"This has always been a show about growth, personal and professional, and this season doubles down on it: How do you choose to improve your life, and how do you avoid self-sabotage? [...]

The best "Star Trek" becomes a comfort. We watch it in times of strife and anxiety to feel better about the future, and to imagine ourselves in a world where science, reason, and diplomacy rise above the noise. "Lower Decks" did all of that while also making us laugh. It remains a gift, and one that I'll cherish forever."

Jacob Hall (SlashFilm)

https://www.slashfilm.com/1692022/star-trek-lower-decks-season-5-review/

SLASHFILM:

"[...] It would've been easy for "Lower Decks" to be a simple gag factory catering to the impulses of super-fans. Instead, it does that while also telling stories that hit home, starring characters who invite our affections and our loyalty as much as any live-action series. It's a perfect balance: a "Star Trek" comedy series that loves "Star Trek" so much that it can't help but be "Star Trek" even when it's poking fun at "Star Trek." The wife test proves that this crew matters to her like Picard and Data and Worf matter to me.

Which makes it all the more bittersweet that the show's fifth season, where it remains as smart and funny and sweet as ever, is its last.

The five episodes of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" season 5 provided to critics for review showcase a series still operating at the height of its powers. Once again, each episode is a smart, funny standalone adventure in a new cook or cranny of the "Trek" universe, with one overarching storyline loosely tying the whole thing together.>! And in this case, that overarching storyline can't help but feel appropriate for a final season: due to sci-fi shenanigans, every character finds themselves questioning not only their current station in life, and in Starfleet, but also the path not taken. This has always been a show about growth, personal and professional, and this season doubles down on it: How do you choose to improve your life, and how do you avoid self-sabotage?!<

[...]

Without spoiling anything, season 5 is the right mixture of indulgent and curious with its explorations of the "Trek" universe, answering the questions that have kept fans awake at night for decades (What, exactly, happens to a planet when it joins the Federation and properly becomes a post-scarcity economy?) and delivering the kind of niche story that proper nerds have been dreaming about for ages (the season's format-breaking fourth episode is a dream come true for a certain flavor of "Next Generation" fan, especially those fond of scripts written by Ronald D. Moore). It's clear in every moment that "Lower Decks" isn't just a joke machine, even though the jokes are very good — this is a bunch of "Star Trek" fans using their own "Star Trek" show to answer all the questions they've ever had about "Star Trek."

[...]

The best "Star Trek" becomes a comfort. We watch it in times of strife and anxiety to feel better about the future, and to imagine ourselves in a world where science, reason, and diplomacy rise above the noise. "Lower Decks" did all of that while also making us laugh. It remains a gift, and one that I'll cherish forever."

Jacob Hall (SlashFilm)

Full Review:

https://www.slashfilm.com/1692022/star-trek-lower-decks-season-5-review/

GILLIAN VIGMAN (Dr. T’Ana): “She's had multiple fights. She looks like an alley cat. Like if she were a real cat, and you had to guess how old she was, you’d say, this cat is 27. So she’s a spirited, angry old woman from Maine and also a hardened sailor from 1866 with multiple tattoos.”

INVERSE:

"In 1973, the USS Enterprise suddenly had a relief communications officer to help Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) with her workload. But, where Uhura’s voice was legendary, her colleague’s voice was literally purring. Fifty-one years ago, when Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted, we were all casually introduced to the concept of a cat-person alien in the form of M’Ress, and her sultry cat voice, provided by Trek legend Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

But, today, the visage of the coquettish cat alien isn’t quite what contemporary Star Trek is going for anymore. In fact, quite the opposite. “It was sort of that weird fetishized idea of animal,” actress Gillian Vigman — aka Dr. T’Ana on Lower Decks — tells Inverse. “She was this super big-boobed cat-looking fantasy woman. Which, of course, isn’t what I’m doing now at all.”

We caught up with, Vigman, who has played Dr. T' Ana on the animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks since 2020, to chat about how she feels about playing a more realistic version of this Catian (cat alien) character, channeling Deforest Kelley, and why she’s ready to dress-up like a cat IRL — right now.

