Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass takes the Enterprise crew to yet another bizarre adventure in the latest Strange New Worlds
When we saw the synopsis — A temporal anomaly traps the crew inside a soap-opera reality while Pike confronts a life he lost — we thought this was clearly yet another gimmick episode in Too Short A Season (yes, a TNG reference). Our review was going to boil down to that, plus a generous 2-stars at best. In the end, we thought we’d watch it first…
Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass — nice title, but…
Pike (Anson Mount) wakes up in sickbay, where Dr M’Benga and Nurse Chapel are (over-)acting in a most melodramatic way. Not only has he lost two weeks memory, but an apparently unharmed Spock is in a coma needed experimental heart surgery. Meantime, Uhura has a previously unnoticed DNA revelation. As we approach the opening credits, we pan out to a TV studio operated by cosmic trickster Trelane (Rhys Darby). If you need reminding, he was previously in the Original Series episode Squire of Gothos (wiki link). The character can be seen as a forerunner to Q from the Next Generation, though now the first reaction to the character is “maybe a little too like Q”! More recently, he appeared in season 3 of Strange New Worlds titled Wedding Day Blues. We have to say that episode was an example of crowding in too many quirky episodes in one season.
With all the indicators being against it, we had Cosmic Amnesia and then Space Sickness. Here’s the thing. Unlike other such episodes where the cast get to play with their characters, each of them (M’Benga, La’an, Chapel, Ortega, Uhura and Number One) have something important going on even if just within the soap opera.
Pike, though, is as exasperated as we were at being in the follow up to last season’s episode — the machinations of Trelane aren’t working on him. We spend the core of the episode exploring his recent story, building bridges with Uhura and finally reuniting with the daughter he had in a virtual world at the end of season 3. At the time we felt this filler for the final episode, now new life has been breathed into it and we get some very poignant moments.
We also get something important presented — a thing doesn’t have to be real for it to be true. While each of the crew has a soap opera scenario to deal with, through it they learn something real about themselves. It’s almost a meta-statement for entertainment as a whole (and sci-fi shows in particular). Experiences are important, regardless of how they are encountered. Before we get too philosophical, we do wonder why Chapel might have backups of everyone’s brains in a supply closet… but that’s another story. Perhaps!
So, another gimmick episode, and yes the season has too few episodes for the number we get, but this one surprised us and comes recommended.
