Title: Star Trek Strange New Worlds (Season 3)

Starring: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong

Year: 2025 Episodes: 10 Rating: ⭐⭐

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 3 sees the return of Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike and Ethan Peck as Spock.

The rest of the Enterprise crew also returns, including Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, who’s now romantically involved with everyone’s favourite logical Vulcan.

Whagwarn Gorn?

Star Trek is no stranger to cliff-hangers.

TNG’s Best of Both Worlds Part 1 ruined my whole summer back in the day.

But that’s nothing compared to the cliff-hanger Strange New Worlds Season Two left us on, with a conclusion that was two years in the making.

Sweetening the deal further was the introduction of Scotty. And, with all due respect to both Jimmy Doohan and Simon Pegg, I’m glad to finally see the character played by an actual Scotsman.

Season Two of Strange New Words was a mixed bag. Yes, of course I hated the singing episode, but I enjoyed the Lower Decks crossover a lot more than I was expecting.

The red flags were already evident, however, particularly the HR Giegerification of the Gorn, but I decided not to dwell on it.

I remember thinking to myself, ok, they’re trying something new, have faith…

And that wouldn’t have mattered had my faith in Trek not been SEVERELY rattled in the interim, and, frankly, this new season of SNW hasn’t done much to restore it either.

Gorn Daddy Gorn (The Love Is Gorn)

I hate to say this, but Star Trek sucks.

I say it as a lifelong fan who grew up watching the adventures of Kirk and Picard.

It’s been adrift for two decades now, and by now I doubt we’ll ever again get a series which captures Trek’s true spirit.

Discovery was a hot mess of contrasting tones, ever-rotating characters and dimension-jumping plot lines that bordered on pathological.

But out of that mess came Strange New Worlds, a new show which seemed brighter in both tone and aesthetic, a show which hearkened back to the dazzling optimism of the TOS Enterprise, but still felt fresh and modern.  

Sure, it gets too silly at times, but then it’s set on the same Enterprise that James T Kirk commanded, and things got pretty silly when he was in the chair too.

I want Strange New Worlds to succeed because it has lots of things going for it. It’s funny, it looks amazing and has a talented cast.

If only the writers could show some restraint, instead of breaking every one of the prequel commandments while re-writing almost 60 years of Star Trek lore.

Even when we get a quality moment (Kirk and Spock’s first time playing chess, for example), it comes at the expense of decades’ worth of storylines established by TOS.

Another issue is that, like Discovery, Strange New Worlds suffers from severe attention span anxiety. And it’s a trend I’ve noticed with a lot of streaming shows of late.

In the peak-binging era, producers padded runtimes with unnecessary scenes (e.g. 17+ hours of Walter White eating breakfast) to make seasons longer. But now we’re in the TikTok era where storylines rarely last more than half an episode.

Disney’s latest Daredevil series is another perfect example, rapidly jumping from one plot to the next, as though terrified we’ll switch off and watch something else.

Paramount is one of the worst offenders, spewing out Trek content like a malfunctioning replicator with little care for canon, continuity, scientific viability or plot.

To compound matters, Strange New Worlds still doesn’t seem to know whether it’s a show of standalone adventures (like TOS and TNG) or overarching storylines (like DS9).

Hence the overreliance on “previously on” recaps as they rush to address unresolved (and possibly forgotten about) plotlines.

“Hey, remember when this thing happened? No? Well, don’t worry, we’ll probably forget about it by the next episode anyway, so here’s another thing…”

Most alarming of all, as of season 3, Strange New Worlds’ scripts increasingly resemble fantasy fiction, pulp fiction, sexy Spock fan fiction – anything but SCIENCE fiction, and I’m not happy about it.

And maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I still expect my technobabble to be grounded in scientific fact.

The Good

James T Kirk: From the moment Paul Wesley appeared on screen, I thought, yeah, he’s Kirk. (Sorry Chris Pine, you’re a decent actor, but you’re no Captain Kirk.)

