Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 1 - The Broken Circle

The start of a new season and the show opens with everyone going on leave. It is an exciting episode to start the season after the cliffhanger of Una being arrested at the end of season 1.

Summary and Recap

Having thought she was off the show for good, La'an issues a distress call to Spock with a cryptic message "Dangerous situation on Calijar 4. Resources of Enterprise critical. Anti-federation threat" which was summarily dismissed by Admiral April. With Spock left in charge of the Enterprise while Captain Pike goes in search of help for his first officer Una, a highly rational Vulcan would be unlikely to do anything rash. He therefore conspires to steal the ship to go help La'an on a hunch.  After arriving to Calijar 4, they meet up with La'an who explains that there is something going on where Klingons on the planets are looking for as much federation tech as possible for the purposes of building a fake Federation Star Ship for a false flag attack on  Klingon Warship. This is so that a merchant group can profit selling materials to both sides. Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel after being captured and forced to medically treat some of the merchant group, go into superhero mode after injecting themselves with a greenish solution, easily handling hand to hand combat with the Klingons while on the fake Federation Ship. They are launched into orbit for the purposes of attacking the Klingon ship and manage to jump out an airlock just as the fake ship was destroyed by the Enterprise. The doctor and nurse are beamed back onto the Enterprise and survive. Spock is let go with just a slap on the wrist by Admiral April and the show ends with a view of a Gorn attack craft on the space radar.

Some things about this episode

• Such a great start after a great season 1
• The computer animated graphics in the beginning of the show are stunning
  
• The fantasy like world of Calijar 4. It is in a single word, beautiful.
• It was a fun episode. While it seems unrealistic, the doctor and nurse become superheroes after injection of a green solution to make them have heightened strength and reflexes. I had to suspend disbelief on this, but it did make it fun.
• Spock is acting very non-vulcan like this is definitely something that needs to be addressed, like stealing the enterprise to go save La'an on a cryptic message.
• There is a weird sexual chemistry thing going on between Spock and Nurse Chapel
• I like that the show does not depend on one or two actors for its success and spreads the wealth among all the actors and characters each week.
  

Major Characters of focus in this week's episode

Spock - plays the lute for stress relief -- this is where it starts. "I would like the ship to go. Now." Dr. M'Benga suspects that Spock has unlocked his emotions when he was summoning rage to deal with the Gorn.
Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, chief of security - proves her mettle and character, for the federation and as reconnaissance.
Lt. Nyota Uhura - discovers Commander Pelia is a Lanthanite based on her accent.
Commander Pelia - reveals she is a Lanthanite to Amanda Grayson (Spock's human mother) and helps Spock and crew steal the enterprise. She later decides she wants to remain on the enterprise as Chief Engineer for this mission.
Dr. M'Benga - we learn a bit about his dark side, he has survived the Klingon wars but carries quite a bit of psychological damage. He may possibly kill someone out of rage due to this, which counters his doctor like persona.
Nurse Chapel - She's quite a dynamic character, I love the way the writers have re-invented her.
Admiral April - Father figure to the enterprise crew.

Lingering Plot lines

• Gorn is super powerful and was briefly a footnote in the original series, this probably has a bigger reason
• What about Spock's relationship with T'Pring?

Links to other episodes

Season 2 Episode 1 - The Broken Circle
Season 2 Episode 2 - Ad Astra Per Astera
Season 2 Episode 3 - Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Season 2 Episode 4 - Among the Lotus Eaters
Season 2 Episode 5 - Charades
Season 2 Episode 6 - Lost in Translation
Season 2 Episode 7 - Those Old Scientists
Season 2 Episode 8 - Under the Cloak of War