I don’t know that Strange New Worlds earned La’an shifting her personality as much as she did this episode, as quickly as she did. I do feel like it earned Hemmer telling a cadet she’d done a good job. Those are two character turns in the same hour, and only one of them had the runway.
It’s Trek Talk Tuesday, episode five, and I’m not here alone. As much as everybody loved having her around on the Star Wars side, I said no, no, no, I’m not just going to have you over there for that. You’re coming over here to do some Star Trek with me. So Mrs. Know-It-All is here in the blue she’s chosen for the sciences, and we’re getting her rank pins and her combadge soon, no worries there. Just like any good Star Trek episode, you’ve got to have the special guest, and they get their own title card.
I’m the only one who gets up at three in the morning for these, but she watches every one of them, followed immediately by my review of it. So she’s very familiar with “Memento Mori.”
Somebody asked in the comments why in the world they’d call the episode that. The phrase means remember that everyone is going to die. Death comes to everyone, I think, is the more formal way to put it, and I’m paraphrasing. It’s one of those deep cut reference names that you just kind of roll with.
A Submarine Episode, and a Lot of Trauma on One Bridge
This is what they call a submarine episode. Star Trek has done several of them. It’s your ship versus my ship, but we can’t see each other, or there’s something interfering, and I say submarine because you’re kind of sending out a ping to figure out where the other guy is. You have Spock coming up with that really brilliant way of using the navigation array as a type of proximity sensor, which I think was inspired.
I’d kind of exhausted what I had to say about Number One and La’an in my review, so I wanted to shift over to the Uhura and Hemmer story, which I didn’t cover a whole lot. You start the episode from Uhura’s point of view. She’s with Hemmer, and you find out she’s a cadet who’s hopping around from department to department.
There are a lot of people online who have an issue with that. Why is she uncertain? And there are even people who are upset that she has a trauma in her background. People don’t realize that as writers, we struggle to come up with reasons for people to be who they are. So for me, I didn’t bump into it.
Mrs. Know-It-All’s read was that it just seems like there’s a lot of trauma, and she’s right. You have Uhura facing her trauma and La’an facing hers. You have Number One, who can’t tell anybody who she really is. Spock is dealing with the stuff about his sister. And you have Pike facing his own inevitable.
I asked her if anything really stood out, anything that made her go, oh man, that’s awesome. No. She loved the episode, don’t get her wrong. It was a good episode and she really liked it. But nothing truly stood out like, oh my gosh. That’s fair.
La’an Says It in the Meeting
Her favorite thing right now is La’an. She told me she didn’t like her in the beginning. A little too tough for her taste. But she’s really starting to like the character, and she likes the confidence they’ve put in her.
We went back and forth for a minute on La’an’s background. I was about to say she comes from that stock, but she really doesn’t. She comes from that family name, and that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s genetically altered. Mrs. Know-It-All thought she was. She remembered the episode where La’an and Number One got into it, and La’an saying she was teased growing up. I think they used the teasing more as an epithet than a real thing. Her name was Noonien-Singh, so the kids said, you’re related to this person, therefore we’re going to call you this horrible name. I could be wrong, and I’ll go back and look.
There’s a moment I’d glazed over at the time. They’re in the middle of a meeting, La’an’s emotions are taking over, and she’s being very candid. I think it was Ortegas saying something, and La’an comes right in with how bad it is. Even Pike has to step in with, but we’re going to do our best. Mrs. Know-It-All nailed what was missing: there was no pep talk in there whatsoever. No “we got this.” It was, if you don’t do it this way, we’re going to die. No middle ground.
I actually liked her brusqueness. I think it made Pike’s personality stand out. I think it’s silly to think that every personality in the future is going to agree and everything’s going to be great. You’ve got these characters who have their own thoughts, personalities, ideas, even politics, and the concept that they’re never going to bump heads is silly. I think Pike knew full well the trauma she’s gone through, and understood that one day he might have to face that issue with her. This was that moment.
