Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x05 "Charades"

LoglineA shuttle accident leads to Spock’s Vulcan DNA being removed by aliens, making him fully human and completely unprepared to face T’Pring’s family during an important ceremonial dinner.

Written by Kathryn Lyn & Henry Alonso Myers

Directed by Jordan Canning

electrorocket ,

LOL Vulcan food and air must do wonders for human biology.

gnuplusmatt ,

In a good way, they took a lot of scifi things that have been done in other trek and remixed them into a very good episode. It had shades of Voyager’s “Faces”, DS9’s “You Are Cordially Invited”, Data getting his emotion chip in generations. These are things we’ve seen, but explored in new and pleasing ways.

I feel like these bread crumbs of context to “Amok Time” are going to make a classic episode better, but for a lot of newer fans there could potentially be no pay off if TOS can’t hold their attention.

Some fan discourse I’ve seen on mastodon suggested “oh look there’s the AR wall” like its some kind of bad thing, but I don’t see this as any different to saying “oh look CGI character” we all know it, you don’t need to point it out.

triktrek ,

Good CGI/LED walls blend in. If you notice it, it breaks the 4th wall a bit. Battlestar Galactica 2004 had CGI and it worked so well and looks very believable.

echo ,

Some fan discourse I’ve seen on mastodon suggested “oh look there’s the AR wall” like its some kind of bad thing

AR wall is just 21st century matte painting

goGetF1 ,

The AR wall stood out to me more on Rigel VII, where the background, while beautifully done, just had that empty, standing in the middle of CGI look. In this episode, it made sense for it to be obvious. They’re in a space humans can’t truly perceive, much like the celestial temple, and it had a sterile feel that seemed right for the chatbot aliens.

skfsh ,

“Oh look, it’s the AR wall” is the modern version of “oh look, it’s the same octagonal set dressed up with random props from a couple of other episodes to represent an alien planet”

RoundSparrow ,

I surely got some nods to Bender becoming human in Futurma season 4. The bacon eating scene, surely a Matt Groening reference to Homer’s love for pork, and Bender went wild on nachos and hot dogs.

TeaHands ,
@TeaHands@lemmy.world avatar

I was also thinking this the whole way through 😄

crazycanadianloon ,

Same! The only thing missing was a cigar in his hands!

original_reader , (edited )

It’s funny how both Pike’s and Uhura’s first word with a totally unknown species is “Hi!”

You’re Starfleet! Come on!

OK… they will have learned this lesson by the 24 century. 😂

Also, why treat the aliens like idiots? Why say: “You made him easier to talk to” instead of “He is now a different species.” This seemed to just have served as a plot point to make Chapel admit her feelings openly.

These minor quibbles aside it felt like an average TNG episode. And for me that means it is a successful episode.

TeaHands ,
@TeaHands@lemmy.world avatar

I used to get told off for doing this at a call centre job because it was too informal. Definitely would not fly in a first contact situation!

teft ,

What’s wrong with just saying hi? They’re friendly people and are happy to meet someone new.

original_reader ,

It’s not wrong, but it’s not the best approach. Hi is casual and usually reserved for people that are familiar with each other.

Go to a dignitary and greet with Hi. Chances are it will not be perceived as showing the respect that could - and likely should - be given. In a first contact setting, a formal approach is surely the way to go.

psychothumbs ,

Maybe society just keeps getting less formal over time and by then “Hi” is one of the more formal ways to greet someone, as opposed to just “sup” or [suggestive eyebrow movement]

original_reader , (edited )

Doesn’t seem likely. By the time Picard takes over, the Federation has gone to great lengths to get first contact right. I am thinking of TNG episodes like The Big Goodbye, First Contact, Who Watches the Watchers or Darmok as examples.

And to push this further, chronologically before SNW, Enterprise already put some effort into first contact beyond Hi. Cogenitor is just one of many examples.

I will try to resist using the Beyond opening scenes as a reference, because they were just ridiculous.

stuck ,

they will have learned this lesson by the 24 century.

23rd actually, for SNW!

original_reader ,

I meant TNG. In the time period of TNG, it is the 24th century and they have learned the first contact procedure.

Disgustoid ,

I laughed more times in that one episode than I have during hundreds of previous Trek episodes COMBINED. Trek comedy has never landed with me which makes this the best Trek comedy ever by a large margin. Angsty Spock and the crew’s reaction to him were genuinely funny, with a special nod to Pike’s “WTF” facial reactions in the background during the ceremony.

