This episode is an utilitarian example, sacrifices of the few for the greater good of the many. An example in a bad way, also not allowing people in the ascension chamber means the population of the planet don't know the price for their paradise.
At least M'Benga have found something that can help his daughter, I hoped M'Benga story arc will have a happy ending. Also, maybe Discovery will visit Majalan in the 32nd Century, maybe the Majalans by that time have found an alternative.
For those who thought that the ending was too bleak for Star Trek, it is consistent with some of the franchise’s best episodes. Jake Sisko commits suicide in The Visitor. Data’s daughter dies in the Offspring because she develops the ability to love her father. In the City on the Edge of Forever, Kirk has to make sure Edith Keillor is hit by a car.
I was wrong to think that the Majalis were just going to be the forgettable aliens of the week. Great allegory to keeping the status quo at the expense of one or a few innocents.
Excellent recap and very good insights. This episode was certainly the weakest of the series so far, but still very good. It seemed to me that it could have used about 20 extra minutes to fill out the story. As you pointed out, we never had a chance to see either how dangerous the planet's surface was or what a paradise the floating cities were to give us a true sense of why the kid's sacrifice was so important to them. I will watch it again, certainly, but not four times like I have with "Momento Mori" and "Spock Amok." Great video. Oh, façade is pronounced fah-SAHD.
Wish there had been more views and a deeper explanation of the City. One quick view between the clouds of lava below didn't really explain the city and its formation. The Child showed signs of being a genius and I wonder if through the machines he and the other children are the reason for all the scientific improvements. No mention was said on how long the Child's live expectancy attached to the machines was. He appears to be 10-12 years old.
This episode reminds me of the book "the Giver" another story where we find out that the society that looks so utopian is founded on the suffering of a child.
The alien ship just appears like the Sheppard ship in another episode SO THE ENTERPRISE HAS NO SENSORS to detect threats La'an second rule in SECURITY threats don't take breaks. The guard runs and evades three guards BUT Pike JUST JUMPS ON HIM no deflection with his rod or hip flips pike to the ground to be later be captured by pike with his phaser.
Now I did like that Uhura is still moving through the division and I think I like her with La'an a little bit more then Hemmer. La'an is a better counter balance to Uhura I did like the Romance at first with Pike THE OLD DOG. The story with Dr. M'Benga's Daughter did fit in this episode very well. The First Servant child was great SMART BOY , I like very much that his father offered to help Dr. M'Benga to share what he knows about the medical condition.
I agree that this episode appears to be ripped off from the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", also seems connected to ST:Enterprise episode "Dead Stop" with the automated repair station using living beings for its computer.
Am I missing something, here? Why didn't the First Servant simply tell Captain Pike about the child's fate at the beginning? Had Pike known, it's guaranteed that he would've taken the child away from the planet in a New York Second. 😏😌 And does Pike know about M"Benga's daughter in the buffer? 🤨
Personally I think the episode could have been better if Pike and crew discovered the truth in time to save the child, but the writers were going for total mystery and too little too late to stop it and a final tragedy. Injustice was the final result and message here, as the inner circle exploit the chosen children (disguising it as an honor of ascension to the children) so their society will survive. Horrific no doubt. This is a theme occasionally used in sci-fi as ... "What Price for Paradise?"
"Number 1 you have the com" Do the writers have no clue about naval terminology and what "you have the conn" means? Good actors and great visuals are spoiled by frivolous dialog, the crew doesn't sound like professional scientists or even competent naval officers. "Why is that blip so much bigger than the others?" - Ortegas, sounds like "There is a red thingy moving toward a green thingy" - Galaxy Quest
Solid episode, but prolly the weakest for me so far. There were a few things I would've liked had they done them differently, but I get what they were trying to do at least and overall still solid
I'm thinking that there must have been a whole civilisation that colonised the galaxy millions of years ago by utilising the brains of living geniuses. Or maybe they just copied "Spocks Brain"?
