#'i think i finally found a job i want to do. captain of the enterprise-b.'

[homewrecking-lore]

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 13: Star Trek Beyond

Some attempted thoughts on Star Trek Beyond.

So first it was bad lol. It is the worst. I thought maybe it would be less the worst than I had previously thought but it really, really is just irredeemably bad.

Trying to keep up with what was actually happening and talk in the group chat was too difficult and I now feel very exhausted lol. And I’m not even sure what I watched.

I liked Jaylah a lot, including her back story, characterization, “house,” traps, and cool mirror tricks.

I also like Kirk in that emergency uniform with the jacket unzipped.

That’s it! That’s all I liked.

In the past I’ve also said I liked the Spock and Bones parts but I honestly wasn’t a fan of them either this time around!

None of the characters felt IC and none of the relationships felt true or were compelling. Which is particularly egregious given that the alleged theme was strength in unity.

The movie was especially lacking in K/S content or even K & S interaction, which obviously didn’t please me. And it’s definitely the worst Kirk characterization I’ve ever seen. There’s no excuse for that either because it’s halfway through the 5YM, which means he should be pretty close to TOS Kirk--yes, he has a different set of experiences, so there’s going to be some variation, but there’s comparatively less excuse for a radically different characterization than in STXI and STID. They should have had Shatner read the script and make notes lol because whatever else you might say about him he KNOWS Captain Kirk.

Like, he (Kirk) lacked humor and charm and, often, confidence. He had moments when he was very smart and moments when he had a commanding presence. But he had just as many moments when he was whiny or bored and his Captain’s log??? I deserve financial compensation for every time I’ve listened to that. Bored of space?? No, this man is bored when he’s stuck on Earth. He stagnates in desk jobs. He is an adventurer and explorer before he’s ANYTHING else; if you don’t get that, you don’t need to be writing Star Trek.

Also, as I have frequently complained, I’m tired of him having no internal conflict or emotional complexity past his father issues. First reboot movie: dealing with his dead father’s memory and his step-father’s abuse. Fine, that makes sense for how they set up the AU. Second reboot movie: entirely motivated by the need for Manly Vengeance upon the person who killed his father figure. And for this redundant story line (in many sense) we had to lose Pike? Third reboot movie: you’d think he’d finally be ready to move on to other conflicts but actually no this time he’s sad about his birthday and having a longer life span than his...you guessed it!! father!! Yet again.

What else has ever motivated him? Legitimate question.

The destruction of the Enterprise was truly horrific. Long, boring, unwarranted, and without any emotional punch. As if it were just any ship! No, she’s a character in her own right and she’s not to be sacrificed like that but please tell me again how Simon Pegg is a true fan who brought the franchise back to its roots?

B said he did like that they split up the crew into unusual units but I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t entirely disagree, but I don’t think they did a lot that was interesting with any of those separated units. Uhura and Sulu are a cool pair (but this would have been a good opportunity to include Sulu’s semi-canonical crush on Uhura but whatever... a different rant) and they almost did some interesting stuff with them. There were glimmers of a caper in that story line and times when I could tell they were straining especially hard to make Uhura, their Sole Female Main--now that they cut out Rand, Chapel, and even Carol Marcus--into something Feminist and Interesting. But it didn’t quite gel for me. Like, Uhura would be having almost interesting dialogue with the villain and holding her own...and then she loses track of her colleague and has to watch that person die, thus undercutting everything she just said about unity and seeming to prove the villain’s point. Is she competent or not?

Bones and Spock are a pair I care about and like but again I think their canonical relationship in TOS is more interesting than STB showed. I personally read them as like...reluctant best friends who originally just had one person in common, and then realized they also like each other too, but they’ll never really say it. They understand each other but pretend not to. They have fun with the barbs they throw at each other. They both deeply love Jim but in different ways. They enjoy their intellectual debates. (That’s one thing that was definitely missing from them here! The intellectual debates!) So again, there was something there but not enough.

And Kirk and Chekov just happened to land near each other; nothing was done with that relationship per se. They really aren’t people who have much of a relationship in TOS so there’s not a lot to work off of but then on the other hand there IS an opportunity to create something new. Maybe I’m being too harsh and too vague but it just didn’t gel for me. The only specific K and C moment I remember was that supremely un-funny joke about Kirk’s aim as he sets off the “wery large bomb.”

But like there are possibilities.. they’re both pretty horny and Chekov is a whiz kid and Kirk is also very smart and has always been smart... Like in other words people Chekov’s age don’t end up on the bridge crew, in either ‘verse, without the Captain’s say, so even though he’s TOS!Spock’s and AOS!Scotty’s protege, Kirk is important to his life. Something with that maybe??

I’m upset that Spock’s individual story line was about whether or not he should go off and make baby Vulcans because, again as I have complained many times before, that was a conflict he faced and resolved in ten minutes two movies ago, and it doesn’t make sense to me for him to bring it up again now just because the Ambassador is dead. Like... the Ambassador told him to stay in Starfleet!! “Ah, yes, I will honor him by doing precisely the opposite of what he wanted me to do.”

Also--if they had made his motivation different or gone into it more, I would have been more into it. Make it about New Vulcan! Say there’s news from New Vulcan that it’s not doing well. Or what if T’Pring got in contact with him? Or what if we used this as an excuse to bring in Sarek?

This is part of a larger point for me which is that STXI set up a really cool AU and STID tried to do something with it--a little hit or miss, but it tried--and instead of pushing even more at the AU and developing it more and doing more with it... STB just ignored it! Was that part of what Paramount was warning about with making it “not too Star Trek-y?” Was it SUPPOSED to be a movie you could watch without having seen the last two? If so they did succeed but like.. .why? They made the supremely ballsy move of blowing up a founding Federation planet two movies ago and now they’ve just forgotten about that and all the reverberations that would necessarily have?

But of course we got a call back to Kirk being a Beastie Boys fan so.... Guess it was Deep all along.

We all three agreed that the core story of this film was potentially interesting but could have been done as a 50-some minute episode of a TV series rather than a whole-ass 2 hour movie. First off, cutting or cutting down the action sequences would have shaved off half an hour easily.

I’m frustrated in large part because there are certain things that are interesting here. I do like the concept of the crew being pulled on to an alien planet by a ship of former Federation crew, from the early days of the Federation/deep space flight, who were presumed missing but are somehow still alive because they have turned into aliens/used alien tech to prolong life, and who have also captured other aliens, like Jaylah, for the main crew to interact with. All of that was cool.

I would even be okay with these old Federation crew being villains but I don’t think that’s necessary or even the most interesting take.

But...first of all, as my mom pointed out, Krall was basically Nero in his illogical motivations: feeling aggrieved because someone who couldn’t help him didn’t help him and then just maniacally wanting revenge. It made more sense to me with Nero in a way. Maybe that was because he was better characterized, maybe it was because his anger was more personal (the loss of his wife), maybe--probably--it was because he was angry at Spock and Spock had actually promised to help, so there was some kernel of logic in his sense of betrayal, even if it was out of proportion etc. Also, Nero’s mania was portrayed as mania--we were all supposed to recognize that the strength of his emotion was warranted but his logic was deeply flawed. I think we were supposed to think Krall had some kinda... real criticism of the Federation, but in fact he doesn’t! He’s wrong! So like if he’d been angry with the Federation for abandoning him but the narrative and the other characters explicitly recognize that he’s wrong--the Federation tried but he was just doing something very dangerous and he recognized that danger on signing on--that might have been more palatable to me.

I’m not sure I’m making sense here entirely or explaining myself as well as I could.

I just don’t entirely get Krall’s beef with the Federation. I don’t get that whole “being a soldier and having conflict makes you strong and having people you can rely on and connections and community makes you weak.” That seems pretty obviously false. It also doesn’t really seem, not that I’m an expert, but particularly in line with military ethos either.

BUT the idea that he had a life that was comfortable to him as a soldier and then the Federation comes in and forms Starfleet and says, actually, we’re going to pull back on the soldiering and up the diplomacy and the exploration and the science--yeah, I could see that. I DO think Starfleet is military but even if you must insist it’s not, it’s clearly based on and formed from the military, and it has certain military functions. So obviously the first people to join or be folded into Starfleet probably were more explicitly military.

So he’s one of those people. Now he’s supposed to be a scientist and a diplomat and an explorer and he doesn’t like that. He’s given this very prestigious and interesting mission and jumps at it. Starfleet warns him, you might go beyond where we can reach, we might not be able to help you. That’s fine. But then when his ship is stranded and he is lost, he gets angry--maybe somewhat irrationally, but understandably--why?? Why did the Federation do this to him? What was even the point? When he put himself in danger before, at least he knew why. But just flying around space for the hell of it, and this is the cost? So that’s what creates his anger.

I thin this could be tied into Kirk’s diplomacy at the beginning--if the scene were written to not be a comedy bit where Kirk looks like an incompetent buffoon and is completely disrespectful the whole time. He’s good at this job and we should say it. But we could emphasize that this IS a diplomatic mission often, just as often as it’s a military or scientific mission. Maybe we could include other bits of their missions, too, to play up the variety of things they do and roles they play.

Another thing I think could be interesting, going back to my point about Spock, Vulcan, and using the first two movies and expanding on the world building... what if Spock wanted to leave Starfleet for better, more well-defined reasons, and we used that? Paralleled the two? Connected the two?

