Value Subtracted @ ValueSubtracted @startrek.website

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Yeah, it looked directly connected - if you squint, you'd probably be able to work out where on the bridge the door is.

They certainly know how to hang tough.

Funnily enough, that episode provides supporting evidence:

BASHIR: Starfleet Medical won't see it that way. DNA resequencing for any reason other than repairing serious birth defects is illegal. Any genetically enhanced human being is barred from serving in Starfleet or practising medicine.

One has to conclude that the procedure Bashir underwent is considered an enhancement, not a "repair" - like they tried to overcome his undefined disability through brute force, rather than address the underlying cause.

This is barely a counterpoint (it arguably isn't one at all), but I feel obliged to point out that the BS of the past year was conducted by the old ownership.

Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss...?

This Bombers fan isn't mad about seeing Calgary (barely) lose one...

Not equipped to handle sexual assault cases. This is a very well-documented issue.

I'm not certain about the retro-style logo on the wall (I suspect the blockier lettering on the tote bag represents the actual series logo), but might this be the first look at (a version of) the series uniform?

This has unfortunately been the case in sexual assault cases since...forever, really.

There are almost never any witnesses, human memory is fallible, alcohol is sometimes a factor...the justice system is not well-equipped to handle it.

Good - the original case seemed pretty straightforward.

I think the general policy is that genetic augmentation to grant superpowers is bad, while genetic treatment of disease or other medical conditions is generally okay.

They tiptoed right up to the line without outright stating it.

I don't really have a problem with the resolution...it just seemed to have been unplanned and bolted on, and was contradictory to the beginning of the season.

Payroll is a large portion of any budget, and I haven't seen any credible claims that it's possible to cut round it, or that they're even trying.

I don't think it's possible to make budget cuts that huge without cutting staff.

You're free to give them the benefit of the doubt. The union is not obligated to, and I'm inclined to think their concerns are very valid.

the SNW stardate madness would seem to continue

Nature is healing.

I'd hardly call it "cherry picking" - "We are also committed to capping, not cutting, public service employment" is a complete statement unto itself, and constitutes an election promise. There's no ambiguity, and there are no caveats provided.

If you want to make the argument that they intend to reduce departmental budgets by 15% without cutting staff...I'm willing to listen to it, but I don't think it's likely to happen. And the departments don't appear to have been instructed to do so.

hopefully not the same way as Paris and Janeway went.

Nah, there's a flower involved. That can only mean one thing.

I don't remember seeing them before.

I also don't remember any previous shots that establish that the conference room is off the bridge...

This one won't be going down in history as my favourite episode.

Much of the episode is devoted to zombies, and zombies are boring. Moving on.

This might just be reflective of where my headspace has been at lately, but it bugged me that the crew showed absolute contempt for a treaty. There was absolutely no discussion of whether it was moral or just to violate it - they just wanted something, so they went ahead and took it. This isn't exactly new ground for Star Trek, but it wasn't something that I enjoyed watching in 2025.

I can't decide if this was a bad Pike episode, or a good Pike episode that happened to reveal things about the character that I don't appreciate. It's telling that Batel didn't tell him about her treatment because she knew that he would react in exactly the way that he did.

I wasn't sure how I felt about clearing up the ambiguity of what happened with M'Benga last season, but I think it was handled pretty well - the strongest part of the episode by far. It seems like he might have a...different career path ahead of him when he leaves the Enterprise.

The Ortegas/Una story wasn't bad, either. I do find it interesting that Pike will not be filing a report on this mission because it was off-the-books, but Ortegas gets reprimanded and sent for remedial training. I'm not sure how that works when there's no mission to log.

I thought the directing and/or editing was pretty lifeless (heh) in this one, too - not a lot of tension throughout.