Star Trek Strange New Worlds season two premiered this week on Paramount+ and was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning several Emmy nominations and Golden Globe wins for its plot and visual style. Produced by CBS Studios in partnership with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment; co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners.
Cast
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returned for its second season Thursday on Paramount+ and garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning multiple Emmy nominations in its debut. Anson Mount reprised his role from rebooted franchise as Pike; receiving much acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations for his performance. Mount has also appeared in Hell on Wheels, Britney Spears movie Crossroads and TV show Conviction – with widespread critical acclaim received for each role played.
Ethan Peck will play Spock and Rebecca Romijn will reprise her role of Number One. Additionally, returning actors include Jess Bush as Christine Chapel and Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh. In Season One of Strange New Worlds we met the Gorn, an ancient reptilian threat dating back to The Original Series which can be described as terrifying reptilians similar to Alien xenomorphs; likely being featured heavily as they attack in numbers. We can expect them to play a crucial part in Season Two given their reputation of mass attacks!
Other than returning members, several new characters will join the Enterprise for Season Two. Melissa Navia returns as Helm Officer Erica Ortegas after serving as an important supporting character during Season 1. Additionally, Babs Olusanmokun joins as Dr. M’Benga – another key role played by Melissa Navia from Season 1.
Plot
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return for its second season this Thursday on Paramount+, continuing the classic Trek formula of standalone space adventures with plenty of character moments and comedy. Anson Mount will reprise his role as Captain Pike while Ethan Peck returns as Spock and Rebecca Romijn returns as Una Chin-Riley from season one; Joycelyn Chung reprises her role as Captain Batel who imprisons Una under Federation regulations regarding genetic enhancement.
The series also revisited one of Star Trek’s classic villains: the Gorn. Like Alien’s xenomorphs, these alien creatures lay eggs inside prey before suddenly bursting out to kill them violently; one episode, “All Those Who Wander”, fully exploits this comparison by featuring graphic deaths and shocking visuals.
Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) joins this season as younger James Kirk, while Emmy-winning actress Carol Kane makes her first appearance as Pelia, Chief Engineer of Enterprise. Additionally, there’s an entertaining crossover episode between Lower Decks and Star Trek; plus an unexpected trip to a distant new planet! Additionally, both Blu-ray and 4K releases will contain over two hours of bonus features, including deleted/alternate scenes as well as featurettes about props, costumes and new locations!
Release date
Strange New Worlds debuted its inaugural season on Paramount+ on June 15,2023 and was renewed immediately following its premiere. The cast has been confirmed for its second season and we can anticipate even better episodes than its first installment – possibly including one that crosses over with Star Trek: Lower Decks!
The new season will feature Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Paul Wesley reprises his role as James T. Kirk for multiple episodes.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return as a 10-episode season, featuring all of its original cast. Already renewed for a third season, we can expect Paul Wesley as Kirk, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh and Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas from Enterprise Helmsman Erica Ortegas all to make an appearance for this sequel season.
Alex Kurtzman serves as executive producer and co-showrunner, along with Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, while producing by CBS Studios/Secret Hideout/Rodenberry Entertainment. Each episode takes place during a different time period; with season one focused on 2404.
Where to watch
Strange New Worlds’ second season features ten episodes that can all be watched on Thursdays through Paramount Plus streaming service, for free for Star Trek fans – Sky subscribers may even add this service as an upgrade option!
Paul Wesley will reprise his role as Kirk and Carol Kane will return as Chief Engineer Pelia from Season One, alongside other beloved characters such as Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike (Ethan Peck), Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun).
Strange New Worlds opened with the return of Gorn, reptilian antagonists from Star Trek’s original series that have long been considered vicious and terrifying adversaries. Similar to Alien xenomorphs, they pose an existential threat; therefore making Season Two even more terrifying with them present as one of its key threats.
Jonathan Frakes will direct a special crossover episode between Star Trek: Discovery and Lower Decks’ animated spinoff Lower Decks for this inaugural live-action and animated crossover episode, and hope it can encourage other Trek producers to try similar experimentation in future seasons. It will air June 15 on Paramount Plus across North America, Latin America and Australia/New Zealand/Oceania/India/Canada.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Premiere Date | June 15, 2023 (Season 2) |
| Platform | Paramount+ (Streaming Service) |
| Showrunners | Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers |
| Main Cast | Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Carol Kane |
| Plot Highlights | Continuation of Captain Pike’s adventures; Introduction of classic villain Gorn; Crossover episode with Lower Decks; Diverse range of new and returning characters |
| Episodes | 10 Episodes (Season 2) |
| Production Partners | CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, Roddenberry Entertainment |
Conclusion: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns with its highly anticipated second season, delivering thrilling space adventures, beloved character reprisals, and the introduction of iconic villains. With an engaging storyline and a diverse cast, the series continues to captivate audiences, making it a must-watch for Star Trek enthusiasts and sci-fi fans alike.
