- 9 minutes ago
Seán, Tom and Ellie give their spoiler-free review of the first 6 episodes of Starfleet Academy.
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00:00Hello, I'm Robert Picardo, and you are watching Trek Culture. How smart you are.
00:07Hello everyone and welcome. We are so, so, so excited to do this video. First of all,
00:14hello, Tom, Ellie, how are you getting on? Happy New Year. Happy New Trek.
00:18Woo! Sorry, Editor Tom, for shouting into the microphone.
00:23That's okay. He forgives you.
00:26Yeah, I'm happy to be back. I'm happy to be talking about Star Trek again,
00:30and I'm happy to have Star Trek to talk about.
00:32Yes, yes. Strange New Worlds already feels like so long ago. I mean, it was last year,
00:38but it does feel like it was so long ago now at this stage. So, right, from the outset,
00:43this is going to be spoiler free. We will not be going into any specifics. We will not be giving
00:49anything away. However, if you've clicked on and you are one of those people that you don't watch
00:54traders, anything like that, no problem at all. We could accidentally talk about something you
01:00don't want to know. So, we will not take it personally at all if you watch all of this ramble
01:04and you go, not for me, and click out of the video. That's no problem at all. We will be
01:08along
01:09next week with our What the Hell Just Happened reaction videos. Those will contain episode-specific
01:16spoilers. So, be aware of that. Obviously, we'll flag as the episodes start. And of course,
01:21our ups and downs will be out next week at all. At that point, it's fairly assumed there's going
01:25to be spoilers. Yes, we will discuss it with spoilers, ups and downs, What the Hell Just
01:32Happened, and the podcast. This is a spoiler free because we legally can't talk about it.
01:38But we can tell you how we felt. Exactly. So, we're not going to keep you too long. What we're
01:48provided with the first six episodes of Starfleet Academy. So, we're going to give our top line
01:53thoughts on each of those in this video. We are going to use the episode names. So, again,
02:00just be aware of that. I don't particularly think there's any spoilers in them. But again,
02:05if you don't want to know anything at all, right, this is your warning now. Right, I think let's just
02:13jump straight in. So, Kids These Days is the pilot episode of Star Trek Starfleet Academy. I wouldn't
02:23say it's feature length, but it is 75 minutes long. So, for anyone who's got a train to catch,
02:30heads up, it's a little bit of a longer episode. So, all right, across the board, I'm going to go
02:36ladies first. Tom, what did you think of this pilot episode of Starfleet Academy?
02:41A classic old school insult. I'm glad it's back, to be honest. What did I think? I thought
02:51this was, for me, a mixed bag. Lots of internal whiplash. But I want to say, and this is kind
03:04of my feeling in general so far, there's things in Star Trek Academy, Starfleet Academy, watch
03:09me call it Star Trek Academy forever. It helps. There you go. Right there for you.
03:14There are things I really like. There are things I think really works. And there are things I think
03:19don't work at all. There are tonal mishaps and changes. And it almost feels like there's four
03:27different writers writing four different shows, and then they put the script together. And some of it,
03:32I think, is great. I personally wanted this show to be a teen show about being at the Academy. And
03:41we get
03:42that in parts, and we don't get it in other parts. So, I personally would cut out the first 20
03:51minutes of
03:51this first episode and start it from there. That's my opinion. There's a bunch of stuff at the beginning
03:58that I'm like, I get what you're doing. We don't need this. This is Starfleet Academy. Let's just get
04:04to the Academy. I feel like I can say that without it being spoilers. I feel that is safe.
04:14Yes. So, in general, mixed bag. Okay. All righty. Ellie, what did you think, kids these days?
04:23I think Tom's points are very interesting, because I had the opposite thought.
04:30It's not been a secret. I've been speaking about in the build-up to Starfleet Academy that
04:35I've been on the fence about my thoughts about how I'm going to feel about this as a show,
04:40because I'm not really into teen drama, even when I was a teen. I wasn't really into teen drama.
04:48So, I was kind of sceptical going in, and I did go in with quite low expectations,
04:53and came out of episode one pleasantly surprised and happy with what we were given in that first
04:59episode. Now, I personally like that we have some elements that are the teen drama and some elements
05:06that don't focus on that and are what I would say are more kind of the Star Trek elements.
