It brings the Spock/Chapel relationship to its apparent conclusion, and provides some exceptional material for La’an and the emotional fallout from her relationship with the alternate James T. “Subspace Rhapsody” is, at its heart, a character episode. My personal favorite of the whole episode is the opener (“Status Report”), primarily because it blends the unique language of Star Trek with actual music in a way that I personally enjoyed a lot, but Uhura’s big number (“Keep Us Connected”) and Chapel’s song (“I’m Ready”) are also real standouts.Īnd while the episode potentially feels a little smaller than many fans would have expected from a Star Trek musical as there are not a lot of big choreographed set pieces, that actually feels appropriate for me for this big character episode that focuses more on individual relationships rather than the ship as a whole. Each has something to like about them, though a few are more forgettable than others. The ten original songs of “Subspace Rhapsody” - written by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce - range from solos (“Keeping Secrets”) to ensemble numbers which feature the whole crew (“We Are One”). It’s technobabbly, it’s connected to the era of Strange New Worlds and the canon of Star Trek - why yes, real time subspace communications would be great! - and it opens the door to a lot of fun. Obviously, there is going to be some element of contrivance in order to maneuver a Star Trek episode into a musical, but you know what? This one works for me. While investigating a naturally-occurring subspace fold - in the hopes that it will unlock the secrets to real-time subspace communication across the Federation - the Enterprise accidentally dislodges a “quantum uncertainty field” that creates a new reality in which people sing uncontrollably. And it’s fun that so much of that comes to a head through song. It is not a throwaway triviality of a Strange New Worlds episode, but one that is integral to the threads and relationships that have been cultivated across the first two seasons. In addition to being a full-on musical complete with big songs, dance numbers, and grand finales, this episode is also a deep character episode that continues, and in some cases concludes, character arcs from season two to this point. And if this experiment does not work for you? Well, you still have nearly 900 other episodes of Star Trek to enjoy. A musical might not work for you, but the courage it takes for the franchise to decide to create a musical episode may then make possible another experiment that does. When Star Trek takes risks, it creates opportunities for unique experiences and episodes that allow the franchise to try new things and connect with its audience in different ways. You likely have to be a fan of the musical theater genre in order to connect with “Subspace Rhapsody” - but while this episode is not going to be for everyone, I strongly believe that all fans should applaud Strange New Worlds for undertaking this venture. While Star Trek has had plenty of musicality before, “Subspace Rhapsody” is the franchise’s first true musical, and the episode leans hard into the structure, tone, and some of the tropes of traditional musical theater.

The last two episodes represent two of Strange New Worlds’ biggest swings yet, and they are both wildly different the universally well received crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks “Those Old Scientists,” and the dark and thoughtful war drama “Under the Cloak of War.”Īnd in what will be remembered as perhaps Star Trek’s most experimental season to date, the show switches things up once again and delivers a joyous musical episode that dives deep into the characters and their relationships in meaningful ways - in addition to all the singing and dancing. After months of hints, and a formal announcement at San Diego Comic Con, Star Trek’s first full-on musical episode has arrived - and if you are a musical fan you’re going to find a lot to love in this episode.

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