Star Trek Strange New Worlds 2.02 "Ad Astra per Aspera" REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- Strange New Worlds may have just delivered Modern Star Trek's most powerful episode...
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I'm just flabbergasted that for once a Starfleet Captain did the sensible thing and hired a lawyer instead of playing defence council themselves. (looking at YOU Jean Luc.)
Not only does the sensible thing but gives a damn good reason as to why they needed to
In Picard's defence, in Measure of a Man, he had no choice. The JAG judge said he had to play defence and Riker prosecution since she had no team and if they had not ajudicated this right then and there, Maddox would have been allowed to take Data with him and do whatever with him until Picard could have found a lawyer to actually try the case.
@@GermanLeftist I'd have thought there'd be a JAG officer or two on the Enterprise crew though?
@@GermanLeftist Where TNG fails is by not having Data being represented by one of his own. The episode needlessly forces a situation where Data is not provided enuf time to obtain counsel of his choice. Which is not how justice is supposed to work. Ad Astra ...corrects this mistake and has Pike be the one to resolve it.
In the 1950s, A man under my father's command was accused of r-pe, my father was required to prosecute the case, though the man had a JAG defender. It was common in the military right in to the 1970s when the draft was eliminated.
My father was always upset that he lost the case.
It broke my heart that La'an is worried and full of anxiety that she is a ticking time bomb. So sure that she could endanger her crew if the Khan-ness rears its head.
I adored this episode, I was weeping through Una's testimony. As a mixed-race person with a lot of passing privilege, I saw so much of myself in Una the good and the bad. Beyond that, I think what takes this episode to the next level is that it's not only allegory, Neera speaks directly to the real human history of systemic injustice and not just the distant past. It's like Picard and Guinan naming slavery in Measure of a Man. Also, did you notice the allusions in Neera's costuming to Jake's civilian costumes in DS9.
I'll admit I cried when she gave her testimony.
I cried so uncontrollably, it came so sudden out of nowhere. I am flight attendant, and when I joined my airline, it was exactly the same reason why Una joined star fleet. So many beautiful people and all so different and in harmony together. And as star fleet it is not perfect. But they strive for the best in humanity.
I cried watching this episode! I’m mixed race, (my father is black), I’m Jewish, and I have some ancient genetics that have asserted themselves. La’an definitely has Klingon genes asserting themselves within her.
Atavism does exist and can result, for example a white couple giving birth to a black child due to having black ancestors 200 years back. Atavism is an ancient set of genetics asserting themselves in order to inject genetic variation back into a population.
I could have passed as white, but I chose to not pass. I’m as fierce as Neera is about protecting my people. I’m angry at the treatment of my loved ones for being treated differently than myself. People like me are often discriminated against by our own communities and those outside of our communities for being born who we are.
Una reminds me of my own sister. She straightened her hair and dyed it platinum blonde in order to pass. She also denied our Israeli/Palestinian and Nigerian heritage. I embraced my culture and had to go live with my black grandparents in order to go to a private school to get away from all the hatred. I’m thankful that college was a diverse community that was more accepting of those from different backgrounds, races, and cultures. It pains me to see how much hatred has been re-injected into society because of political bias. I thought things were better in the late 90’s to around 2015. I was never naive enough to believe that racism would be completely eliminated, but the amount of mixed race children being born during those periods had increased exponentially and this gave me hope. I was born in the 1970’s after interracial marriage became legal law. I’ve also been openly bi-sexual since I was 13. I’m in my mid 40’s. So this episode hit so many issues that I have personally faced. Being a woman in a predominantly male profession, I faced sexism and had to fight to be viewed equally by male colleagues. I was the only female in the board room. And, I was respected as an equal. It took hard work and embracing my femininity to win that respect.
I’m not a man and I don’t attempt to emulate men in order to gain respect. I have counseled many men in my 20 year career and many men have deferred to my judgement and leadership. Anything is possible if your willing to humble yourself, learn from others, and then take that knowledge and fight.
@@SonofVader I have to admits it got me in the feels too.
❤
On a small note, I loved the continued trend of Uhura respectfully standing up to La'An!
That was awesome!!!!
Of all the characters they could've chosen to have on the bridge with Capt. Pike I love that they picked Uhura. She always seemed to be the one we knew the least about. I mean we didn't find out what an absolute badass she could be until Star Trek III.
Ditto
@@naunga9450You should see TAS episodes "The Slaver Weapon" and "The Lorelei Signal." In the first, we learn about her athletic past and in the second SHE TAKES COMMAND!
@@naunga9450I forgot about the TOS episode "Mirror Mirror." Slapping Mirror Sulu and overpowering Mirror Marlena after telling Kirk she was afraid to go to the bridge alone...
What struck me about this episode is the approach it takes to allegory - it's neither vague nor too specific to one issue. Like Measure of a Man there are obvious parallels to real life and groups of real people, but it is not a complete one-to-one straightforward allegory (in the vein of Animal Farm, not that there's anything wrong with that sort of allegory or that book), which allows the episode and its themes to be universal without being generic. Brilliant episode.
Well stated and agreed
Two things I loved that others might overlook because of how great the main plot was: Pike being mature enough not to let his anger destroy his relationship with Batel. He's clearly angry with the situation but he's not taking it out on her. And second, Spock's "outburst." Just a funny moment I enjoyed.
That's to be expected He's in the military and he knows that Batel didn't have any choice in the matter. She was assigned to prosecute and she had to fulfill her orders to the best of her ability.
