Phasers Set To Stun: Strange New Worlds S3.E4 A Space Adventure Hour

0:01 Space the Final Frontier. Join us for a bold conversation our prime directive to recap our favorite Star Trek shows, both new and old, to engage and debate about all things Trek. Prepare to energize with Phasers Set to Stunt. Hello, listeners, and welcome back to a new episode of Phaser Set to Stunt, where we continue to show our love for Everything's Star Trek in this ongoing series from a film by podcast which focuses on every system of the expanding Star Trek universe by covering television, movies, animation, directors, merchandise, and much much more. Plotting your course on this voyage is your Core Trek crew. I'm Wayne Whited'm Chyle Hoffmann.

1:07 I'm David Burns, and today we talk about season three, Episode four of Star Trek's Strange New Worlds, titled a Space Adventure Hour, written by Dana Oregon and Catherine Lynn, and directed by Jonathan Frakes. So from this point forward, it's red alert, folks. There are spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen this episode yet, please stop and show yourself to the nearest view screen to catch it on Paramount Plus. Then come back and rejoin us. For the discussion, Scott, why don't you give us a short summary of the episode. Happy to Far. Before Dixon Hill or Sherlock Hol solved mysteries on the Enterprise, there was another detective making interstellar history, Amelia Moon. That's the character that inspired la On moonion Sing to pursue a career focused on justice and the identity she takes on for a game of murder mystery. This happens on board Enterprise is a test of a prototype holideck, which pushes the ship to its limits to keep the mystery alive.

2:04 What Lawn doesn't know is that Scotty can't break her out of the holidack unless she can solve the mystery. If she can't, the overloaded system puts the entire ship and crew at risk. Will she find the answer she needs? Will this adventure leave her with more questions? Let's talk about this amazingly original look back at a parody of TOS while seeing how the future of the Enterprise Prize technology unfolds. So I'm holding my breath wanting to know what you both thought of this, because it does go to a very interesting different place. They weren't singing, so that makes me happy. Hey, Hey, hey hey. I still defend that one. I thought it was a very unique episode. I had a feeling it was gonna be a holiday episode, which that are introducing kind of early in the track, but that's besides the point. I found it very intriguing, and I thought all of the actors who played the different characters were in this. I thought you could definitely tell that they were having fun with these different roles and just going with it, and I thought that was amazing.

3:08 You could just see how much fun they were having in these different roles that they were playing. A couple of people I thought stole the show, but we'll get to that point a little bit later. I absolutely loved how this episode opened. It was so much fun to see this, yeah, and just getting to obviously you knew what they were doing, but then even to do the main title sequence matched with it as well, which just was a great move for the creators to start trek Paul Wesley being as William Shatner as he can. What's great? Yeah, I mean, and I'll say I'll say what I had said on a previous episode that opening sequence, there's flavors of lower decks in there, like assuming that's all animation.

3:54 It was. It was very very well done. I'm kind of surprised that you didn't do a little bit of dabling in practical effects there. But I'm glad they went the way they did. Wayne. What about you? I like the episode. I did like the episode, but I'm conflicted about certain things on it. You know, as a viewer, I thought the episode was a lot of fun. It was. It was a lot of fun. But as a tricky it's bothers me big time because modern day Trek, I mean, you expect something something different than what we're used to. And my problem with this episode. And believe don't get me wrong, I like the episode, okay, but I do have one little problem. It is said it's not an episode of Strange New Worlds. It's an episode of the Next Generation. It's very obviously that's what it is, because I mean, you know, it's it's a holiday episode. That's what it is. It's a holiday episode in that series is known for being for having a lot of Holodeck episodes, and this this I'm not sure they should have done this episode. That's that's just this is the problem I'm having with it because with only ten episodes of season I just I don't know. I'm really conflicted with this.

5:12 You know, it was a fun episode, you know, very much in the the style of all the fun you know, holiday episodes like Oh the Big Goodbye and Elementary Dear Data that this really reminded me of that one. And I'm like, you know, Voyagers Brighter Chaotic of is another one that this really reminding. But this is ground that we've tread before, and that's where I have my issue with this, because I never thought I would ever see this type of episode in this in this series. So I don't know, I'm I'm maybe I need to watch it a little bit more, let it sink in a little bit longer. But I can't tell whether I should praise the episode or or fuss about it.

