SNW S4E3 "Human Best Friend"

[00:00:09] Is this thing on? Hello? Hello? Welcome to Open Pike Night, I'm your host John T. Boulds and we are podcasting together here not from the Cezna Grand, not even from the Rio Grande, just the Rio. I would like to say the good old Rio but it's just the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from STLV, 60th anniversary. I am here joined of course on my journey by my co-hosts, the man who

[00:00:53] actually fought Martin Quinn and took away the Mugatu suit, Jesse Bailey. Look, Martin is about my size and I figure if I've got a shot at any Star Trek actor it's gotta be Martin. And the man who I'm pretty sure actually killed a real Andorian just to cut off its antenna, that might have been first contact, Cameron Harrison. You ain't lived so you've snorted straight Andorian antenna.

[00:01:18] And we are doing this in classic Open Pike Night style, last minute, last day of actually the con ended yesterday. And we are all recovering and getting ready to go home. But we have to record our coverage for 4.03, Human Best Friend and is there a more perfect episode for Las Vegas? I am literally lying on my back on my hotel cot right now. I'm sure not best podcasting practices but it feels good.

[00:01:45] And I just want everybody to know I am not in as much pain as it sounds like I might be in but this has been such a good convention. We have met so many of you in person. We met a lot of new friends. And we just, you know, we prioritized the real life journey this week over getting our recording done. We kept trying but it was like, you know what, there's people here we want to spend time with. Let's go spend time with those people.

[00:02:12] To that point, Jesse, this could be a lot of people's first Open Pike Night episode. Because we talked to a lot of people and we told a lot of people about the podcast. And some of them even seemed receptive. I watched people subscribe in real time. That was a really cool thing to see. Saw some people follow us on Instagram, that kind of a thing. And we ran into some folks that we were like, hey, can we advertise our podcast to you? Here's who we are. And they told us, oh, I already listened to you guys. Yes.

[00:02:42] It was the coolest thing. It was really nice to run into so many people like, oh yeah, I know you guys are. I listen to you guys. Like, all right. Hell yeah, here's some stickers. And you're right, John, that this week's episode is perfect for Las Vegas. And we know that because we had a lot of friends over the other night to watch this episode with us in our hotel room. And it was, I mean, watching Star Trek with a big group of Trekkies is kind of the way it should always be done. Absolutely.

[00:03:08] Especially a laugh out loud comedy like this. I was starting to write notes and made it, I've got notes up to like minute 35. And then after that, I was just with a group of Trekkies and friends watching Star Trek. And then we talked for like an hour and a half after the episode. Hour and a half. It was close to two and a half hours. Okay. Yeah.

[00:03:29] But we are, we have a great group of callers as always calling in to give their thoughts and we are going to be leaning heavily on you callers because as you can hear, we have been in Vegas for the last five or six days. So first up, let's start with Trev. Hey, it's Trev beaming in from the Fairlight Franchise podcast to offer my report on Human Best Friend, a very amusing, enjoyable episode. Maybe not their best comedy outing, but not a travesty like I thought Four and a Half Vulcans was. Sorry, folks.

[00:03:56] I think this episode largely works because of the audience's relationship with these characters and this cast. Remember when TNG did the Naked Now, but it was only the second episode, so we didn't have enough of a baseline for the crew to be amused by altered versions of them? Well, here we're four seasons in and we know these characters, so it's great to see different inebriated sides of them. But we also love this cast and we know they're all naturally funny, so it's a blast seeing them get to utilize that so broadly. Couple thoughts. You're telling me one of the most repeated criticisms of this show is how often it has to jump through hoops to include Kirk in the story.

[00:04:25] And this week they came up with a great explanation for him being there, but only as Spock's hallucination. And then they ruined it by saying he was real. Now I have to believe he just happened to take his shore leave at the exact same time as them, at the same place, never took off his uniform during his vacation, and when it was done he went back to the Enterprise instead of the Farragut? Enough, guys. We don't need to spend this much time establishing Spock. We have 60 years of it already. Also, a favorite pastime of TNG viewers is to spot all the black duct tape and cardboard pieces put over the panels on the bridge,

[00:04:53] so as not to reflect the production lighting and cameras. Well, this episode maybe just inadvertently gave us an in-universe explanation for that. The crew of the Enterprise D, like Ortegas, is annoyed by all those damn lights and alarms and are just trying to cover them up. Anyway, like I said, I really had a fun time with this one overall, even if it felt somewhat inconsequential in the big picture. It was still a welcome bit of jovial relief for the crew and the audience after last week. Looking forward to hearing what everyone else thought. See you all at the bingo hall.

[00:05:45] Okay. And I do love that it's just, how would everyone be on drugs? I mean, my headcanon is, let's not forget what last episode was, the Griffin incident, with James Kirk on the Enterprise, recovering. So I'm sure he got in a shuttle to return to the Farragut and was like, hey, we're not far from that drug planet. Can we take a little stoppy loo over there?

[00:06:12] And then, yeah, when the Enterprise showed up, he's like, great, I'll just hitch a ride with these guys on the way back to the Farragut now. Because he probably also lost his shuttle. And I like that this episode is true to life. Cameron has recorded part of this with his eyes literally closed. And that kind of means the world to me. And hey, maybe they were putting black cardboard and duct tape over the lights because they had all just been on shore leave and everything was too bright. Yes, yes.

[00:06:42] I have been asking for a, not necessarily shore leave, but just a day in life episode. Like I wanted, I've been asking for this kind of in-between episode. And this may be like one of the only ones we really get in Strange New Worlds, you know. And I just, I super enjoyed it. And yeah, I know a lot of our callers have thoughts about Kirk being there. But man, it's funny. It's funny.

[00:07:08] And I agree this was funnier than Four and a Half Vulcans. Absolutely. You are correct. Here is. It's equivalent. But I do also want to say, like, Trev, I'm glad to hear that you personally enjoyed this. I mean, maybe not you personally, but I kind of had a theory last week, like everyone who loved Griffin Incident is going to hate next week. And everyone who hated Griffin Incident is going to love next week. I love them both. And I'm glad to hear that you did too, Trev. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

[00:07:37] Let's go ahead and hear from our caller, Val. Hey, Open Pike Knight. This is Val. Well, that was my favorite Star Trek episode to date. Quite possibly the only one to make me laugh out loud multiple times. I will never get over Spock mind-melding with a plant. In thinking about Star Trek, it's ultimately in many ways a workplace drama set in space in a job that generally seems pretty awesome. And as such, it's the character interactions that often really drive the show.

[00:08:02] What I really love about the Ortegas and Scotty conflict of friendship is how it echoes back to the season one episode, All Those Who Wander. In the funeral for Hemmer, Erica says that he would scold her for pushing the engines too hard, and she'd call him a blue meanie. I don't know how much they actually intended to echo back in that episode, but it showed that similar conflict between pilots and engineers, yet Erica was clearly fond of Hemmer.

[00:08:28] So it was nice to see that same tension here, but to see it actually on screen develop into a friendship with a really realistic backstory. Anyways, absolutely love the episode. Probably going to always remain one of my favorite episodes of all time. Yeah, I think the dynamic between Hemmer and Ortegas was much more like, here are two strong-willed people who are butting heads, and they're both kind of grateful for the pushback.

[00:08:54] Whereas with Scotty at the start of this, it's one strong-willed person and Scotty having pushback. And it's really cool to see Scotty start to become the person who loves the Enterprise as much, if not more, than anyone else on the ship. Yeah, I did not pick up on that Hemmer callback the first time I watched, but I think it was probably you, Val, saying in the Discord about it. I was like, oh shit, that's right, that's so good. And yeah, you know Hemmer wouldn't be all passive-aggressive.

[00:09:24] He'd just call up to the bridge and be like, Ortegas, stop! That's my Hemmer impression. I do want to bring up the plant mind meld, because I also find the plant mind meld hilarious. But I could also see looking at that on paper and being like, oh, we're going to destroy the franchise. And I have not heard any pushback online to that one specific. I've heard pushback to other aspects of this episode and the episode at whole.

[00:09:48] But it seems like everyone loves the plant mind meld, and I credit that 100% to the way Ethan Peck plays it straight. He plays it straight, and it's like he plays it without any doubt whatsoever that what he needs to do is hold the leaves and say, my mind to your leaves. So that tells me that sometime in the Vulcan Science Academy or wherever he went to school, they talked about, like, what if you had to talk to a plant, man? Like, yeah, you have to say my mind to your leaves, right? There is a class about which things can and cannot be lied about.

