- Directed by Meera Menon
- Written by Skylar Ojeda and Dana Horgan
- August 13, 2026
- Paramount+
- A bastardization of Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry courtesy of Alex Kurtzman
Episode Cast
- Captain Christopher Pike-Anson Mount
- Commander Una Chin-Riley-Rebecca Romijn
- Lt. Spock-Ethan Peck
- Nurse Christine Chapel-Jess Bush
- Lt. La’An Noonien-Singh-Christina Chong
- Ensign Nyota Uhura-Celia Rose Gooding
- Lt. Erica Ortegas-Melissa Navia
- Dr. Joseph M’Benga-Babs Olusanmokun
- Lt. Montgomery Scott-Martin Quinn
- USS Enterprise Computer (voice)-Alex Kapp
- Cadet A’Sha-Bianca Nugara
- Commander Kor-Demore Barnes
- Ja’lem-Albert Chung
- Roman-Andy McQueen
- Mat’Aaran Collaborator 1-Jess L. Callaghan
- Mat’Aaran Collaborator 2-Bao Quoc Huynh
- Traitor-Ewa Kasp
- Cafe Patron-Zemeta Ketema
- Waiter-Diego O’Brien
- Klingon Guard 1-Raj Paul
- Klingon Operator-Jamillah Ross
- Klingon Town Crier-Alex Spencer
- Mat’Aaran Man-Jordan Till
Una, M’Benga, and Uhura land in the Klingon-occupied Mat’aar system while on a mission to recover a wayward Starfleet spy probe.
Another episode of Strange New Worlds and another gimmick episode. This time in A Case of Chiaroscuro everything is visually in black-and-white because of color destroying radiation. How it does this yet remains harmless to life is poorly explained. Then again writers Skylar Ojeda and Dana Horgan along with director Meera Menon do not seem too concerned with details like offering solid explanations in this episode.
There’s any number of narrative techniques they could use to present the story in black-and-white but instead they chose some poorly explained science that feels like the logic from a cartoon than it does from Star Trek. Then again Enterprise is lingering in this space where weird space radiation makes sensors wonky. A probe in Klingon territory is a diplomatic incident. The Federation flagship there is an act of war.
Una (Rebecca Romijn), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) are stuck on Klingon-occupied Mat’aar which is a thinly veiled stand in for Casablanca in the movie of the same name where much of this draws from. They land in hostile territory so naturally rather than hunker down in the shuttle and wait for the all clear they decide to take a casual look around a situation they know nothing about like tourists.
They are stuck on an enemy planet and go milling around the planet rather than stay with the shuttle which probably has some sensitive Starfleet secrets which could be viewed as a political win for the Klingons if captured. They are not searching for parts or equipment. They’re just seeing the sights.
The style of dress for the humans here is classic noir clothing. One thing I need to bring up is that Una and associates are able to readily dress themselves. In Enterprise and TOS, shuttles did not have the equipment to produce any clothing. That was done on ship. This is another indication these people probably didn’t start watching Trek until TNG when shuttles were better equipped.
Mostly starting in the Kelvin films but certainly since Discovery, Star Trek has had a habit of recasting classic characters. Here it is the Klingon Kor (previously John Colicos/now Demore Barnes) that gets recast. Why not a new character? In all those prosthetics he looks less like Kor but more like Tuvix.
Una is instantly mistaken for a missing double agent who works for the Klingon secret police but is really the leader of the local resistance. How bad is Klingon intelligence services? We learn they knew about her at some point but when and how long or their plan beyond killing her is never explained. It was long enough for her (the woman Una is impersonating) to expand her network and set up a plot so this all seems very convenient.
Mistaken identity is not a particularly original thing. M’Benga in his dialogue managed to explain it better than most movies or shows have. At least those that bothered. It is weirdly the most solid and logical effort put into justifying what is going on in the story.
Una’s motivation for getting as involved as she does becomes not to aid Starfleet, which is what her duty would require, but because of what happened when Starfleet came to her colony. Why was she in Starfleet if she has no solid liking of it?
Her statements and motivations bring into question exactly what Pike (Anson Mount) saw in her that was worthy of a promotion. And a statement by Una herself also brings into question how she ever got promoted. When said my mind harkened back to the TNG episode Tapestry where an alternate Picard kept his head down and never really advanced. Una states how she kept her head down yet was able to as displayed by her position rise up quite well through the ranks of Starfleet and get a position on Starfleet’s flagship.
There is a subplot involving the probe and some missing data. It is one of those almost or entirely inconsequential B-stories meant to stretch out an episode. La’An (Christina Chong) is digging around trying to figure out what’s going on and that gets into paranoia and the untrustworthiness of Starfleet. Why are you working for a group you do not trust? It serves as a way to hint at La’An’s growing fears of instability but an organization composed of people with shaky loyalty cannot be effective.
Turns out Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) was contacted by an old bud of hers captaining a Starfleet medical ship that had previously crossed secretly into Klingon territory to help some people. Somehow Enterprise on a sensitive mission retrieving a spy probe is common knowledge in Starfleet. How does that make sense? Do not think about this episode too much
During her investigation La’An seeks the help of Cadet A’Sha (Bianca Nugara) who is doing Uhura’s (Celia Rose Gooding) job on the ship. Uhura does little on the planet beyond get captured just to speed up the plot. In a ten-episode season introducing a new character seems like a waste especially since it leaves an existing character with nothing substantive to do. Uhura is often missing from events on the surface plus her skills would be put to better use waiting for the probe. Scottie (Martin Quinn) on this mission would make more sense given a cursory evaluation of the probe might ne necessary.
A Case of Chiaroscuro does a fine job of visually capturing classic noir. Sometimes it does go too heavy on darkness and shadow but overall the people understood how to get the look right. But is it a Star Trek story? It just doesn’t fit for me. It’s kind of boring and superficial. Classic Trek certainly has a side it came down on but took time to debate things or look at larger ideas. This does none of that nor does it feel dangerous because the one character in serious danger makes it to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and to retirement. She has plot armor to the extreme.
Trek has often done atypical episodes. TOS, TNG, DS9, and ENT all had their share, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Now it’s the rule and it’s really kind of uninteresting done so often. It doesn’t shake things up. It’s the status quo. That paired with continually putting safe characters in dangerous situations saps away any investment. The black-and-white makes for a pretty package to get us to watch but there is nothing special inside.
This latest stunt is an indication of lazy writers or writers with no new ideas. Or worse a showrunner with no discernment of what’s worthy to be filmed and what’s not. The biggest revelation of the episode is that Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Scottie are now pals and that had nothing do with the A-story. Anson Mount whose Pike got the show rolling was barely present and Carol Kane’s Pelia did not even rate a mention.
A Case of Chiaroscuro is another disappointing gimmick episode. It perhaps would’ve been perceived better by myself if such things were not what SNW has been relying on for the four episodes of this season. Some minor highlights but nothing that helps alleviate the flaws.
Warren Watched A Movie 