Three years after the apparent death of James T. Kirk, Doctor Rosalind Lear petitions Starfleet for permission to travel to Ceti Alpha V. She wants to recover the logs of Lt. Marla McGivers (Wrenn Schmidt) and discover the truth about whether Khan’s people were maliciously abandoned on an unstable world. To get there, to her huge surprise, she finds herself working with Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), eager to exonerate his old captain.

This is one of those productions that’s quality however you cut it. Fred Greenhalt’s a phenomenal director and Kirsten Beyer and David Mack are iconic Trek authors who have shaped the perception and shape of multiple iterations of the show. As a result, the show crackles with confidence as it shifts between the two time periods and wears its fan service very lightly. Takei is typically great, as is Tim Russ as Ensign Tuvok but the new voices are absolutely their equal. Cassidy plays Dr Lear as the sort of focused, driven academic Trek loves. Schmidt, best known in these parts for her sterling work in For All Mankind, is even better as Marla McGivers. She carries a lot of this episode, as we see the untidy aftermath of her losing her defining Starfleet commission. She’s fierce, angry, grief-stricken, thrilled. The character from ‘Space Seed’ but also something more nuanced and interesting.

But the meat of the story is Khan’s, as it should be. Naveen Andrews is stunningly good as the genetically engineered despot, bringing his characteristic warmth to the role which make the terrible things he’s done even more intriguing. There’s a key moment here where he’s betrayed by a subordinate and… forgives him. Gives him a choice. It’s one another character quickly makes for them, but it’s an interesting precedent to set. This Khan welcomes the opportunity given to him. He has hope. As a result, we find ourselves bracing for the tragedy that’s coming and the radicalisation that will come from it. Crucially, we also see that Khan and Kirk were much closer in approach by the end of the episode than we thought. Khan is still a monster, but the door to redemption was opened to him and his people. He walked through it. it burned down. A monster rose from the ashes.  We’re going to listen to that happening.

Verdict: Khan is character-focused, well written and acted and feels like a bridge between classic Trek and the new. If you were worried about one of the greatest Star Trek stories of all time getting a sequel, don’t be. This is fantastic. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart

 

New episodes of Khan release every Monday through every major podcatcher. There are nine episodes planned for the first season. Find the trailer here: