Leslie Hope directs Ghosts of Illyria. Written by Akela Cooper and Bill Wolkoff this episode first debuted on 19 May, 2022.

While Pike (Anson Mount) and Spock (Ethan Peck) are trapped by an ion storm on a deserted Illyrian colony, the returning landing party, led by Una Chin-Rilly (Rebecca Romijn) come back infected with a contagious disease carried by light waves.

As Una, M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokum) and Chapel (Jess Bush) try to figure out a way to save the crew, Pike and Spock make interesting discoveries about this colony of Illyrians, who are a race that genetically modify themselves, something that the Federation has outlawed.

That storypoint will bring two characters with different views on the subject into discussion, as we learn that Una is a genetically modified Illyrian (and consequently could be booted out of Starfleet and jailed for her actions). She and La’an (Christina Chong), who has a very famous ancestor that was genetically modified argue different points of view after they find a way to save the ship, but that’s not the only secret revealed in this episode.

We learn what happened to the missing colonists, and we learn even more about M’Benga!

I love the conversations that Una has with La’an, M’Benga, and Pike, it shows us the best of what we can be, and that the Federation is something we can and should strive for.

There’s a fine line of walking between the narrative and giving us great character arcs and moments, and this episode does it well. A strong script, direction and performances give us an incredibly solid episode, and somehow we’re only three episodes into the series.

I have loved every moment of this series so far, the characters new and old have already become beloved, and I delight in how the writing makes time for each character to have a moment to shine, making it feel like a real ensemble show.

Memento Mori plays out as Strange New Worlds’ version of a submarine movie, or to tie it into The Original Series, Balance of Terror with the Gorn replacing the Romulans. Written by Dan Perez and Beau DeMayo, this episode first debuted on 26 May, 2022.

When the Enterprise is called to a colony that has suffered an attack by an unknown assailant, they arrive and begin rescue operations, but it’s all a trap, one that La’an recognizes too later as being set by the Gorn, a species she has personal knowledge of.

As the ship is battered by an almost ceaseless attack a number of narrative threads pop up as the crew attempt to elude and survive their attackers.

M’Benga and Chapel are conducting triage in sickbay, and working to save Una’s life, which in turn puts La’an in the role of temporary First Officer, hoping to aid Pike in his decisions.

In Engineering, Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Hemmer (Bruce Horak) are trapped and working on a way to keep the ship powered and provide options for the bridge, even as they risk their lives with the ship buckling around them.

On the bridge, Pike, Spock and Ortegas (Melissa Navia) really dive into the submarine aspects of the narrative, as they maneuver the Enterprise into the cloud of a brown star, and its neighbouring black hole, which serves the role of increased depth and pressure.

Together, the entire crew has to come up with a way to best the trio of Gorn ships hunting them and live to survive the encounter, something that La’an is haunted by because her family didn’t survive their encounter.

All of this is set on their version of Remembrance Day, as they recall those who have been lost in the service, and they all wear ship pins of those they are specifically remembering.

It’s a tightly paced, and action-packed episode that shows Orterga’s wit, the companionship of the crew, the sounds and looks they have incorporated from TOS, and the human adventure the series continues to embrace. It also lets us know that the Gorn are out there, and are incredibly dangerous.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 1 is available from Paramount Canada on DVD, Blu-Ray and a stunning 4K. Boldly go…