Btw, since I got to watch the episode early, I missed at time of recording that the Admiral is Robert April, who we first saw in Star Trek: The Animated Series. So cool!!! There has been some controversy surrounding his cast (which I’ve discussed on Twitter) so I just to say here, I think the actor, who is amazing in Bel-Air, will do a fantastic job and let us explore a mostly unknown legacy character! This show is gonna be a fun ride ❤️
The Day The Earth Stood Still has the added benefit of being Trek meta, in that it was directed by Robert Wise of TMP fame. The T’Pring intro sets up her eventual rejection of Spock in Amok Time, which she based on him choosing Star Fleet over her. Moments like Spock answering the Skype naked and him giving counsel to Pike ala Boyce, reinforces something my friends and I discussed in the 70’s since The Menagerie. In our head canon, Spock was arguably less guarded with Captain Pike (…and Number One…) than with Kirk. He smiles, he risked the death penalty getting him to Talos IV. I think this show’s off to a great start.
@@countofdownable We are getting Robert April... race-lifted. It's, not really the impression Lower Decks gave us, I guess, about how TAS would be treated... One hand gives, another takes, I guess.
@@brachiator1 …solid point. Even Number One would make more sense as well. That said, having Spock know now gives ten years more weight to Spock’s motivations in The Menagerie.
I really dig how Uhura is being depicted. She's inexperienced, but very competent. I feel it very much matches with her later in the timeline. I'm also want to say that I'm proud that I put an Aenar as Chief Engineer of my crew on STO ten years ago. 🖖🏻
Admittedly I think it means we're still kind of overdue for a regular Andorian Starfleet character in live action, but this Hemmer seems like a fun guy. :) (Still kinda wish they didn't make the Andorians into yet another big-face-prothetic species, I think that among other things only discourages having them turn up more. And Enterprise really nailed the makeup if you asked me. )
One of my favourite moments in TOS was when Uhura is fixing the ship and Spock says "I can think of no one better equipped to handle this" or something.
@@OllamhDrab you’re 100% correct. They looked the best on enterprise. The emoting with their antennas was fabulous. Sometimes new trek overdoes it with the prosthetics. I hope some day they back off of it.
I get the controversy but here’s my opinion on Pike’s injuries: A beep chair is not a wheelchair. The lady from that DS9 episode from the planet with the different gravity, she is in a wheelchair. A beep chair is an Iron Lung, or a full body cast. We only think of it like a wheelchair because it can move.
That make sense. In the 60s there would have been people who were in iron lungs having had polio. It would have been considered pretty radical at the time to have shown someone likely that in a chair able to more around and communicate even if basically.
I got the impression that the two who were captured were sedated when they were first beamed into the sick bay but due to their different physiology, they came out of sedation quicker than they realized.
I like how they dealt with Pike’s feelings on his future, it echoes what many go through when they may be diagnosed with a lifelong progressive condition that they know will likely in the end affect their quality of life. That he ended up dealing with his own future like he did I believe was very good. I can tell Thursdays will remain the highlight of my week for the foreseeable.
My favorite moment without a doubt was Uhura calming the alien dude by talking to him about sports, his genuine surprise and excitement at her bringing it up was hilarious
Kirk: the Captain who lived to cheat death Pike: the Captain who knew that death could not be cheated Smart inversion. Brilliant pilot ep. It's incredible how _vital_ this 55 year old "classic _Trek"_ format feels. In love with this show. Love the rapport between travel buddies Pike & M'Benga, love young prodigious Uhura, love Chapel's spunky attitude, love Robert April & Ortegas, & Romijn's Number One is on point. 10/10.
I've been wanting to get into Star Trek for a while and I decided to start with this so this is actually the first Star Trek series that I'm watching and I loved this pilot! It has genuinely made me want to go back and watch earlier series'. Brilliant stuff - and Captain Pike is SO cool!
@@joseaguilar3323 yeah I'm definitely gonna have to watch that for sure though the episode definitely explains it fairly well - how Pike is disturbed from seeing his future death which I imagine is quite scary because seeing how and when you're going to die is something I don't think anyone would want to go through so that's certainly quite the ordeal and it'll be interesting to see how he deals with that!
Welcome to Star Trek! Most of us old timers really don't think Discovery or Picard are good examples of Star Trek, so we would recommend the Original Series or, if that seems too dated, try The Next Generation to understand what Star Trek was meant to be. You picked a good episode to start with though. It actually does feel more like Star Trek than anything since 2005.
@@haplozetetic9519 what constitutes an "old timer". I ask because I'm almost 60, and can remember watching TOS with my older sister at 4 -5 years of age. I was in 10th Grade when Star Trek the Motion picture was released We stood in line for 4 hr. That evil queen Rex Reed panned it
What a wonderful start to the series! Definitely the strongest series premiere of the new shows. Anson Mount continues to be an absolute revelation as Pike. Calm & composed, yet warm and energetic with a strong moral core and insatiable explorer's spirit. I was on a complete media blackout so many of the characters were a real suprise to me. I was initially worried hearing "Noonien-Singh" as La'ann's surname, being tired of that well being mined again but so far those fears have been assuaged. Her back story with the Gorn was so harrowing it gave me Tasha Yar flashbacks. All the supporting cast seem very promising, Uhura and Ortegas made an especially strong impressions despite having a focus in the episode.
You are kidding. Ortega was awful and Uhura was NOTHING like the character should be. Uhura didn't go around grinning like a little schoolgirl. She was professional in her job. Ortega, the Queen of One-liners! What a fresh choice! I really hate this show. It makes Discovery look decent.
@TR Hansen We have a differing opinions both which hold equal value. Such differences are part of the beauty of life. Personally this opener was a palate-cleansing antidote to my problems with S2 of Picard and some of my general issues with aspects of Discovery. I hope other episodes or future Star Trek projects are more to your taste.
@@trhansen3244 to be fair, this is a younger, less experienced Uhura, so it’s not that odd that she would be depicted as more youthful and cheerier. Ortega didn’t have much to do, so I feel like I’ll wait and see before judging. Personally I feel like this is already way more ‘trek-like’ than Discovery or Picard, so if they can keep the energy and vibe of this pilot going, I’ll be happy.
I am watching DS9 right now for the first time. Took a break from that to watch this. I will now go back to watching DS9 and stop watching this. I hate this show.
@@trhansen3244 hey man, while you're taking a break from watching this show you clearly hate, maybe take a break from shitting on the comments of people who actually like it
I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. I enjoyed the episode, liked the characters, and felt like I was watching Star Trek. If I had to have the smallest of nitpicks, then really the only thing I wish we had more of was the Federation/Enterprise fanfare. There were scenes in the episode where it would have fit perfectly and beautifully, and I kept expecting it, but if that’s going to be my biggest “gripe” with most episodes then sign me up for eight more seasons worth of this!
I never for one moment felt I was watching Star Trek. It felt like Discovery again. Maybe even worse. I could not believe how many things they got wrong. And how many bad choices for characters. If this is the future of Star Trek, then Star Trek is dead. Change the name.
@@trhansen3244 I feel like, at this point, you might just be choosing to be miserable for the sake of being miserable. This is Trek through and through. If you're not willing to let yourself actually see that, then you'll never be happy with it.
Interesting detail: there is an actual Wikipedia article titled "Second American Civil War" with many sources supporting that exists a growing concern about what's going on in the USA as the basis of a near one, or that there is already a second civil war going on. This Trek episode has been just added to the "In Popular Culture" section of the article. Please, go out and vote. Make the Trek future real without a Third World War.
@@soulofastro Not necessarily. Many countries have went through dictatorships and totalitarian regimes, and emerged alive afterwards. The USA itself fought a war to get freedom from Great Britain, and a Civil War to keep itself united and without the stigma of slavery. Don't forget, the MAGA party is a minority. That's why they need gerrymandering and other tricks to get their way, but still, they go and vote. The problem isn't the rioters, but the millions of people who don't vote and don't care. Please look for the videos made by Jordan Klepper, interviews to MAGA people. Show them to friends of you who don't vote, ask them to show the videos to friends of them who don't vote. Let's see where is the majority, and whether a minority can destroy a country without opposition.
The history of the world is war. There is basically always a war going on somewhere in the world. Humans, we fight over everything. People blame conflict on religion, remove it they fight over politics. They will fight over vegetarianism. They will fight over football. Conflict is just what people do. Much as I would really love to see the world at peace in the future, I am very skeptical it could ever be achieved. Even in their future, it isn't. There are always wars going on in the storyline with other planets and there are even Vulcan factions that deny their culture. War is just what we humans do
I'm of a similar mind regarding Spock seemingly so into his betrothal. Especially when you factor in that T'Pring did some shady shit in "Amok Time". At this point in his life, I think that Spock might be truly "in love" with "being a good Vulcan" and T'Pring is the personification of that. Famously, Leonard Nimoy portrayed that journey to the very end. Right now, Ethan Peck is portraying a much more "young and eager" point in that journey. T'Pring having less and less tolerance for her adventurous husband to be and Spock just being so at home in Starfleet and the two growing apart isn't overly original but still good fuel for tv.
I thought the scenes between T'Pring and Spock were gratuitous and ridiculous. Nothing in "Amok Time" indicated they had any close, intimate relationship. Also, in "Enterprise", the relationship between Koss and T'Pol reaffirms that Vulcan marriages are arranged and certainly not filled with romantic interludes even after the marriageceremony, with maybe a few exceptions, like Sarek and Amanda. Now if T'Pring had been with Stonn in the same circumstances, it would make more sense. All she'd have to say after proposing to Stonn is "Now we just need to get rid of Spock.", that would lead beautifully into "Amok Time." If Pike had contacted her looking for Spock and had seen Stonn, that would be just another burden for him to bear. This Spock/T'Pring have a romantic evening together like two human lovebirds just doesn't sit right.
I'm concerned by what this could mean for T'Pring's character. Her actions in Amok Time are forgivable if they were her only way of escaping an unwanted, arranged marriage to someone she barely knows and doesn't care about personally either way. If she does know him personally, and knows him very well, it reframes her in a very unflattering light.
@@Seal0626 While there is an element of that there, for sure... she was carrying on an affair behind Spock's back and preffered to enact a plan where either Kirk or Spock were likely to die by the other's hand. If just talking it out entered her mind, we can only guess. TOS T'Pring seems very much the product of a "showrunner" with... let's say a "complicated history"... with ex-wives.
