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The first Star Trek: Strange New Worlds teaser brings Captain Pike back into action

The franchise digs deep into old, familiar characters for its new pre-Kirk prequel

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CBS Studios has released the first teaser for the newest star in its constellation of Star Trek shows: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , starring Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk’s predecessor as commander of the USS Enterprise . Mount previously played Pike in Star Trek: Discovery , though the character was first introduced in the original Star Trek pilot in 1966.

The brief teaser shows Pike, in isolation on a snowy Earth, being called back into service — presumably to Starfleet. “Our first visit from the stars is always the province of children’s stories and science fiction until one day, it isnt,” says a monologue over flashes of, what else, a series of strange new worlds.

The new series joins Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and Star Trek: Picard as Trek series streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus. In addition to Mount reprising his version of Pike, Discovery ’s Rebecca Romijn will return to play first officer “Number One,” and Ethan Peck will return to play Spock. Other familiar Star Trek: The Original Series characters will also return with new actors. Celia Rose Gooding will play Nyota Uhura, a character first embodied by Nichelle Nichols, and Jess Bush will play Christine Chapel, originally portrayed by the late Majel Barrett. The series will premiere on May 5.

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Timeline to Tragedy: Captain Pike’s Story So Far | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

As star trek: strange new worlds debuts, let’s look back at the beginning (and end) of the original captain of the uss enterprise..

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Captain Pike. The original Star Trek captain, it took over 30 years before his debut episode actually aired on TV. But before that, the only story to feature him that had made it to screens was also, well, his last story.

But that all changed in 2019 when Pike was revived for a season-long run on Star Trek: Discovery. And the popularity of that version of the character, as portrayed by Anson Mount, led to him getting his own show, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

But how did Christopher Pike get from there to here, and where exactly does Strange New Worlds fit into his story – a story that we know has a definite end? Let’s, um, engage with it all – this is Captain Pike’s timeline… so far!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Images

Captain Pike and “The Cage”

There are two ways to look at Pike’s story – chronologically in the Star Trek universe, and chronologically in the sitting-on-the-couch watching Star Trek for most of our lives universe. We’re gonna approach this mostly from the former point of view, if only because we need to get off the couch more.

It all started when a guy named Gene Roddenberry came up with this crazy idea for a TV show set in outer space. While developing what would become the first Star Trek pilot episode, called "The Cage," Roddenberry originally named his captain Robert April. This changed a few times, from April to James Winter and then finally to Christopher Pike. Interestingly enough, the name Robert April would return in the first Trek animated series where we learned he was the captain of the USS Enterprise before Pike. He’s also an admiral now on Strange New Worlds.

(Also, let’s just get it out of the way and say, yes, we know that there was also the so-called Kelvinverse version of Pike from the J.J. Abrams movies. He was played by Bruce Greenwood, but that’s set in an alternate reality and hence doesn’t count for our purposes here.)

Anyway, actor Jeffrey Hunter played Pike in “The Cage,” where the captain is suffering from serious self-doubt over a recent mission where he lost several crewmembers. Hunter’s more melancholy take on the character is a far cry from the gung-ho, shoot-from-the-hip Captain Kirk who would eventually replace him.

Canonically, this is also the first appearance of Pike. Sorry nerds, there’s no stardate in the episode, but we can piece together that it’s the year 2254. For perspective, that’s two years before Star Trek: Discovery’s first season, and 13 years before The Original Series’ first season.

During the events of “The Cage,” Pike and his crew, including his second-in-command Number One and science officer Spock, encounter the illusion-creating aliens known as the Talosians. Pike is captured by these cranially-enhanced guys, with their plan being to repopulate their desolate planet by having him mate with a human named Vina who had crash-landed there years earlier. In the end, Pike manages to escape, of course, but learns that Vina’s true form is a physically scarred, um, hunchback. Because the Talosians who can read minds and recreate reality didn’t know how to put her back together after her crash. Somehow.

Vina, desperate for human companionship, is given the illusion by the Talosians that Captain Pike stayed behind with her. But the experience on Talos IV helps restore his confidence in himself, and he jets off on the Enterprise, despite forging a bond with Vina. To be continued here.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Hunter also jetted away, opting to not return to Star Trek after the pilot was rejected by NBC. In the real world, this is where William Shatner and Captain Kirk come in, but that’s a whole other story…

The Road to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

After the events of “The Cage,” Discovery establishes that Captain Pike and the Enterprise sat out the Klingon War that that show’s first season depicted. The Enterprise was too valuable a resource and Starfleet ordered Pike to continue with the five-year mission that he and his crew were currently on.

A year later, in 2257, the Enterprise crew was investigating a series of mysterious red bursts across space that, frankly, we’re still a little confused about ourselves. But the important part is this is the point where Anson Mount took over the role of Pike for Discovery Season 2 in 2019. That’s 54 years after NBC rejected “The Cage” pilot, for those of you on the couch keeping count.

Pike takes over as temporary captain of the Discovery for the bulk of the season, and many an adventure is had as he and the Disco crew uncover the truth behind the red burst phenomenon – which, again, is pretty confusing and doesn’t really matter here anyway. The main thing is they save the galaxy along the way.

But also, during this stint Pike has another run-in with Vina. Spock, now played by Ethan Peck, and Discovery’s Michael Burnham wind up on Talos IV, which was a pretty crazy revelation when the episode first aired, since the Talosians had always felt off-limits in the Star Trek world since The Original Series. Indeed, they were off-limits in-universe: Visiting Talos IV was designated death-penalty worthy after Pike’s visit there in “The Cage,” so dangerous were the Talosians’ mental abilities deemed.

Played by Melissa George here, taking over for Susan Oliver from “The Cage,” Vina is reunited briefly with Pike via Talosian telepathy.

Interestingly, this resolves a long-standing question regarding the – let me push up my glasses here – canonicity of “The Cage.” The last bit in that episode where Vina was granted an illusion version of Pike was never quite confirmed as part of the story on Talos IV during the run of The Original Series. That’s because, while big chunks of “The Cage” were utilized in the flashback-heavy episodes “The Menagerie” Parts 1 and 2, the particular moment of Vina and Illusion Pike was repurposed in a different context. But here, Vina clearly knows that her “Pike” wasn’t real after the real Pike left the planet, though she puts it more gracefully than that.

