Review: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, "Wedding Bell Blues" | Season 3, Episode 2
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find a godlike being to ruin everything
[Sorry this is late, Myles’ fault.]
We opened with an all-out action sci-fi spectacle, so now it’s time for everybody’s favorite: a breather comedy entry. There’s no need to bring up Star Trek’s sometimes fractious relationship with humor, as I suspect I’ve already discussed it at length in some previous review; there are plenty of terrifically funny Trek episodes, but there’s something especially bad about the franchise when it tries, and fails, to bring out the goofs. For something to be light and pleasant, it needs to feel effortless, and the worst Trek comedy episodes often end up the exact opposite, with familiar faces mugging for the camera in increasingly desperate attempts to make us smile.
Thankfully, Strange New Worlds hasn’t really struggled with this. There’s been at least one silly episode that didn’t entirely work for me, but even then, the show never falls to the level of cringe. The cast is game and relentlessly charming, and the writers usually find some way to ground the absurdity in emotional truth–which “Wedding Bell Blues” has in spades. I have a few nitpicks for this one, but nothing that hindered my enjoyment of watching the episode in the moment, and the emotional stuff landed well (and, a few times, harder than I was expecting). Combine all that with great outfits and a fine guest star, and you’ve got yourself some quality escapism, even if it’s a little too cutesy with the fan service.