Because I think Vulcan in the AOS verse is very interesting and the movies didn’t do nearly enough with it. First, we have the Romulans showing up way earlier, at least visibly: in TOS, no one knew what they looked like or their connection to Vulcans until Spock is in his late 30s. In AOS, it happens not long after he’s born. So he’s growing up probably with more anti-Vulcan racism floating around the Federation. THEN Vulcan is destroyed. Now it has nothing and it needs to rely on the rest of the Federation, which must be both humbling and frustrating to many Vulcans, on top of the extreme tragedy of losing everything. Most of their population, a lot of their history, their manufacturing, their scientific facilities, their resources, their animals, literally whatever else you can think of that a planet has--all gone. Now all of the survivors have lived some period on an alien planet, by definition, and they’re probably very dependent on the Federation not just to set up the new colony, but to replace all of the resources--natural and Vulcan-made--that they lost. And they’re a founding Federation member, Earth’s first contact. They’re especially important. And now they’re weak, and reliant on others.

So maybe Spock, early on, hears from New Vulcan and they’re not doing well. Maybe we hear from Sarek or T’Pring (...I’d just like to see reboot T’Pring). Maybe it’s not about, or just about, having children, but about being from an important and ancient family, and being seen as a hero for his part in the Narada mission, that makes him want to go and help rebuild their government (taking his mother’s place perhaps? she was on the High Council) or their scientific facilities, or the VSA, or their space travel capabilities--you know Vulcan had space ships of their own, outside of Federation ships. This would be the perfect place to showcase that tension between wanting to be independent--out of pride, out of fear, even--and needing help, because Vulcan could not survive without the Federation, probably less than 10 years out from the original planet’s destruction.

And then you feed it back into Krall.

So I could see like... well the tension, and then Krall comes in, and he's angry that the Federation "abandoned" him, but we actually explicitly address this. Maybe Spock gets to interact with him and say "I get it. You had a life and a mission and a purpose that was comfortable for you. Then the Federation came in and changed everything. A lot of my people are also feeling upset for similar reasons. But here's why actually you're wrong."

So anyway as you can see I’m smarter and more interesting than Simon Pegg.

I also hated, speaking of writers of this movie, the gay Sulu thing and HEAR ME OUT on this. It’s homophobic. His husband doesn’t have a name? Might not be his husband at all? Looks like he could be his nanny or his brother? As B said “at least grab his butt or something.” That was the most sanitized, no-homo depiction of a gay person I’ve ever seen. He’s gay (see, progressives and queers! gay! you like that right!) but DON’T WORRY STRAIGHTS--he’s in a monogamous relationship and has a child, he’ll show nothing but the most platonic physical affection with his male significant other, and the plot point will be so minuscule you’ll need a microscope to detect it. Also, we’ll throw in a no homo joke about two male characters not wanting to hug and we’ll make sure Kirk and Spock interact as little as possible, because we know they give off Big Queer Vibes every time they’re together.

Yes the last point is a little unfair but can you blame me for being angry about all the “look how hip to the times we are” back-patting that went on in 2016 when canonical bisexual Kirk is RIGHT THERE and we could have had ex-boyfriend Gary Mitchell instead of Unnamed Nanny??

Also Sulu is a hella random choice because again, like... he may not have had an s.o. in TOS but nor was there any indication he was gay. So it seems a LITTLE like they picked him because (1) his original actor is gay and gay people can’t play straight people duh so probably Sulu was Gay All Along I mean did you not get vibes???; and/or (2) asexual Asian stereotypes preclude giving Sulu any kind of love interest, male or female, that is actually... sexual, outright romantic, anything.

Anyway I can’t remember if I had any other thoughts, but I’ve said quite enough I think.

I miss Kirk so much... real Kirk... even my version of AOS Kirk who is probably not even characterized that well but at least I worked with love!!!

[discotreque]

Disco 3.08: The Sanctuary

This week IRL was a real mixed bag for me: a lot of messy and barely-manageable anxiety about my health, my day job, and uhhhh *gestures outside*—but also I’ve recently fallen in love (from a responsible social distance)—so it’s been equal parts re-writing professional emails to edit the panic attack out of my tone and gazing dreamily at Discord notifications with cartoon hearts in my eyes. It feels like my life is going to hell in the cutest, coziest handbasket—which is to say that Michael Burnham could not possibly feel like a more relatable character to me right now.

I continue to have issues with the writing at a strange medium-level—somewhere between micro, where the dialogue and characters are really good, and macro, where I’m digging the pace of the overall season, it almost feels like something went wrong in the assembly process, and the script ended up a little bit less than the sum of its perfectly good parts. Again.

But that’s such vague criticism as to be nearly meaningless, and it’s hardly the most interesting level to spend time on anyway. If I zoom out, the parallel season arcs of “getting used to the future” and “the mystery of the Burn” are hanging together wayyyyy better than the Red Angel saga did last year.

And if I zoom in? This episode was funny as shit, wtf.

The discourse re: Tilly these past couple of weeks has been bullshit, and I have a whole angry thing to say about it—but honestly, if you can’t appreciate Doug Jones and Mary Wiseman as a comedic duo, I’m not really mad: mostly I pity the lack of joy in your heart.

Everyone on this show is so funny. Doug’s prissy little delivery absolutely slaughters me (“Execute!...?”), Mary will make a face sometimes that has me screaming laughter into my hands, and I’ve gone on before—and will again—about Sonequa Martin-Green’s egregiously underrated comedy chops.

They were obviously casting for folks w/ jokes in the new season too: David Ajada is no slouch in the dry-delivery or the goofy-face department; his energy and chemistry with Sonequa are as suited to comedy as they are to romance (i.e. extremely 🥵). Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz we knew about, but Blu del Barrio—a certified tiny baby!!!—holds their own and lands every smartass whiz-kid one-liner just on the right side of “too precious to stand.” (I almost always at least chuckle, and never roll my eyes, and for a “teen genius” character that’s literally as good as it gets.) And living legend Michelle Yeoh is clearly having the time of her life, omfg.

Disco’s not funny-funny like Lower Decks, but they do funny-on-purpose better than any live-action Trek except maybe DS9. They have such a deep comedic bench they don’t even need Tig Notaro—they have her on just to flex, I presume.

(I don’t know if I’m predicting, per se, that Strange New Worlds—with Rebecca Romjin’s deadpan, Anson Mount’s twinkly eyes, and Ethan Peck’s twinkly-eyed deadpan—is going to have a tone somewhere between Disco S3 and LwD—but I mean... it kinda has to, right? And you know they kept the number for Rainn Wilson’s agent.)

***

At the start of this episode, I was “sure, why the fuck not” about First Officer Tilly; by the end, I was completely on board. And to everyone who’s still wringing their hands about “the real military” this (always from people who have no idea how actual militaries work, lol) and “Lt. Nilsson” that (she... already has a job on the ship? And no character traits besides “stoic” and “furrows brow”? Oh, I get it—she’s skinny and blonde)—y’all are kind of embarrassing me.

“Rank” and “position” (and “seniority” and “day-to-day duties”...) aren’t the same thing, in Star Trek or any IRL military. Yes, the permanent first officers of normal-duty Starfleet ships we’ve seen have usually been command-division officers with the rank of Commander—but not always. Star Trek: Discovery-A, if you will, is a unique show about a unique ship in a unique situation: “B-b-but that’s not how they do it on Star Trek!!!” isn’t a legitimate criticism, not of this—it’s the mournful cry of an entitled pissbaby who isn’t having their hand held all the way to the fireworks factory.

Here’s what an argument supported by the text of the first 37 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery actually looks like: Sylvia Tilly is nervous and lacks self-confidence, but once she gets over herself—which she can do pretty much instantly in a crisis, even when hilariously intoxicated—she is competent as hell. In lower-stakes situations, without intense pressure to focus her attention, she sometimes gets sidetracked by her own insecurities; at her best, she channels that anxious energy into ambition, drive, and being scrupulously organized.

The only person Tilly doesn’t always get along with is Stamets, and even Stamets’s husband thinks he’s an asshole. Since Season 1, we’ve seen her easily socializing with the rest of the crew, who seem to universally adore her. And she’s also happy to leave her social comfort zone at a moment’s notice: she aligned herself with Ash Tyler (miss you, Shazad!) when no one else would, and she instantly befriended Po even when Po was in Weird Feral Alien Princess mode and Tilly had salad in her hair. She doesn’t like confrontation, but she’s brave enough to initiate it anyway if she needs to, and she’s compassionate with other people’s feelings while still setting firm boundaries. (Her graceful dodge of Rhys’s tipsy kiss at the party in 1.07 lives rent-free in my head to this day.)

No, Tilly didn’t finish the Command Training Program—but she started it, which is almost certainly more command training than any of the lieutenants whose names we know, all of whom are Ops or Science personnel with, presumably, specialized non-command training of their own. The same could be assumed for any unseen ranking officers on this science ship with an entirely volunteer skeleton crew.

And seriously, about Nilsson: she’s my #3 background bae after Octopus Head and the lady on Pike’s Enterprise with the spiky red face, but her job is Spore Drive Ops, not personnel. If she’s running after Saru with a holo-clipboard, who’s going to look serious and push holo-buttons when there’s a Black Alert? *drops holo-mic* Drumhead!

***

The stuff on Kwejian, though. Ooof. Ol’ Two-Takes Frakes directed this one, and between the kinetic energy he always adds to the camera and the scintillating performances he evokes, things stayed moving so briskly I almost didn’t notice Book’s entire “homeworld” was a rental house outside Vancouver, a couple acres of adjacent woods, and like six or seven people.