“They brought you back to me,” she says. “Not the real you. It’s illusory of course. But the part of you that still lives inside of me… We’ve spent a lifetime together.”

It’s a really nice moment, and also goes a long way to solidifying the relationship and dynamic between Pike and Vina, which we shall soon see is very, very important for Pike as a character.

Captain Pike’s Wheelchair and the Unavoidable Accident That Led Him to It

Shortly after this encounter, Pike also learned that he was fated to be tragically injured at some point in the future – a fate that Trek fans always knew was coming due to the character’s appearance on “The Menagerie.” While visiting a Klingon monastery on the planet Boreth, Pike encounters something called a time crystal, triggering a vision of his future where during an accident he is severely burned and subjected to radiation. Pike is given the choice to leave the monastery without the crystal – an act which would allow him to change this future – or take the crystal and lock the future in. Knowing that he needs the crystal to save the galaxy, he accepts his dark fate.

At the end of Season 2 of Discovery, Pike returns to the Enterprise. By now it is the year 2258 – in Star Trek time, anyway.

And that’s basically where Strange New Worlds Season 1 picks up. There’s plenty of room here for the creators of the show to play with, as the next time we see Pike in canon is that very first aired episode to feature him, “The Menagerie” Part 1, which is set nine years after 2258. Of course, in our world the episode actually aired in 1966.

At some point before the events of “The Menagerie,” we know Pike will accept a promotion to fleet captain and hand over command of the Enterprise to James T. Kirk. And in 2266, the accident he foresaw on Boreth will come to pass. While conducting an inspection tour of a cadet ship, a radiation leak will occur. Pike will save a group of cadets but he will be doused with delta rays and forced to live out the rest of his days in a life-support chair, unable to speak or even move, really.

But Mr. Spock had a last-ditch plan to help his old captain. In “The Menagerie,” Spock hijacks the Enterprise with the disabled Pike onboard, risking the death penalty in the process. When the Enterprise arrives at Talos IV, Captain Kirk comes to understand and agree with Spock’s extreme actions. Captain Pike is beamed to the surface of the planet, where the Talosians use their power of illusion to restore him to his young, Jeffrey Hunter self, so that he can live out his days with Vina. And that’s where that final moment from “The Cage,” of Vina and the illusion of Pike walking off together, is used. Only now, in its repurposed form, it’s Vina and the real Pike, finally together for good.

And so Christopher Pike’s story ends where it began. Which is kind of cool when you think about it. As the Talosian Keeper says to Captain Kirk as the illusion of Pike walks off with Vina, “Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality. May you find your way as pleasant.”

For even more on Star Trek, check out our Strange New Worlds review or our interview with the stars of the show .

Talk to Executive Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura , or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3 . Or do both!

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Captain Pike rides more horses than starships in the first Star Trek: Strange New World trailer

Save a horse (ride a shuttle).

By Chaim Gartenberg

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Paramount has debuted the first trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , the latest Star Trek series that’s centered on the USS Enterprise (the first time that a show has returned full-time to the iconic ship since Star Trek: Enterprise ended in 2005.

Strange New Worlds is technically both a spinoff and a prequel, picking up with the crew of the USS Enterprise after their appearance in Star Trek: Discovery ’s second season, making it also a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series (given that the show is set about a decade before Kirk takes over as captain).

As such, the crew of the Enterprise is a mix of familiar and new names for fans. The ship is helmed by Captain Pike (Anson Mount), with Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, his first officer. Ethan Peck’s Spock is there, but as science officer, as is a Nyota Uhura, who’s still a cadet at this point (played by Celia Rose Gooding).

A more old-fashioned kind of Star Trek show

The trailer seems more set on establishing the overall vibe of the show, which seems pitched at trying to recapture the more episodic, exploratory style of earlier Trek series (as opposed to the more serialized nature of recent shows like Discovery or Picard ). The nostalgia factor runs strong throughout, too, with a voiceover waxing rhapsodic about the wonder of space travel and the stirring sounds of the original Star Trek theme playing in the background.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is just one of many pieces of Paramount’s resurgent Star Trek franchise on its Paramount Plus streaming service, alongside Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will debut on Paramount Plus on May 5th.

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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' will warp us all into Captain Pike's backstory

Patient " Star Trek " fans have waited 55 years for Captain Christopher Pike to have his own series — and that series will finally launch in just a few months.

Pike was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original "Star Trek" pilot, "The Cage," shown to NBC in 1965. But NBC executives rejected the pilot and both the captain and Hunter left the show. 

"Star Trek: The Original Series" (TOS) went on to kick off in 1966 with a new captain at the helm, Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner). Pike only had cameo appearances in TOS and throughout the franchise. But finally, Pike's untold story will finally see the light in the new series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which will premiere soon (at a time to be announced). The new series will star Anson Mount, who portrayed Pike in season two of "Star Trek: Discovery" last year.

On "Star Trek Day," which ran online Sept. 8 from CBS All Access , cast and creators of the new show talked about what to expect.

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"My favorite thing I've read about this show has been that if you think of 'The Cage,' the original pilot, as being the actual pilot, that this is the longest pilot series," joked co-executive producer Henry Alonso Myers during the panel.

Co-executive producer Akiva Goldsman added that while he couldn't take credit for pioneering the expression that this is the longest pilot series, he still loves it. "I'll say it anyway," he said in the same panel. 

Series participants in the panel shared that they are excited to bring a fresh take to the classic plotlines of "Star Trek." Long-time fans will recognize the character Spock, this time played by Ethan Peck. A new addition to the starring cast will be the ship's Number One (second in command), played by Rebecca Romijn.

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Related: 7 Lessons 'Star Trek' Taught Us About Life, Leadership and Diversity

Goldsman said the aim of the new series is to tell "Star Trek" stories in what he termed a "classic mode," that would be a mostly episodic approach of traveling to "strange new worlds", as the series introduction used to say, and having adventures on different planets. (Most later “Star Trek” series have used different show formats.)

But, unlike the approach of TOS that showed little character development between episodes, "Strange New Worlds" will show changes from episode to episode. To be fair to TOS, however, most shows of the 1960s were focused on only weekly plots, as this was well before cable and streaming allowed fans to better follow their favorite characters and see how they change over the years.

