How have you been sleeping this past week, fellow Trekkies? From what I\u2019ve seen online, \u201cThe Griffin Incident\u201d scared the $*%! out of all of us last week. This week\u2019s episode, \u201cHuman Best Friend,\u201d provides a much-needed palate cleanser for Strange New Worlds<\/em>\u2018 fourth season with lots of laughs and enough Easter eggs to keep the kids busy for hours.<\/p>\n The crew of the Enterprise<\/em> is burned out. They were already tired when the season began, but after traveling back in time 65 million years and whatever you want to call what happened on the Griffin<\/em>, they\u2019ve reached their breaking points. While Beta and Gamma shifts were able to be granted some shore leave, Alpha shift hasn\u2019t yet had the luxury.<\/p>\n While en route to the Rodaxian System to host a series of peace talks that could unite a planet, Number One \/ Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) lets Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) know in no uncertain terms that Alpha shift desperately needs a break. Now<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Security Chief Lieutenant La\u2019an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) is ready to throw down with anyone who breathes the wrong way.<\/p>\n Her situationship, Science Officer Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), is trying desperately to keep La\u2019an from having to send herself to the brig.<\/p>\n Chief Medical Officer Doctor Joseph M\u2019Benga (Babs Olusankamun) \u201cneeds to loosen up,\u201d according to the First Officer.<\/p>\n Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) is nothing more than a raw nerve that everyone is getting on.<\/p>\n Worst of all, Scotty and Ortegas are having\u2026 interpersonal conflict<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Engineer Lieutenant Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn) and Pilot Lieutenant Erica \u201cI Fly the Ship\u201d Ortegas (Melissa Navia) are each recording their personal logs, and we learn that their tension has little to do with their workload. Ortegas\u2019s \u201cfancy flying\u201d everyone loves so much is also the junior engineer\u2019s nightmare. Every time she pushes the engines harder than she has to, it\u2019s up to Scotty to fix and\/or replace every component she burns out. Scotty retaliates by setting up alerts to go off on Ortegas\u2019s helm console every time she\u2019s about to burn something out. Ortegas then retaliates by covering up Scotty\u2019s alerts and ignoring them.<\/p>\n And each one is taking it personally.<\/p>\n Alpha shift gathers in Captain Pike\u2019s Ready Room to learn that there\u2019s a pleasure planet that isn\u2019t Risa along the way, Cesnar Grand. According to the video brochure\u2019s host, Dendru (Dave Foley), there\u2019s a little something for everyone to help them relax and enjoy themselves. Oh, by the way, leave the gadgets at home; Cesnar Grand happens to be a tech-free zone.<\/p>\n Of course, every brochure has its fine print. Dendru mentions something about effects wearing off shortly after leaving, and that landing on the planet is tacit agreement to all the terms and conditions, blah-blah-blah, lots of really tiny print flashes across the screen. That wasn\u2019t important, right?<\/p>\n The workaholics, Uhura and Scotty, immediately protest that they still have a lot of work to do. No worries, kids; they have two weeks to prepare for the peace talks, and even if they stop at Cesnar Grand, that still gives them a week to get their work done.<\/p>\n Ortegas, on the other hand, knows a good time when she sees one, and she enthusiastically agrees with her commander\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n Ever cautious, the phrase \u201cintoxicating atmosphere\u201d used in the brochure caught Spock\u2019s attention. Chapel, already familiar with the resort, explains that the air itself literally gets you\u2026 let\u2019s go with intoxicated.<\/p>\n (Author\u2019s Note: I really hope this planet exists, and I get to go there someday.)<\/p>\n Captain Pike and the rest of Alpha shift climb into a shuttlecraft and head down to the not-Risa pleasure planet. On the way, Scotty takes the opportunity to tell Ortegas everything she\u2019s doing wrong with the shuttle that he\u2019ll have to fix later. To add insult to injury, Ortegas deliberately sets the shuttle down hard, giving Scotty one more thing to fix.<\/p>\n (By the way, the two workaholics who didn\u2019t want to go on vacation to a tech-free zone snuck a couple of tricorders in their bags.)<\/p>\n Fortunately, the air works fast. When the door opens, the crew begins counting down from ten. By the time they reach seven, they\u2019re giggling. When they reach five, they start hearing colors. Once they reach one\u2026 well, we\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n The next scenario should feel very familiar. Most of us have been here.