star trek worlds

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Episode list

Star trek: strange new worlds.

S1.E1 ∙ Strange New Worlds

S1.E2 ∙ Children of the Comet

S1.E3 ∙ Ghosts of Illyria

S1.E4 ∙ Memento Mori

S1.E5 ∙ Spock Amok

S1.E6 ∙ Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach

S1.E7 ∙ The Serene Squall

S1.E8 ∙ The Elysian Kingdom

S1.E9 ∙ All Those Who Wander

S1.E10 ∙ A Quality of Mercy

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

When one of Captain Pike's officers goes missing during a secret mission for Starfleet, Pike is forced to emerge from his self-imposed exile.

While on a survey mission, the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a comet is going to strike an inhabited planet. They try to re-route the comet, only to find that an ancient alien relic buried on the comet's icy surface is somehow stopping them.

The U.S.S. Enterprise encounters a contagion that ravages the ship. One by one, the entire crew is incapacitated except for Number One, Una Chin-Riley, who must now confront a secret she's been hiding as she races to find a cure.

While on a routine supply mission to a colony planet, the U.S.S. Enterprise comes under an attack from an unknown malevolent force. Pike brings all his heart and experience to bear in facing the crisis, but the security officer warns him that the enemy cannot be dealt with by conventional Starfleet means.

It's a comedy of manners when Spock has a personal visit in the middle of Spock and Captain Pike's crucial negotiations with an unusual alien species.

A threat to an idyllic planet reunites Captain Pike with the lost love of his life. To protect her and a scientific holy child from a conspiracy, Pike offers his help and is forced to face unresolved feelings of his past.

Bonus Content

Cast & crew.

Anson Mount

Captain Christopher Pike

Rebecca Romijn

Number One/Una Chin-Riley

Science Officer Spock

Nurse Christine Chapel

Christina Chong

La'an Noonien-Singh

Prequel is fun, light, classic sci-fi; some violence, sex.

Information

© 2022 CBS Corp

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Anson Mount

Captain Christopher Pike

Rebecca Romijn

Science Officer Spock

Nurse Christine Chapel

Christina Chong

La'an Noonien-Singh

Celia Rose Gooding

Nyota Uhura

Popular TV on Streaming

Tv news & guides, this show is featured in the following articles., series info.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Full Season 1 Review

Now we're cooking with gas..

Full spoilers follow for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1.

Anson Mount’s arrival in the world of Star Trek could’ve very easily devolved into stunt casting if it wasn’t handled correctly, but instead the return of Christopher Pike, the original captain of the USS Enterprise, didn’t just make for a great season of Star Trek: Discovery. It also led to the spinoff series Strange New Worlds which, we now know as Season 1 closes out, is the best single season of a Star Trek show since the legendary 1990s runs of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

One of the keys to the success of Strange New Worlds’ 10-episode debut season is its willingness to embrace standalone, weekly stories as opposed to season-long arcs. This, combined with a deep bench of instantly likable characters, has led to high adventure, emotional gut-punches, plenty of humor, and one of the key elements of Star Trek that has sometimes been lost in the modern era -- good, old-fashioned exploration.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Images

Sometimes that has meant Pike, Spock and the crew encountering wonders, such as the comet in Episode 2 which they think is going to wipe out a planet’s inhabitants before realizing that somehow they were pre-destined to not just save the planet, but make it a seemingly better place for its people to live too. But there have also been horrors, like in "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach," when the Enterprise has dealings with a race who, well… sacrifice children in order to power their world. Strange New Worlds indeed. We also got run-silent, run-deep style combat stories, pirate adventures, a body-swap comedy, an Alien/Predator riff, and so much more as Season 1 played out. And for every new alien race or awesome space station, there’s a bit of that old Trek social commentary playing just under the surface. It’s there, but it never hits you over the head like a misaligned phaser blast.

Front and center throughout it all is, of course, Mount, whose relaxed, take-it-as-it-goes, let-me-make-you-an-omelet style of captaining certainly separates him from his predecessors. Pike, like most of the other main characters on the show, actually does get a season-long arc here, as he struggles with the foreknowledge that he will one day be horribly injured in an accident. Should he change his future now that he knows about it? While the show doesn’t dwell on the question, we got periodic check-ins with Pike on the matter over the course of the 10 episodes, before things culminated in the season finale as he got the chance to see how badly he could affect the galaxy if he deviated from his destiny.

Who's your favorite Strange New Worlds character?

So Strange New Worlds actually does have its long-form stories to tell, but they aren’t about space McGuffins or the like. Instead, in Season 1 it was Cadet Uhura’s (Celia Rose Gooding) journey to discovering that the Enterprise was where she truly was meant to be, or La'an Noonien-Singh’s (Christina Chong) coming to terms with her status as a refugee of the Gorn. And then, of course, there’s Ethan Peck’s Spock, whose destination as Original Series/Leonard Nimoy Spock is perhaps the most predetermined of the group. Here, particularly in the ninth episode as the crew suffers a great loss, we see Spock struggling to contain his emotions once he gives in to them, a clear indication of why he will eventually shut himself off entirely from the same.

The relationship between Spock and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) has been particularly intriguing, as we know it barely exists by the time we will get to Season 1 of The Original Series. But here it’s one of the most, um, fascinating of the bunch, a flirty friendship where the natural chemistry between the two characters (and actors) almost seems unstoppable. And yet, it will come to a stop… has to come to a stop in order to line up with canon eventually. It’s sad to know it will end, but then again… don’t relationships end all the time?

As for that loss that so affects Spock, the death of Bruce Horak’s Hemmer was a surprising moment that, as hard as it is to accept -- Hemmer was an instant favorite -- reminds us that most of these characters aren’t safe. Is there a reason Rebecca Romijn’s Una Chin-Riley, a.k.a. Number One, isn’t still on the Enterprise by the time Kirk takes over? Maybe she just got a transfer, or maybe the answer is more dire than that. Certainly the mini-cliffhanger in the final moments of this season indicates that Una is in trouble at the moment.

The show occasionally leans a little too hard on homage to other great Star Trek and sci-fi tales, as in the season finale which features a rehash of the classic Original Series episode “Balance of Terror.” And the jury is still out on Paul Wesley’s rather dry take on Captain Kirk, who pops up in the season finale but will be back for Season 2 as well. But by and large, Strange New Worlds has managed to carve out its own place in Trekdom even though it exists in an era of the franchise that we thought we already knew.

Plus, they gave Pike the classic green captain’s tunic. You just can’t go wrong there.

Questions and Notes from the Q Continuum:

• Announcing Paul Wesley’s Kirk for Season 2 was a clever way of trying to stave off expectations that he’d show up this season… and yet we totally knew he’d show up this season! We just didn’t expect it to be an alt-future Kirk.
• Speaking of which, I appreciate the nerdy details that are going into doing variations on the classic uniforms, but I kind of wish they had just kept Future Pike in the finale in the classic Monster Maroon from the TOS movies.
• This show is not afraid to delve into aspects of Trek that aren’t particularly beloved, either. Sybok, from the (unfairly) notorious Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, was even revived in a cameo scene which will surely lead to more in Season 2.
• That same episode gave us another great new villain too, Jesse James Keitel’s space pirate Angel!
• Despite Hemmer’s death, Bruce Horak has said he will return to Star Trek in some capacity. But will he be our Hemmer?!
• With Pike seemingly accepting his fate at the end of this season, we would seem to have a clear timeline now of how long this show can go on for: Not long enough!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ first season manages to recapture the joy of classic Trek in a way that perhaps many of us didn’t know was missing until we experienced this show. Emotional, exciting, funny, and sometimes scary, this is a final frontier that is both old-school and brand-new, featuring great characters who all get their fair share of the action. In many ways, Star Trek has come full circle with Strange New Worlds after 55 years of storytelling. And it’s all the better for it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 Review

More Reviews by Scott Collura

Ign recommends.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

• View history

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the tenth overall Star Trek spin-off series, and the first direct spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery that was announced on 15 May 2020 . It was produced by CBS Studios and stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike , Ethan Peck as Spock , and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley .

• 2.1 Starring
• 2.2 Special guest stars
• 2.3 Recurring roles
• 3.1 Season 1
• 3.2 Season 2
• 3.3 Season 3
• 4.1 Inception
• 4.2 Development
• 4.3.1 Products
• 5 Related topics
• 7 External links

Premise [ ]

The official announcement stated that "the series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the USS Enterprise , as they explore new worlds around the galaxy." [1]

Executive Producer and Co-creator Akiva Goldsman told Variety , " We're going to try to harken back to some classical 'Trek' values, to be optimistic, and to be more episodic. Obviously, we will take advantage of the serialized nature of character and story building. But I think our plots will be more closed-ended than you've seen in either Discovery or Picard . ... I imagine it to be closer to The Original Series than even DS9 . We can really tell closed-ended stories. We can find ourselves in episodes that are tonally of a piece. " [2]

When talking to Deadline on 16 August 2020 Co-executive Producer Alex Kurtzman elaborated, " I think Strange New Worlds , under the guidance of [showrunners] Henry Myers and Akiva Goldsman, it's going to be a return in a way to TOS [ Star Trek: The Original Series ] . We are going to do stand-alone episodes. There will be emotional serialization. There will be two-parters. There will be larger plot arcs. But it really is back to the model of alien-of-the-week, planet-of-the-week, challenge-on-the-ship-of-the-week. With these characters pre-Kirk's Enterprise ... I think what people responded so much to in all three characters is this kind of relentless optimism that they have. And that they are at the young phase of their careers. " [3]

Starring [ ]

• Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike
• Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock
• Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel
• Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh
• Celia Rose Gooding as Ensign Nyota Uhura
• Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas
• Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. Joseph M'Benga
• Bruce Horak as Hemmer (Season 1)
• Rebecca Romijn as Number One

Special guest stars [ ]

• Eugene Cordero as Sam Rutherford (voice)
• Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner
• Jerry O'Connell as Jack Ransom (voice)
• Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler
• Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi (voice)
• Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk

Recurring roles [ ]

• Shawn Ahmed as Shankar
• Rong Fu as Jenna Mitchell
• Adrian Holmes as Robert April
• Jennifer Hui as Christina
• Dan Jeannotte as George Samuel Kirk
• André Dae Kim as Kyle (Season 1)
• Gia Sandhu as T'Pring
• Melanie Scrofano as Marie Batel
• Carol Kane as Pelia (Season 2)

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

SNW Season 1 , 10 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

SNW Season 2 , 10 episodes: [4]

Season 3 [ ]

SNW Season 3 , 10 episodes: [5]

Production history [ ]

When the news of showrunner Alex Kurtzman 's five-year Star Trek development deal with CBS All Access was announced on 19 June 2018, a show dealing with Christopher Pike, Spock, and the USS Enterprise was not considered for inclusion in any Star Trek line-up. [6]

Star Trek: The Original Series characters, Christopher Pike , Number One , and Spock , were introduced for season two of Discovery and were signed only for that season. [7] [8] It prompted Anson Mount to quip with a "#WillActForFood" hashtag on his Twitter account, making it known that he and Spock performer Ethan Peck were on the job market again shortly after live-action production on season two had wrapped. [9] Following the positive reception to the second season of Star Trek: Discovery , fans circulated a petition in support more appearances of Mount as Captain Pike and Peck as Spock, including the idea of a full new series. [10] Mount expressed support for the fan petition, stating he felt "humbled and deeply touched by this amount of love" in an 14 April 2019 Facebook entry. [11] [12] Peck also expressed interest in returning to the role of Spock. [13]

Mount, Romijn, and Peck reprised their roles in three late 2019 season two episodes of Star Trek: Short Treks .

Inception [ ]

In January 2020, Kurtzman confirmed he and Akiva Goldsman were having "active conversations" about a new series involving the crew of the Enterprise . [14]

On 15 May 2020, CBS announced a new series "based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the USS Enterprise ." [15] The announcement included that Strange New Worlds would feature Anson Mount as Captain Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One, all reprising their roles from the second season of Star Trek: Discovery .

Development [ ]

TRR : " Hide and Seek " presented " The Cage " as the pilot to this series, as opposed to Star Trek: The Original Series .

Prior to its premiere, Paramount+ specifically suggested that viewers could prepare for the launch of the new series by checking out the following DIS Season 2 episodes:

• Episode 1 - " Brother "
• Episode 8 - " If Memory Serves "
• Episode 12 - " Through the Valley of Shadows "
• Episode 14 - " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "

StarTrek.com presented its own list of episodes to watch before the premiere. In addition to the aforementioned Discovery episode "Through the Valley of Shadows", this list of original series episodes served more as a primer for familiarizing or refamiliarizing viewers with the series' cast:

• " The Menagerie, Part I "+" The Menagerie, Part II "
• " Space Seed "
• " Journey to Babel "
• " Mirror, Mirror "
• " The Deadly Years "
• " A Private Little War "

Promotion [ ]

Products [ ]

In March 2021 , Eaglemoss/Hero Collector 's Star Trek Universe: The Official Starships Collection premiered at retail. A new starship miniatures partwork and product line, it would have featured Strange New Worlds starships, combined with ships from Star Trek: Discovery (after the release of issue 33 of the DIS partwork ) and Star Trek: Picard . The line's manager indicated that CGI assets of SNW's starships had not yet been received from the show's producers, as of February 2021, which was not that surprising as actual production on the new series had yet to start at that point in time. [16]

Eaglemoss' bankruptcy on 5 August 2022 thwarted all intents to release Strange New Worlds starships and none were, save one. Replicas of Pike's USS Enterprise though, had previously been produced by the company as part of the Discovery partwork collection, as it had already debuted in that series.

Related topics [ ]

• SNW directors
• SNW performers
• SNW studio models
• SNW writers
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds novels
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds comics
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on DVD
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Blu-ray

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at the Internet Movie Database
• 3 Star Trek: Discovery

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

• Performing Arts
• Pop Culture

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' goes there, boldly

Glen Weldon

Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is assigned to the Enterprise on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Marni Grossman/CBS hide caption

Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is assigned to the Enterprise on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Today's Trek fan gets to belly up to a buffet heaped with an array of options; there's a flavor for every taste.

There's Star Trek: Prodigy for kids.

And Star Trek: Lower Decks for yuks.

And Star Trek: Picar d for some old familiar faces.

And of course Star Trek: Discovery for ... um. Space fungi, I think? Oh and time travel, lots of that. And heavily serialized storylines that have a tendency to get way more complicated than seems strictly necessary.

Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

And now comes still yet another option, piled high right there next to the rest of them, glistening under the sneeze-guard — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , on Paramount Plus. And any still-hungry Trek fans out there should know that they can come to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for, well.

For Star Trek .

Old school Star Trek , that is. Original recipe Star Trek .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds starts streaming on Paramount Plus on May 5.

A crew of optimistic space explorers noodlin' to and fro around the galaxy. Who are led by a handsome, charismatic and deeply empathetic captain. Who talk a big game about never interfering with other planets' development, constantly invoking this "Prime Directive," only to gleefully stomp the holy hell out of it everydamnwhere they go. Who meet an endless string of uncannily humanoid aliens whose species differ from one another only by virtue of their skin color and/or whatever specific arrangement of nodules got slapped on the actor's nose and forehead in the makeup trailer.

Yeah, it's that old school.

"Fan service!," some will cry. "Retread! Cynical money grab!"

Much More Than A 5-Year Mission: 'Star Trek' Turns 50

Maybe so, but it's not mere nostalgia that's powering Strange New World s' warp core, it's also the simplicity of its premise: The Enterprise Before Kirk.

Ten years before Kirk, specifically, when the ship was under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Also along for the ride: A first officer aka Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck). All three actors debuted in these roles in Star Trek: Discovery (see above, in re: lots of time travel), but if you aren't keeping up with that show, don't worry about it; Strange New Worlds seems determined to shrug off Discovery 's muddy continuity and blaze its own space-trail.

Which is not to say the show doesn't outfit its characters with Starfleet-issued emotional baggage. Pike knows exactly when and how he will suffer a grim (and firmly in-canon) fate, Spock's wrestling with his half-human, half-Vulcan nature (must be Tuesday) and Number One is hiding a secret. But these actors became fan-favorites for a reason — Mount's take on Pike as a wry, charming leader who always seeks consensus before acting makes for a nice contrast with the brash, impulsive jerk we know will take over the captain's chair a decade later.

But it takes a village to fly a starship, so the Strange New Worlds ' crew also includes a no-nonsense Security Officer (Christina Chong), a ship's doctor who's (wait for it) hiding a secret (Babs Olusanmokun), a too-cool-for-school Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and, in the series' biggest swing, a young, fresh-out-of-the-Academy Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding).

With 'Star Trek: Lower Decks,' A Venerable Franchise Loosens Up

Fans who didn't bat an eye when Peck stepped into Leonard Nimoy's boots (and ears) still might blanch at the thought of another actor taking over Uhura from Nichelle Nichols, given the iconic nature of Nichols' portrayal. The show seems to understand this, and Gooding wisely doesn't set out to adopt any of Nichols' mannerisms. Her Uhura is a young, wildly overacheiving young woman who isn't yet convinced that she's destined for a career in Starfleet. It's true that in the first five episodes made available to press, Uhura often seems like the kind of uber-wunderkind that historically dogs the franchise, and while the character does risk going Full Wesley TM , the net effect is to convince us that this Uhura might not become the Uhura viewers know. If she can do anything, as she does here, then who knows if she's still fated to end up rocking that signature earpiece?

