The Best New Star Trek Wants To Stop Being A Prequel
One common criticism of modern Star Trek is that so much of the franchise is now prequels, including the reboot films, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds, the latter of which were designed specifically as prequels to The Original Series. Now, though, Strange New Worlds (considered by many as the best NuTrek series) might stop becoming a prequel…sort of.
In a recent interview, showrunner Akiva Goldsman confirmed that if Paramount allows the show to continue, it will run into The Original Series era. He and the creative team “know how” they will pull that off.
Strange New Worlds May Grow Out Of Being A Prequel
Whether or not this means that Strange New Worlds will stop being a prequel depends, of course, on how you define “prequel.” For some fans, anything that takes place before Picard is technically a prequel, which is a wide umbrella that also encompasses shows like Lower Decks. In this case, though, SNW has always been a prequel to a very specific show: The Original Series, and understanding more of this tangled franchise timeline may help you understand the significance of this news.
The Wonky Star Trek Timeline
The first season of Star Trek: Discovery takes place about a decade before the time of Captain Kirk’s iconic onscreen adventures. The second season introduced modern versions of familiar franchise characters like Captain Pike, Spock, and Number One. Positive audience reaction to these characters caused Paramount to greenlight a Strange New Worlds spinoff show, and its first season takes place about seven years before The Original Series.
Getting Closer To The Original Series
We’ve only had two seasons of Strange New Worlds so far, with Season 3 premiering sometime in 2025. Paramount remains very confident in their new flagship streaming show, though, and SNW has already been renewed for a fourth season. When that season launches, the show will now be taking place only four years before TOS, so Akiva Goldsman is completely correct: should Paramount continue to greenlight new seasons, Strange New Worlds will end up giving us new stories set during Kirk’s original five-year mission.
A Different Kirk And Spock
Goldsman didn’t elaborate on what his plan was for that eventuality, but it’s worth noting that if this happens, those later seasons of Strange New Worlds may bear little resemblance to the current ones.
For example, Kirk (already introduced in the show) will become Captain, and Sulu will eventually replace Ortegas at the helm. Speaking of replacements, Spock will replace Number One as the ship’s first officer, and while Dr. M’Benga will still be around, he and Nurse Chapel will now be working for Dr. McCoy.
Still Awhile To Go
Only time will tell if Strange New Worlds fans would enjoy a show that either displaces or replaces so many of their favorite characters. Of course, only time will tell if this is even a major concern: for SNW to begin encroaching on the TOS timeline, this new spinoff would need to get to an eighth season. Notably, TNG, DS9, and VOY only had seven seasons, and in the NuTrek era, no show has lasted longer than five seasons.
One Of The Best Star Trek Shows Ever
If any show is destined to make Star Trek history by getting eight or more seasons, it is likely to be Strange New Worlds. The show has effortlessly managed to achieve the best of both worlds, giving us great standalone episodes that nonetheless fuel great characterization across entire seasons. The cast is charming, the writing is great, and the effects are beautiful, and we’re in this ride for as long as the warp core lasts.
Second spinoff to the right. And straight on ‘til morning.
Source: TrekMovie