"We have room to meet new aliens, see new ships, visit cultures while maintaining [that] audiences are sophisticated," Goldsman said of the new show. "So if Kirk falls in love and the lover dies one week, the next week, he's going to still feel it. That's the thing that we really want to kind of carry over. Bring a modern character sensibility to the kind of classic episodic storytelling."

Those involved in the new show had to stay quiet about its development for close to a year while "Star Trek" showrunner Alex Kurtzman confirmed CBS' interest in another new "Star Trek" series — "Strange New Worlds." There have been a flood of new "Star Trek" shows in recent years for fans to enjoy, including "Discovery," which premiered in 2017 with the third season airing in October and "Picard," which premiered in 2020 with a second season in production. 

Fans of TOS often talk about the dynamics and personality differences between the three main characters: the bold Kirk, the rational Spock and the always-worrying Leonard McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley). This new series will show some similar spirit, writer Akela Cooper said during the panel.

"The fun thing in the room has been coming up with cool and unique situations and scenarios to put them [the characters] in. That will bring out certain aspects of their personalities that we can play with, and see how they would bounce off of each other, complement each other but also contrast against each other — and just see how those puzzle pieces fit. That's been the most fun for us," Cooper said. 

In the series, Peck will be portraying a younger, less mature Spock, who's just left training at Starfleet Academy. His portrayal will follow the iconic performances of the character by Leonard Nimoy in TOS and Hollywood's Zachary Quinto. Because of Spock's popularity, Peck said he was in shock when "Strange New Worlds" was confirmed to him a few months ago. 

"I got a phone call … from Alex, very nonchalant," he recalled. "I got a bunch of questions like, what are you doing? What you've been up to? [Alex added], 'Your show's going.' And I was like, 'Are you serious?' Asking the most serious man in the world, right?" Peck said during the panel with a laugh. 

"He was like, 'Uh huh,'" Peck added. "I went for a walk in shock, and went to the grocery store and stared at cold beverages for like, 20 minutes."

Number One has been in the canon since "The Cage," said Romijn, but since the character has never been written into a script there is fresh ground for the series to tread upon, she added. 

"She's never been written, so I can't wait to find out [about her]," she said. "How vast her skill set is, you know, what are the arrows in our quiver. My number one question is, what's her backstory? I had a delightful meeting with the writers' room a couple months ago, and they floated an idea for Number One's backstory that I'm not going to share right now, because it blew my mind," Romijn said.

As the team prepares to show their stories to the world, they've been taking inspiration from all the "Star Trek" series, especially watching and rewatching TOS, several writers and actors said during the panel. They added that "Strange New Worlds" will stay true to the long devotion to diversity that "Star Trek" engendered, starting with TOS premiering a Black actor (Nichelle Nichols), Japanese-American actor (George Takei) and the Russian character (Walter Koenig) on American television in the more conservative era of the 1960s.

"It's inspired me, certainly, and it makes me want to be a better person," Peck said of the legacy of "Star Trek." "I think it's all about graduating ourselves to sort of greater unity and acceptance and curiosity."

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 

Correction: A gender reference was corrected in this story.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, " Why Am I Taller ?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace

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• Ed Stauffer This I am definitely looking forward to watching. I have been into sci-fi since elementary school and TOS was an excellent example of how working together for the common good could succeed. It was as much the interpersonal understanding as it was the science that made it ahead of its time. Reply
• FrostyWinnipeg "Co-executive producer Akiva Goldsman added that while she couldn't take credit for pioneering the expression that this is the longest pilot series, she still loves it. "I'll say it anyway," she said in the same panel. " Akiva's a guy 🤦‍♂️ Reply

FrostyWinnipeg said: "Co-executive producer Akiva Goldsman added that while she couldn't take credit for pioneering the expression that this is the longest pilot series, she still loves it. "I'll say it anyway," she said in the same panel. " Akiva's a guy 🤦‍♂️

• SpaceShuttleer That moment you realize that the Federation is communist. "Money doesn't exist in the Federation. We work for the mutual benefit of mankind" Reply

SpaceShuttleer said: That moment you realize that the Federation is communist. "Money doesn't exist in the Federation. We work for the mutual benefit of mankind"

• JimFolks I'm just hoping they write good stories with good characters. Discovery has to many pushed agendas. Be diverse but be realistic as well. Please get rid of the constant pausing for effect moments and all the crying in space. I dont think the crew of the Discovery could defend against 10 Klingon toddlers let alone save the galaxy. Reply
• Singing I’ve been following Star Trek for 57 years and never have I ever had to pay extra for a single series. Of course I want like hell to see Strange New Worlds the backstory of my hero Captain Pike. But I refuse to pay an extra $5.99US/month (I’m from Canada so it’ll be more) for what should automatically be included in the series. Never paid it for Discovery, never paid it for Picard or any other Star Trek series. My cable bill is already high enough. This is just utter greed playing off the hearts of Star Trek fans knowing we’ll all want to see it. The network should be ashamed! SMH, Singing Reply
• View All 7 Comments

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Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike is the ‘Star Trek’ Captain We Deserve

Where to stream:.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

I’ve known the name Christopher Pike since I was a kid watching the earliest Star Trek episodes on VHS with my nerdy mother, but I have not loved Christopher Pike until now. Anson Mount ‘s portrayal of the first Captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is simply on another level. Mount oozes raw charm as Captain Pike. He is kind, curious, clever, but above all, empathetic to the people around him. Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike is the platonic ideal of a Star Fleet captain and very much the sci-fi hero we need in 2022.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is Paramount+’s latest new streaming Star Trek series and the one that evokes the spirit of the original series (and Star Trek: The Next Generation ) the most. Set about 10 years before Star Trek: The Original Series, Strange New Worlds follows the exploits of the Enterprise during its Christopher Pike years. The first officer is a spirited and smart woman named “Number One” (Rebecca Romijn) and Spock (Ethan Peck) is merely a trusted science officer The crew is populated with a mix of familiar faces, like Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), and new characters like pilot Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and chief security officer La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). Every episode follows this gorgeous, brilliant, and collaborative crew as they explore, duh, strange new worlds.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is as much a prequel series as it is a spin-off. We first found ourselves charmed by Anson Mount’s Captain Pike when he stepped in as interim Captain of the Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2. That ship had been rocked by the revelation that their Captain, Lorca (Jason Isaacs) was actually an interloper from a mirror universe. Pike’s arrival on the ship brought the science ship, which had been a bit too familiar with battle, back into the warm, welcoming, pacifist vibes that Star Trek was traditionally known for. To put it simply, Captain Pike was nice.  

