S01.E01: Lost & Found

[starri]

Quote

 

A group of lawless teens, exiled on a mining colony outside Federation space, discover a derelict Starfleet ship. Dal must gather an unlikely crew for their newfound ship if they are going to escape Tars Lamora, but the Diviner and his daughter Gwyn have other plans.

 

[tessaray]

It's a dreary, rainy day here so instead of doing anything productive I decided to watch this. 

I'd give it a B- or C+. Not a lot happens since it was mainly setting up the characters. It also didn’t really feel like Star Trek until the very end when the Janeway hologram appears. But I'll be back to see what happens next. John Noble as the evil Diviner, so how could I not?

[starri]

I'd go with a B, but then it's a pilot.  The whole point is supposed to bring the motley crew together.

I can also see kids really liking it.  It's definitely drawing some inspiration from Star Wars: Rebels, and honestly there are worse things to emulate.  The animation was gorgeous, especially the shot of the Protostar going under the waterfall.

Rok-Tahk and Murf are going to be the fan-favorites, I can tell.

[tessaray]

Yes, it did feel a lot like Rebels. And of course, a group of misfit kids isn't going to feel very Trek-ish. 

The universal translator was used well.

[starri]

Also, the music was outright phenomenal.  Not just Michael Giacchino's amazing main theme, but also the incidental music.

I was actually surprised that it was credited as "Based on Star Trek..." instead of "Based on Star Trek: Voyager..." as Picard is listed as being based on TNG.

[Starchild]

Yeah I loved hearing hints of the Voyager theme when they were walking around the Protostar bridge the first time.

[SnarkShark]

I think this succeeded, at least so far.  Star Trek doing "different" has usually been an express train to sucking, in the past.  This is the first time since DS9 where they've truly done a vastly different approach/subject/execution and it hasn't felt like arbitrary and desperate reinvention.  This is different because it has to be for the concept.  It's not different just because of some rule about making things a certain percent different, or because new showrunners were exercising their egos.  

[SnarkShark]

On 10/28/2021 at 5:46 PM, tessaray said:

It's a dreary, rainy day here so instead of doing anything productive I decided to watch this. 

I'd give it a B- or C+. Not a lot happens since it was mainly setting up the characters. It also didn’t really feel like Star Trek until the very end when the Janeway hologram appears. But I'll be back to see what happens next. John Noble as the evil Diviner, so how could I not?

I see it not feeling like Star Trek as a stregnth in this case.  Star Trek often seems smaller than it should because we're so limited in what we see.   I know we've seen Tantalus and Rura Penthe, but a prison planet (and arguably, it was implied that's a fiction and it's just outright slavery) is still a relatively fresh setting for Trek.  

I also liked the balance (so far) of it being genuinely dark, but also kid-approachable.  That will likely shift a bit now that they're off that planet though, so we will see where they settle with tone. 

I'm also waiting to see how credible their eventual explanation is for that uncrewed, but quite advanced, ship being there is.  I'd almost anticipate the crew having been put in deep sleep for a long voyage to the Delta Quadrant, but then they might have to go super-dark with them being dead.  

I think we're assuming this is post-Voyager Janeway, installed in part because of her experience in the Delta Quadrant.  But that DOES push the timeline of the show forward to be later than any show other than Picard and later seasons Discovery, and so quite important in laying down the biggest unexplored period, an interesting move for a cartoon.  It made me wonder if this couldn't instead be DURING Voyager, with Holo Janeway imprinted from previous records, and the ship sent to rescue/assist Voyager. Or rather, it was deployed to assist Voyager, but buried after Voyager rescued itself (so this WOULD be post-Voyager, but the motive for the ship being there would be simpler).  It might be highly automated, because part or all of the Voyager crew was intended to pilot it back home.

Or not.  I suppose we'll find this out soon enough.  

[marinw]

Zero is giving my 3-CPO vibes.

[sharkerbaby]

I agree the look and feel just was not Star Trek; until we saw the Protostar.  That was most definitely a Starfleet ship!  Beautiful, sleek, graceful, just gorgeous, I loved it.

Also initially problematic for me and very un-Star Trek was the suggestion that we were going to be building our "crew" with a bunch of criminals??  What, so we are going to just throw out all the values and ideals of Starfleet just so we could usher in a new generation of people into the world of Star Trek?  I was not a fan.  But then I realized all of this "crew" were children, who it seems have never been off the prison planet, so I figured they must have been born there and they most definitely could not be judged nor punished for their parents crimes.  At the very least these kids must have been too young to remember a time being amongst the stars when they found themselves on the planet.

Now about the ship and Janeway.   I love Captain Janeway (she was my 2nd favorite captain behind Picard) so what a thrill to hear her voice!  I am very curious what the ship is doing there, how it got there, and were is the crew (if there ever was one, afterall we have seen a crewless prototype ship in this universe before).  Also wondering if there is a holographic doctor and if so which version is it?  Might we be seeing "the Doctor" from voyager again too?  The way Janeway came in and some of her first words gave me the impression the Protostar might be a training ship intended to train young Starfleet officers and crew but have we ever seen or heard of such a thing?

Coming into the show I was pretty meh on the concept partially because it was targeting children and partially because Kate Mulgrew was a headliner.  I lost a lot of respect for her after hearing about the pettiness and jealousy that she brought to the set after Jeri Ryan was brought on.  She also never really seemed to embrace, honor, or respect the Trekdom/trekkies so I could take her or leave her.  However, when I heard John Noble was going to be involved, welp, that sealed the deal as he did lend credibility to the series so here I am.  And now we find out that Robert Beltran (who sometimes seemed to have a sour puss attitude toward Chacotay but alas I still like him) will be making an appearance!

