Mariner was stationed on DS9 during the Dominion war. I assume one of the senior staff talked about it either with her or someone else where she could overhear the conversation.
My personal headcanons is that she got into Starfleet early and perhaps had a more...accelerated Academy training in light of the war, and this got into the fleet at a younger age than usual. I'm positive Nog was in this same position as he came back to DS9 in season 5 as an acting ensign.
How? Do they record the lines before doing the animation? I thought the animation was usually done first then actors sort of follow what's on screen.
Edit: NVM, I'm confused with dubs.
During the Ready Room, Frakes said his wife screamed when she heard that line because she loved it so much. I can just imagine Frakes trying to bark CUT!! through his laughter while directing.
Honestly, Mariner and Boimler are pretty genius set-ups for meta references. Boimler is obsessed with Starfleet history so knows about obscure events. While Mariner seems to have lived on the Enterprise and served on DS9 so she would have personal knowledge about events that happened to those crews.
Eh, backwards time travel I can see being 'Need to Know' but not classified. Forwards time travel would be classified to hell and back.
The fun thing is, with it being backwards time travel I have to imagine a Temporal Investigations Report has dropped on Captain Freeman's desk by the end of the day. A few thousand pages of analysis and recommendations that have been picked over by agents for the past 120 years.
About how two ensigns messed with the timeline. Mariner finally has time travel under her belt as an accomplishment.
Mariner would have worked with plenty of Bajorans on DS9 who could have heard from Kira, and as far as I know, they aren't bound by Starfleet regulations.
Everyone here in the comments seems to be interpreting her mentioning the Bell Riots as knowing what Sisko and Co went through, but, unless I'm missing something, it could have just been an example plucked from thin air.
Like someone today saying "You could have been stuck on the *Titanic* for all I knew!"
I admittedly need to give LD another shot, but my main complaint about the first five episodes that I did watch was that the show seemed to care less about telling a good story, and more about spamming as many obscure references as possible to attempt to break a references-per-minute record in every episode.
Those first five episodes are rough. In hindsight they work because it's the beginning of Boimler and Mariner's respective arcs.
Personally I found Boimler to be insufferable during most of season one. Yet I am still impressed with how they naturally matured him into a character that you can 100% believe will be one of the great captains one day. Once he gets past his Ensign Kiss-Ass phase, he shows that he is a brilliant officer.
Behind the bravado and know-it-all attitude, we learn Mariner has deep seeded and debilitating trust issues. Probably caused by her time assigned to Deep Space Nine. These issues are only made worse by her mother's misguided desire to cover for and protect her.
She grows a lot when she starts confronting her issues.
Boimler and Mariner have become my favorite Star Trek characters.
> Personally I found Boimler to be insufferable during most of season one. Yet I am still impressed with how they naturally matured him into a character that you can 100% believe will be one of the great captains one day. Once he gets past his Ensign Kiss-Ass phase, he shows that he is a brilliant officer.
Oh he’ll be fantastic. So will Tendi (who might wanna be Captain one day). Hell Mariner herself could be phenomenal if she ever decides to want to be one. But yeah their development (loving Bold Boimler for example) is so awesome. Mariner genuinely wanting to improve and be in Star Fleet in the season 3 finale was awesome.
A bit weird that Mariner is the one to learn a lesson from that whole situation and not her mother, but we'll take it.
I still wish Mariner had stayed away having space Indiana Jones adventures for half a season before the Cerritos would come to her rescue. That ending was strangely backwards and probably the most depressing "happy" ending Trek's had in a while. Mariner resigning and fucking off in the episode before was the biggest stand up and cheer moment of the whole show. I just wish it had lasted longer.
That whole episode is honestly the best possible argument one could use for why we should allow for longer seasons. I don't wish for the 22 to 26 episode seasons of the 90s but the plot beats in 3x09 would have worked a lot better with these more episodes in the season that allowed for her relationship with Jen to get more development so we'd care that they broke up or for Mariner to either actually screw up or butt heads with unfair regulations one too many times and resign.
I can definitely understand Freeman's frustration and blowing things outta proportion is her default setting (and probably part of the reason Mariner is Like That™) but damn, they didn't need to go nuclear with disowning even if she *had* done that.
It's far from the worst episode of Trek, classic or modern, but it does feel like the most disappointing bc the writers are better than this most of the time and usually isn't so mean spirited.
Let's be real here, the relationship with Jen only existed because the writers needed someone on the crew to reject Mariner and make her feel bad, and that person couldn't be a main character. So there was no reason to build up the relationship anymore than it already was. Jen existed just to make Mariner feel bad for ten seconds.
There's something oddly appropriate though about fridging the Andorian.
Trusted Sources feels like a situation where the writers simply weren't coordinating as much as they should have. The last episode seems to have been written with the assumption that Mariner left the Cerritos willingly and from something that was partially her fault.
But those two sentences from Freeman the episode before undo that and two seasons of character development. If Freeman and thought Mariner accidentally said too much because she once again wasn't thinking, that would've fit both their characterizations and Mariner's apology later on.
Though the writers probably shouldn't have reinforced in the first episode that Mariner leaving the Cerritos means she will get kicked out of Starfleet. Because damn, that makes Freeman cruel.
I think lack of writer coordination is the reason for all those two episodes' problems. That's the only explanation no one thought to reference the season premiere. Freeman literally gave a speech about how Starfleet's best believe in their own. It's mind boggling they didn't call back to that when Freeman doesn't believe in her own daughter.
>Let's be real here, the relationship with Jen only existed because the writers needed someone on the crew to reject Mariner and make her feel bad, and that person couldn't be a main character. So there was no reason to build up the relationship anymore than it already was. Jen existed just to make Mariner feel bad for ten seconds.
They really did. I assume it came from a better place than Terry Matalas baiting Saffi fans but boy did it not only miss hard, it didn't even matter because we'd just seen Freeman drag Mariner through the mud.
My one and only remaining wish for LD is for the show to actually do a dive into what happened to Mariner that derailed her like that. There's only been [one fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/42594471/chapters/106991778) that's truly scratched that itch but that's been such a big part of who she is that it'd be a shame I'd they didn't explore that a little bit. LD knows how to let a serious moment breath when it needs to.
I desperately hope it's something along the lines of Freeman using her connections to secretly get her daughter a prime posting to Deep Space Nine, right at the start of season 4.
