Star Trek: Khan S1, E1 & E2 - "Paradise" & "Scheherazade"

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 Welcome to Star Trek Agent Discovery. I'm Adele Austin Anderson. And I'm Gary Anderson.

spk_0 And we're a Merry Couple who are a long time fans of Star Trek. Today we're analyzing

spk_0 the first two episodes of the audio series Star Trek Con. The episodes are

spk_0 entitled Paradise and Shaharazad. Before we begin please note that our analysis

spk_0 contains major spoilers. So we recommend listening to these episodes before

spk_0 delving into this podcast. So Gary let's start with Con's backstory. Sure. Con

spk_0 was iconic antagonist first introduced in the 1967 original series episode

spk_0 Space Sea. A genetically engineered superhuman from the 20th centuries

spk_0 Eugenic Wars. Con was portrayed by Ricardo Montabon who gave the character his

spk_0 blend of charisma, intelligence and ruthlessness. After being revived from

spk_0 cryogenic sleep by the crew of the Enterprise, Con attempted to seize the

spk_0 ship but was ultimately defeated by Captain James T. Kurt who exiled him and

spk_0 his followers to set the Alpha 5. Montabon reprised the role in the 1982 film

spk_0 Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Con, where Con sought revenge for his exile, leading to

spk_0 one of the most celebrated confrontations in science fiction film history. True.

spk_0 True. Con has since remained central to Star Trek lore. Yeah. He was reimagined

spk_0 and I say that that's the best way I could put it. Reimagined. He was reimagined by

spk_0 Benedict Cumberbass. Was it really? In the 2013 movie it was almost like you

spk_0 couldn't recognize car. Yeah you go from this tall commanding

spk_0 stately figure with muscles to this guy who's about a foot half shorter who's

spk_0 thin and shows no signs of being a superhuman. Right. So that movie we're talking

spk_0 about was the 2013 movie Star Trek Into Darkness. That was part of the Calvin

spk_0 timeline that presented Con as his adversary. More recently Con's legacy has

spk_0 been explored in Star Trek Strange New Worlds where his distant descendant

spk_0 Laon Nunian Singh serves as a Starfleet officer aboard Pike's Enterprise. Through

spk_0 Laon the series explores the lingering weight of Con's name and the prejudice

spk_0 associated with his genetic legacy showing how one individual

spk_0 infinity continues to shape the lives of future generations and I do need to

spk_0 point out that at the time that Laon is in Strange New Worlds the episode

spk_0 Space Sea hasn't happened yet. That's right. Because that happens when Kirk is

spk_0 the captain of the Enterprise. Yes that's a few years off. Right. All right. The

spk_0 Star Trek Con audio drama was developed by writers Kirsten Bayer and David

spk_0 Mack from a story by longtime Star Trek contributor Nicholas Mayer who

spk_0 originally conceived the project as a television miniseries adapted into a

spk_0 scripted podcast. The series dives into Con's exile on set to Alpha 5 and the

spk_0 unraveling of his utopian ambitions. Navine Andrews voices Con while Ren

spk_0 Schmidt portrays his conflicted love interest Dr. Marla McGuivers offering new

spk_0 depths I guess that's what you can call it to a pivotal relationship first

spk_0 in a duet in Space Sea. Okay so now let's go into the synopsis. Okay. The audio

spk_0 drama opens with a framing story set in 2293. Dr. Roslyn Lear,

spk_0 Petition Starfleet's Civilian Resource Education Committee for a

spk_0 permission to visit Seti Alpha 5 seeking evidence of what truly befell

spk_0 Connunian Singh and his followers. Though initially challenged her insistence

spk_0 on uncovering the truth about good and evil within humanity persuades

spk_0 Hikaru Sulu to transport her. With Incent Tuvak Lear explores the desolate

spk_0 world and discovers logs that recount Con's exile providing the narrative

spk_0 core of the series. In the first recovered entries listeners are taken back to

spk_0 shortly after the Enterprise Maroon Con and his people. Con addresses his

spk_0 followers with optimism declaring Seti Alpha 5 their new Eden and encouraging

spk_0 them to see exile as a chance to build an empire. Augments like Ivan Ursula and

spk_0 Madat join in laying the foundations of their settlement. Kirk has left them

spk_0 with supplies and Conn appears confident about creating a lasting legacy.

