SPOILER WARNING
The season 1 finale for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives this week. We have details and photos in addition to the previously released video previews.
“A Quality of Mercy”
Strange New Worlds episode 10 is titled “A Quality of Mercy,” and the previews indicate it will focus on Captain Pike with some major connections to Trek canon. It was written by co-showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman, and directed by Chris Fisher. SNW 110 debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 7th.
Synopsis:
In the season 1 finale, just as Captain Pike thinks he’s figured out how to escape his fate, he’s visited by his future self, who shows him the consequences of his actions.
Photos:
Anson Mount as Pike and Melanie Scrofano as Captain Batel of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike and Melanie Scrofano as Captain Batel of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Melanie Scrofano as Captain Batel of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Ethan Peck as Spock, Anson Mount as Pike, and Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Ethan Peck as Spock, Anson Mount as Pike, Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk, and Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, Anson Mount as Pike, Melissa Navia as Ortegas, and Rong Fu as Mitchell of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Melissa Navia as Ortegas and Rong Fu as Mitchell of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Melissa Navia as Ortegas and Rong Fu as Mitchell of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Ethan Peck as Spock of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Anson Mount as Pike of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Trailer
Paramount+ released the trailer for the finale on social media. (It is also available on StarTrek.com.)
Pike and the crew of the Enterprise face an unprecedented threat which could change the Federation forever in the season finale of #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds! pic.twitter.com/NAVzz17Jga
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) July 2, 2022
Clips
There are more clues about the finale in the clip released as part of The Ready Room, which you can watch below.
IGN also has an exclusive clip from the finale
More to come
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debut on Thursdays exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, Australia and the Nordics. The series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada. In New Zealand, it is available on TVNZ, and in India on Voot Select. Strange New Worlds will arrive via Paramount+ in select countries in Europe when the service launches later this year, starting with the UK and Ireland in June.
All episode photos by Marni Grossman/Paramount+
Between trailer, sneak peak and synopsis, we pretty much already know what the episode brings.
Given that the producers have resolved the M’Benga’s daughter arc, it seems that they intend to do the same with Pike’s arc. And that’s a good thing, on balance. This show could get bogged down with too many unresolved character arcs (e.g. Lost).
I actually would have been okay with keeping the arc with M’Benga around a little longer. I feel, there was some more potential there and I didn’t find the resolution that satisfying. That being said … if they do get rid of Pikes “arc” about knowing when he’s gonna die, that would improve the show a lot, since that’d be another Discovery holdover gone …
After Episode 8, I was left with the distinct impression that they came up with M’Benga’s arc without having an ending in mind. It’s just felt like “we’ve got to bring this to an end and…. this will do”
Aren’t Ortegas and Mitchell at the wrong bridge stations? (they seem to have flipped).
Love seeing Uhura in her non-cadet uniform.
Must have switched jobs in the “future”.
Same thing in GENERATIONS, wasn’t it? At the Helm, Ensign Sulu, but she’s seated at what I consider to be Chekov’s spot, not her dad’s. I think S&c switch spots on the BoP in TVH too.
Honestly don’t like that. I want his integrity as a starfleet officer to be the reason why he chooses to keep his fate, not some vision of a bad future.
But, the episode sounds and looks cool, I’m sure I’ll still enjoy it.
Really, Pike was a great captain in discovery before he found out about his future. Finding out about the future didn’t change that, and in the end, I don’t think that finding out that there’s no alternative to his destiny changes the type of man he is either. He simply human being trying to avoid death as long as possible. Once he sees that there is no avoiding it, I’m sure he will accept his fate with the same courage and bravery we have witnessed so far in SNW.
Based on the Ready Room clip, it looks like he isn’t changing the future for himself. He wants to save that kid who he knows is doomed.
Could also be some time loop/self fulfilling prophesy thing. Like, that his actions in trying to avoid things from happening are what actually sets the accident in motion. But if one of these kids never joins Starfleet it will be obvious that things can change.
Well, that synopsis is a huge spoiler, wish I had more discipline! But it seems like my canon concerns re Balance of Terror are moot. Clearly the alternate future moves up the Romulan incursion or Kirk never assumes command of the Enterprise.
Sounds about right. Remember, in the first sneak peak trailer, we saw Pike presiding over a wedding on the Enterprise. Right now the IMDB for this episode lists a “Farragut crew member” so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kirk commanding that ship (perhaps taking over after Pike’s girlfriend is killed).
