August 27, 2025 • 41 mins
On "Phasers Set To Stun," we recognize the popularity of all things Star Trek, with a look at the television shows, animation, movies, and much more. On this week's episode, our crew continues their conversation about the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Join us for a recap of episode 7, What Is Starfleet?
For exclusive episodes and content, send some latinum to our Patreon here! You can sign up for a FREE 7-day trial, or sign up for a free membership to get limited access!
Check out www.afilmbypodcast.com/ for more information.
Email us at afilmbypodcast@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and requests.
Find us on X Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @afilmbypodcast.
For exclusive episodes and content, send some latinum to our Patreon here! You can sign up for a FREE 7-day trial, or sign up for a free membership to get limited access!
Check out www.afilmbypodcast.com/ for more information.
Email us at afilmbypodcast@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and requests.
Find us on X Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @afilmbypodcast.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Space the Final Frontier. Join us for a bold conversation
our prime directive to recap our favorite Star Trek shows,
both new and old, to engage and debate about all
(00:23):
things Trek. Prepare to energize with Phasers Set to Stunt.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome back to a new episode of Phasers Set to Stun,
where we continue to show our love for everything Star
Trek in this ongoing series from a film bind podcast
which focuses on every system of the expanding Star Trek
universe by covering television, movies, animation, directors, merchandise, and much
much more. Plotting your course on this voyage is your
(01:03):
Core Trek crew. I'm Wayne Whited, I'm Scott Hoffman, and.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
I'm David Burns.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And today we're talking about Season three, episode seven of
Star Trek's Strange New Worlds, titled What Is Starfleet? Written
by Catherine Lynn and Alan B. Malclroy and directed by
Sharon Lewis. So from this point forward, it's read alert.
There are spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen this episode yet,
(01:29):
please stop and being yourself to the nearest view screen
to catch it on Paramount Plus. Then come back and
rejoin us for the discussion Scott, why don't you give
us a short summary of this episode?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The opening theme of Strange New Worlds features a speech
that promises to boldly go where no one has gone before.
It's a promise that the show itself always lives up to,
and this episode is a perfect example of just that.
The format of this episode is unlike any that I've
ever seen, a standalone documentary, shot entirely by the cameras
of or Tagus. We don't even hear the opening theme
(02:03):
until the end, where it served up as the theme
for the documentaries closing credits. This documentary is the culmination
of Beto's project, which has been following the Enterprise's crew
as a documentarian this whole season. In his documentary, he
asks a very simple question, what separates a federation from
an empire? What is starfleet? That question is put to
(02:25):
the ultimate test with this Enterprise's version of Encounter at Farpoint,
a distant Planet asks the Federation's help in shepherding a
Leviathan through space as livestock. As Enterprise approaches the Leviathan,
the crew witnesses its power and capabilities that seem to
work as a weapon of war on a physical and
psychic level. This forces the Enterprise to recover from damage
(02:46):
to their ship and their crew, but it also makes
them question the nature of their mission. Like at farpoint
in the far future, Enterprise discovers that the mission isn't
as transparent or as ethical as they were led to believe.
This Leviathan is also being tortured in its role as
a weapon, and the Federation would find itself complicit in
the slavery, torture, and possible extinction of a new life
form if enterprise Is mission were to continue. We get
(03:09):
this complex story served up as a storyline within this
introspective episode that asks the court question what is Starfleet?
What defines who we are in this type of situation.
We get these answers, as well as an in depth
and personal look as several of the key crew members.
We also get we also finally get some in depth
(03:30):
looks into numerous characters, including Veto, and an episode that
stands out for so many reasons. I think this will
be an episode that we're excited to talk about and
one that I'm sure people will be talking about for
a long time to come.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah. Now, this is a format that we've seen many
times before on other shows, but this is a first
for Star Trek, so I'm kind of curious as to
watch you guys's opinions of this, so let's hear it.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I thought it was fantastic. I love the fact that
with changing worlds, they are taking chances with doing different things.
And first of all, I love documentaries, and I love
the style that decided to do this with. But one
of the things that I thought was fantastic is the
ending of this episode really felt like the ending to
the last episode, where you just felt devastated of what
(04:17):
was happening. But I thought it was a really good episode.
I felt like the individual questions that were presented to
some of the cast members were perfect, because I mean, really,
what is Starfleet? I mean, they do kind of ride
that line, do they not. They could be an empire,
They absolutely could, and sometimes they do get caught up
(04:40):
in situations where it looks like they are a military
but they're not because they you know, they try to
veer from that, but they're forced into it by certain circumstances.
So I thought it was I thought it was a
really good episode.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Yeah, I think you know, there are so many times
when I think we've said it's a great time to
be a Star Trek fan and a great time to
jump into Star Trek. And I think that this is
one of those episodes that you could introduce somebody to
Star Trek in this way because it asks a very
basic question and it's a unique take on sci fi
(05:17):
let alone Star Trek. It's a completely different thing that
I think I have ever seen. And when I said
I've never seen this before, I haven't been all the
way through things like Voyager Enterprise, so I didn't know
if they had been there, but it seems so unique,
like the camera angles that they took, the shots that
they decided to take. It wasn't all through Ortegas's cameras.
(05:39):
There was splicing of security cameras. There was use of
what do you call the kind of title cards that
would let people know if something had been redacted or
declassified or whatever. So there's so many different directions that
they took with that. It was just it was fascinating
to watch, but it was heartbreaking to experience. I think
(06:01):
it's a great jumping on point.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah. We predicted very early on that this was going
to be a documentary episode, and as time went by,
we knew it was going to be on. I'm glad
they did this for a couple of points. One is,
you know, many times in the past with the various
star Trek it has been debated, you know, whether or
not Starfleet is a exploration and scientific organization or a
(06:26):
military organization for the United Federation of Planets. I remember
in de Space nine this point was brought up many
times by other races, but kind of just you know,
shoved off, as if they didn't know what they were
talking about. Of course not, you know, of course we're
not military. But really, you know, when you look at it,
are they you know, are they're a little bit of both? Actually?
(06:46):
And finally we get an episode that really straightforward, in
your face, direct, you know, answers this question kind of
I mean, it's still a little bit you know, debate,
you have to really think about it at the end
of this episode, but they that they were forced to
look at it and make that decision and you know,
decide are they military? Are they scientific? And you know,
(07:10):
I still think they're a little bit of both. But
I liked how they presented this and I'm really glad
that you brought up the mention of similarities to Encounter
Far Point too, because the side story, well the story
that is happening in the documentary, that alien reminded me
of very very much of the Farpoint Station alien from
(07:32):
that episode, and I'm glad to see that. That was
something that I wanted to address because we don't see
too many of these spacefaring alien races such as this.
I can only mention. I can only think of like
two or three instances and all the Star Trek where
we've seen something like that, and you know, there's more
than just humanoids out there. And I'm glad that they
(07:52):
brought this because I'm trying to remember the name of
the creature at the top of my head. But it
was fantastically done. I mean wonderfully the whole episode. I
really enjoyed. I enjoyed the look, but it did have
rather a depressing indeed.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, yeah, come on, now, you gotta give it something
to like here, I could be happy about it. The
ends well, going to get next week, by the way,
So we're gonna get some comedy next week, I think, so, Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
And it's a great blend, and I mean it's it's
a lot of deep thinking, like if you're somebody who's
being introduced to Star Trek, and somebody who might dismiss
it as like, oh, I don't know if it's like,
you know, it's all aliens and sci fi, I don't
really get into. There's a lot of interesting, deep kind
of thinking behind these episodes, and I think you can't
argue with the fact that you would have a lot
(08:43):
to talk about after these these type of stories. I
love the way you're mentioning that the similarities to the
Farpoint Alien Wayne, because it makes me think of Lady Gladriel,
is it from Lord of the Rings, who is you know,
giant and beautiful but also has this power to be
(09:06):
absolutely terrifying and terrible. This very ethereal, kind of wispy
movement to it. But yeah, what they have to do
at the end is absolutely heartbreaking, and we have to
watch it almost in kind of slow motion.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah. You know, one thing that they didn't address that
that it irritated me, but irritated me in the right
way during this episode is the way Beto presented his documentary.
