Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kicked off its fourth season with "Valles Marineris," an episode that boldly goes where the franchise has often explored: the complexities of time travel and its impact on morality and existence. The installment expertly balances a classic adventure-of-the-week structure with profound "can you believe they went there?" moments, featuring standout performances from Anson Mount as Captain Pike and guest star Saffron Burrows.
The episode opens with Pike, La'an, and Dr. M'Benga engaged in a seemingly straightforward mission on an alien world, a refreshing return to a familiar narrative style after recent seasons' high-concept excursions. However, this calm is soon interrupted. Captain Pike, still grappling with the loss of Captain Marie Batel and the foreknowledge of his own grim future, finds himself considering a promotion that would offer a respite from his demanding duties. Instead, an unexpected mission to investigate an interstellar storm leads to Pike and his crew being unexpectedly flung back in time.
A Prehistoric Detour
One of the episode's primary plotlines involves Una, La'an, and Ortegas finding themselves on a prehistoric version of Earth, encountering dinosaurs. While this segment offers visual spectacle and a chance for the LED Volume technology to showcase alien landscapes, the review notes that its execution is not always convincing, either visually or dramatically. The interaction with a Tyrannosaurus Rex, for instance, leans more towards comedic than terrifying, with the characters displaying a surprising casualness given their perilous situation.
Martian Conflict and Federation Ethics
The more compelling narrative unfolds aboard the Enterprise when it is captured by a warlike Martian race, led by Battle Commander Cassel, portrayed by Saffron Burrows. The ensuing conflict centers on a philosophical debate between Pike's Federation ideals of cooperation and the Martian ethos of ruthless extermination. Burrows delivers a powerful performance as Cassel, a hardened warrior deeply affected by past devastation. Her interactions with Mount's Pike highlight the contrast between his innate optimism and her world-weary pragmatism. A poignant moment arises when the universal translator interprets Pike's word "alone" as "widower" for Cassel, acknowledging his current state of grief.
Paradox and Sacrifice
The episode's climax sees Pike making a critical decision: allowing Cassel to destroy the planet of the enemy species, the Dol'Drm, even at the cost of her own life. This act, driven by Pike's intuition, ultimately triggers a time loop. The Enterprise's journey back in time was necessary to initiate the events leading to the Dol'Drm's destruction, a sacrifice that ironically dooms Mars as a habitable world but ushers in humanity's rise on Earth. Despite the boldness of this resolution, the review questions whether Pike's easy acceptance of enabling genocide, even within a time loop, is fully convincing. Pike reaffirms his commitment to his current posting, choosing to remain with the Enterprise over accepting the promotion.
Additional observations from the episode include a lengthy cold open, a discussion about the consistency of Starfleet's mission timelines, and subtle nods to other Star Trek lore, such as Pike's saddle evoking a Picard-like persona and the phasers' new disintegration setting. The episode also touches upon La'an's growing concern about her genetically enhanced nature potentially becoming dominant.