Phasers Set To Stun: Strange New Worlds S3.E7 What Is Starfleet?

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. Welcome back to a new episode of Phasers Set to Stun, where we continue to show our love for everything Star Trek in this ongoing series from a film bind 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, I'm Scott Hoffman, and.

1:07 I'm David Burns. And today we're talking about Season three, episode seven of Star Trek's Strange New Worlds, titled What Is Starfleet? Written by Catherine Lynn and Alan B. Malclroy and directed by Sharon Lewis. So from this point forward, it's read alert. There are spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen this episode yet, please stop and being 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 this episode? The opening theme of Strange New Worlds features a speech that promises to boldly go where no one has gone before. It's a promise that the show itself always lives up to, and this episode is a perfect example of just that.

1:52 The format of this episode is unlike any that I've ever seen, a standalone documentary, shot entirely by the cameras of or Tagus. We don't even hear the opening theme until the end, where it served up as the theme for the documentaries closing credits. This documentary is the culmination of Beto's project, which has been following the Enterprise's crew as a documentarian this whole season. In his documentary, he asks a very simple question, what separates a federation from an empire? What is starfleet? That question is put to the ultimate test with this Enterprise's version of Encounter at Farpoint, a distant Planet asks the Federation's help in shepherding a Leviathan through space as livestock. As Enterprise approaches the Leviathan, the crew witnesses its power and capabilities that seem to work as a weapon of war on a physical and psychic level. This forces the Enterprise to recover from damage to their ship and their crew, but it also makes them question the nature of their mission. Like at farpoint in the far future, Enterprise discovers that the mission isn't as transparent or as ethical as they were led to believe.

2:58 This Leviathan is also being tortured in its role as a weapon, and the Federation would find itself complicit in the slavery, torture, and possible extinction of a new life form if enterprise Is mission were to continue. We get this complex story served up as a storyline within this introspective episode that asks the court question what is Starfleet? What defines who we are in this type of situation. We get these answers, as well as an in depth and personal look as several of the key crew members. We also get we also finally get some in depth looks into numerous characters, including Veto, and an episode that stands out for so many reasons. I think this will be an episode that we're excited to talk about and one that I'm sure people will be talking about for a long time to come.

3:42 Yeah. Now, this is a format that we've seen many times before on other shows, but this is a first for Star Trek, so I'm kind of curious as to watch you guys's opinions of this, so let's hear it. I thought it was fantastic. I love the fact that with changing worlds, they are taking chances with doing different things. And first of all, I love documentaries, and I love the style that decided to do this with. But one of the things that I thought was fantastic is the ending of this episode really felt like the ending to the last episode, where you just felt devastated of what was happening. But I thought it was a really good episode. I felt like the individual questions that were presented to some of the cast members were perfect, because I mean, really, what is Starfleet? I mean, they do kind of ride that line, do they not. They could be an empire, They absolutely could, and sometimes they do get caught up in situations where it looks like they are a military but they're not because they you know, they try to veer from that, but they're forced into it by certain circumstances.

4:50 So I thought it was I thought it was a really good episode. Yeah, I think you know, there are so many times when I think we've said it's a great time to be a Star Trek fan and a great time to jump into Star Trek. And I think that this is one of those episodes that you could introduce somebody to Star Trek in this way because it asks a very basic question and it's a unique take on sci fi let alone Star Trek. It's a completely different thing that I think I have ever seen. And when I said I've never seen this before, I haven't been all the way through things like Voyager Enterprise, so I didn't know if they had been there, but it seems so unique, like the camera angles that they took, the shots that they decided to take. It wasn't all through Ortegas's cameras.

5:39 There was splicing of security cameras. There was use of what do you call the kind of title cards that would let people know if something had been redacted or declassified or whatever. So there's so many different directions that they took with that. It was just it was fascinating to watch, but it was heartbreaking to experience. I think it's a great jumping on point. Yeah. We predicted very early on that this was going to be a documentary episode, and as time went by, we knew it was going to be on. I'm glad they did this for a couple of points. One is, you know, many times in the past with the various star Trek it has been debated, you know, whether or not Starfleet is a exploration and scientific organization or a military organization for the United Federation of Planets. I remember in de Space nine this point was brought up many times by other races, but kind of just you know, shoved off, as if they didn't know what they were talking about. Of course not, you know, of course we're not military. But really, you know, when you look at it, are they you know, are they're a little bit of both? Actually?

