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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, early reviews arrive

tvJul 22, 202624407

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres globally on Thursday, July 23, 2026 on Paramount+ with new episodes released weekly on Thursdays through September 24. Early reviews, based on the first six episodes, describe a season that leans back into standalone, done-in-one adventures while shifting tone frequently across episodes. The premiere Valles Marineris finds Captain Christopher Pike, played by Anson Mount, adrift after the season 3 loss of Captain Batel and searching for new purpose; the episode was written by Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, with Henry sharing story credit with Alan McElroy and Chris Fisher directing. Critics praise horror-tinged and playful installments such as The Griffin Incident and the lighter episode Human Best Friend, even as several reviewers call the season uneven in tone and episodic quality. Season 4 foregrounds transitional arcs for core bridge officers, Una, Scotty, La’an, Spock, Nurse Chapel, and Dr. M’Benga, while keeping Paul Wesley’s soon-to-be Captain Kirk visible without allowing his storyline to overshadow the original cast. The series returns as Star Trek approaches its 60th anniversary, and the weekly rollout means critical impressions will continue to evolve as the remaining episodes arrive through late September.

TrekCore.com 🖖
@trekcore.com

NEW — Check out these new photos from “Valles Marineris,” this Thursday’s Season 4 premiere of #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds blog.trekcore.com/2026/07/star...

66Yesterday
Eboneezer Goode - FDT - Trump Broke America.2

As long as Bari Weiss is working at @cbsnews.com, and as long as the Ellisons own Paramount - I will not be watching any of it.

John Wells1

It looks like it’s getting off to a really beautiful start.

TrekMovie.com
@trekmovie.bsky.social

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Actors Tease Noir Episode And More Physical Season 4 https://bit.ly/4waiQY3

42Yesterday
Trek Central
@trekcentral.net

🚨NEW SNEAK PEEK! There's just 2 DAYS to go until #StrangeNewWorlds returns for Season 4! Mount up! Here's a NEW sneak peek from premiere episode 'Valles Marineris'! #StarTrek

2915h ago
Marc Hertel 🇩🇪🖖🇪🇺 Pro-🇺🇦📝🐉
@sharkster1701.bsky.social

Enjoy your-- dagnabbit, it's Monday! Then again, there's new #StarTrek this week, friends! So, enjoy! And because of that, I can finally release this beauty that I've been sitting on for months since I found it. Time to climb Pike's peak again! 🖖 #StarTrekSNW #StrangeNewWorlds #StarTrekMemes

A #StarTrek variant on a popular meme. Top left: Cpt. Picard from #StarTrekTNG in his ready room, a cup of tea in his hand as he's looking up. To be fair, his slightly surprised expression doesn't match the caption from the original meme: "Coffee is disgusting! I only drink the finest leaves!" Top right: Cpt. Janeway from #StarTrekVoyager, in her own ready room, with a thin smile. "Tea is just pompous water. Real adults drink coffee!" Bottom, filling the whole width: A grinning Cpt. Pike from #StarTrekSNW #StrangeNewWorlds, Pike's peak of hair in full display, on the bridge -- happy optimism poured into a Starfleet uniform. "Sometimes, I add rainbow sprinkles to my hot cocoa."
24Yesterday
Joe "Radical Left Scum" Fink 🇸🇮 🇺🇦 🇨🇦🇬🇱 🇺🇳🌈🇯🇴
@joefink53.bsky.social

I love Star Trek... I love potential humanity becoming something so special... Thursday, the newest/last season of Strange New Worlds will premiere...I'll miss it & Academy... I will not support Paramount/CBS until it is no longer associated with the Oligarch Ellison cabal!

3423h ago
Brett Baldridge3

There is one more (smaller) season after that. :)

rekati.bsky.social2

Well done. Not easy or fun.

Levi Anthony Luckenbach1

I was excited for Academy but hadn’t even watched it yet. This post is how I found out about its cancellation. The Trump Regime literally deployed minions to review-bomb it with “anti-woke” rhetoric so Ellison would have an excuse to shut down Star Trek and its idealist concepts completely.

