(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An ancient alien relic thwarts the Enterprise crew from re-routing a comet on track to strike an inhabited planet.”
When you’re dealing with an intellectual property as expansive and exhaustive as is Star Trek, then the truth is that stories are bound to repeat themselves from time-to-time. The best a viewer can hope for is that the storytellers find some way to refresh an old idea with something vibrant and/or different, and – for the most part – “Children Of The Comet” succeeds, though the hour still has some wrinkles not uncommon to new programs just ‘getting their feet wet.’
For example, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) featured a massive probe entirely of alien origin taking up orbit of the planet Earth, threatening the lives of everyone below as these space-bound overlords wait in silence for reply that Starfleet or the Federation cannot give. Captain Kirk and his crew learn that these aliens are apparently trying to engage in conversation with humpback whales – long ago extinct to our world – so they head back in time to locate a few available members of that species and bring them back to the future, thus saving life as we know it once more.
Furthermore, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Tin Man” (Season 03, Episode 20) also used a similar construct to tell the story of a ship-sized space organism that led to localized conflict between the Enterprise-D and a Romulan Warbird. (Those pesky Romulans wanted to claim the being as its own or – if they couldn’t – see it destroyed rather than have it fall into the hands of the Federation.) Essentially, this magical creature intercedes on everyone’s behalf, setting both ships out of harm’s way (as well as diverting the obvious conflict) while choosing to die in the process as it had grown weary with existence.
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An ancient alien relic thwarts the Enterprise crew from re-routing a comet on track to strike an inhabited planet.”
When you’re dealing with an intellectual property as expansive and exhaustive as is Star Trek, then the truth is that stories are bound to repeat themselves from time-to-time. The best a viewer can hope for is that the storytellers find some way to refresh an old idea with something vibrant and/or different, and – for the most part – “Children Of The Comet” succeeds, though the hour still has some wrinkles not uncommon to new programs just ‘getting their feet wet.’
For example, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) featured a massive probe entirely of alien origin taking up orbit of the planet Earth, threatening the lives of everyone below as these space-bound overlords wait in silence for reply that Starfleet or the Federation cannot give. Captain Kirk and his crew learn that these aliens are apparently trying to engage in conversation with humpback whales – long ago extinct to our world – so they head back in time to locate a few available members of that species and bring them back to the future, thus saving life as we know it once more.
Furthermore, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Tin Man” (Season 03, Episode 20) also used a similar construct to tell the story of a ship-sized space organism that led to localized conflict between the Enterprise-D and a Romulan Warbird. (Those pesky Romulans wanted to claim the being as its own or – if they couldn’t – see it destroyed rather than have it fall into the hands of the Federation.) Essentially, this magical creature intercedes on everyone’s behalf, setting both ships out of harm’s way (as well as diverting the obvious conflict) while choosing to die in the process as it had grown weary with existence.
So Star Trek: Strange New Worlds dusts off the whole idea with the airing of “Children Of The Comet.” Here, the Starship Enterprise is charting the course of a wayward comet as it makes its way through the galaxy. However, Spock deduces that the body is on a collision course with Persephone III – a world with a primitive civilization that possesses neither the technology to identify the approaching danger nor respond defensively to it – and this gives Captain Pike the motivation to interfere on these people’s behalf with his crew and save the day. Before aid can be rendered and the world saved, a massive ship arrives, and a species known only as ‘The Shepherds’ forbids the Enterprise from inhibiting the comet, an entity they consider an instrument of divine providence.
At its core, “Children” feels very much like a throwback to Trek’s simplest yet most effective storytelling trope: a problem is presented – here it is the possible decimation of an entire planet – and the audience gets to sit back and watch as both sides get debated narratively through the actions of the parties. Naturally, there’s a fair amount of posturing about what’s right and what’s wrong, but – as Science Fiction has always done exceptionally well – it’s all crafted delicately enough that both sides of the central issue seem – in the words of a Vulcan – logical. The Federation might disagree with the Shepherds, but their opponent’s position is affirmed by their lifelong mission, as is Starfleet’s commitment to saving a civilization that clearly cannot save itself.
