Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may be the most universally enjoyed Trek show or movie to come along in a while. Deftly combining modern-era aesthetics with nostalgic feels, the show won over legions of new and old fans alike. However, the series left us on a cliffhanger, and many fans are asking, “what’s next?”
Season 2 of Strange New Worlds is already in the can. There are questions surrounding Spock and Sybok. What’s next for the Federation and the Gorn? How long will Number One be in that penal colony? Will we see the return of La’an?
Speaking with TrekMovie, co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers says that the show will retain what worked from the first season while trying a few new things. “We were trying to take what worked and really amplify that,” he said. “And then try to correct where we weren’t happy with it. But the biggest thing we tried to do was not hold back stuff. We were really like, “Okay, let’s pretend this is our last season. And let’s absolutely go for everything that we wanted to do.”
While the first season of Strange New Worlds was near-universally acclaimed, it wasn’t perfect. One of the most significant issues was the length of the season, with many left disappointed not to have an old-school 26-episode season as in the days of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
However, Myers says that while he wishes there were more episodes, the format still allows for “bottle episodes” such as the fantastic “The Elysian Kingdom“:
"That was an episode that was both silly and gut-wrenching. I think all episodes – whether you are doing 25 or just 10 – really do have to deliver on that. I think it’s really important that we’re not wasting the time with the audience. We want to make sure that it feels like you’re actually having an emotional experience; that the characters actually go through a journey that means something. That doesn’t really change. I do wish we had more episodes, so we got to explore more things about more of our characters because I love all of them."
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 will still be about the characters
While the format for Strange New Worlds may still allow for a diverse range of storytelling, one of the downsides of shorter seasons is that not all the characters are fully serviced, with some taking a backseat. Myers said that this is something the crew were aware of during the production for season 2. “Ortegas does get one in . And frankly, I wish I could have more episodes for everyone. Because we have this incredible cast. And I would love to write stories for all of them. I know that everyone in the writers’ room feels that way.”
In terms of the overall theme and feel of season 2, Myers says that the show will “carry through on the promises” made during season 1 but wouldn’t reveal anything about the plot, teasing that he will “not say any more” about whether the Gorn will return.
Season 1 of the show reintroduced the villainous Gorn into Star Trek. After debuting during The Original Series, the race has often been spoken of as a galactic power to stand alongside the Klingons and Romulans. Yet the Gorn was only ever featured once more, likely due to the problematic nature of bringing the creatures to life without having them look like guys in rubber suits! Strange New Worlds resolved that issue and the Gorn became one of the most frightening races to ever feature on the show, with some comparing their horrific impact to the likes of the Borg or, outside the franchise, the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise.
While he wouldn’t discuss specifics, Myers did say that the show would continue to focus on the characters, but in a “bigger, more intense, crazier way.”
"The characters are at the heart of every story. We’re not telling stories without telling stories about character. And that’s really what season 2 is about. But that also means bigger science fiction ideas, bigger stranger worlds, crazier things. We try a couple of things that have never been done on Trek before—personally I believe successfully. But I can’t really wait for people to see and to judge for themselves."
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return for its second season in 2023. Season 1 is available now on Paramount+.
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