@@singularrookhart7501 as I understand it, the way the Vulcan marriage rules are set up in Amok Time, T'Pring did not have the option of calling it off by herself. She didn't have the ability to simply say "I do not want to marry this man and I refuse to do so". Hence the convoluted machinations.
@Geoff Shaw Not today it isn't. Being a liberal has NOTHING to do with Star Trek. It has everything to do with wokeness. Look how they are losing their minds over Roe v Wade, with not ONE of them being honest about it. Attacking Catholic churches and doxxing SC justices' homes. What a proud moment in neoliberalism! And fascism, too.
@Geoff Shaw You mean how liberals always want to change the rules any time they don't get their way? Like abolishing the Electoral College? Packing the court? Ending the filibuster? Or making up Russian collusion? Things like that?
i really liked how they handled the alien species. when spock said the thing about "no species has invented the nuke before particle physics" i was worried it was going to be a "this is the evil alien species whose defining trait is being bad people" which is how tos probably would have handled it(tng would have had picard give a speech and then everything is perfectly and permenently resolved) but instead of either of those we got a show that understood the aliens of being the way they are because of material conditions and being able to change as those conditions did without suggesting that that change would be instant or frictionless.
Given La’An’s backstory (and becoming the security chief) it feels to me a modern interpretation of Tasha Ya. I just hope they serve this character better.
La'an reminds me of Tasha Yar. Tough female security officer with a tragic past. I have no problem with this if it gives us a fully developed character.
Wow. I'm SO excited and already loving this. Visually stunning, great story for the episode, no mystery box yet, incredibly chemistry with the crew so far. How is it even possible that they nailed this so hard on the pilot?! The end scene with the "we're going to explore" got me chocked up. I am bursting with excitement over this show.
I was okay with the Picard finale but this show literally had me laughing, screaming, clapping, and just the happiest I've been watching a TV show ever. The Original Series got me through a rough period in my life and seeing not only the same feelings evoked but also the allegories that are so needed today filled me with so much joy. I NEED NEXT THURSDAY NOWWWW!!!!!!!
I havent had this feeling for a long time. Finally a new star trek show where i actually watched an episode all the way through without fast forwarding parts. I havent felt this way since TNG, VOY, DS9 and even ENT.
@@tangylizardk6117 Voyager was for me, horrible . I didn't watch after ??? 3 season . But I've never trolled or whined about it . It just wasn't my cup of pipping hot Earl Grey ; pun intended. I like the new shows after some missteps Discovery found it footing Picard has been fun. Which at this point in my life is what I want
Been waiting for the upload! This episode was 👨🍳’s 💋! Lt. Ortega was a standout for me; she’s every brash and bold Latina in my family down to the sharp side cuts.
I loved the brief scene of the Kiley media talking about Enterprise. I feel like with a lot of Trek they fail to flesh out many aspects of cultures and planets, usually just saying that everything is run by the government and then all we see are leaders and diplomats, so it was refreshing to see a more civilian reaction to the story.
Weirdly, the biggest "huh?" I had was where the comms position was. In TOS, it's behind and to the left of the Captain's chair. Now it's somewhere in front. I'm kinda confused about the layout of the updated Enterprise bridge. It's not really clear where the stations are. That said, the biggest thing I liked was the colour. COLOUR! Finally! After almost 30 years of dark clothing and dark sets, we finally have colour and bright lighting again. It's so nice, and evoking of what Trek was always supposed to be: a bright future, where diplomacy is preferred over war, and all are accepted.
It wasn't perfect, TPring and Spock simply did not behave like Vulcans, they behaved like neurodivergent humans rather than aliens who shared characteristics with neurodivergent humans while still being distinctively Alien, you know what I mean? Like that level of PDA would be inconceivable for TOS Spock and T'Pring. That said, once they left Vulcan and the show got going, it was amazing. I really loved the storyline parallels with the Day The Earth Stood Still, and Pike's storyline is a really clever way of tackling the prequel problem. Usually, us knowing the eventual fate of most characters would be an issue but Pike knowing his own future takes what could've been a weakness and turns it into a source of dramatic tension. What frustrated me was that Discovery and Picard have never been as good. Maybe episodic storytelling was all it was needed all along?
@@OllamhDrab Well, the thing is not that they're breaking rules or conventions but rather going against their planet's culture and behaving as one would expect a couple to behave in human culture. Vulcans are not that passionate, at least not outwardly so. Spock once expressed surprise over meeting the long-dead founding member of his culture and he apologized profusely.
After really liking the start of Season 2 of Picard and then that fizzling away in 10 episodes of meh, Strange New Worlds is a breath of fresh air.. It's got a swagger and confidence that bodes well for the rest of the Season, fingers crossed that this standard is maintained.
20:15 That would also explain that little scene in Star Trek First Contact where Picard and crew beam down to 2063 Earth and Picard says: "Computer: mid-21st century civilian clothing" I always assumed that, since we didn't see them going to a replicator room or something before beaming down, the transporter in that century is likewise able to change their clothes which also reminds me of when the holodeck does the same thing.
That’s how I’ve been reading the scene since SNW too. Previously I just assumed they changed for 5 minutes before stepping on the transporter pad (since there’s replicators right next to the console).
Gotta say, we didn't see too much of her yet, but I'm much relieved and delighted at the Uhura casting and problems ever filling Nichelle Nichols' shoes, but I think she nailed it. :) It was hard to imagine anyone getting that kind of combination of a-bit-regal with that free emotional expression Uhura would kinda be in much of the time. Also killer smile. :) (Also I hope if we see more of Kyle they have him sound a bit more Aussie, some turn of phrase or another. :) (Cause, yes, there's plenty of Asian-Australians with the accent. :) ) On the Prime Directive stuff, I was thinking this kind of situation might actually be a case for why in TOS sometimes they'd play fast and loose with it to correct previous meddlings pretty routinely, compared to TNG standards.
"The Admiral" is Robert April, the Enterprises first captain, Pike's former commander and whom he served under as first officer, and one is the most distinguished commanders in starfleet history.
Exactly. He's not just some random admiral, he is the depiction of a character whose been mentioned as far back as the initial treatment for the original series. I love the idea that the first ever Captain of the Enterprise looks like me. I'm a little surprised that someone at knowledgeable as this UA-camr missed the significance of the character.
I love how the production design didn't shy away from the 1960s production design unlike in Disco which tried reference them rather showing them. It felt very Star Wars-y to see so much reverence to the original designs, and the ultra-luxury 1960s loveboat aesthetic of the non-bridge enterprise is really gorgeous and reminds me of the video game Prey 1960 futurist Talos Station.
The drip on those sets... my god. This is how you write a show. They clearly put in the research and didn't just half ass it. There is a BIG difference between pausing or rewinding a show to catch the nuances of what the characters are saying vs. barely paying attention to a show because the dialogue is so predictable and cliche. Pike is not only in a wheelchair, but he's trapped within a disfigured body unable to really communicate and going to that from being a handsome swashbuckling captain would completely destroy a person's sense of self. So it's not unreasonable that someone would think of that as a real death.
Uhura is so damn adorable 🥰 she gives me Tendi vibes, specially when doing smalltalk with the escapee and then introducing herself with Chapel. And speaking of Chapel, I love her energy. I loved when she kissed the hypospray 😂
In the middle of watching this, but one small correction: Spock did not propose to T'Pring. T'Pring proposed to Spock and brought and offered him the engagement whatever that was. She seems to be a very take charge person!
This is the Star Trek show I' ve been waiting for! The 1st episode alone pulled me in. Great story, and great casting. This the 1st of the new Paramount + series that I want to watch the episode again and again.
1. I kind of liked the bit with T'Pring. It's foreshadowing her reaction to his prioritizing career. 2. Chapel looks to be a fun character, too. 3. I like the episodic storytelling. It's nice to see that someone remembered they could tell a good story in an episode instead of dragging a mediocre one over a whe season.
This lighter, funner version of Trek is a callback to what made TOS enjoyable. Its a contrast to the dark, "Game of Thrones" style of Trek that characterizes Discovery.
Discovery is far from Game of Thrones: DS9 had the captain going on shady bussiness to bring the Romulan to the Dominion War, something that early Tyrion would have appreciated.
@@ErickSoares3 Harberts & Berg were influenced by GOT in making STD. I have nothing against GOT, I'm sure that wasn't the only influence, but I think one reason STD doesn't work as a TOS prequel is it feels too dark and heavy.
@@chuckjones6055 come on ... dark would work if the story and characters where carefully crafted, thrones dominated the entire world, and for a time was the most stunning story ever told, discovery may have been influenced by thrones as have countless others since, it is another thing entirely being able to capture what made it is incredibly beloved
I genuinely loved it. I felt mixed after watching Picard… but I had to watch it. And I was so happy I did. They are off to a wonderful start. There’s so much genuine love between Pike and Spock. The actor that plays the security chief reminds me of Camina Drummer from the expanse but in a very good way. I was so pumped up after watching it, I was hopeful. I also saw why T’pring resented Spock. I love Doc M’Benga. I also freaking love Christine Chapel. She’s fast and elfin. I know I will warm up to Uhura. She’s very good too.
This was a great pilot episode and I like all the characters and I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop. Nurse Chapel is such an adorable nerd. It's good that Pike has close relationship with Spock so he talk about the vision as it was clearly affecting his performance as captain. I can see why a ship's counsellor became a integral part of Starfleet crews in the future because I'd guess there would be some people that wouldn't find it as easy to talk with their friends or colleagues about problems like that.
This pilot had me goofy smiling the moment it started. I am so freaking excited to see where this goes! I love how this episode was done in a way that reminds me of what TOS would do but in a way that’s updated and so relevant. I’m so happy this show is fantastic so far. The way pike disregards the prime directive in a way that is done for the greater good of the people in the planet was so perfectly pike. I can keep gushing but seeing the trifecta back is just so great
Going into Strange New Worlds I went in completely blind, apart from having seen the Discovery stuff involving the cast, and tried to have no expectations but boy did that first episode deliver. It was cool how they bought in what happened with the Enterprise crew and Discovery and worked it into the plot of this episode. Also loved the speech from Pike. If the writing continues like this then SNW might very quickly become my new favourite of the new Trek, sorry Discovery. Funny to think too about the difference between Pike and Kirk in that scene of Spock and T'Pring. You can just tell if that was a ToS episode Kirk would have smirked and said something like "Take your time Mr Spock."
