After the tension and drama on board the Miyazaki, it’s time to cool things down with some fun. Or at least try to! Following the incident and trauma from the assignment, it’s time for the jolly boys outing. Or spring holidays, whatever you want to call it. All Worlds day is what we’re calling it here, even if most of the episode is based in a less strange, more familiar world.
Writers: Alex Taub & Eric Anthony Glover
Director: Larry Teng
To set the stage, and be blunt, shit went down. The Miyakzaki exercise resulted in the death of both an instruction and a student. It’s been a month since then and nothings really changed, It’s been business as usual. Or as business as usual as it gets from the perspective of a lovestruck twenty-something who’s not sure what to say to the person who tore her brain apart to save the day who’s numb to the trauma of what happened due to his own past…
Lets put a pin in that. Kind of. In tragedy people hurt and turn to normality as much as they can. Even after a month of trying to get back to the normality, keep calm and carry on is a mantra we all know and joke about to this day and thats what everyone tries to do, clinging on to normality and find some escape in Spring Break. Or All Worlds day as they’ve decided to call it as everyone is heading back to their home world or on holiday.
Caleb, not having a homeworld, opts to stay at the Academy and take advantage of the empty halls. Genesis stays with him, cancelling her trip home last minute after Ake tells her she’s being fast tracked to a future captains training program. Antics ensue.
Meanwhile the titular storyline focuses on Darem being kidnapped while everyone else leaves campus and Jay-Den, who’s supposed to be spending his break with Kyle, tries to save the day and follow the kidnappers through a portal only to discover it’s not an act of malice; just Khonian tradition at play. He’s grown up knowing about his arranged marriage to join his worlds royal family and it’s being fast tracked. And Jay-Den’s bravery just means he’s volunteered himself to be the Ko’Zeine, or best man.
Following the tense drama or the Miyazaki, this acting as a c ool down episode works, though it does feel a bit underwhelming with not too much actually happening. Darem’s story is a bit odd. He’s not exactly made a good impression, or had many friendly chats, so finding out he’s from a high born family in a royal structure, engaged and in an arrangement to serve as the Queens consort is a bit out of left field. And there’s a lot missing here. The only thing we do know about Darem’s past is his family are the pushy, high expectations types. So them having zero lines feels a bit of a missed opportunity.
On the flip side, it does all work in a certain way as Jay-Den is the stand in for how utterly weird everything is. Instead of being a massive twat that everyone’s used to, Darem’s a completely different person at home. He’s shy, quiet, and bends over backwards to be accommodating and fulfil his duty. Jay-Den’s seen a bit of Darem’s nicer side, but having it on full display winds him up a bit as it’s just not the fella he knows, and eventually snaps and gives a speech that convinces the bride to put a stop to it all.
It’s all a bit slow and frustrating as there’s a lot of dancing around the point. In context, it makes sense as Jay-Den and Darem argue and throw tantrums at the situation, but it did feel a little slow in places. It did help though that behind the characters, Karim Diane and George Hawkins have great chemistry together,, especially with Jay-Den becoming more confident in being who he is and stepping up to be the voice of reason.
Breaking up the story is Genesis and Caleb at the Academy just doing stupid stuff like playing around in labs and getting to know each other better. Which is nice and all as she egs him ont to break onto Athena’s bridge as the whole things a plot to lure him there and change her fleet record. Much as we’re getting a peek at Darem’s own insecurities live in colour as someone sees the truth about him, we have Genesis showcasing the same. She wants the captains track, but her application was a lie. She edited all her recommendations to make herself sound good and now she’ll be under more scrutiny, she’s lost the plot a bit and uses Caleb to try and steal the files and stop it all happening.
It’s a lot of plot about nothing really as the moment is only a few minutes and consequences are given. But Caleb now being fully absorbed into having a life thats comfortable, he’;s showing himself to be the sensible rebel quite nicely while we actually get to know more about Genesis beyond her ambition. All her ego and bluster about where she came from is just, much like Darem, a mask to hide that she’s insecure being in the shadow of an Admiral.
Again paired up for their character pieces much like earlier in the season, Darem and Genesis have a bit of acceptance of themselves to help nudge them along here. It’s not a terribly exciting episode, nor does it really change the course of anything major, but for it’s place in the line up of episodes so far, it does slow things down a touch at just the right point and despite not being a thrilling episode, was still a perfectly fine hour of getting a peek behind the curtain of two of the shows biggest egos.
EPISODE DISCUSSION & SPOILERS
Highlights
- Thok only appearing as a voiceover panicking about Reno, who's guarding he campus alone and being a bit bored, was quite fun. You can sense the comedian behind the character!
- Sam spending the episode off screen at the holo tech lab to fix her glitches was an interesting note showing the progress made to 'photonics' on Earth.
- While the usual staging was a little distracting, and lack of make up odd, the Khonian costume design was very well done.
All Connected...
From the off Jay-Den has been presented as a non traditional Klingon, but we’re still seeing a lot of mirrors to Worf, the romanticised version of what Klingons are. Now confirmed as his partner, Kyle’s choice of taking Jay-Den to Ibiza felt like an obvious nod to Dax leading Worf to Risa. Right down tot he complaints about beachwear and hot weather. Though what’s more interesting is that, while Worf was always letting his romanticised view of Kilingon culture blur his judgement, Jay-Den seems more confident in seeing this clearly and being honourable in his own way following his talk with Thok.
About the author
A Fistful of Honour Beyond Bloodshed
Feared throughout the galaxy due to being fearless warriors who thrive on battle and bloodshed, the Klingon's are one of Star Trek's most iconic races and yet, with all their history, perhaps the most misunderstood. Starting off in the original series as authoritarian and distrustful antagonist, they were written as a parallel to Russia with the Klingon Empire in a cold war with the Federation following a long conflict. The Klingons would have a bit of reinvention in the movies thanks to higher budgets giving the producers a chance for a more alien look, while their culture and history would get a little more depth on The Next Generation thanks to the inclusion of Worf, the first Klingon member of Starfleet. But Worf's views on the Klingon culture weren't quite spot on. From a noble house, Worf was displaced and […]
Command Opportunities Within Q2.
One of the most common questions within SFC membership is all about command; to the point we compile a list of interested potential CO's on application to the club. Though some can feel hesitant to begin when they're uncertain of what region might benefit or fit the criteria for members to take command of a new start-up. Throughout the first quarter we've been taking out the hard part. Sifting through our membership information, we've highlighted several key spots with a condensed userbase within the current catchment of Churchill and Sovereign. Much like Project Antonine, the working title for Tesla's development, we've crafted a list of potential members to breakout for key regions and are beginning to identify potential leadership candidates to help in putting together more sustainable local groups. To begin, we're looking at two regions in each Regional Command […]
My Big Fat Khonian Wedding; ‘Ko’Zeine’, Starfleet Academy S1E7
After the tension and drama on board the Miyazaki, it's time to cool things down with some fun. Or at least try to! Following the incident and trauma from the assignment, it's time for the jolly boys outing. Or spring holidays, whatever you want to call it. All Worlds day is what we're calling it here, even if most of the episode is based in a less strange, more familiar world. Writers: Alex Taub & Eric Anthony Glover Director: Larry Teng To set the stage, and be blunt, shit went down. The Miyakzaki exercise resulted in the death of both an instruction and a student. It's been a month since then and nothings really changed, It's been business as usual. Or as business as usual as it gets from the perspective of a lovestruck twenty-something who's not sure what […]
[Q2&A] Celebrating Ten Years of the USS Churchill
Commissioned in February 2016 to oversee operations in Southern England and Wales, the USS Churchil is one of two online-centric units created by merging several localised units into one larger region. Throughout 2015-16, SFC was experiencing some fatigue and, to cut it short, needed a bit of a reboot. While there was activity and things were ticking along, the fleet as a whole was in a bit of a rough patch. After a huge fleet wide consultation, we went full Voyager and hit the reset button. Keeping Sovereign active as the 'catch all' unit with a heavy base in the North of England and Ireland, there was enough spark in the South to keep things alive with a new combined 'super-unit', a second online base from which to grow. Using the Sovereign as a template, the USS Churchill was created […]
[Retro Review] Balance of Terror.
