Related
Summary
With three unexampled seasons ofStar Trekcontent , 2023 was a great year for the franchise , with some trulyphenomenal episodes that will unite the social rank of pastTrekclassics . The first newTrekof the yr came in February 2023 with the premiere ofStar Trek : Picardseason 3.Picardseason 3 not only felt more reminiscent of classicTrekthan the show ’s first two seasons , but it also reunited the crew ofStar Trek : The Next Generationon the rebuilt USS Enterprise - D.
Star Trek : unknown New Worldsdropped ten newfangled instalment over the summertime , includingTrek’sfirst hot - activeness / animated crossover , as well as the first - everStar Trekmusical . With its sophomore time of year , Strange New Worldshas institute itself asStar Trek’sbest raw show . Then in September , Star Trek : Lower Deckshad its good season yet with season 4 , which revealed even more connective toTNGthan ever . All three of theseStar Trekseries added some bang-up new episodes to the franchise , making 2023 one of the best year forTrekfans .
Star Trek on Paramount+ ’s display successfully inaugurate many new and exciting character with significant stories over 2023 , but which were the well ?
10"Twovix" - Star Trek: Lower Decks
Season 4, Episode 1
Much ofStar Trek : Lower Decksseason 4 concenter on Lt . Beckett Mariner ( Tawny Newsome ) and her tumultuous relationship with Starfleet , but the season premiere gives all of the small Thomas Decker a chance to shine . WhileLower Decksis always full of references to previousTrek , " Twovix " focuses specifically onStar Trek : Voyager . As the USS Cerritos escorts Voyager to Earth , Commander Billips ( Paul Scheer ) and Dr. T’Ana ( Gillian Vigman ) findthemselves merged together - or Tuvixed- just like Lt . Tuvok ( Tim Russ ) and Neelix ( Ethan Phillips ) in one ofVoyager’smost talked - about sequence , " Tuvix . " Not only does this time of year premiere set up the season - long secret plan and reference discharge , but it ’s also a hilarious love letter toVoyagerand a must - watch sequence ofLower Decks .
9"Seventeen Seconds" - Star Trek: Picard
Season 3, Episode 3
" Seventeen Seconds " advance several different plot line , but the real highlight of the episode is the conversation between AdmiralJean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and Dr. Beverly Crusher(Gates McFadden ) in the USS Titan ’s sickbay . After the shocking reveal that Beverly ’s boy Jack Crusher ( Ed Speleers ) is Picard ’s son as well , the two former lovers have a long - awaited bosom - to - essence . Gates McFadden and Patrick Stewart both knock this scene out of the park , delivering nuanced and captivating performances as Beverly explains her reasoning for keeping Jack from Picard . The scene cease with the two at an impasse as the post with the USS Titan and the Shrike goes from spoilt to worse .
8"Old Friends, New Planets" - Star Trek: Lower Decks
Season 4, Episode 10
Star Trek : Lower Decksseason 4 finalewonderfully resolves all of the game thread of the season in a room that ties in nicely with Mariner ’s case discharge . " Old Friends , New Planets " get down with a flashback to Nick Locarno ’s ( Robert Duncan McNeill ) Starfleet Academy Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , just before the accident that killed his fellow cadet and got Locarno kicked out of Starfleet . Back in the present , Nick erroneously consider that Mariner will join him ( since they attended the Academy together ) , but she rather starts working to hold on him . With all the usual shout - outs to previousStar Trekprojects andwonderful character growth for Mariner in particular , " Old Friends , New Planets " bringsLower Decks’best time of year yet to a close with a bang .
The installment ’s orifice flashback occurs beforeTNGseason 5 , installment 19 , " The First Duty , " which show the fallout of Nova Squadron ’s chance event . Wil Wheaton , Shannon Fill , and Robert Duncan McNeill all recapitulate their purpose from theTNGepisode , as Cadets Wesley Crusher , Sito Jaxa , and Nick Locarno , respectively .
7"Under The Cloak Of War" - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Season 2, Episode 8
In its two time of year so far , Strange New Worldshas embraced the wonder ofStar Trek , severalize chronicle reminiscent of the best episode ofTOSandTNG . But " Under The Cloak Of War " ingest a page out ofStar Trek : Deep Space Nine’sbookto severalize a glum story that examines the lasting effects of warfare . When Klingon Ambassador Dak’Rah ( Robert Wisdom ) visits the USS Enterprise , the crew member who agitate in the Klingon / Federation War question the former War General ’s motives . Dr. Joseph M’Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ) steal the episode as he struggles with his past and his PTSD , ultimately constitute a shocking decision that stands now at betting odds with the philosophy of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) .
6"The Inner Fight" - Star Trek: Lower Decks
Season 4, Episode 9
The penultimate sequence ofStar Trek : Lower Decksseason 4 fetch the focus back to Mariner , nicely build on everything that fare before to reveal more about her backstory . The swelled revealconnects Mariner to theTNGepisodewhereLower Decksgot its name and the dying of Enterprise - D Ensign Sito Jaxa . Stranded on the planet Sherbal V , Mariner has a heart - to - kernel with a Klingon warrior before being abduct by disgraced former Starfleet cadet Nick Locarno , who is revealed to be the season ’s big bad . A lot happens in " The Inner Fight , " but it still has all the common trappings ofLower Decks- numerous address to pastTrekand lots of humor and heart .
While search for information about recent attacks on non - Federation ship , Captain Carol Freeman point why she ’s the captain by tricking a factor on the lawless satellite of New Axton.
5"No Win Scenario" - Star Trek: Picard
Season 3, Episode 4
As the USS Titan sinks into the solemnity well of a nebula , Captain Liam Shaw ( Todd Stashwick ) , Picard , and the remainder of the gang grapple with their impending deaths , while urgently searching for solutions . Every chief character get something to do in " No Win Scenario , " and all of the narration amount together well . Jean - Luc endeavor to expend some time with the Logos he did n’t make out he had , Commander Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) work to uncover a Changeling in disguise , and Dr. Crusher name a pattern in the electrical wave buffeting the ship . Everyone comes together to rive off the plan that save the Titan , and the reveal that the nebula is full of bio - electric lifeforms feels veryStar Trekin the best way .
While Jean - Luc and Jack get to bed one another on the holodeck , Captain Shaw cut off Picard ’s stories to say a news report of his own about his experience during the Battle of Wolf 359 - in which Starfleet lost 11,000 military officer to the Borg . This scene recontextualizes Shaw as a character , and " No Win Scenario " deserves a spot on this inclination for Todd Stashwick ’s masterful delivery alone .
4"Ad Astra Per Aspera" - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Season 2, Episode 2
Since the early day ofStar Trek : The Original Series , the franchise has always have sex a good court drama , andStrange New Worldsseason 2 ’s test episodeis of the near . unknown New Worldsseason 1 ended with Number One ( Rebecca Romijn ) being take on into custody for lie on her Starfleet Academy coating about being a genetically enhanced Illyrian . " Ad Astra Per Aspera " follows up on that cliffhanger by showing Una ’s trial run . With her childhood friend Neera Ketoul ( played beautifully by Yetide Badaki ) as her defense lawyer , Una passionately explains why she joined Starfleet . With substantial performance from everyone involved , " Ad Astra Per Aspera " feel like classicStar Trekat its best , a celebration of hope , diversity , and human beings .
3"Those Old Scientists" - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Season 2, Episode 7
TheStrange New Worlds / Lower Deckscrossoveris pure delight from starting signal to conclusion . When Ensign Boimler move through a portal , he find himself in the past times with the crowd of the USS Enterprise ( " NCC-1701 dash … nothing " ) , much to his delectation . As Captain Pike and his crew try out to figure out how to get Boimler back to his time , Ensign Mariner comes through the portal site to join him . Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome both brilliantly lend their characters to live action , and their interactions with the Enterprise crew are truly uproarious and sometimes heartwarming . " Those Old Scientists " will go down as one ofStar Trek’sbest episode , as it wonderfully celebrates the excitement and joy of traveling through the galaxy for a living .
2"The Last Generation" - Star Trek: Picard
Season 3, Episode 10
Star Trek : Picardseason 3 to the full embraced nostalgia , fetch together the gang of the USS Enterprise - D and conclude a story that began over thirty years ago . TNGalready had one perfect finalein " All Good thing … " and " The Last genesis " acknowledge that with its final scene of the coreTNGcrew sitting down for a secret plan of fire hook . The conclusion to the season ’s plot line works well , but it ’s almost beside the point .
It ’s the characters and their reunification on the Enterprise - D , their link with one another , that prepare " The Last Generation " study as well as it does . From the content sent out by Federation President Anton Chekov ( voiced by Walter Koenig ) to Data ’s ( Brent Spiner ) excitement at navigate the Enterprise through the Borg cube to Counselor Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) psychically tracking her Imzadi , " The Last genesis " is a nostalgic tour - First State - force that terminate the story of the gang of the Enterprise - cholecalciferol on a gamey note .
A scene during the closing credits reveals that Jean - Luc ’s old nemesis Q ( John de Lancie ) has returned to annoy Jack Crusher in his young attitude on the go-ahead - G. While this suggest at a potential spin - off , the long - rumoredStar Trek : Legacyhas yet to be announce .
1"Subspace Rhapsody" - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Season 2, Episode 9
Star Trek’sfirst - ever melodic has no right to be as amazing as it is , but everything about this episode just lick . From the hatchway number that has everyone whistle their condition update to Spock ’s soulful prisonbreak - up song to the Klingon K - pa interlude , " Subspace Rhapsody " is screaming while remaining true to the character . Themusical number and spot - on lyricsallow the characters to divulge things about themselves they would normally keep hidden . This makes for outstanding character development , and many of the revelations in this episode have live repercussions .
Every plaster bandage penis voice enceinte ( with Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong as particular standouts ) , and everything about the episode makes it clear how well the author understand the characters . " Subspace Rhapsody " is unabashedly a musical extravaganza , but it ’s also just a phenomenal episode ofStar Trek . The scientific account for the whole scenario does not really matter , as it ’s the character that makeStar Trek’sfirst melodious a resounding achiever and the bestTrekepisode of 2023 .
Star Trek : Picard , Star Trek : Lower pack of cards , andStar Trek : Strange New Worldsare available to teem on Paramount+ .
