The fantastic thing about “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” has at all times been that the collection, above all else, acknowledges that “Star Trek” means one thing totally different to every fan. Ballot a dozen Trekkies about their favourite component of the franchise and get a dozen totally different solutions. Some gravitate towards the exhausting science fiction. Some respect the motion, journey, and common sense of derring-do. Some speak concerning the characters, and their dynamics and relationships, as in the event that they’re actual individuals. And sure, it is exhausting to understand “Trek” with out an appreciative nod towards its silliest episodes and most ridiculous components.
“Unusual New Worlds” wears the chaos of “Star Trek” as a badge of honor. That hasn’t modified in Season 4, which sees the collection rebounding from a weak Season 3 finale by doubling down on doing what it is good at: Attempting to be every thing for each taste of fan.
The six episodes of “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” Season 4 supplied to press for evaluation are, in flip, action-packed and considerate, lethal critical and goofy, subversive and honest, boundary-pushing and as comfy as your favourite pair of slippers. Not each episode is a complete success (and people totally different flavors of fan will react in another way to every of them, one imagines), however every wild swing is at all times appreciated. Few exhibits go as exhausting as “Unusual New Worlds” on the “here is one thing you have not seen earlier than” entrance.
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds performs to its strengths in Season 4
Like with previous seasons, the return of “Unusual New Worlds” requires little baggage from the viewer. Some storylines do span the season, and key moments from the previous are introduced up, however every episode tends to be absolutely standalone, introducing an area drawback and fixing it simply in time for the credit to roll. The Enterprise ensemble, led by Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike, has been collectively lengthy sufficient to really feel comfy and acquainted. Not fairly the A-students of “The Subsequent Technology” or the tortured souls of “Deep House 9,” however genial colleagues who thrive on artistic options to bonkers issues.
Any mixture of characters usually ends in a great time, and the season exploits this to fullest by tossing totally different subsections of characters into wild sci-fi eventualities that vary from apocalyptic to, nicely, stoner comedy. And I am going to simply say it: the stoner comedy episode had me, a lifelong “Trek” viewer, howling with laughter whilst I knew it might be controversial amongst different followers. I used to be not ready to witness Ethan Peck’s tackle Spock underneath the affect, and neither are you.
The ensuing whiplash is a part of the package deal with “Unusual New Worlds,” which asks you to know that it is on-brand for this present to grapple with a noir-flavored thriller (shot in black and white, no much less) about resisting fascism and flip the solid into literal puppets for an hour and go full “Occasion Horizon” for the gnarliest episode of “Trek” since Picard and Riker blew up that man’s head with the phaser in TNG’s “Conspiracy.”
The most important energy of Unusual New Worlds is its weak point
The most important challenge with this strategy is that “Unusual New Worlds” additionally reveals how a lot “Star Trek” craves longer seasons. 10 episodes is solely not sufficient to completely indulge on this seize bag of concepts and tones, and it is simple to really feel hungry for extra even after a binge. These quick seasons imply there can solely be so many heady science fiction conundrum episodes, solely so many two-fisted pulp journey episodes, solely so many excessive idea comedy episodes that really feel cooked up by writers with out sufficient sleep and a critical case of the giggles.
By being every thing a “Star Trek” fan might presumably need, “Unusual New Worlds” can be incapable of delivering a full serving of every taste. It leaves you wanting extra, always, a sense that’s each satisfying and annoying unexpectedly. Should you watch “Trek” for particular motive, this season will cowl that base … simply not typically sufficient. There’s simply not sufficient time.Â
Once I reviewed “Unusual New Worlds” Season 3, I based mostly my preliminary rave evaluation off the primary 5 episodes made out there for critics, unaware that the present would hit its first true artistic lull within the again half of the season. So whereas I can not promise that Season 4 will not observe an identical trajectory, the six episodes I’ve seen characterize a present re-finding its footing. And when it does stumble, you may really feel it stumbling by itself phrases. And is it actually “Star Trek” if it isn’t gorgeously inconsistent? We have been combating concerning the high quality of this universe for 60 years. It might be foolish to cease now.
/Movie Ranking: 8.5 out of 10
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” Season 4 premieres July 23, 2026 on Paramount+.
