'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 4 Review

Joe Kucharski
3 days ago
3 min read

Season Four. [Premiere]

Aired On: Paramount+.

Release Date: 07/23/26.

Genre: Action. Adventure. SciFi.

The Verdict: A Must-See

Over the past three seasons, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has often felt more ordinary than strange; more familiar than new. The series has never lacked for charismatic performances or first-rate production values, but too often those strengths have merely warped to well-traveled territory. And yes, its blatant relationship with established Trek canon, now roughly the size of the Bajoran Wormhole, still has longtime fans raising an eyebrow.

But here comes Season Four.

And suddenly, the writers have remembered that for Star Trek, a good adventure is more than enough.

You don't need a musical episode. You don't need animated crossovers. You don't need guest-star gimmicks. All Trek truly needs is a smart premise, a capable crew, and an impossible situation.

The season opener, "Valles Marineris," delivers exactly that.

Penned by executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, from a story by Alan B. McElroy, and directed by Chris Fisher, the episode begins with what appears to be a routine scientific assignment. Naturally, this being Star Trek, "routine" lasts about five minutes. Before anyone can utter "Kobayashi Maru," the Enterprise finds itself ensnared by a war-weary alien civilization that claims the Federation starship as salvage.

While Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) attempt to negotiate with the formidable alien commander (Saffron Burrows), Number One (Rebecca Romijn) leads an away mission to a prehistoric M-Class world in search of iridium to fuel an escape.

There's action. There's mystery. There's a delightfully playful time-bending concept that manages to be both wonderfully silly and surprisingly original. The script even sneaks in a pop-culture nod that genre fans should catch with a grin rather than an eye-roll. This is classic Trek structure polished with modern pacing and a cinematic scale.

Visually, the f/x are feature-film quality, and Nami Melumad, taking over full scoring duties from Jeff Russo, delivers an amazingly symphonic sound that elevates the action.

The ensemble also benefits from a stronger balance as every principal cast member has something meaningful to contribute. Even supporting players, like Carol Kane's eccentric Pelia and Dan Jeannotte's underrated Sam Kirk, receive welcome moments in the spotlight.

That said, not every long-standing issue has been beamed into space.

Pike's casual leadership style, addressing his officers by their first name, still feels at odds with the professional naval traditions that have defined Starfleet since Gene Roddenberry first launched the Enterprise. Likewise, Ethan Peck continues to deliver a thoughtful and engaging performance as Spock, yet his interpretation still feels more Gen Z emotional than the enigmatic Vulcan Leonard Nimoy immortalized. Peck has made the role his own, but the series' continued emphasis on Spock's romantic entanglements pulls the character further away from being… fascinating. There are already too many relationships aboard the Enterprise. Spock doesn't need to anchor all of them.

Yet if this premiere is any indication, Strange New Worlds may finally be embracing its greatest strength: telling compelling stories that are adventurous, visually spectacular, and, most importantly, fun. "Valles Marineris" is the kind of episode that reminds you why Star Trek has endured for nearly sixty years.

For a series preparing for its final voyage, that's exactly the heading it should be taking.

Here's hoping the remaining missions boldly go where no one has gone before.

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