George Takei got reparations. He says they 'strengthen the integrity of America'

Which ties into the overarching theme of Strange New Worlds — the nature of fate. In different ways, this Enterprise crew is struggling against the roles they've been assigned, and ceaselessly question themselves and others. And while there are, in those first five episodes, a few recurring narrative threads that will likely unspool over the course of the season, the series seems most at home telling old-school, strictly episodic Trek stories — the kind that get resolved at exactly the :50-minute mark, come hell or high water.

Contemporary visual effects (and a Paramount Plus budget) have given the Enterprise a facelift. Its hull is now studded with hundreds of teensy, warmly glowing windows, its bridge is more sleek and interactive, its sickbay more Apple-store-chic, and its crew cabins far, far more lux than you remember.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds doesn't make any apologies for that, which is part of its charm. It doesn't particularly care about the version of the Enterprise or its crew you may or may not be holding in your head, and heart. It simply wants to tell Trek stories the way they used to be told — one space battle, one diplomatic summit, one alien virus, one spatial anomaly, one transporter accident at a time.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3: Release Window, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far

Here's to finally beaming up Scotty.

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It's a huge sigh of relief when a spinoff of a classic like the original Star Trek (which ran from 1966 to 1969) is well done, polished, and gripping. Especially when that show stands out in a franchise with twelve - yes, you read that right - twelve corresponding series. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which serves as a prequel to the original (and iconic) Star Trek series, follows Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) as he leads his crew through the galaxy aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show, which premiered in 2022, was met with high critical acclaim from the beginning and continues to find fans with each new season - an impressive feat in a time when so many shows get lost in the streaming shuffle. Now renewed for a third season right after its Season 2 finale, here's everything we know so far about the next chapter in the epic space adventure.

With Season 2's finale leaving fans wanting more, it's only natural to be itching for Season 3 to come as soon as possible. While episodes are expected to return in 2024, the production window is from December 2023 to June 2024 for Season 3 , so we may have to wait a bit before we get the answers we're craving .

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.

While Strange New Worlds premiered its first two episodes on CBS in 2022, all episodes are now streaming on Paramount+. It can be assumed that the third season of the show will also premiere on the CBS-affiliated streaming service. Subscriptions to Paramount+ are available in two tiers: Paramount+ Essential (with commercials, $5.99/month) and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (commercial-free, $11.99/month).

WATCH ON PARAMOUNT+

Because production on the third season has yet to begin, there won't be a trailer out for some time.

Leading the charge is fan-favorite Captain Pike , played by Anson Mount. Mount is no stranger to the Star Trek world, as he also appeared in Star Trek: Discovery in 2019. His other credits include films like Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Britney Spears -led 2002 drama Crossroads . Ethan Peck 's Spock is another character who appeared in Discovery alongside Mount. Peck also worked on shows like Madam Secretary and 10 Things I Hate About You . The astute La'an is played by Christina Chong , whose credits include Johnny English Reborn and Tom and Jerry .

Erica Ortegas is played by Melissa Navia , whose guest roles include Bull , Homeland , and Billions . Rebecca Romjin plays Una-Chin Riley, Pike's Number One. While Romjin is known for films like X-Men and Austin Powers , perhaps her most unforgettable role was as Cheryl, the gorgeous girl with the disgusting apartment in Season 4 of Friends . Rounding out Pike's crew are Babs Olusanmokun ( Dune ) as Dr. M'Benga, Celia Rose Gooding ( Foul Play ) as Nyota Uhura, and Jess Bush ( Playing For Keeps ) as Nurse Christine Chapel. Arguably, one of the best parts of the Season 2 finale was the appearance of Lieutenant Montgomery Scott ( Martin Quinn ), of the infamous - and incorrect - quote from the OG series: "Beam me up, Scotty!"

Strange New Worlds is produced by CBS Studios , Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment, and distributed by Paramount+. The show was created by Akiva Goldsman , Alex Kurtzman , and Jenny Lumet , with Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serving as co-showrunners . Kurtzman, Goldsman, Lumet, and Myers are executive producers on the series, alongside Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin , Frank Siracusa , John Weber , Rod Roddenberry , and Trevor Roth .

With many unanswered questions in the Season 2 finale, there are lots of possibilities for where Season 3 could take Captain Pike and his crew. After the fun and games of the previous musical episode , things switched back to danger mode very quickly, and viewers were ultimately left with a cliffhanger. With the re-appearance of the Gorn (the reptilian-humanoid extraterrestrials first seen in Star Trek in the 1960s), Pike was faced with a decision: heed the commands of the Enterprise not to engage with the Gorn, or do whatever he can to save his people. Pike, being the always-optimistic hero that he is, decides he must try and save his crew. And, when he sees young Gorn working together, his hunch that the species may be able to communicate leads him to want to try and save his crew without violence. While it's unclear how big a role the Gorn will play in Season 3, perhaps Pike's interest in their ability to communicate will be an important factor in not having this happen again. To add (gross) insult to injury, it is revealed that Gorn eggs have been planted in Pike's love interest, Captain Batel, and she may have to sacrifice herself in order to save everyone else. This is also not resolved in the finale, adding another layer to what Season 3 might bring. Will she survive? And if so, what happens to the Gorn eggs? Additionally, diehard Star Trek fans were no doubt thrilled to see Montgomery Scott appear in the Season 2 finale. While the character first appeared in the 1960s, as portrayed by James Doohan , this is his first time on Strange New Worlds. The re-introduction of this iconic character leaves a lot of potential for Season 3.

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Disney+'s runaway hit The Mandalorian has taken the world - and the internet - by storm. Premiering in 2019, show creator and showrunner Jon Favreau ( Chef ) has confirmed that Season 4 has already been written. The series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter, played by Pedro Pascal ( The Last of Us ), as he travels through the galaxy after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Oh, and let's not forget about his companion, the now-iconic Grogu AKA Baby Yoda . WATCH ON DISNEY+

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

In the spirit of revisiting classic sci-fi television, for an updated version of the original Battlestar Galactica , try 2004's refreshed version. While not entirely a remake, it offers a more modern view of the cult classic, which originally ran from 1978-1979. Starring Edward James Olmos ( Stand and Deliver ), Mary McDonnell ( Donnie Darko ), Jamie Bamber ( Law and Order: UK ), and, who can forget, Katee Sackhoff 's iconic Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, the show is sure to hit that same, familiar space exploration note.

Buy on Amazon

Lost In Space (2018-2021)

For another modernized take on a classic, try the remake of Lost in Space , based on the original that ran from 1965-1968. The Robinsons are a family who wanted to start over on a space colony (very relatable), but they end up on an uncharted alien planet instead and must struggle for survival. The remake stars Toby Stephens ( Die Another Day ) and Molly Parker ( The Wicker Man ) as Mr. and Mrs. Robinson and ran for three seasons on Netflix.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

Screen Rant

Jonathan frakes says star trek: strange new worlds season 3 is "best episode of tv" he's ever directed.

Jonathan Frakes is back to direct an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, and he has the highest praise for his upcoming episode.

• Frakes directs his best hour of TV in new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, calling it a "Hollywood murder mystery."
• Frakes, known for directing Star Trek episodes, has directed 28 episodes and 2 feature films in the franchise.
• Season 3, expected to debut in 2025, features an episode directed by Frakes that he hails as his best work in television.

Jonathan Frakes is directing an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 that he calls the best hour of television he has ever directed. Frakes, arguably Star Trek' s most beloved and prolific director , helmed the popular Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7 "Those Old Scientists", the series' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks featuring live-action versions of the usually animated Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid). All together, Frakes has directed 28 episodes of Star Trek and 2 feature films.

In a new Variety cover story about the Star Trek franchise , Jonathan Frakes talks about directing his episode in season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and he has high praise for his hour, which is a "Hollywood murder mystery." Read his quote below:

For Season 3, debuting in 2025, Frakes directed an episode framed as a Hollywood murder mystery that he calls “the best episode of television I’ve ever done.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Everything We Know

Strange new worlds season 3 continues to explore genre, frakes' "hollywood murder mystery" is highly anticipated..

Teasing a "Hollywood murder mystery" on a Star Trek show may have raised a few eyebrows in the past, but after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds changed genre so successfully within its sci-fi framework, it's an exciting premise. Unlike the new crop of Star Trek shows that rely on heavy serialization, like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, Strange New Worlds embraces the episodic format to highlight the potential of Star Trek storytelling from just about every angle imaginable, from creature-feature horror films to the hijinks of romantic comedies, and even the modern musical.

Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters.

With a bevy of Star Trek directorial credits under his belt, Jonathan Frakes is a noted expert at making Star Trek feel familiar, even when the franchise experiments with risks instead of sticking to a tried-and-true formula. Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters, whether in their relationships to one another or the moral dilemmas that reveal who characters are. Frakes' earlier SNW outing is a fan-favorite already, so it's almost assured that Frakes ' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 murder mystery will repeat that success, especially if Frakes himself notes it's a career highlight.

