Ups & Downs From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1.8 - The Elysian Kingdom

ADDENDUM: Tr...
Star Trek raids Paramount's costume department.
For more awesome content: whatculture.com...
Follow TrekCulture on Twitter: / trekculture
#StarTrek #StarTrekSNW #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds

[@toval76]

The Book was written by Benny Russel! That is Siskos Alter Ego from "Far beyond the Stars"!

[@Jimorian]

Ooh, good catch! That's the one disadvantage of doing these videos so quickly, not enough time to let the fan's wisdom really uncover all of the easter eggs in detail.

[@valleyforgeproductions]

It’s REAL!!!

[@maanvis81]

Cool easter egg thx

[@dalektorgo2973]

So few Easter Eggs and he misses the best one. And you can see it from the still he had on the book cover. (Picard facepalm)

[@williambrown6185]

Where did you find that out?

[@GeorgeMangrum]

By the Prophets you missed that the book was written by Benny Russell. Perhaps one of the biggest Easter eggs in trek history.

[@CyberpunkValkyrie13]

I'm glad someone else caught that too!

[@MultiMackD]

So does that make Debra one of the prophets?

[@adamchaplin9702]

​@@MultiMackD Yes. Debra is Sarah Sisko

[@CtrlOptDel]

@@MultiMackD Given that the Prophets live outside linear time, it is actually possible that “Debra” & Rukiya could be predecessors of them (at least *some* of their predecessors among others, anyway), despite them certainly having existed for millennia by that point, and possibly since the very beginning of the universe.

[@bluem4307]

Loved how the ending totally swapped M'Brnga and his daughters roles. A momemt for his daughter in the buffer was days or weeks for him and he was trying to save her life. In the ending a moment for him was years for her and she was saving him telling him he made the right choice.

[@ryankent7039]

I also think they alluded to how long he'd been working to cure her and that her age up was how old she should have been if she hadn't been put into the transporter buffer constantly. Effectively, without directly saying it, they show he's been struggling with this for decades, alone, and just as he set her free so she could live, she ended up setting him free so he could live in turn.

[@QuintusAntonious]

I suspect they aired the fishing episode out of order and it's supposed to come after this.

[@benwillems8584]

@@QuintusAntonious wasn't the fishing episode during repairs? It would mean the Gorn episode would have been later, as well as Spock and T'prings mindswitch. Besides, people who have a terminally ill child also deserve a momeny for themselves

[@trhansen3244]

Absolutely one of the worst episodes in all Star Trek. It might have worked with better actors because the writing was so awful. I give it my lowest rating of 1/10.

[@benjaminolson7206]

Well, I initially didn't approve of an up just for having a dog, but now that I've learned it's her own real life dog, it's real life name really is Runa, and its full name is Runa Ewok, I think it deserves a damned Latinum up.

[@weltato]

Wait, really!? That's awesome!!

[@Sarappreciates]

If that's true, then so cute!! ^^

[@reshabriella]

For real?! Then LATINUM UP for that puppy!

[@nlanwarne]

I really thought Runa the dog was going to be Una 😀

[@sokonek1]

The Aenar are way more telepathic than Vulcans, I think Enterprise laid that out in the Romulan three parter

[@michaelcarney6280]

But Kurtzman thinks he invented everything in start trek and it's never been done before

[@LordLOC]

They are according to the "canon" but it's never really been explored except outside that Enterprise story arc. So I'm glad to see not only the Aenar get explored more but Hemmer himself cuz he seems cool and very good at his job.

[@rudyness2338]

Theory - Hemmer's "immunity" was part of the fantasy. He was under the spell of the entity the whole time.

[@chuckbussell2400]

Well -- and given that Spock is only half vulcan --- I assumed his telepathy is a little watered down even by vulcan standards -- but what do I know??

[@michaelcarney6280]

@@chuckbussell2400 Sounds reasonable and logical

[@Ravenmcbain]

I actually loved the flashbacks to the book because it felt like us having a look into M’Benga’s journey through the story.

[@ZalazGirl]

The fact that Christina Chong got her own puppy, whose name is Runa, in the ep is epic. So much fun.

[@harleywebe]

And that was her personal puppy. It was licking her in half her scenes.

[@Hudson316]

That dog has an instagram account by the way

[@billkeithchannel]

@@Hudson316 Wow!

[@RealRaeddie]

I think you missed a minor easter egg with Ortegas being the well versed fencer in this episode. Do we know another one from the original series? Yes, we do: Hikaru Sulu, who happened to be the helmsman of the ship as well. ;)

[@mrgcav]

So ???

[@killwalker]

Aside from Ortegas and maybe Number 1, everyone seemed to be playing Opposite day. Spock. Smiling and enjoying being a bad guy. Uhura, blatantly evil Pike, a coward's coward. Nurse Chapel is Holistic and Spiritual All opposites. But the observation of the callback to Fencing Sulu...I didn't catch that. Nice one.

[@Linerunner99]

I want to like this but alas, it's at 69 likes so I dare not ruin that. Edit: Ok someone pushed it past 69 so... have a like!

[@BowChickaHonkHonk1]

YESSSSSS THANK YOU! I said that at the time - a fabulous helmsman with a sword, on the Enterprise-1701?

