Yeah, that’s understandable because I have to explain it every single time (already explained it to my mother about 4 times now). Whereas believing in aliens is actually quite reasonable (just not that they are here and spend their time making crop circles and probing trailer trash).

This one wasn’t a dumpster fire like the last few, but I still feel it was a set up without a punchline. Something felt missing at the end for the payoff.

Not retconed per se, they just can’t make their mind up on what the series is and keep radically changing direction and dumping prior development and characters. Changes are often for the better and don’t directly contradict but there’s certainly a lack of any common thought in the story they’re trying to tell.

It’s a shame he didn’t ask Sunak if he was onboard first. Or maybe he means a France-Poundbury partnership?

It very much feels like someone on the outside looking in and making jokes with their passing knowledge. In contrast to Lower Decks very much being injokes from people who love the series, it’s philosophy and all its tiny details. They should have just given it to writers on Lower Decks. This makes me cringe so much.

These snapshots, combined with Wej du, are the best intro for new people into different Trek species. I love them and I want as many more as possible. Give me Cardassians, Ferengi, Jem’Hadar!

She has lost ALL control eyebrow

Which is ironic because TAS, while a bit whacky, was extremely mature for a cartoon of that era.

Not sure I’d put Masks alongside Measure of Man or Duet. Or indeed have it as an argument for filler episodes.

Given TNG never had much character serialisation, I’d say filler is more like those DS9 and ENT episodes late on that never fit I to anybody’s arc. Like the holosuite ones. Some amazing ones from DS9. Some less so from Enterprise.

But SNW has a good balance between episodic and serialisation. All this comes down to can they keep up the quality on greater volume. That needs more investment at a time when Paramount is cutting back…

Well at that point it’s meant to be they can’t be reasoned with, war / fight to the death inevitable. Then at the end it’s revealed they were just defending their territory.

If we have a situation where understanding is reached, communication and mutual empathy then exactly what is Kirk fighting about and learning in Arena?

It already doesn’t totally work now the Gorn and their space are personally known about by most of the crew present in Arena, by Starfleet etc. but I can wave that off as being worth it for the story. But this would mean that the message of Arena is also damaged, not just continuity. Not sure how I feel about that but I’ll see how they handle it first.

I was concerned that any Trek-like resolution that the series’s tone demands would utterly undermine Arena. But I think we’re past that already so I’ll just accept it out the window and enjoy the ride. But I do wish they’d done this as a new species instead.

While a strong woman, they’ve done shockingly little to tell us anything about her until the last episode when we find out she likes tourism. But we know precious little of her personality and most of the relationship has been seen from Chris’ side. I think she’s been written to be disposable. But I’d love it if they save her and actually develop her more.

Another amazing episode and a certainly fresh idea for the Klingons with their K-pop, or Kling-pop?

I think they towed a good line on whimsy, emotion and gimmicks and kept it well grounded as character exploration. Let’s force everyone to process their season’s emotional growth in song!

Also I have to say I love how much focus SNW gives to lower ranking officers. Classic trek always ended up focusing on a few senior officers but this is a proper ensemble number.

Only thing I want more now is this with Elle Cordova doing her Star Trek technoblabble songs in it.

What they missed out was this is actually a Borzoi class support ship. Its slim pointed shape allows it to retrieve items such a ambassadors or pringles from the far end of micro wormholes.

The only huge issue I had with them was their makeup was so thick the actors clearly struggled to act through it. Contrast to such expressive Klingons such as Kor, Gowron and Martok which was very difficult to do when you can barely move your face.

If that hadn’t hamstrung the actors so much, I think they would have been more enjoyable than people found them.

From that still above I can only assume they’re going in search of Ki-ti-ha.