“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” – Season 5 (2025) / Z-View

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds -Season 4 (2026)

Created by: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman Jenny Lumet; based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry

Teleplay by:

  • (ep. 1) Akiva Goldsman & Henry Alonso Myers from a story by Henry Alonso Myers & Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 2) Robbie Thompson
  • (ep. 3) Kathryn Lyn
  • (ep. 4) Skylar Ojeda & Dana Horgan
  • (ep. 5) Henry Alonso Myers & Dana Horgan
  • (ep. 6) Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 7) Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 8) Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 9) Onitra Johnson
  • (ep. 10) Henry Alonso Myers & Robbie Thompson

Directed by:

  • Chris Fisher (eps. 1; 10)
  • Axelle Carolyn  (ep. 2)
  • Yana Gorskaya (ep. 3)
  • Meera Menon (ep. 4)
  • Jordan Canning (ep. 5)
  • Dan Liu (ep. 6)
  • Anna Dokoza (ep. 7)
  • Sharon Lewis (ep. 8)
  • Sydney Freeland (ep. 9)

Stars: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn and Carol Kane.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

During Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise face more dangerous adventures.

  • “Valles Marineris”  The Enterprise is sent back in time 65 million years.  Pike sends a team to a planet to explore.  They have run-ins with dinosaurs. Meanwhile Martians take control of the Enterprise.  The Martians are at war with with the Dol’drm who live on a planet that lies between Mars and Jupiter.  Pike attempts a peaceful resolution to the war as the rest of the crew seek a way to get back to their own time. (This episode is saved by the way it wraps up.  It ties in the extinction of the dinosaurs, why Mars is a barren planet in our time and why there is no longer a planet between Mars and Jupiter. – Craig)
  • “The Griffin Incident”  Spock, James Kirk and La’An are piloting a shuttle back to the Enterprise when they come across the USS Griffin floating in space.  The Griffin disappeared nearly a decade ago.  Scans show no life on the Griffin.  Spock, Kirk and La’An beam aboard to investigate.  Almost immediately the three are separated.  Each begins to see/hear things that make them question their sanity.  (Star Trek with a haunted “house story”. – Craig)

 

  • “Human Best Friend”  It’s been too long since the primary crew of the Enterprise has had time off.  Scott and Ortegas are at odds. The rest of the team is on edge.  Pike decides a weekend for the primary crew on a planet with an atmosphere that safely and temporarily reduces inhibitions is needed.  Pike, Spock, Number One, M’Benga, Scott, Ortegas and Chapel go.  Inhibitions are down and each is acting way out of character.  Their judgment is negatively impacted.  Then they learn that a bomb planted on the Enterprise will soon explode. (I didn’t care much for the actions of most of the inebriated crew, but the Kirk/Spock interactions had a nice twist. – Craig)
  • “A Case of Chiaroscuro”  Number One, M’Benga, and Uhura are sent to recover a probe on a planet controlled by Klingons.  When their shuttle is detected by Klingons, the three head to the nearest city to hide out.  To their surprise, the inhabitants dress like 1940s Earthlings.  Complicating matters, Number One is mistaken for a resistance leader attempting to overthrow the Klingons.  (Star Trek meets Casablanca. – Craig)

 

  • “Level-Five Transporter Accident”  An experiment to extend the range of the Enterprise’s transporter goes sideways. The ship briefly vanishes. When it reappears everyone (except Spock) has transformed into a muppet. Complicating matters pirates have boarded the ship.  What chance do puppets have against space buccaneers?  (I appreciate ST: SNW writers taking chances, but the resolution was such a cliche. – Craig)

 

  • “Off-Hour” While traveling at warp speed the Enterprise is pulled into a slipstream.  In less than an hour, unless a solution is found, the Enterprise will explode.  Meanwhile, in sick bay, M’Benga was pinned by rolling medical equipment during the disturbance.  If the machinery is moved, M’Benga will bleed out.  But there may be a solution that will save both M’Benga and the ship…  (What are the odds? – Craig)

 

  • “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass”  Pike wakes up in sick bay suffering from amnesia. He’s shocked to learn Spock is in sick bay and needs a “live heart transplant”.  As Pike works to process it all, Uhura busts in claiming Pike is her father.  If you think this this sounds like a soap opera, you’re not wrong.  But why?  (ST: SNW writers know why. – Craig)

 

  • “Orders of Magnitude”  Admiral Reeger and James Kirk are visiting the Enterprise.  When a distress signal is received from a nearby planet, Pike and a small crew beam down to investigate. Reeger is left in charge of the Enterprise with Kirk his second in command. Then the Enterprise picks up evidence of a cloaked warship that has killed millions. Reeger orders the Enterprise to follow traces left by the invisible craft.  They track the ship to a planet containing 5,000 inhabitants.  Unsure whether the ship is still there, Admiral Reeger issues an order to destroy the planet.  When Kirk objects, Reeger threatens to charge him with mutiny.  Meanwhile Pike and crew discover they’d been lulled into a trap! (This is one of the best episodes of the season. – Craig)  
  • “Once La’An a Time”  On a disc-shaped planet, Pike, Spock, La’An and Pelia beam down. There they find fairytale versions of the Enterprise crew. Expect a princess, heroes, cowards, villians, dragons, an evil queen and more. (One of my least favorite episodes of the season. – Craig)

 

  • “Tomorrow’s Enterprise”  The Enterprise crew is studying a rare white hole when an explosion kills Scotty and sends Uhura one year into the future. She’s still on the Enterprise, but Kirk was made Captain of the ship when Pike was promoted to Admiral.  The “future” Uhura was sent one year in the past.  Future and Past Uhura’s find a way to communicate.  With the help of Spock they hope to find a way to get each back to their “right” timeline… and maybe save Scotty in the process.  (If you get past the “space babies” aspect, this is a good episode. – Craig)

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been nominated for two PrimeTime Emmy Awards…

  • 2024 Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) for the episode Hegemony (2023)
  • 2022 Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) for the episode Memento Mori (2022)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is perfectly cast.  Anson Mount is perfect in his role, but so are Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding and Melissa Navia.  The series is well written with each major cast member displaying personality and getting a showcase.

I am a fan of the original Star Trek series, cartoon and movies with the original cast.  I never watched any other Star Trek productions.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds changed that.  I’ve been a big fan of the show, but found this season to veer in directions that weren’t as entertaining.  Each season took chances with some episodes, but this season had more misses than past seasons.  With that said, I’m still looking forward to season 5.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.