Source: Variety

Watch CBS News

How to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

By Danica Creahan

May 2, 2022 / 5:43 PM EDT / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Move over Kirk -- Christopher Pike is the captain now. In "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," a spinoff of " Star Trek: Discovery " and prequel to " Star Trek: The Original Series ," "Star Trek" fans are getting a glimpse of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is streaming exclusively on Paramount+.

Essentials and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount. 

The top products in this article:

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," streaming May 5 on Paramount+

Catch up on "Star Trek: Discovery" now streaming on Paramount+

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"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" finds actor Anson Mount reprising his "Discovery" role as Captain Pike. In the new series, Pike retreats to his ranch back on Earth after having caught a glimpse of the grim future that fans know awaits him in "The Original Series." But when the Starfleet standout learns that one of his former crew members desperately needs him, Pike jumps back into the action.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" sees the return of other familiar faces from "Discovery," too, including Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck. Keep reading to find out more about how to watch this new "Star Trek" series, streaming exclusively on Paramount+.  

When does 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' come out?

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" premieres May 5, 2022, with new episodes dropping weekly.

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Where to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

The latest chapter in the "Star Trek" universe is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.

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Paramount+ has two subscriber tiers -- the $5-per-month "Essential Plan," a budget-minded tier with ads, and the $10-per-month "Premium Plan," which is ad free. Paramount+ offers a one-week, free-trial period, so if you were thinking of trying the platform, you can watch "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and other  new Paramount+ titles  risk free. 

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"It doesn't have the same bells and whistles that my Roku Ultras have...but then again, I also paid nearly twice as much for those,"  the Amazon reviewer K. Krueger wrote on the site . "This Stick+ is much cheaper and provides basically the same user interface and playback performance."

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Related content from Essentials: 

• 'The Offer' premiere: What's new to stream on Paramount Plus
• Family streaming guide: New shows and movies that the whole family will enjoy
• The best TV and movies to stream this week
• Ultimate guide to streaming in 2022: Which streaming service is right for you?
• What's new on Apple TV Plus this month

Danica Creahan is an expert on streaming for CBS Essentials. When she's not evaluating the best new shows and movies to stream or comparing every way to watch NCAA March Madness this year, she's probably out playing with -- or shopping for -- her dog.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Gets New Science Lab… And 2025 Release

| March 28, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 65 comments so far

In addition to updates on Section 31 and Academy as well as Star Trek feature films , the big cover piece in this week’s Variety also had some tidbits about the third season of Strange New Worlds , which is still in production.

Frakes mystery episode (and puppets?)… coming in 2025

Season 3 of Strange New Worlds will continue the show’s style of mixing up different genres. According to the Variety feature on Star Trek, this will include an episode “framed as a Hollywood murder mystery,” directed by Jonathan Frakes, who describes it as “the best episode of television I’ve ever done.”

Season 2 ramped up the genre-hopping style of the show, but co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman says he is still not sure if there is a limit. From Variety :

“At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “As long as we’re in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I’m not sure there is,” Goldsman says with an impish smile. ‘Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!'”

It sounds like Goldsman was just spitballing ideas, so maybe those are just season 4 possibilities. Season 2 saw a crossover with Lower Decks (directed by Frakes) that mixed live-action and animation, as well as a musical episode. While the mention of Muppets may have been a joke, is it such a stretch? It can be argued that Strange New Worlds followed in the footsteps of the acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode from 2001, so why not follow the Buffy spinoff Angel, which did a puppet episode titled “ Smile Time ” in 2004?

The double strikes of 2023 caused a seven-month delay in the start of filming, which finally began in December. As of last week, they were just starting to shoot episode 7 . Production for the 10-episode season should be wrapped up in mid-May. As expected, it looks like we won’t see the series return until next year. A throwaway line in the Variety piece noted that Season 3 will arrive in 2025.

Spock’s new lab

Season 3 is introducing a new set for the USS Enterprise: a science lab, described as “a transparent floor atop a four-foot pool of water that swirls underneath the central workbench, and the surrounding walls sport a half dozen viewscreens with live schematics custom designed by a six-person team.”

Here is the first look:

Ethan Peck on the new science lab set (Marni Grossman/Paramount+)

Spock is studying a “Chimera Blossum,” according to the screens behind him. As pointed out by Jörg Hillebrand on Twitter/X , Spock’s red environmental suit is a modernized version of the one he wore in the TOS episode “The Naked Time.”

The Variety piece also had some fun behind-the-scenes details, like how the pathway outside the virtual AR wall set is dotted with posters from the Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck, along with the words “Enter Holodeck” in classic Trek type.  Ethan Peck talks about those signs and working with the AR wall:

“I want to take one of those home with me,” Peck says. Does the AR wall also affect him? “I don’t really get disoriented by it. Spock would not get ill, so I’m Method acting.”

Series star Anson Mount also weighed in on working with the AR Wall, noting the way images move across the wall “make no sense” when you are inside the set and it can be disorienting, with the actor pro tip to “focus on something that’s right in front of you so you don’t fall down.” AR Wall dizziness aside, Mount remains his enthusiastic self, even into his fourth season of Trek (counting Discovery season 2):

I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t at some point stop and think to myself, ‘I’m on fucking “Star Trek.’

Behind the scenes with the AR wall for season 2 of Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

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I think most of us assumed it wouldn’t come out until 2025 but looking forward to it.

I do assume Goldsman is just joking about the Muppets but you never know with this guy lol.

The angel puppet ep was pretty good. Is this new set a redress of a past bridge?

Never seen Angel but now I’m intrigued lol.

I’m pretty sure that’s a new set.

The Angel puppet episode is hilarious.

It’s a very funny episode!

Ok now have find it and watch it! Thanks guys.

Would I feel lost on the story itself?

I’ve maybe seen a dozen ANGEL eps, and I think this one is a standalone pretty much, though some of the supporting players may come off a little … strange.

I won’t hold my breath for an episode where the Cookie Monster has a cameo…

Normally I would figure cookie monster is a reference to Shatner’s weight, but after seeing him on Kimmel I have to admit he seems to be in much slimmer shape.

Naah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially after just recently giving him mucho respect for THE INTRUDER! The mention of puppets and Muppets above reminded me of an incident from my pre-kmart era as a young filmmaker, when one of my actors had to climb with a flashlight through part of an interior ship set, to get to something that needed repair in the story. What my friend (in 1975) didn’t know, is that I had secreted a Cookie Monster puppet deep inside the bowels of the ship (set). What ensued was shock and fright, followed by laughter, shaking walls, and a shouted “Damn you, Kevin!” coming from the back of the set. I have a couple of pics of that, somewhere.

That’a a good gag. On a somewhat meaner note, I have to mention that in order to get a shocked reaction out of Paul Vallerga (you might remember him as my roommate at the time I was first making CRITICAL ORBIT, as the Devil in MisJudgment Day — that movie we shot in a suite at the LeBaron hotel — or as Felix Leiter in YOU ONLY DIE THRICE), I revealed to him that his favorite actor Robert Shaw had just died while the camera was rolling. This was low on a ‘Jackie, your dog just got hit by a car’ level, but it did work, though for a movie (pre-Vokar) you probably never saw called CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD REICH, made for my German class in high school but later redubbed into English for a contest that channel 54 was having. We used whipped cream instead of mashed potatoes and shot the UFO arrival at Cinema 150 theater, which is of course where the film debuted months earlier.

Oh sure, I remember Vallerga! He was the very serious guy who thought he was better than the rest of us, right? I do vaguely recall seeing YOU ONLY DIE THRICE, a long time ago. And I can recall doing some shooting for your films CRITICAL ORBIT and STARS. We need our own bbs…

I was going to mention my film MAN OUT OF TIME, but it’s a MOOT point. *smirk*

He did have some genuine talent — he wrote the original version of MisJudgement Day, called STAYIN’ ALIVE, then retitled GOD, SATAN & SIDNEY CZINOWITZ, plus another short script called SOUL OF DARKNESS that preceded BLADE by quite a few years, that was one we came pretty close to shooting, and I think you were going to play the grieving and soon to be dead husband of a female victim of the main vamp. I actually storyboarded the thing — yeah, the images were as illegible as my handwriting and printing, but they worked for me — but we couldn’t figure out a way to flood a culvert where the climax was going to take place. Also, there was potential for disaster, as we’re talking night shooting and lights plus water.

But Vallerga always felt he had to scoop stuff in from other people’s work — some steals from MORK for the first one, some steals from STAR TREK in SOUL, right out of AMOK TIME, less than subtle, easily recognizable. He has managed to afford to keep living in the bay area (maybe he inherited his folks’ place in Los Gatos?), I looked him up, and he teaches drama/stage stuff at some ritzy pay-to-go high school, so he stayed true to his roots (although those are his only roots, he looked balder than Patrick Stewart in the image I found.)

Don’t know if I shared this here or not, but one night when we were shooting CRITICAL ORBIT in my upstairs bedroom (standing in for auxililary control on the ship), Vallerga was walking home and looked up at our apartment. We had a bank of four 600 watt lights that were being flickered, and it put such a strain on the local circuits that lights for the entire building encompassing adjoining apartments was strobing on and off. Might have looked cooler than what we were shooting inside! (we were probably doing the electrocution of the John Nelson character Martin Hansard, which was awkward because he refused to lay down on the floor, so we had to shoot everything at right angles with him ‘lying down’ against the wall of the set.)

My main memory of Nelson is when he “kindly” did one little scene in one of my short films in the garage/studio, with an alien (played by my dad) strangling him. Oh, how I wanted to take dad’s place for the closeup! Yeah, N was pretty humorless, unless it was at my expense or yours. BTW, wasn’t I a character in C.O. for a shot or two in the dining room? A shot where my line was followed by your puppy making a fart sound or whatever underneath the table?

If I’d actually finished CO, you’d’ve probably been the fifth-billing character, as you would have had a bunch of scenes down in the ship’s power bay (dominated by a pair of sunglass racks with pulsed fluorescents inside, masquerading as towering glowing energy cores, looking a lot like something out of THE MATRIX 15 years later.)

The only scene I actually shot showing the power bay was when, in desperation, I cast my mother as the ship’s soon-to-be-late captain. It actually looked really good — we were on what was supposed to be a ledge, and the sunglass racks were only a few feet away, but I had blue plastic stretched between us and the racks, which created a veil of atmostphere making them look like they were off in the distance. But mom was even hammier than I was, and she kind of came off like Grace Zabriskie (Laura Palmer’s mom) when she played the captain of the Hesperus in GALAXY OF TERROR (the movie where Jim Cameron electrically shocked slugs to get them to ‘perform.’)

That puppy, Peanut, was probably 8 or 10 years old, but yeah, it did fart right after you delivered a dramatic line, ‘power level zero in 15 minutes.’ It sounded like a bass music stinger! Sort of like what Goldsmith did when Shatner is spelling v … g … e … r – vger!

I just thought Peanut was very young from his/her size, which I recall as pretty small. Making sets is one thing I can’t do these days, due to my lack of wood-working tools and my leg and feet neuropathy pain issues. So we are shooting in existing exteriors and interiors. I miss that 2-car garage studio I had to make films in, back in San Jose. That was great!

My folks actually had a pro portrait done of Peanut when he was about 15 (how he lived that long with the way they fed him — often being dropped whole frozen hamburgers — I’ll never know) that was printed at about 16×20 and must have been much bigger lthan life-sized. They got another chihauhau, Shakespeare, after that, but it was more like THE ENEMY WITHIN version, as it snapped at and bit everybody, whereas Peanut practically invented the ‘trust fall’ he was so sweet.

I still remember the first time Peanut did that for me when I was house-sitting. He climbed up in my lap,then flung himself backwards, apparently expecting me to catch him. It was a very AlanRickman/HansGruber/DieHard moment, seeing his startled expression as he fell (In fact, every time I remember that funny but painful moment, it is with the Michael Kamen score for that film superimposed on the moment as he falls.)

My tolerance for these “Big Swings” directly correlates to the low number of episodes these guys have to tell actual sci fi stories. If we’re talking 24 episodes, I’d be a lot more tolerant of these show runners and writers desires to do other genres. Here’s an idea… why don’t they go get a job where they can actually write for a puppet based show? I’m anxious to see some writers that actually want to play in the world of Star Trek, not shoehorn Trek into something it’s not. This is an unserious writing staff. So over it.

Thanks for describing why I don’t watch SNW.

There’s plenty of precedent for the crew of starships named Enterprise encountering powerful beings who can warp reality. If they do a Muppet episode, hopefully it involves a bratty near-omnipotent kid playing with the crew by transforming them into puppets. At the end, after reality has been restored to normal, we could hear the voice of John de Lancie telling the kid to leave the humans alone for a little while; he has checked up on them in a couple hundred years and wants them to have some time to mature before then. [As long as the kid never identifies themselves as a Q, but maybe calls themselves Quentin or Queen, it wouldn’t break canon.]

Yeah, with modern TV production and the strike, I anticipated a 2025 release date, although they could have done what they did one year with Discovery and given us the first 5 episodes later this year and the next 5 early next year, but I suspect the Section 31 movie will drop later this year and they are trying to not “oversaturate” the Star Trek available at once, apparently believing that too much content is their problem rather than too little great content. Ah well. Strange New Worlds is worth waiting for, so here I am…. waiting. :)

Well hopefully there isn’t a super long production gap between the filming of S3 and the filming of S4. I realize post-production takes the longest, but hopefully cast and crew will take a shorter break to compensate.

I think that was the only possibility.

“At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “As long as we’re in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I’m not sure there is,” Goldsman says with an impish smile. ‘Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!’”

Can SNW do gimmicks? Sure! Impish smile, indeed.

I don’t mind them as long as they are good but yeah I was very mixed on the musical and pray they never do it again.

The musical episode had some good scenes but it wasn’t my favorite either. Although, I do admire their willingness to try new things. I am hoping the addition of the science set means we might actually get them visiting some strange new worlds. Those haven’t been as plentiful as I would like with this show.

Definitely agree about the musical.

I actually liked it more than I thought I would. It was fun and obviously creative but I have only watched it once when it aired.. I still have zero desire to watch it again.

And yes the criticism I and others had about season 2 is the complete lack of any real exploration. I just don’t understand that you know 90% of your audience watch the show for this reason, you call your show Strange New Worlds to emphasize it and yet only spend 1 or 2 episodes on It.

It doesn’t have to be the whole season or even half but should be more than 1 or 2.

Now, now. They explored Vermont and the Great White North.

The episode was technically sound, and I enjoyed it as an aside. I wish they had kept it non canonical though. I despise the efforts to explain it and place it as an actual event. It’s just not believable.

What’s odd is that TV shows usually pull this sort of stuff when they’re in their sixth or seventh season and getting desperate for ideas.

I think it’s because they don’t have any decent Sci Fi writers on the show that could elevate the exploration theme that the show is supposed to be about with it’s title Strange New Worlds. Instead we get awful writing for it’s characters, weak sit com and gimmick shows. Unfortunately as season 2 was probably a success we will get more of more nonsense rather than quality Sci Fi writing or decent ideas. Also why have new ideas when you just take TOS canon and basically walk all over and do what you like with it.

That is why TOS was great, they had actual science fiction writers writing the scripts.

Yeah, could be. I like to think that every writer has at least one good sci-fi idea in them, it just depends if they’re allowed to use it. I mean, it could be an order coming down from the top that these shows need to take “big swings” in terms of gimmicks and nostalgia and so forth to get as many subscribers as possible. But who knows with these things.

Order coming down from the top or not it’s pretty mediocre rubbish being dished out. The fact that people are lapping this up worries me. Forget sci fi what about character growth as there was actually zero in season 2 unless you think romances with zero substance is a good thing in Star Trek. It does make me laugh that Discovery gets absolutely slaughtered here but people think SNW is good story telling and character growth (which it is certainly none of the above). Why because it has recast legacy characters? Older Star Trek did very good episodic and sometimes really good sci fi to boot episodes. SNW season 2 is a mish mash on nonsense episodes and very shallow poor writing even for a sit com series.You know The Orville did it much better than this if you like that sit com vibe. Nah this is not good Star Trek and if the Academy series is anything like this , Star Trek is going nowhere. Just look what we have to look forward to this and another mindless Star Trek action flick 😞

I’ve seen a copy of their master plan for the gimmick episode per season.

S1 – Fantasy. S2 – Musical. S3 – Muppets. S4 – Gameshow. S5 – Sitcom. S6 – Anime. S7 – Bollywood S8 – Mockumentary. S9 – Whodunnit? S10 – It was all a Holodeck program.

Season 2 actually had 4 gimmick episodes for me. 1) Doctor and nurse go John Wick on us 2) Spock becomes human and acts like a complete idiot 3) Let’s start with a cartoon and then turn it into live action and then back to a cartoon again. I can’t say much more but ffs 4) Disney high School Musical with some nonsensical reason for it all. And wow that is nearly half a season of gimmicks lol. Season 1 had potential and only 2 gimmick episodes the fairytale one and the silly Spock brain swap one. Hopefully season 3 doesn’t follow this trend with 6 gimmick episodes 😟 Is this what Star Trek has become.

lol! Im with you, dude.. 10 episodes a season, and they want to fill it with more side projects than actual Star Trek and Sci Fi.

I CALLED IT. GO LOOK AT THE COMMENTS ON THAT LAST ARTICLE ABOUT SNW I SAID IT WAS PUPPETS

Oh, it will happen…..

So it’s your fault then, thanks.

Jonathan Frakes is an amazing director. His best work is FC and S3 Picard. I often wondered what NEM would have looked like with Frakes instead of Baird.

I think “The Offspring” is his best television episode. Yes he’s an amazing director and look forward to more of his work.

I’d take both The Drumhead and Cause and Effect from TNG (and both of his parts 2 from DS9, come to think of it.) But The Offspring is very good.