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds picks up after the events of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, which flung the Disco and her crew into the future and left Captain Pike with an unnerving sneak peak of his own infamous demise. When we first meet Pike again in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , he is emotionally grappling with knowing about his own death. He’s grown a sadness beard and likes riding his horse over the snowy Montana plains. Most of all, he’s making breakfast from scratch for his apparent friend with benefits, Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano). It was honestly so wholesome to watch Captain Pike make his lady friend pancakes. Wholesome and sexy.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Renewed For Season 4 At Paramount+

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Once Pike is back in his Captain’s seat, he nobly breaks rules to save both his crew and masses of strangers. He hosts “Captain’s Table” dinners open to the whole crew where he turns his quarters into the chicest gastropub imaginable. Pike takes pains to listen to feedback from his Starfleet fam and believes in diplomacy above all else. Basically, Christopher Pike is the dream Starfleet Captain. He upholds a deep conviction in our ability to be better than we’ve been before.

Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike feels like a massive gift to Star Trek fans. He’s full of the charisma and verve that made us fall hard for Captain Kirk, but has the sensitivity and philosophical bent of a Picard. He is the kind of man we’d all follow across the stars, into black holes, and to the surfaces of wayward comets. That’s because Pike is the kind of leader who believes in his crew. Thereby he believes in all of us.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds works because it feels so much like a great throwback to the bones of what makes Star Trek great. And Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike is emblematic of the values that made us love Star Trek in the first place. He’s all the greatest values of Starfleet wrapped up in the image of a classic swashbuckling hero. He is simply perfect.

• anson mount

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Anson Mount Sets a High Bar

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , he's Starfleet's biggest-hearted captain. But here on Earth, he's a thoughtful and down-to-earth "country boy."

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

This story contains spoilers for the season finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

This small exchange about Captain Pike’s hair is a microcosm of Mount’s genuine humility and charm. Just like Pike wouldn’t take credit for the heroism of Spock ( Ethan Peck ) or the sacrifices of Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Mount isn’t comfortable receiving all the accolades. During our Zoom chat, Mount makes it clear that the success of Strange New Worlds (the most critically acclaimed Star Trek in years) is all thanks to the collaborative nature of the cast and crew. And if you think this Enterprise crew seems like a close-knit family, you’re right. “There’s a lot of trust and camaraderie,” Mount says. “We’re having an absolute blast. We really tickle the shit out of each other.”

Throughout Season One of Strange New Worlds , Pike’s leadership style manifests in family-style meals for the crew, usually cooked up by the captain in his quarters. But these Starfleet family dinners were not invented by the writers of Strange New Worlds ; instead, it came from Mount himself. “Anson started talking to us about how he creates consensus in his life over cooking,” co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman tells Esquire . “So we instantly knew what to do with his quarters. In the same way, in a deeper and longer sense, there’s this interchangeability between Patrick Stewart and Jean-Luc Picard. This same thing is happening pretty quickly with Anson. He is Pike. We write toward Anson now.”

In the Star Trek pantheon, the character of Captain Pike holds the unique distinction of being frequently reintroduced . First played by Jeffrey Hunter in the 1964 unused Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” Pike was then reimagined as a tragic figure in the 1966 episode “The Menagerie,” played wordlessly by Sean Kenney. In the J.J. Abrams 2009 Star Trek reboot, Bruce Greenwood embodied an alternate older version of Pike. Then, in 2019, Star Trek: Discovery Season Two beamed in Mount, who at this point in the chronology is living between the events of “The Cage” and “The Menagerie.” Discovery recontextualized Pike’s tragic fate with sci-fi prescience, giving him terrible knowledge of what’s to come. Throughout Strange New Worlds Season One, that concept is revisited, letting viewers who are hazy on Discovery off the hook with another take on this emotional rollercoaster. In the Strange New Worlds Season One finale, Pike flirts with changing his own future history, only to be visited by his finger-wagging alternate future self, who drops him into a “what if?” where Pike remains the captain of the Enterprise and James T. Kirk heads up a different ship.

It’s a lot of Trekkie continuity to juggle in your mind, but even if this season of Strange New Worlds is your first Star Trek ever, you won’t be confused at all. Just before the airing of the finale, Esquire caught up with Mount to discuss the long and winding road of this reluctant space hero and what’s next for Season Two.

Let’s go back to Discovery Season Two. Right now, it seems like a forgone conclusion that Strange New Worlds would happen. But what was it like for you? When did you realize that your extended guest role on Discovery would become something more?

According to Akiva [Goldsman], when he joined Discovery and when they were preparing Season One, he'd only been told, “It's a Star Trek prequel.” He assumed that it was going to be the Pike show. He shows up and he’s like, "Wait, what? What's Discovery ?” He told [CBS], “Well, okay, but you really should do a Pike show.” Then the ideas were rolling around for Season Two, and I had been in discussion with him about Season One for [the villain] Captain Lorca. They hired Jason Isaacs, which I would have as well, but then they thought, “Well, maybe Anson will fit in this one, for Pike.” And that worked.

But they didn’t tell me those conversations [for a spin-off] were happening. Thank God. It was interesting that they were clearly making a tremendous expenditure for the Enterprise bridge set. Ethan [Peck] and Rebecca [Romijn] and I were all like, “It would be a shame to waste all that money." Eventually, we did some shorts. During one of the shorts, I called Alex Kurtzman to talk about something innocuous. I don’t even remember what it was. He phoned me back two days later and said, “Hey, I think we got a show.” They were originally going to try to fast-track it, but then of course the pandemic hit. We didn’t hear anything for a long time.

Back in 1964, Jeffrey Hunter’s version of Pike was a reluctant hero. You revisited that idea during this entire season of Strange New Worlds . Why are reluctant heroes so appealing?