Instead of seeking to portray Kirk the character by emulating Shatner the actor (the overt and obvious choice), Wesley instead works hard to embody Kirk in all his contradictions.

Kirk, the leader, ambitious, driven, cocky, self-assured, occasionally reckless, but never arrogant.

Sure, some moments feel Shatnery – the poise and swagger, the staccato speech – all stemming from a portrayal that’s become so iconic, we often miss the nuance behind it.

Wesley gets it, those temporary moments of wavering indecision, a pause to think… Then hesitation, rapidly brushed aside, taking action.

The famous… Shatner pause… actually… a strategic mind in action.

The best moments of season 3, for me, were all Kirk-related. We get to see his first time in the chair, a true baptism of phaser fire where he faces up to his own limitations, learns how to listen and discovers how to filter ideas from those around him.

Y’know – all the things that make Kirk, Kirk.

We see the genesis of his relationship with Spock. We watch aghast at an equally raw and unseasoned Scotty giving him guff  and questioning his authority – something I never thought I’d see on screen.

Nor could I ever envision an indecisive Kirk hiding and sulking in defeat. But in the context of the story it’s telling it works. This is Kirk’s origin story, how he learned to lead but also to listen.

Because long as it doesn’t impede on established canon (man I sound like a Star Wars nerd!) I’m fine with it. In fact I want to see more of this, a LOT more!

The episode in question, with its themes of leadership, teamwork and decision making, is the closest thing to Trek in the entire season.

I’m not going to say it’s perfect, but it works for what Strange New Worlds is supposed to be, a prequel to TOS that fills in the backstory behind Kirk’s Enterprise.

And the twist ending, contrived though it may be, nonetheless encapsulates one of the central tenets of Trek – things are not always what they seem.

Visual Effects: While Discovery had a much higher budget compared to its predecessors, it was an UGLY looking show.

Somehow it managed to be too dark and too bright, like the deformed lovechild of Zack Snyder and JJ Abrahms. Add to this the bleak sets, dreary uniforms and the stupidest looking Klingons ever put on screen – even if they got the tone right, the aesthetics still would have felt wrong.

By contrast Strange New Worlds in general, and this season in particular, is bright, colourful, well designed visually spectacular. The best-looking Trek show by a country parsec.

The Bad

Pelia: I’ll admit that Star Trek has had its fair share of silly and often irritating characters over the years. Plus, it’s never shied away from clunky references to contemporary culture.

But there’s never been a character as pointless as this.

Pelia is the anti-Guinan, a female character of unknown age and abilities, but without any character development whatsoever.

More Galaxy Quest than Star Trek, Pelia exists solely to be the quirky one who baffles the crew with incessant references to the 20th century.

We also got a ham-fisted nod to Doctor Who which I guess the nerds were meant to swoon over but instead smacked of desperate name-dropping.  

Please, no more nonsense, get rid of Pelia and focus on the real characters and stop this fanboy pandering, we don’t need it. …case in point.

Stay Outa The Continuum: In another cynical bit of fanboy pandering, the writers decided to play join the dots with two of Trek’s most infamous omnipotents.

It’s long been a fan theory that Trelain from TOS’s The Squire of Gothos was a member of the Q Continuum, but sometimes fan theories are best left to the fans.

Instead, SNW’s writers couldn’t resist yet another opportunity to do some sloppy reconning, which only served to cheapen the legacy of two beloved characters – Trelain and Q.

As Picard Season 2 proved, John DeLancie’s always happy to show up for a paycheque (even better if it’s just to do voiceover work), but he’s like Sideshow Bob of Star Trek – best left in the 90s where he belongs.

The Gorn Supremacy: I’ve never been a fan of how they developed the Gorn in SNW.

Rather than exploring the nuances of how a carnivorous, reptilian species might develop socially, culturally, and technologically, the writers instead opted for the scary monster of the week route, combining Alien-esque body horror with overwhelming firepower.

