The Naked Ghosts? SNW returns to familiar stories

Romijn as Number One

Let’s see: a landing party brings an unknown virus back to the Enterprise, infecting the crew and putting the entire ship at risk.

 Is that “The Naked Time”, the fourth episode of season one of Star Trek (TOS)?

Is that “The Naked Now”, the third episode of season one of The Next Generation (TNG?)?

Is that “Ghosts of Illyria”, the third episode of season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW)?

 

Well, in fact, it’s all three.

 

In these three episodes, from three different series, the mysterious virus brings to the surface secrets members of the crew had long kept hidden. In all three, the mysterious virus causes affected crew members to behave strangely, often violently. In all three, one affected member of the crew goes after the ship’s warp engines and puts the Enterprise and her entire crew at risk.

 

Is this repetition a conscious thing? A way to link SNW more directly to TOS and TNG, its episodic ancestors, early in its run, rather than to Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery or Picard?

 

If it is, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. After Dr. McCoy appeared briefly in TNG’s two-part premiere episode, “The Naked Now” represented another early strategy by the creative team to cement the connection between the new Star Trek series to its legendary inspiration, TOS, in the minds and hearts of its viewers. 

 

And, as the people behind SNW have made that connection clear – in tone, in philosophy and in structure, SNW is a throwback to TOS and TNG, moving away from the darkness, pessimism and extended plot arcs of the later shows – it should come as no surprise that SNW’s third episode echoes early episodes from TOS and TNG.

 

The Fight in Engineering

That doesn’t mean “Ghosts of Illyria” is itself a strong episode. It is not. Slow moving, marked by clunky dialogue, in-your-face moralising and a confused plot, “Ghosts” seems to lose track of what SNW is supposed to be: exciting, plot driven, episodic science fiction television. So focused was the creative team on sending a message and revealing character that they seemed to have forgotten to fine-tune the story.

 

Still, “Ghosts” has its strengths.

 

In her first real chance to take the centre seat, Number One (or Una Chin-Riley, played by Rebecca Romijn) shows real strength and leadership. I can’t help but compare her to the Number One character from TNG (William Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes) and Romijn’s character emerges as the clear Number One.

 

Chin-Riley is decisive, commanding and effective. When she learns new information about the virus, she responds immediately – putting the ship into lockdown (ahh, pandemic language emerges), shutting off the lights. When she is faced with a physical challenge, she leaps into action – showing off her combat abilities and her muscle in taking down a deranged La’an Noonien-Singh.

 

There is no clear fall-off from the absent Captain to the commanding Number One and there is clearly respect and admiration flowing in both directions in their relationship.

 

Olusanmokun as M'Benga

It is also nice to see that SNW’s crew is finally following protocols. The virus gets aboard despite all appropriate decontamination protocols being put into effect.

I find it disturbing that Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) could so blithely refuse to permit his medical transporter to be upgraded and get away with it, putting the entire ship at risk. But, other than his almost catastrophic breach, everyone else on the Enterprise followed established, well-designed protocols in relation to the return of landing parties from unknown planets and in relation to identifying, reporting and responding to threats that appear onboard ship.

 

It has long been the subject of mockery among me and my friends how many Star Trek plots hinge on one or members of the crew completely ignoring basic Star Fleet protocols: exposing themselves to contagion on a planet, failing to report equipment failures, ignoring odd behaviour in themselves or in other members of the landing parties, etc. It is nice to see SNW actually trying to avoid that trap.

 

"Ghosts" also gives us a chance to see more of the new Engineer, Hemmer (played by Bruce Horak). He is apparently a genius, which is great, and he brings a sardonic aggression to his role as Chief Engineer. But he doesn’t seem to have any crew in Engineering, since every task, small or large, falls to him and to him alone.

 

Horak as Hemmer

I can imagine this is something of a thankless role for Horak: hours in make-up every day so as to become completely unrecognisable; dialogue that is so filled with techno-babble as to be as difficult to memorise and deliver as it is incomprehensible to the fans; and a limited emotional range within which to shine as an actor.

 

Perhaps there’s more to come from Hemmer as he becomes more and more integrated into the crew.

 

I find it fascinating that I have now written 800 words of this blog and not yet mentioned in any significant way the two main characters of the show: Pike and Spock. Trapped on the planet’s surface for the entire episode, they have almost nothing to do with the plot. I don’t understand why they never actually contract the virus that afflicts the crew on its return to Enterprise (does the planet shield them from its effects? If yes, how did it then affect the Illyrians?)

 

And then there is the moralising. Yes, SNW has dedicated itself to returning to the optimism of TOS, to reintroducing the idealism represented in the philosophy of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations that Spock introduces in the original series.

 

But, my goodness, can we not find a more subtle, more graceful way of addressing issues of prejudice, racism and inclusion? “Ghosts” basically introduces us to the Illyrians, who are committed genetic adaptors in contravention of the Federation’s commitment to genetic purity (boy, that doesn’t sound good, does it?), informs us that Illyrians just want to be loved by the Federation, and has the crew of the Enterprise come to realise their prejudice and start the work of addressing it, all in the space of one dialogue-heavy hour.

 

That being said, I like the relationship that is being developed between Chin-Riley and Noonien-Singh and the discovery that they are both, in their own ways, genetic creations deepens and adds texture to that relationship.

 

In other words, “Ghosts of Illyria” may not be a great episode but it still gives us a lot to think about as SNW develops through its first season.