You might have discerned a recurring theme this season: episodes of intense, dark undertones (featuring the likes of the Gorn and zombies) interweave with those imbued with a lighter touch (such as those showcasing prototype holodecks and mischievous space imps). While the latter episodes tackle grave issues and profound emotions amidst their comic relief, the former lean heavily into their grim narratives. In essence, discerning viewers would already be bracing themselves ahead of "Through the Lens of Time."
The episode's onset, narrated by the endearing Ensign Gamble, a refreshing recent addition to the crew, carries a peculiar sense of foreboding. Gamble, who has enlivened scenes with his unreserved admiration for Starfleet and his specific assignment aboard the Enterprise, finds himself in the spotlight from the get-go, hinting at a pivotal role. This isn't always a harbinger of good fortune for supporting characters in the Star Trek universe. "Today started out like any other, with me toiling away in sick bay," Gamble reminisces. "But come the day's end, I knew my life would never be the same again." He's right, albeit not in the manner he anticipates.
Gamble's excitement is palpable as he prepares for his maiden away mission. (His narration transpires sometime post the opening scene but before the dire events unfold.) He embarks on this journey alongside Christine and Dr. Korby to explore ruins that could validate Korby's theory, as articulated by Gamble, "that ancient humanity's fascination with resurrection and reincarnation might stem from forgotten technology." The prospect exhilarates Gamble, his enthusiasm contagious, even eliciting a broad smile from Dr. M’Benga as he entrusts Gamble with various duties before departure.
Korby shares Gamble's excitement but is tinged with anxiety. Their destination is sacred to the inhabitants of M’Kroon, who are less than thrilled about this expedition, which involves using the Enterprise as an ultra-powerful excavation tool (to borrow a less scientific term). Christine teases Korby about his worries, albeit fondly. Her concern for her ex's feelings persists, prompting her to match La’an's pace to inquire about Spock's wellbeing and his sentiment towards Korby. La’an swiftly communicates her desire to steer clear of any melodrama, suggesting Christine avoid "making it awkward." Besides, her relationship with Spock remains casual, and if Christine is concerned about Spock, particularly if he's acting strangely towards Korby, she should address him directly. La’an conveys this message with clarity and politeness.
The subtle expression etched on Christine's face as she nods acknowledges a complexity beyond the surface, a complexity further underscored by an uncomfortable elevator encounter later, where she broaches the subject of his new relationship with La’an. In response, Spock replies, “She is an excellent dance instructor,” a diplomatic maneuver that neither confirms nor denies the intricate dynamics unfolding between their lessons. When the conversation turns to his and Korby's relationship, Spock playfully notes that Christine's use of the word 'friendship' to define their status is a "relative term," yet assures her that he has taken measures to ensure a seamless dynamic.
Prior to beaming down, Gamble updates Marie, whose resilience in battling the infectious Gorn presence, thanks to the concerted efforts of Spock and M’Benga, is apparent. (Though her previous good health had given false assurances.) Hardly had Gamble imparted this update to M’Benga when the doctor shared some thrilling news of his own—Gamble was to join the away mission at last!
During the mission briefing, Spock declares his intention to oversee the landing party's progress from the safety of the Enterprise, while Beto's ongoing documentary work evokes a spectrum of reactions from his peers. Pike frowns at the camera's presence, whereas Pelia beams with excitement at being a part of the project. Despite Pike's misgivings, Beto's assignment means he will descend to the planet's surface alongside Gamble, Christine, and Uhura, whose communication prowess may prove pivotal in deciphering their findings. They are joined by the stoic M’Kroon, N’Jal (Ish Morris), who prefers to avoid handshakes. After some final preparations, and a rather intense flirtatious exchange between Beto and Uhura, they set foot on the planet with a carefully calibrated deflector beam, revealing an unexpectedly colossal structure. Christine, turning to Pike, remarks, “We’re gonna need a bigger landing party,” an understatement of monumental proportions.
This revelation forces Spock to abandon his plan of remaining aboard the Enterprise during the expedition. Though the ship cannot deploy a vast landing party due to the M’Kroons' veto, Christine's request brings both Spock and La’an down to the planet. Here, the significance of this location for Korby and Christine becomes clearer, as they follow a trail of clues that they hope will verify the M’Kroons' descent from “an advanced civilization capable of interstellar travel across multiple galaxies.” Alternatively, as Gamble puts it, they could have been “ancient astronauts.” Adding another layer of complexity is the ancient civilization's claim to immortality, potentially linked to “inducing quantum instability at a molecular level.”
As the narrative unfolds, the complexities of their mission will gradually become more apparent, yet their immediate challenge lies in deciphering how to gain entrance, a hurdle Uhura believes is tied to the concept of "blood given freely." In essence, they've been transformed into a modern-day trio of adventurers akin to Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and Nathan Drake, compelled to unravel cryptic clues, solve perplexing puzzles, and navigate treacherous traps—all while adhering to the ethical, culturally respectful, and scientifically rigorous standards of Starfleet. A single droplet of Christine Chapel's blood fulfills the "freely given blood" requirement, momentarily suggesting a mission of relative simplicity. This illusion is fleeting.
The discovery of a centuries-old corpse serves as the first harbinger of trouble. Spock, ever the voice of caution, suggests a strategic retreat to inform the Enterprise of their findings and reassess their approach, particularly since beaming out from within the chamber is impossible. However, he defers to N'Jal, who, driven by a desire to aid his people, opts to press onward. Almost instantly, the wisdom of this decision is called into question.