Yeah I think we are getting Kirk in this episode now too. Now that we know it’s a time traveling Pike AND we told it would be a Captain Kirk appearing at some point, it would all make sense now. He’s Kirk from the future probably leading the Farragut in an alternate future. So fans can rest easy canon isn’t completely destroyed over it if that turns out to be case. ;)
It also appears that Kirk is a recurring character (at least) in season two. Christina Chong has spoken about working with him and we have seen spy pictures of the two of them on location.
Yep so true! I think whatever happens in this episode will probably play out for a few more. I really hated the idea Kirk would meet both Pike and a Noonien Sigh so soon. But I was going to stay opened minded until I saw it, but now it all makes sense! Again if it’s an alternate timeline thing but my early pessimism of Kirk showing up has turned into utter optimism over this idea now. They can really play with this story line and go big with it if goes into next season.
This is why I love time travel and alternate universe stories. The possibilities are endless. I actually THOUGHT we would get something like this in Picard in season 2, but sadly not even close. :(
You may be right that all this continues into season two. TV shows these days pretty much always finish out their seasons with cliffhangers.
I’ve heard that someone who has seen this episode called it “divisive.” Certainly, the synopsis Paramount provided doesn’t give any evidence of the episode being anything like that. But what if Pike decides not to listen to his future self, therefore setting up an alternate timeline for the rest of the series? That would be controversial.
Kirk and Spock meeting Laan does not indicate anything. When they encounter Khan in Space Seed, the first do not know he is Khan Singh, and once they do figure out it is him, and he is not long dead, they already know they have trouble. The last thing either of them would ever tell Khan – by the way, we have both worked with your great, great, granddaughter.
We’ll agree to disagree.
“And now.”
“My name is Khan.”
“Just Khan? Nothing more?”
“Khan.”
*later in the episode*
“Khan, as we know him today. Real name: Khan Noonien Singh.”
Working with La’an at any point has no bearing on these issues for either Kirk or Spock.
The point being Khan Noonien Singh was some guy they talked about in history’s past like they read about him in a book somewhere the way if we ran across Amelia Earhart alive today and not just worked with a direct descendant of hers for years on the same star ship we would have real intimate knowledge about.
I mean I wouldn’t know what Amelia Earhart actually looks like if I was working with someone directly related to her just a few years ago who was one of the most famous figures on Earth even if she told me her name was just Amelia? IDK, seems like I would know her face two minutes after seeing her in person because you’re working with her relative and probably talked about her at least a few times. Her first name would all I even need to know it was her. It feels and sounds totally disconnected because it is.
Look I get tired of these tedious discussions and crazy head splinting when I’m just talking basic common sense of these type of situations. So again, we’ll agree to disagree and move on. I’m not telling anyone to agree with me. I’m simply telling you why I don’t agree with you. It makes no logical sense on its head for me. OK?
Meant hair splitting and not head splinting lol.
They’ll fix all then in the updated TOS in several years.
This is why I don’t really worry about all these slight canon differences — they’ll be fixed to be made consistent when we get the update TOS later this decade.
And we are already getting revised Khan stuff anyway — the whole Khan Eugenics Wars has been moved to the mid-21st century now as part of WWIII, as the 1990’s thing was getting more laughable every year.
So for me, I’m not going to sweat the small stuff in SNW regarding relatively minor canon changes (in my opinion) as they are going to retcon it all anyway when they redo TOS.
I really hope there is no ‘updated’ TOS but maybe they will if there is one. This show is already feeling like an updated TOS lol. And especially as they pile on more TOS characters which we know they will.
And as I always say I don’t like this show any less due to canon issues. But I’m not going to pretend like it isn’t there either. I certainly didn’t for Discovery…but yeah not as much of a fan of that one I guess. Still I point anything out no matter what I think of the show itself. And actually proves I’m not biased lol.
Maybe they understood Kahn instead of Khan… hahahaha…
(german trekkers understand this joke)
Keep in mind the one promo picture, one of the first of Paul Wesley, was of him with Captain’s bars, and with the Delta insignia. That would seem to indicate he is on the bridge of the Enterprise. We have also seen him with Captain’s bars with a different insignia, possibly the Farragut.
My theory is that we will see both Kirks in this episode.
And hopefully Scotty in engineering.
That would be interesting if we got two Kirks lol. Time travel shenanigans in full throttle! I hope Scotty ISN’T there but I all but expect it at this point too.
I think the promo photo might be a red herring though. His uniform didn’t seem to fit all that well as if they’d just slapped Anson’s uniform on him for a casting shot.
That’s my theory though.
