Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV Series) Those Old Scientists (2023) User Reviews

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant!!

[ASHeun78 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

This episode is one of the best Star Trek episodes of all time! Yeah I said it! Jack Quaid steals the show in his live action portrayal as Boimler!

The whole episode is a roller coaster ride that you never want to end. Once Tawny Newsome enters the room. The scheming begins! It's just so much fun!

The episode is brilliantly written and directed by none other than our own Jonathan Frakes!! To take a two dimensional cartoon show set in the future to the live action show in the past and come up with a story that is believable and entertaining is no short of a miracle! It has heart, soul and it speaks the very essence of Star Trek! Sprinkled with some comedy, a lot, and you have a gem that will forever be one of the best!!

Well done to everyone in SNW! This season is fire!!

Best episode of the season

[dtiesma-52532 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

Ok, if you haven't watched Lower Decks yet, you need to stop and watch that series. Yes, Lower Decks is animated. Yes, it is very good.

We just watched Lower Decks earlier this year. There are 3 seasons so far. Each episode is about a half hour. Trust me, it's worth it. I am not sure this episode will make a lot of sense without watching Lower Decks first.

Two characters from the animated series interact with the Enterprise. No, they didn't do a Roger Rabbit thing here. They didn't mix live action and animation. I had heard about this episode a few months ago and was wondering how they were going to do it.

They really pulled it off. This episode was a BLAST. Very funny and a bit heart warming as well. Nice job directing Mr Frakes.

A must see episode for trekkies of all ages.

[MiloSuperSpesh · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

It's perfection, GO WATCH IT.

Everything is done right, frakes might have ruined thunderbirds but since then he's learned and perfected his craft as director, if you loved all of his previous episodes in all trek shows you'll be loving this one too !

Boimler and beckett in live action sounds crazy but they did them justice and the make up on jack to make his hair purple is just icing on the cake, the LD uniforms are perfectly tailored to them and faithfull but also practical for their scenes.

It's not a filler episode like some might think, it's carrying on spocks 'emotional' journey and allows for a bit of fan service on top of the fan service their already doing.

It's a nostalgia trip of the old vs new tech and bit more insight in to the orion's.

Why are you still reading this ? Go watch it !

Funniest Episode of Any Trek-verse

[WordsworthStone · 10/10 · 24 July 2023]

I've ever watched and I'm a millennial, I've watched a fair share. Ensign Boimler is the perfect protagonist for this episode because he is what we all are, Trekkies, actually the stan of all fanboys.

Give it up to the writers of this episode, I had several LOL moments, even caught myself smiling like Spock in this episode. I really like how they're mixing all these genres and tropes, refreshing content that hails from the 60 years of history but still surprises old and new. And that Quaid/Ryan kid just natural comedy chops. *thumbs up* Someone petition this episode for an Emmy.

I guess the only thing left is the musical dance number episode, that's clearly labeled on this season's episodes list, okay? No spoiler. Boldly go where no Trek has gone before, right?

A classic!

[patrick-413 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

Star Trek, as a franchise, has a history of doing "funny" episodes, starting way back as early as the first TOS season. Some have been less than successful, but most have been an excellent counterpoint to the more serious stories. Even the movie series had "The Voyage Home", a very funny film.

But now, I believe we have been treated to Trek's very best "comedy" episode. A lot of the SNW actors have proven they have comedic chops in previous episodes, but this time they all got to stretch in new directions, crossing over with the animated "Lower Decks", and its two lead characters, Mariner and Boimler. (Played hilariously by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid).

It's a testament to both the writing and the deft direction by Jonathan Frakes that this episode is both funny AND touching, and also doesn't forget to more along some of the overall character arcs of the series. Oh, and special kudos to whoever decided to have fairly long animated sequences at the beginning and end (along with an animated version of the opening credits), to let us see as much of the "Lower Decks" world as possible.

Brilliant installment of an excellent series. I'd give this one 11/10 if I could!

