*Spoilers.*
7th August, 2025: “Through the Lens of Time”.The Intro.
Gosh … but it’s early on a Thursday!
Actually, that’s something of a lie.
As I write this?
It’s a Thursday afternoon: and Numan’s The Pleasure Principle is on in the background.
Because … ?
The BBC’s news channel is boring me, and YouTube … ?
Has a lot I’d like to watch, but will find distracting while I’m writing.
So … ?
Getting an early start on a review of a new episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds … ?
Seems like a good idea …
I’ll be watching “Through the Lens of Time” — the episode in question — tonight.
And should have my written and video reviews up, by Sunday, 10th August.
Hopefully?
You’ll be glued to them!
7th August, 2025.Part One: the Summary.
To show us Ensign Dana Gamble (Chris Myers) recording his personal log for the day: recording his daily duties, having a conversation with Dr M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) about sickbay equipment …
And telling us his life won’t be as it was, after today.
He’s been assigned to his first landing party mission: joining Nurse Chapel and Doctor Korby (Jess Bush and Cillian O’Sullivan) in investigating an archeological site a rarely visited planet.
At the briefing before the dig?
We see Ensign Gamble, Nurse Chapel and Doctor Korby are to be joined by Lieutenant Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Lieutenant Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) … and by Lieutenant Ortegas’ brother, Beto (Mynor Luken): who’s currently in the middle of filming a Star Fleet approved documentary about the USS Enterprise and its work.
As Nurse Chapel brightly says?
“Let’s go dig up the past!”
Little suspecting an awkward briefing is going to be the least of her team’s issues … !
~≈🖖≈~
8th August, 2025.Part Two: Thoughts.
Now … what did I make of “Through the Lens of Time”?
Did I find anything familiar about this episode?
Is there a sad twist in this tale?
Why, oh, why, do I want to spell the word, ‘lens’ as ‘lense’?
Let’s get that last question out of the way, shall we?
Why do I want to spell the word, ‘lens’ as ‘lense’?
I have no idea: beyond a vague idea I’m mixing up the ‘lens’ with the word ‘cleanse’!
At any rate … familiarity … ?
Was “Through the Lens of Time” a familiar episode?
Yes … and no …
Yes, because the basic idea is simple: a bunch of archeologists turn up at a site, find out the place has ghosts, monsters or horrible beasties and get trapped.
For a Doctor Who fan of a certain age, for a Doctor Who fan who’d read a very specific Target novelisation as a youngster, and seen a few haunted house movies.
“Through the Lens of Time” reminded me of The Tomb of the Cybermen: which sees a team of archeologists exploring a cursed dig.
It was also unfamiliar.
Whilst that basic idea was familiar, “Through the Lens of Time” uses the concept in a different way.
The archeologists in the episode?
Are a team led by Christine Chapel: she’s no Eric Klieg, no villain wanting to conquer Earth with help from the Cybermen.
No: she’s a medical practitioner who wants add to to medicine’s body of knowledge.
The monsters? Are the Vezda.
Creatures who want to possess people, rather Cybermen wanting to conquer planets.
The site the team are investigating?
The site is a dangeous puzzle to solve, rather than the deadly tests in the Tombs of Telos.
Yes: the basic idea is similar, and familiar to me.
But no: there’s also changes made to the idea, changes that make “Through the Lens of Time” a different story to The Tomb of the Cybermen.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Three: More Thoughts.
One change … ?
One difference between Tomb of the Cybermen, and “Through the Lens of Time”, is quite simple.
Someone we care about was killed.
I’m going to go sideways, here.
Many years ago a pair of British comedians — Griff Rhys Jones and the late Mel Smith — made a series called The World According to Smith and Jones: a potted history of the world, using some of the sillier clips from various vintage movies.
What there was of the show was very funny.
One episode, the episode that covered World War Two, stuck in my mind: and made the very obvious point that any minor character who said “I’m going to open a pub back in Blighty, when this shindig’s over” … would die halfway through the film.
Comedy or tragedy, the character was dead.
It’s more common that it seems, I think: even if I can’t give you an example.
But done right, it’s a way to create a sympathetic character: and have their death motivate others for the rest of the film.
“Through the Lens of Time” shows us a version of this.
