Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 10: "A Quality of Mercy"

[KaijuDude1992]

I really do hope that Wesley improves but if not, then I hope we don’t see much more of him. It’s unfortunate because I feel they really nailed casting with Spock and Uhura. But you have to nail Kirk as well. Say what you want about Shatner but he was perfect in that role and Pine did a great job as well, even if the movies themselves weren’t always great. Wesley just seemed so… flat.

While I think his overall performance was fine enough for what it was, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Paul Wesley came off kind of flat as Kirk in this episode.

I definitely didn't get any Shatner vibes from him and as far as charisma and screen presence goes Chris Pine had that in spades, but I wasn't getting much of that from him either.

Despite all of that I really enjoyed the episode though.

 

[misjuevos]

It just dawned on me… Sam Kirk is Jim’s older brother, but he doesn’t exist in the JJ Abrams timeline. Which doesn’t make sense since the alternate timeline began on the day of Jim’s birth. So Sam should be there but inexplicably isn’t. Im sure people have already noticed this but I never thought about it before. Looked it up and apparently Sam was supposed to appear but they changed it so that the kid playing him was supposed to be Jim’s friend and not his brother. I guess they did this to make George’s death even more impactful but it’s still kind of a head-scratching decision given that the whole alternate timeline thing was done so that they wouldn’t disrupt the original continuity.

Yeah I think it would've been interesting to see the brothers in starfleet and growing up together, since they were doing an alternate timeline anyway. But at the time it was meant to be a reboot of the franchise so they probably just focused on the trio, Kirk, Spock and Mccoy.

 

[Dark Raven]

LOL you mean the episode where the cast was running around in some leftover Renn Faire costumes? Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of that one either.

This episode was great though. Really showed why Pike is a good leader and captain and the importance and wisdom of Spock in the years to come. Mount really crushed it in this episode. Jess Bush was also really heartbreaking in her brief scene. Good cliffhanger too.

One thing I’m not so sure about though is the guy playing Kirk. Is it too late to throw a boatload of money at Chris Pine to come in and replace him? I don’t know why but the new guy just doesn’t have the presence or the swagger that Kirk needs. Maybe he’ll get better but he just seemed dull here. Kirk was written fine IMO but the actor just didn’t sell it. Also, it doesn’t matter too much that he doesn’t really resemble Shatner but this guy looks like Jim Carrey to me.

You took the words right out of my mouth. I didn't like this Kirk either and thought he lacked the swagger too and doesn't really seem like he could carry a show like William Shatner or a movie like Chris Pine. I also thought he looked and sounded more like Jim Carrey.

I find that Mount seems more like Kirk and even more Shatner like than Paul Wesley. Kirk's hair should also be lighter. He didn't seem like Kirk at all and so it took me out of it and I found it a little distracting.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'm not feeling this Kirk, I am digging La'an with her hair down.

 

[Marvolo]

Captain Patel handled that arrest all wrong. Pike and even Una deserved more respect than a blindside arrest. Patel should have met Pike in his quarters, informed him of the impending arrest, then she and Pike should have walked Una to the transporter room. On the very unlikely chance Una fought back a stun shot could have neutralized her. Or just have Spock accompany them.

I also think this is one of the more stupid laws in this universe. Outlawing genetic modification without consent or weaponized modification I could understand. But summarily prosecuting a decorated and loyal starfleet officer because they have any genetic modification at all is some police state horse****. And making it illegal for people to mate with Illyrians? What is this? Jim Crow's Federation? As for not telling Starfleet, why the hell would Una tell the narrow-minded fools who will arrest her? The Federation is forcing modified beings to commit the crime of hiding what they are.

Also I had no idea Patel was Melanie Scrafano from Wynonna Earp or that she is 40. Girl doesn't look her age. I hope she has a bigger role next season. I really liked her in Wynonna Earp.

 

[Sithborg]

Captain Patel handled that arrest all wrong. Pike and even Una deserved more respect than a blindside arrest. Patel should have met Pike in his quarters, informed him of the impending arrest, then she and Pike should have walked Una to the transporter room. On the very unlikely chance Una fought back a stun shot could have neutralized her.

I also think this is one of the more stupid laws in this universe. Outlawing genetic modification without consent or weaponized modification I could understand. But summarily prosecuting a decorated and loyal starfleet officer because they have any genetic modification at all is some police state horse****. And making it illegal for people to mate with Illyrians? What is this? Jim Crow's Federation? As for not telling Starfleet, why the hell would Una tell the narrow-minded fools who will arrest her? The Federation is forcing modified beings to commit the crime of hiding what they are.

I highly suggest watching the DS9 episode, "Dr. Bashir, I Presume". In a hundred years, the Federation doesn't exactly get better.

 

[Dark Raven]

I think this new Kirk is also a bit too much like Jeffrey Hunter and wooden and dry like him. I would've believed him more as a young Pike than Kirk. Mount's personality is more like Kirk's.

 

[vantheman77]

When the synopsis was saying Pike meeting his future self, I thought he would meet his future self in wheelchair.

 

[Sithborg]

So, straight up lifting Lower Decks season finale? What hacks.

Good episode. Always a big fan of them adding more green effects to the classic Romulans. And a big fan of varied fleets, so was great seeing that Romulan fleet. A nice mixture of Warbird and Bird of Preys in the ship that seemed to make up the bulk of it. Not quire sure about the flagship, though. May be a bit early for the D7s.

