Phasers Set To Stun: Strange New Worlds S4. E3 - Human Best Friend

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. Formal Hello and formal Welcome to Phasers Set to Stunt, where we continue to show our love for everything Star Trek in this ongoing series from a film by podcast that explores the expanding Trick universe by covering television, animation, movies, directors, merchandise, and so much more. Plotting your journey as always is our Core Trek Crew Adam Scott.

0:58 Aufman, I'm David Byrne and I'm Waywided. And today we're continue our coverage of the latest truck series, Change New Worlds with Episode three, Human Best Friend, written by Katherine Lynne and Anitra Johnson, directed by Yana Gorskaya. So let's get right into it. Dave, take a deep breath, count down from ten and tell us what it's all about. Ten No kidding. On the way to mediate peace talks on a planet nearing civil war, the Enterprise crew is exhausted and overstressed. Pike orders a stop at Lanaris nine, a pleasure planet known for its restorative atmosphere. Most of the crew quickly slip into blissful relaxation, but Eric Ortegas and Malcolm Scott, both terrible at unwinding, remain tense and restless.

1:44 While exploring, the two discover their missing shuttle, along with a bizarre warning recorded by their own intoxicate itself, telling them not to look for it. Lanari's nine airborne neuro pheromones have been subtly intoxicating everyone, causing memory gaps, emotional exaggeration, and comedic behavior. As Retegas and Scotty try to piece together what happened, they learned that the very alien's Pike was meant to negotiate with the Virillions are unexpectedly arriving on the planet. Their earlier selves had uncovered sabotage planted on the shuttle by Verrilliant extremists and hit it to prevent disaster, but left only the cryptic warning. Now still under the planet's intoxicating influence, or Tegus and Scotty must find Pike, recover the shuttle, underdo the sabotage, and get back to the Enterprise before the villiance misintervet the situation.

2:33 They chemically induced antics make the mission chaotic and hilarious, but they ultimately succeed along Pike to proceed with the Peace Talks. What a crazy, crazy, crazy episode. Yes, so I imagine there's the possibility of this being a divisive episode. So I'm just going to get right into it and ask Dave you first, as far as Crew gets cosmic drunk episodes, what do you think of this one? You know, I laughed. I didn't hate this episode at all. Okay, there are parts of it that I was very much entertained by it. It was very strange. When I got a halfway through episode, I had to like, I had to pause for a minute and realized, what the hell is going on here? This is like ridiculous Star Trek. Yes, but I took it as what it was. Okay, we knew a comedy episode was coming. I think we talked about it last episode. We knew it was coming because there's just so much going on. But I have to say, I know, I know, I've put down the rapping Klingons for very long, but I have to say total clips of the heart and Klingon is hysterical. And I love every second of it. It was very well done that song.

3:40 Yes, and I gotta give credit to Rebecca Remain. If she is singing that entire thing on camera, that would be astounding. Yeah, but I don't think it's any less of an accomplishment if she had to do a couple of takes. Yeah, because it sounded great. This sounded been flawless. So yeah, I know her vocal coaches for that, but I mean, come on, that's that's above and beyond. It was it was. It had a lot of funny moments throughout the episode that I laughed hysterically. So I loved the whole Kirk and Spock thing that Spock thought Kirk was a vision and ended up that he wasn't made it even funnier. That made me want That made me want to watch it a second time. Yeah, I mean, like the the the whole human best friend gets explained that way.

4:28 Yeah. And for the longest time I thought this was going to be a dog episode for some reason, but uh no, I think I thought that was a great touch. And I was like, wait, but was he actually there or was he gone sometimes? Or I know, Yeah, I thought that was a great gag. Well, Wayne, what about you? What's your what's your impression this one? It's okay, it's okay, We're here for you. Honestly, I I just didn't care for the episode. I really did. Close far. It's pretty high on my list of least favorite Star Trek episodes. Actually, I mean, right alongside Subspace Rhapsody. Yeah, I mean, this is This is you know, a strange New World's version of Everybody Gets Drunk, that comedy, which I just don't think works for any TV show. It's been proven before. You know, we got the Next Generation did it with Naked Now, which is my all time least favorite episode of that series, and Deep Space nine did it with Fascination, which is on my top five least favorite, not quite the most, but on the top.

