(upbeat music)
- [Announcer] Space, the final frontier.
(bright music)
Only go where no one has gone before.
- [Narrator] With "Star Trek, Strange New Worlds"
set to launch Thursday,
everyone wants to know, will it be good?
Is it worth my time to watch it?
Is it more of the new Trek we've been watching
or is it something else?
There's "Star Trek Prodigy" for kids,
"Star Trek Lower Decks" for laughs
and "Star Trek Picard" for familiar faces.
And of course there is "Star Trek Discovery"
for a bleak, weepy series that favors long story arcs
with grim dark stories.
"Star Trek, Strange New Worlds"
is a instead a deliberate throwback
in the style of the "Original Series".
It will be episodic in nature,
but with serialized character stories.
So while we will get a new adventure each week,
the crew will be carrying the lessons
from each of their experiences
into the next episode with them.
- And you people, you're all astronauts
on some kinda Star Trek?
- [Narrator] And while the producers of new "Star Trek"
wanted to make not your dad's version of the show,
just ask Jason Isaacs.
The franchise quickly steered into convoluted storytelling
cleaned up by grasping at fan service
and a hodgepodge of episodes
that felt a lot like running in place looking for a point.
- I like science.
- [Narrator] This may have been just a case
of too many cooks in the kitchen
as each episode of "Discovery" and "Picard"
had over 20 credited producers
but it's that fan service
that may very well be giving us
the best "Star Trek" show in decades.
"Strange New Worlds" is a spinoff
of season two of "Discovery"
as well as a prequel to the "Original Series".
Anson Mount portrayal of Captain Christopher Pike
was so good, fans demanded he get his own show.
And Alex Kurtzman following the first two difficult seasons
of "Discovery" was eager to explore that idea.
"Strange New Worlds" has been designed
to address some of the discontent
in Star Trek's large and vocal fan base
regarding the direction Kurtzman and his writers
have taken the franchise.
And we, as well as the majority of critics
are happy to report "Strange New Worlds"
is heading in the right direction.
Critics were recently allowed
to view the first five episodes of the show.
And while there is a limit to what we can tell you,
if you've watching "The Orville"
and hoping "Star Trek" would take some notes,
you don't wanna miss this episode.
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and make sure you stay tuned to the end
to see how to get this awesome "Star Trek" Captain Pike
inspired graphic design
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Despite all the marketing that has been done
to bring potentially jaded "Star Trek" fans
back to Paramount Plus
with promises of episodic "Star Trek" reminiscent
of the "Original Series".
We need to caution you about "Strange New Worlds".
It's not a total return to the Trek you remember,
and if you go into it thinking it will be an updated version
of "TOS" or "TNG", you're going to be disappointed.
- You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself
from knocking you on your ass.
- [Narrator] Yes, "Strange New Worlds"
is a return to optimism
and the show actually begins to hit its stride
in episode five,
but it also has some of the usual mix
of melodramatic moments, sketchy plotting
and the lapses in logic we've sadly gotten used to.
As we've mentioned before, new "Star Trek" writers
have a tendency to tell us instead of show us.
And there is still a lot of that in "Strange New Worlds".
So yes, while we are getting the "TOS" original recipe
with this show,
you'll have to keep an open mind
and temper your expectations
for a complete return to old Trek.
But that said, we do believe this is the best iteration
of "Star Trek" since 2017.
And we are excited to explore the series with all of you.
So just a warning, there may be spoilers ahead
as we explore the first five episodes.
Episode one, "Strange New Worlds".
New "Star Trek" series generally experienced growing pains
for a couple of seasons.
"TNG" didn't smooth out until Riker grew the beard
and Voyager didn't know what it was
until Seven of Nine showed up.
- Every decision is debated.
Every action questioned.
- [Narrator] The fact that "Strange New Worlds"
is starting strong could be a promising sign
of what's to come.
The first episode does a great job of establishing a setting
and letting us know who the characters are
and how they will relate to one another.
"Strange New Worlds" also does a great helping us understand
the geography of the Enterprise
by having the camera focus on smaller locations
for longer periods of time,
as opposed to "Discovery" where
we never really understand where anything is on the ship
outside of the bridge.
The show opens with Pike full beard
contemplating his return to the Stars,
following what he saw about his future fate
in "Discovery" season two.
But it isn't long before he and Spock are reunited
to rescue Number One from a spy mission
on a pre-war planet that hasn't turned out well.
The show takes time to imbue each of the characters
with personality,
and we learn that each of them is carrying a secret
or inner turmoil that they aren't sharing with the others.
