The season 1 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showed an alternate future version of "Balance of Terror," and it improves the experience of watching that classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode. When Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) attempts to change the future by warning the young victims of his accident-to-come, his future self, Admiral Pike, shows him the galaxy-altering consequences of his actions. Pike's command of the Starship Enterprise in Strange New Worlds' alt-"Balance of Terror" leads to war with the Romulan Star Empire.
"Balance of Terror" is a hallmark episode of Star Trek: TOS that introduced the Romulans as adversaries of the United Federation of Planets, as well as establishing they are an offshoot of the Vulcans. The Romulans test their new vessel, a Bird-of-Prey equipped with a cloaking device and a powerful plasma weapon, by destroying Federation outposts guarding the Neutral Zone. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise pursue the invisible Romulan ship, and Kirk takes the risk of destroying it to prevent the Romulans from returning home and reporting the weaknesses of the Federation. Kirk and the Romulan Commander (Mark Lenard) also forge mutual respect, although Starfleet won the day.
How Strange New Worlds Improved TOS' Balance Of Terror
"A Quality of Mercy," Strange New Worlds' version of "Balance of Terror," is a fascinating funhouse mirror version of the TOS episode. It highlights how different Captain Pike is from Kirk, who is Captain of the USS Farragut in this timeline, because Chris wouldn't take the same kind of risks the younger Captain would have. Pike's instinct was to forge trust and push for peace with the Romulans - against Kirk's advice. This leads to disaster when the Romulan fleet arrives in Federation space. Because of Pike's olive branch, the Romulan Praetor considers Starfleet weak and instigates a war that will last for decades. The inescapable conclusion is Kirk's style of engagement was right while Pike's was wrong.
Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale impressively went all-out by replicating TOS' lighting, musical cues, and key dialogue to give the episode the look and feel of 1960s Star Trek. More importantly, "A Quality of Mercy" presents a different version of events that prompts the audience to reconsider and admire Captain Kirk's smarts, tactics, and virtues in TOS. Pike's patience and compassion as Captain, which are normally his strengths, work against him with the Romulans. Now, watching "Balance of Terror" not only allows the viewer to be engrossed by the tense nail-biter, but there's an added awareness of how differently it all could have gone if Captain Kirk wasn't willing to pursue the Romulan Bird-of-Prey to the bitter end.
DS9's Tribbles Episode Had The Same Effect On TOS' "Trouble With Tribbles"
In 1996, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did something different with Star Trek: The Original Series that resulted in a similar effect. The DS9 season 5 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" sent Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his crew back in time to infiltrate Kirk's Enterprise during the TOS episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles." Sisko and his people didn't change the events of the episode as Pike's alternative future does, but instead, DS9's personnel work in the background while interacting with an unwitting Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the Enterprise's crew.
DS9 fans who watch "The Trouble With Tribbles" after "Trials and Tribble-ations" can't help but look for Sisko, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), Worf (Michael Dorn), and their friends in the background, even though they aren't and can't be part of the original episode. But it's now canon that DS9's people were secretly doing their business while Kirk was dealing with the Klingons and the Tribbles. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale accomplished a different trick altogether with its alternate version of "Balance of Terror" but it similarly heightens appreciation for the original episode and how Captain Kirk actually saved the galaxy from a generation of war with the Romulans.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.