star trek strange new worlds guardian review

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Boldly Goes Where the Franchise Has Gone Before

• By Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall

When a franchise has been around as long as Star Trek , it’s not hard to understand a desire to reinvent the wheel — or, I suppose, the warp core. Lean too much on what Trek has been doing since the Sixties and you risk your futuristic space opera feeling old, stodgy, and high on its own supply. But the more recent series like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard have tried much too hard to fit Trek into the Peak TV landscape, in the process losing sight of what made these stories work so effectively for so many decades.

In particular, the decision to lean hard into serialization did both Discovery and Picard an extreme disservice, trapping each show in season-long arcs that simply couldn’t sustain themselves for such an extended period. The first year of Discovery committed hard to a Make Klingons Great Again arc — and a reimagining of James T. Kirk’s biggest enemies — that just didn’t work at all, and there was no escaping it once it began. Picard has tried a couple of different major arcs, neither of which has quite worked (I lost interest midway through the latest one and stopped), and mainly perked up when it took a week off from them so that, say, Picard could go hang out with his old friends Will Riker and Deanna Troi.

It’s not just that these different arcs have been duds. It’s that the very concept of them runs counter to everything that has defined Star Trek from 1966 until recently. The original Shatner/Nimoy series was built on a classic Adventure of the Week model, where the Enterprise crew would go into orbit around a planet, get to know the locals, cause and/or solve a problem, and then move onto the next one. This was how most of television operated back then, but it was a structure that worked particularly well for Trek , allowing creator Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators to take big swings every week. Sometimes, they missed terribly, but that just meant they would have the freedom to try something else entirely for the following episode. Eighties and Nineties spinoffs Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did the formula one better, combining the familiar standalone missions with ongoing character arcs about Data’s desire to be more human, or (on both series) Worf’s struggle to find a place for himself in the tumultuous Klingon Empire. Deep Space Nine eventually went very serialized, but that was at the end, and after the show had spent most of its run building to that and making the characters interesting enough to carry a prolonged interstellar war story. Serialization is all the rage in modern TV drama, but not every series is built for that. So far, Star Trek hasn’t been.

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The latest spinoff, though, is a throwback in every sense — an attempt to boldly go where so many have gone before, even if it’s been a while.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is simultaneously a spinoff of Discovery and a prequel to the original series, with Anson Mount reprising his Discovery performance as Christopher Pike, the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise immediately prior to James T. Kirk, and with a host of other familiar names and faces. Ethan Peck is back from Discovery as a younger Mr. Spock, as is Rebecca Romijn as Pike’s first officer, Una Chin-Riley, a.k.a. Number One. (Pike, Number One, and Spock were all featured in Roddenberry’s original Star Trek pilot, where the first two were played by Jeffrey Hunter and Roddenberry’s future wife Majel Barrett.) There are also more inexperienced versions of communications and linguistics expert Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush, reinterpreting a different Majel Barrett character), plus Babs Olusanmokun as serene Dr. M’Benga, who appeared in a couple of episodes of the Sixties show. A few of the crew members are wholly original, including aloof chief engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak) and confident helm officer Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia). But even some of the newbies are linked to Trek lore: Security chief La’an Noonien-Singh shares a last name and some backstory with Ricardo Montalban’s genetically-engineered despot Khan, for instance.

The characters are straight out of Sixties Trek , but so is Strange New Worlds as a whole. There are ongoing character stories — Pike dealing with a glimpse of the terrible fate that we know awaits him from the classic  Trek episode “The Menagerie,” Spock’s never-ending struggle to balance his Vulcan and human halves, La’an trying to overcome a traumatic past — but each episode is a standalone story of the kind that defined the best of both Jim Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard: The Enterprise encounters a new alien society, helps them through a problem, and then warps out in search of a new stop in their five-year mission.

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It’s almost startling how effective the old format is after all this time. The early episodes of Strange New Worlds have a little bit of everything the franchise has tried over the years: exploration, diplomacy, action, even comedy. The breadth of what the show is trying to do is impressive, and a reminder of how elastic Star Trek can be. And if one concept isn’t your favorite — the third episode, a viral-outbreak story spotlighting Number One, drags a bit — give it a week so the show can try something else. One episode is a tense mash-up of the space battle scenes from Wrath of Khan and the “Disaster” episode of The Next Generation , while the next is a wacky shore-leave romp that includes both a body swap and the line, “Spock, I do not enjoy hijinks.” (Unsurprisingly, the latter was my favorite installment so far.)

There’s a degree to which Strange New Worlds is looking backwards a bit too much. Anson Mount was so good on Discovery — incredibly relaxed and confident and gentle, like everybody’s favorite cool space dad — that it’s hard to blame Trek producers Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for wanting to bring him back. It is, however, a lot of classic characters (or, in some cases, their relatives) squeezed into a single show. It can feel at times like nostalgic pandering, and at others the show can seem hemmed in by our knowledge of what’s to come, particularly with Spock. At the same time, revisiting this era through a contemporary lens does wonders for some characters who were fairly one-note in their original incarnations, the women in particular. In the Sixties, for instance, Christine Chapel was defined almost entirely by her hopeless crush on Mr. Spock, where this version is an extrovert who likes playing on the cutting edge of Starfleet medicine. (She is also the character most likely to speak in a 2022 idiom; when Spock admits an embarrassing secret to her, she replies, “Oh, dang!”)

And if we know where everything is going with Spock, Ethan Peck still does very well with the seemingly thankless task of reinterpreting the most beloved, important character in the whole series. Though he’s roughly the same age Leonard Nimoy was in 1966, he’s playing a younger Spock who has not yet figured out how he wants to present himself, either to human crewmates like Uhura or to his fiancée T’Pring (Gia Sandhu, another Strange New Worlds actor who gets to add dimension to what was a very thin character on the original series). It’s a performance that hits the sweet spot of feeling faithful to what Nimoy did without being an impression.

At times, Strange New Worlds feels like a more cerebral version of what Kurtzman, J.J. Abrams, and company did with the 2009 Star Trek film: recasting all our old favorites and giving them a slightly modern touch-up. Pike is not Kirk, but the two men do share a certain laissez-faire attitude about interfering with alien civilizations if the need seems to be there. (There are also already plans to feature a younger Jim Kirk, and, if the series lasts long enough, there will almost certainly be junior glimpses of McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekhov, and maybe even a less sexist version of Yeoman Rand?) After so much of the Paramount+ era of Star Trek has failed to connect with the fans(*), retreating into the past is understandable.

(*) Oddly, the best show of the bunch prior to this has been the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , which is half Next Generation parody, half sincere tribute. 

And for the most part, Trek ‘s past was pretty great, and durable, and still capable of resonating today. The new show arrives in a moment when it’s harder to feel optimistic about mankind’s future than it was in 1966. The first episode finds Pike mediating a dispute on a planet very much meant to evoke the mess we find ourselves in right now here on Earth, where fights over ideological supremacy are getting in the way of solving escalating worldwide problems. Pike offers these people a glimpse of what humanity went through in the 21st century, with the promise that we eventually made it through to the other side, but only after too much unnecessary hardship. It is on the nose, but no more so than when Kirk and Spock got involved in parables about Vietnam or racism. And when Pike explains to his new friends that he is here “to remind you of the power of possibility,” it resonates with the same spirit of faith in people’s better natures that defined Kirk, Picard, Ben Sisko, and Kathryn Janeway at their bests.

Hopefully, the show after this one sticks with this approach while featuring an entirely new crew. But for years now, as Discovery and Picard have fumbled around looking for a direction, only occasionally reminding me of why I love the franchise in the first place, I’ve asked for Kurtzman and company to just let Star Trek be Star Trek . With Strange New Worlds , they finally have, and the power of possibility is palpable throughout.

The first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres May 5 on Paramount+, with episodes releasing weekly. I’ve seen the first five of 10 episodes.

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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 Fandango at Home, 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

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Den of Geek

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 1 Review

The first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a thrilling return to the foundational principles of the franchise, anchored by Anson Mount's fantastic central performance.

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The following contains Star Trek: Strange New Worlds spoilers

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 1

As the Star Trek franchise has expanded in recent years, so has the debate about what these series are supposed to be and do. What makes a show quintessentially Star Trek ? What kinds of stories are these properties meant to tell? After all, in the year 2022, the world seems more divided than ever before, reeling from the lingering effects of a global pandemic, rising inflation, and a political environment that seems targeted to anger the worst in us, rather than exhort us to be our best. 

Our entertainment is increasingly bleak, often full of edgy anti-heroes, disheartening conspiracy theories, grim monsters, and dangerous technology. Even Star Trek has dipped its proverbial toe into darker narrative waters, with both Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery frequently wrestling with much more complex themes and nihilistic stories than any of their predecessors did (with varying degrees of success).

In light of all this, is it incredibly naive to still believe in Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a future where humanity has conquered its worst impulses in the name of becoming its best self? That we might one day all actually be able to boldly go together into a better, more perfect future? Or given, well, everything happening around us, is his determined message of hope and a belief in a better tomorrow somehow more necessary than it’s ever been?