5:54 So so this this episode is kind of a double edged sword. I see where you're talking at there. I agree with you. We've got only ten episodes. Why are you giving us this kind of bottle episode that really kind of doesn't push the story along except for the Leon and Spock stuff. But for me, I think the other side of the coin here is, yeah, it's your typical holiday episode that we got in the Next Generation. But I think with this being meta, that it is that it gave us Trek fans a like a like a love back to us, almost like a love letter back to us and to Gene Roddenberry, because I mean, come on, let's be honest. T K. Bellows, who Pike is playing, is kind of Geene Roddenberry here, Okay, definitely.

6:40 And the speech. That is given by is it Jonie I think played by Horr the speech that she gives, you know, talking about you know, people who take on this show of fans have a deep love for it this and when you look at it that way, I feel like this is Jonathan Frakes, who again directed this episode, and probably why it feels a little bit like the Next Generation. But this is Jonathan Fakes almost saying you know, I see you fans, and I appreciate what you've done at the same time appreciating what Gene Roddenberry tried, has done, not tried, has done over the years. And if we remember, Gene Roddenberry even had problems towards the Star Trek. Remember he got thrown off the set fag at what movie it was, but and he kind of got barred from his own product and exactly what has happened to t K in this episode. So I feel like this was kind of a love letter to everything Star Trek, and that's the way I look at it.

7:47 I see your viewpoint, but I also see that viewpoint. Well that's why I have the problem with it. I had fun through it from beginning to end of the episode. I really did have fun, and I liked it. I just I'm just not sure it should have been done because, well, first of all, we have to admit this is going to split the viewers right down the center. You're either gonna love it or you're gonna hate it. But I think it's just it's it just follows too closely the basic format of the past Holodek episodes. I think that's what's bothered me. You know, you got your you know, the adventures created. You know, Oh no, something goes wrong. Now they're trapped and the safety protocols are off. They got to finish the story, and then of course the Enterprise is in danger. You know, it's it's we've seen that many times before. I there so much can be done, you know, the really disguised the limit with holodic episodes, and this is just retreading, like the greatest hits of the Holidak. I think they could have done something a little more more original with the story. And I'm not even going to get into the idea of the fact that I don't think the Holodics should exist at this point, you know, our least at least in the format that we see in this because you know, there was something called the rec room, the recreation room in the animated series, but this what we see, this is a full blown Holidack anyways called that. You know, you got the the

9:17 yellow and black grid, you got the arch. You know. I can accept that they would be working on a prototype of the technology, but I think maybe we should have made a little more primitive. I think I think that's what's what's hitting my my trek nerve right now, because you know, this is just like the holiday that we saw in Enterprise D. There's very little difference to it, and you know, just like the one we saw and encounter at farpoint, especially the Big Goodbye, because that's this This story really reminded me of the Big Goodbye, and I appreciate their attempt to work it into the folklore, but I I guess I just always assumed that the hall was a newer technology in the twenty fourth century, because if you remember, in the pilot NEC Generation pilot, right, neither Richer or Wesley had even seen a holiday, and here we are over one hundred years. I'm not sure exactly how long ago this episode was between those two stories.

10:15 But I don't know. I'm gonna throw all that out and say I like it, so, Okay, yeah, I was not really good. Yeah it was fun. I agree that. I think it was a lot of fun. I think I'm leaning more toward the the Dave side of Wayne right now, because Wayne, it sounds like you're standing on that line between the oven hate yeah, which is an interesting achademy because you're kind of talking about, like, you know, it's something that's making you think about it a lot, not with a lot of distaste, but just kind of should it have been this? Right? I think when you're mentioning episodes, it kind of reminds you of just when you started talking about it. It did remind me a little bit of Far Beyond the Stars from Deep Space Gap, where it's not directly talking about the creators of the show, and I think that's one of the things that was really interesting about this that they did it as kind of a an homage type parody, but it didn't seem like they were taking vicious jabs at anybody that was involved with the show, like the Lucille Ball type character of the Gene Ruddenberry type characters. It all seems to be done with a lot of fun and reverence, and I think when you want to have that kind of tone, Jonathan Frakes is exactly the guy to go to, oh before that kind of stuff. I think it's interesting the way that they explained some of that when you talk about like the technology shouldn't be there yet, when they say, you know, we can only have a limited cast of characters that has to be based off the transport buffer patterns, so

