If you’re familiar with my work in any way you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Star Trek. Have been since I was a wee lad. The franchise has had its ups and downs, but it was undeniable that Trek was struggling for a bit after the early 90s and became a very different beast in the 2010s.
Last year saw the debut of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and I couldn’t have been happier with it. It felt like the franchise was getting back to what I loved the most about it – back to what made it work. The franchise has returned to an episodic format with more mature characters who weren’t constantly crying and screaming everything. People had their quirks, but they were still professional. There was still drama and tension, but it was much more subdued and internal. Stories were built around characters. People were clever and used their experiences to resolve issues in ways that made sense. We got to meet and become friends with a host of wonderful characters; some familiar and some ‘strange and new’ you could say.
When the season was over I couldn’t wait for the next to start. I didn’t want it to be over. Now… I’m apprehensive.
Let’s get into the story first, shall we?
The first episode of Strange New Worlds’ second season sees our beloved Captain Pike (Anson Mount) take off to rescue his first officer Una (Rebecca Romijn) from an unfair court proceeding, leaving Spock (Ethan Peck) in charge while the ship is under routine maintenance in space dock. Spock is told that he will likely be experiencing more of his emotions than he’s used to since the fight with the Gorn last season. (And Vulcan emotions are stronger than humans’, so that’ll be extra difficult for our resident stoic.) La’an (Christina Chong) is still AWOL since last season, but Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) suddenly gets a secret transmission from her saying that she needs help. Admiral April (Adrian Holmes) won’t let them take the ship into demilitarized Klingon space, especially while they’re under maintenance, so the rescue is dead in the water officially.
Spock and crew then trick the maintenance staff at star base to “steal” the Enterprise and go save La’an. Once there, La’an reveals that a group of profiteers are trying to restart the Federation-Klingon war so that they can sell dilithium to both sides and make more money.
M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Chapel (Jess Bush) are captured and have to fight their way out using super-strength juice only to discover that that they’re onboard a counterfeit Federation craft on its way to attack a Klingon ship. Spock has to fire on the ship before he knows Chapel is safe, but it’s ok. They rescue the doctor and Spock’s favorite nurse just in time. The crew returns to space dock with La’an where they get an 80’s-cop-movie style talking down to and simultaneous pat on the back from the admiral. In the episode’s final moments, it’s revealed that the Gorn, an evil race of space-faring reptilian monsters, may be on their way to invade the Federation! Oh no!
First Impression: There’s still a lot to see, and hopefully it is truly strange and new instead of a re-discovery.
The episode itself was fun and I was happy to see Pike’s Enterprise crew back for another go, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. This episode felt decidedly more like the show it spun-off from; Star Trek: Discovery. Emotions were high, there seemed to be a lack of appreciation for authority/naval structure/chain of command, and people are regularly put into out of character situations. On top of that, we seem to be swaying back toward a season long story as opposed to mostly smaller, character driven, episodic adventures.
It’s only the first episode so maybe I’m seeing warning signs prematurely. Hopefully the remainder of the season proves that sentiment correct. Only time will tell. Catch the first episode streaming now on Paramount+. New episodes release every Thursday. I’ll be right here to let you know whether you should tune in or not. Until next time, hit it.
There's still a lot to see, and hopefully it is truly strange and new instead of a re-discovery.
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I’ve worked my whole life to become a comic book illustrator, writer, and stand-up comedian. Batman and Captain Benjamin Sisko helped put a good head on my shoulders. I spent most of my childhood saving Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom and seeing the Justice League save all of creation time and time again. I live in Johnson City, TN with my wife Kary and daughter Laila enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery and occasional show. Three puppies round out the family and take up the rest of the time that isn’t spent debating which Wes Anderson or Studio Ghibli movie to watch. I spend an inordinate amount of time binge watching SVU, Futurama, and Letterkenny, and when I’m not watching I’m listening to “My Brother, My Brother, and Me” or playing the occasional game of D&D. If there’s a nerdy endeavor out there, I’ve probably at least tried it.