Chris Connor reviews the ninth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3…
Strange New Worlds has of course tipped its hat frequently to the 1960s show that saw the birth of the behemoth, while charting its own course through regions unknown. The penultimate episode of its third season pays direct homage to the classic Original Series episode ‘Arena’ that saw Kirk and a Gorn captain pitted against one another. In this episode Ortegas is stranded on the other side of a wormhole, with only a Gorn to help her escape the gaseous moon.
The episode picks up some of the threads that have dangled throughout the series, Ortegas scarred by her interactions with the species earlier in the season. She must put those aside to try and help her escape. As well as several nods to ‘Arena’, this is a real showcase for Melissa Navia’s Ortegas, putting her firmly in the spotlight as she looks to put this strange alliance to good use. There are plenty of funny interactions between the pair.
This episode may be on the longer side, just shy of the hour mark but it rarely bulks under this added weight offering one of the strongest episodes of the season, bringing together threads in an impressive way and really examining Ortega’s grief and the survival instinct of the two species. There are nice nods to survival stories from years gone by, shifting focus from Ortega to the Enterprises’ efforts to rescue her.
For long term fans there are some neat callbacks to 1967, with the Metrons returning to the show for the first time since that era and their interaction with Kirk. Whether or not this is the last we see of them in this show remains to be seen.
‘Terrarium’ really builds nicely on some of the ideas this season has toyed with about the nature of space exploration and the Federation. It is the perfect setup to what promises to be a memorable finale, as the show continues to go from strength to strength.
Chris Connor
