I saw it coming (I thought each of those bumps would spike outward, not a single large blade, but still…) and still enjoyed the payoff.
I was expecting the ball to explode, but a hilarious injury was obviously going to be part of it.
I was totally caught off guard, because I thought the gag was that despite their saying the game was “not for humans”, it’s really just a boring, pointless game of hot potato. (A funny coda to the whole thing was learning that Ed actually “won”!)
ETA: One area where even within the loosey-goosey comic world of this show I thought they strained credulity was the idea that Mercer would drink that brown glop even after being told that it was a parasite.
I was kind of hoping the planet would appear and be utterly lifeless, the civilization having reached a 21st-century level of technology and, as the Drake Equation predicts, annihilated itself through nuclear war. The aliens say they colonized their “regular” universe, how many more 11-day skips before they can casually do the same to this one? Within six months maximum, our time, all it would take is one breakaway sect to decide they’d like to live as gods in this universe with all other life as their slaves, and they’ll have the tech to do it. Even those “zookeeper” aliens won’t stand a chance.
And evidently the people on the planet can see the transition (plus for a brief period, the visible constellations completely change). Compared to that, the one-time appearance of “Kelly” performing a fairly banal and small-scale “miracle” seems an unlikely basis for an entire faith. Seems to me she’d be at best the equivalent of a minor saint, not a full-blown deity.
"(snerk) ‘That’s an order!’"
“What?!?”
I was half-expecting the episode to end on a cliffhanger with the planet coming back into our universe devastated from nuclear war. “Orville to Isaac. Respond…Isaac?” (insert TO BE CONTINUED graphic here).
Question: how many of the “bronze age” people saw Kelly in her uniform? It is a little hard to believe that the description of Kelly would have passed down to the point where, 700 years later, she could reveal her uniform and everyone would know instantly that it was the same person-er, deity.
And never mind what happens 13 days from now; what is the size of the star in the other universe that can support life on a planet that size that has a 700-year orbit?
Maybe the planet orbits the other star 700 times (or for whatever number is the equivalent of 700 years to us) but on an eccentric precession so it only intersects the other universe’s anomsly at long intervals.
Or the other universe’s anomaly is also orbiting the star, and only intersects the planet at long (but by no means geological or astronomical - on those scales, 700 years is a blink) intervals.
I think Voyager’s “Blink of an Eye” was a better adaptation of “Dragon’s Egg”.
So it was basically Jaynestown meets Dragon’s Egg. Eh, I liked it anyway. Gotta say this is growing on me but I wonder if it’s only because I’m so ready for more Trek. Sticking with it anyway. Can someone who paid for Discovery tell me if that one is worth it?
I kinda feel the same way. I think potential problem for the show is Brannon Braga. He has good ideas, sometimes, but often marred by sloppy execution (Terra Nova, Threshold). What I’d like to see in season two is some thought put into the show’s mythology; a clearer picture of how the Union works with emphasis on military procedure. The introduction of more neighboring alien civilizations, hostile or friendly, would be welcome. I think the Krill could do with some tweaking if they’re going to be the main antagonists going forward. The show needs a series bible if it doesn’t have one already.
If it doesn’t include Qui Qui singing Twine Thine Eyen About Mine it ain’t no adaptation of Dragon’s Egg. (Well, techincally, that’s from Starquake, but still…)
Nope. And we get it on the Space network here in Canada.
It’s also interesting in that this is a prelude to Mercer fudging the report about Kelley interacting with the alien culture. He didn’t want to go to the doctor to get his hand fixed because he didn’t want the cause of his injury to be in the official record.
It suggests that his casual attitude towards proper procedure wasn’t just an artifact of his feelings for Kelley, it’s a fundamental part of who he is. And maybe now he’ll have to deal with that.
Did we miss one? Ep 12 is listed as the season-ender.
Anyway, this show has grown on me. Up until maybe the last five minutes, “Mad Idolatry” was, at least conceptually, the best yet. My only problem was that it seemed to let Ed and Kelly off the hook a bit too neatly, both regarding their influence on the planet and regarding the violation of the Union’s cultural contamination policy. Count me as another who was thinking the plot might have ended with a global nuclear war over Kelly vs. anti-Kelly factions, although that probably would have been way too dark (and, well, heavy-handed) for the general tone of the show.
Not that anyone cares, here are my top three from S1, in no particular order:
If the Stars Should Appear
Majority Rule
Mad Idolatry
Looking forward to S2, although maybe McFarlane should consider handing off more of the script duties, before he keels over from overwork.
I dunno, Futurama did something similar in the episode “Godfellas” and made mutual-assured-destruction funny.
Fox moved the last episode of the first season to the second season.
Sure why not.
Mercer and his ex-wife XO both should’ve realized right away that becoming lovers again was a very, very bad idea, even if Union policy permitted it. Too much risk of command decisions being influenced by sentiment; too awkward to remain on the same ship when and if they split up again.
I liked the alien pierced-hand hot-potato game (and Mercer won!). LaMarr vigorously shaking his head when the hot ensign invited the captain to stay was hilarious. Ditto Mercer mocking the admiral before she’d hung up.
The statue and stained-glass images of Kelly were 'way too detailed and accurate, given how briefly she’d been seen on the planet.
Couldn’t believe that the landing party proceeded with the ol’ stealing-clothes-from-the-clothesline plan after being spotted by the woman with the kid.
Nice idea to have Isaac stay behind for 700 years. His experiences could be a tie-in novel right there. Very strong parallels to this VGR ep, as Bryan noted: Blink of an Eye (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom
Definitely wish we’d see some real consequences for Mercer’s continued disobedience to direct orders from admirals (do we know the actual name of the Union’s space navy, BTW?).
I think my top three eps for S1 were:
“Into the Fold”
“Cupid’s Dagger”
“If the Stars Should Appear”
And maybe an honorary mention for “Krill.”
I’ll keep watching next season, despite many nitpicks.
Right down to the talking head debate over religious imagery in public schools.
Yeah, it was kinda odd that Mercer seemed completely unconcerned over that, even when he had Kelly borrow a healing device got hid hand. :dubious: Maybe parasite leaves his system after a short while (or just pleasurable in humans too).
Speaking of LaMarr; he’s called Chief now, but apparently is still doing his hold job on the bride? 
I did like that they implied he was just casually standing there in an open robe with his cock out. 
Funny, she didn’t* look *betrothed.