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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW) Season 3

Season 1Season 2Season 3

Hegemony IIWedding Bell BluesShuttle to KenforiA Space Adventure HourThrough the Lens of TimeThe Sehlat Who Ate Its TailWhat is Starfleet?Four-and-a-Half VulcansTerrarium

 

Hegemony II

Synopsis

"Hegemony II"

Instead of withdrawing immediately, Captain Pike and his bridge crew investigate options to tag the particular Gorn destroyer on which part of the landing party and the colonists are being held captive, with the hope of saving them later. They come up with a plan to match the shield frequency of the Gorn ship and fire a wolkite beacon in a photon torpedo casing at the enemy, which wouldn't raise suspicion. After arriving at the rendezvous point with the fleet, Admiral April tells Pike that there will be no official action against the Gorn while these are still outside Federation space. But unofficially, he approves of a mission to rescue the prisoners. Using the EM transponder that Montgomery Scott devised to hide himself from the Gorn, the Enterprise follows the signal of the beacon and approaches a binary system. Meanwhile in sickbay, Chapel and Spock evaluate options to remove the Gorn hatchling from Captain Batel. But all simulated scenarios lead to her death. They come up with an illegal treatment that involves Illyrian DNA donated by Una, which raises the chance of survival after the surgery to 14%. The Enterprise locates the ship with the wolkite beacon. But the Gorn destroyer appears to vanish in a heavily irradiated zone where Pike suspects their homeworld is located. Just as he plans to follow the trail, countless small Gorn ships emerge, heading straight for the Federation. Pike sees no other choice to turn around and follow them, to warn the fleet once the Enterprise is in communication range again. But then he remembers what Uhura and Una found out about the Gorn activity, which appears to be governed by stellar events. Although their behavior is not yet completely decoded, a stellar flare could cause them to go into hibernation. Pike consults Pelia and Scotty. The two can imagine that the ship may trigger a stellar flare, although they advise against it. So the Enterprise approaches the midpoint between the two stars, deactivates the cloaking and creates a flare. This is the desired signal for the Gorn to hibernate. In the meantime, the away team consisting of La'an, M'Benga, George Kirk and Ortegas has escaped from their cocoons. They activate a Gorn interface and acquire the transport codes, which would allow the Enterprise to beam the colonists out. Pursued by the Gorn, they make it to one of the small ships, but Ortegas gets wounded. Although she hardly stays conscious, she insists on piloting the ship, while La'an transfers the codes to the Enterprise. Hundreds of colonists are saved this way just as all Gorn ships vanish into hibernation. The landing party can be beamed aboard as well. Ortegas is in critical condition but alive. In sickbay, Spock is not content with the low odds for Batel to survive. Just as the surgery is about to commence, he suggests to Chapel to feed the Gorn inside her body, so it would stay inside, and then let it be absorbed, with the Illyrian DNA fighting the infection. This procedure eventually saves Batel's life.

Commentary

Almost two years ago, season 2 ended with a cliffhanger that had vibes of "The Best of Both Worlds", the arguably most famous episode of the whole franchise. The second part continues in this vein. The situation is dire, the enemy is superior and our crew is running out of options. The broad strokes of the story and some details are similar as in the classic TNG episode. The efforts to remove Batel from the clutches of the Gorn while the rest of the crew attempts to stop an invasion, the idea to put the Gorn to sleep eventually, it all comes across as familiar - and probably not by mere chance.

I appreciate that the crisis is not resolved the easy way, like with one single stroke of genius. For almost 50 minutes, the crew works hard to survive and to leave no one behind, and everyone contributes a bit to the solution. This is a big improvement over how a similar story would have been done for Discovery. But I also think the story involves too many twists and too convoluted scientific and technical concepts. Especially the pattern "We have options A and B... so let's go with C" repeats just too often. This was different "The Best of Both Worlds II", which was thrilling because it took time to show how decisions came about and how plans were being executed. In "Hegemony II", the situation changes once every one or two minutes, which is exciting in its own right, but rather because so much is going on, not everything of which may make sense. We are simply given no time to reflect on it. I admit I stopped and replayed a couple of scenes, trying to grasp what has just happened, and not chiefly due to the language barrier.

"Hegemony II" showcases the crew's humanity under pressure, as they are confronted with a fearsome enemy. The writing hits the right tone. Our characters are frightened but maintain professionalism, without badly timed conflicts or inappropriate humor. That said, the episode plays it safe. Everybody survives against astronomical odds. And although the resolution of simply placing the Gorn into hibernation evokes the classic TNG episode, it is just as well a convenient excuse not to have to care about them any longer (and to be able to switch to a humorous tone again). Some fans will probably label this as "aligning with canon". To me, the outcome of the explicitly classified mission is a bit like another Lex Spock - if we just don't talk about the Gorn any longer (and don't tell Kirk!), everything will be fine.

I wrote in the review of the first part that I don't like the comedic new Scotty, who does not feel like a credible interpretation of James Doohan's character. Well, at least he is not as over the top any more in "Hegemony II" once he is given a useful task. But as he is talking with Pelia, it strikes me that we have two quirky people with strange accents as representatives of engineering in this series. I find this somewhat offensive because it is not what engineers are like in real life, or should be like in Trek. I miss the days when we were aptly represented by Geordi. The idea that Scotty could bring about miracles when under pressure instead of understanding what he is doing adds insult to injury. Sure, this is a bit like he used to be in TOS as well. But in a series that redefines all legacy characters anyway, we don't need such a perpetuation of detrimental stereotypes.

There is a lot of action in "Hegemony II". Aside from everyone being agitated most of the time, not so much is going on on the emotional side. Yet, we have that brief moment at the end of the episode when Pike is reunited with Marie, which unexpectedly almost brought a tear to my eye. This part of the story is so well written and played. In contrast, Spock behaves like a teenager in unrequited love and remains an embarrassment, as much as I like Ethan Peck. I haven't watched the next episode yet, but the trailer looks like I will have to write more on the topic.

Annotations

Rating: 6

 

Wedding Bell Blues

Synopsis

"Wedding Bell Blues"

Stardate 2251.7: The Enterprise has been at Starbase 1 for repairs for three months. The crew is looking forward to the centennial celebration of the founding of the Federation. When Beto Ortegas comes to visit his sister, who has physically recovered from her injuries, Uhura catches his eye. Spock is happy that Christine Chapel will return from her research assignment. But when she is beamed aboard, it turns out she is in love with her supervisor Dr. Korby, much to Spock's chagrin. A bartender offers him a special drink, upon which everything is different. He is now going to marry Christine, and everyone is looking forward to the big wedding ceremony. Only Dr. Korby is not on board with it. Spock notices that he sabotages the wedding. When Korby tells him that reality has changed, Spock has to admit that this is true. But no one else seems to be aware of it. The two conclude that the wedding planner is responsible for the illusion. But when they confront the guy with their suspicion, he threatens to kill them if they don't play along. So Spock grudgingly attends the ceremony to the pleasure of the crew and many guests. Only Korby speaks up, upon which the wedding planner turns him into a dog - which no one seems to be bothered about. Christine finally notices too that something is wrong. The wedding planner is furious and threatens to kill everyone. But then his father appears, an energy lifeform, and reprimands his son for his behavior. The wedding planner frees all attendees from the illusion. After a brief period of confusion, everyone celebrates the foundation of the Federation. Only Erica Ortegas leaves the party early. It looks like she is suffering from PTSD.

