As we wait for Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery, CBS is giving us some stellar content to tide us over until January 2019. On October 4th, the first Star Trek: Short Treks – a stand-alone series that follows the characters of Discovery – was released. “Runaway” focused around engineer Sylvia Tilly and her interactions with an alien runaway named Po. While it may be a “short,” it wasn’t short on emotion or good storytelling. I didn’t expect a 15-minute episode to hit me so hard in the feels!
Tilly meets an alien runaway (CBS All Access)
Synopsis: On board the U.S.S. Discovery, Ensign Tilly encounters an unexpected visitor in need of help. However, this unlikely pair may have more in common than meets the eye.
When people watch movies or shows involving space, we can sometimes forget that these are people (or aliens) who also experience everyday normal things, such as dealing with parents or insecurity about starting something new. One of my favorite things about Star Trek, in general, is the ability for characters and their stories to be relatable despite the extraterrestrial setting. Without giving too much away (because you’ll want to experience this for yourself), the discussion about the command training program between Tilly and her mother is a perfect example. While her mother meant well, her “concerns” didn’t help Tilly’s insecurities.
The emotional depth further shined when Tilly later connected with Po by saying, “When the people who are supposed to care about you don’t listen to you, it’s– it’s frightening, it’s lonely, and it makes you feel like you’re crazy or like you’re, like, not even there.” The unlikely pair helped each other face their fears and it’s these moments that really keep me invested in Star Trek. Who doesn’t love watching alien battles or planetary disasters? But the truth is we really all come back for the characters we love and the connections we feel to their stories.
Favorite quotes:
Computer: “Ill-advised, that amount of caffeine is not…”
Tilly: “…is my best friend, so shush.”
“People stop listening after the word ‘queen.’”
I’m excited to see what comes next in the Star Trek: Short Treks series because the 15 minutes don’t feel rushed and they let us explore different sides of our favorite characters.
Until then, live long and prosper.
Short Treks’ next installment, “Calypso,” airs November 8th on CBS All Access.