[@kobochaos]

I just assumed all helmsmen knew how to fence

[@mattries37315]

While this was a M'Benga centric episode, I'm glad that Ortegas and Hemmer were given significant screen time. Melissa Navia has been given some great one-liners throughout the season but hasn't been utilized much compared to the other actors, so it was great to see her get to do something.

[@JENDALL714]

Ever notice how close his name is to Josef Mengele and they are both doctors?

[@saiyajedi]

@@JENDALL714 Is is the beginning of a bonkers conspiracy theory, or are you just throwing it out there?

[@kelvingreen3736]

@@JENDALL714 er no

[@JENDALL714]

@@kelvingreen3736 You don't even know who Josef Mengele was, do you?

[@marvelboy74]

Hemmer really shined as well. His lack of usage for the past few episodes was made up by this one.

[@veldrintheshadow]

I didn't mind the storybook character introductions, since the art was just amazing. Also, Spock is half-Vulcan. Given his hybrid nature, his telepathy might not be as developed/sensitive as a full Vulcan's.

[@brolydictcumberbatchmontou401]

also he hasn't fully completed his Vulcan training yet as established earlier in the season so he isn't fully completed in his studies in the SNW Pike era. So good call as that was my explanation that fixed that little bump in my mind too. Such a great episode! Felt truly like lets give the fans what they want real Trek episode worth double it weight in latinum!

[@susanscott8653]

Also not all species telepathy could be the same, so Vulcans and Aenar could be very different in that way.

[@davegreenlaw5654]

@@brolydictcumberbatchmontou401 I was just thinking, if my dad and step-mom were still alive, I would have been over there to watch it with him sometime this weekend, and thought about how us too ST geeks would be chortling so much that I actually heard my step-mother's voice in my head telling us to keep it down.

[@mattgelfer]

Aye, beautiful illustrations! I’d buy that book.

[@alterknacker-cog0815]

@@susanscott8653 right! AND ... btw. Hello 😁 ... don't need vulcans to actually TOUCH someone to 'read mind'? 🤔

[@the_real_littlepinkhousefly]

I loved the storybook character introductions, because my brain didn't hold on to every detail of the book when the doc was reading it to his daughter at the beginning, and they reminded me who each character was (what role the crew members were playing). Not distracting to me at all.

[@cm9241]

Same

[@Vadimaster]

I’m a dad of a 7 year old daughter. The moment Rukiya went up in the nebula hit me hard. I never cried watching Star Trek, but I did today… wonderful scene.

[@qcontinuum30]

Oh my god! I have a 10 year old daughter and that scene was so sad! I was glad that he got to see his daughter one last time before they left the nebula but damn...I felt that moment in my core as a father!

[@olafkloppel9]

As father of twin daughters (3 year old) the whole story arc hit me to the bone. Seeing it resolved as part of such a nonsense episode was a hit in the gut. It felt unworthy and as if the writers wanted to get rid of that topic the easy way. Bringing her back to say 'Hey, daddy. Decision was right.' Felt like a lazy writer shortcut on top of another lazy writer shortcut. Don't get me wrong - the episode was OK, some moments where pure fun, some acting performances extraordinary - but finishing this storyline in such an Episode disappointed me very, very, VERY much.

[@freakyvisser]

Yea 6 year old an same

[@trhansen3244]

I cried, too. I realized I will never get that time back I wasted on this garbage.

[@sureshmukhi2316]

I am a 54 year old man and was tearing up towards the end. A lovely father-daughter episode and it spoke directly to me as I have two adult daughters.

[@hubble37]

I have one grown daughter and I also felt it so much my eyes watered! It was such a good episode I watched again for that reason!

[@sureshmukhi2316]

@@hubble37 i understand how you feel

[@Lord_Sunday]

Jokes on you, Spock was himself the whole time he was just having a good time.

[@jeeshadow1]

Couple things: I don't think Una's arrows hit the crew members where it was fatal, and even if she did, the entity set things back to normal and probably could have (and did) bring them back to life considering it was able to heal Ortegas' injury and also M'Benga's daughter's sickness. Also as another comment says, Aenar are much more telepathic than Vulcans. Great video, always look forward to these videos after watching the latest episode!

[@Lemurion287]

Timestamp 26:40 in the episode, Hemmer, "Luckily, my years of telepathic training allowed me to block it." Spock doesn't have that training, therefore couldn't block it. Rescind that Down; it was explicitly explained in dialogue how Hemmer could block it. Also, as has been mentioned, the book was written by none other than Benny Russell from DS9's "Far Beyond the Stars."

[@billkeithchannel]

Like in Picard the book that Rene was reading was one of the TNG writers.

[@Linerunner99]

Vulcan telepathy is only super strong when they are in physical contact, aka the mind meld.

