Retro Sci-Fi Series 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

Star Trek seemed like a dead franchise up until 2017. Starting as a TV series in the 1960s, the franchise enjoyed consistent popularity, but its viewership declined in the 2000s, and 'Star Trek: Enterprise' (2001-2005) suffered the humiliation of premature cancellation. After that, there were no more Star Trek TV series. Although the movie series released in the 21st century, which had a remake character, featured stars like Chris Pine, all of them failed at the box office.

'Star Trek: Discovery' (2017-present), which was released worldwide as a Netflix original series (Paramount+ original in the US) in 2017, was a work that signaled the franchise's revival. 'Discovery' clearly shows the effort to break away from the image of an 'old TV show.' Starfleet officers appear in realistic navy blue uniforms instead of colorful ones. The story structure also adopted a 'Star Wars' style, where a large threat is countered, instead of the existing omnibus format.

Did the new approach work? 'Discovery' was the fourth most-watched TV series on Netflix in 2017. Discovery has since been renewed for a fifth season, and its success gave Paramount the impetus to pursue other Star Trek projects. Paramount turned its attention back to the old style. In 2019, they produced 'Star Trek: Picard,' bringing back the main characters from the 1980s Star Trek series, and in 2022, they released 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,' which aimed for a 1960s-style omnibus.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' is truly retro. The actors wear clothes that are a slightly modern reinterpretation of the red, blue, and yellow costumes from the 1960s TV series. The story structure also returns to the SF omnibus style of the 60s-90s, rather than the epic narrative pursued by 'Discovery.' While 'Discovery' tried to make all the alien civilizations look real, in 'Strange New Worlds,' aliens that look almost exactly like humans appear repeatedly.

This retro style is particularly effective in episodes with a comedic tone. In one episode of the second season, for example, the main characters find themselves speaking entirely in song due to a malfunction caused by someone accidentally tampering with a mysterious space signal. Throughout the episode, the main characters perform a musical performance within the 60s-style props and sets. The unexpected joy comes from the transformation of the Klingons, a warlike alien race that often appears in the franchise, into a K-pop boy group.

It seems that this retro Star Trek is receiving a good response, as Paramount has quickly greenlit a third season. However, no one knows how long this style will last. The success of this kind of omnibus in the past was due to the socio-political backdrop of the Space Race during the Cold War. It makes more sense to think that the collapse of the Cold War and the decline of the Star Trek series coincided. Even in the series, the colorful uniforms are mocked as childish by Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh).

Furthermore, the franchise will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in two years. This means that the material that can be used for the omnibus has already been used. Some viewers have already begun to criticize 'Strange New Worlds' for being stale. The settings that can be introduced to address this staleness were already used in the 90s.

Still, if you enjoy lighthearted space adventures and the old-school feel of Star Trek, this series is a great treat. In 2024, in addition to 'Strange New Worlds,' 'Star Trek: Discovery' will conclude its run after seven years. Both series are available on Paramount+ (TVING in Korea).