Star Trek images courtesy Paramount
Ron and Mon: “To boldly go where no one has gone before!”
Mon: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks, a bi-weekly pop culture podcast, and weekly newsletter. Today, we’re previewing the first six episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4. I’m one of your hosts, Mon, an entertainment writer with bylines in Bam Smack Pow and Huffpost, to name a few.
Ron: And I’m Ron, your other host, a pop culture critic and managing editor at Women Write About Comics, now on hiatus. This is a non-spoiler episode as Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres on July 23, 2026.
Mon: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Ron: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.
[Music]
Where did we leave Strange New Worlds?
Mon: Last season of Strange New Worlds ended on such a sad note. Captain Batel died. She was destined to sacrifice herself. Captain Pike was understandably heartbroken that his partner died.
Ron: But even sadder, for me anyway, was that Ensign Gamble, played by Chris Myers, who was part of the Enterprise medical team; he ended up being possessed and turned into the evil creature that Captain Batel had to defeat. He was such a sweet boy and Doctor Mbenga was so fond of him. I miss him.
Mon: Yeah, you really took to him. Things got dark with his character arc.
Ron: Yep. On another dark note, we finally got an Ortegas spotlight episode. Ortegas got a fascinating arc last season, pretty heavy stuff. She was haunted by the Gorn, but in her solo episode, she not only overcame her fear, she befriended a fellow stranded Gorn. And then La’an shot Ortegas’ friend. Like, damn, La’an. Why you gotta shoot first, ask questions never?
Mon: I know right! Speaking of La’an – she went through some stuff. She almost turned evil herself when she was transformed into a Vulcan.
Ron: Yes, a whole bunch of the crew got turned into Vulcans. It was hilarious, for us. Spock hated every minute. La’an took things a teeny bit too far, though.
Mon: Yeah, those augment genes of hers did not react well. On the plus side, maybe, I don’t know. She got together with Spock.
Ron: We’ve got to talk about those big romantic changes. Nurse Chapel found a boyfriend on her level, and Spock is now with La’an. What is with this man? Why does he keep ending up with women who are so much more mature than he is? My guy, you are a baby. In Vulcan terms.
Mon: I am really not feeling this relationship. La’an deserves better. I love Spock, but he is immature. But I’m biased because I love La’an. And I really dug her chemistry with alternate universe Jim Kirk.
Ron: Dude, you gotta get over that! But also, at the same time, I haven’t got over it. La’an and Jim had such good chemistry! Sizzling. Of course, we did get more Kirk in the previous season and Scotty Montgomery is now part of the team!
Mon: Yes! He’s earnest and funny. And weirdly in-sync about also a foil to chief engineer Pelia.
Ron: I love Pelia so much. She has the weirdest stories, which she shares at the most inappropriate moments. I love her. I love our Star Trek engineers and Pelia is on my list of favourites now.
Ron: Alongside all that, Uhura seems to be dating Ortegas’ brother, which is cute. No sign of Ortegas and Una getting together even though their chemistry was crazy last season.
Mon: And that’s pretty much it.
What happens in Strange New Worlds Season 4?
Mon: Ok, we can’t reveal anything much about Season 4. But, what we can say is, this season they want you to have fun, weigh the heavier philosophical topics that Star Trek is known for, and get to know the characters even better.
Ron: This season is a rollercoaster ride, in the most incredible way possible. We’ve seen six episodes and I think it’s safe to say, this is the best season yet. Great stories, tons of fun, laugh out loud moments. Really deep stuff. I got emotional. But the characters! I fall in love with them anew every episode.
Mon: I almost feel like the producers were like panicking that some of the characters had been left behind, so they’re racing to give everyone some characterizations.
Ron: But it doesn’t feel like a race, though. There are very strong moments and nothing feels forced. It feels like the writers room is building on three earlier seasons of growth. And we’re getting the payoff.