Going in spoiler-free and without having read people’s opinions in this thread, I’m going to guess this is going to be one hell of a polarizing episode. But one I really enjoyed, so there’s that.

triktrek ,

Hehe, yeah, same here. My favorite one was the “What the F—” from Spock from the teaser.

const_void ,
@const_void@lemmy.world avatar

It is a great what if episode ( what if Spock was human for a day) and colors within the lines (in that everyone else plays true to the their character & situation).

We really really enjoyed it!

Spock being human was great in that he had no clue how to be human, like when he overlaughs at the bar. Lol!

Now… there are a few moments where I feel like the dialog of the Vulcans used more emotional words than the precise language of logic might require.

One is where T’Pring says her mother felt and perhaps believed would have been a more rational word choice?

There are a few cases like that and for me it is surprising each time it happens.

JWBananas ,
@JWBananas@kbin.social avatar

Given the way that T'Pring and her father were acting, I thought for sure that all four of them were transformed into humans.

deweydecibel ,

I can’t be the only one that felt Ethan Peck’s human Spock was very similar in tone to Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen…

Not in a bad way, either.

MikeyMongol ,
@MikeyMongol@lemmynsfw.com avatar

Whyyyy would Vulcan kitchens run cooler than starships? Vulcan is a desert planet and Vulcans as a species are accustomed to high temps – which is even obliquely referenced in the ep when Amanda says that a Vulcan wouldn’t even notice the heat from holding a boiling hot teapot barehanded. I would assume Vulcan kitchens to be higher temperature than even Vulcan living quarters, which should be higher than human-standard room temp. I can’t think of any legitimate reasons why a Vulcan kitchen would be cooler than Pike’s quarters at all, let alone so much cooler that it makes a manifest difference in fermentation rates.

Cantstopthesignal ,
@Cantstopthesignal@lemmynsfw.com avatar

For food preservation? It’s only logical.

khaosworks ,
@khaosworks@startrek.website avatar

The Last Unicorn Games Star Trek RPG Sourcebook The Way of Kolinahr posited that Vulcan food is more delicately flavoured than human food because of the species’ enhanced sense of taste. That’s why Tuvok found Neelix’s spiced up version of plomeek soup (VOY: “Faces”) not to his liking.

I’ve often thought that foods from tropical climes on Earth tend to be spicy because chili peppers are anti-microbial and so it keeps food edible for longer. Similarly, salt serves a preservation function in more temperate climes. But if neither of these options are available to Vulcans because they would find the flavour too intense, then Vulcan kitchens (and pantries) might be designed to be cooler rooms just to keep food fresher for longer.

Speaking of freshness, it seems to be a necessary part of Vulcan foods. In ENT: “Home” we are told that gespar, a Vulcan fruit, may not taste good if it isn’t fresh, and in this episode T’Pril complains the halak is not fresh (and salted). The emphasis on freshness may be borne out of a climate in which food spoils quicker.

Tired8281 ,

Perhaps being from such a hot planet, their cuisine consists of mainly chilled dishes.

williams_482 ,
@williams_482@startrek.website avatar

Much to my own surprise, I’m a complete sucker for this budding Spock/Chapel romance. I just want these two beautiful people to be happy together, damn it! We all know it’s doomed, unfortunately, and I hope that whatever inevitably destroys it doesn’t turn out to be too painful for the characters involved. Spock and Chapel are obviously not engaged in a romantic relationship in TOS, most obviously in Amok Time when such a pairing would have rendered the entire story trivial.

Someone mentioned in a previous thread that Spock’s Pon Farr (seven years before Amok Time) is closing in. I was skeptical in that thread that they would choose to touch on it then, but the events of this episode do make that seem quite a bit more likely, if (again) increasingly difficult to square with Amok Time.

SteleTrovilo ,

I’m holding out hope for Spock/Chapel. I actually think SNW subtly branched away from the Prime timeline some time ago, so the future for these characters is not yet written!