It’s a hot mess in retrospect, but in the moment it gave us the intensity of Book and Kyheem trying to hurt each other’s feelings by poking at 15-year-old wounds, which as a sibling with complicated sibling relationships I found both funny and devastating—not to mention Frakes directing “shaky bridge” explosion falls at an obvious intensity of “10” on an outdoor location shoot. It falls apart at the slightest scrutiny, but I can’t lie, on first viewing I was totally along for the ride.

***

I’m dying to see where this Georgiou thing goes. It doesn’t feel like a stretch to assume she got Cronenberg’d a couple weeks ago, probably to get her under the thumb of this century’s Section 31, and that her arc is going to take Michelle Yeoh off this show in a way that sets up the S31 show. But also, I don’t care so much whether I’m right, I just want to watch Michelle Yeoh—and Sonequa Martin-Green, and also David Cronenberg tbh, and bring back Shazad Latif while you’re at it—get wherever they’re going.

It’s also a fun and interesting direction to take the comically-evil comic relief character and show that her performative moustache-twirling is partly habit and partly a transparent emotional defence against very real fear and vulnerability. We’re all products of our circumstances, and a radical enough change in circumstances can afford almost anyone at least the opportunity to change. I can’t say Emperor Georgiou would have been my first choice of protagonist for that storyline, but it’s not like Michelle Yeoh’s not going to fuckin’ crush it.

***

Miscellany:

So the Burn had an origin point, and now that point is broadcasting a signal that’s somehow both a haunting melody that everyone seems to know—but no one can remember learning—and a Federation distress signal. What the fuck, y’all. I have full-body goosebumps just typing that.

Saru workshopping his own captainly catchphrase with the aid of Tilly’s extreme sincerity and organizational skills is probably the funniest thing that’s ever happened on this show—followed closely by the uncomfortably lingering reaction shots when he’s trying them out on the bridge 😂 (And omg please give Rhys and Bryce the dumbass buddy-comedy C-plots they deserve next season, I beg you.)

I would do a little “prop watch” entry on those Kwejianian(?) bolt-throwing rifles, but I’d have to stop drooling over them first. “Curvy polished hardwood” seems to be New Trek shorthand for “extra sleek and futuristic” (cf. the bridge of the USS Titan in the LwD finale), and I have to say: I am fully into it.

Restating my prediction that we will not see Detmer and Owosekun get together this season, because we will find out that they’ve been together for ages. Everyone knew—Pike even knew!—it just never came up in front of the audience before. That would be one of the cutest ways to do it imho, and one of the funniest too, especially as a meta-joke about how much character development didn’t happen in the first two seasons. (That said, if we get to see their first kiss, I will be screaming with incoherent joy for days, so this is a real win-win for me.)

Speaking of cute: IRL spouses Mary Wiseman and Noah Averbach-Katz, both Julliard-trained actors (it’s where they met!), can’t quite hide their chemistry in the scenes between Tilly and Ryn. I loved seeing Tilly be a hardass when Ryn was rude to the captain, but that sparkle in her eyes didn’t quite match the context <3

And speaking of people who are VERY OBVIOUSLY IN LOVE: that last scene with Book and Michael, and his nervous little “yeah, I said it” eyebrow lift, and her irrepressible giggle as she’s walking away... it was almost too much. Especially right after the queer-family scenes with Stamets and Culber and Adira. My poor heart is going through a lot lately, and I guess I’m just glad Season 3’s emotional intensity is melting it with soft sweet scenes like that instead of kicking it down repeated flights of stairs like Season 1.

***

Next week: everyone stops caring about the Burn and starts trying to solve an even more important mystery—why is this (holographic) dude wearing an early-2360s uniform with an early-2370s combadge?

[v-thinks-on]

Generations - Part 9

First | Previous || Sequel: Nemesis

Jim was subdued and contemplative for the next few days. He talked easily with the various officials that came to visit the famous captain, returned from the dead, but when he was alone with Spock, he was unusually quiet and serious. He made no indication that he wanted to talk about it, so Spock did not impose - he had done his part for better or worse and would push no further.

One evening, as they were preparing for bed, Jim spoke up. "There's nothing I can do," he said ruefully, but he did not sound defeated.

Spock waited for him to continue, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Jim sat down on the bed, and once Spock was dressed, he sat down facing Jim, with just a few inches between them.

Only then did Jim continue, “Maybe I could have beat Khan - raised the shields sooner, somehow kept him from getting the Genesis device - but I would probably do it all the same if I tried again.” He shook his head.

Spock looked him firmly in the eye. “Like all mortal beings, you at times make mistakes.”

Jim frowned and Spock could feel his displeasure at the sentiment, but he could not deny it. “There’s definitely nothing I can do about it now,” Jim admitted.

“If there had been another option, I would have taken it. Under the circumstances, I do not regret my decision,” Spock said, though that didn’t stop a feeling of guilt from seeping through the bond.

Jim nodded. He didn’t like it, but again he couldn’t argue. “No one else could have survived in there long enough to do anything. If we just had more time… But we didn’t. If you hadn’t done it, we would have all died, and then there wouldn’t have been anyone left to bring you back.” He gave Spock a weak smile.

“A very logical appraisal of the situation,” Spock said, almost cautiously. For all of Jim’s well-reasoned logic, a powerful malaise bubbled beneath the surface.

Spock reached out a hand with the vague intention of resting it on Jim’s arm, but Jim instead took Spock’s hand in his own, letting his unspoken feelings rush through the contact.

“Jim,” Spock said gently, with just a tinge of uncertainty as he tried to convey some kind of apology for everything he had put Jim through, even though he would do it all again in a heartbeat if Jim’s life was in danger.

Jim cradled Spock’s hand between his own, savoring his soft touch and the steady warmth that emanated from within. If Jim pressed his fingertips to Spock’s wrist, he could feel Spock’s heart racing at a Vulcan’s resting speed.

There was some distance between them, not a wall, but he could still feel Spock’s reticence, and Jim was still a little lost in memories. And yet, the warmth Jim felt through Spock’s hand was not only physical; there was also a great affection, restrained as it was, and a desire to do right by him and to mend what was broken.

Spock waited and watched him in silence, allowing Jim to take his time, almost afraid to upset the balance he had already disturbed.

The memories still haunted Jim, but he wondered if maybe the solution was right in front of him. He squeezed Spock’s hand and let his eyes fall shut to savor all of the soothing warmth that radiated from Spock. In return, he tried to answer all of Spock’s concerns with gentle reassurance. They had made it this far, there was little doubt they could figure out everything else.

He could feel a trace of a smile flash across Spock’s lips that was echoed on his own.

  “It’s absurd,” Jim said. He was sitting on Bones’s couch, under the cynical eye of his old friend. “How old am I?”

“Sixty,” Bones retorted.

“And eighty years out of touch,” Jim said, with a wave of his arm for emphasis. “I’m like one of my old antiques.”

"And what does that make me?" Bones demanded.

"I don't know," Jim said with a sigh. “You seem to enjoy retirement.”

“Don’t even think about it!” Bones wagged his finger at him.

Jim shook his head. “I shouldn’t even be thinking about returning to Starfleet, all I’d get is a desk job - or worse, publicity. They’d figure out pretty quick I’m too old to be of use anywhere else.”

“You damn well know that’s not true,” Bones snapped. “You’re just trying to talk yourself out of the most sensible decision you’ll ever make.”

Jim gave him a look. More seriously, he said, “Bones, I can’t go out there again.”

“Why the hell not?” Bones insisted. “You can’t tell me you’d rather follow Spock on his fool mission to Romulus, because we both know that’s not true.”

Jim let out another sigh and leaned back, letting his eyes wander up to the ceiling. “What if it happens again?”

“I’m sorry to break it to you, Jim, but everyone dies eventually, whether you’re exploring out there or wasting away down here,” Bones said, but his voice had lost its edge.

“It’s not that simple,” Jim protested.

Bones gave him a look of disbelief. “You always knew there were risks.”

“I know, but I didn’t really believe it. I always assumed we’d come out alright.”

Bones nodded. “Sometimes it felt like I was the only one taking things seriously.”

“But after Spock died…” Jim trailed off, unable to put it all into words.

“Toward the end there, I was worried you’d get yourself killed waiting for him to get his memories back,” Bones said quietly.

That just about summed it up. “And I tried again, but it just wasn’t the same.”

“They didn’t give you a chance,” Bones retorted. “And then Spock wandered off to try and make peace with the Klingons.”

“At least he was making a difference.”

Bones hesitated. “How are things with Spock? I can come up to San Francisco and knock some sense into him.”

“It’s alright.” Jim waved off the suggestion with a small smile. “Things are actually going well. The past eighty years haven’t been easy on him, but he’s been very supportive. He agrees with you that I should go back to Starfleet.”

“Damn right he does!”

  “You never were quite the same,” Jim remarked.

He and Spock were sitting on the couch in the living room of their apartment, Jim ostensibly reading and Spock meditating as he kitted again. But Jim had given up on reading a while ago in favor of watching Spock.

His words jarred Spock out of his meditation. He put aside his knitting and waited for Jim to continue, regarding him with his full attention.

“After you came back,” Jim explained. “You were never so... independent before. I know you only accepted that captaincy because I pushed you into it, but you finally found something that’s yours.” He smiled at Spock with open admiration.