<\/p>\n Ortegas wakes up the next morning with a pounding headache, a cast on her arm, and no memory of what happened the night before. A quick glance around the room looks like Star Trek: Lower Decks\u2019<\/em> \u201cParth Ferengi\u2019s Heart Place\u201d meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas<\/em>. The room is trashed (not to mention full of Star Trek<\/em> Easter eggs), and she has an epic hangover.<\/p>\n Erica realizes she isn\u2019t alone when the mugato (mugatu? mugutu? whatever) she trips over starts yelling with a distinct Scottish accent. Just as she\u2019s about to wrap her head around waking up in a strange room with Scotty dressed in a mugato suit, there\u2019s a knock at the door.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the host himself, Dendru, with an urgent message for their captain. Since Cesnar Grand is a tech-free zone, the message is on a good old-fashioned piece of paper in an envelope. When Ortegas starts to cry bait-and-switch, Dendru very politely informs them that negative emotions may counteract the effects of the intoxicating atmosphere and reminds them that when they landed, they automatically accepted the terms and conditions in the brochure, and all this is in the fine print, well, micro print, that you totally blew past when you decided to take your shore leave here, and it\u2019s all very legally binding, so good luck!<\/p>\n Great. Now, the Alpha shift pilot of the U.S.S. Enterprise<\/em> has to spend the rest of her shore leave babysitting a still-drunk-from-last-night engineer she\u2019s got beef with and deliver a note to its captain. On the journey to piece together what happened the night before, Scotty and Ortegas (Scortegas?) they learn a lot about their shipmates, themselves, and each other.<\/p>\n The first stop on the pair\u2019s quest for answers is Spock\u2019s room. At first glance, he seems fine, although he does apologize for a mess no one sees. Unfortunately, Spock can\u2019t help them; he\u2019s been hallucinating a manifestation of Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and they\u2019ve been playing board games all night. Spock theorized that it might be some side effect of their recent mind meld when they shared each other\u2019s consciousness. Whatever the reason, in spite of his calm exterior, it\u2019s freaking Spock out.<\/p>\n He does have one clue for them, though: At one point, he heard Ortegas running down the hall yelling, \u201cI got the dragon!<\/em>\u201d While Spock didn\u2019t know what dragon she was referring to, it was a start.<\/p>\n Both Ortegas and Scotty admitted they didn\u2019t see James Kirk in the room with them (unless he\u2019s cloaked<\/em>), so of course Kirk pops around the corner as soon as they leave the room, which causes Spock to freak out again. The last time he hallucinated, his ex-fianc\u00e9e tried to mutilate him, so what was Kirk\u2019s purpose? Kirk sees his friend in obvious distress and comforts him the best way he knows how \u2013 with a deep, long, intimate hug.<\/p>\n The next stop on Scortegas\u2019s journey leads them to Uhura\u2019s room, where an epic rager is taking place. Not only that, but Uhura has ditched the uniform and is looking absolutely fierce. She has embraced her inner chill and is showing signs of that unflappable badass she\u2019s becoming. She won\u2019t let them in, though, because she doesn\u2019t want their negative energy harshing her buzz.<\/p>\n Uhura can\u2019t help them, either, because, as she put it, \u201cIt\u2019s not my journey to know.\u201d This means their journey must continue. She also plants the Scortegas seed by off-handedly mentioning how good it is to see them working together for a change. Ortegas was about to argue that point, but she\u2019s still babysitting Scotty, and he just became a flight risk.<\/p>\n Now, she has to track him down, too.<\/p>\n Finding Scotty proved much easier than finding their elusive commanding officer. Scotty was getting his groove on at the bar, where Dr. M\u2019Benga(?) was serving him drinks. Sure, why not? When Scotty asks what the doctor poured him, M\u2019Benga\u2019s response was simply, \u201cIt\u2019s green.\u201d Hmm\u2026 where have we heard that one before?<\/p>\n M\u2019Benga is not a good bartender. He\u2019s trying some flashy, Cocktail<\/em>-style bartender moves but failing miserably. He doesn\u2019t care, though; dexterity is crucial for his job on the Enterprise<\/em>, but at Cesnar Grand, it doesn\u2019t matter if he drops something. To him, clumsiness is a luxury he usually can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n Wait\u2026 Is that \u201cTotal Eclipse of the Heart\u2026\u201d in Klingon?