IGN’s review finds “A Case of Chiaroscuro” visually inventive but ultimately over-reliant on a film noir and Casablanca-style gimmick. The episode follows Una, M’Benga and Uhura after they become stranded on a Klingon-occupied planet, but the reviewer argues that its genre imitation overwhelms the character drama, particularly Una’s personal conflict over aiding a resistance movement.

The black-and-white setting is explained through the system’s radiation, while the away team adopts period-style disguises to blend in on Mat’aar XII. The review praises the episode’s imagery and M’Benga’s role as a physician, fighter and adviser, but says the familiar noir elements—doppelgängers, a central bar and corrupt authorities—feel mechanical, and that Una’s history with Illyrian occupation is not explored deeply enough.