Isn’t it just typical that after the kaleidoscope of chaos from “Human Best Friend,” we dive straight into the monochrome madness of a black-and-white episode? Talk about a cosmic plot twist! And boy, did the stars align perfectly for “A Case of Chiaroscuro.” With its moody homage to the classic film “Casablanca,” this latest installment of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds pulls us into the tension of Klingon-occupied Mat’aar-12 where every shadow could be harboring danger. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, La’an plays detective in an investigation that feels like it was plucked straight from a suspenseful noir, reminiscent of “Gaslight.” It’s just brilliant storytelling that gets your mind racing! So, grab your spacesuits and let’s talk about the layers of intrigue wrapped up in this stellar episode! LEARN MORE

It’s pretty clever of the Powers That Be to run a black-and-white episode immediately after the blindingly chaotic colors of the shore leave adventure “Human Best Friend.”

The deeply atmospheric foray to the Klingon-occupied Mat’aar-12 evokes the mood and tension of 1942’s Casablanca

Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, La’an questions her instincts in an investigation with hints of 1944’s Gaslight.

Like the films the episode pays homage to, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 4, “A Case of Chiaroscuro,” has some banger lines that linger in the mind’s ear and insinuate deeper concepts into the adventure’s basic narrative.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “A Case of Chiaroscuro”

Before Una, M’Benga, and Uhura are forced to land on Mat’aar-12, M’Benga and Una discuss her promotion and the resources she can fall back on if she’s ever unsure.

M’Benga: Congratulations, Commander. The next promotion will be to Captain.

Una: I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.

M’Benga: All I know is that your moral compass has never failed you in the past. But if it does, you’ll just refer to the Starfleet handbook.

Una: I do love rules. And lists. And rules about lists

This reference to her love of rules sets up the dramatic irony of her actions on Mat’aar-12 where she goes completely “off-book” to help the Mat’aaran Resistance against the Klingons.

Speaking of Klingons, seeing a pre-TOS Commander Kor must’ve lit some fires for those canon-lovers in the audience.

Kor: Information is valuable, but brutality more so. This woman is a traitor to the Empire. Killing her was the honorable thing to do. 

Una (as Nivette): Her cowardice decided her fate.

Kor: This is why I placed you in charge. This position is not for those with weak constitutions. We have other ways of finding the accomplice. Annihilate these remains. Traitors deserve no glory.

The martial law he imposes on Mat’aar-12 rings familiar to his strategy with the Organians on Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 27, “Errand of Mercy.”

It’s Still The Same Old Story

Although Kor’s appearance on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be his first on-screen encounter with Starfleet and the Federation chronologically, his last was already documented on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a series on which he recurred three times.

In fact, he was included among the examples of Star Trek’s progressive role models in my opinion piece on Why Star Trek’s Vision Triggers Today’s Fanbase.

Kor: Your willingness to use fear as a means of control is inspiring.

Una (as Nivette): Fear is the only effective way to lead. 

Kor: Fate was cruel not making you a Klingon.

Una: A disappointing twist of fortune.

Watching him flirt (?) with Una/Nivette reminds us that even after Jadzia identified herself as Dax, Kor tried to hook up with her. He is nothing if not consistent.

A Fight for Love and Glory

Blending in with the locals on Mat’aar-12 proves tricky when Una, M’Benga, and Uhura discover the oppressive extent of the Klingon occupation.

Klingon holorecording: Identification is required. Failure to provide will result in search and seizure. We succeed together.

M’Benga: Occupation is not subtle.

But while M’Benga was an odd choice for a probe-retrieval mission, he’s perfect for helping the team survive on planet, experienced as he is in covert ops.

M’Benga: Our new friend is proud. He’s exactly the type to collaborate with Klingons. And he has the armband to prove it.

Una: Exactly how many Klingon-occupied planets have you been on?

M’Benga: [deliberate pause] Zero.

Una: Huh.

Smooth. M’Benga is smooth and so calm in a crisis because he knows that panic gets you and your team killed.

