Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues its second season with an episode titled “The Broken Circle” that delves deeper into the personal stories of its ensemble cast. However, the absence of Captain Pike (Anson Mount) leaves a noticeable gap in the episode, resulting in a slightly uneven start to the season. Despite this, the episode still manages to deliver an enjoyable viewing experience.
The episode picks up where the first season left off, with Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), also known as Number One, being arrested for concealing her true identity as a genetically modified Illyrian. Captain Pike, after a brief Zoom call with his imprisoned first officer, sets off to seek help for her, leaving viewers waiting for his return.
However, the episode struggles to establish a clear focus, leaving viewers unsure of whose story it is telling. Is it primarily a Spock-centric episode, as Ethan Peck’s portrayal of the iconic Vulcan deals with the emotional aftermath of the previous season’s events and battles the Gorn? Or does it explore the backstories of Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush)? Additionally, La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), who left the Enterprise in the previous season to help an abandoned child, reappears but lacks significant weight in the overall narrative.
Despite these narrative challenges, the episode eventually finds its footing and becomes a thoughtful and exciting journey for Spock, M’Benga, and Chapel. Their emotional struggles tie into the physical mishaps they encounter, resulting in a cohesive and engaging storyline.
Meanwhile, the introduction of Carol Kane as Pelia, the Enterprise’s new chief engineer, brings intrigue and curiosity. Kane’s performance is captivating, and her character’s background promises to add a unique perspective to the crew. However, Pelia’s future on the Enterprise remains uncertain, considering the fate of previous chief engineer Hemmer.
Overall, while “The Broken Circle” may stumble in finding its focus, it eventually delivers a satisfying experience for fans of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The absence of Captain Pike is noticeable but doesn’t hinder the episode’s ability to engage viewers. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the show continues to develop its ensemble cast and their respective stories.
What We Said About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ first season manages to recapture the joy of classic Trek in a way that perhaps many of us didn’t know was missing until we experienced this show. Emotional, exciting, funny, and sometimes scary, this is a final frontier that is both old-school and brand-new, featuring great characters who all get their fair share of the action. In many ways, Star Trek has come full circle with Strange New Worlds after 55 years of storytelling. And it’s all the better for it. – Scott Collura, July 7, 2022
Score: 10
Read the full Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 review
As for the missing Captain Pike, fans will have to wait for his return in upcoming episodes. In the meantime, the episode explores various character arcs while laying the groundwork for future developments. The addition of Carol Kane as Pelia brings an intriguing dynamic to the crew, and her performance is captivating despite feeling unconventional for Starfleet. Ultimately, despite its initial narrative challenges, “The Broken Circle” successfully delivers an emotional and exciting journey for Spock, M’Benga, and Chapel.
And now we eagerly anticipate the reappearance of Captain Pike in the next episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Images
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Images
Questions and Notes from the Q Continuum
- Based on the trailers and this episode, we definitely are learning more about what the Enterprise crew were up to during the Klingon War (which was depicted in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1).
- Speaking of Disco and the Klingons, Strange New Worlds appears to have completely abandoned the redesign of the bumpy-headed aliens and their tech from that show, reverting to the standard movie/Next Generation version.
- And speaking of Disco even more, that one ship in this episode sure did look familiar…
- And let’s just talk about the Klingons some more too: How cool is Spock drinking bloodwine and bro-ing it up with them?