Comment on Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 4x05 "Level-Five Transporter Accident"
khaosworks@startrek.website 18 hours ago
My biggest problem with this episode isn’t the puppetry, or even the fact that it turned out to be all a dream. As people have pointed out, this hoary old plot has been used in Trek before.
In fact, I suspect that it originally wasn’t supposed to be a dream, but they had to pull that one out because the plot itself had holes that couldn’t be papered over without using that trope, not least of which was how Pike could get back into the ship after being spaced or why Ch’Rol was so nonchalant and literally immobile as the puppets were storming the bridge and beating up on her crew.
My biggest problem is that it just wasn’t even funny. It elicited a few chuckles but most of it produced crickets in my household. I’d have forgiven it if it were otherwise. I’m not sure it’s the absolute worst SNW ever, but I’m hard pressed to think of another one worse. As an example of SNW taking the big swings, this one was a miss.
dethstrobe@startrek.website 4 hours ago
Yeah, since it’s a dream, I really wish they had gone all in on the cartoon gags. That’s my only complaint.
I can excuse the premise and even the cop out, it’s all a dream, but they really need to just go all in on the concept. Like maybe some Kermit tilting his head back while his arms flail around or crumple his face with the puppeteer’s fist like when he’s mad. Like literally the lowest hanging fruit is using puppet hair whip to the face. Or maybe some cecoling, fourth wall breaking, a Pigs in Space reference which is a parody of Star Trek. Like, just go ape shit with the concept.