Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” gives us something we’ve not seen before in Star Trek— a documentary. It’s finally time to see the finished product that Beto Ortegas has been working on all season. But does his definition of Starfleet line up with what we’ve come to expect from the Federation? Let’s dig into my review of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” and find out.
Documentary-Style Episode
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” marks the first time we’ve seen a documentary-style episode in Star Trek history. This episode feels like a mashup between Babylon 5 season 2 episode 15 “And Now For a Word” and season 4 episode 8 “The Illusion of Truth.” It flows well as a documentary, but also feels like we, as viewers, are still watching an episode of Star Trek. It took a couple of watches of this episode for me to really take in everything. Truly, I think Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” improves and grows with multiple viewings.
The way the documentary moves from cynicism to hope works for me. It takes courage to show where you get it wrong or where you need to grow, and Beto does that well. Showing Starfleet in a potentially cynical light does address some of the long-standing debate within Star Trek fandom about whether or not Starfleet is a military organization. It functions like a military organization in rank and order, but Starfleet also identifies itself as an organization of scientific explorers. They want to boldly go, but sometimes they are asked to function like a military, as they are in this episode. It also asks when Starfleet should remain neutral and when it needs to draw a line in the sand. I appreciate how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” raises these questions and then answers them.
MORE: Read our Strange New Worlds Season 3 reviews—Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6.
Deconstructing Starfleet?
One thing that really surprised me in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” is that it felt like a darker take on Starfleet than I anticipated. It can be difficult when you find out an organization you love and are part of isn’t what you thought it was. The disillusionment is real, and I could easily feel my heart sink with dread, feeling like the Starfleet I thought I knew was going to come crashing down.
And yet, while there is a bit of deconstructing happening in this episode, it’s not deconstruction for the sake of deconstruction. It’s looking at what we love, in this case, Starfleet, and taking the rose-tinted glasses off. It’s understanding that, yes, this organization is flawed. Starfleet is run by humans and humanoids who are trying their best, but are themselves flawed. It forces us to consider how we would react if the organization we love and serve asked us to do something that violated our conscience or personal code of ethics. I appreciate that this episode highlights this nuance.
Despite the initial tone of cynicism, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” finishes with hope. It shows people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, interests, and experiences coming together as one to work towards a common goal. The final line from Uhura drives this message home: “We make Starfleet what it is. Not the other way around.” And if it’s what we make it, we can do our best to make it a force for good.
MORE: You’ll want to watch our interviews with Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Ethan Peck, and Babs Olusanmokun!
#MORETEGAS!
It’s small, but it’s significant. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” finally gives us a bit of backstory on my girl, Lt. Erica Ortegas. The Erica we often see in Strange New Worlds is confident, a bit snarky, and a bit silly, but she’s someone you can always count on in a pinch. You never have to doubt whether or not Erica likes you because she shows you with her warmth and playfulness.
Underneath that exterior lies pain she doesn’t talk about. Aside from her Klingon War PTSD, the loss of Erica’s mother has affected her deeply. She’s an internal processor, and so you don’t hear about this struggle with loss and grief. It’s an understandable response to look for a way to take control of your life when everything feels out of control, which prompted her to join Starfleet. That decision gave the directionless Erica purpose. It helped her to feel like herself, and while she may have lost her mother, she has found a new family in her crew. She loves them as much as she loves her brother, her biological family. That’s what Starfleet is to her. Family.
Personal Connection
I know what it’s like to feel like your life is spiraling out of control. I also know what it’s like to feel your entire body and soul relax when you find your people. Even if things in your life are spiraling out of control, you feel grounded, supported, and loved. You know that you’ll get through it because you have your people behind you. They give you hope. Knowing that Erica is laughing not through the pain, but in spite of it, makes me feel seen and heard. This bit is the real gold of the episode for me. I love this, but please, keep giving me #MORETEGAS!
MORE: Check out our interviews with Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Melissa Navia!
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” offers something fresh this season. I’ve liked season 3 overall, but with the exception of “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail,” all of the episodes have been just “fine” for me. Nothing bad, but nothing exceptional like the majority of season two was for me. This very different look at Star Trek shakes up the status quo and asks in-universe some of the questions Star Trek fans have asked about Starfleet for years.
Aside from these overarching themes, I think the Jikaru—the space butterfly dragon that speaks in whale song—is a beautifully tragic feature of the story. It’s a cautionary tale against the exploitation of wildlife and the environment. This episode shows again the importance of communication and the fascinating ability that Uhura has to communicate with non-humanoid life, as she did in season 2 episode 6 “Lost in Translation.” It also zeroes in on Dr. M’Benga. It feels like word is getting around that the good doctor has a checkered past. That, coupled with the death of Dak’Rah in season 2 episode 8 “Under the Cloak of War,” makes me wonder what might become of M’Benga in this series. We’ll just have to watch and find out.
We’ve only got three episodes left in this season. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?” shakes up the status quo for me, and gears me up for what I hope is a stronger finish than where we started.
What did you think of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 7 “What is Starfleet?”? Leave me a comment and let’s talk Trek.
The next episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will air on August 28, 2025, on Paramount+.
