Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x07 "Those Old Scientists"

LoglineAn accident while investigating a time portal sends Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Bradward Boimler through time from the 24th century, and Captain Pike and his crew must get them back where they belong before they can alter the timeline.

Written by Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff

Directed by Jonathan Frakes

felixxx999 ,

Fine Fine episode Why are my eyes so big?? The Stafleet logo on the soles of his shoes. Mariner doing her double thumbs up. Her rolled up sleeves being slightly lighter red.
Enterprise love! Why do they talk so loud? Lol. The OPENING CREDITS! With that sucking alien. Glad they didn’t have them retreat from danger.

deweydecibel ,

Sooooo many people that never watched Lower Decks are going to be asking why there was a koala in the opening and I’m delighted by that.

ummthatguy ,
@ummthatguy@lemmy.world avatar

“Why is he smiling? What does he know?”

teolan ,
@teolan@lemmy.world avatar

I watched lower decks and I’m also confused

AuroraBorealis ,
@AuroraBorealis@pawb.social avatar

I think it’s s1e4 of lower decks

teolan ,
@teolan@lemmy.world avatar

Thanks

Taleya ,

The universe is balanced on the back of a giant cosmic koala! WHY IS HE SMILING? WHAT DOES HE KNOW??

linux2647 ,

I missed the koala! When does it show up in the intro?

Edit: found it at 6:46

Mezentine ,

I cannot believe they had Boimler and Mariner move like physical cartoon characters and pulled it off that well, holy shit. We absolutely lost it when Boimler was tangled in the control panel

poundsignbuttstuff ,

And him doing his walk away from Una the second time. And so many of Tawnie’s mannerisms like in the shuttle where she kinda strikes a pose before getting caught. And Quaid’s mannerisms and screaming with Spock in the lab.

Those two really worked to make realistic versions of the silliness they have in LDS and it was magnificent. I caught so much more on second watch.

Acid ,
@Acid@startrek.website avatar

This episode is one of the best episodes in the modern era of Trek, it’s lighthearted it’s funny it celebrates Trek and it’s done so tastefully that I genuinely have nothing bad to say about it. It reminds me of Trials and Tribble-ations.

Plus that line at the end where they tell Una ad astra per aspera and that’s why boimler joined Starfleet is just the right kind of emotions.

Honestly, they smashed it in this episode and ofc the 2d animated intro was chefs kiss.

YoBuckStopsHere ,
@YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world avatar

This episode is one of the best episodes in the modern era of Trek, it’s lighthearted it’s funny it celebrates Trek and it’s done so tastefully that I genuinely have nothing bad to say about it. It reminds me of Trials and Tribble-ations.

Alex Kurtzman must have hated this episode, it is the exact opposite of what he wanted to do with Trek. Also why fans love it, because Alex was always wrong about what Trek is about and why it matters to the fans.

concrete_baby ,

Why is it the exact opposite of what Alex Kurtzman wants to do?

YoBuckStopsHere ,
@YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world avatar

Kurtzman wanted a serious dark tone that excluded humor, excluded science, and promoted how progressive the future would be. He selected a largely female-diverse cast and wrote that all white males would be stupid or evil in the script. Then he proceeded to change the look and style of Trek away from the established canon to whatever garbage he came up with. Maybe if the writing was better it could have worked but that writing was bad, very very bad. This was the age of discovery in Trek where Star Fleet was full of brave heroes. He wrote his characters to be weak, angry, or overly emotional. The cast of Strange New Worlds feels like Star Fleet, they can have emotions but they are written to understand the dangers they are in are part of why they are doing what they do. Exploration is dangerous, you need to have a backbone to survive it.

concrete_baby ,

I disagree. Trek has always been progressive, and that’s what the whole series is about: infinite diversity in infinite combinations. TOS had Chekov, a Russian on the bridge in an American show during the Cold War era. It had Uhura, a Black woman on the bridge at the age of segregation and institutional racism. It had Sulu, a Japanese man when Japanese American families were wrongly incarcerated only years ago in WWII. The founders of the Federation were from four different species and set aside differences to build a better union. It’s the bastion of progressivism, and a rebuke to conservatism and isolationism.