It drove me nuts that the way he was questioning
his sister as if she he was backing her in
the corner, just irritating ship. But but you know, I
(09:44):
guess that's a good documentary documentarian because you know, he's
not letting family, you know, alter his questions. But that
and the the secrets filming of the meetings, it just
felt so sinister. I don't know why I felt that way,
And that's that's good storytelling there, but that's the way
(10:04):
they were trying to get But it just felt like wrong.
I mean, it makes me wonder, you know, why did
the Federation allow some of this stuff to get out?
What was what was the point they were trying to
address here. I have a feeling, because you know, this
was all in documentary form, we didn't actually get anything
at the end that you know, went back to regular storytelling.
(10:29):
I'm wondering if if this episode two, just like the
last couple, are going to affect something that's going to
happen in the next what we got four more episodes left,
If this isn't going to come back and become part
of the storyline or bite him in the ass or whatever.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I don't well, I know part of the part of
the reasons why he was so venomous horror brings that
out in him, that he came here because he felt
Starfleet took his sister away, and that's why he was
very venomous about what he was doing with this documentary
and what he was trying to do about, you know,
uncovering or at least trying to uncover that Starfleet was
(11:05):
actually a military organization. And he learned, as the document learned,
and as those who watched this document learned, that it's
not true that you know, and and she even says,
you know, I joined this because you know, this is
my family now even and it makes sense they are
and you know, they may not be related, but they
(11:26):
are a family on that on that ship, and they
take care of each other. And I think, I don't
I don't know if as a horror or as Erica
who said that, you know, I am. You know, it's
it's not Starfleet to us, it's the other way around.
You know, we are to make Starfleet.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And she's and and she like said, she's right, you know,
it's yeah, Starfleet is just an organization. It's just a word.
But the people, it's the people who make it. I mean,
that's why we watched star Trek, to watch these these people.
We're not watching it for well, I mean some people
watching it for the enterprise itself, because we considered that
(12:02):
kind of a character too. But it's really the people
and the interactions and what they have to go through
is why we watch Strange New Worlds, is why we
watched Star trek Ye.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Did anybody notice that Erica was working on a motorcycle? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:15):
I was. I was so fascinated by how many it
seemed like she had, Like I didn't know if it
was one where she had different parts of it or
there were several.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
But I like that part of her personality, just like
last episode and Pelly's quarters, how she has all the junk,
you know, she has, you know, all these these transportation
you know, there there was, there was the motorcycle, there
were the pictures, and then all the stuff in her quarters.
It really shows us a lot of her personality. And
(12:46):
again with Pellia Scotti has showed up in this episode, does.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Engineering just go away? Well, we don't need them in
this episode, so it's you know, go do what you
need to do. You're fine, What the hell.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
I didn't want engineer? I didn't you one engineer working
in like a Jeffrey's tube or something like that. But
you can tell really who it was.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
But of all episodes, you're interviewing all these people who
are on this ship, should you not be interviewing Pelly
at least because she's in charge of engineering.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Maybe he did, and it was just such a massive
He didn't understand anything she was saying. That decided I'm
not going to put that in, or.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Maybe she was so reluctant to be a part of
it she was like, I'm not going to give you
that time of day. I'm so busy.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Yeah, she's back in her quarters playing Tarry twenty six hundred.
That's what she's doing exactly.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
That's kind of a theme for this season, I think,
is the day of asking where's Pellia? Yeah it is,
and where Pellia?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I'm getting head I like her character, man, and we
don't there's like three episodes now we don't see her
at all.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Right now, See, there were a few things that I
found slightly interesting about this episode. Do you know this
was the shortest episode of this series so far?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Really?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, it kind of went by pretty fast. I mean,
it was a great episode, so he didn't even notice it.
But this came just slightly under forty minutes. Wow, that
is pretty And also, I don't know if you also
noticed this too, but the episode was broadcasts in a
different ratio that the other episodes are.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Didn't it's because of the documentary style.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, this was that for sure, that your regular full
frame sixteen to nine rather than the anamorphic ye, which
I thought was kind of neat. I mean it, I
noticed it right away, but it was kind of neat
that they did this. It just kind of brought the
attention to the different style that the documentary type that
they were doing. Also, the writer of this episode, he's
(14:49):
written quite a few episodes of Discovery, but he got
his start writing in Hollywood on he wrote Halloween four,
which under Michael Myers. That was his first film. He
also to Spawn and Wrong Wrong Turns as well.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Oh so he's a Hornor fan obviously.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
And I think he did a fantastic job. That's why
I wanted to point him out. He did a good
job at writing this episode, which could have been a
very difficult episode to write for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, I was curious in how this was going to
be handled, to be honest with you, Like you said,
we knew this was coming. Uh, we even talked about
it a long time ago that this was coming, but
I didn't know how they were going to be able
to do it and pull it off. But they pulled
it off extremely well, you know, just the the like
I said earlier, there is the individual questions that he
presented to some of the crew members. You know, I
(15:37):
think one was, you know, have you ever seen somebody die?
Have you ever to feel like killing someone? You know,
questions that like are really hard to answer, and some
of them did go unanswered. If you noticed, they kind
of beat around the bush a little bit with some
of those questions because they didn't feel it. And I
know Pike used the answer that's classified a couple of
(16:00):
like like one of them was, uh, what was it? Me?
Manga was have you ever erased anything from the you know,
the ship's recorders? And you know he kind of didn't.
You know, you could tell he was holding something back
when he said no, I didn't, no, no, Yeah, he
kept you could tell yeah, he kept repeating it, and
(16:21):
you knew that he was clearly hiding something. And then Pike,
I forget what the question was for him, but there
was one of them he beat around the bush too
on it that he didn't have a direct answer for it.
So I like how they did that. It made there
The actors did an incredible job of feeling that that
(16:42):
awkwardness you get sometimes in interviews, and I think they
did a really good job with that presenting themselves of
giving that awkward vibe of being interviewed on camera.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, it's it's an interesting question that he asks if
there's any footage that he's ever deleted. It's gonna of
a dead end question, right, It's not like, oh, well,
a couple of these classified things I'll tell you about,
but yeah, sure, let me just because it's the document,
let me broadcast those secrets that were erased, but knowing
(17:13):
that it's more to kind of create that tense moment
and show somebody, you know, clearly saying, yes, there are
secrets that have to be hidden or erased, but I
can't necessarily admit to them. But I can't necessarily hide
that it's that it's never been done. I think it's
going to cause a lot of tension between Bedo and
(17:36):
the rest of the crew, for sure. I mean asking
questions like that, some betrayals of Hurrah, and then, like
you said, kind of the you know, shady kind of
around the corner of recordings. I assume that all the
footage was shown to the crew before it was released
to anybody, but even that would be like you were
recording things and not telling us, like that's a shady.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Well Softly had to approve it, obviously, That's why you
get the reacted kind of stuff in there. And the
question that he asked Pike was have you ever disobeyed
in order? And Pike was like, that classified exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Which we know he has because we've seen it.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, speaking of creating tensions, one thing I've noticed over
the last few days that since this episode was released,
the fan base seems to be rather split with this episode,
whether or not they liked it or not, whether or
not I should have even been done, if it really
fit into the style of Star Trek or the style
(18:36):
of Strange New Worlds. What are your opinions on this?
I mean, are you happy with the episode? Are you
glad it's he here? Do you want to see more
episodes like this?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I'm in the camp of I like this episode. I
think this is the first time the season that I
haven't said that this is my favorite episode. It's not,
but I still put I'm still in the camp that
I like this episode and I want to see them
do more unique things that's not retread stuff over and
over and over and over again. That's one of the
things I love about Strange New Worlds is they're taking chances.
