Even though James T. Kirk has been all across the cosmos, the actor behind the pop culture icon isn't that big a believer in extraterrestrial life. In one recent interview, William Shatner called recent UFO claims "ridiculous," suggesting if aliens were in fact on Earth, they wouldn't be hiding from members of the human race.

"You mean, some highly intelligent being goes 10,000 light years with advanced technology, arrives here and hides?" Shatner recently told NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas. "It doesn't make any sense. If they're going to make that journey all the way here, it just beggars the imagination that they would hide and make it, like, 'Peekaboo, I'm here, no I'm not.'"

Shatner went on to double-down on his idea, suggesting if aliens have arrived, they shouldn't (and wouldn't) be afraid to unveil themselves.

"I mean, what could we want more than to realize that there are other life forms in the universe that have the same yearnings," the actor continued. "What's the universe about? What's after death? I mean, the monumental questions would abound, and they would be asking the same questions, but they're not here. If they were, they would make their presence known."

UFOs, UAP, and extraterrestrial life has been in the news increasingly over the past year, with things coming to a head earlier this summer when former Air Force Major David Grusch came forward with a complaint filed with the Intelligence Community Inspector General. In his complain, Grusch suggested the government is in active possession of "non-human" crafts and biologics.

"As I've stated publicly already ... biologics came with some of these recoveries, yeah," Grusch said in response to a question from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-NC). When pressed on if those biologics were human or extraterrestrial, the official confirmed "non-human" biologics are what have been recovered from certain UFO crashes.

Grusch was one of the three witnesses to testify before a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee in July. Since then, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said he hopes to introduce legislation that would force defense officials to declassify certain UFO/UAP documents.

"For decades, many Americans have been fascinated by objects mysterious and unexplained and it's long past time they get some answers," Schumer said in a statement released by his office. "The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence, and unexplainable phenomena."

For additional space and cosmic stories, check out our ComicBook Invasion hub here.

The clip from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 finale episode sees the USS Enterprise crew discover the wreckage of the USS Cayuga, the ship commanded by Captain Batel, who is involved in a relationship with Captain Pike. The Enterprise's search for survivors is hampered by Gorn interference, and a Gorn hunter ship soon appears. The Enterprise then receives a message from Starfleet informing them that the Gorn have claimed the space around the planet and ordering the Enterprise crew to remain on their side of the Gorn's demarcation line. Based on how the clip end, Pike seems unlikely to give up on finding Batel and her crew that easily. You can watch the clip below.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, and Ethan Peck as Spock, reprising the roles they first played in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2. The series also stars Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia. In addition to the season's musical episode, "Subspace Rhapsody," Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also featured a crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks, guest starring Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's finale episode debuts on August 10th. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: The Next Generation occurs about a century after Star Trek: The Original Series. Yet, it still managed to feature appearances by members of the original USS Enterprise crew. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) appeared in the second part of the two-part "Unifcation" story to celebrate Star Trek's 25th anniversary. Mr. Scott (James Doohan) appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics" in the following season. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation did not reunite the two Star Trek icons. The latest issue of Star Trek: Defiant, the most recent chapter of the Star Trek: Day of Blood crossover with the flagship Star Trek series, rectified that oversight, bringing the two former Enterprise crewmembers together for the first time in decades.

Star Trek, which, along with Defiant, is being written as if in canon between the end of Star Trek: Voyager and the film Star Trek: Nemesis, established that Mr. Scott returned to Starfleet after being rescued from a transporter buffer by the Enterrpise-D crew. "Relics" showed that Scott felt left behind by the era's new technology. Luckily, Starfleet had the perfect project for him in refitting the USS Theseus, the experimental ship first introduced in Star Trek: Year Five, IDW's series that served as a concluding arc to Star Trek: The Original Series. Captain Benjamin Sisko returned from the Celestial Temple and took command of the Theseus to hunt down whoever had been killing gods in the galaxy. Scotty has served as the ship's Chief Engineer during its mission.

Worf was also part of the Theseus' crew until Sisko proved willing to sacrifice Worf's son to stop the deicidal killer, revealed to Emperor Kahless II. Worf went AWOL, stealing the USS Defiant to pursue Kahless in another way. Stealing a Starfleet vessel is no easy task. Worf got help from Spock, who now serves as First Officer aboard the stolen ship.

Sisko's and Worf's crews are forced to join forces after the Defiant uncovers Kahless's plans. They meet on Qo'noS, the Klingon homeworld, where Kahless plans to make a bloody statement that the galaxy cannot ignore. The Defiant lands on the planet's surface, and most of the crews of both ships form an away team. Scott is left to keep the Theseus from being destroyed in the planet's orbit. When things get scary, Spock beams aboard the Theseus to offer his old friend a hand.

It's plain in the panels that Scott and Spock are happy to see one another. However, Spock is still Spock and stops short of granting Scotty's request for a hug.

Star Trek: Defiant #6 is on sale now. Star Trek: Day of Blood continues in Star Trek #11, releasing August 11th.

• Star Trek: Defiant #6
• MAY231386
• (W) Christopher Cantwell (A) Angel Unzueta (CA) Malachi Ward
• The crossover event between Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant continues here in part two of Day of Blood! Worf and Sisko begin their trek to Kahless' spire to stop the false prophet's siege of Qo'noS with each other being the last man either wants to rely on. Meanwhile, Spock takes the bridge of the Theseus, reuniting with his old friend Captain Montgomery Scott and desperately attempting to keep the Red Path's Bloodwings at bay.
• Rated T
• In Shops: Aug 02, 2023
• SRP: $4.99

Star Trek: Prodigy is still looking for a new home, and the show's creators just gave Star Trek: Voyager fans one more reason to keep the #SaveStarTrekProdigy campaign going. Showrunners/co-creators Dan and Kevin Hageman and producer Aaron J. Waltke are attending STLV: The 57-Year Mission, this year's edition of the annual gathering of Star Trek fans in Las Vegas, and participated in a Q&A session with fans. The trio of Prodigy creatives brought something special with them: a clip from Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 that brings back Robert Picardo as the voice of the Doctor and sees the USS Voyager-A take flight.

The first look at Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 is now available on Star Trek's official website. The clip sees the young crew of the USS Protostar reuniting as Starfleet Academy cadets. They're picked up by a shuttle with the Doctor aboard, who introduces himself as a good friend of Admiral Janeway. En route to their destination, the Doctor informs the cadets that they're joining a mission to observe the wormhole created by the Protostar's destruction. They'll become part of the crew of the USS Voyager-A, a newly commissioned ship bearing the name of the vessel that journeyed through the Delta Quadrant for seven years. Admiral Janeway will personally take command of the mission since so many Starfleet personnel are busy with the Romulan evacuation (as addressed in 2009's Star Trek movie and Star Trek: Picard's first season).

Will Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 happen?

Seeing this clip will excite Star Trek: Prodigy fans, but there's no guarantee that Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 will ever see release. Still, the producers said they are 99% confident that Prodigy will find a new home. In the meantime, they say the support from fans online has helped.

Star Trek: Prodigy follows the young crew of the USS Protostar, which the characters discovered on the prison colony of Tars Lamora, deep in the Delta Quadrant. Though aimed at kids, Star Trek: Prodigy drew in longtime Star Trek fans by bringing Kate Mulgrew back to voice Kathryn Janeway in both Hologram Janeway and Admiral Janeway forms

Star Trek: Prodigy's voice cast also included Brett Gray (Dal R'El), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok). The recurring voice cast includes Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Jason Alexander (Doctor Noum), Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), and Billy Campbell (Thadiun Okona).

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 is no longer streaming on Paramount+ but is available on Blu-ray and DVD. Volume One includes the show's first 10 episodes. Volume Two covers Season 1's final 10 episodes.

(Credit to TrekMovie.com, TrekCore, and Trek Central on Twitter for sharing information from the panel.)

