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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may be one of the most successful recent entries in the franchise, but that doesn’t mean it’s free of limitations. For all its creative boldness, critical praise, and old-school charm, the show’s creators are clear about one thing they wish they could change: the number of episodes.
The show has revived the spirit of classic Trek with a modern twist, exploring strange planets, blending genres, and placing emotional depth at the heart of each weekly mission. But behind all that ambition lies a structural problem that’s becoming hard to ignore.
With just ten episodes per season, the writers are constantly forced to make tough choices about which characters and stories make the cut and which ones get left behind. And this is something Strange New Worlds wants to overcome.
Why Star Trek: Strange New Worlds needs more time to breathe
This isn’t a case of creative indulgence. According to showrunner Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Akiva Goldsman, the ten-episode structure often means throwing out nearly half of the season’s story ideas before they even hit the page. It’s not that there’s a shortage of inspiration, quite the opposite. The writers' room at Strange New Worlds is full of concepts that could flesh out the inner lives of the crew and take the series to unexpected places. The problem is simply time.
It shows in the way certain characters are used. Erica Ortegas, the Enterprise’s confident and quick-witted pilot, lights up every scene she’s in, yet rarely gets one centered on her. Nurse Chapel has proven to be emotionally rich, yet her development often gets condensed to fit around other plotlines. La’An Noonien-Singh could anchor an entire arc if the series had more breathing room.
Even Hemmer, one of the most beloved figures in season one, was written off early and only returned in specials like the musical, a bittersweet reminder of missed opportunities. These limitations are felt most deeply in Strange New Worlds, where the ensemble cast is one of the show’s strongest assets.
The streaming shift, and what it’s cost the franchise
The older Star Trek series had the luxury of time. Shows like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine ran over 20 episodes a season, sometimes even more, which allowed for everything from character studies to full-blown philosophical detours. There was room to experiment, to stumble, to go weird. That kind of freedom defined what Star Trek was for decades, and it’s something Strange New Worlds would love to reclaim.
But the world has changed. Streaming platforms like Paramount+ now favor leaner seasons, largely for practical reasons. Shorter runs mean tighter budgets, quicker turnarounds, and fewer risks.
For most modern shows, that’s a manageable compromise. But Star Trek: Strange New Worlds isn’t like most shows. Its heart is in the unexpected, in mixing musical numbers with existential dilemmas, or jumping from courtroom drama to animated crossover. Ten episodes just aren’t enough to do it all.
Producer Chris Fisher has openly floated the idea of expanding the season to 20 episodes, calling it a return to form that could blend old-school scale with new-age polish. It’s a proposal that fits the ambition of Strange New Worlds, but whether it’s a real possibility or just a hopeful thought is still unclear.
What more episodes could unlock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
If Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had more room to explore, the payoff could be remarkable. Episodes could dive deeper into secondary characters like M’Benga, Ortegas, and Chapel, allowing them to evolve beyond supporting roles. The show could take bigger creative swings, more genre crossovers, more musical episodes, and more emotionally complex narratives.
There would be space for quieter moments, layered conflicts, and richer worldbuilding. Strange New Worlds wouldn’t need to choose between character arcs and high-stakes plots, but could balance both seamlessly. With the growing demand for emotional, character-driven sci-fi, the opportunity is there, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds just needs the green light to go further.
A show that earned its acclaim and deserves more
So far, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has delivered where it counts. The first season holds a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second close behind at 97%. Critics have praised its balance of nostalgia and innovation, and fans have embraced it as the best Star Trek series in years. The numbers back that up: strong weekly viewership, high demand on streaming trackers, and a loyal audience that shows up for every release. For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the success isn’t just in execution, it’s in promise.
That success isn’t just because of what the show is, it’s also because of what it could be. Each episode of Strange New Worlds feels like it’s reaching for something bigger. And in a way, that’s what makes the call for more episodes feel so justified. It’s not about padding out a season, it’s about fulfilling potential.
The final frontier might not be space
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is about possibility, about curiosity, exploration, and what happens when you dare to go where others won’t. And maybe, for this version of Star Trek, the next great leap isn’t across galaxies. Maybe it’s just giving the writers more time. More room to tell stories. More episodes to breathe.
The cast is ready. The stories are there. The audience is waiting. Now all that’s left is to see whether the people holding the purse strings are willing to take the leap. Because if any series deserves the chance to boldly go further, it’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
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