By Mr. Nobody
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has never been afraid to experiment. Over four seasons, the series has moved comfortably between traditional science fiction, comedy, horror, romance, and outright theatrical absurdity.
“Once La’an a Time,” the penultimate episode of Season 4, takes that philosophy literally by returning to the fantasy world introduced in Season 1’s “The Elysian Kingdom.”
The result is visually playful, occasionally hilarious, and anchored by a strong performance from Christina Chong. But as ambitious as the episode is, it also exposes one of the show’s recurring weaknesses: sometimes the gimmick is more memorable than the story.
Back to the Elysian Kingdom
The Enterprise encounters a bizarre, physically impossible flat planet that appears to have been pulled directly from a fairy tale.
Soon, the crew discovers that this isn’t simply another strange alien world. It is connected to the Elysian Kingdom from Season 1, complete with fantasy versions of familiar Enterprise personnel.
This allows the cast to step outside their normal roles once again.
Pike and Spock’s counterparts become part of the chaos aboard the Enterprise, while La’an finds herself connected to Princess Thalia, a character who represents a much more emotionally open version of herself.
It’s a clever concept on paper.
The problem is that “The Elysian Kingdom” already established this particular trick, making the return feel less surprising than it might have several seasons earlier.
Christina Chong Carries the Episode
The biggest reason the episode works at all is Christina Chong.
La’an has spent much of Season 4 wrestling with questions about her identity, her emotions, and the darker impulses she associates with her Augment heritage.
“Once La’an a Time” turns those internal struggles into literal fantasy.
Princess Thalia represents qualities La’an has spent years suppressing: vulnerability, romantic openness, and a willingness to acknowledge fear rather than simply bury it.
Chong handles both sides of the character exceptionally well.
La’an’s usual emotional restraint makes the contrast with Thalia particularly effective. The episode gets considerable mileage out of watching one of the Enterprise’s most serious officers suddenly confronted with a version of herself who approaches the universe in almost the exact opposite way.
It’s broad comedy on the surface, but there’s a legitimate character story underneath it.
A Fairy Tale With a Point
The episode eventually makes its central metaphor clear.
La’an doesn’t need to eliminate the darker parts of herself. She needs to understand them.
The relationship between La’an and Thalia becomes a physical representation of that idea. Their eventual confrontation isn’t simply a fantasy sword fight; it’s La’an coming to terms with the fact that strength and vulnerability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
That is classic Star Trek territory.
The franchise has always used alien worlds and speculative concepts to explore very human problems. In that respect, “Once La’an a Time” understands the assignment.
The issue is that the metaphor is considerably more straightforward than the elaborate fantasy machinery surrounding it.
The Comedy Is Hit-or-Miss
The episode is clearly having fun.
The costumes are extravagant. The fantasy doubles are entertaining. The Enterprise crew behaving completely outside their normal personalities provides some amusing moments.
Pike and Spock’s fantasy counterparts are particularly effective because the actors get to play exaggerated versions of familiar characters.
But not every joke lands.
The constant return to fairy-tale conventions occasionally makes the episode feel more like an extended sketch than a fully developed Star Trek adventure.
That isn’t necessarily a problem for viewers who enjoy the show’s more experimental episodes. But compared with the strongest installments of this season, the comedy sometimes overwhelms the drama.
The Kirk and La’an Story Finally Moves
For fans who have been waiting for the La’an-Kirk relationship to move forward, the episode finally delivers.
After spending much of the season wrestling with her emotions, La’an ultimately takes a significant step toward allowing herself to connect with Kirk.
The episode ends with the two finally going on the date that has been teased for so long.
It’s a relatively simple payoff, but it works because the season has spent considerable time establishing La’an’s reluctance to allow herself that kind of vulnerability.
The date isn’t treated as the solution to all of La’an’s problems.
Instead, it feels like a first step.
That’s the right choice.
Pelia Gets an Interesting Exit
Another noteworthy development involves Pelia.
Her fascination with the impossible technology behind the Elysian Kingdom ultimately leads her to remain behind to study the world rather than immediately return to the Enterprise.
It’s a fitting choice for a character whose curiosity has always been one of her defining qualities.
The decision also creates some anticipation for the upcoming finale, particularly as the series continues moving toward the next phase of its larger Star Trek timeline.
Where the Episode Falls Short
The biggest problem with “Once La’an a Time” is that it feels like a return to a concept the series has already explored.
Several critics have made essentially the same observation, arguing that the sequel doesn’t carry the emotional weight of “The Elysian Kingdom.”
That criticism is fair.
The original episode had a strong emotional foundation involving M’Benga and his daughter. This episode’s story is more personal to La’an, but the emotional payoff is comparatively familiar.
The result is an episode that is enjoyable in the moment without feeling particularly essential.
The fantasy setting is fun.
The performances are committed.
The production design is impressive.
But once the novelty wears off, there isn’t quite enough underneath it to make the episode rank among the season’s strongest.
What Works
- Christina Chong’s performance gives the episode a genuine emotional center.
- The fantasy production design is imaginative and visually distinctive.
- The La’an-Thalia metaphor provides a clear exploration of identity and vulnerability.
- The Kirk-La’an date finally gives their long-running relationship thread meaningful movement.
- The cast clearly embraces the opportunity to play exaggerated versions of their characters.
What Doesn’t
- Revisiting the Elysian Kingdom makes the episode feel less original.
- Some of the comedy overwhelms the dramatic material.
- Several supporting characters receive little meaningful development.
- The emotional resolution arrives somewhat quickly considering how long La’an has struggled with these issues.
- The episode feels more like an entertaining detour than a necessary penultimate chapter.
Final Verdict
“Once La’an a Time” is a charming but uneven episode of Strange New Worlds.
Its best material is surprisingly sincere. Beneath the costumes, magical technology, and fairy-tale absurdity is a story about La’an learning that vulnerability doesn’t make her weaker.
Christina Chong sells that idea beautifully.
But the episode also feels like the show revisiting a favorite toy rather than discovering something entirely new. The return to the Elysian Kingdom provides plenty of visual and comedic opportunities, yet it doesn’t quite recapture the emotional impact of its Season 1 predecessor.
Still, the episode accomplishes something important for La’an.
She finally allows herself to stop treating emotional vulnerability as a threat.
And, perhaps most importantly, she finally says yes to Kirk.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Best Performance: Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh
Best Character: La’an
Best Moment: La’an and Thalia’s confrontation
Most Important Development: La’an finally going on a date with Kirk
Best Visual Element: The return to the Elysian Kingdom
Biggest Weakness: A familiar premise that doesn’t carry the same emotional weight as the original
Bottom line: Strange New Worlds remains one of television’s most adventurous versions of Star Trek, but “Once La’an a Time” demonstrates the downside of that ambition. The episode is funny, colorful, and well acted, but its familiar fantasy framework occasionally gets in the way of a stronger character story. Fortunately, La’an’s emotional journey gives the hour enough substance to make the detour worthwhile—and leaves the Enterprise heading into the Season 4 finale with plenty of unresolved possibilities.