As Ensign Gamble is killed by Pelia, in defence of the Enterprise: the Ensign’s been possessed, and is threatening the rest of the crew.
And, yes: I say tragic, rather than comic, here.
We’ve come to care for Ensign Gamble, over the past few weeks: as have his fellow characters.
So we feel his loss, as the crew feel it.
They will be saddened by his death: but, hopefully, motivated by it.
Motivated to do what, I don’t know.
But suspect we’ll find out the results of his death, over the course of the next few episodes.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Four: Still More Thoughts.
What else should I highlight … ?
There’s a few things.
I’ve mentioned that Ensign Gamble is killed.
I can understand why the writers have done this: I feel it will provide motivation for his crewmates over the remaining episodes.
In particular, for Dr M’Benga: their faux father/son relationship was highlighted in the episode, to highlight the tragedy of Gamble’s death, to show that tragedy’s effects on one character.
For whatever reasons, my favourite Star Trek characters tend to be the ships’ doctors: so something that tells us more about Joseph M’Benga, gives more of his story, is welcome.
I also think that his relationship with Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) has been damaged: after all, the ship’s chief engineer is the one that killed Gamble.
Granted, with very good reason: the creature possessing the ensign was a direct threat, to the ship, its crew and to M’Benga, himself.
But, none-the-less, I think it will leave a mark on their relationship.
I’m also aware that Pelia’s killing of Gamble changes our view of the Professor.
Up until now … ?
She’s been an engineer, inspiration to Uhura, a mentor to Scotty, a wise advisor to both Spock (Ethan Peck) and Captain Pike (Anson Mount), and much needed comic relief in tense situations.
She’s the ship’s oldest character: and one we would assume has skeletons in her closet.
Even if we’ve not seen them.
But “Through the Lens of Time” tells us that Pelia is capable of killing, should she need to.
And is able — with her “There is evil in this universe” speech* — able to both justify her actions: warn there’s worse yet to come, and warn the crew will need to take harsh actions.
That speech was the most passionate thing I’ve heard from a Star Trek character.
And something that reminds me, again, of Dr Who: a line from The Moonbase, where the Second Doctor warns that some things must be fought.
Pelia’s actions — her defence of the ship, and that speech — put Pelia in a very different light.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Five: Copies?
“Hang on, Paul”, you say.
“Step back a pace or two, there!”
“Am you saying ‘Through the Lens of Time’ is copying The Tomb of the Cybermen?”
Granted: my aging memory tells me there was talk the Cybermen were the inspiration for the Borg.
But I don’t know for sure.
We could argue that the Overlookers — from Star Trek: Voyager — are similar in design to Doctor Who’s Sontarans.
And I watched Wesley Crusher’s appearances in Star Trek: Prodigy and wondered where he’d left his sonic screwdriver … !
So, am I saying “Through the Lens of Time” is copying The Tomb of the Cybermen?
Am I saying the two long running franchises have stolen ideas from each other?
No, I’m not: I will say again that there’s a similar, basic idea, but there’s also plenty of differences between the two stories.
Enough to make sure the two stories, and the two franchises, very different.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Six: Conclusions.
So what — given all that — should I tell you about “Through the Lens of Time”?
Should I tell you the story is good, bad, or ugly?
I could tell you it’s all three.
But, instead?
Tell you two things.
One?
That “Through the Lens of Time” is one hell of an improvement on “A Space Adventure Hour”.
And two … ?
That “Through the Lens of Time” is one hell of an episode: from start to finish.
Watching it will prove rewarding.
~≈🖖≈~
Part Seven: Last Words.
Once again, that is where I’m leaving things.
Like last week, I’m going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and maybe drop a few pence in my Tip Jar.
Assuming, of course, you think I’m worth it!
The only other thing I should add … ?
Is simply this: I’ll be watching the next episode, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”, on Thursday, 14th August, and publishing my written and video reviews by the following Saturday.
I’ll see you then.
“Through the Lens of Time”★★★★⁺
* The speech reads:
“Nonsense! There is evil in this universe: as sure as there is good, as sure as there is matter, as sure as there is light. I know that being was ancient. Malevolent. The desire to malign, to pervert, and consume, given corporal form. If any of those things ever escape that well, down there? (Shakes head). God help us all.”
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