Now I'm sure if they were both civilians and she pulled something like this and volunteered to prosecute I'm sure he would have dumped her ass faster than that 2-week-old Chinese dinner in the back of the fridge.
I wanna know more about this beef between Spock and Pasalk!
@@highlander723 It's still refreshing to have the writers of the show let these characters act like adults in this case! Too many shows ignore what people in real life would actually do for the DRAMA!!!! (Which, to a certain extent can be understandable, why watch a tv-drama with no drama... (and sometimes adults act childish) but I've always thought making the drama realistic to people who've actually been in similar situations makes for a much better story for everybody!)
@@DissociatedWomenIncorporated I wholeheartedly agree, however from the context of the scene itself I think it's safe to assume due to Sarek's posistion, he had frequent contact with the admiral. And given the bullying that Spock received from full blooded Vulcans( we see this in the Kelvin timeline and it's presumed when we found out that Spock had the Vulcan form of dyslexia) it stands to reason with his adherence to rules and logic that the Admiral looks down on Spock. And instead of having some measure of admiration at everything that Spock has achieved since leaving Vulcan I imagine that the Admiral looks at Spock with disdain.
@@bemasaberwyn55 certainly a bit o’ the old Vulcan racism was my first thought but I want the full gossip, the juicy deets!
I legit weeped when Neera had Batel read the protocol about asylum. And I kept weeping... until the credits started rolling.
Wow
I didn’t quite weep, but various points (especially the end) had me go a bit teary eyed.
Same. The closing arguments were moving.
Yeah lots of dust in the episode. Gets in your eyes
@@jayphailey “😭 I thought these ships were supposed to clean _themselves!”_
This put Star Trek Strange New Worlds on top of the Star Trek Pile for me. This episode spoke about so many groups under the umbrella of 'augments' as allegory (like Mutants in Xmen). This is the FINEST hour of television I have seen easily in a decade. Top episode of Star Trek thusfar, hands down. I cried multiple times. We may not have Fred Rogers anymore, but we have Anson Mount's Captain Pike, and We Have Una, and... damn this episode is amazing.
And yes, I adored the argument between the Vulcan Prosecutor and Spock.... You can clearly clearly tell that the writers have vulcans down pat. Because as far as Vulcan's go that was some tense sh*t so much so that Spock felt the need to apologize for his outburst right in the middle of the lounge. *Chef's Kiss*.
Speaking of X-Men, the first I'd ever noted Rebecca Romijn (Una) was when she played Mystique in the late '90s/early 2000s, and *so much* of this episode kept reminding me of an exchange she had with Nightcrawler in one of the movies, where he asks her "Why not stay in disguise all the time - you know, look like everyone else?" and she replies, "Because we shouldn't have to."
@@Blazingstoke I frequently remember that particular dialogue. I was once asked why I was bothered by the anti gay crap since I passed as straighter than most men. I remembered that line then. I shouldn't have ever had to "pass."
@@anthonymorris9061 No one should have to live as someone they're not.
@@BlazingstokeYES. As a bisexual/pan, polyamorous, neo-pagan, I’ve spent a LOT of time having to hide and pass, especially within my family (conservative fundamentalist Christians living in the Southern US.) I’ve had people tell me that this shouldn’t matter to me, or that it “isn’t that bad” because I COULD choose to pass as a heterosexual, monogamous, “Christian”. No, I *should not HAVE to*. We should ALL be able to be ourselves without fearing that we will be hurt, discriminated against, or disowned. Overt discrimination isn’t the only kind that exists. Covert discrimination is still discrimination.
This was SUCH A GOOD episode!
One thing you missed (understandably, Neera's lines are powerful indeed) in the Neera/La-an scene, is that La-an comes out to her as carrying the Noonien-Singh augmentations and that's key to the significance of what Neera says to her. That scene genuinely had me in tears.
I really hope they pick that up with her and Una down the line, her returning Una's trust.
I think she only says she fears she's carrying the augmentations. I wonder though if so why it was never tested.
@PmmGarak I read it as Neera speculating and La'an confirming the speculation. I guess it could go either way, but it just feels like a confirmation. That fits the allegorical purpose more appropriately and what Neera then says to her (one of the most powerful condemnations of bigotry, even microaggressions, in Trek ever).
One thing to keep in mind is that the suggestion is that Una was still a child when the city was split. Una's PARENTS decided to stay in the UFP zone & assimilate rather than remain with their kindred on the Illyrian side. Una had no choice but to assimilate, because as a child she HAD TO FOLLOW HER PARENTS. That too SPEAKS VOLUMES!!!
Yeah her friend took out a lot of anger on Una for actions she didn't do that actually her parents did.
A friend of mine talked about what it was like growing up with her parents emphasizing that she "represented her people" to outsiders. It's completely unfair.
Loved that Uhura said no to checking the logs unethically.
It is unfair but unfortunately due to the nature of society many of us do. I wasn't explicitly told that by my parents but it was understood. Its like learning to code switch to make yourself appear safer. This episode definitely resonated. ❤️
I'm sorry that weight was put on your shoulders.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 ❤️❤️❤️ You're sweet. Here's to hoping the world gets better with each passing generation. It's better for me than it was my parents. Like Neera said, "It's a start. "🥰
I felt exactly the same way about the medals😂.
But in all seriousness, I was tearing up at the end. Episodes like this is why I've been a Star Trek fan for over 40 years.
This was my Starfleet in the end. So much of my moral code is based on what I want it to represent. Trying to be our better selves.
