CFR: Introduction

At first I was going to post this wonderful review next week – after the 2025 inauguration. Then I realized this show, this series is exactly why it needs to be posted today. I’ll share more in my section below. Enjoy and thank you Cranky!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

There have been a lot of Star Treks, just as there have been a lot of Star Wars and Marvel and DC, and – you get the idea. Hollywood is all about cranking out tons of similar product once people express some interest in a show. Back in the 1960s with the original Trek, network wonks cancelled the show for low ratings despite it being very profitable. Of course they’ve never learned a lesson from that, but something happened beyond the demise of a popular (with the “correct” demographic) goofy science fiction tv show. It kinda accidentally turned into a franchise.

We could call Star Trek The Original Series (ST TOS) the OG franchise that created a path for the others to follow, after an animated series led to movies and then a rebooted Star Trek, this time called The Next Generation (with a Klingon on the bridge!!!). For most of the last sixty years there has been a Star Trek of one kind or another on the air or in the movie theaters. For the most part the various takes on the core concept – humankind can be better and in the future might be part of a vast network of peoples throughout the galaxy working together to accomplish it – has grown from its backward mid century beginnings to something increasingly able to portray acceptance and fairness on television. Back in the day, having a white man touch lips for not close to a second with a black woman had to be done on the sly by the creators to sneak it past the network suits, and caused a furor. It takes a lot more than that to make people clutch their pearls today, in part because of the OG Trek. In many ways, this is a show that literally changed the world.

For all the large number of Treks available over the years, no one show has been as strong portraying the original core concepts, until now. I recently tried watching Strange New Worlds (SNW) from the beginning, having seen a wonderful season two crossover episode (with the animated series Lower Decks) and was immediately blown away with how very much this new Trek gives a strong original series vibe.

Of course the sets and special effects look nothing like the original series, done on the cheap even for the 1960s, which is a bit awkward because Strange New Worlds is set in the years before original Trek. That doesn’t bother me even a little bit. I love how the new series retains a bit of the old awkwardness with deep space technologies and looks absolutely gorgeous everywhere. As well, SNW embraces all the best parts of the OG like inclusiveness and diversity, without the nagging suits telling them to cool it. Best of all, and what made me love this show possibly best of all the Treks, is that they have embraced the original sense of wonder. This Enterprise really is hot to explore strange new worlds, and to learn lessons from those explorations. They seek out new life and new civilizations with gusto and the understanding that they will sometimes be in danger and must be constantly aware of the danger they pose to the new civilizations. There are story arcs about morality just as much as for individual characters, and we have sorely missed having that kind of deep thinking on tv. I know I have.

A lot of the original tropes have been covered in the new series, like being torn over following the Prime Directive and phaser and photon torpedo battles. They’ve even reintroduced a nemesis that was a one off on the original series, the Gorn, and turned them into something ferocious. They’re like Firefly’s reavers, on crack. The humor episode was a little weak for me, but the episode that made me absolute fall in love with the series was the one with a legal battle. This is quintessential Trek, with a heavier message that showcases a modern danger for peoples in danger from the larger society, like queer people and ethnic minorities.

This new Trek has taken a wonderful original concept and made it even better than the original series, because they can. The Star Treks have long been a favorite of mine even when they somehow leave me cold, like Deep Space Nine. Even if you’re only a peripheral fan, be sure to check out this new version, whether for nostalgia’s sake, or because you need a shot of hope and progressive thinking. Just be warned, season three doesn’t start for a few months. I’m waiting impatiently.

Triggers: this version isn’t afraid of gore.

Available on: Paramount+, YouTube (with subscription), The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home

LINKS:

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Official Site
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – IMDB
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Wikipedia

CFR: In Addition

Last night I finished my Movies/TV for Inauguration Day 2025 and felt finished. Complete. I didn’t think another post on this day – unless it was about MLK – start writing CFR! Then I came to my senses. Good grief, CFR, I told myself, Trek is the ULTIMATE hopeful we will make it / we made it / the future is bright show. So thank you, Cranky, for reminding me about the glory that is Trek. Oh and dear, view, check out the warp phrase question below and let us know.

Warp Phrase – The Question

What would yours be? I’m “Anchors Aweigh“. Then again “Just Go” also works. Now if I remember how much I love Oscar the Grouch I could say “Scram.”. Then again…..