Listen, if I see another “To Be Continued…”, it’ll be too soon. This week, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds aired an electrifying, edge-of-your-seat, wholly entertaining season finale. Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony,” starkly contrasts “Subspace Rhapsody” in the best way. It’s a high-octane outing that builds on the suspense without wall-to-wall action.
Those damn cliffhangers will haunt me for at least another year. We’ve got Batel’s life hanging in the balance, a Gorn war on the horizon, the Enterprise under attack and a handful of crew members (M’Benga, La’An and Ortegas) on a Gorn ship. Seriously, my girl La’An can’t catch a break. She’s about to be retraumatized because of this. Here’s hoping she utilizes the tools at her disposal to keep her head above water and protect her friends.
In honor of this week’s Scotty-rific and Gorn-ifying episode, here are my favorite quotes from “Hegemony.” Energize!
RELATED: Check out our recap for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony”
PIKE: “Well, I’ve seen them up close and personal, Bob, and they’re not hard to understand. They’re monsters.”
APRIL: “‘Monster’ is a word to describe those who don’t understand us.”
PIKE: “Sometimes, a monster is just a monster.”
Pike (Anson Mount) has a good point here. While Admiral April (Adrian Holmes) also makes an excellent case for smashing barriers between us and empathy, sometimes a monster really is a monster. There’s no justification, rhyme or reason for that monster’s heinous actions. People (and the Gorn) can be unadulterated evil. Nobody’s trying to understand Hitler, right?
L-R Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Capt. Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony,” streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+
UHURA: “Because they look like space garbage. Old zombie movie trick.”
SPOCK: “Zombie movie?”
NUMBER ONE: “Yeah, dress up like you’re dead so the zombies don’t notice you. You’ve never seen one?”
SPOCK: A zombie, no. A movie, yes. But I will add some to my research.”
Spock’s (Ethan Peck) list of “human” things to research is seemingly never-ending. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) added one more item to the list. Maybe he’ll binge-watch The Walking Dead or pop in Dawn of the Dead (1978). I’d like to see him dress up as a zombie for Halloween … for research purposes, of course.
RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ ‘Subspace Rhapsody’
PIKE: “Sometimes, hope is a choice.”
Pike is never short on words of wisdom, and “Hegemony” is no exception. It might sound cheesy, but hope is a choice. You can choose to wallow in misery or hold fast to hope. Even when he’s unsure whether Batel (Melanie Scrofano) is alive and fears a full-on war with the Gorn, Pike tries to maintain a “glass half full” mentality. Of course, nobody knows the Gorn better or more intimately than La’An (Christina Chong). Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Pike is choosing hope.
Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony,” streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+
LA’AN: “Captain Batel is tough, sir. If she can handle you, the Gorn should be a piece of cake.”
Captain Batel is tough as nails. She’s Wynonna freakin’ Earp! She just needs to whip out Peacemaker and blast those Gorn to hell … wait … wrong show. Anyway, La’An’s words of reassurance are dry and quippy yet surprisingly hopeful. It indicates La’An’s character growth and healing as she works through her trauma.
RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ ‘Those Old Scientists’
SCOTTY: “When an armada of human-eating lizards come my way, I can get quite creative.”
“Scotty doesn’t know, Scotty doesn’t know, Scotty doesn’t know, so don’t tell Scotty…” Sorry, I’m legally required to include those lyrics. “Hegemony” finally introduces Scotty (Martin Quinn), and he’s perfect. Quinn’s portrayal is top-notch, y’all. If I’m ever facing off against an armada of human-eating lizards, there’s only one person I want on my side: Montgomery Scott.
Carol Kane as Pelia in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony,” streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+
PELIA: “My goodness. If you’d answered like that in my class, I would’ve given you an A-plus.”
Carol Kane is a damn treasure. She’s injected a deliciously cheeky energy into this season and brought a fun dynamic to the Enterprise crew. Every line delivery kills me. I love the running gag between Pelia and Number One regarding how the latter was a “mediocre” student at the Academy. I hope they keep this up in Season 3. Romijn and Kane boast great onscreen chemistry.
RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ ‘Lost in Translation’
SCOTTY: “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Wasn’t my fault you decided to have a secret conversation in front of my sleeping spot.”
Hey, that’s how I feel anytime folks have a serious/secret discussion within earshot. I can’t help it that I have exceptional hearing. In a high-stakes episode, Scotty popping up at an opportune moment to correct Pike and Batel is a nice comedic touch.
Martin Quinn as Scotty in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2 Episode 10, “Hegemony,” streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+
PELIA: “One of my best students, who sadly received some of my worst grades.”
It’s another Carole Kane line reading that wouldn’t be as funny if another actor delivered it. Scotty’s reaction to Pelia’s statement makes it all the more amusing. They only share a minute or so of screen time, but it forecasts their future dynamic in this series. Well, at least I hope we get more scenes with them in Season 3. I already love them together.
RELATED: Catch up on the Enterprise fun with our Star Trek: Strange New Worlds recaps!
What are your favorite quotes from “Hegemony”? Sound off in the comments below.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Paramount+.
Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: NYOTA UHURA
Melody.McCune@geekgirlauthority.com
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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