Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Series 3 Episode 6 — “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” — A Review

14th August, 2025: “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”.

The Intro.

Right: it’s officially Thursday.

And … ?

It’s a sweltering hot day: my thermostat’s telling me my flat’s at twenty-seven degrees, and there’s not a breath of air coming through the wide open windows.

Although the neighbours will possibly be enjoying the Communards cover of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, blaring out at them.

His Reverence did one hell of a piano solo!

Nonetheless?

It’s hot: the temperature, that is.

So having the oven on, isn’t helping.

Well … temperature-wise, it isn’t helping.

Dinner-wise, it’s working well.

I’d rather not cook a burger on the pavement: however hot the concrete is.

However, once dinner’s done … ?

Once dinner’s done, I’m going to eat it … then watch TV.

Yep: it’s Thursday.

So it means I’ll watching “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”, the next episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds … 

Then, hopefully, finishing this review by Saturday, 16th August.

Hopefully, you’ll be pleased with the results.

~≈🖖≈~

14th August, 2025.

Part One: the Summary.

Episode 6 — “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” — opens with the traditional summary of earlier episodes: giving us a potted history of Lieutenant Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), in the process.

The history shifts to a cold opening: to show us Kirk recording his personal log, whilst on the USS Farragut.

The Farragut is his current ship: and is conducting rather boring scans of Helicon Gamma.

The recording tells us of his frustrations: as much as he admires Captain V’rel (Zoe Doyle), he also feels his commanding officer is far too by-the-book for his comfort.

It’s only when something attacks the planet, Lieutenant Commander Kirks realises that sometimes, the risky option isn’t the safest bet.

~≈🖖≈~

Post credits, we see the USS Enterprise coming to the rescue of the Farragut: and seeing the boarding party — Nurse Chapel, Lieutenants Uhura, Spock and Noonien-Singh, and Lieutenant (JG) Montgomery Scott (Jess Bush, Celia Rose-Gooding, Ethan Peck, Martin Quinn and Christina Chong) — arriving on the remains of the Farragut.

And immediately finding a wounded crewman.

With communications down?   Nurse Chapel volunteers to take the crewman to the sickbay, Scotty volunteers to head for Engineering … and Spock, Uhura and La’an heading for the Farragut’s bridge.

To find, when they get there, that all hell is breaking lose … 

~≈🖖≈~

15th August, 2025.

Part Two: Half the Story.

Now … what did I make of “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”?

What did I make of an episode with echos of times to come … ?

The first thing I should do, is tell you that some episodes of this series seem to look to horror for inspiration.

Last week’s episode, “Through the Lens of Time”, was a haunted house story: at least, that’s my thinking.

Episode three, “Shuttle to Kenfori”?

Was a zombie story: even if Dr M’Benga was certain the brain-eating things weren’t undead.

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” looks elsewhere for its basic idea.

I feel the episode is a Star Trek version of the Flying Dutchman, the cursed ship doomed to eternally sail the seven seas, and never make landfall.

Although it adds a twist to the tale.

The classic version of the tale tells us the Flying Dutchman was cursed to sail the oceans eternally, as punishment for various misdeeds: comparable, I think to the castaways in “Space Seed”, the original series episode that introduced us to Khan Noonien Singh.

By contrast?

This episode tells us the Dutchman is a scavenger ship has been stealing parts from other ships, ever since its human crew fled Earth after World War Three, many centuries ago.

They fled Earth, fled a world they felt was doomed to die from war and environmental collapse … and that they were better off, far from home.

How they went from space-going idealists to scavenging menaces?

Is something the episode never answers … 

~≈🖖≈~

Part Three: The Other Half.

That Flying Dutchman base … ?

Is only one part of the story.

The other … ?

Is Lieutenant Commander Kirk: or, possibly Captain Kirk, as we should call him, temporarily.

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” sees V’Rel, the Farragut’s Captain, incapacitated in the attack.

So much of the episode … ?

Tells us Kirk’s story: how he deals with the pressures of this first, albeit temporary, command, how he learns how to deal with both the crisis, his damaged ship … and his future crew.

Frankly?

As good as the main story is — and it is a wonderfully told story — seeing the future Captain Kirk with his ‘real’ crew?

Seeing the start of the relationships between members of the USS Enterprise crew, the start of what we come to see in the original series?

Had me riveted.

We see the start of the relationship between Kirk and Scott: the driven Captain on the one hand, and the determined engineer on the other.

We see the womaniser: as we’re given a brief glimpse of the restrained flirting between Kirk and La’an

And, as his working relationship with Captain Kirk starts, we see Spock becoming the far more familiar, the far more logical character we know from Star Trek: The Original Series.

Is “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” worth watching, just to see the start of these relationships?

Does it show the characters becoming the much loved characters we know of old?

Is it as funny, as well as dark, as the original series at its best?

Yes, it is, yes it does, and, quite definitely, yes it is, again.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Four: Other Stuff.

I have to say: I think there’s other stuff going on.

No, not serious stuff: more trivia, I’d say!

For starters?

The planet the Farragut is surveying is called Helicon Gamma.

I’m assuming it’s the third planet of a star called Helicon: as Gamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet.

But could be wrong.

I’m also wondering if the name, Helicon, is one that’s featured in Star Trek, before now: or is a nod to Brian Aldiss’ Helliconia trilogy.

I don’t know.

But the Aldiss books were interesting reads.

The title of the episode?   Kirk describes himself as “the dog that caught the car”, as someone who’s achieved a longed-for desire, and doesn’t know what to do with it, now he’s done it: which is where Spock tells him the Vulcan equivalent is “the Sehlat who ate its tail”.

The sehlat itself?

Is an animal, first mentioned in a classic episode called “Journey to Babel”: Spock’s mother reveals Spock had one as a child.

It’s a pet finally seen in an animated episode called “Yesteryear”.

And finally … ?

This episode sees Scotty mentioning John Logie Baird, the (British) inventor of the televisions.

That’s on a par with his British English pronunciation of ‘Lieutenant’, as ‘left tenent’ in “Hegemony”, and his use of the word ‘bawheid’ in “Hegemony Pt 2”.

We’re getting Scotty-isms.

Frankly?

I don’t know if the writers and producers have decided Scotty’s purpose is representation.

But I’m hoping it’s educational: and a reminder to all viewers that not everyone speaks American English!

Personally?

I like that idea!

~≈🖖≈~

Part Five: Finally!

So — finally — what did I make of “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”?

We have one fantastic episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I tend to think of most Star Trek series by their sub-titles.

So think of Star Trek: The Next Generation as ‘Next Gen’ or ‘TNG’, think of Star Trek: Lower Decks as just ‘Lower Decks’, Star Trek: Discovery as ‘Discovery’.

You get my gist, I think.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, by contrast?

Is just Star Trek: rather than ‘SNW’, or ‘Strange New Worlds’.

More so with “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is Star Trek.

With all that implies.

Frankly?

This is one hell of an episode: an on-form cast, on-point writing and production that’s seriously good … 

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” kept me riveted … 

That … ?

Is all I can ask!

~≈🖖≈~

Part Six: Last Words.

This … ?

Once again, this is where I’m going to leave things.

Before I go?

I’m going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and maybe drop a few pence in my Tip Jar.

Assuming you think I’m worth the time, money or effort!

The last thing?

Is this: I’ll be watching episode seven, “What Is Starfleet”, on Thursday, 21st August, and publishing my written and video reviews by the following Saturday.

Hopefully?

I’ll see you then!

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”

★★★★⁺