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

2. UP — Lens Of A Lanthanite

No one in this or any other galaxy can bring people back down to Earth with such unintended humour as Pelia. She had raised tensions beyond exospheric in the first place towards the end of Through the Lens of Time. Her "you want one for the camera?" that followed wasn't deadpan, it was dead serious. If you didn't laugh, you really will have to "suit yourself".

'Acting it up for the camera' was a significantly better kind of meta than the sort we had to sit through in A Space Adventure Hour. It is all still farce, but Carol Kane has ample talent not to make the ridiculous look ridiculous through any lens. Much to our good fortune, they'd run out of creative reasons for her absence this week. Because of course Pelia loves (the attention of) the camera. She was around when it was invented. God help Beto when he gets to engineering!

Comedy aside, it's perhaps about time they pointed the lens more closely at the Enterprise's resident Lanthanite (spoiler alert: especially before Star Trek: Starfleet Academy with its half-Lanthanite, Captain Nahla Ake). Forget the documentary for the Federation centennial! Make one on Pelia, instead. That is, unless she already has.