THIS WAS A GREAT EPISODE! CLASSIC. This feels like TOS or TNG right from the writers' room. If any producers are watching, THIS is Star Trek. Moral dilemmas that have no clear cut answer sometimes, The writers didn't pick a side, which I RESPECT as an audience member, because you're letting me make up my own mind. However, her lecture to him about children suffering in poverty is wrong. In the 23rd century, We've eliminated all of that. If it was Kirk or Picard, they would have corrected her. There might be still suffering for children on non-federation colonies, but that was the one slip up, where the writers injected our modern situations to the 23rd century. Overall, producers, if you're listening, you're getting it! And you know what I noticed? There was no social or political agenda injected from our time in this. FINALLY! No wokeness, no man-bashing, etc. You guys focused on the characters and the PLOT. I felt like I did while watching TOS or TNG. It didn't seem like it favored one social or political opinion over another, which allows viewers to make up our OWN minds. And that's satisfying, because for the past 10 years I've felt like unless I held certain political or social beliefs, I wasn't welcome in the Trek universe. Alex Kurtzman actually said that. But he's a douchebag anyway, and isn't directly running the show. I think an episodic format also forced the writers to be more creative. As a writer myself, its when I'm lying in bed at 2am, or in the shower staring at my toes, or even reading a news article where a spark of a plot comes into mind........."what if".........And THAT is where the ideas come from. Also, it would actually do them justice to get this "Rod Serling" type plotting continuous, where there's a mystery, and a real plot twist at the end. If the show sticks with THIS FORMULA, Trekkies are gonna come back to Star Trek. As tempting as it is, avoid YOUR personal politics and social agendas while writing an episode, and keep it a grey area. But the one thing they have to improve on is remembering that in the 23rd century, The Federation, while not perfect, lives pretty good. When you want to make a social commentary, do it with the alien races they encounter. THAT is how Star Trek is done, and you guys are FINALLY GETTING IT! Good Job!
Star Trek isn't about simply telling tragedies or horror stories. You always want to either educate somebody about an issue or solve an issue. Because it is a primarily optimistic show. In Spock's brain the same thing happens and they give the society their independence. In the cloud minders they educate the miners and give them masks. And so on and so forth in most of Star Trek. Trying to educate, explore issues. Entertain the mind and not just shoot cardboard. Cut out aliens and show people tragedies. There's always the worst form of Star Trek. It is the cheapest and the most simple to write.
Pretty good episode! Nice seeing Pike get his Kirk on! Production value on this show is really good. I’m not sure why Ohura is the Christ child of this show but whatever, her and discount Drummer make the show a bit annoying.
Wow another great episode, this was a very heavy plot line and the type of episode with no clear resolution to it. About morality, sacrifices, acceptance etc. What Alora said to pike at the end was true, the Federation does still have many children that are suffering. Well they do try to help them, there are also many that the Federation just sweep under the rug and not turn and eye at all. In fact if section 31 absolutely needed too, they would have done exactly what the Majalan are doing to a single child just not reveal it to its citizen whatsoever. The Federation are far from saints too.
Pike's hairdo is ludicrous. They really need to scale it down, unless the whole point is it's kept up with testosterone. There are big enough holes in this story to drive a Galaxy class starship through. Even the moral justification for the child sacrifice is anorexic. Epic fail here. And scale back on Pike's 'do.
It’s not as easy as just “seeing a dentist”, also not the focus of this video :) Judging people on appearances ain’t cool buddy and isn’t there Star Trek
This episode is an utilitarian example, sacrifices of the few for the greater good of the many. An example in a bad way, also not allowing people in the ascension chamber means the population of the planet don't know the price for their paradise.
This episode had a dark climax.
At least M'Benga have found something that can help his daughter, I hoped M'Benga story arc will have a happy ending. Also, maybe Discovery will visit Majalan in the 32nd Century, maybe the Majalans by that time have found an alternative.
I love how this story harkens back to the fears of a 1973 story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas".
Yet they didn't acknowledge her in the credit.
The website Cracked said the same thing.
@@wesleylong9638 cool, it's just something that hit me when watching the episode because I read the story in college last year.
@@markusbisma5015 Sad, they never do 😔
For those who thought that the ending was too bleak for Star Trek, it is consistent with some of the franchise’s best episodes. Jake Sisko commits suicide in The Visitor. Data’s daughter dies in the Offspring because she develops the ability to love her father. In the City on the Edge of Forever, Kirk has to make sure Edith Keillor is hit by a car.
I was wrong to think that the Majalis were just going to be the forgettable aliens of the week. Great allegory to keeping the status quo at the expense of one or a few innocents.
