Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 7 "Those Old Scientists" (Spoiler Thread)

[DKDetective]

The Lower Decks x Strange New Worlds Crossover is here:

 

[The Big G]

Episode was released today.

it was Fantastic.

 

[Dave McFly]

LOVED the animated version of the opening credits with a bit of LD humor if you know you know

 

[Sithborg]

I may rewatch if a few times before I do a full write up.

 

[flickchick85]

This was gold! GOOOOOOLLLLLLDDDD!!!

Hoping for a sequel ep next season that gives us live-action Tendi and Rutherford.

 

[vantheman77]

We need more crossovers and Strange New Worlds became the first Star Trek show with live-action/ animation hybrid.

 

[flickchick85]

Strange New Worlds became the first show with live-action/ animation hybrid.

Supernatural, Lucifer, The Blacklist, Legends of Tomorrow and Fringe would like a word.

 

[vantheman77]

Sorry meant to say first Star Trek show.

 

[Sithborg]

Okay, identified the Orion captain's actor, Greg Bryk. Not shockingly, he is a Vancouver regular, thus, I have seen him in a variety of stuff. It was bugging me.

 

[Baggers]

Loved this crossover episode so much!!!

Was just so fun seeing Boimler being the inner Trek Fanboy like all of us. With all his references and Easter Egg drops. The “Worf’s honour” and him doing the Riker Maneuver had me smiling from cheek to cheek. I have now come to the realisation I'm Boimler!!!

Loved all the Easter Eggs and jokes. I bellied laugh when Boimler was on the bridge of the Enterprise and says "NCC 1701 dash nothing" and the Enterprise crew confused expression and reply made me laugh harder than it should have.

Also this exchange between Una and Spock:

Una: "Have you noticed that their references are weirdly specific?"

Spock: "Indeed."


Mariner's crush on young "hot" Spock!!!

This was definitely a love letter to Star Trek in general, to poke fun at some of the canonical changes in DISCO/SNW era of Trek (Spock being more emotional and that smile was haunting yet funny) and to put more respect on Star Trek: Enterprise (so happy it's having a renaissance in current Trek) hearing the Strange New Worlds crew talk fondly of the NX-01 crew warmed my heart up!!!

Pike's future was handled so well and the fact no one ever knew Pike knew he knew about his fate and yet stayed on the path knowing what happens to him shows why Pike is the truest Hero in all its senses.

Overall a great episode, I was a tad scared how this episode would work when it was announced but after seeing it I love it!!!

What you think Guys? Did you enjoy it? What was your fave Easter Egg?

 

[Dr.]

I watched one episode (the first) of Lower Decks and decided it wasn’t for me. And I had a similar reaction to this crossover. (Generally, I prefer more “serious” Trek fare to the “comedic” tangents.)

On the topic of Overall Continuity, I was kinda enjoying SNW being its own self-contained entity — with the possibility that perhaps the timeline had (somehow) split and perhaps Pike’s grim fate would be averted. Likewise, perhaps the relationship between Spock and Chapel would/could be different than the prior, established timeline. At the very least, I was hoping that the ambiguity would be teased out a bit longer before committing to and confirming the traditional continuity. To be fair, such confirmation — around this point in season two — might have been the plan all along. But it struck me as curious that this would be done in a “wacky” episode rather than a conventionally dramatic one.


And I guess we have a “musical” coming up…?

 

[Gaultheria]

I thought that in true Lower Decks fashion their return plans were going to fall apart completely only for Pelia to point out that they could just wait. If La’an had been in the synthesis lab and seen the liquid nitrogen, she might’ve been reminded of an old family legend along those lines.

Pelia has to have a cameo on Lower Decks now, if only to startle Boimler. Seems like the kind of prank she’d look forward to doing.

If they ever make a Boimler action figure, it’ll need to have speedwalking power.

The machine that did the thing to the NX-O1 thing went "ding" when it was ready, just like in Redshirts by John Scalzi.

 

[Gaultheria]

LOVED the animated version of the opening credits with a bit of LD humor if you know you know

I was disappointed when it didn’t happen in the opening flypast, but then…

 

[KillerMcQueen]

This episode just flew by for me, the way it was bookended with animated scenes, the animated version of the intro, the way so many of the references were used to touch on the various character arcs, etc. Loved it.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Talk about such a FUN episode from start to finish. Give this episode some awards.

SNW continues to utilize all of their character so well. Loved every single aspect of this episode.

 

[Gaultheria]

Glasses and smiling this episode? Party Spock is in the house tonight.