[00:10:19] He was just too sure about it for there not to be. But it's like a computer plant, too, right? Yeah. Like, there's levels upon levels of what is happening in the scene, and it's amazing. Yeah. And the first time, I did not pick up, like, oh, okay, it's a place that forbids a certain level of technology. So they would camouflage a lot of the technology to kind of keep the illusion going for the patrons. That was something I didn't pick up on right away, but it totally makes sense.

[00:10:46] And I will say right now, if you liked Cactus Ortegas and Fica Scotty, just be aware. Hashtag Cactagus will become a thing. Yes, it will. Yes, it will. Let's hear from Isaac calling in for the first time this season. G'day from what may be your southernmost listener. It's Isaac from the Trek 365 podcast, coming from Tasmania, Australia.

[00:11:10] The most important thing to talk about this week is Spock, because he is so funny in this episode. So two things I want to highlight about Spock. He leaves a meeting, a really important meeting, because there may either be a bomb or an avocado on board. And he treats both situations with the same level of urgency. That is humour. Like, if I could write that, then I would be a writer on Strangely Worlds. I can't write that.

[00:11:39] So that's why I'm sitting here in freezing Tasmania. Okay, the other thing is, and you know, you guys with your screeners, you might actually know that this is wrong. But don't give me any clues. You can give me clues. I won't tell anyone. This could technically be the puppet episode, right? Like, those plants were puppets. And, like, I'm familiar with Jim Henson's work, being an avid Ninja Turtles viewer. I still watch it every year on my birthday, the Ninja Turtles movie.

[00:12:07] So is this the puppet episode that we've been teased, or are we going to get even more puppetry later in the season? That's one to ponder, not necessarily one to answer. You can tell me. I don't mind. Thanks, guys. I hope to chime in again more as the season progresses. Thanks again. Love you. Bye. Oh, and hello, Grayson. Great to hear from you. We will not rest until we have callers from an Antarctica outpost, though, currently under attack by a shape-shifting alien.

[00:12:37] So there's that. But for now, yes, our current southernmost listener, you are absolutely right. Ethan Peck steals the show by doing the least amount of anybody, which is the perfect amount of drunk that he plays. And a game of drunk telephone that ends with avocado is a stroke of brilliance. Ethan Peck's eyelid control is very impressive.

[00:13:03] Like, he does so much of this performance by slightly widening and slightly narrowing his eyes. And I know in TNG, a lot of the comedy came from like, well, what if Worf did a funny thing? Because he wouldn't do that on purpose. And we're getting the same thing here. And I got to say, I really think it's working. Like, there are a lot of stars in this episode. Ethan Peck is absolutely one of them. And I will close out my thoughts on this by saying we're jealous that it is cold where you are. Yeah, absolutely.

[00:13:34] To call those plants puppets is generous. Like, puppets are far more high-tech than what those plants were. Those were just straight-up potted plants being pulled around by strings, maybe on skateboards. So I'll leave it at that as far as whether this was the puppet episode or not. One of my favorite parts of my rewatch of this episode is seeing, like, the kind of awkward way they had to get Ortegas to get her arms up in the cactus pose. Yes, yeah.

[00:14:01] Because it wasn't until that watch when I was like, why is she holding her arms up? Oh, right, right, right. Okay. And just holding them steady. It's like, okay, great. Awesome. It works. It's freaking hilarious. That's the work of an actor. Yes. I need to be in this pose for good plot reasons. I've been replaced with a cactus. All right. Let's hear from Que Sera Sera. Greetings, Open Pike Night.

[00:14:29] Que Sera Sera here, and I'll be your hugsy airs for your stay on Dave Foley's Planet of Inebriated Wonders. In the future, the lucky Starfleet junior officers assigned to update the UFP's travel guide for this place are going to have a blast. Question, though. Does Starfleet have regulations or even guidance for group shore leave destinations?

[00:14:57] Does it even have regulations for the use of Starfleet materiel for such outings? If not, maybe it should. Anywho, it was a fun episode. And it was great to see a bit more character depth for both Ortegas and Scotty. Also, I want a full soundtrack from this episode alone, and it must include all of those Klingon power ballads.

[00:15:25] One minor complaint. You put Mbinga in a 70s era knitted polo shirt and then transformed him into Isaac from the Love Boat. Must you continue to make this man suffer? Domo arigato, Mr. Mugato. I was so happy that Mbinga finally got a pure joy storyline.

[00:15:54] Like, it's a little slight. I was genuinely moved watching that man just smile, tossing bottles behind his back and breaking them. That was the key. It's like you'd know how much he's been through, and here he is happy. He's having fun. Like, the It Is Green callback, perfectly delivered. I was very excited. Now, here's my follow-up question to your materiel issue.

[00:16:20] If they beamed through the atmosphere, is there a chance they could accidentally, like, put drugs in their system permanently with a pattern buffer? Then the ship would get inebriated. Right. And we got to assume Beta Shift was just, Beta Watch was running the ship the entire time everyone was gone, right? Because this is the entire bridge crew and all the senior officers.

[00:16:46] Yeah, and they don't go back to work when they get back because they are still drunk, so they do the political thing. I will make two points. I really like that Mbinga says, oh, it's like Una says, and then just listens to her singing Klingon. They look confused. He knows Klingon because he was in the Klingon War, so he doesn't need the translator to work for him. Good catch.

[00:17:08] And then also, the saboteurs were ready for any possible contingency because this was a last-minute decision by the Enterprise, and those saboteurs got this whole plan together in, like, three hours to put a bomb on the shuttle. It's pretty impressive how much they didn't want these peace talks to work. Mm-hmm. And I will say, we had the pleasure of meeting Dave Foley this weekend. He was the nicest person. So nice. Super cool. Very sweet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:17:38] I mean, let's talk about Dave Foley a little bit because it was so exciting. I cheered when I saw him on there. I love that his character was in the previews because we see the outside of the building with the big holographic billboard with him, and no one recognized him. He was so fun. Yes. Yeah. And, like, he, that's the thing. Him and his crew worked so hard in this, still not as hard as the saboteurs were.

[00:18:03] Like, it's just very impressive how quickly they were able to make this whole thing happen. There was a spy on the Enterprise. Oh, for sure. To Cameron's point, I think after I'd finished watching the episode for the first time, he said, oh, well, I'll see if I can get a hold of Dave Foley's people. And I texted him and said, is that who that was? It was fun watching with people and, like, yeah, the recognition kind of would happen at different points in the episode. And just in case you haven't listened to our writer's interviews, like, I'll repeat the

[00:18:33] point that I think what worked so well about Dave Foley is maybe because of his sketchwork and playing such a wide range of characters. Like, at the beginning, he could go either way. He could be the saboteur. He could be a sleazy salesman. He could just be there for a laugh, or he could bring, like, the warmth and heart that he does at the end in his last scenes. And, yeah, yeah. Brilliant, brilliant casting move. Absolutely. Absolutely. All right, let's hear from Anthony. What's up, guys?

[00:19:01] This is Anthony Kelly calling in from Hong Kong. And this week we're visiting Cezna. It's an ugly planet. A drug planet. I'm sorry. I should have shouted that line. But I'm losing my voice a little bit this week. And I blame Klingon power ballad karaoke. Oh, my God. Didn't you just love Una's rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart? I am definitely going to re-watch that part over and over again. Now, was the rest of the episode my cup of green? I don't know.

[00:19:28] I don't really get drunken escapades, as similar to Pellier with LDS in the 1960s and the 1990s, alcohol has very little effect on me. And it did bring back a bunch of stressful memories of being the only sober one at drunken gatherings during my younger days, and being worried that someone would end up with, I don't know, their arm in a cast. So, I didn't really vibe with the subject matter, but that's just my journey.

[00:19:55] And I know that a lot of people on their journeys are gonna love this. Also, after Ancient Martians and last week's Treehouse of Horror, we now have three weeks in a row where good episodes of Strange New Worlds would have made amazing episodes of Lower Decks. Overall, and Scotty's not gonna like this, I give this episode one and a half thumbs up. Amazing. And yes, this is more Lower Decks than the Lower Decks crossover episode.

