Imagination Connoisseur, S’wak Props, may not be wild about STAR TREK: Strange New Worlds, but there are some small things he likes. Could this be the nu-Trek that finally satisfies all the fans?

Hey, there’s still another 4+ years left on this mission – give ’em a chance.

My thoughts on Strange New Worlds after five episodes:

I’ve got to admit, while the show has many many flaws that I am critical about, I am finding some small things about it that I like, and that’s what’s keeping me watching. I’ve given up hope of seeing anything up to the level of TOS or the Berman-era Trek, especially under the current stewardship, because they just don’t get Star Trek.

But with SNW, I’ll give them some credit… not a lot… just a little… for trying.

Five episodes in and we’re still treading on familiar, treaded before, grounds… absolutely nothing new. Every episode seems to be calling back to a previous, and better done, episode of Trek and at times it can get infuriating. The showrunners are obviously banking on member-berries and nostalgia to bring in the viewers, especially fans of older Trek.

The lirpa duel in the latest episode pissed me off, especially when they also brought back that iconic TOS lirpa duel music… it was blatant and shameless. By comparison, aside from De Kelley’s appearance in the pilot and the space virus in The Naked Now, TNG tried its best to stand on its own two feet in its maiden season.

And I hate the frequent callbacks to Star Trek: Discovery (ST:DISC) … it’s as if Kurtzman wants to keep reminding us that we wouldn’t have this show if not for ST:DISC. What he doesn’t realize is that STD is so bad that’s why fans wanted a show like SNW that feels more like the Trek we know.

While SNW still has a long way to go to prove itself, you can’t deny there is a tiny bit of effort to streamline it into the Trek we’re familiar with.

The writing is just all over the place. We’re a long way from the quality writing by the likes of DC Fontana, Harlan Ellison, David Gerrold, or even Ron Moore and Naren Shankar, and I do hope that will change, as this show would benefit a lot from people who actually know and have written sci-fi. In the latest Critical Drinker After Hours, Marc Zicree told the Drinker that he’s been in contact with the SNW showrunners offering his writing services and I do hope they take him up on that offer.

I don’t like how Pike runs his ship; the chain of command is questionable. Whereas Kirk commanded his ship in a militaristic way, and Picard ran his like a no-nonsense CEO heading an 80s/90s multinational corporation, Pike runs his like a millennial running a tech startup… too casual for my liking.

Last week’s Gorn episode could have been a good one if not for Pike having his command decisions questioned almost every time by Discount Drummer and quip-a-minute Discount Vasquez. And the latest episode’s nonsense with the Enterprise Bingo – Kirk and Picard wouldn’t have put up with such things on their ships.

And of course, the worst part is the continuing retconning of Trek canon by Kurtzman and co.

But like I said earlier, there are some positives. The show is just gorgeous to look at, obviously, they’ve spared no expense when it comes to production value (just the writing). Every shot is cinematic… compare this to the latest episode of Obi-wan Kenobi in which the confrontation in the third act was shot un-cinematically and it looked like it was taken from a fan film.

I do like some of the characters. Anson Mount (what a great pornstar name!) is the reason why I watch this show in the first place… he made Season 2 of STD watchable. And he’s certainly good as Pike… I just wished he was stricter and not trying to be more buddy-like with the crew. Ethan Peck may be miscast as Spock but you gotta admit he’s trying his best with what he’s given. I like Rebecca Romjin as Number One and Nurse Chapel is quickly warming up to me.

One thing this show has in common with TOS is the beautiful women. Both Discount Drummer and Discount Vasquez are actually stunners in real life without the ridiculous haircuts and the permanent scowl.

Is SNW a better show than STD and Picard? Also-frackin-lutely, but not by a huge margin. I just hope it will start to stand on its two feet rather than keep calling back to previous Trek episodes. And I do hope they bring in quality writers.

For now, I’ll keep watching, and maybe someday I will be surprised by what I see.

