A landing party investigates a distress call from a starship that crashed on an ice planet. They discover few survivors, and learn that Gorn hatchlings are not only responsible for the carnage, but are now out to kill the rescuers. What starts out as the last mission for Uhura in her cadet training may now be the last mission for Gorns' next victims.
Obviously, this isn't just any horror episode -- it's very specifically inspired by the Alien movie franchise. Indeed, it lifts many details from the Alien movies, most conspicuously a Newt-like child who has survived the attack, a freaking out Hudson-like character who can't handle the pressure of the situation, and an infested character who must sacrifice their life (by falling backward from a great height) to save everyone.
Still, I would say this episode is more "homage" than "ripoff." It does add a few ideas of its own to the Alien mix. The notion that multiple creatures can hatch from one body -- then to immediately start fighting each other -- is an interesting element in the formula. The icy setting -- and its effects on the creatures -- is a big addition, and especially well realized by the production team. (The Enterprise sets are redressed well to look like the Peregrine, and use of the "AR wall" to show the crashed ship on the planet surface is another testament to how great that technology can look when used smartly by a visual effects team.)
More to the point, plenty of little details link this episode well with the rest of the season, further helping to make this a "Star Trek" take on Aliens. M'Benga's verbal slip in a heated moment reminds us that he's still grieving the separation from his daughter. La'an gives the same advice she got from Pike earlier in the season: that there's a difference between surviving and living. Spock being forced to tap into his emotions is a powerful moment, as it has always been for the character throughout the long history of the franchise. (And Chapel being the one to notice the lingering consequences of that is an equally powerful moment.)
Two characters are written out of the show -- one permanently, and one... well... with uncertain open-endedness. La'an's departure for a personal "side quest" is intriguing. Will she be back next season? Will we see an episode centered on what she's doing while she's away? It's unusual for Star Trek to be this unclear about whether a character has permanently left the show or not, and I find that intriguing. On the other hand, Hemmer's death is unambiguous. While I liked the resonance of themes in his death (how he spoke of fulfilling one's purpose, how the death impacted Uhura), I did wonder if the death wasn't quite fully earned. Was it truly inevitable? Was there nothing anyone could have done? (I guess once M'Benga uses a transporter pattern buffer as a "stasis chamber" one time, you're left to wonder why it couldn't be done for everybody.)
Another small doubt I felt was in just how monstrous the writers have made the Gorn. You have to wonder how Gorn society could possibly get it together enough to have starships (or, indeed... society itself). On the other hand, it's certainly interesting to have a villain race that's this alien, this much a menace, who absolutely cannot be reasoned with. (And all of that in a way that's distinct from the Borg.) Plus, the way the production has utilized multiple tools to render the Gorn on screen is monumentally impressive. (In particular, the mingling of puppetry and makeup on Strange New Worlds in this episode is truly amazing.)
In all, I'd give "All Those Who Wander" a B+. Despite a few elements I didn't love wholeheartedly, I found the take on horror fun and effective.
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