While Korby and Christine investigate a "memory stone," Gamble stumbles upon a radiant, alluring orb that promptly explodes in his face, blinding him and rendering one of the most haunting visuals ever witnessed in a Star Trek episode. Despite the immediate appearance of hopelessness for Gamble, who is swiftly transported to sick bay and placed under M'Benga's care, who begins the intricate task of creating him a new set of eyes, Christine concludes it's time to abort the mission. Korby and N'Jal, unconvinced, choose to remain behind. Yet, the question of staying or leaving becomes moot. Upon inspecting the next chamber with a drone camera, N'Jal panics and attempts to flee, a fatal move that seals the door shut for all others seeking escape. The decision to stay or go is taken out of their hands.
Instead, they face a new dilemma: remain where the fate of the corpse they found suggests a grim outcome, or venture into the next chamber (after Christine, with palpable nervousness, unlocks it). Upon entering, a bizarre occurrence transpires. The landing team is split into pairs—Uhura with Beto, Spock with Korby, and Christine with La'an. One pairing yearns for closer bonding, while the other two are less enthusiastic. Each group can converse amongst themselves but remains invisible and disconnected from the others, creating an enigmatic and unsettling scenario.
A mystery deepens: Why is M’Benga powerless to heal Gamble? “My fondness for the lad is no hidden secret,” confesses M’Benga to Pike, yet this very attachment amplifies the sting of his failure. To compound the distress, Gamble’s behavior takes a peculiar turn, aligning with M’Benga’s suspicion that an alien substance is impeding his eyesight’s rejuvenation. Graver still, scans uncover sections of Gamble’s brain irreversibly damaged, plunging the ensign into a tailspin of panic.
Elsewhere, aboard the Enterprise, paired crew members grapple with dilemmas of their own. La’an and Christine chance upon a sculpture ensconced in enigmatic writings, interspersed with Chinese characters, existing simultaneously and inexplicably on a quantum plane. In proximity, perhaps hair’s breadth away, Spock and Korby venture into their own realm of discovery. Korby deciphers the memory stone, ominously encountering “vezda,” the M’Kroon term for “malevolence,” while Spock dons protective glasses from a corpse and discovers a myriad of luminescent orbs, identical to those which blinded Gamble, clustered at the heart of the chamber. Among them, one orb presents a vision of a Gorn assault, alarming Spock and sparking consternation aboard the Enterprise upon analyzing Gamble’s orb remains, described by Pelia as older than any artifact she has ever encountered, inspiring an eerie unease.
This unsettling aura prompts Pike to inquire about Gamble’s condition. Whatever has colonized Gamble’s mind begins to bait M’Benga with memories of Rukiya, the daughter he once saved who chose the cosmos over him. When Marie arrives in sickbay with a debilitating migraine, she and the entity within Gamble seem to acknowledge each other, engaging in a cryptic conversation (perhaps in Gornish) before their confrontation escalates. Marie prevails but fails to thwart her adversary’s escape. As M’Benga administers a sedative, Marie’s demeanor seems altered. Confronting Gamble, now holding a hostage and alternating between his inherent sweetness and his alien persona, M’Benga makes the heart-wrenching decision to confine Gamble—or what now possesses him—to the brig.
Surface-bound, each team converges, sharing their findings. Uhura’s revelation that they remain collectively within the initial chamber adds another layer to the puzzle. Parsing the inscription hinting at “parasites” and “hitchhikers,” they theorize that an immortality experiment bore Event Horizon-esque consequences, ushering forth an unspeakable evil into their realm. Perhaps, La’an muses, they find themselves in a cosmic penitentiary. By meticulously aligning clues, Christine reunites the group, yet they confront the challenge of finding an exit. The solution, strangely simple: Accepting that they inhabit a realm where effects precede causes, they traverse the void to activate a bridge enabling—or having enabled—their passage. The concept defies easy comprehension, yet it proves effective, freeing them from the horrors of their enigmatic confines.
It transpires that the brig, despite its intentions, lacks the fortitude to contain whatever monster Gamble has metamorphosed into. Escaping his confines, he holds Pelia, Scotty, and Sam at bay with a phaser pointed menacingly. While Gamble's personality wages a silent battle against the Vezda Entity that now inhabits him, Pelia is compelled to make a harrowing decision—to euthanize him, thereby unleashing the malevolent force upon them. Scotty, swift and decisive, ensnares the entity within one of the orbs and transports it to what he terms "nowhere," a location later confirmed by Spock and Christine to be a transport buffer—purportedly the safest repository for such a sinister presence. (Yet, one wonders, is it truly impenetrable?)
Concurrently, the M'Kroon aligns with the Federation to encapsulate the entities littering the planet's surface. (But are their efforts destined for success?) Beto's innocent query, "Were they evil, Captain?" prompts Pike's philosophical response, "Good and evil are relative terms, son," which Pelia vigorously contests, her unwavering belief in the universe's binary morality echoed in a dramatic monologue. Amidst the humorous relief of her movie-take query to Beto, her words linger with an eerie resonance, enough to send chills down one's spine. The blinking "Vezda Entity" control panel, visible behind M'Benga as he delivers the sorrowful news to Gamble's family, serves as a grim reminder of the harrowing events.
This episode, while commendable, was an emotionally trying one. Gamble, once a charming presence, has left behind an ambiguous legacy—his demise uncertainly altering the threat landscape populated by recent characters. (Beto? The three-armed bartender, perhaps?) This marks the season's second installment where just enough Star Trek science serves as a thin veneer over a horror narrative. Zombies haunted our screens two episodes prior, and now the Enterprise confronts an immortal entity with a penchant for tormenting its foes with dark recollections, reminiscent of The Exorcist. While not entirely unprecedented for Strange New Worlds—the Gorn having paid homage to the Alien films since their return—the horror elements are beginning to accumulate, with menacing threats refusing to dissipate. The Gorn may have retreated, but Marie's saga remains unresolved. And betting against the Vezda Entity remaining in stasis would be a foolhardy wager indeed.
