I'm kinda torn on this episode. I've waited for an Ortegas episode for a long time, so this was a welcome story. I'll just say what I liked/did not like, etc.
- I did like her narration. Aside from Navia being a fairly interesting narrator, I think the character itself fits well with what they had her do and how. She's always been a bit off the cuff, so this was actually okay. I'd probably not have liked if this happened with some other character.
- I loved the "marooned monster." I know we don't actually know HOW she got there, but something in me instinctually felt like there was an almost Klingon-like shame and "death-wish" on her part. Perhaps there was something that happened in her life that made it impossible for her to go back... either way, I knew right away that we would see her demise on the episode at some point. But a great character there. Well-written, great effect, and she remained on my mind well past the end of the episode.
- Liked the "look" of the episode a lot. The ambience and the set was very evocative and just beautiful at times. I couldn't look away. There seemed always something around the corner. There seemed to be a sense of true danger lurking in it all for Ortegas and, tbh, there were times I kept muttering "don't fucking kill her NOW... we've got 1.5 seasons to go!" I guess the fact that she doesn't have TOS plot armor was largely responsible for this happening in my head.
- As to the B plot, I liked that too, including Uhura's dilemma. In the past, it's kind of been the helmsman and the navigator who've been "friends" but on SNW they've slowly built the closeness between Uhura and Ortegas and it works well here. The only thing really is the pretty shitty decision on Pike's part to let Uhura's transgression go. I want to see that decision reversed, to be frank. I want Uhura to go through at least some amount of reprisal for what she did. In fact, realistically speaking, she should be court-martialed for this according to a close friend of mine who is ex-military. And really... I'd have to agree. But I know that story won't happen. Oh well. But there'd be some rich character-building available if they went that route.
- Related to the above point is Ortegas' acknowledgment of what La'an did to the Gorn. Of course, that situation might just have a follow up. Who knows. In the end, neither Ortegas nor La'an matter to the Prime timeline so have at it, I guess.
- My final point is about the Metron. Sigh. Yet again we see how these writers function... nothing they write is reliable and in stone. I get it. They are hamstrung by continuity issues, but was there a screaming need for the Metron to show up and TELL US that nothing that happened thus far with the Gorn matters? That "all will be as it once was?" Lazy, lazy, lazy writing, basically. Oh well. Whatever. It made for an entertaining 50 mins.
9.