Commentary

When I watched the preview clip of "Wedding Bell Blues" featuring Spock's awkward encounter with Dr. Korby, I expected just another story poking fun at the iconic character, hazing or humiliating him. In other words, business as usual. SNW already had many such instances, with whole episodes on the topic such as "Spock Amok" and "Charades" being only the tip of the iceberg. I had no idea how far they would go this time.

My expected reaction before watching the episode was to weigh in on the re-imagined Dr. Korby but give the rest of the story a chance. I didn't anticipate that Korby would be one of the smaller problems, and that I would actually sort of like him.

"Wedding Bell Blues" starts with an overall nice wrap-up of the events of "Hegemony I/II". The Enterprise is being repaired. Pike and the now recovered Captain Batel are making plans for a possible common future. Erica Ortegas tries to cope with the aftereffects of her Gorn experience with her younger brother Beto as a sparring partner. Spock practices dancing with La'an. Oh well, and after checking his wardrobe and his hair, he welcomes back Christine on the ship, only to be notified that she is now in love with Dr. Korby. She could have told him in advance, but she is a bitch for the sake of the surprise. Anyway, although Spock behaves like a school nerd whose girlfriend ditches him for the quarterback, this is still one of the more pleasant twists of the episode, and in line with how the series generally deals with Spock. The same goes for the scene in the crew lounge where Korby and Chapel report on their romantic research mission, which Spock endures with a good deal of masochism. I actually think it is very funny for a moment when Spock appears and the new ensign is still eager to hear about the couple's common adventure, whereupon everyone who knows about Spock and Chapel suddenly claims to be uninterested.

It would have been somewhat irritating but overall okay if the episode had continued with that tone and with that theme, if only it had continued with a story and not with a fever dream.

Everything begins to go south the moment when Spock wakes up in the fake reality. Strange things happen all the time on Trek. But it is irksome right from the start because the narrative is totally about Spock's wounded ego now. No matter who or what created the illusion and for what in-universe reason, the obvious real-world purpose is to torment him in an unprecedented way for our amusement. It was also clear right from the start that whatever the resolution is would not satisfy me. A whole episode about a fake scenario specifically created to make Spock's dream come true? Come on! There is simply no conceivable deeper meaning or other takeaway that could justify it. The only positive thing I can say is that Spock endures the farce with admirable composure, also because Ethan Peck always gives his very best to preserve the character's dignity within the boundaries of the script. In every other respect, it is still one step down from last season's cringey "Charades".

I admit it took me a while to recognize that the bartender is Trelane (or his brother or cousin), although the coat and the sideburns should have given it away (which makes no sense anyway, since the original Trelane dressed like that because he had not seen the human development after the early 19th century). I bet many fans were much faster to see what is going on, but perhaps I simply lack the mindset that SNW is a TOS revival show with all the same characters while watching it, as much as I complain about that mindset. I also don't care at all for "Grand Unified Theories" that strive to fit together what never belonged together, usually in a fanboyish manner. I am aware that Roddenberry himself suggested that Trelane was a member of the Q Continuum, but after almost four decades in which this was only speculation, I disapprove of declaring it canon. Also, it makes the universe so small if everyone knows or is related to everyone else, which has become an obsession in modern Trek.

There are original stories in the series. There are even weird experiments such as "Those Old Scientists" or "Subspace Rhapsody". Spock mentions the "improbability field" and the singing to Korby when they muse about the cause of the current phenomenon, thereby confirming the canonicity of the musical episode through the fourth wall. Anyway, SNW has shown on several occasions how it can excel when it leaves TOS alone, when it neither mocks the original and its most famous character nor violates canon big time. In contrast, in episodes like "Wedding Bell Blues" as a new prime example, they are just remaking TOS (pretending it is a prequel), with redefined characters (pretending they are still the same), with Spock as a punching ball or butt of the joke (pretending that they honor the legacy).

When Trelane's daddy (Q if you will) appears and reprimands his boy, it is the predictable low point of the episode and perhaps of the whole series.

There are a few things I like about "Wedding Bell Blues". As already mentioned, it skillfully wraps up the exciting Gorn double feature. And as the annoying Trelane is gone and everyone is back to normal in the end, there are a few nice touches. I think Spock and La'an make an intriguing character duo, considering how in earlier seasons she used to be just as stiff and by the book as Spock. She also seems to have overcome her Gorn trauma, quite unlike Erica Ortegas, who is still at the beginning. I love the Edosian bartender and I can understand well that Pike would hire her! Finally, playing "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! is a wonderful choice still in the 23rd century. One point for the Edosian and the song!

Annotations

Rating: 1

 

Shuttle to Kenfori

Synopsis

"Shuttle to Kenfori"

Stardate 2449.1: Captain Batel is ready to take on her new commission, when the destructive Gorn tissue in her body begins to grow again. Spock suggests a treatment with the rare Chimera blossom, which could "move invasive molecules through cell membranes". A place where this flower may be found is a former Federation research facility on a planet named Kenfori. It was raided by the Klingons and had to be abandoned because of the peace treaty. Pike approves of an unofficial mission to Kenfori but insists on going there himself, together with Dr. M'Benga, so he would be responsible for breaking regulations, rather than Spock. The two take a shuttle, cross an asteroid field and run into a Klingon warning beacon that tells them to stay away. But they land regardless. On their way to the research station, M'Benga notes that there are no lifesigns at all, only plants. As they arrive, they quickly find the flowers. Then a Klingon landing party shows up and a brief skirmish ensues. It turns out that, despite the lack of lifesigns, the planet is inhabited. Former Federation staff as well as invading Klingons have mutated to zombies. M'Benga explains the probable reason for the mutation to Pike: a hybridization experiment that went horribly wrong when the lab seals were broken in the course of the Klingon invasion. Pike now recognizes the truth about the treatment of Batel, that the flower will hybridize her cells, rather than remove the Gorn DNA. The Klingons eventually kill the zombies just as they are going to attack Pike and M'Benga. The two are taken prisoners by the last surviving female warrior and proceed to the roof where a Klingon shuttle is to arrive. Pike and M'Benga erect a forcefield to keep the zombies out. The woman reveals that she is Bytha, the daughter of the war criminal Dak'Rah that M'Benga killed. M'Benga admits that he murdered Dak'Rah and did not act in self-defense. She challenges the doctor to a ritual combat to regain her honor that her father took away from the family. M'Benga wins, but spares her life. As the zombies break through the forcefield, Bytha attracts their attention and dies an honorable death. In the meantime, the Enterprise has been hiding from a D7 battlecruiser inside the asteroid field, but due to Erica Ortegas going too fast, the Klingons are able to detect the ship. This leaves no other option but Erica's plan to warp into the lower atmosphere to beam out Pike and M'Benga, which Una deemed reckless. Una relieves Ortegas of active duty for two weeks for the insubordination. Pike grudgingly accepts Marie's treatment but is miffed that he wasn't asked in advance.

Commentary

Heads up: If your tricorder shows no lifesigns, the undead may be just around the corner! The so far only notable live-action Trek episode with something like zombies in it was ENT: "Impulse". Thankfully. Because it is always the same tired formula. There are mindless hordes that will bite and transform you into one of them unless you pulverize them by the hundreds. At least, it keeps the make-up and VFX people busy. The motif has never evolved since it first appeared and is hopelessly monotonous. It is also rather cringey than creepy, turning every zombie movie or TV episode made today into a parody of the genre, rather than something genuinely terrifying. It was a choice that raises eyebrows to add zombies as a threat scenario in "Shuttle to Kenfori", especially since they have no further significance for the story. The time and budget could have been spent on something meaningful.

The zombies aside, the plot is pretty standard. It feels like a checklist of clichés we see every other week. In particular, the omnipresence of asteroid or debris fields in SNW and the idea to hide the ship or shuttle inside are so extremely overused it only makes me yawn.

