Supernova, Part 1 (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Surrounded by the Federation armada, the crew attempts to stop their ship from destroying all of Starfleet.

Summary

Act One

On the bridge of the USS Dauntless, Commander Tysess speaks to Admiral Edward Jellico, who questions why Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway was declared medically unfit when she seemed perfectly fine when he spoke with her earlier. Jellico (after an advisement from Asencia) orders Tysess to take down the USS Protostar's shields and board that ship.

Meanwhile, the Protostar crew finds itself face to face with an armada of Starfleet ships, but are unable to open a hail because that would trigger the living construct weapon. Soon, Zero regains control of the ship by "hotwiring" it. Weaving in between the ships of the armada, the Protostar is able to evade "enemy" fire. Dal R'El tries to encourage the crew by saying they'll all laugh about this when they're at Starfleet Academy. Gwyn, discreetly, stops Rok-Tahk from telling Dal that he won't be able to join.

Unfortunately, their shields drop and Gwyn goes to the armory to get weapons to use against the boarding party. However, Dal stops her, arguing that firing against Starfleet officers will look bad on her Academy application. Gwyn begins to break the bad news to Dal, but he misreads the situation and impulsively kisses her. Surprised, Gwyn asks what he's doing and then breaks the news that he won't be able to join Starfleet because of the Augment ban. Stunned for a moment, he takes her weapon, and says that, while he might not be able to join, he's going to make sure the others have the opportunity.

On the Dauntless, Admiral Janeway tries to convince the ensign standing guard outside the brig that Starfleet is in imminent danger. When Janeway tells the guard that she can be trusted, the officer turns around and says that she knows she can. The ensign doesn't expect Janeway to remember her, because nine years earlier when she was just a child, she was one of the twelve Brenari refugees that USS Voyager hid from the Devore and had sent through a wormhole in the Delta Quadrant. The ensign is only alive now because of Janeway's actions. The officer releases Janeway, who rushes to the bridge.

Act Two

Meanwhile, Asencia enters the transporter room and immobilizes the Starfleet boarding party. The Diviner and Drednok arrive, and the three transport to the Protostar themselves. On the Protostar, Dal orders Gwyn to stay on the bridge, while the rest of the crew try to prevent the boarding party from ever reaching it. However, Drednok overpowers the kids in close-combat, using both a stun bomb and a gravity mine to trap them and keep them from moving. When Murf tries to stop Drednok by attacking him, Drednok literally freezes him.

At the same time, Asencia and The Diviner arrive on the bridge, where Asencia immediately disables Hologram Janeway. Concerned about his loyalty to his daughter, Asencia locks The Diviner in the subdeck with the living construct. Stepping out of hiding, Gwyn confronts Asencia and demands that she leave, but Asencia, armed with her own Vau N'Akat heirloom, engages Gwyn in a vicious sword fight. Though Gwyn is able to land a blow that leaves a scar on Asencia's face, Asencia gets the upper hand, while calling Gwyn a "mistake that shouldn't exist".

Suddenly, The Diviner escapes from the subdeck, and Asencia uses Gwyn as a hostage to control him. However, he uses his mind to send Gwyn's heirloom towards Asencia's face. Unfortunately, she catches it and throws it right back at him, straight into his abdomen, landing a fatal blow. Gwyn cradles her father as he dies and evaporates around her.

Elsewhere on the ship, the rest of the crew are still pinned down by Drednok's attacks. Rok, who had fallen on top of Jankom Pog, engages in some quick thinking and uses Jankom's multi-mitt torch to melt the frozen Murf, who frees Zero from the stun bomb, leaving Zero able to free Dal, who knocks the gravity mine away from Rok and Jankom. They all rush to the bridge just in time to watch The Vindicator escape using Drednok as an escape pod. Unfortunately, before her escape, she sends out a hail from the Protostar– thus activating the living construct.

Act Three

On the Dauntless, Janeway makes it to the bridge, but it's too late – the entire armada has begun firing at one another. At the same time, it seems the universal translator has also been knocked out, not only on the Protostar, but for the entire armada. Luckily, Gwyn knows several languages and, after comforting a frightened Rok and Jankom, contacts the admiral to volunteer as a translator for the fleet.

On the Protostar, Dal suggests that, since the living construct only affects Starfleet vessels, they should ask others for help. Admiral Janeway soon concurs, stating that there may be some non-Starfleet allies who might be willing to lend a hand. Gwyn sends out a distress call and successfully contacts a Klingon captain named Trij, who agrees to render aid. Soon, other ships arrive, including a Petarian bulk freighter, a Ferengi D'Kora-class Marauder, a Vulcan Suurok-class vessel, and a Gorn trading vessel, that attempt to deflect phaser and torpedo blasts so that Starfleet personnel can be beamed off the ships.

