The second episode ofStar Trek: Strange New WorldsSeason 2 finally offers the resolution to Season 1’s heart-pounding cliffhanger that saw Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) arrested and taken into custody for lying about being genetically modified. Titled “Ad Astra per Aspera,” Episode 2 delivers a stunning courtroom drama that digs into social issues in a way that is inherent to Star Trek, while also giving us a look at how the crew of the Enterprise feels about their first officer.
Written byDana Horganand directed byValerie Weiss, “Ad Astra per Aspera” introduces the phenomenalYetide Badakias Una’s Illyrian lawyer and former childhood friend Neera and brings backMelanie Scrofanoas Captain Batel on the opposing council. Batel represents strict adherence to Starfleet laws and protocols, despite her sympathy for Una, whereas Neera is determined to prove that laws are not always just and must be changed when they no longer serve the people they’re meant to protect. The episode offers insightful commentary on how we should treat other people and how we approach the laws that govern us while providing an engaging character study of Una through the eyes of her peers. The emotional core of “Ad Astra per Aspera” makes every moment of the episode engaging and thoroughly thought-provoking as future history is made to reflect our own societal prejudices.
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“Ad Astra per Aspera” begins with a flashback to Una’s childhood. As a younger version of the future first officer looks out over the night sky her parents argue in the background about whether to take her to a hospital for a gnarly-looking wound on her leg. One of Una’s Illyrian genetic modifications causes her immune system to glow, and because genetic modifications were widely frowned upon across the galaxy after the Eugenics Wars on Earth, her family must keep her modifications a secret or risk being exposed. Weiss uses some stunning homages to classic Trek in the way she films the return to the present, with artfully done close-ups and reflections as we find Una at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco.
Captain Batel offers Una a plea deal — if she pleads guilty to the charges she won’t have to serve any jail time; however, she would be dishonorably dismissed from Starfleet and her record would be sealed, effectively “fixing their mistake” by simply getting rid of her. While Una does care about her honor, she also cares about doing the right thing and, as is revealed later, about bringing awareness to the injustice of Starfleet’s anti-genetic modification laws in regard to Illyrians, making this bare-minimum deal rather unappealing to her. Batel urges her to take it, implying that she wouldn’t want Captain Pike (Anson Mount) to be dragged into this mess. Una’s court-appointed attorney is truly abysmal, leaving her up against the ropes with little to no way to fight for herself and her people.
Picking up with Pikeafter he left the Enterprise in the Season 2 premiere, “Ad Astra per Aspera” finds the captain having traveled halfway across the galaxy to speak with the only lawyer he believes is capable of getting Una out of this situation. The planet is inhospitable to humans and despite being rejected over and over, Pike waits until he nearly passes out entirely in order to plead Una’s case to Neera. He explains that both his history with Unaand his experience in “Ghosts of Illyria"have shown him that both himself and the Federation were wrong about Illyrians. She swiftly — and righteously — cuts him down a peg and congratulates him on finally discovering empathy, though she’s certainly not holding her breath for the Federation to catch up. Neera happens to be well-versed in Una’s case already, calling Starfleet’s race laws Draconian. Pike urges her to help Una, if not for her then to bring awareness to some of her other cases against the Federation and to gain an ally within Starfleet like himself.
Decades after their falling out, Neera shows up in Una’s cell and demands the short version of her story and why she’s here, not entertaining any of Una’s attempts to address their personal falling out and even making a few pointed jabs at her to reveal how much Una hurt her. Neera asks why she won’t take the deal and Una explains that she shouldn’t have to hide anymore, and neither should any other Illyrians. While their personal issues are far from resolved, Neera does take the case for the sake of helping the rest of the Illyrians who cannot hide their modifications.
Up on the Enterprise, Batel angrily storms into Pike’s quarters wondering why Una would reject her plea deal. Pike and Batel have an open on-and-off style relationship that wasintroduced in theStrange New Worldspilot, but since then they’ve primarily been on opposite sides of Una’s case, leaving little time for romance. Pike is glad that Una rejected the deal, but Batel explains that she did everything that she could to help Una get out of this with the minimum punishment. She’s adhering to the law, but Pike is certain that the law is wrong and insists that Una should never have been arrested in the first place. The next day, because Una rejected the deal the prosecution amends their charges and suggests that she not only be dishonorably dismissed, but she should also serve 20 years in prison.
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Neera explains that because Una didn’t roll over and make things easy for Starfleet, they’re going to fight to make an example out of her. Una wants to take the stand and let her record within the organization speak for itself. She believes that if people can see that being an Illyrian doesn’t negate who she is as a person they’ll be able to accept all Illyrians, but Neera knows they’re going to need a lot more than that to prove their case. Una agrees to let Neera take the lead, and the lawyer beams up to the Enterprise to study the case and gather evidence. Lt. La’an (Christina Chong) shows Neera to Una’s quarters and reveals that she might have a way to get the case dismissed as she believes the evidence against her was obtained illegally.
Meanwhile, Batel finds Pike on the starbase and questions if he’s upset that he’s not on the witness list for the defense in Una’s trial. As her captain, and quite possibly her closest friend, Pike believes that he’d be able to fight for her and that he’s in the best position to speak to her character. Batel lowers his defenses by asking about how he and Una met. He recalls a fond memory of giving a speech to her graduating class at the academy and meeting her personally when she came up to discuss a mistake that he’d made. Suddenly, Batel flips the switch and questions how long he’d known that Una was Illyrian, making it clear that if he were to take the stand he’d only hurt Una and her case if the evidence that he’d also broken the law to protect her came to light.