Yet, there are those two twists in "Shuttle to Kenfori" that are still worth discussing. The first comes when Pike finds out that the treatment with the flower extract would turn Batel into a human-Gorn hybrid. Well, the name "Chimera blossom" could have given it away, but everyone keeps Pike in the dark about it because, uhm - why exactly? When Pike confronts M'Benga and later Marie herself, their answers are inconclusive: "Because of you." But what does that mean? We know that our good captain has a strong moral compass. But we already have three instances of him breaking the rules to help Marie and his people, only in "Hegemony II" and in this episode: He (silently) approved of the illegal treatment with Una's DNA and he agreed to go on two missions off the record, to the Gorn ship back then and to Kenfori now. This realistically isn't the reason. So maybe it is just to keep away the worrisome truth from him. Until he finds it out anyway. I don't claim what people feel about Pike has to make perfect sense, but it doesn't leave me content if I don't get a better rationale.

The other twist is the arguably more interesting one, although it doesn't come as a big surprise. M'Benga and the Klingons - it somehow had to happen. Our doctor's encounter with his nemesis in the season 2 episode "Under the Cloak of War" was one of the most captivating stories of the series so far, and quite possibly the darkest one. Still, the story of M'Benga meeting and eventually stabbing war criminal Dak'Rah didn't leave me totally content for several reasons. One of them was the awkwardly fabricated uncertainty about whether or not it was murder and whether or not Pike knew that M'Benga was lying. M'Benga comes clean in "Shuttle to Kenfori", and it also becomes clear that Pike had no idea that the doctor lied to him - although my impression in "Under the Cloak of War" was that he suspected it. As much as I appreciate that the story is concluded now, his path to redemption is strangely effortless. The captain does not resent him killing someone and then making up a story; he even covers it up once again in the end. There could have been more about it - perhaps if they hadn't been beleaguered by zombies.

When Bytha introduced herself as Dak'Rah's daughter and confronted M'Benga about what he did to her father, I was just going object that Dak'Rah was a pariah among his people, whose honor his daughter realistically wouldn't defend. Fortunately the writers did remember Klingon traditions and did remember their own storyline. It may seem absurd in a human mindset that Bytha, who hated her father for dishonoring her family, would want to kill her enemy's enemy. But from a Klingon perspective, it may make sense, perhaps with the following line of reasoning. Knowingly or not, M'Benga thwarted Bytha's redemption, which may give her the right to challenge him to a combat to take the honor of the kill from him.

Overall, "Shuttle to Kenfori" would rank higher in my view without the zombies and with more original ideas instead of clichés. But even if we leave these problems aside, the three conflicts in the story (the third one being Ortegas's insubordination) could have been dealt with better. Well, at least there are consequences for Ortegas in the end (for the first time), unlike for M'Benga. I also think the flow of the story is uneven, with cuts to other places occurring too often the very moment something dramatic is going to happen.

Annotations

Rating: 3

 

A Space Adventure Hour

Synopsis

"A Space Adventure Hour"

The Enterprise investigates a neutron star that is about to collapse. As a side project, Pike and Una assign La'an to test a new recreation facility that might provide distraction on long-term missions - the holodeck. She is supposed to push the new technology to its limits, to find out whether the power systems of the ship are sufficient. So she programs the holodeck in a way to create a hard to solve murder mystery, set in the world of Amelia Moon novels from the 1960's that she is fond of. La'an herself plays the detective, while the holographic characters are created from the likenesses of the crew, taken from the transporter buffer. The murder case, set in 1969 behind the scenes of a science fiction show named "The Last Frontier", is tough indeed. A second murder occurs while La'an is investigating. She calls Spock to the holodeck to support her. The simulation drains more and more power, which leads to malfunctions on the ship. Moreover, the holodeck itself becomes unsafe and can't be shut down without destroying it. Scotty struggles with keeping up the power, and the ship narrowly escapes a gamma ray burst from the neutron star. After consulting with Uhura, he creates a transmission into the holodeck, posing as a holographic character, to tell La'an that she has to finish the program to shut it down safely. La'an finally solves the case. Spock is the murderer! More precisely, the AI created a holographic Spock that successfully deceived her. She can now end the program. Scotty recommends to shelve the technology until its safety and power concerns have been solved.

Commentary

When Star Trek TNG was created, the series was set 100 years after TOS and 80 years after the TOS movies. This clever move gave it an edge; it allowed to depict a technological leap in the new show. The clearly most remarkable of the 24th century innovations was the holodeck, which quickly became a hallmark of TNG. I fondly remember early episodes such as "The Big Goodbye" and "11001001" that established how amazed the crew was about the authenticity of the scenarios. Famously among them was Commander Riker, which Jonathan Frakes might remember. Anyway, it is only realistic that this initial sense of wonder gradually made way for routine, on DS9 and especially on Voyager where the crew went to the holodeck much like we used to switch on the TV in real world. Overall, the holodeck is one of the success stories that made the 80's and 90's the best time of the franchise.

All this doesn't matter in SNW where the legacy is handled laxly, from the dimensions of the ship to the personalities of established characters. In "A Space Adventure Hour", the holodeck appears a full century earlier than it ought to; it also looks and works exactly as it will in TNG. This is not only a continuity issue. It also takes away the defining technology from 24th century Trek and thereby diminishes its significance for TNG. The writers and producers of the prequels and reboots have turned Star Trek into a static universe devoid of progress, in which any technology is generic and may exist at any time they want to have it. They don't mind if stories and statements from legacy Trek, about something being unprecedented, are retroactively invalidated. Neither the writers nor other fans need to remind me that TAS had the (namedropped) Rec Room, that we saw some sort of an alien holodeck in ENT: "Unexpected", that DIS established a (namedropped) holographic battle simulator in "Lethe" (if we decide to care for it) and that forerunners of the holodeck must already have existed a few decades as per VOY: "Once upon a Time". The point is that "A Space Adventure Hour" is a kind of holodeck-focused episode that would rightfully belong into the 24th century, as vehemently as some will defend it.

There is a less than half-hearted attempt to ease the anachronistic nature of the technology in the story. The holodeck is explicitly called a "prototype", and because of its power and safety issues Scotty recommends to shelve the technology in the end. Rather than mitigating anything, this brings up unpleasant memories of Lex Spock in DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow II". What bothers me even more is that the problems of the prototype are the very same that would plague the holodeck still 100 years later! For the purpose of showing an early development stage, a crude holographic projector with visible imperfections would have been adequate (which may have been a new challenge for the VFX people!), rather than something that looks and feels perfectly real and allows true interaction with the environment and with AI characters (well, the latter is even necessary for an important plot twist). It may have been a nice touch to include occasional small glitches, rather than making "A Space Adventure Hour" into a totally Voyager-style holodeck malfunction story, complete with the usual statements that "safety protocols are off" and "we can't shut it down", and with the whole ship being in danger. This painfully uninspired "Spirit Folk"-level plot twist adds insult to injury.

But perhaps the end justifies the means. Perhaps what else happens on the holodeck is so enjoyable that it is acceptable it happens a century too soon.

I'm afraid not. - Our brain cells are gone!