The soundtrack to "Subspace Rhapsody," the musical episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (a first for the Star Trek franchise) is now streaming online. "Subspace Rhapsody" features original songs written by Tom Polce (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) as performed by the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast, including Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Paul Wesley, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Melanie Scrofano, Dan Jeannotte, and Carol Kane. Lakeshore Records is releasing the soundtrack, having previously released several soundtracks from Paramount+'s Star Trek shows, including the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

The "Subspace Rhapsody" soundtrack is available to stream now on services including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Here's the soundtrack's tracklist:

1. Star Trek Strange New Worlds Main Title (Subspace Rhapsody Version) - Jeff Russo (1:51)
2. Status Report - Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Melissa Navia, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Paul Wesley & Carol Kane (2:56)
3. Connect to Your Truth - Rebecca Romijn & Paul Wesley (1:51)
4. How Would That Feel - Christina Chong (4:25)
5. Private Conversation - Anson Mount & Melanie Scrofano (1:29)
6. Keeping Secrets - Rebecca Romijn (4:11)
7. I'm Ready - Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia & Dan Jeannotte (2:37)
8. I'm the X - Ethan Peck (2:25)
9. Keep Us Connected - Celia Rose Gooding (4:30)
10. We Are One - Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Melissa Navia, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Dan Jeannotte, Paul Wesley & Carol Kane (4:17)
11. Subspace Rhapsody End Credit Medley (1:38)

Making Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode

ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Dermott Downs, who directed "Subspace Rhapsody." He told us what went into making Star Trek's first musical episode.

"I would say the biggest challenge was Nurse Chapel's in the mess hall, because of this sheer, full-blown choreography that that entailed," Downs said. "She gets the whole mess hall to join her, and the only person not dancing is Spock, who's kind of watching everything he's hoped or dreamed might happen with him with her go down the tubes. She's got to fall into the arms. She's got to be crowd surfed. She's got to move through dancers that she interacts with, and yet it starts with her telling him, 'This is how it is,' and then it moves into it. There were so many elements and interactive elements to that, that that probably had the most full-blown rehearsals, just so everybody would be prepared on the day and you're not trusting someone's going to catch you, and on the day they don't."

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

This week's episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, "Subspace Rhapsody," boldly went where no Star Trek episode has gone before. It's Star Trek's first musical episode, which sees an experiment with subspace communications creating a growing anomaly that traps those within its reach in a universe of musical theater logic. The entire crew of the USS Enterprise gets caught up in it and as a result, relationships came under stress, and more than one heart is broken by the time the music stops. Even the Klingons get in on the musical festivities, both as a threat and as participants.

Star Trek; Strange New Worlds turned to Dermott Downs, a veteran of The CW's Arrowverse, to direct the episode. Speaking to ComicBook.com, he talks about filming the episode and the Sound of Music moment they imagined but ultimately left out of the episode. Here's what they told us:

Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com: How did you end up directing this musical episode? Did you volunteer, or did they pitch the idea to you?

Dermott Downs: I was a big fan of the original [Star Trek], but I had never been part of Discovery, Picard, or any of these newer iterations. I had a meeting with Secret Hideout, and they were talking about new things they were doing, things that were in production. Season 1 [of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds] hadn't dropped yet, but they were deep into Season 2 already, and they said, "We have a sitcom, three-camera comedy episode, and we have a musical." I was like, "Well, hey, I memorized the songbook to Oliver Twist at seven. I did a big Flash/Supergirl episode. I did probably multiple years of music videos under my belt. Let me pitch."

But it sort of sounded like, "God, you could be jumping the shark." How do you take an outer space show going beyond the limits of our galaxy and then turn it into a musical? But they hit the right notes. They still kept it grounded and music became a virus that infects the ship that gives exposition to things they can't normally talk about. So it still stayed grounded, and the songs just ranged from melancholic solos to a crazy duet with Anson and Batel to Nurse Chapel's celebration of freedom in the mess hall, Celia's was such a power ballad, Spock's sad, introspective reflection of who he is and seeing his relationship with Chapel not being what he would hope. You give that to songwriters, and I was fortunate to be blessed with the great cast and crew and a wonderful choreographer to really flesh that out.

What were some of the stylistic goals going into the episode? I noticed some of the numbers had more of a music video vibe than a stage musical vibe, like La'an's song that cuts to her in bed with Kirk.

The rest of the narratives take place within the place of work or the privacy of quarters like Chrissy's song, or certainly, Celia and Ethan are left alone, and those songs are really to themselves about their past and their longings. Anson's is a humiliating duet in front of everybody. Chrissy's -- she basically is witness to the end of Paul and Rebecca's song in the hallway. She's understanding what's happening, and it starts to hit her right as she's in the hallway outside her room, so she gets herself in her room, and it's a real introspective, self-examining song about how she can't express this love she has. Originally, that breakout moment, we were talking about doing something like The Sound of Music, but it just became too huge and out of step with the episode and it would've been fun to go completely opposite of outer space.

We were talking about her history with Kirk, and they were doing pickups with Amanda who directed that episode where they were on an alternate Earth, and they were in the city, and they were at that hotel. So then it became, "Okay, well what if that interior moment is just a really intimate handheld imagining of love?" I know it probably has a music video feel, but I was going for something much more like Terrence Malick and emotional. It has that visual language that we're familiar with in music videos, but I felt it served the story better than, "The hills are alive with the sound of music," even though that would've been really, really, really fun. We really tried to let each song drive it, and there's no real choreography in that. She comes into the room, and it's more getting her to the window, to the bed, and in bed, and then back up as she realized she's got to go to the bridge and share what's happening.

Some of these actors have plenty of experience in musical theater, and others don't. Did any of the cast need a little warming up to this while you were working with them? Or were they all pretty eager right out of the gate?

Yeah, they were. They were all really on board. I mean, they were coming in and rehearsing on the weekends. After work during the week, they would go to the sound studio to record their versions because we were working off like temp tracks when I came in. Ethan, Anson, and Paul, I mean, they probably were the ones that said, "Look, I've never done a musical ..." but each of their songs, I mean, Ethan did such a great job with Spock because it's him longing for this human vulnerability, yet he's still got that Vulcan mindset. There's a lot of nuance to that, and in spite of this being musical, you're moving big storylines forward.

Anson's is a kind of country duet that goes sideways in front of the whole crew. That was the one I was probably every day going, "Oh my God, I can't wait to see that and be on the set with that," because it was great. He's horrified that he's expressing this in front of everybody, and yet he's getting down on his knee to profess love. Each one was so different.

Were there any numbers that proved particularly challenging or daunting? From watching the episode, I'd that Jess Bush's number was the toughest since it involved the most choreography.

Yeah, I would say the biggest challenge was Nurse Chapel's in the mess hall, because of this sheer, full-blown choreography that that entailed. She gets the whole mess hall to join her, and the only person not dancing is Spock, who's kind of watching everything he's hoped or dreamed might happen with him with her go down the tubes. She's got to fall into the arms. She's got to be crowd surfed. She's got to move through dancers that she interacts with, and yet it starts with her telling him, "This is how it is," and then it moves into it. There were so many elements and interactive elements to that, that that probably had the most full-blown rehearsals, just so everybody would be prepared on the day and you're not trusting someone's going to catch you, and on the day they don't.

But the last number, the big finale, was shot in so many different pieces because it's all over the ship and coming together. I knew that was going to be very exciting because in focusing on these elements and knowing how you're going to transition, there's not a lot of shots here, but okay, this is the whole crew running down the hallway and the camera's going to rotate. There's no other shot here. We're going to spin this, Chapel and Babs, and find them. I knew that was going to have its fun interactive intercutting that was going to build to the Klingons in a battle of the bands.

That Klingon hip-hop interlude was something. Was that on the page, or was that developed as you were working on it, like the cut to the hotel in the Christina Chong number?

It started there, and then there was concern that maybe we had gone a bridge too far. We did more of a song number where they didn't dance and we shot that, but everybody was like, "What?" Look, okay, if somebody's worried, there is a version, but it's nowhere going to help us propel to this final conquering of the anomaly, especially if they're mortified that they've been compelled to sing. You want it to be something outrageous, it was great. It would've been funner if that was a bigger number and we could have been on the ship with them as opposed to just a screenshot but it was great. So that re-evolved to what it was, and it stayed where it was.

