c/star-trek

From the new Le Creuset Star Trek collection.

Tl;Dr - everybody on Voyager lacks the most basic of common security sense, and roams the delta quadrant with the naivety of children. Discuss.

Long version: Let me preface by stating that we've watched all of TNG and DS9, and we're approaching the end of Voyager, so maybe I'm just burned out on Trek's writing in general, but why do so many of Voyager's plots require a complete lack of security common sense to work?

Case in point: we've just watched "Repression", wherein Tuvok has been attacking and mind melding with all of the old Marquis crew, who have now all recovered from their mystery comas and been put straight back on duty. Tuvok is in the brig talking with Janeway. Not only did they let him keep his combadge, but when he uses it to relay a bunch of strange words to Chakotay, who replies that he "understood", Janeway at no point thinks it might be prudent to have Chakotay immediately detained. This leads to a full ship takeover and Janeway almost getting killed.

Then literally the very next episode a random trader is able to straight up steal the doctor out from under everyone's noses. I know the internet was in its infancy when Voyager was created and we were all pretty naive about data security, but come on!

So many plots rely on critical systems being wide open for anyone to tamper with, or crew members lacking the most basic of common sense and/or being way too trusting of complete strangers.

I appreciate that it would be a pretty boring show if everything was locked down and people did their jobs properly, and that I might as well be complaining about the fallacy of Holodeck safety protocols, but I had to get it off my chest!

If it weren't for the fact that it's become a bit of a running joke to point out all of the ways a major plot device could've been avoided I think we'd have stopped watching a couple of seasons ago.

Has Trek always been this way, or is the writing on Voyager just particularly lazy/bad?

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86718566/chapters/245447406 Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1655942552-star-trek-mar-del-plata-english-episode-3-forced

I hope you like it!

Captain's Log: We are heading toward a sector of the Alpha Quadrant where Hirogens have recently been detected following their arrival after a long journey. They are a race of hunters from the Delta Quadrant, first encountered by the USS Voyager, which discovered and made use of their communications network before later facing them in person on Stardate 51501.4.

We are dealing with hunters who seek prey across the galaxy. Our mission is to neutralize them, repel them, and, if necessary, destroy them. I hope we will not have to resort to extreme measures.

Commander Antos struck up a conversation with Captain Mark.

"Captain, we know very little about the Hirogens and the Breen. Sometimes I find myself wondering about things, like whether they enjoy music as much as we do."

"I don't know, Number One. I don't think the Breen necessarily have helmets designed for listening to music."

"Now that I think about it, don't you play any instruments? On other Federation ships, it's fairly common for crews to form bands during their free time."

"I don't see the point in playing an instrument when you can generate music with a computer without needing one." he replied in a neutral tone.

"Perhaps, but... there's something captivating about doing things the old-fashioned way."

"Not in my case."

Chief of Security David detected signals on his console.

"We're detecting warp signatures heading toward our position. A vessel is approaching."

"On screen." Mark ordered.

"A mixture of ship components... Romulan, Cardassian..." Antos observed.

"Pakleds!" Mark exclaimed. "Pilot, get us out of here."

"We can't move. They're trying to grab us with an amplified tractor beam. I've never seen anything with this much power!" said helmsman Stross.

"Try to establish communications with the Pakled vessel."

"We're receiving a message," said Stross. "Just one word: 'Stay.'"

"I'm detecting that the tractor beam is weakening at impulse speed. If we keep this up, we'll break free without any damage!" David reported.

"Whatever they're looking for, they can't have good intentions. Increase impulse speed."

Just as they were about to break free from the tractor beam, the Pakled vessel launched several spheres that embedded themselves into the USS Mar del Plata.

"Captain," said David, "there are one-meter-diameter spheres that have just attached themselves to the hull, right where the phasers are located."

"They're attempting to establish communications with us." Stross stated.

"They made us wait. Put them on screen."

The typical face of a male Pakled appeared on the screen: grayish-brown skin, vertical eyebrows, and a wrinkled face. He was their captain.

Without hesitation, Mark Epsilon was concise.

"You are violating the integrity of a Starfleet vessel. Do you understand what that means?" Then, in a sterner and more forceful tone, he shouted, "Would you mind telling me what the hell you just did?!"

"I... wouldn't want to ruin any surprises."

"What surprise are you talking about? What you're doing could be considered a threat."

"Threat? We only need help, one way or another. We asked you to stay, but you moved."

"There are ways to ask for assistance, and this isn't one of them. Besides, it's not that we're known for judging people prematurely, but we've already had previous attempts at betrayal from Pakleds. So I suggest you make your intentions clear, or I'll have to order you to leave Federation territory."

"You help Pakleds, Pakleds go."

