urthpainter

No "strange new world" here - unless you count the strange decision to waste an hour on what feels like filler masquerading as meta-cleverness. If this had been season 6, episode 19, maybe you could excuse it as a tired swing late in the run. But in season 2, episode 4, it's a damning statement: the writers are already out of gas.

The series still hasn't found its stride, wobbling between anthology-style one-offs and serial threads, but instead of blending, the tones are colliding. What we get this time is contrived, heavy-handed writing that mistakes surface-level "theater kids in space" for something profound. It isn't. It's hollow, painfully obvious, and frankly insulting to an audience that expects more from Star Trek than a cosplay skit stretched past the breaking point.

The intro reeks of padding. The plot itself is a thin, shallow imitation of TNG's "Ship in a Bottle" - except this version is worse in every way: less wit, less imagination, less execution. The actors do what they can, but when the script is this flat, their performances collapse into mediocrity. Compare it to season 3 episode 2, Wedding Bell Blues, which was equally pedantic yet elevated by strong acting. Here, nobody could rise above the dreck.

The only redeeming beat? A thirty-second ship maneuver in the final act. That's it. Out of nearly an hour of television, the one memorable moment is a CGI flourish. That should say everything.

What troubles me is the downward trend after watching this episode. I hope the season can reverse course before it loses its spark entirely.

Season 3 Episode 3 we are treated an actual strange new world to explore! Unfortunately, what could have been a standout ST experience ends up as an average episode.

On paper, I love this concept. It has the right ingredients: space-opera politics, a compelling problem to solve, and courageous initiative from the crew - including the captain himself. I especially appreciated that the central conflict was medical in nature, giving Dr. M'Benga a natural spotlight with real potential to deepen his character.

The execution, though, falters. The entire story leans on a MacGuffin that feels more contrived than organic (ironically). The planet's premise is fascinating, but the viewer only gets a glimpse of a few uninspired sets, leaving the world underdeveloped. The questions raised about its dangerous environment could have opened the door to imaginative, speculative science - but the answers turn out to be clichés so underwhelming that even the characters joke about them. Honestly, I don't blame them.

The Klingons' inclusion was another promising idea, but again, the follow-through comes off uninspired. The attempt to make the episode "edgy" with moments of violence feels restrained - not nearly as impactful as it could have been, especially when dealing with Klingon warriors and a hostile environment.

I did like some of the ship scenes involving chain of command and following orders. While the execution of these elements may of been heavy handed, it set a meaningful precedent worth following in future episodes.

So yes, I'm glad season three brought viewers to a new world to explore. But the underdeveloped script undermined what could have been one of the more exciting premises so far. A missed opportunity - Generous 6/10.

This episode practically invites criticism. With seasons already so short in the modern streaming era, delivering a story that feels vapid and inconsequential - one that begins and ends with the characters in exactly the same place - is frustrating. It doesn't push the narrative forward, doesn't explore anything new, and ultimately feels like wasted time.

And yet... it's still an easy watch. By season three, the cast and crew have clearly found their rhythm. The characters are well-defined, their dynamics have developed, and their interactions are often fun to watch. That polish makes even a hollow episode go down smoothly.

The problem is that I never want to describe a Star Trek episode as "an entertaining romp" - but that's exactly what this is. There are a few crumbs of character development and relationship beats, but nothing with real depth, metaphor, or meaning beyond surface-level entertainment.

That's not inherently "bad television." I enjoy light, distracting media as much as anyone. But Star Trek carries the weight of expectation - it's supposed to aim higher, to challenge ideas, to explore. Coming directly after an episode that already wrapped up conflict without much exploration, serving up another story with so little substance feels especially weak.

In the end, this wasn't unpleasant to watch, but it was disappointing in what it chose not to be. For me, the concept sets such a low ceiling that I can't rate it higher than 5/10.