Excellent recap and very good insights. This episode was certainly the weakest of the series so far, but still very good. It seemed to me that it could have used about 20 extra minutes to fill out the story. As you pointed out, we never had a chance to see either how dangerous the planet's surface was or what a paradise the floating cities were to give us a true sense of why the kid's sacrifice was so important to them. I will watch it again, certainly, but not four times like I have with "Momento Mori" and "Spock Amok." Great video. Oh, façade is pronounced fah-SAHD.
Their all weak and need to get on with it already. Where’s the no man has gone before stuff, it’s not in any episodes.
Wish there had been more views and a deeper explanation of the City. One quick view between the clouds of lava below didn't really explain the city and its formation. The Child showed signs of being a genius and I wonder if through the machines he and the other children are the reason for all the scientific improvements. No mention was said on how long the Child's live expectancy attached to the machines was. He appears to be 10-12 years old.
This story is taken from Ursula K. Guin "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas". They didn't even acknowledge her in the credits.
This episode reminds me of the book "the Giver" another story where we find out that the society that looks so utopian is founded on the suffering of a child.
I see someone else mentioned it. I think they got the story idea from Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.
The alien ship just appears like the Sheppard ship in another episode SO THE ENTERPRISE HAS NO SENSORS to detect threats La'an second rule in SECURITY threats don't take breaks.
The guard runs and evades three guards BUT Pike JUST JUMPS ON HIM no deflection with his rod or hip flips pike to the ground to be later be captured by pike with his phaser.
They should improve that CGI intro, it looks like from some 2005 game, but rest of CGI in show is good.
i suspect pike won't be visiting that chick ever
We know which chick he ends up with.
Now I did like that Uhura is still moving through the division and I think I like her with La'an a little bit more then Hemmer. La'an is a better counter balance to Uhura I did like the Romance at first with Pike THE OLD DOG. The story with Dr. M'Benga's Daughter did fit in this episode very well. The First Servant child was great SMART BOY , I like very much that his father offered to help Dr. M'Benga to share what he knows about the medical condition.
I agree that this episode appears to be ripped off from the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", also seems connected to ST:Enterprise episode "Dead Stop" with the automated repair station using living beings for its computer.
the self sacrifice thing is from logan's run as well..
Thanks Captain Jack for sharing your thoughts on this episode TILL NEXT WEEK Be well
Am I missing something, here? Why didn't the First Servant simply tell Captain Pike about the child's fate at the beginning? Had Pike known, it's guaranteed that he would've taken the child away from the planet in a New York Second. 😏😌 And does Pike know about M"Benga's daughter in the buffer? 🤨
Personally I think the episode could have been better if Pike and crew discovered the truth in time to save the child, but the writers were going for total mystery and too little too late to stop it and a final tragedy. Injustice was the final result and message here, as the inner circle exploit the chosen children (disguising it as an honor of ascension to the children) so their society will survive. Horrific no doubt. This is a theme occasionally used in sci-fi as ... "What Price for Paradise?"
GOOD AFTERNOON, Captain Jack, I did liked episode. But it did have NIT PICKS.
"Number 1 you have the com" Do the writers have no clue about naval terminology and what "you have the conn" means? Good actors and great visuals are spoiled by frivolous dialog, the crew doesn't sound like professional scientists or even competent naval officers. "Why is that blip so much bigger than the others?" - Ortegas, sounds like "There is a red thingy moving toward a green thingy" - Galaxy Quest
Capt it's façade with the ç pronounced like an s not a hard c. Fasard instead of facaid. I enjoy your content Keep up the good work.
🤜🏽💥🤛🏻
ok kirk would have try to stop them by showing them how to care for the planet
He would have f'd all the women first.
This was the best episode yet
Solid episode, but prolly the weakest for me so far. There were a few things I would've liked had they done them differently, but I get what they were trying to do at least and overall still solid
It would have been better if the boy turned up in the buffer
Kirk is a G
I'm thinking that there must have been a whole civilisation that colonised the galaxy millions of years ago by utilising the brains of living geniuses. Or maybe they just copied "Spocks Brain"?
THIS WAS A GREAT EPISODE! CLASSIC. This feels like TOS or TNG right from the writers' room. If any producers are watching, THIS is Star Trek. Moral dilemmas that have no clear cut answer sometimes, The writers didn't pick a side, which I RESPECT as an audience member, because you're letting me make up my own mind. However, her lecture to him about children suffering in poverty is wrong. In the 23rd century, We've eliminated all of that. If it was Kirk or Picard, they would have corrected her. There might be still suffering for children on non-federation colonies, but that was the one slip up, where the writers injected our modern situations to the 23rd century. Overall, producers, if you're listening, you're getting it! And you know what I noticed? There was no social or political agenda injected from our time in this. FINALLY! No wokeness, no man-bashing, etc. You guys focused on the characters and the PLOT. I felt like I did while watching TOS or TNG. It didn't seem like it favored one social or political opinion over another, which allows viewers to make up our OWN minds. And that's satisfying, because for the past 10 years I've felt like unless I held certain political or social beliefs, I wasn't welcome in the Trek universe. Alex Kurtzman actually said that. But he's a douchebag anyway, and isn't directly running the show. I think an episodic format also forced the writers to be more creative. As a writer myself, its when I'm lying in bed at 2am, or in the shower staring at my toes, or even reading a news article where a spark of a plot comes into mind........."what if".........And THAT is where the ideas come from. Also, it would actually do them justice to get this "Rod Serling" type plotting continuous, where there's a mystery, and a real plot twist at the end. If the show sticks with THIS FORMULA, Trekkies are gonna come back to Star Trek. As tempting as it is, avoid YOUR personal politics and social agendas while writing an episode, and keep it a grey area. But the one thing they have to improve on is remembering that in the 23rd century, The Federation, while not perfect, lives pretty good. When you want to make a social commentary, do it with the alien races they encounter. THAT is how Star Trek is done, and you guys are FINALLY GETTING IT! Good Job!
Star Trek isn't about simply telling tragedies or horror stories. You always want to either educate somebody about an issue or solve an issue. Because it is a primarily optimistic show. In Spock's brain the same thing happens and they give the society their independence. In the cloud minders they educate the miners and give them masks. And so on and so forth in most of Star Trek. Trying to educate, explore issues. Entertain the mind and not just shoot cardboard. Cut out aliens and show people tragedies. There's always the worst form of Star Trek. It is the cheapest and the most simple to write.
I thought it was fantastic.
This episode seems like a TOS episode because it was based on an unused TOS script written by Gene Himself.
How do you all feel about Captain Pike's hair? I hate it!! It was great in Discover S 2.
Wasn’t this episode originally called D?bai?
They don’t teach starfleet how to hold a pistol? Dishonorable.
Not a pistol, phaser, self aiming, no recoil
Pretty good episode! Nice seeing Pike get his Kirk on! Production value on this show is really good. I’m not sure why Ohura is the Christ child of this show but whatever, her and discount Drummer make the show a bit annoying.
I think this is the weakest episode so far BUT A 8.5/10 is very good over all this season has been great.
BioShock infinite City in the sky
It's pronounced Fa Sod not Fak aide
Wow another great episode, this was a very heavy plot line and the type of episode with no clear resolution to it. About morality, sacrifices, acceptance etc. What Alora said to pike at the end was true, the Federation does still have many children that are suffering. Well they do try to help them, there are also many that the Federation just sweep under the rug and not turn and eye at all. In fact if section 31 absolutely needed too, they would have done exactly what the Majalan are doing to a single child just not reveal it to its citizen whatsoever. The Federation are far from saints too.
I hate the ending so much that I may stop watching
Pike's hairdo is ludicrous. They really need to scale it down, unless the whole point is it's kept up with testosterone.
There are big enough holes in this story to drive a Galaxy class starship through. Even the moral justification for the child sacrifice is anorexic. Epic fail here.
And scale back on Pike's 'do.
They need to calm the hair style down a bit. It’s starting to look a little over the top
Three words. What. The. Fuck.
Is this new star trek show another "alternate timeline"?
fas ard not fac ade jack!!!!!!
Capt. Jack please see a dentist
It’s not as easy as just “seeing a dentist”, also not the focus of this video :) Judging people on appearances ain’t cool buddy and isn’t there Star Trek
I personally admire you for showing a normal face into the camera every week that deviates from the IG perfection look. 💪🏼
Suppose you could guarantee perfect orthodontics for everyone, but it meant subjecting one child to the most hideous headgear of braces imaginable?