Did any of the songs end up getting stuck in your head? Were you humming any particular number after you left the set?

We ended on Chapel's big number, and that became the wrap to the episode, and everybody started singing that acapella, and then even the background actors were joining in. People hung out for an hour. It was the end of the episode, it was the last song, but the cast and crew hung out for other people's songs. They were so into, "Oh, what are you doing?" But "Private Conversations" was crazy, and it becomes this relationship exposed like that one, but they were also individual. Celia's power ballad, it's hard to not have that go through your head. I would say there weren't any real favorites because I thought everybody did such a great job, and I had fun trying to visualize them cinematically but still keep them grounded in how the story was moving. Music was moving their story forward.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 will be the final season of Star Trek: Discovery. Jonathan Frakes has revealed that he directed the first part of Star Trek: Discovery's fifth season finale without realizing it would be the first part of the series finale. Frakes has been involved with Star Trek: Discovery since the series brought the Star Trek franchise back to fans in 2017, directing episodes in each season of the Paramount+ streaming series. He returned to direct the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5. However, it seems that the cast and crew of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 didn't know it'd be the second-to-last episode of the series until after filming on the season had wrapped. Even the final episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 needed some updates.

"I directed the first half of the finale of Season 5, which turned out to be the real finale," Frakes told Variety in an interview conducted before the actors' striker that looks back on his long history directing Star Trek episodes. "So that was a very emotional end as well. When we did it, we didn't know it was the end. And then [Discovery executive producer and director] Olatunde Osunsanmi had to go back up and do two or three days of new stuff to actually make the finale the finale." It sounds like some extra work was needed to make the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 finale feel appropriate as a series finale.

Frakes also reflected on his time working on Star Trek: Discovery more generally, starting with the Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 episode "Despite Yourself." He says, "That was my new home, Discovery. And that first episode, getting to know Sonequa -- she's very special, on a lot of levels. She's not only a fantastic actor, but she is a great leader and very spiritual. She was very welcoming. I was very glad to be part of that company in the beginning of the series. To a person, they said, 'So what's this going to be like? What are the conventions like?' They were all being welcomed into the family in a way. Every new show has a different reaction from fans, but we're all a big family. I mean, it sounds a little Pollyanna, but it's really true."

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Cast and Synopsis

Paramount+ released a clip from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 at San Diego Comic-Con during the Star Trek universe panel and a first look trailer before that. According to the official synopsis, "The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well ... dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it."

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland "Book" Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira), and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). The season also guest stars Elias Toufexis (L'ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll) in recurring roles. David Cronenberg also returns in Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season, as seen in the clip from Comic-Con. Oded Fehr is also expected to return as Fleet Admiral Charles Vance.

CBS Studios produces Star Trek: Discovery in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth are executive producers. Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise are the series' co-showrunners.

Star Trek: Discovery's first four seasons are streaming now on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 and Season 3 are also available on the Pluto TV Star Trek channel in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Star Trek: Discovery airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. Fans can look forward to Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's premiere in early 2024.

Jonathan Frakes has been a part of Star Trek's universe for a long time, starting as William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation and eventually moving behind the camera to direct episodes of The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and two Star Trek movies. Many things have changed throughout Frakes' 36-year involvement with the Star Trek franchise, and that's no more evident than in the latest of the episodes he directed to release to Star Trek fans, the Strange New Worlds Season 2 crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Those Old Scientists."

Frakes spoke to Variety before the actors' strike and noted that guest stars Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome were allowed to improvise during filming, a freedom he and his Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars were never afforded. He told Variety that improvisation "doesn't happen a lot on Star Trek, as you probably have heard. I mean, especially in our fucking show, they were so strict. It was like we were doing Shakespeare or Chekhov."

Frakes adds that moments of improvisation, such as Newsome's character Beckett Mariner commenting on young Spock's hotness, proved "infectious" on set. He says, "It was just fantasticl" and hopes, "Maybe this will open some eyes." Indeed, that difference may be why a purely comedic episode of Star Trek, like "Those Old Scientists," couldn't have worked until now.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Paramount+ has revealed the first clip from Star Trek: Strange New World's upcoming musical episode, "Subspace Rhapsody." The crew of the USS Enterprise doesn't break into song yet, but the clip (released on The Ready Room) does set the stage for the musical numbers to come. The clip sees Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Spock (Ethan Peck), and Pelia (Carol Kane) working together in engineering on a way to improve Starfleet's subspace communications across the quadrant. Thus far, their tests haven't yielded results. However, Uhura's humming leads Pelia to suggest sending music through the subspace fold as fundamental harmonics may be the answer to their problem.

Spock lets Uhura choose which song to send through the fold. Uhura turns to the Great American Songbook, selecting the 1934 song "Anything Goes," which Cole Porter wrote for the musical of the same name. You can see the clip below.

"Subspace Rhapsody" features music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce (Letters to Cleo, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). The episode's soundtrack is already available to pre-save on streaming music services here.

"Subspace Rhapsody" is the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. It is releasing one week earlier than expected due to Paramount+ giving Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover episode "Those Old Scientists" a surprise release following the Star Trek universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where "Subspace Rhapsody" was first revealed to Star Trek fans.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

The ComicBook Nation Crew recaps Marvel's Secret Invasion Finale, reviews Disney's Haunted Mansion movie, Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series, and the epic conclusion to The Witcher Season 3. We also look at Invincible Season 2's Atom Eve Special, preview WWE NXT's Great American Bash, and dive into this week's biggest comics!

Haunted Mansion Review

In his review of Disney Haunted Mansion (2023), ComicBook.com critic Charlie Ridgley says:

Disney's new take on Haunted Mansion was always going to have its work cut out for it, thanks to the ill will earned from the 2003 film. Some wondered if the attraction was somehow unadaptable without Guillermo del Toro (who was once attached to helm the project). Enter the team of director Justin Simien and screenwriter Kate Dippold, who have made questions about Haunted Mansion's adaptability feel rather silly. Their Haunted Mansion movie is a breath of fresh air for everyone who has grown tired of Disney's lifeless live-action output of late, as well as die-hard Haunted Mansion ride fans who have been begging to see a film actually give the attraction the love it deserves.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Twisted Metal Review

In his review of Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series, gamer/critic Cade Onder said the following:

Twisted Metal is a very charming show that manages to accomplish a lot in its ten 30-minute episodes. There are tons of well-earned laughs, a diverse cast of eccentric characters with fleshed out and unique backstories, and a surprising amount of world-building. It's almost shocking that the show isn't longer, given everything it does and how well it pulls it all off. While there are some areas that suffer, such as the vehicular action scenes, everything else comes together in such a satisfying way that it makes Twisted Metal another very successful gaming adaptation.

Rating: 4 out of 5

BONUS ROUND: What's Going On With The MCU???

After the disappointments of the Secret Invasion Finale, the ComicBook Nation crew discusses what The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to do in order to get back on track:

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Watch Us On Paramount+
3. Listen via the media player embedded below.
4. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
5. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter:

• @ComicBookNation
• @KofiOutlaw
• @MattAguilarCB
• @JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

Gia Sandhu plays a Star Trek character that is simultaneously well-known and, until now, practically undefined in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. That character is T'Pring, Spock's dejected fiance introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Amok Time." That episode provided little insight into T'Pring's personality or life beyond that she was over her engagement to Spock and ready to commit to Stonn. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds adds depth to T'Pring, revealing her work as a treatment specialist for the Vulcan rehabilitation colony Ankeshtan K'til and that she really did love Spock before something drove them apart from each other.

That something may have occurred in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 5, "Charades." Spock had been made human and instead of telling T'Pring chose to keep it a secret and muddle his way through an important Vulcan ritual related to their engagement. Upon finding out, T'Pring was none too happy at being kept in the dark and decided that she and Spock needed some time apart, perhaps setting the stage for "Amok Time."

