Before this episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds even began, it was clear that the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise needed some time off. They traveled back in time before humans existed, watched a planet be destroyed, and had to deal with a vengeful spirit. It has been a lot for the crew - and at this point we're just two episodes into the season, so by the time this third installment rolled around, a break was absolutely necessary.
With that in mind, Commander Una Chin-Riley suggested that the crew take some time off. Captain Christopher Pike agrees and sets up some shore leave. Soon after that, the shenanigans kick in. And everything starts to feel like an episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
The crew is watching a commercial for a resort that looked like a late-night advertisement for a shady vacation destination. Nevertheless, the planet's intoxicating atmosphere seemed like a good way for everyone to relax. Obviously, people have concerns, but Nurse Christine Chapel ensures that the effects won’t be too bad. And then she says, “I promise you, this will be the best shore leave ever.” Of course, everyone watching knew she just jinxed the entire team.
Not even ten minutes into the episode, Ortegas wakes up with a hangover, a trashed room, and a cast on her arm. To top it off, she's with her rival, Scotty. This is trouble for them, but entertaining for viewers. And what comes after that is an unhinged adventure that is quite reminiscent of a classic broadcast TV episode in which the cast has to kind of piece together everything that led them to this moment.
As the show goes on, viewers see each of the main characters intoxicated in different ways. For example, Uhura was a hippy party girl who was dancing in a smoke-filled room full of people. Una signed up to sing 15 karaoke songs in a row (all of which were in Klingon). And then there’s Spock, who keeps telling people he’s “clearly inebriated”, but he looks like, well, Spock.
Stardate 04.03 review
Like the rest of the crew, the Star Trek viewers needed a break. The first couple of episodes of Strange New Worlds season 4 were rather heavy and emotional, so seeing the crew loosen up was a good change of pace. What made this truly special was how the creative team showed the crew intoxicated according to their personalities. It was also cool how there were nods to The Hangover, all the way to the tattooed face and the “tiger” in the room. The only thing missing was Mike Tyson.
I couldn’t think of two better characters than Scotty and Ortegas to lead “Human Best Friend”. However, if I could make one change, it would be that the rivalry between the pair lasted a little longer. Admittedly, this is a minor complaint, especially since one of the many themes of Star Trek is that people find common ground and get over their grievances. Nevertheless, it would have been fun to see Ortegas and Scotty continue to bicker throughout the series. That being said, my wants wouldn’t have helped the show.
At the end of the episode, Ortegas and Scotty learn that each of their jobs will lead to conflicts. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t come to an understanding and help one another. It leads to a great moment that shows the growth between two stubborn characters.
And just like that, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has set a course back to its main season 4 narrative. But before they head off, we'd just like to say that we once again enjoyed our break!
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