Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 5
"Through the Lens of Time"
Writer: Onitra Johnson, Davy Perez
Director: Andi Armaganian
Cast: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn
This week's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, "Through the Lens of Time," starts with the thrill of adventure before diving headfirst into cosmic horror — and what a ride it is. What begins as an exciting quest for immortality quickly twists into a tense, heart wrenching ordeal that tests the Enterprise crew's emotional and physical limits.
The episode opens on a hopeful note as Dr. Korby arrives aboard the Enterprise with an electrifying theory: hidden in the ruins of a lost civilization on Vadia Nine lies technology that could unlock the secret to eternal life. This sparks an archaeological mission led by Christine Chapel, accompanied by Korby, the wide-eyed and eager Ensign Dana Gamble (whose enthusiasm for exploration and discovery is downright infectious), Beto Ortegas, and Lieutenant Uhura.
But things quickly darken. While exploring the ruins, Gamble discovers a mysterious glowing orb that basically screams "Don't touch me!" Naturally, curiosity wins. His impulsive reach triggers a scorching explosion that leaves him instantly — and brutally — blinded. Thus, the tone flips sharply from lighthearted fun to a pulse-pounding nightmare.
Back on the Enterprise, Dr. M'Benga's desperate efforts to save Gamble carry deep personal weight. His fondness for the young ensign makes the scans revealing irreversible brain damage all the more gut-wrenching. The limits of even their advanced science become painfully clear — and heartbreakingly human.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team presses deeper into the temple's twisting corridors, blending Indiana Jones-style thrills with sci-fi complexity. Chapel, La'An, Spock, Korby, Uhura, and Beto navigate deadly traps and cryptic puzzles that feel both familiar yet eerily alien — as if Temple of Doom were somehow being warped by unseen cosmic menace.
One of the episode's standout moments comes when the crew accidentally triggers a dimensional anomaly that scatters them across overlapping realities. Suddenly trapped in separate planes that defy normal space and time, they must rely on each other's unique skills and trust to navigate these fragmented worlds and reunite. This inventive twist adds a strong cognitive layer to the episode and does a nice job of deepening the team's bonds amidst the creeping dread.
At the core of this mystery is the Vezda — an ancient parasitic entity linked to the ruins and those myths of resurrection and immortality. It's infecting Gamble, turning the once hopeful miracle into a nightmare. M'Benga soon faces a devastating truth: the young man he cares for is gone, replaced by something alien and far more malevolent. The Vezda taunts him with memories of Rukiya, the daughter he was forced to let go, raising the emotional stakes and amplifying the horror.
The episode delivers a clever blend of mind-bending sci-fi and edge-of-your-seat adventure, including a memorable scene that sees the team forced to cross a rift where cause and effect seem reversed. Think quantum physics meets a booby-trapped jungle temple. This fusion of cerebral challenge and classic thrills is exciting to watch and kept this writer hooked from the get-go.
In the climax, Scotty traps the Vezda in a containment orb and beams it into the ship's pattern buffer, which is now serving as a high-tech prison. But just when relief sets in, the parasite's corruption sneaks into the Enterprise's systems — undoubtedly setting the stage for future conflict, while also offering a chilling reminder that some shadows refuse to be locked away.
For M'Benga, the loss cuts deep. His fatherly bond with Gamble, layered with the past wounds of losing his daughter, grounds the plot in raw human grief. The result is more than a simple sci-fi thriller — it's a poignant meditation on love, loss, and the high price of reaching too far.
That said, I will say that I found "Through the Lens of Time" to be one the weaker episodes this season. It juggles a lot — multiple emotional arcs, complex puzzles, looming ancient evil, hints of romance, and Beto's documentary-style drone footage. At times it feels overcrowded, with some ideas not fully given the space they deserve. But even with those flaws, the episode still manages to hold your attention through sheer energy, strong performances, and bold visual storytelling. The layers of mystery, horror, and emotion give it more depth than your average sci-fi outing, and the risks keep the season feeling fresh and engaging.
All told, "Through the Lens of Time" is a gripping, tragic adventure. It channels the pulse and spirit of Indiana Jones, darkened by cosmic horror and haunted by the cost of chasing the unattainable. Ensign Gamble's infectious wonder, his shocking fate, and M'Benga's profound grief make this episode unforgettable — leaving viewers to ponder the true price of eternity, and the scars forever etched in time.
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