6:46 And finally we get an episode that really straightforward, in your face, direct, you know, answers this question kind of I mean, it's still a little bit you know, debate, you have to really think about it at the end of this episode, but they that they were forced to look at it and make that decision and you know, decide are they military? Are they scientific? And you know, I still think they're a little bit of both. But I liked how they presented this and I'm really glad that you brought up the mention of similarities to Encounter Far Point too, because the side story, well the story that is happening in the documentary, that alien reminded me of very very much of the Farpoint Station alien from that episode, and I'm glad to see that. That was something that I wanted to address because we don't see too many of these spacefaring alien races such as this.

7:42 I can only mention. I can only think of like two or three instances and all the Star Trek where we've seen something like that, and you know, there's more than just humanoids out there. And I'm glad that they brought this because I'm trying to remember the name of the creature at the top of my head. But it was fantastically done. I mean wonderfully the whole episode. I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the look, but it did have rather a depressing indeed. Yeah, yeah, come on, now, you gotta give it something to like here, I could be happy about it. The ends well, going to get next week, by the way, So we're gonna get some comedy next week, I think, so, Yeah, definitely. And it's a great blend, and I mean it's it's a lot of deep thinking, like if you're somebody who's being introduced to Star Trek, and somebody who might dismiss it as like, oh, I don't know if it's like, you know, it's all aliens and sci fi, I don't really get into. There's a lot of interesting, deep kind of thinking behind these episodes, and I think you can't argue with the fact that you would have a lot to talk about after these these type of stories. I love the way you're mentioning that the similarities to the Farpoint Alien Wayne, because it makes me think of Lady Gladriel, is it from Lord of the Rings, who is you know, giant and beautiful but also has this power to be absolutely terrifying and terrible. This very ethereal, kind of wispy movement to it. But yeah, what they have to do

9:15 at the end is absolutely heartbreaking, and we have to watch it almost in kind of slow motion. Yeah. You know, one thing that they didn't address that that it irritated me, but irritated me in the right way during this episode is the way Beto presented his documentary. It drove me nuts that the way he was questioning his sister as if she he was backing her in the corner, just irritating ship. But but you know, I guess that's a good documentary documentarian because you know, he's not letting family, you know, alter his questions. But that and the the secrets filming of the meetings, it just felt so sinister. I don't know why I felt that way, And that's that's good storytelling there, but that's the way they were trying to get But it just felt like wrong.

10:08 I mean, it makes me wonder, you know, why did the Federation allow some of this stuff to get out? What was what was the point they were trying to address here. I have a feeling, because you know, this was all in documentary form, we didn't actually get anything at the end that you know, went back to regular storytelling. I'm wondering if if this episode two, just like the last couple, are going to affect something that's going to happen in the next what we got four more episodes left, If this isn't going to come back and become part of the storyline or bite him in the ass or whatever. I don't well, I know part of the part of the reasons why he was so venomous horror brings that out in him, that he came here because he felt Starfleet took his sister away, and that's why he was very venomous about what he was doing with this documentary and what he was trying to do about, you know, uncovering or at least trying to uncover that Starfleet was actually a military organization. And he learned, as the document learned, and as those who watched this document learned, that it's not true that you know, and and she even says, you know, I joined this because you know, this is my family now even and it makes sense they are and you know, they may not be related, but they are a family on that on that ship, and they take care of each other. And I think, I don't I don't know if as a horror or as Erica who said that, you know, I am. You know, it's it's not Starfleet to us, it's the other way around.

11:38 You know, we are to make Starfleet. And she's and and she like said, she's right, you know, it's yeah, Starfleet is just an organization. It's just a word. But the people, it's the people who make it. I mean, that's why we watched star Trek, to watch these these people. We're not watching it for well, I mean some people watching it for the enterprise itself, because we considered that kind of a character too. But it's really the people and the interactions and what they have to go through is why we watch Strange New Worlds, is why we watched Star trek Ye. Did anybody notice that Erica was working on a motorcycle? Yeah? I was. I was so fascinated by how many it seemed like she had, Like I didn't know if it was one where she had different parts of it or there were several.

