station. It goes to commercial break, comes back, the torpedoes hit, and Spock and Singh are magically there.

[@ConceptJunkie]

"Strange New Worlds" only exists because "Discovery" and "Picard" are so repulsive to many Trek fans, and they are desperately trying to win these fans back. It's a fine idea, but they need writers with real experience in science fiction and knowledge of the tropes and of Star Trek itself. TOS had a lot of big shot science fiction writers contributing to the show, not to mention science advisors, and other experts. The new shows have none of that.

[@_XR40_]

Unfortunately, most of those writers are now dead. And there's little hope for a new crop. Can't really blame the writers they currently have for not knowing science-fiction since the majority of "science-fiction" writers being published these days don't understand science-fiction either - They're just churning out _Star Wars_ style fantasy, and they don't even know the difference. Btw, not picking on _Star Wars_ (it has it's place) but it _isn't_ science-fiction, it's fantasy. The days of Theodore Sturgeon, Harlan Ellison, Fredric Brown, etc are long gone...

[@ConceptJunkie]

@@_XR40_ Sturgeon's Law applies, I guess. But there are plenty of excellent SF writers these days.

[@avnrulz8587]

Will this be a ripoff of 'For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky'?

[@nickrobbins7704]

That's what it is: no matter how good the episode, you are just expecting the next one to throw out some woke bombs so it sours the experience.

[@wun1gee]

That ending is surprisingly well thought out for Kurtzman Trek. Maybe it is worth giving a look.

[@smartin23964]

@The Dave Cullen Show Thank you for creating these videos. As someone who grew up watching Star Trek and all of the movies, except for the last one, I would venture to guess 2 reasons Star Trek has went the way it has. I've not watched ANY of the new stuff, as it appears to be hot garbage, but by what I see in your videos I think the New Trek direction is being determined by corporate "big-wigs" who are looking to make a dollar off of a proven brand, and young writers who only know "feelings" and "social justice (of sorts)". I'm seeing this in more than a few modern TV shows and movies. Companies take a proven brand and change it to fit THEIR idea of how it should be, completely alienating the fans that were loyal to said brand. Anyway, thanks again for making these videos. I got rid of my TV years ago, and watching your videos keeps me in touch with the hot mess that is modern Television. That's enough for me.

[@XadrumLtd]

Isn't there an episode in s2 of TOS where the probe (basically the same idea as veger in the motion picture) is on the Enterprise and is attracted to Uhura's singing?

[@dandeliondown7920]

"The Changeling". (Good catch.)

[@XadrumLtd]

@@dandeliondown7920 That's the one! Thanks 👌

[@georger64]

Hmmm, I remember reading a TOS novel titled “Uhura‘s Song“, but I can‘t remember details, it was a long time ago.

[@barone8889]

Question....before firing the torpedoes....didn't they scan the comet??? I mean for all they knew there might have been some hazardous substance in it. Would it not be typical procedure to run a scan before attempting to move/blow it up?

[@jeebuschristos8423]

2:19 That was George Kirk? I thought it was 'Roc' Ingersol jumping franchises...

[@herewegoagain...]

I realize this is playing semantics, but, technically, Strange New Worlds IS moving Trek forward... to where it was. Discovery, Picard, Short Treks, and Lower Decks all moved Star Trek way back, to what basically amounts to activist charged, poorly written fan fiction. SNW, then, by virtue of even being watchable, does move Trek back forward, despite the previous bar being set so low. I point this out not to be pedantic, but to express a belief that, after the horrific state Trek has been left in, it's unrealistic to expect an immediate return to form. The simple reality is, with the staff as it is, they need to learn what made Trek great in the first place. Ya, you can sort of write it off as "just hire good writers," but that isn't realistic, and isn't going to happen. Most of the writers who wrote great episodes, did so decades ago and are likely retired. Modern writers that still can craft good stories, let alone ones that would fit in Trek, are in exceedingly short supply. The reality is, we are stuck with the people we have, and those people are going to have to learn their craft, so at least they are willing to learn from the past. It's not ideal, but it shows some promise. Now, I say that being cautiously optimistic: I know we will never return to a world entirely free from wokeness, but I am hoping SNW will at least minimize it in much the same way "The Batman" did. I am, however, like you, just waiting for the deluge of wokeness to hit.

[@christophertomasello1227]

Here we go again - I agree with your position you have to remember though that Gene Roddenberry fought in world war II Gene Coon fought in the Korean war they knew what it was like first hand to risk one's life for the others in the team. It seems that JJ Abrams and Alex kurtzman have not had these practical life experiences that test one strength of Will and character instead they were privileged from birth and therefore have no reference no empathy only narcissistic entitlement

[@herewegoagain...]