11:48 it can't necessarily create anybody original. Although that did make me think who was in the bathtub? I wasn't able to catch the face of the person in the bathtub, and I don't think they were trying to go to a place where it was. Like, let's shore one of the grew dead. I'm sure there was part of me. Is wondering about that anyway, and the fact that they basically use the holiday to create like a clue type situation where it's a limited number of rooms, it's in a gigantic mansion. We just get the sense that it's a gigantic mansion because every room is giant and ornate and whatever. So I can see how it is kind of operating with some limitations there. It did kind of catch me off guard, like should this have existed at this point? But if there's anybody who should be at the center of trying to fix it when it goes haywire?

12:37 I think Scotty was a lot of fun to watch. It was fun to watch him kind of, you know, panic can kind of fumble and say, like, hypothetically, if this went pear shaped, what would somebody to do about it? I also agree with the timing seemed odd, like, if you're going to test this kind of thing to see if it can work on a starship, wouldn't you want to test that base doc rather than saying, let's park outside a neutron star where anything could possibly happen, and it does. Wouldn't it be safer to kind of run this in a place where if life support went down completely, they could transport everybody out. Well, that's the common sense part of it. But that wouldn't be Star Trek.

13:20 And it wouldn't be right. It would just be like how boring. Don't get me started on data on an android that you keep giving all this you know, room to do whatever you want and he goes wrong. Okay, No, we're not going there, right. You know, I keep saying I'm fighting whether I loved or or hated the episode, but I'm going to go I'm just going to say I did love the episode. I thought it was so much fun. I'm going to I'm going to follow the advice of an ancient philosopher that once said that just repeat to yourself, it's just a show, and I should really just relax. Words of wisdom. Yes, indeed, so clearly this is the weird episode of the season.

14:02 Right, they always have one. I'm assuming this is the weird one this season. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, so look at it that way. Yeah, so let me let me let me flip the coin on you though. Let's say the whole episode was a space adventure hour the the was it the Last Frontier? Yep, Let's say the whole episode was that. But it ends with maybe Trelaine paying another trick on them or another alien race is doing something to them, so that it's not a hollow deck. It's like they're they're having tricks played on them, and so they're caught up somewhere, and then we get that explanation towards the end of the episode.

14:46 Would that be a better episode than what than a hollow deck? I probably would have. Yeah, I think it would have. It would have been another fun episode, I think because I mean, I really really enjoyed the original series parody that they do get and especially Paul Wells Wesley's performance that had me laughing. What a what an unusual way to start an episode. I never saw that coming. I love the the blue not to fast forward to the end, but the blooper real at the end when. He tries the rik remover and breaks the chair. Yes, that was great. Yeah, all right. I also want to point out to that, you know, there was so much stuff that we really loved in this episode, but I thought this music was wonderful. This this time around two. She did a phenomenal job of recreating the style and the feel of of the not only original series, but a little bit of hints of the animated series. So it hats off to h Nanny A Melomat. We haven't said her name much this season, but she's done a wonderful, wonderful job.

15:54 The music has just been really good this season, not seeing the previous seasons had been terrible. But me and they are just knocketting out of the park this season after each episode. And it's just another element of how they really leaned into this, like the opening credits being the opening credits for the Last Frontier not for Strange New Worlds, Like they could have done a different direction there, but they just totally leaned into it. I don't think it works. Yeah, I mean it sounded it sounded like the original series, but it was using the Strange New World's theme and I thought that was that was brilliant. I really hope we could have soundtrack this season. We haven't got one from last season's, but come on now, give it to us. Kidding, I was gonna say, you guys had to absolutely.

