Today, we’re providing a recap and analysis of the audio drama, Star Trek: Khan. As promised, Gary and Addell return to conclude their review of the nine-part scripted audio podcast, “Star Trek: Khan.” They analyze the events that transpire in Star Trek’s first audio-only drama. Is it better than expected? Listen and find out. Continue reading “Star Trek: Khan” Podcast Review
Addell and Gary are back! They take a look at Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in its entirety. The ten-episode series is a mixed bag, showing a decline in quality and consistency compared to the first two seasons. While some episodes highlighted the strength of the cast and introduced a potentially significant new antagonist, others are built on weak writing, wacky plots, and rehashes of stories or subject matter from previous Star Trek series. The season three finale is seen as a perfect example of the season as a whole: it delivered an emotionally satisfying conclusion to a leading character’s arc. Still, it was marred by flawed, problematic writing, quirky episode ideas, and the rehashing of material from other Star Trek series, which wasted precious storytelling time in a season with 10 episodes. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Review
In “New Life and New Civilizations,” the Season 3 finale, the Enterprise crew must prevent the ancient evil known as the Vezda from spreading after it escapes containment. To stop the Vezda, Captain Marie Batel must confront her destiny and the sacrifice she must make for the greater good. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E10 – “New Life and New Civilizations”
Lieutenant Erica Ortegas crash-lands on a dangerous, toxic moon after a shuttle flight goes wrong, and finds herself stranded, isolated, and forced to survive against all odds in the hope of being rescued. While struggling to find resources and shelter from the moon’s deadly environment, she discovers she is not alone, as a badly injured Gorn pilot has also crash-landed there. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E9 – “Terrarium”
“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” opens with Captain Pike and an away team embarking on a mission to a pre-warp planet that received an energy system from Vulcans before the Prime Directive was in place. The system is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown. To avoid detection, the landing party must temporarily transform into Vulcans. Upon returning to the Enterprise, the antidote proves ineffective. The four human crew members are stuck as Vulcans, indefinitely. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E8 – “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
Episode Seven unfolds through an unusual format: as a documentary assembled by Erica Ortegas’ filmmaking brother, Umberto. Comprised of personal interviews as well as“declassified” Federation security feeds and shipboard recordings, Beto, as he is better known, sets out to interrogate the central question: What is Starfleet? Is it genuinely a fleet of peaceful explorers or the military wing of a galaxy-stretching empire? Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E7 – “What is Starfleet?”
“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” is a crucial stepping stone in James Kirk’s development. When a routine survey mission turns deadly, the young First Officer of U.S.S. Farragut is unexpectedly thrust into command. The planet’s surface suddenly implodes, and an unexpected alien force cripples the ship. The experience forces Kirk to confront the grim realities of command and the weight of his decisions. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E6 – “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”
Episode Five features an adventure to a genuinely strange new world, complete with a strange new civilization. The Enterprise arrives at Vadia IX to study an ancient archaeological site discovered by Dr. Roger Korby and Nurse Christine Chapel. Uhura and Ortegas’ brother Beto joins them on the landing party. What they discover in a hidden ancient temple is more than expected. The crew confronts an ancient evil that poses a greater threat than they initially thought. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3, E5 – “Through the Lens of Time”
“A Space Adventure Hour” is partially a loving homage, with equal parts biting satire, of The Original Series. Set on the soundstage of a cancelled 1960s sci-fi show called “The Last Frontier,” the holodeck recreates a murder mystery scenario based on the fictional Amelia Moon detective series that La’An read as a child. The episode features both Scotty and La’An being asked to test-run a prototype of the holodeck called a “re-creation room.” Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, S3, E4 – “A Space Adventure Hour”
Gary and Addell look at Strange New Worlds’ latest episode, “Shuttle to Kenfori.” Pike and M’Benga break all of the rules during an unofficial mission to a restricted planet in hopes of saving Batel from her Gorn infestation. While on the Enterprise, Ortegas’ recovery from her injuries is tested as she attempts to establish control over a world that has been revealed to be more savage and threatening since her encounter with the Gorn. Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, S3, E3 – “Shuttle to Kenfori”