[00:20:23] Like, this is live-action Lower Decks. I thought that, too. And, I mean, I'm right there with you. Like, I'm always the sober guy at a party because, like, alcohol just makes... I start feeling sick before I start feeling drunk, and I'm like, well, I don't want to feel sick, so I'm just gonna stop drinking now. But I think that's why I do like these, because, like, these types of movies... I'm not a big party guy, but I do love The Hangover and Harold and Kumar and everything.

[00:20:49] So, I think it allows me to live vicariously and live that drunken party that I don't get to in person. But sort of with the horror episode, like, I'm not going to begrudge anyone who didn't like this episode. Comedy is entirely subjective. Not everyone is going to enjoy this cup of green. And I think your attitude and perspective on it, Anthony, is admirable and inspirational that you can understand that.

[00:21:16] Another thing that I love about this episode, as you mentioned, is the karaoke. It shows me that the writers really do understand what goes on on a weekend in Vegas. You get a drink. You get a new karaoke. Not everybody's going to understand those choices. Yeah. Like, but yeah, we have had quite the journey ourselves this week, and it has been so much fun.

[00:21:40] And I think it is the thing, honestly, that makes it frustrating that we could not get the Rio to play this episode on the big screen. They were playing pilots from the other Star Trek shows. We watched Encounter at Farpoint. We watched the DS9 pilot. I think they may have skipped Voyager. Yeah, they did. But we watched the Enterprise pilot the other night. And then they played Galaxy Quest last night.

[00:22:07] And I want it to be known that Cameron went as far as he could possibly go trying to get them to play this episode. He tracked down the right person. He was there at the right time. It just sounds like it was not in the Rio's journey to share this episode with the fans. Very good. Very good. Let's go ahead and hear from Michelle. Pike Knight. This was the hashtag Mortegas episode I did not know I needed.

[00:22:34] I'm not a huge fan of movies like The Hangover. But this one was a fun ride. Mostly due to the heart, humor, and acting chops of Melissa Navia and Martin Quinn. I did miss Sam Kirk here. I think he really could have added even more quirkiness and humor. Also, Ethan Peck's Spock. Such funny deadpan. I enjoyed the scenes with Jim Kirk. And I gotta say, I didn't mind the twist at the end.

[00:23:03] I also loved Una and her power ballad and Klingon. You know, we have the captain getting tattoos. Ensign Mount was very funny in those scenes. All the actors were spot on in this one. For my crusher connection, I know a lot of people are referencing The Naked now. But I'm gonna say the big goodbye. Because I think that Beverly's feelings at the beginning of that episode really mirror a lot of the characters here.

[00:23:31] Her excitement and enthusiasm showed through and kind of connect here. And finally, I saw those Cactagus stickers that you guys were giving out at STLV. I hope they'll be available. But also, this episode had to have a connection to Star Trek conventions, right? And what better week to drop it than the week of STLV? So I hope you all had a great time, whoever went, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Star Trek in Vegas. Live long and prosper.

[00:24:01] Michelle, the only way we could have had a better time is if you had been here. It was really kind of fun to watch the episode here and realize, like, oh, they nailed the different types of people in Vegas. First off, they were true to Una with her singing, true to Mbenga with wanting to cut loose, still wanting to use his hands, understanding Klingon. And I just love that Chapel is the one who just ends up gambling the whole time. Like, there's just no slot machines there, but she just ends up going and playing games the whole time.

[00:24:30] She's in a room by herself. Yeah. Does not need any of the crew with her. Yep. Yeah. And I do want to mention, I wonder if Anthony identified with Ortegas in this episode because she clearly had some alcohol or some et cetera, but she was not able to really enjoy it. She was the sober one. She was the one trying to figure out the problem. So I wonder if that shone through for Anthony.

[00:24:58] And, yes, absolutely, Michelle. Hashtag Cactagus. Keep your eyes open. Really cool thing. The Cactagus sticker now adorns Sally Rose Gooding's water bottle. That it does. Yes. We will get a Fica Scotty out soon, too. So two points. Like, I do kind of want to bring up my one issue with this episode. We need the sober person, right? We need to follow the sober person on the journey through the chaos. Yeah, John.

[00:25:29] I did not understand why Ortegas was sober. Because she was angry. I have since learned that from the writer and rewatched and been like, I guess that's what they were saying in that scene. But it doesn't make a lot of sense. She wakes up and one of the first lines of her after the cold open is, why am I not drunk? And so that puts in my mind as an audience, okay, this is going to be the mystery. And then, yeah.

[00:25:55] And then she talks to Dindra and was like, I didn't get told I'd have a hangover. I didn't get told I'd have missing time. And that's when he talks about the negative feelings canceling out the effects. So I'm thinking he's talking about that specifically. But it doesn't make sense because they went, one, it sounds like everyone who comes here has negative feelings. That's why you go to this planet, to get rid of the negative feelings. Two, we've learned that what happened was her and Scotty already reconciled.

[00:26:23] They, like, what's happening is they're going through their journey again. Because when we watch their video, they have reconciled. She doesn't have negative feelings before she wakes up. So why is she having him now? Because she's hungover? I didn't understand that. Especially when at the end, they have the whole thing about chasing the dragon. And they say, like, yeah, you both got a face full of the dragon. And she's like, well, that explains a lot. No, these are the two most sober people. Even Scotty is less drunk than anyone else on the crew.

[00:26:52] Like, make the dragon the reason she's sober. It's a small quibble. It doesn't ruin the episode for me. But that was the one thing where I was like, oh, I didn't follow that plot line. I think a strength of the episode is that, for me, for that particular note, I hadn't even noticed that. Because I was just grinning like an idiot. Like, my face hurt at the end of watching this. But you're not incorrect. Like, there is some stuff that kind of, if you pull on it, feels a little backwards.

[00:27:21] I definitely read the speech at the end about negativity and anger as, Hey, you don't have to love strange new worlds. But if you look for a reason to hate it, you will find one. And I always like when there's something in an episode that, to me, feels like writers going, Hey, chill out. It's a TV show. Yeah. Well, and, but also like Michelle, a hundred percent, your mind to my mind.

[00:27:49] Love Terrarium, of course. But this is the Mortegas episode I've been wanting to get to see the snarky, funny, lovable Mortegas. Not as out of her element as she was in Terrarium. And I think someone in the Discord made the good point that like what they were missing was seeing her interact with the rest of the crew. And I think that nailed it. Like, so yes, this, this is the Mortegas episode. Finally season four. I got it and I loved it. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:28:18] It, it, uh, it really, I felt the same way. I'm like, yeah, it's like Terrarium fantastic, but it was Mortegas out of her element. It was out of every one of her elements. It was a survival story and she was the right one for it, but it wasn't Mortegas being Mortegas. It was Mortegas surviving. I think we now have one complete, very long Ortegas episode. I think we, I think we need both. We need to see her being hyper competent and doing her Terrarium thing.

[00:28:47] And then we needed this episode. I'm so grateful for this episode. This is absolutely a data's day or a captain's holiday. Like this is the kind of episode that people seem to be lamenting that we don't get anymore because the seasons are so short. So I think that to know that we actually got one is, is doing wonders for my soul. Yeah. Yeah. I definitely, I'll put it, I'll put it in there with the enterprise episode. It's either four days, three nights or three days, two nights, but same kind of thing.

[00:29:16] It's like, Hey, what's everybody doing? And, and not what we expected. Let's go ahead and hear from Grayson. Hey everybody. All right. So 90 seconds, not nearly enough time for me to say everything that's on my mind about Star Trek's version of the hangover on fantasy Island. My journey is that I can't stop thinking about Dendrew's speech. Is it Dendrew? Yes. And on my third watch, I realized that it feels kind of defensive to me. Trek is changing, right? Discovery changed it.

[00:29:46] Strange new worlds has changed it. Starfleet Academy is changing it. And the fandom has gotten kind of loud and sometimes angry about what Trek is supposed to be. So when Dendrew suggests that maybe the thing you're criticizing isn't really the problem and maybe you need to look inside to find out why you feel that way. I couldn't help hearing it's not Star Trek. It's you, especially because writer and part-time bingo caller, apparently Catherine Lynn, she

[00:30:13] also wrote the, or co-wrote Space Adventure Hour, which had another speech that seemed to speak directly to the Trek fandom, which was a lot more supportive of sci-fi fandom in general. And I know that I said after the premiere that maybe it's me, maybe I'm aging out of Star Trek, but it hits different when Star Trek says that on my behalf. Maybe I'm completely misreading it. I've deliberately avoided strange new words because I wanted to record this before getting in backstory.