5:32 I just I just don't find drunk people very funny. I'm sorry. I watching all these actors act drunk for the entire episode got very annoying in my opinion. Now, there are a couple of things I do like. Don't get wrong, I didn't hate this episode all. I mean there were a few good things. I really liked the progress they made with Ortegas and Scotti's characters, I thought that was that was really good, you know, especially with the whole thing came out from their insecurities, you know, and they're from their jobs rather than than just you know, hatred and one of them And like you guys, I loved UNA's singing totally Cups of the Heart and clingon. I thought that was hilarious. That was That was my. Favorite part of the entire episode. But some of the other bits, like the what was the bingo room fight?

6:18 And punks are punks? Yeah, I guess punk with all those tattoos works, but Pike's handling that that piece the delegation, I just thought it was just too silly, just didn't work. It wasn't as funny as I think they were hoping that it would be. To me. I just you know, I don't know. I don't mind Star Trek having fun and doing something different, but this was this was a stone or comedy, and I'm not sure it just works that well with Star Trek. That's a pity because the writer was it, Catherine Lynn. She wrote to those old scientists and that's my all time favorite episode of the series. So I had a lot of expectations on this.

7:00 Yeah, I don't know. I just well, I just journey. I know you journey. Well, here here's another thing too, and I want to bring up as well, is a problem I have And I know this is probably my problem, but I'm starting to begin to believe that they may be over using the character of Kirk a little bit of the series this I'm at that point right now. You know. It's just I feel like we're seeing him in almost every episode, and that when it comes to the point where we're predicting that he's going to take over the Enterprise at the end of the series, it's going to feel less special if we've seen him already two dozen times within this series. I really do think they need to back away from this character for a while and maybe make his appearance once or twice a season. I just I'm starting to get tired of the character. I love the actor. I think he's does a fantastic job.

7:50 I'm just tired of seeing him so much. I just just find the whole episode just wasn't wasn't as funny as I feel like they were hoping it would be. For me, I just don't That's what I was My opinion, is he. Starting to feel like that additional kid that always shows up on the sitcoms when you know they jumped the shark. Well, I'm not gonna say they jump the shark. Well, not necessarily, right, but I mean like the idea. He's starting to feel like cousin Oliver, if that's what you cousin, Yes, yeah, yeah, he's starting to feel like that the the the unwanted child. I don't and I don't want that to happen because I really want the end of this series to be special, but I just he's just it's too much. I'm I want to see Pike and that crueity enterprise rather than than than Kirk.

8:37 Cut back on it. Please. So do you think Kirk is just better at holding his liquor so to speak? Because he didn't seem drunk at all, Like that's why I was buying it he was a hallucination because he didn't seem to be affected one bit. Well, I'm not one certain he was there really or not. To tell you the truth, okay. I mean also that I found that they're unclear. I know they were leaning towards oh that's the real him, but I didn't think they were clear enough with it. I'm still totally baffled by I'm bafftly by the entire episode. And and but yeah, I don't know. I just got a lot of I don't know how to put it. I'm I'm I'm disappointed in the episode.

9:20 I really am. Well, let's get back to one of the points that you said, Uh, I think you had said that the the Scutty Ortegis relationship, Yeah, that you had enjoyed where that was going. Let me pitch this over to Dave. Dave, what did you think of the development of their relationship. Where were some of the high points between Scotty undertake us for you? So I knew. I knew this was eventually going to clear up that because they've kind of been hinting to that this whole for this whole season, right, we we knew something like this was going to come along. So I'm glad they didn't take it at least I don't think they're going to take it to the whole romantic way. I hope they. I don't think so. I think that was it that would ruin that. But what I really liked about these characters is the fact that they were forced into working with one another which it's kind of like that action you know movie or whatever TV show where two characters don't like one another but they're forced they have to help each other to get through it. But in the end they find out, you know, they bond basically with each other, and they realized why they had been acting the way they'd been acting.

10:28 They just didn't know each other's story until you had that scene where they finally realized. They talked about, you know, their family history and those kind of things, and where they came from and why they do what they do. And then once they came to that realization, then obviously, you know, they look through each other's eyes basically, and now they're getting along. And I like that, I really did. I knew that's where they were going to go with it. I didn't know it was going to be in this episode, but I'm a fan of it. I think the highlight of this entire episode was that bonding moment between the two of them when they were talking about their history and stuff like that. So I think that was the entire highlight of the episode. Yeah, I think it sets up kind of an interesting Obviously, it sets up more of a relationship between them to develop and I totally agree let's keep it a friendship, but also interesting that it sets up kind of an interesting dynamic between Scotty and Sulu in the future if Sulu happens to join before they send it out. I think it'll be interesting how he kind of takes on Sulu as a pilot, if he might say, you know, he still got kind of a chip on his shoulder with pilots in general, or if he starts to give them a little bit more leeway because of Erica. There was one part that may be nervous when they kind of, you know, exchange that moment in the shuttle and they're like, wow, I really wish I'd gotten to know you better, and I was.

