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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recap: Don’t You Forget About Me

Star trek: strange new worlds.

For a couple with a supposed on-again, off-again relationship of convenience, Pike and Batel spend an awful lot of time together, don’t they? Or at least they try to: As “Among the Lotus Eaters” opens, the two captains have carved out some time for a nice romantic dinner, but one thing after another gets in the way. First, they’re both very much in demand and keep getting hailed with questions. Then, after Batel gives Pike the extremely thoughtful (and crucial to the plot) gift of an Opelian Mariner’s Keystone, Batel gets called away for a message that can’t wait and returns obviously on edge. As Pike correctly surmises, Batel’s been passed over for promotion to commodore. What’s worse, he’s kind of the reason why, thanks to the outcome of Una’s trial a few episodes back.

This is not what Pike had planned, and the turn of events makes him question whether their relationship is on the right course. If they thought they were keeping it casual, they were lying to themselves. They don’t see each other enough, and the fact they do see each other is hurting Batel’s career. They clearly want to be together but, for many reasons, can’t. She leaves unhappy (and unfed). It’s a bummer of a night.

It’s also about to take a turn for the dramatic. In the briefing room, Una refreshes the executive officers’ memory about a visit to a planet called Rigel VII five years back, one that ended in an emergency evacuation when they ran into a pre-warp society called the Kalar, which promptly attacked them, killing three crew members. Or so they thought. An aerial photo reveals a landscape reshaped in the form of a Starfleet delta. Now, having realized they contaminated a culture, they need to go correct their mistake. (They follow the Prime Directive for a reason.) After receiving some advice from Una about not pushing Batel away like he has others in his life, Pike focuses again on Rigel VII. He can only clean up one mess at a time.

It’s a big mess too, one that involves piloting a shuttle down through a rough atmosphere. It’s the perfect job for Ortegas, who is excited to join the landing party for once. “Most of the time, I fly the ship. Which is cool, but can get boring,” she tells her personal log, so it stings when Pike tells her she’s still needed up above, thanks to some unexpected obstacles.

Fortunately, Pike has more than a little piloting experience, and after they land safely, in full Kalar dress, Pike, M’Benga, and La’an start to make their way through hostile territory to the Kalar castle, sans the usual equipment in order to avoid even more cultural contamination. It would be a rough journey even without incidents of memory loss and confusion. La’an’s the first to experience it, but even though Pike and M’Benga are worried, they press on to the castle, where they discover two problems: The Kalar have some Starfleet weapons, and they use them to take the Enterprise landing party hostage.

It gets worse: Zac (David Huynh), the Enterprise crew member they thought had been killed in action during their last trip to Rigel VII, is still alive, but he’s turned into a jerk with delusions of grandeur, having used the weapons to turn himself into a king. This might not be entirely his fault. As Zac tells his former captain, “This isn’t a normal planet,” and La’an’s not the only one destined to suffer from memory loss. When Pike, M’Benga, and La’an come to in a cage, they realize they have no idea where, or even who, they are.

But it’s not just those on Rigel VII’s surface who suffer from its effects. On the Enterprise , Uhura’s the first to start to lose her memory, a development that earns her a trip to sick bay. Her condition baffles Chapel and unnerves Ortegas. Then it starts to spread.

Back on the surface, the Enterprise party picks up a Kalar mentor in the form of Luke (Reed Birney), who shows up to help them through their “forgetting” and share some tips on how to navigate life as one of the “Kalar from the field,” the class tasked with doing hard labor. That means focusing on the present, doing the work they’ve been assigned, and not pissing off the guards (whose helmets seem to guard them against the Forgetting, like the other Kalar from the palace). And above all, it means dealing with the Forgetting. “We don’t lose the deeply held things,” Luke tells them. Everything else has to be preserved through body art. (Shades of Memento. )

The question of what meets the definition of “deeply held things” gets explored the rest of the episode. Pike knows he’s not used to this kind of work, and he knows the keystone around his neck is a gift and that there are other feelings attached to that gift. But what do those feelings mean? Pike barely has time to contemplate that before a fight breaks out between the new arrivals and the guards, badly wounding La’an in the process. Guided by Luke, they seek shelter in Luke’s quarters, though their host isn’t all that focused on saving La’an. He’s a true believer. The Palace Kalar remember so the Field Kalar can have the luxury of forgetting, remaining unburdened by the past so they can focus on the present. Still, he agrees to help them head to the palace where, in theory, M’Benga will be able to remember how to save La’an.

Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise , things have gotten really bad. Memory loss is starting to claim more crew members. Before it affects Spock and Ortegas, Spock orders the pilot to navigate an asteroid field that might create some interference and spare them the effects of Rigel VII. But, just to be safe, Spock hands Ortegas a pad with her vital information on it, including, most important of all, the information that she flies the ship. It’s little help. When the Forgetting comes for Spock and Ortegas, both lose the ability to read, prompting Ortegas to flee in terror and, in the process, wander corridors filled with similarly afflicted cremates. It’s like a scene from a zombie movie where the zombies try to restore their brains rather than eat others. The outlook is grim!

Back on Kalar outside the palace, Pike again reflects on the keystone, which he connects to a feeling Luke defines as love, an emotion that even the Forgetting can’t erase. Luke ought to know. Something in his past was so painful that he inked over the markings on his arm that contain the story of his past. And, frankly, he’s fine with it, at least for now. That might not be the right choice, but on the Enterprise the Field Kalars’ approach to life is being proven out, at least in part. Huddling in fear in her quarters, Ortegas strikes up a conversation with the ship’s computer, who fills her in on her name and, more important, what she does. “I am Erica Ortegas. I fly the ship,” she repeats to herself as she makes her way to the bridge and discovers that, yes, she does know how to fly the ship. And knowing how to do that saves their lives. Everything else is inessential.

Pike breaches the palace and, in short order, takes out Zac, who informs him that, no, their memories aren’t in a casket hidden inside the palace, as the Field Kalar believe. The problem is the planet itself, which causes those without protection to forget. But those effects dissipate with protection, as Pike discovers while in the process of beating Zac senseless. And with that, the day is saved. Zack is captured. M’Benga heals La’an. And Luke’s past comes flooding back to him, and as painful as it is, he’s grateful to remember. “The story of your life, the details: They matter” he tells Pike, who considers those words while holding the keystone. Realizing he has to apologize to Batel, Pike makes some creative choices in transferring Zack back to Starfleet. “You brought me home,” he tells her before asking forgiveness. And who could say no to that? As the episode ends, what was off again is now clearly on again.

“Among the Lotus Eaters” at times plays less like an installment with an A plot and a B plot than two episodes smooshed into one. There’s the Ortegas story, in which she grows bored with doing the same thing over and over again only to realize what a crucial role she plays, and the surface story, which is in the tradition of Star Trek episodes about encountering less advanced civilizations that look a lot like remnants of our own past that dates back to the original series.

They complement each other, however, even if they sometimes come to different conclusions. While Ortegas’s arc illustrates a kind of Existentialism for Beginners as she realizes her actions define her life, Pike’s adventures illustrate the limits of that way of thinking. The emotion he can’t let go of and the memories he fights to retrieve are wrapped up in his feelings for Batel, which are as much a part of his identity as his captain’s duties. It’s not until his memories return that he’s fully himself again and can restrain himself from killing Zack. His time on Kalar might have taught him something about himself by stripping so much away, but these are the things that make Pike who he is.

• The notion of a culture that’s built traditions and philosophy around memory lapses is pretty fascinating, but does it stand up to close scrutiny? Where did Luke form those memories in the first place? In the palace? Are all Field Kalar palace castoffs? How do those without memories fall in love and start families? There’s probably not enough room in the episode to explore every aspect of Field Kalar culture. Maybe that totem holds all the answers.

• Reed Birney’s performance as Luke makes it easy not to worry about these matters too much, though. A well-traveled character actor, he’s been showing up in prominent roles more frequently lately, most recently in a memorable episode of Poker Face .

• “Emotions are not facts,” Spock asserts a couple of times. But this episode doesn’t entirely bear out that way of thinking.

• It’s hard to disagree with Una. Pike and Batel do make for a good match. But can two captains destined to be flung to opposite edges of the quadrant really make plans for the future? Either way, the series now has three potential romances playing out, and it’s not clear where any of them are going.

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Strange New Worlds Went Full Star Trek Disaster Movie, and It Ruled

"memento mori" delivers an exhilaratingly intense hour of tv, while keeping strange new worlds ' focus tight on its characters..

Pike stands in fronr of the Enterprise captain's chair as La'an and Ortegas pilot the ship.

So far, so Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has given us a really solid formula between riffing on classic Trek premises and taking one of its main characters for a little deeper dive along the way. This week is no exception, but with an especially great riff: What if modern Star Trek did its own “Balance of Terror,” with a dash of “Year of Hell,” and even a little whiff of The Wrath of Khan ?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4 review: "Embraces every opportunity to ratchet up the stakes"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

With nail-biting tension, a classic villain reinvented and the Enterprise crew thrown headfirst into a nightmare scenario, this really is an episode to remember. Everyone will die eventually, the ‘Memento Mori’ title reminds us, but thankfully not today.

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Warning: Our Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4 review contains major spoilers – many of them set to stun. Boldly go further at your own risk…

While it doesn’t quite fit with Gene Roddenberry’s ideals about exploration and the betterment of humanity, many of Star Trek’s most memorable moments have come when a Starfleet vessel has taken a complete and utter pounding. This week, Strange New Worlds follows in the footsteps of The Next Generation’s ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’, Voyager’s ‘Year of Hell’ and the franchise’s finest hour, The Wrath of Khan, by ensuring Pike, Spock and the crew spend an entire mission with their backs against the wall.

