... for many fans, this third time will be the charm as the series hits its stated target to bring back beloved elements of classic Star Trek, from both the TOS era and the TNG era. But Strange New Worlds isn’t just an exercise in nostalgia, it is also a very modern series. Additionally, the show doesn’t forget where it came from, as the new series carries over plotlines and character arcs from Star Trek: Discovery season two. In fact, the series kicks off with the USS Enterprise leaving spacedock for the first time following the battle in the Discovery season two finale...
...From the first episode, you get the sense this series has a lighter tone. While taking the job of exploring space seriously, this series remembers to have some fun along the way and to maintain a healthy level of optimism and even wonderment. Each episode also finds its own balance, allowing for variety. You see this too with the style of each episode. While the pilot strikes a middle ground, following a somewhat standard get-the-band-back-together for a vital mission structure with plenty of action and adventure, follow-ups vary including one episode that plays as an intense submarine-style cat and mouse thriller, and the next turns to an almost slapstick character comedy, but it works...
...Strange New Worlds does not shy away from making commentary on important issues. As is traditional with Star Trek, the show uses alien drama to explore contemporary issues, with varying degrees of subtlety, not unlike TOS. What shines through each episode are the essential Star Trek themes of a hopeful future, cooperation, scientific curiosity, and family. Speaking of which, this is a show that can be shared by the whole family...
...Each member of this ensemble feels unique, and each has their own quirks and issues. Some of the issues they struggle with can be quite serious, notably Captain Pike himself has his arc dealing with learning his eventual fate through a time crystal (as seen in Discovery season two). And while the various backstories can be tragic, and even downright horrifying in one case, these are not broken dysfunctional characters wallowing in their pain and overindulging in their problems. Each is a dedicated professional, who is good at what they do. This comes through starting with the pilot episode which spends just as much time showcasing the crew as it does telling a first contact story and contemporary allegory. Like the other modern Trek shows, this strong ensemble is enabled by an exceptional group of actors, each perfectly cast for their roles...
Like any television series, and certainly a Trek TV show, results from episode to episode very. Strange New Worlds is not perfect by the first half of its first season. Most of the laughs lines and bits land, but some fall a bit flat. Canon is respected, but sometimes it is strained. The commentary is thought-provoking but in at least one case approaches the preachy. But what matters is that Strange New Worlds is always entertaining, exciting, heartwarming, inspiring, and most of all, very worthy of the name Star Trek.