11:48 Like, don't go that way. Yeah. One of the one of the standout moments for me was when they had that kind of opening scene where they were kind of having that dual kind of perspective from one another, and you saw Erica tape over on the console where the exceeding parameters came up. I thought that was clever. Yeah, No, I just there was elements of this episode that we probably could have done without for sure, But you know, I was still entertained by it. I love the fact that I don't know what they're doing this season, but I feel like we've got themes going on here. So the first episode was Jurassic Park, Episode two was Event Horizon. Now episode three is the Hangover. So what's what's episode for going to be? I mean it seems like there's like movie themes throughout this season.

12:33 Yeah, well, and it makes me wonder what the puppet episode is going to be? Right? Is that up Christmas Carol? I mean, yeah, they're not eating the muppets, so clearly who knows what they're going to do there? Yeah, somebody would be singing, moving and head long or something like that. I do like the nod to Scotty's finger. I thought that was kind of funny, the wrong finger, though I know it was the wrong finger, but it was still a nod. It was I agree. I thought that was that was pretty funny. Yeah. I thought I thought it was in good taste that they chose the wrong finger too, Yeah, because it would have been. Like, oh, I don't think they want to go in the middle. Yeah, I thought that was cool. Well, good, I'm gonna ask Davi. I'm gonna ask you this question that I'm gonna ask Wayne, who do you think was the or who is your favorite drunk in this episode?

13:19 It has to be Scottie, Okay, it has to be because, I mean just the way he plays it off through the whole episode, because he's on screen a lot with Erica, so he has to do it a lot more than everybody else. And this is different from Hushine the most. Oh no, I know, Horror did a really good job too. Don't get wrong, She's a second clothes for me when it comes to beat especially her outfit. What the hell was that thing? You just you just know that Celia was just having a lot of fun with that she I mean, they all seemed like they were having a lot of fun with it, you know, for better or worse. But who do you think was the most entertaining of all the people that were affected by all this. You've got and Benga doing the cocktail thing. You've got Pike getting a tattoo, You've got Nurse Chapel with battle Bengo. Of of those, I know it wasn't your favorite episode, but which one do you think was the was the most entertaining of those little vignettes?

14:16 I would have to agree with David. I've probably Scotty. I thought his drunk acting was the the least outrageous, the most tame he seemed to be. I would I would choose him. He held himself a little bit better. His storyline was progressed better in this episode despite the drunkenness. Yeah, I'm gonna choose him. Okay, I think you well. For me, it's a toss up between Pike and Chapel because you know that Anson Mountain Jess Bush both had a blast doing those I think Anson Mountain did a great job of leading into the whole like his mannerisms. It was very outside of you know, character for him. I think he did a fantastic job that made me laugh the whole way through.

15:06 But if I had to choose a favorite, it's probably be a Nurse Chapel because it was the last thing I expected. Like, I didn't know there would be a Bengo hall in this. You know, it's like Las Vegas having a Bengo Hall, Like it doesn't really compute for me. But yeah, just to know that she was getting so irad with those older customers, I thought was pretty fun. Ancient mount can place some very weird, crazy people and do it really well off the wall. Cause remember he played the author last season and did an incredible job in that episode. Remember how goofy he was, and in this episode he's just crazy and then his his Vulcan that he did last year. Remember, Yeah, he does an incredible job of these very weird characters and just taking it to another level. So I agree with the only one that on Scott. I think antient mounted Pike in this one was getting the tachers and stuff. Just how he's kind of a little like over reacting to things was just hysterical.

16:03 Yeah, I also think it's I thought it was clever, even though it did not work at all, but for him to have the tatt the tattoos kind of memorizing his speech, and then it just made it like, what was your plan with the face tattoo? Like, where were you going to a mirror or something with up? Did you notice that on his neck right right at the bottom of his neck you could barely see because the uniform or the outfit was covering a little bit. It was an upside down United Federation of Planets logo. Oh my god, does that mean they're in distress? Yeah? I do like flip me over on it or something, right. I thought it was crazy. One of the other favorite parts for me was in the transporter room when Kirk and Spock are standing there and Spock just blurts out Hallucination Beyond like it's a spell or something, and then gets the slap. I admit, like this this up that specifically took me to watches. The first watch is just to get a process, and I was like, that was fun, but I feel like there's some things that I missed.

