[Petrarch]

Episode Discussion

"Those Old Scientists"

US Airdate: 23/07/2023 (Paramount+)
International: 23/07/2023 (Only in countries with access to Paramount+)

This thread is for the pre and post discussion of the sixth episode "Those Old Scientists" - this will be a spoiler filled discussion so if you've found your way past the warnings in the activity stream and the spoiler tag on the thread, this is your last chance to turn back, or at least it will be at the end of this first post. You have been warned!

2 series combine as the crew of the Enterprise encounter 2 members of the USS Cerritos, Ensigns Boimler and Mariner.

Those Old Scientists is episode 7 of 10. This episode features guest appearances by Jack Quaid as Boimler and Tawny Newsome as Mariner, reprising their roles from Lower Decks in live action form for the first time. We're in for a good watch as Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes also returns as Director for this one. In a surprise move, the episode has been released early onto Paramount Plus and is available to watch now.

Written by: Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff
Directed by: Jonathan Frakes

[JCarrill0]

Watching it right now… how?!

- - - Updated - - -

Animated intro!!!

Edit:

This is an awesome cross over that is by far my new favorite episode!

TOS = those old scientists lol

[darthnovawave]

Thank you SDCC for the early release of this episode! Wasn't entirely sure how this crossover would play out, but I think they found a nice balance interweaving between the over-the-topness of LD with the (usually) more serious notes of SNW, with Mariner and Boimler even making comments about the tonal difference at one point and clearly just as confused and frustrated at finding the SNW characters to not line up with expectations set by the original TOS-era shows and movies, which felt like an acknowledgement of the sentiment some of us have expressed about newer shows like SNW and canon the way Lower Decks often has a way of doing. I think others who like both shows will be pleased with this one.

The Lower Decks style animated version of the SNW intro (featuring some nods to LD's own intro) looked great too.

[trekchu]

I laughed myself to tears. Beautifully executed.

"Their references are oddly specific."

[Solace]

Omg I LOVED this episode! This is the kind of fun crossover event we needed and fits so well with wackiness of TOS Trek.

This is easily one of, if not the best episode of s2 to date.

[Josh Broughm]

DELIGHTFULLY CHAOTIC!!!

The closing bit at the end was GREAT!!

Now.....TO THE MUSICAL EPISODE!!

[Arno12]

We Need more crossovers, this was fantastic!!!

[RavenSplat]

I loved this. The more serious mood of SNW with the joking, reference filled Lower Decks worked perfectly. That intro was so cool especially with the giant bug thing from the LD intro. Boimler and Mariner worked perfectly in live action and their interactions with the main cast were perfect. That point of new ships getting a part of the old ships is a great world building moment as well. Seeing that it doesn't have to be a - A to get it (also that what would come after the dash joke just all these great nods to how much changes in Starfleet over the next 120 years.

And all the references, from the LD crew like the Bell riots one when the SNW crew finally talks about the references being oddly specific which to be honest I'm surprised they got away with it for this one. And then at the end the SNW crew realising why the LD crew are freaking out by seeing their reactions to just realising a part of the NX is on the ship and knowing how hard they would find it too keep in all their knowledge. Just a great moment of understanding between the crew and the future kids as Pelia puts it. Then that ending with the real Romulan Hurricane turning them 2D and doesn't the Enterprise look great in the Lower Decks style. Such a great choice to put everything in animation at the end to see what it would look like.

Just so many points from this I love, the fact that the Enterprise crew loving the flip of the communication, the reactions to each new crew member and all the Lower Decks references. I'll stop now so I don't just rewrite the episode here but definitely my favourite episode this season so far.

[Bridger]

Hands down the best SNW Episode so far.

[DeWolfe]

Late to the party. NZ doesn't release the episodes fast enough. And there's a agreement between them and NZ's streaming services that NZ not be allowed access to Paramount+.

Great episode. Loved it. Arguably the best episode thus far and a very well handled crossover. Really wish it included a trip to NX-01 though, lots of reference to it.

[Stormy]

As most of those who read my posts have surmised, I am old school Trek. VERY old school Trek. Old school as in I want to yell at new Trek to "Get off my lawn!" I'm also old. You have probably surmised that as well.

I hated this episide from the moment I saw it was a cartoon...from something called Lower Decks... which I have never watched and never intend to.

Then something strange happened. It actually became interesting and Trek-like. Almost old school Trek-like. I was most relieved when the toons went through the portal and became actual people. Had they not, I am not sure I could have endured the entire episode. That said, once they were flesh and blood people, the story line actually worked well and I actually kinda-sorta liked those two LD characters.

Unlike many of the fanboy comments above, this is NOT the best SNW episode every... but it's pretty darn good. I just hope they don't do it again! <g> I'm still too old school Trek for this to be a regular thing. So, I'll say it again. I have never watched Lower Decks and never intend to. But I'm glad I watched this episode of SNW. Well done!

[DeWolfe]

As most of those who read my posts have surmised, I am old school Trek. VERY old school Trek. Old school as in I want to yell at new Trek to "Get off my lawn!" I'm also old. You have probably surmised that as well.

I hated this episide from the moment I saw it was a cartoon...from something called Lower Decks... which I have never watched and never intend to.

Then something strange happened. It actually became interesting and Trek-like. Almost old school Trek-like. I was most relieved when the toons went through the portal and became actual people. Had they not, I am not sure I could have endured the entire episode. That said, once they were flesh and blood people, the story line actually worked well and I actually kinda-sorta liked those two LD characters.

Unlike many of the fanboy comments above, this is NOT the best SNW episode every... but it's pretty darn good. I just hope they don't do it again! <g> I'm still too old school Trek for this to be a regular thing. So, I'll say it again. I have never watched Lower Decks and never intend to. But I'm glad I watched this episode of SNW. Well done!

For a lot of modern Trek, I'm with you Stormy but I've had to accept that New Trek isn't going anywhere and despite what everyone yells at me when I say it, some stuff isn't the Prime Universe, even if it says it is. And so I treat most like just another broken timeline. Sadly a lot of the time icons I've grown up watching do something completely out of character but I have found more often than not at the end, they are fundamentally the same character.

This episode in particular was somewhat of an example of that. The time traveller got to meet his heroes and most of the time was dismayed with how the idea of them was not matching the reality. But in the end, they all moved more to being true to how he saw them. I'd personally love to reset some of the new trek shows, but that's not going to happen. I just have to wait for the characters to return to how I saw them and the final season of Picard was very much that happening.

In the meantime however, I've found its best to just enjoy the ride where I can and I'm glad you got to enjoy this one too.

I also recommend LD, its absurd but its fun. You can see core Trek values in it, you just have to get through the modern humour that is delightfully peppered with pretty cool past Trek references.