Well it says that Pike is from the future and and almost everyone in these pictures has had a promotion, so I don’t think the incursion was moved up, I think we’re seeing Pike in 2266 when BoT is meant to happen.
Me too…I couldn’t resist and know I already regret it… Maybe it just happens right at the beginning, but it spoils the surprise…
By the way, an interesting idea to remake an episode from a different point of view.
But WHAT IF this is also misleading and this isn’t future Pike but a Talosian giving him the illusion of it?!?
I’ve had that idea since I saw the trailer. And using the Talosians allows the producers to give Pike’s arc a kind of happy ending in that they can disclose to him that shortly after his accident, he goes to Talos IV and lives contentedly and free from pain.
Doesn’t really track, since Pike is blinking ‘no’ to all that is being done for him. Unless you’re saying it doesn’t matter what he blinks, he knows he’ll windup in the good place.
I thought he was always blinking 2x yes to confirm it! YES YES!
(easter egg of another non sci-fi-non-live-action-show. ;-)
The sheer level of smug of Sam Kirk’s face…I feel like Pike let him off a bit too easily in the last episode, after he had that outburst. I know him and Pike are supposed to be friends, but still.
TIME TRAVEL CONFIRMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So future Pike is pulling a future Janeway and will time travel to the past to talk himself out of a choice he made and change the future for the better! Will it be Pike from the relative near future of TOS or will it be closer to Endgame and it’s Pike decades later post TOS? And I guess Enterprise won’t be jumping into the future, those images are just ‘present day’ Enterprise in the TOS era? Makes more sense now.
So if I have this right, that means what we saw in Menagerie would actually be considered an altered timeline now? Since Pike of the past made a decision that kept the galaxy in one direction but then his future self talked him into changing it? Whatever, is it Thursday already?????
It’s possible, i suppose, that the Talosians send a healthy, illusory Pike to the “present” Pike, and that once Pike understands that he will ultimately live out his life on Talos IV in an illusion of good health (and with Vina), he finds it easier to accept his fate.
Yeah I can see that happening too that the Talosians and illusion Pike are back. But I do think it will probably just be future Pike showing up who dodged the accident, the Alpha Quadrant is paying for it and now everyone speaks Romulan. ;D
The more I think of it, though, the idea that Pike isn’t good enough to avert a cataclysmic war with the Romulans, that, in fact, only Kirk could do that, kind of lessens his character.
Have I missed something, the Kirk we have seen is Sam and not James T. Am I correct?
Correct. The Kirk in the blue shirt with the moustache is Samuel Kirk, James’ brother
Maybe Kirk was at the Battle of the Binary stars and knows the lessons learned there.
Yes, he gives them a Kirkian salute.
Pike has largely avoided conflict during the first season of SNW; the way he outsmarts the pirates in The Serene Squall is a good example of how he has tended to eschew active conflict in favor of more non-violent solutions. Kirk was always portrayed as more of a man of action and didn’t shy away from using violence to get the job done. Maybe that distinction is what forces him to accept that someone else must be in command of the Enterprise to deal with the Romulans in BoT and avert war.
Wasn’t that the main difference between Kirk and Pik…Picard anyway, who was supposed to be more like Pike?
Which Romulan dialect? According to Uhura there are more…
Dude…
Sounds like it could be a great episode i just hope it’s better than the previous 2 episodes which i found to be a bit disappointing imo especially when they dropped the Hammer on Hemmer….Anyway looking forward to Thursday and i hope we find out soon which Trek show is coming up next. I hope it’s Lower Decks.
I think this is going to be a much stronger episode than the last two just based on the premise. I didn’t hate the last two as others but definitely the weakest out of the bunch for me. But I think the finale is going to end strong and have us talking where it’s all going next season.
And fully agree, I hope Lower Decks is next too! Let’s keep the goodwill train going! :)
Question on ranks and rank insignias:
I realize this is probably an alternate future situation for our crew, but how does ranking insignia work?
On TOS: the gold bands on the ends of the sleeves were: no band = ensign, one band = Lt., One solid + one dashed band = Lt. Cmr.; Two solid bands = Cmdr.; Two solid + one dashed band = captain.
Is it the same here?
Hard to say. There seem to be some consistency issues for sure. But let’s not forget lieutenant, junior grade (one dashed stripe) seen (as far as I remember) only on Joe Tormolen in The Naked Time.
Since Pike remaining would prevent Kirk from taking over, maybe all of these Time Travel shenanigans are a segue into introducing Kirk? Maybe Future Pike somehow shows his past self how the future is SUPPOSED to play out with Kirk?
