Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 4 Review: Casa-Klingon
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 4, Episode 4, “A Case of Chiaroscuro,” puts Una center stage in an homage to ’30s film noir. It’s like Casablanca in space, and Rebecca Romijn finally gets another overdue showcase since her terrific turn in Season 2’s “Ad Astra per Aspera.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “A Case of Chiaroscuro”
For the uninitiated, “chiaroscuro” means “light-dark” in Italian and refers to the contrast between light and shadow in art. It’s an apt title for this week’s outing, since everything is in black and white. There’s always an explanation for the strange on this show, and thankfully, it has a clever, self-aware reason for the lack of color.
Admittedly, the message that “A Case of Chiaroscuro” drives home is a bit too on the nose for my taste. M’Benga reminds Una that, ultimately, “few things in life are black and white.” Get it? Because it’s black and white in the episode?
How Do You Be Someone Else?
Maybe I’m too jaded, but the messaging felt forced in that regard. That said, I love that “A Case of Chiaroscuro” delves deeper into Una’s identity struggles. Really, Una, M’Benga, and Uhura have to grapple with who they are and the larger implications of following the rules in the face of a Nazi-Germany-type occupation. It’s fascism implemented by the Klingon Empire.
M’Benga and Una find it easy to live as someone else. After all, both had to pretend to be someone they’re not to survive (one could argue there are parallels to the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in surviving white patriarchy). Uhura, who’s unapologetically herself, finds it challenging to adopt a new persona to stay alive on Mat’Aar 12.
Meanwhile, Spock dismisses La’An’s concerns that the Angelo-1 probe is compromised after it was rescued from Klingon territory. It’s how many “hysterical women” are perceived when disclosing their fears that something isn’t quite right. Our instincts are brushed off as paranoia, anxiety, or depression.
Trust My Instincts
La’An winds up being right about the data erasure and even covers up Chapel’s act as a favor. Still, she walks away feeling out of sorts. Now, there’s this insistent, niggling fear that she’s only paranoid and that her instinctual barometer is off. I know this feeling all too well.
Despite this profoundly relatable aspect of the narrative, I found Una’s arc a bit more compelling. However, the story could’ve used more time to breathe, in my humble opinion. The pacing is inconsistent here, and it moves somewhat slowly until the last 10ish or so minutes, when everything is wrapped up neatly in a bow at lightning speed.
The Mat’Aar 12 arc, and even Chapel’s part in the probe drama, would’ve been intriguing to flesh out for another episode. Andor is proof positive that rebels combating a fascist government will always resonate, and stories like that can be told well on screen. Not to mention, Una, M’Benga, and Uhura deserved more time to have their respective arcs explored à la La’An (although something tells me she’s getting so much screen time because we might not see her in another series — which would break my heart).
Stray Observations:
- Oh, hey, it’s Andy McQueen, who plays Ibrahim in Revival. He’s now the second main cast member to appear on this show (the first being Melanie Scrofano as Batel, of course).
- Uhura knows 600 different words for “bad”—that’s my communications queen.
- I know we’ve had bits and pieces of M’Benga’s backstory, but I’d love another episode where he’s at the fore. He’s such a fascinating character, and Babs Olusanmokun plays the hell out of him.
- When your current girlfriend is getting therapy from your ex … not many people can say that, Spock.
- Did anyone else get a weird vibe from that Ortegas and Scotty scene? Like, a vibe of the flirtatious persuasion? Perhaps I’m reading too much into it.
What did you think of this episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.