Michaels smile is very pleasant to see. This is a great addition to her character. Her pronounced frown, which still happens a lot, but it does not become her as smiles do. The smile after the sneeze, the smile when she sees her father. Nice!

Sarek, perhaps the make up or natural aging has drastically improved this character. His head doesn’t bobble in that very unvulcan way any more…

There’s something off about Pike. He’s got swagger as we expect, but there’s some strange delay between his dialog and other folks. There are a few successful interactions, but overall it feels so disconnected.

Anyways, I guess the lack of focus is most painfully highlighted when it is regained. “We got him, right？ladies?” And the ladies responds, affirmatively.

Maybe it’s because the bridge crew doesn’t look at Pike. Recalling chekov and sulu days, they turn their whole body towards the captain, full eye contact… Locked gaze till dismissal. Data, Troy, no other their fancy sofa chairs, Riker with his tilted head but all the faces till pointed at the Captain. Man, Gene Rodenberry’s indelible mark on star trek is fading away…

I don’t know, they may all have looked, but it just doesn’t feel the same. Pikes speeches. What’s wrong with them? They sound great. But I don’t get it. The words don’t sink in like other speeches do…