‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Recap – ‘Lost in Translation’

Written by Shae Rufe

Celia Rose Gooding and Paul Wesley as Ensign Nyota Uhura and Lieutenant James T. Kirk in Episode 206 of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ – ‘Lost in Translation’. (Photo Courtesy of Paramount+.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 206 of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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Season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been doing episodes from different character’s point of views and it has worked well. This week, we saw a mission from Uhura’s perspective. A challenging mission has the Enterprise and her crew at a new Starfleet Station on the border of Gorn space. This station will be a fueling point for Starships, allowing for greater exploration into the unknown. Which everyone still seems keen on doing, despite the constant and repeated dangers. But also, these are Space Explorers who’re happy to be out in space meeting now people and making new discoveries. Some of us aren’t really built for the idea of space travel, because maybe we just like being on solid ground.
 
Pike is made Fleet Captain, temporarily, to oversee the repairs of the Starfleet Space Station which is refining fuel. The Nebula is rich in materials as this is also where stars are born, the perfect mix for fuel, right? Except, not everything is as it seems. Uhura is suddenly hearing a strange sound. She thinks it might be a signal of some sorts, but the signal itself can’t be found on any of the recent recordings. Resetting the communications array and running diagnostics doesn’t seem to help either. Instead, she starts seeing their dead friend and former Chief Engineer, Hemmer. M’Benga says it is deuterium poisoning and puts her on medical leave, after treating her of course. The hallucinations only get worse, not better, however, leaving Uhura in quite the state.
 
Enter James T. Kirk. He’s here with the Farragut, newly promoted to First Officer, much to Sam’s dismay, and he’s here to help, or make things worse, he hasn’t fully decided, really. The tension between him and Sam is so thick, but he seems to make friends with Uhura. Okay, friends also isn’t the right word either. Begrudging acquaintance. She needs help, he can see it, and he even offers to help her, only to get a punch to his face during a severe hallucination that Uhura experiences. Thankfully, he doesn’t take it too personally and doesn’t offer skepticism when she says she’s seeing things and it’s not from poisoning or lack of sleep.

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(L-R) Dan Jeannotte and Paul Wesley as Lieutenant Sam Kirk and Lieutenant James T. Kirk in Episode 206 of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ – ‘Lost in Translation’. (Photo Courtesy of Paramount+.)

​In fact, instead of turning against her or dragging her to medical, he chooses to believe her, listen, and genuinely help her. When a crew member of the space station is found hiding, and is discovered to be a saboteur, and is experiencing the same symptoms Uhura is experiencing, it changes things. A little at least. Ramon is suffering from brain damage, specific to the language center of his brain. Uhura’s brain scans show that she has more activity in that area. And, after chatting with Kirk, we learn she might also have just a little PTSD. Although, that seems to be a requirement to join Starfleet, as all the Enterprise crew have some form of PTSD.
 
Uhura then figures out what’s really going on with her. Something is trying to talk to her. It’s not trying to actively harm her but communicate with her instead. Her hallucinations are proof enough, this whole time. She just hadn’t been able to put it all together. Seeing her dead friend, watching the ship’s viewscreen break and suck everyone out into space, trying to stab herself, it’s all been an unknown alien creature warning her and crying out for help. Because its species is experiencing pain and death because of the fuel refinery. These creatures are actively dying at the hands of Starfleet.
 
Thankfully, Pike trusts his crew, because when Uhura comes to him with all of this information, he believes her and evacuates the base before destroying it completely. Uhura knows it worked when Hemmer shows up to give one last nod and vanishes. This ordeal helped her form a genuine friendship with Jim and reassured her that people take her seriously and her Captain believes in her decision making. At the end of it, Uhura is having a drink with Jim when Sam walks up for more brotherly banter and sibling rivalry. Sam leaves in a huff and Spock gets introduced to Jim. The two might be able to bond a bit over Spock’s dislike of Sam and their mutual love of 3D chess, which they do.
 
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has shown a different side to Star Trek, one that seems to be working well in not just expanding the series but also improving upon it. Having different perspectives of the crew helps bond us to them more and more, reminds us why we love this franchise and… here at least, sets the stage for the five-year mission that changed everything so long ago.

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