What Is Starfleet?

I'm not sure why there is often a compulsion to create documentary-style episodes on fiction shows, but they always fall flat. This is no different. The questions asked by the interviewer are so juvenile and offensive that it's hard to tell if it's a consequence of bad writing, or intentional to display his ignorance. The questions the crew put up with wouldn't have been tolerated in any reality. The amount of stuff that was "declassified" that would not have been was silly. I would've rated it higher if the premise had been a documentary that Starfleet refused to release.

The moral ambiguity that was the main theme with the episode was this episode's redeeming quality.

Leave it to the writers of Strange New Worlds to come up with a pretty decent premise for an episode but then proceed to screw it all up. The episode has an Encounter At Farpoint feel to it, but unfortunately the story kept getting interrupted with this documentary style episode. Ortega's brother is such a pointless character, which made the episode kind of pointless. You never really feel for the creature as the story is constantly interrupted. Just 3 episodes left in season 3. What else can the writers screw up?

Strange New Worlds employs another gimmick. It is the documentary episode but at times it seems more like found footage.

Beto Ortegas is the director and angry at Starfleet. He does not see Starfleet as a benevolent peaceful organisation. Beto is also angry at them for taking his sister Erica away.

Captain Pike is on a top secret mission in a war between the the Lutani and the Kasar, where the Lutani ha suffered massive casualties.

There is an ethical dilemma as Pike learns that the Lutani are using a lifeform called the Jikaru as a weapon, against its will.

The documentary aspect is too gimmicky although Beto scepticism is worth exploring. The new Star Trek series is not shy about exploring the dark side of Starfleet.

The attempts to communicate with the Jikaru and its aftermath redeemed the episode somewhat.

The writers and directors have to stop doing these "special" episodes. Once every few season... maybe.

Trying to be different, as a common occurrence, distracts from the stories.

Just give me straight up story telling; lose the gimmicks.

Ps. Please tell the director that there are visuals other than close-ups. Ie. Medium shots, wide shots.

While I liked the episode the screenwriters of season 3 seem determined to create some of the most annoying characters of star trek since Discovery. I spend most of the episode wishing to take Beto and the wannabe Indiana Jones to the nearest air lock and flush them. So far season 3 is well below the first two season thanks to poor writing.