Stargazers: A Star Trek Story has become a delight over the last few episodes. Leon Foxwell is in a full-blown relationship with Syrrik, but the latter is having difficulty telling his father about their romance and his involvement in the upcoming talent show.
Now that the relationship is heating up, perhaps Syrrik will muster up the strength. Meanwhile, Stargazers episode 19 provided a lot more backstory on Syrrik with Leon taking a bit of a backseat, as the two enjoyed a quiet date together.
These romantic YA episodes focusing on one-on-one interactions between the two remind me of the monologues on the 1990s Star Trek series. I can envision the camera slowly zooming in on the subject’s face as the viewer is treated to an emotional set of lines.
With the stage set, let's examine how writer Jarrett Melendez and Kisai Entertainment's team of artists combine storytelling, character development, and artwork to essentially wreck Syrrik and Leon's date when the former's father, Jato, shows up near the end of the episode.
1. Character development
Episode 19 picks up on Leon and Syrrik’s latest date at Zimmerman’s. Leon has been on a quest to open up Syrrik’s food horizons, and it appears that he may have succeeded, with Syrrik eventually declaring his meal to be his new favorite dish.
Throughout the evening, the two dive into Syrrik’s past through his relationship with food. Syrrik continues to explain that his food variety has been lacking throughout his life. However, he is able to recall a cake that his late mother once baked for him on his birthday. Ever since his mother passed, his father’s need for discipline has led to a bland diet that only serves to contribute to Syrrik’s rigidity.
Throughout the conversation, Syrrik is surprisingly nonchalant about his mother’s passing, brushing it off as having been years ago. It feels like something we will have a chance to unpack later in the series given all of the trauma Syrrik has experienced from his cold father to this point.
Perhaps even Jato, who is Deep Space 9's constable, is still dealing with the loss of his late wife.
In any case, Syrrik's character develops more deeply by opening up to Leon. In Leon’s usual fashion, he is very empathetic and kind to Syrrik throughout the entire conversation.
The episode concludes with a run-in with Jato, who explains that he has known about Syrrik and Leon’s relationship all along. Syrrik finally seems ready to have a serious conversation with Jato, but he is cast aside with “duty” taking more importance for Jato.
Syrrik is visibly frustrated, and readers can only imagine that Jato could be unknowingly creating an estranged relationship between himself and his son.
Add us as a preferred source on Google