212. Gamer Gorn Girlfriend (SNW 3.09)

Anika and Liz get sucked into a wormhole and trapped on a moon orbiting a gas giant, which is actually pretty standard when you're adults with jobs trying to organise a board game night. We're discussing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 3, episode 9, "Terrarium", an episode which comes so close to being good before it snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. 

• "We're going to give you the stories you've been asking for since season 1, and then we're gonna end it with a twist that makes it all totally meaningless! Hurray!"
• Good news, Akiva Goldsman finally watched "Arena"! Next question, did he, um, understand it? 
• Anika has notes on Metron experiment design
• The AUDACITY of SNW criticising the Gorn for ableism
• This was an opportunity to let Uhura become a more complex and flawed character, but unfortunately Pike is bad at his job (and so are the writers)
• Is La'an actually psychologically fit for starship duty? 
• Why are we making fun of Spock's weight? Why is this whole season so dedicated to bullying Spock? 
• Endangering 4,000 people including children: that's the Christopher Pike way
• But seriously, why does Uhura have sole responsibility for this problem? Why is Pike setting her up to fail?