[@benwillems8584]

Yeah, agreed. The telepath smuggling was because those aliens hated all forms of telepathy, and for 8472 he was a better receiver. That doesn't mean they all have the same resistance to enemy telepathic invasian

[@Knightess]

Agreed. Spock admits in the previous episode that he hasn't even completed certain Vulcan rights of passage. Hemmer is older than Spock and member of a species explicitly known for their strong telepathy. (Vulcans aren't exactly known for being able to read someone's thoughts by merely looking at them, nor are they famous for their precognitive abilities.) It was also demonstrated in ENT that the Aenar have significantly stronger telepathic abilities when compared to Vulcans. Add to that Hemmer's refined telepathic training and it's no wonder Hemmer could fend off the telepathic presence and Spock couldn't.

[@Heymrk]

This episode felt like TOS Shore Leave, but for a modern audience. I loved it. Chapel as a witch was hilarious. Uhura owned it as the evil queen. Hemmer had me dying. Pike was Pike, even if he was a fraidy cat. L'aan was so different, but did it so well. Una was Una, which was still believable. Ortegas and Spock we're just there. I went into this episode thinking, "Great, another boring 'holodeck' episode." But it really pulled it off!

[@JGooden762]

Anson Mount in this episode had me in tears I was laughing so hard. Everyone brought it, but he was just dialed up to 11. So great!

[@nlanwarne]

He really reminded me of Ser Jamie from GoT. I love Anson so much.

[@phillydragonfly]

I actually ADORED when they introduced a character and showed the pic in the book.

[@billkeithchannel]

I have noticed each week that Sean gets several takes wrong on things. But that is his opinion and he is entitled to it. I also loved how that helped us understand what was happening with each character. It made me grin when the Doc recognized each character and how to deal with them.

[@caroln63]

me too

[@theNewBee]

This episode straight up made me tear up! I'm still choked up.

[@pilgrimwanderer6575]

Twice!

[@rolandomoreno7607]

Me too. I was with my small daughter next to me, and i instantly was on M'Benga's shoes thinking of her at the end.

[@Brent_Mosey]

Wow! The first 3/4 of the episode I thought was entertaining but just one of those goofy weird sci-fi stories. It was weird and silly but fun. But when the daughter comes into play, I really felt my heart strings being pulled. I heard some complaints about this episode but for me, I was really into it. And yeah, I teared up too.

[@midago7332]

Yeah hit me right in the feels. Very well done

[@LordLOC]

@@Brent_Mosey I know opinions are opinions - but I've seen people say this is the "worst" episode so far for SNW.....and I just think that's wrong. Also, as soon as the whole fantasy started, I knew it was going to be the daughter involved somehow. Not saying everyone else should have picked up on that, just saying I did lol And yeah, the ending was so well done. I think his daughter returning right away was the smart way of doing it (and makes it kinda bittersweet in a way) instead of her just going off into the nebula etc.

[@Keitek]

The cast look like they had a blast filming this episode. If I remember, the TNG and Voyager casts loved it when they had holo-deck episodes where they could play different roles. There may be no holo-decks during this time period in Star Trek but the writers were definitely creative in coming up with this episode.

[@paulrs2975]

Yes! Just like the mirror-universe episodes where they get to play an alter-ego

[@paulweston8408]

I know the cast of Gilligan's Island absolutely LOVE the fantasy episodes the best so they could get new sets and costumes even if it was just for One show.

[@conniepayne4425]

I agree! It was fun seeing them have so much fun! Loved it when Chong clapped the dog’s paws. Loved Anson Mount’s obsequious courtier! Just fun all around. And they even gave us a happily ever after to M’Benga losing his daughter. Loved it!

[@coriolis_storm]

Another missed reference, besides the Benny Russell one, is that the twin wizards were named Castor and Pollux, the famous twins from Greek mythology.

[@astro8663]

I caught that as well! Pollux and Castor are also the two brightest stars in the constellation of Gemini, the twins

[@jerrardbeasley4247]

My wife caught that too...

[@nuno.picado]

To be honest I just thought of Nick Cage and his brother in Face-Off.

[@B-A-L]

Oh come on, even lost tribes in the Amazon have heard of Castor and Pollux!

[@maryellencook9528]

Loved this episode. It was evident that the cast was truly enjoying themselves.

[@Twilightts]

Disagree with Seàn's Down on the Elysium book being referenced repeatedly. Of course each character portrait felt like chapter headings; M'Benga wasn't playing D&D. He was trying to navigate the plot of a storybook. They were purposefully chapter headings, I'm convinced.

[@timothyoneil5447]

This show just keeps making me smile😁😁. Writing, acting, humor, whimsy, production values. I effing love it more each week👏👏👏

[@grantman64]

About 2/3 of the way through this ep, I was thinking how much silly fun it was. Not a significant episode, just some nice light filler. And then, we came to the climax with M'Benga and his daughter, and the choice he must make. I don't tend to react to sad scenes, but this one got to me (in a good way). Up to the end, M'Benga's emotions were there but under control. But when he finally agrees to let his daughter merge with the nebula -- and when she reappears as a clearly happy, vibrant adult, he weeps openly, with a mix of joy and sadness. This was beautifully handled and felt genuine.

[@billkeithchannel]

Giving him resolve right away with her coming back was nice. Like she said so he can move on with his life now and not wonder if he FINALLY made the right choice since keeping her in the buffer was not making her have a happy life.

[@nlanwarne]

Oh yeah me too, someone was chopping onions somewhere.

