Happy Star Trek Day! And what a way to celebrate, with the release of the first episode of the highly anticipated podcast series Star Trek: Khan. This audio series is set between The Original Series episode ‘Space Seed’ and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Written by Kirsten Beyer and David Mack, it’s based on a story by Nicholas Meyer.
The series promises to explore the events that befell Khan Noonien Singh and his followers during their exile on Ceti Alpha V. So, strap in as we explore the highlights of Episode 1: ‘Paradise’.
WARNING – Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Khan Episode 1, ‘Paradise’.
Searching for Truth
‘Paradise’ begins reminiscent of the ending of ‘Space Seed’, with three loud chimes calling a meeting to order. But this is no hearing – it is a meeting of the Starfleet Civilian Resource Allocation Committee. The background hustle and bustle, which adds a nice layer of immersion to the podcast, dies down to a murmur.
Doctor Rosalind Lear (Sonya Cassidy) states her case. She wants to visit Ceti Alpha V to retrieve evidence of what really happened there. The committee challenges her lack of evidence supporting her request, and she responds in kind by questioning what Starfleet is hiding. Enter the legendary Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), who stoically defends Starfleet and his former captain, James Kirk. Takei’s performance was as convincing as he was on screen, taking me right back to The Original Series movies.
However, Lear doesn’t back down and decides to change tactics. She responds with some very valid, philosophical questions about the nature of good and evil within humanity. Confirming what happened to Khan and his followers would help with this understanding. Convinced that Lear’s intentions were sound, Sulu agrees to take her to Ceti Alpha V.
Tomb Raider
Queue the beautiful introduction music, a dramatic crescendo which sounds very Star Trek with hints of something dark and mysterious. After this, we find Lear transported to the surface of Ceti Alpha V with another fan favourite character, Ensign Tuvok (Tim Russ). As with Takei, it’s brilliant to have Russ return in a new Star Trek story. He brings with him all the mannerisms and charm we remember from Tuvok’s time on Star Trek: Voyager.
Lear and Tuvok explore the surface before finding what remains of Khan’s paradise. It doesn’t take long for them to uncover the logs Lear is searching for. Testing the loaded tape, they hear the voice of Khan Noonien Singh (Naveen Andrews) for the first time.
Finding Eden
At this point, the podcast takes us back in time, to not long after Khan and his followers are marooned on Ceti Alpha V. Khan performs a monologue, Naveen Andrews delivering a Shakespearean flair worthy of Ricardo Montalban in The Wrath of Khan. The sound of construction fills the background, enhancing our immersion as Khan sets the scene. He’s creating his paradise, his Eden, an empire to stand the test of time.
Patrolling the foundations of his paradise, we meet key characters including Ivan (Maury Sterling), Ursula (Mercy Malick), and Madot (Zuri Washington). We hear confirmation of Kirk being true to his word, gifting them more than what they need to survive on the planet. And we see plot threads woven into place to be explored through the series, including the struggles of resolving the female augments’ fertility issues.
Through all of this, we see Khan in an optimistic mood. He’s encouraging his followers to see this situation as an opportunity, a new beginning. And from this beginning, they will rise and birth a glorious empire. It’s a side to Khan I did not expect to see.
Trouble In Paradise
It does not take long to realise that everything is not as perfect as Khan would like. Discord is brewing in paradise, and Khan is quick to locate and snuff it out. He starts with a fight amongst some of the younger augments, who were picking on a half-augment, half-human. Khan reminds the youngsters that they are meant to be better than humanity and accept each other as they are.
“On this world, all who follow me are the same! We live and die together, with and for one another! There is no other way.”
Khan Noonien Singh (Naveen Andrews) – Star Trek: Khan, Episode 1 ‘Paradise’
Soon after, Khan is faced with more discord. A follower called Hugo is stirring up trouble, claiming to those who will listen that their leader has failed them. Khan is quick to turn the crowd back around, and later takes Hugo aside to deliver an ultimatum.
“I cannot allow a serpent to roam free in Eden.”
Khan Noonien Singh (Naveen Andrews) – Star Trek: Khan, Episode 1 ‘Paradise’
Hugo has a choice to make. He can remain loyal to Khan, no longer sow discord, and help build their new empire. Or, he can leave to create his own community, but would never be welcomed back. Hugo decides to stay but is later confronted by Ivan, who doesn’t trust his word. Ivan kills him in cold blood, against Khan’s wishes. It’ll be very interesting to see the ramifications of this act, carried out in loyalty to Khan, in future episodes.
Second Thoughts
We’re also reacquainted with another key character in Khan’s story, Marla McGivers (Wrenn Schmidt). We meet her earlier in the episode, approaching Khan in some frustration. An assumption had been made that she would share his tent, which she is against. McGivers had already noticed Khan’s followers did not like her, and she wants to earn their trust rather than be viewed as Khan’s “woman”. To keep his paradise peaceful, Khan concedes to McGivers living in her cargo pod.
McGivers’ loyalty is challenged towards the end of the episode when she learns of an underlying reason for her being with Khan. Should Ursula and Madot’s work on augment fertility fail, McGivers would be the only woman on the planet capable of having children. Horrified with this realisation, she attempts to contact the Enterprise for help. Khan, eager for her to see a meteor shower that’s appeared in the sky, finds her mid-attempt. They argue, and Khan destroys her communicator to demonstrate she must now live with the choices she has made.
Ironically, the beauty of the meteor shower Khan wanted McGivers to see is most likely a tragic omen. Anyone who has watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan will know that Ceti Alpha VI explodes soon after Khan arrives on Ceti Alpha V. This catastrophe is what turns Khan’s paradise into a harsh, desolate world. Some might call it Hell.
The Clock Is Ticking
‘Paradise’ ends back in the present day, with Lear reviewing the logs aboard the Excelsior. She requires months to review and catalogue the records of Khan’s time on Ceti Alpha V. Unfortunately, Tuvok contacts her with bad news. The Excelsior must continue on its mission. So, the doctor has only five days left orbiting Ceti Alpha V to complete her work before the ship leaves orbit.
A Captivating Start
I thoroughly enjoyed this first episode of Star Trek: Khan. ‘Paradise’ is a very strong start to the series, setting up important characters, settings, and paving the way for the tragedies to come. It also returns fan favourite characters to life, honoring their portrayals in previous media. Kirk’s nemesis is one of my favourite Star Trek adversaries, and I’ve been eager to learn about his time on Ceti Alpha V before the events of The Wrath of Khan. Khan goes through a significant transformation between ‘Space Seed’ and the second Star Trek movie, and I cannot wait to see how that transformation unfolds.
New episodes of Star Trek: Khan release weekly on Mondays from 8th September until 3rd November. The series is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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