Unrleated note, but where do you get your uniforms from Jessie? I’ve been planning to get myself one I could use for costume parties but the options I found on google were really abysmal.
I love this show so much! I really enjoy the old time look of everything I missed that in Discovery. I didn't expect it to be so funny on top of everything I laughed out loud several times even the plot being a reverse alien story is hilarious to me they straight up abducted those two guys! The crew already comes across like a family even though Pike steals the show as always everyone got a moment to show off their character. I'm so excited for the next episode!
Wow! I am truly shocked. I laughed not at all. I didn't even smile. It was that bad. I had such high hopes. They were all dashed. I don't think Star Trek will ever recover from a third bad series.
Yeah this show is already fantastic, I hope it stays on course bc Star Trek needs more good shows out there, lower decks can’t save the franchise alone lol
@@BlueBeetle1939 Well, I did get about a third of the way through the second episode, all about Uhura, who is not really Uhura at all. She is now a prodigy, can speak 36 languages and is the most special person of them all. This is the least Star Trek show yet.
"Transporters don't do that!" "This is Ortiz, make them do that." I laughed out loud for so long I had to pause and rewind because I missed about 30 seconds of showtime.
Loved this episode, had such a great time watching it. Already loving all the characters. The moment with Uhura and the alien in the elevator was definitely a standout for me, I felt like it just said so much about Uhura’s character.
SNW is all i wanted and represents all i love from Star Trek in general. A celebration of diversity and an unflinching yet realistic optimism. I think this may become my new favourite star trek show, the characters are great, make up is great, the landscapes are great... the only thing i didnt like was straight spock, but maybe Kirk's first appereance will set things gay.
This is the first pilot to use the series name as a title, which is a move some shows use to avoid using the title “Pilot,” unless you’re Pushing Daisies and you want to call it “Pie-lette.” But enough about Bryan Fuller. Pilots have a lot of jobs to do. Roddenberry found that out back when he made “The Cage,” back in 1964. That show was famously deemed “too cerebral,” so he made a much more action-packed show with Kirk fighting to the death with his best friend. But obviously, THIS pilot is in relationship with that first “too cerebral” pilot, and not just because it’s about Captain Pike. One of the most famous scenes in “The Cage,” is the heart-to-heart between Pike and Dr. Boyce over a drink. It’s been replicated in Trek several times, perhaps most obviously in Star Trek II and in Star Trek Beyond, in both cases, between Kirk and McCoy. But what drove Pike to tell a bartender things he wouldn’t tell a doctor? In “The Cage,” he was on a mission that had heavy casualties. In “Strange New Worlds” that casualty is himself. So much of this episode follows up on the consequences of the events towards the end of DSC season two, in which Pike goes to Boreth, sees that his future ends with a radiation accident and chooses that path anyway. It makes him a reluctant hero in the Campbellian sense, but also a tragic hero in a truly ancient sense. Pilots also are places for mission statements. The episode begins with a narration that I often liken to the ones that would start some episodes of The X-Files, and which DSC often uses, both shows using it to establish themes about to be explored, or set the mood for an episode or arc that’s about to take place. Here, Una talks about the magic of first contact that goes right and how it turns science fiction into reality. PIC season one invoked the genre in a similar manner to literalize the relationship the Star Trek universe has always had with the way we consume that universe. Here, it’s invoked again when Pike watches The Day the Earth Stood Still. For years, I’ve been saying the people making Trek would do well to study that film, along with Close Encounters, ET, The Abyss, Contact, Interstellar, and Arrival. DSC season four demonstrated that they had been doing that with their epic about communication with a truly alien race. SNW is showing us they know all about it, and will explore the themes of that film within this very episode. Una may have been sunny in her monologue, but it was also her last known entry, so Admiral Robert T. April, first captain of the Enterprise calls on a reluctant Pike to rescue her. It’s about the only thing that can put him back in the captain’s chair, given he’s been second-guessing his every action since learning his fate, bringing us back to his quarters and that replication of the classic scene in “The Cage,” this time with Spock. Though, Pike is at least a little impatient, requesting to be beamed aboard while still on his shuttle tour outside the ship. We meet much of the rest of the crew, confident and snarky helmsperson Eric Ortegas, familiar names Chapel, also pretty fun and confident as a disguise expert civilian nurse recruited into Starfleet, Dr. M’Benga whose favorite nurse is Chapel, cadet Uhura with stars in her eyes, and La’an Noonien-Singh. While most pilots have to try to introduce all the characters, there’s only so much time, so this episode focuses most of its character-building introductions on La’an. She’s the last survivor of a colony ship attacked by the Gorn, cast aside as a message to those that found her not to mess with the Gorn. She was the only one who was not surprised by the prospect of her own death and in a bitter irony was the only one to survive. So she has a bit of a masochistic streak, or perhaps refuses sedatives to feel alive and remind herself that death is an ever-present reality. But Pike is determined not to let anyone die today. This being a nominally episodic show in the style of TNG or VOY, with self-contained stories on the surface, but character-based serialization brimming under the surface, there is a one-off mission that must be tackled. First contact has gone terribly awry. The policies of General Order One are that the Federation is not to make first contact with a planet until its civilization has developed warp technology and is about to travel into interstellar space. It’s a process invented by the Vulcans to ease a new member of the interstellar community into the idea of not being alone. But sensor readings were incorrect, this planet didn’t develop a warp DRIVE; they developed a warp BOMB. It’s the equivalent of humans developing nuclear weapons instead of using the technology for space travel. And the parallels to Earth would become important, or it wouldn’t be Star Trek. On another level, the trip through the wormhole the USS Discovery took was hard to hide. It was visible for lightyears, meaning it was proof of alien life to species that wouldn’t have known for a long time. This moment inspired many of those species to develop warp technology. It kinds of set up a wrinkle to first contacts that might reverberate through the series. Perhaps the Enterprise will have to continue to pick up the pieces left in the wake of Discovery’s trip to the future. So, with this disastrous first contact, the methods of episodes like “Who Watches the Watchers” and “First Contact” come into play with disguises and transporters that do things I don’t think I’ve seen them do before. Those transporters always seem to reveal new tricks up their sleeves. But they’re hardly foolproof as Spock’s half-Vulcan/half-human DNA meddles with genetic disguise. Maybe simple makeup would have been preferable. Pike infiltrates the prison, frees Una, but then decides that since the damage has been done, maybe there’s something he can do to help guide this people into a slightly better future. One of the other major features of many of the Star Trek pilots is a godlike being. In “The Cage,” the Talosians imprisoned humans and could conjure all sorts of things indistinguishable from magic. In “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Dehner developed godlike powers. Q shows up in “Encounter at Farpoint,” on a mission that also involves the jellyfish-like creatures that provide for Farpoint Station. “Emissary” had the Prophets as well as Sisko’s role as the title emissary to them. “Caretaker” had a…caretaker array. “Broken Bow” featured a mysterious “Future Guy.” Even DSC featured T’Kuvmah, who was a cult leader worshipped as a god. Here, that god is Pike, again. He shows these people a possible future by showing our own future to them, our Second American Civil War (with its preamble naturally being January 6), Eugenics Wars, and World War III, which apparently appear to be relatively synonymous. I guess that is a retcon then, and means perhaps Adam Soong’s folder in the Picard season two finale is a sign that Khan’s origin is a few decades later than originally thought. Records of the primitive turn of the millennium are murky at best. But this presentation’s real job is the commentary that we can expect from future episodes of SNW, which might be a bit more pat than the more serialized shows, but can be comfort food to the ones that prefer an older style of Trek. With this current era of Trek shows, there’s plenty of room for Trek shows to cater to specific tastes. I’m here for all of it. Unlike Kirk, he gives this people a choice. There’s no talking a computer to death or blowing anything up. Pike’s traits are empathy and faith in other people. He's also self-deprecating and full of doubt, as in "The Cage," and the beginning of this episode. And this people take him up on that choice by allowing Starfleet to inspire them into a future where they could travel the stars. This episode establishes that these actions include a reinforcement of General Order One that features a name change, it’ll now be called “The Prime Directive,” something at which Pike bristles, much as Kirk and many other captains would do in the future. And it has one other little surprise. The episode keeps teasing a Lieutenant Kirk as a crew member Pike’s requested as they set out on their new five-year mission. Of course, we’re all thinking that’ll be James T., but at the end of the episode, when we see that moustache, we realize it’s Kirk’s ill-fated older brother George Samuel, from “Operation: Annihilate!” It’s also a rather sexy episode as Pike and Spock’s introductions both kind of involve a woman. Pike takes refuge with Captain Batel, who sees that he’s hiding, much like McCoy saw in the aforementioned scene from Star Trek II. And Spock receives a proposal from T’Pring, one that he’d wanted. Both women are symbols of life without Starfleet, but maybe they’ll get to be developed in earnest later on. We do know this isn’t the last we’ll see of T’Pring, and what’s cool about her scenes with Spock is that we see a genuine mutual affection there, which deepens what happens in “Amok Time.” The show ends with another monologue, featuring Hemmer’s only appearance in this episode, so the table-setting isn’t quite done. The pilot’s work isn’t quite over…
There’s nothing problematic in the slightest about how Pike’s future is handled. To describe it as “ending up in a wheelchair” is incredibly reductive. He ends up horrifically injured, leaving him severely, and permanently disfigured, and incapable of communicating beyond beeping It also seems a little insensitive to me to imply that anyone with a disability that leaves them wheelchair-bound is just like Pike in Menagerie
Jesse"s excitement gives us another entry into "uncertain accent hall of fame" at the phrase "deep into spoilers." How does Jesse manage to be both insightful and goofy? I dont know, but it keeps me tuned in. Keep em coming.
I thought this first episode was very good. Maybe one of the best first episodes of a new series...though I really like the start of Deep Space Nine. I was very moved at times, in particular the last 10-15 minutes.
So happy to find positivity in this channel. Got reaaaaally tired of channels being so stupid about everything Trek. I feel we're privileged to get so much Trek these days
Another excellent video, Jessie. I came straight here after watching the episode. As pilots go, they had a great advantage because of their previous introductions in Discovery and Short Treks. I love this series and can't wait to see more.
Honestly, I liked what they did with T'Pring because it starts to set up her behavior in Amok Time. I mean her whole "I don't want to be married to a famous Vulcan" explanation in Amok Time was kind of weak, but saying Spock had chances to commit to her and just ran off to Starfleet instead and she wasn't keen on that makes her decision to want a relationship with another Vulcan make more sense.