12:25 But I like that part of her personality, just like last episode and Pelly's quarters, how she has all the junk, you know, she has, you know, all these these transportation you know, there there was, there was the motorcycle, there were the pictures, and then all the stuff in her quarters. It really shows us a lot of her personality. And again with Pellia Scotti has showed up in this episode, does. Engineering just go away? Well, we don't need them in this episode, so it's you know, go do what you need to do. You're fine, What the hell. I didn't want engineer? I didn't you one engineer working in like a Jeffrey's tube or something like that. But you can tell really who it was.

13:06 But of all episodes, you're interviewing all these people who are on this ship, should you not be interviewing Pelly at least because she's in charge of engineering. Maybe he did, and it was just such a massive He didn't understand anything she was saying. That decided I'm not going to put that in, or. Maybe she was so reluctant to be a part of it she was like, I'm not going to give you that time of day. I'm so busy. Yeah, she's back in her quarters playing Tarry twenty six hundred. That's what she's doing exactly. That's kind of a theme for this season, I think, is the day of asking where's Pellia? Yeah it is, and where Pellia? I'm getting head I like her character, man, and we don't there's like three episodes now we don't see her at all.

13:53 Right now, See, there were a few things that I found slightly interesting about this episode. Do you know this was the shortest episode of this series so far? Really? Yeah, it kind of went by pretty fast. I mean, it was a great episode, so he didn't even notice it. But this came just slightly under forty minutes. Wow, that is pretty And also, I don't know if you also noticed this too, but the episode was broadcasts in a different ratio that the other episodes are. Didn't it's because of the documentary style. Yeah, this was that for sure, that your regular full frame sixteen to nine rather than the anamorphic ye, which I thought was kind of neat. I mean it, I noticed it right away, but it was kind of neat that they did this. It just kind of brought the attention to the different style that the documentary type that they were doing. Also, the writer of this episode, he's written quite a few episodes of Discovery, but he got his start writing in Hollywood on he wrote Halloween four, which under Michael Myers. That was his first film. He also to Spawn and Wrong Wrong Turns as well.

15:03 Oh so he's a Hornor fan obviously. And I think he did a fantastic job. That's why I wanted to point him out. He did a good job at writing this episode, which could have been a very difficult episode to write for a lot of people. Yeah, I was curious in how this was going to be handled, to be honest with you, Like you said, we knew this was coming. Uh, we even talked about it a long time ago that this was coming, but I didn't know how they were going to be able to do it and pull it off. But they pulled it off extremely well, you know, just the the like I said earlier, there is the individual questions that he presented to some of the crew members. You know, I think one was, you know, have you ever seen somebody die? Have you ever to feel like killing someone? You know, questions that like are really hard to answer, and some of them did go unanswered. If you noticed, they kind of beat around the bush a little bit with some of those questions because they didn't feel it. And I know Pike used the answer that's classified a couple of like like one of them was, uh, what was it? Me?

16:03 Manga was have you ever erased anything from the you know, the ship's recorders? And you know he kind of didn't. You know, you could tell he was holding something back when he said no, I didn't, no, no, Yeah, he kept you could tell yeah, he kept repeating it, and you knew that he was clearly hiding something. And then Pike, I forget what the question was for him, but there was one of them he beat around the bush too on it that he didn't have a direct answer for it. So I like how they did that. It made there The actors did an incredible job of feeling that that awkwardness you get sometimes in interviews, and I think they did a really good job with that presenting themselves of giving that awkward vibe of being interviewed on camera.

16:52 Yeah, it's it's an interesting question that he asks if there's any footage that he's ever deleted. It's gonna of a dead end question, right, It's not like, oh, well, a couple of these classified things I'll tell you about, but yeah, sure, let me just because it's the document, let me broadcast those secrets that were erased, but knowing that it's more to kind of create that tense moment and show somebody, you know, clearly saying, yes, there are secrets that have to be hidden or erased, but I can't necessarily admit to them. But I can't necessarily hide that it's that it's never been done. I think it's going to cause a lot of tension between Bedo and the rest of the crew, for sure. I mean asking questions like that, some betrayals of Hurrah, and then, like you said, kind of the you know, shady kind of around the corner of recordings. I assume that all the footage was shown to the crew before it was released to anybody, but even that would be like you were recording things and not telling us, like that's a shady.

