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

With all due respect to Pelia and co., let's put an end to this nonsense. There is no nobility in skipping town, no grace in fleeing the sinking ship, no optimism in carrying the "flame" while the world burns behind in the porthole. The "best of us" don't abandon the planet when the going gets tough. The best of us (have to) stay to tough it out.

Those astronauts from the mid-21st century aren't the ones who continued on bravely. They're the ones who gave up. They didn't need to become the scavengers, destroyer of worlds. They were the scavengers of the (post-)apocalypse, of the climate crisis, before they left.

If that was the (very subtle) point of the episode, then, well played. If not, then point made here. It might be anathema to Star Trek to suggest that we not trek to the stars, but it is worth reiterating that the real world offers no such realistic possibilities of a home away from home beyond the deluded aspirations of the few with a bank balance big enough not to (have to) care. In other words, none of us will be able to bugger off from this our only planet, even if we want to.