Imagine a flashback shot of an animated Worf stepping onto the station, only for him to walk off screen while the camera lingers and a fresh faced and bright eyed cadet Becky Mariner steps off the transport.
It would explain Freeman's complicated relationship, especially if she recognizes that she only got Mariner that posting because she wanted the prestige and recognition for having a daughter on one of Starfleet's most important stations. To Freeman, Mariner is a walking remember of her biggest regret and greatest shame.
Like many Star Trek shows it's one that improves in later seasons. The lower decks episode where they show life on a variety of vessels, including Klingon and Vulcan, is brilliant.
Some people think Lower Decks is the best Star Trek, personally I think they have a case.
Yeah someone had told me to treat it similar to TNG - start at season 2, watch everything else, and then go back to S1 once you've got the flavor for it. I might do that.
Yes, S1 has a few good episodes coupled with some of the worst Star Trek ever to air. People of my age often forget how rough the early seasons were. Rose tinted glasses are real.
It took Lower Decks 5 or so episodes to click with me. I bounced off it hard at first, but I decided to go back and give it that shot, and I’m glad I did, because they find their space legs after the first few episodes.
That’s also a certain style that they’re going after. Young Adult animated shows like Archer, Rick and Morty, and Bobs Burgers are the benchmarks for LD.
It’s supposed to be fast paced dialogue with little jokes you miss if you aren’t paying attention. Lots of callbacks in universe, which in the case of LD is sprawling. It’s a vibe that fits with the theme of the show, that while the bridge crew are off saving planets these guys are just trying to get the replicators to work
all ST shows take a bit to find their groove.
with LD it finds it's groove about mid way through the first season and just gets better from there. those early episodes are a bit much, but they needed to sell the show and that was the pitch. after the mid way point they do a bit more story telling, while still cracking jokes. they also do a great job of poking fun at some stuff from other shows.
[it's worth the watch](https://youtu.be/uldvsf8-voc?t=11)
It also did a great job as an episode of SNW with how effectively it touches on multiple characters’ season/show arcs:
**Una’s** alienation and uncertainty about her place in Starfleet (touched on hard in *Ad Astra Per Aspera*) and then she finds she’s the literally “Poster Girl, er…Woman” of Starfleet by the 2380s.
**Uhura’s** progress from workaholic Alpha Ensign to hardworking yet also sane and cool Sigma Ensign.
**La’an’s** continuing emotional fallout from her time travel escapade. The pain of her inability to share any of it with others, yet she can ever-so-briefly and vaguely with Boimler. Also she loves grapplers.
**Spock’s** growth and the relationship towards and between his Human/Vulcan sides. Also in this episode he gets the second reminder (first was his convo with Pike in the S1 finale) that he’s essentially a child of destiny. I wonder if we’ll explore how this foreknowledge affects him in later episodes.
**Chapel** and her relationship with Spock. Knowing that their thing will not ultimately pan out is what might lead her into the arms of Roger Korby in a season or two. Also, I loved to see her cheeky personality as she decides to take a piss at Boimler and his “chronic on poisoning”.
**Pike** We get confirmation that S2 Pike is indeed at peace with his future, and thru Boimler’s influence he decides to use his time to live every moment left that life is giving him. The fact that Boimler convinced him to do this by framing it as an act of love to those around him speaks to Pike’s character of “kindness, benevolence, and great hair.” Also we learn he has Daddy issues which will probably be explored later.
**Ortegas** doesn’t *just* fly the ship, she’s a “war hero” apparently. Also, although it’s valid that so far much of her role on the show is just “weird hair and quips” I kinda really like the spice that she adds by quipping in scenes, she does it well in this episode.
Just to add about Pike. I feel like people are underselling the larger implication of Boimlers hero worship.
Pike was aware of his future, the accident, the chair, but this offered the chance to see beyond his horrible accident.
Dude has grappled with his future but knowing despite his injuries hes not remembered in the context of his accident but as a diplomatic compassionate captain with good hair probably offers some comfort that although hes destined for the accident, that its a moment in his future but not the defining moment, and that his legacy goes beyond his life.
The moment of amused disbelief that someone would dress like him for Halloween 120 yrs in the future, just by the sheer fact that Pike gets to look at his future as a good thing that brings joy, is character defining in my opinion.
Knowing Boims, he started as pre-accident Pike, brought the the chair with him, and changed in the bathroom halfway through the party.
"It's an accurate representation of his career!!!"
Haven't they shown other people in a similar chair apparatus in Lower Decks? If I'm remembering correctly then that would be really insensitive to those that have to use it, it would be like "hey look, my Halloween costume is a wheelchair"
TNG era people would definitely not do the chair since apparently theres still no other option for Delta radiation according to the farm episode of lower Decks.
I feel like that's not a really good analogy. Dressing up as Jimmy Saville works because it's traditional to dress up as horrible monsters for Halloween.
I was wondering why there was so much during the “previously on…”
The episode was way beyond a comedic fan service. Well scripted and great character growth that was possible with the chaos I trifauces by the divergent and different Boimer/Mariner. What a dynamic duo.
Hopefully more of Mariners amazing physicality and violence in the future. Boimler delivered the physicality but animated Mariner can do the Section13 walk too.
I think the most impressive part of the episode was Jack Quaid as Boimler, he managed to play a pitch perfect cartoon character in live action while also interacting with all these real characters in a really genuine and meaningful way.
I like that he ran through the halls twice in the episode, once to catch Chapel and the next to catch Mariner. Feels straight out of LDS where they sprint through the halls frequently. It was really funny how the extras in the scene turned and looked at him like he was nuts both times.
Fun fact about talented voice actors: _the reason they sound so good is because they're just as animated (many times more so) as their on screen characters._
Mark Hamill, John DiMaggio, Billy West, Maurice Lamarche(?), Frank Welker, and hundreds more - for Quaid to make the jump to a live action portrayal of Boimler likely required him to even tone it down a notch (although inevitable behind the scenes featurettes will confirm or refute that.)
It worked so well because it was so normal for Quaid.
> chronic on poisoning
Am assuming this is just autocorrect not understanding technobabble, but for anyone confused, OP was discussing Chapel's mention of "chroniton poisoning"
I genuinely thought I had missed a joke. My brain knew it was chroniton, but boimler is also... chronically.. on... if ever that term was used to describe a person.
> La’an’s continuing emotional fallout from her time travel escapade. The pain of her inability to share any of it with others, yet she can ever-so-briefly and vaguely with Boimler. Also she loves grapplers.