 

[Dave McFly]

I love that the first officers in SNW and LD are husband and wife in real life and I love how the first officer on LD said she was the hottest first officer in starfleet

 

[Holy Slapper]

Loved the episode. Funny and still managed to be a love letter to Star Trek, especially to Enterprise.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I watched one episode (the first) of Lower Decks and decided it wasn’t for me. And I had a similar reaction to this crossover. (Generally, I prefer more “serious” Trek fare to the “comedic” tangents.)

On the topic of Overall Continuity, I was kinda enjoying SNW being its own self-contained entity — with the possibility that perhaps the timeline had (somehow) split and perhaps Pike’s grim fate would be averted. Likewise, perhaps the relationship between Spock and Chapel would/could be different than the prior, established timeline. At the very least, I was hoping that the ambiguity would be teased out a bit longer before committing to and confirming the traditional continuity. To be fair, such confirmation — around this point in season two — might have been the plan all along. But it struck me as curious that this would be done in a “wacky” episode rather than a conventionally dramatic one.


And I guess we have a “musical” coming up…?

This was serious. Seriously awesome.

And yes, there is a musical. Not sure why you put that in quotes. It's episode 9.

 

[Teelie]

That was a great crossover.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

That was a great crossover.

I adored how the SNW crew, which feels pretty manic at times, felt positively out of their depth with the LD crew. It's like they grew old over night. Well, outside of Ortegas.

 

[Sithborg]

Okay, got a few more watches it. I really loved this episode. As a bit Lower Decks fan, this was just perfect.

Starting off with the animated segment was great, and it was wonderful to see Rutherford and Tendi in the show.

And the animated opening was great. I was enjoying it, but then the space tick showed up, and I just loved it. And the koala returned. I was sad the Star Trek opening still had the asteroid, versus some of the other stuff they put there for Lower Decks, but the opening made up for it.

Jack Quaid did a wonderful job of bringing the animated Boimler to real life. Between the screams, his power walk, and the various expressions he was able to bring from animation, it was wonderful. Tawny Newsom's performance had less of those physical oddities, but she still lives and breaths the Mariner character. It was great seeing them both, even if I wanted a worse purple wig for Boimler.

Also, good job to Peck for able to do the creepy smiles, only accented by the horror shots the camera did.

I did just love the whole crew's reaction to Boimler and Mariner. There is a reason they are on a Cali class, and not the flagship. Pike's growing frustration with both of them was great to see, culminated in just a wonderful "Just NO" from Mount when they took their return trip. Chapel and Ortegas screwing with Boimler was great. Hell, the fact that Ortegas was the only who really loved them is perfect too. A spiritual sister to Mariner. The whole conversation about Boimler having an Una poster was great. "Numera Una" killed me. And having Jerry O'Connell show up in the end to talk about Una was perfect.

So glad we got a scene with the SNW animated. Its fun to see other characters animated in the SNW, even if I love them referring to the TAS style in the show.

The recurring gag of Tendi trying to downplay stereotyping Orions is great. And I am real glad we are getting an Orion heavy episode next season.

And I loved the SNW fanboying out over the ENT crew. And then they realized they were acting like Boimler and Mariner, it was great.

Loved the episode as a fan of both series. I think as impressive as a live action and animated crossover is, I still think DS9"s Trials and Tribble-ations is the more impressive crossover.

 

[Dr.]

This was serious. Seriously awesome.

Many agree with you. Over at TrekBBS, “Those Old Scientists” scored an impressive number of 10s (out of 10); and the other rankings were mostly 9s and 8s. But judging from the comments, it seems most folks there are fans of both shows. (It is a Trek board, after all.) So it’s not too surprising that they’d take special delight in this crossover. And perhaps, therefore, being a True Trekker™ — knowledgeable across a variety of Trek media and genres — is kind of prerequisite for “getting” and appreciating what this episode was aiming for.

I know SNW well enough; but (as mentioned) I’m unfamiliar with Lower Decks.

And yes, there is a musical. Not sure why you put that in quotes. It's episode 9.

Since I hadn’t seen any promos, I wasn’t sure if SNW was going to do a "conventional musical" or a so-called "diegetic musical" (staged performances interwoven within a more-or-less realistic narrative — e.g., A Star is Born [2018]). So I hedged my bets with quotations marks.

 

[Dave McFly]

yup, still awesome!

 

[Holy Slapper]

Ok so apparently Jack Quaid improvised the "Riker!" line when he sat on the saddle.