[00:30:42] But after three watches, that's where my head is at. Also, freeze frame Una's karaoke list. It's hysterical. And I think Una could have sung Don't Stop Believin' Since Everyone Is On A Journey. Okay. Now I'm going to go listen to strange new words. Bye. Well, yes, Grace. You absolutely need to because you nailed that one. Yeah. You called that absolutely correctly. And I really like the point he made and what we were talking about before with the Dendrew speech.

[00:31:11] It's like, do I love every episode of Star Trek? No. Do I like every episode of Star Trek? No. But if you're finding a reason to complain about a specific era or group of shows or just series, you're looking for a reason to exclude people from liking Star Trek. Which, at that point, it's like, then why don't you want more people to like Star Trek if

[00:31:38] you're a fan of this show or this property? Yeah. Well, I think to Dendrew's point, go looking for the stuff that makes you happy then. Yeah. Why are you spending so much time on the stuff you don't like? And just so we're clear, Grayson, we appreciate your measured approach to this. We don't think you're the kind of person that's going to be telling people you shouldn't like this. But I honestly think it is a fine line to walk for the writers.

[00:32:05] Because being here in Las Vegas, for Star Trek Las Vegas, we have run into every kind of fan that there is. There are the people that unabashedly seem to love everything. There are people that seem to really gravitate towards the episodes that a lot of people agree are not great episodes. And then there are people walking around with, like, I don't like new Trek shirts on.

[00:32:34] And I'm like, okay, you're in a Star Trek convention. Like, what is the benefit of letting the people around you know that you don't like a particular flavor of a thing? Maybe there is one, but I prefer to focus on the things that bring me joy from Star Trek. And again, Grayson, this is not an indictment of you. I think you have phrased your feelings very clearly. And I appreciate that.

[00:33:01] That's one thing I appreciate about all our callers, actually, is that when there are things people don't like, it's not a other people shouldn't like this either. It's here's why I feel this way. And I mean, you're right, man, everyone is on a journey that includes how they react to Star Trek. And I'm just grateful that the wheel in the sky keeps on turning. And thank you so much for bringing up strange new words, Grayson, because everyone should be on a journey to watch this week's.

[00:33:28] If you don't watch any other one, this one is amazing because we get a lot of what ifs. As anyone could probably guess from this episode, there was a lot of pitches. There's a lot of different ways it could go on. The story of how it landed on this particular story is kind of amazing. And learning things about what Mbenga's original journey was is fantastic. Learning about the dude wears my chapel of it all was kind of fantastic. So please, yeah, do go check that out.

[00:33:56] And I wish we had asked that because it hadn't occurred to me when I watched and watched in Drew's speech, but both Jesse and Grayson picked up on it. And I think they're absolutely right that there was probably a little bit of a meta message there. And I wish we had asked Kat about that. We'll get her back on. But who would usually, who we always, almost always do have on is Abby. Let's go ahead and hear from her. Hey, Open Pike. Abby Summer from the First Flight Podcast here to talk about human best friend.

[00:34:23] Love that this was such a different tone than last week. Horror is not my jam. This was much funnier. A buddy comedy is always a good time. Now, I'm going to leave some of the plot stuff to you guys so I can gush about costumes. Oh my God. Not only were they fun, but the jewelry, the ear jewelry this season is amazing. Erika and La'an had some beautiful ones this episode. So did Una. I am just amazed at the level of detail in all of it. And the Rataxians costumes at the end, gorgeous.

[00:34:52] Loved Mbenga's shirt more than Scotty's. That's a personal thing. What an amazing job they did on the costumes. I liked the speech about anger. I liked them coming together at the end. I want Scotty and Erika to hang out and be friends. That's more fun. This episode was light. It was hilarious about the plants. And you know what? I don't mind having a silly Star Trek episode. Some people might think it's over the top. For me, it was a nice palate cleanser after last week.

[00:35:20] And this cast has good comedic timing. So roll that bingo ball and let's go on to the next episode. Hope this finds you in yours well. Formal agree, Abby. I think for me, the standout of this, maybe unsurprisingly, is Erika's earring. This is how you do future fashion. This looks like something you could go get right now.

[00:35:46] But you would only see it on the coolest three people you've ever met in your life. And that's a big part of why it works for me. It's not like, oh, it's a hologram earring or it's an alien earring. It's just an earring. But it's very cool. And it is worn in such a confident way that it adds this level of future realism to the character that is very appreciated. Yeah. It's new, but it's never commented on or brought.

[00:36:14] It's just like, hey, Ortegas is wearing this new earpiece this season. I really like, I don't know if many of our callers bring up Laan and her journey. But when we first meet Laan in the yoga studio, trying to start an ambu jutsu fighting ring, watch that scene again. I don't know if you guys noticed, but when she splits up the room, Scotty immediately is like, oh, that side's going to win. They're taller. I think something like that. He just makes some little comment to Ortegas.

[00:36:42] Like he starts picking a side of who's going to win. He's just like, okay, we're doing ambu jutsu now. So it's hilarious. And I just love that we're starting to deal with this Laan being more militant, possibly con-ish storyline, which carries through in this episode. But it's in a ridiculous fashion. And she just starts taking over gangs. Well, I'm so glad you brought that up. Laan is hilarious in all this. Her streaking fight club and then avenge me. As she gets dragged out.

[00:37:12] I mean, listen to Marcy on green shirt. Avenge me is one of her favorite movie quotes of all time from Red Dawn. It's all so good. But I think Laan has the most subtle heartbreaking arc of this episode because it wasn't until the third watch that I noticed in the final scene when everyone's at the bar sitting around talking about what a great time. Laan's there, but she is not partaking in the conversation. She is sitting outside the circle, staring into space, very pointedly. They do not give her any lines.

[00:37:43] And like, I mean, just think about that right now. I'm kind of getting chills. Like, oh my God, she had such a good time. But like, she's the drunk who like afterwards is like, I regret everything. What does this say about me? I'm a broken person. Yeah. And I think that's going to have ramifications going forward this season. I also love the runner of Scotty just being afraid of Laan. Yes. Like, it has nothing to do with her being an augment.

[00:38:08] It has nothing to do with anything she's like actually done that could be considered dangerous. He's just intimidated by her. And that is understandable. Yeah, absolutely. But yeah, the Scotty Ortegas of it all is great. Like, as hilarious as this episode is, it's very heartwarming. Their scenes are wonderful. I do wonder, like, I don't dislike it necessarily, but it is kind of surprising that we introduced their conflict in episode one.

[00:38:35] Don't really get much in episode two because they don't interact. And now it seems resolved in episode three. I think they're going to keep building on it. I think, you know, it is, it really is bringing Scotty. Like I said early on in the season, like this is Scotty as part of the crew. And this is another step toward welcoming him. It's like, you are the engineer. We don't have Pelia. One, because I think she would have stolen the show and it would be a very different episode if Carol Kane had been on it. I'm kind of glad she wasn't.

[00:39:02] But two, it's like, yeah, this is about him being an engineer and her being a pilot. And it's like, yes, you are the engineer of this ship, mostly minus your thumb. So, yeah. Well, and it is great to pair two characters that love the ship. Yeah. Like they have different ideas about how to love the ship. Maybe they speak different ship love languages, but they can find the common ground there with the ship itself. And is that Polly?

[00:39:27] I will say, I know a lot of folks were apprehensive that the show is getting ready to set up a Scotty and Ortega's romance. And I shared that feeling with you. And I am so happy that it ends up in like a total friendship, like based on respect, based on mutual understanding.

[00:39:51] And like, honestly, the moment they have connecting about family without having any extra characters. We didn't need Beto to be here. We didn't need to meet one of Scotty's brothers. It just worked. And Scotty's line, hearts are infinite. Let's make use of that space is like, to me, that is an all time Star Trek line right there. Yeah.

[00:40:21] There's alarm rationalization and alarm management design there. It's a little alert. It gets a little bit bigger when it's an alarm. And then you get two alarms. Like, it's a very, very good visually distinctive alarm system he has set up. And Ortega's was wrong to put tape over. You shouldn't do that. I don't think that's true at all. Scotty's a pretty good UI, UX designer. But Ortega's is the best pilot. So I'm just going to disagree on his face. Jesse, producer John is the one person who never ignores his checkup.