It's something that Joseph Campbell pointed out, right? In his analysis of dramatic structure, there’s a call to adventure. Then the hero must refuse the call to adventure. I’m not sure what that’s about, but I have noticed it quite a bit. Maybe it has something to do with establishing humility. By the way, if you want to watch a perfect implementation of Campbell’s structure, watch Kung Fu Panda . I mean, it’s beat for beat.

Speaking of Campbell, I want to talk about Star Wars a bit. You got on social media a few weeks back and spoke out against the racism Moses Ingram received when Obi-Wan Kenobi debuted. You sort of unified the Star Wars and Star Trek fandoms, saying, among other things, “We, the Trek Family, have her back.” Why was it important to you to say this publicly?

I think it was partially how I was raised. I've never broke to bullies. I have a real stick in my craw about bullies and that's one side of it. The other side of it is that what we do is not only dependent upon a certain level of empathy—it requires an analysis and a covetousness of empathy. When I see that happening to somebody, I don't think that I should be the exception. I don't think it should have made headlines, honestly, that I spoke out. I think it should be expected. I think it should be the norm. What has started to become not necessarily acceptable, but expected in our culture—including the fandom culture—is really concerning to me, because I think that expectation is just a few steps down from acceptance. I don't think we should ever accept that kind of behavior and inhumanity, particularly by people who deal in humanity.

The news is bleak lately, particularly out of the Supreme Court. It’s a stark contrast to Pike in the first Strange New Worlds episode telling us that open and honest debate can get us to a point of peace and unity. Can we get there? How do you view the way forward?

It's very interesting to become a father in this time. I do think we have a tendency to look back at the earlier periods of our history with rose-tinted glasses. We grew up terrified that we would die in a nuclear holocaust, but we don't tend to remember that or talk about that.

But, yes. I think we will get through this. I think that there is such a thing as objective truth and the truth always comes to light, as we're seeing right now. As a culture, as a world, we're still struggling with this new way of being that happened quite suddenly. I don't think anybody really considered all the implications of everyone suddenly having a device in their hand that allows them to communicate with everyone in the world simultaneously and at a moment's touch. I often think that if you were to go back thirty years and tell people about this thing called Twitter, the consensus reaction would be, "Oh, wow. We'll really get together and be organized. We'll finally get over all of our problems.” But no—as it turns out, it just exacerbated our problems. Those who were marginalized are suddenly now a voting block or a disruptor block, or at times a mob. I think we’ll get there, but I think we're still struggling with how to deal with that.

I know another fellow Enterprise captain, Sir Patrick Stewart, often has smart insights into the state of the world. Did you get a chance to talk with him when you both cameoed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ? [Stewart cameoed as Professor X, from the X-Men , and Mount as Black Bolt, reprising his role from the series Inhumans .]

No, he was actually not there! [Laughs] He was shooting Picard . That was a very interesting shoot because my role came up in the reshoots. As you can imagine, several of the actors were quite busy. Patrick was not there. Chiwetel [Ejiofor] was not there. Krasinski's contract wasn't even done. He wasn't there. We had actors playing those roles, knowing that they were going to either be substituting their shots or transplanting faces. I've never done anything quite like that, and I was in disbelief of how well it cut together.

More tricky camera work: in the Season One finale of Strange New Worlds , you played opposite yourself. I think you really nailed this older, alternate timeline version of Pike. But how? What was your process?

Mostly I didn't want to overdo it, because if you talk to most people who are in their seventies or eighties, they will tell you that they still feel like they're in their thirties, other than a few kinks here and there. For whatever reason, I'm what they call an outside-in actor. I start with the body. I just wanted to find the places where the movement was not as easy and the voice was different. It was necessary to differentiate it a bit because I had scenes with myself. It was just necessary for the clarity of the scene. I wanted a voice that sounded like it had given up a little bit after lots of emotional turmoil. So I thought, what would my voice sound like if I had spent a lot of time sobbing and screaming?

In the season finale, Captain Pike meets Captain Kirk (Paul Wesley) in an alternate future. You have this great, understated moment where you just say, “Tell me about yourself, Jim.”

I really love that scene because it was so well written. The writers know where to trust that the audience can do its own work. They don't have to overtly say Pike gets it or is told that Jim should have been in the chair and he's going to end up becoming the captain of the Enterprise . It’s just simple: tell me about yourself . That conveys everything we need to know. Pike understands that his older self wasn’t just showing him he’s the wrong guy in the wrong place. It’s also about showing him who the right guy would be. Pike is thinking, “If this guy is going to carry on my legacy, if he's going to take on my baby, I want to know something about him and see what's beyond the bluster.”

For you, what’s the essential difference between Pike and Kirk?

There are very few things that I’ve learned in making a long-running TV show. But one trick I’ve learned is that no matter what you do, you’re always putting down footprints that you’re going to have to tread again. So, in the beginning, you try to be careful not to press those footprints too deep. You go in saying to yourself, "Okay, just be careful of how much you think you know."

There are very few things that I know for sure. But one thing that I told [showrunner] Henry [Alonso Myers] is that at the end of all of this, we think the defining quality of Kirk is machismo or bravado. The defining characteristic for Picard, perhaps, is intellect. I would like that defining quality for Pike to be the heart. That’s the best I can put it. Hopefully, Pike can give Kirk just enough of that heart for Kirk to avoid making the kinds of mistakes that he makes in this episode.

How will Pike be different in Season Two of Strange New Worlds ?

I would say he’s more resolute after the finale of Season One. He tried out the idea of having his cake and eating it too. It didn't work, and strangely, when he realizes there’s no honorable way out, that’s a relief. The older Pike made it very clear: you still have a choice. But to somebody like Pike, it isn’t a choice. So this is a choice that almost makes itself, and it is a tremendous relief. He doesn't have to worry about it anymore. His job now is to make every day count as much as possible. There's a lot of freedom in that.

How long can you play Captain Pike? It’s a forever thing with Star Trek, right?

I think that's going to depend on where my daughter decides to go to college. [Laughs] If she decides to go to a state school, that's one answer. If she decides to go to Harvard, that's another answer. To be honest with you, this job is a dream come true. But to give the Trek culture something back, I think there has to be a significant body of work to be on par with the Kirk era and the Picard era. Otherwise, I think they will feel shorted.