(19:08):
I'm going to go back to the music episode, which
I do not like, but I respect it. I respect
the fact that they're trying something different and giving us
something unique with Star Trek, and these are the things
that we would have never seen years ago because it was,
you know, falling into that same formula, and they're not
doing that this time. They're taking chances, and I like that.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yeah, I totally agree. I think I mean on it
on I guess on the kind of the face of
the question, what I want to see anymore documentary episodes. Possibly,
i'd have to see kind of where the story would go,
but I think kind of behind that, I definitely would
want to see more episodes like this. Like you mentioned
(19:50):
the musical episode, I loved it. We weren't on the
same page with it, but it it keeps it fresh,
it keeps it lively, it keeps it interesting, like we're
diving into a lot of genres are kind of subgenres
within Star Trek, which can only broaden its appeal. I
(20:12):
would definitely want them to keep taking bold new directions
and trying new things. It's all consistent within strange new worlds.
You always get the same kind of underlying vibe. So
it's not like, you know, one episode it's all we're
going to see one where it's all puppets here. So
it's coming. But I trust that they're going to handle
(20:34):
it in the right way because their direction, their creative direction,
their artistic direction, their cinematography, they're writing, their score, everything
has been top notch. So you know that they're going
to put all the heart and soul and quality that
they can into whatever they're trying.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, let's not forget one thing, and I think some
people do. Let's not forget that they're trying to bring
in new audience. They're trying to bring in a younger
audience to realize and understand on how fantastic Star Trek is.
So in order to do that, you have to do
different things, you have to take chances, you've got to
(21:13):
look at it a different angle, and sometimes I think
the older Star Trek crowd loses sight of that. And
I mean, I know we all love Star Trekt in
our own ways, and I'm not going to detract from
that whatsoever. You know, we grew up with the next generation,
but you know, we saw a Voyager, we saw d
Space nine when it was first airing on television, enterprise everything.
(21:34):
But it's almost like you're getting the OG crew, who
were kind of like, oh, we don't need this next
generation crap. You know, we've got the OG crew. Let's
go to them. No, let's take a step back. Let's
take a look at this and realize they are just
trying to bring a new audience and still maintaining that
love of Star Trek for the Star Trek fans who
(21:55):
are still out there, the older crowd like us, and
they're doing it. I mean, sure there are some people
out there probably don't like it, but you know what,
they've got to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
And I'm glad both of you brought this up because
this is this is something I wanted to talk about
this episode because I've been noticing a very unsettling trend
to come up over the last few weeks of the
with what they call a toxic fan base attacking strange
New Worlds and you know you're right, you hit it
right on the nose, David, exactly, what is what's happening?
(22:25):
You know, we went through quite a few years, what
was it eighteen years between Encounter Farpoint and the last
episode of Enterprise, where it was a great time. It
was a great time to be a Star Trek fan.
But I feel at the end that you know, they
started losing new viewers, they started losing old viewers because
(22:47):
it was the same thing over and over again, the
same type of storytelling that we had seen for a
long long time. Star Trek needed something fresh and strange.
New Worlds is giving us definitely, and I love the
fact that they're experimenting. You know, we we it's not
something this is not something new. I mean, these type
of episodes, these documentary episodes have been done for decades.
(23:09):
I mean, I know, I've been trying to think of
of other series. You know, I remember Battle and five
did one. I Mashed did one. So this is this
is something that's been tried and works. And you know,
musical episodes have been done for the last decade. Even
though you know, we may I was the same way,
we may not have really liked the episode as much,
but I definitely appreciate that they're trying something new, and
(23:32):
I hope they continue this, but you know, people have
to remember that they need it can't start, it cannot
survive on just the Trekkies, no, it's yeah. In order
for it to thrive that and continue, it's got to
bring in the regular, the casual viewers and strange new worlds.
I think is doing that. You know, this series would
(23:55):
not not be here in its third year if it
was just bringing in just Trekies. You know, it's doing
well in the ratings, it's doing well with the awards.
You know, I'm I'm glad to see that, because we
want we definitely want more Star Trek.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, and this series proves that, you know, by trying
things original, you can you can keep Star Trek alive
and keep people coming back week after week. And I'm
glad to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Let me let me say one thing and then we
can move on. Unlet's's got something to add. There is
no room And let me repeat myself, there is no
room in any franchise for these toxic fans. Right. I
am so tired of it. I'm exhausted of it. Let
fans enjoy being a fan. Don't be toxic about it.
(24:43):
You don't like it, okay, you can, you can, you know,
provide your comments, but do not become so toxic, toxic
that it just bleeds into everything and just makes it
so miserable that it takes fans out of it, because
that is not helping anybody, and that's going to keep
new fans away.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Do it, and don't forget people too, you know, if
you're on Facebook or x or any of the other
social media platforms. Uh, you know, these are not the majority.
These are a very small minority of people that that
really aren't watching the series. I mean, I see some
of these these responses like minutes sometimes even before the
episodes are over. These this is a very small minority.
(25:23):
You know. The majority of the people are really enjoying
this series, really enjoying all the other series Lower Decks
Discovery was another series. People really enjoyed it, you know,
So don't think that that's what it is. You know,
if you like the series, everyone is allowed to like
whatever they want, you know, that's that's the great thing
about it, you know, And if you don't like it,
that's okay. Too, But but you know, just just enjoy,
(25:49):
just enjoy watching Star Trek, you know, don't don't try
to make it bad for those who do like the episodes,
and and don't attack the people who who actually have
a true reason for not liking episode two. I see
you see people, you know, they're like, when we came
out with with Subspace Rhapsody, we had our reasons and
we explained it and and so you know, that's okay,
(26:10):
Everything is okay, you're it's it's all right to like
and dislike episodes, but just be nice to everybody.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Yep, yeah, I totally agree with what that. Yeah. The
only thing I would add to it is just that,
you know, in order for the franchise to thrive, it
has to live. So you know, it's it's not taking
away from original series or whatever somebody might be holding
on to as kind of protected nostalgia. There's nothing wrong
with that. But a platform like Paramount is not going
(26:39):
to continue to keep something like that on. If it's
only a time capsule, it's going to get more it's
going to get more difficult to find in that way,
So allow it to thrive, allow it to try new things.
That's how the original even got on to television in
(27:00):
the first place when it was as opposed to so
it's you know, you have the option of not watching it,
but yeah, let's not get to a place where we're
attacking things that other people like and just every once
in a while, just come to one of these things
with an open mind. And I guarantee if you if
(27:21):
you spend enough time sampling some of this stuff, you're
going to find what you probably enjoyed in the first
place about whichever series that you loved. And I would
think that would only make somebody happy to know that
people care about this franchise enough to keep it going right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
And I just you know, once you don't, don't anybody
that sees this, don't get disenchanted or worried because they're there.
It's it's like I said, it's a minority. The majority
love Star Trek. We love each other. You know. It's
it's such a great fan base. It can be a
great fan base. We see it at the conventions.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
When we go to absolutely do this.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You know, it's it's a wonderful, wonder full thing. Embrace that,
get become part of that and and just just enjoy it.
For what it is wonderful television. All right, Now that
we got that rant over, I had to think out
that was something that was that was you know, sticking
to my crawl right now, all right, let's continue. Well,
(28:19):
we've given our opinions on the episode, so now let's
take a look at the characters themselves. Which character do
you think shine the most this week?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
David Well, I feel like I say this answer a
few times, but I am definitely going with a horror
on this one. I truly felt for her, you know
when when she discovered that her friend was killed that
she did not know about at all, and it caught
her by surprise, you know how she was gave that
(28:50):
speech to him about you know, him being angry at
Starfleet because they took Erica away, but in essence, they didn't,
and he really needs to look at it that way.
Her sacrifice and volunteering to join with the Jacare and
listening to her hum that communication that she had with
the creature and herself, just her willing to do that.
(29:13):
You know, Spock did it because he really didn't. He
really didn't have a choice, let's be honest here. But
she did. She had a choice, and she took it
because she's a communication officer. She knows that is her responsibility.
But it's not just that. It's to the next level.
She's trying to save a life. She doesn't want to
see something get killed because it is a living, breathing
(29:37):
being out there and she wants to communicate with it
to see what she can do to help it. And
that's what sets her so high above so many people,
especially in this episode. Naschelle. Again, we said it last week,
Shoe Nicholas should be so proud of what they are
doing with this character because she was beautiful in this episode.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I totally agree. Yeah, Celia Gooding never ever disappoints, and
it is I would say it's a difficult choice in
this episode. I think we get great perspective on Captain Pike,
on Spock, on la on Erica, but it's all those
moments that you mentioned, Dave. While away, I would go
(30:19):
to Ahura. It's interesting that there's a moment when she's
asked if she always believes in what Starfleet is doing,
and I think that's part of what's at stake when
she volunteers, which has got to be a scary prospect
because you have Spock, who is someone who has trained
(30:40):
for this, who knows what he's doing, has done it
several times before. She has confidence that she's able to
do it, but it still has to be a scary
prospect to sit in that chair, to wear that device,
and know that she is not only is she at
risk for her personal well being seeing what has happened
with Spock, but the mission is in jeopardy and the
(31:07):
nature of how Starfleet will be perceived is possibly in jeopardy.
So to take all that on confidently in a split
second decision is worth a lot of respect. Wayne, What
about you?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah, I mean, this was a hard episode to choose
which one shined, But I agree with both of you.
It's funny that we chose all chose the same person.
You heard just stood out just a little bit more
than the other characters in this episode, And a lot
of it is due to that scene where Beto confronts her,
you know about his that theory about Starfleet and it's
(31:44):
it's motives and as ulterior motives and everything. Her I
don't call it speech, but well, yeah, you know what
she says. Her her is just just embodies Starfleet, just
shows how much optimism and hope and and and you
know that she has you know, she's given herself to
(32:05):
Starfleet and I can you know, I Celia and Rose
Gooding we mentioned that I love her and I love
what she's doing with you her. I could hear every
word that she said in that scene being said by
Michelle Nichols. It's feel so perfect in the character. And
every time I see her, I just think she grows
more and more. So, yeah, we all three of us
(32:26):
shows you her.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Of yea. Even even that part where he goes up
against Pike, Pike says I cannot sacrifice any more crew
members to this. He goes, you don't have to. I'm
volunteering to do it. It was just like, whoa, Okay,
that's that's her. We know absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It's such a strong and powerful moment for the character.
And I think that's why we love her. That's why
the writers. I just they're doing such a fantastic job
with this character making it so strong. All Right, if
you have any choice to be any character that appeared
in this episode, which one would it be? And why
how about you start this one? Scott? This one's tough.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
It is because there are so many people that are
in difficult situations. I don't know that I envy any
of them having to experience these things. But the one
that stands out to me is probably unichin Reley because
I think, you know, like we saw in at asbra Prespera,
(33:30):
her belief in Starfleet, her belief in what it can be.
I think she stands out as kind of a beacon
of hope in this one. So I'd be interested to
see her kind of interactions with the with the crew.
She had a great line that stood out to me
because it brought back one of the quotes from the
two thousand and nine Star Trek where Bone says spaces
(33:51):
disease and danger repped in darkness and silence. She has
that scene where she says someone once said that space
is dark and cold and full of death. Our job
is to bring bring warmth and bring life wherever we go.
Oh my god, that floored me. So the fact that
she has that role in a leadership position, I'd just
(34:15):
be interested to see where she her interactions with the
crew in this word.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
So I'm going to continue with the character who I
felt shine the most. I know she put herself in
a lot of danger and of course I'm talking about
you her, But just the fact that as much as
she loves communication, as much as she loves learning language
in learning to about other creatures and aliens and getting
to talk to them, just getting to sit there and
(34:43):
be able to communicate with this being that nobody else
could speak with it would be something special.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I know she was in a lot of pain and
she was suffering as she was doing that, but just
putting herself into something she loves so much. I mean,
we all love something so much that we would love
that's all we would love to do, and when we
do get to do it, it's something special. So the
fact that he got to do that just makes me
want to be or so that I could be in
(35:11):
her shoes to experience what he's experiencing and getting to
feel what he's feeling was just something special for me. So,
without question, would be her.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Well, I've got an unusual selection. I'm probably going to
have to explain it, but I think because this was
a really hard choice. Beto a touric or Tegus Beeto
te or Tegus. I always have trouble saying his last
ning because you know, first of all, he's he's a
documentarian and he got the run of the Enterprise, which
I think would be absolutely cool. But he had his
(35:44):
eyes opened in this episode, at least I hope he did.
And you know, he got to see the greatest crew
of the Flagship of the Federation work at their best
and come up with with a great solution to the
whole situation, and hopefully took a little bit of you know,
(36:04):
information from that. He got to see Starfleet in a
new way, you know, the way that it that the
Enterprise sees it. You know, they see it as a
force of good it is. You know, he came walked
into this thinking you know, there were military reasons, there
was ulterior motives, and they opened his eyes to to
(36:27):
a whole new way of the way, you know, the
way things are, the way things they work. So I'm
I chose him just because of how enlightened he was
by them and the fact that he got to work
and be around that incredible crew. Was all right, Now,
we're going to dive deep into the episode and see
if we can pull out any easter eggs. With this
(36:49):
being a documentary episode, that wasn't the easiest thing to
do because there wasn't that many of them. But let's see,
did either one of you find anything that what's interesting?
I did not know.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
No, uh, Califune enlighten us.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Well these are I really had to stretch because there
wasn't very many in here. But I'm going to start
off with some technical information. Okay, the episode establishes that
the USS Enterprise is exactly four hundred and forty two
meters in length. Now, this goes against what we originally
knew the Enterprise from the original series was, which according
(37:25):
to the USS Enterprise Technical Manual, which was released Sick
in the seventies and then re released again in the nineties.
I got the nineties copy, but it states that the
ship was two hundred and eighty nine meters in length,
which is rather short if you really think about it.
But we're gonna I'm looking at this considering the technical
Manual isn't actually really considered part of the canon of
(37:45):
the series, you know, because it was published as a
book and it's never really stated. So this new number,
this four hundred and forty two meters, is correct and
what everyone should assume that the Enterprise is now. Along
with that, it also states with the Enterprise carries two
hundred and three crew members, which is a much lower
number than the four hundred and thirty crew members that
(38:08):
were a board during Kirk's time. This is correct. Actually,
the two hundred and three number is correct with continuity
because Captain Pike stated in the original series pilot The
Cage that the Enterprise had two hundred and three crew members. Now,
Spock mentions that as a child, he ran away to
(38:29):
the Plane of Blood. That's a very desolate part of
the planet Vulcan that's located within the Forge. Now, in
the Star Trek Enterprise episode that was titled The Forge,
Captain Archer and to Paul were led into the Plane
of Blood while searching for a religious sect of Vulcans
that followed the teaching a Syrax. So that's right, there's
a nice little bit of continuity. Also, Spock has a
(38:52):
Vulcan meditation lamp in his quarters, which looks exactly like
the meditation lamp that both to Paul on Inn Prize
and tuvoc on Voyager had in their quarters as well. Plus,
and finally, this I kind of laugh. I love that
scene at the end with the crew together having another meal.
We didn't guest. We haven't seen Pike cook very much
(39:14):
this season, have we, So it was nice to see that,
and we got to see a very brief and quick
glance of Battel. He is serving those brightly colored food
cubes for his get together. That was a nice touch
because if you remember in the original series, everybody was
eating those those food cubes that were all various colors.
(39:35):
So that is it for this week's episode of Phasers
such as Stunts look at Star Trek Strange New Worlds.
We'd like to open a channel to our listeners and
hear just what you thought about the most recent episode
and the season in general. You can email us at
a film by Podcast at gmail dot com, find us
online at a film by podcast dot com, follow us
(39:57):
on Facebook, Instagram, and x and if you're looking for
more exclusive content or swag, you can join our Patreon
and find out what gyms are hidden within. A big
thank you once again to my fellow trekkers David and
Scott for joining me and the listeners for another fascinating discussion.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Yeah thanksure leading the way absolutely now.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Next episode is entitled four and a half Vulcans, the
eighth episode of the season. The Paramount Plus blurb for
that episode states, after a mission turns crew members into vulcans,
trouble arises when they try to revert to humans. So
what do you think we got coming up?