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds appears to be the franchise’s attempt to answer that question, a big-hearted, rollicking return to the foundational principles of the show that started it all, firmly grounded in the deeply personal story of the captain at its center. It is joyous, impeccably cast, and (something I haven’t regularly said about Star Trek in some time) incredibly fun to watch. From its off-handed callbacks and Easter Eggs to its thoughtful character dynamics and gorgeous visuals, everything about this show reflects the care that has been put into creating it. And if we are going to trust the U.S.S. Enterprise to anyone, who better than some obvious fellow nerds who clearly love it as much as we do?

Yes, the premiere episode “Strange New Worlds” has an awful lot of set-up lot to do, but the series’ introductory hour never drags or feels bogged down by its expository duties. The series pilot initially picks up with everyone we originally met on Discovery, and where their stories have gone post-Season 2 finale . Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is in Montana wrestling with the foreknowledge of a future that includes radiation disfigurement, paralysis, and physical agony​​; Spock’s (Ethan Peck) getting engaged to a woman who seems way much cooler than he is on Vulcan; and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) is a workaholic on a first contact mission with the U.S.S Archer . 

It is her disappearance on that mission that brings Pike and the Enterprise crew back to space a bit earlier than originally scheduled; they’ve got to find her and bring her home. It’s also an easy excuse to introduce us to the rest of the series’ main cast, which includes a mix of new and familiar classic faces (or, well, at least characters whose names we’ve heard before). 

There’s Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), the show’s new take on a younger version of the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series character, here presented as a young woman fresh out of Starfleet Academy and a linguistic prodigy who is clearly deeply excited about all the adventures that await her. Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun)—a character who appeared in all of two episodes of The Original Series but still! —is running things in sickbay alongside Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) whose demonstrable smarts and ability to think outside the box indicate she’s likely going to have much more to do on this series than pine after Spock.

New security officer La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) has a familiar name and a dark history of her own, and though feisty helmsman Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) has little in the way of defining characteristics as yet she at least seems pretty fun. While we may not know much about most of these people as yet, the show nevertheless quickly establishes the larger group’s chemistry as easy and believable. 

But it’s impossible to talk about why Strange New Worlds works so well without talking about Anson Mount, whose central performance as Captain Christopher Pike remains as note-perfect as it was when he was guest-starring on Discovery . There are moments where it feels like we all essentially willed this entire show into existence simply because his casting in this role is so perfect, and I’d like that to be true because, whew, y’all we were right . Aggressively normal in all the best ways and bursting with everyman charm, Pike blends the best of classic Trek nostalgia with more modern sensibilities, resulting in a leader who is as skilled at empathy, kindness, and consensus-building as he is fighting. 

I’ve written elsewhere at some length about why this Pike is so necessary and important in the Star Trek universe, and I’m happy to tell you that Strange New Worlds has fully leaned into this interpretation of the character, refusing the temptation to turn his story into a dark tragedy but instead embracing the idea that his journey is ultimately one of self-determination and hope. After all: If nothing we do matters—then all that truly matters is what we do. In the end, if Original Series episode “The Menagerie” is always going to be waiting for him no matter what, then the true question Pike must answer isn’t how to feel about that fate, but what he’s going to do with the time that’s been given to him until it comes to pass.

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There are certainly plenty of interesting places to take that sort of story: Will Pike make riskier choices simply because he knows that he is not going to die on a random away mission? Will he make less dangerous decisions because while he can essentially guarantee his own safety he can’t say the same for his crew? Or will he do his best to let his shipmates—and those they come into contact with—find their fates for themselves? 

Strange New Worlds may clearly be setting itself up to tell easily digestible weekly adventures—and I think there is certainly space within this franchise of space shows for one that just wants to roam the galaxy in search of new cultures and cool aliens. But after watching this pilot, it seems clear that it’s also inevitably going to be a story about the nature of fate and the consequences of the choices we make—for ill, yes. But also, inexorably and relentlessly for good. Because goodness—the idea of being a good person, of doing good in the world—is still something we have to choose to do every day. 

“Perhaps somewhere all your ends are written as indelibly as mine. But I choose to believe that your destinies are still your own,” Pike tells the warring factions of Kileans, as part of an uplifting speech about why they don’t have to tear themselves apart the way those on Earth did once. “Maybe that’s why I’m here. To remind you of the power of possibility.”

In the end, that seems to be nothing so much as a mission statement for Strange New Worlds writ large: That it is always better to travel hopefully, to lead with empathy, and to believe that our better angels can carry the day, in the end, even if we have to bend the rules a little bit along the way to help them do so. To remember why we fell in love with this franchise in the first place and the simple powerful message it still carries. In hope, all things are possible. 

So, as Captain Pike himself would say: Hit it.

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds review – Forget timelines, just enjoy the fun ride

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As with any long-running franchise, the chronology of Star Trek is deeply confusing.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is both a prequel to the original Star Trek series from the 1960s and a spin-off and partial sequel to Star Trek: Discovery (partial because that show spanned, what, nine centuries?).

In fact, Strange New Worlds’ main character, USS Enterprise captain Christopher Pike, originally appeared in the unaired pilot to the original series in 1965, and two of his crew members were originally played by the same actress 60-odd years ago.

It’s all baffling, but it looks great. Just don’t think too hard about what the next few years has to hold for everything to look as shonky and cardboardy as it will when William Shatner comes along.

Anson Mount plays the impossibly dashing, square-jawed silver fox of a captain, who does a fine line in heroic speeches and whose blow-dryer has been set to stunning.

He is surrounded by a crew including young versions of Spock (Ethan Peck) and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), the former surprisingly hench, the latter finally given more to do than repeat what a computer tells her.

Along with Rebecca Romijn as Number One, they are joined by a diverse team of charismatic relative newcomers, the standouts being Babs Olusanmokun as Dr M’Benga and Jess Bush as Nurse Chapel. There’s definitely a drinking game in taking a shot whenever Chapel injects someone in the neck.

While there is an overarching story, the show is more than content to serve up a bunch of cheerfully old-fashioned ‘this week we’re on… the windmill planet!’-type tales, one-and-done 45-minute romps where the Enterprise crew encounter a new predicament and overcome it with, like, ingenuity and friendship and punching and loop-the-loops and stuff.

It’s all terrific fun, upbeat and colourful, a refreshing throwback after Discovery’s heavily serialised storytelling and Picard’s bleakness. And, while there are endless Easter eggs and references for hardcore Trekkies, it’s all incredibly accessible and requires no prior knowledge of the franchise at all.

Will almost every species they encounter be about five-foot-ten and distinguishable from humans only by some forehead-based goofiness? Sure.

Will there be a few glib one-liners from wisecracking helmsman Ortegas (Melissa Navia) before booting up the warp drive? Absolutely.

Will most of the predicaments they find themselves in be, if you think about it, easy to escape given their teleportation technology, faster-than-light travel capabilities and massive weapons? Absolutely, but don’t worry your pretty little head about it. It might be boldly going where a whole lot of shows have gone before, but it’s a great ride.

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Review: Star Trek: Picard — No Man’s Land

In what might be the first for a Star Trek audiobook, Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land gets a physical release treatment. The audiobook, which came out in 2022 and was written by Trek vets Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson , tells a story centering on Raffi Musiker ( Michelle Hurd , who reprises her role from Star Trek: Picard ) and Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan , reprising her role from Star Trek: Voyager and Picard ) set in between the first and second seasons of Picard . Whereas before today fans could only enjoy this story in its original audiobook form, those who eschew audio dramas can now read the script of this production. But the question is: would you want to?

It’s important to drive home that this release isn’t a novel; it’s the script of the audiobook. That means the story unfolds without the detailed comforts of a novelization; readers read what the actors and production staff would have read when the audiobook was recorded. As such, it’s a brisk 147-page drama that forces the reader to imagine details otherwise filled by voice recordings or sound effects.

As it stands, having the script of an audio production available is pretty neat. When you open this script, it’s like reading a blueprint, rather than viewing the finished product. Normally, it would be up to actors to breathe life and personality into the words you read, so don’t be surprised if the words by themselves in this script can feel a bit hollow, lifeless, or lack the dramatic timing you’d listen to in an audiobook or read in a novel. Ultimately, you’ll use your imagination quite a bit to fill in the purposefully missing details in this sparse script; hopefully, you know Star Trek well. If this seems like something your mind is up for, give this script a chance.

“ Star Trek: Picard – No Man’s Land  picks up right after the action-packed season one conclusion of  Star Trek: Picard.  While Raffi and Seven of Nine are enjoying some much-needed R&R in Raffi’s remote hideaway, their downtime is interrupted by an urgent cry for help: a distant, beleaguered planet has enlisted the Fenris Rangers to save an embattled evacuation effort. As Raffi and Seven team up to rescue a mysteriously ageless professor whose infinity-shaped talisman has placed him in the deadly sights of a vicious Romulan warlord, they take tentative steps to explore the attraction depicted in the final moments of  Picard  season one. Based on the hit audio original, fans can now read this riveting script with fan-favorite characters.” – Official summary of No Man’s Land .