[@CannonRanger1]

it was a happy/sad, laugh/cry episode. Either way, it was simply FANTASTIC to emphasize a story for a character that deserved a focus story.

[@millar876]

having nearly lost my daughter to cancer, M'bengas closure hit really hard. harder than i expected. my kid is now 9 years cancer free.

[@TheClassicQ]

How can this show get any better? Outstanding!!

[@Donnagata1409]

@@adaster98 Really, you're so tiresome. You have now a series you like, but no, that's not enough, the other one has to disappear. Know what? I like Discovery, and many other people do. Do us a favor. Die mad about it.

[@alexlamas6324]

Bravo Star Trek! Bravo! And I cried at the end. With that beautiful ending it was one of the best, if not the best episode so far.

[@Deep_Matter_Analyetic]

The episode did real justice to fathersday ..//

[@susanscott8653]

I watched this episode last night (I am in New Zealand) and I have been dying to tell someone how much I loved it! Hands down my favourite so far. I adored the set design and costumes. Hemmer (👾Hemmer!) as a wizard was great, (more of his antenna moving please), Pike was a terrific craven courtier and La'an as a princess - complete with handbag dog - was hilarious (and who knew she could sing?!). And Una as the huntress (for a Robin of Sherwood fan, it's always great when someone turns up with a bow).I don't normally like fantasy episodes, but I laughed my way through this one. It was like the mirror universe without the evil. And M'benga got a cure for his daughter. 💔 Loved it!

[@jipillow1]

8 episodes....all bangers. These last two have been the riskiest episodes and they just nail it.

[@joey_cordova_]

Based off the overall tone of the episode, those crewmen are not dead. I think the DEBula would not have allowed anyone to die. Maybe just a flesh wound. The episode did give me Bride of Chaotica! vibes. Loved it. I didn’t expect that ending though. That was really sad, and yet great to see.

[@gregoryliedtka7510]

If no one dies of a spear wound than no one dies on an arrow to the shoulder

[@davegreenlaw5654]

"It's only a flesh wound." - Black Knight, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[@gregoryliedtka7510]

@@davegreenlaw5654 I'm feeling better, I don't want to go on the cart

[@jeremydyck5989]

If you rewatch it, the end of the scene has them all getting up off the ground. Red Shirts make it through another episode! 😁

[@SuprSBG1]

‘Tis but a scratch

[@jvgroves]

La'an was the funniest to me too just because she was so opposite, and clapping with her dog, and I loved seeing M'Benga's character too. They're both such terrific actors. And I loved the Rukiya ending, but it was kind of weird and out of nowhere for me, like "here's one episode to deal with the really big deal we've been awkwardly avoiding!" But also, like you, I love that they felt they could go back to this sort of fantasy episode.

[@Me.......]

The static warp bubble was in the episode Remember Me ( season 4 Ep. 5) when Wesley trapped Beverly in an Enterprise constructed in a collapsing bubble where people where disappearing until she was the only one left and he needed the traveller to get her out. The static warp shell was done by using tachyon pulses to close to anti time rift in All Good Things Part 2

[@qcontinuum30]

This episode was very evocative of those TOS episodes that I watched with my dad when I was a kid. And that brought back a lot of memories for me. I loved this episode and know my father would freakin love this show if he was still here.

[@ItsAstridEh]

While Vulcans are telepathic, based on what Hemmer says, I get the feeling that the Entity was very powerful. The Aenar are not only arguably more psionically talented in general, but considering they use their psionic abilities constantly in order to use it as their main sensory input, I'm willing to assume that Hemmer's just way more telepathically powerful than Spock is.

[@Linerunner99]

In a way. From range, yes. But Vulcan telepathy with physical contact, is far stronger.

[@ItsAstridEh]

@@Linerunner99 I don't think so; Vulcans seem more receptive and vulnerable to telepathy and other psionic energy than the average species, but all except the strongest require physical contact to project psionics. Even then, for most of them it's something that needs training and focus to be able to use; like a muscle that needs exercise. Aenars, on the other hand, project and receive psionic energy on a constant basis, essentially using it like an advanced form of echolocation where on top of the bounce back from solid objects, they're also capable of psionically reading the actions and surface thoughts of other sentients around them with about the same effort it takes me or you to open our eyes. They've also shown precognitive and astral projection abilities in the series, and that's just from characters who wouldn't have been trained to reach their full psionic potential. So not only is Hemmer more psionically capable than Spock, but even if they were matched, Hemmer's ability to project psionic energy at range meant that he was able to push back the entity whereas Spock couldn't.

[@Linerunner99]

@@ItsAstridEh Yes.... as I stated, at range they are a lot more powerful than Vulcans. That all goes out the window once physical contact is made. Aenars can't even dream of doing anything even close to a mind meld. They can literally share minds with a non-telepath and even swap minds it's so powerful.

[@WayneASchneider]

The point of the flashbacks was a way to tell us that he recognizes what role this person was supposed to play in the story, and whether or not he could trust them, as he did with Una, the Huntress. It's how he knew Spock was playing the Wizard's brother.