spk_0 Yet beneath the hopeful exterior tensions are already present struggles over

spk_0 female fertility way heavily while dissidents fester within the ranks. When a

spk_0 follower named Hugo openly challenges Conn's leadership Conn offers him a choice.

spk_0 Yes he does. Remain loyal and help build a colony or leave and never return.

spk_0 Though Hugo pledges loyalty Ivan secretly kills him and act of violence

spk_0 Conn did not sanction. This moment exposes a dangerous rift between Conn's ideals

spk_0 and the brutal methods of some of his lieutenants. Meanwhile Marla McGyver

spk_0 struggles with her place in this new society already mistrusted by many of the

spk_0 augments she insists on living separately to earn respect. Her unease deepens when

spk_0 she learns she may be expected to bear children is scientific efforts to restore

spk_0 female fertility failed. McGyver's loyalty

spk_0 is shaken when she tries to contact the enterprise for help. Conn interrupts her

spk_0 attempt taking her to witness a media shower. When he destroys her communicator he

spk_0 forces her to confront the permanence of her choice to join him. The beauty of

spk_0 the shower however carries a dark foreboding. The explosion of Sedae Alpha 6 will

spk_0 soon transform Conn's paradise into a barren wasteline. The first episode

spk_0 closes with Lear aboard the Excelsior realizing she has only five days to

spk_0 catalog the colony's story before the ship must move on. The second episode

spk_0 shifts further into McGyver's logs now at entry 29. Three weeks after her failed

spk_0 to contact attempt relations between her and Conn remained strained. She reluctantly

spk_0 joins a hunting expedition with Conn and several augments including the young

spk_0 intellectual Richter and his companion Silvena. Among the group it is assumed

spk_0 Hugo either died accidentally or took his own life with no knowledge of Ivan's

spk_0 betrayal. The camaraderie among the augments reveals more of their personalities

spk_0 while Conn continues to balance authority with flashes of humor and honor.

spk_0 Around the campfire Marla invokes the tale of sheherazad comparing her own

spk_0 survival and Conn's story to the legendary woman who spun tales to prolong her

spk_0 life. She presses Conn to recount his past arguing that history is rarely fair

spk_0 to the defeated. Conn resist bristling at being cast as vanquished and bitterly

spk_0 suggests that even lies might serve him better than the truth. Their exchange

spk_0 exposes both her doubts about his past and his determined nation to control

spk_0 his own legacy. The night's reflections are violently interrupted when the

spk_0 camp is attacked. A massive board charges the group killing Conn's trusted ally

spk_0 Joaquin. Silvena is bitten by a strange larval creature she identifies as

spk_0 seti eel while Richter disappears into the chaos. The augments are shaken for

spk_0 circumfront the dangers of their new world more directly than ever before. The

spk_0 episode concludes with Conn leaving camp to find Richter and possibly face the

spk_0 beast head on. Despite Marla's protests he declares that seti f or five will

spk_0 claim no more of his followers. Alright. Yeah that's what he said. That's what

spk_0 he said. Okay so let's go on with the overall critique. The promise of Star Trek

spk_0 Conn this new narrative podcast was that it would fill in Conn

spk_0 Nunian Singh's story between his banishment on city alpha five and space

spk_0 seed and his vengeful return in the wrath of Conn. Based on an original story

spk_0 written by Nicholas Meyer himself the writer director of wrath of Conn we were

spk_0 excited for the project when it was announced as a paramount plus many

spk_0 series but similar to section 31. Yeah you know the film the infamous film right

spk_0 Conn went through significant changes during his years in development. The

spk_0 media format shifted from live action TV drama to a weekly audio drama which

spk_0 is only the most apparent change. Yeah after listening to the series first two

spk_0 episodes entitled Paradise and Shaharizad respectively the show falls short of

spk_0 its bolder potential the series feels more like a revisionist attempt to

spk_0 humanize the classic villain than a genuine exploration of his descent. While

spk_0 the show succeeds in some areas it stumbles in others offering a mixed bag of

spk_0 compelling ideas and questionable execution. Okay so let's dig deeper into that.