I thought this episode was was great. It had some legitimately good storytelling. I loved how Pike was depressed and watching The Day the Earth Stood Still, then he resolved the conflict at the end of the episode by pulling a Klaatu. So good! I also loved the throwaway line at the beginning of the show when by the captain Pike is seeing when his communicator beeps "are you going to answer your phone?"
I got up super early before work to watch this today and I was in tears at several points. It was beautiful, hopeful and everything I needed this week and this year. I adore what they are doing and the Starship Porn shots (all those gorgeous shots of the Enterprise are just so amazing) were well appreciated.
I agree with most of what you said. I tend to be somewhat skeptical about drawing conclusions regarding how serialized it is until we've seen more than one epsiode, though I second your feelings regarding the apparent direction.
love this first episode I figured I was going to but you never know. I like the introduction of all the main characters. the VFX was great. I know everybody's trying to figure out who that other captain that was sharing the cabin with Pike was LOL. loved loved to seen the Spock and t'pring Romance always wanted to know more about that story anyway. and this episode hit hard and fast I specially love how they used Earth history actual history and I hope fictional history to show these people you're headed down a bad Road and trust us don't want that. episode scenes long they packed a lot into it and it didn't seem rushed or for either. extremely happy with episode 1 of Star Trek strange new worlds
It was amazing. I loved how they updated the legacy characters. The only one that is almost a different person with the same name would maybe be Chapel, who was the one who really needed the most comprehensive updates to work in modern Trek. I *really* loved how Pike is still something of a haunted man, not entirely sure if he belongs in the Captains chair. Yes, the immediate reasons are different now, but that's been a part of the character since The Cage, and I'm glad they haven't been discarding it. He's a man who struggles with himself, but still manages to accomplish great things. With the promise of serialized character arcs within the overall episodic structure, I expect this to get revisited because that sort of pain is not something plausibly resolved in a single episode. His speech at the summit is going to go down in Star Trek history.
I haven't been a fan of most of the new Trek shows. I like Lower Decks, and I'm loving Strange New Worlds. It feels like Classic Trek. It's fun, thought provoking and tells a full story in 50 minutes. I can't see why some channels are hating on it. They claim to want Classic Trek, but then hate the closest thing. I never went into the other new Trek shows wanting to hate them, they ended up doing things I didn't like.
Also "Una" - This name is a much later addition. For the longest time the only name we knew the character by was "Number One" and there was some ... interesting "fanon" about that. I didn't like the transporters as a clothes changer, but that's because I have always been imagining the ships "Quartermasters" having a costume department. But Lower decks sort of addressed that.. :D
I don't know if anybody else noticed this or not but is it just me or is Pike's house in Montana also the house that Kirk lived in in the Nexus flashback of Star Trek generations? It looked oddly familiar to me and for the fact that Pike was cooking and we saw Kirk doing pretty much the same kind of kitchenery culinary stuff it really stood out to me and almost makes me wonder if Kirk owned Pike's house at one point in time
I have to say... I was blown away by the pilot episode of SNW. It was a lot better than I was expecting... The writing is tight and it's design and execution is simply stunning. I was expecting it to be "okay" and entertaining, but I don't think I've fallen in love with a ST show this much since TNG. The cast is great too. I'm really excited to see where they go with it. It will be interesting to see what they do with Spock and T'Pring. It seems like they might be adding more complexity to her character and their relationship. We shall see...
This, my fellow nerds, is what your grumpy old uncle and you can agree on "is real Star Trek." I hope this is what they deliver us every week. A fresh, engaging story that is rooted in our modern day lives. Development of the shows characters. Off to the next planet!
I intentionally binged all of season 2 of Disco before coming and watching the pilot. Honestly, that made the pilot even better. I think this pilot works so well is because the main characters were originally introduced in disco, had their own story, and in some ways, this is a continuation of that story. Story. So I think it made it a touch easier to write a pilot then if they were introducing all these characters an actors in the pilot.
Definitely the strongest Trek pilot I’ve ever seen. Though I haven’t seen DS9’s or VOY’s. I do wish I had watched this after Picard because…well, we’ll get to that.
Those two are arguably Treks strongest too, along with Enterprise and Disco. Tbh, regardless of the show, Trek has generally had strong pilots from DS9 onwards. TNG tho is easily the worst IMO, but at least it gave us Q
Of all the pilots I have seen, and I have seen them all, this is the worst pilot. Granted, part of that is because I had high hopes it would return to the roots of TOS but that was just to get people interested. It's nothing like TOS. And it never will be.
@@jukio02 I am watching DS9 right now. Almost done with season 1 and it is far better than this new show. It's not even close. But TOS is the best of them all.
Three things I loved: The Day the Earth Stood Still, An appropriate stance on the Prime Directive, Using Earth history to warn the planet. Just one thing. In TOS Pike is allowed to spend his last days on Talos IV. My impression of the Spock / T'Pring scenes. : "OW That ain't right. Get a room!"
One of my few complaints with the episode is minor lore thing, but I'm a pretty casual trek fan, and I still picked up on it. When the enterprise is fired on by the planet, pike says something like "those weapons were 21st century tech, how the hell did they develop warp drive?" But humans did develop warp drive in the 21st century, there was a whole movie about it.
(1) In the scene where Pike is on the shuttle before boarding the ship, I am almost sure there's background com chatter about the shuttle or starship Yelchin, which would be a tribute to Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the 2009 movie and passed away in an accident. (2) Transporter Chief Kyle is played by André Dad Kim (in the end credits) who is related to (son of?) Daniel Dae Kim from a couple of science fiction shows. In TOS and TWOK, Kyle was played by Carter Winston, if I remember correctly. (3) We didn't get a name (yet) for the Operations officer on the bridge, a woman in science teal, I think, and maybe Asian. (4) Notice T'Pring shows irritation at Spock over his dedication to Starfleet. So they're giving seeds to T'Pring's and Spock's relationship developing problems. (Stonn!) This was a really interesting thing to have going on. Gosh, it was good to see the episode so good.
Hi, new subscriber here. Masterful analysis! Loved how well versed you are in TOS. I recently binge watched all seasons of Discovery and after season 2 ended I remember thinking “I really like this Captain Pike”. Then I saw the trailer for SNW a few days later. This episode gave me the nostalgia feels in a way that “Enterprise” never did, although I did enjoy the USS Archer reference. Love the ship’s design down to the “shower-curtain” look of the wall panels. I might have to check out your podcast with Council of Geeks to whom I subscribe as well. Thanks for the video!
I breath a sigh of relief after this pilot episode, feels like it fits well into the timeline, characters are great, the actors hit the mark, the story worked well, the the look and feel is great. I've have high hope for this series.
Not sure if this was mentioned before, but: TMP's director Robert Wise also directed The Day The Earth Stood Still in 1951. So a bit of Trek connection there :)
I love that pike is having PTSD. I love that there wasn't a magic reset for the character. Strange New Worlds feels like the best of both worlds. It's episodic but the characters are gonna have baggage that carries over. The one thing that took me out of Voyager all the time was the magic resets that would happen. I really hope SNW sticks the landing and feels more like DS9 and less like Voyager.
Btw, since I got to watch the episode early, I missed at time of recording that the Admiral is Robert April, who we first saw in Star Trek: The Animated Series. So cool!!! There has been some controversy surrounding his cast (which I’ve discussed on Twitter) so I just to say here, I think the actor, who is amazing in Bel-Air, will do a fantastic job and let us explore a mostly unknown legacy character! This show is gonna be a fun ride ❤️
Great Review Jesse. Thank you.
We need Arex and M'Ress in live action.
The Day The Earth Stood Still has the added benefit of being Trek meta, in that it was directed by Robert Wise of TMP fame.
The T’Pring intro sets up her eventual rejection of Spock in Amok Time, which she based on him choosing Star Fleet over her.
Moments like Spock answering the Skype naked and him giving counsel to Pike ala Boyce, reinforces something my friends and I discussed in the 70’s since The Menagerie. In our head canon, Spock was arguably less guarded with Captain Pike (…and Number One…) than with Kirk. He smiles, he risked the death penalty getting him to Talos IV.
I think this show’s off to a great start.
@@countofdownable We are getting Robert April... race-lifted.
It's, not really the impression Lower Decks gave us, I guess, about how TAS would be treated...
One hand gives, another takes, I guess.
@@brachiator1 …solid point. Even Number One would make more sense as well. That said, having Spock know now gives ten years more weight to Spock’s motivations in The Menagerie.
I really dig how Uhura is being depicted. She's inexperienced, but very competent. I feel it very much matches with her later in the timeline. I'm also want to say that I'm proud that I put an Aenar as Chief Engineer of my crew on STO ten years ago. 🖖🏻
Admittedly I think it means we're still kind of overdue for a regular Andorian Starfleet character in live action, but this Hemmer seems like a fun guy. :) (Still kinda wish they didn't make the Andorians into yet another big-face-prothetic species, I think that among other things only discourages having them turn up more. And Enterprise really nailed the makeup if you asked me. )
Uhura is absolutely nothing like she was depicted before. She comes across as a teenage girl with no professional attitude at all.
One of my favourite moments in TOS was when Uhura is fixing the ship and Spock says "I can think of no one better equipped to handle this" or something.
@@OllamhDrab you’re 100% correct. They looked the best on enterprise. The emoting with their antennas was fabulous. Sometimes new trek overdoes it with the prosthetics. I hope some day they back off of it.
@@Ulriquinho Yeah, if they wanted to throw budget at say, Klingons, just how bout not-everyone-in-the-same uniform?
I get the controversy but here’s my opinion on Pike’s injuries:
A beep chair is not a wheelchair. The lady from that DS9 episode from the planet with the different gravity, she is in a wheelchair. A beep chair is an Iron Lung, or a full body cast. We only think of it like a wheelchair because it can move.
That make sense. In the 60s there would have been people who were in iron lungs having had polio. It would have been considered pretty radical at the time to have shown someone likely that in a chair able to more around and communicate even if basically.
Good point. It’s much more traumatic
I got the impression that the two who were captured were sedated when they were first beamed into the sick bay but due to their different physiology, they came out of sedation quicker than they realized.
I like how they dealt with Pike’s feelings on his future, it echoes what many go through when they may be diagnosed with a lifelong progressive condition that they know will likely in the end affect their quality of life. That he ended up dealing with his own future like he did I believe was very good. I can tell Thursdays will remain the highlight of my week for the foreseeable.
