Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The first season of the new Star Trek series reminds us the heart and intelligence that personifies the best of the franchise, is still beating. 

In a United States that appears to arguably be experiencing an existential crisis, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a beacon of hope in a too-often bleak and reductive American television landscape.

 

The strength of the series: how elegantly both the season, and singular episodes are constructed. Plot points that traverse the season meld seamlessly with single episode adventure formats.

As a child, Captain Pike in the original Star Trek series was the first tragic figure I encountered on television, and obviously lingered in my psyche. The series amplifies the complexity of his character arc.

 

To me, Captain Pike has always epitomised the idea, bad things happen to good people. This series asks, what if he knew his future, but also faced a conundrum: changing it to save his life, would condemn others?

 

The best science fiction often incorporates questions of ethics, considers empathy, and ponders complicated humanitarianism. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds truly honours these thought-provoking narratives. 

 

At the same time, like the best of all Star Treks, Strange New Worlds addresses the issues of today. Diversity, and making a stand against discrimination–even societally accepted forms—are woven throughout.

 Amongst these large themes, personal growth also has a solid presence, something that has always been part of Star Trek’s appeal. Here, the well-rounded characters are revealed to be increasingly complex as episodes unfold.

 

Visually, the series is a fusion of various incarnations of Star Trek, with its own signature take. Cinematic, awash in stunning wide shots and meaningful close-ups, the camerawork creates a sense of motion.

 

The editing, lighting and sound mesh beautifully. Set design captures the spirit of Trek with a 2020s influence. Special effects never distract. The monologues sound so rich. The series is a pleasure to watch. 

For me, probably costuming and hair and makeup are the weakest aspects. But in saying that, it’s still strong, just not as impactful as I would have hoped for, with a few style choices I consider less effective.

 

At the heart of the series, optimism prevails (in an era where negativity has quite the presence across American entertainment). Captain Pike is the embodiment of optimism and faith in the better aspects of humanity. 

 

The casting is quite brilliant. I’ve never found any episode jarring from lacklustre performances. Lead trio Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn do a truly stunning job in their roles.

But performances across the board are also impressive. The crew feels like a cohesive, complementing casting effort. It’s always great to see selecting the core characters for a TV series taken seriously.

Overall, I would consider Star Trek: Strange New World’s greatest strength to be, confidence. The show runners clearly selected a team capable of producing the highest quality of television. 

 

A sense of pathos has always been essential to Star Trek’s success. The latest series blends the best of past Treks with present sociological priorities, while still remembering to be consistently entertaining.

 

The new Star Trek maintains a franchise preference for hierarchical structures and the normalisation of monogamy, probably because target American audiences feel most comfortable with these elements.

Yet, in the mix are suggestions and explorations of other cultural takes on ways to live and communicate, and I’ve always considered these storytelling moments to be the marker that makes for great Star Trek.

There is still swagger and humour and a penchant for exploring interpersonal relationships as much as the galaxy. But here, restraint and inference make for quite the thoughtful, contemplative take. 

 

I feel the series is telling us there are different ways to be bold. Reminding us of the power of the medium. Celebrating the idea of a society built on education, and positive ideological framework.

 

The need for the humanities, and the sciences to have equal power is strong in Trek. The pilot episode even references America having a dark future. "Civil War, then the Eugenics War, then finally just World War III."

The series is proof television can still be intelligent, engaging, entertaining and encourage open-mindedness without alienating audiences—and all of this is more impactful in a beautifully made bundle.

 

“Well there’s surviving, and then there’s living,” says the Captain in the first episode, an approach to life that permeates this series. Captain Pike and his crew are going to enjoy every step of their bold, somewhat poetic journey.

 

After less than stellar Trek forays–action-focused, or telling rather than showing—Star Trek: Strange New Worlds sets the franchise back on course, envisioning a smarter, kinder, braver and more self-aware future.