Personally, I love this job. I'm still trying to convince them of ways to get the job moved outside. I love working outside. I have two problems with the sound stage: first, it’s a black box theater where you’re not just doing an hour and a half play. You’re going in for twelve to fourteen hours, and that can be difficult for a country boy like me. The second reason is a bit more idealistic. I think sound stages are constructed largely to remove chaos from the artistic process, and I firmly believe chaos is an essential ingredient to the creative process. But that’s a high-level problem.

To be clear, I'm really happy. I love our creative team and Paramount has treated us exceptionally well. As you know, we've taken some big swings on this show already. I've just been gobsmacked at how many times the network has gotten it. Even just something like the comedy. Comedy is a risk!

But all of Star Trek is risky, right?

Exactly. Having a core set of values is at times a risk. Akiva [Goldsman] said recently during an interview we did together that “ Star Trek has never been value-neutral.” The easy way for the show would be to be value-neutral, especially right now. But that’s just not what Star Trek is.

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Scotty Will Return in Season 3 of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

Martin Quinn's version of the character first appeared in season 2's finale.

The Big Picture

• Martin Quinn to bring authentic Scottish flair as Montgomery Scott on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
• Quinn adds a new perspective to the character previously played by actors from Canada and England.
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues to explore the adventures of the USS Enterprise under Captain Pike.

A classic member of the Enterprise crew will return for the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . After debuting in the final episode of the show's second season , Martin Quinn will stay on board as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the upcoming season of Paramount+'s newest Star Trek series. As reported by BBC Scotland in an interview with Quinn, the character will recur on Strange New World 's third season, which is currently filming in Toronto, Ontario.

Quinn is the first-ever Scot to play the character, who was previously played by a Canadian ( James Doohan ) and an Englishman ( Simon Pegg ), and the interview notes that he's adding authenticity to the character, making sure that the show's writers use authentic Scottish slang: "They let me put in the word 'baw-heid' instead of 'turnip-heid'. Maybe they think all Scottish people are farmers? But they were very gracious about it." Quinn is from the town of Paisley; he has previously appeared on episodes of Limmy's Show , Annika , and Derry Girls .

Who is Montgomery Scott?

Played by Doohan in Star Trek: The Original Series , Scott is the ever-capable head engineer of the USS Enterprise , famed for his ability to solve catastrophic problems in short periods of time. After the series went off the air, Doohan reprised the role in Star Trek: The Animated Series and in all six of the feature films starring the series' original cast. He also returned for a cameo in Star Trek: Generations , attending the launch of the USS Enterprise-B , and guest-starred on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", where he is discovered by the Enterprise-D 's crew a century in the future, having been preserved in a transporter buffer. Pegg took on the role for J.J. Abrams ' cinematic reboot of the franchise, and reprised it for its two sequels; a fourth film is still up in the air .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds features the adventures of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) prior to The Original Series . It has so far featured two different chief engineers. Hemmer ( Bruce Horak ) was a member of the Aenar species, and sacrificed himself in the show's first-season finale to save the rest of the crew from the Gorn. His replacement was Pelia ( Carol Kane ), a long-lived Lanthanite, who joined the crew in the show's second season.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently filming its third season; no release date has yet been set . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy in the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

'Star Trek Strange New Worlds' Renewed for Season 4

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is renewed for a 4th season.
• The series is currently in production on Season 3 in Toronto.
• The anticipated premiere for Season 3 is in 2025, with no release date yet for the 4th season.

The mission continues for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . The popular spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for a fourth season, ahead of the premiere of its third season, which is set to hit Paramount+ in 2025. The sci-fi series is currently in production on Season 3 in Toronto, Ontario, and it is an optimistic sign that it has secured a fourth season renewal so early.

In a joint statement, executive producers and showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman welcomed the show's early renewal. "On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds , we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can’t wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure." The series is currently filming in Toronto, with a first image from the new season emerging last week; so far, few details have emerged about the new season, although we now know that Martin Quinn , who made his debut as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the second-season finale, will recur on the third season, adding one more member of the classic Star Trek ensemble to the cast.

What Is 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'?

Set a few years before Captain James Kirk's adventures on the USS Enterprise , Strange New Worlds depicts the ship's voyages under Kirk's predecessor, Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ). The show features several familiar faces from Kirk's crew, including Spock ( Ethan Peck ), Nyota Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ), Christine Chapel ( Jess Bush ), and Joseph M'Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ); it also features Una Chin-Riley ( Rebecca Romijn ), from Pike's briefly-glimpsed tenure as Enterprise captain during the 1960s' Star Trek: The Original Series , and several totally new characters, including La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong ) and Erica Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ). Over the course of the series' two seasons, which has embrased a more episodic form of storytelling than its parent series, Discovery , the crew has been trapped in a musical , crossed over with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks , and confronted with the menace of the marauding reptilian Gorn aliens.

Strange New Worlds ' third and fourth season will join a fleet of upcoming Star Trek series on Paramount+. In addition to Discovery , which is currently airing its fifth and final season, fans have a fifth (and, unfortunately, also final ) season of Lower Decks to look forward to, as well as the new series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , and the streaming-original film Star Trek: Section 31 . Netflix subscribers can also enjoy the animated Star Trek: Prodigy , whose second season is due this year.

There is currently no release date for Strange New Worlds Season 4. Season 3 is set to premiere in 2025. Past seasons are streaming now on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy in the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Release Date May 5, 2022

Cast Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Christina Chong, Anson Mount

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Rating TV-PG

Franchise Star Trek

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Watch on Paramount+

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Four; Paramount+ Series Gets Early Renewal

by Regina Avalos, April 14, 2024

(Photo: Paramount+)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is not going anywhere anytime soon. The sci-fi series has already been renewed for a fourth season ahead of its season three release. Paramount+ previously renewed the series for a third season ahead of its season two premiere in March 2023. The end of animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks was also announced.

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series, which stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, and Bruce Horak, follows Captain Christopher Pike (Mount) and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise, before Kirk’s time as Captain in the original Star Trek series.