The episode’s title, ‘Memento Mori’, translates as a reminder that everyone must die – an echo of Game of Thrones’ famous ‘valar morghulis’ – and for once, it doesn’t feel like an empty threat. While Trek canon dictates that Pike, Spock, Uhura, M’Benga and Chapel must live to fight another day, there are moments when you believe the show might do a Tasha Yar, and kill off a regular before season one is done. That all the leads make it out in one piece (more or less) almost comes as a surprise – and a definite relief, seeing as every member of this beautifully assembled crew is worthy of more screen time.

The cause of the Enterprise’s woes is an intriguing contradiction, both refreshingly familiar and the chilling face of the unknown. The Gorn date back to – or, in Trek continuity, technically forward to – original series episode ‘Arena’, when Captain Kirk was forced to take on his rival captain in hand-to-hand combat. The stiff, rubbery prosthetics of the ’60s ensured that the reptilian species became figures of fun in some quarters of fandom – they were subsequently given a hokey CG makeover in Star Trek: Enterprise’s Mirror Universe – but there’s no question we’re taking this new incarnation very seriously indeed. The reinvented Gorn may be the first genuinely frightening ’new’ threat the Federation has faced since the introduction of the Borg and the Dominion – and because it’s made clear that they like eating humans for dinner, we don’t even have to see them to know they’re bad news.

Their introduction is an Alien-like masterclass in building suspense. The season opener already established that Lt La’an Noonien Singh had a close encounter with the Gorn as a kid, an attack that left the rest of her family dead. Now she’s forced to relive the trauma on the abandoned colony of Finibus 3, gradually deducing that the ominous bloodstains and the clicking sounds recreated by a terrified eye-witness can mean only one thing…

With the Enterprise still tethered to the cargo vessel it’s evacuating, however, La’an’s desperate call to raise shields comes too late, leaving the ship a sitting duck when the Gorn open extremely hostile hailing frequencies. Despite being temporarily frozen in fear, La’an is mostly unscathed by the brutal surprise attack, but not everyone is so lucky – there are numerous dead, Number One is injured, and Starfleet’s flagship is left an inoperable warp drive, medical supplies running out and – perhaps most ominously of all – its air-con on the fritz. There are also lots of random wires left dangling from the ceiling, in the finest Trek tradition.

Things are so bad that retreat is the best option, the only place to hide an unstable brown dwarf that’s being sucked into a black hole. It’s an unashamed homage to The Wrath of Khan, but it works spectacularly. That movie’s director, Nicholas Meyer, famously reinvented Star Trek as a submarine adventure, and ‘Memento Mori’ takes the same approach, plotting a tense game of cat-and-mouse as the Enterprise tries to stay one step ahead of the enemy. In fact, this episode is so blatant about its nautical influences that the ship’s pressure-induced creaks and improvised take on radar feel like they could have been lifted from Das Boot. Lt Ortegas even gets to acknowledge one of Pike’s orders with a tongue-in-cheek, "Aye aye, skipper – dive dive dive!"

From start to finish, the episode embraces every opportunity to ratchet up the stakes, gradually introducing a hull breach, a larger, more powerful Gorn vessel, and the threat of a cataclysmic explosion in a cargo bay to a seemingly unsolvable equation. Maybe it’s a consequence of the show’s decision to embrace standalone stories, but the Strange New Worlds writing team is ensuring that every episode is consistently loaded with plot – four episodes in, there’s been little time (or need) for narrative padding.

But once again, the show’s most powerful weapon is its cast. This story wouldn’t have worked as a season opener, but now this wonderful new crew is established, you’re totally rooting for them in their darkest hour. While La’an gets the most prominent character arc – the ever-impressive Pike reminds her that, sometimes, hope is just as important as her usual ruthless efficiency – everyone gets a moment to shine, whether it’s the medical team taking advantage of “archaeological medicine”, or Ortegas delivering her trademark gallows humour. Crucially, you believe that when they’re together, Pike and his crew can accomplish pretty much anything, but not in that contrived, borderline superhuman way that dragged down the most recent season of Discovery. Indeed, the way the rookie Uhura and sarcastic engineer Hemmer bond while trying to avert an explosion is one of the early highlights of the season.

An otherwise brilliant episode is slightly let down by the contrivance of its conclusion. Spock using a mind-meld to help La’an access old memories comes a little too soon after Picard episode ’Monsters’ took advantage of a similar plot device, and – while it’s a long-established Vulcan ability – skirts perilously close to a magic trick here. It also seems unlikely that La’an would be able to recall the Gorn’s light-emitted language in such detail, or that a technologically advanced species could be so easily fooled by a fake message. Have they never heard of coded transmissions?

That minor slip up aside, Strange New Worlds has established this new version of the Gorn as a genuine threat to the Federation. Canonical restraints may ensure that they remain bit-part players – the ‘Arena’ incident in the original series is treated as a first contact situation – but we’ll be eagerly awaiting their return. Who knows, maybe next time we’ll even get to see what they look like…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently airing now in the US on Paramount Plus. A UK airdate is TBC – though Paramount Plus launches in the UK on June 22. For more, check out our guide to the Star Trek timeline .

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy.

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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Episode 4 Recap: Memories Worth a Thousand Cuts

"Among the Lotus Eaters" delivers an action-adventure mystery that dredges up tragic memories for Captain Pike and gives Ortegas her superhero moment.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 delivers its fourth episode with an action-adventure story featuring high stakes and a fascinating concept that scrapes the surface of the potential emotional depths within. "Among the Lotus Eaters" sees Captain Pike ( Anson Mount ) , La'an ( Christina Chong ), and Doctor M'Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ) stranded on a pre-warp planet and struck with the loss of their memories. With a mystery rooted in lore from the original series and a ticking timer engulfing everyone on the planet and in its orbit, Pike must face some demons buried in his past in order to live in the present.

Written by Kirsten Beyer and Davy Perez , and directed by Eduardo Sanchez , "Among The Lotus Eaters" picks up a thread from the unaired Original Series pilot, "The Cage." In that episode, Pike mentions a mission that went horribly wrong on Rigel VII, in which he lost a yeoman, and multiple people died after he found himself trapped and forced to fight one of the planet's warriors. The impossibly high standard that Pike holds himself to is very telling, and this episode both allows the Captain some emotional introspection and pushes him to let himself get close to people.

RELATED: 'Star Trek': Why the Captain/First Officer Ship Is So Irresistible

Pike and Batel Board an Emotional Rollercoaster

"Among the Lotus Eaters" opens with Captain Pike preparing a delicious-looking pasta dish with his mother's sauce recipe in anticipation of a cozy night in with his on-and-off romantic partner Captain Batel ( Melanie Scrofano ). Their two ships are working together to map a binary star system and while it's quiet they try to sneak in some personal time with each other. Almost immediately, their date night is interrupted by various inquiries from both of their crews, but it's nothing urgent so they settle in. She's brought him a gift from an archaeological dig, a token to "bring lost sailors home," and he's ready to show her his appreciation when they're interrupted again by a call from the Admiral for Batel.

What seems like quite some time later, she ends the call and attempts to rush through their date after getting bad news — because she didn't go hard enough against Pike and Una ( Rebecca Romijn ) during the trial, she lost out on promotion to Commodore. Pike worries that their relationship isn't worth the trouble because he feels like he's hurting her career and suggests that they pull back a bit, effectively doubling down on Batel's absolutely terrible evening. While the terms of their seemingly open relationship haven't exactly been defined on screen, not being on the same page about it easily throws a wrench in their evening. She leaves without finishing dinner and Pike gets a call from the bridge regarding sensitive information about Rigel VII.

In Pike's ready room, Una briefs the captain as well as La'an, M'Benga, and Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ) on the mission ahead. Five years prior, Pike, Una, and Spock ( Ethan Peck ) came here to survey an M-class planet, but things went south quickly with three crew members dying resulting in Pike and Spock needing an emergency evacuation. Recently, Starfleet received images from the planet of the delta shape of the logo used on comm badges and other gear cut into the shrubbery of a palace garden, making it clear that Pike and Spock did not escape the pre-warp planet without impacting it, essentially violating the Prime Directive by accident . They need to land on the planet and correct the cultural contamination they caused with that first visit. Pike implies in very few words that the team he's assembled for this mission was chosen for their combat skills.

After the briefing ends, Una lingers behind to talk to Pike — he seems distant, fiddling with the token that Batel gave him before their date went sideways. She presses him slightly about why Batel's ship left in such a hurry, and he reveals that they decided to take a break. Una sees straight through him and points out that he always panics when someone gets too close, essentially self-sabotaging all of his romantic relationships before he can get hurt. While they agree that it doesn't make sense for him to wreck his relationship with Batel, they've got bigger fish to fry with the mission to Rigel VII. Pike admits that he still thinks about what went wrong the first time, wondering what he could've done differently to keep his crew alive. She offers to tell Starfleet that they need to recuse themselves from this mission, but Pike is determined to clean up the mess he blames himself for.

Pike Must Face a Ghost From His Past on 'Strange New Worlds' Season 2

Ortegas is overjoyed to be going on her first (on-screen) away mission aboard the Enterprise, making a Pilot's Log about how excited she is to not only be flying the shuttlecraft down but to be on the away party. Dressed in planet-appropriate clothing to help them blend in she meets up with La'an and M'Benga on their way to the shuttle bay when they're stopped by Spock. He explains to the captain that the debris field around the planet is shifting, meaning that they'll need their best pilot aboard the Enterprise and Ortegas must stay behind. Pike decides to fly the shuttle down himself, and while Ortegas knows it's the right call she can't help but be a little bit resentful of Spock for delivering the information.