This takes me to the other elephant in the room. Strange New Worlds is known for toying with the legacy and for breaking the fourth wall. I miss the days of classic Trek when stories such as VOY: "Bride of Chaotica!", as silly as they were, contained only subtle cues on how crude old TV shows used to look or on how the entertainment industry works. "A Space Adventure Hour" is the opposite of subtle. The campy series "The Last Frontier", set on the "USS Adventure", is an unabashed parody of TOS, with the "funny music", Chapel's miniskirt, the crazy colors, the awkward shaking of the bridge, the light spot on the face and Kirk overacting in his role as Shatner. Plus, of course, the reference to "Spock's Brain". This all is mildly amusing at best. I didn't laugh once. I know many "non-official" parodies that are superior, such as most notably "Galaxy Quest". "The Last Frontier" is more on the snarky side, a bit like Black Mirror's "USS Callister". And while it is my firm opinion anyway that Star Trek shouldn't satirize itself, it is additionally infuriating that SNW stays out of harm's way and misuses its classic forerunner as laughing stock! The end credits even include a "blooper reel" of "The Last Frontier" to that end, a bit like in a last attempt to be funny.

But it's not just the fictional TV series that gets totally self-referential. La'an's murder mystery is set in the 1960's and retells the ostensible production history of Star Trek too obviously and obtrusively. The show is on the verge of being canceled, a woman as the first officer is deemed unrealistic, there is a small and passionate fanbase and the show is "social commentary with rubber masks" that will inspire generations. That whole part of the story takes place on the meta level. It sounds like one of those lame documentaries that just reiterate what people always say about Star Trek, instead of first-hand testimonies. Aside from the commentary on what the writers think Hollywood in the 1960's was like, nothing of note is happening. The murder mystery plods along for 25 minutes, in which I don't care about the holographic characters and their possible motives. I also can't appreciate that we see most of the main cast in out-of-character roles, although I dig how Anson Mount performs as whoever he is supposed to be on the holodeck. Roddenberry? I can understand that all this must be tremendous fun for the actors, but for me it is nothing more than familiar faces thrown into a meaningless story that is unrelated to the actual characters. It is self-indulgence, made for the people in front of the camera, not for those in front of the screen. At least we have a good explanation for Kirk being present on the Enterprise yet again, as we only see him as an avatar.

The revelation that La'an is trapped on the holodeck is probably supposed to stir up a few things but turns out to be a misfire for the above reasons. The rest of the story, as La'an finally recognizes that Spock is holographic and is the murderer, is mildly interesting. But I don't like all that we are being shamelessly deceived about who comes to the holodeck, as the real Spock is conspicuously absent on the Enterprise after that. Also, programming a holodeck so that the AI goes out of its way is where Data has gone before in TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data". And seriously, with La'an having no idea that Spock is holographic for a long time, the story ultimately kills what little was left of its credibility because it is a perfection that we only know from the 24th century. This twist misses the mark on all conceivable levels.

Do I like anything about the episode? Not really. I previously mentioned that La'an and Spock could have been a nice pairing. But now that the story includes more than subtle cues that "Amelia Moon needs a partner" and that the two are attracted to one another, it has too many traits of a soap opera. It is like paint by numbers, considering La'an's unrequited love for Kirk, and Spock having recently been ditched by Chapel. I also dislike that Scotty is shown as a total jerk here, the only redeeming aspect being that he gets a deserved dressing down by Una, as already Ortegas last week.

With "A Space Adventure Hour", the series jumps the shark. But I don't think that it is one of those experimental episodes of SNW that sometimes go awry and that it may be excused because of that. On the contrary, the idea of having a malfunctioning holodeck on the show is not imaginative in the slightest but a sloppy 24th century Trek rip-off. Well, I have to concede that the extensive self-aware portion in the otherwise practically non-existent story is unusual. But its banality becomes the more annoying the more I think about it. In brief, "A Space Adventure Hour" is a lackluster Voyager episode, and a disgraceful TOS parody no less. It was made with ambition and director Jonathan Frakes appears to be quite proud of it, but it fails on every one of its multiple levels. One point because Edward is still more insufferable.

Annotations

Rating: 1

 

Through the Lens of Time

Synopsis

"Through the Lens of Time"

Stardate 2184.4: Dr. Korby has long waited for an opportunity to explore an ancient site on Vadia IX, which is rumored to hold the secret of immortality. A landing party consisting of himself, Chapel, Uhura, Beto Ortegas and Nurse Gamble beams down. Using deflector beams from the Enterprise, they manage to take down the cloaking of the site, which turns out to be massive. Spock and La'an beam down as well. An inscription tells them that a blood sample is needed to open the door, which Chapel readily provides. The landing party enters together with N'Jal, a member of the local M'Kroon population. No communication and no transport is possible from inside. As they investigate the first chamber of the interior, they discover corpses, probably of grave robbers. Gamble picks up an orb, which explodes in his face and destroys his eyes. Pike orders the rest of the landing party to beam up again. But Beto has already filmed the next room with his camera. N'Jal recognizes that they are in danger and runs away. He gets vaporized by an automated defense mechanism, and the door closes. Chapel muses that they all have to stay with her to be safe because she provided the biosignature. The team decides to explore the next room. But as they cross the gate in pairs, Chapel and La'an find themselves in a different place than Uhura and Beto and than Korby and Spock. On the Enterprise, M'Benga attempts to regenerate Gamble's eyes, but it fails. Moreover, his brain shows no activity any longer. Pelia does not know why, but she is very afraid of the device that injured Gamble. Then Batel comes to sickbay, upon which a fight ensues between them. Gamble runs away and kills a crew member. M'Benga has to lock him up in the brig. On the planet, the landing party notices that they are in the same place on different planes of existence. They take an artifact that the grave robbers stole and one that Korby found on a different planet, put them back into a console where they belong and are reunited. Spock says that because of quantum fluctuations, causality is inverted. This means that Chapel and La'an have to take a step over a ledge, in order for the bridge to appear under their feet. On the Enterprise, Gamble has broken out of confinement. He threatens to kill the engineers if they don't give him the command codes. M'Benga appears but hesitates to shoot him. Pelia kills Gamble from behind. The lifeform leaves Gamble's body, upon which Scotty beams it into the transporter buffer. The site on Vadia IX is an ancient prison, apparently designed to lock up criminals in those orbs forever, and does not have to be opened under any circumstances. But the danger to the Enterprise is not yet over, as there is something going on in the transporter buffer...

Commentary

"Through the Lens of Time" begins with a log entry by Nurse Gamble, who is happy to work on the Enterprise and excited that M'Benga sends him on his first away mission. That should have set off my inner alarm bells because it is a clear indicator that something very bad will happen to our young ensign. I sort of liked him. I have to admit that after some ten minutes of mostly awkward rom-com I wasn't prepared for the tonal shift, which becomes blindingly obvious the moment that Gamble's eyes get burnt away. It has been said many times before that modern Trek has a fetish for ripped off eyes. And although this time there are no loose eyeballs, it is inappropriately graphic to show Gamble like that for much of the rest of the episode. It also isn't original because it happened in several horror movies, such as "Event Horizon".

But it's not just the infamous eye thing. The whole story is an amalgamation of clichés from body horror, from Indiana Jones movies, from fantasy and from Star Trek itself. In my view, it becomes less interesting the more elements are thrown into the mix. The idea of crew members that are possessed by non-corporeal prisoners comes from TNG: "Power Play", the archeological puzzle is known from any episode that ranks between TNG: "The Chase" on the upper and TNG: "Masks" on the lower end, the phase shift is familiar from several episodes such as TNG: "The Next Phase" or VOY: "Scientific Method", the way out of the prison reminds me of the silly game in DS9: "Move Along Home", Scotty catches the non-corporeal lifeform just like Mariner in LOW: "Envoys". Also, regarding Gamble still looking like he's alive but having no brain activity - didn't we have the zombie episode only two weeks ago? And these are just the examples I came up with in two or three minutes. Reusing concepts does not have to be a bad thing, if they add up to something new. In "Through the Lens of Time", there are way too many of them and they hardly add up at all.