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Comedy?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Yeah, finally, it looks like it's going to be a
really really fun episode, and.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
We know Spock's gonna be the half vulcan.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
And we look forward to returning to the twenty third
century and the bridge of the Starship Enterprise with you
next week on Phasers Set to Stunt
Space the Final Frontier. Join us for a bold conversation
our prime directive to recap our favorite Star Trek shows,
both new and old, to engage and debate about all
(00:23):
things Trek. Prepare to energize with Phasers Set to Stunt.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome back to a new episode of Phasers Set to Stun,
where we continue to show our love for everything Star
Trek in this ongoing series from a film bind podcast
which focuses on every system of the expanding Star Trek
universe by covering television, movies, animation, directors, merchandise, and much
much more. Plotting your course on this voyage is your
(01:03):
Core Trek crew. I'm Wayne Whited, I'm Scott Hoffman, and.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
I'm David Burns.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And today we're talking about Season three, episode seven of
Star Trek's Strange New Worlds, titled What Is Starfleet? Written
by Catherine Lynn and Alan B. Malclroy and directed by
Sharon Lewis. So from this point forward, it's read alert.
There are spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen this episode yet,
(01:29):
please stop and being yourself to the nearest view screen
to catch it on Paramount Plus. Then come back and
rejoin us for the discussion Scott, why don't you give
us a short summary of this episode?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The opening theme of Strange New Worlds features a speech
that promises to boldly go where no one has gone before.
It's a promise that the show itself always lives up to,
and this episode is a perfect example of just that.
The format of this episode is unlike any that I've
ever seen, a standalone documentary, shot entirely by the cameras
of or Tagus. We don't even hear the opening theme
(02:03):
until the end, where it served up as the theme
for the documentaries closing credits. This documentary is the culmination
of Beto's project, which has been following the Enterprise's crew
as a documentarian this whole season. In his documentary, he
asks a very simple question, what separates a federation from
an empire? What is starfleet? That question is put to
(02:25):
the ultimate test with this Enterprise's version of Encounter at Farpoint,
a distant Planet asks the Federation's help in shepherding a
Leviathan through space as livestock. As Enterprise approaches the Leviathan,
the crew witnesses its power and capabilities that seem to
work as a weapon of war on a physical and
psychic level. This forces the Enterprise to recover from damage
(02:46):
to their ship and their crew, but it also makes
them question the nature of their mission. Like at farpoint
in the far future, Enterprise discovers that the mission isn't
as transparent or as ethical as they were led to believe.
This Leviathan is also being tortured in its role as
a weapon, and the Federation would find itself complicit in
the slavery, torture, and possible extinction of a new life
form if enterprise Is mission were to continue. We get
(03:09):
this complex story served up as a storyline within this
introspective episode that asks the court question what is Starfleet?
What defines who we are in this type of situation.
We get these answers, as well as an in depth
and personal look as several of the key crew members.
We also get we also finally get some in depth
(03:30):
looks into numerous characters, including Veto, and an episode that
stands out for so many reasons. I think this will
be an episode that we're excited to talk about and
one that I'm sure people will be talking about for
a long time to come.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah. Now, this is a format that we've seen many
times before on other shows, but this is a first
for Star Trek, so I'm kind of curious as to
watch you guys's opinions of this, so let's hear it.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I thought it was fantastic. I love the fact that
with changing worlds, they are taking chances with doing different things.
And first of all, I love documentaries, and I love
the style that decided to do this with. But one
of the things that I thought was fantastic is the
ending of this episode really felt like the ending to
the last episode, where you just felt devastated of what
(04:17):
was happening. But I thought it was a really good episode.
I felt like the individual questions that were presented to
some of the cast members were perfect, because I mean, really,
what is Starfleet? I mean, they do kind of ride
that line, do they not. They could be an empire,
They absolutely could, and sometimes they do get caught up
(04:40):
in situations where it looks like they are a military
but they're not because they you know, they try to
veer from that, but they're forced into it by certain circumstances.
So I thought it was I thought it was a
really good episode.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Yeah, I think you know, there are so many times
when I think we've said it's a great time to
be a Star Trek fan and a great time to
jump into Star Trek. And I think that this is
one of those episodes that you could introduce somebody to
Star Trek in this way because it asks a very
basic question and it's a unique take on sci fi
(05:17):
let alone Star Trek. It's a completely different thing that
I think I have ever seen. And when I said
I've never seen this before, I haven't been all the
way through things like Voyager Enterprise, so I didn't know
if they had been there, but it seems so unique,
like the camera angles that they took, the shots that
they decided to take. It wasn't all through Ortegas's cameras.
(05:39):
There was splicing of security cameras. There was use of
what do you call the kind of title cards that
would let people know if something had been redacted or
declassified or whatever. So there's so many different directions that
they took with that. It was just it was fascinating
to watch, but it was heartbreaking to experience. I think
(06:01):
it's a great jumping on point.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah. We predicted very early on that this was going
to be a documentary episode, and as time went by,
we knew it was going to be on. I'm glad
they did this for a couple of points. One is,
you know, many times in the past with the various
star Trek it has been debated, you know, whether or
not Starfleet is a exploration and scientific organization or a
(06:26):
military organization for the United Federation of Planets. I remember
in de Space nine this point was brought up many
times by other races, but kind of just you know,
shoved off, as if they didn't know what they were
talking about. Of course not, you know, of course we're
not military. But really, you know, when you look at it,
are they you know, are they're a little bit of both? Actually?
(06:46):
And finally we get an episode that really straightforward, in
your face, direct, you know, answers this question kind of
I mean, it's still a little bit you know, debate,
you have to really think about it at the end
of this episode, but they that they were forced to
look at it and make that decision and you know,
decide are they military? Are they scientific? And you know,
(07:10):
I still think they're a little bit of both. But
I liked how they presented this and I'm really glad
that you brought up the mention of similarities to Encounter
Far Point too, because the side story, well the story
that is happening in the documentary, that alien reminded me
of very very much of the Farpoint Station alien from
(07:32):
that episode, and I'm glad to see that. That was
something that I wanted to address because we don't see
too many of these spacefaring alien races such as this.
I can only mention. I can only think of like
two or three instances and all the Star Trek where
we've seen something like that, and you know, there's more
than just humanoids out there. And I'm glad that they
(07:52):
brought this because I'm trying to remember the name of
the creature at the top of my head. But it
was fantastically done. I mean wonderfully the whole episode. I
really enjoyed. I enjoyed the look, but it did have
rather a depressing indeed.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, yeah, come on, now, you gotta give it something
to like here, I could be happy about it. The
ends well, going to get next week, by the way,
So we're gonna get some comedy next week, I think, so, Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
And it's a great blend, and I mean it's it's
a lot of deep thinking, like if you're somebody who's
being introduced to Star Trek, and somebody who might dismiss
it as like, oh, I don't know if it's like,
you know, it's all aliens and sci fi, I don't
really get into. There's a lot of interesting, deep kind
of thinking behind these episodes, and I think you can't
argue with the fact that you would have a lot
(08:43):
to talk about after these these type of stories. I
love the way you're mentioning that the similarities to the
Farpoint Alien Wayne, because it makes me think of Lady Gladriel,
is it from Lord of the Rings, who is you know,
giant and beautiful but also has this power to be
(09:06):
absolutely terrifying and terrible. This very ethereal, kind of wispy
movement to it. But yeah, what they have to do
at the end is absolutely heartbreaking, and we have to
watch it almost in kind of slow motion.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah. You know, one thing that they didn't address that
that it irritated me, but irritated me in the right
way during this episode is the way Beto presented his documentary.
It drove me nuts that the way he was questioning
his sister as if she he was backing her in
the corner, just irritating ship. But but you know, I
(09:44):
guess that's a good documentary documentarian because you know, he's
not letting family, you know, alter his questions. But that
and the the secrets filming of the meetings, it just
felt so sinister. I don't know why I felt that way,
And that's that's good storytelling there, but that's the way
(10:04):
they were trying to get But it just felt like wrong.