The way Mrs. Know-It-All put it, Pike kind of put her in her place. Everything’s horrible, and then she just said, you know what, we’re going to do it then. And ultimately she did start encouraging everybody.
Ten Episodes Is Not Twenty-Six
I asked if the shift felt a little too quick, too abrupt, and she said yeah. No time to meditate on it, no time to let the information meld. She’s like, boom, right now, I get it.
I think sometimes we forget what Star Trek seasons used to be. Twenty-six episodes, 22 episodes, 24 episodes. Big long seasons. They gave you 14 episodes of Data discovering who he really is, or Spock learning how to touch his human side a little more. We’re getting 10 episodes in this season. She didn’t realize it was just 10. That’s it.
So they’re cramming a lot in to make sure the character arcs are what they are. I’m very much about the character learning and growing and having her story, but it feels sometimes like we get all this growth real quick because we only have 10 episodes to do it in. I’m okay with that, because I understand it’s the give and take of doing an episodic series, which is very akin to how Star Trek used to be. What you’re seeing is the growth of characters, just a little concentrated, and when you know that, it’s easier to go with it.
Then you’ve got the more modern storytelling ones doing their work. Picard, Discovery, Prodigy, and Lower Decks, which she totally loves. Lower Decks was my gateway to get her into Star Trek, and I’m excited that she enjoys it. There are people who say, if I wanted potty humor I’d watch Rick and Morty. But you get to see your fandom in that light, and that’s wonderful.
She says the first season of Picard is actually what did it, and she’s watched both seasons with me. She hasn’t seen any of Prodigy. So where she was when she came in, Strange New Worlds is perfect for her. I also put the old episodes on in the bedroom, so she sees Spock as she’s coming out of the bathroom.
Hemmer Earned It
I thought Uhura’s handling of not only Hemmer but her whole situation was really good. Hemmer has broken his hand, and I feel like we see him be vulnerable for the first time. Mrs. Know-It-All said yes, because he’s so uptight.
I think that’s his species. The majority of the Aenar are born blind, they communicate telepathically with each other, and they have other senses to work with. He was put in a situation where his curmudgeonly “everyone’s going to screw it up anyway” had to turn into, okay, fine, this is how you help, since you have to help. Almost insulting about the fact that she has to help. But then she’s doing it, and doing it well. I did like at the end when he tells her he’s going to give her top marks, that she’s done a really good job and impressed him. We earned that, because he’s been a jerk.
He reminded me of Odo from Deep Space Nine. René Auberjonois used to play Odo, and Odo was a shapeshifter, for those of you playing at home. He didn’t know where he came from. He was found by Bajoran scientists and they helped him, which is why he eventually took on the look he did. He was always very taciturn, very cranky and curmudgeonly, but they eventually made him the constable on Deep Space Nine. Only Starfleet could have actual officers, so he had to be something else, and he was rolled into the Bajoran rank system. He was grumpy and cranky, though he was very smart.
Similarly, Hemmer comes from a species who doesn’t see blindness as a shortcoming. Everybody else in the universe, so to speak, does. They see it as an impairment. So people are nagging you. Let me get the door for you. I’m going to help you. Eventually you’d say, what are you doing, why are you being this way? That would make you cranky and grumpy, especially when that’s not the culture you’re from. Mrs. Know-It-All said it’s not a natural environment for him, and that’s a great way to put it.
I mentioned this in my review, and I still like it. When the door opens and you see Uhura’s strap come loose, even though his hand is broken, he holds on to her. They had to open the thing up to get that device out, the one they were going to blow up as their red herring to show the Gorn they were gone, and he doesn’t let her go.
I liked a lot of what that episode was trying to do with the Gorn. I liked what it was doing with Hemmer and with Uhura. I do feel like some parts are going a little quick, and I’d like to see a more proactive Spock. I thought the episode was good. It wasn’t amazing or stellar. Anytime you get a slow burn like the submarine episode, you’re going to get a lot of red lights and quiet, because everyone’s on pins and needles, and that’s the mood they’re building. But it was fun. It really was.
