S01.E14: Crossroads

[AnimeMania]

When the crew attempts to secure transport to the Federation, they unwittingly cross paths with the Vice Admiral who is hunting them.

Original Airdate: Thursday, November 17, 2022  on Paramount+ 

[DrBriCa]

I'm confused about the locations for this season. Tars Lamora is in the Delta Quadrant, where the show started (and where the Dauntless began this half of the season to find the Diviner). But now they're already presumably in the Beta Quadrant, given the previous episode having the crashed Galileo shuttle (I doubt that would've made it to the DQ) and this episode having characters like Okona and a Klingon at the spaceport. I get that both the Dauntless and the Protostar are super fast, but man... getting from wherever Tars Lamora is to the edge of the Romulan Neutral Zone seems like quite a jump within a short span of time, especially for tech advancements after only 7 years following Voyager's return to Earth.

[ottoDbusdriver]

8 hours ago, DrBriCa said:

 this episode having characters like Okona and a Klingon at the spaceport. 

And Xindi Reptilians.

But yeah, the destroyed com station was at the edge of Federation space, and now they are minutes from the Neutral Zone -- all seems a little preposterous.

[dwmarch]

I like this show more than I thought I would but I wish they weren't relying on sitcom tropes around misunderstandings to keep the conflict going.

I found it weird that the Diviner was watching the ship action from a big monitor in sickbay however I will give the show credit if he was doing some hacking rather than it just being the intership TV channel.

Can't the Protostar drop a log buoy or a message in a bottle or something? Okay, ship-to-ship will allow the device to attack but there are more ways to communicate than just that including using words which you had the opportunity to use in this episode! However, I think someone called out that they should have said something so at least they hung a lampshade on it. But let's do some out of the box thinking here kids. Your lives kinda depend on it.

Murf sitting on the console and firing a torpedo was kind of silly but we might be able to allow it if the computer doesn't realize that Murf has appendages and considers him to be one big appendage.

I'm sure this has come up many times before in the history of Star Trek but it merits mentioning again. So in the Neutral Zone, Starfleet isn't allowed in but the Romulans can just roll up in there anytime they please? Those Romulan ships showed up quickly enough to suggest that they didn't arrive from outside but instead were already there. Doesn't sound very neutral to me.

Edited November 19, 2022 by dwmarch

[MissLucas]

55 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

I like this show more than I thought I would but I wish they weren't relying on sitcom tropes around misunderstandings to keep the conflict going.

This! I hate those tropes when people just don't talk to each/get conveniently distracted when important infos should be exchanged and then shenanigans ensue. I thought Rok's frustration about all the others complete failures to communicate came damn close to fourth wall-breaking.

58 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

I'm sure this has come up many times before in the history of Star Trek but it merits mentioning again. So in the Neutral Zone, Starfleet isn't allowed in but the Romulans can just roll up in there anytime they please? Those Romulan ships showed up quickly enough to suggest that they didn't arrive from outside but instead were already there. Doesn't sound very neutral to me.

That really was a déjà vu. We all know the Romulans are giant pricks - the kids watching this show must learn that too ;)

[Wouter]

18 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I like this show more than I thought I would but I wish they weren't relying on sitcom tropes around misunderstandings to keep the conflict going.

I found it weird that the Diviner was watching the ship action from a big monitor in sickbay however I will give the show credit if he was doing some hacking rather than it just being the intership TV channel.

Can't the Protostar drop a log buoy or a message in a bottle or something? Okay, ship-to-ship will allow the device to attack but there are more ways to communicate than just that including using words which you had the opportunity to use in this episode! However, I think someone called out that they should have said something so at least they hung a lampshade on it. But let's do some out of the box thinking here kids. Your lives kinda depend on it.

Murf sitting on the console and firing a torpedo was kind of silly but we might be able to allow it if the computer doesn't realize that Murf has appendages and considers him to be one big appendage.

I'm sure this has come up many times before in the history of Star Trek but it merits mentioning again. So in the Neutral Zone, Starfleet isn't allowed in but the Romulans can just roll up in there anytime they please? Those Romulan ships showed up quickly enough to suggest that they didn't arrive from outside but instead were already there. Doesn't sound very neutral to me.

Agreed on the miscommunication, slightly disappointing that they went this far with all the missed chances (though Gwyn's panicky reaction was understandable to some extent - but still over the top). Attempting to communicate with the Dauntless is kinda irrelevant if Dal and co don't even dare to speak to Janeway in person. I think this will only be resolved in the double episode that will be the season finale.

As for the Romulans, they turn up with more firepower (presumably) which gives them "the right" to be giant pricks. With 3-to-1 (or worse, if any others are lurking) Janeway will have to retreat, I suppose.

[johntfs]

On 11/18/2022 at 8:59 PM, dwmarch said:

Murf sitting on the console and firing a torpedo was kind of silly but we might be able to allow it if the computer doesn't realize that Murf has appendages and considers him to be one big appendage.

[MissLucas]

Well, the infamous Riker Lean was caused by Frakes having injured his back. Murf will hopefully learn quickly to not sit on displays and touch blinking things. I wonder how his cognitive skills will develop - Memory Alpha's entry on mellanoid slime worms is rather sparse (surprise) especially on the question of sentience after cocooning. 

[rtms77]

Prodigy is right up there with Strange New Worlds for best Star Trek show right now. It’s has a great over all story arc that doesn’t bog down into, “Burnam must save the universe, and only she can do it”. It also has one of the best intros thanks to the great music. 

Granted the trope of running into the very people your looking for and not solving anything is old, but I think they pulled it off. 
 

So it looks like Zero power wears off if the person a least gets some help? Or time just does the job. I’m loving the bond between Zero and Gwen. I still think Gwen would have made the better Captain, lol.

Wow Starfleet regular uniforms are all over the place. I get that Vice Admiral wears the fancy dress uniform but the whole crew? What kind of crew works in that? Not to mention Starfleet still using the grey tops and the colored tops. Make it make sense please.

For a organization that insisted most ships, especially long term explorer class ships have a counselor on board, I find it weird that most Starfleet stations, don’t bother with them. More so in this ep.  The guy brags to anyone and outright lies about what happened because he’s so caught up in a fantasy world he can’t or won’t acknowledge reality.