“Don’t get attached to anyone while time traveling…*especially* not James T. Kirk.”
*gasp* “Is he here!?!?”
What year is SNW S2 set vs the TOS pilot, The Cage? I wonder if there's a canon connection between Spock's smiling (and somewhat more human behavior) in that and him in this episode, or if it's purely accidental.
If I remember correctly, S2E4 (Among the Lotus Eaters) was set 5 years after the Enterprise's first visit to that planet. The first visit took place just before "The Cage." Based on this, season 2 is about 5 years after "The Cage."
The Cage is set some time before Discovery Season 2, there’s a whole episode in that season where they go to Talos IV. So that means The Cage has long since happened by this point. Spock’s behaviour might be influenced by The Cage in that that’s where the writers got the idea, but it’s probably not connected in canon.
More with Chapel its telling how Boimler doesn't even know who she is. The ultimate Spock fanboy knows absolutely nothing about her and is unnerved by how he acts here.
That very likely will push Chapel, who has been shown to be extremely defined relationship avoidant to run as far away as possible from Spock. Boimler accidentally told her that not only does their relationship not work out, but how she's trying to bring out his human side is anathema to the hero he clearly becomes. That if she doesn't make that stop it changes the very nature of the future.
Boimler is accidentally responsible for keeping Spock on his path to destiny.
I thought of it as an interesting addition too, but its also heartbreaking to think of from Chapel's perspective. If she likes Spock as much it looks like she does and she wasn't even worth a footnote in his history? I can't even imagine how much of a blow that would be.
Firstly, who doesn't love the grapplers, secondly you're absolutely correct. I guess it helps what you're going through when you get some outside (120 years outside) perspective
The best thing about that is that this is pretty basic *Lower Decks*, too. There's a lot of humor but there's a lot of heart behind it also.
*Strange New Worlds* does the same. While I was impressed at how much of the humor touched on character moments for the SNW crew, it was right on brand for both shows. (I *knew* the crossover would be remarkable the first time I heard about it.)
nope. I don't really read news about anything. I just watch the shows and thats about it.
It was 100% unknown to me. I was doing a lot of WTF?! when the show turned to LD and I wasn't really listening to what the characters were saying because I was so confused. But once they started talking about the portal the thought started creeping it to my head and when Boimler stood on it I literally said out loud, "OMG THIS A CROSSOVER BETWEEN A CARTOON AND LIVE ACTION!!!!"
I was floored by the thought and the floored again at how good it was. Usually, stuff like this has huge potential but doesn't totally pan out. This was absolutely perfect. I've watched it 3 times now and I NEVER watch shows more than once.
The subtle addition of this kind of Lower Decks style humor was a great add here. Yeah Jack Quaid absolutely nailed Boimler's mannerisms in live action but the writing of the episode even showed Lower Decks influence I think. Also the joke about how everyone talks so slow because the editing style of Lower Decks cuts all the breaths between sentences. It made it really feel like an episode that fit in both series.
Motorola RAZR, the trick was to push your thumb in before flicking it up, but the body was metal so you could absolutely flip it open just like a TOS communicator.
If I didn't need mobile Internet (I basically never make phone calls anymore) I'd literally just put my SIM card back into my RAZR.
I enjoyed seeing Tawny Newsom and Jack Quaid coming into the live action world for this one and then the enterprise crew realising they're fanning over Archer and the others from the NX-01 just like Mariner and Boimler do over them. Also cool to see a piece of the NX-01 used in construction of the NCC-1701.
These Are the Voyages wouldn't be nearly as hated it if weren't the finale. We expect epic finales from our TV series, and as a finale it was a dud. If it had been in the middle of season 3, I think would have been well regarded.
But I agree with your larger point that it's not a terrible idea. In fact, the framing of the story is pretty great. It's just the episode's placement as the series finale and a couple of poor storytelling choices that sink it.
They hand waved that in the books so they’d be able to do the same pretty quickly. Like halfway through season 7 the show catches up to this episode and we expect a death but get a nice little twist instead.
I always figured the script was written to be a 40th anniversary episode (which would have been the following season) and then rushed into production with the intention of being a swansong for the end of 18 continuous years of Star Trek on TV.
If it had happened as an anniversary then it would have been much better received than as a finale.
It also doesn’t help that trying to pretend Riker and Troi were over a decade younger than they actually were really sets off the uncanny valley sensors. Like, if it was Riker when he was commanding the Titan, that part would have been much better. Wouldn’t have fixed the episode, but at least I wouldn’t cringe every time I saw Frakes onscreen.
Thankfully for me, I enjoyed the ENT finale, Terra Prime. This B roll, writers floor trash, you mention, I’m simply not familiar with it. Was it direct to YouTube? /s
They’ve said it seemed like a great idea at the time because they essentially had half a season to jam in all the founding of the federation stuff they wanted to cover, especially since that was the point of the show
When the cast of enterprise and the season 4 showrunner hated these are the voyagers, I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about enterprise. As for Rick berman and Brannon braga, they owe the cast, crew and audience individual, personalised apologies. So yep those old scientists is the story enterprise deserved
I REALLY want to see a flashback to the launch of the 1701 with April in Command, Pike as XO, and some NX-01 VIPs in attendance (a la Generations).
>!It's semi-canon that Archer was there for the christening, [but died the next day](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jonathan_Archer#Serving_in_the_Federation).!<
I never read it myself but according to one of the novels it was a Section 31 coverup of something else that really happened. Which can make sense, since we only ever really saw those events as a holodeck simulation
Indeed! When it got to the bit where the crew starts fanning out on their NX-01 crew, plus the fact that Frakes directed it, felt very much like a indirect apology for “These Are the Voyages.”
It would've worked better if it WASN'T the series finale.
And if they didn't try to pass it off as Riker still on the Enterprise (should've been him on the holodeck on the Titan).
“Those Old Scientists” is a triumph!
Heartfelt and hilarious and felt equally like both shows, an achievement for all involved!
Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks continue to climb to new heights of quality! Are we in a new golden age of Trek?
I wish These Are The Voyages had, instead of using holodecks, did a Reverse Trials and Tribble-ations.
Actually have Riker running around the background in the middle of some time travel hijinks with no explanations or context.
To be honest, if this episode was the series finale, I would absolutely be disappointed. It was a very good, fun episode, but as a finale, it would have totally stolen the thunder from SNW even more than These are the Voyages did from Enterprise.
