“A Quality of Mercy” is the tenth episode of the first season and the tenth episode overall of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The episode aired on July 7, 2022, on Paramount+. It was written by Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman and directed by Chris Fisher.
| “A Quality of Mercy” | |
| Season 1 |
Episode Number 10 |
| Air date July 7, 2022 |
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| Network / Platform Paramount+ |
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| Runtime 62 min |
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| Writer(s) Henry Alonso Myers & Akiva Goldsman |
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| Director Chris Fisher |
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| Episodes | |
| Previous “All Those Who Wander” |
Next TBA |
Plot
In the season one finale, just as Captain Pike thinks he’s figured out how to escape his fate, he’s visited by his future self, who shows him the consequences of his actions.
Summary
When the Enterprise and the USS Cayuga provide supplies to an outpost by the Romulan Neutral Zone, Pike accidentally meets one of the cadets whom he will sacrifice himself for in the future and decides to send warnings to them to prevent the accident from happening.
He is visited by an older version of himself from a future where the accident does not happen, who shows Pike the consequences of this decision: seven years in the future, which depicts events resembling closely to The Original Series episode “Balance of Terror”.
The Enterprise sees a Romulan Bird of Prey starship destroy the outpost. They track it with support from the USS Farragut and Captain James T. Kirk, who suggests an aggressive approach, but Pike insists on negotiating. The Romulan commander agrees to a ceasefire, but his sub-commander summons an armada of Romulan warships that damage the Enterprise, severely injuring Spock, and declare war on the Federation.
In his own time, Pike accepts that his fate is necessary to save Spock and prevent war. His peace is interrupted by Captain Batel of the Cayuga, who boards the Enterprise and arrests Number One for being a genetically altered Illyrian.
Cast
- Anson Mount as Captain / Rear Admiral Christopher Pike
- Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock
- Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel
- Christina Chong as Commander La'an Noonien-Singh
- Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet / Lieutenant Nyota Uhura
- Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas
- Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. Joseph M'Benga
- Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley (Number One)
- Paul Wesley as Captain James T. Kirk
- Melanie Scrofano as Captain Batel
- Dan Jeannotte as George Samuel Kirk
- Mathieu Bourassa as Romulan Subcommander
- André Dae Kim as Chief Kyle
- Rong Fu as Jenna Mitchell
- Ali Hassan as Commander Hansen Al-Salah
- Matthew MacFadzean as Romulan Commander
- Ian Rayburn as Groom
- Chris River as Maat Al-Salah
- Megha Sandhu as Bride
- Carolyn Scott as Praetor
- Matthew Wolf as Engineer (voice)
- Jennifer Murray as Trainee #3 (flashback; archive footage)
- Ana Shepherd as Farragut crewmember
- Jesse Ship as Enterprise operations crewmember
- Shannon Widdis as Enterprise bridge crew
- Geoff Meech as stunt double for Anson Mount
Music
- Makin’ Memories by MELISSA CARPER – With a change in his demeanor, Pike returns to the bridge after his future experience.