I think what bugs me most is that our landing party is in a kind of escape room, where they have to solve various puzzles to find their way out. This doesn't fit at all with the idea of it being an ultra-high-security prison. A prison is a place that you can only leave if you have the authorization, if you fake the authorization or find security gaps, if you blow a hole into the wall or if you are dead. In contrast, the facility shown in this episode first admits visitors without credentials, then traps or kills them if they don't play by the rules, only to offer them a built-in backdoor, apparently as a reward if they are smart enough. Well, and if you're a prisoner, you can escape by simply burning out someone's eyes, in which case you're free to go (as long as Chapel is with you). Does that make any sense? No.

The mutation of the letters on the transporter buffer interface indicates that the story is not yet over. It is easy to predict that the Vezda will return and will cause trouble again. Maybe it will be explained on that occasion how the Vezda are related to the Gorn, why they can read minds, why they are called "hitchhikers", why there is Chinese writing in the prison and why Pelia is afraid of them, without having an idea who or what they are. Right now, it is a jumbled mess. It is all myths, factoids and feelings. Actually, I think it would have been fine to leave the origin of the prison and of its inmates a mystery like in TNG: "Power Play". But "Through the Lens of Time" raises way too many questions and forges way too many connections. It is just too obvious that there has to be a big reveal. My experience tells me that it will disappoint me (and that it will involve another fanboyish "Grand Unified Theory").

Several problems get handwaved already now. Irrespective of what exactly the Vezda are, how slim is the chance that the landing party discovers, in a totally unrelated research project, an ancient secret about the Gorn, a species that no other ship of Starfleet so far had dealings with? However, the most cringey coincidence is that Korby found a ring on a remote planet that he somehow connected to the upcoming mission and hence brought along, which is exactly the one piece needed to activate the console and save everyone!

Dana Gamble is in the episode to provide some comic relief, only to mutate and die. I don't care for the body horror. At least, the story forces M'Benga into a wrenching ethical conflict when he his protégé, whom he sent on the mission, becomes a deadly monster that has to be killed. That is the only aspect of the episode that really convinces me, although it doesn't justify the uninspiring mash-up of themes from different genres. Perhaps a story with focus on M'Benga and the possessed Gamble, rather than on what happens in the ancient escape room, would have worked better? But only without the contrived Gorn connection and the fight with Batel.

The love triangle (or rectangle by now?) continues to be clunky. It is understandable that Chapel and Spock struggle to communicate after their separation, but the turbolift scene where they attempt a conversation is painfully awkward and is only saved when Gamble appears. Their interaction reveals a troubling lack of professionalism. Chapel's new relationship with Korby is equally strained. Far from loving or intimate, it is marked by conflict. There is also a noticeable absence of chemistry between them in this episode. Whether that's a performance issue or a deliberate writing choice remains unclear. Meanwhile, Spock and La'an still refuse to acknowledge the nature of their relationship. To their credit, these two do manage to work together effectively.

"Through the Lens of Time" is another misfire in a so far deplorable third season of SNW. It is not quite as annoying as the embarrassing fan service in "Wedding Bell Blues" or as the love letter to Trek gone horribly wrong in "A Space Adventure Hour". Still, I can't award more than two points to this uninspired mess of an episode.

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Rating: 2

 

The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail

Synopsis

"The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail"

The USS Farragut conducts a planetary survey of Helicon Gamma. First Officer Kirk suggests to beam down a landing party, but Captain V'Rel doesn't want to take the risk. Suddenly a massive energy beam hits the planet, which breaks apart. The Farragut takes heavy damage. The Enterprise arrives and sends a rescue team. The injured V'Rel is beamed aboard the Enterprise, leaving Kirk in command of the Farragut. A massive vessel appears and devours the Enterprise. Uhura, Spock, Chapel and Scott stay behind on the Farragut, where they support Kirk and his skeleton crew. As the scavenger ship is heading for an inhabited planet with rich deposits of the mineral aldentium, Kirk pushes Scotty to make the warp engine work again. The Farragut goes to warp and overtakes the enemy vessel, but the engines fail mid-flight. As Kirk is faced with two bad options of how to proceed now that the ship is dead in the water, he does not make the call and retreats to his ready room. Spock convinces him to work out an alternative plan that could save the planet and the Enterprise. Kirk tells Scotty to release antiprotons from the warp nacelles, which would give the impression of them being powered by aldentium. Meanwhile on the Enterprise that is trapped inside the huge enemy vessel, intraship communication is dead and propulsion systems are not working. Pelia comes up with the idea to wire the ship with old telephone lines that are immune to electromagnetic jamming. La'an and Pike proceed to the umbilical, which the scavengers have connected to the Enterprise and which prevents the ship from breaking free. Wearing spacesuits because the environment is toxic, they run into a fight with heavily armored intruders, in the course of which a crew member is killed. When Pike loses his helmet, however, the alien hesitates to shoot him. The scavengers catch up with the Farragut, and as the grapplers are approaching the nacelles, Kirk orders Scotty to jettison them in a way that they would disable the power systems of the enemy. Pike and La'an finally manage to get rid of the umbilical by flooding it with baryons, so it gets retracted. Now that the Enterprise is free, Erica Ortegas controls the thrusters by phone, with Una and M'Benga operating them manually. But the one on Una's side is not working, so she opens a docking port to push the ship to the side and escape. As the scavenger ship recovers, Kirk orders photon torpedoes to be fired through its still open hatch. The enemy vessel explodes, leaving 7000 survivors floating in space - all human! They can't be beamed aboard due to the heavy debris density. It turns out the crew escaped from 21st century Earth to find a new home in space and somehow lost their way.

Commentary

"The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail" was announced as focusing on James Kirk's rough first day in command of the USS Farragut. That immediately made me worry the story might go off the rails for all the usual reasons. I didn't care for Kirk's first visit to the Enterprise in last season's episode "Lost in Translation." On top of that, the track record for "homages" this season has been terrible. But those concerns faded fast. Within just a few minutes, it becomes clear this episode is an immediate classic. It is straightforward and packed with a solid mix of elements: plenty of visually impressive space action, a good dose of humor and weirdness, real moral dilemmas (especially for Kirk) and a resolution that actually surprises. The idea of using Pelia's old telephones to communicate when the Enterprise's systems are jammed may have looked goofy in the season 3 trailer, but it works in the context and comes off as a charming touch.

I really like how well the crews on both ships work together - not as a TOS nostalgia bait, but because they are in the same boat and they are Starfleet. In fact, the way everyone contributes to solving the problem reminds me more of how things played out in TNG. The nostalgia is cut back to an agreeable level. It is not nearly as heavy-handed or full of fan service as in recent episodes. It doesn't feel like nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, unlike the aforementioned "Lost in Translation", where the forgettable A-story about some random space creatures was just a setup to show Kirk meeting his future crew.

I have made peace with Paul Wesley's version of Kirk. I still don't see Shatner's Kirk in him, and I still find the unfunny mockery of TOS in "A Space Adventure Hour" irritating, but Wesley's take is solid overall. So I don't mind that this is his episode. His regret over making two questionable calls (suggesting to send crew to a planet that was about to break apart and pushing the Farragut's engines too hard) is handled well. His ability to improvise after Spock nudges him to ditch plans A and B and come up with a plan C is nicely done. I have criticized that trope recently, and I still think it needs to be used carefully. But it works here. I also appreciate that the episode doesn't just wrap up with a log entry after 7000 lives are lost. Kirk actually needs some guidance from the more seasoned Pike, who tells him that living with tough decisions is part of the job of being a captain. As Pike can't provide a better answer or more comfort, the episode ends on a sad note, and this is only realistic.

