Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are determined to end well. Strange New Worlds Season 4 is unlike any previous season I’ve seen; we’ve had Star Trek meets The X-Files, a party planet, and La’an Noonien Singh punching a dinosaur in the face. As enjoyable as the ride may be, though, there’s something bittersweet about it; Star Trek has now broken an 11-year streak where no new show has been greenlit or is in production. Fans are eager to learn what’s next, with many hoping for a Strange New Worlds spinoff starring Paul Wesley’s Kirk.
Speaking to Comicbook, showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers confirmed they’re just as eager for a so-called “Star Trek: Year One” project. “I think that as far as I’m concerned, Henry [Myers] is concerned, the actors… we’re ready,” Goldsman said. “Just give us the call. But I don’t think it’s imminent. I think right now we’re focused on closing this chapter well.”
At one point, Goldsman and Myers believed Strange New Worlds Season 4 would be the end of the road for this show. “When you see episode ten, you’ll sort of understand that,” Goldsman noted. “In fact, even as we were developing that episode, we were like, oh, this could be it. And then it really came down that it was going to be. And we sort of said, wait, please. And they gave us the six episode finale. And that has been a real gift, because we’ve really gotten to end the show thoroughly and thoughtfully.”
This season has embraced a wide range of different mediums, with every episode standing alone in a remarkable, anthology-style structure, but Season 5 will be a little more cohesive. “The show will be it’s more singular in terms of tone,” Myers said. “And in the last season it’s more sort of sci-fi action adventure with a little variety. But, you know, we’re really thoroughly getting a chance to say goodbye. So yes, it did have to end, but no complaints about how we got to end it.”
For now, though, the true challenge lies in adapting each genre to work effectively as a Star Trek episode. The creative team have decided to “swing big,” treating every story as though it could be their last one. In Goldman’s words, you get “scenes that make you cry, scenes that make you laugh, and scenes where you get to blow stuff up and have cool space battles… And it’s rare to have a show that allows you to do all of those things.” The comment certainly explains the staggering range of tone and style we’ve seen in Season 4, and likely means Season 5 will still have lots of surprises.
Looking forward, the future remains uncertain for Star Trek. Most franchises do appear to be moving back towards the big screen; Marvel shows like Wonder Man have been canceled, while only one live-action Star Wars series is in the works right now. Other major franchises are struggling, with Doctor Who‘s Disney+ era coming to an ignominious end, and that particular show now out for tender. Star Trek is far more unique in the challenges it faces, but it does have one major advantage: a successful launchpad. Strange New Worlds started out as a spinoff from Discovery, and it quickly transitioned into the flagship, meaning it could set up so much more.
Year One feels like an idea far too good to waste. Strange New Worlds started out with mostly “new” characters, but the Enterprise crew is gradually becoming much more recognizable. The cast is absolutely stellar, the chemistry between the stars is phenomenal, and there’s so much we’d love to see explored before we get to the Enterprise’s celebrated five-year mission. There’s a sense in which Season 4 feels almost like a proof of concept, with its increasing focus on some of those classic characters and the building friendship between Spock and Kirk. Frankly, we can only hope Paramount makes the most of Goldsman’s invitation, choosing to take the creative team up on the idea of Star Trek: Year One.
