Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 7 – “What Is Starfleet?”Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 7 examines Starfleet and the USS Enterprise’s purpose through the lens of documentary filmmaker Umberto “Beto” Ortegas (Mynor Luken). Directed by Sharon Lewis and written by Kathryn Lyn and Alan B. McElroy, “What Is Starfleet?” is a breathtakingly innovative and provocative episode filled with ingenious editing and unique POVs never seen before in Star Trek.
Beto Ortegas, the younger brother of Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), was granted unprecedented access to the inner workings of the Starship Enterprise and its crew. Beto filmed his documentary throughout his prior appearances in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. However, Beto’s film, “What Is Starfleet?” casts a harsher light on the Enterprise than expected.
“What Is Starfleet?” documents a challenging mission for the Starship Enterprise. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is under orders to help the Lutani in their war with the Kasar. Complicating matters is the Lutani’s history of aiding enemies of the United Federation of Planets, like the Klingons. Worse, the Lutani intend to weaponize a creature called the Jikaru against the Kasar.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 7 Ends In Tragedy
The focus of the Starship Enterprise’s crew shifts to trying to communicate with, understand, and protect the Jikaru. The bioluminescent “space dragon” is revealed to be a sentient being that no longer wants to be the weapon of the Lutani. Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) is seriously injured in his attempts to talk to the Jikaru, as is Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush).
Tragically, the Jikaru decides to take its own life. The creature flies into the sun and commits suicide. It’s a heartbreaking ending that deeply affects Captain Pike and his entire USS Enterprise crew. As Starfleet’s officers gained greater knowledge about the Jikaru, Pike’s mission changed to protecting it from the Lutani, but the beast made its own choice.
What Beto Ortegas Learns About Starfleet & Why It’s Important
“What Is Starfleet?” is revealed to be Beto Ortegas’ episode, narratively driven by his probing questions about the true purpose of Starfleet and its flagship, the USS Enterprise. Disturbed by Beto’s questioning and motivation, Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) realized Beto had an agenda. Ortegas was angry and held Starfleet responsible for the near death of his sister, Erica.
Lt. Erica Ortegas was seriously injured by the Gorn in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3’s premiere, “Hegemony, Part 2,” and is still coping with trauma from her ordeal.
However, what Beto’s cameras uncovered was the quality of the Starship Enterprise’s crew. Captain Pike and his personnel are Starfleet’s best and brightest; they are professionals who are genuinely compassionate individuals. As seen in the warm dinner gathering in Pike’s quarters, the Enterprise’s crew are a family.
Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley’s own narration upended Beto Ortegas’ initial thesis about Starfleet as “colonizers” and the Federation as “an empire.” Number One summed up the true purpose of Starfleet and the USS Enterprise, to bring the Federation’s light into the darkest corners of the galaxy. Space is cold and dangerous, and the Enterprise must defend itself when necessary, but theirs is a mission of peace.
“What Is Starfleet?” is the first time since Star Trek: Discovery season 1 that Starfleet was so rigorously examined. The first season of Discovery attempted to deconstruct what Starfleet means to modern audiences, plunging it through its darkest chapters, until Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) reclaimed Starfleet’s highest virtues in a stirring speech in Star Trek: Discovery‘s season 1 finale.
Ultimately, Beto Ortegas was heartened that his sister dedicated her life to a noble cause. While Starfleet makes mistakes, it’s not defined by its doctrines or its orders, but by the people who wear its uniforms. Starfleet is only as good as its people, and the Starship Enterprise is crewed by the finest and bravest souls the galaxy has to offer.
Where Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 7 Leaves Uhura’s First Romance
Beto Ortegas was introduced as a love interest to Ensign Uhura, and their flirtation continued throughout Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Nyota and Beto gained a greater mutual understanding in “What Is Starfleet?” Ortegas learned about Uhura’s tragic loss of her family, and Nyota was stunned that one of her only friends from Starfleet Academy died on the USS Cayuga in Strange New Worlds season 2’s finale.
In turn, Uhura saw the depth of Beto’s love for his sister, and his inner torment that Starfleet “took her away” and she nearly died because of her dedication to duty. Uhura and Beto look to have grown closer in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 7, because they asked hard questions of each other and came away with honest answers.
Fans of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) recall Lt. Uhura (Zoe Saldana) had a romance with Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) in the alternate Kelvin timeline. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ Prime timeline, however, Beto Oretgas is Uhura’s first canonical love interest. Strange New Worlds is still developing their relationship, and it remains to be seen if Nyota and Beto will take any next steps together.
Dr. M’Benga’s Starfleet Past Raises Questions
Beto Ortegas’ floating drone cameras and his confrontational questions shed light on several crew members like Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley and Lieutenant La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), but Beto’s documentary surprisingly probed the past of Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun).
Starfleet shockingly granted Beto access to Dr. M’Benga’s files so that the filmmaker was left with more questions than answers. After all, why were most of the activities of the USS Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer in the Klingon War redacted? M’Benga lied to Beto and his cameras, claiming “I do not recall,” when asked about “The Ghost” and “Protocol 12,” Joseph’s Klingon-fighting super soldier serum.
“What Is Starfleet?” was commissioned by Starfleet, and Beto’s access was granted by the organization, including Dr. M’Benga’s redacted history. It’s unknown who the audience is for “What Is Starfleet” in-universe, but the USS Enterprise’s primary physician distubringly comes off as suspicious at best, and a liar at worst.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may be further setting the stage for the eventual removal of Dr. M’Benga as the Chief Medical Officer of the Federation’s flagship, especially if answers to the questions Beta Ortegas’ documentary raised are pursued.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