I am interested enough to watch and see how things shake out.

[Affogato]

It is amazing how , in a world where the human boy doesn't even know he's human, he still manages to dress like an animated Nickelodeon kid. The action was very Nickelodeon, too. I'm not an expert (or a heavy watcher of Nickelodeon shows), but I'm betting the same animators. Instead of a mining machine with no mass, could have been a skateboard.

It managed to pull me into caring what happened to the characters and their ship, so I'll keep watching.

[sharkerbaby]

What human boy?  If you're referring to Dal, he's definitely not human.  From what I can remember, he's either purple or blue and has spots across his forehead and below and around his neck.  Plus, they're in the delta quadrant and while we've seen a couple instances where humans have found their way there, they are few and far between.  Only twice that I can recall; 1) 7 of 9 whose parents tailgated a borg ship through a transwarp conduit and 2) the time they discovered Amelia Earhart and a few others who were in stasis and were brought there by aliens (I can't remember who, how, or why though),

[Affogato]

3 hours ago, sharkerbaby said:

What human boy?  If you're referring to Dal, he's definitely not human.  From what I can remember, he's either purple or blue and has spots across his forehead and below and around his neck.  Plus, they're in the delta quadrant and while we've seen a couple instances where humans have found their way there, they are few and far between.  Only twice that I can recall; 1) 7 of 9 whose parents tailgated a borg ship through a transwarp conduit and 2) the time they discovered Amelia Earhart and a few others who were in stasis and were brought there by aliens (I can't remember who, how, or why though),

I’m not human. I’m just drawn that way….
 

Well he looks pretty human to me and clearly to provide a point of reference.  I’m sure we will learn his background at some point. You are right be has some spots. 
 

there were some other incursions. The ferenghi. There was another federation ship they ran into, I think. 
 

it is too much to ask that he’s the child of Janeway and Paris! Amphibian could explain the spots. 

[sharkerbaby]

3 minutes ago, Affogato said:

I’m not human. I’m just drawn that way….
 

Well he looks pretty human to me and clearly to provide a point of reference.  I’m sure we will learn his background at some point. You are right be has some spots. 
 

there were some other incursions. The ferenghi. There was another federation ship they ran into, I think. 
 

it is too much to ask that he’s the child of Janeway and Paris! Amphibian could explain the spots. 

Oh my, wouldn't that be something the inadvertent love child. 🤣

[aemom]

On 10/29/2021 at 7:44 AM, starri said:

I was actually surprised that it was credited as "Based on Star Trek..." instead of "Based on Star Trek: Voyager..." as Picard is listed as being based on TNG.

I'm guessing that this is not going to have anything to do with Voyager - other than the fact that Janeway is the hologram, whereas everything about Picard's history (guest appearances from Riker, Data, and Troi, living back home in the French vineyard, etc) indicates that it's definitely a continuation of his life from TNG.

[SnarkShark]

On 10/31/2021 at 1:19 PM, Affogato said:

I’m not human. I’m just drawn that way….
 

Well he looks pretty human to me and clearly to provide a point of reference.  I’m sure we will learn his background at some point. You are right be has some spots. 
 

there were some other incursions. The ferenghi. There was another federation ship they ran into, I think. 
 

it is too much to ask that he’s the child of Janeway and Paris! Amphibian could explain the spots. 

Do you NOT watch much Star Trek? 

I could point out literally hundreds of Trek characters over the years that look more human than this character but are identified as alien.

He's the most human looking of the characters we get here, but this is standard for Trek. 

And you believe Janeway suddenly has a child left behind in the Delta quadrant?  Huh?  

I'd just take this at face value.   He's an alien.  If there's any mystery behind his origin it has nothing to do with humanity.  

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, SnarkShark said:

Do you NOT watch much Star Trek? 

I could point out literally hundreds of Trek characters over the years that look more human than this character but are identified as alien.

He's the most human looking of the characters we get here, but this is standard for Trek. 

And you believe Janeway suddenly has a child left behind in the Delta quadrant?  Huh?  

I'd just take this at face value.   He's an alien.  If there's any mystery behind his origin it has nothing to do with humanity.  

It is more my initial response to the animation style. Rolls eyes.  And the mining machine does move like a skateboard. And he has a rattail. but I’m not Nickelodeon's target audience.

 I think amphibian boy could be a plot point, i doubt they’d go there.  There is an episode of voyager where paris and janeway devolve (or something) and mate  

I think it is possible he turns out part human for another reason. posdibly related to the ship. Again, i don’t necessarily think they will go there.

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Affogato
Sprll no spell

[DrBriCa]

On 10/31/2021 at 5:40 AM, sharkerbaby said:

The way Janeway came in and some of her first words gave me the impression the Protostar might be a training ship intended to train young Starfleet officers and crew but have we ever seen or heard of such a thing?

There was an episode late in DS9's Season 6 called "Valiant" where Nog & Jake encounter a Defiant-class ship called Valiant that was a training ship for elite Red Squad cadets from the Academy. The ship's officers had died during a Dominion War mission, leaving only the cadets to run the ship. Before the captain had expired, he or she had given one of the cadets a battlefield commission to be Acting Captain until the ship could return to the fleet. 

Also, by the time of "Wrath of Khan," the Enterprise was a training ship for Starfleet Academy.

[Tachi Rocinante]

Struggled through the first episode, but it was a pilot, so I'll give it a few more. If this is supposed to be canon, I just may not care.

I can't decide if the animators were paying homage to Final Space or they just flat ripped off KVN for Fugitive Zero.