The finale is here! Episode 9 of Star Trek: Khan hit YouTube and podcast platforms on Monday, 3rd November. Episode 8 left things on a bit of a cliffhanger, and there are many questions to be answered in this last episode. The stakes are high, with the fate of Khan (Naveen Andrews), his people, and the Elboreans uncertain.
And then there’s the mystery of Doctor Rosalind Lear (Sonya Cassidy). Why did she receive McGivers’ (Wrenn Schmidt) logs? Why is she so adamant about Starfleet’s wrongdoing? And why did she beam herself down to Ceti Alpha V, unauthorised, at the end of Episode 8? You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out! And once you have, read on as I explore the highlights of this phenomenal audio series’ finale, ‘Eternity’s Face’.
WARNING – Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Khan Episode 9, ‘Eternity’s Face’.
Ivan’s Vengeance
One of the biggest twists in Episode 8 ‘Original Sin’ is the return of Ivan (Maury Sterling). He’s been presumed dead since Khan exiled him five years previously. In that time, he’s survived on the brutal surface of Ceti Alpha V by eating the Ceti Eels. And now in ‘Eternity’s Face’, consumed by hatred in a similar way to Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, he has returned to seek vengeance. Dropping Paolo’s (Maxwell Whittington-Cooper) lifeless body at her feet, Ivan gives Ursula (Mercy Malick) little choice but to join him in his revolution against Khan.
Ivan marches into the caves, rallying the other augments by spreading the rumour that Khan will not return. This angers Khan’s followers, who feel betrayed by their leader, and they join Ivan’s cause. The traitorous second-in-command confronts Khan at the space vessel Venture’s launch site. He claims the augment leader has failed them all and now plans to escape Ceti Alpha V with his chosen few, never to return. Ivan is backed by the other augments, who chant his name in a way they once chanted Khan’s.
Then Ivan’s followers approach the Venture, trying to pry it open to get to Kali and the others inside. Kali is obviously frightened and calls out for help. The Elboreans answer, hearing her thoughts, rushing into the cave to protect the ship as the launch sequence begins. Khan asks Delmonda (Olli Haaskivi) why they hadn’t retreated to save themselves. The Elborean leader responds with his second nod to The Wrath of Khan in this series.
“How one dies matters not. Only how one lives.”
Delmonda (Olli Haaskivi) in Star Trek: Khan Episode 9, ‘Eternity’s Face’
McGivers’ Legacy
It’s been five years since McGivers’ death, but her presence and influence are still felt through Khan, Kali, and her logs. Kali listens to them every day and has come to rely on hearing her mother singing to fall asleep. They act as a comfort blanket for the child, but they are not effective against the angry banging at the Venture’s door as the augments try in vain to get in.
However, the Elboreans who answered Kali’s call for help are, as is Ursula, who stuns Ivan with McGivers’ phaser. Whether Ursula turned sides again due to the odds or because she was tricking Ivan all along, we’ll never know. But I like to think it was the latter, coupled with her growing as a character through befriending McGivers. With the threat of Ivan neutralised for now, Khan thanks Ursula and Delmonda before boarding the Venture to escape with Kali. A decidedly selfish and un-McGivers thing to be doing when you consider the original plan and him now leaving his people to die on the planet.
Yet, McGivers manages to course-correct her husband one last time, from beyond the grave. As he bids farewell to Joachim (Paul Castro Jr.), we hear McGivers speaking through the recorder Kali is holding. She’s talking about the story of Cortez, and how the story everyone knows is very different from the truth. “That he was a coward who placed his own needs above those of his followers.” Hearing this hits Khan hard, helping him realise he has a duty to protect all his people. In an emotional scene that leaves listeners’ eyes wet with tears, he bids farewell to a devastated Kali and sends Delmonda aboard in his stead.
The Birth of a Tyrant
‘Eternity’s Face’ isn’t without tragedy, however. After a final fierce battle with Ivan, which ends with the traitor’s gruesome end, Khan reaches his people on the surface. But the news isn’t good. Erica (Tina Ivlev) watches the Venture enter a thunderstorm before a ball of fire falls through the clouds. Between this and the lack of contact through the communications equipment, it looks like the Venture has been destroyed.
Khan is inconsolable at the loss of his daughter. He tears the room apart in his rage, destroying the communications equipment in the process. Naveen Andrew’s portrayal of Khan’s anguish, combined with the beautifully sombre score that accompanies him, delivers a heart-wrenchingly tragic scene that leaves you feeling so much for Khan.
I Am Kali
But, as is often the case, all is not what it appears. We cut to the present day, as Tuvok (Tim Russ) beams down to Lear’s location on Ceti Alpha V. She’s listening to one of McGivers’ logs, where the historian is singing the song Kali so often fell asleep to. Tuvok confirms he’s completed his own analysis. Lear advises that she has not, and intends to finish her work on Ceti Alpha V, since the Excelsior will soon break orbit.
That’s when Tuvok plays the last of the logs, one which Lear has yet to review. It’s Khan, quoting Yates before revealing his aimless wandering after Kali’s death. He describes his never-ending grief and eternity’s true consuming form, which has fueled his need for vengeance against James Kirk.
“Things fall apart. The Centre cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. What did you see, my friend? When did you first glimpse eternity’s true form? Slouching toward Bethlehem to be born. No, reborn, as I have been.”
Khan Noonien Singh (Naveen Andrews) in Star Trek: Khan Episode 9 ‘Eternity’s Face’
Lear’s shock at learning Khan believed Kali to be dead reveals the truth that Tuvok then confirms. Rosalind Lear is none other than Khan’s daughter, Kali Noonien Sing. Kali reveals that the storm damaged the ship’s communications system, and by the time they fixed it, they failed to make contact with the surface. She returns to the Excelsior with Tuvok, finally understanding how the man who raised her on Ceti Alpha V could be the tyrant history now remembers. He allowed himself to love, he lost everything, and his grief consumed him.
A New Perspective
‘Eternity’s Face’ does a perfect job bringing together the story and puzzle pieces from the previous eight episodes. And it finishes placing those pieces to reveal a tragically beautiful tale worthy of Shakespeare, Yates, and Coleridge.
I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of this incredible audio series throughout these reviews. I could spend hours writing about how well-structured the series is. How incredibly compelling the story and characters are. How beautiful the score and sound design are, weaving their way throughout each episode and immersing the reader in the experiences and emotions of each scene.
But, all good things must come to an end, and that is a wrap on Star Trek: Khan. What next, you may ask? Well, I would highly recommend you sit down with a raktajino and watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This audio series has done a phenomenal job adding depth and nuance to one of this franchise’s most notorious villains. And I can guarantee that you will never experience The Wrath of Khan the same way again!
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