Season two built the Gorn up to be the biggest threat the Federation has ever faced before (or since). But then, after a two year absence, the season two cliff-hanger is conveniently resolved in under 20 minutes to make way for more shenanigans, member-berries and, what every Trek fan wants, more episodes about Spock’s sex life.

So much for the Gorn threat. But wait, something something Gorn DNA. What was that again? I can’t remember. That plotline made no sense.

But remember Ortegas, y’know, the one who keeps saying, “I’m the pilot” in almost every episode?

Realising she was the least-established character on the show, the producers established a Gorn-related PTSD plot thread early on in the season before getting side-tracked by Spock’s sex life.

Queue the customary “previously on” flashback to remind us before rushing to address her PTSD plot before the end of the season.

Season 3’s penultimate episode, Terrarium, is classic Trek in the vein of TNG episodes like The Enemy and Darmok.

When Ortegas’ ship is sucked through a convenient plothole – sorry wormhole – she winds up stranded on a desolate planet with a Gorn as the only other survivor. 

Unless you’ve never seen an episode of Star Trek before you can tell where this is going. The two learn to work together and discover that, despite everything, they’re not so different after all.

See that’s what’s so frustrating about this show. It can Trek hard when it needs to, but as soon as it begins to approach greatness it self-sabotages itself.  

Either Spock makes a quippy remark, or a plot point gets explained away with some pseudo-scientific bullshit, or, in this case, with some more fanboy-pandering, forced-retcon bullshit.

“Hey, remember these guys from TOS? …We sure didn’t cuz we’re not boomers but that’s ok cuz one of the guys in the writers’ room Googled past episodes so…”

For fucks sake!

You almost had it guys, a perfect episode, a perfect moment, and once again you had to go and fucking ruin it.

And it’s an issue which keeps repeating and repeating because, despite its strengths, like all nu-Trek, Strange New Worlds is…

A Disjointed Mess: Here’s some scary Gorn, oops all gone! Here’s a wacky wedding! Hey look, Spock’s dancing the tango, cuz that’s what Spock does, but wait, this character still has PTSD, but who cares? We promise we’ll come back to that point later, but for now, Spock has a new girlfriend!

And look! It’s a new character. I can’t remember his name, so I’m just going to call him Lewis Hamilton guy. Oh no, wait, he’s dead, never mind.

He was killed by ghosts, apparently…

Or was he?

No time to think about that cuz here’s some more wacky non-Trek stuff. Do you like murder mysteries? No? Well tough shit, cuz we’re doing one!

What’s that you say? You want your Star Trek to feel more like Star Trek? How about a DaVinci Code planet? Star Trek fans like the DaVinci code right? They don’t?! Well, tough shit because we’re going back there again. And remember Lewis Hamilton guy? No? Well, he’s alive, kinda…

Who, oh right, Lewis Hamilton guy, where? Oh right, that stupid DaVinci Code episode planet… Wait, we’re not going back there, are we?

Yes, to find Lewis Hamilton guy. Turns out he’s possessed by the evil spirits! What? Evil spirits? In fucking Star Trek?!

What’s next, zombies? …What, no, I was kidding… It was a joke!!! GUYS DON’T IT WAS A JOKE!!!

Zombies: Y’know, what with the constant TOS retconning, Spock’s ever-complicated sexlife and the entities of “pure evil”, I almost forgot the zombies.

Yes, there’s an episode with zombies.

In Star Trek.

No, seriously, I wish that was a joke. It’s not.

Because this series leans heavily into…

The Illogical:

Funny Spock: Look, I like this character, I like the performance, but is it Spock? No.

Paul Wesley as Kirk, perfect casting. New Scotty? 100% down with that too.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve since warmed to Ethan Peck in the role, I just wish the writers wouldn’t make him so glib.

In TOS he was cold and aloof, still privately struggling to balance his human and Vulcan halves.

Spock’s journey, from the original series through to the end of the movies, was about finding that balance.