I consider FC the best-directed of any ST feature, and yes, NEM might have been a wee bit better! ;)

There is a banquet hall in The San Fernando Valley that has a pool in the floor like the new Science Lab set. That one has koi fish.

there is a resturant near my town that has a glass floor and you can see the micro brewery below the main floor making the beers they serve

My guess is that is Cetacean Ops!!!

Too long of a wait for the return of my favorite show. It’s good to have stuff to look forward to, I guess.

It’s funny to see that the shower curtain environmental suit got a modern update. It looks good.

At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “

Yes, Star Trek!

Ok lets spitball potential episode ideas since Goldsman is so fond of doing it: I am thinking a Trek erotic thriller or a body horror episode directed by David Cronenberg.

That sounds awesome! In S2, they talked about big swings, but took zero risks. A Cronenberg style episode would be a big swing and something new.

I was even thinking that they should get Cronenberg to direct it since he is part of the franchise as an actor, maybe they could pay him a bit more to get him to direct.

“ they talked about big swings, but took zero risks.”

Damn…

Now that it’s confirmed we are in a separate timeline from TOS, I’m on board with whatever they go with – and will likely skip any Muppet episode.

When was that confirmed?

The episode with Khan basically said it. They said that history has been modified numerous times, which is why the Eugenics Wars (from SNW’s perspective) didn’t actually happen in the 90s. Since Trek deals with time travel by creating timelines whenever there’s a change, it means SNW is not in the same timeline as TOS.

This ^, thank you, Chris.

2025!?!?!?! The people in charge of these shows SEEMS like they do everything in their power to ruin them. There has been so many shows that I’ve lost interest in because of these ridiculous long waits between seasons.

Post-production takes a LONG time…

I think we can give them a break this year, I mean the strikes are the big reason for delays, now if the delayed seasons keep happening then I agree!

Who knows if Paramount will exist next year as an independent company?

Mr. Mount is really a good guy.

If it’s Muppets using puppets like Farscape did, or real Yoda from TESB, go for it. I’ll watch. Particularly if it’s like the TOS small birdlike creatures named Korob and Sylvia… or fake Balok… or other TOS examples. Trek already has had puppetry since the beginning.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Teases A Muppets Episode, And We Hope They're Not Joking

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" might be considered the most lighthearted show in the vast canon of "Trek." It's a series that returned to an episodic structure, allowing its stories to conclude at the end of an hour, rather than stretching them across an entire season — and sometimes well past their breaking point. The old-world structure has allowed the showrunners to experiment with genre in ways not previously tried on "Star Trek." One episode may be a body-swap comedy, while the next is a terse horror tale. There are a few steely, soul-crushing wartime dramas sprinkled throughout, but their headiness is leavened by lightweight time-travel stories, party-animated crossovers, and an episode in which Spock becomes a human and eats too much bacon . The most notorious "Strange New Worlds" episode is likely "Subspace Rhapsody," a full-on musical . 

Trekkies who prefer more professional, mature characters may bristle a little at the constant levity of "Strange New Worlds," but the writing is slick enough on the show to offset any legitimate concerns. The characters are strong, the nostalgia is wielded correctly ("Strange New Worlds" features mostly legacy characters), and the plots are classically "Trek," no matter the genre. 

In a profile on the current state of "Star Trek" printed in Variety , the current regime of showrunners said that they're not done experimenting. "Strange New Worlds" is currently between its second and third seasons, and ideas are being floated for what might lie ahead. Director Jonathan Frakes noted that he's working on a murder mystery episode. And, although it was only a joke, executive producer Akiva Goldsman floated the idea of a Muppet episode. "As long as we're in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I'm not sure there is," Goldsman said with an impish smile. "Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!"

Given the tone of "Strange New Worlds," there's no reason this couldn't happen.

Pigs in spaaaaaace!

I'm sure Goldsman meant felt puppet characters on "Star Trek," and not literally the Disney-owned Muppet characters. My deepest apologies to those who wanted to see Captain Pike (Anson Mount) converse with Kermit the Frog, or Spock (Ethan Peck) butting heads with Sam the Eagle. Plus, the Muppets already had their own sci-fi segment via their "Pigs in Space" shorts that date back to the original "Muppet Show." The ship on "Pigs in Space" was called the Swine Trek, so the two franchises are already somewhat chummy. 

There was also precedent for a Muppet episode of a mainstream sci-fi/fantasy show in an "Angel" episode called "Smile Time" from 2004. In that episode, the titular vampire (David Boreanaz) is transformed into a living Muppet-like puppet creature by an eerie magical egg. As a puppet, Angel and his compatriots must do battle with the makers of a demonic children's show. Don't worry: Puppet Angel returns to normal after a few days. "Angel" is a show about vampires and spells, so turning a character into a puppet is more narratively organic than whatever situation might arise for it to potentially happen on a science-based program like "Star Trek." 

But then, if "Star Trek" can orchestrate technobabble to explain a musical episode, a puppet episode wouldn't be too far behind. The tone of "Strange New Worlds" matches the whimsical lightness of "Angel" anyway, so the showrunners have every excuse to make good on Goldsman's little joke. 

And, yes, Trekkies would love to see a silent episode. But a quick reminder: "Star Trek: Voyager" already did a few black and white episodes.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Teases Possible Muppets Crossover

W hile the idea of the Muppets joining the “Star Trek” universe may seem outlandish, it’s not entirely impossible in a world of felt characters and fantastical storytelling—or at least, that’s what the latest tease might suggest. Though the Disney-owned Muppet figures like Kermit the Frog and Sam the Eagle won’t be making literal appearances alongside Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and Spock (Ethan Peck), the notion points towards an inventive integration of puppetry into the “Star Trek” narrative.

In the past, television series such as “Angel” have dabbled in unique puppet-centric episodes like “Smile Time”, where characters faced magical transformations and puppetry played a central role. This sets a creative precedent which “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” could lean into, considering its flexible tone that aligns with such whimsy.

Though traditional Trekkies may recall “Star Trek: Voyager”‘s brush with monochrome storytelling, the prospect of a fully silent episode or one featuring puppetry is a fresh route that offers a universe brimming with technobabble and intergalactic escapades to push the envelope of conventional science fiction television. The suggestion, perhaps initially in jest, has certainly piqued the interest of fans waiting to see how far “Strange New Worlds” can stretch the boundaries of the “Star Trek” saga.

FAQ’s about “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Muppets Crossover

While it might have been teased, there’s no official confirmation of an episode featuring Muppets as of yet. The notion might have been mentioned in jest, or it could hint at the use of puppet characters, not necessarily the specific Muppets owned by Disney.

The “Pigs in Space” segment from the original “Muppet Show” and the “Smile Time” puppet episode from the series “Angel” are historical references for integrating puppetry into sci-fi/fantasy shows.

“Star Trek” has a long history of unique and experimental storytelling. A puppet episode could make use of the series’ imaginative scope and technobabble to craft a compelling and whimsical narrative.

Yes, “Star Trek: Voyager” has experimented with black and white episodes in the past, though a completely silent episode is unprecedented within the franchise.

The potential of a puppet-centric episode in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” offers a fascinating prospect for expanded creative expression within the long-standing franchise. While it may have been hinted in a light-hearted manner, the idea taps into the series’ legacy of pushing the boundaries through imaginative and experimental storytelling. Should the tease become reality, it stands to join a revered collection of memorable “Star Trek” moments that continue to captivate audiences with their inventive approaches. Trekkies, it appears, have much to look forward to as “Strange New Worlds” explores the final frontier in new and unexpected ways.

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Published May 31, 2022

Strange New Worlds 101: The Gorn

Who are the mysterious Gorn?

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode four to follow!

Welcome back to Strange New Worlds 101, where we break down an Easter egg or topic from the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . We’ve investigated the origins of the Prime Directive, looked at the history of the Kirk family, and debated the merits of the Federation banning genetic engineering. This week, we’re looking at one of Captain Kirk’s most iconic foes, who also happens to be a presence in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds … the Gorn.

Let’s face it, even if you haven’t seen every episode of Star Trek , you’ve probably at least seen clips of the fight where Kirk faces off against the Gorn captain in the The Original Series episode “ Arena .” The episode, which marks the first appearance of the Gorn in the canon, centers on a Gorn attack on a Federation outpost on Cestus III, due to viewing the outpost as the Federation encroaching on their territory. The Enterprise pursues their ship to an unknown part of the galaxy, where the Metrons beam both the Gorn captain and Kirk to a nearby planet for a fight to the death. Kirk ultimately emerges triumphant and, in a move of compassion, argues for the Gorn to be released as well. This becomes a famous encounter in the world of Star Trek , with Captain Benjamin Sisko excitedly saying he wants to ask Kirk about it when he and his crew time travel back to the events of “The Trouble With Tribbles.”

