Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyStar Trek: Strange New Worlds
Paramount Plus
Season 1 Episode 7
The Serene Squall
While on a dangerous humanitarian mission, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise stumbles into a harrowing game of leverage with the quadrant’s deadliest space pirate.
The new episode touches back on the Spock/T’Pring dynamic as she attempts to learn more about Spock’s human side. It is an interesting and humorous scene with Peck’s Spock showing some uncomfortable moments. Things get more interesting when she seeks advice from Nurse Chapel. It’s another interesting scene that leads to more humor.
Pike and his officers meet with a representative of the mission they are currently assigned to and they learn more about what they’re facing. What they’re facing will require the Enterprise to cross into unknown space. The stakes are brilliantly laid out in the cold open as Pike must decide to enter an area with no backup from Starfleet and no communications.
After entering unknown space, the Enterprise finds itself trapped in a laser net surrounding the ship. Spock is forced to make a guess as to what he needs to do in order to free the ship. There is another character on the bridge as well and Spock’s run ins with Dr. Aspen (Jesse James Keitel) are interesting in how she is able to read him and advise him while he struggles with both parts of his being. Pike decides to lead an away mission to a derelict ship that might hold the missing colonists. A move that gets us some Pike action and sets up another threat.
With Pike and his team on the ship, the Enterprise is invaded and we get some Spock action as well as the bridge is overrun. Peck showcases the strength of Vulcans in the episode and it definitely moves into the area of other Star Trek episodes where the crew has to run and hide to retake the ship. As Pike attempts to sow discourse among the pirates, Dr. Aspen reveals herself. As entertaining as the episode is, this twist was obvious from the start. Unfortunately, after the reveal, Aspen becomes less interesting as a character and way too over the top to be believable.
Episode seven is entertaining and has some intriguing insight into Spock and a tease about a mystery from his past. While there are some entertaining character moments to be found, the plot is predictable including all of its reveals with the exception of the final one that actually made me excited about its repercussions.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S01XE07