16:36 Love the whole falling around the bridge like it was getting it was getting hit and yes we're portraying that they were falling out of the chairs and moving around. I just I just thought that was hysterical. Yeah, the hyper jostling. Yeah. I liked the. What was the race called the Argonians? Yeah? Ye, the way they had just the exaggerated sticks that were holding the eyes on the side and the giant rubber face. That was another one where I was like, I'm trying to look beyond the makeup, who that is. I know it wasn't one of the core cast, but a lot of fun with that. I'm sure our producer is happy that everybody's hair is back to normal. Yeah, yeah, all right, anything else we have to share about our likes or dislikes about the episode.

17:23 Well, he's not going to get my vote for which crew members shined the most, But I love Scotty in this episode. There's so many scottyisms. I mean, even as small as the way that he says lieutenant and he's talking to Long and the way he's worked into that found footage in the fake fireplace. I thought that was a cool little nugget, Like when he was going to get in touch with him, I didn't know if he was going to call them on the phone, but then he ends up being a character in that found footage, turns around and talks to them through the movie projector. I thought that was pretty cool. So here's my question, where the hell is Pellia? She's on leave. Didn't you hear.

18:05 She didn't want to be anywhere you're testing a holiday, she knew how dangerous it would be, and she's to be like Scotty good luck. But this is like two episodes in a row. Now they're on a five year mission. Where the hell is she? Maybe it means that we get a Pelia centric episode cone up soon. But I mean, she's part of your main crew. She should be. I get the joke the last episode that she didn't want to attend the meeting so she sent Scotty. But two episodes in a row now we don't know anything about her. Where she's at. Is she just sleeping in her quarters? Is she sick? I don't know. It just seems so awkward. It is odd that she wasn't there, especially since I think her her expertise could have been used this episode.

18:50 I don't know, but I mean, you know, we got to see Scotty, we got to see him shine, so you know she'll be back and maybe they'll explain it. Maybe. I also liked the two subtle nods that we had in this. I guess like Easter eggs to other famous detectives. Yeah, Carmen san Diego, Oh definitely. Well has to have some kind of influence on lines outfit. Credit to him for that and the other classic sixties detective Scooby Doo. Because the killer is always the first one you meet. I didn't get that until I rewatched and I was like, oh, the spot that appears in the holiday was behind.

19:31 It all along. I thought that was interesting. Yeah, I mean, in terms of the mystery itself, it felt a little convoluted, but I did like the solution of it. I thought that was actually rather brilliant and good way of wrapping it up. Yep, agreed, Yeah, absolutely. Her David, who did you think shine this episode? You know, so many did a really good job in this, but I've got to give it to Pike in. All his quirkiness. T K also probably playing Gene Roddenberry, but I mean his heartbreaking scene there towards the end, where you know, when he finally tells what's going on, you know that he's being removed from the show and those kind of things, and you for you think that he's the murder, but he's not. He's just pissed off at the producers and pissed off everybody.

20:20 But he still didn't kill anybody. But just some of those scenes were just. Hysterical with him, how he was just so like odd, which is not like Pike, you know, to be like that. And I believe there was a scene that they were talking about. I think it was UNA's character where she was talking about the house and Pike was like, but you love that house, and just this is that that small little line out of nowhere just made me laugh. So it was Pike, without questioning. Yeah, he did such a good job. They all really did a good job in their alternate personas you know. And I was kind of a little bit taken and back by ants and Mount's performance because it took me a few seconds to realize that was even him. He is so different from Pike and looks so different, but very obviously Jane Goddenberry, just like number ones was UNA's was definitely without a question was being Lucille Ball.

21:19 Yep. But it's just so good. This was a long episode. I mean, there's no doubt. I think she shined the most in my opinion, And of course I love Christina Cheng. I think she does a wonderful job and everything she does, and she did a great job here and she looks like she's having a lot of fun this episode. But yes, she shined. But you really have to admit that that Paul Wesley's imitation has Shatner stole. The show, which apparently William Shender does not appreciate because I watched a video with you yesterday. He doesn't. No, he does not, But but Whyne You do bring up a good point. So we haven't really discussed it yet.

