Shuttle to Kenfori

The first 2 seasons of this show were really good but so far season 3 has been sloppy and lazy. The writing is poor, the acting is mailed in, and the CGI looks like video games from 25 years ago. How are yall rating this junk so high? This show is almost as bad as Discovery. Watch Lower Decks instead, that's quality Star Trek.

A lousy script assures a lousy episode, and here we have a mash-up of various story gimmicks adding up to nothing.

To save his lover Captain Marie, Pike and the good doctor take a shuttle to the planet Kenfori in a forbidden zone, off-limits to all after a war with the Klingons, their mission to find a rare medicinal plant for her cure. There, improbably, the doctor encounters a female Klingon warrior who has a long-simmering blood feud grievance with him due to the captain assassinating her dad in war. Making the situation more complicated (and stupid), her dad was a traitor and it was her duty to kill him, so she's angry that the doctor did so instead.

These story lines don't mesh, and to top it all off, the absurd gimmick of a bunch of zombies, both human and Klingon, on the planet threaten to eat our heroes and the Klingon woman. As soon as the zombies showed up and brought gore into the occasion, my interest in watching waned.

To justify this nonsense, we also get conflicts on the ship, mainly Ortegas' insubordination getting her into big trouble with Una, who is commanding the Enterprise in Pike's absence.

Dr M'Benga has a potential cure for Captain Batel. He wants to go with Spock to find a special flower, the Chimera Blossom. It also means endangering a Federation/Klingon treaty.

Captain Pike decides to accompany Dr M'Benga to Kenfori. A former Federation agricultural outpost abandoned during the Klingon War.

Upon arrival, they discover that Federation scientists and the invading Klingons encountered a chemical agent that turned them into zombies.

If that is not enough, they are being tracked by Klingons, one of them looking for vengeance and restoration of honour.

Star Trek does horror. The Walking Klingons. Some of the visual effects were on the strong side.

Yet the episode was weakened by being overstuffed. It should really had been more of a zombie episode. It got lost with the ethical dilemmas that Pike faced when he learns of Dr M'Benga's true intentions.

There has never been a worse Klingon in the history of all Star Trek. Absolutely ridiculous. How they ever expected anyone to buy that is astounding. Compare that cartoon Klingon to Martok, Kurn, Worf, or The Duras sisters. I really don't know what they were thinking. Won't even comment on the well worn and thread bare plotline of a rare substance only found in one hard to reach place in order to cure a rare disease. Or the Walking Space Dead.

Season 3 Episode 3 we are treated an actual strange new world to explore! Unfortunately, what could have been a standout ST experience ends up as an average episode.

On paper, I love this concept. It has the right ingredients: space-opera politics, a compelling problem to solve, and courageous initiative from the crew - including the captain himself. I especially appreciated that the central conflict was medical in nature, giving Dr. M'Benga a natural spotlight with real potential to deepen his character.

The execution, though, falters. The entire story leans on a MacGuffin that feels more contrived than organic (ironically). The planet's premise is fascinating, but the viewer only gets a glimpse of a few uninspired sets, leaving the world underdeveloped. The questions raised about its dangerous environment could have opened the door to imaginative, speculative science - but the answers turn out to be clichés so underwhelming that even the characters joke about them. Honestly, I don't blame them.

The Klingons' inclusion was another promising idea, but again, the follow-through comes off uninspired. The attempt to make the episode "edgy" with moments of violence feels restrained - not nearly as impactful as it could have been, especially when dealing with Klingon warriors and a hostile environment.

I did like some of the ship scenes involving chain of command and following orders. While the execution of these elements may of been heavy handed, it set a meaningful precedent worth following in future episodes.

So yes, I'm glad season three brought viewers to a new world to explore. But the underdeveloped script undermined what could have been one of the more exciting premises so far. A missed opportunity - Generous 6/10.