Better master some Vulcan emotion-suppressing techniques right quick: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is ending with its fifth and final season, Paramount+ has announced. The final run won’t be for some time yet because Season 3 hasn’t even aired yet — the highly anticipated third season won’t premiere until July 17 on the streamer, though it will screen at the Tribeca Festival this Saturday.
Season 5, the final installment of six episodes for “Strange New Worlds,” will shoot in Toronto later this year. Yes, just six episodes.
To say “Strange New Worlds” has been a hit with fans and critics is an understatement. It is by far the most acclaimed of all the “Trek” series since the franchise relaunched on television with the CBS All Access series “Star Trek: Discovery” in 2017, spawning a constellation of other series such as “Star Trek: Picard” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” “Strange New Worlds” follows the adventures of the USS Enterprise in the years when it was under the command of Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his first officer Number One (Rebecca Romijn).
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The idea for the series is that it would march closer and closer to the events of “The Original Series,” and indeed James T. Kirk has already been introduced, as played by Paul Wesley. Other characters from “The Original Series” have been added along the way such as Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and, more recently, Scotty (Martin Quinn).
Fans will undoubtedly be sad to hear this news, but it’s likely prompted by three things: The uncertain economics of streaming right now; the uncertain future of Paramount as Shari Redstone looks to navigate a merger of the company with Skydance; and the desire of showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers (who created the show along with Jenny Lumet) to give a proper ending to the series amid all that uncertainty.
The show has been crafted with the highest possible production values, with an upcoming episode featuring the style of the ’60s series and a whodunnit episode, as well as the musical episode from Season 2. The show has combined a sense of wonder in the true exploratory tradition of “Trek” with the variety of tones that defined both the “Original Series” and the ’90s “Trek” series.
In a statement from Goldsman and Myers, along with Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the entire “Trek” franchise at Paramount+, they said, “From the very beginning, ‘Strange New Worlds’ set out to honor what ‘Star Trek’ has always stood for — boundless curiosity, hope and the belief that a better future is possible. We’re deeply grateful to Paramount+ for the chance to complete our five-season mission, just as we envisioned it, alongside our extraordinary cast and crew. And to the passionate fans who’ve boldly joined us on this journey — THANK YOU. With three more spectacular seasons ahead for you to see and enjoy, this adventure is far from over.”