I mean, it makes me wonder, you know, why did
the Federation allow some of this stuff to get out?
What was what was the point they were trying to
address here. I have a feeling, because you know, this
was all in documentary form, we didn't actually get anything
at the end that you know, went back to regular storytelling.
(10:29):
I'm wondering if if this episode two, just like the
last couple, are going to affect something that's going to
happen in the next what we got four more episodes left,
If this isn't going to come back and become part
of the storyline or bite him in the ass or whatever.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I don't well, I know part of the part of
the reasons why he was so venomous horror brings that
out in him, that he came here because he felt
Starfleet took his sister away, and that's why he was
very venomous about what he was doing with this documentary
and what he was trying to do about, you know,
uncovering or at least trying to uncover that Starfleet was
(11:05):
actually a military organization. And he learned, as the document learned,
and as those who watched this document learned, that it's
not true that you know, and and she even says,
you know, I joined this because you know, this is
my family now even and it makes sense they are
and you know, they may not be related, but they
(11:26):
are a family on that on that ship, and they
take care of each other. And I think, I don't
I don't know if as a horror or as Erica
who said that, you know, I am. You know, it's
it's not Starfleet to us, it's the other way around.
You know, we are to make Starfleet.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And she's and and she like said, she's right, you know,
it's yeah, Starfleet is just an organization. It's just a word.
But the people, it's the people who make it. I mean,
that's why we watched star Trek, to watch these these people.
We're not watching it for well, I mean some people
watching it for the enterprise itself, because we considered that
(12:02):
kind of a character too. But it's really the people
and the interactions and what they have to go through
is why we watch Strange New Worlds, is why we
watched Star trek Ye.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Did anybody notice that Erica was working on a motorcycle? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:15):
I was. I was so fascinated by how many it
seemed like she had, Like I didn't know if it
was one where she had different parts of it or
there were several.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
But I like that part of her personality, just like
last episode and Pelly's quarters, how she has all the junk,
you know, she has, you know, all these these transportation
you know, there there was, there was the motorcycle, there
were the pictures, and then all the stuff in her quarters.
It really shows us a lot of her personality. And
(12:46):
again with Pellia Scotti has showed up in this episode, does.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Engineering just go away? Well, we don't need them in
this episode, so it's you know, go do what you
need to do. You're fine, What the hell.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
I didn't want engineer? I didn't you one engineer working
in like a Jeffrey's tube or something like that. But
you can tell really who it was.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
But of all episodes, you're interviewing all these people who
are on this ship, should you not be interviewing Pelly
at least because she's in charge of engineering.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Maybe he did, and it was just such a massive
He didn't understand anything she was saying. That decided I'm
not going to put that in, or.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Maybe she was so reluctant to be a part of
it she was like, I'm not going to give you
that time of day. I'm so busy.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Yeah, she's back in her quarters playing Tarry twenty six hundred.
That's what she's doing exactly.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
That's kind of a theme for this season, I think,
is the day of asking where's Pellia? Yeah it is,
and where Pellia?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I'm getting head I like her character, man, and we
don't there's like three episodes now we don't see her
at all.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Right now, See, there were a few things that I
found slightly interesting about this episode. Do you know this
was the shortest episode of this series so far?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Really?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, it kind of went by pretty fast. I mean,
it was a great episode, so he didn't even notice it.
But this came just slightly under forty minutes. Wow, that
is pretty And also, I don't know if you also
noticed this too, but the episode was broadcasts in a
different ratio that the other episodes are.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Didn't it's because of the documentary style.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, this was that for sure, that your regular full
frame sixteen to nine rather than the anamorphic ye, which
I thought was kind of neat. I mean it, I
noticed it right away, but it was kind of neat
that they did this. It just kind of brought the
attention to the different style that the documentary type that
they were doing. Also, the writer of this episode, he's
(14:49):
written quite a few episodes of Discovery, but he got
his start writing in Hollywood on he wrote Halloween four,
which under Michael Myers. That was his first film. He
also to Spawn and Wrong Wrong Turns as well.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Oh so he's a Hornor fan obviously.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
And I think he did a fantastic job. That's why
I wanted to point him out. He did a good
job at writing this episode, which could have been a
very difficult episode to write for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, I was curious in how this was going to
be handled, to be honest with you, Like you said,
we knew this was coming. Uh, we even talked about
it a long time ago that this was coming, but
I didn't know how they were going to be able
to do it and pull it off. But they pulled
it off extremely well, you know, just the the like
I said earlier, there is the individual questions that he
presented to some of the crew members. You know, I
(15:37):
think one was, you know, have you ever seen somebody die?
Have you ever to feel like killing someone? You know,
questions that like are really hard to answer, and some
of them did go unanswered. If you noticed, they kind
of beat around the bush a little bit with some
of those questions because they didn't feel it. And I
know Pike used the answer that's classified a couple of
(16:00):
like like one of them was, uh, what was it? Me?
Manga was have you ever erased anything from the you know,
the ship's recorders? And you know he kind of didn't.
You know, you could tell he was holding something back
when he said no, I didn't, no, no, Yeah, he
kept you could tell yeah, he kept repeating it, and
(16:21):
you knew that he was clearly hiding something. And then Pike,
I forget what the question was for him, but there
was one of them he beat around the bush too
on it that he didn't have a direct answer for it.
So I like how they did that. It made there
The actors did an incredible job of feeling that that
(16:42):
awkwardness you get sometimes in interviews, and I think they
did a really good job with that presenting themselves of
giving that awkward vibe of being interviewed on camera.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, it's it's an interesting question that he asks if
there's any footage that he's ever deleted. It's gonna of
a dead end question, right, It's not like, oh, well,
a couple of these classified things I'll tell you about,
but yeah, sure, let me just because it's the document,
let me broadcast those secrets that were erased, but knowing
(17:13):
that it's more to kind of create that tense moment
and show somebody, you know, clearly saying, yes, there are
secrets that have to be hidden or erased, but I
can't necessarily admit to them. But I can't necessarily hide
that it's that it's never been done. I think it's
going to cause a lot of tension between Bedo and
(17:36):
the rest of the crew, for sure. I mean asking
questions like that, some betrayals of Hurrah, and then, like
you said, kind of the you know, shady kind of
around the corner of recordings. I assume that all the
footage was shown to the crew before it was released
to anybody, but even that would be like you were
recording things and not telling us, like that's a shady.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Well Softly had to approve it, obviously, That's why you
get the reacted kind of stuff in there. And the
question that he asked Pike was have you ever disobeyed
in order? And Pike was like, that classified exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Which we know he has because we've seen it.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, speaking of creating tensions, one thing I've noticed over
the last few days that since this episode was released,
the fan base seems to be rather split with this episode,
whether or not they liked it or not, whether or
not I should have even been done, if it really
fit into the style of Star Trek or the style
(18:36):
of Strange New Worlds. What are your opinions on this?
I mean, are you happy with the episode? Are you
glad it's he here? Do you want to see more
episodes like this?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I'm in the camp of I like this episode. I
think this is the first time the season that I
haven't said that this is my favorite episode. It's not,
but I still put I'm still in the camp that
I like this episode and I want to see them
do more unique things that's not retread stuff over and
over and over and over again. That's one of the
things I love about Strange New Worlds is they're taking chances.
(19:08):
I'm going to go back to the music episode, which
I do not like, but I respect it. I respect
the fact that they're trying something different and giving us
something unique with Star Trek, and these are the things
that we would have never seen years ago because it was,
you know, falling into that same formula, and they're not
doing that this time. They're taking chances, and I like that.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yeah, I totally agree. I think I mean on it
on I guess on the kind of the face of
the question, what I want to see anymore documentary episodes. Possibly,
i'd have to see kind of where the story would go,
but I think kind of behind that, I definitely would
want to see more episodes like this. Like you mentioned
(19:50):
the musical episode, I loved it. We weren't on the
same page with it, but it it keeps it fresh,
it keeps it lively, it keeps it interesting, like we're
diving into a lot of genres are kind of subgenres
within Star Trek, which can only broaden its appeal. I
(20:12):
would definitely want them to keep taking bold new directions
and trying new things. It's all consistent within strange new worlds.