Each era of Star Trek has captured a moment in time. The original series captured as unique a moment as any that feels both like ancient history and something that still resonates. It's cast and writers still felt the effects of the second world war, from actors like James Doohan who was famously injured in D-Day, to producer Robert Justman among the many on board the Enterprise who's lives were in part shaped by the historical event. At the same time, much as things are today, there was no end to conflict or instability in the world and even the race to the moon and seeing Apollo 11's flight suffered the dark cloud of the cold war between the United States and what was then the USSR. The background and setting behind the era was what could create episodes like […]
Furie Road; ‘Come, Lets Away’, Starfleet Academy S1E6
After a personal story for SAM, we finally get some action in Come Lets Away as the cadets from both the Academy and the War College have to work together for a training mission on board a derelict starship. Of course, disaster strikes as there are deadly enemies just waiting for their moment to strike the vulnerable, unseasoned team... Writers: Kenneth Lin & Kiley Rosseter Director: Larry Teng In a huge shift of tone from last weeks joyful exploration of Sam's life and struggles, Academy gets a little darker with this one thanks to the USS Miyazaki giving that old haunted house vibe that carries over well into scifi. The Miyazaki was a failed experiment, a test-bed for an experimental warp drive that would bypass the supply shortages of the Burn, but much like every attempt to replace traditional […]
Related
Furie Road; ‘Come, Lets Away’, Starfleet Academy S1E6
After a personal story for SAM, we finally get some action in Come Lets Away as the cadets from both the Academy and the War College have to work together for a training mission on board a derelict starship. Of course, disaster strikes as there are deadly enemies just waiting for their moment to strike the vulnerable, unseasoned team... Writers: Kenneth Lin & Kiley Rosseter Director: Larry Teng In a huge shift of tone from last weeks joyful exploration of Sam's life and struggles, Academy gets a little darker with this one thanks to the USS Miyazaki giving that old haunted house vibe that carries over well into scifi. The Miyazaki was a failed experiment, a test-bed for an experimental warp drive that would bypass the supply shortages of the Burn, but much like every attempt to replace traditional […]
Wined, Dined and Deep Space Nined; ‘Series Acclimation Mil’, Starfleet Academy S1E5
As a cadet sets out to solve an ancient Starfleet mystery, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and learns the value of forging her own path. Meanwhile, Nahla agrees to help a fellow chancellor with an elaborate alien ritual. Writers: Kirstin Beyer & Tawney Newsome Director: Larry Teng Starting off from the perspective of the academy's resident photonic student SAM giving a presentation on her daily life, all in the style of an early 2000's 'chick flick', you know Lower Decks' alumni Tawney Newsome is all over this script. With overlapping infographics, fourth wall monologues and unrelenting cheer, we get SAM's introduction to herself in more detail. Programmed to be an average 17 year old, she's been sent by her Photonic-based people not just to join the mission of Academy, but to be their Emmisary. Her peoples distrust […]
“There is no greater enemy than one’s own fears”; ‘Vox In Exelso’, Starfleet Academy S1E4
When an existential crisis threatens to wipe out a beloved but infamous Star Trek species, a cadet is forced to confront his past and strained relationship with his family. As he pursues an unexpected method of coping, Nahla races against time to save this species from extinction.... Writers: Gaia Violo & Eric Anthony Glover Director: Doug Aarniokoski Ever since Discovery took the jump to the future, there were questions that were left unanswered. A few hundred yeas of changing cultures and political landscapes combined with the galaxy-devastating effect of the Burn gave us a familiar surrounding that had undergone massive change. We found out what happened to the Federation. We found out the Orions took advantage of the power vacuum. We even got to meet an isolationist Earth and see the reunification of Vulcan and Romulus. But for a […]
Revenge Of The Nerds; ‘Vitus Reflux’, Starfleet Academy S1E3
Proving yourself at Starfleet Academy always seemed to come down to competitive rivalry. Whether it was Sisko failing to win over Solok, Finnegan's constant pranks on Kirk, or Georgiou drinking everyone under the table, even the most professional stand up Captains have spent their youth in a knife fight with a Nausican. Vitrus Reflux get it all out the way as cadets Lythe and Raymi get locked into a battle of the ego's while the War College next door pops up to assert their dominance! Writers: Alex Taub & Kiley RossetterDirector: Doug Aarniokoski As the more militaristic war college use their current standing as the primary source of Starfleet for the past hundred-plys years to prove the revival of the Academy is a failed experiment, tensions begin to bubble over through mixed physical training leading to conflicts, a war of words and […]
Everything Whale Be Alright; ‘Beta Test’, Starfleet Academy S1E2 Review
Rebuilding after being torn down by 'The Burn', Starfleet and the Federation are getting back on mission, rekindling old alliances, developing new technologies and now ready to re-open Starfleet Academy to raise the next generation of explorers... Writers: Noga Landau & Jane Maggs Director: Alex Kurtzman Whether it's seeing hios potential, or just sheer guilt, Captain Ake is bending over backwards to integrate Caleb into the Academy. Trouble is, he's not putting in the same effort. Fighting against his own inflated ego and distracted with his quest to find his mother coming to a dead end. Spiralling following an argument with instructor Jet Reno, Caleb tries to run, but instead he runs into Tarima; a visiting Betazoid who can see right through his bravado. Following the Burn, Betazed isolated itself from the Federation and now their president has an […]
A Whole Generation With A New Explination; ‘Kids These Days’, Starfleet Academy S1E1 Review
INTRO Writer: Gaia Violo Director: Alex Kurtzman During the desperation and misery of the burn, Captain Nahla Ake handed out justice in the chaos. Pirate and thief Nus Braka gets prison. His accomplice, tempted to follow his lead to survive, is going to a lighter penal colony where her young son Caleb Mir can visit, but with an imprisoned system he's now a ward of the Federation; a people his mother doesn't trust. So he runs... Fifteen years later, Caleb's searching for his mother and living on the run. Captain Ake is long retired, leaving her post feeling the guilt of splitting families and being part of a broken system. But redemption comes knocking. Earth is feeling comfortable enough to bring Starfleet home, and it's Academy needs a leader. Fleet Admiral 'Charlie' Vance has picked Ake, someone who's lived […]