There are only a few things to criticize. I don't think the joke about Pike being the only one unfamiliar with the "Destroyer of Worlds", "Asaasllich", "Astrovore" or "Chach-Ka" really lands. At least, one apprehension I had did not come true - we're not dealing with a reboot of the planet killer from "The Doomsday Machine". Anyway, considering the "Destroyers of Worlds" will turn out to be human, I wouldn't have made such a big deal of it - though I get the intent was to build up their reputation as a terrifying alien threat, so the twist would be more surprising. Speaking of which, the "mouth" of the ship with the "fangs" is rather wacky than terrifying. I also don't think it was a great idea to introduce yet another forgotten 21st-century space mission. Trek has already had plenty of those, of which each single one without exception ended in disaster. Again, I understand the emotional impact of losing 7000 humans (as opposed to 7000 creepy aliens), especially for Kirk, but it does feel Earth-centric and maybe xenophobic.

One last thought: I'm curious whether the Vezda in the transporter buffer survived. Honestly, I think it would have been a great ironic twist if the creature had just been killed off casually, without anyone noticing. Given how little I care about this phantom menace and the likely reveal that it is a Q, a Gorn or maybe both, getting rid of it might have made the episode even stronger.

I think "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail" beats "Hegemony II" as an space action episode, and it is still stronger than the two most entertaining ones in that category so far: "Children of the Comet" and "Memento Mori." All in all, the episode shows that Strange New Worlds can still deliver when it focuses on telling real stories instead of getting lost in fan service and gimmicks. After four weak episodes in a row, the show finally gets back on track with what may be its best installment, tied with the inimitable "Those Old Scientists", the one experiment that really succeeded.

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Rating: 8

 

What is Starfleet?

Synopsis

"What is Starfleet?"

As Humberto Ortegas is aboard to film a documentary titled "What is Starfleet?", the Enterprise is ordered to transfer a Jikaru, purportedly "livestock", from Tychus-B to the war-ridden world Lutani VII. As the ship is ready to take the Jikaru in tow, a Lutani scout ship arrives and opens fire on the creature. The Jikaru emits a massive surge of radiation that heavily damages the small vessel. The pilot, apparently a scientist, is beamed aboard the Enterprise but does not survive. All she can still tell is that what her people are planning to do is wrong. The Enterprise crew attempts to get the Jikaru under control and continue the mission. But as locking on with the tractor beam or the transporter would not work, the Enterprise just follows the dangerous creature in case it is going to attack ships in the region. It turns out that the Jikaru was conditioned, and that the neural device allegedly meant to calm it down actually turned it into a weapon - that the Lutani wanted to use against their enemies on the planet Kasar. Spock takes a shuttle to try to communicate with the Jikaru, accompanied by Chapel and Uhura who monitor his brain activity. But then a Lutani warship appears and attacks the shuttle. Spock and Chapel get injured and are taken to sickbay. Uhura volunteers to connect with the creature. She learns that the Jikaru wants to end her irreversible suffering and commit suicide by flying into the system's sun. Her last wish is to keep her still unaltered children safe. The Enterprise creates a diversion and escorts the Jikaru on her final journey. Pike complies with her will and gets Starfleet to quarantine Tychus-B, much to the dismay of the Lutani. Beto was going to question whether Starfleet is benevolent, or rather a military organization. Talking to Uhura, he recognizes that one reason for his preconceptions was that he thought Starfleet took away his sister Erica from him.

Commentary

There is a pattern in season 3 by now. About every second episode takes place on the meta level to some extent. We've already had the contrived fan service in "Wedding Bell Blues" and the dismissive TOS parody in "A Space Adventure Hour", both of which were a pain to watch. Now we get an in-universe documentary (or a mockumentary?) in "What is Starfleet?", as it becomes obvious in the very first second of the episode.

"What is Starfleet?" begins with a disclaimer that this is "declassified footage" according to the "Freedom of Information Act", which is totally meta. It continues with the intro of Beto's finished documentary instead of the usual SNW opening credits. After the large text overlay "DUTY, HONOR, PEACE" and an introduction of the Enterprise complete with specs, Beto poses his question: What is Starfleet? Or more specifically, what is it that distinguishes the Federation from an empire? What follows is the story as it unfolds here and now, but still as a part of Beto's documentary. It is roughly chronological, but frequently interrupted by short Netflix-style interview segments. In other words, the whole episode remains on the meta level.

The visual style of the episode doesn't return to normal either. Everything is shown the way Beto purportedly films it (and interestingly with a higher resolution of 1920*1080 pixels). This means it is either shaky, as captured by his drones, or hazy with a frame around it, as filmed by the ship's CCTV (with cameras apparently even located inside every console!). Also, there is "static" whenever the "camera signal is bad". It is dangerously close to "found footage", a movie format that I loathe with a passion.

As I was watching, I was looking out for reasons why this approach could work for me in spite of everything. "What is Starfleet?" is certainly not the first Trek episode told from an unusual perspective. There were stories that stayed with, and were narrated by, a specific character, the first being TNG: "Data's Day". But the TNG episode and everything that followed in its footsteps so far not only did not use "filmed footage". They also showed a lot of interaction of that person with others. In contrast, we see Beto only a few times in the episode, and most of the time he doesn't act as a narrator either (although I would expect that from a documentary, but I may be old-fashioned). He is not the interesting character that could carry a story, but can the mere style compensate for that missing element that links everything together? I don't think so. There is a lack of structure - like in most Netflix docu series. We may throw in that it is only realistic that Beto, as a journalist, is not in the focus of his own documentary. Then again, wouldn't it have been more rewarding to show how he filmed it, how he reacted to what happened and how he changed his opinion? This would have worked better than trying the same within the documentary, which comes across as contrived - unless we pretend we are not watching the final product. The narrative and visual style of "What is Starfleet?" is an unconvincing blend of the documentary itself and of its making of, with a bumpy story flow and an air of "found footage".

Well, overall it's not as annoying as the aforementioned two other "meta" episodes. At least, I didn't have to pause frequently for a facepalm. "What is Starfleet?" is watchable. It has one strong point. It provides the answer to the eponymous question on different levels. We have Uhura's enthusiastic statement that Starfleet is about the people. We have the outcome of the mission that demonstrates to Beto that the Federation is not an empire but bound by an ethical code, with Pike and his crew helping the endangered sentient species, even though this causes diplomatic turmoil. But there are also the moments of doubt, as Pike and especially M'Benga keep their lips sealed when it comes to their possible wrongdoings. As much as the positive impression seems to prevail in the end, I think it reflects what Starfleet should be, and what it sometimes isn't. But as already mentioned, this would have had more of an impact, had Beto been more active in the story. He could have been shown as still more investigative for that matter, as someone who is not content with silence on delicate matters. Perhaps he could have openly clashed with his sister over the mission. Their actual conflict in the episode is that Erica is annoyed about his nagging questions, which is understandable but also trivial.

Other than providing an answer to Beto's question and re-emphasizing the values of Starfleet, the story about the Jikaru isn't all that interesting. "What is Starfleet?" would be a run-of-the-mill episode, even if I disregard my criticism of narrative and stylistic decisions. I see how the documentary format was supposed to beef up the thin story; it just happened to have the opposite effect in my view, especially since it happens at the expense of background information on the military and diplomatic situation as it would have been part of a normal episode.

