Star Trek Strange New Worlds Introduces Original Villain, Red Shirt Deaths Highlighted

In the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 5, "Through the Lens of Time," the USS Enterprise crew explores an ancient temple on Vadia Nine, where they encounter mysterious glowing orbs and are trapped in a space with unusual properties, reminiscent of horror and sci-fi elements. Ensign Dana Gamble, on his first landing party mission, is blinded and possessed by a malevolent entity called the Vezda after interacting with one of the orbs, leading to his tragic death. This episode marks a shift from the classic Star Trek trope of red shirts dying quickly on away missions to a new running joke about the dangers of first landing party missions, as seen in previous seasons. The possession storyline draws on horror motifs such as satanic possession and psychological torment, adding a darker tone to the series, and introduces the first wholly original villain in Strange New Worlds. The temple's entities are revealed to be ancient life forms imprisoned in crystalline orbs, contributing to the show's expanding mythology and echoing themes from Star Trek lore and related media. Fans and critics note this episode as a significant and fresh development for the series, blending classic Star Trek adventure with new narrative depth and horror influences.