Still …
I come away with a bit of coldness at the conclusion of “Children.” Inevitably, steps are taken which only give the appearance that Spock manages to concoct a scheme to save Persephone III from destruction, and yet what we learn is that the officer’s actions were in fact “preordained” by the comet, a being with its own active intelligence. Allegedly, the comet only intended to graze the world all along, thus seeding it with water vapor and eliminating the desert-like existence of these primitive people. Depending upon how one evaluates the message here, I can’t quite reconcile the fact that – if Starfleet did nothing – these aliens were never in any danger … and if Starfleet did its best then the aliens were still never in any danger. So … why drag the audience through all of this … when the central conceit is kinda/sorta paradoxical in natural anyway?
Sigh.
Also, there’s an undercurrent to the whole affair that truly smacks of this being an episode early in a show’s run.
The talent is still getting used to being these fictional characters, so every now and then a line or two – or perhaps an action – won’t come off as being realistic. (Yes, yes, yes: I realize this is all fictional anyway, so bear with me.) Line delivery is occasionally a bit awkward, and Captain Pike – for what this is worth – calls his crew by their first names entirely too often. (It’s okay when they’re off-duty – like when they’re hanging out in his bowling-alley-sized quarters, but on the Bridge? No. That doesn’t quite work for me.) While I can appreciate and overlook a small level of flippancy by the crew, Lieutenant Ortegas – in particular – is starting to really grate on me. She’s far too casual while on-the-clock, and she speaks in unprofessional jargon too much of the time. Perhaps the writers are trying to find a balance … or perhaps none of them have ever been in a professional and/or military-style relationship long enough to know what’s likely accepted and what isn’t. Some of this isn’t, and I’m sticking to it.
At its core, “Children” feels very much like a throwback to Trek’s simplest yet most effective storytelling trope: a problem is presented – here it is the possible decimation of an entire planet – and the audience gets to sit back and watch as both sides get debated narratively through the actions of the parties. Naturally, there’s a fair amount of posturing about what’s right and what’s wrong, but – as Science Fiction has always done exceptionally well – it’s all crafted delicately enough that both sides of the central issue seem – in the words of a Vulcan – logical. The Federation might disagree with the Shepherds, but their opponent’s position is affirmed by their lifelong mission, as is Starfleet’s commitment to saving a civilization that clearly cannot save itself.
Still …
I come away with a bit of coldness at the conclusion of “Children.” Inevitably, steps are taken which only give the appearance that Spock manages to concoct a scheme to save Persephone III from destruction, and yet what we learn is that the officer’s actions were in fact “preordained” by the comet, a being with its own active intelligence. Allegedly, the comet only intended to graze the world all along, thus seeding it with water vapor and eliminating the desert-like existence of these primitive people. Depending upon how one evaluates the message here, I can’t quite reconcile the fact that – if Starfleet did nothing – these aliens were never in any danger … and if Starfleet did its best then the aliens were still never in any danger. So … why drag the audience through all of this … when the central conceit is kinda/sorta paradoxical in natural anyway?
Sigh.
Also, there’s an undercurrent to the whole affair that truly smacks of this being an episode early in a show’s run.
The talent is still getting used to being these fictional characters, so every now and then a line or two – or perhaps an action – won’t come off as being realistic. (Yes, yes, yes: I realize this is all fictional anyway, so bear with me.) Line delivery is occasionally a bit awkward, and Captain Pike – for what this is worth – calls his crew by their first names entirely too often. (It’s okay when they’re off-duty – like when they’re hanging out in his bowling-alley-sized quarters, but on the Bridge? No. That doesn’t quite work for me.) While I can appreciate and overlook a small level of flippancy by the crew, Lieutenant Ortegas – in particular – is starting to really grate on me. She’s far too casual while on-the-clock, and she speaks in unprofessional jargon too much of the time. Perhaps the writers are trying to find a balance … or perhaps none of them have ever been in a professional and/or military-style relationship long enough to know what’s likely accepted and what isn’t. Some of this isn’t, and I’m sticking to it.