Paramount+ revealed the following about the renewal of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds :

Paramount+ today announced that its hit original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS has been renewed for a fourth season. The series is currently in production on its third season, which is set to debut in 2025. “It has been incredibly rewarding to continue to build the STAR TREK universe, and we’re so grateful to Secret Hideout and our immensely talented casts and producers,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS has found the perfect blend of action, adventure and humor, and we’re elated to announce another season ahead of our season three premiere. Similarly, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS has brought the laughs with an ample amount of heart to the franchise across its four seasons. We can’t wait for audiences to see what is in store for the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos in this final season.” “LOWER DECKS and STRANGE NEW WORLDS are integral to the STAR TREK franchise, expanding the boundaries of the universe and exploring new and exciting worlds,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Studios.  “We are extraordinarily proud of both series as they honor the legacy of what Gene Roddenberry created almost 60 years ago. We are so grateful to work with Secret Hideout, Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and the cast, crews and artists who craft these important and entertaining stories for fans around the world.” About STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, Number One and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the starship, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. The series stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun, along with special guest stars Paul Wesley and Carol Kane. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers. STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS currently is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Latin America, Australia, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It streams on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.”

The premiere date for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season three will be announced later.

What do you think? Have you kept up with this Star Trek series? Are you happy to hear it has already been renewed for a fourth season?

Check out our status sheets to track new TV series pickups, renewals, and cancellations. You can find lists of cancelled shows here .

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So happy Strange New Worlds is coming back!!!!

Love to hear it. Great news!!

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Captain Pike Saddles Up In First ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Novel ‘The High Country’

| April 11, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 11 comments so far

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts on May 5th and its first tie-in novel was announced during Star Trek: Mission Chicago .

The High Country

The first Strange New Worlds novel tie-in is titled The High Country , by author John Jackson Miller. It arrives on November 8, 2022 from Gallery Books.

Here is the official synopsis:

When an experimental shuttlecraft fails, Captain Christopher Pike suspects a mechanical malfunction—only to discover the very principles on which Starfleet bases its technology have simply stopped functioning. He and his crewmates are forced to abandon ship in a dangerous maneuver that scatters their party across the strangest new world they’ve ever encountered. First Officer Una finds herself fighting to survive an untamed wilderness where dangers lurk at every turn. Young cadet Nyota Uhura struggles in a volcanic wasteland where things are not as they seem. Science Officer Spock is missing altogether. And Pike gets the chance to fulfill a childhood dream: to live the life of a cowboy in a world where the tools of the 23rd century are of no use. Yet even in the saddle, Pike is still very much a starship captain, with all the responsibilities that entails. Setting out to find his crewmates, he encounters a surprising face from his past—and discovers that one people’s utopia might be someone else’s purgatory. He must lead an exodus—or risk a calamity of galactic proportions that even Starship Enterprise is powerless to stop…

And the cover was revealed as well…

John Jackson Miller is the author of many Trek tie-ins, including last year’s Star Trek: Picard: Rogue Elements , which garnered TrekMovie’s Best of 2021 . Jackson announced the book at the Star Trek: Mission Chicago event and in a blog post , calling it “a doozy of an adventure.” Jackson is familiar with Captain Pike, Spock, and Number One/Una as the author of the 2019 tie-in Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War  which tells their story before appearing in the second season of Discovery .

John Jackson Miller (center) at Star Trek: Mission Chicago

The High Country arrives on November 8th in hardcover, ebook and audiobook. You can pre-order it now at Amazon .

Find more news and reviews of  Star Trek books at TrekMovie.com .

DISCLAIMER: We may link to products to buy on Amazon in our articles; these are customized affiliate links that support TrekMovie by earning a small commission when you purchase through them.

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In regards to the trailer scene where he is riding a horse (like in this novel), one minor issue I had with that scene was that why would they still need wind farms in the 23rd century, given advanced portable power is ubiquitous, and given we know that wind farms are bird hazards and thus would obviously be phased out by an advanced earth society?

Same with the solar panels on the Golden Gate Bridge. I just assumed they preserved the ancient relics of a bygone era the same way we preserve lighthouses and wooden sailing ships.

Ah, OK, let’s go with that! :-)

Also, let’s assume they have advanced tech that keeps birds away.

Can’t wait to get this one.

That cover is appalling. Sounds like it might be worth a read even so, though.

I do miss the illustrated covers.

It’s a five minute photoshop. But maybe they had limited access to promotional materials when they created it. In general, ST and SW covers these days are rather unimaginative.

Yes, and that lack of imagination (and artistry) is what I am appalled by. This is not a novel, it’s a product.

Nope, the artists who do the SW covers in recent years are putting out fantastic work.

Excited because I started reading Rogue Elements recently and I really enjoyed what I saw! Afraid because I don’t see any quotes about what kind of horse and riding research he did and I can’t even say the number of stories (in any genre or fandom) that I’ve quit out of or returned to the library etc. because the author put something that at a stretch *might* make sense to a layperson, but anyone who’s ridden more than once was completely ludicrous. (I still don’t know how some books get professionally published with the level of mistakes I find in them…)

I’m fearful about riding horses. I’m curious FNK2, what would be a good novel or book about riding?

Looking forward to any books on Strange New Worlds and the Original Star Trek.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Anson mount: captain christopher pike, captain pike, admiral christopher pike, captain.

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Captain Christopher Pike : Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

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• Is Strange New Worlds the Most Innovative Star Trek Series Since the Original?

As Star Trek is almost 60 years old, the latest series from this iconic Sci-Fi series may be the most groundbreaking since the original series.

The refreshing and entertaining storyline will please both newer fans of Star Trek and even the fans of the original Star Trek series that aired back in 1966.

The first season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds first premiered on the fifth of May 2022. It is actually a sequel to the slightly controversial Discovery series that didn't follow some of the known or established lore in the Star Trek universe.

How Does Strange New Worlds Fit Into The Star Trek Universe

The original Star Trek series takes place in 2265, while the Strange New Worlds series starts in 2259. This means the iconic Captain Kirk is not the captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), which means the current captain will be Captain Christopher Pike .

This may be a bit of a change for some Star Trek fans, but it's a good change. 

Star Trek's iconic characters from the original series, such as Spock, Scotty, and Nyota Uhura, are also in the Strange New World series.

Some minor characters from the original show also appear throughout the new series, making Strange New Worlds feel like the show was meant to be.

Why is Strange New Worlds The Most Innovative Star Trek Show In Many Years

As the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series shows us the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and the crew at the start of USS Enterprise, it will immediately be compared to the original series.

The cast of the new Star Trek show has a compelling story arc, which can make fans of the show feel attached and almost there with them during the crew's many adventures.

