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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#565484
The first two episodes have aired back to back for the first time since Broken Bow.

We have our theoretical main character in Dal. If he isn't the main he was certainly the focus of the first hour. He has the talent to get around the bad hand he is dealt. Like Crichton or Quill, he is the guy who gets everyone together and is presumed to be the captain. Or he suggested so at the very least.

If Dal is the dashing rogue, Gwn is out Aryn Sun or Gamora. She is associated with the enemy who happened to be around and fought with the main crew. She is literally tied up at the end and while she showed off her battle prowess, she also knew how to be diplomatic as we saw early in the hour. Plus, she has a Caitian friend!

All right, I'll stop it with the Farscape/Guardians references, but this is the first time we have seen this particular story in trek.

One of the two non humanoids in the series is Zero. They knew enough to create a suit around them and he fills in a lot of the blanks. They knew they needed to get some sort of crew for the ship. The legs are removeable (!) and they can swing their arm when it comes down to it but this seems to be the mystic role.

We have a Tellarite who was very much more polite than others we have seen before, but Jankom Pog is there to engineer the ship along. I would have thought a teenage Tellarite would moth off more. Also it will be interesting to see how this rough and tumble engineer works with the nice and clean Starfleet vessel.

Murf was kind of there. A basic blob they were helpful with saving the day and it will be interesting to see how things progress and the kind of development they get.

The Emergency Training Hologram came in at the end to round out the crew but we'll see how things go.

Rok-Tahk will make Peter David happy, but it is jarring to go from a character who growls to one that is an eight year old girl. When we saw the Universal translator in action it want this jarring. They might as well be two entirely different characters. Still, she is great as the gentle giant thus far.

At the end we have a group of people thrown together. They are not a full fledged crew yet but there are eight more episodes to go.

There are a a lot of questions (how did this ship wind up in the Delta Quadrant? How di these Alpha Quadrant species wind up there? What is it about this ship that the bad guys want?) that should be answered as things develop.

Looking at the draft, Rok-Tahk operated the ship outside her skill set. Dal played around with a vehicle despite not knowing how to use it. Gwyn provided exposition about Medusans and name dropped something Voyager related.

For episode two (the act break after the Protostar is online) Zero provided exposition about the ship and played around with weapons. Murf used an outside skill when operating the main console while Dal used knowledge of engineering with the ship. As far as being a tagalong, Murf was literally carried on the ship but Rok-Tahk and Gwyn were also brought on by coincidence.

The leaderboard is below and we are off!

10and01 2
aabecame 5
abargar7510 5
Armus 2
CaptainHelensvale 4
droidscotty 2
Faithful Reader 2
Frool 0
Jadziadax8 2
nyyankees72 5
Theguardian 2
uglywithglasses 4
Weyounslastclone 3

What did you think of the premiere?
Last edited by Faithful Reader on Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Executive Officer
By jadziadax8 (Maggie Geppert)
 - Executive Officer
 -  
2E North American Continental Semi-Finalist 2023
ibbles  Trek Masters Tribbles Champion 2023
2E Deep Space 9 Regional Champion 2023
#565488
I think you mean Tellarite, @Faithful Reader. :wink:

I desperately want to know what's up with the mix of [AQ] and [DQ] species in this pilot.
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#565988
Starstruck was a fun space romp we would never get in another series. It shows the training you need to functionally operate a ship. Actual cadets wouldn't need additional training to make sure they do not get caught up in a star, but these kids need a little more to figure it out. I loved that the Training Hologram's screens aver involved her sipping coffee.. With a full crew of teachers, she is there was a backup.

The ETH did a great job of reading off the brochure for the Federation, We know how awesome it is, but not these kids who have been dealt a bad hand by life. It says a lot that Dal goes in the entirely opposite direction. Dal also wants the perks of being a captain but has problems with the implementation. While most of the cast are fish out of water, Dal needs the most work. His impulsiveness nearly got them all killed. Still he took charge after he had the knowledge to get out of the jam he put them in.