Spock inclined his head in acknowledgement, but remained more reserved. “I merely did what needed to be done,” he said, but they both knew it was more than that.

“You don’t really need me any more,” Jim said, his voice deceptively light.

Spock fixed him with his firmest look. “You may no longer be my commanding officer, but I have been and always shall be your friend.”

At the familiar words, Jim felt a rush of warmth, and a little shame at his accusation.

Spock held out his first two fingers to Jim, who reciprocated the gesture, brushing their fingertips together so sparks flew down their spines and danced across their minds. When they drew apart, they sat in silence for a moment, just looking at each other, letting the other’s presence echo in their mind.

Spock was the first to speak, slow and cautious; “I was under the perhaps inaccurate impression that my presence was insufficient to aid in your recovery from the broken bond - that you required something that I could not provide.”

“I don’t know what I need,” Jim admitted. “But your presence helps.”

The lonely years of his last mission and his subsequent solitary retirement lingered unspoken between them. Jim could feel the weight of Spock’s guilt.

Jim rested a reassuring hand on Spock’s shoulder. “We’ve both had more than our share of loneliness.” Jim hadn’t intended to be missing for eighty years, but when he left the bridge of the Enterprise-B he half expected not to survive at all.

“Would you like for me to serve as your first officer again?” Spock asked hesitantly, and maybe even a little reluctantly, but if Jim needed him, he would do anything.

“I don’t know,” Jim said. “There’s nothing like the good old days, but I don’t know if I could bear the responsibility. And I would hate to keep you away from Romulus.” He shook his head. “I don’t even know if I really want to go back out there.”

They both knew Spock’s opinion on the matter, so he did not bother to voice it.

Jim picked back up his reading and scootched over so he could lean against Spock’s chest, comfortably in the way of his knitting. Spock obligingly put an arm around Jim’s shoulders.

 Kirk and Spock met Scotty at the Starfleet transporter terminal. He bounded over to them as soon as he materialized, looking no older than when Kirk had last seen him on the Enterprise-B.

“Captain!” Scotty exclaimed, greeting Kirk with an outstretched hand.

“I’m not a captain anymore,” Kirk attempted, but he went ignored, probably for the best.

Scotty gave his hand a firm shake. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you again, Sir. I thought for sure you were dead.”

Kirk smiled. “You know I don’t believe in no-win scenarios.”

“Of course, Sir. And, Mr. Spock, it’s good to see you too. You didn’t get stuck in a temporal nexus too, did you?”

Spock shook his head and raised a hand, his fingers splayed in the formal Vulcan greeting. “Live long and prosper, Mr. Scott.”

“I intend to,” Scotty replied. He turned back to Kirk. “I came as soon as I heard, it just took a wee bit longer than expected. I had to hitch a ride on three different starships just to get back to the solar system.”

“You didn’t make it all the way here on the little shuttlecraft Picard gave you?” Kirk teased, as he led the way out of the transporter bay and into the hallway of Starfleet Headquarters.

“No,” Scotty said. “She’s a good craft, but even with the modifications I made to the engines, she’d still have taken a few years to make it to Earth.”

“I’ve been reading up on your adventures. It sounds like you’ve had quite the time.”

Scotty nodded. “And before you ask, I’m happy exploring in my own little craft. Anyway, you need a bright young chief engineer who can keep up with all your crazy demands.”

Kirk hesitated. “You know I’m still retired.”

Scotty gave him a look. “Have they not offered you a ship yet? Just point me to the head of Starfleet and I’ll give them a little talking to!”

“It’s not that,” Kirk said reluctantly. “They’ve offered, I just haven’t decided whether I want to accept.”

“You have a better offer?” Scotty asked skeptically.

“Maybe,” Kirk said with a glance over at Spock.

Spock made his disagreement known, though his expression remained impassive, and Scotty glanced between them both in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to become an ambassador,” Scotty said.

Kirk shrugged. “Something like that. It’s a possibility at least.”

Scotty just shook his head.

Kirk and Spock led Scotty around Starfleet Headquarters, making a token attempt at an official tour as they talked.

“Things really have changed,” Scotty remarked. “Out there, it doesn’t feel like it’s been so long, but down here…” he trailed off.

Kirk nodded in understanding. “Have you seen Bones?”

“No, I’ve been meaning to visit since I found out he was still around, but it’s such a hassle to come back to Earth with the shuttlecraft,” Scotty explained. He sounded a little sheepish.

“He’s doing well for a man of his age,” Kirk said with a subdued smile.

“If any of us had it in him to live this long, it would be Dr. McCoy,” Scotty said. “Not to mention Mr. Spock here with his Vulcan constitution. You really haven’t aged at all in the last eighty years.”

Spock raised an eyebrow at him. “I feel my age, if more slowly than the average human.”

“Tell me when your hair turns grey,” Scotty retorted.

“The process has already begun.”

Scotty gave Spock a look of disbelief, before he turned back to Kirk. “It’s not so different once you get used to it, even the engines haven’t changed too much. Though they’ve become sticklers for regulation, at least they did on the Enterprise-D.”

“Captain Picard does it by the book. But the galaxy sure has changed since we made peace with the Klingons.” Kirk glanced over at Spock in acknowledgement.

“I don’t know,” Scotty said, “I’ve just been in my little sector, but space seems the same as it always was.”

“Good. There’s still plenty left to explore?”

“Of course! And it’s good to be back.”

Kirk nodded. “It is good to be back.”

Kirk rang at the door to Picard’s temporary office in Starfleet Headquarters.

“Come in,” Picard called out.

Kirk stepped inside. His office was large and mostly barren, like Kirk’s office on Earth had been before the paperwork started piling up.

“Oh, Jim, there you are,” Picard exclaimed, glancing up from a PADD. “For a moment I thought you were here about another personnel transfer. Have a seat.”

Kirk took the chair on the other side of Picard’s desk, as though he was there for a meeting. “How’s it going?” Kirk asked as he made himself comfortable.

“Well. It’s a lot of work, but slowly but surely it’s all coming together.” Picard spoke like a true captain, proud of his ship even before it was off the ground. “Have you been down to the construction site?”

“No,” Kirk admitted. “But I should.”

Picard hesitated. “If you’re still on Earth, I would be honored if you would give us a send-off.”

Kirk could only remember the last time he agreed to be there for the inauguration of a new Enterprise - not so long ago from his perspective.

It must have shown on Kirk’s face, because Picard added, “Only if you want to, of course. I know you’ve been getting more than your share of attention.”

Kirk smiled a little. “Just as long as you go out with a full crew and a functioning ship.”

“Of course. That’s standard procedure after the disastrous launch of the Enterprise-B…” Picard trailed off as he realized that was why Kirk had mentioned it. “There’s no danger of that happening again,” Picard reassured him.

“I wouldn’t mind jumping ahead another eighty years, but I don’t think Spock would be too happy about it.”

“No, I imagine not. How have you been doing on Earth?”

Kirk shrugged. “Alright, getting settled in, catching up with old friends.”

“Yes, I heard Captain Scott arrived recently.”

Kirk nodded. “We also met up with Bones - Admiral McCoy. Otherwise, Spock and I have been sorting things out.”

“Is Spock going to go back to Romulus?” Picard asked, his disapproval clear.

Kirk just smiled. “I couldn’t tell you if he was.”

Picard frowned. "Well, tell him that there are officially sanctioned channels for diplomacy if he wants to communicate with the Romulans. He can't just go around trying to alter the development of sovereign civilizations."

Kirk knew better than to attempt to argue with either of them. Instead he asked, "Are all of your senior officers staying on?"

"All except for Commander Worf," Picard said, but he was not so easily deterred. "You're not planning on going with Ambassador Spock, are you?"

Agan, Kirk could only smile. "Mr. Worf's transferring?"

"No, he decided he needed some leave for personal reasons.”

Kirk nodded. “Spock mentioned that Mr. Worf has a son.”

“He does. And it’s not easy being a Klingon and a Starfleet officer.” Picard turned the topic back to Kirk - “What are you planning on doing next?”

“I’m not sure,” Kirk admitted with a sigh. “I’m actually considering returning to Starfleet,” he said, as though it was a crazy idea.

“As a captain?” Picard confirmed.

Kirk answered with a wry grin, “I wouldn’t let them promote me.” But he quickly turned serious. “I don’t know. I know you won’t believe me if I say I’m too old, but it feels like I’m pushing my luck.”

“If you volunteer, I can promise you no one will turn you away. Starfleet needs captains a lot more than it needs admirals right now.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

“What does Ambassador Spock think?” Picard asked a little reluctantly.

“Everyone thinks I should accept any captaincy I can get. I’m the only one who isn’t so sure.”

“It’s hard to argue with that.”

“They’re starting to convince me.” Kirk hesitated. ”But last time I was in command it didn’t go too well...” he trailed off.

“You can’t know what will happen until you try,” Picard suggested.

“You’re right.” After a moment’s pause, Kirk asked, “What would you do if you weren’t captain of the Enterprise?”

“Me?” Picard asked. “I don’t know. One day I suppose they’ll promote me, or I’ll have to retire, but that still feels a long ways off. I don’t really belong back on Earth, tending the old family vineyard. I considered joining the Atlantis project after everything with the Borg, but my heart wasn’t really in it.” He turned the question back on Kirk - “What else would you do?”

Kirk shrugged. “I tried teaching at the academy a little after I retired. I could follow Spock into enemy territory or pick up a shuttlecraft like Scotty.”

Picard looked unconvinced.