The new show takes many elements of the original show, such as the optimism and fun that the crew seems to lavish on.

This does not mean the Strange New Worlds series doesn't have any heart-wrenching moments. The show does have some heavy hitters, as any Star Trek fan knows the fate of Captain Christopher Pike.

Spoiler warning for new Star Trek fans who haven't watched the original series or finished Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 :

Captain Christopher Pike will die.

Captain Christopher Pike's death happened in 2266, seven years after the Strange New Worlds series started and two years after the original series.

Christopher Pike dies during an accident while trying to save a handful of trainees on a Class J Starship.

Strange New Worlds doesn't shy away from the fact that Captain Christopher Pike will die; during the show, he learns that he will die and that he has to learn to face his future.

Anson Mount , who plays Christopher Pike in the Strange New Worlds series, gives us one of the best Star Trek captains who has even been in the series.

Anson Mount conveys the essence of how a Star Trek captain should act and treat his crew during any situation, even during a stressful situation.

This doesn't mean this captain doesn't break the rules; he just bends them when there is a need to do so.

Another great reason many Star Trek fans hold Strange New Worlds in such high regard is that it is family-friendly.

This alone is why the show is so popular, as families who grew up watching Star Trek can now spread the joy of Star Trek to their children without worrying about any taboo subjects or vulgar words popping up in the episode. 

Why Does Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Look So Good?

Strange New Worlds does a great job of using the older elements and designs of the original series while still finding new ways to improve the show's look and feel.

For example, during the Star Trek: Discovery series, the USS Enterprise does make an appearance in the show.

However, the design elements did not match how the starship was supposed to look during the original series.

The latest Star Trek series did a great slight remodel of the starship hull to bring it closer to the original designs while still giving the design a modern feel.

Some fans of the original series may think that the "new" USS Enterprise may look too modern and have lost the charm of the '60s version; this can be seen with the bridge of the Enterprise.

The bridge of a starship in Star Trek is the most important room on all Star Trek shows; this means they are iconic, and many fans know exactly how they look.

The Strange New Worlds creators revamped the bridge with its own elegant and unique design, but it still has many elements of the original set.

The Strange New Worlds series also relies heavily on props and filming sets that help the actors easily immerse themselves in their roles.

This allows the acting and chemistry between the actors to flow naturally.

How Will the Show Progress?

As the Strange New Worlds series is a prequel to the original series, there is only so much time before they reach the original series starting date.

But don't worry because this doesn't mean that the show will not have any compelling stories or familiar faces for fans to enjoy.

As the series continues on Paramount+ , we'll surely see some exciting and unique storylines. 

What do you think about the two shows?

Is Strange New Worlds truly more innovative than the Original? 

Jason Collins is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X .

Pike: Send someone else. You don't want me in command of that ship. April: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Permalink: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Added: May 04, 2022

No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our own. No matter the mathematical probabilities or the number of times we say, 'We are not alone in the universe,' our first visit from the stars is always the province of children's stories and science fiction. First contact with aliens always lives squarely in the impossible. First contact is just a dream until one day, it isn't. Una Permalink: No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our... Added: May 04, 2022

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While most 2024 offerings arrive in October, the first ornament of the year hits stores this July, when Hallmark celebrates the 60th anniversary of “The Cage” with The Keeper . This is the Talosian leader who kept Captain Pike hostage in the original Star Trek  pilot episode; it’s priced at $19.99.

Moving into the fall’s character spotlights, Hallmark is starting with the beloved chief medical officer of the Enterprise- D: Beverly Crusher! With so many licensees often leaving Crusher out of the roster of character-themed releases, it’s nice to see Hallmark including the good doctor in their 2024 lineup.

Clad in her trademark blue coat and with trusty medical tricorder in hand, the Crusher ornament will available in October for $19.99.

Also from  The Next Generation is the first electronic ornament for 2024, recreating the encounter between Ambassador Spock and Data in “Unification II.” This ornament will be priced at $29.99 when released in October, and plays audio clips from the Next Gen episode.

For this year’s “modern  Trek ” release, Hallmark turns to  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with an ornament featuring Captain Pike seated in his  Enterprise command chair. The base of his chair plays  Strange New Worlds audio clips, and will be available for $21.99 this October.

Moving next to Trek movie anniversaries, Hallmark celebrates the 30th anniversary of  Star Trek: Generations with the first-ever  USS Enterprise -B ornament! Hallmark’s Kevin Dilmore once highlighted the technical challenges that held back the Excelsior -class design for many years back in 2021, so it’s nice to see this long-awaited ship will make it to fans’ collections.

The Enterprise- B ornament lights up and will be available for $34.99 in October.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture also hits a big anniversary this year, and Hallmark will be honoring that milestone with a pair of miniature ornaments tied to the film. A small edition of the refit  USS Enterprise will be released at a $10.99 price point, and a small sculpt of Science Officer Spock wearing his TMP-era uniform will be $9.99. Each will be out in October.

Finally, the fan-favorite  Star Trek homage  Galaxy Quest hits its 25th anniversary this year, and Hallmark will be taking us back to 1999 with a new ornament of that film’s  NSEA Protector spaceship.

Like the other 2024 releases, the  Protector ornament will be out this October for $24.99.

What’s your favorite of this year’s Hallmark  Star Trek ornament offerings? Is there one you were really hoping for that didn’t make 2024’s lineup? Let us know in the comments below!

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Published May 5, 2022

The Ultimate Captain Pike Trivia Quiz

See how much you really know about the Strange New Worlds captain.

startrek.com

The original Star Trek captain is back! After his critically acclaimed performance in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Short Treks , actor Anson Mount is retaking the command chair as Captain Pike in the new Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

The show follows Pike, Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Science Officer Spock’s (Ethan Peck) adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise on their mission to explore new worlds. Fun will be had, and feathers will be ruffled.

WATCH: Stream Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Now on Paramount+!

In honor of the new series, it’s time for Trek fans to test their knowledge with the ultimate Captain Pike trivia quiz. How much do you know about the legendary character from The Original Series , Discovery and yes, even the reference made to him in Deep Space Nine ?

The mission is simple – answer the trivia questions in the quiz below. Once you get your results, catch up on Strange New Worlds on Paramount+ . Hit it!

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.