StarTrek.com

Following that episode, the Gorn have made scattered appearances throughout canon. In The Animated Series episode “The Time Trap,” a Gorn serves as a member of a council made up of various species in the pocket dimension Elysia, though the episode doesn’t provide any context for how long they have been trapped in that dimension. In other animated canon, Star Trek: Lower Decks not only features a Gorn wedding — which looked to be the event of the century — but a Gorn chef running a food cart on Federation Starbase 25.

In the Mirror Universe, years before Kirk would encounter the Gorn, Captain Jonathan Archer encountered a Gorn in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “In a Mirror Darkly, Part 2.” Discovery ’s Mirror Universe episodes (and characters from the Mirror Universe) also referenced the Gorn as well, though none really appeared in the show’s early seasons.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has the specter of the Gorn hanging heavily over the crew, in particular the Security Chief La’an Noonien Singh. La’an’s family and their colony ship were captured by the Gorn and deposited on a Gorn nursery planet. La’an watched as her entire family were killed; as the sole survivor, La’an was placed on a life raft and abandoned in space, where she was found by a ship that Una Chin-Riley was serving on.

In the latest episode, “Memento Mori,” the Gorn come after the Enterprise when they respond to a distress call from a colony, reminding La’an of that traumatic experience. Though she and Spock, along with the rest of the crew, are able to successfully evade the Gorn and save some survivors from the colony, La’an theorizes that this is a sign that the Gorn are poised to move further into Federation space.

What will happen next to the crew of the Enterprise ? Is La’an correct in her theory that the Gorn pose a bigger threat? We’ll have to watch more to find out, but in the meantime, let us know on social what your theories and thoughts are!

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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.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season One 4K UHD (Dolby Vision) Steel-Book

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

*The 4K UHD SteelBook is in Dolby Vision

Product Description

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series features fan favorites from Season Two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike and the crew in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

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• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.85 x 5.35 x 0.55 inches; 5.71 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ XL-SZYR-a84
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 8 hours and 44 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 16, 2023
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Jess Bush, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French, German
• Studio ‏ : ‎ PARAMOUNT
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BV48D42T
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
• #4,152 in Action & Adventure Blu-ray Discs

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From Discovery to Picard to Lower Decks , Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds , there's a lot of New Star Trek to love.

Seven years ago, in 2017, after a 12-year absence, the Star Trek franchise returned to TV. On Sept. 24, 2017, the two-episode debut of Star Trek: Discovery was risky, bold, and, up until it dropped, shrouded in secrecy and more than a little bit of behind-the-scenes drama.

But, the Star Trek franchise survived this rocky start. After all, The Next Generation had several different writing staffs and production teams until it finally stabilized around 1990. And of course, The Original Series had its fair share of big production pivots across its three seasons. Radical change is built into the DNA of all Star Trek, though for some haters, the “NuTrek” that began with Discovery wasn’t what they wanted. Maybe it was the paywall on CBS All-Access. Maybe it was those all-blue uniforms in the first two seasons of Discovery . Or it was a million other, totally unfair complaints trolls had against the new Trek regime under Alex Kurtzman.

But, now, we’re nearly a decade into this brave (and strange) new world of Star Trek on TV. And, even for the most stubborn Trekkie, there are, in fact, episodes of so-called “NuTrek” that can convert a hater into a lover.

With representatives from every single new series, here are 10 episodes from the new era of Star Trek, all of which are just as good as great episodes from the classic eras that came before. Very mild spoilers ahead.

Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 2: “I Have No Bones, Yet I Must Flee”

The Moospy is coming!

With a title liberally stolen from Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” the sci-fi deep-cuts in this brilliant Lower Decks romp are never-ending. When the USS Cerritos encounters an alien zoo (classic!), the most deadly creature may also be the cutest.

Brilliantly, this Lower Decks takes a common Trek trope about misunderstood monsters and flips it on its head. The most dangerous creatures in this episode aren’t the aliens, but instead, well, you can guess.

This Lower Decks episode is also essential because it introduced the aforementioned bone-sucking (but otherwise adorable ) alien monster known as the Moopsy. Forget facehuggers from Alien. Moopsy will destroy all of them.

Prodigy Season 1, Episode 13: “All the World’s a Stage”

The kids of Prodigy discover the shuttlecraft Galileo from the classic USS Enterprise .

Can Star Trek do a version of Galaxy Quest ? The closest proof that the answer is yes, exists in the form of this extremely charming episode of Prodigy .

In “All the World's a Stage,” the kids of the USS Protostar roll up on the planet in which the inhabitants are all pretty much cosplaying as members of Starfleet from The Original Series . But, something has been lost in translation, because these folks call themselves “Enderprizians,” and refer to Starfleet as “Star Flight.”

Eventually, we learn that Ensign Garrovick, a redshirt Kirk saved in the episode “Obsession,” crashed a shuttle on this planet over a century prior. The Protostar tweens have to band together with these in-universe TOS fans to save the planet, and themselves. It’s a smart cross-generational story that sends a love letter to 1960s Trek fandom, while telling a great story that non-Trekkie kids can love, too.

Discovery Season 2, Episode 14: “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2”

Spock gets ready to send his sister Michael where no Trek time traveler has gone before.

With Discovery Season 5 taking place roughly in the year 3191, it’s hard to remember that the first two seasons happened in the 2250s. While Season 1 alternated between the depression of the Klingon War and the bleakness of the Mirror Universe, Season 2 was the moment in which Discovery actively moved closer to the ethos of The Original Series , with a dash of J.J. Abrams-reboot zest.

While the universe-destroying killer AI called “Control” feels like a rough draft of several other Trek villains, the emotional core of Discovery Season 2 — mostly focused on Spock and Burnham — truly delivers in this epic finale. When the classic USS Enterprise has to team up with the USS Discovery , the sensibilities of various Star Trek aesthetics collide. This was the moment when Discovery jumped into a new future to reboot itself for Season 3, and the moment that Discovery also created what became the proto-pilot episode for Strange New Worlds .

Picard Season 3, Episode 6: “The Bounty”

All your favorite characters await the arrival of even more of your favorite characters.

Midway through Picard Season 3, just when you thought the sweet nostalgia couldn’t get any sweeter, we get this episode. Even explaining why this episode is called “The Bounty” is, oddly, a really cool spoiler.

While it's fashionable to complain about fan service in a big geek franchise, “The Bounty” (and Picard Season 3 in general) proves how fan service can be done well by making massive Easter eggs integral to a real and heartfelt story.

Bottom line: between the Fleet Museum of awesome starships and the Daystrom Institute’s vault of strange devices and creatures (and apparently, the bones of Captain Kirk!) this episode has so many Star Trek goodies in it that it feels like opening a pack of trading cards or something. Did we mention the holographic Moriarty is in this one and an HD flashback to the first Next Generation episode, ever? If ever even had a passing interest in Star Trek, this episode will remind you why just the basic stuff in this universe is so damn cool.

Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 5: “Spock Amok”

Chapel and Spock discuss just how bad Spock is at being engaged.

Star Trek meets Freaky Friday in perhaps the most tender and hilarious body-swap sci-fi TV episode, ever. In order to work out their relationship problems, Spock and T’Pring decide to swap katras, and briefly inhabit each other’s bodies. But, of course, the swap seems permanent, and so, Spock has to pretend to be T’Pring, while T’Pring has to convince everyone’s she’s Spock.

While Ethan Peck’s take on Spock has been pretty much spot-on since the ending of Discovery , Gia Sandhu was put in the unique position of not only having to play T’Pring in this episode, but Spock too! Sandhu was more than up to the challenge, and this episode solidified her as one of the most memorable Strange New Worlds recurring guest stars.

But “Spock Amok” isn’t just about body-swapping shenanigans. There’s also a great subplot here involving Pike trying to work out a bizarre diplomatic problem, while another delightful storyline focuses on La’an and Una playing “Enterprise Bingo.” So, come for the body swap that leads to the Chapel-Spock-T’Pring love triangle, but stay for an episode that will give you all the warm and fuzzy Trekkie feelings.

Short Treks Episode 5: “Q&A”

Number One AKA Una (Rebecca Romijn) shines in a one-of-a-kind minisode.

Although the anthology format of Short Treks seems to have not stuck long term, the fifth episode, “Q&A,” represents perfectly why the concept is so great. Do we need an entire episode that explores Spock’s very first day on the USS Enterprise in 2253? Probably not! But, in the anthology world of Short Treks , this small, very specific story could be told without too much fuss.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (and Picard co-creator) Michael Chabon, “Q&A” finds Spock (Ethan Peck) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) trapped together after a turbolift malfunctions. Here, Michael Chabon specifically attacked a real-life truth and combined it with a slick retcon. In Gene Roddenberry’s original conception of Star Trek , Number One would have been more like Spock. But when “The Cage” was rejected as a series pilot, and Roddenberry retooled the concept of Spock, many of Number One’s personality traits were given to Spock.