Canonically speaking, there are actually two distinct species of cat aliens in the Trek universe, and oddly enough, both were introduced during The Animated Series. In addition to the Catians (M’Ress, T’Ana, and some live-action unnamed cat-man in The Voyage Home) you’ve also got the super-aggressive Kzinti, created by science fiction writer Larry Niven for his “Known Space” books, and then brought into the Star Trek fold in the episode “The Slaver Weapon.” We’ve seen both kinds of cat aliens in Lower Decks since then, but, philosophically, Dr. T’Ana combines the sensibilities and temperaments of both kinds of Trek cat aliens, though is much less “demure” than M’Ress.

“The idea that it was like she like she's been run over by a truck,” Vigman says. “She's had multiple fights. She looks like an alley cat. Like if she were a real cat, and you had to guess how old she was, you’d say, this cat is 27. So she’s a spirited, angry old woman from Maine and also a hardened sailor from 1866 with multiple tattoos.”

Vigman said that she felt happy and relieved when she realized the crusty direction the art team was taking the character and admits to some influence from Deforest Kelley’s Dr. “Bones” McCoy, beloved by generations of fans for his cantankerousness.

[...]"

Ryan Britt (Inverse)

Link:

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/star-trek-catian-canon-lower-decks-cat-aliens

He was already unbalanced, he had an unnatural obsession with Eddington (for fun, you can call him Mister Breadington), the Maquis were in the perfect position to act as harassers and pests on the fringes of the Dominion war, and the Cardassians started the whole mess in the first place.

And yes the Malinche was attacked, that was a mistake, but they did go looking for a fight and would have gladly blown the Maquis raiders out of the stars. Besides, how does a modified Excelsior class ship get it's ass handed to it by a pair of junk fighters?

Anyhoo, for what was a minor thorn in Starfleets side, and what I suspect was a lot of wounded egos in the Admiralty at the idea of ex-Starfleet officers going into space to do the right thing and "betraying" their uniform did the Federation light a fire under someones ass.

What if the Maquis had been targeting Orions? Or Romulans? Did their attacks hit too close to home?

As for the planet, that is IMO one order that the entire crew should have refused to carry out.

e: those new holographic communication devices are a massive tripping hazard, I'm glad they got rid of them.

e2: Well, I knew it wasn't going to be the most popular of statements, but I figured there's not enough new topics besides the articles about how an actor today feels about an ep from 30 years ago.

"Because Star Trek: The Original Series was progressive for its time, a 1960s romance between Captain Pike and the highly competent Number One could have been a surprisingly equitable variation on the trope of pairing off two attractive leads. [...]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' potential Pike and Number One romance could work. Captain Pike and Number One's friendship is based on years of trust; Chris guarded Una's secret of being a genetically-enhanced Illyrian, and Number One knows about Pike's ill-fated future."

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-captain-pike-number-one-romance-cage-op-ed/

SCREENRANT:

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 can pay off a romance between two USS Enterprise officers that was first teased 59 years ago. As a new Star Trek show about the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is already paying off the very first version of Star Trek. In 1965, the first Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", starred Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry as Number One; now all three of those characters have been reimagined for a modern audience.

Anson Mount's Captain Pike is a strong, compassionate leader dedicated to a personal code of ethics and the welfare of his crew. Haunted by knowledge of the future accident that will doom him to a locked-in state, Pike is able to risk his life and his career in support of Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn)—also known as Number One. In addition to reimagining old characters, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduces a new love interest for Pike, the USS Cayuga's Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano). As Pike's peer, Batel also knows how tough maintaining a relationship can be in Starfleet.

[...]

If this original concept for Star Trek had actually continued, a romance between Hunter's Pike and Barrett-Roddenberry's Number One might have been inevitable.​​​​​​​ In "The Cage", Pike sees Number One as his First Officer before he sees her as a woman​​​​​​, but the revelation that Number One entertains romantic fantasies about Pike suggests that might have eventually changed. Because Star Trek: The Original Series was progressive for its time, a 1960s romance between Captain Pike and the highly competent Number One could have been a surprisingly equitable variation on the trope of pairing off two attractive leads.

[...]