05:13So, unlike Tom, I really liked those opening 20 minutes, because that's the part of the story
05:18that I may be more gripped by than the teen drama side of it. But I do think there is
05:23a good balance
05:24of both in there. So, I don't, especially in episode one, I didn't watch it and go,
05:29oh, I'm not interested in this. There were parts where I was like, I'm less interested in this
05:32element. But then they would have a scene afterwards that I was much more engaged with.
05:37So, I think it was a good balance.
05:40Yep. Okay. I think that both make, that makes a lot of sense from both sides. I think this pilot
05:46episode is, it does have, it has a lot going on. I will say a lot of the footage from
05:54the trailer
05:55character is taken from the pilot. So, we've got action, we've got comedy, we've definitely got
06:03drama. And we do have, I like how a lot of the characters are introduced, because we have sort
06:16of that section at the front. It's not like in the first couple of minutes you go, right, okay, line
06:21up.
06:21This is this character, this is this character, this is this character, which I do appreciate
06:26that. Some of them are spaced out. And not every main character is introduced in the first episode.
06:32Even that might be something too far about. But we do get quite a lot of introductions here.
06:41Everyone basically keep your eyes open. Is Cetacean Observations going to be working overtime
06:46for, for this show as well, which I'm, I'm really, really happy about. I think you can definitely see
06:57like hiring Holly Hunter is already a massive tick beside Starfleet Academy. She is brilliant.
07:05She's brilliant from the jump. She is obviously, you know, she is such an experienced actor. You know,
07:11as I say this, the Oscar is gleaming, you know, in wherever she keeps her Oscar. Maybe she's like
07:16Kate Winslet, keeps it in the bathroom. But I think she is brilliant as Nala Aki. We do have,
07:26this is out there, so this is not a spoiler. Odette Fair returns as Dad and Roll Vance in this
07:32show.
07:32And already, I'm going to say, I think
07:38he is one of a few things that has come over from Discovery. And I think they've gone,
07:45this, this works. This, this, this is right. Okay. All right. But yeah, again, I'm trying,
07:52really trying hard not to go into too much specifics. Okay. Last thoughts about the pilot.
08:00Um, with all the love in my body, we're as far away from something like Encounter at Firepoint.
08:07Um, this show, to agree with you, Tom, I think they threw everything at the wall in episode one.
08:15And yet even saying that this show seems to know what it is. Um, it may be a little bit
08:23better than
08:24some other pilots, pilot episodes, but maybe it's better than some other pilot episodes have kind
08:28of got their tone from the jump. I was, I was saying to you before recording that I have the
08:34issues I have of this show are similar to the issues I have of Strange New Worlds, but I think
08:38this show is way more enjoyable than Strange New Worlds. I think it still does it better,
08:42even if there's similar things that I have complaints about.
08:47No, absolutely fair. And again, I look forward to our reading discussions where we can go into
08:50more detail and kind of, right. Okay. Brilliant. Um, episode two, though, this is it now. We've done
08:57our pilot. Our pilot is behind us. Ellie, what are your initial thoughts from that episode?
09:03I still think it was a solid episode. I think for me, following on from the pilot, this episode
09:09contained less of those moments that I was more gripped by and maybe more of the kind of
09:14teen drama elements or the kind of key things that you'd expect to find in a teen drama. Um,
09:22so those parts I was slightly less gripped by. Um, but by no means did I think, oh, wow, this
09:27show's
09:27over. I'm not going to watch it anymore. I was still interested in it. There were still elements
09:31of it that I did enjoy, but I think after the first episode, yeah, this one was slightly
09:37more in the direction of what I wasn't looking for. Um, but yeah, I didn't hate it.
09:44I didn't hate it. That makes it seem like it was really awful. It wasn't. It just was more
09:49in the direction of what I'm not so interested in, but there was, there was still good bits in it
09:54as well. Cool. All right, Tom. I hated this episode. Um, I know, and I was very worried
10:03when watching it. I was like, oh, is this what this show is? I really don't like it. I found
10:08my
10:09problem with this episode. I found it extremely tedious and, um, boring. Um, and I should, I should
10:17specify that it's not the teen drama that I'm looking for in this show. It's the teen show.
