Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 1 is available now on DVD, Blu-Ray™ and Digital. The 4k UHD Blu-ray comes to stores on May 15, 2023.
Synopsis
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series features fan favourites from season two of Star Trek: Discovery. Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
Review
Strap yourselves in Trekkies. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is breaking even more new ground this week with a release on 4K UHD. Several weeks after the digital, DVD and Blu-ray release of season 1, the series returns to stores again with a very special 4K UHD release. A first for any season of Star Trek TV.
In content the release is the same. All episodes, bonus feature etc. remain completely as you’ll find them in the previous release. The difference here is the superior picture and sound offered by the ultra-HD release.
There’s no escape the mammoth success of Strange New Worlds season 1. Taking the sensibility of a series like The Next Generation and tweaking it to include the serialised characterisation of more contemporary Trek is a stroke of genius. Each episode in season 1 features a slightly different genre and shifts focus between each of the incredible ensemble cast.
It’s hard to even pick standout episodes in a season of TV as solid as this. But if you’re holding a phaser to my head then season premiere “Strange New Worlds”, fourth episode “Memento Mori” and penultimate episode “All Those Who Wander” are beyond compelling viewing.
Strange New Worlds season 1 4K release boasts terrific Dolby Sound and Vision tracks. For technophiles the audio track is a 5.1 DTS-HD Master whilst the episodes themselves are in 2.39:1 aspect ratio.
There are sure to be some fans disappointed that the 4K version didn’t feature an updated Dolby Atmos track. But there’s really nothing to complain about once you get down to business with the 5.1 DTS-HD track. For those with the right setup there’s are wonderfully immersive quality to Strange New Worlds sound design. When on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise there are blips and beeps which approach from all angles. Whilst space battles fill the central field with plenty of gusto. It’s everything we’ve come to expect from a Star Trek home video release.
I implore you to pay close attention to the series’ wonderful score from composers Sami Melumad and Jeff Russo. Russo has worked on all the contemporary Trek series. Here he provides the main theme, with shades of The Original Series, whilst Melumad masterminds the rest of the beautiful music heard across these ten episodes.
Where Strange New Worlds 4K UHD presentation really shines is in its visuals. The Blu-ray version of the series was stunning. The 4K UHD is quite simply perfect. Fine detail is incredible and razor sharp. The costume design, the set design and practical makeup effects all look their absolute best in ultra-HD. There’s a reason Star Trek looks so good in this format and it’s because of the care and attention the production team puts in to making the world(s) feel real and it really shows.
Making the most of the Dolby Vision also add to the overall aesthetic. I’ve picked up on this in other Trek reviews but the standard gold, blue and red of Starfleet uniforms is truly beautiful in UHD.
Given the rarity of releasing television on UHD one might wonder how the visual effects would hold up. Clearly a series like Strange New Worlds is absolutely packed with VFX shots and I’m very pleased to say that, for the most part, they look brilliant. The ship itself is outstanding as is the blackness of space itself. Occasionally when the action kicks in to high gear the ship exteriors lose a little of their definition but this is the fault of the VFX budget and not the home video presentation. In short… this is the best looking series of Trek on home video to-date.
Bonus features on the 4K UHD release are the same as the digital, DVD and Blu-ray release. Features include:
- Audio Commentary: For “Strange New Worlds:” Anson Mount and Akiva Goldsman.
- Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from “Children of the Comet” (0:22) and “Ghosts of Illyria” (2:11).
- Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from “Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach” (5:00) and “The Elysian Kingdom” (0:20).
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 10:55): Scenes from “All Those Who Wander.”
- Star Trek: The Original Series Episode “Balance of Terror” (1080p, 50:24): An episode tied to the Strange New Worlds episode “A Quality of Mercy.”
- Pike’s Peek (1080p, 17:26): A look at Anson Mount’s time in quarantine, followed by intimate behind-the-scenes access into the making of Strange New Worlds.
- World Building (1080p, 11:56): A look at some of the cutting-edge technology used to make some of the show’s set pieces and special effects.
- Exploring New Worlds (1080p, 53:58): A comprehensive exploration of project origins and structure with emphasis on characters and how they fit into episode stories and larger arcs.
- Gag Reel (1080p, 2:47): Humorous moments from the shoot.
As is generally the case with Trek on home video, the bonus features are gold standard. Each of the behind-the-scenes looks at season one dig deep in the show’s production with no stone left unturned. It’s interesting particularly here where the show started production under strict Covid-19 protocols, something which is acknowledged throughout the various featurettes.
For newer fans to the franchise there’s a sweet bonus with the inclusion of “Balance of Terror”, an episode from Star Trek: The Original Series. It’s the episode which ties heavily in to Strange New Worlds episode “A Quality of Mercy” and it’s great to see that connective tissue included here.
The obligatory gag reel is a great way to end the re-watch of season 1. As is often the case it puts across the wonderful camaraderie between the cast and crew. It, of course, also gives us a few good laughs as we watch Mount and the rest of the cast flub their lines here and there.
Verdict
There is no better way to experience the debut of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds than with this outstandingly well produced UHD release. Stunning picture, dynamic sound and bountiful bonus features make this the perfect gift for any Star Trek fan.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
