Early information about Strange New Worlds' fourth season indicates that it might be a bit of a refresh for the series, taken a bit more seriously and going back to the idea of setting up a “traditional understanding of Star Trek”. Indeed, this first clip – revealed on October 11 at New York Comic Con 2025 – seems to espouse the primary tenets of Star Trek: exploration, discovery, mystery, and the titular strange new worlds.

I've watched the clip at least four times now, and it does seem to be a bit generic, without revealing really anything about a potential story. I suppose that is the point of an early clip: just something to whet your appetite. Still, I guess I was hoping for more of a teaser, something that would make me say “oh, that's interesting, I can't wait to see more!”

Now, I must take this opportunity to get on my soapbox about the odd production timeline for Strange New Worlds and how it has made for an uncomfortable watching experience. As a quick recap:

Now, I don't know jack about how the TV/streaming industry works; I am certainly no businessman. But it just seems really strange to me that one would decide to cancel a series after five seasons when audiences have only had an opportunity to watch two seasons! What if Season 3 had been a smash hit? I suppose they could have reversed their decision to cancel, but I think by announcing the cancellation before Season 3 was even released, they set a tone for that upcoming season. It definitely colored my enjoyment of Season 3 – I knew going into it that the show had been cancelled. I knew I'd only be getting exactly 26 more episodes of SNW, and that was it. So, instead of going into the new season with excitement about what it would bring and how it would shape the upcoming seasons, my feelings about it were sort of muted under the pall of the show's cancellation.

Season 3 also greatly suffered from the 2023 writers and actors strikes. Season 2 had ended on a cliffhanger, and Season 3 didn't premiere until almost two full years later. By the time the conclusion was released, I had completely forgotten what had happened in the Season 2 finale and, by then, I had lost all interest. As a comparison to the 90s, the gap between The Next Generation's major Season 3 cliffhanger and its Season 4 conclusion was a mere three months. Because of all this, SNW's third season just felt a little hollow to me, but there were definitely several times during the season that I exclaimed, “This is so good! Why would you cancel this?!”

As for the actual content of SNW's third season, I really don't think it was the show's strongest. Batel's storyline was really quite strange and felt a little forced. Other than that, there was a bit too much silliness and not enough seriousness. My favorite offering was “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” – well, all but the silly Pelia/telephone bit. I was also pleasantly surprised by “What is Starfleet?” which I went into thinking it might be a little too preachy. All in all, the season was okay, but I am looking forward to the optimism that seems to be surrounding the upcoming fourth season. Also, it's important to note that these are my feelings coming somewhat fresh off of the season. I won't be writing up my “official” reviews and guides until after the entire series is over and I have the benefit to look back at the work in its entirety. Perhaps my feelings will change by then! ◼