Shuttle to Kenfori

Having just started to watch the walking dead seeing zombies seems normal. 😂 number 1 's new hair style is terrible. I noticed someone mentioning this show being dumbed down for MAGA people, here's a thought, how about we put your political beliefs aside and just talk about trek. I am sick of everything being about politics, I couldn't care less about anyone's political viewpoints. Too much tv has been including this. How about we just stick to making TV entertaining to watch ?

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.

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.

Man, this show is having an odd start to the third season and I think it is easily in trouble of going off the deep end here.

Too many goofy aliens and not enough seriousness, and yes, I understand the show and franchise I am talking about.

I am hoping future episodes are a little bit better than this.

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.