Serene is not how I would describe the season so far. Spoilers.
I know this is getting a bit repetitive, but it’s another fantastic episode.
The big difference this time is that it all rests on the guest star’s performance. Jesse James Keitel just absolutely owns the screen every time they’re on camera. They have an incredible physical presence, backed up by a good (albeit a little cliched) story and clever betrayal. Definitely keen to see more of Captain Angel in the future – particularly versus Spock.
The rest is a little bit less strong – perhaps an attempt to be a bit more light hearted, but it misses with the ‘Captain becomes the ship’s cook’ thing, which is just a little bit too silly for me to credit. This is not helped by the also silly ‘cause a mutiny’, and a bridge of the Serene Squall that looks like something from a community theatre production of Hook.
And the big finish – we finally have Spock’s brother Sybok in a context other than Star Trek V.
Quick hits:
– Previously on from Uhura. Who is not even in this episode, so there goes the pattern.
– It’s a pity T’Pring doesn’t read any of the 22nd or 23rd century stuff, judging from her reading list. It’s a bit like getting a sense of England from reading Tristram Shandy.
– So far they are really earning Chapel/Spock. It’s making a lot of sense as a growing relationship.
– Not very clear how we go from ‘Spock and T’Pring are video chatting’ to ‘two days to get a message to Star Fleet’. Within two scenes.
– Yay, Yellow Alert? And ‘First Date or Third Date?’ ‘Blind Date’ is a great bit of banter.
– OH NOES, a Tholian web!
– They are not being subtle about the non-binary thing are they…
– Oh that is a beautiful recreation of a Jeffries Tube.
– Nice to see the Vulcan puzzle Tuvok used to have on the desk of the pirate captain.
– Vulcan Art Prison does not look fun…
860 down.