To reach the settlement undetected, Pike has to land the shuttle 20 kilometers away — and to make matters more complicated, they can't bring phasers or comm badges and risk further contamination of the planet's burgeoning society. Luckily, they have sub-dermal universal translators, but otherwise, they're on their own. As they exit the shuttlecraft, La'an suffers from a serious bout of tinnitus, a violent ringing in her ears that makes her feel confused and disoriented, not realizing that they've already traveled six hours away from where they landed. It's more dangerous to turn back now than to keep moving forward so La'an brushes it off and M'Benga hopes that it's not a sign of anything more serious.

Outside the palace, La'an surveys the area and notes that the Starfleet delta is also forged into the gates. They decide that the best course of action is to talk to people who live outside the castle because they're more likely to talk without their guard up, but if that fails they'll have to slip inside the palace. La'an is hit with another wave of tinnitus and Pike suggests that they lie low and head back to the shuttle first thing in the morning. However, that's not a viable option as they realize that the guards surrounding the palace are armed with phaser rifles. Pike explains that when they ordered their emergency evacuation, Spock had been bleeding out, and he hadn't been keeping an eye on where the rest of their gear was in the haste to save his life and not lose a fourth crew member. M'Benga joins them with six guards in tow, and while La'an is ready to fight, Pike makes an attempt at diplomacy first. However, the guard reveals that he already knows they're from Starfleet.

M'Benga suffers from his own wave of tinnitus as the guards take them into the castle and they're greeted by the yeoman that Pike believed died during their first mission here. Pike is overjoyed to find Zach still alive, but there's a menacing tone in Zach's words, making it clear that he's not exactly happy to have been abandoned on this harsh stone-age planet. He goes by High Lord Zacharias on this planet and though Pike wants to fix his mistakes, Zach tells him it's too little too late. Pike assumes that Zach put the delta symbol in the garden as a message, but the former yeoman says the people here just adopted it as his symbol, and he has every intention to tear it down at the earliest opportunity.

The captain attempts to empathize with Zach over how difficult it must have been for him to be here over the last five years, but it's far worse than he realizes. The source of the ringing in La'an and M'Benga's ears is the radiation from a meteor that struck the planet's surface years ago; it makes it difficult to think and ultimately makes you forget who you are. Pike tries one more time to bargain with Zach, but he's convinced there's no going back for him after what he's done on this planet, arming the guards with Starfleet weapons and installing himself as their king. While Pike insists that the Enterprise will come for them, Zach takes no small joy in subjecting Pike to the same suffering he went through in his abandonment, explaining that within a day no one will remember they're even there. Outside in a cage, Pike and M'Benga try to piece together a solution, struggling through serious brain fog. La'an attacks Pike when he approaches her because she doesn't remember who he is — in fact, none of them can even remember why they're on the planet .

Ortegas Gets to Flex Her Pilot Instincts at the Helm of the Enterprise

The same tinnitus that the officers on the planet are suffering from extends up to the ship, first causing Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ) to become disoriented, having no memory of the past two hours on the bridge. Commander Una insists that she go to Sickbay and see what's going on, and sends Ortegas with the young comms officer, taking over flying through the debris field herself. Uhura explains her symptoms to Nurse Chapel ( Jess Bush ) and the scans of Uhura's brain reveal that something much more concerning than a headache is plaguing her. Chapel and Ortegas attempt to deduce what the source of the problem might be, saying that it shouldn't be a problem as long as it's just happening to Uhura. Like clockwork, Spock calls over comms, saying he's sending in six more crew members suffering from acute memory loss.

Back on the ship, Chapel explains what's happening to everyone to Una when the commander is hit with a wave of tinnitus. She delivers the same information that Luke told Pike, they can remember their emotions and instincts, but everything beyond that is being blocked by the radiation. Pike comes in and insists that they each keep a copy of their information to remind themselves of who they are. They realize that they need to leave orbit in order to get their memories back, but they can't leave the away team behind. Spock returns to the bridge and insists that Ortegas fly them into the debris field to block out some of the radiation.

Spock and Ortegas' attempt to lessen the radiation backfires drastically as they're both hit with a wave of tinnitus and extreme confusion over everything from who they are to how to read their data pads. Ortegas can recall that they were trying to make things better and that she's angry at Spock, but that's where her memories stop. The rest of the crew is wandering around confused, as Ortegas gets the computer to lead her to her quarters. When the debris field starts to impact the ship, Ortegas begs for someone to make it stop before realizing she is, in fact, the one person who can make it stop. Navia does a wonderful job with Ortegas' determination, leaning into the comedy of the moment with ease while inspiring hope and becoming the hero that the Enterprise needs .

'Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Sends Mixed Messages About Memories and Living in the Moment

The next morning on the planet, the away party is granted some grace by a man named Luke who lives outside the palace. He explains their roles are defined by the colors that they wear, and promises to explain later why he's able to understand the basic functions of this society. While they go to work in the stone quarry, the man explains that each night they go through "the forgetting" — he says that they don't lose the "deeply known" things like walking and talking, but memories and the things that make them who they are disappear. He offers to help them with their next "forgetting" so that they don't wake up lost and afraid. It's not like this for everyone, though; the people in the palace are able to retain their memories each night. Despite his attempts at comfort, Pike and La'an are certain that they aren't supposed to be here and neither is M'Benga. Pike has a vague memory of the pendant that Batel gave him, and Luke encourages him to trust his emotions more than his fleeting memories. Despite Luke's insistence that they just go with the flow, La'an and Pike start a fight with the two guards keeping watch over their work area. They incapacitate the guards but not without La'an getting stabbed in the process. M'Benga instinctively knows how to treat her wound, but they have to flee back to Luke's place to do more than wrap her in a temporary bandage.

M'Benga believes he can save La'an, but he needs his memories back to properly treat her. Luke has already written her off and tells them to just let her go with peace, but La'an is not exactly jazzed about the prospect of dying. While M'Benga tries to keep taking care of her, Luke says that at least when she's dead they won't have to carry the pain of the loss because they'll just forget her. A totem in the center of his room explains enough to keep Luke and the other workers in line, but it doesn't tell Pike enough to satisfy him. His determination to save La'an stirs a change of heart in Luke, and he agrees to go with them back to the castle to get their memories back.

A significant portion of the emotional weight of this episode rests on Luke's shoulders as he says that he'll watch after La'an, but he doesn't want Pike and M'Benga to retrieve his memories. He explains that he still carries the weight of his grief, having deduced that he likely lost the people he loves, and he's certain that remembering the specifics won't make the burden any lighter. It conflicts slightly with what he'd previously said about Pike and M'Benga being able to forget the pain of losing La'an. He insists that part of Pike's motivation to get his memories back is linked to the pendant he wears because it reminds him of someone he loves, but Pike still can't recall who gave it to him. M'Benga gets shot as he and Pike attempt to storm the palace — he can't keep going, so he decides to defend the entrance while Pike retrieves their memories.

Inside Pike faces off against Zach, and he lets himself be guided by his baser emotions, the leading of which is certainly anger, allowing himself to attack the young self-appointed king. Admitting defeat in his cowardice, Zach points Pike towards what he has left of the Starfleet equipment in a box where he pretends to keep everyone's memories. He explains that the whole castle and the helmets of the guards are made out of an ore that protects them from the radiation and everything else is a myth to keep the working class submissive. When Pike doesn't believe him, Zach laughs in his face and says it's just like Pike to start a revolution. In his frustration, he nearly kills the former yeoman, but his memories return just in time. Pike knows that who he is at his core hasn't changed — he values the lives of his crew, including Zach's, above everything.

M'Benga is able to heal La'an with a dermal regenerator from the box of Starfleet equipment. Having been through a lot together, the two warriors agree that it can be nice to not have to carry the burden of the past for a little while, but ultimately "some memories are worth the pain of others." Meanwhile, Luke decided to stay inside long enough to remember his family, and he takes back what he said to Pike before, admitting that the little things about your life matter. Pike is finally able to remember Batel, realizing that he needs to apologize to her after he's learned the importance of living in the moment. The messaging gets a little muddy here, as that instinct to live in the now and forget the past was part of the myth designed to create a class divide. However, for Pike maybe he needs to stop worrying about the future so he can enjoy the present.

When everyone returns to the Enterprise, Ortegas wraps up her Pilot's Log, explaining how they were able to get their memories back and how she and Spock resolved their temporary beef. With the Prime Directive already thoroughly smashed to bits with regard to their actions on this planet, Pike decides that they're within their bounds to yank the meteor off the planet's surface and throw it back into the atmosphere so that the people no longer have to lose their memories.

Later, Pike makes sure that Batel's ship is part of the prison transfer for Zach so that he can apologize to her. He explains that he was wrong to end their still-undefined relationship and asks for her forgiveness. Though hesitant at first, she kisses him and says they can keep playing it by ear the way they have been. Nothing really changes about the nature of their relationship, and they've essentially ended up right back where they started with an open, "I'll see you when I see you," kind of thing going on, but they're back on good terms after their rocky start at the beginning of the episode.

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 are available every Thursday on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 1, Episode 4

Memento mori, where to watch, star trek: strange new worlds — season 1, episode 4.

