r/Star_Trek_

POLYGON: "One of the smartest choices made in Strange New Worlds is refusing to treat the arrival of James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) as inevitable. Prequels often struggle with this problem. If audiences already know where everyone ends up, characters can start to feel predetermined rather than human. But Strange New Worlds consistently pushes against that idea. [...]

https://www.polygon.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-the-original-series-kirk/

If we're being honest, The Original Series was never really about deep character studies or the relationships between those characters.

Looking back, the Enterprise often feels less like a place where humans (and aliens) lived together and more like a set piece where epic stories happened. The crew worked side-by-side, respected one another, occasionally revealed deeper bonds, and then moved on to the next mission. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has subtly changed that. [...]

This version of Kirk isn’t introduced like a legendary figure entering the stage. He’s capable and charismatic, but still figuring things out. In season 3, episode 6, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail,” Kirk is given his first opportunity to command in a stressful situation — and he screws it up. It’s only with the help of Spock (Ethan Peck), Scotty (Martin Quinn), and Uhura that he grows and evolves.

SNW never treats Kirk like destiny. That’s because Pike’s Enterprise already has its own identity. By building a crew that feels emotionally connected before Kirk takes command, Strange New Worlds reframes what comes later. Kirk no longer reads as the beginning of the story. He's just the next chapter.

Going back and watching The Original Series after spending time with Strange New Worlds, the dynamic shifts. Kirk’s confidence feels more earned. Spock’s reserve seems more intentional. The relationships feel deeper because viewers now understand the environment these characters came from. That may be the show’s most surprising accomplishment.

Strange New Worlds doesn’t rewrite The Original Series or replace it. Instead, it reminds us that before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise became legends, they were simply people sharing meals, figuring things out, and becoming the people history remembers."

Terry Terrones (Polygon)

Full article:

https://www.polygon.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-the-original-series-kirk/

SCREENRANT:

"On Bluesky, Mike McMahan responded to a fan that he "couldn't be prouder" of Star Trek: Lower Decks' five seasons, but Mike announced, "I had at least two seasons more in me." McMahan then lists many great ideas future Star Trek: Lower Decks seasons would have explored, including the USS Cerritos going to the Delta and Gamma Quadrants, and even meeting "a weirdly nice leftover Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs)." Read Mike's post below:

>Couldn't be prouder of the five we made, but I had at least two seasons more in me. Wanted to hit up the Delta and Gamma quadrants. One more Vindicta holodeck movie. Meet a weirdly nice leftover Weyoun, more stories with the whales and Kayshon, T'Lyn and Ensign Olly. Lots of stuff.

As per Mike McMahon's ideas, the USS Cerritos visiting the Delta and Gamma Quadrants would have let Star Trek: Lower Decks tell more loving odes to Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as would meeting a "weirdly nice" Weyoun, the cloned servants of the Dominion. Another Vindicta story would've capped off a trilogy of holodeck movies within the show.

Star Trek: Lower Decks fans would certainly have appreciated more stories about fan-favorite supporting characters like T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) and Kayshon (Carl Tart), as well as Kimolu and Matt, the talking beluga whale lieutenants who help navigate the USS Cerritos from Cetacean Ops.

McMahan's desire for more seasons would have equaled the seven-season run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a fitting number since Star Trek: Lower Decks is TNG's animated successor. However, as an animated comedy, Star Trek: Lower Decks didn't necessarily have a ceiling beyond what was decided by Paramount+. Star Trek: Lower Decks could have run 10 seasons or more if the streamer allowed. [...]"

Full article:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-lower-decks-more-seasons-ideas-mike-mcmahan/

REDSHIRTS:

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3’s “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is a very funny and vastly underrated episode that primarily dealt with the hilarious consequences of temporarily transforming Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) into Vulcans.

https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-vulcan-doug-patton-oswalt-returns

However, the episode also introduced fans to Patton Oswalt’s memorable character Doug, and the actor has officially revealed that the lovable Vulcan spiritualist will return to SNW before the series concludes with its fifth and final season. Oswalt casually revealed the news while discussing his character on an episode of the Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend podcast, in which the actor and comedian said (per the Team Coco YouTube channel): “You know what, I’m doing some more episodes.”