Mon: Very true. Now, Strange New Worlds likes to take big swings with its storytelling. It plays with genre and format. We’ve had a crossover episode with Lower Decks, we’ve had everyone’s favourite musical episode. Last season we got that amazing holodeck episode with the retro outfits.
Ron: And that continues in Strange New Worlds Season 4. Just the first two episodes are a wild ride. My people, you are not ready.
Mon: And then the next few keep playing with genre and characterizations. We get spotlights on characters, which we love, and there’s a more episodic, villain of the week vibe for the first half of this season.
Ron: Previous seasons have had an overarching villain even if they didn’t appear every episode. The Gorn, in particular, have been a threat to the Enterprise crew. But in Strange New Worlds Season 4, it isn’t quite clear who the biggest adversary is. And I don’t mind that!
Mon: What’s really impressed me in the first six episodes of this season is the creative team’s ability to develop characterization while playing with plot and genre. We can’t give away much without spoilers, but every week isn’t just a wild ride; it’s a new experience.
Ron: But not so new that the season doesn’t feel cohesive. These are still our beloved characters and they’re growing and learning every episode. The genre changes and the various adventures are a vehicle to convey character growth.
Mon: Yes, none of these ‘hi-jinks’ come at the cost of making real, human characters.
Ron: And that’s important since the reason Star Trek has endured so long isn’t just because of excellent stories. It’s the relatable and compelling characters.
Mon: We understand their actions, reactions, and feelings. Because these are characters at the top of their game, but they’re also people who have a past, who have insecurities, and who’re trying to find their way. They make sense, and that’s why we keep coming back for more.
What can we expect from Strange New Worlds Season 4?
Mon: Watching Strange New Worlds Season 4, I realise that Season 3 was lacking in a few ways. The propulsion, pacing and motivations that we explore in this season seemed to be a tad hamstrung by the overarching plotline in Season 3. As much as I enjoyed it, in hindsight it felt like the show’s weakest entry.
Ron: I liked Season 3 for many reasons but I have to admit that Season 4 is so incredibly strong that poor Season 3 is paling in comparison. There seems to be a very clear understanding of what to focus on. Characters are getting time to develop even when they’re out of the spotlight.
Mon: We’ve also had more time with these characters, especially some of the ones who’ve been given short shrift. They’re becoming more rounded personalities now. Like Dr. Mbenga, for example. He’s got relatively less screen time than many other characters, but four seasons in, we know so much more about his past and he’s also further from his past, so we’re getting to see some of his personality shine through. And he’s just amazing. I love watching Dr. Mbenga. How Babs Olasunmukan is able to balance the intensity of the role with the humour, will never not surprise me.
Ron: I love Mbenga so much. I love this entire crew but Mbenga brings such joy to me. I think he’s just beautiful. He’s funny, sincere, he’s got all this life experience but he hasn’t let it get him down. He’s a great doctor but his personality is so affable. I could talk about him forever. This season, he gets some moments that I absolutely applaud the writers and actor for.
Mon: I can’t stop talking about Mbenga. Fans of his get to see a few more sides to him this season. We’ve also got spotlights on Scotty, Ortegas, Una — all overlooked characters who get more moments to tell their story, so that we get to know them better. There has been a lot of focus on Spock and Pike and La’an, so these other characters have had to sneak in from time to time to be more holistic. Which we get because we’re this many seasons in. I love that because I really love this crew. The more of them the better.
Ron: Yes. Listen, I love young Spock. He’s adorable and a disaster. We all know how much you love La’an. She’s complicated yet lovable. But I’ve been crazy about Ortegas from the start and I am always happy to see her get the limelight. She’s the coolest.
What do we hope to see in the rest of Strange New Worlds Season 4?
Mon: Anything in particular you’d like to see before Strange New Worlds Season 4 ends? I think I know what your first hope will be.
