by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes back to the beginning of Trek history with “Among the Lotus Eaters”! Written by Kirsten Beyer & Davy Perez, and directed by Eduardo Sanchez, this story takes the crew back to the world of Rigel VII, notoriously connected to the pilot episode “The Cage“. Why has the Enterprise returned to this world, and what does it have to do with the mysterious tragedy that previously befell their crew? 

The episode kicks off with the Enterprise meeting up with the Cayuga, allowing the two Captains to have some personal time together. Captain Batel surprises Pike with a special gift, a Opelian mariner’s keystone she found on Galt, which was used to guide lost sailors home (not foreshadowing anything of course…). Their meal is interrupted as Batel receives an urgent call from the Admiral, informing her that she unfortunately has been passed over for promotion. It seems the events of “Ad Astra per Aspera” have come back to haunt her, as Admiral Pasalk is punishing her for failing to win Una’s trial. The conversation gets a bit heated regarding the challenges of dating when they are both Captains, and Pike suggests that this might not be sustainable. They are once again interrupted, this time with the update that a cultural contamination issue has occurred, and Enterprise is needed to clean up their mess. Why is there a massive Starfleet insignia on the surface of Rigel VII? Pike, La’An, and M’Benga set off on an away mission to the planet, sadly leaving Ortegas behind (much to her disappointment). Things start to get interesting as the planet has an unintended side effect on the crew, resulting in memory gaps. How can the crew of the Enterprise and the away team complete their respective missions when they can’t remember who they are? And what actually happened on Rigel VII all those years ago? You might want to write down the answers, because there is a good chance that you might forget them in a few minutes! 

“Among the Lotus Eaters” features Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga. The episode also featured guest appearances by Melanie Scrofano as Captain Batel, David Huynh as Zacarias and Reed Birney as Luq. Navia stands out as the clear MVP of the episode, as Ortegas had a lot to personally deal with throughout the story. Her desire to go with the away team was quickly dashed (she even had a cool hat!), but she also learned a bit more about who she is as a result. Erica Ortegas definitely flies this ship! Mount, Chong, and Olusanmokun got to have an interesting adventure on the planet, and I enjoyed the callbacks to “The Cage”. The revelations about who and what got left behind on Rigel VII was a clever plot device, and Pike’s inner turmoil about what matters the most to him added solid layers to this entertaining story.

Official Synopsis: Episode 204: “Among the Lotus Eaters”
Returning to a planet that dredges up tragic memories, Captain Pike and his landing party find themselves forgetting everything, including their own identities as he confronts a ghost from his past.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 2 “Among the Lotus Eaters” – 4/5 cool hats.

…

Please take a moment to FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to our updated ComicsOnline social channels.
We appreciate your support!

INSTAGRAM – COMICSONLINE
BSKY – COMICSONLINE
YOUTUBE – COMICSONLINE
FACEBOOK – COMICSONLINE

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more reviews, exclusive interviews, giveaways, and everything geek pop culture!