In musical terms, a rhapsody is a single movement musical piece, characterized by a free-flowing structure where moods and tones can vary considerably, flowing in and out of each one. It is derived from the Greek rhapsōidia, in turn derived from rhaptein (to stitch) and ōidē (song/ode): literally, a stitched together song - with ode also meaning a poem/song of praise. A rhapsody can also mean an ecstatic, enthusiastic expression of emotion. The songs in this episode were written by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce of Letters to Cleo.

The Stardate is 2398.3. This is the first time a ā€œsubspace foldā€ has been mentioned on screen, but it is a shipā€™s ability in Star Trek Online which allows a starship to be propelled 6.66 ly forward. In essence, rather like a geodesic fold (VOY: ā€œInside Manā€), itā€™s a shortcut through space - or in this case, subspace.

Usually routine shipā€™s comms are handled by the computer, so as all resources are being devoted to Spockā€™s theory, Uhura has to route them manually like an old-timey phone operator.

As previously established, Jim Kirk is serving on the USS Farragut (TOS: ā€œObsessionā€), where he has just become XO. Chapelā€™s message is from her future fiancĆ© Dr. Roger Korby (TOS: ā€œWhat Are Little Girls Made Of?ā€), regarding her fellowship in archeological medicine at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Crivo is a Portuguese word meaning ā€œsieveā€, for what itā€™s worth. Batel mentions the Crivian Planetary Museum, Glass Islands and Smoke Lakes.

Una notices Laā€™Anā€™s anxiousness at Jimā€™s arrival. Laā€™An had a brief encounter with the Kirk of an alternate timeline in SNW: ā€œTomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrowā€, something which the Prime Kirk is unaware of.

Mā€™Benga calls Korby the Louis Pasteur of Archeological Medicine, a term Spock repeats in ā€œWhat Are Little Girls Made Of?ā€.

It was noted in SNW: ā€œLift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reachā€ that the speed of subspace radio is 52,000c, and requires relays as subspace radio signals degrade over distance. According to the TNG Tech Manual, in the 24th Century subspace radio has a speed of Warp 9.9997, or approximately 79,000c, but still has an upper range of 22.65 ly, necessitating relays at 20 ly intervals (or a sectorā€™s length, given the size expressed in Geoffery Mandelā€™s Star Charts).

Uhura first selects Cole Porterā€™s 1934 song ā€œAnything Goesā€, which geeks will probably best know as the opening number to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (albeit in very badly pronounced Mandarin). The version she plays sounds to me like Eileen Rogersā€™ from the 1962 Anything Goes cast album.

LT Jenna Mitchell is at the Ops/Navigation position on the bridge. The bosunā€™s whistle signals Pikeā€™s arrival on the bridge. Mitchell reports no other ships in the sector despite a ship apparently having just dropped off Jim.

The effect is not just limited to singing, but is making the crew do choreography as well. Having an outside force forcing characters to perform musical theatre is of course best known from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: ā€œOnce More With Feelingā€, but that was from a supernatural cause.

The theme song from the titles is rearranged as a choral piece, like the title sequence was animated for the LD crossover, ā€œThose Old Scientistsā€.

The bunny conversation is too specific not to be a reference to the song ā€œIā€™ve Got a Theoryā€ from ā€œOnce More With Feelingā€ , where a whole verse is devoted to how the explanation for the phenomenon could be bunnies. Or maybe midgets. Uhura even says later, ā€œI have a theory.ā€

The idea that a subspace fissure can lead to different quantum realities was first presented in TNG: ā€œParallelsā€, where Worf passed through one that kept shifting him into different parallels. None of them were musical, sadly.

The Heisenberg compensator is a technobabble component invented for TNG by Michael Okuda and Rick Sternbach, in order to explain how the transporter would work with Heisenbergā€™s Uncertainty Principle, since that states that it is impossible know the momentum and position of a given particle simultaneously, which would severely hamper the transporterā€™s functions. How the compensator works is purposely left vague, and the usual jokey answer is, ā€œ[It works] very well, thank you.ā€

Una says sheā€™s aware of her reputation, but trying a new approach. In SNW: ā€œSpock Amokā€ she learned that she and Laā€™An were known as ā€œWhere Fun Goes to Dieā€, but in that episode both learned to cut loose a bit by playing ā€œEnterprise Bingoā€. We found out in ST: ā€œQ & Aā€ that Una had a secret passion for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. This became a matter of public record when Spock revealed it to the Court in SNW: ā€œAd Astra Per Asperaā€.

Christina Chong has just released her first EP, ā€œTwin Flamesā€. While weā€™re at it, Celia Rose Gooding became famous making her Broadway debut in Jagged Little Pill, Rebecca Romijn has covered ā€œDarling Nikkiā€ for a Prince tribute album and Carole Kane has played Madame Morrible in Wicked.

Laā€™Anā€™s fear of losing control is tied to her fear about her Augmented heritage and that she could be a potential Khan. The watch she holds is from the past, which she and alt-Kirk used to track down a cold fusion reactor in 21st Century Toronto. She flashes back to the night she and alt-Kirk spent in a hotel, imagining if it turned out differently (ā€œTomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrowā€).

