Sunday, May 10, 2020

Star Trek: Short Treks -- Season 2 Episode 6 (Children of Mars)


It’s somewhat difficult to think of a series like Star Trek: Short Treks as having seasons.  CBS All Access doesn’t seem to group them as such, although IMDb does have a four-episode first season and a six-episode second season.  The final episode of the second season serves as prelude to Star Trek: Picard.

It centers on two girls, Kima and Lil.  They go to the same school and seem to have an adversarial relationship.  Kima is antagonistic towards Lil.  (Lil misses the school bus because Kima tripped her.)  They get into fights and generally don’t seem to like each other.

The one thing they have in common is that each has a parent working on or in orbit of Mars.  Then, the androids revolt.  It serves as a bond between them.  We see them holding hands in support of each other.

It does answer a few questions I’ve always had.  It does look like they have formal schools in the future.  I always wondered what Jake Sisko would have done had Keiko O’Brien not opened the school.  I know starships have teachers, but what did he do for education on Deep Space Nine before the school opened?

It also looks like rivalries still exist in the 24th century.  Like schools, fighting will still exist several hundred years from now.  I do find it odd that they just make up because of the attack.  I know that they each had a parent involved, but I don’t think it would be that easy for me.

Another oddity is that Lil’s father didn’t get a break.  It’s implied that he hasn’t been home for over a year.  Given that Mars is so close, shouldn’t he at least be able to go home on the weekends?  Maybe get a holiday or some vacation time?  It seemed like that was added just for the emotional effect.

It’s an interesting episode.  It has very little dialogue and isn’t necessary to watch Star Trek: Picard.  Granted, you have to have All Access to watch either, but I would imagine that they’ll be coming out on DVD eventually.  If you can get Picard first, don’t worry about this episode.



IMDb page

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