Safety alert! This text incorporates spoilers for season 3, episode 9 of “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.”
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” followers actually love Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), the feisty and considerably free-spirited Enterprise pilot on “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.” There’s one thing about Navia’s efficiency that is deeply grounded, and together with the character writing, Ortegas is extremely relatable and works as an ideal viewers stand-in when issues get actually wacky as a result of her reactions really feel genuine. Regardless of being surrounded by legacy characters like Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and extra, she has managed to carve out a spot for herself as one of many all-time nice “Star Trek” characters. Within the present’s third season, she has had an unbelievable arc that is seen her undergo critical trauma being captured by the Gorn and barely escaping whereas critically wounded, resulting in some barely erratic conduct and much more fiery depth than normal.
She’s needed to overcome her fears and face her trauma head-on, utilizing her confidence in herself as a pilot to get by means of the hardest moments, and it looks as if that is all been constructing towards episode 9, “Terrarium.” After taking over a difficult solo mission to get knowledge from inside an area storm, she finally ends up sucked right into a wormhole and stranded on a abandoned, alien planet. Simply when issues appear to be they could not worsen, she discovers that there is a Gorn pilot stranded there too, and Ortegas has to befriend her biggest enemy. It is a considerably frequent science fiction trope, utilized in movies like “Enemy Mine” and even within the “Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology” episode “The Enemy,” however Ortegas’ earnestness makes “Terrarium” hit particularly arduous.
Ortegas brings actual humanity to Unusual New Worlds
Everybody in Starfleet is admittedly nice at their jobs, however additionally they often really feel somewhat too excellent in some “Star Trek” exhibits. Their “flaws” are deeply particular and infrequently not that difficult, so characters like Spock and Captain Pike (Anson Mount) can typically really feel extra like idealized characters than actual folks. Ortegas, in the meantime, generally is a little cocky and her trauma from each the current Gorn escape and her years as a soldier have made her a bit snappish, to the purpose the place Lieutenant Commander Una (Rebecca Romijn) even thought of sidelining her from missions for a bit. She’s bought an important sarcastic humorousness and at all times seems like she’s rising and altering, and it is an actual deal with to discover that human facet of “Unusual New Worlds” by means of her experiences.
In “Terrarium,” Ortegas realizes that the Gorn pilot she’s stranded with is not going to harm her, and the 2 develop a deep bond out of their shared scenario. She even learns to play a Gorn cube sport, exhibiting that these really terrifying alien creatures are able to greater than we anticipate. If one of many different characters had been in her place the episode won’t work, however as a result of Ortegas is so real and has gone by means of a lot development, it seems like a pure a part of her character evolution. Not solely that, however as a result of she’s not one of many legacy characters, when she’s in jeopardy it feels somewhat extra critical, as a result of there isn’t any assure that she’ll survive, not like her compatriots that go on to be characters on “Star Trek: The Authentic Collection.” All of this stuff collectively assist make “Terrarium” an outstanding episode of tv, telling a narrative that is pure “Star Trek.”
Episodes like Terrarium give characters an opportunity to shine
The characters are an enormous a part of what makes “Star Trek” nice, and actual character improvement has been an important a part of the franchise going all the best way again to William Shatner’s James T. Kirk, so watching Ortegas get a completely deliberate arc this season has been deeply satisfying. It is a bit of a disgrace that the present does not have the respiratory room of the 26-episode seasons of its forebears, as a result of these private facet quest episodes actually matter from a personality standpoint and up to now have been one thing that made “Star Trek” exhibits sing. Who does not love seeing their favourite character get an opportunity to shine on their very own, or watching two very totally different characters be compelled to work collectively?
It is implausible that the group behind “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” heard followers’ cries for extra Ortegas and delivered with not only one episode however a full season-long arc culminating in “Terrarium.” It is a testomony to the writing employees and Navia herself that Ortegas has managed to be such a standout character in a present full of huge personalities and acquainted fan favorites, and “Terrarium” is their best showcase for her but.
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” season 3 is streaming on Paramount+.
