Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2.07

[selenak]

This crossover episode was dropped early. I was a bit weary going in, due to having bounced off hard from the pilot episode of Lower Decks, but this episode was actually delightful to me.



It does occur to me that Pike had his angsty time travel experience in last season's finale, and La'an had hers earlier in this season, but now we're getting Time Travel: The Fun Experience. In fact, the most fun time travel since DS9 did Trials and Tribble-ations, which also was a crossover episode.

What most of all impressed me was that while Boimler and Mariner brought on the comedy, the episode had all the SNW characters they interacted with remain ic and used the light hearted new arrivals to address points in their respective developments. Plus, of course, the constant fan service for all the Treks - "Worf's Honour!" - , up to and including the SNW crew getting fannish about the Enterprise characters near the end, not just any ENT characters but Hoshi and Merryweather, aka two of the more neglected characters on that show. (And of course the realisation that they feel about the ENT era as the Lower Decks characters feel about them was well done.)

As for Boimler and Mariner, I might have to give Lower Decks another shot, for they were not as annoying as I recalled from the pilot but endearing in their foibles.

Speculation re: SNW future: since this is the third episode in a row addressing Uhura's overwork, I expect this is going somewhere beyond Lost in Translation?

re: Spock/Chapel, Boimler accidentally revealing they won't last and Spock-with-Chapel is not how history recalls Spock at all might let Christine to conclude if they're doomed to break up they should do so sooner rather than later. I do think it will be Christine rending the relationship, because they do try to give the female characters their own agenda on this show, and also the TOS era pining looks worse if Spock dumps her.

Comments

[ironymaiden]

yes, Lower Decks really does get better! I also had trouble with the first episode; season one is uneven but improves pretty steadily. there are Easter eggs and references throughout the SNW episode that will pop after you catch up

I was delighted with this episode, especially the elevator scene and the chem lab.

[lightofdaye]

I was wondering if you'd watch this one. Apparently Lower Decks did get better from the very Rick & Morty but Star Trek beginning or so I've heard but I've not seen more than clips of it, myself.

I did enjoy it, almost despite myself, as an singular episode to watch, it's fun and breeze fluff packed with jokes and references and I did enjoy the interactions and things like the SNW geeking over the NX crew, the same way the LD crew is over them,

On the other hand, it's very much seem like a live action double length Lower Decks episode guest starring SNW. The opposite of what they did with the Kirk episodes where he's a prominent guest star in a SNW character's episode. And this being 1/10 of the whole season... that's not good for the show as whole.

Fun episode but bad SNW episode I think. There is some character stuff but... not enough. The biggest thing I think is Spock/Chapel realising they are doomed by canon in-universe as well as out much like Pike had to.

[vilakins]

I really enjoy Lower Decks - very funny with lots of references to all the series - so I'll have to give this one a go.

[fresne]

Lower Decks takes some time to come into it's own, but once it get there its one of the most loving (if irreverant) of ST shows. While the crossover felt like self insertion fic in the best way.

[selenak]

Well, TNG has a less than stellar first season as well, to put it mildly, so I'll see whether I find the time to try it.

[selenak]

Hm, again my comparison would be Trials and Tribble-ations, which is a DS9 episode despite the majority of the action being a TOS episode. Here, the action is all SNW but the characters going through an experience are Lower Decks. I mean, it's the definition of a crossover, isn't it, that both shows contribute?

(By contrast, the Voyager Trek anniversary episode with Sulu, courtesy of Tuvok's memories, is strictly a Voyager episode for me, not a crossover, because the TOS characters - Sulu and Rand - don't engage with the Voyager characters other than via Tuvok remembering his youth.)

[selenak]

I was getting Galaxy Quest vibes, in a best way as well. :)

[lightofdaye]

I'm not sure I understand. I think I explained what I meant badly. T&T is a DS9 episode, they go back to TOS times but it's still about the DS9 crew. (Since they were working with existing footage there was)

This is a SNW episode but it's about the LD guest stars, it's a Boimler episode. The SNW cast have some character moments but they are all reacting to Boimler and his story.

SNW has so many characters and so few episodes a season that devoting one to the guest stars just feels like a waste, taken as an episode irrespective of that greater consideration and it's enjoyable and fine.

[kernezelda]

I gave up on LD initially, came back and enjoyed it a lot. This crossover, I enjoyed enough to re-watch a few bits, and noticed as I hadn't the first time that the SNW theme/intro is animated. I don't usually watch the intro, but caught a glimpse of it looking odd, and re-wound. Very nice!