‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Did a Documentary Episode That Should’ve Been Killed in the Edit

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" aired an episode titled "What Is Starfleet?" that attempted to provide an outsider's perspective on the organization. The episode follows a new Starfleet trainee who struggles with the demands and expectations of the service. While the premise aimed to offer a unique viewpoint, the execution has been criticized as being overly long and repetitive, detracting from the overall narrative. Some viewers felt the episode failed to deliver meaningful insights and could have been better served as a shorter segment or removed entirely during the editing process. The episode's mixed reception highlights the challenge of balancing character development with the core themes and storytelling of the "Star Trek" franchise. Overall, the documentary-style approach was an ambitious experiment that, in the opinion of many, did not fully succeed in enhancing the viewers' understanding of Starfleet and its principles.