[00:40:51] He's got a black engine light. That's true. It comes on and guess what he does? He checks his engines. Yep. All right. Let's hear from Sincera. Informal. What up? Hey, guys. I'm calling in about Strange New Worlds, Human Best Friend. And I'm going to take a little leaf out of Grayson's book from last week and say almost no notes. Really, the whole episode just brought me and my household a whole plethora of joy.

[00:41:18] The only note I would offer is I don't think that Kirk should have actually been there. Because shouldn't he be suffering from a whole lot of trauma from a ghost ship and a stab wound and not so happy-go-lucky? Maybe if I recall from one of the writer's episodes, this one was shot out of order. And so technically they hadn't done the ghost ship episode yet. So maybe that's just a little behind-the-curtain stuff for us.

[00:41:47] But yeah, I think he should have stayed a hallucination the entire time. And that's something for Spock to get past. That's just my one note. Aside from that, 45 to 50 minutes of pure hangover, giddy little drugs in the air joy. And I will watch this episode until the end of time. Steve from Battlestage Theatrica. Informally signing off.

[00:42:16] I gotta say, Steve, I am so proud this week to be able to sound more like you on the recording than I normally do. And man, is this a lot of work for you? Because it's a lot of work for me. Steps I had to take to get here. But I will politely disagree with you. I think it is a...

[00:42:44] I mean, I know that the writers have broken the whole season when they do start filming. So they knew these two episodes existed. And I think this order actually works better because everybody who was on that ship is down on this planet. And all of those people would need shore leave and time to heal and time to relax. And, I mean, I know we haven't even talked about Pike's face tattoo yet. But, like, this is...

[00:43:12] I think it's a fun thing because he wasn't on the ship, right? But we saw him on the ship and it was upsetting. And it's nice to see somebody, you know, have an experience with needles where they're not dying because of it. Or bleeding all over the place because of it. Especially in New Star Trek. But I think, for me, that's a good reason that it makes sense for Kirk to be there.

[00:43:38] I will say, the first time I watched this, I could not figure out if he was. Like, the moment in the transport room at the end almost works even if Kirk doesn't know what Spock is talking about. Like, I don't know why you think I'm a hallucination, but I'm going to snap you out of that real quick. So to find out that he was there the whole time doesn't change that for me. And I do.

[00:44:03] I liked the explanation from writer Catherine Lynn that, like, Kirk is the happy drunk. He's the guy that says, come here, buddy. Let's hug it out. She's rolling some fries. Yeah. He's on Molly. Oh, okay. Pike was supposed to be the happy drunk, but then she was like, but he had notes on how he wanted to play it. I think he became more of a meth head.

[00:44:27] Point being, I think that this fits with the last episode because, again, a lot of these characters just had a ton of trauma. And drugs are maybe not the best way to process that. But if you're a professional and you have professional friends with you, I think it's okay. But totally, like, I agree with what everyone says. I loved the last episode, but it's still a palate cleanser. Even I needed it after that. So I do think it works that way. I mean, I could go either way with the Kirk of it all.

[00:44:55] Like, I guess I just, I don't know what the button would be if he was a hallucination. I do think the reveal that he's real works. I love Spock's reaction. I don't want to give that up. So I'm willing to go with it. There is some weirdness. Like, someone had pointed out, because he definitely comes out of the bathroom in the first scene. And then the second scene, Catherine was talking like, yeah, I was shot a little weird, but he is supposed to be behind a wall. And I'm like, okay.

[00:45:23] But then someone pointed out, like, they walked from Spock's room to the security room. Where was Kirk? Did he, like, come out of the bathroom and follow behind and go through a different door? Or that was a little bit of a stretch. But it is fun. I do think they play it right, because he is a little bit weird. He's just weird enough that you're like, oh, okay, hallucination. And then when you rewatch it, you're like, oh, no, he is tripping on Molly. I get it. He's ordering fries and giving hugs. And yeah. Yeah.

[00:45:51] He's that friend who just always manages to disappear during a party. And it's like, where were you? He's like, yeah, I did my own thing. It's fine. I'm back. Yeah. Kirk is absolutely the party wanderer. Yeah. Where, like, you start to get worried. Like, you realize an hour later you haven't seen that person. And then as you're starting to think, like, maybe I should go find them, they walk back up to you holding a drink. Everything's fine. You have no idea what I just got up to. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. All right. Let's hear from Mishi. Hi, guys. It's Mishi. I like this episode.

[00:46:21] The only thing that really bothers me in this is Kirk and his terrible behavior. He was fully aware the whole time that Spock viewed him as an illusion, yet he let it play out just for his own amusement. And then at the end, he even taunted Spock about knowing all his secrets now. In my opinion, that kind of behavior has no place in Starfleet. But maybe they just included it as in contrast to Ortega's. I love all the scenes with her.

[00:46:47] She did look out for her friends, especially Scotty, making sure he didn't do anything he'd regret later. So, I so loved the scene in the bar. And the Klingon karaoke was so perfect. And Babs, he was hilarious. It was so much fun watching Pike trying to act sober when he obviously wasn't. And his tattoo fitted him perfectly. And La Han was so funny. The way she stole Scotty's shirt was hilarious.

[00:47:16] My absolute favorite scene in this episode was Erica, with the duct tape as the beginning. It's good to know that duct tape will still be serving an important purpose even 200 years from now. If it hadn't been for the Kirk teens, this would have been my favorite episode of the fourth season. But since they unfortunately triggered bad memories, my current ranking is episode 1, 3, 2. How about you guys? What is your current episode ranking? Oh, shit.

[00:47:46] So, I didn't read that entire part about Kirk kind of letting Spock believe he was a hallucination and taunting him a little bit about it at the end. I didn't read that as taunting. And I didn't read Kirk as having quite enough agency at the time to be like, I'm going to play into this. But I will say, if he is and if he did, that actually fits pretty well with TOS, Kirk, and Spock.

[00:48:13] They have a very contentious friendship at times where they kind of tease each other and poke a little fun at each other. So, I think it fits for me personally. And I'm really excited to tell you all that I have found a parallel between Melanie and Pike. Because Pike is getting his tattoo and he looks at the guy and says, you should come to Montana.

[00:48:42] And last night, I had the pleasure of sitting with Melanie and having a drink and was absolutely invited to Germany to come hang out and experience what Germany could be for a visiting Trekkie. Germany is amazing. You absolutely should go visit. Where's my invite, Mel? To answer your question, Michi, I will just echo one of my favorite scenes from this episode

[00:49:10] and count down three, two, one. Yeah, I think I would go three, one, two. And you know why. I didn't dislike two. It's just the only episode of this show I haven't rewatched yet. Yeah, I'll go with Cam. Three, two, one. But loved them all. It's a very close three, two, one. There's not a big divide yet for my enjoyment of this season. It's a very good season, a very good start to it.

[00:49:40] Oh, I did want to ask. Being a little bit in the theme of Greatest Trek, do we think Lon knocked Guy's eye out? Because there was some eye trauma in that scene when she was smacking around with a stick. I think what I love the most about that scene is the economy of it. Yeah. Like, here's what we need to happen. How can we do this quickly? We'll do it this way. Yeah, I'm their leader now. But I have to bring them a prize. I told them they had to be better.

[00:50:09] Oh, and we have to tell you, yesterday, Martin Quinn was wearing the shirt. Yeah, Bernadette brought it. She did her panel just before the Strange New Worlds. People did theirs. I can't believe I forgot. Like, we could have just ripped that shirt off of him and been like, we're doing a big, Martin. This is just from the episode. Oh, dang it. Give me the shirt. He also would have loved that. Yeah, he would absolutely be game. Yeah. All right, let's go ahead and hear from Zoe. Hello, guys.

[00:50:38] This is Zoe from the USS Cinema... You know what this is. Anyway, I was just down in that planet that the Enterprise crew was on. And I have a list of my favorite officers in order of inebriations. Oh, nice.

[00:51:06] For example, my favorite drunk of the whole episode was Spock. He's fantastic. Good pick. He's amazing. And then Uhura, because I'm on her journey. And Pike, because of his face. And Noonien Singh, because she's living her best life as a fighter. And then there's Jen Riley,

[00:51:36] because I want all of my power ballads in Klingons now. And then Scotty, because he's the classic drunk. And then Banga was just goofy. Ortega, although this is her best episode, she's not really drunk. And then Kirk, because he's a little tipsy. That's my list.