If this doesn’t sound like something you’d find enjoyable, that’s okay. The script release of No Man’s Land isn’t designed to appeal to everyone. It’s a collector’s item, an example of how many minds – actors, voiceover directors, sound engineers, producers, and whoever else – need to come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Importantly, we doubt non- Star Trek fans would get much from this release, which isn’t usually our observation for Star Trek publications.

We never reviewed the original No Man’s Land release back in 2022, so this was our first time visiting the story. As fans of Star Trek: Picard, we appreciated learning how and why Seven and Raffi awkwardly interact the way they do in season two of that show. We also appreciated the story’s attempt to tackle a quintessential science-fiction theme – immortality – and place that within what’s essentially two love stories.

These love stories, one between Raffi and Seven and another between Doctor Gillan and his wife, are placed within what’s become a major event in Star Trek history: the evacuation of Romulan worlds preceding their home star going supernova. Seven, still with the do-gooding Fenris Rangers, enlists Raffi to help stop a rogue Romulan warlord from uncovering the secret to immortality. Unfortunately, we can’t say this story ranks highly among the best in Star Trek’ s pantheon thanks to its cookie-cutter villain and cliché dialogue, but it at least provides context for season two of Picard .

Our advice: if you’re interested in seeing the blueprint of an audiobook, and you’re a Star Trek fan through and through, give this script a shot. It won’t be the best way to absorb the story, but it will be a novel experience.

You can buy Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land  now on Amazon . The audiobook can be purchased on Amazon , too.

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Lower Decks , and more.

You can follow us on X , Facebook , and Instagram .

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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Guardian of Forever

The Guardian of Forever was a mysterious construct of an unknown, ancient alien race, which functioned as a time portal : a gateway to the time vortex that allowed access to other times , locations and dimensions .

It was located on an ancient planet where the focus of all timelines throughout at least the Milky Way Galaxy converged. It was positioned among the eventual ruins of a large, forgotten city that stretched beyond the horizon in all directions around it. Based on initial observations, the ruins appeared to be at least one million years old . The Guardian said that it was far older than that, even exceeding the Earth 's sun 's age of 4.6 billion years. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

After the factions of the Temporal Wars attempted to use it for their own purposes, the Guardian of Forever went into hiding far removed from its original planet. It was eventually located by the Sphere data on Dannus V where, taking on the form of a man named Carl, it tested Philippa Georgiou before it helped her to survive her deteriorating condition from being displaced from her own time and the mirror universe . ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 ", " Terra Firma, Part 2 ")

• 2.1 Contact with the Federation
• 2.2 Temporal Wars
• 3 Images seen through the Guardian of Forever
• 4.1 See also
• 4.2 Background information
• 4.3 Apocrypha
• 4.4 External links

The Guardian of Forever appeared physically as an inert, crudely asymmetrical, circular gateway--a rough-hewn torus--comprised of a quasi-metallic substance that defied sensor analysis and was able to display the flow of time itself, even though it could not alter the "speed at which it displayed the past."

It generated immense ripples in time that manifested themselves as spatial disturbances in the region around the planet where it was located. Apparently sentient , it was capable of speech and interacted with anyone it encountered, responding to external stimuli such as questions and actions. Spock was unconvinced that the Guardian could be a machine as Federation technology understood mechanics, and it, itself, when James Kirk asked it directly whether it was a machine or a being, called itself "both... and neither," implying that it was neither quite a machine as Federation technology understood mechanics nor quite a being as Federation biology understood life, and yet both a machine as Federation technology did not understand mechanics and a being as Federation biology did not understand life . The object would flash whenever it spoke and emitted a gaseous fog within its center whenever it generated a portal. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

By the 32nd century , the Guardian was able to assume Human form as a man named Carl to test subjects that wished to use the Guardian's portal. By this time, the Guardian could manifest as both its original portal form and Carl simultaneously. It also had the ability to take on the form of a simple wooden door rather than its more elaborate original form. When Philippa Georgiou passed through the Guardian's portal into an alternate timeline of the mirror universe , her physical form appeared to pass out for a minute rather than vanishing. However, Georgiou's bio-scanner still showed data points from the three months that she had spent in the alternate timeline before the Guardian pulled her back. This showed that the Guardian of Forever was capable of transporting subjects across both time and universes if it so wished. When the Guardian agreed to help Georgiou, as she did not wish to return to the mirror universe, it was able to set the portal for a time period when the prime and mirror universes were still aligned which would be a place that Georgiou could survive in. ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 ", " Terra Firma, Part 2 ")

History [ ]

Contact with the federation [ ].

Captain Kirk, Spock, and Uhura view images of the American Revolution through the Guardian

The Guardian was first discovered by the crew of the USS Enterprise in 2267 . Encountering powerful waves of space displacement, which Spock described as "ripples in time", the Enterprise tracked the waves back to their point of origin on a previously-uncharted planet. Doctor Leonard McCoy , suffering from paranoid delusions as a result of an accidental overdose of cordrazine , beamed down to the surface in an attempt to escape the ship.

Searching for McCoy, Captain James T. Kirk and Spock encountered and made contact with the Guardian, who offered them the chance to explore the past. As the Guardian was displaying images from Earth history, McCoy emerged from hiding and leapt through the time portal, arriving on Earth in the year 1930 .

The landing party soon discovered that they had lost all contact with the Enterprise , and the Guardian informed them that McCoy had effected a change in history, wiping out their civilization. Realizing that they would have to correct the damage to history, Kirk and Spock had the Guardian replay Earth history, and traveled through the portal to a point in time prior to McCoy's arrival. Eventually successful in their effort to restore the timeline, the Guardian returned all three of them to their proper place and time only a moment after they initially departed. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

The Guardian in 2269

In 2269 , a team of historians , accompanied by Captain Kirk and Spock, used the Guardian to investigate Federation history. Their investigation included firsthand accounts of the formation of the Orion civilization and the monitoring of Vulcan history of the 2230s and 2240s . While Kirk and Spock were visiting Orion, their support team was monitoring Vulcan's past, which, in doing so, inadvertently removed Spock from the proper timeline.

Spock, however, was protected from the change while he was in Orion's past, and the change to the timeline went unnoticed until he and Kirk returned through the Guardian. Once the cause was determined, Spock, using the name Selek , was able to use the Guardian to return to his own childhood on Vulcan, and prevent his death during a personal ordeal to determine the course his own life would take before he was scheduled to go through the kahs-wan ritual. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

A model of the Guardian

In 2381 , what appeared to be a model of the Guardian of Forever was located behind a bar located at Starbase 25 . Both Kirk and Spock had previously visited this bar sometime during the 2260s . ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

That same year , there was another model of the Guardian of Forever that was located at Quark's Federation Experience Bar & Grill on Ferenginar .

It was located near what appeared to be a taxidermized Mugatu . ( LD : " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ")

Temporal Wars [ ]

During the Temporal Wars , many attempted to use the Guardian as a means of traveling through time for the conflict . Because of this, the Guardian moved itself far away from its original location and went into hiding. By the 32nd century , it was located on the planet Dannus V . ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 ", " Terra Firma, Part 2 ")

Carl in 3189

By the 32nd century , the Guardian appeared in the form of Carl , a visual representation in the form of a Human male , who was guarding a trans-dimensional door on Dannus V.

In 3189 , while searching for a cure for Philippa Georgiou 's time/dimensional displacement illness , Michael Burnham used the Sphere 's data in conjunction with Federation databases of the 32nd century to locate a potential cure on Dannus V.

When initially encountered, Carl was alone reading a newspaper detailing the future death of Georgiou. He advised both Georgiou and Burnham that the door was specifically for Georgiou to pass through. He also advised that, while her current condition would stabilize, she could still die on the other side of the door . ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 ")

When Georgiou returned from an alternate timeline that she had created in the mirror universe, Carl revealed that it was a test to evaluate (to "weigh") how she would affect another universe/timeline. Although Georgiou had failed to save the Mirror Burnham , she had tried for peace and saved Saru who would go on to save a lot of other people, thus passing Carl's test. Burnham demanded to know who Carl was, and the Guardian, deeming Georgiou and Burnham trustworthy, revealed his true nature as the Guardian of Forever and explained how he had ended up Dannus V. The Guardian opened a portal to a time in which the prime universe and the mirror universe were still aligned where Georgiou could survive. Carl encouraged Georgiou to consider herself lucky as she was getting a second chance which was pretty unique. However, Carl warned Georgiou that it wouldn't be easy and will be "bumpy and painful. Lots of rainstorms, heartaches. But that's life. Or so I'm told." Georgiou asked if Burnham could come with her, but Carl told the two women that Burnham was right where she was supposed to be and vanished, leaving behind the Guardian's portal. After Georgiou entered it, the Guardian of Forever vanished. ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 2 ")

Images seen through the Guardian of Forever [ ]

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• The City on the Edge of Forever , the original story outline and screenplay which was published by Harlan Ellison , who "never forgave [the writing team of TOS ] for rewriting" his work.