Why A Pike & Number One Romance Could Work In Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' potential Pike and Number One romance could work. Captain Pike and Number One's friendship is based on years of trust; Chris guarded Una's secret of being a genetically-enhanced Illyrian, and Number One knows about Pike's ill-fated future. Even when Pike starts doubting the certainty of that vision, Pike still puts his life and career on the line to save Number One in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra Per Aspera". And Una being in jeopardy on Kiley 279 actually brings Pike back to the Enterprise in Strange New Worlds' premiere.

One fact deterring a Captain Pike and Commander Chin-Riley relationship might be that Pike is Number One's commanding officer. Relationships between Starfleet captains and officers aren't expressly forbidden, but Starfleet might frown upon the potential conflict of interest. Pike is attracted to intelligence and confidence, qualities that Una also has in spades, but Pike and Batel's relationship was more above board as equals serving on different ships. One line in the nearly 60-year-old Star Trek pilot doesn't confirm Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will pair off Pike and Number One, but it opens the door for a possibility."

Jen Watson (ScreenRant)

Link:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-captain-pike-number-one-romance-cage-op-ed/

Happy Holidays!

TREKMOVIE:

"In addition to their work “preserving Star Trek sets digitally” for the Roddenberry Archive, OTOY also worked on The Roddenberry Vault Blu-ray set released for the 50th anniversary. As they were developing the documentary features for “The Cage,” they began exploring the idea of what [Producer Jules] Urbach calls “concept videos,” which resulted in the “765874” short film series. “Unification” is actually the fourth of the series, and by far the most ambitious. The new short film was designed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek Generations.

Urbach also noted that many fans were frustrated with how Kirk died in Generations, and although he thought the scene in Star Trek Beyond when Zachary Quinto’s Spock was notified of Spock Prime’s passing was “beautiful,” the death of the character happened offscreen. How these deaths were handled was a key motivation for the creation of “Unification,” Urbach explains:

“The point of this, emotionally, is we give them a proper sendoff. It was horrible that they died in separate universes… So, we thought: do we dare do this? And everyone was okay with this, from Shatner to the Nimoys to Paramount. Then it felt like something we should get as fans, as people that love these characters, as closure… And it makes sense from the characters’ perspective that they would connect, and we have given at least two ways for that to be possible.”

Before diving into “Unification,” it’s worth exploring a bit about the previous three films in this series, each of which also features the character of Yeoman Colt from “The Cage,” played by Urbach’s wife Mahé Thaissa. They noticed she has a striking resemblance to the original actress Laurel Goodwin, which Urbach says was “serendipitous.” The conceit of the OTOY film series is a deep cut tied into a story from the 1998 Marvel comic Star Trek: Early Voyages featuring Colt.

“What’s interesting in that Marvel comic book is not her adventure into the future. It’s on the way back she sees all of Star Trek’s timeline. It’s this ‘awakening’ and seeing everything and having that experience.”

[...]"

Full Interview:

https://trekmovie.com/2024/11/27/exclusive-unification-producer-breaks-down-otoys-star-trek-short-giving-kirk-and-spock-a-final-goodbye/

Hello and welcome! Please use this post to discuss this weeks Lower Decks episode! Feel free to post spoilers, here only, without the need for proper markup. IF you are reading this post, you may see spoilers! Stop now, if you don't want anything spoiled!

TREKMOVIE:

"The upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie introduces new faces to franchise. TrekMovie had a chance to speak to three of the new actors in a roundtable interview with other media outlets at New York Comic Con: Omari Hardwick who plays Alok Sahar, Robert Kazinsky who plays Zeph, and Kacey Rohl, playing a younger Rachel Garrett. They join Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role of Emperor Georgiou from Discovery. [...]"

OMARI HARDWICK (Alok, The Mastermind):

"He recognizes the leadership in her. I think one of the greatest adages in life is: ‘game recognizes game’ …Everybody wants to be seen in life. Babies die if they’re not touched, but every human wants to be seen. And so I think I saw Georgiou, and I think my genesis of it all is: I see that you’re a leader. I absolutely am open to her showing wrinkles that I’m not aware that are there, but I’m super aware that however that the character played by the legend Michelle Yeoh is that of what he sees when he brushes his teeth looking in the mirror.

