Thoughts after a third viewing of “Star Trek”

[Note: Spoilers for “Star Trek” follow]

  1. I have a huge totally straight man-crush on Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy. Still.
  2. Not only do the giant water tanks and transparent (transparent aluminum?) water tubes seem a bit incongruous on the new Enterprise, I think whoever designed and routed them needs some instruction in simplicity and efficiency. Was there some need, other than to make an entertaining action set-piece, for the tubes to run every which direction before terminating in a giant potentially-Scotty-killing turbine?
  3. Getting a promotion in Starfleet seems super easy! Here are two possibilities:

    • Get recruited after losing a bar fight, cheat on your final exam, sneak onto a starship during a military engagement (twice), and get the acting captain (a Vulcan (OK, technically a half-Vulcan) to completely lose his shit and resign his commission. That gets you to Captain.
    • Abandon your ship to fly into a trap, get captured, tortured, and give up the defenses for Earth. That gets you all the way to Admiral!

  4. On the other hand, defending your homeworld (unsuccessfully), shooting malcontent stowaways into space, giving out crew assignments on the basis of sexual favors, destroying random bridge consoles in fits of rage, and advocating against peaceful diplomacy and mercy – all that will only get you busted back to the second-most important position on a Starfleet vessel, while retaining your rank and commission.
  5. Given Scotty’s propensity to test his crazy transporter theories on animals, perhaps he was using the tribble as a quickly reproducing test subject? Just feed it and you’ve got plenty of lifeforms to beam around!
  6. Still love the casualness of the bad guy. “Hi, Christopher. I’m Nero.”
  7. Are we sure this isn’t the mirror universe? I will not be surprised if Zachary Quinto grows a goatee for the sequel. Not surprised and at least a bit delighted.