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

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.

triktrek ,

Y’all ready to buy that Star Trek beanie at the next Trek convention? Makes for easy cosplay, especially if you have human ears.

FormerGameDev ,

i would absolutely buy an official one of these

UhBell ,
@UhBell@lemmy.world avatar

It’s standard protocol

teft ,

What if you have ferengi ears?

theothersparrow ,
@theothersparrow@lemmy.one avatar

This guy doesn’t have the lobes for Starfleet apparel.

G59 ,

Nooo I want T’Pring to be happy :(

mlekar ,

I always wondered how she ended up so sour and scheming in Amok Time … well here we go. Another 10 years or so of this will do that. Props to the writers.

teft ,

Let’s answer the real questions here.

What should we call this relationship? Chock? Spapel?

stuck ,

Crock?

emptyother ,
@emptyother@lemmy.world avatar

SpockH

siewyuk ,

Chapock!

electrorocket ,

Schpackel

theothersparrow ,
@theothersparrow@lemmy.one avatar

Asking the hard-hitting questions.

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!

SkaveRat ,

It’s insane how a series can be so good

electrorocket ,

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

maegul ,
@maegul@lemmy.ml avatar

So I’m not really the biggest fan of the episode. Felt a bit too obviously like mid-season filler or something. Though I didn’t hate it.

But what I actually really appreciated about it, reflecting on it just now, is that I don’t think it was predictable, like at all. You couldn’t quite tell if the episode was going to go full comedy, or romantic drama or some whacky sci-fi stuff with the wormhole aliens.

And I think that might be one of SNW’s strengths (?) A sort of comfortable and maybe confident fluidity around the tone and style it’s going for in any episode and at any point in time.

williams_482 ,
@williams_482@startrek.website avatar

Felt a bit too obviously like mid-season filler or something. Though I didn’t hate it.

As far as I’m concerned, the weakest parts of the show were the parts that tried the hardest not to be “mid-season filler”: creating and resolving the doctor’s insane daughter-in-transporter-buffer situation, trying to set up a future “big bad” situation with Sybok, etc. I was very concerned from Alex Kurtzman’s description of this current season many months ago that they might have learned the wrong lessons from the first season, but thank goodness that they seem to have stuck with what made the first season good: brilliantly executed character driven episodic storytelling.

SoSquidTaste ,

future “big bad” situation with Sybok

For real though, wtf happened with that mic drop reveal. Not that I'm complaining; I don't feel particularly excited to learn about another previously-unheard-of Spock sibling.

Then again, the amount of times Sarek's name was dropped in this episode is probably a clear breadcrumb that this storyline is coming sooner than later.

eva_sieve ,

To be fair, Sybok was the original spontaneous Spock sibling, even though Star Trek V was chronologically later.

Mezentine ,

No its great. I love them bringing Sybok back so much. Its so stupid. Its the goofiest decision they could have possibly made and it embodies something I love about Star Trek, which is its refusal to throw away even the bad stuff. Every reminder that Star Trek V is canon keeps the franchise from getting too arrogant about itself.

FormerGameDev ,

I would guess that if we see Sarek in this series, it’s going to be either purely through another character’s view, or just mentions. It’s many years off still before Sarek gets over Spock’s decision to join Starfleet, and starts talking to him again.

khaosworks ,
@khaosworks@startrek.website avatar

Annotations up at startrek.website/post/353200

CCF_100 ,

This episode was really fun

eva_sieve ,

Kinda sad we didn’t get James Frain back as Sarek for this episode. I could kinda see him bumping into Chapel and reminiscing about how the Vulcan Science Academy was absolutely awful to his 1.5 human kids.

FormerGameDev ,

Remember that Sarek is not speaking to Spock for another like 18 years or so

erbazzone ,

I was not a fan of the spock chapel love story but this episode was def a banger

lwaxana_katana ,

I really don’t understand why they have to do this whole Chapel/Spock thing. :( I like T’Pring more.

UESPA_Sputnik ,
@UESPA_Sputnik@lemmy.world avatar

Maybe it’s finally time for Star Trek to boldly go … for polyamory.

ThrowawayInTheYear23 , (edited )

Giggity Giggity and some feelings for La’an.

IonAddis ,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

She’s a human with restrained emotions. I’m not surprised he’d feel a bit of something for her.

Hypersapien ,

Because it’s been a thing since the '60s

brandoncarey , (edited )
@brandoncarey@vivaldi.net avatar

@Hypersapien @lwaxana_katana

To be fair, TOS didn't really go hard on Spock+Chapel, but even being a doofus kid, I shipped it.

Hypersapien ,

EVERYONE shipped it. Erotic fan fics have been around for a LONG time.

Of course, most of them involved Spock and Kirk.

Lockely ,
@Lockely@pawb.social avatar

Didn’t Naked Time have Chapel literally profess her love for Spock?

thomasb2k ,

I loved this episode!

Weerdo ,

So, that whole section for Spock on being a Vulcan, That’s the video clip they’re going to give new actors for Vulcans isn’t it? Right down to the prosthetics.

theothersparrow ,
@theothersparrow@lemmy.one avatar

T’Pring’s pop wins the award for chillest Vulcan and most loyal malewife.

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