💯
As soon as I caught on to the allegory of this episode, I knew that I had to hear your take, and I was NOT wrong! As a parent/guardian of adolescents and young adults with reason to celebrate pride, and as a Navy veteran who served under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, this episode hit all the feels! Thank you for what you're doing with this channel!
And, if you'll forgive an old dinosaur, I'm digging the Tasha Yar hairdo!
I’m digging the hairstyle too! Jesse just needs to do the Tasha Yar makeup now! I’m digging it!
Ad astra per aspera means "to the stars through difficulties;" "a rough road leads to the stars;" or "Through hardships, to the stars." It's a motto used by several real life entities related to aviation and education, it is engraved at the Apollo 1 memorial - and it's Kansas motto.
Edit. It's also the sentence in Morse code included in Voyager's Golden Record.
It is such a well known motto that I find it inexcusable that Una Riley managed to mispronounce it. Aspera is a three syllable Latin word in which the penult (second to last syllable) has a short vowel, so the accent must be on the antepenult (the third to last syllable, in this case the first syllable). It is "Ad Astra per Aspera," not "Ad Astra per asPEra" and she kept saying.
@@magister343 I blame the UT for a bad translation.
Thanks for this! I was scrolling looking for exactly this!💛🤍💜🖤
I loved the scene in the end where Neera got onto the transporter pad and everybody clapped. It was such a (deserved!) godess ascending her throne scene! :D
I read the same things you did, it was not subtle at all, and I loved that. One slight note... La'an's conversation made me realize, although she said she's not an augment, her genetics are modified from her ancient ancestors. She kind of hide that in last season, but let it slip to the lawyer. So yes, she reads as "Self hating acceptable queer" until she was told it's not her fault, but the system.
I laughed so hard at the scene at the beginning where Pike sits there and suffocates until the lawyer agrees to see him.
I loved that for how in character it is. The only other person in Trek I can think of who'd do that is Riker. Among the captains, Kirk would look like he did it but have another canister up his sleeve. Picard would have come at it a totally different direction. I'm not sure about Sisko but my feeling is that he'd do something like just take the mask off completely and sit there totally stone faced. Janeway would pull a hypospray out of her pocket and be like, "yeah, I totally modded myself before I got here. If it's the law vs. doing something cool with science, science wins every time." Archer would collapse on the floor. Burnham would take off the mask, take a deep breath and say, "I've had worse." Freeman might have done what Pike did; she's not the main character so there's less to go on with her. Dal would have started choking on the fumes, then realized nothing was wrong and been very puzzled as to why everyone but Zero is struggling.
@@ChiscringleGreat and very funny analysis! 😂
@@Chiscringle it’s also the equivalent of a child refusing to breathe until they get their way.
I'd love it if this case is referenced in Prodigy, with Dal facing the same problem as Una, except since that's a later show there's an actual possibility of systemic change. All built on the foundations laid down by Neera's civil rights work!
It's possible that Janeway cited this case when defending Dal in the last episode of season 1. That was behind closed doors though, so nothing we would have seen on screen. Dal would perfectly fall into the same category as Una though. He was fleeing in fear for his life from the mining camp, he was seeking asylum from the federation, and he was turning himself into them at the same time.
I loved everything about this episode. When Star Trek does an episode like this it's when Star Trek is at it's strongest. It's funny that this episode both feels incredibly relevant for some of the current real world stuff happening right now obviously with the trans community but also feels like it could have easily been a classic original series episode touching on the civil rights movement that was happening at the time.
Fearing or hating people who are different has sadly been a natural human response for centuries and maybe longer. For anyone who has experienced prejudice or persecution based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or whatever, this episode really relates on many levels. Yes, I too really like episodes with phasors and photon torpedoes, but this is thoughtful Star Trek which IMHO is Trek at its best.
Well stated and I so agree
This is why Star Trek endures. Because it doesn’t hesitate to hold a mirror to society. 👏🏼 Bravo 👏🏼
This episode made me tear up a few times. This was Star Trek at its finest. 🖖
I love the subtle threat at the end of the case about Captain Pike. She doesn't say to absolve my client, she says to absolve THEM BOTH. Basically calling the tribunal's bluff that they'd actually prosecute Pike when Starfleet needs him so badly.
Well crafted episode that hit all the right notes. I especially appreciated that the defense lawyer, Neera Ketoul was supposed to be good and showed us that she really is good. Pike or Spock didn't have to step in to save the day. Ketoul took it to the house in great lawyer fashion and SHE saves the day. This is one of the best episodes in all of Star Trek.
That scene between Neera and La’an absolutely floored me. The layered meaning of this episode hit so hard. There were a few clunky moments but the way they handled this one was fabulous. I don’t know how they could not only effectively maintain the quality of last season but outright dunk on it here.
The scene with Spock and the other Vulcan was pitch perfect Spock and unbelievably funny. To see someone so perfectly capture Spock that is not named Nimoy is amazing.
This show though. Holy cow.
First thing I thought after finishing the ep was the DS9 ep, Doctor Bashir? I Presume (s5e16) in which it’s discovered that Dr. Julian Bashir was genetically augmented when he was around 6-7 yrs old. That episode always stuck with me as a kid because it shed so much light on Bashir. It takes place a little over 100 yrs later and, thanks to this episode with Una (granted, Julian is not Illiyrian), it shows how the Federation has made some progress but also not a lot. In the Bashir ep, we learn that the Federation eventually accepts some genetic engineering to fix serious birth defects but that’s it. BUT, the fear from the Eugenics Wars is still present. There is even a quote from the Starfleet Judge over the case “for every Julian Bashir that can be created, there’s a Khan Singh waiting in the wings.” Only reason Bashir isn’t kicked out of Starfleet is that his dad negotiates a plea deal doing 2 years in a penal colony in New Zealand.