Most of Doug’s time spent on the USS Enterprise involved learning more about human behavior from Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck). In order to transform his new Vulcan crewmates back into humans, Spock needed the assistance of someone who was a master of Vulcan katras, aka the soul or living spirit. Doug agrees to help Spock, who graciously shares more about the human condition in return, which includes a hilarious high-five exchange between the two characters, among other funny teachable moments. [...]"

SCREENRANT:

"Before that surprising info drop, Conan, who grew up a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series, and Patton verbally jested about the origin of Doug's name. Oswalt discussed the heretofore unrevealed backstory of Doug, and why he grew up as a Vulcan enamored with human culture. Read their quotes below:

>Patton Oswalt: “Yeah, I’m playing a Vulcan, but it’s a Vulcan who’s obsessed with human culture, and –”

>Conan O’Brien: “His name’s Doug.”

>Patton Oswalt: “His name is Doug.”

>Conan O’Brien: “He’s a Vulcan named Doug, which is my favorite thing.”

>Patton Oswalt: “But his parents were obsessed, so they gave him… It’s the same way as, like, hippies giving their kids names like American Indian names…”

>Conan O’Brien: “Yeah. Starshine.”

>Patton Oswalt: “Exactly. So, why wouldn’t that happen in another culture? Why wouldn’t they try to do that? And unlike Spock, who kind of struck this balance, he’s so clumsy with it because he really loves it. And that’s a really real thing.”

>Conan O’Brien: “So, a Vulcan with an artistic edge.”

[...]

The title "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans" was always a misnomer because of Patton Oswalt, whose Doug was the fifth Vulcan in the episode. Between the barely-contained mutual lust Doug shared with Una, his former paramour, and Spock's hilarious attempts to explain human behavior like high-fives to Doug, Oswalt delivered some of the best Vulcan comedy in the episode. [...]"

REDSHIRTS:

"I also loved how Oswalt’s Vulcan character and Number One/Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) shared such an uncomfortable yet explosive sexual chemistry that effectively rendered both of them powerless around each other, which Una fought tooth and nail throughout the episode.

So, it was a wonderful payoff — after all the awkward moments Doug and Una endured in “Four-and-a-Half-Vulcans” — to witness the first officer of the Enterprise finally caving in and going out on a date with her ex, Doug, to revisit and perhaps rekindle their love at the episode’s conclusion.

Given that Oswalt has revealed he will return in “some more episodes,” I hope there will be plenty more interactions between Doug, Una, and Spock, as well as other members of the crew, whom he didn't have the changce to meet in "Four-and-a-Half" Vulcans."

Steven Thrash (RedshirtsAlwaysDie.com)

Links:

https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-vulcan-doug-patton-oswalt-returns

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-patton-oswalt-doug-return/

I just got to the end of Season 5. 🥺 I know I’m a bit late to this with the finale being released a couple years ago now. I watched a couple episodes years ago but didn’t really get into it at first. Then I started watching it seriously last year and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of ST ever made. To me it’s a show that could have gone on indefinitely (though the title might have needed updating.) It’s such a shame it was cancelled. I’m going to miss it. It felt like a love letter to Star Trek’s past and the finale opened up new possibilities to explore.

It is .... it is green.

Just opened a bottle of something with electrolytes ( don't know if we're allowed to name things here ) , and had to go swtich to one of my Riedel glasses after thinking of Captain Scott in " Relics " .

“Spock and I went back in time…again”.

“We meet evil versions of ourselves.”

“Well we kind of found out Greek Gods may actually exist.”

“We run into a dictator from the 1990s.”

“I died, but got better.”

Do we know the name of the alien race of purple folks? And is that red shirt hitting on her?