Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Review: This Is Star Trek at Its Best

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a miracle. 

While the galaxy's most scrutinized science fiction franchise has transformed and evolved over the years — and a serious case can be made that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is actually the best series — there's an ineffable perfection to the show's initial iteration. For the first time since the original cast members literally signed off at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the bright, playful, and ingenious spirit from the classic show has fully bloomed with this new version, in ways we've never seen before. While it's somewhere between a remake, prequel, and continuation (in true confusing Star Trek fashion), the most important thing is that it is irresistible television. Strange New Worlds, now in its second season, is as good as Star Trek has ever been.

Season 2 of the Paramount+ show — set about 10 years before The Original Series — picks up right where the last season left off. Which is to say that First Officer Una "Number One" Chin-Reilly (Rebecca Romijn) has been arrested for keeping her Illyrian roots (and the genetic manipulation that suggests) a secret from Starfleet. But other than that, what is so wonderful is that you don't need to know a single thing. This is as it should be. Unless you were around in 1966, you probably did not watch Star Trek from the first episode. You just kinda picked it up. I'm a licensed and bonded Trekkie (there are miniature Datas and Worfs and Neelixes strewn about my desk as I type this), and the first thing I saw was Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in theaters. I should have been baffled. Instead it got me hooked for a lifetime. 

10

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

at Paramount+

Like

• Recaptures the creative spirit of The Original Series
• Builds on the thrill of the first season
• There's no weak link in the cast or characters

Dislike

• Why don't we already have 100 seasons of this show?

The thing that most excites me — a guy who has gone to Star Trek conventions of his own free will — about the series is this: Whoever is the "main character" of a particular episode is my favorite on the show. Everyone is tied for first place. There is no weak link. These are extraordinary performances by great actors sinking their teeth into rich and lovable personalities. It's so gratifying.

And, yes, it starts at the top. Is that Anson Mount as Captain Pike? The elaborately coiffed pillar of kindness, action, and responsibility? Well, sure, but let's also be real: If Star Trek has one "first thing that comes to your mind" image, it's the tip of the ear of a certain Vulcan science officer, Mr. Spock.

I would never go so far as to say that Ethan Peck's Spock is better that Leonard Nimoy's, but I do feel comfortable saying that Peck so deeply understands this role that, as time continues (and may this show last 100 seasons!), lines of thought around "Which Spock?" may eventually blur. This is a feat that Zachary Quinto, who certainly performed admirably in the reboot film series, never quite accomplished. Again: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a miracle. 

Everyone else is incredible, too. Jess Bush as Nurse Chapel, Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M'Benga, and the aforementioned Romijn are outstanding as characters who already existed in Star Trek canon (though some had a larger footprint than others). Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh and Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas are both incredible additions to the lore. Every single one of them is perfect. They are all my favorite. 

There are two new additions this season, too. The Aenar-Andorian chief engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak) was killed off, and he's been replaced by, of all people, Carol Kane, whom you know from Taxi and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (and, if you are hardcore, the movie Hester Street). It's a bit of a comic relief role, as she's playing a wise Guinan-esque alien with a bizarre accent. In the six episodes given to critics, she hasn't been in the show too much, but when she's there, she's a delight.

And then there's Captain Kirk. Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) made a brief appearance last season, and he's in two episodes here. At first I was on the fence. I'll be blunt: William Shatner has always been a bit of a "stocky" gentleman, and Wesley is a slender fellow. It took me a minute to really connect to him... until I realized that I was being ridiculous. "He's too thin!" is not a reasonable criticism. Wesley gets Kirk, in the way that Peck gets Spock, and in the way that the writers, producers, designers, and everyone else working on this show gets what makes Star Trek so wonderful. This show is a miracle.

Remember that scene in They Live where Roddy Piper is screaming at Keith David to put on his magic sunglasses? When he knows a secret that he just has to share, but it feels like few people are listening? That's how I've been with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds since it debuted last year. (Minus the bone-snapping violence, of course.) Please, please, I've begged, watch this. I promise it's good. Season 2, at least what I've seen so far, is even better.

Considering the episodic nature of this series, I don't want to get too deep into plot, but here are a few teases. The first episode features Spock drinking Klingon bloodwine. The second episode is a crew-bonding trial story. The third episode is a brilliant spin on time travel/multiverses that is far more enjoyable than anything you'll see in The Flash. For longtime fans, it also ties up something that may have been bugging you for a while. (Whoever came up with this one drinks for free at every future convention.) The fourth episode, a visit to a dangerous planet (and also a callback to something in lore, but it's absolutely fine if you are new to this), is a solid adventure that perfectly captures the ripping yarns of the 1960s series. It really does feel like uncovering a lost episode from the vault. The fifth episode, similar to last season's "Spock Amok," leans on the comedy when Spock gets into a pickle with his betrothed, T'Pring (played by Gia Sandhu, a comedy genius). The stakes are raised, though, after many episodes of Spock and Nurse Chapel making goo-goo eyes at one another. The best ship on this show is not necessarily the Enterprise. Episode 6 reminded me a little of TNG's "Darmok." 

They are all my favorite episodes. 

So that's my rave. But I get it: The streaming relaunch of the second-most intimidating nerd franchise (right behind Doctor Who) has been all over the place. While I've personally found things to love about Star Trek: Discovery, I'll freely admit it isn't for everyone. The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard were a bit of a disaster, and while the third season recalibration was great, it's weird to say "skip to the end!" The animated series Star Trek: Prodigy is very much intended for kids, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, while something I absolutely adore, is mostly a gift for fans — a weird fever dream where Star Trek: The Next Generation and Futurama got into the Brundlefly machine with a polish from Rick and Morty. (I still can't believe that show is real.)

Strange New Worlds races away from all that baggage at warp speed. This is nothing but a clever, funny, thrilling series with tremendous visual flair and characters you will love. The galaxy is saved. 

Premieres: Thursday, June 15 on Paramount+
Who's in it: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Rebecca Romijn
Who's behind it: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet (Creators)
For fans of: Star Trek, space, cool adventures
How many episodes we watched: 6 of 10