10:23I just want a teen age, young, like teenager show about being in classrooms and learning how
10:32to be in Starfleet. Like that's all I'm really looking for. Um, and the drama stuff of it doesn't
10:39work too much for me. Um, but this episode, yeah, this, I just found it boring, but I will say
10:45on
10:46the flip side that for me, everything gets better from here on out. That is okay. I'm glad I'm,
10:54I'm quite glad you said that because that was something I was going to mention as we went into
10:57the next episode too, is that some of the other first impressions I've seen are aligned with
11:03yourself, Tom, that kind of, there is the first two and even a little bit the third where,
11:08like any show, finding its feet, finding its, you know, finding its tone and kind of finding
11:13its balance. Um, I'll talk about that a little bit more now when we get to episode three, uh,
11:17episode two, uh, unsurprisingly, yes, I did like it. Um, I like, it's a little bit slower
11:24than episode one. Um, which I think is perfect, you know, perfectly natural after a, you know,
11:29kind of a pilot grab there, everyone's attention. Now we're going to bring it in a little bit.
11:32We get a little bit more with some of the grownups. Um, but we definitely, there is a focus on
11:40a couple
11:41of characters specifically in this one. And we get introduced, we get introduced to a few characters
11:48here. One who I think people are really, really going to like. Um, and, uh, no, I can't say anything
11:56that that that's that's spoiler. Um, I have one thing to add about episode two. Um, there was something
12:03right near the beginning of the episode that really made me very happy. Um, and I'm going to say nothing
12:08more, but you guys know what I mean. In fact, you guys saw the episode before I'd seen the episode
12:15and
12:15messaged me to ask me if I'd seen it yet. Um, so yeah, there was one thing, just a minor
12:21thing at
12:22the beginning of the episode that I was very happy about. To say anything more. Okay. But yes, um,
12:32I, there was some very Star Trek moments in this episode, which I really dug. Um, and they,
12:41do you know what, this might sound like a weird thing. I like how they're using their sets.
12:48You know, we're not confined to the bridge the whole time. We're not confined to,
12:53let's say the mess hall the whole time. There is, um, this show looks good, but there's enough,
13:05like, I know there's, there's AR walls and everything, but there's enough hard sets there
13:11that they use. And you really start to see that. I think here, um, which I really, really dig. Um,
13:20there's comedy, there's romance, there is certainly the beginnings.
13:28Maybe, maybe there's a bit of the pilot as well. Beginnings of maybe some frenemy stuff going on.
13:33And I'm a bit like Utah. I, I love me a teen drama. You know, I was raised on things
13:37like Saved
13:37by the Bell, Sweet Valley High. Do you remember that? Um, and, uh, Finn Barr's class to the two
13:43people watching this who might have heard of that show. Um, so I do like to see it. I think,
13:50but we're
13:50still episode one, episode two, although they are not part one and part two of one episode,
13:56it does feel like this is a section, um, a little bit. And then, you know, episode three, then,
14:04as we'll move into next is sort of, it's obviously an extension off, but we'd start kind of the next
14:09section with episode three, I think. So episode three.
14:16Um, I like this one more. This is the one I liked the most by that point in terms of
14:22episode one,
14:23two, and three. Um, it, it, it didn't blow me away, but it felt like it was focusing more on
14:30the
14:30stuff I was looking for. Again, I, I, I just want to watch people doing their classes and learning
14:38stuff and seeing them in the academy. And I think this kind of focused a bit more on that. Um,
14:45and
14:49establish some more of the relationships and how the, you know, the place works and the
14:53different type of people there. And, um, yeah, it, it, it was, it was what I was looking for.
15:01And, um, it made me a bit more hopeful to, to, to get what I wanted. And I think that
15:10here's my sort
15:11of, as well, my main takeaway from this show so far is that I don't think this show is going
15:19to
15:19like, there'll be people who are just going to not watch the show. That's fine. There's going to be
15:24people who, um, are going to hate watch the show for whatever reason, which is bizarre, but fine,
15:31but not fine, just weird. Um, and then I think most people are going to take away stuff from the
15:37show
15:38and are going to find elements of it that they really like and still get a lot of enjoyment from
15:43them. And I feel like that's what this show is doing. Well, probably not what they intended to do,
15:48but I think there is so much to take away from it to enjoy that you're at least going to
15:53have a fun
15:54time watching it. And that's what I got from this episode. Hmm. Yeah. Yep. That makes perfect sense.
