The Shuttle Pod Crew Go Beyond Vahar’ai In “The Sound of Thunder”

Like we did last season, for the run of Star Trek: Discovery season two The Shuttle Pod has again transformed into Shuttle Pod At The Disco with weekly podcasts discussing each new episode.

Shuttle Pod At The Disco – Season 2, Episode 6 – “The Sound of Thunder”

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 6

This week the full Shuttle Pod compliment of Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt was aboard to talk about Saru’s big episode, titled “The Sound of Thunder.” Beautiful performances from Doug Jones and Hanna Spear carried the episode through the exciting adventure. While he wasn’t given much time this week, the small moments with Wilson Cruz as Culber were also nicely done. The Shuttle Pod crew was rather flabbergasted at the ease with which Pike and the Discovery crew decided to transform all the Kelpiens, plus they discuss a number of questions they had about the science of the episode.

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Yeah. Similar overall reaction. Was OK with the episode upon watching but upon reflection after it just doesn’t hold up to any kind of scrutiny.

The Hugh stuff just floored me because it makes zero sense that Culber is just accepted without any kind of doubt as returning from the DEAD. From ANYONE.

I disagree that watching the short Trek helped. It didn’t.

Regarding the plot device of having the specific data you need at your fingertips… The use of the Borg and Vulcan databases in Voyager and Enterprise actually makes a bit more sense than having some obscure data sphere appearing out of nowhere for the specific purpose of dishing out data for our heroes. Using shared info from the Vulcan’s exploration does not feel like a stretch. A little more of a stretch is Seven using the Borg database. The Discovery datashpere is a tremendous stretch. I liken it to characters turning on the radio or TV only to have the exact news story airing that is required for the plot to move along. And I think the Disco sphere is even more of a stretch than that.

I’m still very much hoping the angels are NEVER revealed and it is left obscure.

The Ba’ul still looked like some thin lady covered in black goo. Trek aliens never really look truly alien because of the normal limitations. The only ones who do are the non-corporeal ones or the CG ones.

Also with you guys when it comes to being happy to not see the Klingons again this season.

Regarding picking up on this, I’d kinda like to think that the Federation made a HUGE enemy of the Ba’ul for this. The Kelpiens become super aggressive to the point where they just can’t be dealt with. Not only that, but Saru becomes this way as well and cannot remain on the crew. Not something I would like because I like the character. But it feels like that is a way it could go.

And yes, I predicted Spock would not show until the very end of the episode. (eyeroll)

I completely agree that there needs to be repercussions for an intervention that was not very well thought-through on the part of the writers, the Discovery crew, or both.

The version of Starfleet depicted on Discovery appears to be run by idiots. To wit:

1. Q: What should we do with this mirror universe emperor who despises the Federation? A: Put her in Section 31 so that she can have access to time travel capabilities, classified intelligence, and knowledge of covert ops.

2. Q: What should we do with this surgically altered Klingon who swore to destroy the Federation? A: Put him in Section 31 so that she can have access to time travel capabilities, classified intelligence, and knowledge of covert ops.

3. Q: What should we do with this dead doctor who was resurrected/reconstituted by aliens who hate us for destroying their mycelial home with the spore drive? A: Get him back on active duty ASAP on a ship that has the spore drive.

In all three cases, the actual explanation is that the producers like the actor cast in the role and want to keep him/her on the show, despite the fact that there’s really no sense in doing so from a storytelling standpoint. It’s a very poorly-written series, and it does indeed make it seem as if the people running Starfleet are being blackmailed with naughty photos.

” It’s a very poorly-written series. . .”

While I don’t disagree with the substance of the criticisms above, that’s a pretty damned harsh takeaway in the context of multiple plot holes and credibility issues that plague even the best of Trek episodes gone by. I’m a huge fan of “The Menagerie,” but no military (or even quasi-military) organization would ever return Spock to a position of responsibility after his acts of assault, mutiny, and sabotage, even if his motives turned out to be worthy ones. At the end of the day, it is just TV, after all.

Oh, but it isn’t. You’re dead wrong about that. Trek has been inspiring people for decades. Probably still is even in this (as I see it) lesser current incarnation.

I take your point, though.

I think Michael’s point was less with your message and more with its tone. You say things like, “You’re dead wrong about that,” which isn’t conducive to a discussion. You seem dismissive and overly harsh.

It’s fine if you don’t like the show, there are parts of it I don’t like too. I appreciate your criticisms of a show I like, but respectfully disagree.

I practice cowboy diplomacy in comments.

Thanks. Indeed, I’m well-aware of Trek’s ability to inspire, having experienced it in my own life, not to mention the many examples of it inspiring others. None of which has anything to do with the fact that, in the end, it IS just a TV show, with all of the faults that attend that very rushed medium. And while I’ve often been critical of Discovery myself, and make no excuses for sloppy plotting, such harsh generalizations do in fact strike me as very selective, and unfair.

The first two are Section 31. They have always been idiots. As for the third one, we have no idea if or when Culber will be back on active duty.

It’s obvious why the Ba’ul kept the Kelpiens around. The answer was provided last season in the mirror universe. KELPIENS ARE DELICIOUS!

I wonder if the Terrans knew about Vahar’ai. I think they must have since they kept Kelpiens as slaves. Presumably, they waited to eat them until it was time for them to begin their Vahar’ai.

I think they are being a little nit picky about the evolution thing. Obviously, they’re not talking about Darwinian evolution. Accodding to the dictionary on my iPad, evolution is “any process of formation or growth; development.” By this definition, Vahar’ai is absolutely a kind of evolution.