It’s mostly episodic like the original series and 90s Trek but it has some season long story arcs. But it’s modern in its style of telling. It’s funny without resorting to being MCU quippy. And the science is closer to modern science fiction rather than TOS’ parallel worlds pattern.
That said, it has a mix of action and moral dilemma and politics. There are “needs of the many” stories that don’t have clear right or wrong, the psychological impact from the horrors of war stories, even a courtroom episode that rivaled the best ones from TOS and TNG. But there are also flashy fan servicey episodes that are just fun.
I suggest giving the first episode a go. It sets the mood for the rest of the first two seasons. Each episode brings something different, but I think the first episode really speaks to what the series is trying to be.
The absolute mess of a production 2022’s Star Trek Day makes me both want to watch this and skip it. The only redeeming things were the hosts but it was obvious that they were even making things up on the spot.
I guess I was lucky to have first experienced the Gorn in Enterprise. They were treated as scary and dangerous in a way TOS would never have been able to.
LoglineWhen the USS Enterprise investigates an attack on a colony at the edge of Federation space, Captain Pike and his crew face the return of a formidable enemy....
I think it’s as alien of the week as we can get while still having meaningful character growth. Each episode is pretty well contained and can be enjoyed in a vacuum. Yes, you get more enjoyment from seeing the payoff of character arcs and relationships, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Even classic 90s Trek had season long arcs and rewarded viewers who joined in every week.
Hey thanks for the well thought out and detailed reply.
As much as I don’t want to just say “well I guess we like different things” and just leave it at that, I think it does come down to how one defines episodic and rewatchable.
I think your hotel room example is a perfect example of this. I’d be very happy to put on a random episode of Strange New Worlds or Lower Decks in the same way I would with TOS, TNG, or VOY. The other shows (like Prodigy, Discovery, or Picard) I would want to rewatch the whole season to get the satisfying story (like DS9 or ENT).
I also think that you’re correct that character development in TOS was more about learning who the character was, rather than watching them grow. I feel TNG had character growth episode-to-episode but, like you said, I can see how it’s much more prevalent and important to the episodes in SNW.
Like I said, I hate saying this, but I think it just comes down to preference. I think I could watch a random episode of SNW and enjoy it the same way I would TNG or VOY. Maybe because I’ve already seen the episodes so I’m enjoying the alien of the week knowing that I don’t need to see the resolution of the season long arcs. For the same reasons, though, if I recommend TNG to a friend, I always recommend watching it in order, even from the really bad first couple seasons.
LoglineAn accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the USS Enterprise to break uncontrollably into song, but the real danger is that the field is expanding and beginning to impact other ships—allies and enemies alike....
On top of feeling real, it feels true to the characters that the show has developed over the past two seasons. It’s not empathetic of her, but this feels exactly like the Christine we’ve been shown.
On top of that, it’s a good lead up into the awkward relationship we got in TOS between the characters. Where Chapel seemed to sadly crush on Spock from afar.
• “Under the Cloak of War”. The flashbacks in this episode are set during the Federation-Klingon War seen during DIS season one, and a large part of that conflict was the new Klingon cloaking devices that T’Kuvma, and then Kol installed on their various ships. Get it? Yeah, you get it....
LoglineUhura seems to be the only one who can hear a strange sound. When the noise triggers terrifying hallucinations, she enlists an unlikely assistant to help her track down the source....
So I checked the transcript of The Menagerie were Kirk speaks about the one time he met Captain Pike.
Well caught!
PIKE: Lieutenant Kirk.
KIRK: That’s right! It’s an honour to meet you, sir. Congratulations on your promotion to Fleet Captain.
I was so focused on Pike’s face since he has met Kirk before. But this is the first time Kirk has met Pike and this is the first thing he says to him. So of course that stands out in his memory in The Menagerie.
New Comics Discussion September 6 | Star Trek Defiant #7 ( startrek.website )
Star Trek Defiant #7...
Very brief Lower Decks S4 premiere sneak peek from EW ( ew.com )
As previously advertised.
Strange New Worlds continues to rank in the Nielsen US streaming top ten ( trekmovie.com )
This is good news for assuring that SNW’s 3rd season production will move ahead after the strike....
Paramount Invites Fans to a Special Global 'Star Trek Day' Celebration on September 8 ( startrek.com )
Interview: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Effects Supervisor J. Alan Scott On Reimagining The Gorn ( trekmovie.com )
A real tweet from Walter Koenig yesterday. Anyone planning on seeing him at GalaxyCon? ( lemmy.world )
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x10 "Hegemony"
LoglineWhen the USS Enterprise investigates an attack on a colony at the edge of Federation space, Captain Pike and his crew face the return of a formidable enemy....
How ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Brought Its Delightful Musical Episode to Life: ‘You’re Like, Wait, Spock Is Singing Now?!’ ( variety.com )
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x09 "Subspace Rhapsody"
LoglineAn accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the USS Enterprise to break uncontrollably into song, but the real danger is that the field is expanding and beginning to impact other ships—allies and enemies alike....
Canon Connections: Strange New Worlds 2x08 - "Under the Cloak of War"
• “Under the Cloak of War”. The flashbacks in this episode are set during the Federation-Klingon War seen during DIS season one, and a large part of that conflict was the new Klingon cloaking devices that T’Kuvma, and then Kol installed on their various ships. Get it? Yeah, you get it....
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x06 "Lost In Translation"
LoglineUhura seems to be the only one who can hear a strange sound. When the noise triggers terrifying hallucinations, she enlists an unlikely assistant to help her track down the source....
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x04 "Among the Lotus Eaters"
Written by Kirsten Beyer & Davy Perez...