So... I guess that worked?
The editing this episode worked against all the drama. Why were we intercutting between the medical bay transporter discovery and Gamble's reveal? It drained all the surprise and excitement from the reveal - not that it was a huge reveal because no one on the show even remembers Gamble at this point.
They didn't even need the scene in the medical bay - the briefing after that gave the same info.
And Fletch, you're right - tying it into M'Benga's daughter would have been a FANTASTIC explanation for why they can't just revive every dead person by their last healthy transporter pattern. And lay lines - OKAY? These are different than subspace frequencies? Technobabble explanation for a stupid shortcut that would have been better DRAMATIZED. But we had to sit through a fake murder mystery instead.
Also, the fact that Scotty exposited that they had purged the evil orb months ago was really unsatisfying - if this is where we were headed, that should have been on camera. Also, Korby should have mentioned something about this plotline in his last appearance, that's he's still investigating the dead people - we can insult the soup, but not tie the season together?
There was another scene that was also edited really poorly and there was air where there shouldn't have been - right before Gamble grabs M'Benga and then Pike and Batel take so long to walk into the door that could explode the planet at any moment.
Speaking of: the door is about duality. How the hell did Pike and M'Benga get out without their respective other? Props to M'Benga, though - his fakeout worked on me, too.
Maybe it was the scene of Gamble encouraging all those aliens to gouge their own eyes out to make themselves homes for demons - the intercutting of that with the technobabble killed it. Also? Gamble - not really a strong actor, so maybe that's why.
This is an interesting idea for Batel but not one properly set up AT ALL. No one guessed it or saw it coming which was probably the writers' intention but that also makes it completely unsatisfying. And she's just totally okay becoming a statue FOREVER?
WHAT?
She is an upholder of justice, that we've established. But like - huh? And how did she know how to become a statue? Why didn't we work on a solution to destroy the prison entirely before sacrificing a Starfleet captain?
The make-up was good in the alt life scenes. I like their chemistry and sorry to see Marie leave - having a happy captain in a healthy relationship was a nice change.
I'm having trouble remembering much else about this finale. It ended somberly and then restarted for a tiny button that was literally most of the SEASON'S TEASER TRAILER. I avoid trailers until after I've watched something and I watched that last night and I am SO GLAD because what?
Also: is the Chef Pike apron already for sale?
The editing this episode worked against all the drama. Why were we intercutting between the medical bay transporter discovery and Gamble's reveal? It drained all the surprise and excitement from the reveal - not that it was a huge reveal because no one on the show even remembers Gamble at this point.
They didn't even need the scene in the medical bay - the briefing after that gave the same info.
And Fletch, you're right - tying it into M'Benga's daughter would have been a FANTASTIC explanation for why they can't just revive every dead person by their last healthy transporter pattern. And lay lines - OKAY? These are different than subspace frequencies? Technobabble explanation for a stupid shortcut that would have been better DRAMATIZED. But we had to sit through a fake murder mystery instead.
Also, the fact that Scotty exposited that they had purged the evil orb months ago was really unsatisfying - if this is where we were headed, that should have been on camera. Also, Korby should have mentioned something about this plotline in his last appearance, that's he's still investigating the dead people - we can insult the soup, but not tie the season together?
There was another scene that was also edited really poorly and there was air where there shouldn't have been - right before Gamble grabs M'Benga and then Pike and Batel take so long to walk into the door that could explode the planet at any moment.
Speaking of: the door is about duality. How the hell did Pike and M'Benga get out without their respective other? Props to M'Benga, though - his fakeout worked on me, too.
Maybe it was the scene of Gamble encouraging all those aliens to gouge their own eyes out to make themselves homes for demons - the intercutting of that with the technobabble killed it. Also? Gamble - not really a strong actor, so maybe that's why.
This is an interesting idea for Batel but not one properly set up AT ALL. No one guessed it or saw it coming which was probably the writers' intention but that also makes it completely unsatisfying. And she's just totally okay becoming a statue FOREVER?
WHAT?
She is an upholder of justice, that we've established. But like - huh? And how did she know how to become a statue? Why didn't we work on a solution to destroy the prison entirely before sacrificing a Starfleet captain?
The make-up was good in the alt life scenes. I like their chemistry and sorry to see Marie leave - having a happy captain in a healthy relationship was a nice change.
I'm having trouble remembering much else about this finale. It ended somberly and then restarted for a tiny button that was literally most of the SEASON'S TEASER TRAILER. I avoid trailers until after I've watched something and I watched that last night and I am SO GLAD because what?
Also: is the Chef Pike apron already for sale?