Through the Lens of Time

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.

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.

What makes for a GREAT episode?

Adventure? Action? New Villains? Disastrously romp?

This one had all of that and much much MORE!! It's almost like the writers are writing FRESH after last weeks exciting show.

This episode is destined to become a classic with the crew working to figure out the clues, reunite and then get back to the USS Enterprise!

ENJOY.

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.

The best episode of the season and one of the best episodes of the entire series.

After the rather disappointing start to the first half of the season, "Through the Lens of Time" does a really good job of telling a new and exciting story.

First of all, the set design looks incredible, and the way it is integrated into the story keeps the tension high throughout. Individual fates play a very important role, previous events are interestingly integrated into the narrative, and the emotions are strongly conveyed to the viewer. You can feel what is being told here, and how it is being told is essential to the foreground.

The episode feels like the prelude to something even bigger, for which the Gorn were just a small foretaste.

The stakes are raised, the characters interact fluidly with each other, and the narrative is elevated to a higher level, which will hopefully pay off in the coming episodes and perhaps even beyond into the final seasons.