Through the Lens of Time

The episode has its moments of drama that is rather boring. I think some of the problem is the writing and delivery just don't fit the content. I do not like the Ortegas character but I'm pretty certain that's by design. I'm surprised that her little brother is even more annoying, unfortunately the actor really isn't very good at the delivery.

So far this has been a hit or miss season. This is the best episode since the kickass premiere, and it's a visit to an actual Strange New World, which is nice for a change.

Multiple characters are put to good use in the story although I'm not warming up to Ortega's kid brother. Not that I want to see him killed off, but he needs to finish up his video project and depart. Soon.

The ensign whose name I didn't even catch had a good, meaty role. Marie's situation also got some more detail. Her storyline is one of the more interesting ones this season.

The archeology conundrum reminded me of a video game where the characters have to figure out mind-bending puzzles and take a leap of faith.

And - no spoilers - but did I detect a linkage to a DS9 plotline? Overall, good. But I'm still hoping for better.

With the fifth episode of Season 3, we get our second truly "strange new world" of the season. Yay! And there was much rejoicing.

Through the Lens of Time is my second favorite episode so far, just behind the premiere. It builds on an intriguing premise and, thanks to some clever visual effects, gives us a setting that's both satisfying and puzzling for an away team to investigate.

That's where this episode shines: it leans into the classic Star Trek formula; an away team encountering a mysterious environment, and it does this very well! Even the long-standing TOS "red shirt" trope gets a fresh twist here, and I'm fully on board with it.

Where the episode falters is in the details. The meta, film-within-the-story elements don't land for me; it feels forced rather than clever, and I'm not sure why the writers keep returning to this device throughout the series. Likewise, the time-warp material never gels, coming across more as contrived coincidence than inventive storytelling. Too often, characters are shuffled into place simply because the plot demands it. That kind of backward construction can work if it's either brilliant or if the dialogue is so engaging that science is an afterthought. Here it's neither, leaving the episode as a whole feeling above average, but not as epic as is should.

Five episodes into the third season, I still feel like Strange New Worlds is working with first season level scripts. Fortunately, the talented cast and their on-screen chemistry, combined with consistently strong production values and effects, keep the show afloat. At this stage, though, what the series really needs is a leap in top-tier writing. That's both encouraging, because the potential is there, and a little disappointing, given how far along we are in the show's run.

Season one made me think this was a revival of TOS. Semi-serious show addressing adventure and real life issues through aliens. However the show has often turned goofy. Often stretching a 1 season arch into 3

The season opener which should have been last season's finale at least had promise. But then turned goofy and boring for the next few episodes. This one returns to what I would expect of a Star Trek show. It wasn't awesome ir groundbreaking but is at least what I would expect spect as the minimum offering of a quality show in sci-fi. However even sci-fi quality has a much higher bar than it did back in the day when cheesy was garanteed due to low tech attempts for special effects. But with shows like Foundation, dune, the expanse.....too many shows are giving top tier performances to tolerate gimmicky characters hat on ver this ST is.

This episode proves the thought that Star Trek: SNW is trying way too hard and going in the wrong direction. They seem to be intent on wasting time with mindless romances rather than explain TOS canon. Once again, there are so many missed opportunities to lay the groundwork for the next series.(the original series) and trying to connect to Star Trek:TNG both with technological innovation and future characters back stories. I'm not giving anything away nor providing spoilers, but they seem to be spinning in celestial mud, unable to see a path laid out in front of them versus trying new things just for the sake of trying them. Some portions of the story are very interesting while others make me turn away and work on household chores.