My favorite moment without a doubt was Uhura calming the alien dude by talking to him about sports, his genuine surprise and excitement at her bringing it up was hilarious
What I really missed in this modern trek era has been the Captain's log. I'm so glad they've brought it back.
Kirk: the Captain who lived to cheat death
Pike: the Captain who knew that death could not be cheated
Smart inversion. Brilliant pilot ep. It's incredible how _vital_ this 55 year old "classic _Trek"_ format feels. In love with this show. Love the rapport between travel buddies Pike & M'Benga, love young prodigious Uhura, love Chapel's spunky attitude, love Robert April & Ortegas, & Romijn's Number One is on point. 10/10.
I've been wanting to get into Star Trek for a while and I decided to start with this so this is actually the first Star Trek series that I'm watching and I loved this pilot! It has genuinely made me want to go back and watch earlier series'. Brilliant stuff - and Captain Pike is SO cool!
Well, this is a spin off of Star Trek Discovery Season 2, so you may want to watch that to get why Pike is so disturbed.
@@joseaguilar3323 yeah I'm definitely gonna have to watch that for sure though the episode definitely explains it fairly well - how Pike is disturbed from seeing his future death which I imagine is quite scary because seeing how and when you're going to die is something I don't think anyone would want to go through so that's certainly quite the ordeal and it'll be interesting to see how he deals with that!
This is a pretty great place to start honestly.
Welcome to Star Trek! Most of us old timers really don't think Discovery or Picard are good examples of Star Trek, so we would recommend the Original Series or, if that seems too dated, try The Next Generation to understand what Star Trek was meant to be. You picked a good episode to start with though. It actually does feel more like Star Trek than anything since 2005.
@@haplozetetic9519 what constitutes an "old timer". I ask because I'm almost 60, and can remember watching TOS with my older sister at 4 -5 years of age. I was in 10th Grade when Star Trek the Motion picture was released We stood in line for 4 hr. That evil queen Rex Reed panned it
What a wonderful start to the series! Definitely the strongest series premiere of the new shows.
Anson Mount continues to be an absolute revelation as Pike. Calm & composed, yet warm and energetic with a strong moral core and insatiable explorer's spirit.
I was on a complete media blackout so many of the characters were a real suprise to me. I was initially worried hearing "Noonien-Singh" as La'ann's surname, being tired of that well being mined again but so far those fears have been assuaged. Her back story with the Gorn was so harrowing it gave me Tasha Yar flashbacks.
All the supporting cast seem very promising, Uhura and Ortegas made an especially strong impressions despite having a focus in the episode.
You are kidding. Ortega was awful and Uhura was NOTHING like the character should be. Uhura didn't go around grinning like a little schoolgirl. She was professional in her job. Ortega, the Queen of One-liners! What a fresh choice! I really hate this show. It makes Discovery look decent.
@TR Hansen We have a differing opinions both which hold equal value. Such differences are part of the beauty of life.
Personally this opener was a palate-cleansing antidote to my problems with S2 of Picard and some of my general issues with aspects of Discovery.
I hope other episodes or future Star Trek projects are more to your taste.
@@trhansen3244 to be fair, this is a younger, less experienced Uhura, so it’s not that odd that she would be depicted as more youthful and cheerier. Ortega didn’t have much to do, so I feel like I’ll wait and see before judging. Personally I feel like this is already way more ‘trek-like’ than Discovery or Picard, so if they can keep the energy and vibe of this pilot going, I’ll be happy.
This episode was the most enjoyable Trek I've seen since DS9. I got a bit of the feelings I got when I watched TOS reruns as a kid.
I am watching DS9 right now for the first time. Took a break from that to watch this. I will now go back to watching DS9 and stop watching this. I hate this show.
@@trhansen3244 Try to watch DS9 Seasons 4-7, and you will like it. ^-^
@@AlexNewman655 I like DS9 so far. It's Strange New Worlds I don't like.
@@trhansen3244 hey man, while you're taking a break from watching this show you clearly hate, maybe take a break from shitting on the comments of people who actually like it
@@shippendales8543 But it is the characters that are the problem in this show.
I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. I enjoyed the episode, liked the characters, and felt like I was watching Star Trek. If I had to have the smallest of nitpicks, then really the only thing I wish we had more of was the Federation/Enterprise fanfare. There were scenes in the episode where it would have fit perfectly and beautifully, and I kept expecting it, but if that’s going to be my biggest “gripe” with most episodes then sign me up for eight more seasons worth of this!
I never for one moment felt I was watching Star Trek. It felt like Discovery again. Maybe even worse. I could not believe how many things they got wrong. And how many bad choices for characters. If this is the future of Star Trek, then Star Trek is dead. Change the name.
No seriously it gave me chills. I almost shed happy tears
@@trhansen3244 wtf did they get wrong? This episode was amazing!
@@moviemaniacdjp It's easier to say what they got right. Captain Pike. He is pretty good. That's it.
@@trhansen3244 I feel like, at this point, you might just be choosing to be miserable for the sake of being miserable. This is Trek through and through. If you're not willing to let yourself actually see that, then you'll never be happy with it.
Interesting detail: there is an actual Wikipedia article titled "Second American Civil War" with many sources supporting that exists a growing concern about what's going on in the USA as the basis of a near one, or that there is already a second civil war going on. This Trek episode has been just added to the "In Popular Culture" section of the article.
Please, go out and vote. Make the Trek future real without a Third World War.
Wow. I may got look at that article.
It’s a cold civil war. Can you imagine if MAGA had succeeded in overturning the Presidential election on Jan 6? It would have destroyed the USA.
@@soulofastro Not necessarily. Many countries have went through dictatorships and totalitarian regimes, and emerged alive afterwards. The USA itself fought a war to get freedom from Great Britain, and a Civil War to keep itself united and without the stigma of slavery.
Don't forget, the MAGA party is a minority. That's why they need gerrymandering and other tricks to get their way, but still, they go and vote. The problem isn't the rioters, but the millions of people who don't vote and don't care.
Please look for the videos made by Jordan Klepper, interviews to MAGA people. Show them to friends of you who don't vote, ask them to show the videos to friends of them who don't vote. Let's see where is the majority, and whether a minority can destroy a country without opposition.
The history of the world is war. There is basically always a war going on somewhere in the world. Humans, we fight over everything. People blame conflict on religion, remove it they fight over politics. They will fight over vegetarianism. They will fight over football. Conflict is just what people do. Much as I would really love to see the world at peace in the future, I am very skeptical it could ever be achieved. Even in their future, it isn't. There are always wars going on in the storyline with other planets and there are even Vulcan factions that deny their culture. War is just what we humans do
I'm of a similar mind regarding Spock seemingly so into his betrothal.
Especially when you factor in that T'Pring did some shady shit in "Amok Time".
At this point in his life, I think that Spock might be truly "in love" with "being a good Vulcan" and T'Pring is the personification of that.
Famously, Leonard Nimoy portrayed that journey to the very end. Right now, Ethan Peck is portraying a much more "young and eager" point in that journey.
T'Pring having less and less tolerance for her adventurous husband to be and Spock just being so at home in Starfleet and the two growing apart isn't overly original but still good fuel for tv.
I thought the scenes between T'Pring and Spock were gratuitous and ridiculous. Nothing in "Amok Time" indicated they had any close, intimate relationship. Also, in "Enterprise", the relationship between Koss and T'Pol reaffirms that Vulcan marriages are arranged and certainly not filled with romantic interludes even after the marriageceremony, with maybe a few exceptions, like Sarek and Amanda. Now if T'Pring had been with Stonn in the same circumstances, it would make more sense. All she'd have to say after proposing to Stonn is "Now we just need to get rid of Spock.", that would lead beautifully into "Amok Time." If Pike had contacted her looking for Spock and had seen Stonn, that would be just another burden for him to bear. This Spock/T'Pring have a romantic evening together like two human lovebirds just doesn't sit right.
I'm concerned by what this could mean for T'Pring's character. Her actions in Amok Time are forgivable if they were her only way of escaping an unwanted, arranged marriage to someone she barely knows and doesn't care about personally either way. If she does know him personally, and knows him very well, it reframes her in a very unflattering light.
Young love? I'm assuming this is early in the relationship. Amok Time is about 10 years away, a lot can go wrong with a relationship in a decade.
@@Seal0626
While there is an element of that there, for sure... she was carrying on an affair behind Spock's back and preffered to enact a plan where either Kirk or Spock were likely to die by the other's hand. If just talking it out entered her mind, we can only guess.
TOS T'Pring seems very much the product of a "showrunner" with... let's say a "complicated history"... with ex-wives.
@@singularrookhart7501 as I understand it, the way the Vulcan marriage rules are set up in Amok Time, T'Pring did not have the option of calling it off by herself. She didn't have the ability to simply say "I do not want to marry this man and I refuse to do so". Hence the convoluted machinations.
It is a rare Day the Earth Stood Still reference that leaves out "Gort, Klaatu Barada Nikto." Loved this episode and I am so excited for more.
That speech pike game brought me to tears most likely due to current events the speech gave me hope again and I loved it.
This show brought to me tears, too. But for very different reasons. Third bad Trek series in a row. Time to stop watching new Trek altogether.
@@trhansen3244 This episode was great. If every Star Trek you watch is bad, maybe the problem is with you?
@@Xondar11223344 When did I ever say every Star Trek is bad? Never. Stop being a liberal.
@Geoff Shaw Not today it isn't. Being a liberal has NOTHING to do with Star Trek. It has everything to do with wokeness. Look how they are losing their minds over Roe v Wade, with not ONE of them being honest about it. Attacking Catholic churches and doxxing SC justices' homes. What a proud moment in neoliberalism! And fascism, too.
@Geoff Shaw You mean how liberals always want to change the rules any time they don't get their way? Like abolishing the Electoral College? Packing the court? Ending the filibuster? Or making up Russian collusion? Things like that?
i really liked how they handled the alien species. when spock said the thing about "no species has invented the nuke before particle physics" i was worried it was going to be a "this is the evil alien species whose defining trait is being bad people" which is how tos probably would have handled it(tng would have had picard give a speech and then everything is perfectly and permenently resolved) but instead of either of those we got a show that understood the aliens of being the way they are because of material conditions and being able to change as those conditions did without suggesting that that change would be instant or frictionless.
