https://www.cbr.com Read up on the latest Star Trek: Strange New Worlds News, Reviews and Features from the team at CBR. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 21:45:16 GMT en-US hourly 60 Leonard Nimoy will always be the definitive Mr. Spock, encompassing decades of sometimes-tumultuous history with the character and an indelible imprint on pop culture as a result. Spock remains one of Star Trek's most enduring fixtures, and with Nimoy passing in 2015, other actors have continued the tradition. Ethan Peck took on the part in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, with Zachary Quinto playing Spock in the Kelvinverse trilogy of movies. As with the likes of James Bond and Count Dracula, the character now belongs to multiple actors. And while Nimoy will always be first among equals, the other two have both stepped up to reveal sides of Spock that no one else could.

]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 21:45:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-best-spock-since-leonard-nimoy/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds treats the Gorn like an extended game of chicken. The species represents a potentially catastrophic continuity error since the Federation formerly made first contact with them several years after the series concludes. It's pushed forward with the aliens regardless, and Strange New Worlds daring delivered one of the best episodes of Season 1 with the Gorn-centric "All Those Who Wander."

]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:45:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-gorn-problem-strange-new-worlds/ The third episode of Strange New Worlds brings back James T. Kirk, this time making him the captain of the Enterprise in a timeline without the Federation. It's already the second time-travel episode in the series, but it just fixed Star Trek's biggest history problem: the rise of Khan Noonien Singh.

]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-star-trek-khan-eugenics-war-problem/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds provided a fresh twist on the franchise's iconic character James T. Kirk in its alternate timeline Season 1 finale. Another timeline version of Kirk, again played by Paul Wesley, surfaces in Strange New Worlds Season 2, this time on a time-travel adventure for Chief Security Officer La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) to prevent a catastrophe in 21st-century Toronto. As Noonien-Singh and Kirk grow closer, La'an discovers this mission hits especially close to home for her, placing her on a collision course with the most infamous figure from her family's problematic history.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 23:06:42 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-christina-chong-paul-wesley-interview/ Paul Wesley makes his return to Strange New Worlds as the iconic "future" captain of the USS Enterprise, James T. Kirk. However, The Vampire Diaries alum doesn't seem to be channeling William Shatner. Rather, the Jim Kirk Strange New Worlds fans meet in Season 2 has a lot in common with Chris Pine's version.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 21:45:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/paul-wesley-james-kirk-embodiment-strange-new-worlds/ For the second time, Strange New Worlds focused a story on Star Trek's first favorite captain: James T. Kirk. However, thanks to the reality-bending time travel story, it was not the Captain Kirk fans know. The ending of the episode also could tie into Star Trek: Picard and the mysterious vault discovered containing Kirk's body.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-james-kirk-body-picard/ Paul Wesley took on the role of Star Trek icon James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, or rather an alternate timeline version of the character in the Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale. Wesley reprises his role as Kirk in Strange New Worlds Season 2 as yet another alternate version in the season's third episode. Titled "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," the episode pares down the usual Strange New Worlds' ensemble for a tighter team-up story across time and space, running the gamut of tones Season 2 has brought to the forefront to great effect.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:33:58 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-3-review/ Star Trek is no stranger to time-travel adventures in present-day -- and Strange New Worlds puts its own twist on this trope in Season 2. La’an Noonien-Singh finds herself in the 21st Century after a detour to an alternate timeline, leading her to take on point on restoring history and Starfleet’s existence. Fortunately, Noonien-Singh is not alone; she's joined by a familiar face in James T. Kirk, albeit not the version of Kirk that most Star Trek fans may recognize from The Original Series.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season2-episode3-recap-spoilers/

]]> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-vulcans-not-perfect/ The second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ventures into bold and diverse genres, including courtroom drama.

]]> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:30:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-genre-hopping-honor-original-series/ Considering all the strikes against it early on, Star Trek has done an admirable job of maintaining continuity in its very complicated universe. Gene Roddenberry famously didn't ascribe to continuity, which caused huge problems once the franchise grew beyond the scope of a single TV show. Most of the time, Star Trek was able to explain away the worst of it -- including an epic storyline to justify the improved Klingon make-up between The Original Series and the first movie -- but problems still crop up.