So there was this sort of like, “Come be with me, because you are this.” And by the way, the things that I have connected to pain that I’m still rectifying, help me with that. Maybe I’m not aware of me being a person that is more like you. Maybe I just simply see that you’re like me. But I was wanting Michelle’s character to basically go “You’re like me in this way.” It was a tug of war, but we were definitely a game recognizes game."

ROB KAZINSKY:

"It’s funny, it’s like you’re the only person that she could ever trust, because you recognize each other. You guys create this immediate kind of chemistry where they meet head on in conflict and then she’s like, “Okay, we’re even.”

When asked about HIS relationship to Georgiou, Rob Kazinsky (with Omari) explained that his mech-suited Zeph doesn’t need one, as he is all about doing what Alok wants:

Rob: It doesn’t matter. [laughs] Yeah, absolutely it doesn’t matter… I could love her, love her, love her, love her. [Alok] says kill her., I’ll kill her. He doesn’t question…

Omari: He questioned enough. I don’t know if Alok would really trust you if you didn’t question a little bit.

Rob: Probably not, but I will do anything for Alok. That’s the thing. I might not enjoy it. I might be like, “Dude?” … But I’ll go and do it.

Omari: And that is the confines of Star Trek that Rob always reminded me, always the line of sand and it’s drawn. Roddenberry drew it. Figure out where your line is. He [Rob] kept reminding us of that because he’s such a Trekkie.

[...]"

Full Interview (TrekMovie):

https://trekmovie.com/2024/11/07/interview-star-trek-section-31-cast-open-up-about-their-characters-backstories-and-more/

BoLS: "Star Trek is sci-fi optimism as a rule. It suggests that, someday, we may have a post scarcity society where diseases are curable, bigotry is minimized, and we get to go to space!

Intentionally or not “Of Angles and Gods” suggests a much darker side to that. It is an episode of Lower Decks where, despite post scarcity and seemingly infinite opportunity, things are kind of bad! And that, upon reflection, is this season’s theme. [...]

And while I applaud the team’s willingness to take risks with the Trek formula, I worry that “Of Gods and Angles” suggests an ending for LD that comes up short of that needed dose of Star Trek optimism."

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/11/of-gods-and-angles-sees-lower-decks-go-full-nihilism.html

Quotes:

"Star Trek is, generally speaking, hopeful. “Of Gods and Angles” plays at hopeful, but is kind of the opposite.

A Starfleet ship ferries representatives from two warring factions when suddenly things go sideways. It’s a Star Trek tale as old as time. Tellarites and Andorians. Selay and Anticans. There are so many diplomatic missions on the Enterprise-D that there’s even a joke about how the ship is only so big so it can hold diplomats in the episode “Remember Me”.

“Of Gods and Angles” plays on this trope in a very common way — at first. The brief is this: there’s a race of photonic cubes and a race of photonic spheres on the Cerritos that hate each other for absolutely not reason. They both suck. They nearly cause everyone’s death. And then they get over it through a foisted-upon-them compromise.

But there’s something different about this episode. And it’s not just the extra transparent metaphor where the cubes are blue and the spheres are, basically red.

[...]

On first viewing, I confess: I hated “Of Gods and Angles”. It just makes me feels so bad. But then I thought: is that the point? Is “Of Gods and Angles” an intentional bummer hiding among the trappings of the usual goofy Lower Decks shtick?

All the silly stuff is present. References to classic episodes like “Who Mourns For Adonis”. Boimler gets something in his ass. A glib joke about how the super powerful cubes and spheres have zero creativity? It’s all there. The ending even features Mariner asking Olly goofy questions while they share time in the brig. Classic Lower Decks.

And yet amid the trappings is something deeply nihilistic.

There’s the bickering blue and red political parties who make everyone’s life hell for no reason. There’s two nepo babies tasked with cleaning the mess who nearly getting everyone killed in the process. The Nepo babies still get rewarded. And the conflict only ends because of a third party option. Which, now that I say it, is less nihilistic and more unrealistic. But still a a bummer!

And then there’s Boimler and Rutherford who are just regular guys. Their lesson is: be someone else. Be the version of you that fits this paradigm. I can’t tell if this is played for a joke or if this is where the rest of the season goes, but I have misgivings about both options.

Most of us watch Star Trek because it provides a glimmer of hope even in the darkest times. Star Trek is sci-fi optimism as a rule. It suggests that, someday, we may have a post scarcity society where diseases are curable, bigotry is minimized, and we get to go to space!