Given La’An’s backstory (and becoming the security chief) it feels to me a modern interpretation of Tasha Ya. I just hope they serve this character better.
La'an reminds me of Tasha Yar. Tough female security officer with a tragic past. I have no problem with this if it gives us a fully developed character.
Wow. I'm SO excited and already loving this. Visually stunning, great story for the episode, no mystery box yet, incredibly chemistry with the crew so far. How is it even possible that they nailed this so hard on the pilot?! The end scene with the "we're going to explore" got me chocked up. I am bursting with excitement over this show.
Oh the crew! Yes! The worst crew I have ever seen in Star Trek. That includes Klingons. Outside of the Captain, they are all boring as shit.
I was okay with the Picard finale but this show literally had me laughing, screaming, clapping, and just the happiest I've been watching a TV show ever. The Original Series got me through a rough period in my life and seeing not only the same feelings evoked but also the allegories that are so needed today filled me with so much joy. I NEED NEXT THURSDAY NOWWWW!!!!!!!
Are you being sarcastic? I hope.
I havent had this feeling for a long time. Finally a new star trek show where i actually watched an episode all the way through without fast forwarding parts. I havent felt this way since TNG, VOY, DS9 and even ENT.
The Picard finale was a horrific piece of television lol
@@trhansen3244 so bitter I hope the trolling serves as a balm for your torment
@@tangylizardk6117 Voyager was for me, horrible . I didn't watch after ??? 3 season . But I've never trolled or whined about it . It just wasn't my cup of pipping hot Earl Grey ; pun intended. I like the new shows after some missteps Discovery found it footing Picard has been fun. Which at this point in my life is what I want
The admiral was Robert April who was the enterprise's first captain. Hope we get more cannon on him
If I remember correctly April helped to design the Enterprise. The computer systems were designed by a young Richard Daystrom from TOS.
Been waiting for the upload! This episode was 👨🍳’s 💋! Lt. Ortega was a standout for me; she’s every brash and bold Latina in my family down to the sharp side cuts.
I cannot wait to delve more into their story!
Yep, Ortega is already my favourite character.
I loved the brief scene of the Kiley media talking about Enterprise. I feel like with a lot of Trek they fail to flesh out many aspects of cultures and planets, usually just saying that everything is run by the government and then all we see are leaders and diplomats, so it was refreshing to see a more civilian reaction to the story.
This is a great start of Strange New Worlds, I really, really hoped they keep the momentum.
Weirdly, the biggest "huh?" I had was where the comms position was. In TOS, it's behind and to the left of the Captain's chair. Now it's somewhere in front. I'm kinda confused about the layout of the updated Enterprise bridge. It's not really clear where the stations are.
That said, the biggest thing I liked was the colour. COLOUR! Finally! After almost 30 years of dark clothing and dark sets, we finally have colour and bright lighting again. It's so nice, and evoking of what Trek was always supposed to be: a bright future, where diplomacy is preferred over war, and all are accepted.
"We're renaming it the Prime Directive"
"Well that's never gonna stick"
Me: *massive snerk and a big ol grin*
It wasn't perfect, TPring and Spock simply did not behave like Vulcans, they behaved like neurodivergent humans rather than aliens who shared characteristics with neurodivergent humans while still being distinctively Alien, you know what I mean? Like that level of PDA would be inconceivable for TOS Spock and T'Pring.
That said, once they left Vulcan and the show got going, it was amazing. I really loved the storyline parallels with the Day The Earth Stood Still, and Pike's storyline is a really clever way of tackling the prequel problem. Usually, us knowing the eventual fate of most characters would be an issue but Pike knowing his own future takes what could've been a weakness and turns it into a source of dramatic tension.
What frustrated me was that Discovery and Picard have never been as good. Maybe episodic storytelling was all it was needed all along?
I think it's because this was early is Spocks life. Remember at the end when we met Kirk, he was very young, so that means Spock hasn't matured yet.
Well, T'pring in her own way seems to be OK with breaking some rules and conventions.
@@OllamhDrab Well, the thing is not that they're breaking rules or conventions but rather going against their planet's culture and behaving as one would expect a couple to behave in human culture. Vulcans are not that passionate, at least not outwardly so. Spock once expressed surprise over meeting the long-dead founding member of his culture and he apologized profusely.
@@joseaguilar3323 Yeah, I agree. I found the Spock/T'Pring Energy weird. After we left Vulcan it was fine.
Yes.. Exploration was what Trek was all about!...and no "The Message" nonsense preachy crap we are sick of ...Go Trek!🚀🌕
After really liking the start of Season 2 of Picard and then that fizzling away in 10 episodes of meh, Strange New Worlds is a breath of fresh air.. It's got a swagger and confidence that bodes well for the rest of the Season, fingers crossed that this standard is maintained.
20:15 That would also explain that little scene in Star Trek First Contact where Picard and crew beam down to 2063 Earth and Picard says: "Computer: mid-21st century civilian clothing" I always assumed that, since we didn't see them going to a replicator room or something before beaming down, the transporter in that century is likewise able to change their clothes which also reminds me of when the holodeck does the same thing.
That’s how I’ve been reading the scene since SNW too. Previously I just assumed they changed for 5 minutes before stepping on the transporter pad (since there’s replicators right next to the console).
Gotta say, we didn't see too much of her yet, but I'm much relieved and delighted at the Uhura casting and problems ever filling Nichelle Nichols' shoes, but I think she nailed it. :) It was hard to imagine anyone getting that kind of combination of a-bit-regal with that free emotional expression Uhura would kinda be in much of the time. Also killer smile. :)
(Also I hope if we see more of Kyle they have him sound a bit more Aussie, some turn of phrase or another. :) (Cause, yes, there's plenty of Asian-Australians with the accent. :) )
On the Prime Directive stuff, I was thinking this kind of situation might actually be a case for why in TOS sometimes they'd play fast and loose with it to correct previous meddlings pretty routinely, compared to TNG standards.
"The Admiral" is Robert April, the Enterprises first captain, Pike's former commander and whom he served under as first officer, and one is the most distinguished commanders in starfleet history.
Exactly. He's not just some random admiral, he is the depiction of a character whose been mentioned as far back as the initial treatment for the original series. I love the idea that the first ever Captain of the Enterprise looks like me.
I'm a little surprised that someone at knowledgeable as this UA-camr missed the significance of the character.
I love how the production design didn't shy away from the 1960s production design unlike in Disco which tried reference them rather showing them. It felt very Star Wars-y to see so much reverence to the original designs, and the ultra-luxury 1960s loveboat aesthetic of the non-bridge enterprise is really gorgeous and reminds me of the video game Prey 1960 futurist Talos Station.
The drip on those sets... my god. This is how you write a show. They clearly put in the research and didn't just half ass it. There is a BIG difference between pausing or rewinding a show to catch the nuances of what the characters are saying vs. barely paying attention to a show because the dialogue is so predictable and cliche. Pike is not only in a wheelchair, but he's trapped within a disfigured body unable to really communicate and going to that from being a handsome swashbuckling captain would completely destroy a person's sense of self. So it's not unreasonable that someone would think of that as a real death.
This to be honest has become by far the best Trek next to DS9, Captain Pike is just a perfect role model for young men , a Leader without ego.
Uhura is so damn adorable 🥰 she gives me Tendi vibes, specially when doing smalltalk with the escapee and then introducing herself with Chapel.
And speaking of Chapel, I love her energy. I loved when she kissed the hypospray 😂
In the middle of watching this, but one small correction: Spock did not propose to T'Pring. T'Pring proposed to Spock and brought and offered him the engagement whatever that was. She seems to be a very take charge person!
Yeah that might be cool for a while.
But she seems like one of those folks who goes cray cray if they don’t get their way
This is the Star Trek show I' ve been waiting for! The 1st episode alone pulled me in. Great story, and great casting. This the 1st of the new Paramount + series that I want to watch the episode again and again.
1. I kind of liked the bit with T'Pring. It's foreshadowing her reaction to his prioritizing career.
2. Chapel looks to be a fun character, too.
3. I like the episodic storytelling. It's nice to see that someone remembered they could tell a good story in an episode instead of dragging a mediocre one over a whe season.
This lighter, funner version of Trek is a callback to what made TOS enjoyable. Its a contrast to the dark, "Game of Thrones" style of Trek that characterizes Discovery.
discovery and thrones in the same sentence hahahaha kurtzman could only dream
Discovery is far from Game of Thrones: DS9 had the captain going on shady bussiness to bring the Romulan to the Dominion War, something that early Tyrion would have appreciated.
@@ErickSoares3 Harberts & Berg were influenced by GOT in making STD. I have nothing against GOT, I'm sure that wasn't the only influence, but I think one reason STD doesn't work as a TOS prequel is it feels too dark and heavy.
@@chuckjones6055 come on ... dark would work if the story and characters where carefully crafted, thrones dominated the entire world, and for a time was the most stunning story ever told, discovery may have been influenced by thrones as have countless others since, it is another thing entirely being able to capture what made it is incredibly beloved
I genuinely loved it. I felt mixed after watching Picard… but I had to watch it. And I was so happy I did.
They are off to a wonderful start. There’s so much genuine love between Pike and Spock.
The actor that plays the security chief reminds me of Camina Drummer from the expanse but in a very good way.
I was so pumped up after watching it, I was hopeful. I also saw why T’pring resented Spock.
I love Doc M’Benga. I also freaking love Christine Chapel. She’s fast and elfin. I know I will warm up to Uhura. She’s very good too.
This was a great pilot episode and I like all the characters and I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop. Nurse Chapel is such an adorable nerd. It's good that Pike has close relationship with Spock so he talk about the vision as it was clearly affecting his performance as captain. I can see why a ship's counsellor became a integral part of Starfleet crews in the future because I'd guess there would be some people that wouldn't find it as easy to talk with their friends or colleagues about problems like that.
This pilot had me goofy smiling the moment it started. I am so freaking excited to see where this goes! I love how this episode was done in a way that reminds me of what TOS would do but in a way that’s updated and so relevant. I’m so happy this show is fantastic so far. The way pike disregards the prime directive in a way that is done for the greater good of the people in the planet was so perfectly pike. I can keep gushing but seeing the trifecta back is just so great
I feel exactly the same way.