17:07 And then when I went through a second time, I think it gets better with a with a second viewing, Wayne, I went put you through that, Uh so totally fun. I did watch it two times. I had to. I had to to catch up the Easter eggs and stuff. But I felt the same way the second time as they did the first time. But can can we talk about the greatest mind meld of all the Star Trek mind melding with a plant? Come on? Now? I was going to argue with that. I was really going because I thought that was the stupidest thing I ever saw. But then I started realizing he has mine melded with other things other than living creatures, so are, you know, other than organic creatures. So I'm gonna throw all that away that that's that was fine.

17:50 That he kept seeing them with plants. Yeah, okay, I will I will say that was pretty funny. That was weird. That was probably the weirdest Star Trek has ever got when she became a cactus. But that was pretty funny. I thought it was a nice touch how they had the pot scooting on the floor. Yeah she was You could hear that. Yeah yeah. And I was having kind of an extra nerd moment in the plant mild scene because I feel like there's a spell in D and D five e that lets you like talk with a plant or something like that, and I was like, oh wait, I've done that before. That was kind of fun. Last thing that I want to throw out before to take a quick break is just a shout out to Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall. Oh yeah, making the appearance here. It seemed like he was that was such a Kids in the Hall.

18:38 Character, and realized it was him right away until the second viewing, and I forgot all about that he was hearing this season. So I'm hoping he's a Star Trek fan, and I'm hoping this is kind of a dream realized for him, so I always love to see that. All right, Well, let's get a cup of coffee and when we'll take a quick break and we'll be right back after these messages. Okay, listeners, welcome back. We're talking about the latest episode of Strange New Worlds. Wayne has already told us so much about how it's his favorite episode of Well, let's get into some of our standards. So of the crew members, which one shined the most? And the day will go to you first.

19:23 I'm going to do it two for here. I'm going with Erica and Scottie on this one, just because they carried this episode. And I kind of already mentioned the scene that I thought they shined the most where they finally broke down and listened to each other and got to learn more about themselves and then started working with each other. Especially there at the end. I thought that was a nice touch where she go visit home and engineering and stuff like that. So I think those two are the best. I know it's supposed to be one character, but I'm sorry, I think both of them did an extremely good job in this episode of carrying it because I mean they're both trying to play drunk, they're both trying to uncover a mystery, and you know, fight each keep from fighting each other basically because you know they're on that line of getting on each other's nerves that they still have to work with that another. I mean, come on, Erica, how many times did he try to lose Scotty? Was that working? Just was it working?

20:16 He just gave in and him trying to one up with the knocking. Yeah, but they're like brother's sister, So yeah, exactly. I think that's a great answer all that way. Thank you, Wayne. What about you? Well, I'm going to go along the same thing. You know, I'm going to say Scotty because you know, even though this is mostly about everybody running around drunk and acting and silly, I thought that Scott, Scotty, and Ortegis actually had some really good character development here. And you know, if they're all their irritation came from their their insecurities. I like that. And it's like, you know, Scotty has something he has to prove and that's why he and Ortegas don't get along. There's just some in terms of that part of the story that there was a lot of substance in there.

20:59 But I'm really happy that they didn't turn this into like a romantic pairing thing. I'm Scott. I'm glad they didn't do that. I think their relationship works better as a you know, more like a friendship or a working relationship. You know. But he got to be. Funny, you got to be a little eccentric, you know, more than what we normally see the character. Mister Scott's just I just didn't enjoy it very much. But I thought Scotty came off really well in this episode and came through it looking pretty good. I totally agree. Yeah, I mean, I mean, they saved the ship, even though it put them in peril. Both of them working together despite their differences, saved everybody. I'm gonna I'm gonna take a shorter left turn with mine, even though I completely agree with both of you and call out Unititan Ridley for singing total clips of the heart and klingon twice and saying seeing that there were other cling on power ballance in the karaoke bar, like to be able to do that drugged, I don't, I don't know, I don't know how well she did it.

