IR TV Review: STAR TREK - STRANGE NEW WORLDS - EPISODE 9 (“Subspace Rhapsody”) [Paramount+-S2]
The perspective of "Star Trek" has always been to try to find the essence of the real in something heightened. What "Strange New Worlds" has done in its 2nd season is find a balance between those grand sweeps, the big swings, the heart and then some of the darkness and heartbreak. While the S2 premiere episode tried to find its footing, as the season hit its subsequent episodes it kept getting better and better because the idioyncracies or hang-ups of each character were built or remended or torn down or obliterated in certain ways increasing the depth of what we understand. It was about taking characters in many ways who we think we know and flipping them in many ways whether it be Uhura, Pike, Spock or Nurse Chapel but then there is also the deep richness at times of M'Benga and especially Security Office La'an (Christina Chong). The latter has had the most sadness in ways (besides Chapel and Spock) in terms of resisting not necesssarily temptation but vulnerability and thereby creating missed connections.
That is why (even after the beauty of the crossover "Those Old Scientists") that Episode 9: "Subspace Rhapsody"...known as the musical episode....hits many of the right notes. Not all the songs are fabulous but they are effective and they are so story specific. They get a little too much at some times but not too far off. The pre-credits intro is fantastic and when it kicks in is some of the best kind of Trek. The reason for the music makes sense to a point but every season has to have one of these and it speaks so much about the characters (with easter eggs to what happens later). They tried this kind of far left intent last season with one episode and it didn't quite work. Here it does. Because of the plot device, it also has an interesting parallel to "The Naked Now" from TNG in a different way. It is heartbreaking and makes the arch of the season feel much more earned because it is a moment in time that might not be repeated. The 2nd season of "Discovery" had this kind of feeling towards its ends but was also on a darker trajectory (and interestingly also integrated Spock). "Strange New Worlds" (even though we can see where it might be headed) is still bathed in joy and the inevitability of hope and being better, which is what "Star Trek" always aspires to be. A-
By Tim Wassberg
