IR TV Review: STAR TREK - STRANGE NEW WORLDS - EPISODE 9 (“All Those Who Wander”) [Paramount+]

The aspect of creating a sense of dread comes down to the laws of nature. The balance in Episode 9 of "Strange New Worlds" entitled "All Those Who Wander" comes down to the notion of fear and survival. The effective thing about this series, as it continues, is that it understands, that the characters need to suffer to grow but also the mix has to be changed up so the audience (or the writers for that matter) don't become too complacent in their comfort with stories. This episode takes part of the crew down to an ice planet (but like a 1979 movie we know), it is what you can't see or understand that might kill you. The details are simple but pointing to a certain species in canon that made an unseen appearance in an earlier episode, it becomes more about the consequence of actions.

The most intricate idea here is how Uhura interacts with the Chief Engineer. He can see things that she can't and it is in those quiet moments when we see the spark light up and the episode sings. Granted there is lot of darkness here but like Season 2 of "Discovery" there is a lot of realizations. Lt. Noonien Singh for example. There is some mystery brewing in her but this episode brings her fears to the forefront. She has traces of TNG's Lt. Yar, perhaps not the same background but aspects of hesitation, power and a chip on her shoulder which belies that a tragic ending might be on the way. The episode also knows that the most powerful moment comes in sacrifice and inevitability which is what makes a certain part of this episode so poignant despite its darker space horror roots. B+

By Tim Wassberg