But Strange New Worlds has the whole thing arse-backwards, because of an ongoing issue with…

Malfunctioning Vulcans: In the episode Four-and-a-Half Vulcans, Pike and some other crew members are transformed into Vulcans.

Sure, I’ll concede there are some cheap laughs here but overall the episode only served to highlight how little the producers understand Vulcans as a species.

Lesson one, they’re meant to behave logically.

Beam Me Up (Before You Go-Go):  Star Trek is no stranger to shoehorning in contemporary pop culture references – and they’re rarely subtle.

But the having Wham playing at a wedding reception in the 23rd century is beyond ridiculous.

I mean, yeah, I’m sure drunk Brits will still be staggering down streets, tunelessly crooning Sweet Caroline. But they’re not the type to get into Starfleet. (And they’re not allowed back on Risa.)

Fate: This word! This fucking word! Is it now mandatory inject the line “it’s my fate!” into every single screenplay in Hollywood? Gene Roddenberry must be spinning in his grave!

Temporal Anomalies

• Spoof Trek: I don’t think Star Trek should spoof itself (that’s best left instead to shows like Black Mirror), so, despite having Jonathan Frakes in the director’s chair, I wasn’t a huge fan of the episode “A Space Adventure Hour”. Those outtakes with Paul Wesley, though? They did make me chuckle.

• The Gorn Identity: Still not a fan of the reconned reproductive biology of the Gorn, but I am a fan of warring-species-marooned-on-a-planet-work-together-and-learn-they’re-not-so-different-after-all episodes. More of this, please, and less overt silliness and stories about Spock’s sex life.

• Logical Quiff: I mentioned the episode Four-and-a-Half Vulcans already and that I wasn’t a fan. However I neglected to mention the moment when we first see Pike’s famous quiff in Vulcan form. Unless you’ve recently performed the Kolinahr ceremony, you’re sure to laugh out loud like I did.

Here Today, Gorn Tomorrow

Ok, I think I’ve hit my quota of Gorn puns.

Thank fuck. Cuz I’m worn out from it.

…Look guys, I dunno.

There’s a lot of good material here but there’s also tons of irredeemable bullshit . Which means  I’m once again reconsidering my review system.

I’m thinking of packing in the stars.

And, unfortunately, I’m also quite close to packing in the Trek.

And it’s such a shame. I was really rooting for these guys.

The cast is amazing with genuine chemistry and the humour feels unrehearsed and organic.

And then there’s the visuals – Star Trek has never looked better. At least cosmetically speaking.

Spiritually, however, the franchise is battered and losing containment, crawling out of a dark nebula on impulse power and with minimal life support.

Strange New Worlds was the most promising Trek show in recent years, and that’s what’s so frustrating.

As with previous seasons, season three of Strange New Worlds has moments which are as close to the true spirit of Star Trek as we’ve seen on screen for years.

But every time it reaches that destination, it’s as if a giant green hand grabs the Enterprise and shakes it violently before hurling it into a black hole of pulp fantasy, melodrama and Ritalin-deficient scriptwriting.

This season, in particular, felt like the producers wanted to make every kind of show except Star Trek.

And on those rare occasions when it approached Star Trek in theme and tone, the producers seemed bent on undermining it.

Most frustrating of all, the series almost managed to stick the landing.

Bar the cheesy ending, Terrarium was a decent episode of Star Trek. Had they left it there, the season would have ended on a high note. Instead we got one more episode which turned out to be the…

 …chockfull of shlocky pseudoscience about demons and destiny and “evil itself.”

For fucks sake!

I’m sitting there, staring in disbelief, thinking, “they’re gonna do the old ‘the answer is love’ routine, aren’t they?”

Yep. Of course they are.

I grew up with TNG, and I’m the first person to admit that is was overly sterile at times, especially those early episodes.

But, c’mon, could you imagine a season finale with a sappy ending as Picard delivers a cheesy Wonder Years voiceover?

No.

You know why?

Because THAT’S NOT STAR TREK!