<\/p>\n It sure is. Those of us who grew up during the 1980s\/early 1990s remember a glorious sub-genre of music called the power ballad<\/strong>. Artists wearing more hairspray and makeup than my mom screamed their emotions into a microphone while guitars wailed away loudly on slow jams. It was magical.<\/p>\n To paraphrase a quote from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country<\/em>, \u201cYou haven\u2019t experienced power ballads until you\u2019ve heard them in the original Klingon.\u201d Ortegas and Scotty were hearing them coming from their XO, who usually favors works by Gilbert and Sullivan (ah ha!). Not at the Cesnar Grand, though; Una is pouring her heart into Klingon power ballads (or as Scotty calls them, \u201cwarrior songs\u201d). All 15 of them.<\/p>\n A good Number One knows where their captain is at all times. Luckily, Ortegas and Scotty caught Una between sets, and she knew where to find Captain Pike.<\/p>\n In a tattoo parlor.<\/p>\n Drunken tattooing is a proud naval tradition that seems to have survived into the 23rd century. While it\u2019s never a good idea, Pike\u2019s suggestion of a face tattoo is quickly dismissed. It\u2019s at this point when Scotty mentions that he, too, has a \u201csecret tattoo\u201d no one knows about, but no, no one wants to see it right now.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve reached the end of their journey when Ortegas hands Pike the letter. Pike is so enamored with the paper and envelope that he suggests using them on the Enterprise<\/em> just to mess with Uhura.<\/p>\n The party\u2019s over when Pike reads the note. Someone called the Rodaxians and invited them to Cesnar Grand to start the talks now. All that time they thought they had to prepare has gone from two weeks to two hours. Pike orders the duo to get the shuttle ready while he rounds up the rest of Alpha shift to head back to the ship. Like Uhura, Pike also comments on how nice it is to see Scortegas in action and encourages them to keep that energy going.<\/p>\n Scortegas successfully completed their first challenge when they found Pike and delivered the note. Now, their challenge is to find the shuttle. Simple enough, right?<\/p>\n Not on shore leave.<\/p>\n The Cesnar Grand parking structure is set up like its own little video game, but when the duo check the spot where their shuttle is supposed to be parked, it\u2019s not there. According to Scotty, whoever has the Geotronic Processing Chip (car keys) has to be the one who moved it. When they ask the apathetic parking attendant, she casually informs them that she gave the Geotronic Processing Chip\u2026 to Scotty, who can\u2019t remember what he did with it.<\/p>\n Now, they have another challenge: Find the Geotronic Processing Chip (car keys) and the shuttlecraft all while babysitting still-drunk Scotty.<\/p>\n Ortegas is going to need a vacation from her vacation.<\/p>\n If they find the shuttle, they can use its scanners to find the chip, so they decide to look for the shuttle first. Back to the bar to strategize.<\/p>\n The pair of unwilling detectives realize that if they had a tricorder, they could interface with the resort\u2019s security system and use it to find their shuttle. Workaholic Scotty snuck his tricorder with him to the not-Risa pleasure planet, but oops, he left it on the shuttle, which is exactly what they need it for. They remember that Scotty isn\u2019t the only workaholic on Alpha shift, so back to Uhura\u2019s party they go to borrow hers.<\/p>\n Uhura\u2019s party is still in progress (and she is still looking fierce). Unfortunately, it\u2019s not her journey to share her tricorder with Ortegas and Scotty. Scotty, using perfect drunken logic, counters with the suggestion that it is<\/em> her journey to help them on theirs. Uhura likes the sound of that, but before she can agree to it, the pilot and engineer must first clear the negative energy between them.<\/p>\n Before Ortegas can object, Scotty takes the path of least resistance and suggests they just get it over with. He turns to Ortegas and gives her a semi-sincere apology for criticizing her piloting. Ortegas starts her apology by addressing Scotty as \u201cMonty,\u201d but we quickly learn he does not<\/em> like to be called that. Ortegas, to her credit, corrects herself and offers her semi-sincere apology for doubting his engineering skills. Oh, yeah\u2026 Scortegas is starting to come together.<\/p>\n Uhura gives her stamp of approval and agrees to let them borrow her tricorder. She\u2019s going to regret that decision, though. They leave the party, and Scotty searches for the shuttle, which he quickly finds. In his drunken wisdom, he tosses the tricorder to Erica to show her, but she\u2019s nowhere near where he thought she was, and the tricorder goes over the balcony and smashes on the ground below. Scotty is obviously a better engineer than he is an athlete.