Having dove into this latest SFA episode after watching "The Visitor" on my second DS9 watch through, I realized that that was NOT a good idea. I just suplexed myself in to a pool of emotions TWICE in a row. Lovely way to end up full blown sobbing on the floor.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
This latest episode was a reminder to enjoy the small moments.
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.
So let us open our umbrellas and stand in hopeful defiance together.
Having dove into this latest SFA episode after watching "The Visitor" on my second DS9 watch through, I realized that that was NOT a good idea. I just suplexed myself in to a pool of emotions TWICE in a row. Lovely way to end up full blown sobbing on the floor.
"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.
All in all, this was a fantastic episode. If SF can keep this up, and to this level, we may have something great on our hands.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
"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?
Spirk has its place, but goddamn, it is also very clear when they hate their own canon and are deathly allergic to ANY canon or fanon relationship/dynamic that is not Spirk. (I don't even say Spirk-centric bc Spirk multi/poly-pairings are a rarity in their own right, plus Bones gets left out A LOT both platonically and romantically, which causes its own problems.)
Especially when it comes to Spock, holy shit.
See also:
Spirk fans spearheading racist and misogynistic hate towards AOS for :checks notes:: canonizimg Spuhura aka the ORIGINAL Spock ship according to Gene and the goddamn actors
Spirk fans poisoning the well for SNW with "Straight Spock" hate as if bisexual interpretations can't exist/aren't already rare and Spirk culture doesn't already revolve around erasing women from both characters' stories/history to make them more palatable.
This is the total number of AOS fics on the AO3 site:
This is the total number of AOS Spirk fics:
This is the total number of Spuhura fics on AO3:
This is the total number of Spuhura fics for AOS:
Do you see the problem? Spuhura is the canon pairing for AOS but Spirk has it beat out in a literal 5:1 ratio, no matter how you slice it.
Gee, I wonder why...
Obviously, some of this is a Sheer Numbers Game. Spirk has 60 years of fandom content, recruitment, and Gene Roddenberry endorsement behind it. It was a breakthrough for queer culture and wider fandom culture. Spuhura was held back and forgotten in the 60s by the Hays Code standards & racist tv execs cutting Nichelle Nichols screentime.
But AOS was supposed to be Spuhura's time to shine.
And then you factor in the sheer amount of vitriolic hate Spuhura (and Zoe Saldana) got online and the fact that so many of these Spirk fics demonize Uhura, have her and Spock break up for flimsy/shitty reasons, reduce their relationship to "just friends" or even just erase Uhura from the fucking story altogether, and the lingering toxicity is just gross.
This is just focusing on AOS and Spuhura. Fans have been scrubbing women out of Spock's story since the very beginning. It is so ingrained in this fandom that it's actually jarring to consume fan content that assures "Spock would never date wkmen!" and then watch just TOS and remember "oh yeah, Spock sometimes liked women, too." And realize there is almost no content that seriously considers this.
Like damn, no wonder everyone lost their shit over AOS and SNW. The queer subtext is there, guys, but it's not all there is to Spock and him genuinely liking (even predominantly) women (like Kirk) doesn't invalidate Spirk.
Plus ignoring the woman means you miss out on a lot of great Spock tidbits, like that he flirts by reciting poetry and playing the lyre and hiding his socks in his partner's drawer, plus the non-Kirk-centric romantic implications of his canon romances.
Even Kirk isn't exempt from this. Fans love bisexual Kirk until it's time for him to actually be bisexual.
"City on the Edge of Forever" (aka "Domestic Spirk Episode") is an excellent case study of how MLM fans engage in bi erasure and misogyny to prop up their favs, instead of allowing for complex, multi-gender/partner analysis. (I could rant about the fan use of Spock's "silver birds" deleted speech alone, holy shit.)
The only TOS-related series I know of where Spirk isn't the predominant ship is Strange New Worlds. Spock/Chapel currently has 707 fics vs Spirk's 421 out of a total of 4,861 fics. As you can see, the internet hates it. Gee I wonder why
The posts ive seen of people "Forgiving" SNW for "making Spock straight" simply because of the queer coded scenes between them in the finale is wild to me. What the actual fuck was there to forgive? SNW did nothing wrong. I actually praise the show for acknowledging Spock's romantic relationships outside of Kirk. Like damn, he barely knows Kirk in SNW. Let them cook. Jesus lol
SNW is out here being the exact kind of ridiculous that makes TOS so great. One episode you're dealing with everyone on the crew thinking theyre characters in a story book and the next episode theres scattered limbs and multiple deaths. Also time travel exists but its never explained. Its episodic, its camp, its character driven, it doesnt seem to give two shits about any sort of canon timeline.....its perfect
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
After life got in the way, i finally finished my Spock/La'an fan art! This one is dedicated to @tinderbox210 @a-non-event and all the other lovers of this ship! ❤️
Okay, after my second watch, I definitely like this episode more. It's still not my favorite, but I like it.