]]> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-avoids-eugenics-wars-continuity-problem/ Star Trek tends to do unusually well with trial episodes. Courtroom dramas always make for gripping television when delivered correctly, as well as requiring just one set: always a factor in budget-conscious sci-fi TV. At the same time, the inherent drama of a trial allows Star Trek to explore some of the larger philosophical issues that creator Gene Roddenberry imagined for it. Over the years, that's included everything from repackaging the original pilot "The Cage" as The Original Series doubleheader "The Menagerie" to Q's "trial of humanity" in the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 22:45:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-trial-episode-star-trek-best/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shocked fans with a cliffhanger ending to its first season that saw the Enterprise's Number One, Una Chin-Riley, arrested by Starfleet Command. Exposed for lying about her Illyrian heritage and her culture’s genetic augmentations illegal in Federation space, Chin-Riley's fate rests in the hands of her estranged childhood friend Neera Ketoul. Played by guest star Yetide Badaki, Neera has no love for the Federation but must face them head-on if she stands any chance of clearing Chin-Riley's serious legal charges in a harrowing courtroom case.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:04:30 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-yetide-badaki-interview/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to embark on a more comedic journey in its second season.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 19:42:11 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-comedic-season-2/ Bringing the Lower Decks crew to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds required a few tricky genre-blending maneuvers.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:27:30 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-lower-decks-crossover-complicated/ The Gorn served as effective villains in a memorable episode from the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the second season looks to up the ante. The reptilian aliens constitute one of the few long-term Star Trek foes who have yet to see serious development in the franchise, at least canonically. Strange New Worlds has already made them a key part of Security Chief Noonien-Signh's background, which it revealed in Season 1, Episode 9, "All Those Who Wander." Season 2 opens with a cliffhanger threat of full-scale war with the species.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:46:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-the-gorn-crisis/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already made a name for itself by showing iconic Captain James T. Kirk before his days on the Enterprise, but Season 2 will delve deeper into one of his more mysterious relationships.

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 06:57:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-captain-kirk-brother-season-2/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was conceived to address a creative loss at the very beginning of Star Trek. "The Cage" -- the original pilot intended to sell the series to network executives -- was deemed a no-go for reasons that have aged poorly in the extreme. Strange New Worlds picks up the adventures of that crew, who were replaced in the second pilot by the "classic" cast led by William Shatner's Captain Kirk. In the process, it gives them a chance to shine on their own terms, while exploring the creative potential that otherwise would have been lost. Hence, figures like Christopher Pike and Una Chin-Riley take center stage.

]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2023 19:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-yeoman-colt-missing/ One of the most exciting set pieces in the Season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds was Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel fighting a group of Klingons. Star Trek is a show all about peace and diplomacy, but sometimes Starfleet has to let their fists or phasers do the talking. Beyond just a chance to show off Babs Olusanmokun's martial arts expertise, Strange New Worlds explores how war trauma stays with those who fought it.

]]> Sat, 24 Jun 2023 14:45:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-lingering-trauma-mbenga-war/ The first two episodes of Strange New Worlds Season 2 work like a dual premiere. Spock "borrows" the USS Enterprise to rescue La'an and prevent war with the Klingons. Meanwhile, Captain Pike recruits an Illyrian lawyer to defend his First Officer, Una Chin-Riley, from serious criminal charges related to genetic modification (something also outlawed by the Klingons).

]]> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 22:45:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-genetic-modification-klingons/ By far, the most anticipated event in Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the crossover (unaired as of this writing) between it and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Ensigns Mariner and Boimler look to beam in from the Federation's future to give the crew of the Enterprise a hand, delivering live-action incarnations of their formerly animated selves. The leap to live action isn't as big as it seems: like the earlier Star Trek: The Animated Series, Lower Decks characters don't live in an animated universe; their adventures are merely rendered in animated form.