Also, I’d have to point out that the mechanics of running a starship – especially as it pertains to Bridge functions – never quite approach the level of traditional Trek. For example, the Shepherds’ spaceship is huge in comparison to the Enterprise, and yet it never even apparently showed up on ship’s sensors before firing upon Pike and company? I realize that the chief of security is – ahem – new to the role, but that’s the kind of thing that ought to get you, at least, a written warning. What were you doing? Sleeping at your post? And – if I might ask – why did the Shepherds let the Enterprise tinker with their magical comet not once but twice before attacking the Federation flagship with phasers? What? Is “the third time’s a charm” the operative rule in outer space?
Lastly, I’m doing my best to hold back on nitpicking the – ahem – musical nature of “Children.” It’s really an element to the story I don’t want to spoil, mostly because I think it really is that one tweak the writers tried to enact to give this story the freshness I alluded to above. As for me, I can only say, yes, I thought it was an interesting diversion, though it goes by without enough explanation for me to truly buy into the concept of tech that works on music. While clever, I’d still question just how that’s a plausible way to pilot anything … and doesn’t a show have to be on-the-air for a few seasons before it gets a musical episode? (Snicker snicker)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ “Children Of The Comet” was produced by CBS Television Studios, Roddenberry Entertainment, and Secret Hideout. The episode was first streamed on Paramount+ on May 12, 2022. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available for streaming on Paramount+, and its first season was released on home video (for commercial purchase) on March 31, 2023. As for the technical specifications? It’s pretty clear that Paramount has pulled out all of the stops in bringing this incarnation of Star Trek to life as the show looks and sounds pretty fabulous from start-to-finish; while I could nitpick the quality of some space scenes (coming off as a bit too like a video game), the presentation never distracted from my enjoyment of it.
Recommended.
“Children Of The Comet” certainly feels like a return-to-form for Star Trek, putting one major overriding moral conflict front-and-center for all of the action; and the episode’s final truth – that being that morality might very well be (like beauty) best left in the eye of the beholder – should definitely resonate with Trek enthusiasts young and old. If anything, the episode occasionally feels a bit clunky as actors and actresses somewhat new to these characters don’t always deliver moments with the level of conviction and/or clarity needed to truly sell these circumstances. As a result, it feels a bit too derivative at times, and a few snippets of dialogue ring more cliché than they do authentic.
-- EZ
Lastly, I’m doing my best to hold back on nitpicking the – ahem – musical nature of “Children.” It’s really an element to the story I don’t want to spoil, mostly because I think it really is that one tweak the writers tried to enact to give this story the freshness I alluded to above. As for me, I can only say, yes, I thought it was an interesting diversion, though it goes by without enough explanation for me to truly buy into the concept of tech that works on music. While clever, I’d still question just how that’s a plausible way to pilot anything … and doesn’t a show have to be on-the-air for a few seasons before it gets a musical episode? (Snicker snicker)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ “Children Of The Comet” was produced by CBS Television Studios, Roddenberry Entertainment, and Secret Hideout. The episode was first streamed on Paramount+ on May 12, 2022. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available for streaming on Paramount+, and its first season was released on home video (for commercial purchase) on March 31, 2023. As for the technical specifications? It’s pretty clear that Paramount has pulled out all of the stops in bringing this incarnation of Star Trek to life as the show looks and sounds pretty fabulous from start-to-finish; while I could nitpick the quality of some space scenes (coming off as a bit too like a video game), the presentation never distracted from my enjoyment of it.
Recommended.
“Children Of The Comet” certainly feels like a return-to-form for Star Trek, putting one major overriding moral conflict front-and-center for all of the action; and the episode’s final truth – that being that morality might very well be (like beauty) best left in the eye of the beholder – should definitely resonate with Trek enthusiasts young and old. If anything, the episode occasionally feels a bit clunky as actors and actresses somewhat new to these characters don’t always deliver moments with the level of conviction and/or clarity needed to truly sell these circumstances. As a result, it feels a bit too derivative at times, and a few snippets of dialogue ring more cliché than they do authentic.
-- EZ
RSS Feed