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Season 1, Episode 4 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Anson Mount

Captain Christopher Pike

Rebecca Romijn

Science Officer Spock

Babs Olusanmokun

Dr. M'Benga

Christina Chong

La'an Noonien-Singh

Celia Rose Gooding

Nyota Uhura

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Episode info.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 4, "Memento Mori," Recap & Spoilers

A routine mission turns into a disaster when the Enterprise finds itself under attack by a relentless enemy. Here's a recap of Strange New Worlds.

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 4, "Memento Mori," streaming now on Paramount+.

A routine mission to visit a Federation colony goes horribly wrong when the Enterprise discovers that the sinister Gorn have expanded their hostile incursions into Federation territory. This shocking attack comes as Chief Security Officer La’an Noonien-Singh recalls her own traumatic history with the reptilian species; an incident that continues to haunt her years later. And with the Enterprise outnumbered and outgunned, Captain Christopher Pike will have to make desperate decisions if he hopes to lead his crew out of this confrontation alive.

As the Enterprise crew reflects on those that paid the ultimate price in their service to Starfleet on Remembrance Day, the crew is puzzled to find a Federation colony seemingly abandoned, with its communication systems inhibited. Number One decides to personally lead a landing party to investigate, joined by Singh. As the landing party discovers the disturbing signs of a wholesale massacre at the colony, the Enterprise encounters a mysterious spacecraft orbiting the planet, with the crew of the approaching vessel identifying themselves as refugees from the colony.

RELATED: Star Trek: Strange New World Star Wasn't Told Her Role Until After Landing It

As the Enterprise welcomes the surviving refugees onto the ship, Singh realizes that the attackers are the Gorn, noting that she barely survived in her own previous encounter with them. This realization comes too late, as the Gorn take advantage of the Enterprise’s lowered shields to accommodate boarding the refugees to launch a surprise attack on the two starships. The Enterprise sustains heavy damage, with Number One and Chief Engineer Hemmer wounded, while the refugee ship is destroyed in the assault.

Singh advises Pike not to attempt to flee or engage the Gorn directly as the enemy still holds a considerable upper hand against them while pressing the attack. Pike has the Enterprise enter a nearby brown dwarf which will interfere with both the Enterprise and Gorn’s ship systems, helping mitigate the Gorn’s advantage. With the Enterprise’s phasers and shields out, Pike has helmsman Erica Ortegas maneuver the ship over the Gorn to manually drop a photon torpedo on the vessel and destroy it.

RELATED: George Takei Reacts to Fox News Headline Stating Star Trek Was Never Political

While Pike’s strategy was successful, the Gorn allowed this to learn the Starfleet vessel’s location, with three additional Gorn warships now in active pursuit of the Enterprise. Pike orders the Enterprise to move deeper into the brown dwarf, believing the drastic increase in pressure will affect the Gorn ships faster than his own. After the Gorn lose a ship to the increased pressure, Spock and Singh investigate the immediate area outside the ship in shuttle craft. While piloting the shuttle together, Spock carries out a Vulcan mind meld revealing details about Singh’s past encounter with the Gorn. Afterwards, Spock privately admits to Singh that he is still haunted by the apparent death of his sister, Michael Burnham .

With the two remaining Gorn ships still in pursuit, Pike has Ortegas slingshot the Enterprise around a singularity at the heart of the brown dwarf, successfully accomplishing the maneuver despite the escalating damage to the ship. Having effectively outmaneuvered the Gorn, Pike is confident that Starfleet will be better prepared for any future skirmishes with them, though Singh remains visibly concerned. As the crew picks up the pieces from the harrowing battle, Number One and Hemmer recover from their wounds as Singh faces the future, a little less uncertain of how to face the horrors of the cosmos and no longer alone.

Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Recap – what causes the illness on Rigel VII?

Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Recap

We recap the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4, “Among the Lotus Eaters,” which contains spoilers.

One of the Enterprise’s main directives is to not interfere with developing societies. “Among the Lotus Eaters” finds Pike’s crew returning to Rigel VII after the discovery of advanced technology and cultural contamination on the planet. This standard mission could end up being one of the deadliest quests in a long time for the crew, though.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Recap

Episode four begins with Pike and Batel attempting to enjoy a romantic meal together. Unfortunately, they are continually interrupted by work. Batel is also frustrated because she has been overlooked for a promotion.

Pike worries that he’s harming her career. The Captain suggests that they go on a break.

Why is the crew needed on Rigel VII?

Next, Pike is informed of new information about Rigel VII. The crew had performed a routine exploration there five years ago, but since, photographs have picked up some disturbing images. The Starfleet logo can be seen in a castle garden. Pike’s team must survey and correct this cultural contamination.

They plan to go in undercover to find and retrieve any Starfleet technology. Pike blames himself for this problem and is eager to clean up his own mess. He takes Erica , La’an , and M’Benga with him for this mission.

Erica is excited and nervous about her first undercover operation. But she ends up losing this new role, as she is needed back on the Enterprise instead. The landing party leaves without her.

Pike lands the shuttle on Rigel VII in hostile territory.

What are La’an’s symptoms?

To blend in, the trio wears civilian clothing and forgo any futuristic technology. This means that they have no backup. Once on the planet, La’an starts to act strangely. She has a ringing in her ears, memory loss, and overall confusion.

They decide to keep moving forwards. At the castle, they find the logo again. It also appears the guards are armed with futuristic weaponry.

The trio are then ambushed and taken inside the castle. The Kalar’s leader is Zack , a previous crew member who was thought to be dead. He is now their king, but he’s still bitter that Pike left him behind to die.

What causes the illness on Rigel VII?

Zack explains that Rigel VII is a strange world. The radiation here affects people’s brains. It causes memory loss and other side effects. Zack is excited to watch Pike lose his own memories and suffer for his treachery. The trio are imprisoned in a cage, where they quickly lose all sense of their own identities.

Back on the Enterprise, the crew starts to have similar symptoms, starting with Uhura . Christine observes Uhura’s memory loss as a third of the crew follows suit. They fear that in an hour’s time, all the crew will be affected, and the starship will be in serious danger.

Meanwhile, a stranger helps Pike, La’an, and M’Benga acclimatize on Rigel VII. He talks of the forgetting that they are undergoing.

The only place that is safe from this memory loss seems to be the palace. The stranger uses tattoos and totems to help with his memories. Pike panics, realizing that he doesn’t have any tattoos of his own. But Betal’s gift seems to steady him.

Pike and La’an battle the guards to escape their imprisonment. La’an is seriously injured in the fray, though. M’Benga instinctively comes to help, realizing that he is a doctor. M’Benga needs his memories to return, though, if he is to save La’an’s life.

Spock decides to fly the Enterprise into a debris field, hoping that this will shield them from the radiation. Erica follows Spock’s orders, although she, too, starts to lose her memories while piloting.

Then Spock loses his memories, unable to even read. Confused, Erica stumbles back to her room as asteroids hit the ship. Eventually, Erica remembers that she is the pilot, and she guides them out of the debris field to safety.

Why are they safe in the palace?

On Rigel VII, the stranger takes them to the palace. Pike fights his way into the building and confronts Zack. Pike demands that Zack returns their memories immediately. Zack admits that the palace is made of a special ore that protects them from radiation. Slowly Pike’s memories return.

Pike apologizes for abandoning Zack but confesses that they must take him back to Starfleet now.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained

In the end, M’Benga heals La’an, and all of the crew’s memories return. This is helped by them clearing the debris field. Spock creates a protective shield to defend them against any further memory loss. The Enterprise then removes the deadly asteroid from Rigel VII.

Pike reunites with Batel. He admits that he was wrong and asks for Batel’s forgiveness. She accepts his offer with a kiss. It looks like the couple are back together once again.

What did you think of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4? Comment below.

Article by Adam Lock

Adam Lock is a highly experienced Freelance Entertainment Writer who has written for Ready Steady Cut since January 2022. He is passionate about all things film and TV-related and has devoted his time to tracking streaming content on his social media.

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'Strange New Worlds' season 2 episode 4 references an incident from the original series pilot

This show has a more effective approach to placing Easter eggs, nods, references and homages than other incarnations of "Trek" and it's better because of it.

We've seen less of Anson Mount's Capt. Pike and his more modest bouffant, but no doubt that will change

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Strange New Worlds" Season 2, episode 4

So far, this second season has mostly used existing Trek tropes, but rather than just rehash them, they've been used and updated in an interesting and clever way. Moreover, some are much more subtle than others, which is great because these are very enjoyable episodes that are only enhanced by nitro-powered nerd-level of "Star Trek" knowledge — they can however, be enjoyed just as much without .

Last week included a lot of super subtle references, from the manner in which Kirk (Paul Wesley) drives a car — a nod to The Original Series (TOS) episode "A Piece of the Action" (S02, E17) — to the hints we saw of La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) and Kirk's potential relationship that we're remembering only now from the alt-reality Kirk we saw in "A Quality of Mercy" (S01, E10). The writer's room is making some curious connections to different plot strands, but because they're not huge, canon-questioning clangers, the result is significantly smoother ride.

And this week is no different. The basic plot is a combination of the classic Memory Loss substory (a lá TOS episode "The Paradise Syndrome" S03, E03) with a sprinkling of the equally as entertaining Offworld Oppressor plotline (TOS "The Omega Glory" S02, E23 etc). Regardless of the source of this episode's inspiration, it's been deemed to take place on Rigel VII, with references to events that we'd only heard about in the very first TOS episode ever made, the pilot episode called "The Cage," which of course is later repurposed into the thrilling two-parter "The Menagerie" (S01, E11 and E12).

