Review - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 on Blu-Ray

THE SHOW
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Star Trek Strange New Worlds season two marks a shift in the show's format, with its sophomore year taking bold steps in changing character relationships and embracing a larger ensemble cast. The decision to give each bridge member their own story arc provides depth to characters like Dr M’Benga, Ortegas, and La'an Noonien-Singh. However, the drawback is Captain Pike, played by Anson Mount, takes somewhat of a backseat, lacking a distinct character arc compared to season one with a larger focus on his romantic relationships this time.

The show like Pike takes risks, such as the crossover episode with the animated Trek comedy Lower Decks, "Those Old Scientists," a standout moment in this new Golden Era of Trek that successfully blends zaniness with live-action without compromising either show's integrity. The subsequent three-episode run, featuring a dark war episode and a musical episode titled "Subspace Rhapsody," is a high for its creativity and versatility for the franchise. The weakest parts of the season are the first couple of episodes, particularly the premiere, "The Broken Circle," and the finale, "Hegemony”.

Ultimately, the success of "Strange New Worlds" can be attributed to its well-developed characters, with particular attention given to the evolving relationships between Chapel and Spock, La'an and Kirk, and the bond between M’Benga and Chapel, forged during the dark days of the Klingon War.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Disc One features a range of deleted scenes - a prized commodity on Star Trek releases. "The Broken Circle." shows a scene, set on Starbase One, providing the type of valuable insights into Federation tensions and priorities that fans love when people are around a table talking shop.

Disc Two features more deleted scenes and extended scenes. A notable scene from Episode 5, "Charades," features a humorous exchange between 'human' Spock and Una in a bar, adding further comedic touches to a really enjoyable episode. Episode 6, "Lost in Translation," presents a cut corridor conversation between Una and Pike, offering some additional character-building moments. “Lost in Translation," also includes an extended version of Una and Pelia's shuttle scene. "Those Old Scientists," fans will be disappointed with only just one extended scene.

Disc Three finally houses the majority of special features including some more deleted scenes, segments on props, and costumes, and the development of the revised Gorn appearance. This insightful deleted scene is an alternate version of the iconic Klingon sequence from "Subspace Rhapsody," which highlights it was the right decision to feature a Klingon K-Pop version in the final episode.

The first feature of Disc Three focuses on props, such as the Vulcan lute and the 3D printing process for the teapot used in "Charades." The second feature explores costumes, providing cosplay references and chronological insights into their appearance. The Gorn feature details the development of Gorn appearance and costumes, while the "Singing in Space" feature, is dedicated to the musical episode "Subspace Rhapsody’. The final feature, "Exploring New Worlds," covers the making of the season and taking the time to focus on the ten episodes that make this such a memorable year. It's a real shame that there's a lack of a feature dedicated to the iconic crossover episode. 

Now with the Hollywood strikes over and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds about to begin shooting again in Canada this Blu-ray will give fans something to enjoy as we continue to the long but highly anticipated season 3 in possibly 2025!

4/5 
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™, and 4K UHD™ on December 4