Intentionally or not “Of Angles and Gods” suggests a much darker side to that. It is an episode of Lower Decks where, despite post scarcity and seemingly infinite opportunity, things are kind of bad! And that, upon reflection, is this season’s theme.

Ma’ah may be a captain again, but the Klingon Empire is corrupt to the point that he wants nothing to do with it. Starfleet leaves Starbase 80 to fend for itself proving infrastructure in the Federation is busted. And Boimler’s growingly popular theory is basically that the alt. universe where Mariner is an abusive tyrant is the better option.

My question is: how does LD resolve this with only four episodes without either staying negative or winding up with a resolution which feels unearned?

Star Trek, the version I grew up with, consists largely of morality plays. A problem arises, it raises philosophical questions, our crew works the problem, and discover in themselves the ability to see beyond the moment so they can make the best choice in that moment.

[...]

The thing is: we need that version of Star Trek right now so badly. A lot of us won’t survive this moment and we need Star Trek to remind us that our hope is for the future, for the people we’ll never meet.

And while I applaud the team’s willingness to take risks with the Trek formula, I worry that “Of Gods and Angles” suggests an ending for LD that comes up short of that needed dose of Star Trek optimism."

Lina Morgan (Bell of Lost Souls)

Link:

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/11/of-gods-and-angles-sees-lower-decks-go-full-nihilism.html

What’s the best captain?

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STAR TREK.COM: "For much of its existence, Section 31 was an open secret. By the 24th century, as the Federation expanded and peace reigned, Section 31 quietly faded from public view, a ghost story whispered about but rarely seen.

SCREENRANT:

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine established that Section 31's existence was a secret not even Captains like Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) knew about in the 24th century. However, the earlier versions of Section 31 seen in Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Discovery saw Section 31 operate out in the open, and USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) was well aware of the Federation's insidious agency. Star Trek's "A Quick Guide to Section 31" video [on YouTube] finally answers this discrepancy:

For much of its existence, Section 31 was an open secret. By the 24th century, as the Federation expanded and peace reigned, Section 31 quietly faded from public view, a ghost story whispered about but rarely seen.

Section 31 has existed since the early days of Starfleet and the founding of the Federation. Characters like Lt. Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating) of Star Trek: Enterprise and the parents of Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) were part of Section 31. The greater knowledge of Section 31 within Starfleet seems to coincide with how dangerous the galaxy is and how precarious the Federation is in the 22nd and 23rd centuries compared to the 24th century when "the Federation expanded and peace reigned. "

Interestingly, Star Trek: Section 31 falls between the known 23rd and 24th centuries of Star Trek. Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek streaming movie takes place at some point in the early 24th century, referred to as Star Trek's "lost era" before the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's probable that in Star Trek: Section 31, the black ops division is in the process of fading from public view and perhaps even covering its tracks.

[...]"

Link:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-section-31-secrecy-question-answered-op-ed/

DS9 introduced self-replicating mines.

If you could deploy a field of self-replicating items, what would you "plant?"

"... which spawned a successful TV series in the early 1990s. As described, the movie would take place on Earth, with the Vulcans serving the same roles as the "Newcomers" in Alien Nation. A nascent Federation (and all of the political machinations entailed) is a strong place to make a distinctive mark without stepping on any other series' toes.

As of this writing, no casting decisions have yet been made. It will be decades of in-world time before the classic crew under Captain Kirk and the contemporary crew of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds take the stage. Expect the new film to contain entirely original characters, perhaps related to established figures but otherwise following their own path. Casting has yet to be announced, but will likely say a great deal about who the new characters are and their role in the story.

There is one potentially big exception to this rule. The timeline places 'Star Trek: Origins' after the events of Star Trek: Enterprise, and given the new film's stated plot, it's entirely possible that key figures from that series will reappear there. That includes Scott Bakula's Captain Archer, whose role in founding the Federation would make him a natural fit for Star Trek: Origins. The same applies to his crew, and depending upon the precise setting, any or all of them could very well appear as older versions of the characters they played 20 years ago. That could conceivably extend to supporting characters like Jeffrey Combs' Andorian Shran, whose role in galactic history is just as important as Archer's.