Related: Star Trek streaming guide: Where to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows online

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus: Get a one month free trial

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus: <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/221109/175360/3065?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2F" data-link-merchant="paramountplus.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Get a one month free trial

Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

a man in a gold starfleet uniform talks to a doctor

At about the five minute mark, the ship's doctor, Dr. Boyce (John Hoyt) and Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) talk about an unfortunate series of events that unfolded on Rigel VII where the away team was ambushed resulting in the deaths of three Enterprise crewmembers, including Pike's yeoman. At the time, this seemingly throwaway incident is purely used to establish the stress and strains that every Starfleet captain must face. And that's where we pick up the story, some 58 years after the pilot episode was shot.

Interestingly, according to Memory Alpha, the in-universe date for the events in "The Cage" is 2254 and this current season of "Strange New Worlds" is set in 2260, so Pike's poor yeoman, who had until now, been deemed KIA in Trek canon, not only has an actual name — Ensign Nguyen — but he also has much more interesting demise.

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And what we're given is a very powerful, well-written, brilliantly acted and thoroughly enthralling installment. Again. And yet, one can't help but feel that either a) those folk at Paramount are holding back or b) this is a deliberate and very strategic build up to a mindblowing mid-season crescendo. It feels like the bases are loaded and we're waiting for an almighty episode, hitting the ball clear out of the park and into low Earth orbit, for a grand slam.

two people in gold starfleet uniforms smile at one another

There seems to be a few more noticeable television shows and even just episodes that focus on dementia and associated conditions and if you've ever had first-hand experience of having to deal with this, you'll truly appreciate a solid performance that can bring home just how unholy frightening this of mental illness can be.

We mentioned last week that the future of "Star Trek: Prodigy" was a little up in the air, to say the least. The best way to imagine this is a situation similar to what happened to " The Expanse " when it was cancelled by SyFy and picked up by Amazon. Incidentally, after which it's ratings soared. Arguably the single biggest difference is that the second season of "Prodigy" wasn't finished.

Writer Aaron J. Waltke has said that Season 2 of "Prodigy" will be completed and showrunners Dan and Kevin Hageman reaffirmed this saying “We have faith this show will be picked up by a new home.” However, the ongoing writer's strike won't help the plight of "Prodigy."

a display inside a spaceship showing a building on an icy planet

Why has this happened? Well, in essence, by cancelling and removing "Prodigy," just like Disney, Hulu and a few other studios are also now doing with some of their content, the studios can take these shows off their balance sheets and avoid having to pay ongoing residuals, thus reducing the tax bill, despite a few fines along the way. Why "Prodigy" though..? Well, " Discovery " has been cancelled and with " Starfleet Academy " being given the green light, that will probably now represent the tick in the box for Paramount's one for the kids criteria. "Prodigy" probably just wasn't doing well enough in the ratings, for whatever reason. Although you have to wonder who is still watching reruns of "Discovery"...

So, if you thought having to insert a Blu-Ray disc into a player whenever you wanted to watch something was a real chore and were still deluded enough to believe that a streaming service somewhere would absolutely positively be showing whatever it was that you were aching to watch, turns out it really might not. Something to bare in mind.

— Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Augments, Illyrians and the Eugenics Wars

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— 'Star Trek: Picard - The Final Season' warps onto home video with exclusives and extras

"Strange New Worlds" and every episode of almost every "Star Trek" show currently airing streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US. Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel.

They also stream exclusively on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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Screen Rant

Star trek strange new worlds season 2 episode 4 ending explained.

Captain Pike returned to Rigel VII in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, and was able to redeem his biggest mistake.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2, Episode 4 - "Among The Lotus Eaters" A return to Rigel VII gives Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) a second chance to fix failures both romantic and professional at the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, "Among the Lotus Eaters". The USS Enterprise is given an important mission to assess the cultural contamination that Pike and his away team previously caused on the pre-warp planet of Rigel VII. Assembling a team of Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), the Enterprise Captain returns to the site of his biggest failure. It's a mission that forces Pike to battle both his own guilt and the mind-altering effects of the atmospheric radiation of Rigel VII.

Meanwhile, up on the USS Enterprise, Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) is dealing with her own disappointment at missing the away mission to Rigel VII. However, Erica gets the chance to prove herself when Rigel VII's strange radiation begins affecting the minds of the crew. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, "Among the Lotus Eaters" is a long overdue showcase for the character of Erica Ortegas. The genius of the episode is that it also manages to hang the story on a deep-cut reference to Star Trek: The Original Series ' unaired pilot, as Pike returns to Rigel VII .

Captain Pike Redeems His Original Star Trek TOS Failure

Star Trek: The Original Series ' unaired pilot opened with the USS Enterprise transporting injured crew members to a medical facility on the Vega colony, following a botched away mission to Rigel VII. As Pike and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) inform La'an and M'Benga in "Among the Lotus Eaters", three officers were killed, including Pike's personal Yeoman. The failure of the mission disillusioned Pike, who was considering leaving Starfleet because his decisions had led to the deaths of his officers. Pike is confronted with this failure when Starfleet assigns the Enterprise the mission to assess the cultural contamination caused by their hasty retreat from Rigel VII.

Discovering that Yeoman Zack Nguyen (David Huynh) wasn't killed, but was instead left behind, Pike experiences mixed emotions. He's relieved that Zack had survived, but feels guilty about leaving a man behind. However, after seeing what Zack has done - arming the locals with Starfleet weaponry and installing himself as High Lord Zacharius - he realizes that the only person to blame for the breaches of Star Trek 's Prime Directive is Zack. This allows Pike to make peace with the choices that he made on Rigel VII years earlier, as he now realizes that he did what was best for his crew by getting the majority of them to safety.

In one final act of redemption, Pike gives Rigel VII a more promising future, by handing Zack over to the authorities and presumably removing the remaining Starfleet technology. The Starfleet Delta insignia is presumably also removed from the castle gates and the garden or left to rust and become obscured by the undergrowth. To top it off, Pike leaves Rigel VII with his away team alive and well, barring La'an and M'Benga's injuries.

Ortegas Saves The Enterprise & Shows Why She's Starfleet's Best Pilot

Despite Ortegas' initial disappointment at being dropped from the away mission, she gets her chance to prove why she's Star Trek 's Top Gun starship pilot . When the radiation that's affecting Rigel VII's surface begins affecting the crew, it's up to Erica to step up. The symptoms of the radiation sickness experienced by the Enterprise crew are tinnitus, lost time, and eventually complete loss of identity. It's why Pike and the away team believe themselves to be woodcutters and stonemasons, and it's why the Enterprise finds itself without a crew.

When explaining the condition, Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) says that thanks to routine behaviors being retained, she could still heal a minor wound under the influence of the asteroid's radiation. However, Chapel would lack the knowledge that it was her job to do so and believes that she wouldn't be able to do more complicated surgery. If that's true, then Lt. Erica Ortegas is the best pilot that the USS Enterprise has ever had. This is because, in the climax of the episode, Erica pilots the Enterprise to safety because she knows that her job is to " fly the ship ".

However, this isn't a case of bandaging a small wound, as Erica has to work out precise calculations to navigate the Enterprise through an asteroid field. It's the helmsman's version of Nurse Chapel's complicated medical procedure. There's a difference between knowing how to fly a starship because it's a job that Erica does every day and her knowing how to fly the Enterprise through an asteroid field in some very difficult circumstances that require precise calculations. This proves that Erica Ortegas is not only Starfleet's best pilot, but she may be the best pilot to ever fly Star Trek 's Starship Enterprise .

Pike's Former Yeoman Shows Why Star Trek's Prime Directive Exists

There have been many arguments over the positives and negatives of Starfleet's Prime Directive over the years, but Yeoman Zack Nguyen is a good example of why it exists. Left behind on Rigel VII, Zack appears to have swiftly torn up the Prime Directive and used the Federation's advanced technology to set himself up as a King. Dominating other species with advanced technology is everything that Starfleet and the Federation oppose, so it's proof of how angry Zack was to have been left behind by Pike and the Enterprise.

However, the fact that he says he's progressed far past Yeoman does imply a resentment for his clerical role aboard Pike's Enterprise. Perhaps Zack's anger at being abandoned, and his ready access to the advanced technology of Starfleet allowed him to live out some power fantasy by ruling over the Kalar. Whatever the psychological motivations for Zack's power grab, it's a timely reminder of just why Starfleet forbids intervention in pre-warp cultures, for fear of their officers being seen as gods or acting as tyrants.

Strange New Worlds Also Shows A Big Star Trek Prime Directive Problem

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, "Among the Lotus Eaters" also shows a failing of Star Trek 's Prime Directive . The reason Pike left behind so much Starfleet tech on Rigel VII was because he had severely wounded crew members in his care. Pike describes to La'an how Spock (Ethan Peck) was bleeding out on the planet's surface, meaning that he had a snap decision to make with regard to checking that all equipment was being safely sent back to the Enterprise. Pike's decision prioritized the lives of his crew over the potential for cultural contamination, which feels like the right choice, though not in the eyes of Starfleet.

Although Zack ruled Rigel VII with advanced technology in contravention of the Prime Directive, it's clear from everything that Star Trek has established about Rigel VII that he was only following in the footsteps of previous rulers. What's interesting is that Starfleet sends the Enterprise to " clean up its mess " which makes the second Rigel VII mission sound like a punishment for Pike's failure. After he narrowly avoided a court-martial during Number One's trial in Strange New Worlds , perhaps Starfleet Command is still keen to show Pike that they're keeping an eye on him, using this flawed but necessary regulation against him.