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.
So, I can safely say that i did enjoy this episode. My prior critiques still stand and im looking forward to what S4 has in store.
This episode warrants a rewatch because my head is fucking SPINNING rn. So much happened that I have yet to process.
Gamble is back?! WHAT?! His body was reconstructed from the buffer? HUH?!
Batel is a BEHOLDER? What even is that? Where did that come from? I had a feeling she wasn't making it out this season, but her turning into a fucking statue was not on my bingo card, but sure, we'll go with that i guess.
But anyway, let's start off with what I liked:
The new world we got this week was BEAUTIFUL. The rhombus shaped temples were surreal and I loved it.
Pike having his own semi "Inner light" hurt to watch knowing that will never be his life. That genuinely upset me. I liked those scenes quite a bit.
La'an in her undercover disguise. Enough said.
La'an performing a double Vulcan nerve pinch had no business being that hot. What the hell are you getting up to with Spock, La'an? 👀
SCOTTY IN A KILT!! I LOVE IT
The way I PAUSED THE WHOLE EPISODE when that Kirk and Spock scene played out. Hello sexual tenson???"Well... I see why you brought me to a bar. This is one hell of a date." 👀 Im sorry, WHAT?! EXCUSE ME? Is Kirk FLIRTING with Spock right in my face, OPENLY?!! That was probably the most blatantly queer shit SNW has done yet. I was NOT expecting them to lean THAT hard into it. My God. (Im a pro- Spock can date whoever the hell he damn well pleases- supporter, so im here for all of this.)
KIRK/SPOCK MIND MELD. RED ALERT.
Speaking of Spock dating whoever the hell he pleases, the scene with La'an peaking at him during meditation was the CUTEST shit, I swear. The way he fucking SMILED. I can't. They are too fucking cute.
La'an being mortified that Kirk now knows about the dance sessions KILLS me.
The two ships flying in perfect synchronicity was absolutely spectacular. My jaw dropped.
On to the things im not keen on.
Maybe its just me, or maybe its because its my intial watch, but this episode felt... disjointed. It was all over the place, and I definitely feel like this episode would have had a bigger, more satifying payoff if we spent more time building up this threat like they did with the gorn.
Not entirely sure about this messaging about the Vezda being evil. Idk if we know enough about them to even make that judgement. If we saw more of what they were capable of, saw the destruction they caused, even if it was visiting a few worlds they ravaged, I would have bought it more. Idk, I dont like the idea of a species that's purely evil. But then again, they played the gorn that way until Terarium, so idk if they plan on revisting the Vezda. I hope they do, they seemed interesting. The way they were defeated was pretty anti climatic for me.
Im sure upon my subsequent rewatches I'll be able to express my thoughts on this episode better.
This episode was not my favorite, but maybe my opinion will change in time.
Went my local Vinyl record shop and LOOK AT THIS FIND. We all must have willed it into existence after this week's SNW episode. Lol! Guess what I'm watching tonight.
I've seen quite a few criticisms about the ending of "Terarium" and the twist with the Metrons being unnecessary. Many felt that it was shoehorned in to fit TOS continuity and that it detracted from the episode.
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.
If any of you have a different interpretation, id love to hear it. I enjoy different perspectives. Just keep it respectful.
I've bern chewjng on the Metron's "reset your perception" line all day.
It fits with the background implications since TOS that the non-corporeal godlike aliens (the Q, the Metrons, the Organians, ect.) monitor, test, and gatekeep the younger, corporal species with the potential to attain great power or cause great destruction.
(Similar to the ENT Vulcans hindering humanity's advancement bc we were too similar to pre-Surak Vulcans.)
I can't help but wonder if the Metron's mind wipe implies that humans and Gorn have encountered each other before... My guess is their logic is similar to the Federation's no-contact-with-pre-warp-civilizations rule. They determined that SNW-era humans and Gorn still aren't ready for a proper First Contact, but Ortegas is proof they're getting close. So by the time of "Arena" humanity and the Gorn have progressed enough as civilizations to cohabit.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
I've seen quite a few criticisms about the ending of "Terarium" and the twist with the Metrons being unnecessary. Many felt that it was shoehorned in to fit TOS continuity and that it detracted from the episode.
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.
If any of you have a different interpretation, id love to hear it. I enjoy different perspectives. Just keep it respectful.