- Title: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Ghosts of Illyria
- wiki: link
“Ghosts of Illyria” offers a couple of classic Star Trek themes with members of the away mission trapped on the planet and a mysterious illness sweeping through the starship after members of the ship visit the abandoned colony on Hetemit IX. With Pike (Anson Mount) and Spock (Ethan Peck) trapped on the planet during a storm, command of the ship falls to the capable Number One (Rebecca Romijn) who is revealed to be a genetically-altered Illyrian like those who once lived on the colony. Because of her advanced physiology, she is able to burn through the infection quickly but the rest of the crew isn’t nearly as lucky.
Having both a genetically-enhanced Starfleet officer and a descendent of Khan in feels a little too cute for the episode, but it does allow for a unique relationship to form between Number One and La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). I’m also not that the episode ever explains why the scary aliens are helpful to Pike and Spock on the planet but so disruptive to the ship. In any case, the two characters with a bit extra in their genes, are able to save the ship and get things back to normal by the time the captain returns. As discussed with Deep Space Nine revealed Julian Bashir‘s genetic enhancements, Starfleet doesn’t look kindly on the practice although in both cases there don’t appear to be any repercussions to the officers.