It is interesting to also think about just how screwed things get without Spock. Even ignoring the no peace with the Romulans, he was key to a lot of things. At the bare minimum, no whales to save us.

Wesley probably does need some time to get better, but I felt he did a decent Kirk who was essentially 2nd in command. Chafing at Pike's command style, while still following orders. I really don't need Shatner 2.0. Pine is a good example that you don't need to do a Shatner. Look forward to seeing him more next season.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[Sithborg]

That was great.

 

[Gaultheria]

Not quire sure about the flagship, though.

The flagship was made to resemble the Romulan bird emblem, I'd guess. It has the same silhouette.

At the bare minimum, no whales to save us.

It would be ironic if the disappearance of George and Gracie and their calf in the 20th Century was what tipped the species' fate over the edge toward extinction.

 

[Sithborg]

Interesting to see side by side.

 

[misjuevos]

Yeah I would say if you like this last episode, go watch the TOS balance of terror one. You don't need any setup you can just watch it on its own. Mark Lenard's performance and presence is great. The overall tone of the TOS episode is great.

 

[flickchick85]

Loved this episode a lot. Made me want to rewatch S1 of TOS ASAP.

My one complaint was Wesley as Kirk. Just wasn't feeling it. But thankfully, this ain't his show.

Overall, this has probably been my favorite first season of any Star Trek to date, tbh.

 

[Dark Raven]

If Spock died as a result of Pike surviving in any other timeline, what about the fact that Spock did die at the end of Wrath of Khan? What if Kirk never brought his body back to Vulcan and Spock never came back to life? Then he still would be dead and it would disrupt any plans for Romulan/Vulcan reunification.

 

[Sithborg]

I mean, the butterflies get a little wild. Wrath of Khan would unlikely to have happened, as Kirk would unlikely have encountered Khan, and who the **** knows what would have happened then.

 

[Gaultheria]

If Spock died as a result of Pike surviving in any other timeline, what about the fact that Spock did die at the end of Wrath of Khan? What if Kirk never brought his body back to Vulcan and Spock never came back to life? Then he still would be dead and it would disrupt any plans for Romulan/Vulcan reunification.

Spock’s katra survived TWOK. I imagine he’d have ended up like Surak, still able to influence Vulcan and Romulan society.

 

[Gaultheria]

I mean, the butterflies get a little wild. Wrath of Khan would unlikely to have happened, as Kirk would unlikely have encountered Khan, and who the **** knows what would have happened then.

I imagine the Botany Bay drifting for 10,000 years, and then Khan’s Augments (with all of their version 0.1 alpha prototype gene mods) trying to integrate into a society that left its fear of genetic engineering behind 9,000 years earlier.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Something I’ve always wondered about the end of Wrath of Khan. Spock implies that radiation can’t hurt him because he’s “not human.” But it obviously does. Now, did he die because he is half human? Are Vulcans immune to radiation? Or was he just saying that in an effort to get McCoy to go along with it?

 

[Gaultheria]

Something I’ve always wondered about the end of Wrath of Khan. Spock implies that radiation can’t hurt him because he’s “not human.” But it obviously does. Now, did he die because he is half human? Are Vulcans immune to radiation? Or was he just saying that in an effort to get McCoy to go along with it?

It was a ruse. When it didn't work, Spock distracted McCoy by asking about Scotty:

(Spock arrives in engineering. Scott and an engineer are slumped on the floor)
McCOY: Are you out of your Vulcan mind? No human can tolerate the radiation that's in there!
SPOCK: But, as you are so fond of observing, Doctor, I'm not human.
McCOY: You're not going in there!
SPOCK: Perhaps you're right. What is Mister Scott's condition?
McCOY: Well, I don't think that he...
(Spock administers a Vulcan nerve pinch on McCoy)
SPOCK: I'm sorry, Doctor. I have no time to discuss this logically. ...Remember!

— Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

In part, Spock is also indulging in one last round of barbs with McCoy, who started it.

 

[Deck Rickard]

It was a ruse. When it didn't work, Spock distracted McCoy by asking about Scotty:


In part, Spock is also indulging in one last round of barbs with McCoy, who started it.

Ah yes. Good point.

 

[Gaultheria]

As for the battle, I was wondering why the Romulans couldn't scan all the mining ships and see that they were just drones.

The invasion of the Federation could be the Romulans' fed-up response to the Control war. Imagine how enraged they'd be at Kirk showing up with a fleet of robot ships.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Loved this episode a lot. Made me want to rewatch S1 of TOS ASAP.

My one complaint was Wesley as Kirk. Just wasn't feeling it. But thankfully, this ain't his show.

Yeah, that was a definite miscast. The actor is actually doing a decent job of acting, but it ain’t Kirk in any way. It would’ve been better to just call him generic captain #27

I’d be fine with it if it was just this kind of imaginary future episode, but the fact they’re bringing him back in season 2. Why? Going completely different was a mistake. They should just leave him out of the series which is about Pike anyway.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I watched down interviews with the cast at SDCC and weirdly, I think Wesley comes off more like Kirk in real life than he did on the show. Still feels like a miscast though.

Honestly, the guy playing Sam Kirk seems like a better fit for Jim (sans trash ‘stache, obviously). I don’t really like his Sam, but that’s more to do with the writing than anything else; he’s pretty much just written to be a dolt.