Star Trek campiness at its best

[Jetblazer · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

I've been anticipating this episode for a year and when I heard I dropped early I was so happy, like a juvenile. It delivers 100 percent. I know many Star Trek fans don't like Lower Decks and I can respect that but the show truly respects Star Trek history and this episode continues that respect. Yes it is campy and comedic but if you're a true Star Trek fan campy shouldn't bother you and if you remotely say it does you're being negative on purpose or you just are not a fan of some of the goofy campy episodes. I respect a persons opinion but some out there are sh!!/"ng on this episode just because everyone else loves it. No true Star Trek fan should hate this episode. If it isn't your cup of tea and it's just ok to you I respect that but if you're a Star Trek fan and you have tolerated some of the episodes of the past and remained a fan you should easily tolerate this episode.

It had no right being this good!

[joe-26867 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

This had the makings of tragedy or triumph, and it was an undisputed triumph. I've been a Star Trek fan for 30 years, and this will go down as one of my favourite episodes. It was very trek, funny and at time heartfelt. A real love letter to Star Trek in all its form. I know some will hate it on principle, but that's just not giving it credit. To be able to combine a cartoon and a live action show like this was incredibly clever, kudos to the writers, and well done for planning ahead with the casting of the voice actors from lower decks allowing them to be able to transition into the real world. I'll watch this one again and again. Strange new worlds is consistently knocking it out of the park.

So Cool Lower Decks Crossover

[gbarrett-39941 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

This is the episode that everyone one has been waiting for. I loved the way it started off animated. I was not expecting that. Initially I wasn't paying attention and I was like...something is off, then I noticed it. I truly love Lower Decks and having their characters come to live action was a nice treat. This show continues to get better in surprising ways. That's not to say everything is perfect but Strange New Worlds is a good homage to Star Trek the Original series. All we need now is a some cameos from the Deep Space Nine crew and every show would have been represented in this new age of Trek.

Crossover heaven

[sedlakandrew · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

Absolutely brilliant execution of the crossover format.

Boimler and Mariner are accidentally transported to the past, meeting up with the pre-Kirk Enterprise crew for some wacky time travel shenanigans.

There was always the danger of sending this episode into a slap-stick direction but thankfully it was handled with grace.

A fine balance between the two shows was struck, with both the comedy we all know and love from lower decks, to the human drama of STW, making this entry the new standard for crossover episodes in any genre.

Well done to the writers and above all else to Jonathan Frakes for this fine fusion between animation and live action.

An absolute joy

[ian1000 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

I frankly had low expectations, when I read that there was to be a crossover episode, with the animated Lower Decks show. What to expect - an animated SNW episode?

My fears were unfounded: what we actually experienced was a fantastic episode, essentially the opposite of the above. Two of the Lower Decks characters are portal-ed back in time 120 years, into the SNW era. Both characters are portrayed by their respective voice actors - what a blast that must have been for them. It's also a blast for their characters - getting to meet their heroes.

It's a simply story, revolving around the quest to return the 24th century ensigns back to their own time. The result is a mildly comic episode, superbly acted and directed (directed by Frakes), with a feel-good ending. All the SNW cast are present, and the time travellers interact with each.

In a similar fashion to the Enterprise alternate universe double story, the title sequence is re-done, for this episode. Finally, the closing scene (on Enterprise) is a joy.

I'm not a fan of Lower Decks, and, frankly, this episode changes nothing in that respect, but this was great fun.

Not a fan of Lower Decks, but enjoyed this one.

[RealLiveClaude · 9/10 · 31 July 2023]

I might not watch "Lower Decks" as I was not impressed due to annoying caracters and fast paced improbable situations, however, this crossover was a lot of fun.

Seeing 2 of them in real life was quite funny and original, mingling with the past Enterprise and cross-reference facts from the other series (TOS and Enterprise), as well as SNW.

Anyway, how can you tell if the Orions were bad or good was the debate here. You have to make some accomodations to let a tribe change their hearts...

Good episode and some laughs here and there.

