Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - S2 E1 - "The Broken Circle"
June 15, 2023
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: Breaking the Rules Is Only Logical
Spock takes the Enterprise on a joy ride and a friendly face joins the crew in the first episode of the season.
By Samantha Coley
After a year-long hiatus, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is finally back for Season 2 and in "The Broken Circle," we join the crew of the Enterprise on an unsanctioned mission into Klingon space. The premiere episode tees up the resolution to Season 1's cliffhanger, as well as rising tensions across the galaxy that will likely come back later in the season, and gives us our first introduction to Carol Kane's Pelia as she joins the crew in a rather unconventional manner.
Penned by showrunners Henry Alonso Meyers and Akiva Goldsman, and directed by Chris Fisher, the Season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds catches up with Captain Pike (Anson Mount) but swiftly puts Spock (Ethan Peck) in the spotlight — and in the Captain's chair — for an adventure that kicks off the season with a hearty balance of suspense and action alongside heaps of heart and humor.
It's been no more than a few weeks after the cliffhanger that saw Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) arrested for concealing her Illyrian heritage and breaking Starfleet's rules against genetic modifications. While the Enterprise is in spacedock for a routine inspection, Captain Pike speaks to Una via 23rd-century FaceTme, and while she seems resigned to her fate Chris isn't willing to let her go. At face value, Una is guilty, and she's not willing to drag his name through the mud to clear her own. The depth of their friendship drives him to take personal leave to ensure that she has a fighting chance to win her case, leaving the Enterprise in Spock's capable hands.
The Ready Room
Season 1 Free on YouTube
Episode 1 – Episode 2 – Episode 3 – Episode 4 – Episode 5
Episode 6 – Episode 7 – Episode 8 – Episode 9 – Episode 10
Not sure I'm buying how easily Spock decided to 'steal' the ship.
Carol Kane was cool. The way they worked her character in was unexpected, as was her character itself – a 'nearly immortal' Lanthanite, invented just for her I think.
I'm glad they're sticking with the normal Klingon look, even if they aren't exactly the same as the TNG era. I thought their foreheads were a bit too 'long' or something, but still far better than Discovery's Klingons.
M'Benga and Nurse Chapel took some kind of superhuman shots and kicked Klingon ass. What the hell was that about? Never heard of that stuff before.
Not really buying their escape in the vacuum of space, but oh well.
Looks like the Gorn will be back. Should be interesting.
Nothing spectacular, but a decent episode to kick the season off, IMO.
***
The entire first season is free on YouTube now, at least for the time being. I put the links above if anyone wants them.
Ok, so the concept was good. But the minutiae - well.
I also thought Spock arrived at a decision to steal the Enterprise way too quickly. He was just in sick bay agonizing about how being in command stressed him out, and now he's ok with the responsibility of stealing a ship?
I'm not a fan of the new, emotional Spock.
Carol Kane was just a bit too kooky for me. I kept expecting to hear her tell them to have fun storming the castle.
The superhuman kick-a-Klingon's ass stuff? What? No.
And I don't think cold and lack of oxygen are the only things to worry about in the vacuum of space. Wouldn't your lungs get shredded, and wouldn't you develop a severe and rapid case of the bends?
But the idea of a false flag attack on the Klingons to restart the war was a good idea.
And I am really glad the Klingons no longer look and talk like the ones in Discovery.
I'm not exactly sure what would happen going from 1 atmosphere to none like that, but at the very least I'd expect blood vessels to burst all over the body, and possibly in the brain. They didn't look much worse for the wear at all.
Yeah, the false flag thing was a good plot idea. Profit-seeking Klingons are rare, but we saw it a couple times on DS9. The one with Grilka trying to save her house, and the one with Lursa and B'Etor in the very beginning, so at least twice.
I don't know if you watch it, but Boimler and Mariner from the animated Lower Decks are going to make an appearance this season. Played by the actual voice actors, too – Tawny Newsome (Mariner) and Jack Quaid (Boimler). That'll probably be a funny one. It'll have to be a time travel thing, though. Lower Decks takes place in the TNG timeframe.
I tried Lower Decks, but just couldn't get into it.
Yeah, you kind of have to be in the mood for silliness. It's hard to get used to Star Trek as an animated comedy, but I have to admit it's cracked me up a few times.
There were a few jokes that made me laugh out loud, but I guess not enough to keep me interested.
That's too bad. While LD is comical and has lots of easter eggs in it, it does have really good stories & episodes. I think the series surprised a lot of people with its writing quality, especially the initial naysayers who scoffed at it before it premiered.
I'm shipping the Mariner/Jennifer romance. Lol
I'll give it another try. It's not like I'm going to drop my Paramount Plus subscription, with a new season of SNW being released.
I have to tell ya, I love Lower Decks. It gets into all the nooks and crannies that I might have missed or not thought of. Also, so much behind the scenes stuff... It was amazing with "Picard"
I don't think you'll be disappointed. Two words: Cetacean Ops
After watching this episode, I would have to agree with your analysis.
Hoping to get to watching tomorrow. I have purposely read none of the commentary, even though I am busting!!!