I really enjoyed this episode, while I do agree that it's strange only Chapel survived (she should have remained on planet).
That to be continued hurt with the way the strike is, so I guess we'll have to see if we will actually get a follow up.
And I love the Gorn, this episode finally hinted at their intelligence. And the solar flare thing while a bit weird could be an interesting way of using biology to influence how a civilization develops. I know Arena exists but I really don't mind retconning this. Having recently looked at the Enterprise depiction of Gorn, I feel like this remains in the same vein but looks more lizardy.
SNW is still my favourite Trek, maybe its because I never actually watched TOS but I feel like even if I did I wouldn't dislike it.
Pelia knowing Scott doesn't surprise me considering she seems to be the Boothsby of the Engineers.
Scotty being introduced made me really happy ^^
As a prequel I think this still works, some people say its not the Pike show they expected but I don't get why, yes we have seen some TOS characters like Kirk and Scotty, hopefully Kirk will get less time next season, probably considering the ships has less to do together.
I get its corpo decisions but I will trust the creative team to not drop the ball with overusing fanservice characters, having scotty as a member of the Enterprise crew is also imo not a problem. If anything I hope we get to keep Pelia and have him as a underling for next season and maybe build up to him being promoted head of engineering later on.
Hopefully Paramount will dare to make a new series about an entirely new crew set post VOY or maybe even some time in the early 2300s around the time the Enterprise D was around as we haven't seen a lot of that time. But I would prefer a firmly 2400s series.
So I haven't been to war, or suffered through it or anything and I can't say I don't understand some of the feelings but thank you so much for sharing this. Partially because it makes me feel more hopeful that it isn't so black and impossible, that it is possible to heal and move on to a degree. I still agree with most of what you said, I felt sad, if not outright disappointed because to me M'benga's actions aren't justifiable. It would have been one thing to have Rahl go through Nuremberg style trials or something but the Federation did decide to grant him asylum. I guess I personally dream of a more optimistic world where it might be possible to forgive, but yeah.. idk.
Damn I read the ideas for Star Trek: The Beginning. Besides the stupid name it sounds like an awesome idea to see the first Earth - Romulan war and have something bridge the gap between ENT and TOS
Might be he needed more medical equipment or something.
I have loved SNW from the get go but I think its great that to me at least every episode has been great. I don't think I have felt meh or bummed out by any singular one so far. Comparing to TNG and DS9 who had quite a few meh episodes. That is great imo
So that is a vague title, but this is obviously spoiler related but it also felt fitting with what this post is about. I am going to be a corny emotional potato right now and I really needed this off my chest.
Also before you go reading my post and complain that is now what you want, it is mainly a self reflection post relating to being trans, transphobia, modern society etc. So if its not your cup o tea, gotcha but yeah. Also unsurprisingly in relation to that, yes I am trans. And I guess I should warn this post will deal with some societal issues, self loathing, emotions yada yada.
So even last season I felt that I could relate to Una's story, having to hide her identity as Illyrian because society deemed it illegal. We saw the anger and fear from La'an when she felt deceived alongside her own identity issues with being related to Noonien Singh. Now of course augments aren't a direct 1 - 1 the same as trans people and I am not trying to make that claim either. But I did read parts of it as allegorical for trans experiences, and I think its also partially intentional. I remember being a bit teary seeing La'an and Una's fight and everything else.
Then we got this absolutely amazing episode dealing with the aftermath. Of course we knew she would be safe but the journey there was what is interesting and this episode blew it out of it all.
Already seeing the way her identity was used and presented as some form of deception, as if she had lied to others and that it was harmful rings a very clear bell with both past histories of laws with lgbtq people but still do today. While I do not live in the US, seeing the laws presented these days, the moral panic and continuous attack made on trans people I see a clear connection. And even if I am not suffering under them, I still fear both for friends who do and the worry that those same laws might come to my country. We can't choose to be born like this, we never had that choice and yet it's argued that it should be used to exclude trans people. It leads to a lot of pain.
Knowing how laws where discussed, might even have passed of trans children being taken from their parents if doctors reported them under arguments of child abuse if they went in to health care providers made me think of the way Una could not get health care for the fear of being arrested with her family. This is of course most likely relatable aswell to a lot of other minorities. The whole passing argument how people where divided in two cities, and those that passed could live in society as everyone else, if they kept their identity hidden and if you didn't passed you would face persecution, hatred etc.
Not to mention when they mentioned all the slurs used, I found so many points where I could change the word augment for trans related things and it painfully made sense.
There was so much here but in the end that is not why I made this post, what actually made me just break down crying and hit so hard in feeling that I was told my own life was okay was this discussion between Neera and La'an.
>Counselor: There is nothing wrong with you Lieutenant, no hidden monster inside. But I do know how they make us feel. They look down at us for so long that we begin to look down at ourselves. Genetics is not our destiny despite what you may have been taught. The fear of yourself it’s not your own. It was drilled into you. You’re not born a monster. You were just born with a capacity for actions, good or ill. Just like the rest of us…
While we talk about augments here again, there is a clear correlation with the notion of that self loathing that comes with being part of something you have no control over. That fear of being discriminated against but also the way people talk about you..
I have felt like a monster before for being trans. Same with freak, and a lot of other words. Both being told by strangers but also familiar people's reactions. Feeling like I was damaging their lives, feeling like I robbed my parents of the child they thought I had. The deceiver, liar. I still feel like that a lot of the time. And then just hearing those words, despite the varying context it helped. I felt a bit more at peace, or relieved to see that sort of affirmation on screen.
I don't know how many times I have feared my own existence, or worried what others will think or react. To feel lesser, faker but also potentially dangerous. I don't even know how to explain what it made me feel but I felt seen. I felt seen for the first time in forever on screen and it makes me feel less wrong. Despite everything bad in the world there still exists some good, some people that still see how wrong things can be, and I am happy Star Trek remains there, always optimistic about it despite the hardships.
This turned into a weird rambling post, I am not sure it made a lot of sense but I needed to share/vent somewhere.
spoiler
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This episode had me crying, it was so beautiful and strong. Especially the part where La'an is told that she isn't a monster. The thing is while yes this is a fictional case, as someone that is trans irl, it hits home strong..
Adding to green drug thing, as I don't know how to edit here. I could see it being something created maybe by M'benga or some angry, traumatized federation soldiers during the war to get back at the Klingon's, potentially being illegal in the federation but very localized here.
WE ARE BACK!!!! :D
I feel like I have waited so long and it was worth it, while at first I wasn't bought entirely on the action, it really came together at the end.
I loved the entire part of Spock stealing the Enterprize for the first time of many and April's unintentional implications for the future. SNW keeps proving it has the Trek energy, yes it might stumble some, I can understand questions about magic steroids (it's a bit out there even for me but I am also surprised it took this long to have it, but maybe its not meant for combat actually but some medical thing?)
But it doesn't change that the quality of this show is so high, this really manages to capture the feelings of the older series, DS9 and TNG but also with a certain high quality to it.
Loved seeing the Crossfield get another showing and how the D7 has become the mainstay. I like that we get some more traditional trek ships out there. That feel like the older ones.
Klingon blood wine drinking with Spock was amazing.
I also loved Pellia and haven't heard of the lanthenians before but something about the half crazy old lady character is just amazing.
I laughed so much, felt so much heart warming. But then also feeling my heart ripped out with the memory to Nichelle and seeing that she has passed. I remember reading it but had kinda lost track of it.
I am so looking forward to more episodes of this <3