'Strange New Worlds' latest episode wastes a lot of time pretending to kill off major 'Star Trek' characters

Key Points:

• The latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 4, titled "Off-Hour," traps the Enterprise in a dangerous slipstream wormhole, putting the crew's survival and the ship's fate on a ticking clock.
• The episode features intense, life-threatening challenges for the crew, including injuries to key characters like Una Chin-Riley and Christine Chapel, and a near-fatal injury to Dr. Joseph M'Benga.
• Despite the high stakes, the prequel nature of the show means most main characters, including M'Benga, are unlikely to die due to established "Star Trek" canon, which limits the emotional impact of the danger.
• "Off-Hour" exemplifies the difficulty prequels face in creating genuine suspense since viewers already know the ultimate fates of many characters from later series and films.
• While the episode delivers tension and drama, it also risks undercutting its emotional weight by relying on expected "magical" solutions and canon protections, leading to mixed responses about its effectiveness.