STRANGE NEW WORLDS

The intro to the show just dropped. Looks nice. I like that it’s a throwback to the classic openers of yesteryear with all the vistas. I like that we’ll see stand-alone adventures after the arc heavy seasons of DISCO and PICARD.

I really dug it and want to watch the first episode again…and the only show that Has made me want to do that lately is ‘Better Call Saul’

It’s strange to watch this and really enjoy it but at the same time there’s a klaxon flaring up in my head every time they contradict canon that should be so easy to avoid. Ex: Spock and T’Pring about to bump uglies despite “Amok Time” making it pretty explicit that they haven’t met since childhood, which is why he only has a photo of her when she was 12. So if Spock was already doing sexy time with T’Pring, why would he only have a picture of her at 12? Is he just a pedo?

I'd love to watch it but Paramount+ is taking a massive dump this morning.

It’s arguably the kind of Star Trek show we should have gotten five years ago to kick off things. A classic episodic Trek show, BEFORE getting into whatever the other shows want to delve in.

I surprisingly loved this.  Episodic Trek that still has week to week continuity is my jam, and it's nice to have Trek that's not embarrassed to be Trek.  Loved the look, loved the crew as well.

ETA: More than once, I kept confusing Nurse Chapel for Katy Perry.

I wish we had more of “The Cage” crew retained for this show rather than bringing in Uhura, Chapel, M'Benga. However, that was also a VERY white cast so I can see why they’d opt to just make new characters with only Pike, Number One, and Spock carrying over. Even though Boyce was basically a proto-Bones, I really liked that dynamic between him and Pike in “The Cage”.

It's one of those things I'm more than willing to give the show a mulligan on because I enjoyed it so damn much.

Your point about Star Trek not embarrassed to be Star Trek is spot on. While I wouldn’t say DISCO and PICARD are embarrassed to be Trek, they do feel like they’re made by people who want to turn Trek into prestige serialized television but they’re just not up to the task. I’d welcome a season of DISCO putting a hold on the serialized approach. It stopped being grim dark awhile ago, but they’re still not quite nailing story of the season format.

I wouldn't say I'm qualified to judge either Discovery or Picard. I gave the former two seasons before I decided it wasn't really working for myself, and I only watched the first episode of Picard. Until now, Lower Decks was the only series that grabbed myself.

I'll probably watch this again soon. I'm itching for next week's episode.

I loved this. The 21st Century reimagined Enterprise is sexy as hell.

Everything I love about Trek was there in spades and I also can't wait for next week's episode.

I was reading ahead and an upcoming episode is billed as a slow burn 'Wrath of Khan' style battle paired with a 'Disaster' scenario onboard the Enterprise.

I loved this.

Another great episode today.  Your classic "Hey, the problem we thought we had is not the problem we actually have" episode with some nice character moments that nod to existing TREK history.

Did have one minor nitpick though:

Spoiler:

And the full premiere is officially up on YouTube, for those of you who don't have Paramount+ and want to check it out:

DailyRich wrote:

Another great episode today.  Your classic "Hey, the problem we thought we had is not the problem we actually have" episode with some nice character moments that nod to existing TREK history.

Did have one minor nitpick though:

Spoiler:

This show is knocking it out of the park.  Even Lower Decks took some time to gel before it its stride.  Great character work for Uhura, and the show still manages to maintain a group dynamic that brings everyone in.  Ortegas might be my favorite helm operator.

"Pattern Ortegas?"

(Una shrugs)

Another solid one tonight, and the early reviews claimed this was the weakest of the five opening episodes. There's a definite quality floor to the show. What I wouldn't give for an Illyrian immune system right now.

My favorite scene had to be Una mulling over Pike's well intentioned praise before deleting her log.

On a side note, I appreciate how the series makes time for some Starfleet procedural activity, like the setting of the lockdown procedures (can't imagine any real world inspiration for that)

I'm turning into a one man fan club for this show. This was one of the best action oriented episodes I've seen, and Enterprise technically never even fires a shot. It's joined with great character work for La'an. I'm digging the TOS style adventures combined with TNG/DS9 character ensembles.

Four for four now. Has any other Trek series had this good of an opening volley?

“You made the logical choice.”
“Why doesn’t it feel like it?”
“For the same reason you made it. Because you value life.”

Love that small exchange.

They're really nailing Spock in this. I can imagine the dialogue coming from Nimoy just as easily.

One thing I love in the latest episode is some of the score evoking the TOS music. This is most prominent during the scene when they make up a radar to track movements of the Gorn. It sounds very reminiscent of the suspense music that Fred Steiner composed and was used a lot on the old show.

'Spock Amok' was breezy fun, maybe not quite the classic TOS farce it was aiming for, but I'm at a point with this show that I just like hanging out with everyone. I still felt a swell of pride when the solar sailer vessel flew the UFP flag at the end.

And Pike’s diplomatic skills? *chefs kiss*

Stockslivevan wrote:

And Pike’s diplomatic skills? *chefs kiss*

This ends up being more appropriate this week.

And quite the bomb dropped at the end.