17:58 Well Softly had to approve it, obviously, That's why you get the reacted kind of stuff in there. And the question that he asked Pike was have you ever disobeyed in order? And Pike was like, that classified exactly. Which we know he has because we've seen it. Yeah. Well, speaking of creating tensions, one thing I've noticed over the last few days that since this episode was released, the fan base seems to be rather split with this episode, whether or not they liked it or not, whether or not I should have even been done, if it really fit into the style of Star Trek or the style of Strange New Worlds. What are your opinions on this?

18:39 I mean, are you happy with the episode? Are you glad it's he here? Do you want to see more episodes like this? I'm in the camp of I like this episode. I think this is the first time the season that I haven't said that this is my favorite episode. It's not, but I still put I'm still in the camp that I like this episode and I want to see them do more unique things that's not retread stuff over and over and over and over again. That's one of the things I love about Strange New Worlds is they're taking chances. I'm going to go back to the music episode, which I do not like, but I respect it. I respect the fact that they're trying something different and giving us something unique with Star Trek, and these are the things that we would have never seen years ago because it was, you know, falling into that same formula, and they're not doing that this time. They're taking chances, and I like that.

19:29 Yeah, I totally agree. I think I mean on it on I guess on the kind of the face of the question, what I want to see anymore documentary episodes. Possibly, i'd have to see kind of where the story would go, but I think kind of behind that, I definitely would want to see more episodes like this. Like you mentioned the musical episode, I loved it. We weren't on the same page with it, but it it keeps it fresh, it keeps it lively, it keeps it interesting, like we're diving into a lot of genres are kind of subgenres within Star Trek, which can only broaden its appeal. I would definitely want them to keep taking bold new directions and trying new things. It's all consistent within strange new worlds.

20:20 You always get the same kind of underlying vibe. So it's not like, you know, one episode it's all we're going to see one where it's all puppets here. So it's coming. But I trust that they're going to handle it in the right way because their direction, their creative direction, their artistic direction, their cinematography, they're writing, their score, everything has been top notch. So you know that they're going to put all the heart and soul and quality that they can into whatever they're trying. Well, let's not forget one thing, and I think some people do. Let's not forget that they're trying to bring in new audience. They're trying to bring in a younger audience to realize and understand on how fantastic Star Trek is.

21:08 So in order to do that, you have to do different things, you have to take chances, you've got to look at it a different angle, and sometimes I think the older Star Trek crowd loses sight of that. And I mean, I know we all love Star Trekt in our own ways, and I'm not going to detract from that whatsoever. You know, we grew up with the next generation, but you know, we saw a Voyager, we saw d Space nine when it was first airing on television, enterprise everything. But it's almost like you're getting the OG crew, who were kind of like, oh, we don't need this next generation crap. You know, we've got the OG crew. Let's go to them. No, let's take a step back. Let's take a look at this and realize they are just trying to bring a new audience and still maintaining that love of Star Trek for the Star Trek fans who are still out there, the older crowd like us, and they're doing it. I mean, sure there are some people out there probably don't like it, but you know what, they've got to do it.

22:02 And I'm glad both of you brought this up because this is this is something I wanted to talk about this episode because I've been noticing a very unsettling trend to come up over the last few weeks of the with what they call a toxic fan base attacking strange New Worlds and you know you're right, you hit it right on the nose, David, exactly, what is what's happening? You know, we went through quite a few years, what was it eighteen years between Encounter Farpoint and the last episode of Enterprise, where it was a great time. It was a great time to be a Star Trek fan. But I feel at the end that you know, they started losing new viewers, they started losing old viewers because it was the same thing over and over again, the same type of storytelling that we had seen for a long long time. Star Trek needed something fresh and strange.