It doesn’t answer what happens to Illiyrians given their culture but that even 100+ yrs later the Federation and by extension Starfleet still struggles with those who have been augmented or genetically engineered so much so that similar to Una, Julian had to hid that fact when applying for Starfleet.
Hopefully Discovery will have an episode showing that they stopped discriminating against augments.
There was a cool little parallel I noticed, maybe not intentional but I loved it. The scene in which Uhura told La'an she would not do what La'an wanted, because they needed to do things the right now; this happened shortly after a scene in which Pike describes how Una is not afraid to disagree with him and tell him when he's wrong. I just loved how we went from that to Uhura and La'an developing such a similar dynamic, and I also inferred that La'an developed even greater respect for Uhura due to this.
within about 5 minutes i had already felt that this episode was better than the previous, i was at that moment really concerned that Anson Mount was actually carrying the series. but then we get Neera carrying almost this entire episode. everything about her was incredible! one thing very subtle thing i think i noticed about Yetide's performance was in that final speech, when she puts her hand on the book, there was a slight shaking visible, really showing what Neera is feeling in that moment. I am going to have to look up what else she is in!
i found myself in tears throughout a lot of this episode, both in feeling for the characters, but all the more so seeing how much it relates to real people in the world. i often dont really see the commentary to real life on a first watch unless it is pointed out, i am generally just focusing on the story itself, but this was so so clear that even i saw it. this felt like an episode that countless people need to see, not just those that watch star trek, but everyone.
so, as much as you took notes from the episode, i find myself wanting to take notes during your review so i dont forget what i want to comment about.
-i was completely mirroring your excitement at the start!
-i somehow missed the point of every law episode in star trek before using non-lawyers, and finally this one did it properly.
-the idea of getting it thrown out sounded somewhat interesting. that concept in general law fascinates me, in as much as it makes little logical sense after the fact, but is an absolutely necessary law. also i think it would be very star trek (and very common of many sci-fi shows) to use something like that. but it would have ruined it, and instead they truly faced the situation head on!
-one moment i actually had to pause it to let myself react. when Neera brought up April's violations of the prime directive. it has always seemed like only the flagship captains are ever able to get away with it, and that we see all the times it happens, but this shows that every captain likely faces these situations. (although i wont be surprised if all of these are actually somewhere in beta cannon or something)
-yes, the Ortegas scene! there have been people that didnt like her reactions to situations. like last episode with the engage equivalent. one thing had been said that it only works when bouncing off of Pike, but this scene made it clear to me that it not. also there was something very familiar about Spock's 'i am sorry you had to witness that outburst'... actually, just figured out why, Brooklyn 99. although instead i was expecting him to walk up and comment about being able to hear all they were talking about.
-with La'an and Uhura, it kind of felt a bit of a breaking the rule of 'Chekhov's gun'. it partially didnt really go anywhere, but in the best way. the one odd thing there seemed that the reason she was so adamant about the personal logs was because of her own log. but wouldnt she have had full access to that? or was it more about her trying to find some other possibility to relieve herself of her own feelings of guilt?
-that final "icing on the cake" i actually clapped along with the crew. the performance of both Yetide as Neera, and of Neera as the lawyer was masterful. i was so worried from last episode that we had lost what was great about strange new worlds, but i completely agree, one of the best episodes. i think we often see that shows are scared to do legal heavy episodes, big example that comes to mind is She Hulk. i really hope this episode gets all the reviews it deserves and lets everyone know that it can be done. i very much so suspect that this was meant to be the first episode of the season, but they were reluctant to start with so little typical action.
-when there was only ten minutes left of the episode, i was wondering how could it possibly be summed up properly, was it going to be some annoying twist like the evidence getting thrown out. or was it going to extend as a two parter. i dont know how they pulled it off.
'ranted a lot about this episode' 'longest review of the season'?? meanwhile i cant wait for that 'whole essay' you mentioned at 4:15. i really hope that happens!
your reviews are always great! i do watch a few different youtubers for mainly Star Trek and Marvel stuff, but the moment i finish an episode, your's is the first thing i will look for! you are awesome!
Regarding the La'an personal log thread, I believe what she was trying to check was whether it was transmitted to Starfleet (rather than just staying in the ship's databanks) and could've thusly been checked/heard by the authorities (as an invasion of her privacy), with the guilt of potentially exposing the secret through her own personal log also fuelling her desperation. It also worked as a slight Chekov's Gun, in that it emphasized the question of how the secret got out, setting up the reveal that Una had been the one who'd informed Starfleet (I assume after the same season 1 episode where La'an would've recorded that log)
Receptionist: She can't see you.
Pike: I'll grow gills if I have to!
The line Una gives her starfleet public defender before he slinks off to wherever... beautiful.
😄
This story is so needed in our current time when it comes to law
Jessie, thank you for discussing this episode. I also love the way you've woven INTERSECTIONALITY into your discussion -- the fact that so many of us suffer from both discrimination, and the biases of our own groups. Also, thank you for studying up on how much discrimination we suffer together, as the "dominant" group uses the same weapons to put us all down. Frankly, I was waiting for your review of this episode. As usual, you have not disappointed me. Thank you!!!