“None of them really compare, do they?”

“I wouldn’t say so,” Picard replied.

“You think they’d give me an exploratory mission?”

“If you asked for it, they might even give you the Enterprise-E, though I would prefer if you didn’t ask for it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kirk said with a mischievous grin.

Jim stood on an outcropping overlooking the green, forested hills, dotted with light brown patches of dried out grasses. He could see the winding path that he and Spock had taken up to the low peak. It was good to get out of the city. At least out in the wilderness, they were free from prying eyes and curious reporters.

They had mostly hiked in silence, occasionally communicating through the bond, but Jim had largely been left to his own thoughts. He could feel Spock’s curiosity and concern, but he was willing to watch and wait, ready to intercede only if Jim needed it.

Jim beckoned Spock onto the outcropping, to share in the view and Spock obliged even though he could see it clearly enough through the bond. Jim snuck an arm around Spock’s waist and they stood there in silence a little longer, just enjoying the view. Despite his heavy coat, it was a little chilly for an aging Vulcan out in the open with a steady breeze, but Spock didn’t mind so much as Jim leaned into his side.

Finally, Jim shot Spock a wry smile. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

Spock raised an eyebrow at him in feigned innocence.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you to Romulus?” Jim asked one last time, even though he very well knew the answer.

“Frankly, it would be a waste of material,” Spock replied with a trace of a smile of his own.

Jim sighed, though he appreciated the compliment. Even if he went to Romulus, if something happened, there wasn’t anything he could do.

Spock met Jim’s eyes. “The last thing I want to do is to prevent you from living.”

“I know,” Jim said. “I’ll miss you.”

“And I you,” Spock said.

Jim leaned in to kiss Spock on the lips at the same time as Spock reached out with his first two fingers. Their lips and fingertips pressed together simultaneously in a soft, warm embrace.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Kirk announced. “I’d like to reactivate my commission - with a few conditions.”

“That’s great,” the admiral exclaimed. “I know you’re used to commanding the Enterprise, but-”

Kirk cut her off with a wave. “The Enterprise belongs to Captain Picard. I just want a ship and a star to steer her by.”

“The Constitution is almost done being refitted, I can arrange a tour immediately.”

“My only conditions are that I want an exploratory mission, as far from Starfleet Command as possible, and I won’t accept any promotions.”

“We can work with that,” the admiral said.

She held out a hand for him to shake and he took it.

“A toast,” Bones declared, holding up his glass, “to cheating death.”

The others raised their glasses with a cheer and clinked them together.

“It is highly improbable,” Spock remarked with a fond glance at Jim.

Scotty clapped Jim on the back. “If anyone could do it, we could.”

“We all had to become miracle workers to put up with your crazy plans,” Bones added.

“I hope the new crew is up to it,” Jim said.

“Don’t be too hard on them,” Bones cautioned. He turned to Scotty - “You decided you’ve finally had enough?”

“I was ready to retire then, I’m still ready now,” Scotty said. “It’ll take a younger person than me to keep up with Captain Kirk. You’re happy to be back on the ground?”

“I’ve had more than my share of outer space, thank you very much,” Bones said. “I must have been mad to stay out there as long as I did.” He rounded on Spock - “You’re really going back to your fool’s errand on Romulus?”

“I intend to return to Romulus,” Spock replied, careful not to confirm the rest of Bones’s statement.

Bones just shook his head.

“What are you doing on Romulus? I thought for sure you would have stayed on as first officer,” Scotty exclaimed.

“I have my own mission, educating the people of Romulus in Vulcan philosophy so that one day the two societies can be reunited,” Spock explained.

“Good luck,” Scotty said. “It sounds like you’ll need all the luck you can get.”

“Thank you, Mr. Scott.”

Scotty leaned back in his chair and remarked, “After peace with the Klingons, peace with the Romulans suddenly doesn’t sound so far-fetched.”

“We’ll all have to band together to handle the Borg,” Jim added.

Scotty shook his head. “Somehow it seems like it was all simpler when we were just at war with the Klingons, but maybe that’s just the nostalgia speaking.”

“It wasn’t simple then and it isn’t now,” Bones retorted.

“A very efficient appraisal of the situation,” Spock intoned. “For a doctor, your understanding of galactic affairs is remarkable.”

“Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean I don’t have ears,” Bones snapped.

“Gentlemen,” Jim interrupted with a smile, “Can you agree with each other without turning it into an argument?”

“What will you do with a ship full of obedient young officers?” Scotty put in. “You’re liable to get bored.”

“Yes,” Jim said, “I’ll finally get some peace and quiet.” Without thinking, he glanced over at Spock and met his eyes. They would be apart for a long time, but the galaxy was waiting for them, and they would never truly be alone.

 Captain Kirk sat in the center of the bridge. The new chairs leaned back too far, so he perched on the edge of his seat, watching the stationary stars on the viewscreen ahead. On his right was his ambitious young first officer, and on his left was the ship’s counselor. Around him, officers hurried to and fro, preparing the ship for launch. They all looked so young, fresh out of the academy. He could hardly imagine they were ready for a mission, even their first.

We were younger, Spock remarked over their bond. For an instant, Jim glimpsed the interior of an underground cavern, no doubt on Romulus.

Kirk just shook his head in disbelief.

“Starfleet Command says we’re clear to launch,” the communications officer reported from the terminal just above the captain's chair.

“Good,” Kirk said. “Helm, take us out of here, slow and steady until we’re out of the solar system.”

They gradually pulled away from planet Earth, past the moon and the reddish sphere of Mars, and then they turned up, peeling away from the asteroid belt. They got a final glimpse of the sun before rocketing off, toward the stars.

 Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the USS Constitution, on its continuing mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before!

Note: I want to thank everyone who made it all the way to the end! This story has been on my mind for a long time, and I hope you enjoyed the final result as much as I enjoyed writing it!

It’s been an incredible one and a half years of practically non-stop Star Trek. I have a few shorter stories waiting to be posted and I’m really excited about the longer story I’m working on for this year’s T’hy’la Bang that will come out in June! However, otherwise, my thoughts have largely turned to my other loves; Sherlock Holmes and a new addition, Jeeves and Wooster.

I don’t want to stop writing Kirk and Spock, but to keep it up, I need your help: if there’s anything you want me to write, send me a prompt! It can be anything from a specific scenario, to a song that makes you think of them, or even just a word, and I’ll write a short fic. (The only rule is, as usual, no sex.)

As always, thank you all very much for reading!

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: Discovery - ‘Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2′ Review

"Let's see what the future holds."

By nature I love brevity: Star Trek: Discovery delivers on the promises of the season in its dramatic finale that warps off into Season Three ready to try something new. My predictions were mostly correct, with a few surprises. Some of those surprises were substantially more welcome than others.

Last week's episode made us a whole lot of promises and set up a lot of things to happen here. All the emotional stakes of that episode hinged on the fulfillment of those promises and set-ups, though, so no matter what, if they didn't follow through we were going to feel cheated. I went into this finale with a small bit of trepidation that they might fake us out and not deliver, but those fears were happily quashed. If nothing else, I want to applaud the show for delivering on its promises, and for doing so in a way that provided entertainment and diversion for an hour and left me feeling mostly satisfied.

But, of course, I do have to talk about what went wrong. Most of this episode's problems, and indeed the whole season's problems, are the result of logical inconsistencies. For example, if they had a map of the red bursts the whole time, why couldn't they figure out where each burst was going to appear? Even if they didn't know which burst corresponded to which one on the map, after the first three they should have known the location of all seven. That was the main thing about the season as a whole that bothered me.

The biggest and most egregious problem in 'Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2' is the entire situation involving Cornwell and the torpedo. How contrived can you get, really? This seems to me to be the most stupid and pointless sacrifice since Captain America: The First Avenger, and it's certainly the dumbest thing this show has ever done. I can't even begin to fathom why anyone would think that little tiny door could do anything at all when we were told it would take out four decks/half the ship. If the door is so powerful, why isn't the whole ship made out of the same material? How is the window still intact after the blast? For that matter, why the actual heck did they put a window in a blast door? Even the reason Cornwell decided to stick around in that room with the torpedo was hopelessly contrived. Pike made some very good points about time travel and his future, and she dismissed them for no reason at all. Very disappointing and completely unnecessary. Jayne Brook and Admiral Cornwell deserve way better.

The second major issue involves Controlland and his death. First and foremost, if the Control AI was destroyed when Georgiou killed it, why do they even still need to go to the future? If destroying Control was as easy as magnetizing a whatever for a few minutes, why not focus your efforts on that rather than the time travel stuff? They even had a golden opportunity to solve all these problems and bring back some nice continuity at the same time. Why not just have Georgiou use the spores to send Controlland somewhere else, like Lorca did with Burnham way back in 'Context is for Kings'? Plus, the magnetizing the whatever solution is really dumb and sounds contrived.

All this makes it sound like I hated 'Sorrow II.' I didn't. It was largely entertaining, and despite those two major things that grated on me and a few other minor gripes, the finale did its job well. It managed partly to earn the melodrama of 'Sorrow I' and to wrap up the season's arcs in a neat and tidy manner. Let me dive further into the things I liked.

Firstly, Olatunde Osunsamni's direction was on point this week. His stylistic, swooping camera and weird, dynamic directorial choices are actually really well-suited to big action setpieces like this one. While I may not like his apparent vow to never allow the camera to be still at any moment, even in dialogue or other low-energy sequences, Osunsamni gets to infuse his energy here into a show that warrants it. On that same note, all the action was quite good and interesting to watch. The production values on this show continue to be absolutely through the roof, and it works really, really well.

