6 Ups And 3 Downs From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3.6 — The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail

5. DOWN — Scot(t)-Free

Star Trek Strange New Worlds The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail Scotty Kirk
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We know Mr. Scott was not always the genial type — 'no fools gladly' might be the appropriate phrase. That or "up your shaft". There is a difference, however, between forthright, even opinionated, and just plain rude. At times in The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail, Scotty was downright insubordinate. The Captain, though a commander, was still the Captain. Offer options, yes, but don't openly oppose the man just because you don't agree.

This has nothing to do with performance. Martin Quinn has been consistently excellent in the role. This week was no exception. A little youthful arrogance did also provide us with the best of lines: "Your bum's out the window." All things considered, however, Scotty got off very lightly in speaking to Kirk the way he did.

Not just Scotty, Uhura, Chapel, even Spock, all lacked a good deal of respect for the chain of command. Kirk hadn't phasered anyone on the bridge (as far as we know), so jumping the gun to a discussion about relieving him of his command was more mutinous than medically valid. "Did he [Admiral April] ever straighten you out?" Kirk asks of Pike at the end of the episode. A pointed question that needed more of a pointed answer.

Contributor
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Jack has been a content creator for TrekCulture since 2022, and a Star Trek fan for as long as he can remember. He has authored over 170 articles, including one of TrekCulture's longest, and has appeared several times on the TrekCulture podcast. He holds a first-class honours degree in French from the University of Sussex, a master's with distinction in Language, Culture and History: French and Francophone Studies and a PhD in French from University College London (UCL). He has previously worked in the field of translation. His interests extend to science-fiction television and film more widely. His favourite series is Star Trek: Voyager, followed closely by Stargate SG-1.