Gwyn is still on double secret probation. To often, this role is quickly assimilated into the crew but here, we are taking time. And another route apparently. as she tries to build a shuttlecraft and get off the ship. The fight scene in the constructing shuttle was fun to watch. The journey will take longer.

Rok-Tahk is not eager to be in the security role. She wants to explore the options, not just be the large hulking security officer. Jankom is quite happy to be the chief engineer. The contrast between that wo is seen in the mess hall scene in more ways than one.

Zero is still kind of there looking through the manual though they know about the universe while Murf is just hanging around.

Unbeknownst for them, they are being chased. We have a group of kids operating the ship but they are not a crew yet. That will probably happen at the end of the season while everyone gets a little further on their journey. A 'bottle episode' establishing the main cast further.

And yeah, they pretty much spent the time going through the opening credits from Lower Decks.

In terms of points, The ETH had a heck ton of exposition as did Zero with his "rare and exceptional way" to die line. Jankom pushed the button to save the day outside his skill set and Gwyn gets points for operating the shuttlecraft doohickey. Points are below with everyone on the board!

10and01 3
aabecame 6
abargar7510 6
Armus 4
CaptainHelensvale 5
droidscotty 3
Faithful Reader 3
Frool 2
Jadziadax8 3
nyyankees72 6
Theguardian 3
uglywithglasses 5
Weyounslastclone 5
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#566382
One way to get insight into characters on a new series is to show their innermost desires subconsciously. it gets a great deal of information out quickly, especially if the audience gets it early on.

The simplest was Rok-Tahk who just wanted some love. A bunch of cute little creatures came out to her and she ate them up. Zero saw their new love, the warp core. We really do not know much about the Medusans in general of Zero in particular but it is telling that in all of their history it is the Warp Core that they desire most, to study and gain more knowledge about along with the rest of the universe. We do not know if Medusans do not have families as we know them or just Zero. Either way we have someone amazed at the universe but not depreciatingly so.

Plus, Zero's legs extend automatically.

Gwyn got a quick break out of prison and was able to take over the ship. We learned more about the overarching plot with her being groomed to do so. Between this and her handling the affairs of the mining colony, she only refused the vision after determining it was false. Dal Saw what he considered his parent but the planet reminded him that he did not know what they even looked like. We've seen orphans in the franchise but here we have a cast of them and everyone is exploring themselves. it is still early enough that they do not consider themselves a family.

Murf was kind of there and it will be interesting to see what comes out of that noggin. The ETH was reprogrammed and helped move things along on the ship but was still in command mode even when taken over.

Since there was a crash landing, we'll see what happens and hope that the hiatus isn't too cliffhangery.

Looking at the draft, Dal got an expositional point and his mad driving skills were outside the skill set as was Gwyn's breakout. Jankom Pog shot himself for a doohicky point and with Kate Mulgrew voicing another character the ETH gets a point.

Updated tally is below. We might break double digits next week.

10and01 6
aabecame 7
abargar7510 9
Armus 5
CaptainHelensvale 5
droidscotty 4
Faithful Reader 4
Frool 4
Jadziadax8 4
nyyankees72 7
Theguardian 6
uglywithglasses 5
Weyounslastclone 7
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#566686
I've been a fan of the Hagemans since watching Trollhunters. One thing they excel at is plotting. Seasons feel like they are telling an overall story. Even seasons that are broken up plot things accordingly. Taken together, these two two parters and an episode thrown in the middle while they explore the ship, we have the crew coming together.

The honeymoon on the planet is over. We're at the point where we have toe scape the darn thing. Of course, the planet trying to eat them is good at confusing them but not eating them. Why the planet did not cover the sky is a mystery to the viewer.

As fun as this was, it was odd to see the ETH just talking out loud with no one there to hear her. Still, she held down the fort.

Gwyn is finally on board with the rest of the crew, literally if not figuratively. Hopefully it isn't all sunshine from here on out (she did snitch on them after all) but she is more accepting of an outstretched hand. Plus, we got to see more of her Liquid Metal Thing (TM) this time helping her walk.

It says a lot that Dal did not abandon her. There is still a lot of room to grow but they are all on the same page, at least for now.