I also loved, though it can very easily be dismissed as fan service, the ending with Pike, Spock, and the Enterprise. The show is certainly leaning into fan hopes for a show centered around them, for no clear reason. Clearly, they could very well do something like that, and it would be highly anticipated and probably very well received. It's ultimately up to the producers, but I really think that if they do intend to do it, it will have to be really far down the pipeline. If it were coming in the near future, we'd have heard something of it by now.

The portion of the end that deals with Discovery's supposed breaches of canon was a long time in coming. I think I'd made my peace that time travel would fix it all about a month ago, so bringing my feelings about it back is a bit difficult. If the writers had all this planned from the beginning, then kudos to them. If not, then at least they found a decent way to fix everything they'd broken. One of the things that's in the grand tradition of Star Trek is taking mistakes and discrepancies and using them for the benefit of later stories, so I'm quite pleased that this occurred here. Did they have to force it because it was necessary for the show? Yes. But let's not lose sight of the fact that it was necessary for the show.

A few surprises lurked in this episode, even though the resolution went more or less as anticipated. The first of these was that Georgiou was on the Disco as it went off into the wild blue yonder. I had expected, since Michelle Yeoh's Section 31 series is coming, that Georgiou would be left behind in the past in light of that. Not so here. This raises many questions about that Section 31 show, what Yeoh's role in it will be, and how she will play into DIS Season 3, so many that I won't go into them all here. Suffice it to say, I was surprised, and I will be interested to see where it goes from here.

Secondly, I was surprised at the arrival of everything the rest of the season had done, now coming back to help the Disco accomplish its mission. Although I suppose everything did have to be a part of a grand design like Pike and Spock have been saying all along, I was not expecting Siranna and the Kelpiens in particular. A nice touch, certainly, as was the timely arrival of L'Rell and her Klingon armada. Speaking Klingon under heavy makeup does tend to work much better when it's being yelled angrily at one's enemies in the heat of battle than it does when discussing Imperial politics while sitting at home. Plus, Mary Chieffo got to say 'Today is a good day to die' before the show left her behind.

So overall, I think I liked it. It did what it needed to do, and not a whole ton more. What more it did was mixed material, but so is this show in general. I left it feeling satisfied, and even excited for the road ahead. Take her out, folks. Let's see what she can do.

Pensees:

-Holy crap, that's a lot of shuttles. Voyager's jealous.

-I half expected Reno to die, and Po to go to the future. I'm not sad that those things didn't happen, though.

-Keep on being sassy as heck, Dr. Pollard.

-I thought Burnham and Spock's goodbye was just fine the first time, in the shuttlebay. At the end of the episode it was terribly overdone, although Ethan Peck did his darnedest to help it along.

-Is Anthony Rapp's return to the show for Season Three in doubt? They left his life still in danger at the end of the episode. I hope not; I like Stamets. His resolution with Culber felt a little out of place amid the chaos of the episode, though.

-Lots of visual cues to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in this episode, from Burnham's travel through time to the same streaky-light wormhole effect when the ship does the same.

-That really is a dang useful blast door. Voyager's jealous.

-Number One STILL doesn't have a canonical name. Why couldn't she just have given it in the debriefing scene. It's not hard!

-So Tyler has been made the head of Section 31 for now. I guess that means he'll definitely be in Yeoh's series, right?

-Clean-shaven Spock in uniform was great to see, and the shot that panned out from the bridge to the ship in space was a definite nod to 'The Cage.'

-Props to Jeff Russo for his awesome mix of the classic TOS theme and the DIS theme. I really like the music of this show in general.

Quotes:

Po: "First, I invoke diplomatic immunity for stealing this shuttle."

Reno: "I'm going, I'm going! Get off my ass! Sir! Get off my ass, sir!"

Saru: "Promise me you'll be safe." Everything: *continues exploding*

Burnham: "So you're asking me to take a leap of faith." Spock: "One that is only logical."

Controlland: "Where's my data?" Nhan, searching for the most useless response possible: "Hell!"

Controlland: "This doesn't have to be this hard!" Georgiou: "Not hard is boring, and I hate boring."

Number One: "Plans A and B didn't work. This is the Hail Mary part of the operation."

Burnham: "Find that person who seems farthest from you, and reach for them. Reach for them."

4.5 out of 6 really useful blast doors.

CoramDeo is a reviewer, not a bricklayer.

[anotheruserwithnoname]

The Orville season 1 - that’s a wrap

Last night the 12th and final episode of The Orville’s first season aired in North America. There were supposed to be 13 episodes, but in a decision that parallels both Voyager’s first year and, oddly, Tom Baker’s first season on Doctor Who, the powers that be have chosen to hold one episode over for the next season. That doesn’t mean the season just ends; apparently the held-over episode is an earlier one, so last night’s episode does feel like a season finale.

I haven’t had a chance to write about recent episodes, but with the show soon to debut in the UK (Dec. 14), I thought I’d look back with some thoughts on the first season. I’m going to keep this spoiler-free for those in the UK who might still be curious about whether to give Seth MacFarlane’s science fiction dramedy a try. I’ll put a break in here first though since this might be a bit wordy. The tl;dr is the 12 episodes of The Orville S1 were not only stronger than the first season of any Trek series other than TOS, taken as a whole, but were to me more satisfying than any other science fiction series I saw in 2017 - and yes, that includes Doctor Who.

Of course The Orville wasn’t perfect. Like the franchise it took its inspiration from, there are plotlines and dialogue and directoral choices that are hit and miss. At the same time, though, the show took some brave choices. Having an episode based around the topic of sexual consent is always going to be a risk, but having it air (coincidentally) only a couple of weeks after the Harvey Weinstein floodgates opened, even more so. We’ve also seen episodes addressing social media, transgender issues and organized religion. It’s taken stands on some topics, stayed neutral on others, and has always sparked conversation that continued after the credits rolled.

In other words, it does what Star Trek used to do on a regular basis. But with touches of Twilight Zone and Black Mirror tossed in from time to time.

This was also a show that has more heart in it than nearly any other SF series on the air. Not everything is goodness and light. People die. People make mistakes. Bad mistakes. The captain is not immune to this. And - and this is one of The Orville’s strengths - people learn and evolve. There is little of this “character reset” that plagued the episodic format. In the show’s early episodes you could well find yourself rolling your eyes at one character’s behaviour in one episode ... only to discover there’s a payoff to this later in the season. It’s actually a bit of a fallacy to say this show is purely episodic with no arcs; there are arcs, they just aren’t in our face about it. The rewards are there for people who pay attention, but if you miss an episode, with a couple minor exceptions, you can catch it up later without losing your place in the story.

A lot has been made about comparing this show to Star Trek Discovery, with many Trek fans saying Orville is more like true Trek than Discovery. And I have to agree. Discovery, after it got past a rather long period of growing pains, got a lot better and more Trek-like towards the end of the first half of its season - I am not a Discovery-hater. That said, it’s not so much the storyline that’s been a disappointment, it’s been the characters. For me, and many others, the characters on Discovery took a long time to gel, both as a team and as characters we care about - perhaps too long, with a lot of folks indicating they jumped ship after only 3 or 4 episodes because of it. The Orville managed to have its characters gel and establish them as people we care about pretty much by the end of the first episode, or Episode 2. Discovery is right now just about a crew (with a focus on one character). The Orville is about a family (with no character the exclusive focus, not even Seth MacFarlane’s Capt. Ed Mercer). As such maybe we should stop comparing Orville to Discovery and start comparing it to another show about a misfit crew that became a family: Guardians of the Galaxy.

At the same time, The Orville has impressed a lot of people by featuring actual honest-to-god science fiction concepts. 2-D space, alternate dimensions - you can tell that Seth took notes from when he spearheaded and produced Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s sequel to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos a few years back. And there aren’t that many comedy series that have a scientific advisor. Or who boast a number of Star Trek veterans behind the scenes. The special effects are excellent, and the Orville ship itself just looks cool, from the spiral staircases used in lieu of turbolifts in some parts, to the mess hall that - I’m not making this up - appears to have been furnished by Ikea (in fact I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the tables there). It could have looked silly - but instead it makes the ship feel more like a “real” place.

Bottom line: The Orville has funny moments, but it is not a comedy. In fact, there are more moments of attempted humour in TNG episodes than there are in Orville episodes, and the humour in the Orville feels more natural, with the occasional exception (and not every joke will appeal to every viewer). The term to use is dramedy - a dramatic comedy. The Orville can get dark at times; the season finale has one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever seen on a network TV show - not even Game of Thrones has done this. The episode “Krill” tackles the issue of morality in combat head-on. Many people are comparing The Orville to the classic dramedy series M*A*S*H. And I agree with the comparison. When M*A*S*H was funny, it was funny... until it was time not to be funny anymore. The episode “Firestorm”, in which Security Chief Alara Kitan has a crisis of conscience after an unexpected fear reaction results in her being unable to save a man’s life, pretty much just has two funny moments. The rest of the time, it’s as dark as episodes go. “Krill” has a telling moment where Gordon Molloy, the ship’s practical joker, goes from making gags about a person’s name to somberly noting that in order to complete a mission, a lot of people have to die. This in an episode that gave us a more in-depth and fulsome overview of the culture of The Orville’s resident “enemy” alien race than the Klingon-heavy Discovery managed in six episodes.

We actually care about these characters. We want to see how single mom Dr. Claire Finn and her sons fare aboard the Orville (Claire is played by former DS9 and 24 co-start Penny Johnson Jerald, who gives some of the show’s best performances). Bortus and Clyden, the loving couple from a (supposedly) all-male species, have one of the most natural-looking relationships on TV, even with the alien make-up. John Lamarr’s character arc is legitimately unexpected (and you gotta love the fact that actor J Lee is getting his big break with this show after working behind the scenes in Seth’s office for a few years). Kelly Grayson (played by Friday Night Lights and Agents of SHIELD alumna Adrienne Palicki) and her ex-husband Capt. Ed Mercer (MacFarlane) have a very mature relationship, with both giving excellent performances - MacFarlane himself will surprise those who only know his vocal work and role in A Million Ways to Die in the West; he is amazing in “Krill”. Isaac, the show’s version of Data, has one of the coolest characters on TV and undergoes real growth. Gordon is a jokester with unexpected depths. Alara is physically the strongest person on the ship, but because she is so young (and looked down upon by her parents) we want to see her succeed even more. Hell, even Norm MacDonald’s Yaphit, an intelligent CG-animated pile of goo, goes from being a gag background character to an interesting, full-bodied individual as the season goes along. Without spoiling, a number of bad things happen to him in one episode and he gets rightfully pissed off as a result - and you end up agreeing with his view. This is a pile of goo with a mouth.

The Orville is a show that I think will work great for binge-watching. The Pilot - which is a much better episode than the professional reviews suggest - is rough in places. But it’s also fun and a strong start (I am glad they revised Alara’s make-up, though, in an unintentional parallel to what happened with Leonard Nimoy’s Spock between Trek’s pilots and TOS proper). And then we go into the second episode, “Command Performance”, which focuses on what has become the show’s breakout character, Alara (played by Halston Sage), which combines another crisis of confidence story line - the episode is in some ways a companion piece to “Firestorm” - with a b-plot storyline that could have been written by Rod Serling (the resolution of the b-plot of “Command Performance” is exactly the type of thing Serling would have done in TZ). The fact most of the episodes were written by MacFarlane and his Family Guy co-writer, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, suggests these two might have found their true calling. Cherry in particular does an amazing job; I hope she writes more S2 episodes and I’d love to see both her and MacFarlane tackle an Orville novel down the line.

Best of all is the fact The Orville was swiftly renewed for a second season. This means if you’re seeing it for the first time, either on UK TV or the DVD release in January or on streaming, it’s not going to be a case of history repeating itself and the show being one and done. Fox notoriously cancelled Firefly after only a dozen episodes. I personally am not a fan of Firefly, but I respect the fact a lot of people loved it. Ironically, Firefly came out during Star Trek Enterprise’s run, and a lot of people embraced it because it scratched the itch Enterprise didn’t. Orville is that to a lot of viewers who don’t like Discovery’s dark and bloody take on Trek (it’s ironic there’s talk now of doing an R-rating Trek movie directed by Tarantino; someone didn’t get the memo it seems). Fortunately - and let’s hear it for Seth MacFarlane’s pull at the network - Fox is giving the show a chance to grow and develop for a second year.

If S2 is as strong as S1, we’re seeing a classic series appearing before our eyes. Not bad for a guy who not long ago built an episode of Family Guy around the lead characters having an ipecac-drinking contest and see who’d barf first. 

[missstormcaller]

WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU Part 15 Full Translation.

The Ceremony

1

pages 158-168

Human world.

Karakura Town - Sakurabashi park.

This park constructed on the hills overlooking the railway track was Inoue Orihime's favourite place. Even though it is only a small park with a few dozen or so trees and couple of benches, every bench is placed in front of a great view and there is no disappointment wherever you sit. Amongst those, Orihime particularly liked the bench facing opposite the railway track, she loved watching the trains and the town from there.

Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji were currently sitting side by side on that very bench. The time was around 10 p.m. and the small night view of Karakura Town was spread out below them. Because Renji was not as familiar with the Human World as much as Rukia was, every time a train would pass by he would curiously follow it with his eyes.

"Kuchiki saaan!"

Orihime dashed up the stairs leading up the hill whilst waving her arm. When the pair stood up and waved back, she raised her voice in surprise, "huh? You're here together with Abarai kun too!?"

"Yo! You're looking well, Inoue!"

"Yup, I'm well!"

Orihime replied whilst ascending the final few steps on the staircase, "fuu, I've arrived~" she said, recovering her breath when had reached the top.

"I'm sorry for taking up your time this late"

With Rukia in the middle, the three of them sat down beside each other on the bench.

"Not at all, don't worry about something like that! I'm so happy you came to see me!"

"How about the store? Is it still thriving as usual?"

"Uh huh! Business is already booming everyday!"

Orihime currently works as a regular employee of a bread and cake shop called 'ABCookies'. After her older brother Inoue Sora passed away, she was getting along by receiving assistance with living expenses from a distant relative; but because of the fact that the relative had originally declared that they would only provide assistance up till high school graduation, since the summer of three years prior, Orihime had been searching for a job placement for after graduation. During that time, she was working at the shop part-time, the shop manager who had learnt of her situation insisted that Orihime be fully employed by the company.

"Rangiku san and Soifon San have also often come to buy things"

"Lieutenant Matsumoto I can understand, but captain Soifon too……!?"

"……Yoruichi san gets her to buy it for her, am I right?"

"Ah that’s true" Rukia thought, understanding completely.

"So then, what’s happening today? You're even here together with Abarai kun……"

Orihime observed the couple. For some reason or another, she felt that the air that flowed between the pair had become even more intimate than before, Orihime stood up, "oohh!" she said in a loud voice.

"Ehh! Wait, could it be!? Ah, perhaps the two of you……the two of you……!"

With eyes wide open she stared at them in round eyed wonder, Orihime's cheeks were instantly coloured red. Smiling with her whole face, Rukia tried to convey the message without saying a word but-----

"S-s- sta- started dating!?"

------Orihime's intuition was off the mark twice as much.

"Pfft! Hahahaha!! Dating……no, but in a sense it’s somewhere along those lines!!"

Orihime looked blankly at Renji who had burst into laughter, Rukia then spoke.

"Inoue, me and Renji……today, we completed our nyuseki"

"Eh………eeeeeehh!? Nyuseki……that means, you're married……right!?"

Rukia nods, 'that's correct'. Orihime inhaled a deep breath, she began to sob even as a bright smile remained on her face.

"Inoue!?"

"Haaa……uuu……pardon meee……! This is such a pleasant surprise…… I've become an emotional mess……!"

Standing up, Rukia tenderly embraced Orihime's shoulders leading her to sit on the bench again.

"Con….gratulationsss……Kuchiki……sannn……"

Orihime was heaving with sobs as Rukia rubbed her back whilst nodding and uttering comforting words.

"……You fool, what are you grinning at……?"

Rukia said knitting her eyebrows together, noticing Renji smirking whilst looking their way.

"it’s kinda nice to think……You going over the top to take care of someone like that just now, since I’ve never seen you like that you knowww……”

Although he didn't say it, he actually thought that her face full of affection was beautiful.

"Haa…. I'm okay now……thank you, Kuchiki san! I truly congratulate the both of youuu!!"

Orihime smiled sweetly.

"……Thank you, Inoue"

With a finger, Rukia gently wiped away the single trickle of a teardrop that had just escaped.

After completely hearing and laughing about the troublesome story around the nyuseki from the other two, Orihime casually asked Rukia, "you've told Kurosaki kun about it already right?"

"No, not yet. We were thinking to go and announce it to Ichigo after this but……I wonder if it's too late now"

Saying that, she looked up at Renji. "He probably stays up late anyhow" Renji stated definitively without any sort of basis.

"It's really okay that I was told first……?"

Feeling a little shy and fidgety, Rukia hesitated a few times as she replied to Orihime.

"Th-that's because, Inoue I consider you……my……b-best girl-friend! So therefore……I thought…I should tell you first……"

She spoke as her last few words became a little mumbled.

"……your face is redder than the time I asked you to marry me ya know"

"Sh-shut up!!"

Watching as Rukia grew red to her ears, Orihime laughed and became teary eyed once again.

"Thank you, Kuchiki san! I admire you very much too!!"

After seeing the couple off, Orihime hurried back to her house. Saying "I'm home" to the portrait of her late older brother before catching her breath, Orihime put in a phone call to Dokugamine Riruka.

"……Hellooo?"

After four rings, Riruka's somewhat displeased sounding voice could be heard.

"Sorry for calling so late! It's me Orihime"

"When I went to your shop last week, I told you didn't I!? I said I'm busy with the launch of a new brand right now! Does this mean you didn't listen when I was talking!?"

Riruka is currently working as a designer in the apparel department of an enterprise managed by Yukio Hans Vorarlberna. Jackie Tristan also works at the same business but she is constantly flying all over the world because she is engaged in work concerning the aid of developing countries, therefore she is almost never seen.

"Of course, I was listening to you! But this is a bit of an emergency……"

"Emergency……? In that case, please tell me about the matter quickly!"

"Yes! Thank you, Riruka chan! Well……"

Whilst annoyed that she did not speak with haste, Riruka listened as Orihime talked about Rukia getting married, and the fact that the ceremony that was to be held two weeks later, is fast approaching.