CaptainProton ,

what makes you say that?

effinstephen ,

The Temporal Cold War has made ripples in the timeline. The Romulan time traveler in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” strongly hinted that history was at least a little bit different than it had been, with the date of the Eugenics War as case in point. I think the writers are freeing themselves up to make minor changes to canon. I don’t think it’s a branching timeline, though, it’s still Prime. Just a little bit different, like Gabriel Bell being replaced by Captain Sisco.

triktrek ,

It’s sci-fi – if the producers feel strongly enough to make a blank slate, they can always retcon or shall I say future-con, and have SNW branch out a different timeline.

CaptainProton ,

But there is nothing in the series so far that suggests SNW has diverged. Unless you count the visual aspects, I suppose, although that means Disco is also an alt-timeline.

WolfeReader ,
@WolfeReader@freeradical.zone avatar

@triktrek @CaptainProton Our instances sometimes don’t federate correctly, so I'm gonna reply from Mastoson this time! Here’s the reply that shows how SNW has, maybe, diverged: https://beehaw.org/comment/658690

maegul ,
@maegul@lemmy.ml avatar

Woah woah … they’re fighting words!!

BadExampleMan ,

I don’t know but what Amok Time was Spock’s first pon farr. Vulcans age and mature more slowly than humans, right?

FormerGameDev ,

So… what was up with the door in the transporter room slamming shut in Pike’s face when he turned to leave Amanda and Spock? lol

MikeyMongol ,
@MikeyMongol@lemmynsfw.com avatar

Yeah! I was wondering that too. Either it was a flub that they left in because it was funny, or it was a flub that they left in because they didn’t have another good take, or it’s a breadcrumb for a weird AI-takes-over-the-Enterprise season finale.

felixxx999 ,

Yeah. Pike kept trying to avoid the family conflict the whole episode. Seeing the door shut on him and him trying to wave it open was comic gold. He was probably thinking, “what the hell? This is my ship!” then he just stood there looking awkward. Gold.

Meowrilena ,
@Meowrilena@mstdn.fr avatar

@ValueSubtracted they really decided to bet everything on this Spock - Nurse Chapel thing, haven't they? Not a fan.

Nice comedic episode nonetheless.

astroturds ,

I needed the laughs this week and it totally delivered for me.

Star trek always does this to me, they introduce some character or change to a character that I initially would not agree with but they always make me love them. I’m going to miss human Spock now.

When they said they were bringing the Kirk’s into strange new worlds I thought it was a terrible idea, now I keep thinking how great a series with the new Kirk would be.

When seven turned up in voyager I knew it was because of sex appeal and the FHM magazine culture of the time so I was against it, now she’s my favourite character and I cried when she was made captain.

Whe Pike and Spock turned up in discovery I thought that was a bad idea, now pike is my hero and I never want SNW to end and Ethan Peck is totally smashing it as Spock.

Human Spock? What a shit idea. But, I absolutely loved it.

TeaHands ,
@TeaHands@lemmy.world avatar

This episode was so much fun!

I’ll admit, reading the premise ahead of time (by accident because Liftoff app doesn’t do spoiler tags yet oops) had me worried as I find a lot of attempts at “humour” in modern Trek tend to try way too hard and are just uncomfortable to sit through. But this was genuinely funny! Turns out Ethan Peck has great comedic timing, and Pike’s background antics and reactions were fabulous. The dynamic between T’Pring’s parents was a bit stereotypical but also extremely relatable.

Also really liked what they did with Nurse Chapel in this episode. Her pain and desperation helped balance the episode and make it something more than just funny hijinks. The feelings of regret and survivor’s guilt, the desperate need to fix something that wasn’t even your fault, grief over losing (at least partially, in this case) someone you love. So many complex emotions shown on screen at once, all by one character, and entirely believably, was not something I expected from a “haha funny Spock” episode.

UhBell ,
@UhBell@lemmy.world avatar

I had so much fun watching this episode. Spock yelling at his mom in a beanie like a teenager fucking killed me. This episode was filled with so much potential meme material - I can’t wait to rewatch it to collect screenshots.

BIGxChedda ,

Where all the comments

triktrek ,

Make sure to set your language settings to both UNDETERMINED and ENGLISH. It’s some Lemmy bug.

FormerGameDev ,

looks like it’s a particularly horrible intentional design decision

jalanhenning ,
@jalanhenning@startrek.website avatar

I had to go to my settings and click English to see them. Apparently I just had Undetermined. (I hope you can see this!)

triktrek ,

Make sure to select both.

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