]]> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 18:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-lower-decks-crossover-perfect/ The arrest of First Officer Una Chin-Riley was the cliffhanger ending of the first season of Strange New Worlds. In the second episode of its sophomore season, viewers get to see Number One's court-martial play out in detail, and it looks a lot like the proceedings on The Original Series.

]]> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 14:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-court-martial-comparison-tos/ Season 2 of Strange New Worlds addressed the arrest of USS Enterprise First Officer Una Chin-Riley in its second episode. Upon the appointment of a fellow Illyrian as her attorney, Starfleet charged her with sedition and threatened her with a 20-year sentence in a "penal colony." However, if Star Trek's Federation represents a galactic utopia, why do it and Starfleet still have prisons?

]]> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-star-trek-starfleet-prisons/ After a harrowing adventure with the Klingons, Strange New Worlds turns its attention to another kind of threat to Starfleet. Number One, the beloved First Officer of the Enterprise, is on trial for lying about being an Illyrian. However, in a world with transporters and other sci-fi magic, why is genetic modification considered sedition against Starfleet? As stated in the episode, the one conscious crime Una Chin-Riley committed was lying about her heritage on her Starfleet application. This is because Illyrians use genetic modification culturally and to survive in harsh environments.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-world-genetic-modification-issues/ After a rousing reunion for its Season 2 premiere, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds moves to resolve its shocking cliffhanger from the Season 1 finale in this season’s second episode. Titled "Ad Astra Per Aspera," the sophomore episode gives Rebecca Romijn her grandest showcase as Una Chin-Riley yet as the Enterprise's Number One faces a Starfleet Command tribunal. Though largely staged like a courtroom drama, the episode is no less gripping and effective than any of the more cosmic adventures that the Enterprise normally embarks on as part of their exploration of the final frontier.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:22:44 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-2-review/ Strange New Worlds made its viewers wait until the second episode of Season 2 to resolve the cliffhanger ending from the previous finale. Una Chin-Riley, Number One to Star Trek fans, was arrested for lying about being a genetically modified Illyrian. Yet, Una's court-martial is a classic Star Trek allegory for the recent legislative push to limit civil rights, especially where healthcare and LGBTQIA folks are concerned.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:45:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-una-trial-lgbtq-allegory/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 concluded with Una Chin-Riley being arrested by Starfleet Command. Secretly an Illyrian -- part of an extraterrestrial culture revolving around illegal genetic modifications -- Number One faced severe legal consequences for her deception and her alterations. As Strange New Worlds Season 2 builds momentum, Chin-Riley’s case is brought before a Starfleet tribunal, with the rest of the Enterprise crew caught in the middle.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season2-episode2-recap-spoilers/

]]> Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:46:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/rebecca-romijn-una-chin-riley-mystique-comparisons/ Strange New Worlds is acutely aware of Star Trek's past and seeks to honor it as often as it can. Indeed, the whole premise of the series lies in the notion that the original Star Trek pilot "The Cage" was nixed for ridiculous reasons, and the characters deserve a proper shot. That's helped it rapidly become a fan favorite as it enters its second season.

]]> Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-revisits-search-for-spock-heist/ Fans are overjoyed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for a new season on Paramount+, though it's bittersweet without Hemmer. The Aenar and Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise didn't survive an encounter with the Gorn. However, stepping into his role is Lieutenant Commander Pelia, played by Emmy-award-winning Taxi actor Carol Kane. She brings a classic TV pedigree to a series that owes its existence to Star Trek's first failed pilot.

]]> Sat, 17 Jun 2023 09:45:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strange-new-worlds-carol-kane-taxi-classic-tv-credit/ The Season 2 premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ends on a quiet pair of cliffhangers. Captain Pike has departed to help Una Chin-Riley as his Number One faces charges of lying to Starfleet, and the Federation prepares to move against the Gorn in an act of anticipated war. The episode's final shot gives a clear look at the nearest planet to the strike point: Galdonterre, which has an obscure but potentially revealing past in the Star Trek franchise.