So, how does that work in canon? “Q&A” provides the answer. Spock clearly looks to Number One as his North Star when it comes to balancing his outward persona with his innermost feelings. Strange New Worlds has slightly walked back some of these themes more recently, but then again, several years have passed between “Q&A,” “The Cage,” and the most recent Number One-centric episode, “Ad Astra per Aspera.”

Discovery Season 1, Episode 7: “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”

Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson) stops by Discovery to shake things up with a time loop.

Despite being the NuTrek series that launched the entire franchise, the serialized nature of Discovery makes it difficult to pick out just one episode, since so many episodes rely on dense season-long arcs. However, smack-dab in the middle of Discovery’s first season is a wonderful stand-alone episode called “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad.”

In it, Rainn Wilson makes his second appearance as Harry Mudd, a reboot (pre-boot?) of an actual mustache-twirling villain from Star Trek: The Original Series . This version of Mudd has time crystals, which allow him to turn the whole episode into a delightful time loop story. If more Discovery Season 1 episodes had been like this one, the show probably wouldn’t have faced such early opposition from fans and critics. This was an instant classic in 2017, and it holds up still.

Lower Decks Season 1, Episode 10: “No Small Parts”

The Easter egg in this opening scene is one of the deepest, and best cuts in all of Lower Decks . You either know who Landru is...or you’re not of the body.

Although you could populate this entire list with Lower Decks episodes that would convert cranky or confused fans, the Season 1 finale of the show might remain the most impressive. Although the internet will tell you that Lower Decks is just Rick and Morty with Trekkie jokes, nothing could be further from the truth. With “No Small Parts,” showrunner Mike McMahan took the structure of a TNG season finale and married that sensibility with the ethos of what the series is all about.

The crew of the USS Cerritos is often doing the mop-up chores of Starfleet, and so it makes sense that their greatest nemesis would be extremely silly alien pieces from TNG . And yet, when things really start to hit the fan, Lower Deck pulls out the big phasers with an unforgettable cameo that will put a smile on the face of even the most casual or jaded Star Trek fan. After you watch “No Small Parts,” you’ll immediately want to watch the next season, and guess what? You’ll find most Lower Decks episodes are just as good.

Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 9: “Subspace Rhapsody”

Captain Pike, seconds before hearing Klingons burst into song.

Although the notion of a Star Trek musical episode might sound like the ultimate example of NuTrek jumping the space shark, the truth is, the zany premise of “Subspace Rhapsody” is exactly the kind of concept The Original Series would have floated if it had had the budget.

When the Enterprise gets hit by an improbability field from a subspace fold, suddenly, they’re enveloped in a kind of reality that operates on the rules of a musical. Getting to the end of this musical reality is the goal of the episode, meaning the musical premise is what drives the entire episode.

That said, “Subspace Rhapsody” does an incredible amount of character work for nearly every member of the crew. This episode establishes the canonical fact that Nurse Chapel has to leave the Enterprise at some point in order to make sense of her wonky TOS chronology. Plus, Chapel dumping Spock in the song “I’m Ready” leads to Spock’s lament “I’m the X,” which effectively retcons the more emotional Spock we’ve seen throughout this series, Discovery , and the 1964 pilot episode “The Cage.”

All in all, “Subspace Rhapsody” represents what Strange New Worlds does best: it takes a huge risk by playing it safe. Or maybe it's the other way around.

Picard Season 3, Episode 10: “The Last Generation”

Raffi and Seven take charge of the USS Titan, which may have a totally different name now, but no spoilers!

The series finale of Picard is a weird episode to watch as your very first episode of NuTrek but, for longtime fans of the 1990s version of the franchise (which is an era that lasted from 1987 to 2005), this big, bold episode will remind you of all your favorite Star Trek toys.

While watching this episode out of context with the rest of Picard Season 3 could be disorienting, combined with its predecessor — the penultimate episode “Võx” — you’re getting a TNG movie that is much better than most of the actual TNG movies. Heartfelt, action-packed, and with nods to all corners of Trek fandom, “The Last Generation” is also a not-so-secret backdoor pilot for yet another Trek series that has yet to materialize. Fans and showrunner Terry Matalas have dubbed this hypothetical spinoff show as Star Trek: Legacy . Will we ever see it? There are always possibilities, but for now, the most crowd-pleasing NuTrek episode of them all will remain this absolute banger.

Picard, Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, and Discovery all stream on Paramount+. Prodigy streams on Netflix.

• Science Fiction

Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' deserves more credit as a barrier-breaking series

Starship Discovery will soon be ending its mission, and what a journey it's been.

“Star Trek: Discovery,” which premiered in 2017, is entering its fifth and final season Thursday on Paramount+. And you’ll need the Captain’s Log to remember all the twists, turns and transformations the show has gone through since it began.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the hate the series has received from some Trek fans. (“Discovery” has an overall audience score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, a stark difference from the 87% critic rating.)

While the show is far from free of legitimate criticism, many of the complaints seem unfairly – though perhaps tellingly – placed on the show’s focus on a Black woman commander, its LGBTQ+ stars and allies and its inclusive storylines. “Woke agenda” and other dog whistles frequently surface on Reddit and social media posts about the series.

That so much of the negativity is rooted in a backlash against inclusivity raises questions. After all, the "Star Trek" franchise has long emphasized and celebrated culture, diversity and humanity coming together and preserving the integrity of beings they meet across the galaxy.

"It doesn't make any sense, because (these fans) say they love this franchise," series star Sonequa Martin-Green says in an interview. The show “has always been about breaking those boundaries. It's always been about diversity and equality. And our world has changed since the last iteration of 'Trek.' We have a responsibility to push that needle forward and to stay true to that."

More: Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable. Here's why diverse shows are so important

The series is originally set before the events of NBC's original “Star Trek: The Original Series” (later jumping to the future) and follows Michael Burnham (Martin-Green), who became the starship’s captain, and the rest of the crew of the USS Discovery: first officer Saru (Doug Jones), chief engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), lieutenant and now Starfleet Academy teacher Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), medical officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), courier and Burnham’s love interest Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala) and ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).

Many more characters have stood on the bridge, battled with Burnham, or otherwise make up the world of "Discovery." The series had some trouble finding the right footing, but it’s always had heart, especially in its recurring theme of redemption. And it deserves more support for what it has meant for the entire "Star Trek" franchise.

Here’s why “Star Trek: Discovery” deserves more credit:

Prioritizing diversity and inclusivity

A Vulcan philosophy (and one espoused by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry) is IDIC, or “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” and many of the related series, movies and books underscore this belief. “Discovery” also has diversity at its core: the show focuses on a Black woman who becomes captain. Stamets and Culber are an openly gay couple, and engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) is a lesbian. And the show introduced a few franchise firsts: Adira Tal as the first nonbinary character in "Star Trek ," and their boyfriend, Gray ( Ian Alexander ), is the first transgender character , both introduced in Season 3.

More: 'Star Trek' documentary unveils star Nichelle Nichols' impactful NASA connection

Starting a new age of Star Trek

“Discovery” helped launch the CBS All Access streaming platform, a CBS subscription service that would eventually become Paramount+, as well as a new era of "Star Trek" series including “Lower Decks” and “Picard.” Before “Discovery,” the last Trek series was “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which ended in 2005.

Exploring strange new worlds

The second season of “Discovery” also served as a launching pad for the well-received spinoff, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which resurfaced popular characters from the original series including Spock (Ethan Peck), Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn).

Finding time for the simple things

In a few scenes scattered throughout "Discovery," we see characters like Culber and Stamets sharing a meal or talking about their day while brushing their teeth. It’s almost mundane, but there’s also something so lovely about watching LGBTQ+ characters who rarely are the focus in movies or television simply living their lives, being their whole selves. Burnham rocking braids at the beginning of Season 3 speaks cultural volumes. The subtle amid the big battles and overarching plots do have meaning, especially for those whose voices often go unheard.

Going boldly

The first season of “Discovery” went out of its way to highlight its connections to the original series: Burnham is Spock’s adopted sister, and there's a brief appearance by Spock’s father, Sarek. But it wasn’t always so neatly woven, sometimes seeming more like it was using franchise lore as a crutch. But “Discovery” wasn’t afraid to try new things, turning itself around after an overcomplicated first season and again after a very “TOS”-inspired second, slowly building up its own universe without relying too heavily on the old. 

The first episodes of Season 5 are a little rocky before it settles into a comfortable speed. 

"This time around, we wanted to bring in some levity," Martin-Green says. "But there's a grand sort of epicness to Season 5, even though we didn't know it was our last season when we were shooting it. I think looking back on it, and when we share it with the world, it'll seem that way because the season is so big. So people can expect a lot of fun. They can expect it to go really fast." 

It will be interesting to see if “Discovery” sticks the landing through the remainder of the season.

“The good outweighs the bad,” Burnham says in an upcoming episode about a mission, and that’s also true of “Discovery."

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" (two episodes now streaming, then weekly on Thursdays) streams on Paramount+.