[@arlenehibbler7875]

I totally agree with you. It helped me to kept on track since I did not know the story ahead of time and it also helped us see what was going on in M'Benga mind to solve the delemna.

[@dmna7609]

That and the fact he has never finished the whole book to his daughter in "out of buffer scenes", so the viewer would have no reference of who the characters were supposed to be.

[@billkeithchannel]

@@dmna7609 And I didn't realize were were going to be tested in the future of what he was reading to his daughter. I would have paid more attention to it.

[@BillinHungary]

M'Benga's performance was outstanding. And the writing was such that in the last few minutes, the viewer wasn't sure what was going to happen. It was heartbreaking, and bittersweet, and yet a satisfying conclusion to the story arc. And, for a good part of the episode, we knew that this had something to do with the children's story, and possibly the nebula, but the way it was gradually revealed was good. And at the end, when M'Benga starts to tell number ! what happened... you can imagine her telling the rest of the crew too. SHE had been keeping M'Benga's secret about his daughter, but now she would be free to fill everyone in.

[@erichorton3901]

5:38 Imagine thinking visual story telling is the creator "Not trusting their audience". I felt that it helped add to the fantasy, and firmly show that each character that got this introduction treatment was a "major character" in the book.

[@claytoncourtney1309]

I thought that helped because when he was reading the story I was not taking notes thinking that the story was just going to be an intro to the actual episode.

[@dellytancyl524]

I found myself laughing so hard during this episode. complete unexpected. I lost it when the security officer turned princess started singing.

[@jeremydyck5989]

As with every episode so far: this week was great. Doctor M'Benga had real development, storybook Ortegas was awesome, and Hemmer was hilarious. I really need Runa the dog to show up in future episodes 🖖🐶

[@tembry1000]

I felt so bad for Mbinga the end made me cry.

[@charlesajones77]

This episode really shows off how good this cast is. The cast is IMO the biggest part of what has made this show so good, and they are universally fantastic. It's a shame so few episodes actually make use of the entire cast.

[@GetMiked]

My god, I loved this episode SO much. It was silly, yet pure enjoyment watching the cast play such caricatures. I also thought of Spock at the mention of Aenar being telepathic but I also think Spock is still quite young and hasn't honed his skills yet? I did not see that emotional bombshell at the end but I loved the closure! Every episode of this series is just smashing it.

[@TheSuperSnake313]

Another banger and that ending, wow. Every episode this season has had me glued to the screen, intrigued to find out what's going on. Bravo Strange New Worlds, Bravo

[@ITFNBiteBayKon]

I've been a big fan of Christina Chong for many years, and when I saw she was being cast in SNW I was very pleased and this episode just reinforced that for me.

[@darthgormagander9643]

I really really love the way you do these videos, Sean. So much enthusiasm, care and positivity in everything you say. Keep up that great work...

[@eeblin]

My head canon says that Spock’s mixed species background makes him less telepathic than Tuvok or any other full-blooded Vulcan. I can accept that the nebula consciousness wouldn’t latch onto Spock over Hemmer.

[@CRanapia]

True - and I think we've also got to keep in mind that this is a relatively young and inexperienced Spock. Did Sean forget three episodes back when Spock rather spectacularly screwed up that soul sharing ritual with T'Pring that was NOT meant to be a full-on katra-flipping body swap?

[@rigelcummins1460]

@@CRanapia Additionally Tuvok was much older (100+) and had more experience with his telepathic abilities.

[@JulietteOchieng]

That's what I thought, too.

[@JacqueGonzalesTube]

Another amazing episode!!! I cried at the end!!! 💜😭💜 Anson’s story character was HYSTERICAL!!!

[@richNfit4life]

Since this episode was mostly centered on M’Benga, I thought that he was mentally noting what character the crew member was playing by visualizing him/her/them in his mind by the artwork from the book. He needed to keep in all straight in his mind which character he was talking to when he was interacting with a crew member. So, I didn’t mind it at all that each character was “introduced” by a page from the book. It wasn’t that for me, it was simply him taking mental note of each character.

[@NickRhys]

Your final words about hugging someone made me cry. LLAP y'all!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@frankm.2850]

This entire series has done a great job of feeling like TOS.

[@Donnagata1409]

Too good, I'd say.

[@tekteam26]

I enjoyed that Christina Chong's dress overfloweth with such bounty.

[@karengreerleatherwood9957]

My husband and I LOVED THIS EPISODE! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND FUNNY. HEMMER WAS the better choice for the strong telepath part, Spock is only half Vulcan and leaning towards the human side so he's weaker and Vulcans are weaker in the telepathy area than an Aenar, That's why Hemmer was best for the Telepathy part. This episode reminded us of TNG episode with Data and the masks and the thing that transformed the ship, the sun god chasing the moon god, only more fun and funnier. I loved hearing La'an's singing range and seeing her in a dress. I think Ortega and her back story that we have now, that she went to Starfleet Academy wanting to be the best pilot in Starfleet is enough of a back story for now.

[@Vablonx]

I loved both this episode of Trek and Ups & Downs. The voice edits in Ups & Downs were spot on and funny.

[@alenefitzgerald4454]

How'd that scenery taste guys? Anyway, yeah we need an Ortegas episode, maybe with some academy flashback with Detmer for good measure.