22:56 New Worlds is giving us definitely, and I love the fact that they're experimenting. You know, we we it's not something this is not something new. I mean, these type of episodes, these documentary episodes have been done for decades. I mean, I know, I've been trying to think of of other series. You know, I remember Battle and five did one. I Mashed did one. So this is this is something that's been tried and works. And you know, musical episodes have been done for the last decade. Even though you know, we may I was the same way, we may not have really liked the episode as much, but I definitely appreciate that they're trying something new, and I hope they continue this, but you know, people have to remember that they need it can't start, it cannot survive on just the Trekkies, no, it's yeah. In order for it to thrive that and continue, it's got to bring in the regular, the casual viewers and strange new worlds.

23:52 I think is doing that. You know, this series would not not be here in its third year if it was just bringing in just Trekies. You know, it's doing well in the ratings, it's doing well with the awards. You know, I'm I'm glad to see that, because we want we definitely want more Star Trek. Oh. Yeah, and this series proves that, you know, by trying things original, you can you can keep Star Trek alive and keep people coming back week after week. And I'm glad to hear that. Let me let me say one thing and then we can move on. Unlet's's got something to add. There is no room And let me repeat myself, there is no room in any franchise for these toxic fans. Right. I am so tired of it. I'm exhausted of it. Let fans enjoy being a fan. Don't be toxic about it.

24:43 You don't like it, okay, you can, you can, you know, provide your comments, but do not become so toxic, toxic that it just bleeds into everything and just makes it so miserable that it takes fans out of it, because that is not helping anybody, and that's going to keep new fans away. Do it, and don't forget people too, you know, if you're on Facebook or x or any of the other social media platforms. Uh, you know, these are not the majority. These are a very small minority of people that that really aren't watching the series. I mean, I see some of these these responses like minutes sometimes even before the episodes are over. These this is a very small minority.

25:23 You know. The majority of the people are really enjoying this series, really enjoying all the other series Lower Decks Discovery was another series. People really enjoyed it, you know, So don't think that that's what it is. You know, if you like the series, everyone is allowed to like whatever they want, you know, that's that's the great thing about it, you know, And if you don't like it, that's okay. Too, But but you know, just just enjoy, just enjoy watching Star Trek, you know, don't don't try to make it bad for those who do like the episodes, and and don't attack the people who who actually have a true reason for not liking episode two. I see you see people, you know, they're like, when we came out with with Subspace Rhapsody, we had our reasons and we explained it and and so you know, that's okay, Everything is okay, you're it's it's all right to like and dislike episodes, but just be nice to everybody.

26:16 Yep, yeah, I totally agree with what that. Yeah. The only thing I would add to it is just that, you know, in order for the franchise to thrive, it has to live. So you know, it's it's not taking away from original series or whatever somebody might be holding on to as kind of protected nostalgia. There's nothing wrong with that. But a platform like Paramount is not going to continue to keep something like that on. If it's only a time capsule, it's going to get more it's going to get more difficult to find in that way, So allow it to thrive, allow it to try new things.

26:58 That's how the original even got on to television in the first place when it was as opposed to so it's you know, you have the option of not watching it, but yeah, let's not get to a place where we're attacking things that other people like and just every once in a while, just come to one of these things with an open mind. And I guarantee if you if you spend enough time sampling some of this stuff, you're going to find what you probably enjoyed in the first place about whichever series that you loved. And I would think that would only make somebody happy to know that people care about this franchise enough to keep it going right. And I just you know, once you don't, don't anybody that sees this, don't get disenchanted or worried because they're there.

27:45 It's it's like I said, it's a minority. The majority love Star Trek. We love each other. You know. It's it's such a great fan base. It can be a great fan base. We see it at the conventions. When we go to absolutely do this. You know, it's it's a wonderful, wonder full thing. Embrace that, get become part of that and and just just enjoy it. For what it is wonderful television. All right, Now that we got that rant over, I had to think out that was something that was that was you know, sticking to my crawl right now, all right, let's continue. Well, we've given our opinions on the episode, so now let's take a look at the characters themselves. Which character do you think shine the most this week?

