S01.E07: First Con-tact

[AnimeMania]

When a mentor from Dal’s past persuades him to use their Federation cover for personal gain, they quickly discover Starfleet has protocols for a reason.

Original Airdate: Thursday, January 13, 2022 on Paramount+

[AnimeMania]

The in-episode title card read "First Contact" although everywhere else the episode was titled "First Con-tact". The episode provided some backstory and put the Protostar back on the Diviner's radar. The Protostar should be so far away from where the Diviner is located that knowing their position should not be that big of a deal unless he puts a bounty out for people in that sector to capture the Protostar for him. This would alert everybody in the universe to the Protostar's position and anybody that really knows what the Protostar can do that it has returned. Which might cause major problems.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Dal was raised by a Ferengi -- in the Delta quadrant.  Unless this show takes place hundreds of years after the events of Voyager that would allow sufficient time for numerous Alpha Quadrant species to expand their presence/influence into the Delta Quadrant -- which I highly doubt -- I don't buy that for a minute.

Which of course means this is a Dal-centric episode.  Again.  Ugh.

And that fact that none of them knew what transporters are before now even more ridiculous. 
I'm sure Tellarites would know what transporters were (looking at you Jankom).

 

[starri]

1 hour ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I'm sure Tellarites would know what transporters were (looking at you Jankom).

Judging by some of the things Jankom has said, like how he remembers being on a sleeper ship, I wonder if he's actually a lot older than he appears, like part of an early Tellarite colonization mission.  Transporters were new tech during Enterprise, and I don't think every species had them.

[MissLucas]

Dal was raised by a Ferengi... which explains a lot. That might sound specieist but blame the writing. That said it was a good episode for Dal as a character. I liked the moment Gwyn realized that all the tales about his great adventures were taking place while he was living in Star Trek's equivalent of HP's Cupboard Under The Stairs. And I liked their bonding over betrayal by paternal/maternal figures.

I also wondered how they all never heard of Transporters but the cake hijinks were fun and a reminder that they are still (more or less) kids. Using Murf as guinea pig was also ruthless and funny in a childish way. 

That was an interesting alien species, too bad our intrepid heroes botched first contact so badly.

Bit of a stretch that Nandi would not have noticed the transponder. Even more stretchy: Jankom knowing the exact coordinates for the missing crystal. But it's a kid's show *handwaving* and it certainly was a good introduction of the Prime Directive to a new generation of viewers.

[dwmarch]

FWIW, I found this to be the most Star Trek-ish episode so far.

You don't have to put combadges on cargo to transport it although I will attribute that to the crew not knowing how the transporter works.

[starri]

2 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Even more stretchy: Jankom knowing the exact coordinates for the missing crystal. But it's a kid's show *handwaving* and it certainly was a good introduction of the Prime Directive to a new generation of viewers.

Honestly?  I liked the episode a lot because whatever else, the show didn't give them a magical solution that everything was better.  They fucked up, Janeway made sure they knew they'd fucked up, and they have to live with that knowledge.

Rok-Tahk, who always tugs at my heartstrings, trying so hard to apologize broke me a little.

I don't have as much of a problem with Nandi being in the Delta Quadrant, because it's clear the Protostar jumped a long way when they engaged their drive, and by most official maps, the Klingon Empire extends from the Alpha Quadrant al the way across the Beta almost to the border, and Romulan space goes all the way to it.  I can buy a familiar species being out that far.

I have more of a problem with a female DaiMon, because while I can absolutely believe that Grand Nagus Rom would have allowed women to serve, according to the timeline, he'd been in office less than 10 years at this point, and Dal's supposed to be in his teens.  I can't make that math work in my head.

[DavidJSnyder]

4 hours ago, starri said:

I have more of a problem with a female DaiMon, because while I can absolutely believe that Grand Nagus Rom would have allowed women to serve, according to the timeline, he'd been in office less than 10 years at this point, and Dal's supposed to be in his teens.  I can't make that math work in my head.

I assumed that she's a self-appointed DaiMon and not recognized as such by the Ferengi Alliance.  It's not like they're around to complain. 

[Wouter]

I think Nandi will be back in a later episode. We may get more back-story (about Dal and his origins, and possibly about how/why Nandi is running a big ship quasi alone, far from Ferengi space) and Nandi was quite interested in Gwyn, noting her language skills. If she gets the chance, she may see a chance for profit there.

Edited August 26, 2022 by Wouter

[johntfs]

On 1/14/2022 at 9:26 AM, starri said:

Honestly?  I liked the episode a lot because whatever else, the show didn't give them a magical solution that everything was better.  They fucked up, Janeway made sure they knew they'd fucked up, and they have to live with that knowledge.

Rok-Tahk, who always tugs at my heartstrings, trying so hard to apologize broke me a little.

I don't have as much of a problem with Nandi being in the Delta Quadrant, because it's clear the Protostar jumped a long way when they engaged their drive, and by most official maps, the Klingon Empire extends from the Alpha Quadrant al the way across the Beta almost to the border, and Romulan space goes all the way to it.  I can buy a familiar species being out that far.

I have more of a problem with a female DaiMon, because while I can absolutely believe that Grand Nagus Rom would have allowed women to serve, according to the timeline, he'd been in office less than 10 years at this point, and Dal's supposed to be in his teens.  I can't make that math work in my head.

Not every Ferengi female is going to be okay with their misogynistic agenda.  Nandi went out to make some profit on her own and to hell with what the males think.