One of the ways to write is the Answer-A-Question-Ask-Another and that is where we are with the overall plot and the Protostar specifically. Powering your ship with a star seems very Romulan but we are wondering why the Federation has this technology and what they would do with it. Did Slipstream not do the trick?

Looking at the draft, the ETH gets points for exposition and Murf was literally brought along on the mission. Also, Dal and Gwyn get points for going outside their skill set with using the stars to navigate. Points are updated below as we go into a hiatus:

10and01 8
aabecame 9
abargar7510 11
Armus 6
CaptainHelensvale 6
droidscotty 5
Faithful Reader 4
Frool 5
Jadziadax8 6
nyyankees72 8
Theguardian 7
uglywithglasses 5
Weyounslastclone 9
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#569253
After Prodigy takes time off for Discovery, so does Discovery take time off for Prodigy.

There seems to be a pattern developing with a two part actiony extravaganza and an hour to do some cleanup and talk about stuff. It may slow things down but it also establishes relationships between the main cast. This isn't a full functioning ship with thousands of crew, it is just these eight. They are falling into their roles or may have roles thrust upon them.

Zero and Gwyn had some good bonding time and that conversation was a highlight. Zero was learning about Gwyn but we also learned about Zero. It will take time for Gwyn to integrate into the crew but it looks like Dal may not be that bridge. Plus, with no clear doctor on the cast, Zero takes that role, and in general seems to be the 'do something because we do not have someone specifically to do that job' role.

I am sure that the Kobayashi Maru was a highlight for a lot of viewers. It was obvious that they used archival dialogue but it fit together and while it may have sounded recorded that was kind of the point. We say how far Dal will go to prove himself right and I am reminded of another animated series with a lead who is not the best person out there. Here's hoping the computer started taking off points after the first few dozen attempts. It was great to see some old friends again though it raises the question of why there are only fifty competent people in two hundred years worth of the Federation.

We got a few more puzzle pieces to add to the bunch. We know more about Gwyn and the Diviner as well as more about the Protostar. I appreciate that any time they answer a question they raise another. These two mysteries do seem to be related as we discover how the ship would up in the Delta Quadrant.

And Murf just ate a bunch of torpedoes? That has got to come in handy down the line.

With the draft, the ETH gets points for expositing and dropping a Trek Reference. Zero and Gwyn gets points for expositing as well along with Zero getting another for exploring his role as counselor. Murf gets a point since his voice actor did multiple roles. The leaderboard is below as the double digit club grows larger, and will probably grow again next week..

10and01 10
aabecame 11
abargar7510 12
Armus 10
CaptainHelensvale 9
droidscotty 7
Faithful Reader 4
Frool 7
Jadziadax8 9
nyyankees72 9
Theguardian 7
uglywithglasses 7
Weyounslastclone 12
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#569935
After Deep Space Nine ended, we were optimistic for Grand Nagus Rom's prospects, but rally did not see the effects long term. Prodigy's First Contact gives us a glimpse into what happens after his (and some of Zek's last) reforms. A woman has her own ship and is a Diamon. She is able to operate it on her own.

After showing us a shipboard episode, this one focused on Dal. We learned who raised him and how he got to be in the mining colony. yeah, he was a little too happy to see a mentor who literally sold him out to said planet.

Through it all, we have a truly alien planet. The visuals were gorgeous and unlike other elements that have been created for this series, we are unlikely to see again. The Animated Series was created in part to who things we could not see on a live action series and Prodigy delivers.

With the focus on Dal, we learned precious little from the rest of the crew, though they were all in favor of not screwing over the planet.

On the Protostar, the ETH is looking into what happened. The show has not mentioned time travel yet but there are few ways for that footage to happen in the way that we see it without there being some sort of something involved.

Looking at the draft, Dal gets a points for exposition, Dal, Zero and Gwyn get a doohicky point for the crystals while Dal, Pog, Zero, Rok-tahk and Gwyn get a tagalong point. The leaderboard is below as the double digit club continues to grow.