28:27 David Well, I feel like I say this answer a few times, but I am definitely going with a horror on this one. I truly felt for her, you know when when she discovered that her friend was killed that she did not know about at all, and it caught her by surprise, you know how she was gave that speech to him about you know, him being angry at Starfleet because they took Erica away, but in essence, they didn't, and he really needs to look at it that way. Her sacrifice and volunteering to join with the Jacare and listening to her hum that communication that she had with the creature and herself, just her willing to do that.

29:13 You know, Spock did it because he really didn't. He really didn't have a choice, let's be honest here. But she did. She had a choice, and she took it because she's a communication officer. She knows that is her responsibility. But it's not just that. It's to the next level. She's trying to save a life. She doesn't want to see something get killed because it is a living, breathing being out there and she wants to communicate with it to see what she can do to help it. And that's what sets her so high above so many people, especially in this episode. Naschelle. Again, we said it last week, Shoe Nicholas should be so proud of what they are doing with this character because she was beautiful in this episode.

29:58 I totally agree. Yeah, Celia Gooding never ever disappoints, and it is I would say it's a difficult choice in this episode. I think we get great perspective on Captain Pike, on Spock, on la on Erica, but it's all those moments that you mentioned, Dave. While away, I would go to Ahura. It's interesting that there's a moment when she's asked if she always believes in what Starfleet is doing, and I think that's part of what's at stake when she volunteers, which has got to be a scary prospect because you have Spock, who is someone who has trained for this, who knows what he's doing, has done it several times before. She has confidence that she's able to do it, but it still has to be a scary prospect to sit in that chair, to wear that device, and know that she is not only is she at risk for her personal well being seeing what has happened with Spock, but the mission is in jeopardy and the nature of how Starfleet will be perceived is possibly in jeopardy.

31:11 So to take all that on confidently in a split second decision is worth a lot of respect. Wayne, What about you? Yeah, I mean, this was a hard episode to choose which one shined, But I agree with both of you. It's funny that we chose all chose the same person. You heard just stood out just a little bit more than the other characters in this episode, And a lot of it is due to that scene where Beto confronts her, you know about his that theory about Starfleet and it's it's motives and as ulterior motives and everything. Her I don't call it speech, but well, yeah, you know what she says. Her her is just just embodies Starfleet, just shows how much optimism and hope and and and you know that she has you know, she's given herself to Starfleet and I can you know, I Celia and Rose Gooding we mentioned that I love her and I love what she's doing with you her. I could hear every word that she said in that scene being said by Michelle Nichols. It's feel so perfect in the character. And every time I see her, I just think she grows more and more. So, yeah, we all three of us shows you her.

32:26 Of yea. Even even that part where he goes up against Pike, Pike says I cannot sacrifice any more crew members to this. He goes, you don't have to. I'm volunteering to do it. It was just like, whoa, Okay, that's that's her. We know absolutely. It's such a strong and powerful moment for the character. And I think that's why we love her. That's why the writers. I just they're doing such a fantastic job with this character making it so strong. All Right, if you have any choice to be any character that appeared in this episode, which one would it be? And why how about you start this one? Scott? This one's tough.

33:07 It is because there are so many people that are in difficult situations. I don't know that I envy any of them having to experience these things. But the one that stands out to me is probably unichin Reley because I think, you know, like we saw in at asbra Prespera, her belief in Starfleet, her belief in what it can be. I think she stands out as kind of a beacon of hope in this one. So I'd be interested to see her kind of interactions with the with the crew. She had a great line that stood out to me because it brought back one of the quotes from the two thousand and nine Star Trek where Bone says spaces disease and danger repped in darkness and silence. She has that scene where she says someone once said that space is dark and cold and full of death. Our job is to bring bring warmth and bring life wherever we go.

34:05 Oh my god, that floored me. So the fact that she has that role in a leadership position, I'd just be interested to see where she her interactions with the crew in this word. So I'm going to continue with the character who I felt shine the most. I know she put herself in a lot of danger and of course I'm talking about you her, But just the fact that as much as she loves communication, as much as she loves learning language in learning to about other creatures and aliens and getting to talk to them, just getting to sit there and be able to communicate with this being that nobody else could speak with it would be something special.