ComicBook.com had the opportunity to speak to Sandhu about bringing Vulcan romance to the Star Trek universe and adding layers to a memorable Star Trek character. Here's what she told us:

Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com: When you signed up for Star Trek, did you expect to be involved in so many goofy, romantic comedy plots, as opposed to the kind of thing the franchise is more commonly associated with -- alien encounters, phasers, science problems, etc.?

Gia Sandhu: Well, specifically with T'Pring after watching "Amok Time," I did not think that this was going to be a comedically charged character, but obviously, I'm so happy that it has gone in the direction that it's gone in. I think the levity is so important when telling the story of what's happened during Spock and T'Pring's journey in advance of "Amok Time."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has done such an interesting job of fleshing out to T'Pring's character, getting into her work, and going far beyond "Amok Time," which shows her as somewhat one-note in how she's a person stuck in an arranged marriage and not happy about it. Based on "Amok Time," how strong were your preconceptions going into the role? How much did they change as you worked on the character? How much does it resemble who you thought this character would be?

That's a good question. I think what I drew primarily from "Amok Time" was the more superficial layers of the character, because we don't really get to go behind the scenes of what's happening for T'Pring, and she's only seen very briefly. So I think what I got was a lot about just what her presence feels like, the way that she stands, the way that she speaks and there's a lot of sternness and she doesn't really give anything away, and I don't think that that's just because she's Vulcan. I think that there's a lot more to that. So it was more of that I took from the original.

And then every time the scripts come in, I kind of just go with the flow of what the script is telling me because they really are taking massive liberties with how they tell this story. I mean, the world is their oyster. The story can be whatever they want it to be, to lead into what happens in "Amok Time" and I really enjoyed what they're doing. I love that we're seeing a kindness to her and a softness to her and a vulnerability to her, and we see her as this Vulcan who's just so loyal to her love for Spock, so having all of those colors is really nice in advance of what we know happens.

I spoke to Bernadette Croft, the show's costume designer, and she mentioned that one of her favorite things to work on are the Vulcan costumes. Since you mentioned those mannerisms, and the kind of stoicism that comes with T'Pring, partly because she's Vulcan and partly because she's who she is, how much does that costume work factor into your performance for you? Do you feel that Vulcan-ness come on as you put on those pieces?

Oh, absolutely. In the first season, the waistline was really tight on those costumes. I was very corset-like. So then during the second season, I asked them to open it up a little bit because at that point I understood what the feeling was and I thought I should just be able to breathe a little bit in Season 2. And so yeah, it is very informative, not only in the feeling on the body when the costume is on, but also when I look at myself reflected in the mirror, my posture kind of changes, my shoulders go back a little bit and my neck becomes a bit more aligned with my spine and that all feels very natural to what the shape of that costume is.

Can you tell me a little bit about what you considered while you were trying to work on those scenes with Spock? Because we don't see a lot of Vulcan romance in Star Trek, and I imagine there's a challenge to making it feel genuinely romantic but still recognizably Vulcan.

I think we get to see two very different types of romantic relationships between Vulcans in this episode. I mean, the mom and dad don't feel very romantic at all; feels like a couple that's been together for a very long time and have just learned to make it work. And then of course you have T'Pring and you have Spock who are still very early on in their love story and she's obviously very much in love with Spock and of course, Spock is confused about how he feels and he spends this episode kind of, I guess, delving into himself and understanding himself better. But as far as understanding that romance, I think that it's so universal, that relationship that they have. One party is fully in, fully ready to commit and the other party's got some cold feet and some hesitations. I mean, who doesn't know what that's like?

It's interesting because you almost see T'Pring as an antagonist in "Amok Time," because she's the one forcing Spock into the challenge, but all the work that you guys are doing specifically, it makes it so much more tragic because now you see how they really were in love at some point.

And I think T'Pring is finally a bit of a sympathetic character now. You can really understand where she's coming from and the hurt that she feels and the betrayal that she feels.

I'll end this by asking, is this the moment that they split up and don't see each other again until "Amok Time"? Are they on a break? Is there a lot more up-and-down to this story of Spock and T'Pring to come?

I genuinely don't know and I am also looking forward to finding out.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 5, "Charades," Ethan Peck got to show Star Trek fans a new side of Spock, the fully human side. The episode sees Spock and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) crashing into a stable space-time vortex. Spock's body is damaged and the alien beings living within the anomaly attempt to repair him. However, with only Chapel as a point of reference, they restore Spock as a human with no trace of his Vulcan heritage. With T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) and her family making their way to the Enterprise to perform a Vulcan ritual for the betrothed, things quickly get awkward.

ComicBook.com has the opportunity to chat with Peck about the episode and what it was like playing a human Spock and the character's romance with Nurse Chapel. Here's what he had to say:

Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com: I have to wonder when you signed up to play this famously stoic, unemotional, logically-minded character of Spock, did you ever imagine the amount of romance that this role would end up involving as we got into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

Ethan Peck: Super surprised. Season 1, Episode 1 kicks off with some very romantic moments between Spock and T'Pring that I was totally floored by. I just had no idea it would kick off like that. I love where Akiva Goldsman, one of our writers and showrunners, took it. Obviously, Henry Alonso Myers, too, but Akiva directed that episode in particular.

It's so funny because Spock is famously sort of isolated and alone, and in this series, he's the one that has all these romantic relationships. It's crazy.

You've been working hard, getting these Vulcan mannerisms down. Then you get this script that's like, "Hey, you're a human in this one." What was your initial gut-check reaction to that? Was it like, "Oh, cool, I get to unclench in this one," or was it a little bit, "Come on, guys. I've been working so hard at this Vulcan thing"?

No, definitely the former. My reaction was, "Holy moly, this is going to be really challenging." Because, yeah, you're absolutely right, I've got to throw out everything I know about Spock, almost everything. The big challenge there is how far can we take this version of him without being totally untethered to the spirit of Spock. And where I landed, at least, is in these amazing qualities of Spock that I think are so essential to who he is, which are the curiosity -- he's filled with wonder, he's adventurous, he's brave -- and he's got so much depth. He gets to explore those qualities, just in a very different way this time, and that was really, really fun and liberating.

Was there a specific moment that posed a particular challenge when it came to letting go of a particular mannerism without totally dropping the character?

All the time. Every moment was like that. The first few days we were filming the episode -- and shout out to Jordan Canning, our amazing director for that episode, she was such an incredible partner in this for me, really made me feel safe and comfortable, and is such a smart and creative collaborative -- in those first couple of days, we were kind of figuring out, "Who is this guy? How loud is this guy? How big is he in his emotions and his emoting?" And the first couple of days were so discombobulating because this character is so different from the Spock that we know in so many ways, and it was really hard to let go of because I'm still dressed the same, and all of these things reinforce who he is normally. And so to be in these same environments, in the same costume, but be a totally different person was really difficult and exciting.

I know the scene was shot using the magic of television, but I have to wonder how much bacon were you actually forced to consume for that one scene.

A lot. I ate a lot of it.

Are you ever going to look at it the same way?

I'll tell you what, I didn't eat anything else that day, and I didn't want to eat bacon for a while.

Tell me a little bit about working with Jess Bush to establish that nervous energy that seems to radiate between Spock and Chapel leading up to the end of this episode. What were some of the things you talked about as far as what that chemistry should be like, and also what feedback you got from the director in that regard?

Oh, great question. I love working with Jess so much. She's so incredible in that role, and just an incredible person, as well, and we get along so well off-camera. We actually don't really speak too much about process or how things are going to be. I know how she works, she knows how I work, and we show up and see what happens, to be honest with you. We did discuss a little bit the technicalities of the kiss and what that would be like, but we really kind of hide our process from each other and then experience them in the moment together on camera. That's how I remember it.

Those sorts of moments of intimacy are really challenging because on paper it seems really intimate, but practically, it's so mechanical and needs to be done a certain way, and it's got to be discussed and choreographed, and it's just kind of silly and awkward, which really did a lot for me as Spock because I think he's silly and awkward in a lot of those sorts of situations, so, it was perfect.

