Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x09 "Subspace Rhapsody"

LoglineAn accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the USS Enterprise to break uncontrollably into song, but the real danger is that the field is expanding and beginning to impact other ships—allies and enemies alike.

Written by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff

Directed by Dermott Downs

TeaHands , (edited )
@TeaHands@lemmy.world avatar

Ok I love musicals so was definitely looking forward to this one. Did anyone else find it a little disappointing?

There was a bit too much moping and not enough joy, for me. That’s what makes a good musical episode so great, they can progress the plot while giving us an over-the-top fun time. But instead we had everyone singing a sad song and then one or two upbeat numbers, none of which were particularly catchy or entertaining. Like, if you’ve seen it even just once or twice years ago like I have you can probably remember some of the songs from the OG Buffy episode, but we watched this last night and by the end I genuinely couldn’t even remember the supposed grand finale song.

Boy band Klingons made the wait worth it, but I spent most of this episode spaced out a bit and just half-listening rather than watching which is the first episode I can say that about.

Shoutout to whoever decided to redo the theme music though, that was inspired.

Also the talk about bunnies has to be a reference to Buffy, right?

Mezentine ,

Honestly this episode feels written by Sondheim fans more than anything, which is why all the G&S references were so odd to me lol. Definitely less focus on “fun” but I think all the lyrics were really clever and expressive and the way that all of the songs felt like they reinforced character work successfully was a feat even if none of them are particular “catchy” in that ear-worm way. Company is probably my favorite musical of all time but its pretty hard for me to hum you anything from that show

khaosworks ,
@khaosworks@startrek.website avatar

I’m not sure about Sondheim - it doesn’t really have his feel and the music and lyrics for the most part aren’t as thematically disciplined and crisp as I expect from a Sondheim musical.

The feel was a bit more contemporary pop, like a Pasek & Paul piece.

lonlazarus ,

I don’t love musicals in particular, but aren’t anti-musical, and I felt the same. The songs weren’t memorable, the numbers were a bit dull, and nobody really danced much except for extras that they hired that were clearly dancers. If you’re going to pull of a musical, gotta go big, SNW didn’t go big.

Hogger85b , (edited )

Agree. I love musicals (Buffy musical episode, scmigadoom) and was really looking forward to this. The first song I though yes this is great..... but when Una started singing to Kirk I thought meh....and the songs never really got any better. Just got too much into the angst and no joy (except chapels song that was a banger and should have been the tone of all the other songs)

Disgustoid ,

I didn’t think they’d skip the opportunity to give us singing Klingons but the end result was just…wow. chef’s kiss

I absolutely love Pike’s “exasperated” face. It’s possibly a bit overused this season but it cracks me up every single time because it’s how I’d probably react if I were in his shoes and it’s so unlike how the previous Starfleet ship captains would react, even when the situation fully merited it.

cybervseas ,

Picard had a face like that. I think he mostly used it with diplomats.

r2vq ,
@r2vq@lemmy.ca avatar

Kirk had a face like that too. I’ve seen him use it with Tribbles.

FormerGameDev ,

maybe we could get a crossover with Shaw so they can make that look together

NuPNuA ,

I was pretty sure they were going to nail this as soon as it was announced. Treks always played around with music and characters with musical aptitude so this was inevitable eventually.

I’m not really a musical fan unless it’s something I’m already interested in like this or, say, Pick of Destiny, thought this was great though, simple sci-fi justification, then all in on the concept. Thought the songs and “musical rules” were a good way of packing an episode with dense character work across the whole cast in an era when you only have ten episodes a year to play with.

JWBananas ,
@JWBananas@startrek.website avatar

🎵 They got the mustard uncertainty out! 🎵

Tired8281 ,

We all must have done some pretty amazing stuff in our past lives, to deserve this season we are getting.

estebanknobl ,
@estebanknobl@lemmy.world avatar

I don’t like musicals… at all. But I really enjoyed this episode. The whole cast is so good. I had a lot of fun watching (and listening to) it.

GaiusGornicusCaesar ,
@GaiusGornicusCaesar@startrek.website avatar

Episode was good. Klingon part was funny. Liked how the played the TOS theme after the “grand finale” was finished.

Continuumguy ,

I kind of thought playing the TOS theme was like meant to be the music played after the final curtain as the actors take their bows and people start leaving the theater.

GaiusGornicusCaesar ,
@GaiusGornicusCaesar@startrek.website avatar

Yeah, make sense. Still like it, love the theme and love whenever it is played.

lonlazarus ,

So, the time has finally come. I want to mention that I’m not a huge fan of musicals, this translates to that tend to only watch them if external circumstances push me to watch one and I only enjoy if they’re really well done. Well, circumstances have pushed me, and… it was meh.

I thought the songs weren’t particularly memorable, the productions were a bit underwhelming and the dancing nearly non-existent.

shanna ,

I feel like I’m the only person who was SUPER excited when the musical episode was announced, and… rather underwhelmed by the actual episode. (Except for the a capella theme song. I adored that!) Maybe my expectations were too high, but… I just didn’t think most of the songs were that good. I need to rewatch it a couple times, maybe it’ll grow on me.

TeaHands ,
@TeaHands@lemmy.world avatar

Nah I’m with you, just made a similar comment! It did have its moments but I expected the songs to be stronger for sure.

