I think I can put together a top ten:
10. "
Those Old Scientists" -- A lot of SNW's detractors accuse it of being gimmicky and... yeah, they've often got a point. But sometimes the gimmicky bits really
work. This crossover with TLD is an example of the show producing some great fun by leaning into the wacky and goofy side of things.
9.
"Through the Lens of Time" -- This episode would rank higher for me if the adversary it set up had paid off better later on. That said, the sheer creepiness of the Vezda (and the awful tragedy it imposes on the bright-eyed young officer it possesses) still puts this among the show's more memorable outings.
8.
"Among the Lotus Eaters" -- Provides a rewarding tie-in to some classic Pike lore while telling a genuinely new and involving story. For my money, it's one of SNW's most graceful and interesting callbacks to the old days of Trek.
7.
"The Griffin Incident"
6.
"Children of the Comet" -- A fun outing with Uhura and a pretty classic take on the kind of cosmic puzzles, problem-solving and diplomacy in the face of powerful alien adversaries that Star Trek can still deliver in a style you just don't see anywhere else.
5.
"Subspace Rhapsody" -- Yes, it's a "gimmick" episode, and no, I don't care. SNW produced an episode specifically pitched to both my Trek geekery and my theatre-kid geekery, and I loved every second of it.
4.
"Spock Amok" -- The first example of SNW's specific brand of Vulcan hijinks remains its best. It's rollicking fun without becoming nonsensical, Gia Sandhu and Ethan Peck are wonderful, and even the episode's "Enterprise bingo" B-plot is endearing (I think precisely because it's low-stakes without being dull).
3.
"Memento Mori" -- I will be the first to admit that I'm not hugely into NuTrek's "budget-Xenomorph" take on the Gorn, which is still dominant here. That said, this episode makes truly badass use of them and delivers some of the most thrilling and suspenseful space battle action that most any Trek show can lay claim to.
2.
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" -- I have a soft spot, I have to admit, for the romantic angles in SNW, and I think the brush with romance between La'An and Kirk here is the best example of it. It was here that I began to see the potential in Paul Wesley's take on Kirk, and Christina Chong's work is top-notch.
1.
"Strange New Worlds" -- Just a really solid Star Trek episode delivered in classic fashion, and a great way to launch a Pike's Enterprise spinoff series.
