Drama
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Captain Pike finally gets his time in the Star Trek spotlight, but his story is one filled with tragedy and foreboding.
Perhaps Momo should’ve just let Okarun get bullied.
She’d had a bad day: Her toxic boyfriend had broken up with her after complaining that Momo wouldn’t sleep with him. And, fed up with all the pain of the world, she couldn’t stand to let those bullies throw objects at the nerdy boy.
It was the first time Okarun ever had anyone stand up for him. He thinks the reason is obvious: Momo’s interested in aliens, just like him. Unfortunately for him, Momo doesn’t believe in aliens—only ghosts. Much to her shock, Okarun laughs at her; he believes in aliens but not ghosts.
So they decide to settle it as any high school students might do: Okarun will head to a supposedly haunted tunnel, and Momo will take her chances in a UFO hotspot. Whoever is wrong will have to do the bidding of the other.
But they never considered the worst outcome: They could both be right.
Well, things quickly go south for the both of them: Okarun becomes possessed by a demon called “Turbo Granny,” and Momo very narrowly avoids being sexually assaulted by aliens. Still, Okarun furthermore fails to escape the encounter physically unscathed: Turbo Granny stole his genitals, and it’s up to him and Momo to defeat her and get them back.
Many other ghostly and alien encounters occur in Dan Da Dan, too. But I think that summary concisely tells you everything you need to know about this show.
Perhaps most problematic in this story is the fact that Momo and Okarun are roughly 15 or 16, and the show frequently depicts them in compromising situations (those aliens aren’t the last time Momo narrowly avoids rape). They frequently wind up in their underwear or naked, stripped of their clothes through extreme circumstances—events that are often deadly, too. After all, the whole plot arc involves retrieving Okarun’s stolen male appendage.
But the spiritual side of things isn’t any better, either, as the two fight and flee from a variety of ghosts, demons and spiritual beasts, screaming out crudities as they go. Suicide and domestic abuse have parts to play in this unfortunate series, too.
Dan Da Dan is cringe-worthy at best and extremely problematic at its worst. And in either case, we’d advise extreme caution for anyone interested in this Netflix series.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Momo and Okarun learn that ghosts and aliens are real—and fight to avoid terrible fates involving them.
Aliens tear off Momo’s clothes, leaving her in her underwear. Okarun strips to his underwear, too. Aliens explain that their species is made up of all-male clones, and so they don’t experience evolution. Instead, they require the use of human male genitalia to reproduce, and they frequent request to take Okarun’s “banana.” And when Okarun encounters Turbo Granny, she gives him a suggestive offer. Okarun describes Turbo Granny as a “horny old bag lady.” A high school boy tells a girl that he’ll take her on a date if she “puts out.” Turbo Granny mocks Momo, telling her that she’s stolen Okarun’s genitals—and as long as she has them, her curse remains upon him.
The aliens attempt to force themselves upon Momo, using metallic representations of male genitals. Because Momo resists, they also use psychokinesis in an attempt to manipulate Momo’s brain waves and trigger arousal. They say that they intend to have sex with her, remove her uterus and “banana organs” for research. But Turbo Granny chomps down on the crotches of the aliens, ripping the metallic appendages away (as her haunting shtick seems to involve tearing off male appendages). A girl kicks a boy, and the boy knees her, causing her to crumple to the ground. Okarun spots blood-covered footprints. Aliens get tossed aside, and they potentially perish offscreen in an explosion.
Momo describes her grandmother as an “honest-to-God medium,” and she later uses her grandma’s advice to unlock her chi, which gives her psychic powers. Okarun reads a magazine on the supernatural, and the back cover tells readers to “awaken your power.”
We hear the s-word once. We also hear “a–,” “h—,” “b–ch,” “p-ss” and “crap.” God’s name is used in vain three times, including one instance paired with “d–n.” Turbo Granny frequently yells out about her intent to bite off male appendages.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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