Rigel VII’s Mysterious Powers & Enterprise Memory Wipe Explained

At an earlier point in its history, the surface of Rigel VII was struck by an asteroid that contained what Nurse Chapel later describes as " exotic radiation ". Prolonged exposure to this radiation causes tinnitus, headaches, loss of time, fear, and anxiety, then what was evocatively referred to by the Kalar as " the Forgetting ". This memory loss caused Pike, La'an, and M'Benga to forget who they were, as they effectively became Kalar themselves. The castle was specifically designed to protect itself from radiation, so once inside its walls, Pike was able to recover his memories so that he could convince Yeoman Zack Nguyen to surrender.

As the USS Enterprise was in orbit around Rigel VII, it too became affected by the exotic radiation emanating from the asteroid. Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) was the first to fall victim to the radiation's mind-altering effects, but soon there was an epidemic of memory loss sweeping throughout the Enterprise. One unnerving scene saw Erica arrive at Deck 6, only to find her crewmates wandering around lost and frightened. Thankfully, emotions and routine behaviors were a guide to recovering from the radiation's effects, allowing Erica to pilot the Enterprise away from the asteroid field.

Strange New Worlds Gives Pike & Batel A Second Chance - But For How Long?

At the start of "Among the Lotus Eaters", Pike and Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano) appeared to call time on their relationship. Batel revealed that she missed out on becoming the latest Star Trek Commodore , as a punishment for the outcome of Number One's trial. Pike, who it's revealed is fearful of commitment, used this as an excuse to push Batel away, believing that he was holding back her career. However, he really knows what a great couple he and Batel are, and it's her gift that provides the emotional connection required to retain his memories and identity.

This is enough to convince Pike and Batel to give their relationship another chance, but Star Trek canon implies that tragedy could be on the horizon. In Star Trek: The Original Series , there is no mention of the wounded Fleet Captain Pike (Sean Kenney) having a wife or partner after his tragic accident. At the end of "The Menagerie", Pike is left to live an idyllic life with his lost love, Vina (Susan Oliver) on Talos IV. This suggests that Pike and Batel's relationship won't have a happy ending, adding a much-needed layer of mystery to the tragic Pike's future in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4 Review

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes a different tone than other episodes this season and that tone turns out to make a masterpiece of an episode.

Every once in a while, a very special episode of television comes along, and it should always be celebrated. This isn't the kind of "very special episode" where parents sit down with their kids and talk about the dangers of going home with strangers or doing drugs. This kind of special episode is all about making sure that eyes are absolutely glued to the screen from beginning to end.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds managed to come up with one of those kinds of episodes in just its fourth installment of the new series. The best news of all is that this particular episode comes after the previous episode of Strange New Worlds left a bit to be desired. It turns out the series made quite the comeback with its follow-up.

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The title of the fourth episode of the new Star Trek spinoff definitely hinted that something big was coming. "Memento Mori" is a phrase and a theme that has been used in television a lot, but it seems as if there have been few episodes that managed to really embody the phrase the way that Strange New Worlds managed. The Latin phrase translates to "remember that you must die." While this was certainly a hint that people were indeed going to lose their lives, it also has an interesting history behind it that hinted at what else audiences might have in store.

Hubris On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The legend behind this particular phase is that in ancient Rome, slaves would be trailing behind famous generals during parades and whispering Memento Mori. The point of this was to let even the most lauded and successful warriors in the land understand that sooner or later, they were going to meet their end. That theme certainly shows up early and often in this particular episode of Strange New Worlds and best of all, the idea presents itself in a way that it could apply to both the Enterprise and its crew as well as its adversaries.

In the end, there's a definite statement as to who it applies to more, but the fact that it's a little open-ended is why this episode is as good as it is. It also needs to be pointed out that Anson Mount did another great job as a Captain Pike that has the usual belief in the fact that his crew and his ship are almost unbeatable. At the same time, he quickly understands that he's not quite as powerful as he might have thought when the show began. He also tends to realize quite quickly that the adversary he's going up against are quite formidable.

This episode is the first real introduction of a race that has been hinted at since the start of Strange New Worlds . The Gorn have finally arrived and it turns out that their introduction likely means they are going to have at least some sort of presence throughout the rest of the season. For those who are not Star Trek original series fans, this particular race of lizard-humanoid hybrids was first introduced when Captain James T. Kirk did battle with one. That battle has become one of the more iconic ones in the franchise, even if it is a bit comical when looking back at it today.

The Gorn have largely been a bit of an afterthought, perhaps because its hard to make a lizard race walking on two legs not look a little odd no matter how good the special effects are. That's also allowed canon for all the shows to basically make the race one of those no one in Star Fleet knows that much about. The mystery behind this kind of alien also made them the perfect boogeyman for Strange New Worlds .

The program does a very good job of making them a boogeyman as well because it's not afraid to make it very clear that crew members died in the confrontation with The Gorn. It adds heft to the episode as a whole, especially considering that it started off by pointing out that people have already lost their lives in service to Star Fleet. Talking about the people who have died in such a real way feels like something new to the Star Trek universe, even if fans know that death has absolutely happened before. The franchise has largely painted over that realization. This time around it was the focus.

Dive Dive Dive!

There was a ton to like about this episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds but one of the most interesting decisions by the writers and showrunner that really paid off was the idea to take a starship and put it in a situation that was incredibly reminiscent of a story set in a submarine. The Enterprise took quite a lot of damage in the initial volley against The Gorn and that led to the crew needing to use their scanners and other devices much in the same way submarines use radar. There were even quite a few scenes where Spock was peeking into a device that did indeed look like something that could be found on a sub.

The submarine theme of the episode even went so far as to knock out the environmental controls so that it was hot inside the ship, making everyone appear sweaty in a way that people could expect them to look when they are inside the hull of a heated tub miles beneath the surface of the water. The finishing touch on this effect was when the Enterprise found itself inside a brown dwarf star, that had a gravitational effect of crushing ships, much like going deeper underwater. All of this combined to pull off the look and feel of this part of the show quite well, and it was quite entertaining.

Overall, there was just a ton to like about what this week's installment of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had to offer . It was the kind of episode that should make viewers excited to see what comes from the rest of the season.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs every Thursday on Paramount Plus

MORE: Why Star Trek: Discovery's New Status Quo Is Perfect For The Series

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Star trek: strange new worlds.

S1.E1 ∙ Strange New Worlds

Anson Mount in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E2 ∙ Children of the Comet

Rebecca Romijn in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E3 ∙ Ghosts of Illyria

Ethan Peck in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E4 ∙ Memento Mori

S1.E5 ∙ Spock Amok

Husein Madhavji and Ian Ho in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E6 ∙ Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach

Michael Hough in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E7 ∙ The Serene Squall

Christina Chong in The Elysian Kingdom (2022)

S1.E8 ∙ The Elysian Kingdom

S1.E9 ∙ All Those Who Wander

Paul Wesley in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

S1.E10 ∙ A Quality of Mercy

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Rebecca Romijn, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Celia Rose Gooding in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes back to the beginning with this ferocious alien race

Captain Pike must confront the aliens that caused one of his greatest defeats.

Season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has called back to different parts of the Star Trek Universe in different ways. Sometimes, the show does so with fun Easter eggs like Spock's Vulcan Lute or the reappearance of the Department of Temporal Investigations . Other times callbacks to the past can drive the narrative like with La'an Noonien-Singh wrestling with the history of her ancestor, Khan . This week, we go back to the very beginning of the Star Trek franchise as the show revisits a fearsome alien race.

The real problem begins five years prior to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, when Captain Pike and a landing party embarked on a routine expedition on the Class M planet Rigel VII. The local inhabitants consisting of primitive humanoids ambushed them, and during the hasty retreat of Pike and his crew, the crew may have left their equipment behind. This is an issue because it could be a breach of the Prime Directive, Starfleet's principle of not interfering with the natural development of alien civilizations.

Now, when aerial imagery of the planet detects structures resembling the Starfleet delta insignia, the Enterprise is sent back to clean up their mess and assess the level of cultural contamination they may have caused. As for Pike, he has reservations about returning to Rigel VII because of his experience with the formidable indigenous people known as the Kalar.

What happened during Captain Pike's first encounter with the Kalar?

The behind the scenes lore regarding Pike's first encounter with the Kalar is pretty interesting. The events of that encounter are first recounted in the very first pilot of Star Trek the original series (TOS) entitled 'The Cage.' After the initial viewing, the executives at NBC were not satisfied and reordered a second pilot, which would be the one to air and become the Star Trek that we know today. However, footage from 'The Cage' would be incorporated into the two-part 'The Menagerie,' which are episodes 11 and 12 from season 1 of TOS.

We actually never see what happens on Rigel VII, but hear the story from Pike as he opens up to his chief medical officer, Dr. Boyce, in the unaired pilot. On the planet, Pike led his landing party into a trap set by the Kalar. The failed mission resulted in the death of three of his crew and seven more injured, including Spock.

The traumatic event has a significant impact on the captain. He wrestles with guilt and feels responsible for the loss of his crewmen. In the episode, Pike even considers resigning from Starfleet, though the good doctor talks him out of the rash decision.

Who are the Kalar of TOS?

The Kalar are a primitive humanoid species native of Rigel VII. These people are slightly larger than a human and are fierce warriors, but they are not as advanced and often fight using antiquated equipment such as swords, spears, shields, and armor. Despite their inferior technology, they are still able to catch the Starfleet members off guard and inflict great damage.