In your mind, how do you define whatever this thing happening between Chapel and Spock is? I know we've got some episodes left to go, but at this point, what would you say to fans wondering about that?

Oh, that's a good question. I would say that there's some part of him that really hopes for it, that, really, he wants to fit in and he wants to belong. I think ultimately what we discover about him is that he doesn't. He doesn't belong on Earth, necessarily. He doesn't belong on Vulcan, necessarily. He's really perfectly suited to being in Starfleet and being on the Enterprise with all of these weirdos, these beautiful and intelligent weirdos.

And so I think there's a part of him that yearns so badly to have this human relationship with Chapel, but knows that that's not quite right because the same applies to T'Pring that he, I think, aches to be Vulcan and to belong with her and to belong on Vulcan. But there's some part of him that understands that that's not to be, and that's what all of these events are leading him to, that realization that neither of these are really for him. I don't think he knows that yet, but I think maybe the answers are in him, but he's just working to reveal them at this point. But I think he wants to be with her.

The show is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. A lot of people who are watching will know where they end up. Do you think there's a particular trick, be it in the performance, the writing, the directing, to make it feel just as raw and real and exciting as a traditional, "Will they, won't they," even though people may have already seen the ending?

Oh, well, I never think about where it's going. I think about the moment that we have, day to day. So, I really do my best to stay in those moments and not think too much about the bigger picture. In that moment, I think Spock looks to be with Chapel but just isn't really clear on what that means yet. I know that he has yearning and pining for her and to be with her.

There's some great stuff with Amanda Grayson in this episode. One of the scenes really reminded me of a scene from the first J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie where Spock kind of tells off the council when they start looking down on his mother. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about filming that scene. Did that scene from that movie pop into your mind or get mentioned at all, or were you purposely trying to avoid it?

No, it didn't pop into my mind, actually. When I was preparing for the role, my focus was really on Nimoy's version of the character because Zachary Quinto, I loved those movies, and I mean, I so admire him and love his performance in those movies, but he's in the Kelvin Timeline, and so if I ever have a reference come up in my mind, it's usually to Nimoy. But that's a really interesting connection, and I think goes to show you that they're both great, well-written Spocks. But again, I really try to view every moment and interpret it on my own and for what I see it to be as best I can at this point in time, knowing Spock as I do now.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

The ComicBook Nation Crew Goes DEEP on "Barbieheimer" weekend, with reviews of both Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie! PLUS, we recap what's going down at Comic-Con 2023, breakdown The Marvels Trailer and Secret Invasion Episode 5, and discuss this week's comics!

Barbie Review

In her official review of Barbie, ComicBook.com's Nicole Drum had the following to say:

Even for these tiny things, Barbie is quite possibly Gerwig's best film to date. It is insightful, hilarious, and packed with thoughtful commentary as well as an incredible amount of Easter eggs and one-liners that will reward audiences of every age and opinion on Barbie, not just on the first watch, but on multiple rewatches. Barbie pulls off the near-impossible task of taking what could have been merely a capitalist IP-driven cash grab and turned it into a celebration of and commentary on culture that gives the audience permission and encouragement to challenge not only everything they think Barbie represents but what the world asks of us mere humans as well so that we never go back into the box again.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Oppenheimer Review

Critic Patrick Cavanaugh had this to say in his official Oppenheimer review:

After a long string of crowd-pleasers that also manage to inject ambitious philosophical and existential components, Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan's most intellectual and internal experience in years. It showcases the universality of humanistic struggles without hingeing upon them entirely, while also subtly yet exponentially layering in explicit critiques of global war machines. Despite chronicling events that unfolded 70 years ago, exploring an arms race or being given conflicting information by government authorities and being expected to honor ever-changing ideologies feels immensely contemporary. With Oppenheimer, Nolan orchestrates a talented symphony of performers at the top of their game to explore an overlooked corner of history, treating it with nuance and respect while lesser hands would lean into melodrama. The movie is a tribute not only to the true-life figures who pushed the limits of science forward, but also to those who suffered the consequences of those forward-thinkers' quest for fire.

Rating: 4 out of 5

BONUS ROUND: Be Sure to Listen to our FULL SPOILERS DISCUSSION of OPPENHEIMER!

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Watch Us On Paramount+
3. Listen via the media player embedded below.
4. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
5. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter:

• @ComicBookNation
• @KofiOutlaw
• @MattAguilarCB
• @JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

Paul Wesley debuted as a Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale, and played another Captain James T. Kirk in the tragic time travel romance that was "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." He finally gets to play the James T. Kirk, though not yet a captain, in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Lost in Translation," where he meets and teams up with Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) for the first time years before he becomes her commanding officer on the Enterprise's bridge. And that's only the first of a handful of historic Star Trek meetings in the episode.

"Lost in Translation" also let Star Trek fans see Jim Kirk interacting with his brother, Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), for the first time, and ended with the very first meeting of Kirk and Spock. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Welsey about playing multiple Kirks, that understated historic meeting, and the potential for 25th-century Kirk adventures.

Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com: When you signed up to play Captain Kirk, were you aware that you'd actually be playing three different versions of Captain Kirk? Does it feel like you've done three times the prep? Or, do you like they've been, more or less, the same character?

Paul Wesley: No. Look, the first appearance I did was based on "Balance of Terror," which I watched a few times, and I remember, when I watched it, I thought, "Okay. Kirk doesn't smile very much. He's very serious. A lot of people have died. This is a very serious mission." There's very little Kirk-isms in there. There's little charm. He's a man on a mission. And he's taking everything very, very seriously." And I thought, "Okay, for this episode, I'm going to make a concerted effort to make it a little more of the serious Kirk, because this is an alternate timeline and I have that flexibility to do that." And so, I made a very conscious effort to hold back on some of that charm and, for lack of a better word, the Kirk-isms that we all know, knowing that there would be future episodes in Season 2 where I would be able to explore those facets.

So then, in Season 2, Episode 3, when I read that script, I thought, "Oh my gosh, thank God," because it is the exact opposite of the Season 1 finale, and I get to have so much fun. So then, I decided, "Okay, I'm going to make him a bit of a goofball." Because in many ways, Kirk was a goofball in TOS. Every episode is different. There are episodes where Kirk is incredibly lighthearted. There are episodes where he's actually taking himself very seriously. And so, there are so many facets of Kirk that we can explore. And I thought, "Let me do that for this one." And so, it's not that I changed, radically shifted the character. It's just more that I chose to bring out different personality traits in different episodes.

When was the first time that you fully felt like you were Captain Kirk? I know for some of the people I've talked to, it was when they put on the uniform. For some other people, it was when they sat in the chair, or wherever their station was, that it hit them they were in Star Trek. When did that moment come to you? Or was it more gradual?

I think, more gradual. And also, I don't feel like Captain Kirk yet, because he is not Captain Kirk. He's Lieutenant Kirk. And I think, for me, I don't really want him to feel like Captain Kirk yet. I want him to feel like Captain Kirk eventually. In terms of his unwavering ability to lead a ship. I think he's still growing into that. But, I do feel like James T. Kirk. I feel like, in many ways, with the interactions that I've had with, be it, Uhora, or La'an, or Ethan Peck, they've been limited now, but nonetheless, as I interact with these characters, and I form these relationships, and these character dynamics, I begin to feel more and more like James T. Kirk. Because really, James Kirk, in my opinion, he's all about the relationships that he has with people, and that's what makes him who he is. So, I think, I'm beginning to feel more Kirk as the episodes progress and as the relationship dynamics grow, if that makes sense.

I want to ask about Spock because we get what is the first meeting between Kirk and Spock and it is so understated. We get this whole episode with Kirk and Uhura, and then a brief shot of Spock sitting down with Kirk afterward. Can you talk about what filming that scene was like? I spoke to Akiva Goldsman beforehand, and he made the point that "Kirk and Spock don't know that this is the first meeting of Kirk and Spock." Did you have this discussion on set?

