Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x01 - "The Broken Circle"

[Voodoowoman2]

This one brought me here for a bit. Quick questiom first: can I change my vote? I accidentally voted it a 10. I want to change it...

Anyway, a few quick points (warning, I haven't read most of the thread):

1) exactly how does the spinach-serum make M'Benga and Chapel's BONES able to withstand the crushing blow of a Klingon punch? I can get the added oomph to fight, but I just can't see their bodies (esp Chapel's) being able to withstand the strain.
2) I need to watch the TOS Gorn ep again because did Spock know who the Gorns were in that? Something isn't right here...
3) I just can't with this obsession with how easily a human body can survive in space for even more that ten seconds (your lungs explode) but hey -- it's science FICTION so it's all good.
4) It's pretty easy to see that they're setting up the scenario of Spock and Christiine's heartbreak here...retconning (and more to the point CORRECTING) Chapel's pining/mooning/unrequited feelings toward Spock in TOS to them both developing feelings for each other and then setting up for eventual heartbreak. It's Spock's first Pon Farr year too I believe. Hence, the crying, rage, and passionate feelings. Works for me. Those two have phenomenal chemistry onscreen so I don't see the writers just letting that go.

Why is Spock necessarily at "That Time?" No, I disagree. This is his heart, not his hormones. It is a disservice to the character that he can't love unless some outside force compels him briefly. Spock is not in heat or he would be compelled to return to T'Pring.
The "bones" issue I've already discussed and agree with you.
Agree wouldn't their lungs be fatally damaged in the cold and vacuum? Why do we need this silliness? These writers, at some level, believe their audience is mostly adolescents.
It's funny to me. When his passionate friendship with Kirk evolves it's his heart, but with a woman, especially Christine it's just hormones. Spock is obviously NOT the man we see in TOS at this time. He's more open and vulnerable. Have you noticed how often she touches his face? Those two are bonding, the Vulcan way and Spock will eventually see this and try to break it. Christine can't break it and can't get over him and Korby may be the man she settles for to try to break it.

 

[JamesRye]

I thought this was a reasonably fun and exciting action/adventure episode. The cast are all likeable, and I think they are all pretty good actors. Ethan Peck carries the episode well.

If you can sense that there's some damning with my praise then you'd be right. It all felt a little bit lightweight. The special effects are a little cartoony somehow and lack a sense of scale - though this is likely down to the framing somewhat.

The drawn out fight sequences were also quite unbelievable. That two humans could take down all those Klingons is just bizarre in the extreme. Neither have the muscle mass or bone density necessary. Nurse Chapel is also rather petite to be taking down such hulking beasts as Klingons, though this is a trope in TV in general. I feel that a clever solution should have been found as opposed to brute force. As others have said, vaccum is not condusive to human health and both characters would've been in a right state.

The series leans on nostalgia for TOS in its designs and to some extent in its morality and even tone. But it in no way fits with the canonical events of TOS. The ret-con of the Gorn, which I dislike and the huge sets, highly emotional Spock etc... just dont work for me. That said, I don't care, the series is breezy and forgettable fun. I rationalise it all as an alternate timeline along with DISCO and its all good.

 

[Voodoowoman2]

I thought this was a reasonably fun and exciting action/adventure episode. The cast are all likeable, and I think they are all pretty good actors. Ethan Peck carries the episode well.

If you can sense that there's some damning with my praise then you'd be right. It all felt a little bit lightweight. The special effects are a little cartoony somehow and lack a sense of scale - though this is likely down to the framing somewhat.

The drawn out fight sequences were also quite unbelievable. That two humans could take down all those Klingons is just bizarre in the extreme. Neither have the muscle mass or bone density necessary. Nurse Chapel is also rather petite to be taking down such hulking beasts as Klingons, though this is a trope in TV in general. I feel that a clever solution should have been found as opposed to brute force. As others have said, vaccum is not condusive to human health and both characters would've been in a right state.

The series leans on nostalgia for TOS in its designs and to some extent in its morality and even tone. But it in no way fits with the canonical events of TOS. The ret-con of the Gorn, which I dislike and the huge sets, highly emotional Spock etc... just dont work for me. That said, I don't care, the series is breezy and forgettable fun. I rationalise it all as an alternate timeline along with DISCO and its all good.