16:02Ellie. I agree. Um, I enjoyed this episode more than I enjoyed episode two. And although it did
16:08still kind of follow that more teen style, I enjoyed watching it. It was fun. I feel like maybe it
16:13was
16:14slightly, you know, you could see that air of it being the mid episode being maybe more of a bit
16:19of a
16:19filler episode in terms of the wider storyline. Yeah. Lower stakes as well. Yeah. But it was still
16:25fun to watch. I liked that we got to see kind of a different side or see more sides of
16:30Nala Ake.
16:31Aki Ake. I'm not very good at saying the names of the characters, but yeah, we saw kind of different
16:37sides of the characters, um, saw some kind of growth there and yeah, just different sides to them.
16:43So yeah, I did enjoy this one more, um, despite it having some of those elements
16:48that maybe aren't my favorite elements, but I definitely liked this one more than episode two.
16:53I think this one leans into the fun, um, a bit more. So, uh, the pilot has a good mix
17:02of
17:02comedy and drama, but probably leans heavier on the drama action side. Two leans on the drama side,
17:10but three leans on, I think the comedy action side. And I, I, I kind of, I, I, you see
17:17where the
17:17episode is going and I thought, oh, okay. And I ended up really enjoying it. Um, we get great stuff
17:24from pretty much everyone in this episode and that's kids and adults included. Uh, someone who
17:32is, I am, I am interested to see what the reactions to Gina Yashere's Laura Thock are going to be.
17:38I love her. Um, uh, because I've loved Gina Yashere for a long time. I've loved her stand up and
17:46everything. And you can see how much of her I think is in this role. Um, and I'm, I'm curious
17:54to see
17:54people seeing her now for the very first time ever be like, okay, all righty. Um, and you know,
18:02we have, we have some, some sight gags in this episode, which I was just like, are you kidding me?
18:12I love this. Um, so, and, and also it's just nice to see there's a lot of teamwork in this
18:20episode.
18:21So you get, you know, again, a good use of the ensemble here. Um, and, uh, and, and also, um,
18:30shout out
18:31to, uh, again, I mentioned the kind of sets and everything. Uh, I'm digging the uniforms. I know
18:37people have seen like the uniforms are kind of out there. They've seen, and there's, there's,
18:40there is crossover. You see like discovery area uniforms are used as well. Um, there's sort of,
18:46it seems like three or four different uniforms on it, which is just standard for Star Trek at this
18:50point. Uh, but yeah, I, I like it. Um, and I like a lot of what the cadets are given.
18:57Um,
18:59yeah, this one for me felt the closest to, oh, they, this is teen high school.
19:10Cool. So, okay. It's like, ah, I can't say anything. Um, episode four.
19:16Yes. This episode was, again, it's the trajectory of like, right. We're doing some real things here.
19:23I don't think I love this episode as much as other people I know who have seen the show
19:28so far. Um, I didn't get very emotional in aspects. I definitely related to some stuff that
19:37happened in this episode. Um, and I actually have a lot of questions about the ending, which
19:44I would like to talk to you about after we stop recording. Um, but, uh, it was a decent episode.
19:52Um, it was, I think, a better version of what episode two was.
20:00Absolutely. Yeah. What do you mean by that? Yep.
20:02Yeah. Um, so yeah, good time. Good acting. Star Trek. I can't say anything.
20:13I really liked this episode. I am one of the people that maybe Tom was talking about because I came
20:20out
20:20of this episode really enjoying it. It's interesting though. We do tend to have differing views quite
20:25often. We do. Yeah. Um, I really liked this episode and interestingly, I didn't necessarily
20:31going into it again, think I was going to like it as much as I did based on who it
20:36was focusing
20:36on and the story, but I can't say anything about that. But I, yeah, I was really engaged in it.
