‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Recap – ‘A Quality of Mercy’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season one finale of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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With a dangerous future looming overhead, Chris Pike is determined to try and avoid it and save the others that die in the accident that leaves him disfigured. However, when changing the future there are always consequences. Could changing this future be even more dire than the one he’s avoiding? Pike gets the answer to that when he gets a visit from his future self. As odd as time travel is, all good time travel stories start with a warning from a future self, and this open is no different. The future Chris is currently seeking to avoid what might be the kinder of the possible futures. While it’s not technically set in stone, messing with the future is as dangerous as it gets. Future Chris has another Klingon Time Crystal and has been sent by Klingon Monks to show current Chris the future he is now set to experience by avoiding his own. Chris is apprehensive, but he has to know what he’s doing.

The future starts out less bleak than originally thought. It’s now 7 years in the future and the Federation Base they were just visiting on the edge of the Neutral Zone is under attack. The Enterprise is too far out to attack back, but they catch a glimpse of the attacking ship as it fires to destroy the base. This is the first time we see a Romulan War Bird in all her glory on this show. The Enterprise is soon joined by the Farragut and her Captain, James T. Kirk. Together, they form a plan to shadow the Romulan ship and chase it into the neutral zone. Kirk wants to attack it and Pike wants to disable it and either way it’s almost an act of war. This future is different. Una is no longer on the ship, Spock is Number One, Ortegas is oddly racist against the Romulans, La’an is on the Farragut, and nothing makes sense. At least we have Scotty as the Chief Engineer, or so we hear him but don’t see him.

The plan doesn’t work and the Romulan ship attacks the Farragut, damaging it to the point of death, but her crew is rescued by the Enterprise. They manage to disable the Romulan ship in the process and while all hope seems almost for naught, Pike finally gets ahold of the Romulan ship and asks for a cease fire. Two hours, they both have two hours to repair their ships. In those two hours each side has a chance to also plan. Turns out the Romulan Commander just wants to escape and might be tired of this war and Pike feels that they might be able to come to some semblance of peace.

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The Enterprise isn’t fully operational with her weapons systems just yet, but Kirk leaves in a shuttle to obtain some ‘back up’. Or course, said back up is really just a bunch of unmanned mining vessels, but the Romulans don’t know that. For their part, the Romulan ship seems to be complying, and even willing to leave this exchange peacefully. That is until a ton more Romulan ships show up.

The Romulans demand the Enterprise to surrender, they then blow up the ship that the Enterprise had been chasing, before attacking the Enterprise. In the fight, Kirk shows off his resourcefulness, and Spock dies. The Romulans then declare War. When Pike finally comes out of the future, he’s more resolved than ever that he can’t avoid what’s to happen to him. Future Pike says there is too much that Kirk and Spock have to accomplish. While changing his future may have saved those cadets, and even possibly Sam, it doomed millions to a war that will eventually be avoided.

With Pike set to accept the future that awaits him, it’s only another blow that Una is arrested by Starfleet later that day, for lying about her genetic enhancements. Chris won’t let this sit; however, he will get her back.

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