Read this review to see if the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” is worth watching.
About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Season 3, Episode 6: “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”
- Directed by Valerie Weiss
- Written by David Reed & Bill Wolkoff
- Synopsis: Kirk’s first day as captain turns disastrous when a scavenger ship seizes the Enterprise.
- Airdate: August 14, 2025
- Starring: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Carol Kane, Adam Chan, Linnea Currie-Roberts, Zoe Doyle, Rong Fu, Joanne Leach, and Paloma Nuñez
If you want to avoid spoilers for this episode, skip to the overall section at the end.
Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 6 “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”
Recap Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025): S3E06 – “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”
Kirk is serving on the Farragut, a ship similar to the Enterprise, but soon becomes the last man standing. He’s making his first log, but forgets the stardate and becomes bored with the Farragut’s alien world survey. He feels Captain V’Rel is overcautious and wants to explore, but is cut off when an eruption destroys half the planet and the ship.
V’Rel is badly wounded, and comms are blocked, sending a mayday. The Enterprise responds and Spock leads the team onto the Farragut. V’Rel wants to return to the bridge but the doctor stops her becaiuse of brain damage. Kirk is officially the captain now.
The scavenger ship, with its gaping maw, giant tentacles, and ability to swallow other ships, is a terrifying and interesting bit of worldbuilding. Known as the Annihilator (“Eater of Worlds”), the ship destroys planets, cripples the Farragut, and eats the Enterprise within the first fifteen minutes of the episode. It resembes the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel in the Kelvin timeline. The ship’s size and similarities make it an Easter egg, showcasing the harmonious relationship between the two universes.
Captain Kirk demands miracles from Scotty, Spock, Uhura, and Chapel to win the fight on the Farragut. They realize the enemy ship is fueled by aldentium and is headed towards an inhabited world. Kirk orders a warp drive jury rig to jump past the scavenger, but it fails. The ship is stranded and the crew briefly consider removing him from command. There’s a nice callback to Kirk saving Uhura as she defends him.
The Vulcan gives Kirk a pep talk, highlighting his human intuition as an advantage over the creatures. The acting captain struggles with confidence and compares his dream to a dog catching a car. Spock cites the Vulcan saying “The sehlat who ate its tail” and their friendship is growing.
On the Farragut, Kirk brainstorms on the bridge, figuring out the scavengers can be lured in by faking aldentium. Scotty dislikes the plan but he’s the captain. Meanwhile the Enterprise ramps up its offensive. Pike and La’an take out an alien, but it appears to hesitate after Pike’s breathing mask breaks off.
The pair free the the ship using baryon particles in the umbilical cord. Pelia, who lived in the 1980s, helps wire the ship for communication and thruster control. The Enterprise uses some retro-style joysticks to escape. A couple of well timed torpedos disable the beast.
On both ships, they discover the mysterious aliens aren’t aliens. They’re human descendants of a pre-warp colony ship sent after WW III. Something turned them into monsters and the Federation ships are forced to leave about 7,000 of them to die.
Pike visits Kirk on the Farragut as it’s being towed home. Kirk’s captaincy is ending soon, but the captain of the Enterprise imparts some wisdom in decision-making. While Kirk was anxious to become a captain the experience makes him realize the burden and strength of empathy.
Overall: Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025): S3E06 – “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”
The episode is action-packed but turns into a character study of two captains with wuth very different philosophies. Paul Wesley delivers a strong performance as Kirk learns a lesson in hubris, while Mounts character learns to trust Pike’s decisions. “The sehlat who ate its tail” is setting Kirk up to become the youngest captain in Starfleet and it works. XX uses quick pacing and smart editing to make this one a standbdoit of the season.
My only complaint with this episode is using redressed sets. They could have been more clear cutting back and forth from the Farragut to the Enterprise.
The episode “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” was a refreshing addition to Star Trek, with character interactions and a twist that added depth to the story. While not as deep a moral dilemma as previous episodes, its a thrilling first mission for Kirk and his crew. I’m warping this episode 4.5 out of 5 stars
All episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+. New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds drop every Thursday.
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