20th August, 2025: “Wedding Bell Blues” — The Intro.
Right, then: it’s officially Sunday lunchtime.
And … ?
I’m starting a post early.
Thursday gone, I caught the first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds new season, and came away impressed.
So I’m glad I got an early start on the things!
So … ?
That’s why I’m starting this post, early: it gives me more time to write the thing!
At any rate … ?
When I started the review of “Hegemony, Pt 2”, it was Thursday: and felt muggy.
Thunderously muggy.
It’s now Sunday … and we’ve had not a jot of lightning.
I’ll be overcoming my (mild) disappointment, by watching the next episode, “Wedding Bell Blues”, tonight.
Then writing about it …
Then publishing what I’ve written, by Wednesday, 23rd July, at the latest.
Hopefully?
Both written and video reviews will be worth your time.
20th July, 2025.Part One: the Summary.
Episode 2 — “Wedding Bell Blues” — opens with with a summary of the relationship to date, between Spock (Ethan Peck) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush): showing us its ups and downs.
And showing us their informal agreement to separate: whilst Christine attends a course.
The scene shifts. To show us Spock, dictating his personal log, some three months after the Enterprise has docked at Starbase One for repairs: repairs needed after the ship’s run-in with the Gorn.
Spock reminds us that it’s Federation Day: the anniversary of the founding of the Federation, and a cause for celebration … especially as Nurse Chapel is due to return.
Unfortunately for Spock … ?
A very happy Nurse Chapel arrives with Dr Roger Korby (Cillian O’Sullivan) in tow.
The reason Nurse Chapel is cheerful is quite simple.
Dr Korby is her new boyfriend.
Someone isn’t happy about that: and it’s not necessarily who you think …
~≈🖖≈~
21st July, 2025.Part Two: Thoughts.
Now what did I make of “Wedding Bell Blues”?
Of an episode that’s the first romantic comedy I can recall Star Trek doing … since “Looking for par’Mach in All the Wrong Places”.
For starters: yes “Wedding Bell Blues” is a romantic comedy.
The past couple of series have told us:
- T’Pring’s engaged to Spock.
- Spock’s in love with her … and ALSO in love with Nurse Chapel.
- Christine Chapel… ? Has moved on from Spock: and, after spending three months with him, has utterly fallen for Dr Korby!
- Doctor Korby isn’t keen on the wedding plans!
You can tell there’s going to be issues, can’t you … ?
We see that from near enough the start of the episode: when the crew hold a welcoming party for Nurse Chapel and her new partner.
Bush and O’Sullivan are your classic honeymooning couple: and played by both as such.
Ethan Peck shows us exactly how Spock is feeling: in the initial party scene, and in a later one, where he punches Roger Korby.
The crew are genuinely happy for their co-worker: but very aware there’s a very upset Vulcan, who’s keeping out of the way … whilst trying not to spoil the party atmosphere.
Casual viewers of the Star Trek franchise will tell you that Vulcans are all about logic, and have a lack of emotion.
Fans of the show will tell you differently.
They’ll tell you this: that Vulcans have emotions, but are usually better at restraining them …
Unless they’re ill.
Or disturbed.
Or stressed.
Getting dumped can be very stressful … !
~≈🖖≈~
22nd July, 2025.Part Three: More Thoughts.
There’s probably a lot more we can say about this episode.
Certainly, there’s a few things that caught my eye.
First things, first … Rhys Darby …
Rhys Darby, in case you didn’t know, plays the villain of the piece: the being who the episode only identifies as ‘the wedding planner’ but who IMDb, and Wikipedia, identify as Trelane.
In other words, as the villain from the Classic series episode, “The Squire of Gothos”.
The episode even repeats the climax of the original series episode: by showing us that Darby’s character is an adolescent member of his species.
When his father — unnamed in the credits but voiced by the oh-so-identifiable voice of John de Lancie, Q, himself — comes to take him away.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.
It is, after all, a repeat of an earlier character, and an earlier plot point.