Elsewhere, M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Ortegas (Melissa Navia) joke about Vulcan body language as Spock (Ethan Peck) speaks with the other member of Una’s opposing council across the mess hall. Ortegas insists that the two are all “buddy-buddy,” but M’Benga expertly clocks Spock and Vice Admiral Pasalk’s (Graeme Somerville) loathing for each other. Back on the ship, La’an attempts to get her hands on the personal logs of the entire ship to determine how the information about Una was leaked. However, Uhura won’t let her go through with it because it would require that they also break the law. As much as she also wants to help Una, the young ensign won’t let her mentor compromise her morals.
As the trial begins, Batel explains that the laws against genetic modification are in place to protect people, but Neera promptly draws comparisons to other prejudiced laws from Earth’s history including slavery and government-sanctioned discrimination against all kinds of minorities from people of color to various queer and religious communities. She understands Earth’s fears following the Eugenics War; however, in their quest to never return to such horrific events, the Federation has in turn, and hopefully unintentionally, become the persecutors themselves. From the minute the trial begins, Badaki commands the room with intensity and passion, making Neera an absolute force to be reckoned with.
Una, as well as Pike and the crew, are surprised that Neera went so far against someone they’ve long considered a friend, but Neera isn’t just thinking about the crew of the Enterprise. Privately, Una confronts Neera about it and the two dig a bit deeper into their shared history. Neera is determined to make a difference for all Illyrians, and Una is worried about getting left behind in the process, but in their past, Una clearly was the one that left Neera behind in her pursuit of Starfleet.
In a heartening yet intense montage, Neera brings three character witnesses to the stand: La’an, Spock, and M’Benga. Each of them has worked closely with her on the Enterprise and developed years-long friendships with her in the process. La’an and Spock speak about the first time that they met Una, and La’an successfully lies on the stand, adamant that she never suspected Una to be an Illyrian or that she was hiding anything at all for that matter. M’Benga offers a soft and empathetic view of her, while La’an paints the picture of a fierce protector. Meanwhile, Spock references theShort Trek"Q&A” which shows their first meeting and reveals that the only thing Una has been hiding is an affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. All three of them provide distinct perspectives on Una’s positive impact on Starfleet.
Later, Neera follows up with La’an about who she suspects to have leaked the information about Una having deduced that the lieutenant believes that it was her own fault. La’an reveals that she had angrily recorded a personal log the night that she found out, and she fears that all of this is happening because someone must have gotten ahold of it. Neera puts together that she and La’an have more in common than she first suspected —because La’an also carries the genetic modifications of her ancestors, she’s also been made to feel like a monster. This is a stunning conversation, and it’s important that it happens between two women of color. Neera explains that there is nothing wrong with La’an exactly as she is, and despite what bigots would have her believe, there is no inherent evil hidden within the things about herself that she cannot change. From the audience’s perspective, this moment can and should also be applied to queer and trans people who have become the latest target of discriminatory lawmakers in the US. Given protocols and processes, it’s impossible for La’an’s log to have been the reason for Una’s arrest, but now Neera has realized that whoever did reveal the information likely stood to gain from doing so.
Finally, Neera brings Una to the stand and questions her about her life. She asks about what had drawn her to Starfleet and her childhood as an Illyrian under the Federation. It’s a clear comparison to life under a regime as the laws against genetic modification forced families like Una’s to carry on their traditions in secret, keeping significant parts of their lives hidden and never knowing who they could trust for fear of being persecuted. She tells a story about a boy whose genetic modifications were exposed when he was only 10 years old and he and his entire family were arrested. After that happened, she explained that the Federation colony she’d grown up on had become segregated with those who were afraid of people with genetic modifications taking free rein to treat Illyrians with pure hatred and vitriol. Una’s family was able to “pass” so they went to the non-Illyrian part of the city, and she confesses on the stand that she regrets having left Neera behind.
Neera realizes that if she can get Una to confess that she turned herself in it might make an even bigger difference in the eyes of the tribunal. Una admits that she had done it because all that she wants is for Starfleet to see her and accept her for who she truly is. Her “first contact” with Starfleet happened when she was just a child, but it left a lasting impact on her. The roots of Star Trek’s iconic “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” philosophy are evident here as Una explains that she’d been so inspired by so many different people from different worlds working together. While Starfleet isn’t perfect, she explains that it strives to be, and that’s worth fighting for.
When Pasalk cross-examines her, he goes straight for the kill, asking exactly when Pike was made aware that she was Illyrian. She confesses and he insists that they should both be punished for their crimes, claiming that she is “toxic to Starfleet.” However, Neera has one more trick up her sleeve, having thoroughly studied Starfleet’s code of justice and found a loophole that provides protection for both Una and Pike in this circumstance. Badaki brings the episode home beautifully, as Neera uses the law in the way it’s meant to be wielded, as “a beacon to be our better selves.”
While the court doesn’t completely do away with its laws against genetic modification, Neera does win Una’s case, taking one small step forward for Illyrians in the process. Una receives a warm welcome back aboard the Enterprise and sends Neera off having repaired their relationship. As the crew filters out of the transporter room Captain Pike lingers behind to have his own reunion with his first officer. Though he’s all smiles and bravado in front of the junior officers, the moment they’re alone, Pike lets his guard down and pulls Una into a fierce hug, clearly overwhelmed by how close he’d come to losing her. He brushes off the moment of vulnerability and pats her on the shoulder, welcoming her back home.
New episodes ofStar Trek: Strange New WorldsSeason 2 arrive on Paramount+ every Thursday.