Background information [ ]

In the original teleplay for "The City on the Edge of Forever," the Guardians of the Time Vortex were 9-foot (2.7 meter) tall, humanoid statue-like beings.

The original Guardian was designed by Desilu Supervising Art Director Rolland M. Brooks , because his colleague, regular Set Designer Matt Jefferies , was sick with the flu that week. ( Star Trek: The Animated Series DVDs special feature "" Yesteryear " text commentary ") When Jefferies returned to his duties and saw the lopsided donut-shaped set piece for the first time, he reportedly exclaimed, " What the hell is this?! " according to Story Editor D.C. Fontana . ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , 1st ed, p. 517) Special Effects Artist Jim Rugg was responsible for the light effects for the Guardian. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 17, No. 2, p. 24)

The character voice of the Guardian was provided by Bartell La Rue in "The City on the Edge of Forever".

Scene from the RKO film The Spanish Main , lifted for use in the Star Trek episode

The footage seen in "The City on the Edge of Forever" through the time portal is, for the most part, lifted from old Paramount Pictures and RKO Pictures films, such as the 1945 swashbuckling film The Spanish Main in the latter case. It should be noted though, that Desilu had not yet been acquired by Paramount's holding company Gulf+Western at the time, and that, while much of RKO's assets were acquired by Desilu Studios after the former went defunct in 1957, its backlog catalog of film productions was not part of it, it being divided over several other major Hollywood studios. The use by Desilu of these clippings in the episode therefore, regardless of their origins, essentially constituted copyright infringements in current understanding.

The Guardian's last words in "The City on the Edge of Forever" were: " Many such journeys are possible. Let me be your gateway. " This suggested that further stories could have been written involving the Guardian of Forever appearing in The Original Series, but the Guardian's only other canonical appearances were in the animated episode " Yesteryear ", and, decades later, the Star Trek: Discovery episodes " Terra Firma, Part 1 " and " Part 2 ". In "Yesteryear," the Guardian's voice was performed by James Doohan ; in the Discovery episodes, a Human-appearing personification of the Guardian, "Carl", was played by Paul Guilfoyle , with archive footage of Bartell LaRue's voice used when Carl's true identity was revealed.

An original draft of the episode that eventually became TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise " featured a Vulcan science team researching history through the Guardian of Forever. In that story, the team accidentally caused the death of Surak , the father of modern Vulcan philosophy – as a result, the Time of Awakening never occurred, and the Vulcan race had essentially evolved as the Romulans . The timeline was reset when Sarek , aboard the Enterprise -D to greet the scientists, used the Guardian to go back in time and take Surak's place in history. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 117)

Using the Guardian on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was discussed at one point but decided against. ( AOL chat , 1997 ) However, one of the Wadi chula game pieces from " Move Along Home " was modeled after the Guardian. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 5 , p. 112)

During production on the film Star Trek , it was briefly rumored that the Guardian would be used by the Romulans to go back in time. [1]

Apocrypha [ ]

In The Worlds Of The Federation , as in Alan Dean Foster 's prose conversion of "Yesteryear", the Guardian's planet is designated as "The Time Planet." In The Worlds Of The Federation , moreover, instead of its coordinates being provided, it is listed as "Stellar Location CLASSIFIED". and it is described as being quarantined against visitations under "General Prohibition P-119", presumably in consequence of the events in "Yesteryear".

The Guardian appears in the game Star Trek Online in a mission involving the players character breaking the quarantine of the Guardian's planet. The player must travel through the portal in order to follow a group of Klingons and stop them from destroying the Enterprise from the Original series and rescue Miral Paris , who they kidnapped to create and distribute a cure to the Klingon augment virus . Also, if the player questions the Guardian about why it speaks in riddles, it gives the same response that it did to Spock: that it answers as simply as their limited understanding allows.

In the novel Yesterday's Son , Kirk and Spock use the Guardian to rescue Spock's son Zar from the ancient, doomed world of Sarpeidon . They also discover that Zar is able to communicate telepathically with the Guardian. In the novel's sequel, Time for Yesterday , the Guardian is summoned away from its duties of regulating time in the Milky Way by its capricious Creators. Zar uses his telepathic powers to return the consciousness of the Guardian to the gateway and banish the Creators to a universe where they cannot harm our space-time.

In the novel Engines of Destiny , the Guardian appears in an alternate timeline where the Borg have conquered Earth; having learnt of the change from her 'prime' counterpart, an alternate version of Guinan visits the Guardian's planet to ask for help, the Guardian revealing how the timeline can be restored to normal.

In the novel The Devil's Heart , the titular object, an ancient stone rumored to have vast powers, is revealed to be a "seed" created by the same civilization who created the Guardian and meant to create another Guardian on the world it was sent to, before it went astray.

In the novel First Frontier , members of the Clan Ru, a species whose pre-sentient ancestors - Earth dinosaurs - had been rescued by the Preservers before the mass extinction , used the Guardian to destroy the asteroid which would hit Earth, allowing their species to remain and evolve there. The timeline would be reset by Kirk, with the assent of the Clan Ru, when they discovered that in this altered history, their species destroyed itself in a series of nuclear wars before it could reach the stars.

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation - Q Continuum series, during a flashback to several thousand years ago, the Guardian is used by a younger Q when attempting to find something new, allowing him to make contact with the being known as 0 (although the Guardian briefly tries to deny 0 access to this universe), who subsequently contacts (*) , Gorgan , and The One via the Guardian. It is hinted here that the Guardian was built by the race that would eventually evolve into the Q - when looking at the Guardian, the young Q comments " At least our ancestors made things. " This reflects his dejection at the stagnant nature of the Q Continuum.

In the alternate future seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine book trilogy Millennium , the Guardian of Forever was key to Admiral Kathryn Janeway 's Project Forever. Janeway, along with a combined Federation/Borg armada, hoped to use the Guardian to go back in time and wipe out Bajor (the Federation was at war with the Bajoran Ascendancy in this timeline and were facing the end of the universe). However, at the very moment that Janeway and a team arrived at the Guardian, the Grigari set off a singularity bomb, creating a black hole that destroyed the entire Federation/Borg fleet, the Grigari fleet, Janeway, and the Guardian. The timeline was later reset by Benjamin Sisko and the crew of Deep Space 9 .

In the alternate future presented in Imzadi , set in 2406, Admiral Riker used the Guardian to travel back in time to save Deanna Troi 's life from an attempt to kill her and prevent her participation in a conference in 2366. In the timeline where she died, the species involved went on to secretly rebuild and become a major military power, but with her survival, Troi's empathic powers revealed that they were lying to gain time, and the conference was abandoned until the species was in desperate need of assistance and were subsequently permitted to rebuild under strict observation.

Although the future Data also attempts to travel back in time to maintain continuity (Riker decides to travel back after a new autopsy reveals that Troi was killed by a poison that was only developed after her death, suggesting that she was killed by a time-traveler, but Data feels that Riker is clutching at straws as the poison in her system could have been a natural fluke), it is revealed at the conclusion of the novel that history had already been changed, and Riker's actions actually set it back on the right path, with the travelers incredulous that the Guardian never told them that detail simply because they never asked.

In Spock Vs. Q , Spock mentions having used the Guardian to travel back to the 20th century. Q describes it as "that lopsided donut thing" before Spock corrects him and asks him if he knows it. Q responds, " Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. "

In the novel Provenance of Shadows , the Enterprise returns to the Guardian for a third time, just before the end of its original five-year mission. They respond to a distress call from the science station erected in orbit of the Guardian's planet. Three Klingon ships attack the station and the Enterprise . They are successful in boarding the Enterprise 's bridge and manage to take over the ship, forcing the crew to abandon ship, but Captain Kirk manages to escape, obtains several phasers, and transports down to the planet. There, he steps through the Guardian and ends up back on the Enterprise 's bridge moments before the Klingons boarded. As the crew evacuates the bridge, Kirk sets the phasers on overload and sacrifices himself to kill the Klingons, but his now-alternate timeline counterpart survives. As a last resort, the Klingons crash their ship into the Guardian, apparently destroying it.

The image of the sailing ship firing its cannons seen in the Guardian's portal is also later seen in the intro to the mirror universe episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise .

A 1978 story in an issue of the Gold Key Star Trek comic, titled " No Time Like the Past ", features the Guardian.

In the short story "Guardians" from the anthology book Strange New Worlds VII , the Horta are assigned by the Federation to serve as the protectors of the Guardian after a failed attack/attempt to alter the timeline by the Romulans . Since their lifespan extends for the next forty thousand years, they are witnesses to vast changes in the Federation, the ascendancy of Humanity to incorporeal beings and the eventual exploration of the known universe and beyond. The Guardian undergoes periodic attacks and attempted usage from the Borg , the Romulans, and the Crystalline Entity , each time defeated by the Horta.