I liked the issue of group dynamics and attitude of othering people who can "pass" by others in the group. This is rarely portrayed in media.
I love Pike's trip to the lawyer's planet not only for his A+ allyship but because I think it's a nice subtle bit of characterization work for both Pike & the Illyrians. I think Pike never expected to have to die in that waiting room because he trusted, based on his experience with Una & the ghost-Illyrians & his faith in people in general, that the Illyrians wouldn't let him come to harm. And he was right- the receptionist got increasingly distressed as his air ran out, just like most good people would. I've worked my fair share of customer service jobs and if someone who was on O2 was in my waiting room and running out of air, and we had extra tanks in the back, no amount of company policy could force me to watch that person die vs just giving them what they want/need.
Im not sure if I've ever seen you so excited.. it really is a fantastic episode.. Strange New Worlds is just wonderful.. glad to see you in such good spirits.. best of luck with the move..
This was a great review of a fantastic episode. Yetide Badaki was great. I felt Una's pain. I'm also glad the show and you pointed out how people can pass and some can't. I also love how black women are treated for standing up for themselves when no one else will, was brought up. This episode is one of my top five episodes of all Star Trek. I found myself having to fight back tears.
This episode replaced Measure of A Man as the best courtroom drama episode in Trek. I also like how Pike actually went and got an actual lawyer to help Una.
This episode blew me away! It was awesome right up there with "Measure of a Man" 11 out of 10
Much better. Much much better than "Measure of a Man."
Oh good. I'm glad Jessie starts off talking about my big take-away... The Cool Uniform Medal Pins from TOS becoming updated for SNW. YAY!
Now THAT'S what I call an episode of Star Trek. Perfection. 10/10. No notes.
My only note is that they really should have taught Una to pronounce "Aspera" correctly. The accent should be on the first syllable, not the second.
Yep. This actually beats ... Measure of a Man. Cuz Pike is not the white knight. It's important that those being discriminated against make their own case. Which is more powerful because ruling against Una forces those sitting in judgment to acknowledge their own prejudice and be fine with it.
I'm getting perilously close to calling Pike my favourite captain. He has the ability to solve problems on his own, as did Kirk and Picard, but he has the confidence and loyalty to his crew to allow them to take control of their own decisions.
This episode is really going to resonate with a lot of people because it broadly touches on some very relevant issues, both present and past. I always know that something is fantastic when it makes me feel something, and this episode made me weep as a gay man, but also tears of empathy for all the other people that have have experienced prejudice. This story will easily speak to anyone who is a little different to what is accepted the norm. A very powerful hour of drama with superb acting, casting, writing, music and direction. I especially love that in an era of shows of short season length and a focus on action, that Strange New Worlds decided to take the time to have an episode like this.
I especially appreciated the realistic touch that this episode didn't immediately result in fixing the system, it took the very realistic stance that changes take time and that you have to keep fighting for those changes. It would have still have been a powerful episode if it had a happier ending, but it is stronger for having all the nuance and reflectance of our present reality.
You hit on all the points to love this episode so well, Jessie.
It also fell into sync with canon where there are still issues around genetic enhancements well into the era of DS9, which means the issue(s) around it still haven't been completely solved...which also parallels our society today.
I really love this episode! I was tearing up when Una started talking about how she was inspired at seeing the Starfleet crew of all types and species working together when she was a child. Then, I got a quick thrill of recognition when the judge said that they were going to concentrate on Una’s case individually, and not address the civil rights case at its heart. You see, my great-great-grandmother had a panel of judges tell her the exact same thing 101 years ago next month, when she and her attorney were trying to get the appellate court judges in Oklahoma to rule on whether Spiritualism was a religion. She had been arrested for illegal fortune telling, and in their opinion, the judges said that they wouldn’t touch the bigger topic with a ten foot pole, but would address her case only (they ruled against her).
Yeah courts often are full of cowards unwilling to overturn discriminatory laws.
Here’s what I love most about this episode: Una’s goal primarily, as well as a theme of the episode, is that the point of enduring hardship is to ultimately reach the stars. Our anger at the past or people or laws is more than just but the ultimate goal should always be to build a better future instead of perpetuating the cycle of anger or letting our trauma define us. Pike could have ended his relationship with Batel, Una could have shamed Admiral April, Neera could have sacrificed Una and made her a martyr in a fight against Starfleet etc… but in classic Trek fashion these human ideals listened to their better angels. Starship earth requires a crew to reach the stars, nobody can make the journey alone
👏 well said
Yetide Badaki- I’m feeling Emmy Award Vibes. Astonishing performance. Our Federation (nation) can become great and live up to its ideals for all of us. Great episode
That was one beautiful episode 💖
And it didn't even take a single pew-pew-kapow.
Also, does anyone else think Ortegas has the same mischievous eyes as Mildred? 😁
I'm a military man. I love combat sci-fi. With that being said this is one of my all time favorite episodes. Thanks for approaching it with your usual passion and knowledge. Great review.
“God, I’m such a f-ing nerd”
That’s why we love ya, Jessie ❤
100% better this week. Enjoyed it. The lawyer was a good character, well played. I even got emotional a couple of times which doesn't happen often these days.
Omg. Insane emotional ride. All i could think was Dr. mc Coy's " pointed ear hobgoblin" comment
When the admiral holds down the prosecutor and goes off on logic and law breaking . Great insight Jess.
I love that Una's belief in Ad Astra per Aspera hearkened back to Edith Keeler.