[@davegreenlaw5654]

Lightly saluted with a little butter and ginger, served best with a nice glass of "Pike's whine". :D

[@cowsagainstcapitalism347]

Showing her being really, really into her early 21st century American culture class could explain why she speaks like she's from 2022.

[@titusmccarthy]

Yup. agree completely.

[@freelancer42]

This felt like an episode of Community, and I AM HERE FOR IT! And that ending... I don't often cry watching Star Trek, but I cried. Beautiful.

[@LordLOC]

So, I didn't expect them to wrap up the daughter's storyline so quickly (I mean I figured they'd drag it out until S2 or something at least) but now we can get her return down the road in S2. M'Bbnga was great in this episode, but I just loved Pike's wimpy whatever he was lol Oh and Spock as the bad guy wizard with that sick hairdo. Everyone seemed to be having an absolute blast making this episode and you can tell.

[@billkeithchannel]

He was the perfect sissy conniver. Like the Cardinal in the Disney remake of 3 Musketeers (Tim Curry) or the the royal guy in Rob Roy.

[@jonstone2466]

Strange New Worlds has hit its stride with this unique yet familiar episode. All the characters we have become familiar with are cast in quirky roles which are wonderfully entertaining. What I love the best about this series is the standalone storylines of each episode and unlike Discovery, never takes itself too seriously. After having been part of Trek since the original series was launched in 1966, I have concluded that Pike is hands down the best Captain of all the series. I hope we can get at least 5 full seasons of SNW.

[@conjie1986]

was established in enterprise that an aenar is vastly more powerful with telepathy than a vulcan (T'pol) so it stands to reason spock may not have been able to resist. Yes was splitting my sides at this one

[@CRanapia]

Yup - it was also established in Enterprise that the Aenar were so isolated it had only been a few decades since the Andorians made contact with beings they'd previously thought were long-extinct if they'd ever existed outside ancient legends and childrens' bedtime tales.

[@danielmorrison1389]

I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, burst out laughing on multiple occasions. I would love to see the BLOOPER reel from that episode! Keep up the good work!

[@mwhalli]

You missed an Easter egg. Benny Russell wrote the book. Benny is Ben Sisko's character in the DS9 episode "Far Beyond the Stars."

[@mwhalli]

Also another observation... Hemmer's antennas moved!

[@benjaminolson7206]

Yep. That's a big one.

[@JohnPamplin]

La'an on the comet: "I can't carry a tune in a bucket" La'an as a princess: amazing singing voice! Irony!

[@acegammer5]

Vulcan's are more touch telepaths, and Spock is half Vulcan, and hasn't gone through his Kolinahr, so it is conceivable that he's not the greatest at controlling his telepathy at this point. Also, we've seen him botch a link with another Vulcan. Finally, it's noted in Enterprise that the Aenar are VERY telepathic to control that ship over lightyears, so it tracks that he would have to be far more studied in blocking out things to keep some sanity.

[@rudyness2338]

Considering Hemmer couldn't remember anything from the events, I'd argue his "immunity" was all part of the fantasy set up by the entity.

[@acegammer5]

@@rudyness2338 I thought of that, and you could be right, but it could be because of his final acquiescence in letting it inside him too.

[@t_sosh]

Came here to see if this was said. Thanks for not disappointing me.

[@thomashill6347]

Thanks again for your UPs and Downs Sean and TrekCulture team.

[@GamerDadof2]

Tuvok was older and far better trained in the mind than spock at this given time. It would make sense that he was not strong enough to overcome it.

[@bryanklar427]

That's also what I thought too

[@marvelboy74]

Indeed. Remember, Spock melded with La'an and she was able to use it as a two-way street, rather easily. When Tuvok melded with Suder, it was fairly complicated and risky considering that Suder was Betazoid and also telepathic.

[@michaelsansivero3404]

My theory about Spock is that it seems Vulcans are contact telepaths, having to specifically touch someone in a certain way for it to be effective. Since this entity was for all intents and purposes non corporeal, he had no way to utilize any telepathic defenses.

[@RogueScholarMDC]

I just took it as Hemmer is just far more adept at it. It's D&D? Spock failed his save.

[@laststanding9998]

@@ericbaysinger314 he had previously linked with that person. So vincams have to establish a link through contact telepathy first

[@ColinPMcEvoy]

How would Spock have sensed V’Ger then?

[@historybuff7491]

I don't agree with your 2nd down. Una wings them. I agree a shoulder wound can be serious, but your not dead yet. After that, the Doctor states the situation needed to be resolved now before anyone gets seriously hurt. Again re-enforcing those crewmembers were not killed. And finally, at the end, the Doctor states that the crew are being treated for their injuries implying all will recover since he is relaxing in his office.

[@davegreenlaw5654]

True, but you can't look past the fact that WE FINALLY GOT A RED-SHIRT DOWN ON THIS SHOW!!! ^_^

[@TheBertLocker]

We also have a nebula alien that can cure incurable diseases, and death tends to be incurable, but maybe not for Debra.