You always get the same kind of underlying vibe. So
it's not like, you know, one episode it's all we're
going to see one where it's all puppets here. So
it's coming. But I trust that they're going to handle
(20:34):
it in the right way because their direction, their creative direction,
their artistic direction, their cinematography, they're writing, their score, everything
has been top notch. So you know that they're going
to put all the heart and soul and quality that
they can into whatever they're trying.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, let's not forget one thing, and I think some
people do. Let's not forget that they're trying to bring
in new audience. They're trying to bring in a younger
audience to realize and understand on how fantastic Star Trek is.
So in order to do that, you have to do
different things, you have to take chances, you've got to
(21:13):
look at it a different angle, and sometimes I think
the older Star Trek crowd loses sight of that. And
I mean, I know we all love Star Trekt in
our own ways, and I'm not going to detract from
that whatsoever. You know, we grew up with the next generation,
but you know, we saw a Voyager, we saw d
Space nine when it was first airing on television, enterprise everything.
(21:34):
But it's almost like you're getting the OG crew, who
were kind of like, oh, we don't need this next
generation crap. You know, we've got the OG crew. Let's
go to them. No, let's take a step back. Let's
take a look at this and realize they are just
trying to bring a new audience and still maintaining that
love of Star Trek for the Star Trek fans who
(21:55):
are still out there, the older crowd like us, and
they're doing it. I mean, sure there are some people
out there probably don't like it, but you know what,
they've got to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
And I'm glad both of you brought this up because
this is this is something I wanted to talk about
this episode because I've been noticing a very unsettling trend
to come up over the last few weeks of the
with what they call a toxic fan base attacking strange
New Worlds and you know you're right, you hit it
right on the nose, David, exactly, what is what's happening?
(22:25):
You know, we went through quite a few years, what
was it eighteen years between Encounter Farpoint and the last
episode of Enterprise, where it was a great time. It
was a great time to be a Star Trek fan.
But I feel at the end that you know, they
started losing new viewers, they started losing old viewers because
(22:47):
it was the same thing over and over again, the
same type of storytelling that we had seen for a
long long time. Star Trek needed something fresh and strange.
New Worlds is giving us definitely, and I love the
fact that they're experimenting. You know, we we it's not
something this is not something new. I mean, these type
of episodes, these documentary episodes have been done for decades.
(23:09):
I mean, I know, I've been trying to think of
of other series. You know, I remember Battle and five
did one. I Mashed did one. So this is this
is something that's been tried and works. And you know,
musical episodes have been done for the last decade. Even
though you know, we may I was the same way,
we may not have really liked the episode as much,
but I definitely appreciate that they're trying something new, and
(23:32):
I hope they continue this, but you know, people have
to remember that they need it can't start, it cannot
survive on just the Trekkies, no, it's yeah. In order
for it to thrive that and continue, it's got to
bring in the regular, the casual viewers and strange new worlds.
I think is doing that. You know, this series would
(23:55):
not not be here in its third year if it
was just bringing in just Trekies. You know, it's doing
well in the ratings, it's doing well with the awards.
You know, I'm I'm glad to see that, because we
want we definitely want more Star Trek.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, and this series proves that, you know, by trying
things original, you can you can keep Star Trek alive
and keep people coming back week after week. And I'm
glad to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Let me let me say one thing and then we
can move on. Unlet's's got something to add. There is
no room And let me repeat myself, there is no
room in any franchise for these toxic fans. Right. I
am so tired of it. I'm exhausted of it. Let
fans enjoy being a fan. Don't be toxic about it.
(24:43):
You don't like it, okay, you can, you can, you know,
provide your comments, but do not become so toxic, toxic
that it just bleeds into everything and just makes it
so miserable that it takes fans out of it, because
that is not helping anybody, and that's going to keep
new fans away.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Do it, and don't forget people too, you know, if
you're on Facebook or x or any of the other
social media platforms. Uh, you know, these are not the majority.
These are a very small minority of people that that
really aren't watching the series. I mean, I see some
of these these responses like minutes sometimes even before the
episodes are over. These this is a very small minority.
(25:23):
You know. The majority of the people are really enjoying
this series, really enjoying all the other series Lower Decks
Discovery was another series. People really enjoyed it, you know,
So don't think that that's what it is. You know,
if you like the series, everyone is allowed to like
whatever they want, you know, that's that's the great thing
about it, you know, And if you don't like it,
that's okay. Too, But but you know, just just enjoy,
(25:49):
just enjoy watching Star Trek, you know, don't don't try
to make it bad for those who do like the episodes,
and and don't attack the people who who actually have
a true reason for not liking episode two. I see
you see people, you know, they're like, when we came
out with with Subspace Rhapsody, we had our reasons and
we explained it and and so you know, that's okay,
(26:10):
Everything is okay, you're it's it's all right to like
and dislike episodes, but just be nice to everybody.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Yep, yeah, I totally agree with what that. Yeah. The
only thing I would add to it is just that,
you know, in order for the franchise to thrive, it
has to live. So you know, it's it's not taking
away from original series or whatever somebody might be holding
on to as kind of protected nostalgia. There's nothing wrong
with that. But a platform like Paramount is not going
(26:39):
to continue to keep something like that on. If it's
only a time capsule, it's going to get more it's
going to get more difficult to find in that way,
So allow it to thrive, allow it to try new things.
That's how the original even got on to television in
(27:00):
the first place when it was as opposed to so
it's you know, you have the option of not watching it,
but yeah, let's not get to a place where we're
attacking things that other people like and just every once
in a while, just come to one of these things
with an open mind. And I guarantee if you if
(27:21):
you spend enough time sampling some of this stuff, you're
going to find what you probably enjoyed in the first
place about whichever series that you loved. And I would
think that would only make somebody happy to know that
people care about this franchise enough to keep it going right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
And I just you know, once you don't, don't anybody
that sees this, don't get disenchanted or worried because they're there.
It's it's like I said, it's a minority. The majority
love Star Trek. We love each other. You know. It's
it's such a great fan base. It can be a
great fan base. We see it at the conventions.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
When we go to absolutely do this.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You know, it's it's a wonderful, wonder full thing. Embrace that,
get become part of that and and just just enjoy it.
For what it is wonderful television. All right, Now that
we got that rant over, I had to think out
that was something that was that was you know, sticking
to my crawl right now, all right, let's continue. Well,
(28:19):
we've given our opinions on the episode, so now let's
take a look at the characters themselves. Which character do
you think shine the most this week?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
David Well, I feel like I say this answer a
few times, but I am definitely going with a horror
on this one. I truly felt for her, you know
when when she discovered that her friend was killed that
she did not know about at all, and it caught
her by surprise, you know how she was gave that
(28:50):
speech to him about you know, him being angry at
Starfleet because they took Erica away, but in essence, they didn't,
and he really needs to look at it that way.
Her sacrifice and volunteering to join with the Jacare and
listening to her hum that communication that she had with
the creature and herself, just her willing to do that.
(29:13):
You know, Spock did it because he really didn't. He
really didn't have a choice, let's be honest here. But
she did. She had a choice, and she took it
because she's a communication officer. She knows that is her responsibility.
But it's not just that. It's to the next level.
She's trying to save a life. She doesn't want to
see something get killed because it is a living, breathing
(29:37):
being out there and she wants to communicate with it
to see what she can do to help it. And
that's what sets her so high above so many people,
especially in this episode. Naschelle. Again, we said it last week,
Shoe Nicholas should be so proud of what they are
doing with this character because she was beautiful in this episode.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I totally agree. Yeah, Celia Gooding never ever disappoints, and
it is I would say it's a difficult choice in
this episode. I think we get great perspective on Captain Pike,
on Spock, on la on Erica, but it's all those
moments that you mentioned, Dave. While away, I would go
(30:19):
to Ahura. It's interesting that there's a moment when she's
asked if she always believes in what Starfleet is doing,
and I think that's part of what's at stake when
she volunteers, which has got to be a scary prospect
because you have Spock, who is someone who has trained
(30:40):
for this, who knows what he's doing, has done it
several times before. She has confidence that she's able to
do it, but it still has to be a scary
prospect to sit in that chair, to wear that device,
and know that she is not only is she at
risk for her personal well being seeing what has happened
with Spock, but the mission is in jeopardy and the
(31:07):
nature of how Starfleet will be perceived is possibly in jeopardy.