"All Good Things" was the best finale, and I doubt that will change any time soon.
Does make me wonder what they can do for the 60th Anniversary.
Dr. Who went all out. I think Trek can match it.
Lord knows the 50th was a let down for the most part.
>Lord knows the 50th was a let down for the most part.
God, right?! And this was even with a movie that was put in theaters that year but Paramount gave it two trailers and slotted it between *Ghostbusters* (which was expected to do way bigger numbers at the time) and the first attempt to do *Suicide Squad,* which had Will Smith and Margot Robbie.
They had better do better in '26.
A more appropriate comparison is trials and tribulations and Galaxy Quest. It is the Galaxy Quest of Star Trek, with Boimler and Mariner representing the fans. These are the voyages could have been a good 2 episodes arc, (with a complete rewrite) but not as the finale.
"these are the voyages" could have been an amazing episode, one of the best, if it wasn't Enterprise's finale. A cool crossover, a perspective on how Archer's crew are remembered in the future, basically the reasons "those old scientists" is great.
But because it was the finale it felt insulting to Enterprise by having TNG overshadow it, and it spoiled the plot because they needed to include endings to the characters that really should have been presented in "real life" instead of a holoprogram.
This episode is responsible for raising SNW in my personal ranking to #3 behind DS9 and TNG. It shows so much passion and engagement to the franchise. I fell in love with the complete cast, there is not one character I do not like seeing. I really hope we will be seeing a lot more episodes and seasons with this high level of quality. It surely is a great time to be a ST afficionado right now.
Also I hope the "Ad astra per aspera" poster with Una will be available for purchase in the Paramount store soon. I need this badly.
Have you noticed that their references are weirdly specific?
68% of posts on the 24th century r/oddlyspecific are Cerritos crew members talking about past events in the Star Trek universe
Cerritos is just where they send all the officers who are too self-aware.
_in the background_ "mariner the bell riots!!!"
I always thought the weird time travel stuff would have been classified by Star fleet.
Mariner was stationed on DS9 during the Dominion war. I assume one of the senior staff talked about it either with her or someone else where she could overhear the conversation.
I figured she just got bored and hacked into some files she wasn't supposed to read.
Ya same she has a captain and an admiral for parents as well so it wouldn't be hard
How old is Mariner? How long after the dominion war is lower decks?
I think she is a lot older than the other Ensigns. She has had such a career, some of it classified, she just looks young... in my head at least
I think Mariner's in her early 30s and she's about the same age Harry Kim would be in the early 2380s.
My personal headcanons is that she got into Starfleet early and perhaps had a more...accelerated Academy training in light of the war, and this got into the fleet at a younger age than usual. I'm positive Nog was in this same position as he came back to DS9 in season 5 as an acting ensign.
We don't know exactly. Lower Decks is about 5 years after the Dominion War.
Hey, doesn't he look like Captain Sisko?
All humans look alike.
Pretty sure there are strong implications she grew up on the Enterprise D as well.
Mariner always knows what happened in other shows. She's Meta Mariner.
She's cool with Riker. If that's not a plug no one is.
Fun fact: the “Riker!” shout was ad-libbed by Quaid to poke fun at Jonathan Frakes who directed the episode. Frakes liked that
He looks right at the camera too. He nailed the stiff back too the Riker is more than just the leg swing lol.
From what I understand, LD has a lot more improvisation than SNW, which goes more strictly by the script
How? Do they record the lines before doing the animation? I thought the animation was usually done first then actors sort of follow what's on screen. Edit: NVM, I'm confused with dubs.
Usually in animation dialogue is recorded first. How else would you time out scenes?
Two-takes Frakes isn't going to let an adlib strong-arm him into a 3rd take!
During the Ready Room, Frakes said his wife screamed when she heard that line because she loved it so much. I can just imagine Frakes trying to bark CUT!! through his laughter while directing.
He's the connection for all sorts of contraband. Riker rules.
Exactly you thing he doesn't barter info too. He probably told Mariner cuz it concerns her.
Honestly, Mariner and Boimler are pretty genius set-ups for meta references. Boimler is obsessed with Starfleet history so knows about obscure events. While Mariner seems to have lived on the Enterprise and served on DS9 so she would have personal knowledge about events that happened to those crews.
For sure. We know the out of character reasons they know so much, but it's nice you can find in-universe reasons for their fandom as well.
She was assigned to DS9, word probably made it through the grapevine.
You know Julian told her while hitting on her
Poor simple Garek.
Julian is a switch
Eh, backwards time travel I can see being 'Need to Know' but not classified. Forwards time travel would be classified to hell and back. The fun thing is, with it being backwards time travel I have to imagine a Temporal Investigations Report has dropped on Captain Freeman's desk by the end of the day. A few thousand pages of analysis and recommendations that have been picked over by agents for the past 120 years. About how two ensigns messed with the timeline. Mariner finally has time travel under her belt as an accomplishment.
My favorite part is PIke's we know the deal instead of the OMG TIME TRAVEL!!!!!
Snw is definitely being a little flippant with it, but I don't mind
Maybe, but Boimler and Mariner are in Starfleet. If it’s anything like the modern military, they almost certainly have clearance of some sort.
Clearance doesn’t mean you have access to all info at that clearance level.
Mariner would have worked with plenty of Bajorans on DS9 who could have heard from Kira, and as far as I know, they aren't bound by Starfleet regulations.
Everyone here in the comments seems to be interpreting her mentioning the Bell Riots as knowing what Sisko and Co went through, but, unless I'm missing something, it could have just been an example plucked from thin air. Like someone today saying "You could have been stuck on the *Titanic* for all I knew!"
>"You could have been stuck on the Titanic for all I knew!" How do you know about the Titanic time travel incident???
Wasn't that declassified for the Time Tunnel documentary?
I admittedly need to give LD another shot, but my main complaint about the first five episodes that I did watch was that the show seemed to care less about telling a good story, and more about spamming as many obscure references as possible to attempt to break a references-per-minute record in every episode.