Episode two, "Children of the Comet".
In this episode, the Enterprise discovers a rogue comet
that is on course to hit an inhabited planet
potentially killing millions of people.
The comet possesses an ancient interior machine
preventing easy rerouting of it.
While not the same, it reminded us of the "TOS" episode
"For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky".
This episode is focused on Uhura, who is still a cadet
but must walk across a comic surface
and face the challenges of being a Star fleet officer.
Pike must negotiate with a religious tribe
who worship the comet and protect it
as it flies through the heavens.
They assure Pike the comet is intelligent
and that its will may not be interfered with.
This will be an exercise in diplomacy.
And we get to see Spark in a moment of heroism.
Episode three, "Ghosts of Illyria."
In ghosts, a strange and curable affliction
is taking of the crew, giving them a strange preoccupation
with staring at bright lights.
Dr. M'Benga learns that a recent visit
to a planet that was once the home
to a race of genetically engineered beings
is the source of the infection, but he can't find a cure.
Only Number One seems to be immune
and has to be the one to ultimately find a cure.
The secondary plot for this episode is of Pike and Spock
who must decipher an ancient glowing scroll
to find out what happened to the planet's population.
We learn a lot about Unna Chin-Riley during this episode,
including some secrets.
We also learn some secrets about M'Benga
that really develop his character.
Episode four, "Memento Mori".
In this episode, we get a lot of action
that focuses on Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh.
Yes, a relative of that Noonien-Singh.
(screams)
We learn that La'an has had to keep
her altered genetic engineering secret
which causes her to struggle as an outsider
while technically being superior to those around her.
This episode is really exciting for us
because we get to see the Gorn again
which we remember from that classic "TOS" episode, "Arena"
where Kirk fought the Gorn.
- Not again.
- [Narrator] In this episode, the Enterprise is attacked
by a Gorn ship.
La'an who has experience with the Gorn
tells Pike that usual Star fleet tactics won't work.
As the Enterprise is being attacked,
the crew pair off to work together
to solve smaller problems within the crisis.
Uhura and Hemmer have to repair a vital image part
after Hemmer's hands are injured.
This is the way we love "Star Trek"
watching intelligent people solve problems intelligently.
Episode five, "Spock Amok".
This episode releases some of the pressure built up
by the previous episodes.
There are four plot points and a lot of humor.
While docked at a space station,
Pike is tasked with negotiating
and convincing a notoriously difficult species
into joining the Federation.
Spock is reunited with his betroth the wife T'Pring
who is annoyed that he chose to be on the Enterprise
instead of staying back on Vulcan.
Apparently we learn Vulcans
can mate outside of pon farr.
Of course, we remember T'Pring
from the classic "TOS" episode "Amok Time"
and that classic fight between Spock and Kirk.
Also, in this episode
we learn more about nurse Chapel and Lieutenant Ortegas.
And of course we recall nurse Chapel fell in love
with Spock in "TOS",
and we do see some foreshadowing of that here.
Finally, we learn that La'an and Una
have begun to bond as friends.
They are both serious people and they share another secret
we won't divulge here, which was a pretty big surprise.
The two discover that the Enterprise's Ensign are involved
in an ongoing secret game of Enterprise bingo
and the two senior officers attempt to play themselves.
So with five episodes in and five more to go
for "Star Trek, Strange New Worlds" season one,
as well as season two being made,
the show is definitely showing promise.
A couple of other interesting notes is that unlike Kirk
who usually started each episode with a captain's log,
"Strange New Worlds" tends to rotate character log entries
in an attempt to give us more depth
and understanding of each character.
The show also leans into Spock's more emotional behavior
as was seen in the pilot episode of the "Original Series".
We've always had our reservations
about the emotional Ethan Peck Spock.
And while this show does lean into that,
there is some justification
as the pilot episode is considered canon.
Perhaps we'll see this version of Spock
slowly morph into the "TOS" version we love and adore.
If "Strange New Worlds" can continue to progress,
we believe this will be the best of new "Star Trek".
As usual Mount's charisma puts everything over the top
and we are looking forward to seeing
how fans react to the show moving forward.
What do you think?
Are you excited to watch "Strange New Worlds"?
How do you feel about
all of the legacy characters joining the show?
Are you happy for a return to episodic "Star Trek"?
How do you rank Ethan Peck Spock
compared to Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto?
Let's talk about it in the comments below.
Also check out this awesome "Star Trek"
Captain Pike inspired graphic design
from the amazing artists at mixedtees.com.
Get 20% off your purchase by using coupon code ThePopcast,
the link is in the description below.
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