Let’s move on to the Berman era. The Federation is now what people like Tasha Yar look up to, after spending her childhood escaping rape gangs. What does the Federation stand for? Equality. We have Doctor and Data trying to be recognized as equals to sentient beings. We have Tasha Yar, a woman engineer, Kathryn Janeway, a woman captain, Kira Nerys, a woman Bajoran leader on DS9. Berman and his colleagues never seriously considered a man playing the captain of the Voyager. They also made women characters complex and gave us Seven of Nine and Kai Winn, who both have their own motivations and personal history that shape their characters. And who can forget the Sisko as the first Black captain leading a series and his realistic relationship with Jake?

Kurtzman is also the executive producer on SNW, so I’m not sure what you’re on about. Kurtzman carried on the Roddenberry vision of filling leading Trek roles with a diverse cast, SNW, LOW, PRO, and DIS included.

all white males would be stupid or evil in the script

I have no idea where you got that from. Is Stamets evil? Is Sarek evil? Is SNW Pike evil? Is Chief Kyle evil? Well, yes, very evil. The only evil white male character I can think of is mirror Lorca.

This was the age of discovery in Trek where Star Fleet was full of brave heroes. He wrote his characters to be weak, angry, or overly emotional.

I feel like you’re idolizing “heroes” as demigods in real life, much like how Christopher Columbus was celebrated, when in reality he committed genocide and enslaved generations of Native Americans. Heroes in Earth’s age of discovery were also humans. They had emotions, they had feelings, they cried, they had PTSD, they were angry, and some of them were weak. Some of them had egos that cost their lives (see Robert Scott’s expedition to the South Pole.)

Zpiritual ,

I feel like the cast isn’t the issue and that it’s more about what you do with the cast that’s been a bit underwhelming at times. And he’s right about the lack of goofyness in modern trek and I’m glad it’s back in force with this season!

mplewis ,
@mplewis@lemmy.globe.pub avatar

Exploration is dangerous. That’s why you need a team you trust to give you the diverse perspective you need to survive it.

Acid ,
@Acid@startrek.website avatar

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the moderator]

    •
    YoBuckStopsHere ,
    @YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world avatar

    Yes, and look at those characters. Unless the character is gay, they are written to be negative or evil.

    Acid ,
    @Acid@startrek.website avatar

    [Thread, post or comment was deleted by the moderator]

    •
    YoBuckStopsHere ,
    @YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world avatar

    He is gay which separates him.

    ScrivenerX ,

    excluded humor, excluded science,

    I seem to remember the first instance of “fuck” in star trek being a humorous scene about science.

    promoted how progressive the future would be.

    Like every other star trek?

    I’m not a huge Disco fan. I think it doesn’t stand up and is way too focused on how everyone feels, but complaining about “oh no! SJWs!” Is just a roundabout way of saying you are racist/sexist. I think there are some good ideas in Disco but moving away from the episodic formula hurt the show. SNW does much of the same stuff as Disco, but is plot driven not character driven, which is fundamental difference between Disco and other Trek. Picard went the same way as Disco and suffered for it.

    I hope that the success of SNW and LD help them realize what parts of the formula work and what doesn’t.

    Taleya ,

    Oh hon, your entire arse is showing

    ValueSubtracted OP Mod ,
    @ValueSubtracted@startrek.website avatar

    This is a good time to remind the group that we have zero tolerance for bigotry.

    ClarkDoom ,

    Boimler exclaiming “RIKER” as he hopped on the saddle had me howling. Frakes is such a sport!

    zalack ,
    @zalack@kbin.social avatar

    I saw somewhere that the actor improved that line which means he blurted it out with Riker standing right there which feels totally in line with the tone of the episode they were shooting. It's funny to me on so many levels.

    ClarkDoom ,

    That honestly makes it’s so much better. I’d love to see a behind the scenes for this episode!

    poundsignbuttstuff ,

    Definitely watch the Ready Room episode. They talk about a lot of this. I remember another interview where Tawnie Newsom, I think, talks about how Frakes, Quaid, and her just kinda took over the set because they were all nerding out, being silly, and improv-ing a bunch because that’s what they do on LDS.

