Strange New Worlds review **POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

I was curious to see if any reviews of the series had started to pop up, and as luck would have it, some have.

This one in particular really good my attention. While you can never be too sure about early reviews, I know this much; I didn't read this about Discovery or Picard.

This is all fantastic to hear. This is pretty much everything I hoped the show would be.

An NPR review says my favorite thing so far.

Never would I ever have predicted that one day I'd be longing to see episodes about transporter accidents.

 

Super jelly the press get to see eps 1-5

 

What if you like the "high profile, big budget whiffs"?

 

A few more, with quotes:

IGN

Spoiler: General verdict

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ premiere takes a classic approach to the franchise, not just in terms of its setting or characters, but also in its storytelling. Standalone tales are the mission statement, presumably on strange new worlds where, you know, new life and new civilizations can be found. But the characters’ ongoing arcs will be the thread that holds the season together, with the already established (and terrific) Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn leading a group of promising new faces. Funny, inspiring, and kind of amazing, Strange New Worlds is, so far, the best new Trek in years."

Gizmodo

Spoiler: General verdict

"Sometimes you go meet gods, or go to Ye Olde Timey Planet. That’s Star Trek, it always has been, and Strange New Worlds lovingly carries on that spirit—in many ways, its most comparable counterpart among the current crop of Trek shows is Lower Decks. The animated series is a little more fun about it, but both shows are loving, if gently-mocking, celebrations of how weird and silly Star Trek has been and should be, through the vision of Starfleet officers who absolutely love the hell out of how bizarre their lives can be. Everyone is clearly having a good time, and it’s enough to make you feel like you’re along for that good time too."

Trekmovie

Spoiler: General verdict

"Like any television series, and certainly a Trek TV show, results from episode to episode very. Strange New Worlds is not perfect by the first half of its first season. Most of the laughs lines and bits land, but some fall a bit flat. Canon is respected, but sometimes it is strained. The commentary is thought-provoking but in at least one case approaches the preachy. But what matters is that Strange New Worlds is always entertaining, exciting, heartwarming, inspiring, and most of all, very worthy of the name Star Trek."

Indiewire

Spoiler: General verdict

“Star Trek” has become more directly political of late: Stacey Abrams appeared on “Discovery,” and a time-travel plot to the year 2024, complete with ICE as villains, has been central to “Picard” Season 2. But somehow the way “Strange New Worlds” addresses our present moment feels the most effective narrative choice to date. It’s not new that “Star Trek” has portrayed the 21st century as being horrible, a rock-bottom period for humanity from which finally a better world can spring, after any of our lifetimes: Gene Roddenberry was implying as much even on the ’60s show. Somehow it has always been in the DNA of this franchise that things would get worse before they get better. There’s something particularly imaginative about looking at our own time through the lens of people from a much better future. And watching “Strange New Worlds,” a lot of people will wish that future was already here."

 

Heres another review from engadget:
[SIZE=6]Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' has promise, and the usual frustrations[/SIZE]
There's a fun show in there, buried under clanky dialogue and odd plotting.

D. Cooper05.01.22

He says it's has promise. That's a plus.

 

I've been googling reviews too and based on what I've seen and read, I remain cautiously optimistic.

The CNET review, while positive, was a red flag pointing to potential disappointment;

"Following the bold but somewhat divisive departure from the Trek formula in Discovery and Picard, it's tempting to see Strange New Worlds as an olive branch to disgruntled fans.....Cleverly, though, some of these references offer a bait-and-switch to keep you on your toes.

https://www.cnet.com/culture/entert...review-playful-throwback-sets-phasers-to-fun/

Regardless, the positives currently out weight the potential negatives.

 

Early Review: The Future Looks Bright With ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’

IOW, Star Trek.

 

Also:

 

I enjoy all new Trek to varying degrees but I’m not gonna lie: I am VERY ready for a show that embraces, not deconstructs, the classic TOS/TNG formula, and from the looks of it, with a budget. Bring it on.

 

But it's not, of course. It's a setting. Like the lagoon on Gilligan and the Brady house.

 

Hm, I was given an embargo until midnight tonight. It's fun, and episode 5 will be a fan favourite or I'll be very surprised.

 

The fact the first review cites several criticisms / complaints held against NuTrek before expressing

and more, is very, very encouraging.

 

Well, you're covered with two of those already!

I do love all our streaming shows in their own ways, but I gotta say, "Characters are also allowed to have incidental conversations not pertinent to the plot" is just about the most exciting thing I could hear. That's been one great loss of the ludicrously high stakes of Disco and Picard, it really sacrifices character building.

This bit is also particularly thrilling:

"follow-ups vary including one episode that plays as an intense submarine-style cat and mouse thriller, and the next turns to an almost slapstick character comedy..."

One of the great things about this universe is that it can be anything. DS9 did it best, with their steady rotation of sub-genre every week. (Sci-fi war drama! Sci-fi rom com! Sci-fi horror movie! Sci-fi comedy! Sci-fi sports movie! etc). Disco and Picard have left so much unused potential on the table by deciding to be just one thing all the time. Thank god they are finally deciding to tap back into the expansiveness of the universe in this way.

 

Hear, hear.

 

I am highly skeptical.

 

Looking goooooooood.

 

What strikes me is how Strange New Worlds seems to very much be a return to the Trek of the last century (weird to say that) and these reviews treat it like it's unusual. Going from a submarine cat and mouse plotline to something more light-hearted the following week is exactly how past Trek shows have done it when they weren't telling a season-long story arc. Maybe I'm just thinking in an old-fashioned way, but, I see nothing wrong with this. Star Trek doesn't have to conform to the story structure of modern television.

Short of approaching it Trek in a comical way, I had been saying since this was announced that Lower Decks, to me, seems to be a good indication of what Strange New Worlds may be like. I feel vindicated that I might be right.

 

True. It doesn't have to conform at all.

 

That just gives me flashbacks to the kind of tripe Enterprise was putting out, where Archer trying to get a cake for Malcolm was the A-plot and awesome sinister CG aliens were pushed to the B-plot.

It can be done right, but will it?

 

It won't.

People will watch anyway.