Chris Connor reviews the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds…
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ second season sees a myriad of plot threads from across the two seasons come to a head as the crew of the Enterprise face off against the Gorn. The Gorn were a primary adversary in the season 1 episode ‘Memento Mori’ which took a heavy toll on the crew.
The finale is the culmination of subtle storytelling and the development of several key relationships namely Spock and Nurse Chapel and Captain Pike and Marie Batel. This episode reflects the season’s ensemble focus with the conflict with the Gorn impacting the whole crew and each member having a part to play in some way.
While being an ensemble series has had numerous benefits a slight drawback has been the sidelining of Anson Mount’s Pike, here he takes more of a centre stage as Batel is caught in the crossfire of the conflict with the Gorn. Mount is given fine material to work with here, Pike showing his loyalty to his crew, the importance of his relationship with Batel, and the moral dilemma presented.
For fans of classic Star Trek, we have another Original Series character join the crew of the Enterprise in the shape of Scotty, here played by Martin Quinn, instantly feeling at home in the role made famous by James Doohan and played by Simon Pegg in the film reboot series. While only a small part of the episode, Quinn looks set to be a key part of the ensemble in the third season and beyond.
This is an action-packed, tense and frenetic closer to a stellar second season. The Gorn can at times recall Ridley Scott’s Alien with some of the more horror themed sequences, but this does not feel out of place and is about as far removed as possible from the musical episode that preceded it. In keeping with previous Star Trek shows there is an almighty cliffhanger, whetting fans appetites for the already-announced third season. Fans will surely wonder how the show can continue to surprise and outdo itself with such a wealth of standout episodes and experiments across the course of the season.
Strange New Worlds’ second season is another stellar season of Star Trek, following hot on the heels of the rapturously received final season of Picard and managing to outdo the expectations of many after the glowing response to its opening season. The sheer breadth of storytelling, pacing and quality of writing show this team understands what makes Star Trek so popular and innovative while willing to take departures and push the boundaries for what a Trek show can look like in 2023.
While fans wait for the third season, they can rest assured that Trek is in safe hands and there are plenty more adventures to look forward to with Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise.
Chris Connor
Originally published August 10, 2023. Updated August 11, 2023.