20:42I liked where it went. I liked the kind of differences that were put in there. Um,
20:47I liked that it was a kind of a thought provoking episode as well. I like the ones that make
20:51you
20:51think and challenge you and kind of have some depth to them. So yeah, I, I came out of this
20:58episode going, okay, now, yeah, I'm really enjoying this show. So yay for episode four.
21:03Yep. Um, yep. Episode four, totally understand what you mean. The comparison to episode two. Um,
21:10and it is, this is, this, this is sort of where the season, I think it's going to swing for
21:16a lot
21:17of people. Um, so it's established at this point, we get what they're doing. The class knows each
21:23other, the sort of framing, um, setting for this episode, uh, is, I really like it. I really like it
21:32as
21:32well. And, and also you get good stuff from the supporting cast. I will say that this episode,
21:38there is a major focus on one character in this episode. Um, yeah, no, I won't say anything for,
21:46for spoiler sake, but, um, but yeah, the supporting cast all is, there's a reason for people to be there.
21:53Um, uh, also some big questions are answered in this episode, um, which I really like. Um,
22:05and, and I will say satisfactorily as well, because anything more is a spoiler. I feel like we're
22:15saying nothing. Um, it's, uh, some damn good acting, um, in some, there's a lot, there's a lot going on
22:25still at this point. I think at this point, actually, maybe I can say this because this is only episode
22:32four of a brand new show. I think episodes like this are where it really benefits from having
22:39spawned from another show. Like you've so much of discovery did so much groundwork for the 32nd
22:46century and, you know, kind of what's going on in the galaxy that Academy is definitely picking up on
22:54and running with. That's not to say, I remember seeing a thing quite while back that basically,
23:00you know, part of the press was, you know, this is not a spinoff. And I'm like, I mean,
23:06you know, at the time I went, well, it is, you know, because it spun off from that in the
23:10same
23:10way that strange new world spun off from discovery, you know, DS9 spun off from next gen. Like I,
23:16I don't see anything wrong with the word spinoff, but it kind of, as we go on, I was like,
23:19oh no, it is very much its own thing. Like it's not just relying on sharing space with discovery.
23:30And there we go. And then that's, that's, that's, that's what I will say about episode four.
23:34Episode five, I'm going first. Right. I love Sam with a passion and she's just,
23:44she is marching to the beat of her own drum. And I think this is a character who is probably
23:50going to be Marmite. But I think she's so crucially important because she brings levity.
23:59She brings energy and also a sort of a wide eyed naivety, which is exactly what you would think
24:07from a freshman in school. And yeah, there's a couple of stylistic things in this episode.
24:13I was just like, okay, that's a choice. But yeah. Sorry. Yeah. If it's, if it's not clear,
24:20this has been my favorite episode of the season, which is why I like, I'm going first. Okay. That's
24:24me. I'm going to, I'm going to shut up now. But one of you jump in.
24:29Okay. I'll jump in because you messaged me after you'd seen this episode and was singing its praises.
24:36And so I went in with very high expectations and I could very clearly see why it was your favorite
24:42episode. Um, I don't think it's necessarily my favorite episode. Okay. Um, I can't comment much on
24:53why, but, um, I can see why this is going to be a lot of people's favorite episode and it's
25:01a very
25:01special episode. Um, there are reasons why it maybe isn't such a drawing point for me,
25:08but it, I can accept and acknowledge that it is a very, very special episode.
25:14They reveal a statue of seven of nine and Chakotay kissing.
25:22That's what I was watching go like, Oh, Ellie, do anyone like this?
25:28I, yeah, I, um, I, I, I really liked this episode. Uh, but some caveats, uh, one of them is
25:38the,
25:38so like Sean said, the style of this episode is very different. Um, the sort of formatting of it.
