Better episode this week, mostly because they gave Una something to sink her teeth into. Ironically, I thought the past episodes went too far into their genre, but this one didn't lean in hard enough. The black and white just got distracting, especially every time the plot moved back to the Enterprise and the story there noticeably was weaker.
this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026
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Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 4x04 "A Case of Chiaroscuro"
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I'm not sure the Casablanca esque sing off really worked, but I did like the episode overall.
I enjoyed this one.
I was really hoping that we'd find out why Una looked exactly like the resistance leader, but I guess it really was just by chance. I loved the architecture on this planet and wish we got to see more of it through the skyline shots.
I got the distinct feeling towards the end when La'an is talking to Pike that he already knew about the whole sensor data ordeal, and that Spock did as well. What was y'all's take on that?
I don't really have a read on Spock, but Pike certainly seemed to sense she was holding something back. I don't know if he actually knows what, though.
Yeah, I was having an issue telling if he already knew and was giving her an opening to be honest (as in he wanted her to), or he was just letting her know that he already knows and is fine with it, or that, like you said, he could feel that she was holding something back.
This is the first episode this season that I've really enjoyed.
The direction, lighting, filtering, was all great and on point. I really enjoyed the story, the A plot was a nice wartime rebel story and the B plot was pretty decent too. I was feeling shades of some of the "retro themed" ST episodes from the 90s. The set design was great on the planet.
The Klingons here are used well - seeing the way they act during wartime here they feel almost cardassian in how they treat the native population, but out also makes sense given what we're told about how they acted during this time. I liked seeing Scotty and Ortega just hanging out. La'an getting help to deal with her problems is good, and seeing her doggedly chase down the truth was nice, though I'm a little unclear in exactly what the chain of events was with the signals and the transporter. Mbenga and una were really sharp on the planet and I enjoyed their acting.
It was okay, but no great shakes for me.
Aside from the B&W gimmick, this was probably the least SF Trek has been for a while - it's basically someone wanting to do a WW2 Nazi/Resistance movie and selling it with the film noir scheme. I wish it had leaned more into the crime aspects of noir.
I did wonder about the obvious plot holes: why the D7 never detected the shuttle, how they managed to get an ID card for Uhura despite her making up her alias apparently on the spot, or how the EMP didn't fry the shuttle's systems, too. Also, why Kor's makeup reminded me of Tuvix, and why he didn't press harder knowing she was lying about not knowing about colour or not recognising the Starfleet symbol. He had pretty much all he needed to know. Some of these you can handwave away, some of these you can squint it through, some ask for at least some explanation.
I've never liked the idea of Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development, and I like the doppelgänger equivalent less. The coincidence of Una looking like Nevette is bad enough, but that Nevette happens to be the head of the resistance and the collaborators and a double agent best placed to move the plot along? Too much for the "you should get the audience to only buy into one implausible thing" plot rule.
Yeah I liked this episode and the previous... the motifs are great. Just the writing... its like dialed down to a 6. I feel like a lot of current Trek could really hit a lot harder with some minimally invasive script editing. Its like almost there just needs a little polish.
Well, I thought that was quite enjoyable.
The black-and-white gimmick was well-used, and I felt it in service of the story, and not just a gimmick.
The story itself was an enjoyable noir caper, and it was fun to see Una getting her hands dirty, Uhura learning about spycraft, and M'Benga being entirely too comfortable with the whole thing. The guest cast was pretty great, too - I last saw Andy McQueen as Jesus Christ himself in "Mrs. Davis", a show that no one seems to have watched, and it was cool to see him in a very different role here.
Demore Barnes was very compelling as Kor...but the gravitas he brought to it was so reminiscent of Michael Ansara to me, I almost wonder if he should have played Kang instead.
Kor was good. When a new Klingon character is introduced, they need something to differentiate themselves from the stereotype of the honor-bound aggressive wine-guzzler. Kor here stood out in his approach to running the occupation and his presence on the screen.
One thing I forgot to mention - since the preview photos and logline were released on Monday, I'd been wondering if we might see some ridgeless Klingons, but no luck. Maybe it's for the best, but maybe it's a missed opportunity?