Sephiroth1441

I mean, there are ways to watch without supporting... Just putting it arrrrt there.

TrekCulture
@trekculture.bsky.social

Tom and Seán are joined this week by @g33kymick.bsky.social to discuss Trek News and Seán's Hot Take; Plus, they answer some of your questions! #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds @tomcfinn.bsky.social @seanferrick.bsky.social shows.acast.com/trekculture/...

1919h ago
Quoting this
Mick Joest4

Yes despite my hard pivot into posting reality show content on TikTok and Instagram I promise I’m still doing Trekkie things lol

Aileen O'Dowd3

There's new Star Trek this week and we are all buzzing! This episode of the podcast is a great start to proceedings, thanks lads! 😁🖖

Bill Wolkoff
@billwearsties.bsky.social

Strange New Worlds s4e1 drops Thursday! “Valles Marineris” was written by Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, with a story by Henry and Alan McElroy, and was directed by the great Chris Fisher. They made a pulpy space adventure that unfolds into a tense moral quandary. I can’t say any more!

“Valles Marineris” Strange New Worlds s4 premiere this Thursday!
24Yesterday
John Orquiola
@backofthehead.bsky.social

I spent the whole day prepping and writing ScreenRant's exclusive cover story for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, publishing Wednesday. It's 90% done, and over 5K words, packed with quotes from the whole cast and EPs. I think it's gonna turn out pretty great.

26Yesterday
Reactor Magazine
@reactorsff.bsky.social

If you've ever wondered about Pelia's accent...well, you're in good company. Carol Kane talks about crafting her character in Strange New Worlds (and the "Sixth Sense" episode we never got to see): #StarTrek

1920h ago
Iain Clark
@iainjclarkart.com

I am looking forward to Season 4 of #StrangeNewWorlds this week. It's a grab bag of good and bad things (my discomfort with last season's Vulcan episode is almost visceral) but has hit some real highs. The cast is a true ensemble and it frequently foregrounds its women. #StarTrek

20Yesterday
Iain Clark9

#StrangeNewWorlds is at its best when it trusts itself to tell quirky or dramatic high concept stories. It's at its worst when it pastiches other Trek, or treats Pike as a mere appetiser for Kirk.

Rick Schmitz1

I’m a big Trek fan, but I already have too many streaming services, so I’ve elected to forgo Paramount+. I’ve seen a few 1st season eps and liked what I saw. I’m sure someday I’ll be able to catch up.

Jono with the good mo(hawk)1

Going on the episode titles… are they doing a soap opera episode? Because that would be *incredible*

Admiral Funnest Frontier Prime 🏴‍☠️🖖
@deckslower.bsky.social

Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 04 episode 01 clip 🖖

1315h ago
TrekNews.net
@treknews.net

13 new photos preview the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premiere “Valles Marineris” — treknews.net/2026/07/20/p...

12Yesterday
Anika Dane
@pixiedane.bsky.social

Heading into NYC for a Strange New Worlds screening and discussion! 🚉

1723h ago
Strange New Pod | A Star Trek Podcast
@strangenewpod.com

This Thursday, the wait will finally be over and Star Trek Strange New Worlds will be beaming back onto our screens! Join the SNP crew for their review of SNW 401 Valles Marineris, Thursday July 23rd at 6.30pm PT / 9.30pm ET ! #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds

Strange new pod Strange new worlds Valles Marineris Episode Review
11Yesterday
Antimatter Pod
@antimatterpod.bsky.social

It's almost time for #StrangeNewWorlds Season 4! For your consideration: ANTIMATTER POD, the only podcast that answers the question "What is Starfleet?" with "Norway, obviously."

6Yesterday
3 sources
getyourcomicon.co.ukFirst Impressions With STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 4comicbookclublive.com‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 4 Review: Back On Tracklytrules.substack.comStar Trek Strange New Worlds Season 4 Review: They...Reach

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