Going into Strange New Worlds I went in completely blind, apart from having seen the Discovery stuff involving the cast, and tried to have no expectations but boy did that first episode deliver. It was cool how they bought in what happened with the Enterprise crew and Discovery and worked it into the plot of this episode. Also loved the speech from Pike. If the writing continues like this then SNW might very quickly become my new favourite of the new Trek, sorry Discovery. Funny to think too about the difference between Pike and Kirk in that scene of Spock and T'Pring. You can just tell if that was a ToS episode Kirk would have smirked and said something like "Take your time Mr Spock."
I was so careful about not watching the title sequence, and I'm so glad I waited. Seeing it for the first time in the episode was just... Perfect
Unrleated note, but where do you get your uniforms from Jessie? I’ve been planning to get myself one I could use for costume parties but the options I found on google were really abysmal.
Ebay
The admiral was Admiral Robert April
Finally the 1st captain of the uss Enterprise 1701 has been introduced in live action.
I love this show so much! I really enjoy the old time look of everything I missed that in Discovery. I didn't expect it to be so funny on top of everything I laughed out loud several times even the plot being a reverse alien story is hilarious to me they straight up abducted those two guys! The crew already comes across like a family even though Pike steals the show as always everyone got a moment to show off their character. I'm so excited for the next episode!
Wow! I am truly shocked. I laughed not at all. I didn't even smile. It was that bad. I had such high hopes. They were all dashed. I don't think Star Trek will ever recover from a third bad series.
@@trhansen3244 that's really sad for you bud I had a great time I'll probably watch it again today
Yeah this show is already fantastic, I hope it stays on course bc Star Trek needs more good shows out there, lower decks can’t save the franchise alone lol
@@cornblaster7003 thanks for reminding me the new episode is out!
@@BlueBeetle1939 Well, I did get about a third of the way through the second episode, all about Uhura, who is not really Uhura at all. She is now a prodigy, can speak 36 languages and is the most special person of them all. This is the least Star Trek show yet.
"Transporters don't do that!"
"This is Ortiz, make them do that."
I laughed out loud for so long I had to pause and rewind because I missed about 30 seconds of showtime.
Continuing the proud Star Trek tradition of forcing your Engineers to invent new transporter techniques on the fly
Loved this episode, had such a great time watching it. Already loving all the characters. The moment with Uhura and the alien in the elevator was definitely a standout for me, I felt like it just said so much about Uhura’s character.
SNW is all i wanted and represents all i love from Star Trek in general.
A celebration of diversity and an unflinching yet realistic optimism.
I think this may become my new favourite star trek show, the characters are great, make up is great, the landscapes are great... the only thing i didnt like was straight spock, but maybe Kirk's first appereance will set things gay.
You had me at "Hell... Freakin'... Yes!"
This is the first pilot to use the series name as a title, which is a move some shows use to avoid using the title “Pilot,” unless you’re Pushing Daisies and you want to call it “Pie-lette.” But enough about Bryan Fuller.
Pilots have a lot of jobs to do. Roddenberry found that out back when he made “The Cage,” back in 1964. That show was famously deemed “too cerebral,” so he made a much more action-packed show with Kirk fighting to the death with his best friend. But obviously, THIS pilot is in relationship with that first “too cerebral” pilot, and not just because it’s about Captain Pike.
One of the most famous scenes in “The Cage,” is the heart-to-heart between Pike and Dr. Boyce over a drink. It’s been replicated in Trek several times, perhaps most obviously in Star Trek II and in Star Trek Beyond, in both cases, between Kirk and McCoy. But what drove Pike to tell a bartender things he wouldn’t tell a doctor? In “The Cage,” he was on a mission that had heavy casualties. In “Strange New Worlds” that casualty is himself. So much of this episode follows up on the consequences of the events towards the end of DSC season two, in which Pike goes to Boreth, sees that his future ends with a radiation accident and chooses that path anyway. It makes him a reluctant hero in the Campbellian sense, but also a tragic hero in a truly ancient sense.
Pilots also are places for mission statements. The episode begins with a narration that I often liken to the ones that would start some episodes of The X-Files, and which DSC often uses, both shows using it to establish themes about to be explored, or set the mood for an episode or arc that’s about to take place. Here, Una talks about the magic of first contact that goes right and how it turns science fiction into reality. PIC season one invoked the genre in a similar manner to literalize the relationship the Star Trek universe has always had with the way we consume that universe. Here, it’s invoked again when Pike watches The Day the Earth Stood Still.
For years, I’ve been saying the people making Trek would do well to study that film, along with Close Encounters, ET, The Abyss, Contact, Interstellar, and Arrival. DSC season four demonstrated that they had been doing that with their epic about communication with a truly alien race. SNW is showing us they know all about it, and will explore the themes of that film within this very episode.
Una may have been sunny in her monologue, but it was also her last known entry, so Admiral Robert T. April, first captain of the Enterprise calls on a reluctant Pike to rescue her. It’s about the only thing that can put him back in the captain’s chair, given he’s been second-guessing his every action since learning his fate, bringing us back to his quarters and that replication of the classic scene in “The Cage,” this time with Spock. Though, Pike is at least a little impatient, requesting to be beamed aboard while still on his shuttle tour outside the ship.
We meet much of the rest of the crew, confident and snarky helmsperson Eric Ortegas, familiar names Chapel, also pretty fun and confident as a disguise expert civilian nurse recruited into Starfleet, Dr. M’Benga whose favorite nurse is Chapel, cadet Uhura with stars in her eyes, and La’an Noonien-Singh.
While most pilots have to try to introduce all the characters, there’s only so much time, so this episode focuses most of its character-building introductions on La’an. She’s the last survivor of a colony ship attacked by the Gorn, cast aside as a message to those that found her not to mess with the Gorn. She was the only one who was not surprised by the prospect of her own death and in a bitter irony was the only one to survive. So she has a bit of a masochistic streak, or perhaps refuses sedatives to feel alive and remind herself that death is an ever-present reality.
But Pike is determined not to let anyone die today.
This being a nominally episodic show in the style of TNG or VOY, with self-contained stories on the surface, but character-based serialization brimming under the surface, there is a one-off mission that must be tackled. First contact has gone terribly awry.
The policies of General Order One are that the Federation is not to make first contact with a planet until its civilization has developed warp technology and is about to travel into interstellar space. It’s a process invented by the Vulcans to ease a new member of the interstellar community into the idea of not being alone. But sensor readings were incorrect, this planet didn’t develop a warp DRIVE; they developed a warp BOMB. It’s the equivalent of humans developing nuclear weapons instead of using the technology for space travel. And the parallels to Earth would become important, or it wouldn’t be Star Trek.
On another level, the trip through the wormhole the USS Discovery took was hard to hide. It was visible for lightyears, meaning it was proof of alien life to species that wouldn’t have known for a long time. This moment inspired many of those species to develop warp technology. It kinds of set up a wrinkle to first contacts that might reverberate through the series. Perhaps the Enterprise will have to continue to pick up the pieces left in the wake of Discovery’s trip to the future.
So, with this disastrous first contact, the methods of episodes like “Who Watches the Watchers” and “First Contact” come into play with disguises and transporters that do things I don’t think I’ve seen them do before. Those transporters always seem to reveal new tricks up their sleeves. But they’re hardly foolproof as Spock’s half-Vulcan/half-human DNA meddles with genetic disguise. Maybe simple makeup would have been preferable.
Pike infiltrates the prison, frees Una, but then decides that since the damage has been done, maybe there’s something he can do to help guide this people into a slightly better future.
One of the other major features of many of the Star Trek pilots is a godlike being. In “The Cage,” the Talosians imprisoned humans and could conjure all sorts of things indistinguishable from magic. In “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Dehner developed godlike powers. Q shows up in “Encounter at Farpoint,” on a mission that also involves the jellyfish-like creatures that provide for Farpoint Station. “Emissary” had the Prophets as well as Sisko’s role as the title emissary to them. “Caretaker” had a…caretaker array. “Broken Bow” featured a mysterious “Future Guy.” Even DSC featured T’Kuvmah, who was a cult leader worshipped as a god.
Here, that god is Pike, again. He shows these people a possible future by showing our own future to them, our Second American Civil War (with its preamble naturally being January 6), Eugenics Wars, and World War III, which apparently appear to be relatively synonymous. I guess that is a retcon then, and means perhaps Adam Soong’s folder in the Picard season two finale is a sign that Khan’s origin is a few decades later than originally thought. Records of the primitive turn of the millennium are murky at best.
But this presentation’s real job is the commentary that we can expect from future episodes of SNW, which might be a bit more pat than the more serialized shows, but can be comfort food to the ones that prefer an older style of Trek. With this current era of Trek shows, there’s plenty of room for Trek shows to cater to specific tastes. I’m here for all of it.
Unlike Kirk, he gives this people a choice. There’s no talking a computer to death or blowing anything up. Pike’s traits are empathy and faith in other people. He's also self-deprecating and full of doubt, as in "The Cage," and the beginning of this episode. And this people take him up on that choice by allowing Starfleet to inspire them into a future where they could travel the stars.
This episode establishes that these actions include a reinforcement of General Order One that features a name change, it’ll now be called “The Prime Directive,” something at which Pike bristles, much as Kirk and many other captains would do in the future.
And it has one other little surprise. The episode keeps teasing a Lieutenant Kirk as a crew member Pike’s requested as they set out on their new five-year mission. Of course, we’re all thinking that’ll be James T., but at the end of the episode, when we see that moustache, we realize it’s Kirk’s ill-fated older brother George Samuel, from “Operation: Annihilate!”
It’s also a rather sexy episode as Pike and Spock’s introductions both kind of involve a woman. Pike takes refuge with Captain Batel, who sees that he’s hiding, much like McCoy saw in the aforementioned scene from Star Trek II. And Spock receives a proposal from T’Pring, one that he’d wanted. Both women are symbols of life without Starfleet, but maybe they’ll get to be developed in earnest later on. We do know this isn’t the last we’ll see of T’Pring, and what’s cool about her scenes with Spock is that we see a genuine mutual affection there, which deepens what happens in “Amok Time.”
The show ends with another monologue, featuring Hemmer’s only appearance in this episode, so the table-setting isn’t quite done. The pilot’s work isn’t quite over…
There’s nothing problematic in the slightest about how Pike’s future is handled. To describe it as “ending up in a wheelchair” is incredibly reductive. He ends up horrifically injured, leaving him severely, and permanently disfigured, and incapable of communicating beyond beeping
It also seems a little insensitive to me to imply that anyone with a disability that leaves them wheelchair-bound is just like Pike in Menagerie
Jesse"s excitement gives us another entry into "uncertain accent hall of fame" at the phrase "deep into spoilers." How does Jesse manage to be both insightful and goofy? I dont know, but it keeps me tuned in. Keep em coming.