[@limas1701]

It’s cool that you appreciate the silly and goofy episodes as much as the more serious ones . I agree that you really do need these in any tv series to keep it from being the same thing week to week. It helps that I’m a Dungeons and Dragons fan too!

[@joerider3769]

LOVED this week's episode! I love seeing the cast get to cut loose and play other characters! I hope the actors do, as well! I actually teared up at the resolution of this episode! Maybe it's because I have daughters, or maybe it was I was hoping for the miracle cure from all the information offered a few episodes back! Either way, well done, STW!

[@davegreenlaw5654]

As I said to my friend, there were no sets left for all the chew marks. I think the last one where I was the actors going wild with the change was Enterprise's "Through the Mirror Darkly, I & II".

[@tangerinealarm]

I loved this episode, and I really hope there’s plenty of behind the scenes / outtakes from this episode.

[@robnorrisradio]

Yep. Agreed. Bonkers! Abso-freaking-lutely Bonkers! I almost didn't recognize La'an in this episode. And she can sing?! WHAT!!! Thoroughly enjoyed it, and I was relieved to see the resolution of M'Benga's daughter. I also like the fact that it wasn't the concoction blowing up in his face which caused everything to go sideways, too. It was too conventional a plot device. About Spock: Yes, Vulcans do have telepathic abilities, but I do believe that most of them require physical touch (Read: mind meld) to make it happen. As Spock is half-human, his telepathic abilities may be more limited than, say, Tuvok's. The exception, of course, would be his connection with those closest to him (such as T'Pring). Just a theory... Anyway, I thoroughly loved this episode. Like Pike said at the top, it was nice not to deal with wars, angry aliens, and space pirates for once.

[@FiveStarTrekker]

I absolutely loved the cutaways to the storybook when each character was introduced. The first rule of drama is, “Don’t tell when you can show.” This showed us what M’Benga was thinking and it was great!

[@jamiebisson2752]

I love the use of D&D comparisons. When they were going through the swamp, it reminded me of the Pax Tharses (or was it Xox Tsaroth?) from Dragonlance.

[@rutkowskir]

Your reviews are wonderful and much appreciated! Thank you for all the great work!!!

[@QuintusAntonious]

A couple of weeks ago, you criticized the episode where M'Benga goes fishing and seemingly leaves his daughter in the transporter. I suspected then, and I'm almost certain now, that episode was aired out of order and is supposed to come AFTER this one when the daughter plot has been resolved and M'Benga can relax.

[@stevethirdcitymo6527]

I’m in tears. The loss of a sibling and a parent, and then thinking of the loss of a child are just far too much. Well done, SNW.

[@jackkenefick2696]

agreed. it has me in bits too. too close to the bone because it was so well done

[@zinkrichardson1949]

I'm lost. Aren't Spock and Hemmer different types of telepaths? I mean Kes connected with 8472 waaay before Tuvok did, but by your logic they should have both reacted at the same time. So are all telepaths the same in your eyes?

[@mrafam626]

Lol! Alright am subscribing! This episode left me in an excellent mood. Didn’t think people still exist who can pull off the true essence of Star Trek but here we are. What a treat!

[@nancyomalley6286]

Another good DS9 episode that gives us a break from the seriousness of the Dominion War is "Take Me Out To The Holosuite"

[@harleywebe]

I especially loved the fact that at the end of “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” they were totally trolling the Vulcan Captain in Quarks.

[@kristinpagan2361]

I'm loving ST:SNW! This was hilarious seeing every character be so different! Doctor Embaga's entry onto the bridge to be met with something entirely left field and his reaction was spot on. Glad I can stream this in New Zealand!

[@jriver226]

Loved the episode, but they call out why Hemmer is able to fight the entity but Spock isn't, and that's training. Also the Aenar are shown to be stronger than Vulcan's telepathically in Enterprise. So while we know Vulcan's have strong minds, it's not unreasonable to assume Hemmer with his training and stronger abilities is better able to resist.

[@CRanapia]

IIRC, SNW is happening just over a century after Enterprise -- which it was established canonically that the Aenir were so isolated that until, very recently, not even the Andorians were sure they weren't long extinct or ever existed outside ancient legends. The Vulcans, by comparison, have centuries of contact with other races.

[@jriver226]

@@CRanapia I don't know if I catch what that has to do with this episode and resisting the entity.

[@CRanapia]

@@jriver226 It's really firmly established that the Aenir are pacifists, unlike the Andorians, but there aren't a lot of them left and they have little contact with outsiders. Vulcans, on the other hand, have been explorers and making contact with other races for centuries. So yeah, it's plausible to me that Hemmer would instinctively block an unfamiliar telepathic presence trying to access his mind, while Spock would not.

[@Lemurion287]

@@CRanapia but why do you have to even go that far into theorycrafting when it's explicitly stated by the character that he was able to block it because he had training on how not to let your mind get taken over by telepathic entities.

[@CRanapia]

@@Lemurion287 Oh, you don't have to and SNW is damn good at laying in Easter eggs for nerds like me, but being accessible to everyone else. But I've been watching Trek for more years than I care to admit, and its all got to go somewhere. :)

[@jonrd1]

Thank you for everything you do for the franchise and the fans!