From the Comments
Peter T asked: “Did they just leave the dog on the planet to die?” Right? Take the dog with you. So apparently there are dogs out there, and not just dogs but very Earth looking dogs. I’m okay with that.
Thank you to Andrew Turek for the thoughts on the intro and the production value. I come from a production and broadcast background. I’ve worked in film and television as an editor, set designer and stage manager. I’ve been every part of these things, up to and including executive producer of a show we were trying to pitch. So the one thing I try my best to do is put as much production value into these shows as I can, for a personal pride reason. I want anything that has my name on it to look the way it’s supposed to look. Mrs. Know-It-All added that it keeps your skills sharp. Absolutely.
Andy Montemere wrote: “This was the best episode so far. Very well done. Gives me vibes of the original series, DS9 and TNG. Hope it stays like this.” I agree. And by the way, this doesn’t replace my enjoyment of Picard, Discovery and the other ones. I still want those shows. When Picard season three comes out, I can’t wait. I think it’s definitely next year. I saw the tweet a couple of months back when Jeri Ryan said she had wrapped on season three. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were done filming. When a person says they’ve wrapped, they mean them personally, unless it’s the director or someone saying the whole production is wrapped.
Omer Alam said this series has been on point and fun to watch, and pointed out two things. The first is the scene with Chief Kyle carrying a crew member to safety, where the crewman ends up saving his life, and whether the next episode gives us more on how he’s coping with those events.
I like Transporter Chief Kyle. I believe he’s a callback to an Asian transporter officer in the original pilot, “The Cage,” later repurposed as “The Menagerie.” I could be wrong, and I have to look a little more in depth at those backgrounds. But I like the ancillary characters we’re getting. One of the best characters we ever got out of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine was Chief O’Brien, and Chief O’Brien started as the transporter chief. You only ever saw him when they had to transport somewhere. Little by little that character grew, and I’d love to see Kyle grow into some version of a Chief O’Brien type.
He’s also wearing their version of the skant. Anytime you see somebody with the black sidebar version of the outfit, gold, red or blue, where it’s longer and goes down almost to the knees, that’s it. Later on in Next Generation it’s the one that’s almost like a dress, unisex, that both men and women wear. Kyle’s wearing one, and so is the Indian officer on the bridge. It looks good.
Omer’s number two: “I want to know more about Ortegas. She’s sort of the fun comic relief character, as well as a character that amplifies what the viewer is thinking, but it would be nice to get an episode from her perspective.” I agree 100 percent. I saw a really mean comment on another channel about her haircut, and dude, her haircut’s amazing. I love the fact that her name is Erica Ortegas. She doesn’t have a weird alien sci-fi sounding name. She has a name like a normal person. An episode back, in “Ghosts of Illyria,” she sees a dude in the hallway just kind of taking his clothes off and she’s like, hey man, whatever, brother. We both love her personality. We need to know more about Ortegas.
The final comment: “What a great episode. Four for four. I love how we didn’t see the Gorn yet they made you so afraid of them.” They really did. The same comment loved the Enterprise doing that super maneuver and coming over the Gorn ship, and said La’an reminds them quite a bit of Tasha Yar. She does. Tasha Yar was the blonde security chief in season one of Next Generation. When I was doing my rewatch, Mrs. Know-It-All would walk through the room and I’d point out, this is the blonde security chief, she’s going to die later. She didn’t last the first season, which is sad, because she’s actually pretty awesome. I’m totally a Denise Crosby stan. Stan Denise Crosby for clear skin. It’s what the kids are saying, or whatever.
Next Week: Spock Amok
We watched the trailer for next week together, and there’s a lot going on in that preview. I love the fact they don’t tell you much, not even the title. I’m getting a very whimsical feel from this episode.
It starts with a breach. I recognize the Asian woman in it. She was the one who filled in for Uhura in communications a couple of episodes back. I don’t know where the Bolian came from. He’s the blue face guy.