Actually, yeah. It's funny, and Ethan will say -- we had discussed this moment, because I remember we were on set, and Dan, the director was like, "Okay, great. Let's shoot this." And I remember we shot the first take, and I was like, "Okay, wait." And I was like, "Okay, can we just pause forT a moment here?" And I was like, "Dan, this is a really big deal. It's the first time Kirk and Spock meet. And, we're creating canon here. And, we want to really emphasize this moment. And maybe we should do this. Maybe we should..."

And he's like, "Dude, no. It's the exact opposite. They're just two dudes that are meeting. And, there's a curiosity, and there's something that draws them to one another, and there's the beginning of that friendship, but they don't know that yet. And so, let's just not try to milk this for something that it's not yet. Let's let it grow." And I thought it was a smart, understated choice because just think about how forced it could have been. Sometimes, the imagination is more powerful than anything else. And so, let's imagine what this relationship will be, as opposed to handing it on a platter to the audience.

It felt like the opposite of what the first JJ Abrams movies did where it kind of insists that Spock and Kirk have to be friends, otherwise the galaxy is doomed. This is more like, "Eh, it happens."

And it wasn't there in the beginning. I don't remember now, but initially, Spock didn't like Kirk in the JJ Abrams movies, right?

Right, because he cheated on the Kobayashi Maru test, which Spock created.

Right, right, which was interesting because, there was an animosity that then grew into a trust and a friendship, which I thought was also a pretty wise choice.

Another interesting moment in the episode is getting to see Kirk with his brother because that's not really a thing that we get to see elsewhere as Sam dies immediately in Star Trek: The Original Series. Can you talk about what discussions went into how Kirk behaves as a sibling, and what that family dynamic is like?

I think, honestly, a lot of it was on the page. It became very, very clear from day one, the minute I read their first interaction, that they had an obvious sibling rivalry. But, I made a very concerted effort, and frankly, the writing was so good that I didn't need to work that hard, to make sure that it was lighthearted and that there was still a sibling love. I think, honestly, it's meant to be funny. Sam is silly, but he's silly because he should be the better brother in many ways. He should be ahead, and dad's favorite, and perhaps even higher rank, and he should be the adventurer, but he's not. He's the scientist. He's the logic-oriented one. He chooses the safe route,, and, I think, in spite of himself, it drives him crazy, which I think is part of the humor. And Kirk is just someone who's naturally, I don't know, ahead of everyone else, and, he doesn't even quite know why. It's just being himself, and it drives Sam crazy. It's funny.

Kirk has been played by two different actors before you. Here we're seeing him in a prequel. Obviously, you might look to those other performances for inspiration, but where do you see space to add something original, to explore a side of Kirk that hasn't at all been seen in those performances?

I'm very much doing that. Look, I made a very conscious decision to do something a little different. I think some people love it, some people don't, and that's okay with me. What I really wanted was to make sure that I played a guy who was still growing into the Kirk that is very much part of pop culture history.

I didn't want the personality traits that he's known for to be fully formed yet. I wanted those to be blossoming like a flower in many ways. I wanted to explore the brainier side of Kirk. I hate to use the word nerd, but in some ways, he's a cool nerd. I drew from certain resources that allowed me to delve into that aspect. I didn't want him to be this jock guy. I wanted him to be this charming, intellectual goofball in many ways. Not to say, that he can't have acts of courageousness and pure heroism. I wanted that to still exist. But, I just wanted to layer it a little bit.

Last question I'll ask you, I don't know if you're aware of this, but Star Trek: Picard included this Easter egg where Kirk's body is in stasis at Starfleet, as a nod to a series of books where Kirk gets revived and goes, and has adventures in the future. Does the idea of playing a revitalized Kirk in the 25th century on whole new adventures appeal to you as a possibility? Hypothetically, of course?

Hypothetically, of course. Yeah, absolutely. I love this character. I honestly have been having the best time, and that's obviously a testament to the cast that I'm working with and the writers. I love it. It's fantastic. I love how much room there is to grow, and I love all the different facets of his personality. So playing Kirk in the future, I would approach that in a completely different way, and it's such a gift for an actor to be able to do that.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

Paramount+ brought some surprising Star Trek: Strange New Worlds news to the Star Trek Universe panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. Paramount+ announced that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will have the Star Trek franchise's first-ever musical episode. A trailer for the musical episode, which is titled "Subspace Rhapsody," also debuted during the presentation. You can watch it below. It features the "Subspace Rhapsody" version of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' main title theme. The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds musical episode features music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce (Letters to Cleo, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and the episode's soundtrack is already available to pre-save on streaming music services here. "Subspace Rhapsody" is the ninth and penultimate episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' second season and will debut on Paramount+ on Thursday, August 3rd.

Paramount also announced that following the advance screening of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 7, "Those Old Scientists" during the Hall H panel, the highly anticipated crossover between Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks will be made available to stream early on Paramount+. The episode will debut today at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Paramount+ in the U.S. and all Paramount+ international markets exclusively on the service. The updated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 release schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, July 22 - Episode 207, "Those Old Scientists"
• Thursday, July 27 - Episode 208, "Under the Cloak of War"
• Thursday, August 3 - Episode 209, "Subspace Rhapsody"
• Thursday, August 10 - Episode 210 (Season Finale), "Hegemony"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Paramount+ is having a massive Star Trek day today at San Diego Comic-Con, and they're giving us a bunch of new looks at all of their upcoming projects. We've already gotten the first clip from the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, and now they're giving us a new look at another series. Star Trek: Lower Decks is getting ready to release a brand new season, and during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con, we got to see a brand new trailer for their upcoming fourth season. In the trailer, we get to see what the Star Trek: Lower Decks crew has been up to since we last saw them.

You can check out the Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 trailer below!

What is Star Trek: Lower Decks about?

Paramount+ describes the animated series as follows, "Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated comedy series that follows the support crew on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380."

Star Trek: Lower Decks' cast features the "lower decks" crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos: Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Ensign Tendi, voiced by No?l Wells; and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. Star Trek: Lower Decks also features the U.S.S. Cerritos' Bridge crew: Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O'Connell; and Doctor T'Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.

CBS' Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produce Star Trek: Lower Decks. Secret Hideout's Alex Kurtzman, Roddenberry Entertainment's Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, Katie Krentz (219 Productions), and Heather Kadin are executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout) also serves as an executive producer. Titmouse (Big Mouth) is Star Trek: Lower Decks' animation studio for the series.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Season 4 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ this summer. Paramount+ has even renewed Star Trek: Lower Decks for an upcoming fifth season.

What do you think about the trailer for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4? Are you excited to see the series when it arrives later this summer? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @NateBrail up on Twitter!

Paramount+ is getting ready to release the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery, and fans cannot wait to see what happens next. Since the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, fans have flocked to it as one of the best in recent years of the franchise, and it has been successful enough to warrant five straight seasons. Star Trek: Discovery has already revealed that the fifth season will premiere on Paramount+ sometime in 2024, and their new San Diego Comic-Con panel has given us a new look at the series. During their panel, the streaming service revealed the first clip from the fifth season of the series.

You can check out the trailer below.

Star Trek: Discovery Will End with Season 5

Previously, Paramount revealed that Star Trek: Discovery will be ending with its fifth season on Paramount+ and one of the stars of the series are speaking out on it ending. Sonequa Martin-Green Released a statement on the series ending when it was announced.

"I can hardly believe that this mind-blowing journey with 'Star Trek: Discovery' is ending," Martin-Green said in a statement. "I'm astoundingly blessed by God to have played Captain Michael Burnham and to have taken part in a legacy alongside an extraordinary cast, phenomenal crew and remarkable writing team. To our most supportive partners at CBS Studios and Paramount+, who insisted on making television history, I'm deeply grateful. I'm also deeply grateful for the creative collaboration with our showrunners Michelle Paradise and Alex Kurtzman, as well as Olatunde Osunsanmi and the incomparable team of executive producers.