However, respect to those who like Lower Decks. If they love the series, be it !

Lot of love went into this

[kaionecorrigan · 7/10 · 24 July 2023]

I wouldn't say it's the best script ever but there certainly was a lot of love poured into this episode.

Kind of wish all four key lower decks characters got thrown back into time, it was a joy to watch them come to life. I felt like doin some of the SNW crew where a bit harsh to ST:LD crew, or grumpy / maybe it was just a reflection of how mismatched the tones of the show are next to each other. I enjoyed the injection of Spock humour in this episode, was a stand out for me alongside the bartending sequence.

It was a fun romp, I'm grateful they created the cross over. I will continue to love both shows separately as intended!

Difficult to watch.

[uss_ram · 1/10 · 30 July 2023]

Some things do not mix well. This was a good example. It took me three attempts to finish watching it. It was ridiculously exhausting. I feel it did a great disservice to the existing characters and actors themselves. I hope they do not try this again because I really like this show. Discovery was great the first couple of seasons and then went downhill from there. Fast. I don't think this is what Gene Roddenberry had in mind. Not sure how much input Jonathan Frakes had with the story line. Stick to what works. Try not to change it into something different. If you want to do something different, let it stand on its own.

Instant CLASSIC!

[mwpsas · 10/10 · 24 July 2023]

OK, I must live under a rock because I had no idea this thing was streaming until I was on YouTube and saw reviews popping up.

What's not to like?

I really felt for Chapel in the elevator... but as a trekkie - it kind of made me happy... now we know the SNW writers aren't going to screw this up? (Spock)

Quaid and Newsome were so AWESOME!

The entire SNW crew was awesome as well!!

NX-01 saves the day!!

There is nothing to complain about... I've already watched this thing twice.

I was smiling, laughing, and eagerly anticipating the next laugh the entire episode. Instant classic IMO.

The only nitpick I have is that we didn't get Tendi and Rutherford too.

Ending this episode with the SNW cast in animation capped it all off so well.

As with all LD's episodes, I need to watch it a couple more times to catch everything!

Fun.

[davidvieira79 · 8/10 · 23 July 2023]

Is it a little fan service-y? Yes. Is it kinda silly, and maybe a bit more childish in tone than usual for a Star Trek ep? Sure. But you know what? Not everything needs to be about THE FATE OF THE ENTIRE GALAXY. If you like dark and gritty, there's other Star Trek series out there for you ( ones that take themselves way too seriously if you ask me ).

This is what I want from Strange New Worlds, and it's what keeps me watching and enjoying this show ( and Lower Decks ). The OG series was silly as hell at times. Maybe the execution could have been better overall, but you know what? This was FUN.

Close to 'Trials & Tribblations'

[WKYanks · 10/10 · 14 August 2023]

What's not to like?

I really felt for Chapel in the elevator... but as a trekkie - it kind of made me happy... now we know the SNW writers aren't going to screw this up? (Spock)

Quaid and Newsome were so AWESOME!

The entire SNW crew was awesome as well!!

NX-01 saves the day!!

Travis and Hoshi (ENT) get mentioned!

There is nothing to complain about... I've already watched this thing twice.

I was smiling, laughing, and eagerly anticipating the next laugh the entire episode. Instant classic IMO.

The only nitpick I have is that we didn't get Tendi and Rutherford too.

Ending this episode with the SNW cast in animation capped it all off so well.

So Very Good!!!

[nanstuff · 10/10 · 24 July 2023]

*stepping up on the soapbox* Ahem... First, for those fans who think Lower Decks is beneath them because it's animated, or because of it's animation style... you really need to consider if that corn cob needs to be removed; in other words - lighten up! Trek should be, not just thought-provoking, but enjoyable as well.

And this episode has it in spades!!!!!!!

Absolutely loved everything about it! After watching it, I went to work floating on a major geek high, which my co-workers were kind enough to understand and let me share some of the highlights.

Hubby and I keep going back to it in conversations. We loved it so much!!!