22:08 I'm sure there are people could that could you know, analyze that and tell her she's wrong, But yeah, I just thought that was that was a funny thing to carry different In the end of credits, well, Wayne, if you could be anyone in this episode and you do have to choose one, who. Would it be, Well, I was again going to say Scotty, but I don't want to have my thumb blown off. I don't think that sounds very fun, So I'm going to choose Unich and Riley number one. Everyone's completely out of control, but she still manages to be a little bit funny, you know, and her performance singing that song is probably is definitely, in my opinion, of the funniest moment of the episodes. So, you know, a really good reminder that you know, I love this character, but that you know she can be serious and responsible, but she does have a time where she can let her hair down and just be a lot of fun. And it's clear that Rebecca remains having a lot of fun with that scene. This weekend, I got to talk to Rebecca Remain and told her about this podcast and I asked her, I told her that we were going to be recording this podcast, and I asked her about this scene and if she had fun doing it, and she said she definitely did, but she was very nervous about learning the kling On words, but really enjoyed singing this song.

23:23 So, Rebecca, if. You're listening to it, you know, thank you for answering that question, and we love you on this series. Yeah, I'm so glad you got to meet her. She's she's a blast, and I'm sure she's not alone in that recording room when she's trying to sing that. I'm sure there are people that are coaching her through, like a little more flem in that one. But she did a great job. Dave, who would you choose? I'm going with Membinga learning to be a bartender and having the time of his life and then turn around at the end he actually had the hang of it. I h for sure Mimbinga, Well, I you saw my notes because I said the same thing, So I'll have to do somebody else. I will choose Nurse Chapel doing the battle Bango, because even before the fight broke out, it seemed like she was having a great time, and I just thought it was highly entertaining to see her kind of lose control of that moment, So I'll go with that, even though I don't know how how how dangerous the grannies in that scene would have been. Maybe maybe as long as Lan is in the room to fight with us. Well, let's talk about easter eggs. Wayne.

24:39 I'm going to tee it up to you, unless Dave you caught anything else I did not, I know they're there. The one that I'll that I'll start you with, though, is it is green. Yeah, the drink quote. And I'm glad you brought that up. That's been mentioned a couple of times in Star Trek Scotty and his Green Drink love that. There were a few other really good ones here. But let me start off first of something you mentioned. This actually isn't Dave Folly's first time on Star Trek. He actually did the voice of FARRINGI Parth in the Lower Deck episode Parth Farringi's Heart Place. Oh cool.

25:20 Yeah. I don't know if you guys caught this, but that Mugata costume that Scotty wears that they're just reusing the same costume that appeared on Starfleet Academies by this reflux. If you remember that, it's exactly the same costume. Nice. Now, the bomb that was placed in the shuttle consisted of an unstable material name nitrilin, which was also used by Garrick in the Deep Space nine episode in Probable Cause. Now. The other item that was mixed with it, baruvin Or, was first mentioned in the Lower Deck episode Kaish on His Eyes Open as being used by the packlids, and it made a of the Critos's transporters the Sezner Grand commercial at the beginning of this episode. They're definitely imitating the nineteen seventies animated series style. There's so many callbacks and easter eggs just in that. I'll let you guys just watch that again and see what you can find.

26:19 But two things that I spotted of interest. In the room where Scotty and Artegis wake up, well, there was the Trible moving around, which I think that's the first time we ever saw a triple actually move. I thought that was pretty cool. But also in the junk there was that remote control vehicle from the Next Generation's episode Rascals, the one that Alexander Rijinkole used to trick the Feringhi so they could transport them to the brig. It was just setting there. I don't know how it got there, but there it is. Now lawn calls for an and biujitsu tournament to the death. That's that martial arts style that William Riker and his father were practicing in the Next Generation episode The Icarus Factor. And finally, Ortegas is wearing an Andrian antenna headband with one of the antenna's missing.

27:07 But did anyone notice that when they see that message that they recorded for themselves from earlier? Her headband has two antennas, so I wonder what happened made her lose. One of them? The dragon? Oh yeah, it's got to. Be and that's it. All right. Well, thanks guys for another fun chat as always, and thank you listeners for joining us again. Let us know what you thought of the episode. Do you have to drink to get through it? Or was it one of your community favorites? Let us help it would Let us know what you thought, and remember to check us out at a film by podcast dot com for film and TV articles in our entire library streaming free right to us at a film by Podcast at gmail dot com and share your questions, comings and concerns. We might just read your response on the show. Wayne, thank you so much for joining me on the bridge. That's always a pleasure, lots of fun. For those of you who are listening to the show and following us on social media subscribing to our Patreon, we thank you. See you next time for another episode of Fasers set to sun.

28:13 I should warn you you are still a plant. No