spk_0 So first we want to talk about the quality of the writing and acting. Yeah. I'm

spk_0 a major factor in the overall quality is the writing. Meyer's story was

spk_0 revised by Kirsten but but Bayer and David Mack. Bayer a voyager novel writer

spk_0 was also a writer and co-executive producer on all three seasons of Picard.

spk_0 Mack who wrote two episodes for Deep Space 9 is best known for writing the

spk_0 story for three Star Trek video games between 1998 and 2001. 1998 and 2001.

spk_0 It's been a while. Yes. When the project began Nicholas Meyer stated in interviews

spk_0 that they would deepen the character of Khan when I'll betraying the existing

spk_0 cannon. Khan however does achieve greater depths for the character and instead

spk_0 of simply rehashing his tyrannical nature although some of that is on display.

spk_0 Right. The story portrays him as a visionary leader flawed but charismatic

spk_0 who struggles to build a new civilization from scratch. Navine Andrews of

spk_0 Las Fain takes on the role of Khan. His portrayal does an attempt to mimic the

spk_0 iconic performance of Ricardo Montabon. Instead he makes a role his own by

spk_0 portraying a more nuanced and empathetic Khan while still bringing a similar

spk_0 amount of intensity and gravitas to the role. The podcast delves into

spk_0 Khan's journey before his rage consumes him and Andrews is particularly

spk_0 effective in showcasing the characters insightful and optimistic side. This

spk_0 more nuanced portrayal of Khan is a significant strength of the show. Andrews

spk_0 a sense of empathy for what Khan and his people endured. The casting is also

spk_0 substantial as Andrews is the first person of Indian descent to play the role.

spk_0 Andrews unique vocal qualities help make the character his own. He brings an

spk_0 ethnic authenticity to the role that has been a point of some discussion in the

spk_0 franchise for decades. Such authenticity was lacking from from director JJ Abrams

spk_0 2013 Star Trek into darkness and stopped me from wronged though. Navine

spk_0 Andrews and JJ Abrams knew each other didn't they? If right they were together

spk_0 in loss. Yeah. Yeah. Funny. Funny that you're looking for a strong powerful

spk_0 presence to play an Indian character and you know an actor like that. Right. You

spk_0 don't cast them. And besides that you know India is actually famous for their films.

spk_0 Absolutely. And so you could have definitely have found somebody. If you were looking

spk_0 for right if Navine wasn't available and Navine actually is British but if he wasn't

spk_0 available you could go to go to go to India anyway. Yeah. So

spk_0 in contrast to this characterization of Khan which we think Andrews does a good job

spk_0 with it. Yeah. And it's fairly well written. We want a contrast that to the other

spk_0 character. Yes. Yes. One of the augment. Right. So Ivan is emblematic of a

spk_0 larger problem in Star Trek Khan. That is it's the supporting characters are

spk_0 introduced with dramatic potential but not enough development to fulfill it.

spk_0 Ivan kills Hugo and cold blood even though Khan explicitly didn't want that to happen.

spk_0 That murder is a major moment and it defines Ivan somewhat as a wild card. Someone who

spk_0 can be loyal but whose loyalty is unentertwined with violence and distress. Yeah. Ivan remains

spk_0 very underdeveloped to be honest with you. We know he's genetically engineered but the

spk_0 show doesn't really explore how being an augment shaped his worldview, his fears and internal

spk_0 conflicts. Does he believe deeply in the augment ideology that they are superior? Does he

spk_0 see the utopian dream as real or hollow? We rarely see him struggle beyond external conflicts.

spk_0 He is often reactive reacting to Hugo's betrayal to Khan's commands to external threats

spk_0 but we don't see his internal moral debate or what makes him believe in Khan beyond loyalty

spk_0 and fear. Another issue is that Ivan's motivation sometimes seem ambiguous in ways that are more

spk_0 due to a lack of scripting than intentional and biguity. For example, his extreme act of killing

spk_0 Hugo feels more like a plot device to show discord than a deeply motivated choice. There is

spk_0 little build up or exposition to explain why he chose that violent route when Khan offered

spk_0 another path. His background is never given how he was bred as an augment, what his relationships

spk_0 are to the others in Khan's group, whether he has doubts or regrets. Because of that, Ivan

spk_0 risks being what critics might call a stock antagonist rather than a fully rounded character.