    Continuumguy ,

    Yep, they confirm it in Ready Room. Apparently Frakes’ wife was dying from laughter watching the episode when that happened.

    theinspectorst ,
    @theinspectorst@kbin.social avatar

    Frakes’ wife

    For a moment in my head, I was wondering why you didn't just say Deanna.

    letThemPlay , (edited )

    Absolutely loved this episode, Boimler getting wrapped in the cables when jerry-rigging the sensors had me in tears; and the Riker as he swung his leg over the saddle brilliant bit of improv made even funnier knowing Drakes directed this.

    They managed to tone down the lower deckers slighter whilst still having their full personalities come through.

    Pikes getting more exacerbated with them throughout the episode was well done, and the amount of physical comedy I’m running out of superlatives for this episode.

    It was just brilliant, easily my favourite of the current era.

    Edit. Just wanted to add, loved seeing the LD uniform in love action; thought it translated really well.

    MaxHardwood ,

    I loved it. I was ready to be annoyed they didn’t do a LD animation style intro sequence but they nailed it; nacelle monster and all. Same for the ending; I was hopeful they would do the end scene LD style and again they just nailed it.

    UESPA_Sputnik ,
    @UESPA_Sputnik@lemmy.world avatar

    Fun episode. I lost track of all the references but I’m particularly delighted that they brought up the NX-01 and her crew, and that the NCC-1701 crew (what even comes after the dash?) is gushing over them, like we all are gushing over all the different Trek crews.

    Voyager763 ,

    I deeply appreciated seeing some on-screen Enterprise love, because I feel like Enterprise gets a bum wrap.

    NuPNuA ,

    To be fair, since it’s been on it got an Easter egg reference in the Kelvin-verse and has been mentioned or referenced in most of the new shows from S1 of Dis on. Not only did they name drop Archer in that, they actually expanded on the MU episodes of Ent.

    Emperor_Cartagia ,

    And let’s not forget the NX-01 herself shows up onscreen in Picard Season 3.

    NuPNuA ,

    Yep, I thought they may resuse the Star Ship museum asset from Pic then realised it probably didn’t exist yet on SNW era.

    theothersparrow ,
    @theothersparrow@lemmy.one avatar

    An extremely fun episode.

    One thing that jumped out at me was the adjectives used: “scientists, explorers, adventurers.” The episode reinforced what Starfleet as an organization and Trek as a concept are all about.

    GaiusGornicusCaesar , (edited )
    @GaiusGornicusCaesar@startrek.website avatar

    The episode was really good. I like the appearance of the Orion Scout Ship we see in “Journey to Babel”, one of my favorite ships. It may raise some slight continuity errors, but who cares. Nice ship, nice episode, nice show. Probably one of the best episodes of Trek I’ve seen.

    Corgana ,
    @Corgana@startrek.website avatar

    Loved having a Sunday morning cartoon 🖖

    This episode was way better than it needed to be. I was genuinely moved seeing Una’s reaction to the knowledge of her being the “poster girl”, as well as the reaction of the Orion captain at the end.

    Seeing Boimler and Mariner in this context really drives home how much Lower Decks is essentially “what if Trekkies could serve in Star Fleet” and it worked so well!

    Hogger85b ,

    Especially the poster girl part being how she (and her lawyer) presented her self in the trial in ep2

    Corgana ,
    @Corgana@startrek.website avatar

    Yes exactly! To Boimler it was a major and inspiring story out of history, but to Una it was a personal moment that happened only recently. Imagine being told something you did that you thought was relatively minor (and over) would inspire generations of people in the years to come. Her reaction was perfect.

    YoBuckStopsHere ,
    @YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world avatar

    This is my all-time favorite episode of Star Trek. Wow, wow, wow … wow.

    samus12345 ,
    @samus12345@lemmy.world avatar

    https://media.tenor.com/IsmD4kAOwhAAAAAC/screen-rant-wow.gif

    teft ,
    @teft@startrek.website avatar

    Pelia is quoting Carey Grant when she talks to Boimler. I thought that was neat.

    I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me.

    guru_meditation ,

    This is truly the best Star Trek episode, bar none. Hadn’t had goosebumps like this since watching “All Good Things…” back in 1994.

    deepthaw ,

    HE DOES THE WALK

    RunningInRVA ,

    My wife went nuts when he did it and she’s not even into this like I am.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • [email protected]
  • All magazines
    •