[00:52:04] USS Cinnabon, out. Okay. It has to be said. The production value and the storytelling that Zoe incorporates into his calls are kind of unmatched. I'm a little surprised we haven't had one drunk call-in yet. Yeah, that is a commitment to the bit. That was amazing, Zoe. And I do have to ask you, man, what about Chapel? Chapel's in one and a half scenes,

[00:52:32] and she might be my favorite drunk from this episode. It is tough to pick one out of all these performances. But Chapel, like for me, the thing about the Chapel scene is that you immediately are like, this completely tracks. Like this is what she would do. And she totally kills it. I really like that scene. And I got to say, I'm very happy to hear that so many people have enjoyed this episode.

[00:53:03] As Cameron was saying, comedy is always subjective. And after I watched the second episode this season, I said, you guys, this season is going to be really divisive. And then I watched the third episode, and I said, you guys, this season is going to be really divisive. It's kind of a nice, pleasant surprise for me that so far it seems like people are thinking this is really a strong season despite the huge tonal differences in these two episodes. Yeah.

[00:53:33] Well, I mean, to the point someone else made and that I've been making, like, you don't come to this episode for the Star Trek, if at all. Like, we do get a bomb and negotiations and everything. But like, for me personally, Star Trek has always been about the characters. I love the TOS movies because I love the TOS characters. I don't really care what they're doing. They can be chasing whales. They can be meeting God. I don't give a shit. They're just fun to be with. And this is one of those episodes where you're like, if you love the characters, you're probably going to have an okay time with this episode. And four seasons in,

[00:54:03] if you're still watching, you love the characters. This is not episode two. This is not the naked now. Yeah. I mean, even if you are hate watching it and you're still watching this far in, a view is a view. So good for you. And yeah, I think, I think I really like, yeah, it's like, so Chapel has one, been here before because she's super excited about this planet. And two, so she just gets angry cocaine fight. Like this, this is not the first fight she's had in that, in that bingo hall. And it's, it's pretty obvious. She,

[00:54:33] her and Leota have beef from her previous visits. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. This is not new. Also props to Zoe for USS Cinnabon there at the end of his call. Yeah. Really. Yeah. Really well done. Yeah. I got, I got to know if that was all an act or like did, like how drunk did Zoe get to make that call? If Zoe is not actually drunk, like that is some writing, my friend. Absolutely. As someone who's about to head to the airport, Cinnabon sounds real good. Some anti-annies. All right, let's hear from Katrine.

[00:55:03] Hi, OpenPike gang. In contrast to last week's episode, I really loved this one. There were so many hilarious moments. I laughed out loud when Spock suddenly saw Ortega's and Scotty as plants. And when Scotty yelled, they stole my eyeballs. I was wondering if Catherine Lynn intentionally included a few homages to last season. The reference to missing eyeballs reminded me of Anson Gamble. And the countdown from 10 that stopped

[00:55:33] at four and a half immediately made me think of another episode from last season. In this episode, I especially loved Ortega's and Scotty. They are two of my favorite characters and I really like both actors. It was so much fun watching them insult each other, apologize to each other and eventually opening up about their past and their fears. They make a fantastic team and I really hope we will see more of them together. What I liked most

[00:56:02] was that this episode wasn't just funny. It also had some emotional and thoughtful moments which gave it a lot of heart. And finally, I really hope we will get the full Klingon version of Una's song as a DVD or Blu-ray extra. Thanks again for your podcast and live long and prosper. Yeah, I don't know about those callbacks but to just promote our Strange New Worlds interview with Catherine Lin, she does talk about quite a few Enterprise references

[00:56:31] she makes in the script. She loves to fit those in and they're scattered around. Also, to call back, I think it was Michelle was talking about wishing Sam Kirk was in this episode. Again, your thoughts and my thoughts because I want Sam Kirk in every episode. but we do get to hypothesize with writer Catherine on what Sam Kirk would be up to and the story she comes up with and the bit of cinema trivia that comes along with it is not one to be missed. Yes, yeah. I do, we haven't talked about her very much but I just love that she is just

[00:57:01] the sage to dispense wisdom while throwing the best party on the planet. She's the drunk Yoda. Yeah, yeah. And it's so fun and like the, she's like, no, that's not your journey. It's like, what if it is our journey? She's like, you're right. What if it is your journey? And gives it a lot. That and her moment of, is Pike in there? And she says, yeah, no, he's not here. Like, it is, it's so naturalistic.

[00:57:31] Yeah. And to harken back to what Abby was saying, the costumes in this episode are amazing. The amount of design and time that went into Uhura's party dress, for her to be in three scenes where she's just standing in a doorway, like, the quality and craftsmanship on this show are amazing. thing. And I think to, Katrin's point, it's like,

[00:58:01] this doesn't work without the heart, right? It's the same thing as we were talking about Lower Decks earlier. Lower Decks does not work without the heart. You would have people saying, why are you making fun of Star Trek? Yeah. And I'll point to the fact that some people thought the space adventure hour was making fun of Star Trek. So, to have the heart in there is what really sells it. And I have to praise Martin Quinn's performance. Like, you know, I'm the world's premier Ortegas fan,

[00:58:29] but Scotty in this episode is why it works. And Martin Quinn is integral to that, of course. but his subtle shifts between silly and kind of easygoing and incredibly hurt, like, you feel it when he says, that's my favorite shirt. Like, that matters to him. And that's incredibly ridiculous that that matters in a way that... That's not ridiculous. Have you seen the shirt, Jesse? We all want that shirt. But like,

[00:58:59] for it to be a small plot point, it is sold 100% by his performance. And I'm very, very glad that we're getting to see more Scotty. Well, I mean, to that point, like, the heart is there, of course. But like, to go from these characters do not like each other to Ortegas being like, no, you're not going alone. I'm flying the ship with you. We're going to die together. Like, that is no small journey to make. And I have not seen one person say that moment fell flat.

[00:59:29] They earned that moment. In fact, most people don't talk about that. Like, I haven't heard many people talk about the final act of this. This episode is like, oh yeah, that's the, the drama of this episode that is still very well played by one, how drunk everybody still is. And also, Scotty's thumb being blown off. Oh my God. We haven't talked about that moment, which again, I think like works even better coming after the horror episode because you're like, it's more body horror, but like, it's given, it's being given to me

[00:59:59] in a much more palatable, enjoyable way. Yes. And it, and it, they like, we talked about it with the, with the director, Yana, like they waited just long enough because it's like, that'd be funny if like part of, part of, you know, not everything got beamed back, but then we cut away from them on the transporter pad and then cut back and then he holds his hand. It's great. I mean, yeah, let's, let's talk about the third act a bit because I do think, and again, like learning how

[01:00:31] it was just supposed to be hangout episode and was supposed to be a lot of what we get at first. Oh no, the shuttle's missing. Someone stole that. No, they just lost it. Oh my God, they're getting kidnapped. What's happened? Oh no, they asked to be kidnapped. Yeah. And so by the time you get to the third act, you're like, okay, I see what the conflict is. They're all inebriated, but they got to get through these negotiations. Got it. That's a plot. I don't, I'm not expecting anything else at this point because we've seen it from Star Trek. So it's the best way like, oh yeah. Okay. They always have to come in at the last minute and negotiate. Pike has a face tattoo and he's just reading

[01:01:00] inspirational words he's had tattooed on his fingers to solve this intergalactic diplomacy issue. Like that is enough of stakes and obstacles and then we reveal a bomb. Yeah. And it works so well. It works so well and I mean, it's a credit to this episode. We've been talking so much and we have referenced formal hello. These two aliens are kind of awesome. Like you take everything else out. We've got some interesting alien cultures happening in this episode that you don't even think about

[01:01:29] because of everything else happening. Yes. Yeah. And it gave us the line formal peachy. Yeah. And I will say like Ant and Mount's drunk is so subtle and specific. There's a moment where he almost calls Scott Spock. Yeah. He says, Mr. Scott and it's like you will miss that if you're busy laughing but that and USS Christopher Pike like

[01:02:00] he's so close. He's almost able to do this. It really is like Cameron had a chance to tell Anson this weekend he thinks he is a character actor trapped in a leaning man's body and Anson Mount absolutely agrees with that. Yeah. He's like, all my agents said that. Oh, just, I mean, another chance I had with an actor was one of my favorite Uhura moments and I guess in the script it was just like she pushes Erica out the door by her face and Uhura does this amazing

[01:02:29] boop, boop, boop, boop, wavy, wavy and Uhura did the wavy, wavy to my face and I loved it. that's awesome. That's awesome. Celia, sorry, Celia. I also like that it's like, oh, there's a bomb. Oh, what's this chip? Oh, it's us revealing our plan. Our really shitty drunk plan. Like they're like, yeah, we could have done better with that. Also like, I love like Spock just steps on and he's like, what's this? I'm like, uh, we didn't notice that. Yeah, everybody flying back and like nobody noticed. That is like the kind of coincidental like solution. I'm like, okay, I'm here for that. I'll take that. That works for me.