In the short story "Orphans" from the anthology book Strange New Worlds 9 , the Dominion attempted to seize the Guardian in 2374 during the Dominion War , but the Jem'Hadar were unable to activate it as it did not recognize their altered DNA . Section 31 sent Erik Pressman and Julian Bashir to Angosia III to recruit super-soldiers such as Roga Danar for a mission to aid them in recapturing the Guardian's planet. After successfully completing the mission, Danar asked the Guardian what it desired. When it said it wanted freedom, Danar granted it permission to leave the planet, which it then did. The story also states that the Andorians had their own name for the Guardian: the T'Sh'Iar , which meant "God's Window".

The Guardian is also featured in the novel The Star to Every Wandering . in which it plays a sizeable role. In this novel, the events of the film Star Trek Generations play out differently, with Kirk's emergence from the Nexus resulting in a temporal loop with catastrophic effects. This Kirk, returned to the Nexus by these events, then recruits another version of himself from within the Nexus, who then rescues yet another Kirk from the USS Enterprise -B by employing the Guardian of Forever to travel through time. This third Kirk then travels to Veridian III and dies helping Picard save the Veridian system while the second Kirk ends up contemplating using the Guardian to travel back in time and save Edith Keeler 's life without damaging history.

External links [ ]

• 50 Years of "City's" Star, The Guardian of Forever at StarTrek.com
• Guardian of Forever at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Klingon augment virus
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

What We Know About Captain Pike’s Next Voyage in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3

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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.

When Is 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 Coming Out?

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 was 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 .

Where Can You Watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3?

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+

Is There a Trailer for 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3?

During San Diego Comic-Con, Paramount+ released a new first look at Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 .

Who's In the 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 Cast?

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!"

Who Are the Creators of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'?

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 .

When Did 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 Film?

The series was originally set to film early in 2023 but due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the series was delayed by several months. Thankfully, they recently wrapped up filming in Canada earlier this year. Anson Mount took to Instagram to celebrate the conclusion of filming.

Mount also wrote a heartfelt message to fans after concluding production, saying:

“So that’s it guys, that is a wrap on season 3, at least from me, there’s still a little bit of work to be done. I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I still have many travels and many things ahead of me to do, and I’m trying to keep spoilers out of the shots here. Thank you for your patience, especially during the strikes, it wasn’t anyone’s intention for us to be delayed to that extent. Thank you for sticking with us, thank you to our lifelong Star Trek fans, I am one of you and it’s because of people like you that I get to live out my dreams like this and I’ll never stop thanking you for having me in your house.”

What's the Plot of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 About?

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. Thankfully, we know that the series will not have a major time jump.

Showrunner Akiva Goldsman said :

"No time jump at all. So, just almost an instantaneous pickup."

Is 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Getting A Season 4?

There are still many more stories to be told and strange new worlds to explore. In a surprise to no one, Paramount+ has already renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fourth season. Mount took to Instagram , saying:

"We’ll see you again in the spring when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes back into production for Season 4!"

More Shows Like 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' That You Can Watch Right Now

The mandalorian (2019-).

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

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FINAL Issue: Star Trek Magazine Ends After 30 Years

Star trek: section 31 & lower decks beams to nycc 2024, beaming down to trekfest in riverside, iowa, star trek super fan spotlight – meteorologist katie nickolaou, a tribute to james darren – star trek’s ‘vic fontaine’, review – idw’s star trek #500, review: star trek: discovery season 5 steelbook, review: star trek adventures core rulebook 2e, review – sons of star trek #3, review – star trek: discovery finale ‘life, itself’, today in star trek’s past: the bell riots.

REVIEW – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists”

In a Comic-Con twist, the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has dropped a few days early. It’s streaming now on Paramount+! The rest of the season has been moved forward as well. This week’s Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” was the long-awaited crossover episode with animated comedy Lower Decks . Going in, this was easily the episode that I was most excited about. Especially since it had a director like Jonathan Frakes at the helm. So does this episode, written by Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkoff live up to the hype?

It’s the first proper crossover the franchise has had in years, possibly ever (it really depends if you count Generations ). Anticipation is very high, and with both of these series being so beloved, there’s not a lot of room for error. So does this live up to that high bar? Was it worth all the big hype and announcements? Here are all my thoughts on this latest edition of Strange New Worlds !

SPOILER WARNING – This is a full review for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 7 “Those Old Scientists” . As such, it contains spoilers. Trust me when I say that these are spoilers you don’t want spoiled. You have been warned.

One of the aspects teased from this Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” announcement is the blending of animation and live-action. I really appreciated the episode’s use of animated opening and closing scenes. It essentially makes Boimler ( Jack Quaid ) and Mariner ( Tawny Newsome ) the main characters. While the transitions between live-action and animated could be a little jarring, it was all good fun. Even the special opening credits featured an animated USS Enterprise, which was exactly the sort of surprise this episode needed.

The #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds crossover with #StarTrekLowerDecks is NOW STREAMING on @ParamountPlus ! And it even has its own special animated title sequence. pic.twitter.com/TvG0UNA14o — Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) July 22, 2023

Speaking of the intro, seeing Tendi ( Noël Wells ) and Rutherford ( Eugene Cordero ) got Special Guest Star credits as well. While they do appear, it is only very briefly. I thought they would maybe be more involved, but at the end of the day this is primarily an episode of Strange New Worlds . It was also nice to see that Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan got a consulting producer credit. I assume he was involved in making the Lower Decks characters sound like themselves. If so, his involvement paid off tremendously.

Both Boimler and Mariner act and sound like they came out of an episode of the show. Right down to the very specific lore references they make. I love the way they talk about Star Trek history, and their doing it in a TOS setting was a delight. I was laughing and smiling for an hour, which was exactly what this episode needed. What I found myself more mixed on was the final scene, with the animated Strange New Worlds crew. I laughed, especially at Spock’s arm, but the self-aware 2-dimensional jokes bothered me somewhat.

Geeking Out

This was mostly on the part of Boimler, we spend the entire episode geeking out. Given he’s a character aware of all these characters’ ultimate fates, it was the perfect time to do it. Although we didn’t learn anything new, it was the most conscious this series has ever become of where these characters need to end up. Also with La’An ( Christina Chong ) calling back to her experiences in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” , as well as the use of the phrase “Ad Astra per Aspera”, it was like the whole season coming together.

That being said, I got a kick out of the jokes a lot. The scenes where the Boimler and Mariner were able to talk to each other, calling back to such episodes as “Past Tense” with the Bell Riots, were the most fun in this regard. There are so many ways it could’ve gone wrong, but it never feels more overwhelming than your regular episode of Lower Decks . I’m glad that they didn’t mess up the timeline or cause too much lasting damage to the series, outside of something I’ll get to later.

The other real highlight was getting to see Boimler, who’s made his whole life geeking out about Star Trek his thing, get to meet the characters he looks up to. His reaction to seeing Pike ( Anson Mount ), Spock ( Ethan Peck ), and the rest of the crew felt so real. For Trekkies, there’s no better audience surrogate than someone who’s just as much a fan as we are. It’s exactly the sort of fun episode that this show needed after such a varied and at times experimental season of Trek . I really didn’t stop smiling for hours.

Honoring the Past

That doesn’t mean Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” was all fun and games though. There were emotional scenes too, with the meeting between Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ) and Mariner coming to mind in particular. It’s the perfect mark of just how far the franchise has come since the 60s. All these years later, we can have such a perfect scene where two powerful women of color are able to share that moment. I know the first episode already paid tribute to Nichelle Nichols, but this is a perfect representation of how she changed the game.

For a series that pays more homage to The Original Series than any of the others, this was a lovely scene to have. I did end up getting pretty emotional, with Mariner’s idolization of Uhura being incredibly touching. It’s a very small part of this episode’s run time, but it was easily the best moment. Letting Uhura know the sort of legend she becomes, especially given her story this season was awesome. It wasn’t just Mariner looking up to Uhura, it was the entire next generation of the franchise looking up in awe of Nichelle’s legacy.

It wasn’t Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” only emphasis on the past though. In a twist, this episode had more callbacks to Star Trek: Enterprise than I ever could have predicted. Of all the past Star Trek series, it’s easily the one that gets the least focus. Getting the ship, and even some of the characters namedropped was really touching. It’s nice to know that not only does the 24th Century venerate the TOS and SNW characters, but the TOS era venerates the NX-01 and the entire crew. It affected me quite a lot and made for a sweet scene.

The Science of Orion

Of course, stereotypes and prejudice are bad. But it leans into what one of the episode’s core messages is trying to say. This was the perfect time for the series to comment on the era’s attitudes toward the Klingons, and I think they took the opportunity beautifully. The use of the Orions allows Tendi to have a role in the episode, even when she’s not present for most of it. It also calls back to episodes like “The Serene Squall” , where Pike built up these attitudes around Orions being pirates.