Though the story of Kalar encounter is only verbalized, we do catch a glimpse of one in 'The Cage.' In the unaired episode, Pike is manipulated by telepathic aliens called Talosians to make him fall in love with a woman named Vina. One illusion involves Pike saving Vina, under the guise of a Rigellian princess, from a Kalaran warrior.

Who are the Kalar in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds expands on the alien race first seen in TOS. The Kalar are described as a bronze age society organized in a caste system. They contain a formidable warrior class hardened by the planet's harsh conditions called the field Kalar and a secretive ruling class called the palace Kalar. According to the ancient stories, the former are unable to retail their memories (and are used as forced laborers), while the latter retain their memories and are responsible for planning the future and recording the past.

The field Kalar are organized based on their particular job set. They are able to keep their implicit memory such as walking and talking while their explicit memories including who they are and where they live go away each day. Yet they do find ways to guide themselves in their regular activities. They are a close-knit community and help each other manage the memory loss. The field Kalar use the oils of their fruit of the gods to tattoo themselves with their important personal information. In addition, they keep a totem of their people's story inside their homes.

Why are the Kalar so underdeveloped?

star trek snw -- la'an, ortegas, and m'benga dressed as kalar

Thousands of years ago, an asteroid landed on Rigel VII. It contained a form of radiation that causes synaptic degradation of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. As a result, the Kalar experience explicit memory loss while their implicit memories such as instinct and emotion are left intact. This neurological condition stunted the development as a people, hence their primitive existence in comparison to Starfleet. The palace Kalar are able to reduce their exposure due to the castle's structural materials and their natural properties that can shield the radiation.

What is the fate of the Kalar in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

The Kalar are introduced to modern technology by their leader High Lord Zacharias. This High Lord turns out to be Pike's yeoman, Zack Nguyen, long believed to be dead. Zack survived the initial ambush years ago, and gathered the Starfleet gear left behind including phaser rifles to help fuel his rise in power. With the superior arsenal, it wasn't too long until he became ruler. As a sign of reverence, the Kalar erected the structures bearing the symbol on his uniform, the Starfleet delta insignia.

Eventually, Pike and the rest of the Enterprise crew are able to overcome and negate the effects of the radiation. They also able retrieve all of their old tech to clean up their previous cultural contamination, and take Yeoman Nguyen into custody. As a parting gift for the meddling in Kalar affairs, the Enterprise removes the asteroid from the planet allowing the natives to develop unhindered by its effects; an act which some might say disobeys the Prime Directive.

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On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 10, Pike and his crew face the return of a formidable enemy when they investigate an attack on a Federation colony.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 9, an accident with a quantum improbability field causes everyone to break into uncontrollable song.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8, a Klingon ambassador with a dark history visits the ship, triggering strong feelings from the crew who served in the war

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 7, Captain Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise explore the universe in search of life and greater understanding.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 6, when Uhura alone hears a sound, she gets an unlikely assist. Pelia investigates possible sabotage.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 5, encountering with an alien species leaves Spock completely human. T'Pring & her family arrive for an important ceremony.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4, Pike returns to Rigel VII where he lost crew members on a previous mission. The planet affects everyone adversely.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 3, La’An travels back in time to 21st-century Earth to prevent an attack and face her own contentious legacy.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 2, Una faces a court martial tribunal trial. Her counsel is an Illyrian civil rights lawyer she has history with.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 1, a distress call from Lt. Noonien-Singh compels Spock to disobey orders & take the Enterprise into disputed space.

Pike: Send someone else. You don't want me in command of that ship. April: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Permalink: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Added: May 04, 2022

No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our own. No matter the mathematical probabilities or the number of times we say, 'We are not alone in the universe,' our first visit from the stars is always the province of children's stories and science fiction. First contact with aliens always lives squarely in the impossible. First contact is just a dream until one day, it isn't. Una Permalink: No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our... Added: May 04, 2022

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Published Apr 12, 2024

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Renewed for Fourth Season

The acclaimed hit original series is currently in production for its third season.

Spock sits in the Enterprise lounge while his friends Number One (Una), Uhura, La'An, and Erica Ortegas are enjoying his company in 'Charades'

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return for a fourth season.

Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman confirms in a statement, "On behalf of the cast and crew of ‘ Strange New Worlds ’ we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can't wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure."

The third season, set to debut in 2025, is officially under way with production continuing in Toronto.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds renewed for Season 4 statement from Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Alex Kurtzman

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise . The series features fan favorites from Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery — Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Una Chin-Riley (Number One) in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise , as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also stars Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet serve as executive producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Aaron Baiers.

Watch the first two seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds now!

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

At their booth in the Cerritos mess hall, Rutherford, Tendi, Boimler, and Mariner all raise their glass in cheer after enjoying several drinks together in 'Caves'

I’m Glad Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has Been Renewed For Season 4, But It’s A Shame There’s Also Some Bad News For The Franchise

O ne of the best reasons to have a Paramount+ subscription is so you can access the modern era of Star Trek TV. Ever since Star Trek: Discovery premiered on then-CBS All Access in 2017, the small screen corner of the sci-fi franchise has been revitalized, with some of the other shows including Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks . Well, there’s some good news and bad news that’s come in today. Strange New Worlds has been renewed for Season 4, but Lower Decks will be ending.

For those of you who’ve enjoyed watching the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the immediate years ahead of The Original Series , there’s yet another batch of episodes on the way, though it’ll be a while until that specific group arrives since Strange New Worlds Season 3 isn’t expected to premiere until 2025. Unfortunately, those of you who have enjoyed the comedic hijinks of Boimlier, Mariner, Tendi and Rutherford on the animated Lower Decks must now prepare for the last hurrah with Season 5, which will premiere later this year on the 2024 TV schedule . Executive producers Mike McMahan and Alex Kurtzman released the following statement regarding the news:

We wanted to let you know that this fall will be the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. While five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle, it’s no exaggeration to say that every second we’ve spent making this show has been a dream come true. Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we’ve built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we’re working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off. Finally, thank you for always being so creative and joyful, for filling convention halls and chanting “LOWER DECKS!” We remain hopeful that even beyond season five, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures. LLAP

Now it is worth noting that Star Trek: Lower Decks ending shouldn’t come as a complete shock. Last October, Mike McMahan told CinemaBlend’s own Mick Joest that he wasn’t sure if Season 6 was in the cards , saying that “ you shouldn’t assume that this stuff is gonna stick around unless you vocally and watch it early on.” Sure enough, Season 5 will be the show’s last, so hopefully the writers were able to craft a conclusive ending rather than leave fans with any lingering plot threads.

All this being said, just because Star Trek: Lower Decks is ending doesn’t mean we’ll never see its characters again. After all, Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome played Boimler and Mariner in live-action for last year’s Strange New Worlds / Lower Decks crossover , so perhaps there’ll be another opportunity for them to return to that show or some other live-action venue. Maybe they could even be joined by costars like Noël Wells or Eugene Cordero. And then, of course, these characters could simply keep being explored in books and comic book series.

As for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Season 2 ended with Pike being forced to decide whether he should follow Starfleet’s orders and retreat from the battle with the Horn, or defy them to save his captured crew members. So with Season 3 needing to resolve that plot thread and explore various other stories, it’ll obviously be a while until we learn what Season 4 holds in store.

The upcoming Star Trek TV shows lineup also includes Starfleet Academy , and the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 movie will also exclusively play on Paramount+. Meanwhile, the theatrical side of the franchise is beginning development on a Star Trek origins movie , so keep visiting CinemaBlend for the biggest updates on all these projects.

I’m Glad Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has Been Renewed For Season 4, But It’s A Shame There’s Also Some Bad News For The Franchise

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 Review – Face the Strange

A twisty time loop offers a teachable moment for Commander Rayner as Discovery tumbles through its past—and future

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This Star Trek: Discovery review contains spoilers .

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4

Time travel has been a staple of science fiction ever since the genre was invented. And Star Trek has always been curious about the concept—from the basic rules of how it works to the widespread impact caused by the tiniest of changes to history. From The Original Series’ classic “The City on the Edge of Forever” to Strange New Worlds’ more recent Lower Decks crossover “Those Old Scientists” , the franchise is full of time travel stories. But Star Trek: Discovery has played around with the concept more than most, from season 1’s Harry Mudd episode “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” to the headache (and potentially paradox) inducing Red Angel plot that saw the Discovery launched hundreds of years into the future at the end of season 2.

To be fair, season 5’s “Face the Strange” time travel shenanigans are a bit more straightforward, if not particularly subtle about the larger aims of the episode. Rayner’s still going through what might be called an adjustment period as he settles into his new role as Discovery’s first officer, and finds Burnham’s insistence on feelings and meaningful emotional connection to be an annoying and inefficient way to command.

What Discovery doesn’t seem to understand, however, is that part of the reason Rayner is so interesting as a character is precisely because he’s such a fish out of water amongst this group of people who regularly engage in the professional equivalent of braiding each other’s hair at sleepaway camp. (Let the man be cranky, for goodness sake!) And let’s not kid ourselves, despite the fact that it all works out for them this week, he’s also not wrong . Michael’s crew is undisciplined and overly familiar and don’t respect things like “chain of command” or “basic boundaries.” Yes, for the most part that’s worked out pretty well for them. But it’s also not exactly aspirational, or even particularly safe behavior, and Rayner’s not a bad person for pointing that out (or not liking it).