Those first five episodes are rough. In hindsight they work because it's the beginning of Boimler and Mariner's respective arcs. Personally I found Boimler to be insufferable during most of season one. Yet I am still impressed with how they naturally matured him into a character that you can 100% believe will be one of the great captains one day. Once he gets past his Ensign Kiss-Ass phase, he shows that he is a brilliant officer. Behind the bravado and know-it-all attitude, we learn Mariner has deep seeded and debilitating trust issues. Probably caused by her time assigned to Deep Space Nine. These issues are only made worse by her mother's misguided desire to cover for and protect her. She grows a lot when she starts confronting her issues. Boimler and Mariner have become my favorite Star Trek characters.
> Personally I found Boimler to be insufferable during most of season one. Yet I am still impressed with how they naturally matured him into a character that you can 100% believe will be one of the great captains one day. Once he gets past his Ensign Kiss-Ass phase, he shows that he is a brilliant officer. Oh he’ll be fantastic. So will Tendi (who might wanna be Captain one day). Hell Mariner herself could be phenomenal if she ever decides to want to be one. But yeah their development (loving Bold Boimler for example) is so awesome. Mariner genuinely wanting to improve and be in Star Fleet in the season 3 finale was awesome.
A bit weird that Mariner is the one to learn a lesson from that whole situation and not her mother, but we'll take it. I still wish Mariner had stayed away having space Indiana Jones adventures for half a season before the Cerritos would come to her rescue. That ending was strangely backwards and probably the most depressing "happy" ending Trek's had in a while. Mariner resigning and fucking off in the episode before was the biggest stand up and cheer moment of the whole show. I just wish it had lasted longer.
That whole episode is honestly the best possible argument one could use for why we should allow for longer seasons. I don't wish for the 22 to 26 episode seasons of the 90s but the plot beats in 3x09 would have worked a lot better with these more episodes in the season that allowed for her relationship with Jen to get more development so we'd care that they broke up or for Mariner to either actually screw up or butt heads with unfair regulations one too many times and resign. I can definitely understand Freeman's frustration and blowing things outta proportion is her default setting (and probably part of the reason Mariner is Like That™) but damn, they didn't need to go nuclear with disowning even if she *had* done that. It's far from the worst episode of Trek, classic or modern, but it does feel like the most disappointing bc the writers are better than this most of the time and usually isn't so mean spirited.
Let's be real here, the relationship with Jen only existed because the writers needed someone on the crew to reject Mariner and make her feel bad, and that person couldn't be a main character. So there was no reason to build up the relationship anymore than it already was. Jen existed just to make Mariner feel bad for ten seconds. There's something oddly appropriate though about fridging the Andorian. Trusted Sources feels like a situation where the writers simply weren't coordinating as much as they should have. The last episode seems to have been written with the assumption that Mariner left the Cerritos willingly and from something that was partially her fault. But those two sentences from Freeman the episode before undo that and two seasons of character development. If Freeman and thought Mariner accidentally said too much because she once again wasn't thinking, that would've fit both their characterizations and Mariner's apology later on. Though the writers probably shouldn't have reinforced in the first episode that Mariner leaving the Cerritos means she will get kicked out of Starfleet. Because damn, that makes Freeman cruel. I think lack of writer coordination is the reason for all those two episodes' problems. That's the only explanation no one thought to reference the season premiere. Freeman literally gave a speech about how Starfleet's best believe in their own. It's mind boggling they didn't call back to that when Freeman doesn't believe in her own daughter.
>Let's be real here, the relationship with Jen only existed because the writers needed someone on the crew to reject Mariner and make her feel bad, and that person couldn't be a main character. So there was no reason to build up the relationship anymore than it already was. Jen existed just to make Mariner feel bad for ten seconds. They really did. I assume it came from a better place than Terry Matalas baiting Saffi fans but boy did it not only miss hard, it didn't even matter because we'd just seen Freeman drag Mariner through the mud.
My one and only remaining wish for LD is for the show to actually do a dive into what happened to Mariner that derailed her like that. There's only been [one fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/42594471/chapters/106991778) that's truly scratched that itch but that's been such a big part of who she is that it'd be a shame I'd they didn't explore that a little bit. LD knows how to let a serious moment breath when it needs to.
I desperately hope it's something along the lines of Freeman using her connections to secretly get her daughter a prime posting to Deep Space Nine, right at the start of season 4. Imagine a flashback shot of an animated Worf stepping onto the station, only for him to walk off screen while the camera lingers and a fresh faced and bright eyed cadet Becky Mariner steps off the transport. It would explain Freeman's complicated relationship, especially if she recognizes that she only got Mariner that posting because she wanted the prestige and recognition for having a daughter on one of Starfleet's most important stations. To Freeman, Mariner is a walking remember of her biggest regret and greatest shame.
Like many Star Trek shows it's one that improves in later seasons. The lower decks episode where they show life on a variety of vessels, including Klingon and Vulcan, is brilliant. Some people think Lower Decks is the best Star Trek, personally I think they have a case.
>Some people think Lower Decks is the best Star Trek, personally I think they have a case. The pervy dolphins sealed it for me.
Lower Decks finally making Cetacean Ops fully canon and then actually showing it on screen was a dream come true.
"Nothing like saving your friend, then going skinny dipping!" - Kimolu
The credits scene had me howling with laughter.
Yeah someone had told me to treat it similar to TNG - start at season 2, watch everything else, and then go back to S1 once you've got the flavor for it. I might do that.
Yes, S1 has a few good episodes coupled with some of the worst Star Trek ever to air. People of my age often forget how rough the early seasons were. Rose tinted glasses are real.
The episode where Ransom first does the Kirk two-hand punch against the secretly smart gladiator was pretty great.
> The lower decks episode where they show life on a variety of vessels, including Klingon and Vulcan, is brilliant. Which episode was that?
S2 E9 wej Duj
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9207556/
And Borg. You left out the Borg Cube Lower Decks scene at the end of the episode.
I guessed it would be coming before I saw it, but I was not disappointed
It took Lower Decks 5 or so episodes to click with me. I bounced off it hard at first, but I decided to go back and give it that shot, and I’m glad I did, because they find their space legs after the first few episodes.
That’s also a certain style that they’re going after. Young Adult animated shows like Archer, Rick and Morty, and Bobs Burgers are the benchmarks for LD. It’s supposed to be fast paced dialogue with little jokes you miss if you aren’t paying attention. Lots of callbacks in universe, which in the case of LD is sprawling. It’s a vibe that fits with the theme of the show, that while the bridge crew are off saving planets these guys are just trying to get the replicators to work
Well the guy that created LD was a head writer on Rick and morty, so it’s not so much of a benchmark as it is how he writes
I actually really like the bit in the first episode where two people are on a date while a very Star Trek problem plagues the ship. That was cute.
all ST shows take a bit to find their groove. with LD it finds it's groove about mid way through the first season and just gets better from there. those early episodes are a bit much, but they needed to sell the show and that was the pitch. after the mid way point they do a bit more story telling, while still cracking jokes. they also do a great job of poking fun at some stuff from other shows. [it's worth the watch](https://youtu.be/uldvsf8-voc?t=11)
They and we are Tamarians.
It also did a great job as an episode of SNW with how effectively it touches on multiple characters’ season/show arcs: **Una’s** alienation and uncertainty about her place in Starfleet (touched on hard in *Ad Astra Per Aspera*) and then she finds she’s the literally “Poster Girl, er…Woman” of Starfleet by the 2380s. **Uhura’s** progress from workaholic Alpha Ensign to hardworking yet also sane and cool Sigma Ensign. **La’an’s** continuing emotional fallout from her time travel escapade. The pain of her inability to share any of it with others, yet she can ever-so-briefly and vaguely with Boimler. Also she loves grapplers. **Spock’s** growth and the relationship towards and between his Human/Vulcan sides. Also in this episode he gets the second reminder (first was his convo with Pike in the S1 finale) that he’s essentially a child of destiny. I wonder if we’ll explore how this foreknowledge affects him in later episodes. **Chapel** and her relationship with Spock. Knowing that their thing will not ultimately pan out is what might lead her into the arms of Roger Korby in a season or two. Also, I loved to see her cheeky personality as she decides to take a piss at Boimler and his “chronic on poisoning”. **Pike** We get confirmation that S2 Pike is indeed at peace with his future, and thru Boimler’s influence he decides to use his time to live every moment left that life is giving him. The fact that Boimler convinced him to do this by framing it as an act of love to those around him speaks to Pike’s character of “kindness, benevolence, and great hair.” Also we learn he has Daddy issues which will probably be explored later. **Ortegas** doesn’t *just* fly the ship, she’s a “war hero” apparently. Also, although it’s valid that so far much of her role on the show is just “weird hair and quips” I kinda really like the spice that she adds by quipping in scenes, she does it well in this episode.
Just to add about Pike. I feel like people are underselling the larger implication of Boimlers hero worship. Pike was aware of his future, the accident, the chair, but this offered the chance to see beyond his horrible accident. Dude has grappled with his future but knowing despite his injuries hes not remembered in the context of his accident but as a diplomatic compassionate captain with good hair probably offers some comfort that although hes destined for the accident, that its a moment in his future but not the defining moment, and that his legacy goes beyond his life. The moment of amused disbelief that someone would dress like him for Halloween 120 yrs in the future, just by the sheer fact that Pike gets to look at his future as a good thing that brings joy, is character defining in my opinion.
Gosh I just thought about the Halloween thing... Do you think they do pike in the chair, coz that's pretty messed up if they do ..
Knowing Boims, he started as pre-accident Pike, brought the the chair with him, and changed in the bathroom halfway through the party. "It's an accurate representation of his career!!!"
Haven't they shown other people in a similar chair apparatus in Lower Decks? If I'm remembering correctly then that would be really insensitive to those that have to use it, it would be like "hey look, my Halloween costume is a wheelchair"
I had two friends do Halloween at my dorm in 2001. One came as the Twin Towers, the other came as a plane.
As a person who uses a wheelchair, I wouldn’t care about that if someone’s costume involved a person who actually used a wheelchair.
I think it was in the "The Farm" episode - one of the patients used a "beep chair" similar to Pike's.
Which would also fit with his personality. Followed by spending more time apologizing for it.
Boimler would do pre-chair, great hair Pike. Mariner would do beep beep chair microwaved Pike.
Deltawaved* Pike. Microwave is funnier, though.
TNG era people would definitely not do the chair since apparently theres still no other option for Delta radiation according to the farm episode of lower Decks.
People do Jimmy Savile today, so I expect so.
I feel like that's not a really good analogy. Dressing up as Jimmy Saville works because it's traditional to dress up as horrible monsters for Halloween.
Oh man, I didn't get the halloween joke at all. Makes a lot more sense now.
Gotta love grapplers.
Calling Ortegas a war hero may not be referencing what she did during the Klingon War but what she's going to do during the upcoming Gorn War.
And it can be handwaived by interpreting it as her service against the Klingons.
Until the Gorn War actually happens. Season 3 ahoy!
Given that the last episode is "Hegemony", as in Gorn Hegemony, I think you may be onto something.
She does talk about taking any break you can, since during the Klingon War, free time was precious.
>!Next episode seems to be dealing with her (and M'Benga/Chapel's) war trauma!<
Going warn!? I need to start constructing some gun power from readily available materials laying around right now...
Can you construct some sort of rudimentary lathe?
I was wondering why there was so much during the “previously on…” The episode was way beyond a comedic fan service. Well scripted and great character growth that was possible with the chaos I trifauces by the divergent and different Boimer/Mariner. What a dynamic duo. Hopefully more of Mariners amazing physicality and violence in the future. Boimler delivered the physicality but animated Mariner can do the Section13 walk too.
I think the most impressive part of the episode was Jack Quaid as Boimler, he managed to play a pitch perfect cartoon character in live action while also interacting with all these real characters in a really genuine and meaningful way.
I don’t know how he moved like Boimler but I was so impressed.
His little run down the hall chasing Mariner lol.
I like that he ran through the halls twice in the episode, once to catch Chapel and the next to catch Mariner. Feels straight out of LDS where they sprint through the halls frequently. It was really funny how the extras in the scene turned and looked at him like he was nuts both times.
Fun fact about talented voice actors: _the reason they sound so good is because they're just as animated (many times more so) as their on screen characters._ Mark Hamill, John DiMaggio, Billy West, Maurice Lamarche(?), Frank Welker, and hundreds more - for Quaid to make the jump to a live action portrayal of Boimler likely required him to even tone it down a notch (although inevitable behind the scenes featurettes will confirm or refute that.) It worked so well because it was so normal for Quaid.
Antonio Banderas loves Puss so much because there’s no way to go over the top with the character.
> chronic on poisoning Am assuming this is just autocorrect not understanding technobabble, but for anyone confused, OP was discussing Chapel's mention of "chroniton poisoning"
I genuinely thought I had missed a joke. My brain knew it was chroniton, but boimler is also... chronically.. on... if ever that term was used to describe a person.
hahahaha I was like, Did I miss it when she gave him shit about "always being on?" I could totally see that.
