I thought it was a pretty good episode. Here's what Gizmodo thought. Do you agree or disagree with their take?
The io9/Gizmodo recap of Strange New Worlds’ episode “Terrarium” argues that the show has fallen into a trap of leaning too heavily on being a prequel instead of telling strong, character-driven stories of its own. The episode follows Ortegas on a solo mission gone wrong, where she crash-lands and unexpectedly teams up with an injured Gorn to survive. While the premise had the potential to showcase a sidelined character and explore her hinted trauma, the story skips over any real conflict or growth and instead has her bond almost instantly with the Gorn. By the time La’an’s team kills the alien and Ortegas reacts with grief, the moment feels hollow because the episode never built up the transformation it tries to suggest. The final reveal, that a Metron has been testing Ortegas and this encounter directly sets up the classic TOS episode “Arena,” only weakens the story further by inviting comparisons it cannot live up to. Where “Arena” challenged Kirk to confront humanity’s darker instincts, “Terrarium” offers little dramatic weight, leaving it feeling flat and forgettable. In the end, the recap concludes that the show’s prequel obsession not only diminishes this episode but also undercuts its own characters and storytelling.
'Strange New Worlds' Has Terminal Prequel Brain
The io9/Gizmodo recap of Strange New Worlds’ episode “Terrarium” argues that the show has fallen into a trap of leaning too heavily on being a prequel instead of telling strong, character-driven stories of its own. The episode follows Ortegas on a solo mission gone wrong, where she crash-lands and unexpectedly teams up with an injured Gorn to survive. While the premise had the potential to showcase a sidelined character and explore her hinted trauma, the story skips over any real conflict or growth and instead has her bond almost instantly with the Gorn. By the time La’an’s team kills the alien and Ortegas reacts with grief, the moment feels hollow because the episode never built up the transformation it tries to suggest. The final reveal, that a Metron has been testing Ortegas and this encounter directly sets up the classic TOS episode “Arena,” only weakens the story further by inviting comparisons it cannot live up to. Where “Arena” challenged Kirk to confront humanity’s darker instincts, “Terrarium” offers little dramatic weight, leaving it feeling flat and forgettable. In the end, the recap concludes that the show’s prequel obsession not only diminishes this episode but also undercuts its own characters and storytelling.
'Strange New Worlds' Has Terminal Prequel Brain