Value Subtracted

Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | 1x09 "300th Night"

https://startrek.website/post/36402755

Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | 1x09 "300th Night" - Star Trek Website

>As the year comes to an end, Caleb must choose between the life he thought he wanted and the life he’s built for himself at Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile, Nahla breaks protocol in one final gambit to keep a promise to Caleb. Written by: Kirsten Beyer Directed by: Jonathan Frakes — There is no spoiler protection in the episode discussion threads, and spoiler tags are not necessary!

Mar 5 at 5:00amWeb
Show threadhopesdeadMar 5

Damn. That was an unexpected ending. Wonder what Frakes has in store for next week.

EDIT: It was heartwarming to see the R’uustai again.

EDIT 2: I thought I had heard Frakes directed two episodes.

Show threadryperMar 5
Frakes says this was the last Star Trek episode he has directed. None of the filming since has fit his schedule.
Jonathan Frakes Directs Final Star Trek Episode: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 9

Exclusive: Jonathan Frakes directs Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9, and it's the last of his epic run of Star Trek episodes that he has helmed.

Screen Rant
Show threadStillPaisleyCatMar 5
Bella Shepherd, who plays Genesis, said in an interview that Frakes was originally booked for direct her character’s feature episode in season two, but then he couldn’t be available because of conflicts but was expected to direct a later episode. It sounds as though they couldn’t make the schedules mesh.
Show threadryperMar 5

Why did they bother introducing the Athena’s bridge crew if they’re not going to use them?

I guess reunification between the Vulcans and Romulans must have taken a while if Vulcan was renamed to Ni’var in Nahla’s lifetime.

Convenient that they waited until the school year was over to lose most of the school.

Show threadValue SubtractedMar 5

Why did they bother introducing the Athena’s bridge crew if they’re not going to use them?

Alex Kurtzman has said on a couple of occasions that this series is less expensive to produce that you might imagine, and I do think there have been a handful of moments throughout the season that seemed like cost-cutting measures. This was definitely one of them.

Show threadStillPaisleyCatMar 6

Jonathan Frakes mentions several things in the TrekMovie interview that may impact costs.

Alex Kurztman set the direction style with more close up, tight camera work. More, he specifically ordered special long camera lenses to enable that. This means that despite the enormous sets and UHD cinematography, with long lenses they are able to block the scenes without as much extraneous detail.

Saving the wide angles for when they need them but closing up on the characters, and doing more in set internal volumes must surely reduce a lot of crew time and accelerate production.

Show threadStillPaisleyCatMar 5

Well, that’s a lot. I’m not sure why I didn’t expect a cliffhanger, and I hope there won’t be one at the end of the season.

As we saw the wall of omega-47 mines, it occurred to me that Brakka had told Ake what he wanted in episode 6 — a return to the isolation of planets that gave him and the Venari Rahl their power — but neither she nor Vance appreciated the scale of his ambitions to return to the anarchy of past century.

And the Federation should have anticipated this kind of challenge to come from some quarter, even if they’d come to detente with the Emerald Chain. Those who benefited from the systems that were built up over the century of the Burn would have nostalgia for it and distrust against the Federation would not vanish quickly.

I appreciate the narrative structure of the season, Anisha and Caleb Mir represent those who struggled to get by around the powers and forces of the Burn. There is a personal story and a societal story about making choices to take the risk to move towards something better — as found family and as a society.

As it goes on, this show reminds me increasingly of The Magicians, on which SFA showrunner Noga Landau was a head writer at one point. There’s the quotidian developmental, coming of age challenges of students in their undergraduate years juxtaposed with massive and truly menacing events.

Show threadJames R KirkMar 12

I appreciate the narrative structure of the season

Something the other new series (and a lot of “prestige” television of the past decade) struggled with… but SFA is absolutely nailing.

Show threadStillPaisleyCatMar 12
We’ll have to see how the finale lands, but it may be the most successfully constructed live action season arc of this era.
Show threadbuerviperMar 6

Is there any chance for a resolution of this story where Caleb’s mother does not die?

I think this was a solid episode, but very “by the books”. No real surprises here plot wise. Well except these deus ex machina mines

Show threadsanzkyMar 6
a detailed I liked is that brakes told he had a gift for the federation with a big red bow. looking at the mine ring of image mines. It is clear he meant that
Show threadJames R KirkMar 12
Another great episode with good performances all around. SFA is setting the bar exceptionally high. I’m excited to see what the finale has in store.