– S’wak Props

 

Editor’s Note: I ran across an interesting breakdown of ST:SNW and how writers on this show (and others) lean too far into fan service at the expense of story-telling. I thought it made an interesting companion video to go with this post. Thanks again for the great post, S’wak!

Does “stunt casting” work?

Does “stunt casting” work?

Imagination Connoisseur, ROBB, shares his thoughts on how Star Trek: Discovery handled its casting of Democratic politician, Stacey Abrams, as the president of a united Earth in the show’s finale. Personal politics aside, ROBB seems to feel Star Trek’s producers missed an opportunity to send a message about unity at a time when we could all use it.

Will Superman be returning in 4K someday?

Will Superman be returning in 4K someday?

Long-time PGS Member, Kenny Kraly Jr., writes in to the LET’S GET PHYSICAL MEDIA show to ask for their predictions on the possibility of getting more Superman movies out on 4k Blu-Ray.

On the topic of “Gatekeeping” …

On the topic of “Gatekeeping” …

Imagination Connoisseur, Jason Miller, writes a letter of support for ROBSERVATIONS host, Robert Meyer Burnett, who has recently proclaimed himself the Gatekeeper of Geekdom. Jason shares his experience defending RMB’s joke (made on Twitter) and arrives at an inescapable conclusion that everyone should probably take to heart.

Attention Star Command, there seems to be a problem with Buzz Lightyear

Attention Star Command, there seems to be a problem with Buzz Lightyear

ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden respond to letters from listeners proposing a variety of reasons as to why Pixar’s latest animated feature, LIGHTYEAR, didn’t meet expectations during its opening weekend. Was it a result of bad casting, a strained relationship between studios, convoluted marketing or stronger-than-expected competition? No one is sure – but it’s possible the problem runs much deeper than an origin story for an action figure might let on.

How to accept Star Trek now so you don’t go insane!

How to accept Star Trek now so you don’t go insane!

Imagination Connoisseur, Adam Talley, writes in to explain how he now views the Star Trek franchise – a way that acknowledges the “good old days” so many OG fans pine for and the new innovations we’re seeing in stores, online, and in theaters.

Why is Obi-Wan the most boring thing about the Obi-Wan Kenobi streaming series on Disney+?

Why is Obi-Wan the most boring thing about the Obi-Wan Kenobi streaming series on Disney+?

ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden discuss the broader implications of a question posed by an Imagination Connoisseur who asks why Obi-Wan Kenobi is such a boring character in his own series. In fact, one could ask why so many Star Wars series seem to be “running in place” and not really going anywhere with characters who don’t seem to be doing all that much. Is there a larger force at work here that no one seems to acknowledge? And where have we heard THAT before?

Does it make sense to remake good movies?

Does it make sense to remake good movies?

ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden respond to a letter from an Imagination Connoisseur who asks why Hollywood seems content remaking and re-booting successful movies rather than making movies with “great potential” that might have not met expectations when they were first released to the public. As Rob and Mike point out, there’s a lot more involved in a successful remake than one might imagine.

Rob comes out and admits he’s THE Gatekeeper of Fandom

Rob comes out and admits he’s THE Gatekeeper of Fandom

Co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden discuss Rob’s recent revelation that he is, in fact, THE GATEKEEPER OF ALL FANDOM and what Imagination Connoisseurs can now expect of him serving as the judge, jury and adjudicator of all things geeky. Plus interesting letters from fans.

Lots of Star Trek-y goodness on the Interwebs lately

Lots of Star Trek-y goodness on the Interwebs lately

In less time than it takes for a tribble to become a grandparent, here’s a list of the eight most interesting, Trek-related things we’ve found worth sharing with our fellow Imagination Connoisseurs …

Making a case for LIFE after ALIEN

Making a case for LIFE after ALIEN

Imagination Connoisseur, S’wak Props, thinks Ridley Scott could have done much better when it came to making a sequel to his 1979 sci-fi/horror classic, ALIEN. Instead of Scott’s ALIEN COVENANT, S’wak recommends you check out Daniel Espinosa’s LIFE which includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds among others in the cast.

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