[@matthewgelfer4955]

Omg y'all did NOT miss the Benny Russell Easter Egg...

[@drw237]

Sean: Im looking at you Ortegas. Ortegas: I have armed myself. This show is AMAZING!

[@cptarianus824]

12:40 Wasnt white Andorians much potent telepaths than Vulkans? I just watched that Enterprise episodes with Romulan drones, where was shown the potency of telepathic abilities...

[@simmyjester]

I loved this episode. In fanfiction the genre would be called "crack treated seriously." (Also I like your little affirmations at the end. I legit teared up with this one.)

[@louisvlleguy]

I have to take issue with a couple of your 'downs'! I'm sure the nebula entity (Debra) resurrected those killed red shirts - as we saw in 'the Princess Bride' movie - they were only kind of dead and not completely dead - so they could be brought back to life. ;-) And - the issue you had with Hemmer being able to block the alien mind from taking hold of his own - you forgot to take into account his precognition abilities. Maybe because he sensed it was about to happen, he could put up defenses - but Spock had no warning, so couldn't.

[@caliph20]

Theres no proof within the episode that the space creature can bring the dead back to life. It killed the daughter and replaced her as a simulation. But the daughter died in the end. Her body was destoryed.

[@whiteknyght]

Easter Egg... The entire plot of a non-corporal entity healing a human, primarily because they emphasize with their loneliness, and that healed person cannot leave without... That is entirely a call back to Zefram Cochrane, the Companion and Metamorphosis.

[@DocFunkenstein]

We saw the crewmen who got hit by arrows in the sickbay at the end of the episode, being patched up. And despite the cosmic stupidity of Sarek's transwarp mindmelding from Discovery (pause for a long, deep, miserable groan), Vulcans are very weak telepaths and aren't particularly resilient to telepathic intrusion.

[@akbar5656]

So explain Spock sensing V'Ger in TMP? Or Sybok being called to in TFF? Sarek's katra communication with Burnham is perfectly logical to what weve have seen before. Even if its limited to Sarek's bloodline, its still canon.

[@stephenderry9488]

Yes, despite all the Robin Hood stuff you see on TV, 99 out of 100 arrow wounds are non-fatal, their effectiveness in medieval battle was cumulative and discouraging rather than deadly. It could take someone out of a fight without killing them. Even if Starfleet security training included medieval archery, it would have to be a fluke shot to actually kill anyone with one arrow. Crossbow bolts, they're another thing altogether.

[@DocFunkenstein]

@@akbar5656 Easy peasy. V'Ger was immensely powerful and was the one reaching out/broadcasting at tremendous distances; Spock (whose half-Vulcan; amazing how no other full Vulcans seemed to give a shit, huh?) just got lucky and picked up the signals during his meditations. Exactly the same with Sybok and "God." And no, Sarek's transwarp mindmeld was complete and utter bullshit. Vulcans are NOT powerful telepaths and never have been. Sycophantic foot-stomp all you want, but it doesn't change a thing.

[@akbar5656]

@@DocFunkenstein stay mad about it then. Makes me sad when a so called fan cant stand an expansion of the lore.

[@DocFunkenstein]

@@akbar5656 There's "expansion of the lore" and "outright destroying it." Vulcans *barely* being able to read past the surface thoughts of people--and then only through physical touch, and with great and exhaustive effort--is the lore. "Nope, they can now communicate across the cosmos at will. lrn2beARealFanLoser lulz!" is not a fan but an sycophatic idiot.

[@jessicacolgrave4082]

As the first new start trek show to come out since I’ve had a child, this episode left me in pieces.

[@VictorReynolds]

I loved the episode. We got to see serious characters acting campy. You saw La'aan go from stoic security chief to damsel in distress. Also, I'm glad that Rukiya (?) and M'benga had their story arc closed in such a cool way. LLAP!

[@shawmeehan7201]

Loved this episode!!!! I cracked up when the doctor walks on the bridge, “What the hell!”. I got to see the actors have fun 🤩 .

[@Morphatronic]

Loved this week's episode Christina Chong had me laughing so hard my body forgot what oxygen was, Ortegas needs her own backstory episode and despite the lack of development I'm definitely a huge ortegas fan already.

[@TacticalOni]

You and my wife both. While Kirk said "it wouldn't be Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm," Enterprise seems to be doing fine with an Ortegas at the helm, and I dig it.

[@MD_Builds]

Ill accept the hugs you offer! I really loved the episode too... For such a silly episode it packed some real weight at the end of it. Honestly. SNW has turned out to be some GREAT trek!

[@joermnyc]

Hemmer was great trying to figure out what was happening, and then finally he tries to play along, but he’s just DONE with all of it at the same time! *Dramatically activates the communicator to beam everyone else away to a cargo bay.*

[@whalemonstre]

I always like your sign-offs Sean but this one was extra heartwarming. 😊❤

[@Cmdr1962]

The cetaceans missed one: "The Kingdom of Elysian," written by Benny Russell

[@KBGoesToTheMovies]

In DS9 6x13, Sisko becomes author Benny Russell, a science fiction author from the 1950s. Benny Russell also happens to have written The Kingdom of Elysian, the book from this episode.