[01:02:59] While Scotty's holding a bomb they're just like, yeah, that was a bad idea. All right, let's solve this. It is the hangover. Like, let's look at these pictures moment. Oh, yeah. All right, we got a few more calls. Let's hear from Plotty. Hey there, open Pike night. It's Plotty M3 and here's my hit shits and giggles for dude. I got a hangover. So where's my shuttlecraft? All right, hits Spock and his uncontrollable drunkenness being played straight was great.

[01:03:29] It was definitely a callback to that episode where he was having a meal with that bald bastard Vulcan lawyer and it was completely calm and then he walks over to Mbenga and apologized for, you know, having such an outburst and whatever they were doing. The Klingon power ballards were great. Una's song was amazing. Had to love the reusing of the Mugato costume from Starfleet Academy too. All right, shits. I found the whole Ortegas and Scotty looking around the resort for everyone and then for the shuttlecraft to just be

[01:03:58] far too slow paced. They didn't have to run from person to person but the entire time it felt like just too slow for the comedy I think they were trying to get and a little more frenetic pace would have helped. Also, I wish this episode would have been like number seven in the season. Really, we got tension between Ortegas and Scotty in episode one and then it's just immediately solved here. Far too quick. It should have lingered a bit. Giggles, Cactagus, was the funniest bit I've seen in a couple seasons now on Strange New Worlds.

[01:04:27] They absolutely nailed that and also really liked the Dave Foley's character and wish they just would have had some more of him. That bit about the extremely small print being referenced in the small print. Great. All right, enjoy Vegas. Platty M3 signing off. So, again, Platty, I love you. I don't want to disagree with you. But, as a person who is wrapping up a week in Las Vegas, I think the pacing of this episode indicates experience on the part

[01:04:56] of Catherine Lynn. there are timetables that you have to keep when you're in the middle of a giant party and it can feel like, oh, well, we have four days or don't worry about it. We still have three days. Like, don't worry about it. There's still two entire days and you can be working toward that thing the entire time and, A, feel like it is flying by and, B, also that you can't quite work toward it fast enough at the same time. I think thematically

[01:05:26] it fits with how all the characters are feeling for me. I would be interested to hear your reaction to that idea. I mean, I'm not, I enjoy the pace for sure. I know that they cut some stuff out to increase the pace. Yana talked about that in our director's interview. But to Plattie's point, I'd be curious to see the Edgar Wright cut of this where it would be like, ka-pachoo, ka-choo, like moment, moment, moment. Yeah. That is hard to pull off. Edgar Wright can do it so I'd be curious to see that version. Yeah. And I think part of it,

[01:05:56] what sells it for me is that, you know, we've talked about the guest stars with the aliens with Dendru. There are also the guest stars, the background actors who are very, very background, like the shuttle attendant who is just so bored. That's bad. And the kidnappers who are just like, all right, well, on to our next kidnapping. They're going to deliver up a platter of meats to someone's room. It's like, this is just the day on the job for these guys. I'm like, all right, next, let's go. I was like, they must love their job.

[01:06:26] They're good at it. We talked with Catherine, like it's not explained exactly who sent the letter to move up the negotiations. You can infer that it's the saboteur and she confirmed as the saboteur. I would have liked a little closure on that. It would have been fun to meet someone and then find out at the end, oh, remember that random person? That turned out to be the villain the whole time. I think played well, that could have been a really nice little bow. I'm not mad that it's not there, but it would have been it.

[01:06:55] It could have been another two or three minutes in the episode and it would have worked because it's like, yeah, think about it. Somebody really had every contingency covered for how to get a bomb onto the ship for this. Or even in party mode, if there's just one extra you think in the back of every scene and then in the photo montage they're like, oh, it was this guy the whole time. You gotta notice that person. Yeah, especially because we saw that last season with the Rungovian. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, we've seen this mechanic used before.

[01:07:25] It works. All right, let's go ahead and hear from Starship. Hello, Open Pike Knight. I keep trying to get this down to 90 seconds, but I'm having trouble. Apparently, I have a lot of thoughts about this one. It was a very mixed bag. A lot of the gags I really did enjoy. Like, everything with Spock and plants was very funny, but I don't feel like they had enough material to justify the run time. It felt like they had

[01:07:54] about 20 minutes of story and then they just padded out the rest. And the Kirk stuff. This is a Why Are You Here Kirk? episode. There was no reason for him to be here this week and it raises so many questions. Why would Spock think he's a hallucination? Why is Kirk spending vacation in his uniform? How did he get back to the Enterprise? He wasn't on the shuttle with the rest of them. Why did he go back to the Enterprise? Why, after all the angst last week

[01:08:23] about not spending time with David, is he once again spending his free time without David? I, yeah, this one was very mixed. It was funny, but once I think about it for more than 10 seconds, it starts to fall apart. So, go home, Jim. Go on now, get. Go home and prosper, guys. Go home, Steve. I will correct start. Go on now, get. Get. So,

[01:08:52] I think for me, at least for the David thing, which I hadn't thought about and I'm glad that you brought it up, is, Carol did not answer that phone call. Kirk may have already missed his chance to call and say, hey, I'd love to spend some time with David. He chose to go to the conference instead and hang out on a ghost ship. So, this could be part of his journey toward accepting the role that he may or may not have in David's life.

[01:09:22] But I am glad you brought that up. I had not considered that. Yeah, I mean, you know, two seasons ago, I would have been right there with you. Get out of here, Kirk. At this point, I've grown to accept him. I've grown to enjoy him. I think he's great in this episode. I do think seeing him and Spock interact is a lot of fun. I do love the line at the end when Spock learns he's real and he goes, I told you everything. Everything, yeah. Well, no, you didn't. We know there's a few big things you did not tell him.

[01:09:52] Did you mention siblings at all? Or fathers. It seems like the things that affect you most, you didn't tell him. Or maybe Kirk was so intoxicated he just literally doesn't remember half of it. Yeah, yeah. I certainly know I don't remember half of this week. Go ahead, Jesse. All right, I was just going to say I do also like the button of Spock being visibly scared that he told Kirk all these things.

[01:10:20] I think Paul Wesley plays it really well when he says, hey, that stuff is safe with me. Like, what happens on Cessna stays on Cessna. I got you, bro. And, yeah, I mean, again, like, not all the good acts worked for you. That is 100% fine. I'm surprised that I don't think there's a bad beat comedy-wise in this episode. Like, I don't think all of Star Trek's Strange New Worlds comedy episodes work. I think there are a lot of like, eh, I don't know

[01:10:50] if there is one in this episode for me. Like, I love every moment. I'm with the ride. Yeah. And that's a personal thing, 100%, but thank you, Catherine Lynn, for writing this episode for me, apparently. Absolutely. And it doesn't go full as out there as either the hangover, but honestly, I always go back to Neil Patrick Harris in Harold and Kumar. We don't get a crazy Neil Patrick Harris type character, which would have worked, but honestly, I think would have been a distraction. Like, for what this show is, not a movie,

[01:11:19] and where it's, you know, it does still have to carry some stories forward. I think, like you said, it nails the tone and the humor. And yes, I laughed out loud multiple times at this episode. I'm like, I don't laugh out loud very much watching anything anymore. I watched this on an airplane and like was having to stifle my laughter and did not always succeed. And I was trying not to attract attention because it was a screener. Yeah. Who would be the Neil Patrick Harris? I mean, maybe Kirk is, like, I'm trying to think like who's a celebrity in the Star Trek universe?