It’s a nice moment where Boimler essentially teaches them how blind prejudice and the presumptions made about people can actually be destructive. The peace between the Enterprise and the Orion Science ship was made so much sweeter by this. There’s a chance that Boimler really did change the timeline, in getting Tendi’s great-grandmother the credit for the portal’s discovery. At the same time though, he was always supposed to. Got to love a time travel episode coming full circle like this.

The full impact of his visit remains to be seen, especially in regard to the relationship between Spock and Chapel ( Jess Bush ). It’s unfortunate that the episode seemed incredibly preoccupied with Boimler not changing the timeline when evidently he was supposed to go back. I wonder if there’ll be any other small changes in character dynamics going forward, there’s a good chance he’s absolutely crushed Chapel and potentially influenced Spock’s shift toward logic. We’ll have to wait and see.

An Episode of Both Series

This is what a crossover episode should do best. It succeeds beautifully. It contributes meaningfully to both the stories of Strange New Worlds and also Lower Decks . Chapel is saddened by Boimler’s questioning of Spock’s happiness. It’s a sad, quiet scene in a turbolift no less, a very restrained set where the characters are forced to sit in that moment. This will almost certainly have ramifications for their relationship, although we’ll have to wait a few more weeks for it to properly set it.

Boimler also gets to meet his idols, and Mariner gets to meet her icon as well. Them seeing their idols as human, constantly growing, imperfect, and in these cases even before their prime in TOS . It’s beautiful. I can see this continuing into Lower Decks Season 4 which is coming out in September. In the trailer, they even allude to this episode, even though they’re not supposed to talk about it. We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what this episode does for the characters, but it should shake up the dynamic enough.

Also, in a season that’s already had a time travel episode, I wouldn’t be surprised if this incident also catches the attention of the Department of Temporal Investigations. There are implications from the Lower Decks segments that Boimler’s journey was pre-determined, so we’ll see how this changes the timeline later on. Even if not though, it was nice to see the Lower Decks side of the episode. I think it enriched Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” , making certain reveals like the poster of Number One ( Rebecca Romijn ) all the more impactful.

Legendary Director Jonathan Frakes

The director for Strange New Worlds – “Those Old Scientists” was none other than Jonathan Frakes. He’s one of the most prolific directors in Trek , with tons of directorial credits dating all the way back to his days on The Next Generation . I can think of nobody more worthy to direct the first crossover. As someone who’s been involved with the franchise for decades, he understands these characters and this world in ways that most directors just don’t. All the scenes I’ve discussed were beautifully done, with legendary big-deal moments done perfectly.

Both the writers and directors understood this assignment, crafting intimate moments out of the minutiae. This series really excels when it’s about character-driven moments, and this is one entirely without action spectacle. Even the drawcard of the crossover just means more characters and worlds to play with. It’s all the better for letting us sit in these quiet moments. For instance, Captain Pike’s birthday on paper isn’t a big deal, until they turned it into one.

He also has a thing for tracking shots, and even a POV shot in this episode which I absolutely adore. It turns a quiet conversation around a table into something really interesting. It also turned Boimler’s appearance on the bridge, where he’s obviously freaking out like any of us fans would, into something truly majestic. It’s a real feast for the eyes, with more than a few fun moments with the camera. I think it’s probably the best-directed episode of Season 2 so far. Frakes’ direction is always a treat.

Episode Images

There’s nothing to complain about. So much could’ve gone horribly wrong, especially how they handled the Lower Decks characters. But it didn’t. They allowed for some character development for Boimler and Mariner in meeting their idols, and for the SNW characters, it’s potentially helped them grow much the same. Even calling Ortegas (Melissa Navia) a war hero would probably work wonders for her confidence. Literally, every character came out of this episode better than when they came in, which I can’t say about many.

This was, in no uncertain terms, a delight. It builds on most of the previous episodes of the season. It also incorporates the Lower Decks elements in ways I genuinely didn’t think they’d approach them with. This is definitely an all-time classic episode of Star Trek . I only hope it doesn’t lose sight of what makes it so good, though. Which is how it’s so special, being really the only crossover in the 900 or so episodes of the franchise.

Sure, the first crossover was a resounding success, and it paid off tremendously. But I hope this is the only full crossover episode for a while, letting this remain unique and special. If there is another crossover in the near future, I would hope it’s done with different shows and done differently. Although the door was certainly left open for the possibility of them returning to Pike’s Enterprise, there’s really no need.

Looking Forward to “Under the Cloak of War”

Next week’s episode sounds pretty interesting. It’s called “Under the Cloak of War” , and is written by Davy Perez. It’s coming out on the 27th, days ahead of when it was supposed to. Perez contributed to Season 1 episodes involving the Gorn. I’ve been a little mixed on the series’ handling of the Gorn. That being said, both “Memento Mori” and “All Those Who Wander” were solid episodes. The latter of which was similar to the film Aliens in a lot of respects, so anything in that ballpark would be a significant shift from this week’s episode.

It’d also be nice to properly pick up on the Gorn War subplot. It was hinted at toward the end of “The Broken Circle” a few weeks back. I look forward to seeing if it addresses any of that, maybe even the refinery from “Lost in Translation” . The possibilities are pretty vast, and I remain pretty invested in seeing how this plotline continues. That being said, this is all overshadowed by the musical episode announcement, but that’s not until episode 9.

Where to Watch

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  streams Thursdays via  Paramount+  in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America, France, Germany, Brazil, South Korea (via Tving), France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland & Austria. As well as CTV Scifi / Crave in Canada, & TVNZ in New Zealand. And on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

• Akiva Goldsman
• Alex Kurtzman
• Jenny Lumet
• Anson Mount
• Christina Chong
• 1K User reviews
• 39 Critic reviews
• 11 wins & 35 nominations total

Episodes 31

Top cast 99+

• Captain Christopher Pike …

• La'an Noonien-Singh …

• Lt. Erica Ortegas …

• Una Chin-Riley …

• Nurse Christine Chapel

• Nyota Uhura …

• Dr. M'Benga

• USS Enterprise Computer …

• Lieutenant George Samuel 'Sam' Kirk

• Jenna Mitchell

• Captain Batel …

• Admiral Robert April

• Captain James T. Kirk …

• T'Pring
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Bruce Horak , the actor who plays Hemmer, is legally blind, just like his character's species, the Aenar, who are also blind.
• Goofs There are some rank insignia mistakes. Number One is introduced as "Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley" yet she is wearing the rank insignia of a full commander: two full stripes. A Lieutenant Commander's rank insignia is a full stripe under a thin stripe (in TOS it is a full stripe and a staggered stripe). It is not uncommon for a ship's first officer to be a Lt. Commander if they have not been in the position long. Spock at this point is a Lieutenant but he is wearing Lieutenant Commander's stripes; a Lieutenant just has one stripe. La'an is the ship's chief of security and the ship's second officer. She is also wearing Lt. Commander stripes but is addressed as a Lieutenant, but it would make more sense for her to be a Lieutenant Commander. Either way both of their rank insignia are not matching the rank they are addressed by. Ortegas is addressed as a Lieutenant but is wearing Lieutenant Commander's strips. A Lieutenant Commander may be addressed as a Commander or Lieutenant Commander but never as just a Lieutenant, so either her rank insignia or the manner she is addressed by the rest of the crew is in error.

[opening narration]

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.

• Connections Featured in Nerdrotic: Woke Hollywood is FAILING, and That's a Good Thing (2022)

User reviews 1K

• May 4, 2022

Technical specs

• Runtime 52 minutes
• D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

• Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

• Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike; Ethan Peck as Spock; Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh; Gia Sandhu as T’Pring; Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley; Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel; Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga; Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas; Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura; Bruce Horak as Hemmer; Rong Fu as Lt. Jenna Mitchell

Episode Reviews

Tv series review.

Captain Christopher Pike knows his future, and it isn’t pretty.

When he picked up that time crystal on the planet Boreth, he saw what future awaited him: permanently disfigured and paralyzed due to a radiation leak on an inspection tour of a cadet vessel. When he took the crystal, he locked in his future.

With the date of that incident less than a decade away, Pike has isolated himself away in Montana, refusing to answer any calls from Starfleet. He can’t get his impending future out of his head, and he’s terrified of what will become of him.

However, when Pike’s second-in-command, officer Una, goes missing during a first-contact mission, Pike sets out to find and save her, reclaiming his spot as the captain of the USS Enterprise. Even if his future seems grim, Pike knows that he can’t hide from it.

After all, his call is to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Step Aside, Captain Kirk

Long, long ago, Captain Pike was the main character of Star Trek .

The show’s original pilot episode, “The Cage,” featured Pike in all of his Jeffrey Hunter 1965 glory. However, this episode was rejected by NBC for being “too intellectual” and not having enough action. The “second” pilot episode, titled “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” would later become the third episode of the Star Trek ’s first season.

Among the changes in the story were the replacement of Captain Pike with Captain Kirk as the ship’s captain after Hunter withdrew from the series. Then, it wasn’t until Star Trek ’s two-part eleventh and twelfth episodes, “The Menagerie,” that viewers were first truly introduced to Captain Pike—a horribly disfigured mute Starfleet Captain who is permanently stuck to a life-support machine after suffering extreme radiation-related injuries.

