Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 1 - a rambling review

I haven't really watched much Star Trek since the first season of Picard, and even that was the first time I'd done more than watch the movies in years. But I decided to give Strange New Worlds a shot. And I have some thoughts.

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[MovieMagic]

I loved that it was episodic, and had such a contrast of genres. Anson Mount is charming, and I love how they've expanded on previous characters.

[benw]

Bruce Horak, the actor who played the Andorian chief engineer, is returning in season 2, but it may be as another character rather than the engineer. Yes, Bruce Horak is legally blind in real life.

[KayleighBourquin]

I've loved Pike from the moment I first saw that unaired pilot "The Cage", so when he was added to Discovery's second season I was overjoyed, and he was a breath of fresh on a series that needed to take a breath. His presence helped set the tone for that series going forward even though he was no longer on it.

So I, like many other fans, were clamoring for a Pike series. Anson Mount was simply too good for just a single season guest spot. His Pike *needed* to lead a series! The announcement that Strange New Worlds was in development was met with elation by myself and many other fans, and every piece of news that followed, casting, series structure (it being episodic), just added to the hype. The hype got to such levels I was worried that we got could never match them and would be a disappointment by comparison.

But oh no. It didn't just meet those expectations, it exceeded them! In just one season Strange New Worlds was, for me, competing for top honours against other full series, like Deep Space Nine. Its first season is arguably the best first season of any Trek, ever. Though that's not hard Star Trek series' first seasons are notoriously bad, with only three exceptions: The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, and Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds exceeds all of them by miles.

[MrFearDubh]

I loved ST: SNW season 1. It's my favorite current Star Trek series. Lower Decks is my 2nd fav (was my fav until SNW unseated it).

[cisalzlman]

ST: Prodigy is great series only 1 season so far and kid friendly if want get her involved

[theshadowdirector]

I also really enjoyed how they gave nurse Chapel some actual character for this series. There's that one scene where Spock is in an 'unconventional bodily situation', and I could swear she was titillated by it, at least that's the impression the actress gives!

[inionanbas]

Lower Decks is phenomenal but a loooot of it's jokes/plots draw from past trek. I don't doubt it'll be a good time, maybe watch one of Trek Culture's breakdowns if you're left scratching your head at anything?

[liamscienceguy]

Prodigy is a lot of fun. It may be branded as a kids show, but it has a really interesting plot and kind of functions as a sequel for Voyager. Its first episode is a little but of a rocky start, but it rapidly improves.

[ryan.noakes]

Loved this show. My favourite of the newer series for sure. I *think* you might enjoy Lower Decks, but there are a lot of references to other shows. My wife hasn't complained about not getting the references being a negative for her, so there's that. Plus we watch the Trek Culture breakdown and everything is explained.

[peteryang]

Really enjoyed the first season of SNW. It's easily the best first season of any Trek series, and while it wasn't perfect by any means (I had the same reaction to [REDACTED]'s death), there's a ton of potential there. And Pike is already Up There in the pantheon of "best Starfleet captains" for all the reasons you mentioned. As you said, it strikes a really wonderful balance between honoring established lore while also doing its own thing and keeping accessible to newcomers. I'm really looking forward to Season 2.

As far as the other current shows go, Lower Decks is absolutely fantastic. And I've found while watching it with someone whose Star Trek knowledge is limited that you don't really need a ton of background knowledge to enjoy the series, despite the many many references. The show knows that it needs to be a good Star Trek series AND a good referential comedy, and honestly it's even better at the former than the latter. It also features probably the most likeable cast we've had since the 90s, although it certainly battles for that position with Strange New Worlds.

If you're considering dipping your toes into the older Trek shows, Deep Space Nine is often considered the gold standard for a reason. It's also probably the least "dated" feeling of the older series - it's fairly serialized, character-driven, and delves into moral ambiguities that TNG and the other series generally eschewed. But crucially, DS9 always maintained the underlying optimism that is central to Star Trek. It acknowledges the darkness while remaining hopeful. It shows that we can have flaws without being broken. It's complex and thoughtful and features the best pansexual tinker tailor soldier spy character in the history of fiction.

[not.applicable.]

I'm so glad to hear you describe Strange New Worlds in this way because I've actually REALLY gotten into the Orville recently and have been looking for an entry point into the Star Trek universe that is joyous and fun in the same way the Orville was for me and will fill that niche in my media consumption left behind by its potentially last season. I know the Orville is a pastiche of a few specific eras of Star Trek but for an absolute newcomer to the franchise, its a bit daunting to gaze upon this 50+ year cultural monument and find an accessible place to start that doesn't require preexisting knowledge of the show's lore.

[Martakus]

SNW was really great! Personally, I'd recommend to check out Prodigy over Lower Decks if you don't want a big commitment, but mainly because I dislike sitcom-style series (and I love all the characters in Prodigy) ^^

[scpatlnow]

The addition of Carol Kane as the new character for someone you mentioned is a weird choice that I look forward to seeing.

[kathyastrom]

I grew up on occasional viewings of TOS in the 1970s and ‘80s, then saw the first four films in the theater before being a real fangirl of TNG from the beginning. DS9 didn’t grab me during its initial run, but I have binge watched it since and love it now. I tried Discovery when it started and just couldn’t stick with it—I really am not a big fan of the Michael character, and it seems like the series is all about her.

Knowing that SNW was a spin-off of Discovery, I was hesitant to start, but then I saw the rave reviews and checked it out. OMG, I haven’t felt this good about a Star Trek series since TNG! I’ve even gone back and watched S2 of Discovery to get more screen time with Pike and Spock. I have never seen Anson Mount until this, but damn, is he good! So charismatic, and I liked the comparison I saw a reviewer make equating his Christopher Pike to Chris Evans’ Captain America. And I also really like Ethan Peck’s take on Spock (finding out that he is Gregory Peck’s grandson was fun, too).

[FreeLatveria]

This was the best first season of anything with Star Trek in the title.

[johndent]

ST:SNW is certainly the best of the current productions. I'd suggest you try Prodigy next - yes, it has tilt towards a younger audience but, just like SNW, it's fun! Old fashioned Star Trek like I think you'd enjoy.

[rocket]

A good point with Kirk in ST Beyond being burned out is that the prime timeline kirk never seemed to tire of exploring, especially with his crewmates, even if his body tired and aged. But then again, Prime Kirk's father didn't die on the Kelvin which seems like the source of Kirk's burnout was him being as old as his father when his father died.

[JeffHanke]

You didn't mention Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, have you seen any of that?

I second the recommendation of Star Trek: Prodigy, it's 3D computer animation, and geared more toward a younger audience, but still enjoyable.

I love Lower Decks, but that may be because Star Trek: The Next Generation was what I grew up on.

Star Trek: Discovery is finally getting good. I didn't really care for the first few seasons. You may want to read summaries of the first two/three seasons and go from there. There were some really good episodes in the most recent (fourth) season.

[OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

My ranking of the 1st season of #StrangeNewWorlds:
1. Memento Mori
2. The Serene Squall
3. The Elysian Kingdom
4. Spock Amok
5. Children Of The Comet
6. A Quality Of Mercy
7. Ghosts Of Illyria
8. Strange New Worlds
9. All Those Who Wander
10. Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach

[Ayelet_BringThemHome]

I love Strange New Worlds! I think it's my favorite Star Trek, and I've watched all of them (and I love them all). Lower Decks is also great in my opinion, and I think Prodigy is amazing.