”Now I don't pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love when every day is just a struggle to survive, but I do insist that you do survive because the days and the years ahead are worth living for. One day soon man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, maybe even the atom. Energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in some sort of spaceship. And the men that reach out into space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give each man hope and a common future, and those are the days worth living for."
I loved this episode! As a lifelong Trek fan its no surprise that this is the beating heart of why I, and other fans, love Trek over the likes of Star Wars et al. Not a single photon torpedo or phaser, no battles in space, yet it was a brilliant piece of TV - quintessentially Trek.
Like many it resonated with me on a personal level with a great balance between being specific enough to include but not so specific that it excludes anyone who at some time in history has had to fight for their rights to exist in peace. I wont gabble on about every point as its been covered by Jessie but only to say one standout highlight for me, Yetide Badaki, what a compelling performance she put in! And did I detect a little chemistry between Neera and Una? 🤔🤔😜😜
After the premiere episode being a bit meh, this was a lovely change of pace and a welcome treat.
I felt the ending was a bit of a cop-out, but at the same time there isn't a lot they could do given the anti-genetic modification laws are still in place 100 years later in DS9. Even if Neera successfully uses the legal precedent here to help some other people, it's clear that it never becomes more than a small number. But this is the kind of self-limitation that powerful dramas which are prequels can find themselves in, like how Luthen's speech in Ando is incredible, but we know the Republic his actions help to found will piss away his efforts within 20 years.
That aside, the courtroom drama was exceptional, with the most powerful sequences being Una's speech and Neera cross-examining Admiral April. I found the cross-examination interesting because they had two actors of colour discussing selective use of rules involving people who are in outgroups - pre-warp societies and genetically modified people here. It's an interesting use of casting but I fear it might be a bit tone-deaf? I'm not the person to make that decision of course.
I liked that they continue to call back to DISCO in little ways too, like the admiral uniforms being a mix of the DISCO blues but the "newer" TOS-style decorations.
Agreed. I don't have nearly enough faith in the judicial system - particularly not the military judicial system - to believe they'd just shrug and say "Well, she deceived us for years but I guess if she's requesting asylum now, it's okay." I think the most likely outcome of that is the inability to criminally punish her as a refugee, but still strip her of her commission as an officer for the fraud. It'd still be a win to some degree in demonstrating that Starfleet is capable of exercising individual discretion for augments but not looking weak and just accepting deceit and fraud. But they would have had to write off her character at that point, so I get why they did it. Still a bit of a cop out at the end just to save her, though.
So I love a good court room episode, as they tell great stories as you have with measure of a man and drumhead, and this is so up there with those classics. So many big ticks it had everything you wanted from a courtroom drama. 10/10🎉
That was a terrific review of a VERY poingniant episode. One thing I have always loved about all of trek is the personal significance that any one person from so many walks of life can relate to and take comfort from. In this instance it is hope and a realization of better times to come. Trek truly touches all people across every divide and gives us that optimistic look for the future. And Jessie……. Love the earring! Peace and long life!
Neera is one of my new favorite Star Trek characters. I loved her!
The actor carried a quality of graceful, quite regal patience and restraint throughout the trial and then during her big reveal, never really overplayed her hand. The acting was genuine and subtle and there came across a sense of stifled eruptions of absolute anger and revulsion to the prosecutorial effort and of the treatment of "HER" people. She hit it out of the park.
I'm a few weeks behind so only just watched this episode, and came online to see the opinions of others. Honestly, for me, this smashed it out of the park, best episode of this series for sure.
Like Measure of a Man, Drumhead and Living Witness, this was a "Roddenberry" episode of Trek - as opposed to say In The Pale Moonlight - which sought to confront those challenges that society faces, and didn't shy away from it, whilst offering up optimism and hope. Sure, they could have challenged and created precedent more than they did, the 11th hour solution of asylum was a bit of a workaround, but I didn't hate it, and you can't always change society in a day. It also acknowledged historic wrongs without seeking to beat the current audience up for it.
I thought Neera's opening was so good, and her arguments so valid, that it made me personally re-consider what I had thought was sensible law in light of the Eugenics War.
I also am glad Pike didn't take the stand, it shows the strength of a show when supporting and guest stars can carry themselves. I thought that was where the direction was going, that Admiral April was being set-up in that way to enable Pike to defend himself, and that sort of happened, but not with him needing to take the stand. Instead, it was about the rights of the captain to take discretion when ignoring certain rules, including this one.
I'll also add that I'm a Classical Liberal (not Progressive) and so on the right, politically, and as such I believe in the rights of the individual over the collective, including over Starfleet. Perhaps this is why Neera's opening landed so well for me.
I cried at this ep, it's just incredibly well handled in its mirroring of civil rights, past and present. Even left room for the decades or more of augment discrimination that follows through DS9 and Picard. That the fight isn't over. Excellent summation 💖 I'm so glad we got this beautiful season ^^
Wonder review of this episode, I am with you 1000% on this one, its one of the greatest episodes of modern trek and Star Trek in general. The drama the acting was absolutely perfect, the story too. Guest star Yetide Badaki stole the show, her performance was just perfect. I was left smiling so much from the ending, history will remember this episode as one of the single best television stories told. The whole cast where fantastic, and I will treasure this one as a favorite forever.
I was on the verge of tears through the whole episode. So powerful! It's definitely on my list of all-time favorites.
Jessie, you’re not the only one nerding out about the dress uniforms with the colorful insignia! Loved it!
I am also super happy that they remembered the details of the awards & decorations on the dress uniforms!
For all the reasons you’ve given , this was definitely the best single episode of new era Star Trek. No doubt.
