Rhapsody in Trauma
Can Star Trek Sing us into Beauty?
Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Two, Episodes Eight and Nine
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW) has been incredibly entertaining this season; it walks a wonderful balance of nostalgic original series vibes with storytelling like The Next Generation. As I watched episode nine Subspace Rhapsody, I felt that episode eight Under the Cloak of Waris part one of a two part arc with nine. The Cloak of War introduced the harmful and traumatic effects of war upon the combatants, support personnel, and populations caught between those waging war. Subspace Rhapsody more than being a simple musical episode, introduced the idea that all creatures turn to music and other beauty when emotions are high. It is that truth which binds the two episodes.
In Cloak of War we are given flashbacks for Doctor M’Benga and Nurse Chapel who were medical personnel in a particularly brutal conflict in the Federation’s war with the Klingon Empire. They continue to have flashbacks due to the presence of a former Klingon commander turned Federation Ambassador, Dak’Rah who had been dubbed “The Butcher” for not only ordering the killing of civilians, but of the killing of his own commanders to escape. The tension felt by those who fought in the war increases as the episode progresses. The twist is that it was Dr. M’Benga who actually killed the Kilngon commanders in an attack fueled by a drug he had created for soldiers. Much of M.Benga’s trauma was due to both the horrors he saw and the horrors he committed. Ultimately, that tension is too much for M’Benga and he and Dak’Rah get into an altercation that leads to the death of Dak’Rah. It is determined to be self-defense by M’Benga, but from the audience’s viewpoint, the truth of that conflict is unknown.
This episode is followed by Subspace Rhapsody in which a subspace stream is being studied as a way to speed communications across space. When Spock and Uhura send a song through to the anomaly in an attempt to test music, a strange subspace wave impacts the Enterprise. Because the song sent through is Cole Porter’s Anything Goes the subspace wave causes a strange side effect, everyone breaks into song when their emotions run high. The crew begins singing their confusion and we have a musical episode. While it may seem cliche, the episode is one that deals with relationships and even the trauma felt by many on the crew. La’an, the Security Officer, believes that the musical effect is a severe security threat because when the crew sing, they sing their deepest thoughts out loud. In an effort to end the reality the in which Enterprise finds itself entangled, they attempt to send a harmonic wave back into the subspace stream to shut it down. Instead of shutting the reality down, it quickly begins spreading across subspace communication channels in the Federation and eventually the Klingon Empire.
This sets up the main crisis. The Klingons who feel their honor is being destroyed by the musical effect are determined to destroy the anomaly; an action the Enterprise crew has already determined would destroy any vessel impacted by the musical reality. Up to this point all of the songs have been driven by the emption of loss, conflict, or separation. In a moment of frustration, we see Uhura left alone by Spock to look for patterns in the songs. Uhura’s solo feature is a beautiful song telling her story of looking and ultimately finding one of her purposes. It is Uhura who makes connections across the crew as the Communications Officer. This realization leads to her discovery that when the crew sings, it adds energy to the anomaly. If they can get a certain level of energy within the anomaly, they can destroy it. Uhura tells them that although song can cause separation, it is also that which can bring people together in communal way. She mentions worship, celebration and ways that song brings people together. They need a “grand finale” with layers and layers of melodies and harmonies. Captain Pike and Spock tell Uhura she is the only one who can inspire the crew to sing as one in that grand finale.
Uhura leads the crew and the energy begins to spike. Across the ship, he crew begins to come together with the purpose of being a group pointed toward something good. When they need a spike, we even get a comedic Klingon break as Pike has the incoming Klingon ship hailed. I did not see the Klingons as a boy band singing “Why you always callin us when you got your dramas?” with autotune, but it was a genius move. It is here where we see Uhura saving the day. Uhura realizes that she can be the badass that Ensign Mariner from the future calls her in episode seven. The day is saved by the crew working with one purpose and in communion with one another in song.
As musicals go, the episode was great in my opinion. I also love that the Star Trek show runners have been taking risks and continue to entertain and show us a better future. In many ways that is the way that the Church should be. Rather than a disparate group of people separated by sectarian concerns and conflicts, we should be a group pointed toward God and inviting others into our story. Of course there are visions of God and the Church that are harmful and even cause trauma. But the vast majority of human beings who believe in God would most likely respond to the vision of a God who is present and working in the world in order to make all things new. Maybe, just maybe, those who don’t know or have never experienced this vision of God would come to see the beauty of the story of a God who does not leave us to our own devices, but comes alongside us in solidarity and love. My prayer is that we be the people who point to that God rather than a God we shape in terms of power and control. May we be a people who can sing as one.