<\/p>\n On to Plan B. They can sneak into the security office and hack into the terminal to locate their missing shuttle. Scotty confesses he\u2019s in no shape to hack anything, so they decide to try to enlist Spock\u2019s help again. Even if he is as incapacitated as he says he is, he\u2019s still a better option than anyone else in their party.<\/p>\n Ortegas and Scotty return to Spock\u2019s room to find him pretty much the way they left him and are able to convince him to help. He follows them to the security office where they don\u2019t see a terminal, but they do see a houseplant in the middle of a desk. Spock believes the resort is using photosynthetic technology and attempts a mind meld with a plant.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mind to your leaves. My thoughts to your root system.\u201d<\/p>\n It actually works.<\/p>\n The Ficus actually shows Spock exactly where their shuttle is: on the roof, behind the resort\u2019s billboard. That solves one problem but brings up another one; a biker gang has claimed the roof as their turf. They\u2019re going to need back-up.<\/p>\n Spock taps out; he\u2019s still hallucinating. Sure, he may seem fine, but when Ortegas and Scotty press him on it, he asks them if they\u2019re both plants right now. Nope, Spock isn\u2019t an option, but he does recommend enlisting La\u2019an\u2019s help. Apparently, she\u2019s found ways to release some of that pent-up aggression, and she\u2019s frightening some of the other tourists.<\/p>\n Once again, James Kirk pops out from around a corner. Spock is really freaking out now; there\u2019s a lot going on inside that big brain of his, and it needs to come out. He has to talk to someone but admits he doesn\u2019t know how to. He\u2019s never had what he calls a \u201cHuman Best Friend.\u201d In fact, Star Trek<\/em> canon tells us he never had many friends at all growing up. Kirk tells him what he\u2019s really talking about is someone he can trust to be vulnerable with and promises he\u2019ll be that friend. Since Kirk isn\u2019t really there, anyway, Spock relents and begins to open up to him.<\/p>\n Ortegas and Scotty find La\u2019an in the process of turning a relaxing yoga class into an anbo-jyutsu self-defense class, and her students are\u2026 nervous. They didn\u2019t sign up for this, but no one is brave\/dumb enough to tell her that. They\u2019re saved when Ortegas and Scotty explain their situation, and La\u2019an, still itching for a fight, agrees to help.<\/p>\n They get to the roof and find the biker gang waiting for them. La\u2019an quickly steps in and fights their leader for dominance, easily beating the crap out of him (maybe he likes it?). Now, however, she needs something to justify giving them the shuttle, even though the gang would have just given it to them in the first place. La\u2019an grabs Scotty\u2019s shirt and tells them she\u2019ll explain that it has some sort of deep Earth cultural significance. Well, of course it does; it\u2019s Scotty\u2019s favorite shirt. The relationship between a man and his favorite shirt has been known to be sacrosanct. Unimpressed, La\u2019an holds the shirt high in triumph, and Ortegas and Scotty can finally get to the shuttle.<\/p>\n Now that they\u2019ve found the shuttle, they need to find the Geotronic Processing Chip. That\u2019s going to be harder than they thought, since all of Scotty\u2019s tools are scattered all over the cabin, and someone has been messing with the console. Not to worry; one Fonzie-style pound on the console, and it perks right up. The chip turns out to be really close, but it\u2019s moving away, then it\u2019s closer again. Ortegas has hidden it in her cast (for some reason). The why isn\u2019t important, though; they found it, and now they can go back to the ship.<\/p>\n Not so fast.<\/p>\n Two mysterious individuals throw black cloths over Ortegas and Scotty\u2019s heads, knock them out, and kidnap them.<\/p>\n The pair wake up each bound to a chair with the cloths still over their heads, which causes still-drunk Scotty to panic, believing the kidnappers also stole his eyeballs. A very disappointingly-sober Ortegas reminds him of the cloth, and they each shake theirs off, falling to the floor in the process.<\/p>\n We suddenly get more of a back story on Scotty\u2019s character than we ever have. He explains to Erica that he grew up with six brothers (and a sister, right?), four of whom were adopted, but all of whom used to blame him for everything. Ortegas confesses she used to get her brother, Beto, in trouble on purpose, too. They also learned that each of their moms encouraged them to keep open hearts and love people as much as they could. They had more in common than they thought.<\/p>\n Their moment was interrupted by Dendru, who explained that they asked him, no, begged him, to keep them away from the shuttle. Kidnap them if they have to, which, of course, they did. This is really a full-service resort.<\/p>\n When asked why, Dendru explained that it wasn\u2019t his journey to know that. He also explained, while he freed the pair, that he used to be angry a lot like Erica, but he changed his perspective and encouraged her to do the same. Maybe he has a point.<\/p>\n Before they left, Dendru asked if Ortegas and Scotty could please look in on their shipmate in Room C. Things were about to go down.<\/p>\n Bingo is not a game for the faint of heart. The little old ladies who play take it very seriously. They know the rules (and how to get around them), and they don\u2019t like losing to strangers.<\/p>\n This is where we find Chapel \u2013 the Bingo room. She\u2019s been on a winning streak, and the locals won\u2019t stand for much more of that. The Enterprise<\/em>\u2018s head nurse has been antagonizing three seemingly-harmless old women (until their eyes glow red and they bare their fangs) to the point where they\u2019re all on a first-name basis. Chapel jumps onto the table and challenges the ladies to bring it on.<\/p>\n Suddenly, La\u2019an and her new biker gang friends burst in; they heard there was a fight. News travels fast.<\/p>\n Ortegas and Scotty realize they need to defuse the situation fast, so they grab their shipmates and run out of there with La\u2019an still crying, \u201cAvenge me!\u201d<\/p>\n The crew, finally gathered, climb into the shuttle and head back to the ship. Pike reminds them that the vacation is over, and they\u2019re back on duty. No matter how drunk they are, they are still Starfleet officers and will conduct themselves accordingly. And yes, this is very common in the U.S. Navy. I have personally driven a billion-dollar warship out of a harbor still drunk from the night before. I don\u2019t recommend it.<\/p>\n Back on the Enterprise<\/em> and in uniform, Pike and his Number One arrive in the transporter room to greet the Rodaxians. Pike has to give a speech later, but he\u2019s not worried about it; he got it tattooed on his face and hands so he wouldn\u2019t forget it. The Rodaxians won\u2019t notice, right?<\/p>\n The atmospheric intoxication clearly hasn\u2019t worn off yet as Pike and Una shield their eyes from the light of the transporter beam. The Rodaxians greet the two officers with, \u201cFormal hello,\u201d thank Pike for his hospitality, and express their confusion regarding Pike\u2019s eagerness to start the talks so soon. This causes Una to chuckle and mutter that she expected nothing less from her commanding officer. The Rodaxians don\u2019t understand what\u2019s happening and ask Una if she\u2019s all right, to which she replies, \u201cFormal peachy.\u201d<\/p>\n That went well.<\/p>\n There\u2019s still a shuttle to repair, so Scotty heads down to the shuttlebay to get to work. To Scotty\u2019s surprise, Ortegas is already there working on the shuttle. Scotty begins working on the console next to her, and they begin to open up to each other.<\/p>\n Ortegas wanted to be an engineer when she joined the Academy but couldn\u2019t get past Intro to Impulse Mechanics. She found her calling, though, and became the pilot we all know, but when Scotty started nit-picking at her flying, she took it personally.<\/p>\n Scotty, on the other hand, tries to avoid the helm as much as possible. During his academy days, he crashed seven shuttlecraft (now eight if you add the one from the Stardiver<\/em> he crashed in \u201cHegemony, Part I\u201d), so he\u2019s always been a little jealous of pilots.<\/p>\n Of course, they have more in common than they thought.<\/p>\n Their sweet moment is interrupted, however, when Scotty opens a panel and finds something that shouldn\u2019t be there \u2013 a bomb. He recognizes that the bomb has a reactive casing, meaning if he lets go, it goes off. Ortegas runs to find a little help from her friends.<\/p>\n Her friends are watching Captain Pike contort himself to read the speech tattooed on his hands and still aren\u2019t sober yet. Ortegas tries to explain the situation, but Uhura is still on her own little journey, so she passes Ortegas\u2019s message down the line.<\/p>\n Spock joins Ortegas as she\u2019s returning to the shuttlebay and informs her that he got the message, \u201cPalm. Avocado. Bad.\u201d Spock is no stranger to the Telephone Game, and he quickly figured out that they meant that there\u2019s a bomb on board the ship. Or, Ortegas was just referring to bad avocados, but he thought that was unlikely. He agrees to help her as best he can, but in all fairness, he warns her that she\u2019s still a plant.<\/p>\n Back in the shuttle, Scotty is really starting to sweat. Ortegas and Spock come back, and Spock finds an isolinear chip on the shuttle\u2019s floor. They play it, and it\u2019s a drunken video message from Ortegas and Scotty to themselves warning themselves about the bomb on the shuttle, explaining everything, and explicitly told themselves not to fly the shuttle back to Enterprise<\/em>.