Most characters are not really involved in the story in my impression. Uhura and Erica are the only ones that repeatedly appear outside of the interviews and of "bridge footage". I would go as far as saying that all other characters feel like NPCs, as they are being captured by Beto's cameras and just deliver selected lines. What also bothers me in this regard is that we don't learn anything about Spock's condition in the end, and no one seems to be worried about him the way it would be in a normal episode. The documentary style may serve as an excuse for that too, but it is another reason why I dislike it.

There are a few more things that irk me. Beto tells Uhura during the interview that her Academy friend has died - to capture her emotional reaction on camera, which I think is bad journalism. And speaking of Uhura losing someone, the SNW writers don't know anything better but to come up with the same back story for nearly all principal characters of the show. They are all orphans, and Starfleet became their new family. We can now add Erica Ortegas, who is the sixth(!) principal Enterprise crew member to tragically lose close relatives before their time. This is so lazy it hurts.

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Rating: 3

 

Four-and-a-Half Vulcans

Synopsis

"Four-and-a-Half Vulcans"

Stardate 3111.1: The crew are looking forward to shore leave on Purmantee III. Then, however, the Vulcan High Command requests the Enterprise's assistance on Tezaar. The pre-warp civilization so far only had contact with the Vulcans, so because of the Prime Directive only Vulcans can go down and repair their malfunctioning nuclear reactor. Chapel, La'an, Uhura, Pike and Pelia agree to take the Kerkhovian serum that would turn them into Vulcans. But the drug has no effect on the Lanthanite. The other four beam down with Spock. Pelia is ready to direct the landing party from the bridge, but the repair takes just a minute, even without her guidance. As the officers return and take the antidote, nothing happens. They remain Vulcans. Chapel, with her superior new abilities, manages to modify the serum to have the desired effect. But she, La'an, Uhura and Pike decide that it would be most logical to stay Vulcan indefinitely. Una remembers her ex Doug, an expert in Vulcan katras. Doug manages to reactivate the human side of their katras. This works well for everyone except La'an, who still can't shed her Vulcan side and needs Spock's assistance. Admiral Pasalk, who is going to retire, offers Marie Batel the position of the Head of the Starfleet Judicial Department. He was impressed that she spoke up when he and the still Vulcan Pike disparaged her.

Commentary

All the way back in July 2024, a five-minute preview clip from SNW: "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans" was released, showing the rapid transformation of human crew members Chapel, La'an, Uhura and Pike into Vulcans. This became an object of ridicule in the fandom because the Kerkhovian serum not only alters their biology but also styles their hair the typical Vulcan way! The preview prompted further justified objections because how can a drug that was previously used to restore the Vulcan half of Spock turn anyone into a completely different species? And, with some modification, back again? But most importantly, since when is the Vulcan nature entirely determined by genetics, and not at all by rigid education and by hard training to suppress emotions, as it was shown in various previous episodes, such as notably VOY: "Gravity". The writers flat-out disregarded that. Aside from being anti-canon, isn't it a downright racist idea that all of the four officers become stereotypically smug Vulcans just because they take a hypospray? Stereotypically smug and racist, as Pike is concerned. Finally, after Spock had only dreamt of becoming fully human in "Spock Amok", Goldsman and company just couldn't resist and turned this into an actual silly story in "Charades". Couldn't they leave it at that? Why in hell did they feel like adding yet another chapter to a preposterous and embarrassing storyline? With Spock as the butt of the joke yet again? The release of the teaser was a PR disaster for Paramount+ for all the above reasons. One that makes it impossible to watch the full episode unbiased.

But wait. Maybe we got it all wrong and it was a red herring? As I sat down to stream the episode, I was still hoping that some or all of it doesn't actually happen and that it is a bad dream like already in "Spock Amok". And even if it is for real, maybe there is a good reason and it sets up an interesting reveal?

But far from it. The truth about "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans" is more terrible than I feared. For one, it all really happens, exactly as shown in the clip. And there isn't an only half-way plausible back story that would justify the insane idea to inject an untested serum into crew members that would turn them into a different species. There isn't any kind of discussion, neither about the legal implications (anyone remember "Ad Astra per Aspera"?) nor about the possible risks. Everyone simply assumes that the extreme mutation would be unproblematic in both directions. Almost instantly. With neither physical nor mental damage possible. It's magic! Strange New Worlds started off as an overall serious show with some inconsiderate moments, but it's the other way around by now. Even Lower Decks, the dedicated comedy show, was more thoughtful and realistic in comparison.

The most unforgivable misstep in the writing and execution is that our Vulcanized crew members are not just smug but totally obnoxious. On one hand, their allegedly typical Vulcan logic and bluntness is like in the worst racist prejudices that we could have about the species. On the other hand, not just La'an feels off but they all have emotional outbursts and megalomania as they are not Vulcan at all. The pointy-eared Pike, Chapel, Uhura and La'an are no credible Vulcans but caricatures created by someone who either doesn't understand or flat-out ignores what being Vulcan means. I wouldn't even call them characters any longer, but genuine assholes. The writing fails them, and the painfully awkward acting makes matters still worse.

We already know from "A Space Adventure Hour" how an allegedly affectionate homage to TOS ended up as an insensitive travesty. Essentially the same happens again in "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans", now with one of the most beloved species of the franchise as a target, in a story that only exploits cheap stereotypes but pretends to be a light-hearted comedy. Yes, yet another one of those! We have an intrusive "funny" score all along that tells us how to feel about the story. We have clumsy punchlines and reveals masquerading as humor. I didn't laugh once, except in the post-credit scene with Spock and Doug, which was sort of amusing.

I also don't care at all for the soap opera elements as they have sadly become a hallmark of this series. These are particularly awkward this time, as they exploit the circumstance that Pike, Chapel, Uhura and La'an have pointy ears and are apparently expected to treat their respective partners badly because of that. But that wasn't yet enough. As if it wouldn't suffice for La'an to be a bitch and to be at odds with poor Spock (even before her mutation!), her almost-lover Jim Kirk comes aboard yet again. At one point, I thought he had a hunch, when he mentioned that La'an does not behave like a Vulcan at all, unlike everyone else who don't seem to notice anything alarming. A ray of hope. I imagined that there could be some deeper significance after all and that Kirk was going to expose some kind of scheme. But no. Kirk is aboard for the sole reason to be knocked down by La'an's maniacal and apparently totally normal Vulcan self. Speaking of guest characters that feel off, there is also Una's ex, a tiny old Vulcan named Doug, who happens to live around the corner and also happens to be a katra expert that may help our reluctant mutants become human again. And just as I thought it couldn't possibly become more cheesy, Una promptly makes up a lie about her being married to Spock, with two children whose names they don't agree about.

Doug finally brings out the human sides of the mutated crew's katras. This is the one thing that could have been half-way interesting to show, but it happens off-screen and we have no idea what he actually does. It is symptomatic of this forced comedy that it simply blanks out any unpleasant questions and anything that could have a deeper meaning, all in favor of dumb jokes. Well, there is one side plot that becomes serious at one point. Marie Batel complains about her treatment by Pasalk, which impresses him so much that he decides she should become his successor. However, even this has a bad aftertaste because she unleashed racial prejudices and insulted Pasalk when objective criticism would have been appropriate (and logical), especially since it was actually Pike who put her down. In the end, neither Pasalk's nor Doug's positive roles can make up for the damage to the reputation of Vulcans. For the sake of completeness on the subject of serious matters, we are eventually shown the "healing process" of La'an, but it consists of her fighting and dancing in her katra, apparently during a mind-meld with Spock. At least this part of the episode is skillfully crafted, but I don't stream Star Trek to see Dancing with the Stars.