spk_0 If future episodes give Ivan more internal conflict more of his personal history or more

spk_0 scenes where he struggles not just with Khan's leadership but with his own beliefs, that could strengthen

spk_0 both him and the overall story. Without that, he risks being seen as simply a tool of plot

spk_0 tension rather than a character worth caring about. And he's played by an actor named

spk_0 Mori Sterling who has been seen as antagonists like Ivan in a number of TV and film projects that

spk_0 I've seen. So this is in line with what his basic career has been, unfortunately.

spk_0 And next we want to talk about Marla McGuiver's. Yes. The most glaring misstep in the

spk_0 characterization is Marla McGuiver's. Her newfound independence and modern sensibilities

spk_0 comes at the expense of continuity. Some of this characterization feels completely at odds with her

spk_0 original portrayal as a woman captivated by Khan's power and charisma. It comes across as a

spk_0 contrived effort to fix a character rather than developer creating a jarring contradiction that

spk_0 will likely alienate longtime fans. Actress Rin Schmidt said she connected to play McGuiver's

spk_0 because she was a history major herself. This helped Terpatrea character who is not just

spk_0 Khan's woman but a person with her own intellectual curiosity and drive. However, without the benefit

spk_0 of images seeing somebody on screen, the audience is more dependent upon the vocal performances of each

spk_0 actor as such, as such, very little of the woman who abandoned her career in Starfleet to take on the

spk_0 adventure of a lifetime entaming an unknown planet still exists. Unfortunately at times this also

spk_0 causes her performance to come off as cold and dispassionate. In this new version, the writing

spk_0 transforms Marla McGuiver's into a more complex figure with fierce independence as opposed to

spk_0 the original version. Yet in many of her scenes with Naveen Andrews, Schmidt and Andrews display

spk_0 no passion or attraction for one another. The result is a performance that loses a compelling element

spk_0 in the central dynamic of the audio drama. However, other creative choices are also a source of

spk_0 criticism. The use of George Taked and Tim Russ reprising their roles as Sulu and Tuvac respectively

spk_0 in the framing story while it's nice nod to the franchise legacy feel more like a gimmick

spk_0 than a necessary narrative device. Personally, I do not like it when legacy characters are just

spk_0 put into an episode or a series just for fan service without something substantial to do.

spk_0 It was nice to hear Taked's voice and also Tim Russ as Tuvac, but I just really felt that

spk_0 they were just there just to get fans to listen to it because they were in every press release.

spk_0 They were. They were prominently promoted and they were used as a tool to market to fans

spk_0 to encourage them to listen to this podcast. When you get to realize that they're not really

spk_0 that engaged. For the most part, Tuvac is their just-to-prompt Dr. Lear. Hey, we got a short window.

spk_0 You got to listen to these tapes. But that even pushes the larger issue. Why can't you just take

spk_0 these tapes off, setting off a five and listen to them on the Excel scene? And then she could just

spk_0 spend as much time as she wants. Or can't they be copied so she can leave the originals where they are?

spk_0 And she can go listen to them on the leisure. Yeah, I did not understand that brief scene that they

spk_0 had at the episode one where he tells her you only have five more days to listen to these tapes.

spk_0 And she says, what? And it's like, well, why do you expect a starship to be able to just spend

spk_0 days and days on this project? And again, you could just remove the tapes from the planet and then

spk_0 bring them back. Or you could have pre-planned and maybe set yourself up so that you might have been

spk_0 able to create a base there. And the Excel scene could go off and do whatever it needs to do and

spk_0 come back and pick you. And it could come back and get you. Right. Yeah. Anyway. So anyway, that's what we

spk_0 feel about Tukay and Tuvac. So now we want to move to the challenge of engagement. As an audio

spk_0 drama, the podcast relies heavily on its soundscape. But the production is a mixed bag. The score while

spk_0 aiming for a unique non-star fleet sound with its cello theme often feels out of place and over

spk_0 rot drawing unnecessary attention to it. So the sound design with its attempt to build a world of

spk_0 city alpha five can be distracting rather than immersive, sometimes drowning out the dialogue.