I think the episode’s actually titled “Spock Amok,” because I remember an episode list. That’s why you’re getting the callback to the “Amok Time” set. Everybody’s been worried. What’s this fight? This isn’t how “Amok Time” went. But we know from an actual clip they shared at the end of last week that it’s literally just in his head. Spock is facing T’Pring, and she’s explaining that she doesn’t want to be with him. He asks why she’s invoking this challenge. She says, because, look. He moves his hair, and his ears are round. So somehow his Vulcan side has to face his human side.
In the trailer you can see both of them. That’s human Spock, which is why he’s wearing the Starfleet uniform. That’s Vulcan Spock, with the normal bowl cut and the Vulcan ceremonial getup. He’s got to fight himself. She mentions a Vulcan soul sharing, and I have a feeling that’s going to play a major role.
A lot of folks agree Spock’s coming into his own. Ethan Peck is Gregory Peck’s grandson, we looked him up, and he’s really been channeling Spock in a big, bad way that I love. By that I mean the straight man jokes, the “I don’t quite get humor” thing.
Then you have Chapel talking to T’Pring, Spock’s betrothed. The Vulcan stuff is a little different. They’re essentially married, though they haven’t had the full-blown ceremony. They’re promised to each other in a way that’s unbreakable. So seeing Chapel talk to T’Pring makes you wonder where this came from. Chapel’s in a green jumpsuit thing, almost like a jogging suit.
“This is coming dangerously close to hijinks.” “But I love hijinks.” They’re writing Vulcans in a way I haven’t seen done well before. These Vulcans are funny, and she delivered that line like she believes it. Mrs. Know-It-All said she’s always seen Vulcans as the straight man, but never the straight man who was funny on purpose. A great example is Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. I don’t think Sheldon’s ever actually trying to be funny, but he’s really funny. It doesn’t take anything away from Vulcans or their logic. It’s a side of the personality that was always there and just never got explored. Anybody who saw Voyager knows Tuvok had more than his fair share of being funny at times, so don’t act like you’ve never seen it.
Then there’s a crazy bit where one of them takes a shot, and I’m sitting there like, are they playing tag? Are they being mind controlled? Whatever it is, I’m down. And M’Benga’s in a fishing getup. It looks like they’re on vacation at the lake.
Prior to “Amok Time,” we never saw Spock in relationships. We didn’t know anything about what Vulcans go through, and even what we got in that episode, wonderful as it was, only skimmed the surface of what’s there. With all this new detail and history pulled in, I kind of want to go back and watch “Amok Time” through this new lens.
The Backdoor Original Series
When Strange New Worlds was about to come out, one of my friends at work asked if I was going to watch that new Star Trek show. I said yeah, and then I made what’s probably the most controversial statement I’ll make. I think they’re leading us to a backdoor reboot of The Original Series.
I don’t know that it’s a bad thing, and I don’t know that it’s a good thing. I don’t know that we’re going to get a full-on Kirk-captained Enterprise with the whole crew, Sulu and everybody. But I fully believe we’re going to get something, and it may not be this season. We’re not getting Kirk introduced to us until next season, the actual James T. Kirk. I believe he’s going to be captain of another ship. And similar to when Pike had to take over the Discovery, Pike’s going to have to go do something. Very similar to Jellico coming in for a couple of episodes on The Next Generation, we’re going to get Kirk in command of the Enterprise for a few episodes. Maybe it’s a part one and part two kind of thing.
Nobody has said that. I believe it because there’s so much room to tell more of that backstory, and I’m here for it. I’d love to see them introduce a young Ensign Sulu or Ensign Chekov. Or maybe down the road a Lieutenant Scotty, Mr. Scott rather, works for Hemmer. There’s a place where you can get very close to seeing our old characters in a new light, and I’m okay with that. I really am.
Mrs. Know-It-All says she’s learning, and that this is pretty cool. She’s got me as her teacher. It’s exciting.
New episode Thursday, and it’ll be business as usual with me on the show. If she’s down, I’ll have her back for Trek Talk Tuesday next week.
Drop a comment on the video above and let us know what you think. Did La’an’s turn feel too quick to you, and did you enjoy having our new bridge officer, Mrs. Know-It-All, here on Know-It-All Nation?