25:44I didn't actually enjoy that. I think they could have done it. I get that differently. Um,
25:50again, felt a bit too strange new worlds for my liking. Um, Sam as a character, um, I'm kind of
25:58on
25:58the fence. I'm on the fence with a lot of the characters because they're, they're sort of,
26:01again, the sort of teenageness of the show. There's, there's a lot of, you know, this is what
26:07we're doing with this person, which is going to work for people, work for not, not work for other
26:12people. I'm kind of a flip flop on the character just cause I'm a grumpy old man. And sometimes I'm
26:18like, ah, teenagers with it, with energy. Um, but other times I do, I do like it. And I will
26:24say the
26:24content of this episode I did really like. And I think a lot of people will get a lot out
26:29of this,
26:30um, emotionally and also just, you know, it's a, it was an exciting episode at the same time
26:38for the kind of episode it was. Yes. Next. Next. All right. So the final episode that we've seen so
26:46far, episode six, this is, this is a big one. I think goodbye. Like I,
27:01I, I, I don't know how they, they pick which episodes will we send out to reviewers, but I know
27:07what I can, I get, I get why this was, we're going to put a cap on that and then,
27:13you know,
27:13we'll smart. You may stew now for a while. Yeah. Um, but this is the most first world complaint you
27:19will ever hear us say. We are so happy that we get to do what we do. I know we
27:24have to wait seven
27:25weeks for the next one. Uh, so, but yeah, first world complaint, we deserve no sympathy.
27:30In fact, we deserve hate. Put it down in the comments below.
27:34Um, what, I mean, yeah, top line thoughts. What, what, what did you think?
27:40I enjoyed this episode. This was an episode that featured a lot more of the scenes that I'm
27:45interested in, had much more of those elements to it, felt maybe a little bit more high stakes,
27:50less school, um, which is maybe the parts that I'm more interested in. I mean, there were definitely
27:56still those school elements to it, but there was also that, that wider story, that bigger picture
28:02going on as well, which I think for me were the most interesting parts of the episode. Um, I think
28:09just again, Holly Hunter, brilliant. Mm-hmm. Uh, but yeah, overall, I think this is probably up there
28:16as one of my favorite episodes of the ones we've seen so far of the season. Um, like I said,
28:22high
28:22stakes, bigger picture, action, drama, good performances. Yes. Liked this episode.
28:33Yeah, I would say, I would say, we are saying, um, the, similar to how I thought episode
28:43four was a better version of episode two. I would say episode six is a better version of episode one.
28:49Um, it does similar things, but in a way that I prefer and thought were executed better.
28:55Like Ellie, well, in a different way than Ellie, where I'm looking for more of the academy compared
29:00to the Starfleet. Um, I actually think it worked well, the balance of those things in this episode.
29:08Um, yeah, great performances. Um, the stakes seem to make sense. Um, and yeah, I feel like
29:17if by this episode, you're not liking the show, it's not for you. I think if you get this episode
29:23and you're like, hey, at least I found things that I've really enjoyed, then you're probably
29:27going to get some stuff out of Starfleet Academy.
29:33Yeah, I hear, I hear what you're saying across the board there, uh, picking up what you're throwing
29:37down. Um, yeah, I, uh, I'm pretty much just going to parrot what you both said. I think this is
29:45a
29:45great episode, a lot of action. Um, and yeah, Holly Hunter is like, she is fantastic throughout this.
29:54She's really good in this one. Uh, but they all are the, um, you know, there is, there is stakes
30:00here.
30:02Um, and I want to see episode seven, damn it. Um, can I just interject quickly? I want this in
30:10terms
30:10of the action. I think the action is paced well in this episode and is, and is a kind of
30:16Star Trek
30:16action that I think we're used to seeing rather than just, you know, people shooting each other
30:22over and over again. It's not that kind of action. It's like it's the episode is action packed, but it
30:27all kind of works. Um, okay. So we're, we're coming up on, on, on the, the end of this. So
30:34six episodes sort of top line, what you would like people to take away from this and what you are
30:45hoping to see more of obviously spoiler free. No pressure. Yeah. Let's go with Tom first.
30:52I hope people see that. Um, we are three people that will have different opinions,
30:58right? Um, but we have all taking something out of this show. Um, and I am, you know, classed as
31:07the grumpy one who complains a lot and don't get me wrong. There are lots of those to come for
31:13this
31:14show, but there are also lots of, Hey, I think this worked really well. And this thing they're doing
31:19here. I like, I wish there was more of it, blah, blah, blah. So, and like we've said,
31:26as the show goes on, I think they find their feet a bit more. They've kind of definitely have written
31:31some more interesting episodes, um, as, as the first six happens. So I would just say,
31:37stick with it, give it a go. If you don't like it, that's fine.