"We can discuss that in another sector, but not here. We're not safe. There are hunter vessels in the area."

"Help Pakleds, Pakleds go."

"Captain," David said, "I think they're only going to understand the hard way."

"Wait a moment, Captain!" the commander exclaimed. "We don't know how the Pakleds might react if we…

I just found out about the "@TNG_S8" Star Trek parody twitter account and would love to read through it... anywhere other than on X (because fuck Elon).

Any ideas?

The episode title alludes to the famous opening narration of the long-running television soap opera, Days of Our Lives: "Like sands through the hourglass, so go the days of our lives." Soap operas, the subject of this episode's homage, are best known for melodrama and plot twists. Incidentally, Days is broadcast on NBC/Paramount. Chronitons are technobabble particles associated with time travel.

The bright and hazy environment is typical of the lighting in daytime soaps, which are usually shot on video. “The dreaded Abbott-Chancellor Collision” is a reference to two rival families in The Young and the Restless. The dramatic pauses, looking to the side, camera angles, music and excessive exposition are all imitative of the style of soaps.

Pike hears the dramatic music, which means it is diegetic in nature. He wonders if he’s back in the musical (SNW: “Subspace Rhapsody”) or in a simulation (SNW: “A Space Adventure Hour”).

Dr Elanor Chivers is played by Deidre Hall, who has played the character of Dr Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives for 50 years. Old fogeys like me also remember her as Electra Woman on the Sid and Marty Krofft series Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Chivers is described as the ship’s counselor, which is a position that until now we did not think existed on 23rd century starships but was only established in the 24th century with officers like Deanna Troi. In an early draft of TNG: “Relics”, Troi says that counselors were only assigned to starships starting in 2330. Prior to that, the role of looking after the ship’s psychological welfare seemed to come down to medical officers like McCoy. That being said, in the fan production Star Trek Continues, Kirk’s Enterprise had a ship’s counselor, Dr Elise McKenna, played by Michele Specht.

The teaser ends with the reveal that the trickster cosmic entity (unnamed but definitely Trelane from TOS: “The Squire of Gothos”) from SNW: “Wedding Bell Blues” is behind this. Sadly, they didn’t do a soap-opera remix of the theme for this.

Sybok (ST V) is the half-brother of Spock and a v’tosh ka’tur, one who rejects the denial of emotion that Vulcan society demands and embraces it. He was mentioned last in SNW: “The Serene Squall” as being imprisoned at the Ankeshtan K'Til Vulcan Rehabiltation Center on the 3rd Moon of Omicron Lyrae, where he used the alias Xaverius. Sybok was played by Laurence Luckinbill in ST V, who did not resemble Leonard Nimoy in the slightest (the role was originally written for Sean Connery) but is played by Ethan Peck here, likely because plot twists like “evil twins” are also a common soap trope, as are secret offspring.

Trelane starts to say his name but only gets as far as “Tre—“ before Pike cuts him off, preserving the idea that we don’t get his name until his proper debut in “The Squire of Gothos”.

The fact that Pike understands what a soap opera doesn’t necessarily mean the format has survived to the 23rd century (although given Ferengi television - LD: “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place” - who knows?), because Pike has a fondness for classic media (SNW: “Strange New Worlds”).

Some of our younger viewers may not know that they literally did say “and now for a word from our sponsors” before ad breaks on television, much like YouTubers do nowadays.

The recipe book’s blank pages may be a reference to the days when television props weren’t as detailed as they are now because without HD television, nobody could really see it.

The robes and elaborate headdress of Trelane’s proctor resemble Q’s judge’s robes first seen in TNG: “Encounter at Farpoint”.

“Vulcans can’t engage in subterfuge,” is a misconception. Vulcans (and Spock) are perfectly capable of lying (TOS: “The Enterprise Incident”, et al.). Kal-toh is a Vulcan logic puzzle game, playable solo or with an opponent. It was first seen in VOY: “Alter Ego”, several times in VOY and later on in LD and PIC. 

“Space madness”, like “cosmic amnesia” might refer to the habit…

::: spoiler Logline A temporal anomaly traps the crew inside a soap-opera reality while Pike confronts a life he lost. :::

Written by: Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff

Directed by: Anna Dozoka

Clark Gregg (The Avengers) was a surprise guest who took over as Nancy’s professor husband.

The night kicked off with a read of the “Mudd’s Passion” script from a 1973 episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) took over as Kirk while D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) assumed the role of Spock and Adam Arkin played the mad creator of a love potion. Other participants from the night included Iman Vellani (The Marvels), and Paul Scheer and Paul F. Tompkins, both from Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Rod Roddenberry was there to remember his dad, series creator Gene Roddenberry, and pay tribute to both the foundation’s 60th anniversary as well as the 60th anniversary of Star Trek.

