Star Trek - Phase II delivers its first true character spotlight with a deeply uncomfortable and ambitious episode centered on Ilia.

When a powerful non-corporeal entity uses Ilia as a conduit to experience physical existence, the Enterprise crew is forced to confront questions of consent, identity, and consequence. As Ilia undergoes a rapid and unexplained pregnancy, Kirk, McCoy, and Xon struggle to understand an intelligence that does not share human values, while Will Decker’s personal connection to Ilia complicates an already unprecedented situation.

On The Phase 2 Rewatch, Greg Westlake examines one of the most controversial early Phase II stories, including the first real Kirk, Xon, and McCoy dynamic without Spock, Decker’s emergence as more than contingency planning, and the bold decision to spotlight new characters so early in the series. The episode also asks whether Phase II’s ambition sometimes outpaces its execution.

Original air date: Friday, September 30, 1977

A damaged transporter and a burst of temporal radiation send Captain Kirk back to Earth on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, forcing him into a familiar Star Trek dilemma with uncomfortable new wrinkles.

As Kirk struggles to survive in nineteen forty one Honolulu, he forms a relationship with Elsa Kelly, the wife of a United States Navy officer, while the Enterprise races to correct the transporter malfunction and retrieve their captain. With history bearing down and war imminent, Kirk must once again choose between personal happiness and the integrity of the timeline.

On The Phase II Rewatch, Greg Westlake takes a hard look at an episode that invites direct comparison to City on the Edge of Forever, and not always to its benefit. The discussion covers why this story feels like a rerun so early in the series, how Kirk’s behavior here clashes with his TOS. history, and why this episode might have worked better later in the season.

The episode also explores the newly redesigned Klingons, the evolving bridge layout, Decker’s growing role as Kirk’s right-hand man, and Ilia's quiet but important final scene.

Star Trek Phase II launches with a restrained, thoughtful premiere that reintroduces the Enterprise and quietly resets the rules of the galaxy.

While investigating the unexplained destruction of Federation probes near Klingon space, Captain Kirk and his crew encounter a massive artificial intelligence attempting to understand humanity by studying it directly. As the situation escalates, Kirk must find a way to resolve the crisis without turning curiosity into catastrophe.

In this episode of The Phase Two Rewatch, Greg Westlake breaks down the new ship, the redesigned bridge, and the reconfigured crew. With Spock gone and a younger Vulcan named Xon at science, Will Decker positioned firmly at Kirk’s side, and Ilia introduced as a Deltan navigator, Phase II reveals itself as something more transitional than nostalgic. 

Original air date: Friday, September 16, 1977

In nineteen seventy seven, Star Trek returned to television.

The Enterprise was refitted. Starfleet felt bigger and more formal. Familiar faces returned alongside new ones, and the galaxy felt slightly less romantic and a little more complicated.

Hosted by Greg Westlake, The Phase 2 Rewatch treats Star Trek Phase 2 as the television series it was meant to be. Episode by episode, the show revisits the stories, characters, and production choices of Phase II as it aired in the late seventies, without hindsight from the films.

Each episode begins with a detailed story summary, followed by informed, opinionated commentary from the perspective of a lifelong TOS fan. Along the way, the podcast explores character arcs, bridge dynamics, behind-the-scenes television realities, and how Phase 2 tried to move Star Trek forward while still carrying its past.