IR TV Review: STAR TREK - STRANGE NEW WORLDS - EPISODE 4 (“A Case Of Chiaroscuro”) [Paramount+-S4]

"Strange New Worlds" continues to play with many different concepts and genres as it continues its fourth season but also continues to set up its afterlife…if there is one With S4 Ep4 “A Case Of Chiaroscuro”, it uses the ideal motif of black and white and noir to approach a situation where Number One (Rebecca Romijn) shows what the Commander is made of. Her path shows a divergence maybe not unlike Ro in TNG but she is also very disciplined. On the edge of the Klingon border, the sun there makes everyone see in B&W giving the stylistic reason for being and of course this new world is lit like "Casablanca". Number One in addition to Dr. M’Benga and Uhura find themselves stuck on the edge of this Klingon-held planet and one of them is both a collaborator and a revolutionary. The story is an interesting play and brings to mind a prey/predator episode from Voyager many years ago.

M’Benga shows his striped and actor Babs Olusanmokun operates as a great spy/gumshoe here knowing the exact right things to say because he might know what is coming while Uhura is more a deer-in-the-headlights whom he helps. Again it points to later possibilities but M'Benga was secondary later on the Enterprise (though I am sure next season will try to explain that). Number One plays the idea through and like TNG, SNW is being better about giving everyone their own episodes (though the episode count is much smaller now). The Klingon commander on the planet is also interesting and plays a long game (and yet reminds one of Tuvix - again from Voyager). The lighting and key spots are also so keyed which points to the meaning of the title which reflects light and dark in the tinge of emotional drama. "Chiaroscuro" doesn’t carry the weight of Ep 1 this season since it is smaller in scope but like all the episodes so far this season gives the viewers something to think about. 83% (B)

By Tim Wassberg