After lying down for 30 minutes I have the solution. Obviously M"Benga and she prepared for this mission. Why not some sort of body energy field generator belt? They used something like this in TAS. Once activated it acts like a tazer. You are insulated from it but engaging with a Klingon fells him. It can be adjusted. The green hulk juice enhances their reaction times, thinking and proprtionately their strength. Why are TV writers so lazy? I did this without much effort in one half hour. They just use tropes and throw them in where needed. It's lazy. I guess this explains the writer's strike. They are angry at the streaming universe and it's lack of security. Is this how they get revenge? They could use something similar against the Gorn.Use A force field to protect them from Gorn spit.

 

[bookworm8571]

Why is Spock necessarily at "That Time?" No, I disagree. This is his heart, not his hormones. It is a disservice to the character that he can't love unless some outside force compels him briefly. Spock is not in heat or he would be compelled to return to T'Pring.
The "bones" issue I've already discussed and agree with you.
Agree wouldn't their lungs be fatally damaged in the cold and vacuum? Why do we need this silliness? These writers, at some level, believe their audience is mostly adolescents.
It's funny to me. When his passionate friendship with Kirk evolves it's his heart, but with a woman, especially Christine it's just hormones. Spock is obviously NOT the man we see in TOS at this time. He's more open and vulnerable. Have you noticed how often she touches his face? Those two are bonding, the Vulcan way and Spock will eventually see this and try to break it. Christine can't break it and can't get over him and Korby may be the man she settles for to try to break it.

I would be more than happy for them to diverge from the original timeline and pursue Spock and Chapel. I could buy that Spock is bonding with Chapel since it seems that his bond with T’Pring never truly took, sexual activity aside. But, as it is, I think we will see some sort of out of time adventure that teases Spock and Chapel and maybe their memories will be wiped or they won’t go that far. Chapel will take the archaeology internship, get engaged to Roger Korby, and Korby will go missing and Spock will renew his efforts to become the most perfect Vulcan that ever was and work on his relationship with T’Pring. There will be a reason for those scenes in “The Naked Time” and “Amok Time.”

 

[DEWLine]

So...implied by the conversation before that fight starts on the "Frankenship", Chapel and M'Benga served together elsewhere in Starfleet before transferring to the Enterprise...?

 

[Mudd]

So...implied by the conversation before that fight starts on the "Frankenship", Chapel and M'Benga served together elsewhere in Starfleet before transferring to the Enterprise...?

Well, their interaction in the very first episode of the series suggested that they had known one another for quite a while...

 

[Mudd]

Why are TV writers so lazy?

They're not.

Posters and bad would-be writers should stop repeating this canard; it doesn't reflect well on their judgment.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

After lying down for 30 minutes I have the solution. Obviously M"Benga and she prepared for this mission. Why not some sort of body energy field generator belt? They used something like this in TAS. Once activated it acts like a tazer. You are insulated from it but engaging with a Klingon fells him. It can be adjusted. The green hulk juice enhances their reaction times, thinking and proprtionately their strength. Why are TV writers so lazy? I did this without much effort in one half hour. They just use tropes and throw them in where needed. It's lazy. I guess this explains the writer's strike. They are angry at the streaming universe and it's lack of security. Is this how they get revenge? They could use something similar against the Gorn.Use A force field to protect them from Gorn spit.

This is so silly.

What would a magic belt have added to the scene? Except to satisfy a minority anal-retentive section of the audience?

Most people just don't care.

It's just a standard TV fight amped up. The good guys had a fight and won. What else did you expect?

When I was blubbing as Spock revived Chapel, literal tears in my eyes, well... that's good writing. 45 minutes and they got me right in the feels.

"Why'd you have to be so rough?"

Works on several levels. On the one hand funny, on the other, heartbreaking with a double entendre in there suggesting a further future amorous layer of their relationship...

That is excellent writing. Beautiful writing. You don't even know what writing is.

 

[cooleddie74]

Obviously. Yet, a woman's bones don't become denser as a result and she is slightly built and only has so much muscle mass. Women have to fight fast and smart, not use brute strength.

It's science fiction. A woman's bones can do anything under the influence of a completely fictional stimulant. This is popular fiction involving aliens and faster-than-light travel, not a Mythbusters episode.

 

[Mudd]

This is so silly.

What would a magic belt have added to the scene? Except to satisfy a minority anal-retentive section of the audience?

Most people just don't care.

It's just a standard TV fight amped up. The good guys had a fight and won. What else did you expect?

