Boldly going where countless other have gone before, season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hits digital download, DVD, Blu-ray steel book and 4k from May 15th.
Having made quite the splash when it hit Paramount+ last year, this new incarnation comes fresh from the creative team behind The Man Who Fell to Earth, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Picard – giving Trekkies another entry in the franchise cannon, which delivers on all fronts.
With cast members carried over from Star Trek: Discovery including Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), and science officer Spock (Ethan Peck) – this latest off shoot hits the ground running. Introducing the former concealed beneath copious amounts of facial hair, putting himself through a self-imposed exile.
Captured on horseback traversing an expansive landscape cloaked in snow, this Captain Pike wants nothing more than to remain grounded. Despite the incessant communicator which demands his attention, he resists every instinct to answer. Letting quiet contemplation take the place of Star Fleet commitments, as the mountainous landscape serves to astonish audiences.
However, that serenity is shattered by the arrival of an imposing shuttle, which kicks up snow through its landing thrusters, before ushering Captain Pike back into action when his number one Una’ Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) goes missing.
Back on-board the Enterprise, having interrupted science officer Spock (Ethan Peck) during an intimate Vulcan ritual, audiences are soon introduced to other core crew members. First up is head of security La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), who sports a particularly infamous surname, while another important piece of the puzzle slots into place when cadet Nyota-Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) makes her debut.
With polished production design, solid performances, and some supremely savvy casting choices, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds proves to be an engaging digression. Stand outs from the assembled players include Anson Mount, who adds additional shades to Christopher Pike which complement those gifted by Bruce Greenwood in the Star Trek reboot of 2009.
Elsewhere, Ethan Peck adds an inherent masculinity to Spock throughout this series, which both Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto were lacking. Whether that comes down to the lower register of this actor’s voice, combined with Spock’s characteristic stoicism is up for debate. However, there is a distinctive chemistry which is exists between Anson Mount and Ethan Peck as a result, which taps into those alpha male overtones, helping to give Star Trek: Strange New Worlds its own unique identity.
Those reflections aside, when Una’ Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) does finally make an appearance, she also leaves quite the impression. Alongside the revelations which define Christopher Pike throughout this show, she is pivotal in giving Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a firm foundation. Not only in terms of what her presence means dramatically, but also in delivering crucial narrative twists which enrich the show.
With the imminent release of season 2, due to hit Paramount+ very shortly, this feels like the ideal time to be looking back on that opening run, which saw this show get renewed before its final episode had aired. Something Star Trek fans will be able to contemplate at their leisure, when this glorious slice of sci-fi drama hits digital download, DVD, Blu-ray steel book, and 4k in May.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 available now digitally, on Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-Ray Steelbook and on limited edition 4K Steelbook on May 15th.