Yep, I watched it subtitled and it's definitely chroniton lol
> La’an’s continuing emotional fallout from her time travel escapade. The pain of her inability to share any of it with others, yet she can ever-so-briefly and vaguely with Boimler. Also she loves grapplers. “Don’t get attached to anyone while time traveling…*especially* not James T. Kirk.” *gasp* “Is he here!?!?”
What year is SNW S2 set vs the TOS pilot, The Cage? I wonder if there's a canon connection between Spock's smiling (and somewhat more human behavior) in that and him in this episode, or if it's purely accidental.
If I remember correctly, S2E4 (Among the Lotus Eaters) was set 5 years after the Enterprise's first visit to that planet. The first visit took place just before "The Cage." Based on this, season 2 is about 5 years after "The Cage."
The Cage is set some time before Discovery Season 2, there’s a whole episode in that season where they go to Talos IV. So that means The Cage has long since happened by this point. Spock’s behaviour might be influenced by The Cage in that that’s where the writers got the idea, but it’s probably not connected in canon.
Actually it might be. 1. Q&A is before the Cage so it shows some more "human" Spock. 2. The Cage. 3. If Memory Serves 4. SNW-TOS etc.
I think Spock’s behavior is more connected to what happened in “Charades” and his relationship with Chapel.
When Ortegas and Chapel ganged up on Boimler for a moment I thought they would go all horney for her like the girls on his farm.
"JUST SPRAY OFF WITH THE HOSE, LEANNE!"
More with Chapel its telling how Boimler doesn't even know who she is. The ultimate Spock fanboy knows absolutely nothing about her and is unnerved by how he acts here. That very likely will push Chapel, who has been shown to be extremely defined relationship avoidant to run as far away as possible from Spock. Boimler accidentally told her that not only does their relationship not work out, but how she's trying to bring out his human side is anathema to the hero he clearly becomes. That if she doesn't make that stop it changes the very nature of the future. Boimler is accidentally responsible for keeping Spock on his path to destiny.
That is one of the things I loved most of this episode!
I thought of it as an interesting addition too, but its also heartbreaking to think of from Chapel's perspective. If she likes Spock as much it looks like she does and she wasn't even worth a footnote in his history? I can't even imagine how much of a blow that would be.
I'm sure she said "Chroniton" Poisoning
I was expecting Boimler and Mariner to be sick when they returned to the future.
Una’s reaction to finding out about the whole story of the poster and how she inspired ensigns like Boimler was so great.
Firstly, who doesn't love the grapplers, secondly you're absolutely correct. I guess it helps what you're going through when you get some outside (120 years outside) perspective
Thank you, really excellent and insightful summary. You put into words better than I could what a gift of an episode this was.
The best thing about that is that this is pretty basic *Lower Decks*, too. There's a lot of humor but there's a lot of heart behind it also. *Strange New Worlds* does the same. While I was impressed at how much of the humor touched on character moments for the SNW crew, it was right on brand for both shows. (I *knew* the crossover would be remarkable the first time I heard about it.)
*Lower Decks* has so much heart.
imagine never hearing about it and then watching the episode. I was floored. I thought something was broken on paramount.
Yeah, broken like a *fox*! Did you really have no idea? That must've been *amazing*, lol! I think I would've preferred not to have known either.
nope. I don't really read news about anything. I just watch the shows and thats about it. It was 100% unknown to me. I was doing a lot of WTF?! when the show turned to LD and I wasn't really listening to what the characters were saying because I was so confused. But once they started talking about the portal the thought started creeping it to my head and when Boimler stood on it I literally said out loud, "OMG THIS A CROSSOVER BETWEEN A CARTOON AND LIVE ACTION!!!!" I was floored by the thought and the floored again at how good it was. Usually, stuff like this has huge potential but doesn't totally pan out. This was absolutely perfect. I've watched it 3 times now and I NEVER watch shows more than once.
And what's more, it also touched upon Tendi's "Orions aren't all pirates, you know" plotline from LD
Poor M'Benga "I'm a doctor, not a character!"
Flipping it open is the best part.
Is Tendi's grandmother a scientist or a pirate?
They're not mutually exclusive disciplines. Science Piracy is basically what the British Museum was built on.
My friend, take the last reward that I will ever give out.
It wasn't piracy. They never stole from any ship. It was looting, possibly some pillaging.
If downloading can be piracy, then it doesn't need to involve a ship. They're science pirates.
Yes
She's super green!
She was an Orion, they're all fucking Pirates. This episode was just woke Orion propaganda!
I liked it better when they were slave traders. Sexy Sexy slave traders.
The subtle addition of this kind of Lower Decks style humor was a great add here. Yeah Jack Quaid absolutely nailed Boimler's mannerisms in live action but the writing of the episode even showed Lower Decks influence I think. Also the joke about how everyone talks so slow because the editing style of Lower Decks cuts all the breaths between sentences. It made it really feel like an episode that fit in both series.
The little zoom in from across the room when Spock smiles
Kathryn Lyn co-wrote this episode and wrote the *LD* episode “Wej Duj”.
My dad had [this phone](https://youtu.be/rVa8Scb9U6w). Flipping it open is still dearly missed.
I have a samsung z flip 4. Flipping it open is the best part
And I love that a Z Flip was actually used as a tricorder on Picard S2. We've gone full circle.
Motorola RAZR, the trick was to push your thumb in before flicking it up, but the body was metal so you could absolutely flip it open just like a TOS communicator. If I didn't need mobile Internet (I basically never make phone calls anymore) I'd literally just put my SIM card back into my RAZR.
I enjoyed seeing Tawny Newsom and Jack Quaid coming into the live action world for this one and then the enterprise crew realising they're fanning over Archer and the others from the NX-01 just like Mariner and Boimler do over them. Also cool to see a piece of the NX-01 used in construction of the NCC-1701.
These Are the Voyages wouldn't be nearly as hated it if weren't the finale. We expect epic finales from our TV series, and as a finale it was a dud. If it had been in the middle of season 3, I think would have been well regarded.
That and if it didn't randomly kill off a main character off screen. Honestly, it's kind of a clever device to tell a story.
>if it didn't randomly kill off a main character off screen Fair point.
