An upcoming episode ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldslooks like a direct response to a pair ofBlack Mirrorepisodes that parodiedStar Trek: The Original Series.Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3’s teaser trailerhints at the crew of Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise participating in a “show-within-a-show”. Clips show Lieutenants James Kirk (Paul Wesley), Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) on a low-budget starship set, dressed up in retro-futuristic mid-century costumes. It feels a lot likeTOS, but these scenes might actually be referencingBlack Mirror’s take onStar Trek.
InBlack Mirror’s season 4 opener, “USS Callister”, and its season 7 sequel, “USS Callister Into Infinity”, programmer Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) is an ardent fan of the fictional showSpace Fleet,a clear stand-in forStar Trek: The Original Series. Robert imports sentient digital clones of co-workers into his immersive online game based onSpace Fleet, andtortures them so they’ll play along with his fantasy. Through Robert Daly’s sadistic gameplay in aStar Trekworld,Black Mirrorcalls out toxicStar Trekfanswho have missed the whole point ofStar Trek’s idealistic utopia.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3’s Show-Within-A-Show Episode Feels Like A Response To Black Mirror’s “USS Callister”
Star Trek Is Supposed To Be Hopeful, Not Mean
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3’s show-within-a-show feels like a response toBlack Mirror’s “USS Callister”. Instead of using a 1960sStar Trek-style show as a backdrop for cruelty, like Robert Daly does inBlack Mirror,Strange New Worldsreminds us thatStar Trek’s legacy is a net positive for humanity.InStrange New Worldsseason 3’s trailer, Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) describesStar Trek’s version of itself by explaining, “We want to give audiences a reflection of their own world through the lens of fantasy … you know, science fiction.” In other words, the intent ofStar Trekis to inspire hope.
Star Trekhas used the holodeck to explore mid-century science fiction serials, with Lt. Tom Paris' (Robert Duncan McNeill) “Adventures of Captain Proton” program inStar Trek: Voyager.
If given the chance to play the USS Callister program fromBlack Mirror,I’d wager mostStar Trekfans would save the galaxy without being cruel to our digital crew.Most of us have seen episodes likeStar Trek: The Next Generation’s “The Measure of a Man”, arguing for Lt. Commander Data’s (Brent Spiner) personhood. We believeStar Trek: Voyager’s Doctor (Robert Picardo) and othersentient holograms inStar Trekare people, too—so we’re not going to abuse them for our own entertainment like Robert on the USS Callister. AndStar Trek: Strange New Worldscan point this out.
Strange New Worlds Doing Its Own Star Trek Parody Is Admirable, But A Big Risk
Strange New Worlds Treating Star Trek As Another Genre Could Work
I love whenStar Trektakes big risks, so I thinkStar Trek: Strange New Worldsparodying itself is admirable, but I know that’s not a universal sentiment. Reactions toStrange New Worlds' riskier episodes, likeStar Trek’s first musical, “Subspace Rhapsody”, have been a mixed bag, so there’s a chance of alienating someStar Trekfans withStrange New Worlds' experimental parody.So while I’m 100% in favor ofStar Trekgetting weird,Strange New Worldswill have to tread a fine line between playing it safe and going off the railsif it wants to appease everybody.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis, in some ways, like a reverse-anthology series that keeps the same cast and storylines, but shifts tone and style with each episode. That practice has helpedStrange New Worldsrevisit and recontextualizeTrektropes like courtroom dramas and aliens-of-the-week. Having a mid-century space opera inStar Trek’s past means thatStrange New Worldscan, essentially, treatStar Treklike another genre to explore.Strange New Worlds' risks have paid off so far, so I’m excited to see howStar Trek: Strange New Worldsresponds toBlack Mirror’s commentary onStar Trekfandom.