More than 750 theaters across the U.S. will screen restored 4K presentations of classic Star Trek films paired with episodes of STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES making their theatrical debut, from Sept. 4-8. Fans attending will also have the first opportunity to purchase limited-edition Star Trek “Enterprise” popcorn vessels and commemorative drink cups at participating theaters, while supplies last.

• Friday, September 4: Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director's Edition + S02E03 "The Changeling"
• Saturday, September 5: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Director's Cut) + S01E22 "Space Seed"
• Sunday, September 6: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock + S02E01 "Amok Time"
• Monday, September 7: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home + S01E28 "The City on the Edge of Forever"
• Tuesday, September 8: Star Trek: The Genesis Trilogy (TWoK, TSFS, TVH)

AMC and Regal will also be selling popcorn buckets to commemorate the occasion:

A bit of a list, some of which has been previously announced.

This is basically SNW's take on disaster movies, like The Poseidon Adventure and TNG: "Disaster”, in the same way so far this season they’ve homaged Doctor Who, Event Horizon, The Hangover Casablanca and The Muppet Show.

The stardate is 1213.72, and the “weekend” is about to begin. The jaunty notes of the soundtrack at the beginning remind me of a motif from TOS: “Shore Leave” when his old nemesis Finnegan appears to taunt Kirk.

As established in TNG: “Chain of Command”, starships work on a three-shift rotation, although some captains prefer four. Alpha shift is also usually the one where the captain is on duty.

The Bussard collectors that Ortegas mentions are the glowing caps at the front of the nacelles. They generate a magnetic funnel that sweeps in front of the ship gathering stray hydrogen from space which are then treated used to top up the ships’ antimatter fuel.

Dr Boyce would be Phillip Boyce, the former chief medical officer of Enterprise in 2254, who was played by John Hoyt in TOS: “The Cage”. This is the first time we are told he was actually interim CMO until M’Benga came along.

In TOS: “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”, Kirk mentions that Chapel gave up a career in “bio-research” to sign aboard a starship. When first introduced in SNW: “Strange New Worlds”, Chapel was on a civilian exchange from the Stanford Morehouse Epigenetic Project (mentioned again later in this episode), although it was revealed later she did serve with M’Benga during the Klingon War a few years prior. 
 Scotty is right that there doesn’t really seem to be much of a difference between the terms “Bussard collectors” and “Bussard ramscoops”, the latter of which is just another name for the same technology. 

LT Radha (assuming it’s the same character) first appeared as a helm officer in TOS: “That Which Survives”, played by Naomi Pollack. On the wall in the briefing room we see a picture of Phoenix, the first Earth vessel to break the warp barrier (First Contact).

The person playing the piano is a Bolian - although I’m not sure if this is the ENS Rankin that Uhura mentioned earlier, which sounds like a human name.

Getting caught in a wormhole slipstream seems similar to what happened to Enterprise when initiating its upgraded warp engines in TMP. An antimatter imbalance created a wormhole and sent them speeding out of control.

M’Benga isn’t being wholly unfair when he says Chapel runs when things get real. In SNW: “Spock Amok” she confesses that she avoids relationships because they require sacrifice. When Spock became more serious about her, she applies for the archeological fellowship and broke up with him (SNW: “Subspace Rhapsody”). We’ve not been updated on the state of her current relationship with Roger Korby, although we do know they get engaged before he vanishes on Exo III (“What Are Little Girls Made Of?”). Chapel’s retort hints at what she knows about M’Benga’s past in the Klingon War and the trauma he carries from it.

Pike’s recklessness in reaching for an electrified control may be due to his knowledge that he has yet to meet his destined accident in a few years (DIS: “Through the Valley of Shadows”).

Scotty’s thought that the ship’s computer doesn’t recognise his accent (which is fairly mild by Scottish standards) reminds me of a sketch from the Scottish comedy show Bornistoun, where an elevator equipped with voice recognition technology hilariously fails to understand Scottish accents. 

“Neutrino radiation at lethal levels” strikes me as a bit odd, because neutrinos have no charge, have almost zero mass, and trillions of them coming from the Sun pass through our bodies all the time with no issues since they rarely hit other atoms (and even if they do the radiation is negligible). That being said, the number of neutrinos emitted during a supernova could be lethal, and if they were focused enough, but the levels would really have to be ludicrous.

Inertial dampeners are what protects t…

::: spoiler Logline An off-duty window becomes a warp emergency when the Enterprise is pushed beyond its safe limits. :::

Written by: Bill Wolkoff

Directed by: Dan Liu

For me at least, the only interesting thing in here is that contrary to prior reports, the SNW sets have not been destroyed (but are disassembled and in storage somewhere).