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That said, no one is likely all that surprised that this episode is essentially a Teachable Moment from start to finish and pretty much solely exists to Impart the Value of Emotional Connection to a man who doesn’t enjoy engaging in small talk. But, thankfully, it also offers an intriguing twist on the always delightful time loop trope, and in doing so is much more entertaining to watch than it probably should be. Yes, everything gets resolved in peak Discovery fashion—Rayner must convince a disgruntled season 1 era version of Michael to trust that her journey ultimately gets better—but it’s also a surprisingly deft way to examine just how far this series’ central character has come from her first moments onscreen.

The premise of the hour is pretty simple: Determined to beat the Discovery crew to the next clue, L’ak and Moll have smuggled a time bug on board the ship, a creepy-looking insect-like device leftover from the temporal war. It paralyzes ships by freezing and cycling them through time until it runs out of power, a process that could take weeks or months to play out. Thanks to this little (literal) bugger, Discovery’s now stuck hurtling through various snippets of its own history in the same place, and Burnham and Rayner—who were in the process of transporting just as the first loop hit and thus are unaffected by it—have to learn to work together to stop it before their enemies beat them to the next clue.

Well, the two of them and Stamets, who also exists out of time because of his tardigrade DNA and is aware of the looping going on, a sentence that is truly as ridiculous to type as it is to read. This show sometimes, y’all. Rayner’s expression when told about the tardigrade situation is how I often feel if I think too hard about the specifics of some of these plots.

Anyway, while our heroes try to figure out the pattern to the various time jumps and how long each will last, we’re bounced through some of Discovery’s greatest narrative hits. Burnham and Rayner find themselves on the bridge of the ship during its trip through the wormhole to the 32nd century, in dry dock as it’s being built, and in the midst of the crew’s battle with Section 31’s sentient AI, Control, before being yanked away again. There’s a blast back to Gabriel Lorca’s time in the captain’s chair (though, sadly, Jason Isaacs doesn’t make an appearance) and even a quick trip to the future—one that’s apparently full of destruction and death because Moll and L’ak managed to snag the Progenitors’ secret technology and sell it off to the highest (presumably terrible) bidder. All the more motivation for our heroes to figure out how to dislodge the time bug without destroying the ship or killing themselves in the process!

They’re successful only when Michael realizes she has to tell the Klingon War-era crew that she’s from the future and trust that the bonds she’s forged with them will be enough to convince them to help her. It works, of course, because this episode exists to teach Rayner a Valuable Lesson, but not before Michael must confront some uncomfortable bits of her past: namely, her obvious lingering feelings toward Book—that David Ajala basically appears in this episode solely to be shirtless is peak fan service—and her messy personal past as a mutineer. Michael, undoubtedly, has come a long way from the rash, furious girl who accidentally got her mentor killed and started a war. (And no matter how insufferable you might find Burnham now, whew, this is a timely reminder that she used to be so much worse . Growth is possible and real!)

That Rayner ultimately uses the personal information Michael gave him—and the very specific story about how lost Michael had felt when she first came aboard Discovery— to convince her past self to allow him to save the future is this show at its most try-hard. But at this point, that either works for you or it doesn’t, and “Face the Strange” is an entertaining enough hour that the convenience of its resolution isn’t even as annoying as it probably ought to be.

With just 10 episodes in its final season, your mileage may (and likely will) vary when it comes to the usefulness of including an episode like this one, which doesn’t do much in terms of moving the larger story along. (In fact, it’s very clearly filler meant to cover for the fact that with just five pieces in the puzzle the crew is chasing, they literally can’t find a clue in every episode!) Technically, almost nothing of any significance happens during this hour.

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Adira seems remarkably fine for someone who just went through a surprise break-up. Saru and T’rina are entirely absent, so it seems safe to assume their engagement news didn’t cause some intergalactic political incident. And I guess Dr. Culber must still be sleeping off the whole Trill symbiont possession thing. We learn nothing new about the Progenitors or the tech they left behind. And though Moll and L’ak at least appear in this episode, all we learn is that they want to be free and together, and somehow the payday from finding the god-like technology before Michael and the Federation do is going to ensure that. Can’t wait for the flashback episode that fills us in on that particular misunderstood backstory, is what I’m saying.

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

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“Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we’ve built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we’re working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off,” they added.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated comedy series following the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos. The crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes the voices of Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero; the bridge crew is voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore and Gillian Vigman.

The series is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers include Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Titmouse serves as the animation studio for the series which streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

It stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun, along with special guest stars Paul Wesley and Carol Kane. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

“On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds, we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can’t wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure,” said Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and Alex Kurtzman in a statement.

The expanded world of Star Trek on Paramount+ also includes the fifth and final season of Star Trek : Discovery, currently airing; the original film Star Trek : Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh, which recently wrapped production; and the new original series Star Trek : Starfleet Academy, slated to begin production later this year.

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Preview: Star Trek: Discovery 504 “Face the Strange”

Star Trek: Discovery returns for the fourth installment of the series’ fifth and final season with “Face the Strange” this Thursday, April 18 . The episode is written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose .

Today, we have a clip along with two new photos from the episode — featuring Eve Harlow as Moll and Elias Toufexis as L’ak.

You can check out the new photos below. Please be aware of some minor spoilers.

Official description:

On the way to the next clue, the U.S.S. Discovery is sabotaged by a mysterious weapon, leaving Captain Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets as the only crew members who can possibly save the ship in time.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 castmembers include Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks, and more.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 trailer teases Burnham & crew’s final mission

With the launch of the final season of Star Trek: Discovery right around the corner, Paramount+ has released an official trailer for the series’...

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4 Review
Ad. Ad - content continues below. Continuing the trend of the series' first three installments, "Memento Mori" is essentially a La'an episode. Her voiceovers frame the hour and her ...
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Recap, Season 2, Episode 4
The crew finds itself in one mess after another. A recap of 'Among the Lotus Eaters,' episode four of season two of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,' streaming on Paramount+.
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And the fourth episode of the first season of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " is probably the best so far. Even Anson Mount thinks so. And despite a couple of plot strands that really could've ...
Star Trek Strange New Worlds Recap: Episode 4, "Momento Mori"
Strange New Worlds Went Full Star Trek Disaster Movie, and It Ruled "Memento Mori" delivers an exhilaratingly intense hour of TV, while keeping Strange New Worlds' focus tight on its characters.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 4, "Memento Mori," is its darkest episode yet, with a ton of nods to The Original Series, the classic films, and an interesting sideways nod to Lower Decks.
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 1 Episode 4 Review: A Heart
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 1 Episode 4, "Momento Mori," introduces audiences to a terrifying and yet rarely explored villain, infamous in the world of Trek: the Gorn.When a rescue ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4 review: "Embraces
Warning: Our Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4 review contains major spoilers - many of them set to stun. Boldly go further at your own risk…
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Episode 4 Recap ...
In Pike's ready room, Una briefs the captain as well as La'an, M'Benga, and Ortegas ( Melissa Navia) on the mission ahead. Five years prior, Pike, Una, and Spock ( Ethan Peck) came here to survey ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Season 1, Episode 4 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV. While on a routine supply mission to a colony ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Among the
This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds review contains spoilers.. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4. Because Strange New Worlds is more episodic in nature than many of its recent Star ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4 "Memento Mori" trailer + new
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns on Thursday with the fourth episode of the series "Memento Mori" and we have a collection of 17 new photos and a teaser trailer below.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recap & Spoilers
Published May 26, 2022. A routine mission turns into a disaster when the Enterprise finds itself under attack by a relentless enemy. Here's a recap of Strange New Worlds. The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 4, "Memento Mori," streaming now on Paramount+. A routine mission to visit a Federation ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Recap
We recap the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4, "Among the Lotus Eaters," which contains spoilers. ... Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained. In the end, M'Benga heals La'an, and all of the crew's memories return. This is helped by them clearing the debris field.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV Series 2022- )
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet. With Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.
'Strange New Worlds' season 2 episode 4 references an incident from the
Watch new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends. View Deal
Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, "Among the Lotus Eaters" is a long overdue showcase for the character of Erica Ortegas. The genius of the episode is that it also manages to hang the story on a deep-cut reference to Star Trek: The Original Series' unaired pilot, as Pike returns to Rigel VII.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Among the
As far as genre-play goes, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4 is the first foray into horror this season. Rather than being preyed upon by the Gorn or confounded by a shocking alien ...
Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4: Among the Lotus
Returning to a planet that dredges up tragic memories, Captain Pike and his landing party find themselves forgetting everything, including their own identities as he confronts a ghost from his past.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4 Review
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 4 Review. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes a different tone than other episodes this season and that tone turns out to make a masterpiece of an episode ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an American science fiction television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for the streaming service Paramount+.It is the 11th Star Trek series and debuted in 2022 as part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe.A spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery, it follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the ...
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV Series 2022- )
S1.E6 ∙ Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach. Thu, Jun 9, 2022. A threat to an idyllic planet reunites Captain Pike with the lost love of his life. To protect her and a scientific holy child from a conspiracy, Pike offers his help and is forced to face unresolved feelings of his past. 7.8/10 (4.4K)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes back to the beginning with this
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Episode list

S1.E1 ∙ Strange New Worlds

S1.E2 ∙ Children of the Comet

S1.E3 ∙ Ghosts of Illyria

S1.E4 ∙ Memento Mori

S1.E5 ∙ Spock Amok

S1.E6 ∙ Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach

S1.E7 ∙ The Serene Squall

S1.E8 ∙ The Elysian Kingdom

S1.E9 ∙ All Those Who Wander

S1.E10 ∙ A Quality of Mercy

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