"So then, I want to give her something, a gift, but what would be good……? Something handmade……that can be used at the wedding ceremony, I think something like that would be nice……"

"It has to be something suitable enough for a beginner to make……"

The sound of fingertips tapping on a table could be heard through the phone.

"What about a bouquet or a ring pillow……but that world has standard traditional style dress for a Shinto ceremony, doesn't it?"

"Oh, right!…… Eh, well then that means, Kuchiki san, in a Shiromuku*……!? Haaaa, that would be absolutely cuuute……!"

(*Traditional Japanese white Kimono for brides)

"Don't lose your cool……moreover that Rukia girl is a noblewoman isn't she? Since everything will probably be prepared to the highest of quality, if an amateur decides to makes things like traditional style dress accessories, it may pale in comparison……"

"Ohh!!"

In response to Orihime's loud voice, Riruka complained with even more volume, "be quite!! Don't suddenly burst out into a ridiculously loud voice!!"

"Sorry sorry……well, how about a dress? A wedding dress!"

"Huhhh!? There is no way a beginner would be able to properly make something like a dress in just two weeks you know!?"

"But, if I try my very best….!"

"Abso-lutely impossible!!"

"Uuu……! I wanted to see Kuchiki san in western style garments too……"

Orihime muttered with deep disappointment.

"……in that case, how about a veil?"

The sounds of rhythmical tapping on a keyboard could be heard clearly through the earpiece, "I looked it up just now, it seems there's a fair amount of people who like to combine western hairdressing with a Shiromuku nowadays" Riruka informed.

Orihime imagined Rukia's form.

A wataboshi* (*traditional bridal hood-like headdress) will surely suit well with that elegant small face of hers she thought. However, it seemed to her that the people who would be assembled there could more fully enjoy and appreciate Rukia's beauty if  she could be seen through a veil that was completely transparent rather than a wataboshi that would cover a great majority of her head.

"I think that's a very good idea……!"

"If it's a veil, then you basically just cut soft tulle, even an idiot can do it. And then, how about adding on some embroidery with fine thread around the hem? If you do small embroidery, even if it's somewhat poor, as long as it’s seen from a distance it will be unnoticeable"

"Yes yes, I want to add on embroidery!"

"I'll write down a set of instructions and send it together with the materials first thing in the morning. Your address hasn't changed has it?"

"Eeeh!? No that's fine, thank you very much for your help! I'm extremely grateful just because I was able to get advice from you! Afterwards, I myself will go and look for……"

"Huuuh!? You called me when I'm busy, don't hold back now!"

Riruka held her phone in one hand, with the hand that was vacant, she had found what she was looking for, "hm, this will also be of use……" one by one she had ticked off the materials.

"Thank you Riruka chan, but really it's okay……"

"shut up, I told you to be quiet!! ……I'm almost done! I've already disappeared twice with the intention of not having to deal with you lot anymore! And yet, since we met again three years ago, you’ve been using every possible pretext to call me about things like ……a new stock of tasty doughnuts, and whatever else! You understand me Orihimeee!?"

"Yes, sorry! ……but Riruka chan, you always come to buy……"

"I only pass by that shop because it's tasty there, things like whether or not you are working there does not concern me in the slightest!!"

"Pardon me~~~!!"

Phone calls with Riruka always eventually becomes a lecture. Orihime witlessly calls Riruka who likes scolding her like this. Listening to an angry Riruka's voice who was full of vitality as she spoke, 'ah, we're not so lonesome anymore', she’d think as her heart would become warm.

The following day, a package arrived from Riruka, it contained a great deal of materials and a document with a set of instructions, and------

[I spoke a bit too harshly yesterday

Sorry]

-----Written down on a note.

End.

[kinetic-elaboration]

December 30: The Search for Spock

Today, the Search for Spock. Third TOS film in 3 days; I’m living my best life.

I feel like I won’t have much to say about this one, but I always say that and then ramble.

Definitely the best of the first three. I’d rank them: TSFS, TMP, TWOK, personally.

The pacing was the best of the three; the overarching human narrative, of a man’s quest to save his most important person, was way better than TWOK (just two old guys who can’t get over 15 year old beef lmao); the sci fi aspect was literally just Genesis part two but this time I was proven correct in thinking it’s dumb; Kirk was consistently both awesome and in character; the found family feels were on point; the humor was on point; the eerie moments were on point; it had a lot of Dramatic Moments; and a beautiful ending. A+

Some particular favorite scenes: Kirk finding McCoy hanging out in Spock’s quarters; Sarek talking to Kirk about Spock (NO ONE is allowed to talk to me about Shatner’s acting ever again and Mark Lenard is a treasure); the entire stealing-the-Enterprise sequence; the fight scene with the Big Klingon because the only proper fight scenes are Kirk fight scenes; Kirk holding Spock up for their dramatic exit from Genesis; the Ending. Kirk and Spock legit could have kissed at the end and it would have read perfectly fine.

A few complaints: first of all there was 0 reason to have little Spock go through Pon Farr. It was creepy and wrong. He has nothing going on in that brain of his, so he definitely can’t consent to sex, and Saavik’s a daughter figure to him, so you know she didn’t want to do that. Also, he looks like he’s still a child. And she tries to explain it to him, but he doesn’t know language, not even Vulcan--how would he? He’s existed for a day. Finally, real Spock didn’t experience Pon Farr until his late 30s, so it’s completely unnecessary to include that in this film.

Also, I thought Saavik and David were pretty boring in this film. They had a very narrow purpose, as my mom put it, and imo not much character. That David was Kirk’s son was almost completely irrelevant. They obviously have some kind of (romantic?) relationship but no real chemistry. The recasting of Saavik didn’t help her at all. Overall, they were just kinda blah to me. Especially compared to the badass crew of the Enterprise lbr.

I remembered David’s death very differently. I remembered it as Kirk’s fault somehow--but it really isn’t his fault at all. David’s on the exploration mission because, I assume, he wants to be, and then he sacrifices himself on his own, for Saavik. In the context of the protomatter revelation, it looks like a redemptive act. It’s terrible for Kirk but like...even Sarek puts it in the same breath as losing the Enterprise.

I hated seeing the Enterprise brutally torn apart in B*yond, but her death here is completely different: it’s sad, and oddly beautiful, to see the ship flaming out against the sky, but it’s not played as a big action / torture porn sequence. And it’s warranted: she was already going to be decommissioned, Kirk stole her for a last hurrah, and he gives her up as part of a desperate plan, when he has almost nothing else left. Losing the Enterprise is necessary to complete his arc. She’s always been the most important. He’s sacrificed so much of his life for this ship and this job. But now he’s pissed off Starfleet, he’s lost his son (the first person he gave up for the Fleet, when he was still in the Academy), and he’s got just a bare thread of chance to save Spock, the other half of his soul. So if he doesn’t succeed, who cares if he’s lost the ship? He’ll have nothing left anyway. And if he succeeds, as he does, it’s a fair price.

I also feel like this is really the end of the Kirk / TOS story, even though there are 3 more films with him. He’s finally chosen: Spock over all else. He ends the movie on a different planet, with literally only Spock and the rest of the core bridge crew with him, but it’s a happy ending. Because all the excess has been cut away, and the core of what’s important to him has been found. Beautiful.

Then the epilogue is like “but if whales? wouldn’t that be fun?” and it is.

I loved Sulu’s outfit in this and also Uhura’s in Kirk’s apartment. But Kirk and that tracksuit? Is that what he thinks appropriate retirement clothing is?

I loved Scotty hating on the Excelsior and also how Sulu was into it, especially given that Sulu becomes captain of that ship later. I bet he and Scotty still argue about it.

It was interesting that the main alien enemy here was the Klingons. I’m not against it, it’s fine, they’re generic, but they had a cloaking device, and I’m fairly sure this is the first time we’ve seen the Klingons with that. Mom thinks they stole it from the Romulans, and I’d have to agree. It seems the same, right down to the weaknesses. Interesting that the Federation was the first to steal it, and yet the don’t seem to use it.

I’m back on David again. I cannot believe this bitch. He rants and raves about how awful the big mean military is in TWOK and yet WHO was using UNETHICAL SCIENCE to create his big, stupid pointless invention? Oh, that would be David, the civilian scientist. Maybe if he’d gone into Starfleet he’ have learned ethics. Or not a Starfleet officer did sell Genesis to the Klingons lol. (Actually...if they already had it, why are they still after Kirk for it?) He’s also super naive. “The Klingons won’t want this, it doesn’t even work?” My not-so-sweet summer child, it’s a weapon. It’s a much better weapon than it is a terraforming device.

...I think McCoy was turned on by Uhura putting Mr. Adventure into the closet. But then who wasn’t?

I can actually see Scotty and Uhura having romantically compatible personalities at this point in the series.

Definite mom erasure in this film; no Carol; no Amanda. You KNOW Amanda would have been at the weird Vulcan ceremony.

I will give the AOS films this: more than anything in TOS or the TOS films, they make Vulcan look like a real planet where people really live and do normal, every day stuff like sit on their balcony or (sort of) go to school. I mean I realize Spock was resurrected on a ceremonial mountain, which is probably...just for ceremonies, but still.

I loved that the first thing Spock said to Jim was “my dad told me about you” because first of all, love that he got to see his father first, and second, they talked about Jim. “Hey Spock, do you remember me? Good. Do you remember your husband? I hope so because he literally just sacrificed everything to save you.” Wish we had a deleted scene of that.

Anyway I love two (2) space husbands and that is all.

”