You've seen the footage. Or maybe you've just heard the screaming on Twitter (I’m not calling it X, sorry). Either way, the strange new worlds season 3 trailer has officially dropped, and honestly, it’s a lot to process. We’ve been waiting since that brutal Gorn cliffhanger in "Hegemony," and Paramount+ finally decided to stop playing with our emotions.
But here is the thing.
Most people are looking at the flashy stuff—the explosions, the Gorn, the classic uniforms—and missing the weird, granular details that actually tell us what this season is doing. This isn’t just more of the same. It looks like the showrunners, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, are basically leaning into the "genre-of-the-week" vibe even harder than before.
The Gorn Problem and That "Analog" Enterprise
First off, we have to talk about how the Enterprise looks. In the trailer, there’s this bizarre shot of the bridge where everything has gone... old? I’m talking landline phones and chunky switches. It looks like a 1950s office space rather than a 23rd-century starship.
Basically, the theory is that the Enterprise has to go "analog" to avoid Gorn detection. We know from season 2 that the Gorn are sensitive to certain types of tech and signals. If you can’t hide your heat signature, you might as well turn into a giant floating hunk of low-tech iron. It’s a clever way to explain away the retro aesthetic while keeping the stakes high.
Also, can we talk about Captain Pike? Anson Mount looks stressed. Like, really stressed. The trailer picks up right where we left off, with the crew of the Cayuga captured and Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano) dealing with a Gorn infection that is—to put it lightly—gross.
A Holodeck Before the Holodeck?
One of the biggest "wait, what?" moments in the strange new worlds season 3 trailer is the appearance of a black room with a yellow grid. Every Trek fan knows that’s a holodeck. But Strange New Worlds takes place a good 100 years before Picard and Riker were playing detective on the Enterprise-D.
So, what gives?
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It turns out this is a prototype. In the footage, we see La'an (Christina Chong) and Spock (Ethan Peck) dressed in 1930s-style noir outfits. They’re solving a murder mystery. Jonathan Frakes directed this one, and he’s gone on record saying it’s a full-on "Hollywood Murder Mystery."
- The Look: Black walls, yellow lines, very "The Big Goodbye."
- The Twist: It’s not perfect tech. Scotty (Martin Quinn) is apparently the one trying to keep the power from blowing the ship up while they use it.
- The Vibe: Pure 1940s pulp.
Why Patton Oswalt is a Vulcan (Yes, Really)
If you blinked, you might have missed him. Patton Oswalt pops up in the trailer, and he’s wearing the ears. He’s playing a Vulcan. But he’s not just any Vulcan; he’s holding roses and looking surprisingly... emotional?
This probably ties into the "Vulcan Hijinks" episode. We saw a "First Look" clip at Comic-Con where Pike, La’an, Uhura, and Chapel all get turned into Vulcans for a mission. It looks ridiculous in the best possible way. Seeing Anson Mount try to do a "logic" face while dealing with Patton Oswalt is peak Strange New Worlds.
The Kirk and Scotty Factor
James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) is back, and he’s officially hanging out with Scotty. This is a big deal for the timeline. We’re seeing the "Original Series" team assemble piece by piece.
But there’s a catch. The trailer hints at a "unique version" of Kirk. Whether that means another time-travel shenanigan or just a different side of his personality, it’s clear the writers aren't just doing a 1:1 copy of William Shatner. They’re building something new.
And then there's Roger Korby. Cillian O’Sullivan is joining the cast as the "archaeological medicine" expert. For the uninitiated, Korby is a massive name in Trek lore—he’s Chapel’s future fiancé and, well, a guy who eventually turns himself into an android. The trailer shows him and Chapel on an archaeological dig, and things look like they go south pretty fast.
What You Should Actually Look Out For
| Feature | What the Trailer Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| The Gorn | Adult Gorn without suits. | They are moving away from "mysterious monsters" to "flesh-and-blood villains." |
| Klingons | They’re back, and they look like the Season 2 versions. | There’s a rumor about "Klingon Zombies." No, I’m not joking. |
| The Fashion | 1950s sci-fi spoofs and 1920s noir. | The show is doubling down on being a "variety show in space." |
Don't Sleep on the "Sehlat"
One of the episode titles leaked alongside the trailer is "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail." A Sehlat is basically a Vulcan teddy bear with six-inch fangs. If we actually get to see one of these things on screen, it’s going to be a CGI nightmare or the cutest thing since Grogu. Probably both.
The trailer also hints at a "Federation Centennial" celebration. Since the Federation was founded in 2161, this confirms we are officially in the year 2261. We are getting very, very close to the start of Kirk’s five-year mission.
What This Means for Your Watchlist
Honestly, the strange new worlds season 3 trailer proves that Trek is at its best when it’s not taking itself too seriously. You have the high-stakes Gorn war on one hand, and a musical-level absurdity on the other.
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If you’re trying to keep up, here is what you need to do before the premiere:
- Rewatch "Hegemony" (S2 E10): You need the Gorn context fresh in your brain, or the first episode of Season 3 won't make sense.
- Look up "The Squire of Gothos": There are heavy rumors that Rhys Darby is playing Trelane. Knowing that character's TOS history will help you spot the clues.
- Check your Paramount+ sub: The season kicks off with a two-episode premiere on July 17.
Don't expect a "safe" season of television. Between the 1950s spoofs, the holodeck murder mysteries, and the potential for a "Klingon Zombie" outbreak, this is going to be the weirdest year for the Enterprise yet.
The trajectory is clear: they’re moving toward the 1966 aesthetic while keeping the emotional weight of the 2020s. It’s a hard line to walk, but if anyone can do it, it’s Pike and his crew. Just watch out for the Gorn eggs. Seriously.