I paused repeatedly for a facepalm during "Wedding Bell Blues" and "A Space Adventure Hour". I had to take breaks even more often during "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans", to bang my head against the wall. No kidding. A couple of months ago, I rewatched "A Night in Sickbay", the arguably worst episode of Enterprise and a recipient of zero points. The storyline and the dialogues were embarrassing, the characters felt off, but not so much as in "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans". I am reluctant to change my list of the 10 worst Trek episodes. But this latest installment not only marks a new low point in season 3's downward spiral, it is right down there with Edward. I can understand if experiments go wrong, but someone must have approved of this obvious garbage at some point. The creators of SNW have lost their way.

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Rating: 0

 

Terrarium

Synopsis

"Terrarium"

Stardate 2198.7: The Enterprise investigates a region with gravitational anomalies. Erica Ortegas takes a shuttle to acquire data from within the phenomenon. She suddenly loses helm control, and her shuttle enters a wormhole that opens up right in front of her. Ortegas still manages to release an emergency buoy as she arrives on the other side and crashes on a moon in orbit of a gas giant. Her emergency rations are burned, so she leaves the shuttle to search for food. The Enterprise is scheduled to rendezvous with the Constellation to deliver a vaccine to the colony on Epsilon Indi III. There is no sign of Ortegas yet after two days. But Uhura thinks she picks up her emergency signal from the other side of the wormhole. On the moon, Ortegas finds a shelter where someone is hiding - a Gorn! The Gorn seems to attack her but actually hunts an indigenous creature and gives her some of the meat to eat. In return, Ortegas tends to the Gorn's injured leg. However, her shuttle sinks into the ground, and her best hope to leave the moon with it. Uhura and Spock devise a plan to keep the shrinking wormhole open to rescue Ortegas. They convince Pike to place the Enterprise right into the phenomenon, although time is pressing to provide medical aid to the colonists. Meanwhile, Ortegas has modified her tricorder to communicate with the Gorn, who is female and is a fellow pilot. She tells Ortegas that she can't return to her people who would kill her because of her weakness. As the Enterprise is inside the wormhole to keep it stable, scans reveal that the planet has no less than 396 moons, and there is no way of knowing on which one the shuttle crashed. Ortegas makes a mistake when she ignites a flare while being pursued by native creatures, which destroys the power source for the emergency transmitter, as well as for the forcefield that protects the Gorn and herself. But she has an idea how to get the ship's attention. She uses the Gorn thruster pod to ignite the atmosphere. A landing party from the Enterprise with La'an beams down, but as they spot the Gorn who is crawling out of her hiding place, they open fire and kill her. Ortegas is shaken. Then time stands still and someone appears to her. It is a Metron. The highly evolved species wanted to test whether Gorn and humans could ever make peace. They rule it is not yet the time and remove Erica's memory of their encounter.

Commentary

The "Previously on Strange New Worlds" recap spotlights the Gorn experience of Erica Ortegas and thereby gives away that this episode is about the reptilian species again - although they are said to be in hibernation and although we (sort of) met one of them only lately in "Through the Lens of Time". I don't think it is a great idea to reveal essential story elements in advance. Actually, I would wish there was a way to skip the recap without having to see anything of it. On the other hand, it sort of prepared me for the extremely unlikely coincidence that no one else but Ortegas, with her Gorn trauma, encounters her nemesis on a moon on the far side of a wormhole.

It becomes clear soon that this story is an "Enemy Mine" scenario. As Ortegas stepped out of the shuttle into the atmosphere of the moon (that is conveniently breathable), I was expecting her to run into the Gorn - as astronomically little sense as it made for her to meet them at this remote place in the vastness of the universe. Still, I could put aside my statistical considerations because the story that evolved was captivating. TNG had an episode along these lines with "The Enemy", and even more obviously there is ENT: "Dawn". I think "Terrarium" manages to use the basic concept without retelling it. I just checked and saw that I awarded merely three points to the ENT episode, apparently because it felt uninspired and reminded me just too much of the 1985 movie "Enemy Mine". Maybe I have become more lenient in this regard. In any case, "Terrarium" feels like a fresher take in comparison.

Well, it is contrived that Ortegas can turn the tricorder into a universal translator, but only up to the point that it can distinguish yes and no. And I somehow doubt that reverse psychology works with a species like the Gorn. Yet, I really like that moment when Ortegas pretends to give up, upon which the Gorn recognizes that she needs a helping hands and moral support - and simply says "Disagree". There is so much Star Trek spirit in the story and especially in this moment. Speaking of which, it would have been desirable for Ortegas to find a way to save her new friend's life. But it is one possible interpretation that the Gorn just wanted to be shot (of course, she had to die so she wouldn't run into Kirk, who is on the Enterprise all the time).

I appreciate that Erica Ortegas is finally the central figure of an episode, after initially just delivering snarky comments and later raising attention through her misconduct and personal issues, rather than through a truly active role in a story. Melissa Navia may be the most underrated regular cast member of the series, but in my impression this is mainly because her character has been underutilized so far. I think she pulls off a great performance in "Terrarium".

What happens on the Enterprise is overall far less interesting than Erica's interaction with the Gorn on the planet. The story switches to the ship too often in my view, which takes away some of the intensity of her being marooned with her enemy. Just to name one example, the lame excuse for having little time for the rescue should have been removed altogether, just like in the various TOS and TNG episodes where the ship was used as a pharmacy delivery service. There is the twist that Uhura fakes manually overrides the result for the ship's scan capabilities, only to learn that Pike knew of her trick and does not mind because he would decided in favor of the rescue anyway despite having no time for it. While well-intentioned, it is another one of those instances where discipline and duty are subordinated to feelings. Spock, on the other hand, comes across as a bit sulky and unsupportive but he redeems himself when he discovers the anomaly in the moon's atmosphere that turns out to have been created by Ortegas as an emergency signal. This may give him the idea to light up the fuel of the Galileo to get the attention of the Enterprise a few years later, deeming an act of desperation a logical decision, as he puts it. Although it comes at the price of showing Spock as more inflexible as he usually is in SNW, I like those subtle callbacks to TOS.

However, I don't like the blatant and fan-servicy continuity ties, of the kind the people behind SNW are so fond of. And this takes me to the elephant in the room. The revelation that the Metrons are responsible and set up Ortegas, probably from the get-go, may explain away most of the countless coincidences and contrivances. Actually, it is quite convenient because it saves me from writing down a long nitpicking list. Yet, on the narrative level this twist is to the disservice of the story. It ostensibly sets the stage for TOS: "Arena". It may have been supposed to outline something like a plan of the Metrons, who test humans and Gorn repeatedly whether they have evolved. "Terrarium" even uses a trick to make the Gorn in the story far less agile and more TOS-like, as her leg is injured. The episode just begs to be compared to TOS, but exactly this even deepens the rift, especially considering that the SNW-Metrons expect humans to make peace with predators that use them as food, whereas the TOS-Metrons just step in as humans accidentally run into a species they have never met before and may regard as hostile for all the wrong reasons. There is huge difference between the two conflict scenarios that SNW conflates, which neither makes much sense nor adds anything new to the lore. And, of course, the Metrons wipe the memory of our pilot to preserve continuity.

Overall, "Terrarium" is like ENT: "Dawn" done a bit better, with elements of "The Galileo Seven" and with the resolution of "Arena". The latter fails to convince because it is another instance of lame fan service and has a much lower impact than it did have in 1967. I would have rated the episode higher without the Metron involvement. All things considered, I think it is still average (which also means, one of the best installments of season 3).

Annotations

Rating: 4

 


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