Here it comes, the long-anticipated confrontation: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" has been methodically orchestrating a head-on clash with the feared Gorn since their brutal introduction in the inaugural season, with Season 2's opener, "The Broken Circle," teasing an impending showdown. Yet, subsequent episodes offered mere whispers of an impending thaw in the Federation-Gorn cold war, leaving audiences hanging. "Hegemony," technically, doesn't alter this status quo; our Starfleet heroes still find themselves entangled in battle with formidable Gorn adversaries, albeit on a planet inhabited by Earth-born settlers outside Federation jurisdiction. Yet, for Captain Pike and the crew of the Enterprise, semantics matter little when faced with annihilation.
The episode kicks off just beyond Federation borders with an uncommon Captain's Log entry, penned by Captain Batel, who has ventured to Parnassus Beta to lend aid to a colony modeled after a quaint 20th-century Midwestern town—a picturesque haven woefully unprepared for alien hostility. Indeed, such an encounter seems inevitable, albeit delayed until a poignant exchange between Chapel and Batel reveals their ground-level involvement. When Chapel beams up to Batel's ship, the Cayuga, it seems like any other Federation mission, but fate has different plans in store for both, with the dramatic arrival of the Gorn serving as the catalyst.
For Batel, this turn of events strikes mid-conversation with Pike, who had reached out to inquire about her well-being. Their chat is abruptly cut short as a menacing shadow casts itself across the sky, though the Parnassus manages to transmit a distress signal before fleeing. This prompts the Enterprise into rescue mode, albeit with a dire warning from Admiral April: any interference could ignite a war with the Gorn Hegemony. Yet, by the time the Enterprise arrives, the warning feels academic; the Gorn have already struck.
Three formidable challenges confront Pike and his crew: navigating the planet's communication blackout imposed by the Gorn to ascertain the situation below, locating survivors of the destroyed Cayuga (particularly Nurse Chapel), and confronting an influx of Gorn bearing an ominous message—or rather, an image with a clear message: a line has been drawn, and crossing it invites further conflict.
Starfleet concurs to respect this boundary, but Pike harbors other intentions, armed with a clandestine stash of anti-Gorn weaponry. Thanks to Ortegas, he also possesses a daring plan to slip past the Gorn undetected, disguised as refuse (much like those vintage zombie flicks Spock once needed elucidating). With Ortegas's expert piloting, the ruse succeeds, though peril awaits them on the ground. What once resembled a The quaint, 20th-century Midwestern town now resembles a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with erratic blazes and a peculiar Gorn beacon accounting for the communication blackout. To compound matters, they must evade hungry Gorn younglings, necessitating urgent concealment.
Their behavior defies the norm of typical Gorn younglings – cooperating instead of engaging in their usual battles – leaving everyone somewhat perplexed. Yet, this confusion pales in comparison to the bewilderment sparked by sensor readings indicating human life where none seemingly exists. When the Enterprise landing party finds themselves ensnared within a force field, the enigma unfolds, and an acquaintance from yesteryears steps onto the scene – Lieutenant Montgomery Scott (played by Martin Quinn)! His visage may be unfamiliar, but his unmistakable personality, accent, and ingenuity shine through. Having previously survived a Gorn onslaught, Scotty has no intention of succumbing to them again, hence the ingenious trap. He also guides Pike to a few survivors, among them Batel, who, though delighted to see him, is irked by his presence as it now places him in peril too. Batel grasps the gravity of their plight: teleporters are inoperative, and the shuttle lacks sufficient space.
Moreover, the troubles extend beyond Parnassus Beta's surface. The Enterprise faces its own challenges. With barely concealed heartache, Spock defies logic, relentlessly searching for signs of life on the Cayuga, particularly one elusive sign. "Our past was not amicable," he confides to Una, who doubts the futility of his quest yet permits him to persist. Meanwhile, Uhura devises a plan with Pelia that she fervently hopes isn't疯狂. By pinpointing the source of the Gorn's interference, they intend to disable it by hurling space debris at it, thus averting a direct confrontation that could ignite a war. All they need is to strap rockets onto a fragment of the Cayuga and send it hurtling downward.
"No human could undertake such a near-impossible feat," Spock remarks. And so, he volunteers to undertake it himself.
On the ground, Scotty conjures up a plan so audacious that it might actually succeed. In fact, it's a plan that has proven effective before, one that will enable Pike's crew and the survivors to slip away unnoticed by mirroring Gorn signals. However, executing this plan necessitates an act of reckless bravery: retrieving a vital device from the crashed shuttle. To accomplish this, Pike, Batel, and their newly acquired comrade, Scotty, venture out into the potentially Gorn-infested night.
As they embarked on their mission, it became apparent that Chapel had somehow managed to cling to life, albeit her ongoing survival hung by a thread. Unable to signal the Enterprise, with her oxygen reserves dwindling, and worst of all, accompanied by a fully grown Gorn amidst the remnants of the Cayuga, her plight was dire indeed. This harrowing encounter marked the Enterprise crew's first glimpse of an adult Gorn, a sight so terrifying that it almost proved fatal to Spock. His fortunate arrival, however, enabled them to confront the Gorn together, escaping hand-in-hand just as the Cayuga's remnants began their final descent.
On the planet's surface, the news was a blend of hope and despair. The silver lining: a Gorn youngling had encountered Batel, Pike, and Scotty, yet inexplicably refrained from attacking, allowing them to procure the essential components they sought. The dark cloud: the youngling's non-aggression stemmed from Batel being implanted with Gorn eggs. Following the lead of Hemmer (R.I.P.), Batel yearned to sacrifice herself to spare her companions, but Pike, true to his unwavering character, vowed, "There must be a way to save you." Fortunately, at this crucial juncture, the beacon was knocked out by a piece of space debris.
The transportation process ensued in a harried sequence. First, Spock and Chapel beamed aboard, followed by Pike, Scotty, and Batel, who reluctantly agreed to let the Enterprise medical team attempt to extract the Gorn eggs, provided Chapel promised to euthanize her if the procedure failed. But their woes deepened: the Enterprise struggled to locate the remaining landing party and survivors for beam-up, having realized they had already been abducted by the Gorn, who had commenced attacking the ship. Starfleet issued orders for the Enterprise to vacate the area, placing Pike in an excruciating dilemma—to abandon his crew. For once, our decisive captain seemed uncertain of his next move. To be continued…
Thus concluded this remarkable second season of Strange New Worlds, its conclusion temporarily suspended (pending the resolution of an ongoing labor dispute). It evoked nostalgia for the cliffhangers of yesteryears, particularly "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1," the renowned season finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation that left Riker with the seemingly impossible choice of destroying the Borg-assimilated Captain Picard. Where Strange New Worlds will venture next remains a mystery, but it has placed several pivotal characters in grave danger and seemingly condemned a beloved recurring figure to a fate of gestating Gorn offspring. How this saga will unfold—whether it will indeed unfold favorably—remains to be seen. Those questions linger, eagerly awaiting their answers.
