We are truly traveling into a new era where no one has gone before. In the olden days, shows and movies came and went. Many times a character would pop out and steal scenes, becoming a fan favorite. Rarely, would they ever get their own spin off however. In today’s world of a million streaming services that is no longer the case. Strange New Worlds was announced, and will let Captain Pike command the Enterprise once more on CBS all-access.
Strange New Worlds: An Old Chair Returns
With the airing of Picard, we saw Riker with a well established and respected career behind him. Sadly, we will never get Riker’s story and enjoy his journey at the helm, but timing has worked more favorably for another Captain.
When Star Trek: Discovery came to streaming, one thing fans were quickly enamored with was the performance of Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike. Pike would helm the bridge of the Enterprise until James T Kirk assumed command. One notable member of Pike’s crew was Mr. Spock, later Kirk’s right-hand officer.
The new show will be called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The new streaming show will have Captain Pike at the helm of the Enterprise once more along with Spock and his favorite first officer, Number One (played by Rebecca Romijn). The time line will supposedly be ten years before the time of Kirk.
Strange New Worlds: Pike’s Fan Club
Discovery boasted many strong performances over its first two seasons, but fans were most vocally supportive anytime Pike took command. Pike first surfaced in the original Star Trek pilot. His name has come and gone over the decades, but Mount gave such a performance that he was squeezed into more episodes than originally intended.
Fans have begged for more Pike ever since. He commands the bridge with his own style. He carries an air of authority and command I think would be most comparable to Riker in the end (minus the womanizing of course). Either way this new show should garner quite a following in a hurry.
Strange New Worlds: Too Much Old School?
Perhaps one of Star Trek’s biggest handicaps is that it keeps coming back to an era around the command of James Kirk. In doing so it limits the show to technology and style that dates all the way back to the original 60’s TV show. This leads to visually lifeless sets and and stories that fail to capture the imagination. The series is set 250 years in the future, but the sets look like they are from the 60’s with small tweaks. There is also the old trope of 60’s style fights and lack luster space battles.
Thankfully this all went out the window with Picard. The latest series took all of the old tropes and quickly threw them out the docking bay doors. Fights, technology, space battles were all amped up to what fans expect from today’s cinema. While going back to the age of Kirk will limit things a bit more, I trust the creative forces to freshen up things and walk the line between canonical looks and new ideas, stories and feelings.
Strange New Worlds: A Full Slate Ahead
Discovery will soon kick off its third season (June/July unofficially). Picard just concluded its first season to rave reviews and when this virus crap clears off will begin production of season 2. Michelle Yeoh will lead another series based off the Section 31 tidbits strewn throughout the previous shows. Add Strange New Worlds and a rumored cartoon and Star Trek could not be any more alive and well…..well….except for the movie world, but that’s for another time.
(Then again Star Trek‘s true home has always been the small screen)