As of this writing, both the screenwriter and director have been announced, and both are reportedly fully engaged in the development process. The script is being penned by Seth Grahame-Smith, a former novelist who penned the books Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. He's also worked with Tim Burton, writing the script for Dark Shadows and given story credit for the 2024 hit Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. In addition, he wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which Burton produced. The script for The Lego Batman Movie is also his, giving him a chance to take a dig at Burton's take on the Caped Crusader, among other targets.

Toby Haynes is slated to direct, having already made his mark on the Star Wars franchise with the highly acclaimed Andor streaming series. He has also directed multiple episodes of the long-running Doctor Who series, as well as two episodes of Black Mirror. The latter includes Season 4, Episode 1, "U.S.S. Callister," which openly sends up Star Trek. His credentials speak to an ability to maintain his own vision within the framework of much larger franchises, which is exactly the kind of director that a project like Star Trek: Origins requires.

[...]

2009's Star Trek takes place in a period roughly parallel to The Original Series era of the mid-23rd Century. The bulk of it occurs as James Kirk and his companions are still cadets at Starfleet Academy, beginning in the year 2258. If Star Trek: Origins is set decades earlier, that puts it sometime early in the 23rd Century. It's a good period in the timeline for such an endeavor, largely empty of canon events and with the "classic" era of The Original Series decades away. So long as they pay attention to canon, they'll have free rein to develop the story and characters any way they wish.

[...]"

Robert Vaux (CBR)

Link:

https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-origins-everything-to-know/

Ben Rodgers (Crisis Point I and II, Caves) departed the show last season. He was the last Lower Decksstaff writer who worked on the show since the start.

Furthermore, Season Five's writing staff has zero carryover from Season Four so far. This is the first time in the show's history that all writers are new.

BoLS: "Yes, “Starbase 80?!” is about how it’s better to fix problems rather than just tell the people with those problems that it’s their fault! Or that they are cursed! Or inherently inferior!

The Cerritos crew assumes their problems are due to SB80. But their problems exist independent. However, the solutions for the problems of both the Cerritos and SB80 can be found with one another. Funny. That."

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/11/star-trek-lower-decks-says-were-all-starbase-80.html1

Quotes:

"[...] But in short order the problems arise. And the big one is that everyone from the Cerritos is turning into zombies! Mariner thinks this is the Starbase 80 curse, Cassie thinks otherwise. As everyone but the two of them succumb to zombie-itis, they realize that the problem isn’t SB80, it’s the Cerritos. Something is infecting the ship’s comms. [...]

It turns out an anaphasic entity was trying to communicate through Cetacean ops but accidentally possessed too many lifeforms and lost control. It’s all just a wacky miscommunication! Thankfully, the SB8 doctor cures the problem by whacking it with a pool net. [...]

There’s something fun about Starbase 80 being the place where incompetence goes to die. But this new idea where it’s a place for second chances works much better and fits better with our idea of Starfleet, too. And it has a relevant message.

[...]

It’s worth noting that Starbase 80 itself seems to be comprised of at least half alien refugees. It’s a disparate community which, on first blush seems to be in conflict. But ultimately, there’s more harmony than discord. Everyone likes Chad’s corndogs! If you want to play in the arcade, the “roaming gangs” just hook you up with free tokens.

And there’s something important to note about chief engineer Jakubowski: he’s learned not to ask for things directly. He doesn’t even tell Freeman or Ransom who he really is at first. He just sends them on a journey that tricks them into fixing parts of the station. That’s the only way he can actually get Starfleet to help!

Freeman gets mad that she’s been tricked—at first. But eventually she sees Starbase 80 as a challenge to be overcome. Her alt. universe self winds up stuck there and she doesn’t want that for herself. Yes, it’s true. And come closer because this part is important:

If you leave a community to fend for themselves until the situation becomes dire? Eventually that will be you. Good note for any politicians out there.

Thanks for the lesson in common decency, Star Trek: Lower Decks!"

Lina Morgan (Bell of Lost Souls)

Link:

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/11/star-trek-lower-decks-says-were-all-starbase-80.html

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere offers the explanation that Klingons find Spock agreeable because he is a "Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan. [...]

