TL;DR – While it didn’t land everything it set out to do, you could not help but get caught up in the drama somewhat.
Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.
End Credit Scene – There is an end-credit scene.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction
As this season of Strange New Worlds has progressed, I am finding myself agreeing with Seán Ferrick from TrekCulture in wondering what is the vibe for this season? This has been a series that always has had its statement episodes; this season has been nothing but that. It has led to a dramatically inconsistent season, of which we see another example today.
So, to set the scene, Pike (Anson Mount) wakes up in sickbay with a bandage wrapped around his head. He had been in a terrible shuttle accident. Something is very wrong: his memory is fuzzy, M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) keeps talking off into the distance, the lights are too bright, everyone is speaking with dramatic pauses, and was that a musical cue in the background that Pike can hear? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.