4. Cassandra

A distress call brings the Enterprise face to face with Cassandra, a woman convinced she can see the future and determined to hold Starfleet accountable for a disaster she believes is inevitable.

As Cassandra’s predictions begin to come true, Captain Kirk is forced to confront uncomfortable questions about responsibility, guilt, and whether belief in fate can become a danger in itself. Xon’s cautious analysis clashes with Cassandra’s certainty, while Decker represents the institutional voice of Starfleet as Kirk grapples with the personal weight of command.

In this episode of The Phase 2 Rewatch, Greg Westlake breaks down a Kirk-centric story with strong T.O.S. roots, explores how Phase II balances mysticism with procedure, and highlights the growing use of bridge ensemble moments to keep familiar faces present even when they’re not driving the plot. The discussion also looks at how Phase II begins to settle into its rhythm as a weekly television series.

Original air date: Friday, October 7, 1977