Pike has appeared in a variety of ways since then (including roles in the 2009 film, Star Trek , and its 2013 sequel, Star Trek: Into Darkness , but these canonically exist on a different timeline than Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ’ canon). He was prominently featured in Star Trek: Discovery ’s second season, leading to the character finally getting his own spinoff show, which we are discussing today.

And in Strange New Worlds , which follows an episode-centric format rather than season-long storylines, Pike knows that his fate leaves him in that life-supporting wheelchair—limbless, scarred and mute. But since discovering his fate (an event which occurred during his time in Discovery ), Pike is trying to make the most of the remainder of his captaining life, exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations and boldly going where no one has gone before.

A Money-Making Enterprise

Pike’s USS Enterprisewas making a name for itself long before any hotshot Kirk had a chance at the captain’s chair. There was that time they dealt with the equivalent of a nebula-based space god (“The Elysian Kingdom”); the time they dealt with a nation that used a voluntary reverent child sacrifice in order to power their paradise planet (“Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach”); the time they experienced an alternate timeline of events (“A Quality of Mercy”).

And Strange New World’s many ventures may include some content that parents will want to be aware of.

Though the show boasts a TV-PG rating, the first episode makes two references to sex, and we see Spock shirtless and his bride-to-be (T’Pring) in revealing attire. In terms of sexuality, an upcoming character is confirmed to be bisexual, and in Season One’s “The Serene Squall,” one character is transgender.

As referenced earlier, some episodes deal with religious imagery. Mild language is used in the form of “h—” and “d–n,” and the f-word can be briefly seen on a sign in a video. And, of course, the universe is a dangerous place, and occasional violence will be present—including us seeing the charred corpse of a child.

Strange New Worlds boasts the third-highest rating on IMDb of all Star Trek TV series, falling behind only the highly revered Original Series and Next Generation . Following in the footsteps of such shows, Strange New Worlds explores many ideas related to morality and conflicting cultures. With that in mind, parents who decide to watch should make sure to check our reviews to make sure they aren’t the ones wearing the red shirts if concerns do arise.

Jun. 15, 2023—S2, Ep1: “The Broken Circle”

When Pike leaves to find a lawyer to plead a friend’s case, Spock is put in charge, only to be forced to prevent all-out war against the Klingon race.

Someone causes a false alarm in order to steal a spaceship. Many people drink “bloodwine,” a substance that is “twice as potent as whiskey.” One Klingon vomits offscreen from it, and someone burps. Spock is later seen dealing with a hangover as a result.

Two people inject themselves with a type of super soldier serum, and they fistfight dozens of baddies. Some of the bad guys are hit with metal pipes, and we see a bit of blood on someone’s face after the encounter. One Klingon is choked until he provides information. Ships fire at each other. Someone struggles with elements of PTSD.

God’s name is used in vain once.

May 5, 2022—S1, Ep1: “Strange New Worlds”

After officer Una goes missing following a first-contact mission with a new race of people, Captain Christopher Pike returns from isolation to rescue her.

A naked woman wakes up in bed with her back exposed to the camera, and it is implied that she and Pike had sex. She and Pike kiss. Spock references courtship and “ritual mating colors,” and T’Pring, Spock’s love interest, asks Spock to marry her. Spock and T’Pring kiss, and they begin to move into bed with intentions to have sex before they are interrupted. However, Spock is seen shirtless and T’Pring wears revealing clothing. In a video call, Pike asks Spock if he is naked, and T’Pring replies that Spock was about to be.

In a premonition, Pike is seen with severe radiation burns after explosions jolt the ship. The USS Enterprise is hit by three plasma torpedoes. Spock incapacitates two aliens, and the Enterprise crew beats up a group of additional aliens.

Chief of Security La’An references people who died by being “slit open and fed on alive or used as breeding sacks.” A brief historical database video shows a sign that references Joe Biden. The same video shows protests, rioting and Earth’s major cities being destroyed in atomic blasts.

Pike drinks a glass of brandy. In a short gag, Spock is seen without pants on in order to blend into a culture.

“H—” is used six times, and “d–n” is heard twice. The word “screwed” is used once. Additionally, the f-word is seen written on a sign in a very brief historical database video.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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Star trek: strange new worlds.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 5 Reviews
• Kids Say 4 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

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

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a Star Trek prequel series that follows the adventures of USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew (which includes familiar characters like Spock and Uhura). Unlike the season-arc format of Star…

Why Age 10+?

Sci-fi alien/human violence; shooting.

Characters seek romance and relationships. Kissing and making out, with some cha

Any Positive Content?

Always be curious, always be compassionate (here, toward other humans as well as

Pike and his crew are aboard the ship for the greater good, to explore and make

Members of the main crew present as Black, White, Asian, and Latino. A main acto

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Characters seek romance and relationships. Kissing and making out, with some characters seen in bed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Always be curious, always be compassionate (here, toward other humans as well as new alien life forms).

Positive Role Models

Pike and his crew are aboard the ship for the greater good, to explore and make new friends in the galaxy. Courage and teamwork are the crux of the crew's strengths.

Diverse Representations

Members of the main crew present as Black, White, Asian, and Latino. A main actor is partially blind and plays an alien character who is also blind. Star Trek has been long known for its goal to present a diverse universe; this series is no different.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a Star Trek prequel series that follows the adventures of USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) and his crew (which includes familiar characters like Spock and Uhura). Unlike the season-arc format of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard , episodes in this show follow the classic "monster of the week" format that was also used in the original series , in which crew members meet and find common ground with an unfamiliar species in each episode. Violence is mostly cartoonish or superhero style but can be intense, with guns and shooting. Characters look for romance and relationships; expect kissing and sex scenes (no nudity). For those who love Star Trek but miss the classic format and presentation of the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation , this retro series offers a lighter take on the franchise, as well as themes of courage and teamwork.

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• Kids say (4)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Pick a genre...any genre

First series i binge-watched so much, what's the story.

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS follows the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ), captain of the starship USS Enterprise . Pike works with his Number One, First Officer Una Chin-Riley ( Rebecca Romjin ), Lt. Uhuru (Celia Rose Gooding), and Vulcan Spock ( Ethan Peck ). Rounding out the ship's key staff are the medical professionals in sick bay, Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga. Unlike the season-arc format of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard , episodes of Strange New World follow the classic "alien of the week" format, also used in the original Star Trek series , where the crew will find themselves meeting and hopefully finding common ground with an unfamiliar alien species in each episode.

Is It Any Good?

With Mount, Romjin, and Peck reprising their roles from Star Trek: Discovery , this semi-spin-off feels natural for this group of charismatic characters. Even though it's set right before Captain Kirk's tenure on the Enterprise, the show isn't a total retro throwback; it feels modern and forward-thinking, like any solid sci-fi should. It seems like we've had to meet quite a few new Star Trek crews in recent years, but instead of being overkill, the fifth series in as many years brings new life and a little levity to the long-running...well, enterprise .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about long-running franchises like the Star Trek universe. Why do you think people still want to spend time with these characters in this world?

Why do you think science fiction and superhero stories are so popular? What can they tell us about the real world?

How does this show compare to other Star Trek series? Which approach to this world do you like best?

• Premiere date : May 5, 2022
• Cast : Anson Mount , Rebecca Romijn , Ethan Peck
• Network : Paramount+
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Space and Aliens
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• TV rating : TV-14
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : June 9, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Discovery

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review: The Legendary Sci-Fi Franchise Is No Longer Lost In Space

" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " is the twelfth TV series in the 55-year-old franchise, and the sixth to be released on Paramount+ (if you count " Short Treks " as its own series). Modern "Star Trek" is currently adhering to the modern entertainment ethos of putting all your eggs in one basket. More and more companies are relying on recognizable IP in order to sell their projects, and Paramount leaned into "Star Trek" hard, producing 115 episodes of TV since September of 2017. To the eyes of old-world Trekkies (also known as sticks in the mud), there appeared to be a mandate applied to modern Trek: Make it as different from established canon as possible. 

"Discovery" is a bleak, weepy, violent series that eschewed "Trek"'s classical one-hour-morality-play structure in favor of season-long story arcs (as is the typical model of all modern TV). Few of the new "Trek" shows were about Roddenberry's vision of optimism, intelligence, and diplomacy, preferring tales of conflict, war, torture, brainwashing, and genocide. With the proud exception of " Star Trek: Lower Decks " — which acknowledged the basic premise of being a workplace drama — new Trek shows have felt ... off. Like the creators don't really know what they're doing with a technically-inclined show like "Star Trek," nor how to write a story that doesn't lean into violence and pessimism. 

The runners of post-'17 "Star Trek," in wanting to create a "This ain't your dad's Trek" version of the show, skewed into convoluted storytelling, clumsy fan service, and ideas that were anathema to the franchise's heyday in the 1990s. This may have been a result of Too Many Cooks getting involved; each episode of "Discovery" and "Picard" each have over 20 credited producers. 