To counter that … ?
It’s a very well done re-use: a lot better done than similar repeats in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Discovery.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Four: A Plot Point.
There’s another plot point, as well.
At the end of this episode, we watch Captain Pike: a Captain noticing his pilot, Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) refusing to dance.
Refusing politely, but in a way that’s unusually retiring for such a gregarious woman.
Possibly?
The Enterprise’s chief pilot is tired.
Or not in the mood for a party.
Or, more accurately, has a lot on her mind.
We see her quietly leaving the party, then angrily working out on the punchbag, at the ship’s gym: the look on Erica’s face tells us to be glad she’s not punching us.
We then see the ghost that’s haunting Erica’s memory, reflected in the glass of a porthole.
A Gorn …
Erica … ?
Has been more damaged by being a Gorn prisoner, more damaged than she’s letting on.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Five: Observations.
What else can I tell you about this episode?
There’s possibly a few things.
One thing occurs to me.
Erica Ortegas has been deeply wounded.
Deeply wounded: it occurs to me that she’s been left with a severe case of PTSD, of post-traumatic stress-disorder, and that this will be spun out over the rest of this third series.
Will it see her leaving?
I hope not. Even though we know Ortegas is eventually replaced as ship’s pilot by Hikaru Sulu: I’d prefer to see her remain in the show.
She gets some of the funniest lines!
But?
Sensitively done, seeing Erica deal with mental health issues would make for a good story: and raise awareness of the subject.
Again, let me stress the important words, there: sensitively done.
We will have to wait and see.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Six: More Observations.
There’s more.
The relationship between Spock and Christine has turned a corner.
They’re no longer lovers, but friends: at least that’s how Peck and Bush seem to have played the relationship at the end.
That’s a good way to take things, I think.
At least, it broadly matches my dim and distant memories of how Majel Barrett and Leonard Nimoy played the pair in the original series.
There’s a couple of minor points, as well.
Yes: “Wedding Bell Blues” is an old-fashioned romantic comedy.
I’m not usually a fan of them: but the episode is funny.
The bit that made me really laugh?
Was when I recognised John de Lancie’s voice … about a second into his dialogue!
That made me both laugh … and yell “Oh, you’re f@≈ing joking!”
The last point … ?
Toward’s the end of the episode, Scotty and M’Benga (Martin Quinn and Babs Olusanmokun) are at the bar: and it’s Scotty’s round.
So Scotty orders two pints of Guinness: one for him, one for the Doctor.
What they get?
Those aren’t Guinnesses.
Trust me, those aren’t Guinnesses.
I was a barman for at least a decade: and pride myself on knowing how to do the two-part pour, and draw shamrocks in the head, and — importantly — what the stuff looks like.
Something like this, in other words:
Don’t get me started on the differences between a US, and a UK, pint*.
Whatever ever Scotty got, isn’t draught Guinness!
It’s possibly the bottled stuff: but it’s not draught.
The head — the froth — is just wrong, for a start …
~≈🖖≈~
Part Seven: Finally.
So … what did I make of “Wedding Bell Blues”?
What did I make of an episode that’s an unashamed romantic comedy?
Of an episode that I felt myself laughing at, more than once, whilst recognising its darker elements?
Of an episode that is has at least one severely annoying technical error — the Guinness! — that’s going to bother me for years?
I loved it!
And think you will, too!
~≈🖖≈~
Part Eight: Last Words.
Right …
That is where I’m going to leave things, for now.
Well … bar asking you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and maybe dropping a few pence in my Tip Jar.
The only other thing I should add … ?
Is simply this: that I’m going to be watching the next episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Thursday, 24th July, and publishing my written and video reviews by the following Saturday.
I’ll see you then.
“Wedding Bell Blues”.★★★★⁺
* A US pint is sixteen imperial fluid ounces: roughly 473 millilitres. A UK pint is some twenty: about 568ml. If someone tells you Americans can’t hold their beer, that’s part of the reason why …
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