SNW is extraordinarily thoughtful. I thought especially about that in the contrast of the forgiveness that April afforded Spock but concern he had to justify the principle of the law. April might think: she was good enough to reduce the penalty in her case. She is one of the good ones, but the law is put into place for a reason.
It is one way to consider the departure from the law. It is picard's principle in that Wesley episode with the permisive draconian planet.
On the other hand, Pike is given a more noble principle. The law is general maxim we follow because of a deeper and truer principle. Sometimes, this plays out: for the greater good, sometimes for selfish reasons or deep prejudice. In Pike's mind we are led to believe he follows what is right. This is why the last episode of season one was such a moral delema. (Sorry to write so much) i can't wait for your more formal thoughts on this.
The episode makes me think or bridge, but the card game rather than the ship’s bridge. Una and Neera partner well, bidding in plain sight, able to discern the others’ plans, how strong their hands actually are. Fantastic.
Not been able to watch the series yet, but your love for this episode is infectious. Love it. Thank you
A lot of feels from this episode. I also love how Spock is taking a vibe similar to Worf and Data. A character who is not outright funny, but yet is one of the funniest characters because he is his own straight man and punchline - as in the "I'm sorry you had to see that" moment.
Excellent episode! 👍👍👍 The writing and acting in this was incredible! l loved it!
So the lawyer was telling Rebecca Romijn that some people don't want and shouldn't have to hide who they are? She was telling that, TO MYSTIQUE!? :D
That was brought up on this week's Ready Room 😊
The lingering hand-holding between the two women in that last transporter room scene made my heart flutter.
Thank you for the deep dive into the characters' motives. Great review!
Love your in-depth analysis. Made me see things about the episode I had missed. What a fantastic video. Thank you. 😊
Great review of an amazing episode. Thank you! I loved how the episode captured many of the civil rights issues of the current era and agglomerated into a general argument of "people are not their adjectives of which they have no control".
First time viewer/first time comment.
I absolutely loved this episode. After finishing I was so excited to rush here and listen to your thoughts and insights. Thank you so much for what you do.
Well done, Jessie! WELL DONE! Thank you!
Jessie,
I LOVE your Star Trek reviews! Yes this is the best Star Trek SNW episode so far! Looking forward to your essay review for this episode and continue the awesome work!
The one nitpick I have is that when citing precedent the judges and prosecutor only mentions the Eugenics Wars by name. Out of over 100 worlds they didn't cite another. Could have been attacked as a very Earth-centric view.
@@brachiator1 This goes back to something I've thought about ENT...it very much seemed like the other major space-faring civs (Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, etc.) wanted to keep the Humans very, VERY occupied with something, so they let them run the UFP so they'd be occupied about being explorers and government data pushers, not causing problems on their own home worlds. (Even though we know all you need to start some kinda space nonsense is a bunch of humans on a starship.)
It feels like to do that, they leaned heavily on Earth's founding democratic documents to have a foundation for the Fed Charter, thus it kept the humans out of their ears/antennae/beards for a good while.
(Also because while you'll hear things from other worlds name-dropped in episodes, the writers can't talk about all the Vulcan laws around planetary water rights (for example) without having to do a ton of explanation that they figure would lose the audience who they only have for 40 or so minutes.)
@@brachiator1 I don't think that can, or should, be assumed without proof. The thing is? What we've seen is that the Federation and Starfleet, ARE Earth-centric organizations. Based upon Earth-centric systems of governance, law, etc.
Remember that in the very beginning the Federation was just Humans, Vulcans, Tellarites, and Andorians. Others joined later. So it may have been something that Earth insisted upon and being that they were 1/4 of the founding membership, and maybe the other three didn’t have reason to fight it? And once it was in the Federation Charter, it just stayed there.
Amazing job on the video. Thank you! This was the second episode when I teared up. The first one was when Spock died in the second movie.
This episode has all the subtlety of a lorry full of grand pianos flying off a bridge and landing on a warehouse full of bagpipes. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS!
Jessie, I love your in depth analysis of this episode.
And off topic: you looked fantastic in this episode, I love the uniform, and your hair is gorgeous.
You rock!
Gene started the court-martial drama TV genre with his court procedural episodes of "The Lieutenant" which depict UMCJ courtroom procedure (JAG, NCIS). All the 60's Star Trek "court room" uniforms are inspired by the US Fleet's Dress Blues and Dress Whites. This Start Trek Strange New Worlds episode #2 had the characters discussing "illegal orders" and the other heaviest of topics as if they were real Officers of The Fleet being overheard by real enlistees as they weigh the moral conundrums. The episode takes it back to snapshots of the GG Bridge from those familiar Fort Baker (from Sea & Air) and Fort Mason (from Land) vantages which surely Gene, as a WW2 aviator serviceman, would have seen firsthand from being on leave during (and afterward in demobilization) his experience with The Pacific Theatre. For Gene, the haters made it rough for him in his refusal to go along with "hating Japs": To shoot at and to be shot down by the Japanese Imperial Navy... I would like to think the spirit of San Francisco itself which gave Gene 'The Star Trek SOUL' required to hire George Takei to play the character entrusted to fire the USS Enterprise's weapons: HAPPY PRIDE WEEKEND, SEMPER FI ! ! !
This was a great star trek courtroom episode and I really appreciate your perspective on it Jessie!