I think this is the first time that weā€™ve heard Batelā€™s first name, which is Marie. The map showing the subspace network shows the fissure in proximity to Cajitar (SNW: ā€œThe Broken Circleā€) which is appropriately marked with both Federation and Klingon colors. We also see listed the USS Lexington (NCC-1709), Kongo (NCC-1710), Republic (NCC-1371) and Farragut (NCC-1647). The first two are Constitution-class ships - the Lexington was first listed on a chart in TOS: ā€œCourt Martialā€. The USS Republic was one of Jim Kirkā€™s first ship assignments (also mentioned in ā€œCourt Martialā€) as an Ensign.

The Kongo, named after the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kongō, originates from a behind the scenes list of Constitution-class (then named ā€œStarshipā€-class) ships in TOS but first listed in Franz Josephā€™s Starfleet Technical Manual before finally making its way on-screen in ST VI. Spock also wore a Kongo pin in SNW: ā€œMemento Moriā€ for Starfleet Remembrance Day, indicating he once served on her.

Also on the map: the Persephone system (ā€œChildren of the Cometā€), Eminiar (in FGC-321) (TOS: ā€œA Taste of Armageddonā€), Marjalis (SNW: ā€œLift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reachā€), Beta Tauri (TOS: ā€œThe Galileo Sevenā€, not named in the episode but identified in Star Charts), Gamma Tauri and Delphi Ardu (TNG: ā€œThe Last Outpostā€), Harlak (DIS: ā€œThe Wolf Insideā€) and Forcas (TNG: ā€œParallelsā€).

Later we see on a wider-view chart, on the Federation side, Janus (TOS: ā€œThe Devil in the Darkā€), Wurna Minor (DIS: ā€œDespite Yourselfā€), Davlos (DS9: ā€œVisionaryā€), Oryb-J and the Jā€™Gal Moon (SNW: ā€œUnder the Cloak of Warā€), Hetemit (SNW: ā€œGhosts of Illyriaā€), Cygnet (TOS: ā€œTomorrow is Yesterdayā€), Cait (home of the Caitians from TAS). On the Klingon side, Boreth (TNG: ā€œBirthrightā€), Tribble Prime (DIS: ā€œAn Obol for Charonā€), and a few others I canā€™t make out.

When Una sings ā€œthe secrets you keep safe inside / might keep you awake and cut like a knifeā€, the camera focuses on Mā€™Benga, recalling the events of ā€œUnder the Cloak of Warā€. Her ability to keep secrets is from years of concealing her Illyrian heritage.

Una disengages the artificial gravity in the ready room. Weā€™ve seen in ENT: ā€œIn a Mirror, Darklyā€ that gravity can be varied in selected parts of the ship, as well as on Deep Space Nine in DS9: ā€œMeloraā€. Shuttlebays in particular were variable gravity areas (signage in TNG).

Laā€™An calls the Klingon ship a Kā€™tā€™inga-class. This is a slight anachronism, as the Kā€™tā€™inga-class, first seen in TMP and named in Roddenberryā€™s novelization, is supposed to be a distinct and more advanced version of the D7-class battlecruiser commonly seen in TOS. We could handwave it away as Temporal War shenanigans or being one of the first advanced models introduced or both. Laā€™An is correct that the Kā€™tā€™inga has an aft torpedo launcher (as opposed to the D7ā€™s forward-only launcher).

Jim says heā€™s in the on-phase of an on-again off-again relationship and he names Carol, i.e. Carol Marcus (ST II), the mother of his son David. He says Carol is based on Starbase One and pregnant. This sort of tracks with a comic story by Howard Weinstein (ā€œStar-Crossedā€, Star Trek Vol 2, #73-#75, DC Comics), where David is conceived in 2260 when Carol and Kirk are serving together on the USS Eagle. That being said, thereā€™s another relationship we know Jim was having around this time, with Janet Wallace (TOS: ā€œThe Deadly Yearsā€), which would end in 2261, so maybe sheā€™s the rebound after Carol.

The one-eyed Klingon General Garkog is played by Bruce Horak (a.k.a. the late Chief Engineer Hemmer).

Immediately after the grand finale we hear the traditional Alexander Courage arrangement of the Star Trek TOS theme. Batel says sheā€™s being put on a priority one mission, which will probably tie into the season finale.

Spock engages in Klingon diplomacy over bloodwine, as he did in ā€œThe Broken Circleā€ (hopefully his hangover isnā€™t as bad this time). The USS Nimerfro is likely named after Scott Nimerfro, who co-wrote VOY: ā€œJetrelā€ and also was an associate producer on X-Men with Rebecca Romijn. Nimerfro passed away from cancer in 2016.

  • SpunkyBarnes@geddit.social
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    1 year ago

    Fabulous post! Loved the deets on the musical chops various cast have, as well as the roots of rhapsody to get us started.

    The episode itself, which Iā€™m watching now, is not what I expected and your post is thoroughly appreciated.