22:00 Clearly they're going into a relationship with in spots. Yeah, that's obviously happening. So they're not beating around the bush anymore. So what do you feel about that? How do you guys feel about a relationship if that's where they're going. I mean, Spock had relationships for crying out loud. I don't have a problem with it. And the fact that he's trying to rebound from Chapel, which who wouldn't want to try to rebound from Chapel and who wouldn't go to Leon was absolutely beautiful, So I'm okay with it. Yeah, I. Know that there's going to have to be some kind of conflict there so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out, because I don't think they're going to go with the stereotypical route or kind of that cliche route that they could go with it. I do think on the second watch, it was interesting how Chapel's character in The Last Frontier has a moment of dialogue where she says, you know, can't I, you know, am I not allowed to have love and be able to be taking seriously in my career? And you see that kind of moment of pause from la on when she's not in characters Amelia, but she's genuinely recognizing that. So I feel like that's one of the clips that's gonna come back, and you know, last time on, I'd be interested to see how that relationship plays out and if it plays out.

23:28 But hats off to him, and I mean, Spock's got to be a hell of. A dancer for you know. Yeah, as far as who shines, I think my favorite, uh my favorite in harrd a universe character has got to be ants and mount his performance. I agree, Like you can tell he was having fun every time he'd kind of fold his hands and rest them on the top of his belly and kind of look. Over his glasses. You can see that that's just like Frank's had to be just like giggling on the side. But you know, on having this this arc of a relationship with Spock, that's just beginning, all of the tango dancing and all the fun that she was having as Amelia Moon, you could tell she was having a lot of fun beef that detective even though it was you know, life or death stakes, and her own detective skills are really what helped to save the day here.

24:25 Yeah, Now, if you had any choice to be in any character that appeared in this episode, which one would it be? And why what about you? Scott? I can hear Jeff shouting his answer right now, we all can. I think it would be interesting to be Scottie, and I would like to see kind of the you know, as much fun as this episode would be, it would be interesting to see his own kind of journey in trying to fix this thing, how to navigate this thing, and kind of look behind the scenes at the Holidack. I think that had been interesting. David, what about you? I'm going with the Jeff Johnson answer, and I'm going to say Spack because not only does he got some cool moves there, dancing on the floor, but he gets Leon Leon with on his arm and clearly going to have a little bit of a romance with her. So that's an obviously answer for me, Wayne, I'm curious of yours.

25:21 Well, I'm not sure I want to say my now, because I wanted to be Lawn, oh God, but for different reasons. Okay, It's just that it's you know, ever since you know, I was a kid and I started watching The Next Generation, I thought it would be so fascinating to actually be in a holidack. I mean, can you imagine, you know, being able to recreate anything that you want and any adventure you want. And and Lon had the chance of testing the very first one or one of the earliest prototypes, And I mean, can you imagine what was going through her mind and what she was thinking of the potential for this despite all the troubles that it causes. We've seen a lot of trouble over the years that that stupid thing can cause and getting good go wrong. But I'm pretty sure she enjoyed her time doing this. She looked like she did, and I would have too. So I'm gonna choose her.

26:16 That's a good choice. Cool. All right, Now, let's dive deep into the episode and see if we can pull out any Easter eggs, and I'll let you to go first. Did you find anything, Well, the one that really yeah, the one that really. You know, the obvious ones, yeah, But. The one that really stood up to me, that made me giggle was when Ortegas was playing Leewoods. Is he you know, I'm an actor, not a doctor, right, which obviously with a nod to McCoy and I thought that was perfect. Yeah for me. Aside from what we've already mentioned, I like the the meta nature of having the bloopers at the end, yes, replicating the original series bloopers, but specifically the doors not working. Yes, I feel like that's a that's a great nod Wayne.