Unfortunately, since Starfleet vessels automatically send out distress calls when they are under attack, more and more Starfleet vessels begin arriving at the scene. Each new ship immediately becomes infected by the living construct as well, leaving them in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Memorable quotes

"Good thing Admiral Janeway can set this straight."
"Uh, about that. I may have tarnished her reputation a bit. They think she's crazy. I'd be surprised if they believe anything she says."

- Gwyn and Dal

"Evasive maneuvers, Z."
"Already read your mind."

- Dal and Zero

"They may be many, but we're fast, so let's show it off."

- Dal's plan to escape the armada

"Jankom calls that maneuver the Slippery Dipsy-Doodle!"
"Great work! Except for that name!"

- Jankom and Dal

"That sound is our entire fleet raining down on one ship. If we open comms with the Protostar, those same weapons will turn on us. If you knew me at all, you'd know you could trust what I'm saying."
"You're wrong, Admiral. I do know you. Back you commanded Voyager, you lied to the Devore people when they were searching for illegal refugees onboard."
"Yes. The refugees were innocent and unarmed. That was a long time ago."
"Not to me. I know you don't recognize me. I was much smaller then. But I was one of those Brenari refugees you helped escape through the wormhole. I'm alive because of you."
"I'm so glad to have met you. Again."

- Janeway and the Brenari Ensign

"Dal, what are you doing?"
"We all deserve to belong somewhere. But if I can't join Starfleet, I'll make sure you guys can."

- Gwyn and Dal, as the latter prepares to confront the expected Starfleet boarding party

"Starfleet left my people to tear ourselves apart. And now, I will watch your Federation do the same."

- Asencia, broadcasting to the fleet

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. I tried to save our world. Your world. I wanted you to see it."
"I can, father. I will."
"Maybe you can unify them... do what I never could."
"I don't know where Solum is. I don't know how to do that!"
"There's no barrier we cannot overcome, for you are my daughter, my spirit's song, my Gwyndala."

- The Diviner and Gwyn

"My father had me study languages to pit species against each other. Instead, I can bring them together."

- Gwyn

"...They've lost control of their ships, and it won't stop until Starfleet destroys themselves. I am requesting your aid in our immediate assistance, and help relaying this message to all our non-Federation allies. We beg you. Your transports, your freights, your shields. Anything that will slow the attack Starfleet is inflicting upon itself."
"And why should I help?"
"Because in the infinite of space, everyone needs to know there is a place out there willing to accept us all, no matter how different we think we are. Without Starfleet, the Federation crumbles, and that dream dies with it. If they've ever helped you as they helped us, then hear my words. Allies, civilians, outsiders, anyone. Starfleet needs you now, or it will not survive."

- Gwyn and Trij

"Starfleet, the mighty Trij offers you salvation! Prepare to beam out."

- Trij

"There's nothing we can do. We can't warp away; we can't stop the signal. It's annihilation."

- Gwyn

Background information

Title

The title was announced by Paramount+ on 25 October 2022. [1]

Production

The episode was released on 25 November 2022 on CANAL+ online in Poland ahead of US release.

Continuity

This episode features the appearance of several known starships, including the USS Defiant, USS Centaur, and USS Thunderchild.
- It also introduces and "canonizes" the formerly presumptive Sovereign-class prototype USS Sovereign.
- The Sovereign-class model used carries the USS Enterprise-E's registry number on the back nacelles.
- The USS Sovereign itself appears in several scenes before it warps in and is infected with the construct.
The arrival of Ferengi and Gorn ships to protect the Starfleet vessels indicates, that as of 2384, the Ferengi Alliance and the Gorn Hegemony officially consider themselves allied to the Federation.
Janeway is released from her holding cell by a former Brenari child, one of the twelve Brenari refugees she saved from the Devore in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Counterpoint". The two reference the events of that episode in their conversation with each other with Janeway showing that she still remembers what happened even nine years later.

Links and references

Cast

Rylee Alazraqui as Rok-Tahk
Dee Bradley Baker as
- Murf
- Bridge Officer
Brett Gray as Dal
Angus Imrie as
- Zero
- Crew Member
Ella Purnell as Gwyn
Jason Mantzoukas as Jankom Pog
John Noble as The Diviner
Jimmi Simpson as Drednok

And

Kate Mulgrew as "Hologram Janeway / Vice Admiral Janeway"
Jason Alexander as Doctor Noum
Ronnie Cox as Admiral Jellico
Daveed Diggs as Commander Tysess
Bonnie Gordon as
Jameela Jamil as Asencia
Ben Thomas as
Debra Wilson as Captain Trij

Uncredited co-stars

Brook Chalmers as Rok-Tahk (speaking the Brikar language)

Background characters

Orion sciences ensign
Starfleet officers on attacking ship

Previous episode:

"Mindwalk"

Star Trek: Prodigy

Season 1

Next episode:

"Supernova, Part 2"