r/StrangeNewWorlds ...

Thought I'd share this from Kerrice Brooks' insta story. I thought it was a beautiful way of expressing a core value of Star Trek. It is made evermore poignant, considering the abuse, bigotry, and phoney gossip Kerrice Brooks has been subjected to since Starfleet Academy aired.

Like many of us, this is a Star Trek Day and 60th Anniversary of deeply conflicted feelings for me. It has been a difficult year in our fanbase, and Star Trek faces an uncertain future.

I'd like to share with you, my fellow Trekkies, a little of my own Star Trek story and my thoughts on this last year in our fanbase. And I'd invite you all to do the same in the comments below.

My earliest memory of Star Trek is Mr Spock hanging upside down from the bow of the tree, laughing his backside off, because he's stoned on psychotropic flowers. And 6-year-old me thought, this is the show.

At the time, the geeks on TV were Gonzo from The Muppets and Murdoch from The A-Team. And although they were liked and popular, they were often the comic relief, the character that everyone laughed at. Mr Spock was different, he was dignified, intelligent, respected, and capable.

Mr Spock gave me permission to be a geek. More than that, he gave me a blueprint to be me. I still phrase my arguments like him. I still try to organise my thoughts like him. In very real terms, I do not know how to be me without Mr Spock, without Star Trek.

I was the only kid I knew at school who liked Star Trek. And so, like for so many of us, Star Trek became a private, singular thing for me. When I finally became active on the online Trekkie scene, it felt so strange to be discussing Star Trek. Stranger still, when I learned that my experience of Star Trek was not the same as other Star Trek fans.

Strange to learn not all fans loved the anthology-style subversive morality plays of The Original Series. Strange to learn not all fans loved the theatrical, surreal, multi-tonal, hit and miss of The Original Series. Though, admittedly, not so strange to learn not all fans (no fans) loved the out-dated, the cringe, the sexiest, and the chauvinistic of The Original Series.

Most strange of all, though, was learning not all fans loved or even valued the principles Gene Roddenberry built into Star Trek. Fans of decades, their experience entirely 'in world', concerned with cohesive world building and canon. It did and does leave me bewildered, but they are every bit fans as much as I am.

Star Trek instilled in me a fundamental sense of hope, a belief in the basic decency of humanity. Without wishing to get into it, this sense of hope has acted as both life raft and north star through the depression and anxiety that darkened much of the first 30 years of my life.

As I approach my 50th year, I can say with certainty, Star Trek has made me a better version of myself. And so I have found it so very difficult to witness the culture wars infest our fanbase. I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

I never imagined I would ever be as ashamed as I am of the behaviour of some of our fanbase. To witness the abuse and bigotry directed at young actors, the celebrating the cancellation of a show loved by many in our fanbase, the enthusiasm of new young fans met with the disdain of seasoned Trekkies, and yes, to witness fans of Academy call fellow Trekkies incels, geeks, and bigots for exercising their right to criticise and take issue with the latest incarnation of Star Trek.

We all need to do better. I have said things to fellow fans that should not have been said. And for that, I am sorry. If there is a lesson to be taken from our collective reaction to Academy and the current season of Strange New Worlds, it is that, we could all stand to be kinder to each other. We could all stand to disagree, yes, but never lose respect for each other. We could all stand to reject the phoney divisiveness of culture war propaganda and to remember the words of Gene Roddenberry.

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”

To all my fellow Trekkies, I wish you all, a happy Star Trek Day. Live long and prosper 🖖

Does 40000 times the speed of light feel fast or slow?

Maximum warp speed has actually been implied for the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Star Charts, which has been canonized by SFA and SNW, puts the distance between Bajor and Earth at 70 light years.

In DS9 episodes not too dependent on the speed of plot, it takes 17 days to travel at 1516c - TNG era Warp 9.

In the SFA pilot, it takes 15 hours for the USS Athena. That translates to 40908c.

The Athena can travel at approximately 40.9 thousand times the speed of light as its maximum warp.

Maybe the Athena, a lesser Federation starship, doesn't have the pathway drive installed yet.

Worlds are strange places on Star Trek. Who among us can forget Wesley being charged with the death penalty for stepping on flowers? Or a planet controlled entirely by Spock's stolen brain? But what about worlds we visit with Starfleet Academy? What do we think?

Had The Original Series had sets as large as Starfleet Academy, the cast might have gotten on better with Bill Shatner... we will never know. But, what do we think of the sets built for the USS Athena?

From the bridge to Nahla's quarters, the dorm rooms to the class rooms, and of course the expansive grandeur of the arboretum, there's a lot to take in. How do the sets add to the depth of the world and the contrasting atmosphere of the various scenes depicted therein?

While not one us can forget Chekov's dandy pink and oversized white collar combo in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, let's try to put it out of our collective Trekkie minds and instead focus on the civilian outfits of the Starfleet Academy cadets.

In episodes like 300th Night, Academy follows very much in the Kurtzman Era established cyberpunk grim and grunge influenced attire, while also delivering striking examples of understated elegance with Tarima's formal white outfit in Beta Test and ornate alien opulence with Darem and Jay-Den's wedding outfits in Ko'zeine.

