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stephenrigdon
Reviews
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Trek is back1
I have few gripes about this episode, 'Memento mori'--really, the only one is the politically correct use of 'crew-person' which jars the ear given that 'crewman' was a standard reference in TOS. Other than that, why 10? Here's why. The story texture is layered, you have a mystery encounter with an alien species whose hostility is accentuated by the fact that you never even see them physically...but their position is given away by radioctive emission signatures, if I read it rightly. Anyway, the creative response leads into a nightmare, and an untenable tactical situation grid-down. Without giving it away, this episode combines the best elements of TOS 'Balance of Terror' and even taps the horror element in Gene Roddenberry's 'Andromeda' with a twist...it likewise taps the theme in 'Flashback' from Voyager...and the ending is realistic, pragmatic, and positive. This will probably be in the top ten, if not the top five episodes of the entire series, I predict.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ghosts of Illyria (2022)
Tolerance on the way to Caritas
While many pan the 'Woke' aspect--and I confess there is preponderance of females on the Bridge, a bit overdone--yet I give it 8 stars. Why? There is an underlying theme of forgiveness, that of the Captain for Una, justified sacrifice, (1): that of Una for M'Benga, reward for sacrifice, and that of Una and Singh, compassion. True, Strange New Worlds does reflect the current culture, it is almost unavoidable, but I can forgive such oversights just to see The Enterprise in a new series, where forgiveness has a place in oversights, and regulation is tempered in justice. As to the Bridge, that is a philosophical issue which can be redressed in utilizing the mechanism of crew-shift rotation, something every real vessel requires to stay afloat. A- for Effort. StephenGR.
Andromeda: The Test (2005)
Andromeda Noir
Paradoxical twist on a murder mystery. Dylan works in concert with a mysterious Stranger whose multiple roles include judge/jury/executioner and yet Mediator between Dylan and crew. Balanced, symmetrical, economy of action and contemplation. A winner all-around.
Andromeda: So Burn the Untamed Lands (2004)
Incremental Victories of the Soul
In this episode, Dylan gets even Rhade and Beka to put aside selfishness for, not just idealism, but for the sake of others. Not just another 'Dylan Hunt saves the Oppressed' episode, since the team unifies around his core concept and integrates into a whole which can make ethical choices all self-serving aside. It is necessary for the whole team to evolve, not merely one or two characters, because it is essential to a believable team victory upcoming.
Andromeda: When Goes Around... (2004)
Seefra Renewed
Written during the period of the Afghanistan War(2005) the Seefra Series seems geared to the dry, exilic, casting about for purpose which imbued the culture of that era. It is actually much more pertinent, relevant to our experience, 'When Goes Around...' actually makes more sense now. The Andromeda Crew attempt to realign Seefra within the Vedran schemata synthesizing the Slipstream technology and the Route of Ages, to restore the environmental balance, and, the episode finishes, like 'V' The Movie, with a rain scene, a sign of renewal. Quite hopeful, but ahead of its time then. These Seefra episodes are now coming into their own in 2022. Hence the higher rating, as it is more relevant to our common cultural period.
Star Trek: Renegades (2015)
Brief response post STDisc era
Seeing Renegades 1-2 against the background of some 200 episodes, including many listed as top 100, this is quite strong. In terms of story, this is much stronger if seen as a bridge narrative following Voyager. Assumed knowledge of previous series and already developed characters provide an already established, dense, impressionistic arc. In the era of franchise narratives, the viewer is expected to bring an aural and visual collage of sensory impressions, a collective memory, drawing on layers of allusion, echoes, and familiar faces, to build on an internal universe. Those who expect such a crowd-funded work to produce a stand-alone box office hit must reconfigure their optic viewing lenses to account for a layered, multivalent continuous story arc running across five decades of continuity. This is how a franchise story must be framed. See the Iliad, Aeneid, even Beowulf. This is epic.