Conversely, Uhura is unsure of how to proceed in this strange new environment.

Una: This is bad.

Uhura: I know 600 different words for bad. This is worse than all of them.

With Uhura in a state of near-panic, M’Benga tutors her in the dos and don’ts of spycraft.

He doesn’t expect her to become an expert immediately. Instead, he gives her easy steps to follow and clear rules to remember.

M’Benga: Never forget: They do not know we are not supposed to be here. Do not give us a reason to doubt us. 

Uhura: I feel like I should be writing all this down. 

M’Benga: Take notes with your eyes. And be aware of other eyes who are taking note of you.

When Una is mistaken for Nivette, a Mat’aar-12 Klingon collaborator, she leans in on the role, which causes Uhura no small amount of anxiety.

Uhura: What is she doing? If they realize who she is… who we are…

M’Benga: Trust the Commander. This is not her first time pretending to be someone she’s not.

Even Una’s resemblance to Nivette doesn’t faze M’Benga, it seems. And apparently, Uhura was raised on classic films.

M’Benga: In a universe as vast as ours, the real mystery is that we don’t stumble onto our doppelgangers more often. And that we have found Una’s is a momentary stroke of luck.

Uhura: Of all the gin joints…

To give credit where it’s due, Uhura is a very quick study.

Despite making the mistake of attracting the wrong kind of attention at a Klingon checkpoint, she takes M’Benga’s words to heart and survives her interrogation using his tips.

May Mat’aar never waiver.

It’s compassion that drives the Mat’aaran Resistance, and also, as it turns out, Nivette before she was murdered. Something Kor’s Klingons will never understand.

Klingon Checkpoint Guard: Compassion is unacceptable.

When Uhura is taken, it’s the bartender Ja’lem who reaches out to Una and M’Benga, connecting the dots between Nivette and the Resistance.

Ja’lem: I’m relieved you’re safe. The Resistance would be lost without its leader.

Una: Did he say, “Resistance”?

M’Benga: This Nivette seems like a very busy woman.

Once again, M’Benga, ladies and gents. Neither shaken nor stirred.

In fact, he’s downright impressed with the network running under the Klingon’s noses.

M’Benga: The Klingons may control this city, but this Resistance is resourceful.

A Case of Do-or-Die

Outside of the Mat’aaran star system, La’an examines the Angelo-1 probe that Una’s team reprogrammed to return to the Enterprise in Federation space.

As Chief Security Officer, she wants to make sure the probe hasn’t been tampered with. Spock expresses skepticism that her caution is warranted.

La’an: Let’s make sure we didn’t bring in a Trojan Horse. It’s from The Odyssey.

Spock: I am familiar with the Greeks.

Timely, that mention of the Odyssey.

La’an: You don’t believe me, do you?

Spock: I believe that your instincts are telling you that there is something.

La’an: I do not need a Vulcan to humor me, thank you very much.

La’an persists with her investigation despite Spock’s unsupportive attitude poking holes in her confidence.

Since one Vulcan doesn’t feel her logic holds up, she hits up another, the new cadet A’Sha. Not being as familiar with her, she tries a different tactic.

La’an: Uhura mentioned you have an especially gifted ear for transmissions. Logically, I hoped you could decipher if a standard transmission signal was altered.

A’sha: Flattery is a transparent and antiquated method of coercion.

La’an: Fine. I find someone more… capable.

A’sha: However. I am momentarily available while I await rendering data.

A’Sha provides some information that leads her to Scotty and Ortegas.

The engineer and pilot appear to be besties since the events of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 3, “Human Best Friend.”

La’an: Start talking.

Ortegas: It’s not his fault. I begged him to help me. Threatened. Said I’d feed him to a targ if he didn’t.

Once Scotty explains what he did to provide a detection system for cloaked Klingon ships, La’an is objectively impressed.

La’an: A makeshift navigational buoy. Brilliant. 

Scotty: Well, Captain Pike thought so.