[01:11:50] They bring in Jeffrey Combs for that. Yeah. Oh, that would have been hilarious. Yes. And now Cameron's upset. Yeah. Fuck this episode. All right. We have one caller left. I feel it's appropriate to end with him. Let's go ahead and hear from Newman the Space Hippie. Newman the Space Hippie getting it in just under the wire. Feeling like Newman the Sourpuss after watching this episode. It just wasn't for me. It was all much too reference heavy

[01:12:20] and nonsensical and I feel like this notion of going to a de-stressing planet or resort was achieved more effectively and with greater success on both Rick and Morty and Star Trek Lower Decks. It's possible I just watched it too early in the morning before having coffee and smoke and I just was too Sourpuss of a person to enjoy it properly but I'd love a slightly

[01:12:49] more professional take on things in the next episode. Newman the Space Hippie out. This was one time I will allow a second call if you do want to watch it at a different time of day Newman and recall if you have new things to say afterwards and you certainly are not obligated to feel differently about it. I think that the reason that the tone works for me is because we have we've seen these people be professionals

[01:13:18] for so long and I'm grateful that Strange New Worlds does not have the universe level stakes that Discovery seems to always stumble into partway through a small personal plot line so to go from the deeply personal stakes of last week to the complete lack of personal stakes and just have you know have the mission be the thing

[01:13:47] really really worked for me and it's nice to see our characters cut loose like and again I'm not sitting here saying you've watched the episode incorrectly you should absolutely love it but for me this is this is a Captain's Holiday like Captain's Holiday is not an episode that super matters like the Taksuta is like a huge threat but most of it is played for laughs like here's this bumbling guy this bumbling Ferengi

[01:14:17] and is the Captain gonna hook up with this lady and like even the time travelers are kind of bad at their jobs considering their time travelers like it's for me it is a kind of Star Trek episode and it immediately recalled those kinds of Star Trek episodes so I think I was just again not to overuse it but I think I was just here for the journey personally yeah it is I'm glad Newman called that in first off we welcome calls we

[01:14:47] do worlds thank you very much for every call we get and I have started thinking about okay what's the other side of this episode again because I brought up how many machinations had to go into place to get this bomb where they wanted it like there's another episode of some kind of elite force making this whole thing set up and just at the end the bad guy has to be like curses you know like

[01:15:16] there's no other way for them to react like really human friendship and being drunk ruined a lot of hard work like there have to that yeah that thought stays in

[01:15:46] vegas and i will say some of the people that watched this episode with us in our room had already seen it and were not crazy about it watching it with other trekkies and in the atmosphere of like a hangout or a small party that kind of if you watch a horror

[01:16:16] episode at the wrong time or in the wrong mindset it will affect you differently than it would if you're getting ready to watch a horror episode and it's dark and you're by yourself that sort of thing i mean this is totally the opposite of that so if you're not in the the headspace of like i want to watch a screwball goofy stoner comedy then yeah like it makes total sense that it wouldn't land for you and to be super fair there

[01:16:46] are there are folks who are not going to ever enjoy that setup like there's plenty of people that are like i'm not going to go watch dude where's my car in the theater i'm not going to watch Harold and Kumar in the theater i'm not going to watch a silly thing happen like on purpose right like you have to be in this mindset you got to be ready for it and it's it's not a failing on the part of anyone to not happen to be in the spot to watch a

[01:17:16] silly screwball comedy well we talked to someone who was able to watch episode two at comic con and i mean this isn't going to help anyone who didn't like horror couldn't handle the squeamishness of the body horror but like i was very jealous he got to see it on a big screen yeah i would have loved to have watched that in a dark theater with an

[01:17:48] what this episode does so well is showing the whole crew in this way and in that way and i know we've bemoaned it but naked now is

[01:18:18] there's some funny shit in that episode and just seeing these characters act this way and again i go back to the point i made like if you do try to give it another watch like leave your star trek expectations aside and just be like let's watch some really talented comedic actors do some really talented comedy so in the spirit of this episode and where we are in Vegas I ask

[01:18:50] I am going to say between they haven't had exposure to it yet so between 16 and 24 between 16 and 24 i think i would probably go i might go harold and kumar because harold and kumar has that energy of like if you're young enough watching it you're like i don't want that to happen to me but it was funny to watch

[01:19:19] and then dude where's my car i mean it has its place i don't dislike that movie it does go a little bit off the rails toward the end of the movie like the actual plot of that movie is slightly insane so i think harold and kumar has lower stakes but it

[01:19:50] it doesn't matter what is happening like the funny part of it is is watching these people interact like watching the banter between zach galifianakis and the people who are not zach galifianakis and you know kind of that um that quickly explained like familiar relationship like oh yeah my dad loves this car more than he loves me that's not a joke that kind of a thing it's like that that movie in particular also has moments where you're like this is about to get

[01:20:19] really real and that's how I felt when scotty and ortegas were kidnapped I was like oh no this is the part where it turns into a real thing

[01:20:52] it's been a while since I've seen it I like it a lot but I mean the hangover kind of became a classic for a reason and a big part of

[01:21:22] the they are nailing the buddy comedy and except for the guy who played Doug yeah well I was going to say like hangover two is like it is brash in just like how beat for beat they're remaking like it puts home alone and home alone to shame for how much they're just remaking the exact same movie just putting like that yellowish like oh we're in Thailand filter and

[01:21:52] hangover three quite a bit because the other buddy actually gets to hang out and do stuff and it deviates and it's like we're going to take these characters and we're going to do something a little different with them yeah I'm going to go with first off I am going to agree that dude where's my car is a bad movie and I don't think it needs to be kept alive for younger generations the title is

[01:22:22] hands down I mean you have a fantasy scene where Kumar sees a giant bag of weed and then fantasizes marrying that bag of weed who becomes kind of sentient and then fantasizes that that marriage kind of got

[01:22:52] John Cho so we've got a Star Trek connection and two it's just it is more brilliant than people remember it also has the law and order SVU guy right yes Chris Maloney let me go rewatch Harold and Kumar come back and reanswer this question well and like you talked about the hangover you know launching some careers Harold and Kumar like brought Neil Patrick Harris back into the world for a long time fiction right yeah and it's

[01:23:22] interesting I kind of realized as you were talking about it Cam the hangover is decidedly an 80s movie like oh yeah they made a movie people liked it they put a two on it made the same movie again like two years later yes yes and then three they were like what if it got a little weirder this is an 80s movie trilogy it all came out really close together they were like well let's try

[01:23:52] something yeah and I think Harold and Kumar is a great example of 2000s comedy movies like the absurdism but also just like yeah it's still a buddy comedy but it's like we're gonna throw disfigured Chris Maloney in here we're gonna have a fantasy with a bag of weed Neil Patrick Harris is not himself he is credited as Neil Patrick Harris because it is a different version it's a character who also takes a full shotgun blast to the torso and survives partly because total non sequitur here but

[01:24:23] I watched it I don't know it was like totally threw that gag off I was like what is happening oh they did not crop this okay I get it yeah and I will say I think Harold

[01:25:12] human best friend I had two more quick notes the dueling logs at the beginning classic amazing also one of those things I wrote a spec script for Stranger World after season one and in it I

[01:25:42] this episode are kind of off the chart the like error message when their cars or their shuttles not in the giant shuttle parking bay the car what's the name of the company that puts all the cars in the elevators Carvana tower when he throws the tricorder and it breaks that sound is amazing it's when you watch a comedy and they put in the screeching cat whenever someone throws something you're

[01:26:12] was dumb but I laughed my ass off because of the this episode gave us a Star Trek character opening a door and two other Star Trek characters getting hit with a wall of smoke like this episode knows what it's doing it's doing it confidently you do not have to like it but I think this episode more than any other is like we're gonna do this regardless of how anyone feels about it

[01:26:41] and and again do go listen to the interviews with Catherine Lynn the writer and Yana Graskaya the director they had a blast with this and I think that absolutely shines through yeah so thank you for coming along on this journey with us with open pike night and for those of you who are here in Las Vegas for STLV thank you for coming along on that journey too and keep your communication lines open because we're going to be contacting you for a special episode absolutely for now be sure to clean up after yourselves

[01:27:11] be sure to bribe hotel security to you know keep cleaning up after yourselves quiet you can go anywhere you want but you can't stay here because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas in Vegas in Vegas in Vegas