I know Strange New Worlds is not my Star Trek, it’s not your dad’s Star Trek. If anything, it’s closer to your grandad’s Star Trek.

TOS was silly at best, histrionic at worst, and packed full of clunky pop culture references.

But while it was never shy of goofy plot twists and mumbo jumbo, there was always some attempt at a scientific, or at least rational, explanation waiting at the end of each episode.

Jack the Ripper’s actually a malevolent entity who’s been travelling the galaxy possessing people for centuries? Sure ok.

Whatever.

Deep Space 9 pushed things even further with the Prophets and the Pa Wraiths adding a spiritual dimension to the show, but never at the expense of cheapening the franchise.

It’s so frustrating too. There are flashes of brilliance Strange New Worlds, and plenty of good comedy too. 

And I like how it captures the optimistic adventurism of TOS, but in a contemporary manner.

But still at its core is a gaping insecurity and a sense that people don’t want to see proper Star Trek stories anymore.

So the show keeps trying new gimmicks, trying too hard to appeal to everyone until it winds up appealing to no one, just another failed Trek reboot hauled away on a garbage scow.

If only they could only focus on the stuff they get right, Strange New Worlds could carry the franchise for years to come.

Until then, however, I’m in no hurry to see the thrilling conclusion of Indiana Spock & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

…That’s if we ever even see it, of course.

We had to wait two whole years for this season. And if that trend continues we probably won’t see Pike and the gang until 2027.

Paramount will have gone through five more owners by then.

And we all know how much those executives love to cancel Star Trek.

Recommended Viewing:

Star Trek Enterprise (2001-2005): The black sheep of the Star Trek family has plenty of flaws, yet I still consider it one of the best shows of the franchise.

The show was originally just called “Enterprise”, but then the executives panicked thinking nobody would know what the show was about, so they added back the Star Trek prefix.

It was a sign of things to come from a show which, throughout its all-too-brief runtime, faced constant meddling by anxious executives eager to boost its ratings. 

The premise of Enterprise was simple; a pre-Federation Starfleet launches its first starship, the NX-01 Enterprise, to explore the galaxy.

It’s a primitive ship by Star Trek standards and things often break down. Instead of a tractor beam, they’ve got a grappling hook, and since nobody trusts the transporter, they rely on shuttles instead.

The Enterprise’s rudimentary tech puts them at an immediate disadvantage during encounters with more established warp-capable species like the Andorians and Klingons.

Compounding matters, Starfleet must contend with the Vulcans, in full helicopter parent-mode, attempting to dissuade them from the mission every chance they get.

Enterprise was an ambitious concept and took some big swings. Sure it made some questionable choices (the theme song was an abomination), but it had a strong cast and a brilliant premise.

Given a chance to mature and find its stride the show might have even surpassed Deep Space Nine. Alas, when it failed to gain enough ratings Paramount panicked and began meddling behind the scenes.

First was the bungled time travel plot, which completely derailed the show’s original premise. Then 9/11 happened, robbing the show of what remained of its intrepid naivety.

The result was the Xindi story arc, a messy distraction that ran for a full season, while briefly attempting to turn Scott Bakula into Jack Bower. 

All of this came at the expense of the planned storylines which would have seen the beginning of hostilities with the Romulans and the birth of the United Federation of planets.

Instead the show got cancelled before its time. As a result Enterprise has the distinction of having both the worst introduction music and the most maligned series finale of the entire franchise.

And it’s a shame because the stuff that does stick to the original premise – the crew of the first Enterprise on their earliest missions – is some of the best Trek ever made.

Trek veteran Jeffrey Combs also returns, this time as the Andorian commander Shran, whose growing trust and respect for Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) remains the greatest Star Trek bromance since Kirk and Spock.

It’s far from the best Star Trek show, but it’s definitely the best one since Deep Space 9. And, for all its flaws, it still felt like Star Trek.

And that’s something which none of the subsequent shows of movies have managed to accomplish since.