34:48 Yeah. I know she was in a lot of pain and she was suffering as she was doing that, but just putting herself into something she loves so much. I mean, we all love something so much that we would love that's all we would love to do, and when we do get to do it, it's something special. So the fact that he got to do that just makes me want to be or so that I could be in her shoes to experience what he's experiencing and getting to feel what he's feeling was just something special for me. So, without question, would be her. Well, I've got an unusual selection. I'm probably going to have to explain it, but I think because this was a really hard choice. Beto a touric or Tegus Beeto te or Tegus. I always have trouble saying his last ning because you know, first of all, he's he's a documentarian and he got the run of the Enterprise, which I think would be absolutely cool. But he had his eyes opened in this episode, at least I hope he did.

35:48 And you know, he got to see the greatest crew of the Flagship of the Federation work at their best and come up with with a great solution to the whole situation, and hopefully took a little bit of you know, information from that. He got to see Starfleet in a new way, you know, the way that it that the Enterprise sees it. You know, they see it as a force of good it is. You know, he came walked into this thinking you know, there were military reasons, there was ulterior motives, and they opened his eyes to to a whole new way of the way, you know, the way things are, the way things they work. So I'm I chose him just because of how enlightened he was by them and the fact that he got to work and be around that incredible crew. Was all right, Now, we're going to dive deep into the episode and see if we can pull out any easter eggs. With this being a documentary episode, that wasn't the easiest thing to do because there wasn't that many of them. But let's see, did either one of you find anything that what's interesting?

36:57 I did not know. No, uh, Califune enlighten us. Well these are I really had to stretch because there wasn't very many in here. But I'm going to start off with some technical information. Okay, the episode establishes that the USS Enterprise is exactly four hundred and forty two meters in length. Now, this goes against what we originally knew the Enterprise from the original series was, which according to the USS Enterprise Technical Manual, which was released Sick in the seventies and then re released again in the nineties. I got the nineties copy, but it states that the ship was two hundred and eighty nine meters in length, which is rather short if you really think about it.

37:39 But we're gonna I'm looking at this considering the technical Manual isn't actually really considered part of the canon of the series, you know, because it was published as a book and it's never really stated. So this new number, this four hundred and forty two meters, is correct and what everyone should assume that the Enterprise is now. Along with that, it also states with the Enterprise carries two hundred and three crew members, which is a much lower number than the four hundred and thirty crew members that were a board during Kirk's time. This is correct. Actually, the two hundred and three number is correct with continuity because Captain Pike stated in the original series pilot The Cage that the Enterprise had two hundred and three crew members. Now, Spock mentions that as a child, he ran away to the Plane of Blood. That's a very desolate part of the planet Vulcan that's located within the Forge. Now, in the Star Trek Enterprise episode that was titled The Forge, Captain Archer and to Paul were led into the Plane of Blood while searching for a religious sect of Vulcans that followed the teaching a Syrax. So that's right, there's a nice little bit of continuity. Also, Spock has a Vulcan meditation lamp in his quarters, which looks exactly like the meditation lamp that both to Paul on Inn Prize and tuvoc on Voyager had in their quarters as well. Plus, and finally, this I kind of laugh. I love that scene at the end with the crew together having another meal.

39:11 We didn't guest. We haven't seen Pike cook very much this season, have we, So it was nice to see that, and we got to see a very brief and quick glance of Battel. He is serving those brightly colored food cubes for his get together. That was a nice touch because if you remember in the original series, everybody was eating those those food cubes that were all various colors. So that is it for this week's episode of Phasers such as 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. 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, and x and if you're looking for more exclusive content or swag, you can join our Patreon and find out what gyms are hidden within. A big thank you once again to my fellow trekkers David and Scott for joining me and the listeners for another fascinating discussion.

40:15 Yeah thanksure leading the way absolutely now. Next episode is entitled four and a half Vulcans, the eighth episode of the season. The Paramount Plus blurb for that episode states, after a mission turns crew members into vulcans, trouble arises when they try to revert to humans. So what do you think we got coming up? Comedy? Yeah, finally, it looks like it's going to be a really really fun episode, and. We know Spock's gonna be the half vulcan. And we look forward to returning to the twenty third century and the bridge of the Starship Enterprise with you next week on Phasers Set to Stunt