So to take all that on confidently in a split
second decision is worth a lot of respect. Wayne, What
about you?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah, I mean, this was a hard episode to choose
which one shined, But I agree with both of you.
It's funny that we chose all chose the same person.
You heard just stood out just a little bit more
than the other characters in this episode, And a lot
of it is due to that scene where Beto confronts her,
you know about his that theory about Starfleet and it's
(31:44):
it's motives and as ulterior motives and everything. Her I
don't call it speech, but well, yeah, you know what
she says. Her her is just just embodies Starfleet, just
shows how much optimism and hope and and and you
know that she has you know, she's given herself to
(32:05):
Starfleet and I can you know, I Celia and Rose
Gooding we mentioned that I love her and I love
what she's doing with you her. I could hear every
word that she said in that scene being said by
Michelle Nichols. It's feel so perfect in the character. And
every time I see her, I just think she grows
more and more. So, yeah, we all three of us
(32:26):
shows you her.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Of yea. Even even that part where he goes up
against Pike, Pike says I cannot sacrifice any more crew
members to this. He goes, you don't have to. I'm
volunteering to do it. It was just like, whoa, Okay,
that's that's her. We know absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It's such a strong and powerful moment for the character.
And I think that's why we love her. That's why
the writers. I just they're doing such a fantastic job
with this character making it so strong. All Right, if
you have any choice to be any character that appeared
in this episode, which one would it be? And why
how about you start this one? Scott? This one's tough.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
It is because there are so many people that are
in difficult situations. I don't know that I envy any
of them having to experience these things. But the one
that stands out to me is probably unichin Reley because
I think, you know, like we saw in at asbra Prespera,
(33:30):
her belief in Starfleet, her belief in what it can be.
I think she stands out as kind of a beacon
of hope in this one. So I'd be interested to
see her kind of interactions with the with the crew.
She had a great line that stood out to me
because it brought back one of the quotes from the
two thousand and nine Star Trek where Bone says spaces
(33:51):
disease and danger repped in darkness and silence. She has
that scene where she says someone once said that space
is dark and cold and full of death. Our job
is to bring bring warmth and bring life wherever we go.
Oh my god, that floored me. So the fact that
she has that role in a leadership position, I'd just
(34:15):
be interested to see where she her interactions with the
crew in this word.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
So I'm going to continue with the character who I
felt shine the most. I know she put herself in
a lot of danger and of course I'm talking about
you her, But just the fact that as much as
she loves communication, as much as she loves learning language
in learning to about other creatures and aliens and getting
to talk to them, just getting to sit there and
(34:43):
be able to communicate with this being that nobody else
could speak with it would be something special.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I know she was in a lot of pain and
she was suffering as she was doing that, but just
putting herself into something she loves so much. I mean,
we all love something so much that we would love
that's all we would love to do, and when we
do get to do it, it's something special. So the
fact that he got to do that just makes me
want to be or so that I could be in
(35:11):
her shoes to experience what he's experiencing and getting to
feel what he's feeling was just something special for me. So,
without question, would be her.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Well, I've got an unusual selection. I'm probably going to
have to explain it, but I think because this was
a really hard choice. Beto a touric or Tegus Beeto
te or Tegus. I always have trouble saying his last
ning because you know, first of all, he's he's a
documentarian and he got the run of the Enterprise, which
I think would be absolutely cool. But he had his
(35:44):
eyes opened in this episode, at least I hope he did.
And you know, he got to see the greatest crew
of the Flagship of the Federation work at their best
and come up with with a great solution to the
whole situation, and hopefully took a little bit of you know,
(36:04):
information from that. He got to see Starfleet in a
new way, you know, the way that it that the
Enterprise sees it. You know, they see it as a
force of good it is. You know, he came walked
into this thinking you know, there were military reasons, there
was ulterior motives, and they opened his eyes to to
(36:27):
a whole new way of the way, you know, the
way things are, the way things they work. So I'm
I chose him just because of how enlightened he was
by them and the fact that he got to work
and be around that incredible crew. Was all right, Now,
we're going to dive deep into the episode and see
if we can pull out any easter eggs. With this
(36:49):
being a documentary episode, that wasn't the easiest thing to
do because there wasn't that many of them. But let's see,
did either one of you find anything that what's interesting?
I did not know.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
No, uh, Califune enlighten us.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Well these are I really had to stretch because there
wasn't very many in here. But I'm going to start
off with some technical information. Okay, the episode establishes that
the USS Enterprise is exactly four hundred and forty two
meters in length. Now, this goes against what we originally
knew the Enterprise from the original series was, which according
(37:25):
to the USS Enterprise Technical Manual, which was released Sick
in the seventies and then re released again in the nineties.
I got the nineties copy, but it states that the
ship was two hundred and eighty nine meters in length,
which is rather short if you really think about it.
But we're gonna I'm looking at this considering the technical
Manual isn't actually really considered part of the canon of
(37:45):
the series, you know, because it was published as a
book and it's never really stated. So this new number,
this four hundred and forty two meters, is correct and
what everyone should assume that the Enterprise is now. Along
with that, it also states with the Enterprise carries two
hundred and three crew members, which is a much lower
number than the four hundred and thirty crew members that
(38:08):
were a board during Kirk's time. This is correct. Actually,
the two hundred and three number is correct with continuity
because Captain Pike stated in the original series pilot The
Cage that the Enterprise had two hundred and three crew members. Now,
Spock mentions that as a child, he ran away to
(38:29):
the Plane of Blood. That's a very desolate part of
the planet Vulcan that's located within the Forge. Now, in
the Star Trek Enterprise episode that was titled The Forge,
Captain Archer and to Paul were led into the Plane
of Blood while searching for a religious sect of Vulcans
that followed the teaching a Syrax. So that's right, there's
a nice little bit of continuity. Also, Spock has a
(38:52):
Vulcan meditation lamp in his quarters, which looks exactly like
the meditation lamp that both to Paul on Inn Prize
and tuvoc on Voyager had in their quarters as well. Plus,
and finally, this I kind of laugh. I love that
scene at the end with the crew together having another meal.
We didn't guest. We haven't seen Pike cook very much
(39:14):
this season, have we, So it was nice to see that,
and we got to see a very brief and quick
glance of Battel. He is serving those brightly colored food
cubes for his get together. That was a nice touch
because if you remember in the original series, everybody was
eating those those food cubes that were all various colors.
(39:35):
So that is it for this week's episode of Phasers
such as Stunts look at Star Trek Strange New Worlds.
We'd like to open a channel to our listeners and
hear just what you thought about the most recent episode
and the season in general. You can email us at
a film by Podcast at gmail dot com, find us
online at a film by podcast dot com, follow us
(39:57):
on Facebook, Instagram, and x and if you're looking for
more exclusive content or swag, you can join our Patreon
and find out what gyms are hidden within. A big
thank you once again to my fellow trekkers David and
Scott for joining me and the listeners for another fascinating discussion.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Yeah thanksure leading the way absolutely now.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Next episode is entitled four and a half Vulcans, the
eighth episode of the season. The Paramount Plus blurb for
that episode states, after a mission turns crew members into vulcans,
trouble arises when they try to revert to humans. So
what do you think we got coming up?
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Comedy?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Yeah, finally, it looks like it's going to be a
really really fun episode, and.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
We know Spock's gonna be the half vulcan.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
And we look forward to returning to the twenty third
century and the bridge of the Starship Enterprise with you
next week on Phasers Set to Stunt
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.