Akiva Goldsman wrote and directed the series opener for Strange New Worlds, which was first broadcast on 5 May, 2022. It had to tie in with the established canon of The Original Series, and what had happened in Star Trek: Discovery during season two. It also riffs on The Day The Earth Stood Still, which was directed by Robert Wise, who later directed Star Trek: The Motion Picture, something Goldsman visually references in his episode.

There’s a lot going on as we are introduced (again) to Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) who is taking some time off from Starfleet following the events on Talos IV (as seen in The Cage) and the glimpse he’s been given of his future. He knows his fate, but what will that mean for his actions and his ongoing journey?

Things are complicated when his First Officer, Una (Rebecca Romijn), has disappeared during a first contact scout. With a temporary new first officer, La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), and his science officer, Spock (Ethan Peck) the U.S.S. Enterprise heads out into the unknown.

Arriving at the remote planet, they discover a world not unlike 21st century Earth, on the cusp of a global conflagration, and in possession, somehow, of a warp bomb.

Pike has to figure out how to deal with the planet, which involves violating the Prime Directive (General Order One) and speaking to the entire planet, much like Klaatu did in the 1951 film. He also has to figure out what his own course is,

For now, he’ll choose Starfleet, but he remains haunted by his visions of the future.

It’s a smart, fun episode, that introduces us to new versions of Legacy characters like Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Chapel (Jess Bush), M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Kyle (Andre Dae Kim). We also get a look at Admiral Robert April (Adrian Holmes) who commanded Enterprise before Pike, as we learned from The Animated Series, Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), the brother of a famous captain-to-be, Spock’s betrothed, T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) – though we all know how that will play out, and we get to meet the very cool helm officer, Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Pike’s love interest, fellow captain, Batel (Melanie Scrofano).

The first episode had to do a lot. It had to establish the characters, hint at their history and relationships, tell an engaging story, and introduce their version of the universe while tying it in with theTrek universe viewers already know, and make us emotionally invested in Pike and his journey.

And I’d say it succeeds on every count, so hit it!

Children of the Comet was written by Henry Alonso Myers and Sarah Tarkoff and debuted on 12 May, 2022.

We get our first reference to Enterprise Bingo, and the story does a nice job of balancing it’s ‘a’ and ‘b’ tales as Uhura is given new layers to her character as we learn some of the cadet’s personal history, and the internal debate she faces about whether Starfleet is for her.

We also get the seeds planted for her friendship with the ship’s engineer, the blind Aenar, Hemmer (Bruce Horak).

Uhura also finds herself playing a large part in the main story as the Enterprise encounters a comet that could impact on a nearby planet and wipe out the developing civilization there. But there’s something strange on the comet, a construct, an artifact, and a forcefield that prevents interference and is keeping the landing party trapped.

While Pike and the Enterprise crew attempt to rescue the trapped team they are confronted by the beings that placed the construct there as an important site. They need to find a way to help, but it will all come down to Uhura as she begins to figure out the construct, and its connection to music.

This connection puts Spock and Uhura together performing music together for the first time.

The mission, as it plays out, lets Uhura discover the key to the comet, as well as her purpose and her future with Starfleet.

Strange New Worlds walks a fun line, balancing the episodic nature of The Original Series, with the desire for continuity and character and narrative growth that fans and television viewers want. It’s fun, smart, and wonderfully enjoyable to take part in.

We get the space adventure and the human adventure that make up the best of Star Trek, and we’re only two episodes in.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season One is available from Paramount Canada on DVD, Blu-Ray, and an absolutely stunning 4K version. Boldly go…