Star Trek Strange New Worlds — Series 5 Episode 1 — “Valles Marineris” — A Review

9th October, 2026: “Valles Marineris”.

The Introduction.

Well, finally: it’s Friday!

Or, at least, it wass a Friday … when I’ve started this post.

I’ve got some stuff done, today, I’ve got dinner on the go, and … ?

I’ve got time to sit in with “Valles Marineris”, the first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fourth series.

As you can imagine, I’ve been keeping well clear of social media: to avoid spoilers.

via GIPHY

Hopefully, I’ll be able to get through this series without — metaphorically — shooting myself in the foot.

And get both the written and video versions of this review done by Tuesday, 13th October.

~≈🖖≈~

10th October, 2026. 

Part One: The Summary.

Episode 1 — “Valles Marineris” — opens with a brief recap of season three: reminding us that Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is now a widower, after the death of Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano).

The scene shifts: to shows us Capitain Pike, Dr M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Lieutenant La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), riding across the steppes after completing a diplomatic mission.

Only to find, once back on the ship, that Admiral April is paying a visit.

He’s got a job for the USS Enterprise.

Visiting, and observing, a stellar storm.

A storm, as it turns out, is hiding a distress buoy.

A storm, and a buoy, that has an unfortunate effect on the ship: sending the Enterprise across space, and across time, itself …

~≈🖖≈~

Part Two: Initial Thoughts.

Now … what did I make of “Valles Marineris”: of an opening episode that is quite a few things?

Well … possibly by trying to tell you about those things.

The plot … ?

Sees the Enterprise trapped in a region of space they slowly realise is the Solar System: sixty-five million years ago.

And, as Spock explains?   They are trapped: as they’re quantum entangled in local space, and the warp engines have failed.

They’re going to need iridium to repair the engines: and power equivalent to an exploding supernova to get back to their own time.

There’s iridium on Earth: Number One/Lieutenant-Commander Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and her team are assigned to carefully collect the stuff.

Very aware that killing the wrong — indeed, any — dinosaur could have knock-on effects, further down the timeline.

Captain Pike and the rest of the crew are facing similar issues: they’ve been contacted by a Martian ship led by Commander Cassel (Saffron Burrows) … who wants help from the Enterprise, in fighting a war with the Dol’drm, an ancient enemy of Mars.

It’s a plot that shows us the inevitable: the Solar system’s then current fifth planet is not Jupiter.

It’s a planet that becomes our Asteroid Belt, after it’s destroyed by Cassel in revenge for the bombing of Mars.

The bombing of the Fifth Planet causes something else: causes a meteor to hit the Earth, and destroy the dinosaurs … 

You didn’t see that coming, did you … ?

~≈🖖≈~

Part Three: About the Climax.

You have possibly guessed the end of “Valles Marineris”.

It’s a climax that shows us Commander Cassel and her crew effectively committing suicide to destroy Sol V … and Captain Pike, fully aware of what would happen as a result, refusing to order the destruction of Cassel’s ship.

It’s a gripping scene.

Possibly not as watchable as the Fourth Doctor’s “Do I have the right” speech in Genesis of the Daleks.

Nor as watchable as Anson Mount’s performance in “New Life and New Civilizations”.

Very few things are that captivating.

But … ?

It’s a climactic scene that shows Number One, Ortegas, et al, urging the Captain to blow up Cassel’s ship … urging a Captain refusing to do so, as he knows that will irrevocably change the universe.

Yes: we could argue the scene is an obvious finale.

Yes: there are comparisons to Tom Baker’s finest few minutes.

But yes: this scene is watchable … and beautifully done.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Four: A Performance.

There’s other things I noticed.

For one thing, Saffron Burrows: the actor who played the Martian, Commander Cassel.

I think there’s at least one good reason to watch “Valles Marineris”: and it’s Burrows’ restrained performance.

Restrained, intelligent and above all, deeply sympathetic performance as a leader who’s going to drop a planet-killing bomb on Sol V, has the technology to do … and can explain her reasons, carefully, distinctly and a way that cannot be refuted.

Yes: we can call Burrows performance restrained.

Yes: we can call it sympathetic.

And yes: we can call it utterly riveting!

~≈🖖≈~

11th October, 2026.

Part Five: On Characters.

As we’re talking about characters?

Three others caught my eye.

Firstly?

We have a new Vulcan.

“Valles Marineris” shows us that Ensign Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is now mentoring a Star Fleet cadet: a young Vulcan woman called A’Sha.

I don’t know if the character will be around for the rest of the series … but get the impression that — if she is — she’ll be a source of comedy, of much needed humour.

That said?   A’Sha does seem to have her head stuck up her bum!

Which is mostly where the humour comes from.

Secondly?

There’s rivalry developing between Lieutenants Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Scott (Martin Quinn): all started by Scotty’s placement of new alarms on Ortegas’ station.

It’s provokes a certain amount of complaining from Ortegas.

And a certain amount of arguing between the pair: initially, whilst Ortegas is part of Number One’s away team.

Then, in a closing scene, the pair bump into each other in the Enterprise galley … 

There’s a certain amount of spilt drink bother.

I get the impression from these scenes, that this rivalry may carry on through the fourth series.

And will see the pair fighting, or ending up in bed together, by the end of the series.

Yes: I know Scotty’s in the original series, so he’s not going to lose a fight to the death.

None-the-less, I think they’ll be fighting … or fornicating!

~≈🖖≈~

12th October, 2026.

Part Six: Mars.

Now … about Martians … 

The idea that there’s Martians, intelligent life on Mars, is one that’s been around for years.

I couldn’t tell you when the first stories about Martians appeared, but I’m very aware the idea has been around since the birth of H. G. Wells.

Or, at least, since the publication of Wells’ The World of the Worlds: it’s the oldest story I know of to feature Martians, but there’s probably others.

There’s at least one: Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars.   I’ve always had the impression the series was set in Earth’s past, but that could well be the original book’s publication date.

And Dr Who’s take on Martians, the Ice Warriors?

Have a tangled back story implied to have started many years before life began on Earth.

I am also aware the idea of a (theoretical) fifth planet, between Mars and Jupiter, has been around for a while.

The first time I came across the idea was back in 1977: when I watched a Dr Who story called Image of the Fendahl: the monster in the story, the Fendahl of the title, come from a fifth planet long since destroyed by the Time Lords.

My point, here … ?

Is that these are common ingredients: things I’ve seen before.

But that they are ingredients that are well used.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Seven: More Things.

There’s even more: you can tell, can’t you?

While we’re in a Dr Who mood — Ice Warriors, Image of the Fendahl — these’s something else I noticed.

Yes: Professor Pelia’s mentioned a phone box, again!

On top of all that … ?

I watched the opening credits: and wonder what the highlighted object was in the screenshot.

Yes, I know: the Enterprise is flying past a big building in an alien city.

But given the long since gone possibilities of a Dr Who/Star Trek cross-over, you can’t blame me for getting excited, can you?

Especially about something that looks like a TARDIS … !

~≈🖖≈~

Part Eight: Final Things.

There’s a couple of final points I wanted to raise: a couple of things I’d noticed.

Yes: “Valles Marineris” shows us that the Enterprise is now in the Cretaceous era.

And shows us something that looks suspiciously like a tyrannosaurus rex.

Me being me?

I had to at least check the relevant Wikipedia entry, to see if the episode’s producers that got an appropriate creature for the era.

Apparently?

They did.

The other thing to mention … ?

Is iridium.

A metal that Scotty tells Captain Pike is needed to re-start the Enterprise’s engine.

There’s not much I can tell you about iridium: beyond what I learnt in school chemistry classes, and what I know from Wikipedia.

This episode reminded me of one of the few things I do know.

That’s there’s not much of the stuff on Earth.

But what there is … is in a layer that used to be called the Cretaceous–Tertiary, or (K–T), boundary: but now called the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary.

That layer … ?

Is the sixty-five million-year-old layer of rock laid down … by the asteroid strike that killed all the dinosaurs.

Or the Martian bomb that blew up a planet.

I have to confess, I was mildly impressed by that.

Impressed, but not surprised, that the writers of “Valles Marineris” had heard of the Boundary and its relationship to iridium: and worked in a scientific easter egg for those of us who think science fiction should occasionally feature a bit of genuine science.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Nine: And Finally.

So … what did I make of “Valles Marineris”, of this first episode?

I have come away very impressed with this episode!

Yes: it’s a comparatively light opening episode: especially compared to “New Life and New Civilizations”, the closing episode of season three.

And, yes: I am aware that I’m describing an episode that sees genocide on a planetary scale as ‘light’.

But … ?

The episode’s light tone is a much need thing: as it shows us a crew adrift far from home, and who’s only temporary allies are both sympathetic … and whose murderous plans are the only thing guaranteeing the future they call home is going to happen.

Yes: “Valles Marineris” may have inappropriate moments of levity.

But there’s a darkness to it, and a quality, that makes “Valles Marineris” something that sets up this fourth season beautifully well: and is incredible to watch.

“Valles Marineris”

★★★★

~≈🖖≈~

Part Ten: Last Words.

That is where I’m going to leave things: until this Friday.

I hope you’ve enjoyed both my review and the episode: “Valles Marineris” is a very good opening episode.

Before I go, though I’m going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and put a few pence in my Tip Jar: it keeps a channel, and a blog, going.

Finally?

I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — “The Griffin Incident” — on Friday, 16th October: and posting my written and video reviews of it by Tuesday, 20th October.

Hopefully?

I’ll see you then!