@@christophertomasello1227 I don't know if I would boil it down to that. Remember, Roddenberry was very much opposed to writing in any sort of war into Star Trek, likely because of his experiences. He died in 1991, and some of the best DS9 episodes, along with the entire Dominion War, were written after he was gone, by writers who likely never fought in a war. So, while I think authors like Tolkien certainly proved that some of the best writing comes from first hand experience, it is by no means a requirement. Adapting real events into fictitious stories is always an excellent starting point because the reality will ground the narrative, but a good writer is one that can craft good, relatable stories, even from a place of pure fiction. It is clear the current state of Star Trek is very much due to the activist direction of Alex Kurtzman, and, as with most activists and Hollywood elites, I think it is relatively safe to presume both that he is privileged and narcissistic and that those traits lend themselves to preaching about how everyone else should live their lives. But I also think it is less important to try to label Kurtzman's identity, and much more important to be critical of his point of view. IMO, neither the main problem, nor the focus, is/should be that he is rich or comes from privilege. The problem is what he is doing, and the people who enable the behavior. His self admitted desire to commandeer the IP to spread a message is what is at issue, and that is precisely the ideal that should be criticized, not where he came from.

[@iamthewizardwhoknocks2845]

I have no intention of watching the show but I hope fans of Old Trek can get something out of it. It's only a matter a time before it sh!ts the bed though...

[@WallDoc]

Dave, one element that you did not address which I think completely redeems the episode and makes it truly stand out is the scene where the Shepherds ask Pike if he's a reasonable man and then proceed to explain (in terms of history and religion) that they have been on their task to guard the comet for centuries. They have seen other comets like this bring life to other planets. Pike, does not have this trust(faith) and therefore calls the Shepherd's Zealots in a very typical modern elitist and closed-minded way. Progressives will throw out 2000 years of history and faith because they think they understand better than anyone else. To have the episode play out where it is Pike (modern liberalism) humbled and the Shepherds vindicated (traditional religion/values) was very refreshing.

[@zeehero7280]

True, to the point I wonder if it was even intentional.

[@mygeekdom4414]

I personally see it as the show is doing character development. Every character gets their chance to shine (and hopefully not be a Mary Sue). I may be a bit over generous, but I would ant to see how the show will be when all of the characters had their chance. Then see what episodes we will have.

[@GregsGameRoom]

I don’t care what anyone says, Star Trek from 2009 and on is not part of the original canon. All of them are alternate universes.

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

another fail for Kurtzman - Uhura was NOT an expert linguist, Hoshi Sato was, on Enterprise, but Lt. Uhura was the Communications Officer, her job was more to 'run the board,' as it were, to handle the technical aspect of the communications on the ship (there's at least one scene, where she's literally repairing her console), hence why she could also fill in for Chekov, she was a trained Bridge officer, able to step in to another job, not 'just' a walking Universal Translator...recall in ST VI, where she had to search that giant book, for the Klingon translations

[@Gorbz]

I heard it mentioned by a different creator about this episode - why do they not jjst use the universal translator to figure out how to communicate with the egg? After all, they managed it with an enegy cloud in TOS

[@cmedtheuniverseofcmed8775]

Could it be argued that Spock isn't supposed to have a too much of a big presence, yet? He already has others that are more experienced than him. Since we already know TOS, it might be too much to have Spock push his weight around when we want to learn about the other characters that are there before they will eventually leave the Enterprise. I do understand about the care of making sure his character and personality make sense, but, I would still purposely put Spock on a lower pedestal for SNW. It's not to shun or belittle fans (including myself), but the fact that he will get his time to shine. :) All-in-all, I am enjoying this new series (so far, because it can still go really bad rather quickly). It does have that "Anything is better than STD and Picard" helping it, but it's still good.

[@burtleturtle0012]

I think throughout time the federation's true enemy was always time. It was time the whole time.

[@sanddagger36]

If they can do more than 8 or 10 episodes a season, I will welcome slow non arc oriented episodes. It's what I miss most about star trek. I want to see the characters live on the ship the way they did when there were 24 episodes per season. I understand some episodes will not be epic but I don't mind as long as there are enough scenes about the crew so I can grow to like them and care what happens to them. The problem with TV shows now is that they are all more like mini series movies. They have one straight story to tell in 8 episodes and therefore no fluff can be added to make the world appear lived in. Every second of screen time is dedicated to the plot.

[@Batman12810]

Why does Spock have metrosexual sideburns?

[@Knightfall182]

*5:1* Ratio of *Women to Men* on the bridge 😄😄😄😄😄

[@kameenavery9616]

When you think about it..... what can this show really bring? They already did the precursor Enterprise and the beginning of the Federation, they already did the exploratory with ToS and TNG, they did the action side with DS9 and the wonder of space with Voyager..... Show there really is not anything really new they can bring.

[@jasonjayalap]

The age gap and snarky dialogue makes me feel like the captain and #1 are camp counselors. "She speaks 37 languages!" Oh, she's hoshi? But they have a universal translator. "You must decode the language". Oh, she's daniel jackson. "It's singing". Video game note puzzle? "It's working and predicting the future". Mass effect? What?

[@desertsoldier41]

The Preservers used music to unlock obelisks

[@docsavage8640]

When did Uhura become a butch lesbian?

[@danielbyrne5402]

I'm a trekker but never watched first series, so if this is a rehash, it may be a good way to get new fans into star trek if done correct

[@harveytherobot]

I see what you’re saying about Spock, but like you say, he is younger. And Uhura would certainly tease him in the original series. I hope he grows into the role and more like the older Spock we know.