Again at 11:02. I had to pause from laughing. Mad genius, you are.
New idea for a drinking game: Take a shot, everytime Jessie says "But then."
Great video, love your Star Trek content.😁😁😁
First time the algorithm put you in my feed, I hat to click just because your earring is so dope!!!
I thought this first episode was very good. Maybe one of the best first episodes of a new series...though I really like the start of Deep Space Nine. I was very moved at times, in particular the last 10-15 minutes.
So happy to find positivity in this channel. Got reaaaaally tired of channels being so stupid about everything Trek. I feel we're privileged to get so much Trek these days
Another excellent video, Jessie. I came straight here after watching the episode. As pilots go, they had a great advantage because of their previous introductions in Discovery and Short Treks. I love this series and can't wait to see more.
In fact, I think I'll go watch it again.
Honestly, I liked what they did with T'Pring because it starts to set up her behavior in Amok Time. I mean her whole "I don't want to be married to a famous Vulcan" explanation in Amok Time was kind of weak, but saying Spock had chances to commit to her and just ran off to Starfleet instead and she wasn't keen on that makes her decision to want a relationship with another Vulcan make more sense.
I thought this episode was was great. It had some legitimately good storytelling. I loved how Pike was depressed and watching The Day the Earth Stood Still, then he resolved the conflict at the end of the episode by pulling a Klaatu. So good! I also loved the throwaway line at the beginning of the show when by the captain Pike is seeing when his communicator beeps "are you going to answer your phone?"
Also, is it just me, or is Pike a good combination of Kirk and Picard?
I got up super early before work to watch this today and I was in tears at several points. It was beautiful, hopeful and everything I needed this week and this year. I adore what they are doing and the Starship Porn shots (all those gorgeous shots of the Enterprise are just so amazing) were well appreciated.
I wish I could agree. My reaction was the opposite. I cannot stand this show.
Love you more every time I see you, Jessie! This was the best of your reviews.
I loved every minute! Filled my heart with joy. This felt so right some how.
The first episode is really good. All the characters are likable. The story is great. Let's see if they can keep it up.
I agree with most of what you said. I tend to be somewhat skeptical about drawing conclusions regarding how serialized it is until we've seen more than one epsiode, though I second your feelings regarding the apparent direction.
loved it all - excellent review - hate waiting 7 days for more !! :)
love this first episode I figured I was going to but you never know. I like the introduction of all the main characters. the VFX was great. I know everybody's trying to figure out who that other captain that was sharing the cabin with Pike was LOL. loved loved to seen the Spock and t'pring Romance always wanted to know more about that story anyway. and this episode hit hard and fast I specially love how they used Earth history actual history and I hope fictional history to show these people you're headed down a bad Road and trust us don't want that. episode scenes long they packed a lot into it and it didn't seem rushed or for either. extremely happy with episode 1 of Star Trek strange new worlds
It was amazing.
I loved how they updated the legacy characters. The only one that is almost a different person with the same name would maybe be Chapel, who was the one who really needed the most comprehensive updates to work in modern Trek.
I *really* loved how Pike is still something of a haunted man, not entirely sure if he belongs in the Captains chair. Yes, the immediate reasons are different now, but that's been a part of the character since The Cage, and I'm glad they haven't been discarding it. He's a man who struggles with himself, but still manages to accomplish great things. With the promise of serialized character arcs within the overall episodic structure, I expect this to get revisited because that sort of pain is not something plausibly resolved in a single episode.
His speech at the summit is going to go down in Star Trek history.
Yeah. I LOVED the addition of Admiral Pike! Also, the addition of Sam Kirk is awesome!!!
I thought the back and forth between Spock and Khan's daughter was mindful of Spock and McCoy biting at each other...lol!!!
"Now they're calling it the Prime Directive."
"That'll never stick."
I'm a friend of Jamis. Episode one was AMAZING!
I haven't been a fan of most of the new Trek shows. I like Lower Decks, and I'm loving Strange New Worlds. It feels like Classic Trek. It's fun, thought provoking and tells a full story in 50 minutes.
I can't see why some channels are hating on it. They claim to want Classic Trek, but then hate the closest thing. I never went into the other new Trek shows wanting to hate them, they ended up doing things I didn't like.
Also "Una" - This name is a much later addition. For the longest time the only name we knew the character by was "Number One" and there was some ... interesting "fanon" about that.
I didn't like the transporters as a clothes changer, but that's because I have always been imagining the ships "Quartermasters" having a costume department.
But Lower decks sort of addressed that.. :D
I don't know if anybody else noticed this or not but is it just me or is Pike's house in Montana also the house that Kirk lived in in the Nexus flashback of Star Trek generations? It looked oddly familiar to me and for the fact that Pike was cooking and we saw Kirk doing pretty much the same kind of kitchenery culinary stuff it really stood out to me and almost makes me wonder if Kirk owned Pike's house at one point in time
Uhuta has some of that Tendi "everything is awesome" vibe to her. Really loved that!
I have to say... I was blown away by the pilot episode of SNW. It was a lot better than I was expecting... The writing is tight and it's design and execution is simply stunning.
I was expecting it to be "okay" and entertaining, but I don't think I've fallen in love with a ST show this much since TNG. The cast is great too. I'm really excited to see where they go with it.
It will be interesting to see what they do with Spock and T'Pring. It seems like they might be adding more complexity to her character and their relationship. We shall see...
Did they say that the Eugenics Wars and WW3 were the same or just parts of a long chain of events (which included the Second American Civil War)?
This, my fellow nerds, is what your grumpy old uncle and you can agree on "is real Star Trek."
I hope this is what they deliver us every week. A fresh, engaging story that is rooted in our modern day lives. Development of the shows characters. Off to the next planet!
One of the best pilots since DS9 IMO.
I intentionally binged all of season 2 of Disco before coming and watching the pilot. Honestly, that made the pilot even better. I think this pilot works so well is because the main characters were originally introduced in disco, had their own story, and in some ways, this is a continuation of that story. Story. So I think it made it a touch easier to write a pilot then if they were introducing all these characters an actors in the pilot.
This episode was not the Pilot. The Pilot was The Cage in 1964.
Also Discovery Season 2 was a "Back Door Pilot" for this show.
I loved this episode
Jessie: "Push Duty"
Me as a 5-year-old: ....hehehehe
Definitely the strongest Trek pilot I’ve ever seen. Though I haven’t seen DS9’s or VOY’s.
I do wish I had watched this after Picard because…well, we’ll get to that.
Those two are arguably Treks strongest too, along with Enterprise and Disco. Tbh, regardless of the show, Trek has generally had strong pilots from DS9 onwards. TNG tho is easily the worst IMO, but at least it gave us Q
You got to watch DS9, it's my favorite Star Trek show so far.
Of all the pilots I have seen, and I have seen them all, this is the worst pilot. Granted, part of that is because I had high hopes it would return to the roots of TOS but that was just to get people interested. It's nothing like TOS. And it never will be.
@@jukio02 I am watching DS9 right now. Almost done with season 1 and it is far better than this new show. It's not even close. But TOS is the best of them all.
@@trhansen3244 Well…yeah, TOS ended in 1969. That’s not coming back. Time to move on.
Three things I loved: The Day the Earth Stood Still, An appropriate stance on the Prime Directive, Using Earth history to warn the planet. Just one thing. In TOS Pike is allowed to spend his last days on Talos IV. My impression of the Spock / T'Pring scenes. : "OW That ain't right. Get a room!"
One of my few complaints with the episode is minor lore thing, but I'm a pretty casual trek fan, and I still picked up on it.
When the enterprise is fired on by the planet, pike says something like "those weapons were 21st century tech, how the hell did they develop warp drive?" But humans did develop warp drive in the 21st century, there was a whole movie about it.
Watched it last night, couldn't go to bed until I did. Loved it! It felt like Star Trek, it was perfect.
(1) In the scene where Pike is on the shuttle before boarding the ship, I am almost sure there's background com chatter about the shuttle or starship Yelchin, which would be a tribute to Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the 2009 movie and passed away in an accident.
(2) Transporter Chief Kyle is played by André Dad Kim (in the end credits) who is related to (son of?) Daniel Dae Kim from a couple of science fiction shows. In TOS and TWOK, Kyle was played by Carter Winston, if I remember correctly.
(3) We didn't get a name (yet) for the Operations officer on the bridge, a woman in science teal, I think, and maybe Asian.
(4) Notice T'Pring shows irritation at Spock over his dedication to Starfleet. So they're giving seeds to T'Pring's and Spock's relationship developing problems. (Stonn!) This was a really interesting thing to have going on.
Gosh, it was good to see the episode so good.
I loved how colorful this was. Not dark grey, blue or green just bright and simple.
Hi, new subscriber here. Masterful analysis! Loved how well versed you are in TOS. I recently binge watched all seasons of Discovery and after season 2 ended I remember thinking “I really like this Captain Pike”. Then I saw the trailer for SNW a few days later. This episode gave me the nostalgia feels in a way that “Enterprise” never did, although I did enjoy the USS Archer reference. Love the ship’s design down to the “shower-curtain” look of the wall panels. I might have to check out your podcast with Council of Geeks to whom I subscribe as well. Thanks for the video!
I breath a sigh of relief after this pilot episode, feels like it fits well into the timeline, characters are great, the actors hit the mark, the story worked well, the the look and feel is great. I've have high hope for this series.
It was everything I wanted in modern Trek. It’s not perfect, but I’ll take it. Disco and PIC are not my thing.
Not sure if this was mentioned before, but: TMP's director Robert Wise also directed The Day The Earth Stood Still in 1951. So a bit of Trek connection there :)
I don't think the bad part of his future is the wheel chair, it's both the pain of the burns and the inability to communicate.
loved the slight annoyance when t'pring says...he was about to be chris , it was understated but great
Your yellow uniform, is flattering on you -respect for your rank and achievement, too.
Awesomee alright. Hope yall have good days 🍀
I love that pike is having PTSD. I love that there wasn't a magic reset for the character. Strange New Worlds feels like the best of both worlds. It's episodic but the characters are gonna have baggage that carries over. The one thing that took me out of Voyager all the time was the magic resets that would happen. I really hope SNW sticks the landing and feels more like DS9 and less like Voyager.