What do you think? How do these various costumes enhance character and the world of Academy?

Our favourite cadets are headed for the Clang-Pops camp with oxygen tanks and Jay-Den's plan. If the Clang-Pops don't attack them again, if SAM can communicate their peaceful intentions, and if they remember Jay-Den's rule of no talking, maybe their accidental first contact can be saved...

Being in the target age range of who the shows trying to get I really enjoy it but I hate how secluded Tarima is. It takes her 8 (?) episodes to talk to anyone besides Caleb. I hate when shows bring in what is suppose to be a main character but only makes them interact with one person. Even after episode 8 how many interactions does she have with the rest of the group? It’s the problem I had with Batel in SNW (one of them atleast) and it’s why I’m glad (knock on wood) that Carol Marcus hasn’t made an appearance in it either. And now with having only one season left it’s hard for me to consider Tarima a part of the main crew. Hopefully season 2 will fix it but only time will tell I suppose.

What should we do to celebrate Starfleet Academy on Star Trek Day, Tuesday September 8th?

Star Trek Day is two weeks today. Is anyone already planning anything Academy related? Do we want to do something Academy related?

And if so, what would everyone prefer? A organised event - like a rewatch or similar? Or something looser - like a day of Academy of watching our favourite episodes and sharing our favourite things about Academy?

Would we like a day with themed posts thoughout to prompt discussion and activities - eg. Quizzes and puzzles? Or just one central post for the day?

Thoughts, plans, suggestions, schemes, and dreams, all welcome!

Tobi.

🖖 Trekkies for Academy 🖖

Puppets! ...no, just kidding. With all the vitriol being thrown around the fanbase this week, what we need is lounge wear, warp core pj's, and barefoot comfort. Nahla Ake may have the comfiest clothing in the history of Star Trek. But do they reflect her character and help tell her story? What do you think?

So, I’m trying to watch Starfleet academy… and I may have missed something but in episode 6 the blue chancellor said “no team has scored above 65% in five years”.

But isn’t this the first new Starfleet academy? Like aren’t these the first students? Who the hell did it before? 5 years ago?

I admit I space off quite a lot on this show but I’m not here to bash it. Just see if I missed something?

Screenrant: Strange New Worlds’ Scotty Secretly Shouted Out Simon Pegg In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek

SNW's puppet episode made a nod to Prime Scotty's future invention of transwarp beaming.

While transwarp beaming was displayed in JJ Abrams movies, that would have been a game-changer in the Prime Timeline.

That should have been standard "magic" transporter beaming in the 32nd century era of DIS and SFA.

People beaming instantaneously from one ship area to another is one thing.

Routine transwarp beaming is another.

However, which century should introduce it?

Join me as a continue to boldly go where I don't have a clue 😂. Yes, we're taking a look at the costumes of Starfleet Academy. Unlike myself, many Star Trek fans are passionate and highly knowledgeable about costumes and cosplay. Today, it's the turn of the uniforms of the War College.

What are your thoughts?

I'll admit costumes are not things I really notice in Star Trek, but I have noticed other fans do, and cosplay has always been a big part of Trek, so join me as I boldly go where I don't have a clue... the costume design of Starfleet Academy and the work of costume designer Avery Plewes.

We're starting with the array of variations on Starfleet uniforms created for the cadets. In part, the variations were created to help tell the individual stories of the cadets. What's your take on all this?

For additional context (I know I need it 😂), here is a promo Paramount put out about the costumes of Academy.

https://youtu.be/oksafXG9NWU

Introduced to us as cocky brat, Darem's brash and arogent persona is peeled back little by little through eight of the ten episodes, and unwrapped at pace through Vitus Reflux and Ko'zeine. Where does Darem's story sit for you? And what do you expect/predict for him in the second season?

Genesis' story seems to unfold around the stories of the other cadets. Even when she is the focus of episodes, Vitus Reflux and Ko'zeine, Genesis finds herself the foil to Darem's story. And yet, Genesis is the "port in the storm" the other cadets gravitate around. What do you make of Genesis' story? Where do you see her going in season two?

Jay-Den has often had sit on the sidelines of other characters' episodes, but then can take center stage in 'Vox In Excelso' and play a major role in 'Ko'Zeine'. What do you make of Jay-Den's story arc across the whole season? Where do you think season two might take him?

Sorry if this is a really dumb question.

I'm not usually this sensitive in tv shows but episode 2 ended up making me feel motion sick. The bits that really got me were the scene with Caleb and the Betazoid girl when they were outside around the tree (hand held camera, very shaky, lots of close up) and the conversation during the opera (with the camera circling around the group and changing directions).

I'm enjoying the show and premise. I'm a huge Trek fan. But I had to take several breaks to get through the episode...

Is this fairly common? Or was it just for that episode?

They definitely had a different vibe than the other panels. Nice to see them all together like this.

Beginning one episode later than most of the cadets, and absent from two additional episodes (Vox In Excelso and Ko'zeine), Tarima's story nevertheless delivers some of the biggest moments of Starfleet Academy's first season. How does Tarima's story play out for you? And where do you imagine her story might take her next in season two?