When I was blubbing as Spock revived Chapel, literal tears in my eyes, well... that's good writing. 45 minutes and they got me right in the feels.

"Why'd you have to be so rough?"

Works on several levels. On the one hand funny, on the other, heartbreaking with a double entendre in there suggesting a further future amorous layer of their relationship...

That is excellent writing. Beautiful writing. You don't even know what writing is.

Absolutely Right.™

 

[HotRod]

Yet, a woman's bones don't become denser as a result and she is slightly built and only has so much muscle mass.

Sorry, bones don't get denser in 10 seconds. This is physiologically impossible.

How the hell do you know what the green space juice did to their bodies?

That two humans could take down all those Klingons is just bizarre in the extreme.

Except for all those other times when Human have fought Klingons, without performance enhancing drugs, and won.

Neither have the muscle mass or bone density necessary.

Again, did you miss the part where they juiced themselves up?

But it in no way fits with the canonical events of TOS.

Sure it does. It fits in the continuity about as well as anything else.

The ret-con of the Gorn

How have they been retconned?

highly emotional Spock

See: "The Cage."

alternate timeline

Nope!

 

[Jedman67]

I love all the stupid nitpicks.
In a TV show where you can travel faster than light, travel in time, teleport across vast distances, literally revive people who are already dead with a quick hypo shot; nitpicking about exposure to vacuum or 2 humans going kung fu on a ship full of klingons is just silliness.
FYI Babs Olusanmokun has a martial arts background from Brazil (source: Ready Room interview)

 

[cooleddie74]

WHY HAVE WE LOST SIGHT OF GENE'S VISION™?!?!?

 

[Finn]

See: "The Cage."

And especially the ending of Amok Time, among other episodes and even TUC.

 

[HotRod]

And especially the ending of Amok Time, among other episodes and even TUC.

You are absolutely correct.

 

[Citiprime]

It's science fiction. A woman's bones can do anything under the influence of a completely fictional stimulant. This is popular fiction involving aliens and faster-than-light travel, not a Mythbusters episode.

Here’s the thing… I agree with you. Totally. But some of the people who have this opinion about green super-soldier serum that makes no sense are the same ones who, in the very next breath, will tell everyone: “Well they had to change it, because TOS is just not believable to a modern audience.”

Which is it?

Why are we supposed to care about believability when you’re changing the aesthetics of what came before but when we get to the story they’re telling that shouldn’t be a factor?

 

[Finn]

It's about visual appeal. If they rebooted I love Lucy today, they'd be sharing a bed instead of separate beds. The TOS sets looked like space age back in the day, especially on 1960s TV (or 50s TV as not everyone had TVs made after 1960, when TOS premiered) That's it. It's not about canon or "making sense".

It's not the same as justifying that serum.

Just enjoy the episode.

 

[DaveyNY]

And then you have McCoy knowing nothing of Gorkon's anatomy when 142 years earlier Phlox and his fellow doctors logged extensive medical data on Klaang after he survived being shot. So either McCoy is really selectively attentive or Starfleet Medical classifies or conveniently ignores a lot of stuff as the decades pass.

Or perhaps good old Dr. McCoy is just plain ornery and likes to complain a lot about everything and anything he can.

 

[Photoman15]

Sorry, bones don't get denser in 10 seconds. This is physiologically impossible. Now she's the Incredible Hulk huh? I'd rather see her body snatch a male body and use it than this silliness. Women are not men. Censor me, but it's still true.

It's also physiologically impossible to beam someone someplace ... but Trek does
Warp Drive is physically impossible .... but Trek does
SNW S01E01, Chapel injects the Landing Party with a DNA recombinant to make them look and read as aliens to fit in. What's the difference here? The Popeye Juice is a variation of that.

 

[DaveyNY]

2 humans going kung fu on a ship full of klingons is just silliness.

Lord sakes alive ... while I very much agree about the 'silliness' part, I think folks need to pay just a bit more attention ... it wasn't a ship FULL of Klingons.

Chapel & M'Benga were fighting HUMANS as well.
And only a few of the Klingon's were able to get back up after receiving several punches from the duo.

Here's something to consider, the serum may also take away any pain felt when receiving bodily damage in a fight.
So Chapel probably does have multiple fractures in her face and hands, but doesn't begin to feel it till the drug wears off.
It may not have just been the exposure to space that caused her to be unconscious and next to deaths' door upon arrival in the Enterprise transporter room.