Lower Decks Season 4

For all topics regarding speculative fiction of every stripe. Otherwise known as the Geek Cave.
Post Reply
Fuzzy Necromancer
Overlord
Posts: 6321
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:57 am

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by Fuzzy Necromancer »

clearspira wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 pm I think ''Something Borrowed, Something Green'' could have been great (and yeah, you won't hear me say that often) if they had followed the Futurama model of the ''snu, snu, Amazon women episode'' which is absolutely hilarious in the way it sends up the whole concept of sexism and of matriarchy. Fry and Zap and sexist pigs, Leela and Amy are sexist pigs, Kif is adorable, the Amazon women are infinitely quotable. And its run by a female AI which would be something straight out of TOS
So you would have liked it if it had been a completely different premise exploring a completely different culture. You can just say "I didn't like it" instead of critiquing it for its failure to be something else you did like.
"Believe me, there’s nothing so terrible that someone won’t support it."
— Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4956
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by CharlesPhipps »

A lot of clearspira's complaints this season are weirdly exactly what the episodes do.

The episode is all about making fun of Star Trek's weird PG-13 sex planets and the fact it goes absolutely as far as possible without violating the fact it's a cartoon for everyone.
User avatar
hammerofglass
Captain
Posts: 2627
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:17 pm
Location: Corning, NY

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by hammerofglass »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 11:53 pm A lot of clearspira's complaints this season are weirdly exactly what the episodes do.

The episode is all about making fun of Star Trek's weird PG-13 sex planets and the fact it goes absolutely as far as possible without violating the fact it's a cartoon for everyone.
I don't think clearspira actually watches the show.
When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.
stryke
Captain
Posts: 657
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2020 10:42 am

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by stryke »

clearspira wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 pm Futurama in general is quite good at this. One later episode called Neutopia had all of the crewmembers first lose their sex and then swap sex. Again, it was very funny. It played on stereotypes and sexism in a funny way. Everyone is a pig and everyone gets at least some comeuppance.
I love Futurama, the first four seasons especially, but if it had one weakness even back then was it was absolutely terrible when it came to gender stuff. Neutopia is just dire, and only slightly better than that utterly forsaken one where Leela becomes the first lady to play the future equivalent of baseball. Hell, I can even think of some Family Guy episodes I like better than those two.

Amazon Women in the Mood is solid thanks to some decent lines, but it's not doing anything especially clever that say Frasier wasn't able to do better in the 90's ("How can men use sex to get what we want? Sex is what we want!") or even Cheers back in the 80s.
User avatar
sayla0079
Captain
Posts: 749
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 1:07 am

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by sayla0079 »

stryke wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:32 am
clearspira wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 pm Futurama in general is quite good at this. One later episode called Neutopia had all of the crewmembers first lose their sex and then swap sex. Again, it was very funny. It played on stereotypes and sexism in a funny way. Everyone is a pig and everyone gets at least some comeuppance.
I love Futurama, the first four seasons especially, but if it had one weakness even back then was it was absolutely terrible when it came to gender stuff. Neutopia is just dire, and only slightly better than that utterly forsaken one where Leela becomes the first lady to play the future equivalent of baseball. Hell, I can even think of some Family Guy episodes I like better than those two.

Amazon Women in the Mood is solid thanks to some decent lines, but it's not doing anything especially clever that say Frasier wasn't able to do better in the 90's ("How can men use sex to get what we want? Sex is what we want!") or even Cheers back in the 80s.
IMO while the Futurama ep with Amazonia has its moments, what made it funny was the voice work. You have Fry and Zapp's vas portraying them as bumbling idiots, while you have Bea Arthur playing a scorned Fem bot (which is ironic considering one of her most well known roles)
User avatar
clearspira
Overlord
Posts: 5679
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:51 pm

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by clearspira »

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 9:54 pm
clearspira wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 pm I think ''Something Borrowed, Something Green'' could have been great (and yeah, you won't hear me say that often) if they had followed the Futurama model of the ''snu, snu, Amazon women episode'' which is absolutely hilarious in the way it sends up the whole concept of sexism and of matriarchy. Fry and Zap and sexist pigs, Leela and Amy are sexist pigs, Kif is adorable, the Amazon women are infinitely quotable. And its run by a female AI which would be something straight out of TOS
So you would have liked it if it had been a completely different premise exploring a completely different culture. You can just say "I didn't like it" instead of critiquing it for its failure to be something else you did like.
Orion was portrayed with the subtlety of ''Angel One'' only without any steps being made to establish equal rights by the end. They should have left this bullshit on Enterprise where it belonged especially as this is the first time since the pheremones were even brought up. Even the Ferengi - EVEN the FERENGI - got multiple equal rights episodes and achieved it by the end of DS9. Because that's what Star Trek is meant to do. And if this was just meant to be comedy, fine. But my critique is that it fails as even that by showing you how the concept could be done 10X better.
User avatar
hammerofglass
Captain
Posts: 2627
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:17 pm
Location: Corning, NY

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by hammerofglass »

I did like the episode but in support of clearspira's argument it definitely would have stopped being fun REAL quick if they'd taken the guys with them.

Orion culture seems to be coming from that same "the author's barely disguised femdom fetish" place as the Drow in D&D do.
When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.
User avatar
m4a2000
Officer
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 10:45 pm

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by m4a2000 »

Empathalogical Fallacies was a step up from last week. The moment I heard Wendie Malick, the voice of the blue dress betazoid, I instantly though of her from her previous work on The Owl House and knew we were getting hi-jinks. The cause of all the craziness makes me wonder if vulcan telepathy becomes more power if one is more connected to their emotions.

The B plot with Boimler really did let Shaxs shine. Peronallity wise he is the most rounded out person now of the main cast... Heck, he is honestly starting to feel like the most normal person on the show.

The throwaway joke with the Romulans going to lurk somewhere else was an eye roll. And, because I remember the map from a top my head, how is it that any course set for Betazed would pass by or through the Neutral Zone? They are in completely different quadrants!
Last edited by m4a2000 on Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
It's OK to make mistakes as long as you don't make the same ones. If you do then you're not learning.
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4956
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by CharlesPhipps »

So far these past three episodes are about solid 3 stars each.

But not very memorable.
stryke
Captain
Posts: 657
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2020 10:42 am

Re: Lower Decks Season 4

Post by stryke »

m4a2000 wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2023 4:43 amThe B plot with Boimler really did let Shaxs shine. Peronallity wise he is the most rounded out person not of the main cast... Heck, he is honestly starting to feel like the most normal person on the show.
Shaxs really is approaching best bajoran territory. First depiction of Sisko I believe too in one of the shows since DS9 as he was on the Bajoran tarot. Also points for the guy who speaks in memes doing the Naruto run.

Also different strokes for different folks as the Romulans being so disappointed was by far the biggest laugh for me in the whole episode.
Post Reply