Amac Productions

The light is killing everyone. Sort of.

Feels like freaking Carmilla in here. Don’t go towards the light or the big fish it’s attached to will eat you.

I mean, there’s no big fish, but they didn’t know that at first on Carmilla. It was just a lot of bad, evil light. Regardless, I’m getting off topic.

In this episode, everyone is suffering from sort of disease contracted on Illyria. One that just wants the host to pursue more and more light. I’m still a little fuzzy on the details. Especially of how Uhura didn’t get sick.

Did she essentially suffocate the virus by sleeping in the dark? Was that it?

Meanwhile, Una just burned it right out of her system – because surprise – she’s Illyrian. Oops.

Which are not supposed to be part of the Federation because they messed with their genetic codes to try and make themselves better. You know, they wanted to skip the whole thousands and thousands of years of evolution. Just get right to the good part.

But something in Star Trek history says that’s a bad idea.

Some war, I believe. I’m not completely versed in Star Trek history, please don’t scream at me. I’m trying! I’m a little late to the Star Trek party, but I’m enjoying the ride, nonetheless.

Since they are super illegal, Una has lied about herself.

However, she comes clean trying to save the crew aboard the Enterprise since everyone is coming down with this weird light disease. Even herself. Except her body is genetically altered to fight anything that comes her way. Which is just awesome.

Una does manage to save everyone in the ship with a lot of hijinks happening though.

Because the problem with the Enterprise is that it is full of incredibly intelligent people. Probably the most brilliant people Starfleet has to offer since this is the flagship. A very coveted place to work.

Which means everyone is super intelligent and good at their jobs. So if they want something to happen, they can make it happen.

More light?

Sure, no problem.

Which leaves poor Una to try and combat an entire ship full of people not thinking clearly and using their skills to get what they want. Regardless of the danger.

It is so hilarious to me and wild at the same time.

The whole thing makes for some crazy hijinks as Una is faced with smart people doing very dumb things. Like trying to just beam a sun aboard or something. Overloading the crystals. You know, really dangerous stuff that could destroy the entire ship.

It’s so much fun. And reminds me of an episode of The Next Generation when they unfreeze a bunch of people from the past. They just start pushing buttons and are able to contact the captain. Picard tells them not to touch the buttons as they are important and not toys.

The guy asks why they aren’t locked or involve a passcode.

Picard simply answers that the people aboard the ship can exercise restraint.

There is simply no need for some safeguards because the people aboard the ship are capable of handling and policing themselves without needing to be babyproof the place.

Which in my brain, means these people have a lot of free reign when they’re out of their minds to do as they please with the ship and the brains to back it up.

Therefore, poor Una is nearly hopelessly outmatched just trying to get to everyone before they do something incredibly stupid. While also trying to find a cure and keep things together on the ship she is running.

Because while all this is happening Captain Pike and Spock are still trapped down on the planet.

The interference of a storm and Spock taking too long, caused them to miss the window to beam out. Thus, they resorted to finding shelter while Spock did some light reading. And they were seemingly hunted down by strange storm monsters.

You know, the usual crazy you’d find in a Star Trek show.

And I’m here for it. It’s so much fun to watch the crazy and never end up where you think you’re going to.

Except of course, things are not always as they appear.

Because these are not monsters. They are former Illyrians who died trying to undo the genetics they had done in order to join the Federation of Planets.

Which is just a crazy thing to think about. They were obsessed with perfecting themselves and then realized they would rather be in good company than be perfect. However, in order to do that – they must undo what they did as a sign of good faith to the Federation.

Except as Spock discovers, they instead turned themselves into those storm creatures. Unable to turn themselves back.

Instead of being able to join the Federation, they all perished. At least, this colony of them perished.

Since it appears that Una is from another place entirely.

So much is at play here, including the prejudice of the Federation itself. They believe that evolution is the only right way. Apparently, not even interested in the descendants of the people who made this decision wishing to change their minds. To become part of the Federation.

Like they did not have a rule that allowed people who have altered themselves genetically be allowed into the Federation. Placing the punishment on people who never made the choice in the first place.

How cruel is that?

It is of a similar mentality that Zod has in Superman mythos. He wants to punish Superman for the sins of his father. How is that right?

The current Illyrians did not ask for this. And are unable to get help from one of the largest collections of planets and knowledge simply because of what occurred in their past.

I do enjoy the idea that as far as we’ve come in the Federation – it is still imperfect.

As pointed out by Una herself, that if she had not done the right thing – would she still be accepted?

I love this. Why isn’t it enough to just be herself? Why did she need to be extraordinary? Or brave? Or selfless? It’s not enough for her to simply be?

Her existence hasn’t hurt anyone. In fact, it saved an entire ship full of people. Is it fair to punish her for something beyond her control?

Nope.

I’m really curious to see what happens when the rest of Starfleet finds out. Because while the entire ship and the people onboard do not care about the lie or the fact that she’s Illyrian – I have feeling Starfleet might not take it well.

On the flip side, I do want to mention that I do not believe Pike meant it the way Una took it. To me, it felt like a poorly expressed way of saying that for as long as he’s served with her, and what he knows about her – it changes nothing. She is still his ‘number one.’

For me, it felt like he was trying clumsily express that he knows Una and has realized some of his own prejudices or even Starfleet’s’. Yet Una has proved beyond doubt, that they are wrong for holding it against the current Illyrians.

Because no matter how hard anyone tries, you won’t always say the right thing. Sometimes, you’ll fumble it. Make a mistake. And I love that Pike is not above making a misstep in his words. Though I believe the sentiment behind them is what she wishes it to be.

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