2 random thoughts after the last episode
1) though I often hate "we need to explain this tiny random flavor thing that could use an explanation but doesn't require it for the show to function" things (I'm looking at you, Star Wars and your endless need to recontextualize things such as introducing midichlorians to explain the Force), I'd kind of like an explanation for why Jennifer has a human first name. An in-universe one, I mean. Because apparently the meta explanation is that Tawney Newsome has latitude to improvise her lines and she made up the name so Mariner could shout "MOVE IT, JENNIFER!" in an episode without realizing it would refer to an Andorian character.
2) I liked how subtly they played the fact that the Orion guy was like a bit of a parallel to Worf as "the member of a species raised by humans who bases his cultural identity off of an idealized/outside-observed perspective of the species when the real one doesn't necessarily track the same way" once they reveal that trait of his character.
I feel like season 1 would've had him give that away in like 3 minutes and then spent the rest of the episode with Boimler or Mariner going "get it? Do you get it? It's like Worf! This is like the alternate Worf!" and then called him "Worf" all episode and made a bunch of episode-specific references to Worf's character every time Orion-guy does something. Instead it's simply a late-episode reveal that contextualizes his behavior better and gives us a launching pad for Tendi (which was one of the most hilariously awesome parts of the episode). Much better.