Thinking more about it, it sounds like a mix between Endgame and Shockwave. I mentioned Endgame in another post but how future Janeway came back to talk her past self into changing history by bringing Voyager home sooner. But it sounds more like Shockwave and we saw what happened to the future of the Alpha Quadrant when Archer was pulled out of time and didn’t create the Federation which caused a lot of harm. He had to be convinced by Daniels why staying on Enterprise was important to future history. Sounds like the same idea here too!
Plot twist: Alternate future Pike is…. THE FUTURE GUY from ENT! Tada! Now you have it! :-P
You know what, if they found a logical way it could work, I wouldn’t be mad about it at all. ;)
Not a bad idea
That’s what I’m thinking. He’s talking to Sam in some of the pictures, so I’m guessing that he’s asking him about his brother, and he’s going to want to meet Kirk to see what kind of man his successor is. Presumably he will never tell Kirk why he is interested in him though.
“In the season one finale, just as Captain Pike thinks he’s figured out how to escape his fate, he’s visited by his future self, who shows him the consequences of his actions.”
Ahhhhhhhh…this makes sense. Those who called it a ‘what-if’ scenario were right. Seems like Chris might not be as good in combat as James.
Lack of experience from the Klingon war maybe? Though Balance of Terror wasn’t really much combat or maybe Pike has the pull to call up an armada where Kirk didn’t.
I wonder if Pike chooses not to follow the Romulan ship into the Neutral Zone (he has tended to avoid active conflict during the first season). If so, that might embolden the Romulans into attacking the Federation (which would tie into their plan in BoT) and lead to that scene of the Enterprise with the Armada.
“In the season one finale, just as Captain Pike thinks he’s figured out how to escape his fate, he’s visited by his future self, who shows him the consequences of his actions.”
Pike: Joseph, I’ve got someone here who needs to be held in transporter stasis for about 7-8 years.
M’Benga: This person looks a lot like you. Why it is–
Pike: Just do what I say. I’ll let him out when the time is right, he’s going to have to do an inspection tour with some cadets when he’s let out.
M’Benga: …
That would be an excellent use of a Mirror Pike.
I’m really interested in how the title relates to this. Who ends up on the giving and receiving end of “mercy”.
If the Pike from the future is wheelchair-bound, I wonder if actor Sean Kenney will play the older, future Pike just as he played the wheelchair-bound Pike from Menageries of TOS.
Wouldn’t they just have Mount in the wheelchair again like he was in Discovery? It’s the same Pike. Why would you use a totally different actor who looks nothing like him?
If I wanted to be sarcastic, I would point out that this is exactly what they did in Star Trek (2009) with Spock, ha! But of course, Nimoy’s creds as Spock were just a tad bit more than Kenney’s as Pike ;-)
Actually that would be kind of cool to involve him. Not sure what he looks like now given he’d be about 80 I think?
I see the producers are still obsessed with tweaking uniforms! The rank stripes on the cuffs are no longer the shirt color which was hard to see (except on the golds), but are now gold regardless of the shirt like in TOS. It looks far better like this.
Then there’s the Uhura uniform which is yet another SNW variant, and closer to the TOS ladies’ version. I’m not as big a fan of this change. Maybe they are going to gradually change the uniforms to look more like TOS as the seasons go on.
Yeah okay but enough with the Pike and the apron and the waffles and pancakes and omelettes and riblettes and bacon and Reubens and hash browns and meatlof and sitcom dad quips with the safe space pompadour … getting to be embarrassing at this point … but I guess that is The Kurtzman Formula …
I mean, you can update Pike without making him half Neelix …
LOL Pike is the ultimate dad Captain! I bet everyone probably gets cookies on the bridge every day he bakes for them! ;D
Picard certainly isn’t baking anyone any damn pancakes or waffles!
Crepes.
He did have wine though…
Why does watching SNW always make me hungry?
Ok. wow. that episode was amazing.
Totally Agree!
BRING ON SEASON 2!
I always like to read very brief impressions of an upcoming episode without any details. That was all I needed to know. Will have to wait until 9pm ET up here north of the border.
As someone once said way back in 1966, “Thanks for the look ahead!”
The season finale will not disappoint you! Talkin about underpromise, but over deliver! All I can say is that I wish the writers were in charge of the kelvin universe. They can make a better storytelling and reinterpretation better! Can’t wait for season 2. And please more episodes when doing future seasons. 10 episodes for just a season is really shortchanged.