Chris Connor reviews the sixth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3…
While it may follow Captain Pike as captain, Strange New Worlds has always been a prequel both tonally and in terms of setting to The Original Series. This has never been truer than in “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”. This episode puts Paul Wesley’s earlier version James T. Kirk front and centre as he is tasked with saving both the crew of The Farragut and The Enterprise from what appears to be hostile aliens.
There are nods aplenty to the 60s series, with heavy interactions between Kirk and Spock, as well as with Uhura, Scotty, and other original characters, who feature prominently. It doesn’t simply feel like a copy, however, this Kirk is not experienced at the helm, uncertain in command, having to rely on the crew to keep them out of harms way. It is a refreshing spin on relationships that fans have come to love on screen with the cast as ever embodying the characters’ lineage with their own stamp.
Ethan Peck and Wesley share some fine moments that really cement the close bond Kirk and Spock will go on to have. There are also some strong mentoring moments between Pike, the more jaded leader and Kirk.
This episode saves its biggest twist until the end and it completely re-evaluates how we perceive the prior 40 minutes. It is a brave and ingenious piece of storytelling that completely goes against expectations and delivers moments of real impact that leave the events of this episode lingering over the crew. The message at the end of the episode about how we empathise with our adversaries feels like classic Gene Roddenberry and epitomises the spirit not just of this season but the show as a whole.
This episode is a high point in what has been a very solid season to date of Strange New Worlds, putting Paul Wesley’s Kirk to use better than in previous episodes with a meaningful role to play and challenging our expectations of where an episode of this type will go. It shifts the dynamics of the crew and sets the season up wonderfully for its final run in .
Chris Connor