<\/p>\n While Scotty laments how much better that plan could\u2019ve been, Spock scans the bomb and determines it\u2019s a mix of quadrium and veruvium nitrate (Star Trek: Lower Decks<\/em> fans know how dangerous veruvium can be).<\/p>\n They\u2019re running out of time when the bomb starts to heat up. Scotty tells Ortegas and Spock to get out of the shuttle; he\u2019ll fly it away from the Enterprise<\/em> and save the ship. Ortegas rightly points out that his hands are a little full at the moment, so he\u2019ll need her to fly the shuttle. Spock tells them he\u2019ll be standing by in the transporter room to beam them out a zeptosecond (it\u2019s a thing) before the bomb explodes.<\/p>\n In the transporter room, Spock remarks that he could use an extra pair of hands to help with the controls. As if summoned from Spock\u2019s mind, James Kirk steps up to the controls and starts pressing buttons.<\/p>\n Spock has had it with hallucinations. First, his ex tries to kill him; now, he keeps seeing Jim Kirk, and he doesn\u2019t have time to deal with this. Kirk spins Spock toward him and slaps him hard across the face. Kirk wasn\u2019t a hallucination; he was real. And Spock was more confused than ever. Still, Ortegas and Scotty were counting on him, and he had a job to do.<\/p>\n Ortegas flies the shuttle to a safe distance, and she and Scotty wait for the inevitable. They both agree they\u2019ve been unfair to each other, and they would have been friends if their lives hadn\u2019t been cut short.<\/p>\n Back at Pike\u2019s speech, the captain is finishing his remarks. The speech was not well-received by the Rodaxians. They saw his contortions as insults to their culture. In short, they\u2019re pissed.<\/p>\n Pike interrupts them when he sees the shuttle flying out of the shuttlebay. Soon, everyone\u2019s attention is on the beige, boxy, Federation-issue craft flying away from the ship. Before anyone can ask what\u2019s going on, the shuttle explodes in a brilliant display of light and fireworks.<\/p>\n The Enterprise<\/em> crew members are in shock. Did they just watch a couple of their friends blow up? The Rodaxians, however, change their tune. The explosion happened to be the same as their Formal Rite of Peace, but they weren\u2019t expecting Enterprise<\/em> to perform the rite, since quadrium is really hard to come by. Relieved that the Rodaxians aren\u2019t mad anymore, Pike grabs them in a group hug with a, \u201cYou guys!\u201d<\/p>\n All is well. The peace talks can begin.<\/p>\n Ortegas and Scotty weren\u2019t on the shuttle when it blew up. Spock was able to beam them out, and they were now trying to get their bearings. They both look fine, until Scotty holds up his hand with his thumb hanging on by a tiny piece of flesh. As the pair leave to get Scotty to sickbay, Ortegas finally notices Jim Kirk standing at the transporter console and acknowledges him with, \u201cOh! Hey, Kirk!\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Spock is really<\/em> confused. How did Jim Kirk get there?<\/p>\n After their harrowing incident on the Griffin<\/em>, Kirk needed a vacation, too. We can\u2019t really blame him; anyone would need a break after seeing their brother get turned inside out and getting impaled by an ex-crush. Kirk just happened to be there when Spock needed him most, and he was happy to help. While Spock replayed every potentially embarrassing secret he told the younger Kirk brother, Jim promises him he has nothing to worry about. Spock punctuates the moment when he asks, \u201cAre you going to hug me again?\u201d Kirk responds with, \u201cDo you want me to?\u201d<\/p>\n The look in Spock\u2019s eyes said yes, he did, but his Vulcan demeanor wouldn\u2019t let him admit it.<\/p>\n Alpha shift finally sobers up and gathers in the bar for a little hair o\u2019 the dog and to compare notes. The only unanswered question revolved around Ortegas\u2019s dragon Spock overheard her yelling about.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sdccblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SNW_403_JT_0320_1915_RT-scaled.jpg\")
Spock<\/h2>\n
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The Bar<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTattoo You<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nUhura (Reprise): The Journey Continues<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nSpock (Reprise): Photosynthetic Technology<\/h2>\n
La\u2019an<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nOne More Challenge<\/h2>\n
Stolen Eyeballs<\/h2>\n
Room \u201cC\u201d for Chapel<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nScortegas<\/h2>\n
Palm. Avocado. Bad.<\/h2>\n
Hallucination, Begone!<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nYou Guys!<\/h2>\n
Thumbs Up<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n