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matt_zimmerStar Trek: Starfleet Academy "Series Acclimation MiL"
I should love this episode. It's a direct sequel / epilogue to Deep Space Nine. Cirroc Lofton appears and so does Dax (played by Tawny Newsome).
I don't love it though.
I hear it had Avery Brooks' blessing, which is nice, but I don't think Brooks was happy with Sisko's fate on DS9. He promised Kassidy Yates he would be back. Brooks insisted on that because he didn't want to be a Black man abandoning his family. He was right.
Lofton complained in interviews (correctly) how Deep Space Nine has essentially been forgotten by the canon. When it was basically doing story arcs while Alex Kurtzman was practically a kid. It informed modern Star Trek and is literally the only one of the first five Star Trek series that entirely holds up today. I'm not joking about that. But this centuries later Epilogue, while kind to DS9 fans in a lot of ways, makes me sad. Because it's Tawny Newsome closing the door on ANY return to Deep Space Nine.
Have you ever seen the documentary "What We Left Behind: Looking Back At Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"? I've raved about it elsewhere, but one of the awesomest things about it is the best writers from that show write and storyboard the imaginary first episode of a potential Season Eight. And damn, if what we saw with just those storyboards doesn't make it the best Star Trek episode ever.
I'm mad this closes the door on that. I'm mad Sisko is unable to keep his promise. Lofton's participation and support do mean a lot. Especially since Avery Brooks is retired. But Lofton convinced him to use one of his voice-overs for the ending and that's good.
But if Newsome is mad the franchise closed the door on Deep Space Nine (for good reason), the solution isn't to lock it so nobody can ever go through it again.
The stuff with Ake, her rival, the Doctor, and Reno was kind of fun, but despite Tig Notaro stealing the scene, I suspect she's only in it because the show is struggling to find things for her to do. She's literally the best character on the show and they need to find ways to utilize her. The Doctor is similar, but I think his updated version works because there seems to be a tragic element to the character in that he's always seen everyone he'd ever loved and cared about age and die, and always been left behind. That's interesting. Reno worked better on Discovery in the thick of things and making sarcastic comments that nobody had ever bothered making on Star Trek before. She still does that, but it's different if she's doing it while a teacher instead of while the ship is about to explode. The former is quirky, the second is awesome. If Jett Reno isn't being awesome 24/7 Tig Notaro is not being utilized properly.
Jay-Den is a gay Klingon. I am not 100% on this, but when this is fully explored, I demand to hear updates about Klingon culture and socials mores. The thing is, although never said directly, the Klingons are a sexist (and toxic) patriarchy. We've never seen a gay Klingon in the 24th Century, not just because Rick Berman was a gutless piece of shit. I strongly feel that for the Klingons as seen, including Worf, that such a thing would be considered an outrage and dishonorable. If Jay-Den is gay and feels comfortable being out, I want to know how we got from there to here. If they never make it an issue and pretend this has always been part of Klingon culture, I won't believe them. That's not how it's ever played. Klingons are the famously uncool species. You can't tell me they were cool about something like THIS the entire time and have me believe you.
Cirroc Lofton is the only person who pronounces Bajor correctly, which pisses me off.
Sam addressing the camera, although a conceit as a report to her superiors, sort of instantly turned me against her AND the episode. It's too fucking cutesy for Star Trek. And they created Tribbles!
Using bumpy make-up for Dax is interesting. It suggests the show is TRYING to make The Next Generation's "The Host" fit the canon. Brannon Braga can bemoan Voyager's "Threshold" all he wants, Lower Decks proved it's always been, and always gonna be canon, and NOBODY will ever forget how shitty it was, or let him off the hook for it. "The Host" is a rare Star Trek episode that has been borderline erased from the canon. Newsome is such a nerd she's actually going with the completely stupid idea that bumpy-headed Trills probably live on the other side of the planet. And oh, SOME of them have spots. Right. But this is the first thing EVER to acknowledge ANY part of "The Host" and not pretend that is a non-episode. The biggest Star Trek canon controversy acknowledgement since O'Brien and Bashir's reactions to The Original Series Klingons on Deep Space Nine's "Trials And Tribble-ations." The only reason this is less nerdy is because it's less in-your-face and explicit. But I noticed and appreciated it anyways.
I am unsure of why I don't yet like Sam. I think the best thing they can do for the character is repeatedly pair her up with the Doctor and legit make him her reluctant mentor. I’m disappointed we were promised that in the Pilot and that hasn't happened yet. I'm not sure why the cheerful Sam rubs me the wrong way, but the series has avenues open to make it easier for me to like and relate to her, and it needs to use them.
I think Star Trek: Lower Decks had the better Deep Space Nine tie-in. I wish Newsome had learned from that a bit. ***.