I am surprised they didn't dive a bit more into the specifics of the genetic alterations in the trial. Like, establishing that the modifications didn't pose a threat to her crew or create any unfair leverage that Una would have over other crew members. But I suppose that wouldn't have made a difference since genetic modifications are outright banned and it's not a sliding scale.
The big questions of human genetic modifications are present and relevant to us today, so I feel there's a great opportunity the writers of this show have to explore that a bit.
Me too! I like that they brought back the dress uniforms from the ST:TOS episode, Court Martial.
First of all, great outfit. You look amazing! Best episode On first watch I have ever seen of Star Trek. Perfect timing with Pride Month and Indigenous Heritage Day in Canada yesterday. All of the issues from our time were beautifully presented. Thanks for hosting a wonderful community where everyone feels welcome.
I love the juxtaposition of how Humanity used genetic engineering vs the Illyrians.
Humans: let's create a bunch of super soldiers
Illyrians: let's turn humanoids into extremophiles
You were right, as usual.
Thank you Jessie as always! Your reviews always bring up new perspectives & things to think about… Can’t wait for the essay! This was clearly a Great One.
Hey Jessie, thank you for this review! It was really nice to hear your take on this episode. I thought it was beautiful to see the breakdown of all of the different metaphors being used here, which as a non-american can be complicated to always spot. It's clear they did a LOT of work to really hammer home a few different allegories, and I love that.
However, I also have some complicated feelings about using the concept of genetic modification to tell this story, especially because I don't think star trek really thinks through all the implications of genetic modification as they relate to our real world. The focus on Khan and the fictional eugenics war distracts from some nuances that make me feel kind of uncomfortable with some of the ways this particular thing is used as an allegory.
I'd love to hear how you feel about this! It feels (to me) like the writers are really only viewing eugenics and augmentation like they're still in the 60s and traumatized by ww2, and thinking of "super humans". But eugenics still exists in our world. It is horribly racist and horribly abelist, and it's not about creating super people (at least not explicitly) but about erasing those considered "less than". And while I understand that that is not the type of augmentation thats intended to be discussed here, but if we are looking at the real world, THAT is what's going on with this topic, and I fear that by using this particular thing as an allegory it whitewashes some of the truly horrible things happening in the world right now, because trek just forgot they existed.
My cousin has down syndrome. There are so few children with down now, because of the way we play with the genetics of babies. She isn't a 'mistake', she is a happy person with a good life. She isn't wrong as she is, we just refuse to adjust our world to her. And to use a concept of "we adjust to our world" while I understand from an environmental perspective sounds beautiful, from another perspective sounds, to me, unintentionally really abelist. Another example: when you look at donor conception (ESPECIALLY in the states, look up like even one vid by Laura High if you're interested), there is an awful lot of "designer baby" stuff going on. These are really serious topics. And I feel like star trek just doesn't actually recognise this.
Do you have opinions? How do you feel stuff like this ought to be adressed? Should it be? Again, I actually love the episode, and I love it's anti-discrimination message. I just also do have a sort of uncomfortable feeling because it feels like some stuff is going really unadressed....
When I finished watching this episode, the first review I wanted to see was yours. I thought this episode was fantastic and easily one of my favorites.
Great episode and great review. The only thing I thought it was missing was a deeper exploration of La'an and how she's able to be a Starfleet officer when she admits to being a decendant of Kahn, an Augment.
One way to look at it is that being the descendant of NAZIs doesn't make someone a NAZI. She's 200 years removed from that relationship and unless every male in the line also married an augment she doesn't share much with Khan other than a name. Real question there is why'd the family even bother keeping the name. Such an easy fix it could've been done generations ago.
This episode is going to go down with the best episodes in all of Trek, for its writing as well as the social commentary.
Side note, your new haircut looks rad as hell!
I was on vacation so I'm working on catching up with these episodes. This one was incredible, the kind of episode that made me fall in love with Star Trek in the first place. This one just leapt to the front of my all time favourites list.
The passing argument thing just stood out to me SO much! I struggled with that myself when I got to that point but lived in the southern midwest.
Totally agree I was blown away by the writing and the acting
Happy Belated birthday you are an amazing woman and you continue to educate and fight for the rights of the oppressed. You are intelligent, brave and an advocate for all who's voices are not heard or ignored. This was a phenomenal episode and it's true some laws are not just and still oppress and persecute others. Another home run for the writers of Star Trek and a great moment in the Star Trek universe while Star Fleet and the Humanity are not perfect we can be. A great review of the show and thank you!
yep, I especially like that instead of analogy about a specific group it put the focus on the problem itself, like i know media literacy is a rarity nowadays but they made this case universal.
I loved this episode! ❤
I was just clapping, screaming, and replaying scenes all throughout.
The scene with Ortegas (with Dr. M'benga) making fun of Spock was hilarious. 😂
Thank you. Your enthusiastic Trek love - for episodes so worthy as this - make me believe in the show… and the franchise.
On the Space Ship "Searcher from the tv Series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" is printed on the hull "Per ardua ad astra" meaning "through adversity to the stars" ithis was also printed on the Earth Defense Directorate uniform patch since season one. Excellent review for an excellent episode, thanks Jessie.
NASA uses it, so in either universe there's Earth space heritage about it. :)
But the Searcher was commanded by an Admiral Asimov
I was so excited for this episode after watching your spoiler-free season 6 review, and it did not disappoint!!
I thought this was an absolutely brilliant episode, powerful and deeply moving. It might end up being my favorite episode of the series and of all Trek.
I love your channel
A fantastic review! Nicely done.
The orange uniform looks good. Out of curiosity, what department would you make it?