Lost in Translation

This episode exemplifies the complete mixed bag of season 2. Bottom line there's way too much exploration of feelings and character history versus...exploration of Strange New Worlds. I think we all want character development but the writers need to ease up! And no whispering of lines please. This season also suffers from tonal problems. The episodes were all over the map of light, serious, whimsical, musical etc Lighter episodes and whimsy are great, but they lose impact when there's too much. They have to be earned out of the serious stories. This is a fantastic, likable cast but the writers are beginning to undermine them. The reason this show exists is because fans responded to a fantastic, likable performance by Anson Mount as Captain Pike. The writers have lost sight of that too as his character has been sidelined much of the season and the writing for him one dimensional. Please return to exploration, dial back the emotion, all the back stories, and rapid character development, and remember this an adventure show with a great cast of characters that we want to get to know authentically, not through overwrought artificial writing.

I don't get the obsession already with James Kirk. The reason this series got made was the groundswell of enthusiasm for the character of Captain Pike and the desire to see more of his time and that of the rest of the current crew on the Enterprise.

Why are the writers so desperate to give so much time to the young Kirk at this point.

I also agree that the Enterprise doesn't seem to be doing a lot of exploring of strange new worlds. They never seem to be out of reach of other federation ships!

I hope that this turns out to be symptomatic of that "difficult second season" affliction and that when the properly rewarded series writers return to work on season three they can get the series back to its best.

Uhura experiences a series of dangerous hallucinations.

I like very much how SNW focuses different characters and this one has more good material for Uhura, who gets some solid development alongside the opportunity to lead the story. Additionally, it has great positive messages about coping with bereavement, the value of communicating and a plot that is resolved with intelligence as opposed to violence. It also features the Kirk brothers. To be fair, all the ingredients are there for a Trek style nerdgasm.

Celia Rose Gooding gives a strong performance and is supported well by Paul Wesley and Dan Jeannotte.

Visually it is excellent, with a number of great creepy atmospheric sequences and sci-fi action moments.

'Lost in Translation' is classic Star Trek. The story frames what Star Trek has always been about, learning about things you didn't even know existed.

The episode also shines in character development:

La'an's part in the episode is short but poignant, filled with unsaid things that we understand all too well.

I'm beginning to like Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) more and more. His interaction with Jim near the end of the episode is perfect.

The episode makes me want Hemmer back, but Pelia (Carol Kane) is obstinately perfect at the Enterprise's chief engineer.

I think Nichelle Nichols would be proud of Celia Rose Gooding portrayal of Uhura.

This is Star Trek worth watching!

SNW now seems to suffer the same fate as DIS:

There is no longer a command structure on the ship, ensigns decide whether a mining facility should be destroyed and feelings are the focus and not scientific facts.

Captain Pike seems like a nice uncle and not like the captain of a spaceship. The death of two crew members apparently leaves him completely cold. Instead of sending security to catch the saboteur, the captain goes on the hunt.

Uhura watches as the saboteur blows a hole in Enterprise instead of simply using the phaser to stun him.

As a science officer, Spock is not consulted to investigate whether aliens actually live in the nebula.

And based on a gut feeling, a station is casually destroyed, without perhaps discussing the matter with Starfleet Command first.

And no one, absolutely no one, has to fear any consequences and there are no investigations into these incidents.

And Pelia as chief engineer is a joke. And a bad one. Any episode where she has more than 10s of screentime is pure torture.