10and01 13
aabecame 13
abargar7510 17
Armus 12
CaptainHelensvale 11
droidscotty 8
Faithful Reader 6
Frool 8
Jadziadax8 9
nyyankees72 12
Theguardian 11
uglywithglasses 10
Weyounslastclone 14
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#570437
Not sure what came first, the time travel gimmick or the plotting but it worked great. Or maybe they just wanted to swap around the title of an already popular episode.

We start off with everyone together and not working through a training problem. Dal gives up the pretense of being cadets and the ETH takes it in stride.

The plot gave everyone the potential for growth. Jankom-Pog is lightest the best engineer so he had to have the shortest run, letting us see the ship get blown up. It seems as though putting a star in you engine to power the ship might not be the best idea.

Rok-Tahk had her best episode yet. Her initial instinct was to hide, but since she had the most time, she taught herself several things and was able to calmly put the doohicky together and save the day. She just needs to work on shortening the time of freaking out.

Murf! Fun moment but wouldn't the ETH have seen Murf sooner? But Murf!

Then the captain who had to go down with his ship, Dal was just playing around. That is a good contrast with Gwyn who put the thing together but had to battle a printed Drednock. Hopefully they patch up that security breach quickly. Zero was able to get the schematics ready and most everyone was able to put it together.

All in all a fun way to build a team but they should probably work on parts if they want to make it longer term.

For the draft, the ETH and Zero got points for exposition and Dal, Rok-Tahk and Gwyn got points for actually putting the doohickey together. Rok-Tahk also gets a point for going outside her skill set and the leaderboard is below.

10and01 15
aabecame 14
abargar7510 19
Armus 14
CaptainHelensvale 12
droidscotty 11
Faithful Reader 8
Frool 9
Jadziadax8 10
nyyankees72 15
Theguardian 12
uglywithglasses 13
Weyounslastclone 16
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#570840
Programming note: Next week will look a little different. We'll do a recap but the scores will come out later for ... reasons.

The mid-season finale is upon us! And the entire writing staff got in on the action! They usually do but in this case, they are credited.

It may seem more like a season finale but they are closing off one plot strand and there are a lot ore to follow up on for the back half. Plus, we got to see the cute Catian again!

While this was very much setting things up for later, it did so in the best way possible. We have some great character moments ahead of them going back when the group feels more like a crew. They even don the uniforms for the first time, except for the two crewmembers who are nude and even one of them got a new coat of paint. They have the big action sequence but they also have the characters talking about it.

So many moments coming together as Gwyn has to confront her family but also getting comfort from Zero. Dal and the ETH had a talk about being a leader and we saw him as the first one to put on the uniform. Also, Murf swallowed a star?

Looking at the draft, there is comparatively little this time. Gwyn got a tagalong to join The Diviner, Murf impersonated Zero and Mulgrew voiced Corrupted Janeway. the leaderboard is below.

10and01 16
aabecame 16
abargar7510 20
Armus 15
CaptainHelensvale 13
droidscotty 12
Faithful Reader 8
Frool 10
Jadziadax8 12
nyyankees72 16
Theguardian 12
uglywithglasses 13
Weyounslastclone 18

Yep, one person is in the twenties and I am the only one in the single digit club.
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#571359
Did Murf poop out a star?

That was an action and plot filled mid-season finale. Fans of Trollhunters would be familiar with a mid-season finale that wraps up a good deal. It would be hard to find a reason to return to Tars Lamora after this, but most of that got a resolution with the colony gaining independence. The Catian showed her claws, literally ad figuratively. Plus, there was a great moment for two colleagues how got to talk to each other for the first time.

The action and plot did not mean there was no time for characterization. Tok-Tahk showed the knowledge of engineering, surpassing Jankom Pog. But it was Zero who used his form as a weapon intentionally for the first time. This is going to be hard to put back in the tube, but showed that there was only so far they would be pushed.

The Diviner had a lot of exposition. There was some last week but here we find out his motivations. He is somewhat off the board but it is not hard to find a way for him to return especially since he is voiced by John Noble. Time travel fun is afoot!

Also, the crew wants to go to the Federation but there is a hidden virus so we will see how well that works out.

