[7.0/10] The dirty little secret is that, for most Star Trek two-parters, the second half is a step down from the first. The first half has setup, intrigue, character, possibilities. The second half has to quickly resolve everything established in the first, and usually drapes it in firefights and explosions rather than the contemplative ideas that may have launched the story.
The second part of “Hegemony” is no different. It ably picks up where last season’s finale left off. Captain Pike is on the bridge and finds himself trapped between orders from Starfleet Command and a Gorn invasion. Captain Batel is chock full of Gorn babies, and it’s up to Nurse Chapel to save her. The colonists and four of the *Enterprise* faithful are trapped on a Gorn ship and need rescuing. And a young Montgomery Scott is aboard the ship that will soon bear his fingerprints, under the tutelage of Pelia and ready to work some miracles.
But there’s not much in the way of character moments, thoughtfulness, quiet moments to take stock of where they are or what they’re doing, in all of this. Once again, this is *Strange New Worlds* in action movie mode. And hey, I like action movie mode now and then! Except, it’s hard to launch into a new slate of episodes, craving the inventive stories and rich character beats *SNW* typically has on offer, and instead getting the sort of hollow fireworks and action movie one-liners you can find just about anywhere these days.
Some of that comes from the fact that it never feels like much is really at stake here. In theory, everything should be. Trusted allies are in jeopardy. The Gorn are wreaking havoc and seem poised to expand. As usual, the *Enterprise*’s shields are dwindling after taking heavy damage and may not have enough juice to save Pike’s comrades. On paper, there’s plenty of legitimate problems and peril here.
But in practice, victory feels fast and inevitable. It seems preordained that Scotty’s Gorn-specific cloaking device is going to work. It seems destined that La’an and her compatriots will find a way off the Gorn ship. (Though, in full candor, I thought they might save the rescue of the colonists for a future episode.) It seems clear that, however theoretically risky, Pike’s wild plan to turn the *Enterprise* into a star that will spur the Gorn to hibernate will work out.
Some of that is a mere consequence of being a prequel. Sure, given how Hemmer died, it’s not implausible that some of *Strange New Worlds*’ original characters might perish. Captain Batel is certainly on the chopping block, and Lt. Ortegas seems worse for wear. But it’s harder to gin up real fear for the ship as a whole when you know that Pike, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, etc. are all going to live to fight another day.
Still, in the 1990s heights of Star Trek as a franchise, you could be reasonably certain the suits weren’t going to kill off Picard or Sisko or Janeway given the mandated stasis of network television at the time, and those shows still managed to craft drama from the surge of danger that often accompanied premieres, finales, and other high points. When they stumbled, they stumbled in much the same way “Hegemony” does.
Everything here happens too fast and comes off too thin. We basically get one scene where Scott’s working on the cloak, and then another one where it’s ready. We get one scene where Pike decides to try the star-transformation ploy, and then bang, we’re doing it. Charitably, that could create a sense of urgency and desperation as the *Enterprise* faces down an overwhelming force. But in practice, it makes the crew’s solutions to these theoretically insurmountable problems feel flimsy and automatic.
That all makes me sound more down on part two of “Hegemony” than I am. If nothing else, this is a sound, sturdy reentry for *Strange New Worlds*. Pretty much everyone in the cast has something to do (and then some). The episode credibly (if a bit hastily) resolves not only the immediate concern from the end of season 2, but seemingly also the broader Gorn threat that's loomed over the series since early on. The writers and editors structure the hour well, giving us four story threads and cutting nicely between them. And while fewer and further between, there are certainly some nice character moments here.
Despite Martin Quinn’s name hitting the main credits, I don’t really want Scotty on a show already rife with legacy characters. But depicting the engineer as young and flustered, with Pelia needing to light a fire under him with false urgency to get him to do his best work is an interesting take on the now-storied engineer. Even though it scans like half of La’an’s subplot was cut, her confronting the trauma of her brother’s death and other horrors the last time she was in the belly of a Gorn outpost is a good beat for the character. The way she chooses to save everyone rather than just get away from a reminder of her losses and traumas shows growth and strength in her.
And once again, *Strange New Worlds* can do no wrong when it comes to Spock and Nurse Chapel. The two running through longshot ways to heal Captain Batel is classic Star Trek problem-solving. The willingness to use Una’s genetically-modified blood and treat rather than remove the Gorn infants in her system involves both a meaningful ethical choice and outside-the-box thinking. And the way their great teamwork both reveals a pair who sync up together effortlessly and reminds them (and the audience) that the severed ties between them haven't changed, adds emotion to what could otherwise be just another box to check on the action/danger checklist.
Their choice also ties into the themes established in part one: whether to obey regulations and stand back when ordered in the name of the larger mission or damn the rules and do what you must in the name of people you care about. In a show indebted to Kirk’s *Enterprise*, it’s not surprising to see our heroes finding wiggle room around orders, and making tough calls in order to care for the people they serve with and love.
“Hegemony” does offer some variety in the answers there. Plenty of crewmembers bend or break the rules along the way, but whether you prioritize the well-being of the few, the many, or even the one varies here. In an episode where many of the answers seem easy, and success seems preordained despite the supposedly monumental stakes, the fact that different people come up with different answers to those big questions is laudable.
Strangely enough, one of the biggest issues in terms of both character and theme is Pike. Gone is the thoughtful yet bold statesman, and in his place is someone who’d rather just “hit back” than find common ground, and who seems pretty cavalier about the safety and survival of his crew. You can chalk that up to various factors: the existential threat of a Gorn invasion, trust in his crew to pull off even the most risky ploy, the need for a season premiere to feature a man of action regardless of whether it fits. But whatever the reason, Pike feels off here, from both the character as we’ve known him and the usual tenets of Starfleet Captains. (Give or take the occasional run-in with [“son-worshippers”](https://trakt.tv/comments/130064).)
Maybe that would all go down more smoothly if the action here were better. Not all of that is *Strange New Worlds*’ fault. As I said for the execrable [*Section 31* movie](https://trakt.tv/comments/774544) the house style for Star Trek’s visuals is what it is at this point. The overall aesthetic can feel sterile. The CGI and compositing can often be less-than-convincing. And however legitimate in universe, moments where giant lizards snarl and steer janky starships can seem silly. “Hegemony” features a few nice bits of imagery, particularly the brightly-lit close ups when Pike is attempting his solar flare scheme. But for an episode practically steeped in explosions, phaser fights, and action writ large, little of it is particularly good.
There’s still reason for hope as *Strange New World* launches into year three of its five-year mission. In many ways, “Hegemony” comes off like a minor reset. The climactic confrontation with the Gorn and the dialogue that follows suggests the reptilian menaces who have been the series’ main antagonists to date will be stepping out of the spotlight. La’an may have processed her past Gorn trauma. Scotty may be a regular part of the ship’s complement. Mitchell may be stepping up while Ortegas is indisposed.
Plenty of story hooks remain, from the continuing saga of Spock and Nurse Chapel, to the use of Una’s genetically-modified blood. But even those events could be taken as periods, or at least semicolons, on what *Strange New Worlds*’ fans have seen to date.
Which is all to say that, however thin or stuffed-with-explosions-over-substance “Hegemony” may be, it clears the decks for the show to chart new territory over the course of this season and beyond. Who knows where the series will head from here, but to the extent this premiere feels like a high-octane exercise in checking the box, the end result is a clean slate for the current flagship of the franchise. I’m hopeful that *Strange New Worlds* will reward its viewers’ trust, even as it falls into the same two-parter trap that so many of its hallowed predecessors did too.
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