Ron: Well, I’m really enjoying this season. It’s so much fun and I love how it’s playing with genre. It makes sense. What I hope for is more unexpected surprises and more of these wonderful character moments. I’m glad that the romances that distracted us in Season 3 aren’t a hindrance this time around. But I also can’t ignore the obvious chemistry between some of the characters. But the show keeps them apart!
Mon: We really do need at least one queer storyline in the crew. Ideally it’d be Ortegas and Una, especially now that we’re less than a season and a half away from the finish line. Is it too much to ask for this otherwise progressive show to get with the program? Discovery made so many strides. Lower Decks continued that somewhat. Starfleet Academy is headed in that direction. Strange New Worlds needs to bridge that gap.
Ron: I agree. I do wish the show would let Ortegas and Chin-Riley be together! There's such chemistry there.
Mon: One other thing I wish they’d explore — Ortegas and La’an’s relationship following the killing of Erica’s Gorn friend. We can’t not address that at all, right?
Ron: The season isn’t finished yet so that could be addressed. On the other hand, Ortegas might have been so understanding of La’an’s history with the Gorn that she won’t talk about it.
Mon: Here’s hoping they eventually talk about it. I only have one criticism of the season so far. And that is it’s a little too obvious there’s only one ship set the production team can use. Everything looks like the Enterprise. Or we don’t see the inside of other ships at all. I really wish we saw more designs. Remember when we saw the Dauntless on Voyager and fell in love with its design? I miss that feeling so much. Paramount, just give the production team more money to make more sets, will ya!
Ron: You are not wrong. We used to get to see the interiors of Klingon and Romulan ships, as well as all those alien species’ ships and planets in the Delta Quadrant. Now, everyone seems ship-bound, and all Federation vessels have similar interiors with different lighting. It’s a bit mean to tighten the budget on those aspects. That’s where Star Trek has always sparked imaginations.
Mon: Oh wait, I thought of something else. There are some continuity errors with how the ship works. You even asked me about it after one of the episodes. Eagle-eyed fans may spot what we mean.
Ron: Trek fans can be very pedantic. They know their Trek-science extremely well. But we’ve had weird continuity stuff before and we’ve moved past it.
Final thoughts on Strange New Worlds Season 4?
Mon: These criticisms can’t dampen my love, excitement and happiness watching Season 4 of Strange New Worlds. This season is a fantastic encapsulation of the franchise. It’s a fun, innovative exploration of the human condition. It takes its name very seriously — you don’t know what strange is till you watch this season, apparently.
Ron: What I love about this season is that it feels like watching those last seasons of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where the creators threw caution to the wind and just went for the best storytelling tactic. And it worked. We loved those seasons and the characters shone. That’s happening with Strange New Worlds.
Mon: Yes, that’s it! Those seasons were such fun. As is this one. But beyond that, several characters get different moments to shine, which brings them to life. The genre changes are a delight. I love the way the show balances silliness with heart-warming character moments. Did I tear up during some of the moments? Yes, I did. That to me is the epitome of a great season. Apparently I like to cry at my TV.
Ron: Oh yes, there will be tears. There will be a lot of laughs but tears will fall.
Mon: If anything, Season 4 cannot help but make you wonder why this show needs to end as soon as it does. We could easily have had 10 seasons of these hi-jinks and spent ten years falling back in love with this crew annually. We desperately need more.
Coming Up Next
Ron: We can always do with more Star Trek. But that’s it for this episode of Stereo Geeks. I hope you enjoyed our preview of Strange New Worlds Season 4.
Mon: Join us next time for our review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Ron: You can listen to Stereo Geeks on stereogeeks.ca, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to rate us, and leave us a review; it helps other listeners find us.
Mon: And, get more exclusive content when you subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and follow us on Instagram, @stereogeeks_podcast. Plus, we’re also on BlueSky, @stereogeekspodcast.bsky.social.
Ron: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. Our music is courtesy Audionautix.
Mon: See you next time.