Of trailers and unfinished books

[selenak]

On a more joyful note, here's the first trailer for Star Trek: Strange New World's second season. Now I had some issues with the last few episodes of s1, but not enough stop me looking forward to the second season, and I definitely enjoyed a lot of season 1, very much so:

Watch on YouTube

Also here is an article about the book the late Hilary Mantel was at work at when she died - it was, of all the things, Jane Austen fanficiton, a Mary Bennet centric P & P sequel (of which as the article duly notes already six exist, but she wasn't contend with any of them, and as she did when not being satisfied with any of the French Revolution themed novels, decided to write her own. The excerpt quoted in the article has Mary dissing Mr. Darcy, no less.

Comments

[lightofdaye]

Did I see movie/tng era style klingons there? Hmmm.

Only seen the first three episodes of SNW since getting Paramount+ for Picard. It's annoying good since it's heralded by the anti-disco crowd.

The number of returning crew members from Kirk's tenure is weird to me though. Both in, well M'Benga's going to go from CMO to a secondary doctor and shouldn't they all be helping or sympathetic to Spock's mutiny in Menagarie if they are all ride or die with Pike as well.

Anson Mount's Pike is still genuinely charming and buoying it up though.

[selenak]

The number of returning crew members from Kirk's tenure is weird to me though.

Hm - Uhura, Chapel and M'Benga, and I might be wrong (the episodes were randomly broadcast in Germany) but I'm not sure whether M'Benga shows up in the last two seasons? And isn't The Menagerie season 2? Which would leave Uhura and Chapel, and I don't recall whether or not The Menagerie let them react to events. I'm guessing Chapel wasn't in that two parter, for the simple reason as to not call attention to the casting (since Majel Barrett was playing Number One), which leaves Uhura, who in the Kirk and Spock centric framing narration probably did not get much screen time anyway. But like I said, I'm guessing.

On a Watsonian level, I think it's Spock-like not to ask them to help him, not because he thinks they wouldn't, but because the episode makes a big deal about the death penalty applying for this one thing, and he would not want to put them in that danger.

[lightofdaye]

"The Menegerie" were episodes 11 and 11 of season 1. M'Benga appears in one episode of s2 and one of s3 according to Memory Alpha.

It's not unexplainable but it's a little off. That and Noonien Singh as Security Chief seeming weird to me were just initial impressions from the cast announcement that the show hasn't entirely overcome yet and as I say I've only watched 3 episodes so far.

[kore]

and as she did when not being satisfied with any of the French Revolution themed novels, decided to write her own. The excerpt quoted in the article has Mary dissing Mr. Darcy, no less.

LOL oh my. I wonder if they'll bring it out!

SNW has the dual burden in our house of being a fave of the Disco-bashing crowd (which turns me off) and T being HIGHLY allergic to anyone other than the original actors playing Kirk and especially Spock. He is a heavy duty OG fanboy. NGL, the song choice and the lulzy stuff with Kirk and Spock are not to my taste, but the bridge crew looks intriguing!

[selenak]

Whatever the stupid Disco bashing crowd thinks, SNW owns its Disovery connection - there were at least three direct references to Discovery in s1, all affectionate and respectful. Not to mention that other than Pike and Spock, everyone else on the bridge is female. (Number One, Erica, La'an, Uhura), plus not on the bridge but central to the narrative Christine Chapel (who immediately became my favourite Christine Chapel last season, sorry, Majel) and they're all given as much screen time as Spock.

re: Spock, I find Ethan Peck's Spock far more Spockish than Zachary Quinto's, but hey - I can respect "no one but the originals", because that's why I'm in two minds about the very idea of a B5 reboot and would not be crushed if it doesn't happen.

[vilakins]

I read a wonderful Mary-centric book a while back (but I've forgotten the title and author), another where she finds she has magic (OK, entertaining enough) and currently I'm reading another where she's definitely on the spectrum and therefore much more relatable to me. She doesn't understand society or why people aren't interested in the knowledge she has acquired - which explains a lot - but Mantel's Mary is quite different which her cutting wit. I'm not sure I can reconcile that with the Mary in the book; the one in the novel I'm reading now makes more sense to me. Mind you, I've always considered Darcy to be on the spectrum too and just as oblivious to others.

Still, I'd read that. What a pity she never finished it.

[selenak]

It's hard to tell from a short excerpt from an unfinished book how the overall Mary characterisation would have fit with what's established in P & P, but I suppose Hilary Mantel could have always claimed the pov difference, i.e. how Elizabeth sees Mary is by necessity not how Mary sees herself. Who knows. But I'm sure it would have been fun to read...

[queenbookwench]

Because of That One Vid, the only Death Cab/Postal Service song I can truly associate with Trek is “Grapevine Fires.”