27:04 What about you? And that that shot, the final shot, it was just a straightforward shot of at Paul Wesley Kirk reminded me of that shot at the end of all the end credits of that alien where it was it was framed like that. But there were I mean, the whole episode was just full of Easter eggs, so and many of them are obviously they're they're very obvious. So but I went through and try to see if I can find a few easter eggs that maybe you didn't guys, you didn't notice. But first let me let me state that, as I mentioned before, a version of the holiday called the Recreation Room appeared in the the animated series. The episode was called The Practical Joker. Now, I don't know if you guys noticed, but the scenes from the Last Frontier used a lot of original series sound effects, and I mean there were there were some some great effects there, and of course that similar sounding theme song. The device that Lon wears on her neck that allows the Holidak programming to scan her was very similar to the cortical monitor that was used very often in Star Trek Voyager that they would use to monitor everybody's life signs. Now, this one I had to look a couple of times.

28:14 I had to think about this one. But Spock mentions that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as his ancestor. That threw me, But then I remembered in Star Trek's six The Undiscovered Country, Spock says that an ancestor of his said that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains. However, improbable must be the truth. Of course, that's a quote from Doyle's book The Sign of Four So Robald of the writers for adding that and keeping that little cup bit of continuity now here is one that I don't think very big people got. It took me a couple of views, but one scene in the Holidack there were various movie posters hanging on the wall, including a Western called down in Deadwood.

28:54 Deadwood was the fictional Western town that Wharf and Alexander visited during their holiday venture. A fiscal of Data's it's neat that they added these little tidbit easter eggs from past Holodeck adventures, and the last one, Scotty states that holid X would require a dedicated server room and power source that is separate from the rest of the starship's operations. I'm glad he said that because that was always an issue and a problem during Star Trek Voyager, where the ship's powered and completely go out, but the holodics were still working. So they finally, after all this time, put an explanation as to what the hell's going on there?

29:40 Did you see? Jonathan Frakes made it into the episode his voice anyway, At the blue at the end of the Bluebirds. That was him calling out the corrections and shipship instructions to become That was awesome. That's cool. Yep, and anything else you'd like to add on this week's episode. No, sir, no, I congratulate them from taking a big swing on this one, and I think it was I think it was spot on. Yeah, I mean, I got to give them a lot of credit for trying something again, trying something different. I'm with you, David. Thank god. There was no singing, no repping clean thank god. Hey we went back to under the Cherry Moon. We're going back to that one.

30:22 No, no, we're not. Yea, but this this is the I think this is the season's odd episode. We've already got a taste of next year's odd episode. Let me see it. You know. I really wish they would show clips for next week's episode. We could talk a little bit about it, but they're not doing that this season, so we have no idea what's coming next for any of the crew. I'm interested about that because it's called Through the Lens of Time, So I'm glad they're not giving us any spoilers with like trailers because it leaves it to a surprise to us because it makes me feel like they're trying to keep something hidden from less that they don't want us to see until the episode happens.

31:03 So I kind of like that, to be honest with you. Yeah, And it leads a lot of speculation to the title of the episodes. I don't know. I don't know, but I have some suspicions. We'll just have to wait until next week to see. Well that puts us halfway through the season too, doesn't know, Yep, it does. Well, man, It's it's also kind of interesting just to speculate for a second that the last time that anything regarding time or time travel came up was when La went back and sparked the romance with Kirk. Kind of interesting that now she seems to be on the Spock train, So could there be some kind of aspect of that.

31:43 Could there be Kirk coming back and it's some kind of conflict there. I don't know. I didn't think about that. That is a possibility that could be part the storylines coming up. The interesting And. That's it for this week's episode of Phasers. Set to Stunts look at Star Trek Strange New worlds. We'd like to open a channel to our listeners and hear just what you thought about the most recent episode and the season in general. Who knows you might be mentioned on a future show. Of course, you can email us at a film by Podcast at gmail dot com, find us online at a film by podcast dot com, follow us on Facebook, Instagram at x and if you're looking for more exclusive content our swag, you can join our Patreon and find out what gems are hidden within. Thank you, David and Scott for joining me and the listeners for another fascinating discussion.

32:34 Yeah, likewise, thank you appreciate it. As you stated, The next episode is titled Through the Lens of Time, which is the fifth episode of the season and the halfway point for not only this year, but the entire series. We look forward to returning to the twenty second century and the bridge of the Starship Enterprise next week on Phasers Set to stun