The continuing adventures of Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise…

Still for my money the best of the new wave of Star Trek shows – in part because it mostly manages to balance the nostalgic element of hearkening back to the 1966 original with the needs of 21st century television – Strange New Worlds presents a very mixed bag of episodes tonally for its second season (you can read our weekly reviews here). We’ve got some horror, we’ve got fantasy, we’ve got a musical episode, we’ve got quite a bit of James T. Kirk, and of course we have that crossover with Lower Decks – which worked well, even for someone who isn’t the greatest fan of that particular animated show.

There doesn’t feel like a weak link in the casting of the core cast, and the strong ensemble carries even episodes that feel like they’re drawing a little too heavily from Star Trek’s past – there’s not one episode this season that wasn’t fun to return to (which isn’t something that can be said of many shows).

The new home entertainment release (which this time for the UK includes a 4K version) contains some extended or deleted scenes – interesting but mostly non-essential – and a look at the props, the costumes, the Gorn… and the making of the musical episode, which, as a composer and conductor, I found the most fascinating.

Verdict: Another strong run for the pre-Kirk (honestly, it is pre-Kirk!!) Enterprise and its crew. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 is available now on DVD, Blu-ray™, and 4K UHD™

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk