7 Ups & 1 Down From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3.5 — Through The Lens Of Time

3. UP — Evil Incorporated

Through the Lens of Time is a profoundly scary episode. At times, the horror is visceral. At others, it is purely psychological. Like Hegemony, Part II and Shuttle to Kenfori before it, gore is in no short supply. All things considered, "heebie-jeebies" is right! It is tempting to look away, to hide behind the pillow, but 'see no evil' is largely redundant here. 'Speak no evil' won't help either!

In large part thanks to Chris Meyers' unsettling portrayal, the Vezda, freshly introduced, feel like the threat they are purported to be. They feel truly malign. It is surely no coincidence that Gamble is given his name in this episode. Only in that is he personified (more than a random redshirt) and then dehumanised — his innocence corrupted by evil (now) incarnate.

On Vadia IX, mythos becomes logos, the Word — not divine reason, in this case, but the embodiment of divine hatred. On the ship, rationality itself begins to break down in the eyeless face of the Vezda. It is Pelia, scientist and engineer, who names 'Gamble' at the start of the episode. It is Pelia who 'kills' him at the end.

Lanthanite with transcendent wisdom built by centuries, Pelia rejects Pike's attempt at reasoned relativism, returning instead to the absolutes of good and evil in the universe. We're back to the divine order of things. "God help us all."