Ortegas: You wanna tell her what you had for lunch today, too?

Scotty: Cuban sandwich. I love mustard.

However, it doesn’t help her with her probe investigation.

La’an: So this signal has nothing to do with the Angelo-1.

Scotty: The probe? Not at all. Cross my heart, hope to get stuck in a pattern buffer.

If you were paying attention, you’ll have noted that Scotty dropped a rather prophetic line there, referencing the character’s future as seen on Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 Episode 4, “Relics.” Seriously.

The World Will Always Welcome Star Trek

A powerful theme of breaking rules to do the right thing runs through “A Case of Chiaroscuro” and it’s so meta, it kind of breaks my brain.

On the surface, Chapel and Una choose to subvert protocol in order to help others.

Chapel explains to La’an that she erased information from the probe to protect a Starfleet vessel that crossed into Klingon space for humanitarian reasons.

Chapel: They don’t deserve to be punished just because they broke the rules to help.

Which leaves La’an to decide whether she needs to follow protocol and report Chapel’s breach or temper her adherence to the Starfleet handbook with understanding.

So the knock-on effect of one ship choosing to provide aid on the “wrong” side of the border is the Chapel, La’an, and (probably) Pike choose to be flexible with the interpretation of the rules.

As Time Goes By

On Mat’aar-12, Una’s love of rules also conflicts with her need to help. M’Benga’s there to remind her that she isn’t obligated to aid the Resistance.

M’Benga: This is not your fight. Do not confuse yourself with the person you are pretending to be.

He points out the Nivette is more than a leader for the cause.

M’Benga: If the Resistance is a network, Nivette is the nucleus.

Una sees Nivette’s cause as something she would’ve supported herself despite Starfleet protocol.

Una: We all know Starfleet is not always right. And I refuse to let protocol tell me I can’t help innocent people just because they had the bad luck to fall on the wrong side of the demarcation line.

The parallels between Chapel’s friend’s ship and Una’s dilemma are purposeful and deliberate.

Una’s similarities to Nivette are not only physical. They both understand living double lives.

Una: I know how to pretend to be something I’m not.

In debriefing the mission, she remains uncertain about her choices, but doesn’t regret them.

Una: Did I do the right thing? 

M’Benga: Irony notwithstanding, few things in life are black and white. 

Una: When I joined Starfleet, I always played by the book. If you don’t take chances, you don’t attract questions. But I understood Nivette, living a hidden life to protect others. 

M’Benga: Then you have your answer.

And because M’Benga always has lived experience wisdom to impart, he shares his own lifelong conundrum.

M’Benga: Now you understand the Healer’s Anguish. No matter how many you save, it’s never enough.

As Babs Olusanmokun stated in a recent interview with TV Fanatic, “There are people who have to try to make the best possible decision you can make without completely losing yourself, or without giving up on life…”

Balance

M’Benga is very good at both healing and harming people. To wield those skills simultaneously is a helluva balancing act.

M’Benga: Our first duty is always to our patients. My calling was medicine, healing people. It is the great mystery of my life that some of my strongest skills lie in opposition to that calling.

Similarly, Starfleet answers the call to fight when needed, despite its primary mission being research and exploration.

Involvement isn’t interference. Engagement doesn’t equate to influence. Yes, Una’s actions tipped the scales for the Resistance, but it was the Klingons who first imposed on the Mat’aarans.

Her leadership didn’t give the Resistance anything they didn’t already have. It simply reminded them what they were fighting for.

Una: I know what it’s like to lose and then to hope. Use that.

Likewise — and here’s the meta piece — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continuously breaks the mold and “rules” of traditional Star Trek shows in the interests of furthering its vision.

It outrages and excites, confuses and inspires, surprises and thrills, all the while staying on-brand with a message of freedom and inclusiveness.

Whoa, right? Isn’t that… fascinating? And the fact that they used a black-and-white production to illustrate the full spectrum of personal choice? IDIC 4EVA, Fanatics!

If you read this whole thing — wow, we’re impressed.

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