Subspace Rhapsody does something that Star Trek has never done before, gives us a musical. With songs by Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley and Tom Polce and a script by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff this episode first debuted on 3 August, 2023.

Sure, musicals aren’t everyone’s fare, but in a season that took some fun chances, this one pays off wonderfully and also slipped in a sly Buffy reference. While most musicals use songs to not only let the characters explain their emotions but also to advance the plot, the songs in Subspace Rhapsody give us bigger insights into the characters singing them and help payoff character and story arcs that have played out through the season.

And that’s because this isn’t only a musical episode, it’s the penultimate episode of the season, and we’re preparing for the plunge into the season finale.

The Enterprise has come across a naturally occurring subspace fold, and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Spock (Ethan Peck) have the idea of using it to allow more instantaneous communication across the quadrant. Unfortunately, they trigger something which creates an improbability field, plunging them into a musical reality something they need to fix before the Klingons simply try to blow it up and destroy half the quadrant.

As songs reveal feelings, changes, and intentions, a number of characters get a chance to shine, La’an (Christina Chong) tries to tell Kirk (Paul Wesley) how she feels only to learn he’s in a relationship (Carol Marcus), Kirk wrestles with finding a command style through some advice from Una (Rebecca Romijn) and Chapel (Jess Bush) garners a win when she’s accepted to work with Roger Korby (and longtime fans know how that will play out).

This one is a lot of fun, has some catchy songs, and shows that properly written, Trek can work in any genre.

Hegemony closes out the season (and introduces us to another Legacy character) with a script written by Henry Alonso Myers. It first debuted on 10 August, 2023, and brings back the Gorn.

The Gorn have proven to be a frightening enemy over the past couple of seasons, and that makes for a wonderful break from Klingons. We know they’ll be Kirk’s main nemesis, but it’s fun to see other species and events at work here.

Chapel has caught a ride on Batel’s (Melanie Scorfano) Cayuga who has stopped at a colony planet to help out when the planet and the Cayuga fall under attack by the Gorn, and the Enterprise races to assist.

The Gorn have destroyed the Cayuga and seized the planet claiming it’s on their side of the demarcation line, so Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew have to find a way to get down to the surface, avoid the Gorn hunting parties, and rescue all those they can.

Spock has to get to the Cayuga wreckage and save Chapel – I have a problem with the fact that she is the only survivor on the ship, but it’s fine, it’s more about their relationship than anything else.

On the planet, Pike, Ortegas (Melissa Navia), La’an, Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) and M’Benga (Babs Olunsanmokun) are reunited with Batel, and a young engineering lieutenant, from the Stardiver Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn).

As everyone fights to survive, plans are formed, encounters and escapes are had, but we’re racing towards the climax of the episode, and is it possible we’re getting a cliffhanger that we’re going to have to wait to have resolved?

You bet. We learn something terrible about Batel, the Gorn beam up a bunch of human survivors, Pelia (Carol Kane) and Scotty are working on something that may be able to stop the Gorn, and Starfleet has ordered the Enterprise to stand down.

To Be Continued!!

Now the wait begins for season three, but until then, I can continue to revisit seasons one and two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on DVD, Blu-Ray and beautiful 4K, both of which are available now from Paramount Canada.

Boldly go.