The episode I settled on is "Under The Cloak Of War". No doubt the Klingon version of the too often appropriated "In The Fog Of War," for it carries the same meaning. Among the costumes of note were the defector Klingon General Dak'Rah's understated, yet intricately created garb. Also, the war uniforms of the Federation soldiers were another subtle, but detailed adaptation that held the familiar markers of the standard issue uniforms, but were also clearly designed for combat.
In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't really like this episode--I tend not to enjoy those full of violence; however, there were a couple of wonderful aspects. First up was the cameo by Clint Howard as Commander Buck Martinez. Howard first appeared on the original series at the age of 6 as an alien in "The Corbomite Maneuver". Then he continued to pop-up! Next, on Deep Space 9, then Enterprise, Discovery, and now, Strange New Worlds--which given their alternate mission of being one giant homage to the original series seems like an inevitability, now fulfilled.
The delight was to encounter again the actor, Robert Wisdom in the role of the disgraced Klingon Ambassador, former General Dak-Rah. I don't know how the producers were able to snag his services for the role, but I am grateful they did. I mention this, because it's possible these biases ultimately led me to choosing this episode for this award--it was unlikely to be recognized in any other way.
The Second Round of RANDY AWARDS for Costume Design goes to "Under The Cloak Of War" written by Davy Perez and Onitra Johnson. It was the 8th episode of the second season and first aired on August 3, 2023.
