Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (season 2, 10 episodes)
release year: 2023
genre: sci-fi drama TV
viewing setting: home streaming 10/7-31/24
synopsis: Before the time of Captain Kirk's command of the Enterprise, a different captain (and mostly-different crew) undertake similar missions.
impressions: After a couple of years, I returned to this series for season two. While it's still (generally) fun and engaging - a lot like the original series except with nicer-looking technology and special effects - there are some anachronisms here. Aside from slang and mannerisms that would be right at home in the 2020s, there's also what I call "the Prometheus issue" which is simply the fact that a subsequent show/film set before an earlier production somehow has newer and much nicer-looking ships and technology. I like how they tied into people and elements from the original series, using certain characters, the Gorn, and the Romulans (although there's no wat that the Gorn could possibly be previously-unknown as in the 1967 episide Arena given their presence in this series as the main antagonist. Here are capsule reviews (the episodes I liked the best are boldfaced) of each of the ten episodes in this first season:
(1) The Broken Circle
summary: With Pike away, Spock is in command, and disobeys orders so he can check out a touchy situation in the disputed zone with the Klingons.
(2) Ad Astra per Aspera
summary: Starfleet puts Number One on trial, and an old friend/enemy ends up being her lawyer..
(3) Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
summary: La'an and an alternate-universe Kirk unwillingly go back in time to prevent a disaster.
(4) Among the Lotus Eaters
summary: Three of the officers beam down to a planet that, as it turns out, gradually causes them to lose their memories.
(5) Charades
summary: Spock is accidentally turned human and, since he had a scheduled dinner with this Vulcan in-laws-to-be, an awful lot of social drama ensues.
(6) Lost in Translation
summary: Uhura is seeing things no one else is seeing, things which may be dangerous if they're real.
(7) Those Old Scientists
summary: A couple of characters from another, animated Star Trek series appear in this one's timeline. (special note: I did not think this was the highly-rated episode that most others do...the main guest character was a complete idiot and the style of humor didn't resonate with me.)
(8) Under the Cloak of War
summary: A former Klingon warmonger is now a peace ambassador, but some suspect it's an act.
(9) Subspace Rhapsody
summary: An encounter with a rift in space ends up causing people to sing anything they have to say, which - while requiring a lot of talent and catering to audiences who enjoy musicals - just seemed silly to me.
(10) Hegemony
summary: The Gorn strike again, taking hostages from a planet the Federation was helping..
acting: Anson Mount is Captain Pike, who has to live every day knowing that in a few years, he'll be crippled. Ethan Peck does a great job as Spock, who's (as always) pulled between two different cultures. Babs Olusanmokun is the ship's doctor, who also has a secret background in warfare which is gradually revealed in this season. Christina Chong is the tough security chief. Celia Rose Gooding is a young Uhura, who's still figuring out what she wants out of life. Jess Bush is a young Nurse Chapel, who's competent and sassy. Melissa Navia is a hip, wisecracking helmswoman. Rebecca Romjin is Number One, some sort of second-in-command. Paul Wesley is a young James Kirk, assigned to another ship but occasionally showing up on the Enterprise. Dan Jeannotte is his brother, and when together they constantly bicker. Adrian Holmes is an admiral who used to command a starship. Carol Kane debuts this season as an often-annoying professor-turned-engineer.
final word: Good stuff - it really reminded me more of the original series than any of the other series since the 1960s.
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