Logline
La’An travels back in time to twenty-first-century Earth to prevent an attack which will alter humanity’s future history—and bring her face to face with her own contentious legacy.
Written by David Reed
Directed by Amanda Row
Note: This is a second attempt, as technical difficulties were preventing people from seeing the original discussion post. Apologies to the people who were able to comment in the original.
I guess I’m one of the few voices of dissent again… I enjoyed last week’s episode, but this episode is disappointing again. The romance between La’an was very unnecessary and unnatural. They had no chemistry and it felt incredibly awkward. I still can’t stand their choice for Kirk. Feels like I’m watching Darrin from Bewitched (or some other “ordinary working man” type character) doing cosplay and not a star ship captain, and certainly not a captain like Kirk. Not only does he not have “the look,” but I hated the way he delivered all his lines.
The only breath of fresh air for me is that a disaster takes place someplace other than New York, LA, or the US in general. However, they definitely didn’t hire enough extras for Toronto. Everywhere looked too under populated and not enough racial diversity (ie: where were all the Asians? Toronto is filled with East, South, Subcontinental Asians). I’ve never seen the streets of Toronto so sparse.
For me there was a couple wild suspensions of disbelief that just didn’t work. Earning enough cash from an afternoon of playing randoms at chess in the park to afford a full on suite at a decent hotel downtown Toronto. And the police just letting them go, no license, no identification of any kind…
I did really enjoy Toronto in general and thought the main plot was strong enough, but agree the romance was unnecessary and also think the dialogue needs some work.
As a security officer, La’an is highly trained in social engineering, and Kirk is cunning on his own, as we see in how he zeroes in on the best car around and steals it with minimal physical harm to the owner. I’d say there’s a good chance they didn’t pay for the hotel room at all, but conned their way in on someone else’s credentials. Same deal for crossing the border twice.
I’d argue that was more believable than “wave a tricorder at a cash point” like we’ve seen in the past. Also, how far did the money from one pair of second hand glasses go in Voyage Home and we didn’t doubt that.
Not just the hotel, but enough to bribe two separate border officers to let them cross the border the day after a terrorist attack
I’m with you on this. La’an is my fave character in this show so I was really looking forward to this episode. But after watching it, I felt it just wasn’t very good. I think, for me, it was mostly the writing, followed by the pacing, and the fact that while Kirk is my all-time fave Trek Captain… I just do not like the Kirk in this show. I just don’t find the actor they chose to be a suitable fit at all, unfortunately.
Still, the episode did have a few good moments, and it’s only 1 of only 2 episodes, so far, that I haven’t enjoyed with this series. So that’s still a good batting average.
Hopefully I’ll like the next episode more!
I liked the episode but I’m kinda with you on Paul Wesley’s Kirk. I like the actor, I like the new Kirk as a character… there’s just no connection in my mind between him and Shatner’s Kirk.
I felt the same way about Ethan Peck for quite a while, but he grew on me too.
I was not a fan of Wesley’s Kirk in S1, but he won me over here. He has a physical gawkiness that I don’t associate with the character, but he nailed the confident bravado and understated nerdiness that endeared Kirk to sci-fi fans fifty years ago.
I totally agree about the change of locations! Where were the exterior scenes filmed? Was it really Toronto?
Like Discovery, Strange New Worlds is filmed in Toronto, so it was a fairly easy location shoot for them.
Yeah, that was definitely actually Toronto. The big area they’re wandering around in at the start is Yonge-Dundas Square, and I’m pretty sure this is the clothing store they stole from. The “Noonien-Singh Center” at the end was actually the Royal Ontario Museum - both the interior and exterior.
Kinda weird seeing Star Trek characters actually wandering around in an area I know decently well.
As others have mentioned, far too many suspensions of disbelief in this one. I’m not sure which is more ridiculous though: Kirk hustling general public at chess winning enough money for a downtown Toronto hotel suite or the brutally awkward romance between La’an & Kirk.
Wasn’t that somewhat of the point. Laan doesn’t have chemistry with anyone due to her tragic childhood and family lineage making her an outcast. Kirk is a good enough man to see though that.
Well the romulans have been pushing humanity apart fro a while they delayed Singh by 30years. Maybe they been working even longer