Traditionally, Klingons saw Vulcans as the Federation's "lapdogs," and their emotionless logic runs counter to the bloodthirsty honor Klingons take pride in. Yet Spock becomes relatable to Klingons despite his pointed ears and Starfleet uniform. There's something about Spock that Klingons seem to genuinely like and respect. [...]

It's easy to chart the beginnings of Spock's rapport with the Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which culminates with the Vulcan helping to usher peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Perhaps Spock drinking blood wine on Cajitar IV became something of a Klingon legend, and "the Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan" gained a reputation among the inhabitants of Qo'noS."

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spock-klingons-trust-undiscovered-country-setup/

SCREENRANT:

"Parlaying with the Federation's greatest 23rd-century enemies seems to be a singular ability Spock, among the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, possesses, and it was set up by Spock's first encounter with the Klingons in Strange New Worlds.

Spock Discovered He Has A Way With Klingons

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 1, "The Broken Circle," Lieutenant Spock highjacked the USS Enterprise to rescue La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) from Cajitar IV. The Enterprise crew discovered a syndicate of Klingons and Federation officers called the Broken Circle planned to use a false Federation starship to start a second Klingon War. Spock led the Enterprise to stop the Broken Circle, to the surprise of Klingon Captain D'Chok (Andrew Jackson).

Captain D'Chok was also taken aback that the Vulcan in command of the Federation's flagship offered to prove his trustworthiness by drinking blood wine with the Klingons. When D'Chok noted Spock is not a "typical" Vulcan, he agreed, "No, it would seem I am not." Indeed, Spock heartily drank blood wine, earning the Klingons' respect. More importantly, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds established that Spock has a manner that puts Klingons at ease, even though he is a Vulcan and a Starfleet Officer.

Why Klingons Trust Spock In Star Trek

From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which takes place roughly 33 years later, Spock has shown an uncanny ability to gain the trust and respect of Klingons. Traditionally, Klingons saw Vulcans as the Federation's "lapdogs," and their emotionless logic runs counter to the bloodthirsty honor Klingons take pride in. Yet Spock becomes relatable to Klingons despite his pointed ears and Starfleet uniform. There's something about Spock that Klingons seem to genuinely like and respect.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere offers the explanation that Klingons find Spock agreeable because he is a "Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan." But the key is that the Klingons who first took a shine to Spock met him during Strange New Worlds. At this point, the younger Spock wasn't so rigid in his Vulcan logic, and he experimented with his emotions. Spock choosing to drink blood wine with the Klingons, when Vulcans traditionally don't imbibe, surprised the warrior race on Cajitar IV. Spock continued to drink with Klingons, and Star Trek VI was such an occasion.

Spock Made Peace Between The Federation And Klingons Possible

When the Klingon moon Praxis exploded at the start of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the Klingon Empire was on the verge of financial collapse, and it could simply not afford to continue hostilities with the Federation. It was Spock who reached across the intergalactic aisle and made the concept of peace with the Federation palatable for the Klingons. Crucially, Spock's previous dealings with the Klingons beginning with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds gave the Vulcan the necessary insight of how to bring Klingons to the negotiating table without losing face.

[...]

Kirk Could Never Negotiate With Klingons The Way Spock Does

Spock's rapport with Klingons is something his best friend and commanding officer, Captain Kirk, lacks. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock was at Kirk's side during the USS Enterprise's encounters with the Klingon Empire. The Captain of the Enterprise always saw the Klingons as the Federation's enemies, and vice versa. Kirk could not show weakness in front of the Klingons. In turn, the Klingons came to regard Kirk as a symbol of what they found abhorrent about the Federation and Starfleet. Spock always deferred to his Captain, but it's now clear he likely could have negotiated with the Klingons.

It's easy to chart the beginnings of Spock's rapport with the Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which culminates with the Vulcan helping to usher peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Perhaps Spock drinking blood wine on Cajitar IV became something of a Klingon legend, and "the Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan" gained a reputation among the inhabitants of Qo'noS. Spock began his destiny to change the course of the Alpha Quadrant for the better by imbibing blood wine with the Klingons on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

John Orquiola (ScreenRant)

Link:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spock-klingons-trust-undiscovered-country-setup/