I love ships

With such an influx of catastrophic moments that bombard our lives every time we turn on a device, it is so easy to forget the little ones that matter most. They get overshadowed, eclipsed, and cast in shadow, darkening what were once small illuminated spots in our stories that were safe havens in the tempests that so often leave us battered.

It's those moments of light that keep us going. And there are times where we need a reminder to open an umbrella, to batten down the hatches, and fight to shelter those moments, to cherish them, because it is that hopeful defiance that carries us in the face of the storms we encounter throughout our lives.

Heaven knows we need it now as we are riding on the ever changing winds of the biggest storm we've faced so far.

Tears. Tears everywhere.

"The Federation would do better to humble themselves and learn to hear our language as it is spoken."

- Jay-den

This quote reminds me of the S1 episode of SNW "Spock Amok" when, during a diplomatic meeting, Pike realizes at the end of the episode that he needed put his perspective aside and to meet people where they are, and to see their point of view and perspectives in order to better understand them. That whole episode was a lesson in putting yourself in someone else's shoes, and how seeing the same situation through their eyes can completely reframe an issue.

In SFA they took this idea further and infused it with more nuance than even what SNW did. Starfleet has always had a soft imperialism to it, imposing their values on the species they assimilate into the federation, even if they think they intend well by it. I love that, in this, we see a push for Starfleet to be better than that, to build an organization that respects the cultures that join, and, as Jay-den stated, listen to their languages as they are spoken, rather than force them to speak in yours.

"The War College teaches its cadets to fight battles. Im teaching you end wars. To learn the patience to formulate a true strategy, and the empathy to understand your opponent so you can disarm them. Thats what Starfleet needs to be again. And leading through fear alone makes that impossible."

"Not all opponents are enemies."

- Nahla Ake

Im not gonna lie y'all, the ending to this episode had me misty eyed. This is a message I needed to hear. A message I think we all need to hear. In a world populated by people that would much rather hate who and what they dont understand, empathy is often seen as a dirty word. Because to empathize with someone means recognizing their humanity, recognizing that they aren't that different from you. And that scares those people. Because it forces them to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves.

Say what you want about the show, but those quotes right there? That mindset?

That's Star Trek.

The biggest change for me was that the ending actually hit me square in the chest. I actually started full-on sobbing. I wasn't able to get the full effect the first time because I was trying to process all the info the show was throwing at me so it didn't allow me to be fully in the moment. But the second time? It got me. Big time.

I have a loved one in my life that I may soon lose. Today is their birthday, and part of me wonders if they will make it to the next one. The fact that this episode dropped on their birthday was not lost to me. So, as you can imagine, Pike's speech about the moments and memories we have with our loved ones and how they survive after they are gone hit me like a truck. Its a message I needed to hear, so im grateful I gave it another watch where I could be in the moment and actually focus on what was being told.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

And you know what, I agree.

They didn't need to be there.

This is the problem I have when it comes to "canon".

Personally, im not a stickler for it. I never have been. I've always been open about shows playing a little with their timelines, canons, etc. It doesn't matter to me at all. Now, mind you, if you are a stickler for Canon, that's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that. But, in the case of this episode, i think this is where sticking to Canon and the curse of being a prequel get in the way. This episode would have made my top three in SNWs if it wasn't for the Metrons. Idgaf about this episode fitting into TOS I really dont, and I feel like SNWs had to throw them in there to quell continuity/Canon complaints, and im like, "Why?"

And why are the Metrons basing their experiment on La'an's decision? Ortegas proved that there is potential for peace and cooperation between both species. Why would you dismiss that based on the actions of one person who never had the same experience? Idk, that made my eyebrows raise.

This is nothing against the episode at all, I still loved it. I just feel that having to stick to rigid Canon can take away from a story and box in a lot of creative decisions.

Idk, maybe im not making sense, but it's something that was running through my mind last night when I thought about the biggest thing that bothered me in an otherwise great episode.