Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Level-Five Transporter Accident

Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0

5

Oh, hell yes. All the whiny naysayers without a shred of humor or childlike wonder can go eat a warp core this week. This was absolute PERFECTION.

The true measure of a show’s achievement lies in how successfully it portrays its characters and themes with only the idea of them on screen.

And in replacing every live-action actor from the Enterprise’s crew, save Spock, with puppets, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds absolutely NAILED it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Level-Five Transporter Accident”

The letter of the week is “H,” Fanatics. And “H” is for hijinks.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 5, “Level-Five Transporter Accident,” is a masterclass in creativity, while, at the same time, effectively furthering narrative and character development.

But can we take a moment to admire the puppet avatars that the Jim Henson’s Creature Shop created to stand-in for the cast?

Specifically, Pelia. If anyone deserves to have a puppet form IRL, it’s the legendary Carol Kane.

Puppet Pelia steals the spotlight in every scene she’s in, whether she’s being cut in half, sewn together, or floating through space.

Scotty’s Gripe

The entire premise of the adventure is that Scotty hates Declan Milder. We never meet Declan Milder. He has nothing to do with the Enterprise. There’s a possibility he’s forgotten that Scotty ever attended the Academy with him.

However, Scotty’s built Declan up in his head as his great nemesis. And his entire motivation for pushing the long-range transporter’s limits is to beat Declan’s record, and scare the pants off him with Little Ricky.

It’s juvenile and borderline reckless, but with all the things we’re learning about Scotty this season, it’s not out of character.

Spock’s Crisis

As Scotty accelerates towards his moment of victory over the classmate who has been living rent-free in his head forever, he leans heavily on Spock to assist him with the science and the implementation of his theory.

That pressure — and the disturbing introduction of Little Ricky — adds to Spock’s mental load.

Still dealing with the trauma of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 2, “The Griffin Incident,” he is blindsided by La’an’s decision to end their relationship.

He then reaches out to T’Pring for help reconnecting with logic. She reluctantly agrees on the condition that there be no hijinks when she visits the ship.

For an expert in logic, she’s not too bright sometimes.

And, Of Course, There Would Be Pirates

The rest of the crew (and T’Pring) being puppets makes things complicated enough. If that were all Spock had to deal with, it would already be a lot.

But then there are the Orion pirates. Led by the fantastic Rachael Harris, Lucifer‘s Linda Martin herself, who has a tendency to pop up in all my favorite shows.

She guest-starred on Fantasy Island Season 2 Episode 1, “Tara & Jessica’s High School Reunion/Cat Lady” and then again on Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Episode 2, “The Digital Frankenstein Job.”

Green’s a great color for her.

Embracing the Chaos

Granted, since the entire puppet vs. Orion scenario is Spock’s coma dream, we can assume everything that happens relates to his personal crisis of logic.

Breaking up with La’an, his unresolved Griffin trauma, T’Pring’s presence, and Little Ricky all add up to him feeling overwhelmed and under attack.

One wonders if the puppet superpowers, including being able to chill out in the vast vacuum of space, isn’t his unconscious desire to let go of corporeal concerns and just bugger off to the next nebula like a freed orca.

Puppet T’Pring’s also there to remind him that his crew has some commendable qualities, despite not being Vulcan.

“While your crew may occasionally be unorthodox, they are always in pursuit of knowledge, safety, and protecting each other. I find that endearing.” — T’Pring

The fact that Puppet Scotty comes up with the glove that mimics organic electroconductivity — with the occasional electrostatic shock — probably means Spock subconsciously recognizes his innate brilliance.

And the idea that Puppet La’an is relieved that she poses no threat to her Starfleet family or the Federation in puppet form… well, it seems Spock’s empathetic ability is better than he realizes.

Echoes of the Future

For the second time in as many episodes, the writers made a trapped-in-a-transporter-buffer comment about Scotty.

Again, for those not in the know, at a point between Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Montgomery Scott will survive for 75 years in a pattern buffer after his transport ship crashes on a Dyson Sphere.

To be clear, he puts himself into the buffer. And it works.

Once was funny. Twice? Maybe getting a little heavy-handed with that particular frying pan.

However, the re-enactment of the iconic Kirk-Spock goodbye with fluffy-faced Puppet Pike on the airlock side of the glass?

*Chef’s kiss,” Writers Room. You are — and always shall be — brilliant.

Chaos Has To Be Part of the Plan

The ice cream adage about Star Trek has never been truer than for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4.

There are so many flavors. Pick your favorite, and leave the rest of us to like what we like.

In short, don’t yuck on our yum.

Maybe puppets aren’t your thing. No judgment. “The Griffin Incident” definitely wasn’t to my taste. I probably won’t ever watch it again.

But “Level-Five Transporter Accident” is yet another fascinating example of how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds leans into a genre and owns it.

And it’s so incredibly joyful. It broadcasts the message that no matter how little or full of fluff you are, you can achieve great things if you embrace who you are and work together.

I’m sure many of you have your own take on this, Fanatics. Unfurl your flag in our comments below and vote for your favorite puppet crew member in our poll!

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