]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-albino-return/ Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is finally here, and the episodic space adventure series picks up right where the story left off. However, for Strange New Worlds fans who aren't familiar with the rest of Star Trek or are just discovering the series, it's worth explaining the significance of the show's high-concept Season 1 finale. The characters go through harrowing experiences and time travel is involved, but it all connects to the larger mythology of the franchise.

]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season1-finale-explained/ After a triumphant debut season last year, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its second season with an action-packed premiere episode. Titled "The Broken Circle," the season premiere encapsulates much of the second season's strengths and relative shortcomings as it brings its main ensemble back together. Fortunately, there are significantly more hits than misses with Strange New Worlds Season 2's big swings, signaling a continuation of what made the inaugural season so endearing to fans and critics alike.

]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:39:49 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-1-review/ Commanding the USS Enterprise is no easy feat, but Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his Number One, Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), are more than up to the task. As Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its second season, Pike and Number One face all new trials and tribulations, from Chin-Riley going before a Starfleet tribunal regarding her illegal genetic modifications to Pike having to host an envoy of Vulcans. Through it all, the two friends and officers embody the ideals of Starfleet, even if Starfleet Command sometimes needs the reminder themselves.

]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:38:40 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-anson-mount-rebecca-romijn-interview/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for Season 2, continuing to follow Captain Christopher Pike and his Enterprise crew as they face the wonders and perils of the cosmic unknown. The first season left the crew at a crossroads, with two of its senior staff moved elsewhere -- either by choice or consequence -- while the threat of the reptilian Gorn reared its ugly head. With even more uncertainty mounting as Season 2 begins, it falls on the Enterprise to help defend Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets from sinister machinations throughout the galaxy.

]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2023 19:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season2-episode1-recap-spoilers/ One of the most complex and complicated relationships in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is between Spock (Ethan Peck) and Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and it's poised to only grow more nuanced in Season 2. The trailer for Strange New Worlds Season 2 has teased a budding romance between the two Enterprise crew mates and friends while facing the dangers of the final frontier together. However, it's not all love and war as the Enterprise explores the open cosmos, with Spock getting to lean into the unintentional comedy he brings to the starship, complete with his own catchphrase.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 21:35:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-ethan-peck-jess-bush-interview/ Going boldly where no show has gone before, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made a splash with fans and critics alike when the series debuted last year, charting the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and his Enterprise. Strange New Worlds Season 2 returns for its second season this June more confident and varied in its storytelling while going deeper with its main characters this time around. While some of the shifts in tone may catch audiences a bit off-guard, the growing likability of the ensemble cast and continued strength of the series overall is sure to have fans coming back for more.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 21:03:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-review/ As Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its second season, the crew of the Enterprise will be tested like never before, including Chief Security Office La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) and Communications Officer Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). Fortunately, the two Starfleet officers aren't alone, with the Enterprise's new Chief Engineer Pelia (Carol Kane) providing some much deserved merriment along the way. However, even with Pelia brightening up the Enterprise and its crew, Uhura is in for a particularly terrifying adventure as the acclaimed series returns to Paramount+ with new episodes this June.

]]> Mon, 12 Jun 2023 19:11:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-christina-chong-celia-rose-gooding-interview/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck recently explained how Season 2 will set up the friendship between James T. Kirk and Spock.

]]> Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:46:57 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spock-kirk/ Star Trek is one of the most popular media franchises ever, to the point where it's more appropriately categorized as a TV institution. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is one of the more recent iterations of the series and won the hearts of fans with its energetic plot full of heart and that signature Star Trek quirkiness.

]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2023 20:30:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-one-episodes-ranked/ One of the most universally enjoyed series in the new era of Star Trek is Strange New Worlds, set to begin its second season. The series follows legacy characters from the franchise's earliest iteration, which is always a risky move. Yet, the biggest risk Strange New Worlds will take is bringing back Paul Wesley's Captain James T. Kirk. The most famous captain of the USS Enterprise, Kirk's green command wrap-around jumper is hard to properly fill out.

]]> Wed, 07 Jun 2023 18:45:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/paul-wesley-jim-kirk-srange-new-worlds-risk/