31:43I can't say fairer than that. Yeah. I mean, I would pretty much say the same thing. I was
31:47someone who had spoken about being skeptical, skeptical going into it. I was unsure about it.
31:54Um, but as I said, I came out pleasantly surprised by episode one and likewise after every episode
32:00afterwards. So if I could say anything is don't knock it before you've tried it. Like don't write
32:08it off before you've at least given it a go because I was someone who maybe would have gone,
32:13nah, I'll take it or leave it. And actually came out of it going, this is some of the best
32:17Star Trek
32:17we've had live action wise for quite some time, I would say. So just give it a chance because I
32:24was like you and I was sold. I think, yeah, it's got some of the most consistent tone all the
32:34way
32:34through, even with the genre switches, but it's got some of the most consistent tone, I think,
32:39all the way through. And that's largely thanks to, you know, I think they wrote and cast the characters
32:46very well. The cast is very, very good in this show. Um, and you know, even if sometimes maybe a
32:53setting is this or that, I don't like have like, oh, well, you know, that person wasn't great in this
32:59or that was like, no, cast is great across the board. So I'm looking forward to seeing more ensemble
33:03moments, which they've done well so far. And I think they will continue to do. Um,
33:09I say that the ship looks good. I'm really enjoying the Athena. Um, and by the end of episode six,
33:16I get what they mean by having, you know, we know that the Athena itself is Starfleet Academy,
33:24but I get what they mean by having a ship trekking the stars, but also spending time in San Francisco.
33:31And there's a good balance of that. So I'm digging that. Um, I
33:41have so much to say for Cetacean observations. So yeah, uh, that's going to be fun. And I think
33:49people are going to really dig an awful lot of what they've, what they've managed to include
33:54in this show as well. Uh, we haven't mentioned him yet. Robert Ricardo is great. Um, and again,
34:03like you can see there's stuff to explore there, um, which is really important and really cool.
34:12Um, Tig Notaro is great. Um, at the same time, I don't want to just like, oh, go all of
34:18the cast
34:19or all of the cast. This is, this is a good, good show so far. I'm really excited. I'm excited
34:26just
34:26to parrot exactly what you both said. I'm excited for people to watch it while giving it a chance.
34:32We know there's going to be people that will say it's the worst thing ever. And you're like,
34:35you know, that it's already out there. They're already sharing it today. So if you watch it and you
34:44say, didn't do it for me, no problem. Watch it. Give it a go. Watch it. See what you think.
34:52Go in with open eyes. Uh, like in the same way that I'm saying, ignore the grifters by all means,
34:57take what we were saying with a pinch of salt as well. You know what, you know what we enjoyed.
35:01Maybe you didn't what you enjoyed. Maybe we didn't Tom didn't enjoy any of it. So which is joke.
35:06This is the joke. It's the fun thing is Tom did enjoy it, which means, you know, it's good.
35:11Uh, so, so yeah, so I think, yeah, that's, we're going to bring it up to, to speed there. So
35:17we will
35:18be doing our weekly, what the hell just happened videos, uh, that will be for each episode. They
35:23will be completely full of spoilers. So be aware of that as, as we watch, but of course we will
35:29flag
35:29at the beginning of every video as well, just in case, um, we will be keeping an eye out for
35:34our
35:34weekly podcast, which will be returning next week, uh, after we had a nice big long break
35:40over Christmas, which was lovely and very unusual. Uh, so that will be back next week.
35:45Uh, keep an eye on our socials as well, because the queen of socials, Ellie will be sharing clips
35:50every week. Um, anything with a spoiler will be flagged in advance. And of course the ups and downs
35:57will be back. There will be one for every episode. We're getting a double episode premiere next week,
36:03but we will have individual ups and downs. There will be episode one, and then there will be episode
36:07two as well. So heads up to everyone. We are back in the thick of new Star Trek. I'm very,
36:13very happy.
36:14Happy 2026, everyone. Happy 60th anniversary of Star Trek, everyone. Ah, new Star Trek is coming.
36:22You are all awesome. And of course, thank you to my best friends in the whole world, Tom and Ellie.
36:28I hate you.
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