I will never forget how it felt to stand together as a show family, cradling the heirloom of 'Trek' with all those from the franchise at large and with the fans. The fans welcomed us into their hearts as we launched a new iteration of 'Trek' and an entire entertainment platform, and we'll never forget it. 65 episodes later, here's to the entire company of 'Star Trek: Discovery,' to the show and its fifth and final season, to its beloved fans and to all those who envision a better future. Let's fly... "

What is Star Trek: Discovery about?

Paramount+ describes the series as follows, "Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself."

What do you think about the Star Trek: Discovery clip? Are you excited to see the latest season of the series? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 5, "Charades," Nurse Chapel, played by Jess Bush, finally got what she wanted out of Spock (Ethan Peck). SPOILERS follow for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 5, "Charades." Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's latest episode gave fans Spock as they'd never seen him before, fully human. In an ironic twist, Spock's efforts to mask his transformation in order to properly honor a Vulcan betrothment ritual were successful, but his hiding the change from his betrothed, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu), led to the couple taking some time apart. Only after returning to his half-Vulcan self did Spock and Nurse Chapel finally act on the feelings they'd been harboring toward each other.

It's a complicated situation. We turned to Bush to help unpack it for us.

Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com: What was your initial reaction when you found out that your character was going to be involved in this romantic angle with Spock? Was there at all a reaction like, "Spock? You mean the one that doesn't have emotion?" Or were there no questions or hesitations?

Jess Bush: That was something that was told to me the moment I booked the role. They were like, "This is a big part of what you are going to be doing," and I was aware of their past in canon, so I was prepared and intrigued to see how that was going to play out, for sure.

There's this crackling nervous energy between Spock and Chapel in this episode. How did you go about developing their chemistry? Were there discussions with Ethan Peck or advice from the director that helped?

Ethan and I didn't really intellectualize anything. We didn't sit down and go, "This is what's going on." Because I think that often, you just have to be in open discovery mode in order for that stuff to crackle, because in real life, you're not deciding what's going to happen when you encounter someone that you're interested in or that you have complicated chemistry with, it's often really hard to put into words. So I think that for me anyway, it was more just about paying attention to what's already there, and being curious about that and leaning into it, and allowing the physical chemistry just to be.

It's interesting watching a will they-won't they style romance in a prequel, where anyone familiar with Star Trek: The Original Series will know how it ends. Do you think there is a trick or something special that goes into making it feel exciting despite that?

I think there's this cool thing about the way that they're making the show, where there are points in the story that are recognizable and staying true to the canon, but they also have allowed for deviations from that, and new complexities in relation to it being in the 2023 world rather than the '60s. Naturally, I think that it's not a far reach to allow things to be much more complex, and it's still part of their story that's never been told, so it's exciting, it's fresh, it's new, and I feel like it makes it even more romantic and tragic that you know that it's not going to work in end. I don't know, there's something gut-wrenching about that. And it's cool to fill in the gaps and be like, "Oh, how did they make it to that weird point" They could have made it there through so many different versions of a relationship. We don't know, there could be so much that could have happened in that time, and so exploring that, I think, is very satisfying.

Is there a term for what's going on with Spock and Chapel right now? Are they in the avoiding labels stage of the relationship?

It's almost like it's beyond a relationship. It doesn't really fit inside the normal bounds of a, "Oh, you are my girlfriend, you're my boyfriend," kind of thing. It's almost deeper than that, in a way.

As Chapel says at the end of the episode, it's "I don't know, shut up."

Yeah, this is just what it is, I don't know, some kind of soul connection that's undeniable, but doesn't make any convenient sense

One of the interesting things about this episode is that Spock gets transformed into a human, but otherwise, he's fine. There's no life-threatening ticking clock that's forcing him to turn back. He could go on living a human life, which means Chapel's urgent motivation to turn him back is coming from a different place and must be mixed with some feelings about Spock finally being able to express himself in more human, emotional terms. For you, what was the balance of all that going through her mind in the episode?

Yeah, it's super messy. It's super complicated. Someone else had said to me before, it's almost like a genie in the bottle moment, where you get your one wish that he is fully human, and can express to you, and is available, and animated, and can read what's going on for him. But it's also like you say, he's not going to die, but if he was to stay human, there would be a death of sorts, there would be a loss. And that's the person, the real Spock, the half-Vulcan Spock, is actually the person that she developed these deep feelings for, and for a reason. And so while it might feel good in the moment, it's not real, it's not him.

And there's also this moral counterpart, where even if she did want to just entertain that for a while and see what that was like, she would never do that. That's not her decision to make. This would be changing the course of Spock's life forever, and that's not her decision, and she'll do everything she can to make sure that she preserves the thing that is best for Spock.

I think the ending speaks to that too. She doesn't even seem to consider the idea until he's half-Vulcan again. She never settles for whatever is going on with him at that moment until the real Spock comes back.:

Totally. Yeah, because he's not in his full right mind. I think it feels iffy for her, morally iffy, to be taking advantage of that.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 has already shown us a few different sides of Chapel. There's the romantic stuff going on, but also the badass/traumatized soldier veteran fo the Klingon War. Is there a particular side her that you most enjoy playing? And are we going to see additional sides, or more digging deeper into these as the season progresses?

Definitely digging deeper into what we've broached already. In terms of the first part of your question, I don't think it's that I prefer one or the other. When I have the opportunity to explore a side of her that's more hardened, more action-based, more of a fighter, experiencing that then also informs when I'm in a softer space or having an emotional, somewhat more romantic time, the information from that other experience comes into her, just like it would for a person in real life. We're a big, complex, circular, swirling smoosh of experiences and emotions, and I don't think it really separates out. I think that it's all more

Before I let you go, just anything else you'd like to say to fans of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? Any teases of what's next for Chapel throughout the back half of the season?

Just way more. The second half of the season for Chapel is so sick, so I had a great time. So I'm really excited for you guys to see what we've put together. There's some cool stuff.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Editors note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

The ComicBook Nation Crew breaks down the SAG-AFTRA strike and what it means for so many movies and TV projects, including Deadpool 3, Fantastic Four, House of the Dragon, and more! We also deliver a full preview of 2023's San Diego Comic-Con, discuss Xbox and Activision's big win against the FTC, and review Final Fantasy 16 and this week's biggest comics!

The SAG-AFTRA Strike and Effects on Comic-Con

SAG-AFTRA has decided to strike and we are already seeing a host of productions in movies and television shut down as a result. We're also seeing promotion for current and future projects grind to a halt, with the cast leaving the Oppenheimer premiere and more talent pulling out of San Diego Comic-Con. There's also been a host of panel and event cancellations on several fronts, and the list of projects affected is growing by the minute.

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher announced the strike and spoke about why it's necessary to do something now. "What makes you think they're not interested in what's happening here?" Drescher said during the SAG-AFTRA press conference announcing the strike. "I think that they have an allegiance to all of us because we bring joy to their lives, and during COVID, they turned to us for everything. So I don't think that your assumption that they don't really care about anything but being entertained over the summer is the bottom line, when the people that give so much to them and enrich their lives in so many ways, are saying, 'We are being taken advantage of in a terrible way.' And if we let this happen to us, dollars for doughnuts, it's gonna happen to you and your family, your children, and everybody that you work with too. That's how threatening this moment is in our nation's history."

Final Fantasy 16 Review

Matt Aguilar and Logan Moore dive into Square Enix's latest Final Fantasy and if it's worth your time, and while there's even more to explore in the game, Moore is excited to do just that. In his review in progress, Moore wrote "The review embargo has finally lifted for Final Fantasy XVI so I can now tell you that the latest game in Square Enix's long-running RPG series is pretty great -- at least based on what I've played so far. Unsurprisingly, Final Fantasy XVI is a long game and it's one I want to spend as much time with as possible before writing our full review for ComicBook.com. If you're planning to pick up FFXVI for yourself and play it in the coming days, though, I have a hard time imagining that you'll be disappointed."

