Right on the heels of Star Trek: Picard‘s super nostalgic final season, one of its sister shows just kicked off its sophomore season reminding us what makes the latter the most vibrant and exciting Trek series of the current era: fun, adventure, wonderfully drawn characters we care about. But perhaps most of all, this show isn’t hopelessly obsessed with the past. If you sat down to watch Star Trek: Same Old Thing, you won’t find it here because this is Strange New Worlds.
It’s not that there are no references to past Star Trek to be found in “The Broken Circle” but simply that the episode isn’t reliant on material from the over 55-year history of the franchise. Two references of note, however, are the introduction to Spock’s lyre, not seen since the original series, and a nod to The Next Generation episode “Ethics” when Doctor M’Benga notes a redundant system in Klingon anatomy. Neither requires having seen a previous series.
Speaking of Klingons — Hallelujah! We’ve got the long-awaited live-action return of TNG-era Klingons! Yes, I know. Michael Dorn technically already brought the TNG-era Klingon back on Picard, but now we have the first non-Worf return after two epically failed redesign attempts. And boy, might I say — channeling my inner Klingon — a GLORIOUS return it is!
But the true MVP of season two’s premiere is Ethan Peck’s Spock. If audiences had expected “The Broken Circle” to center around last season’s cliffhanger where Una (Rebecca Romijn) is arrested by Starfleet over the discovery of her genetically enhanced nature, the show delivered a curveball by giving both Una and even Enterprise’s captain just a few scenes this week. After Captain Pike (Anson Mount) departs on a side quest to help Una’s legal case, Spock is left in command while Enterprise undergoes inspections and upgrades at Starbase 1.
Spock’s quick willingness to disobey orders and steal the Enterprise to rescue La’an informs our understanding of who Spock is and shows us he’s willing to put the lives of his crew above duty to the uniform. And for those who care about canon, this certainly tracks with the Spock of “The Menagerie” who will one day steal the Enterprise again to help Pike, as too will Captain Kirk similarly steal the same ship to save Spock.
The writers really give Ethan Peck so much to work with in this episode including Spock’s hilarious take on the classic Star Trek tradition of every captain getting their own catchphrase when ordering to go to warp. But Carol Kane’s introduction as the ship’s new engineer, Pelia, also brings some of the episode’s best laughs. First impression: Pelia seems to borrow some of her character DNA from Guinan but with a more no-nonsense, mischievousness of which I can’t wait to see more.
Jess Bush as Chapel and Babs Olusanmokun as M’Benga (Paramount+)
For the most part, the rest of the cast is given plenty to do and their own moments to shine. My biggest quibble is with Dr. M’Benga’s stimulant that gives him and Chapel temporary strength to easily beat Klingons in physical combat. It’s clear this is part of a larger M’Benga storyline to be expanded on later.
But I can’t help but be reminded of the old tendency of TNG writers to have Worf thrown around a lot to signal to the audience that a particular threat must be so very strong because it was able to toss Worf like a ragdoll — which over time started to make Worf just look weak. Watching M’Benga and Chapel make short work of a small army of Klingon warriors just undermines the overall menace of Klingon warriors, and I think the writers want to maintain their fierce reputation.
“The Broken Circle” doesn’t break the mold and is fairly subdued for a season premiere, but it’s a lot of fun and effectively brings the audience back into this world and reacquaints us with the crew. There are a lot of great comedic beats, but there are serious matters taking place and large stakes, particularly given the information we learn in the closing seconds. Finally, by removing Pike and Una, every other cast member is given opportunities to shine within the ensemble. It’s a solid start to a fresh new season.
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are released Thursdays on Paramount+.
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