In Review: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (S1 – EP2) – Ad Astra Per Aspera

Synopsis: In Ad Astra Per Aspera, Commander Una Chin-Riley faces court martial, imprisonment, and dishonorable discharge from Starfleet.

The Story

Standing trial for having misled Starfleet about her being an Illyrian. Una-Chin Riley stands trial and risks losing everything in order to show how inflexible Starfleets laws are when it comes to the subject of genetic augmentation.  It has long been established in Star Trek canon that genetic alteration of any race is broadly outlawed in The United Federation of Planets due to the Eugenics wars when Khan Noonian Sigh tried to establish himself and other genetically modified humans as superior beings. This episode takes another look at the subject and turns it on its head by showing that there is flexibility for exceptions. When say for example it becomes about a race of people genetically altering their DNA in order to survive on other worlds that are not hospitable to them otherwise. Or it is a part of that race’s culture.

In order to help Una fight her case. Captain Pike employs the services of Una’s friend and fellow Illyrian Neera Ketoul, who is a top-class civil rights lawyer. However, things are a little complicated due to the fact that Una’s last interactions with Neera were not that great. This means a fair bit of fence-mending has to be done between them. In order to fight Una’s corner Ketoul goes up against Starfleets finest legal representatives and uses Una’s unique life story as an Illyian to show the gaps in Starfleet regulations and laws that could be seen as them holding double standards and being hypocritical. By making the case one that is based more on emotion and areas where Starfleet has failed in its relations with the Illyrian people Ketoul turns the tables on what Starfleet Brass was hoping would be an open and shut case. As Starfleet is made to closely examine its laws and whether they are fair. 

Ad Astra Per Aspera is really an episode you’ll have to watch to believe as I can’t really justify in words how much impact it has had on me because a lot of Ketoul’s arguments crossed over with many of the struggles we have today with Human Rights, Race Relations, Transgender rights, Black Lives Matter and many other of the arguments that are being had today. I related to this story from the point of being a person who is Autistic. I was born Autistic and have a brain that operates in a different way than most people. Therefore I perceive the world in a different way from a social point of view as well as a sensory point of view. Because of this, there have been many instances in my life where I have been underestimated and othered by people that have failed to see that my unique perspective may hold value. Conversely, there have been times when I myself have undervalued or misunderstood other people. So if anything this episode illustrates how complex yet simple many of these issues are. And how the ability to have some self-reflection can be a very good thing.

The Acting

Yetide Badaki’s Neera Ketoul makes her closing statement to the Starfleet Court.

The acting in Ad Astra Per Aspera is outstanding. Yetide Badaki is fierce, forthright, and sexy as hell as Una’s Lawyer. She goes for the throat and prowls the Starfleet courtroom like a sleek wild cat toying with her prey. If I ever found myself in a similar situation to what Una-Chin Riley faces in this episode. I’d definitely want a Lawyer like Neera Ketoul fighting my corner as she cuts straight to it. 

There’s a brilliant scene where La’an fears that her personal logs about the day she found out about Una being an Illyrian might of somehow been taken by Starfleet brass. In this scene, Neera figures out that La’an who is a descendant of Khan Noonian Sigh fears that her genetic connection to him may make her turn bad someday. Neera tells La’an that this is something that she has been made to feel by Starfleet and humans in general. It’s a cracking scene and Badaki and Christina Chong do a brilliant job of selling it. It brilliantly illustrates that no matter whether we are Black, Mixed Race, Transgendered, Disabled, Neurodivergent/Autism/ADHD, or Other, we are what we are for good or for ill. Meaning whether we do good or bad it is our choice and not something that can be put on us by others. 

Overall

If I were to say that Ad Astra Per Aspera was an episode that moved me to tears with its many points about nuance and being in the margins. It would be a huge understatement. For me this episode goes right up there with the best Star Trek episodes such as the season two TNG episode ‘Measure of a Man’ and of course DS9’s ‘Far Beyond The Stars’ to name only two of many such Trek episodes that dealt with social issues. The whole case of Una-Chin Riley in this episode is reflective of many of the issues that are being discussed in the court of public opinion right now when it comes to Trans Rights, Black Lives Matter, and an abundance of other things.

This episode for me personally is one of the best-written Trek stories that I’ve seen in years and shows what the franchise can do when it’s at its best. Also, I want Yetide Badaki in my corner if I ever find myself in trouble. She’s fierce.