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Watch Us On Paramount+
3. Listen via the media player embedded below.
4. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
5. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter and Threads

• @ComicBookNation
• @KofiOutlaw
• @mattaguilarcb
• @JanellWheeler
• @ConnorCaseyCB

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

A new Star Trek roleplaying game is coming later this year. Today, Modiphius Entertainment announced Captain's Log Solo Roleplaying Game, a new solo tabletop roleplaying game that will be released in August 2023. The game uses a streamlined version of the Star Trek Adventures rules, with players writing their own captain's log as they explore the galaxy in either creator or randomly generated adventures. Notably, Captain's Log Solo Roleplaying Game will let players play in any era of Star Trek, ranging from the 21st to 32nd century.

The game also allows for cooperative play with friends serving as senior staff, or with a gamemaster facilitating the answers. Star Trek Adventures gamemasters can also use the random story tables in Captain's Log when planning Star Trek Adventures campaigns.

Modiphius has published Star Trek Adventures since 2017, with supplements covering how to play a variety of characters in the Star Trek world. While initial supplements focused on Federation crew members and ships, the game expanded to cover the Klingon Empire and dozens of other alien species for use in character creation. In the past year, Modiphius has released a sourcebook based on Star Trek: Lower Decks and player character sheets for characters from current Star Trek shows.

Several other Star Trek board games have either been released or are due for release this year, including the PvP focused Star Trek Away Missions and the puzzle focused Star Trek Cryptic.

Digital PDFs of Captain's Log Solo Roleplaying Game are available now, and print copies of the game are expected to be available in August 2023.

Fisher-Price's put an pop culture spin on their iconic Little People toys with Collector lineup of special edition figures that are targeted for adults. They've been a hit with adorable 2.5-inch figures based on characters from classic shows like Parks and Rec and The Office as well as movies like The Lord of the Rings series. Today they added the the original Star Trek crew to the collection with a set that's earmarked as an Entertainment Earth San Diego Comic-Con 2023 exclusive, but interested parties can reserve one online right here at EE for $24.99 (free US shipping on orders $59+ using the code FREESHIP59 at checkout).

Naturally, the set includes Captain James T. Kirk with a phaser, First Officer Spock with a tricorder (he might also be giving the Vulcan salute, though it's hard to tell), Chief Communications Officer Nyota Uhura, and Chief Helmsman Hikaru Sulu. Each figure is wearing its iconic Starfleet uniform with the delta insignia and stands about 2 1/2-inches tall. Also make sure to take a close look at the packaging when it arrives. Fisher-Price loves to plant all kinds of Easter eggs on the boxes.

Entertainment Earth notes that "this item will first be sold at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 at the Entertainment Earth Booth #2343. If supplies remain after the show, your order will be filled and shipped to you then, in August 2023." You won't be charged until it ships, so you have nothing to lose if they all sell out at SDCC.

While you're at it, you might want to check out Little People Collector sets that launched back in June that are based on The Big Lebowski, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Suicide Squad (Comics), The Notebook, and the upcoming Barbie Movie. That's right, Ryan Gosling does double duty in this wave, which is probably some sort of record for the line. Pre-orders for all of the new Little People Collector sets can be found via the links below priced at $24.99 each.

• The Big Lebowski Little People Collector Figure Set: Order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski with his signature drink, Donny Kerabatsos and his bowling ball, Walter Sobchak with his "cheap urn" coffee can, and Maude Lebowski dressed in her dream sequence Viking costume
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine Little People Collector Figure Set: Order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes detectives Jake Peralta and Rosa Diaz, plus Captain Raymond Holt with Mr. Hootsworth and Sergeant Terry Jeffords with his beloved yogurt.

• The Notebook Little People Collector Figure Set: Order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes characters Noah Calhoun and Allison "Allie" Hamilton, both styled in likenesses from a famous scene in the film.
• Barbie: The Movie Little People Collector Figure Set: Order at Entertainment Earth: Includes Barbie in a gingham dress, a President Barbie figure in a pink & gold dress, Ken in his beach attire, and Barbie's business meeting-ready friend, Gloria.
• Suicide Squad Little People Collector Figure Set: Order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes Harley Quinn with her mallet, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc.

Star Trek: Prodigy's final Season 1 episodes are getting a physical media release. Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1 - Episodes 11-20 is available to pre-order now on Blu-ray and DVD from Amazon. When Paramount+ removed Star Trek: Prodigy from its library after canceling the previously announced second season of the Star Trek series, it made the second half of Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 only available by purchasing episodes digitally from storefronts like Amazon and Apple TV since only the show's first 10 episodes had been released on physical media. Amazon now lists the Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1 - Episodes 11-20 Blu-ray and DVD for release on September 26th. Fans should probably pre-order soon since the Blu-ray of Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1: Episodes 1-10 sold out at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, after Paramount+ announced its removal (it's back in stock now).

While the new Blu-ray and DVD release guarantees that Star Trek: Prodigy's first season will be available via physical media, there's been no further word on finding a new home for Star Trek: Prodigy's still in-production second season. Paramount+ previously announced plans to release Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 in winter 2023 with work on the season said to be nearing completion. But now, rather than streaming it on Paramount+, Paramount will try to sell the series to another streaming service or television network. Without a new home for If Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, several of the animated series' dangling plot threads will go unresolved, including the fate of Star Trek: Voyager favorite Cakotay, voiced by original actor Robert Beltran, for whom Adrmial Janeway, voiced by Kate Mulgrew, has been searching.

What is Star Trek: Prodigy?

Star Trek: Prodigy follows the young crew of the USS Protostar, which the characters discovered on the prison colony of Tars Lamora, deep in the Delta Quadrant. Though aimed at kids, Star Trek: Prodigy excited longtime Star Trek fans by bringing back Kate Mulgrew to voice Kathryn Janeway in both Hologram Janeway and Admiral Janeway forms

Star Trek: Prodigy's voice cast also included Brett Gray (Dal R'El), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok). The recurring voice cast includes Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Jason Alexander (Doctor Noum), Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), and Billy Campbell (Thadiun Okona).

Star Trek is beaming into Hall H once again for this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Paramount+ will bring Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Discovery to the event for a Star Trek Universe panel that promises "exclusive content" from each of the shows. The panel happens on Saturday, July 22nd from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. local time. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is in the midst of its second season on Paramount+ and will also have a booth on the convention floor (3529). Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 will debut later this year. Star Trek: Discovery will have its fifth and final season on Paramount+ in 2024. With both Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks featured on the panel, perhaps fans will get to see footage from the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode guest-starring characters from Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Star Trek will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series with a celebration panel on Friday, July 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Room 25ABC. The panel, run by the Star Trek brand team, promises to reveal "the latest in publishing, gaming, and beyond with one-of-a-kind giveaways, exclusive sneak peeks, and special panelists," suggesting new books, comics, and merchandise tied to Star Trek: The Animated Series could be revealed during the panel.

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 2 continues

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returned to Paramount+ for its second season in June. At four episodes in, the season has brought back classic Klingons, included a tense legal drama, a doomed love story through time between Captain Kirk and one of Khan's descendants, and revisited the traumatizing mission from Pike's past (with some great costumes), which also finally gave Lt. Ortegas her time to shine.

Next week's episode sees Mr. Spock and Nurse Chapel flying into a rift in space-time. The crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks, directed by Jonathan Frakes, is still to come.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

The ComicBook Nation Crew reveals the best, worst, and most surprising content (movies, TV, games, comics) of 2023 so far, as we reach the mid-year point! PLUS, we reveal our early reaction to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, recap the new episode of Secret Invasion, and talk about the biggest comics of the week!

Mission: Impossible 7 Reactions

Host Kofi Outlaw had the following to say about Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One:

After rewatching multiple installments I can say that #MissionImpossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 falls somewhere in the middle of the franchise for me. Too overstuffed with characters, and too simplistic in narrative turns - despite gripping tension & some truly awesome stunts.

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Watch Us On Paramount+
3. Listen via the media player embedded below.
4. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
5. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter:

• @ComicBookNation
• @KofiOutlaw
• @MattAguilarCB
• @JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!