The premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 arrives for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday, June 15, 2023. But what to watch in the meantime (or while waiting for the next episode to be released)? Informed by the episodes in Strange New Worlds season 1, here are eight episodes to watch before Strange New Worlds season 2!
The Cage/The Menagerie
First up is the original episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the unaired pilot, “The Cage.” This episode introduces the original incarnations of Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), Number One (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry), and Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
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A significant percentage of “The Cage” footage is reused in TOS season 1’s two-part episode “The Menagerie.” In this episode, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) meets the former captain of the Enterprise. The episode reveals Pike’s fate as well as the relationship between the two respective crews.
Balance of Terror
In this episode, Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise investigate a series of Starbase attacks. They subsequently make a startling discovery about one of the Federation’s oldest enemies: the Romulans.
The Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, “A Quality of Mercy,” revealed how these events might have played out had Pike (Anson Mount) been in command.
Arena
It’s an all-out brawl between Kirk and a Gorn captain in TOS season 1’s “Arena.” In this episode, the Enterprise encounters some enigmatic aliens who pit the pair of captains against each other.
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The Gorn occupy an important role in the backstory of La’An Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). In the Strange New Worlds season 1 episodes “Strange New Worlds,” “Memento Mori,” and “All Those Who Wander,” La’An’s Gorn experience is integral.
Space Seed
Speaking of La’An’s backstory, she is also related to one of Trek‘s most infamous villains, Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalban). Khan was first introduced in TOS season 1’s “Space Seed.” In that episode, Kirk’s Enterprise encounters the Botany Bay, the ship on which Khan waits in suspended animation.
An older version of Khan returns in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And this time, he’s prepared to quote Moby Dick.
Amok Time
In the TOS season 2 episode “Amok Time,” Spock must return to his home planet for the mating ceremony of Pon Farr. However, his betrothed, T’Pring (Arlene Martel), has other plans in mind. This episode is the only appearance made by T’Pring in TOS.
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On Strange New Worlds, Spock (Ethan Peck) and T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) are in an earlier stage of their relationship. T’Pring appears in “Strange New Worlds” and plays a significant role in “Spock Amok” and “The Serene Squall.”
If Memory Serves
Before Strange New Worlds debuted, the updated incarnations of Pike, Spock, and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 2. In the episode “If Memory Serves,” the Discovery crew returns to Talos IV, the planet on which “The Cage” takes place.
This episode also reused footage from “The Cage” for the “previously on” segment. Which Star Trek series will reuse footage from “The Cage” next?
Through the Valley of Shadows
In “Through the Valley of Shadows,” Pike visits the Klingon moon of Boreth. The naturally occurring time crystals at this location give Pike a glimpse of his future. This revelation informs Pike’s actions throughout Strange New Worlds season 1.
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Furthermore, according to the Pike of Star Trek Yet to Come in “A Quality of Mercy,” the vision of possible events Pike experiences in the season 1 finale are the result of the time crystals on Boreth.
An Embarrassment of Dooplers
In the Strange New Worlds season 1 episode “Spock Amok,” most of the storyline takes place on a Starbase. As explained by Pike in “Strange New Worlds,” some of these bases have already been in operation for many decades by the time Strange New Worlds takes place.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2’s “An Embarrassment of Dooplers,” Starbase 25 demonstrates that these bases will continue to be used many decades into the future. But what do these locations smell like? Over the course of this episode, Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) reveals the shocking truth. Computer, disengage smell-o-vision protocols now!
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This article was originally published on 6/13/23.
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