There was not a single aspect of this episode that is wrong, bad, unpleasant, or didn't belong.

It was just plain great!!

I agree that it it likely the best, if not one of the best, Trek episodes ever. The humor was spot on; the references were plenty and wonderfully accurate.

Mr. Frakes, if you happen to read these reviews, Beautifully done, Sir!!! If I could hug you out of gratitude right now, it would be huge and bone crushing. Thank you directing such a wonderful masterpiece!!!

That's all.

*stepping down from the soapbox*

Lower Decks Crossover!

[ddbmschmidt · 9/10 · 23 July 2023]

Oh my! Wow! "Lower Decks" is such a wonderful - fun - show, unlike the grim, loud and ugly Discovery.

I am very much enjoying "Strange New Worlds" and when the news hit about Boimler and Mariner showing up! How? Wibbly-wobbly timey wimey stuff!!

From the opening animated SNW credits, to the surprise ending due to some powerful beverages... Well done! Well done Jonathan Frakes!

What a fun ride it was!

Boimlers live-action run! Jack Quaid was fantastic!

Tawney's Mariner was a bit reserved, but still great.. (and Tawney was a wonderful part of the short-lived Space Force!) Will be watching this one over and over!!

Surprising and absolutely brilliant!

[michaelisking-66226 · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

This has sparked my interest in Lower Decks! So much so that I believe I will start watching an animated Star Trek series (I never thought I would say that!).

It speaks to how brilliant this episode was. The writers did a beautiful job, talk about imagination. Add creativity, intelligence and humor! And let's not forget this is science fiction... fun science fiction! I was captivated. Spock was amazing, Captain Pike too. Ok everyone was great in this episode. Meeting your heroes, time travel, history. This episode had everything you could want. Man, I love the crew even more now. I love the show even more now. I didn't think that was possible.

Hysterical, Very Trek, I was blown away

[ejrlogins · 10/10 · 25 July 2023]

This episode is one of the best of the series and really makes effective use of comedy, but you have to have watched.lower decks and he previous episodes of SNW to really appreciated it. Furthermore, it helps move Spock along to where he needs to get to by the time of TOS. I wasn't so happy about emotional Spock in this series, although we do know from The Menagerie that Spock was doing something with regards to emotions. Even down the road sometimes Spock embraces his human half and his emotions so perhaps all the criticism in this not entirely warranted. But regardless, taken on its own, this was a very funny and enjoyable episode. It also reminded me of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.in the sense of people wanting to live in an earlier golden age. I didn't expect the translation of the cartoon characters to work, so I was surprised at how well it did. Kudos to director Frakes, the writers, and the actors. Definitely worth a rewatch..

One of the BEST!

[mhorg2018 · 10/10 · 25 July 2023]

First, honesty. I don't like Lower Decks. I've tried and tried and it just fails to grab me. Sooooo I thought this episode was going to be a massive flop (kind of like all of Discovery). More honesty. BOY WAS I WRONG! Not only didn't it suck, it was GREAT. This is one of my favorite episodes of all Trek. As far as a beautiful, heartfelt homage to Star Trek and its history-it's second only to Trials and Tribble-ations. Jack Quaid as a total fanboy steals this entire episode. Anson Mount and Rebecca Romjin's expressions are priceless. Uhura wondering why she's so worshipped in the future is hysterical. This episode is the best of the entire run of Strange New Worlds (which honestly, has been up and down) and is worth watching again and again. Just a great episode.

Not as funny as the reviews suggest

[S3pt3m63r · 25 July 2023]

The premise is that the crew from lower decks find a portal and at that exact same time the crew of the Enterprise are at the exact same portal and trigger it so that Boimler travels back in time to the Enterprise! I know Star Trek is scientifically implausible but this is almost scientifically impossible. The interplay between the characters lacked any chemistry or emphathy as the Enterprise crew haven't built up any chemistry with each other or their audience. They are just too new. The relationship between Spock and Chapel is just so wrong that it takes Boimler to point this out. We meet Orions for the first time.