spk_0 Yeah, it's just so annoying. Yeah. As listeners, our engagement often drifted off.

spk_0 While the series successfully capitalized on fan curiosity as far as we are concerned,

spk_0 the execution didn't pay off on that curiosity with a compelling story.

spk_0 Sadly, we found ourselves listening less to discover what happened next and more

spk_0 out of a desire to complete a task rather than a genuine enjoyment. True. So needless to say,

spk_0 we're not hooked. The first two episodes of Star Trek Con have proven to be less captivating

spk_0 than originally promised. The podcast struggles to justify its own existence by actively working

spk_0 against the established characterization that made the source material so enduring.

spk_0 Instead of a compelling origin story for an iconic villain, the decision to soften

spk_0 Con's personality in these formative years and fundamentally alter Marla's motivations

spk_0 undermines the story's dramatic tension. Despite that, Navine Andrews does the best job

spk_0 of blending and interpretation of Con that honors the original character while making it his own.

spk_0 Overall, we were disappointed in the series. The narrative is poorly paced. The sound design

spk_0 has top notch production values, but sometimes is just overbearing. And the new characterization of

spk_0 Con Nunean Singh and Marla Maghiver's offers both positive and negatives with the negatives winning out.

spk_0 Both of us were looking forward to hearing the weekly episodes reveal how Con's paradise

spk_0 devolved into a harsh reality that sets the stage for his revenge. We have decided to suspend

spk_0 reviewing Con until all episodes have dropped. We will come back to review the last seven episodes

spk_0 and wrap up our assessment. So now we're going to move to Star Trek news. Yes, let's do that.

spk_0 According to Variety, CBS Studios is bringing the Star Trek Universe to New York Comic Con as it

spk_0 does every year. The Star Trek Universe panel will take place October 11th on the Empire stage from

spk_0 315 to 415. Cast members and producers from both Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Star Trek

spk_0 Starfleet Academy will be in attendance with the panel also set to feature exclusive sneak peeks.

spk_0 From Strange New Worlds, panelists scheduled to appear include Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding,

spk_0 Melissa Navia and Martin Quintn alongside executive producers and co-showrunners,

spk_0 Akiva Goalsman and Henry Alonzo Myers, with executive producer Alex Kirtsman.

spk_0 From Starfleet Academy's schedule panelists include Holly Hunter, Sandra Roestha,

spk_0 Kareem Diane, Karees Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepherd, Zoe Steiner and Paul Diamani.

spk_0 Oh good. Along with executive producers and co-showrunners, Kurtzman and Noga Landau.

spk_0 In addition, CBS Studios is bringing a Starfleet Academy activation to the Convention Center

spk_0 floor that will allow fans to undergo Starfleet cadet training. Oh boy. Each participant will receive

spk_0 a personalized ID badge and will take on various hands-on challenges. And upon completion,

spk_0 each participant will be given a recommended discipline path for the academy and receive a

spk_0 special Starfleet Academy giveaway. The activation will be available on October 11th and 12th.

spk_0 So on closing, we'll be back in three weeks with our season three analysis of Strange New Worlds,

spk_0 as well as news from New York Comic Con. We'll have a series overview of the Con series,

spk_0 the week following the ninth and final episode set to air on November 3rd.

spk_0 Before we sign off, if you like this show, help others discover it too by leaving a rating on

spk_0 Spotify or a rating and a review on Apple Podcast. We would truly appreciate it. Until that time.

spk_0 Like, subscribe and follow Star Trek Asia Discovery on Blue Sky, Threads and Instagram at Star Trek AOD.

spk_0 Facebook, Facebook.com slash Star Trek AOD. And on our website, Star Trek AOD.net,

spk_0 where we offer additional articles on Star Trek Canon, interesting sidebar issues and other

spk_0 aspects of the show, including every episode of this podcast since 2017. All right.

spk_0 You may email the show at Star Trek AOD at gmail.com. We would appreciate hearing what you think

spk_0 of Con and any other Star Trek related subjects. But until then, live long and prosper.

Star Trek: Khan S1, E1 & E2 - "Paradise" & "Scheherazade"

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