119. Balance of Error (SNW 1.08, 1.09 and 1.10)

Anika and Liz put on some fancy costumes, murder some Gorn babies and agree: that was definitely a season of television. But did we actually like season 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? Erm. Well. Remember when we were afraid this would be the Pike, Spock and Una show? It's definitely not the Una show, and we have different opinions on whether or not it's a Spock show! It's fascinating how season one of SNW shares a lot of problems with season one of TNG, but no one is out there arguing that TNG's first season was good Anika has to "well actually" Liz The Elysian Kingdom: We just want M'Benga to be happy, is that so much to ask? It's 2022 and the depiction of queerness in SNW is roughly on par with DS9 in the 1990s (this is not a compliment) All Those Who Wander:#GornRights "Straight-up Aliens rip-off" is a feature not a bug for us, but the depiction of the Gorn is even more troubling than it was in "Memento Mori"! PLEASE make Star Trek hire a disability consultant because the depiction of disability and mental illness in any Trek overseen by Akiva Goldsman is dreadful and offensive Children, whether Gorn or human(ish), don't have rights in this series, and Anika finds that TROUBLING Lifting a Spock/Uhura scene -- body language, camera angles and all -- from Star Trek (2009) but subbing in a white woman was … well, the optics aren't great, y'know? The Quality of MercyWe don't often say this, but we hate everything about this episode! Like, don't remake "Balance of Terror" if you don't understand Kirk, Spock, Romulans or the plot of "Balance of Terror" It makes a good double feature with "These Are The Voyages…" but that isn't really a good thing We have a new appreciation for Greenwood!Pike and the (relative) lack of ableism in his story  The Great Man Theory of Star Trek history The ending is … exactly the same as the ending of season 2 of Lower Decks? At least for once it's a white woman facing the Federation's capricious justice system?