In my opinion a failed episode relying solely upon the quirkiness of Lower Decks/ SNW crossover. It added nothing to the overall story and Pike looks increasingly uncomfortable in his role as Captain.

Better crossover episodes have been made more effectively especially Trials and Tribbleations, which is funny. Using animation at the beginning and ending added nothing except the perceived physical effects of alcohol on the Enterprise crew.

Looks like "Lower Decks" is officially canon.

[thesystem-38676 · 7/10 · 23 July 2023]

As cool as the idea is to have a crossover episode with "Lower Decks", it feels like a wasted episode in an already short season with only 10 episodes. If it was 22-26 episodes, it would be fine. But as is, it could've been spent doing something more important than what amounts to a glorified gimmick.

For the most part, very little was accomplished. Pike basically learns to let people in who want to spend time with him and by that extent allow people to just celebrate his birthday with him, especially if he's aware that he doesn't have much time left.

Which kinda rings hollow since he COULD change his future, and not condemn himself to that garbage fate. But instead of seeking a better alternative, he chose a while back not to do anything about it, because the plot says so-cuz canon. (S1E10-"Quality of Mercy")

An excuse that holds increasingly less weight the more changes this show makes to Trek canon in general.

Then there is Spock's and by extension, Chapel's story arc thus far. The last two episodes made it actually feel significant, like it served a purpose in moving those characters forward. But then Biomler just reconfirms (to Chapel's face) that she's basically wasting her time with Spock and their relationship won't go anywhere. Spock will not only revert back to his previous self, that he will double down on being even more "Vulcan" than he was before. So, all this emotional development for him is pointless, and that Chapel made absolutely no impact on his life. Going by Chapel's reaction, it looked like it was soul crushing for her to find that out.

And there was an interesting moment when Spock went to confront Boimler about what he said to Chapel, but it basically amounted to him saying that he'll just keep on doing what he's doing now. Even though it ultimately pointless in the grand scheme of things.

Then there's the moment Una finds out she's a role model/postergirl for Starfleet, with her "Ad Astra"-line from S2E2 being a well known slogan in the future. Which on the surface is kinda cool.

But then you remember that Dr. Bashir's dad is STILL incarcerated in a Federation Penal Colony for Genetic Modifications in Boimler & Mariner's time, which kinda diminishes the outcome of that courtroom episode to a degree.

The problem I continue have with this show is that it likes to cherry-pick which part of canon to adhere to, while basically retconning everything else, all the while still claiming that this is somehow the Prime Universe. If that were true, then stop changing things, and learn to write around them.

Because when you give your characters easy outs, and then have them ignore it for stupid or contrived reasons, it makes your character look dumb and your story pointless.

Indescribably awful

[obatanga · 1/10 · 2 August 2023]

Yet another juvenile episode of a show wrecking a once-proud franchise. It's more like Star Trek Afterschool Special or Star Trek Love Boat than the genius of The Original Series or Next Generation. If you want real sci-fi, watch Foundation or Silo or Raised by Wolves or the real Star Trek of the past. Strange New Worlds is still not the disastrous dumpster fire that was Discovery, but it's getting close. What's next? Scooby Do and the Nomad probe showing up as admirals while Pike continues to be Julia Child in his kitchen? Perhaps Dr. McCoy will be reinvented as a tall Swedish au pair babysitting Spock and Chapel's little baby? Trek Trash abounds.

Awesome ...

[REDJunior · 9/10 · 23 July 2023]

... honestly.

I wasn't sure at first because I thought this would be too far outside "the wheelhouse" ... but it was done with such respect and joy in the reflection of the true spirit of the Trek Universe that I quickly came 'round and this episode absolutely won me over.

It's obvious that the writers ... as well as all others ... involved with "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" are not only talented at their jobs ... but are also real fans.

I'm just not sure how I'm going to manage that upcoming "musical" episode that i've heard is winging it's way to broadcast ... maybe another bottle of Syrah?