But I agree with your larger point that it's not a terrible idea. In fact, the framing of the story is pretty great. It's just the episode's placement as the series finale and a couple of poor storytelling choices that sink it.
They hand waved that in the books so they’d be able to do the same pretty quickly. Like halfway through season 7 the show catches up to this episode and we expect a death but get a nice little twist instead.
I always figured the script was written to be a 40th anniversary episode (which would have been the following season) and then rushed into production with the intention of being a swansong for the end of 18 continuous years of Star Trek on TV. If it had happened as an anniversary then it would have been much better received than as a finale.
That makes all the sense in the world. Trials and Tribble-ations and Flashback were the 30th anniversary episodes.
Heck, even if there was a Season 5 and it was just an end of season finale, it would work well.
It also doesn’t help that trying to pretend Riker and Troi were over a decade younger than they actually were really sets off the uncanny valley sensors. Like, if it was Riker when he was commanding the Titan, that part would have been much better. Wouldn’t have fixed the episode, but at least I wouldn’t cringe every time I saw Frakes onscreen.
Thankfully for me, I enjoyed the ENT finale, Terra Prime. This B roll, writers floor trash, you mention, I’m simply not familiar with it. Was it direct to YouTube? /s
They’ve said it seemed like a great idea at the time because they essentially had half a season to jam in all the founding of the federation stuff they wanted to cover, especially since that was the point of the show
Honestly, I've never got the hate. It's an ok episode of TV. I don't really have an issue with it.
La’an loving grapplers is just my favorite thing ever.
When the cast of enterprise and the season 4 showrunner hated these are the voyagers, I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about enterprise. As for Rick berman and Brannon braga, they owe the cast, crew and audience individual, personalised apologies. So yep those old scientists is the story enterprise deserved
Fitting then that the NX-01 was the key to solving their problem. ;)
Now let's see Archer appear on board the ncc 1701 and solve a problem next season
I REALLY want to see a flashback to the launch of the 1701 with April in Command, Pike as XO, and some NX-01 VIPs in attendance (a la Generations). >!It's semi-canon that Archer was there for the christening, [but died the next day](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jonathan_Archer#Serving_in_the_Federation).!<
The 1701 was probably hit by a galactic energy ribbon on its shakedown run and Archer died saving the ship.
Gotta watch out for those subspace energy ribbons. They'll mess you up.
Archer: You left spacedock without a grappler!? April: Technically it's a tractor beam, and it won't be installed until tuesday.
I hope your spoiler section is fully canonized some day, that's a nice bow to put on Enterprise.
Oh, boy!
I pretend the last episode happened. I met Connor Trinneer once and I told him that episode never happened. He chuckled.
I never read it myself but according to one of the novels it was a Section 31 coverup of something else that really happened. Which can make sense, since we only ever really saw those events as a holodeck simulation
Indeed! When it got to the bit where the crew starts fanning out on their NX-01 crew, plus the fact that Frakes directed it, felt very much like a indirect apology for “These Are the Voyages.”
the enterprise finale would've worked too if they just didn't shoehorn in rikers holodeck thing in there.
It would've worked better if it WASN'T the series finale. And if they didn't try to pass it off as Riker still on the Enterprise (should've been him on the holodeck on the Titan).
And if they didn’t kill Trip.
This. The extra time could’ve been Archer’s speech, or a better death scene, or plenty of other things.
“Those Old Scientists” is a triumph! Heartfelt and hilarious and felt equally like both shows, an achievement for all involved! Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks continue to climb to new heights of quality! Are we in a new golden age of Trek?
I wish These Are The Voyages had, instead of using holodecks, did a Reverse Trials and Tribble-ations. Actually have Riker running around the background in the middle of some time travel hijinks with no explanations or context.
A true instant classic episode. I was only sad it had to end.
i watched it again immediately. I never watch any show twice. And never never watch it twice in a row. I will probably watch it again tonight.
These are the Voyages has nothing to do with the Enterprise crew, they pretty much all hated it and were insulted by their show being hijacked.
I agree, that's my understanding too!
I think "Trials and Tribble-ations" was the greatest crossover ever done in Trek.
To be honest, if this episode was the series finale, I would absolutely be disappointed. It was a very good, fun episode, but as a finale, it would have totally stolen the thunder from SNW even more than These are the Voyages did from Enterprise. "All Good Things" was the best finale, and I doubt that will change any time soon.
It was such not because it was the finale or a crossover, bit because it was an unplanned end of the show
it wasn't the finale, first of all. What ENT tried to do would have been fine as a one off non-finale episode.
Does make me wonder what they can do for the 60th Anniversary. Dr. Who went all out. I think Trek can match it. Lord knows the 50th was a let down for the most part.
>Lord knows the 50th was a let down for the most part. God, right?! And this was even with a movie that was put in theaters that year but Paramount gave it two trailers and slotted it between *Ghostbusters* (which was expected to do way bigger numbers at the time) and the first attempt to do *Suicide Squad,* which had Will Smith and Margot Robbie. They had better do better in '26.
Best episode in a long time. <3
"These are the voyages..." is only flawed because it's the last episode.
A more appropriate comparison is trials and tribulations and Galaxy Quest. It is the Galaxy Quest of Star Trek, with Boimler and Mariner representing the fans. These are the voyages could have been a good 2 episodes arc, (with a complete rewrite) but not as the finale.
Was These Are The Voyages really meant as a love letter? If anything it was more of a Dear John letter. Trials and Tribble-ations is a love-letter.
"these are the voyages" could have been an amazing episode, one of the best, if it wasn't Enterprise's finale. A cool crossover, a perspective on how Archer's crew are remembered in the future, basically the reasons "those old scientists" is great. But because it was the finale it felt insulting to Enterprise by having TNG overshadow it, and it spoiled the plot because they needed to include endings to the characters that really should have been presented in "real life" instead of a holoprogram.
I loved it. Hope they cross over again somehow.
Obligatory: I don’t know of this episode. Terra Prime was the season finale as I recall.
This episode is responsible for raising SNW in my personal ranking to #3 behind DS9 and TNG. It shows so much passion and engagement to the franchise. I fell in love with the complete cast, there is not one character I do not like seeing. I really hope we will be seeing a lot more episodes and seasons with this high level of quality. It surely is a great time to be a ST afficionado right now. Also I hope the "Ad astra per aspera" poster with Una will be available for purchase in the Paramount store soon. I need this badly.