Wellll they can’t all be winners. There have been some funky bits of plotting here and there in SNW, but The Serene Squall is a full mess, and most of the moments this plot supports don’t feel especially worth it. “The ship gets commandeered” is one of our favorite types of Star Trek story, but the attention of the episode is too scattered to deliver that in a satisfying way. The whole thing builds to a very forced Chapel and Spock moment, which is too bad because we’ve been enjoying their dynamic so far. Pike’s sub plot is rushed and lazy, but also doesn’t connect to the main story in a very coherent way. There are also some rough acting choices throughout. We’re Star Trek fans, we like some ham, but this was a bit much. Still, none of it adds up to anything awful, it just doesn’t work as well as any of the episodes of Strange New Worlds so far. We are, however, intrigued by the potential of the character revealed at the end.
Enterprise picks up a goth counselor.Ortegas and Pike only communicate to each other through hokey metaphors.I like that Spock can’t choose between too equally valid options because there is no clear logically superior route, but it seems like the kind of conundrum Vulcans may have come across before. How do Vulcans pick which color pen to use.Fortunately we don’t get too far into the philosophy of hunches before the ship is boarded by pirates.Pike gets out of telling them his codes by cooking for them.But then they have a plan to tell a lady that her captain is dumb to want to sell the crew to the Klingons or something……none of that actually matters though, because that captain isn’t really the captain? Their leader wants to trade Spock for some guy named Xaverius. Not sure why any of those other pirates are doing any of the things they’re doing.Xaverius is a guy at T’Pring’s weird vulcan painting workshop.Duty to ritual engagement!Absolution!Scout’s honor!Even Angel can’t believe this kissing plot is actually happening.The pirate ship has an old-timey big wheel helm and appears to be the inside of a shipping container.no thank youre-bonding!Turns out “Xaverius” was actually Sybok, but he sometimes goes by that other name when he wants to be a dramatic reveal at the end of an episode.