One of the aforementioned bouts of clumsy fan service was the appearance of Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the captain of the Enterprise prior to Kirk, previously played by Jeffrey Hunter in the unused "Trek" pilot, by Sean Kenney in "The Menagerie," and by Bruce Greenwood in the 2009 "Star Trek" feature film. Pike would play a major role in the second season of "Star Trek: Discovery," taking control of the title ship to search for Spock (Ethan Peck). Mount was so appealing in the role, Trekkies on social media began demanding that he get his own series wherein "Star Trek" could move back aboard the Enterprise, and fans could surround themselves with familiar characters and iconography again. 

So that's what Paramount did. And, in returning to a familiar ship, familiar characters (Pike, Spock, Number One, Khan, Uhura, Dr. M'Benga, Nurse Chapel), and Trek's classical and well-worn hour-long episodic format, the franchise has finally reached a point where it is ... however unbelievable it might be ... legitimately good once again. No qualifications are needed any longer. "Strange New Worlds" is, quite simply, the best "Star Trek" show in decades.

Strange New Worlds

It's worth remembering that no "Star Trek" series started at its peak. The first two seasons of "Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine" experienced growing pains, and multiple episodes featured dodgy writing or strange character choices. "Voyager" didn't pick up in the ratings until the introduction of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in the fourth season, and some would say "Enterprise" didn't really start kicking until season three. That "Strange New Worlds" is starting as strong as it has is most certainly a promising sign of things to come. 

Set aboard the Enterprise — yes, the very same one featured in the 1966 TV series — "Strange New Worlds" follows Capt. Pike and his crew at the beginning of a classic five-year mission. In addition to his science officer Spock, the ensemble includes his first officer Comm. Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), his security chief Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Khan's granddaughter, played by Christina Chong), his chief medical officer Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), a young cadet named Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and two original characters: smirking helm operator Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and chief engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak) a white-skinned Aenar who cannot see, but who has enhanced senses otherwise. 

On a basic level, a new "Star Trek" series needs to establish the setting, who the characters are, how they relate to one another, and the basic premise of the show. "Strange New Worlds" does this remarkably well. The camera dwells in smaller locations for longer amounts of time (when compared to the swirling, location roulette of "Discovery") allowing viewers to understand the geography of the Enterprise well. It now feels like a place where employees might be working. Characters are also allowed to have incidental conversations not pertinent to the plot, giving viewers a better sense of who they are. When we meet characters who are constantly in crisis mode, we don't get to know them too well. "Strange New Worlds" has made great allowances for non-action. For those exhausted by modern "Star Trek" presented at a fever pitch of incident, "Strange New Worlds" feels like Ozu in comparison.

That's how you make new fans.

In including so many legacy characters from the jump, "Strange New Worlds" seems to be under no pressure toward dramatic reveals of known "Trek" iconography. The inclusion of familiar names seems to be enough for the show-runners, allowing them to eschew the usual "legacy sequel" story beats that have become annoying common in the Age of Regurgitation. There are no loving closeups of Starfleet badges or communicators. There are exteriors of the Enterprise, but they do not descend into vehicle fetish. Although "Strange New Worlds" is a direct expansion of known Trek lore, the showrunners seem to have finally dropped the foolish twin pop philosophies of "We're doing this for the fans" and "We're reinventing everything." They found an old recipe, and it still tastes good.

Do it for people who aren't fans. That's how you make new fans.

"Strange New Worlds" is graceful in introducing new information about established characters without contradicting canon nor making their backstories so absurd that a Trekkie would roll their eyes. To reiterate: If a "Star Trek" show is going to begin this strongly establishing its setting and characters with the passion and attention to detail of a '90s Trek show, then we will only have better and better things to look forward to. After several high-profile, big-budget whiffs, "Trek," I'm happy to say, has hit its stride.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" premieres on May 5, 2022, exclusively on Paramount+.

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Paramount+’s ‘star trek: strange new worlds’: tv review.

Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet's new 'Star Trek' series focuses on the USS Enterprise under Captain Pike, Captain Kirk's predecessor.

By Daniel Fienberg

Daniel Fienberg

Chief Television Critic

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In the ever-innovating landscape of television, what was old is suddenly new again.

Netflix is contemplating a subscription option with commercials. Hulu broke out of the small-batch programming rut by renewing a sitcom for a whopping 20-episode season. And, after a string of spinoffs characterized by gritty darkness or twisty mythologizing, Paramount+ may have cracked the Star Trek code with a new series that’s bright, optimistic and fundamentally episodic in nature.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Airdate: Thursday, May 5 (Paramount+)

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

Creators: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet

I actually kinda liked both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard . Both have ideas that interest me and performances I’m happy to support. But they’re both shows that, once I fell a little behind, I never felt any desire to catch up on.

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I can’t say if Trek: Strange New Worlds is a series I’m going to want to pay close attention to every week, but that feels almost like what the new series is designed for. Through the five episodes sent to critics — half of the 10-episode first season — there are installments that hit and others that are completely forgettable. But the series has successfully and quickly established a small ensemble that’s easy to care about and a hopeful ethos that harkens back to the original Star Tre k series and the more procedural aspects of various popular spinoffs. It’s an amiable and entertaining throwback by intent and in execution.

Although the core ensemble of Strange New Worlds , created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, was introduced in the second season of Discovery , those episodes border on completely unnecessary when it comes to what is, on its most basic level, Star Trek: Muppet Babies .

A prequel to Gene Roddenberry’s mothership, Strange New Worlds puts us back on the slightly shinier, slightly newer USS Enterprise under the watch of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ), Captain Kirk’s predecessor, suggesting Starfleet used to make leadership decisions primarily on bone structure. Pike is still a bit haunted from the Discovery incident in which he saw the cause and context of his death, 10 years in the future.

Carrying over from those Discovery episodes are Pike’s second-in-command Una “Number One” Chin-Riley ( Rebecca Romijn ) and Baby Spock (Ethan Peck), who make up the key leadership trust on the Enterprise, which is sent on deceptively simple exploratory missions to seek out new life and new civilizations — and to, as the new-fangled phrasing puts it, “boldly go where no one has gone before.” Their crew includes variably familiar future faces including Baby Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), a fresh-out-of-the-Academy communications prodigy, Baby Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), security officer La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), whose last name points to a distant relation to iconic franchise villain Khan, and more.

If you keep your ears open, you’ll hear mentions of many additional names and alien races from various pieces of the Star Trek universe, but the degree to which you want to obsess over connections is up to you. Strange New Worlds is, in the original series tradition, an encounter-of-the-week narrative as the crew learns about different alien cultures, some benign and some hostile, some with very, very direct allegorical connections to human life in 2022 and some just lizard creatures that want to eat us.

Each of the five episodes I’ve seen is different from the others, while also evocative enough of some of the most repeated structural tropes from the franchise that the Star Trek show this one often most closely resembles is the animated Lower Decks , which lovingly parodies those tropes. So there’s one of those episodes in which an alien infection runs rampant on the Enterprise and makes everybody behave strangely; several episodes in which different landing parties are isolated from the Enterprise and have to learn valuable lessons about not making assumptions; and at least one action-driven episode with a fearsome alien foe that’s mostly pew-pew-pew space blasting and laying the foundation for future antagonistic run-ins. And then there’s a wacky body-swap episode!

Perhaps because the effects work on Strange New Worlds is only average, I wasn’t blown away by any of the episodes that involved somewhat weightless ships and objects flying around in space blasting at each other. Meanwhile, anything depicting character trauma felt flat and prestige-by-the-numbers. But when Strange New World keeps things light — a description that doesn’t preclude plots set among warring races or potentially planet-ending cataclysms — the series is a pleasure and makes up for any CGI limitations with top-notch makeup, costuming and production design.

The cast is across-the-board sturdy, led capably by Mount’s Ken Doll-with-snark attitude. Romijn isn’t all that interesting in dramatic mode, but any time she gets to show a dose of levity, Number One works well. Although Spock’s droll exercises in logic have now been played indelibly by multiple actors over the years, Peck’s interpretation is a worthy one, and he’s especially good in the episodes featuring Vulcan love interest T’Pring (Gia Sandhu).

My favorite performances came from Chong, Gooding, Bush and Melissa Navia as Enterprise helmsman Erica Ortegas. Chong has a dark intensity that plays well whether the context is dramatic or comic, and her scenes with Romijn in the fifth episode are standouts. Bush has a wide-eyed openness and Navia something more wryly sardonic, and the contrast works well. And Gooding is just a general delight, funny and emotionally available, honoring the Nichelle Nichols original and making Uhura her own.

Pervasively progressive, but not so progressive as to alienate that portion of the Star Trek audience in denial that the franchise was always progressive, Strange New Worlds may aim for something less ambitious than the most recent Star Trek shows, but it’s also more successful. In a streaming universe, it’s a broadcast-friendly Star Trek , with a not-unwelcome emphasis on “broad.”

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