1stTime4MeInMCU ,

I felt similarly. Like, sure, its a little silly but hey go for it. But if you go for it you gotta nail it and while the performances were all decent the songs themselves were mostly just ok.

1stTime4MeInMCU ,

La’an definitely becoming one of my favorite characters, which is surprising because she was middle of the pack in S1.

Stormygeddon ,

I found it peculiar how the Klingons were saying there was no honor in the singing—considering how into Opera the can be known to be—up until I heard how they got the most egregious of the autotune.

CeruleanRuin ,
@CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world avatar

That definitely was a funny surprise. Up until that point I had assumed that the Klingons would be doing their own style of music, but evidently the reality field the whole subspace network was tethered to was a very specific kind of musical that excluded Klingon opera.

GaiusGornicusCaesar ,
@GaiusGornicusCaesar@startrek.website avatar

Dishonorable. Klingons may only sing the heaviest of metals or the most glorious of operas.

WEAPONX ,

I was hoping for a Klingon death metal number throughout the episode. This was probably only opportunity to see something like that.

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

Hopefully they’ll do more… Luckily there are some songs and bands out there. Really if I want to satisfy my urge for Klingon it really doesn’t matter what type it is they just have to sing it in the original Klingon.

Continuumguy ,

I feel like Lower Decks might be able to pull it off.

ClarkDoom ,

I don’t think it was the singing bringing dishonor but instead the fact the singing happens by expressing inner feelings and emotions.

valen ,
@valen@lemmy.world avatar

And they wore gold lamé!

buckykat ,

To sing does not dishonor a Klingon, but to be forced to sing by something the Federation set off, that dishonors a Klingon.

Osa-Eris-Xero512 ,

Can we talk about how great it is that they keep tinkering with the opening credits for the special episodes? Because I love it every time they do. Fukkin acapella man.

AuroraBorealis ,
@AuroraBorealis@pawb.social avatar

I love this as well! And doing fun stuff with the star trek brand intro as well, I hope they continue both of those in the future

CeruleanRuin ,
@CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world avatar

I’m a huge sucker for altered opening credits. Enterprise still wins for the best one of these with its mirror universe episode.

teft ,
@teft@startrek.website avatar

+1 for that theme in In a Mirror Darkly.

triktrek ,

Oh yeah, great idea. Kinda like the Simpsons gag or so:

  • If they ever have a mirror episode, the opening credits should be horizontally mirrored
  • If they ever have a time travel episode, the opening credits should go backwards
  • Another cross-over episode? DS9 or some other ship better appear in there! etc.
Continuumguy ,

Reminds me of how Community would change up things all the time.

shirro ,

It could be bunnies

Osa-Eris-Xero512 ,

I will be incredibly disappointed if in season 6 or something they don't bring that back and have it be bunnies.

TheDubh ,

Not SNW, but I for sure could see Lower Decks finding the fold and accidentally finding the bunny probability. Hopefully we’ll see the Klingon bunnies.

Vittelius ,

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRKD75g45Ls/UO8f8o-BD6I/AAAAAAAAFio/ou2nE7VSxy4/s1600/captain-america.gif

UESPA_Sputnik ,
@UESPA_Sputnik@feddit.de avatar

Bunnies aren’t just cute like everybody supposes!

They’ve got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses!

And what’s with all the carrots?

What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?

Bunnies!

Bunnies!

It must be bunnies!

shirro ,

Did I hear a bit of the music from Once More With Feeling in engineering near the start?

Or maybe midgets.

UESPA_Sputnik ,
@UESPA_Sputnik@feddit.de avatar

Yeah, I heard that too during the moment where Pelia suggests sending music through the rift. I think it’s part of that song where Dawn dances at the Bronze.

shirro ,

Yeah, Dawn’s Ballet or something very like it. Cool reference.

CeruleanRuin ,
@CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world avatar

Was it just me, or did Pelia have a winking look when she suggested that, as if she knew exactly what would happen? Or maybe that’s just Pelia all the time…

hmantegazzi ,
@hmantegazzi@startrek.website avatar

“these kids really need to blow some steam and talk their things out, let’s make it so”

CeruleanRuin ,
@CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world avatar

Shades of Guinan and the Nexus there.

CeruleanRuin ,
@CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world avatar

Serious props to whoever dropped that reference in. That’s a lovely homage to the OG musical episode.

Snowcano ,

Which musical episode?

valen ,
@valen@lemmy.world avatar

Buffy’s Once More With Feeling.

Snowcano ,

Ahhhh, thank you. Hadn’t seen that one, and was pretty sure I wasn’t missing a Trek reference.

hmantegazzi ,
@hmantegazzi@startrek.website avatar

ends being Cardassian voles

PoweredByGeena ,

Upfront: I love musicals. I have to say this episode is just so creative and original. I think it is one of my all time favorites across all the series. Strange New Worlds has done such a good job bringing back the light-heartedness in a franchise that had become so overly dark and serious - and this is the pinnacle of that effort. Season 2 has just been outstanding.

Jacko ,

Same. Told my wife it was my fav ep ever.

krolden ,
@krolden@lemmy.ml avatar

I despise musical episodes and had to stop watching this one after I heard Spock’s autotuned voice.

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