Captain Christopher Pike and his crew are back for more adventures that will have fans smiling, feeling emotional, and fully engaged with the characters. Season One of Strange New Worlds saw Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, & Rebecca Romjin return after their appearance in Star Trek: Discovery. We also met the rest of the equally important crew on the USS Enterprise. This review is based on the first six episodes of Season Two, and no spoilers! After a very successful Season One, does Season Two keep raising the bar, or does it fall short?
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I appreciated Strange New World’s first season’s willingness to try new things and give each character a chance to shine. I became invested in all the characters and felt each one served a purpose on the show. Thankfully, Season Two continues this and succeeds with flying colors. Mount as Christopher Pike is undoubtedly the standout once again heading into the new season. His presence and connection to the rest of the characters are felt throughout the episodes. The series could easily rely on Mount to carry the show; thankfully, they don’t do that. Each character on the main crew gets their chance to explore their characters more, which helps me care more for them. Peck’s Spock is another highlight, but I can’t go into why here specifically. I am genuinely surprised by a storyline they give him.
Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura has an incredible episode focused on her, and how it’s handled is quite surprising. Uhura’s journey in Season One was a solid storyline to follow. Gooding’s Uhura, now getting into the new season, feels more comfortable being a part of the USS Enterprise. I was skeptical of her playing Uhura at first, but she has grown on me over time. Romjin as Una Chin-Riley is one of my favorite characters from Season One. The cliffhanger from Season One shocked me, and I have been patiently waiting to see what occurs next for Una. Thankfully, this storyline with Una is a highlight of the new season. It’s executed exceptionally well and shows the strong writing that Strange New World deserves.
Christina Chong’s La’an Noonein-Singh stands out in one of the more curious episodes in the new season. Her character in Season One was interesting, but I didn’t feel fully invested in her like some other USS Enterprise crewmembers. After watching the first six episodes of this new season, I have changed my mind about her now for the better. Chong’s La’an goes through an experience that changes how I see her, knowing what she had to deal with. It’s impactful to the overall series but also personal for her. In Season Two, we meet Pelia, played by Carol Kane. This is the one aspect of the new season I’m not sure of. Kane is playing an odd character, and she adds levity to scenes. However, I wonder if her character would work better in another series.
The series’ name doesn’t lie about exploring new worlds, and the Second Season continues the trend. The beauty of Star Trek is the new worlds and life that are discovered and added to the ever-expanding universe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beautifully finds new and exciting ways for our characters to explore new worlds and the life on them. Season Two creatively keeps this aspect of the show fresh. The series would drastically fall apart if this critical part were handled poorly. I connect with the series because of the outstanding CGI of Strange New Worlds. The beautiful work in post-production elevates the show. Strange New Worlds will only work how it does if the CGI is up to par.
Paramount+ is all in regarding Star Trek series for their service. Some hit, and unfortunately, some miss with fans. Thankfully, Strange New Worlds has found the formula to make it one of the standout series in the new era of Trek. I wish to go further into my thoughts, but I want everyone to experience the episodes as fresh as possible as I did. I was engaged and didn’t want the episodes to end at times. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is another success for Paramount+, and fans should prepare for another fun ride.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on June 15th on Paramount+