My goodness, this show is pretty. Maybe my least favourite episode so far due it's generic premise (and planet alien), but I have to say that seeing some of these kid's innermost desires did melt my heart a little bit. I'm still struggling to like Dal in any way, but they are setting up an arc for him which has the potential to make him so much more likable. Murf should probably be the captain, though.
It usually takes a few episodes to build up a show, and this has been no different Now we're getting to the heart of things. Let's go exploring!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-11-12T00:51:03Z
[7.5/10] It took me a while to warm up to this episode. We practically opened with a fart joke. The kids’ 4-runner felt like an homage to maybe the least loved section of Star Trek: Nemesis, of all things. And the new road vehicle and adorable fauna on the planet felt too toyetic for my tastes.
But I got on board when the conceit of this planet became clear. There’s something that feels delightfully of a piece with The Original Series about a planet that uses spores, vines, and cilia to discern what you desire and give it to you as part of a trap. (“Shore Leave” and “This Side of Paradise” come to mind.)
At first the temptations seem rather tame and amusing. Rok-Tahk wants cute things. Zero wants scientific intrigue. And Jankom Pog wants...food. The hints that they’re being lured into a trap are neat enough, but there’s not much there beyond the surface.
There’s something different, though, about Dal and Gwyn’s hallucinations. Dal being tempted with the chance to meet and reunite with his parents adds depth to the otherwise misbehaving scamp. (And again, brings him in line with Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels.) Likewise, Gwyn’s fondest wish being a dad who appreciates her and wants to respond to her achievements with affections has tons of pathos in it. It’s particularly sad when each is able to figure out this isn’t real because of how unlikely their deepest desires are to come true. There’s emotional depth there, and I appreciate it.
I also appreciate the creep factor of this one. The creepy, vine-covered Janeway illusion is terrifying, and the same goes for the viney version of Gwyn’s dad. The whole concept makes for a good spookshow, and I almost always enjoy when Star Trek goes for that sort of thing.
Likewise, I appreciate the show softening Gwyn a bit here. She does something pretty rough, in the form of being ready to abandon the rest of our “crew” and return the ship to her father. But her saving Murf when the ship’s in trouble makes her easier to like despite that, which shows some nice balance in the writing.
I’m intrigued by the fact that this is a two-parter of sorts, which is a rarity this early in a show, but one that got my attention. Pulling back, I’m still not enamored with the longform storytelling of the Diviner and his robot friend hunting our heroes down, but I suppose kids shows need a continuing threat. Dal being especially worried about not hitting their radar, at the same time he doesn’t want Holo-Janeway to alert Starfleet about what they’re up to makes for a delicate balancing act. And the mention of HIrogen space suggests our heroes are officially in the Delta Quadrant, no?
Overall, this one took a bit to win me over, but a lot of the concepts, creep-factor, and character work at play once it got rolling did the job.