As we look over the months news and updates for the Star Trek Universe, there’s only one topic that’s on everyone’s minds as the Star Trek Universe gets itself rteady for a return to the Enterprise and it’s adventures to Strange New Worlds…
Between writers strikes and production closures, the wait for Strange New Worlds’ third season has felt as long as the five year mission itself. But the Enterprise is soon returning and we have a small idea of when Captain Pike and the crew will be back on Paramount Plus!
The Tribeca Film Festival, running from June 4-15th, has announced that Strange New Worlds will become part of the line up with the premiere of season 3 being held at the festival in New York. Alongside a panel featuring Anson Mount, Celia Rose Gooding and more including producer Alex Kurtzman, fans in the area (or willing to travel a long, long way!) can get a sneak peek with tickers going on sale to the general public on April 29th.
After building up the threat of the Gorn Hegemony, Season 2 ended with a tense cliffhanger as the Enterprise crew found itself ignoring orders to stage a rescue attempt on the edge of Gorn claimed territory. Stranded on the planet, Captain Batel used the skills of another survivor Montgomery Scott to hide her crew and the colonists from the Gorn, but while some were able to escape, La’an, M’Benga and more were captured by the Gorn.
As the season ended, Pike returned to the Enterprise with orders to disengage, leaving him stuck between following orders and not escalating the conflict or finding a way to sav his crew from the Gorn. A sneak peek from New York Comic Con showed that the story will continue with the conclusion of the two part story.
STRANGE NEW CAST
Alongside the returning cast for season Martin Quinn will be returning for a more regular role as Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott. Introduced as the sole survivor of the USS Stardiver, Scott crash landed alongside the crew of the Cayuga and helped hide the planets population from the Gorn. Shown as a young Lieutenant, Strange New Worlds will have Scotty welcomed to the Enterprise – the ship he’ll eventually lead as Chief Engineer – with the teaser trailer showing a brief scene between Scott and Paul Wesley’s James Kirk.
Wesley will also have a chance to expand on his younger version of the confident Captain in waiting with the trailer showing him mixing more with the regular cast. Despite being introduced in season one, we didn’t see ‘Prime’ Kirk until mid season two giving Season 3 some time to explore more about his time before becoming Captain through guest appearance’s.
Another intriguing addition is Cillian O’Sullivan who will be taking on another legacy character in Roger Kirby. First appearing in original series episode What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Korby was a scientist who’d been stranded for five years by the time the Enterprise was sent to check on him. It all ended badly, as it always does, with Korby going a bit mental and having become the overlord of his own little android empire, starting with replicating himself as an android, which unravels by the time the mission is over.
The episode also showed that Chapel and Korby were once to be married before his disappearance which, in Strange New Worlds timeline, is just two or three years away from happening. So bringing Korby into the mix or Chapel, Spock and T’Pring is another layer of messy for the crew to deal with!
More new guest cast are expected with the episodic format including Rhys Darby, who appeared in the trailer with a Trelane-like appearance, and Patton Oswald adding another credit to his collection of geeky roles!
WHEN IS IT?!
Officially the launch for Paramount Plus is still to be confirmed with a general ‘Summer’ release window. But with how hard it’ll be to hold down all the secrets for the return, we can likely expect the series to make it’s return soon after the June 15th premiere date.
Using some good old Vulcan logic, the best estimate right now would see the season premiere his streaming services by the end of June of not early July.
While we await official confirmation, the good news is that we won’t have as long a wait for season 4 as we have season 3! Behind the scenes Star Trek production was effected by industrial actions within the creative sector of the film industry which mainly saw writers fight for better pay and conditions. With the strikes settled ahead of season 4, production for the fourth instalment is well underway with the cast currently filming in Toronto.
Season 5 is also confirmed for the prequel show with Starfleet Academy due to accompany the live action drama next year.
Strange New Worlds will make it’s highly anticipated return this Summer exclusively on Paramount Plus.