Speaking of the Federation, there is a cool end scene with Janeway in the flesh. It helps tie in the franchise and is the second time we have seen Admiral Janeway at all. The promise to Chakotay shows that she where her loyalties lie.

Expect more character moments when Prodigy returns TBA. Look for an update o the draft after Classification: Civilian releases.

And did Murf ...
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#587864
After a long break (enough for Picard Season 2 and Lower Decks season three) prodigy is back with an episode showing us more of the crew and them learning about themselves as well. For whatever reason, Dal set off literal sirens, so something is afoot.

The mystery of the Protostar deepens since we know how much damage she has packed into her. It will be a while before they can be with the Federation. it si unknown how much they got from this relay station.

We also have a sub-series going on with laneway. It is a fun side story that will put her at odds with our main cast as their goals are the same but their needs are not.

With the draft, Murf was tagged along to be on the away team and no one will convince me otherwise. Rok-Tahk, who is now officially science officer, went outside her skill set with math. Dal gave exposition and Mulgrew voiced Janeway. The points are below:

10and01 19
aabecame 19
abargar7510 21
Armus 17
CaptainHelensvale 16
droidscotty 16
Faithful Reader 11
Frool 13
Jadziadax8 17
nyyankees72 18
Theguardian 14
uglywithglasses 15
Weyounslastclone 20
User avatar
Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#588260
Not a fan of let Sleeping Borg Lie. In episode 10 we learned about the backtory and that stayed secret for an entire episode.

Plus I have a hard time imagining anyone who is appreciative of the Borg this go around. A bunch of kids defeated them and Zero managed to put them all to sleep. Couldn't they have just avoided the Borg entirely?

With the draft, the ETH provided exposition and Voyager drop. zero used a hand doohickey and was able to overcome assimilation while Rok-Tahk and Pog showed off battle prowess. Update is below:

10and01 22
aabecame 19
abargar7510 21
Armus 22
CaptainHelensvale 18
droidscotty 20
Faithful Reader 13
Frool 17
Jadziadax8 20
nyyankees72 19
Theguardian 15
uglywithglasses 18
Weyounslastclone 23
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Second Edition Design Manager
By The Guardian (Richard New)
 - Second Edition Design Manager
 -  
2E North American Continental Quarter-Finalist 2023
#588395
Faithful Reader wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:27 am Not a fan of let Sleeping Borg Lie. In episode 10 we learned about the backtory and that stayed secret for an entire episode.

Plus I have a hard time imagining anyone who is appreciative of the Borg this go around. A bunch of kids defeated them and Zero managed to put them all to sleep. Couldn't they have just avoided the Borg entirely?
My 7-year-old looked at me after watching and told me it was his favorite episode so far. It wasn't mine, but his imagination was piqued. He loves Zero, but when I told him we could watch an episode with another Medusan, he wasn't interested (not that I think the pace of a TOS episode would have been that exciting for him), so in that way, it did its job. I might have to show him "Q Who?" for another Borg-are-terrifying episode.
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Second Edition Playtest Manager
By Faithful Reader (Ross Fertel)
 - Second Edition Playtest Manager
 -  
Continuing Committee Member - Retired
#588814
The Guardian wrote:not that I think the pace of a TOS episode would have been that exciting for him
Maaaaybe Trouble with Tribbles would work for a seven year old?

Or the latest episode which was filled with fun references. I'm sure some of us watching with younguns got goofy looks as we laughed. On the more serious note, it gave Dal a good kick in the rear to cotinue doing watch he could do.

Murf is going through some sort of cocoon phase which is a cool thing to do with a character who really just hangs around.

The Diviner is getting fleshes and we don't know if he is playing the role or truly does not remember.

With the draft, the ETH provided exposition, Rok-Tahk went outside her skill set to diagnose Murf and Jankom Pog was literally dragged onto the away team. Additionally, Murf, Gywn and the ETH all had other voices. Leaderboard is below.

10and01 24
aabecame 21
abargar7510 22
Armus 24
CaptainHelensvale 19
droidscotty 23
Faithful Reader 15
Frool 20
Jadziadax8 23
nyyankees72 21
Theguardian 16
uglywithglasses 19
Weyounslastclone 26
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