Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is now the reigning king of the Star Trek television franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. While fans have only seen the first episode of the latest Star Trek series to debut on Paramount+, critics have seen the first half of the first season, and they love what they saw. Strange New Worlds. It has now settled in with an impressive 98% fresh rating on the aggregation site. That’s the best score not only in the modern Star Trek era but in franchise history. The critical consensus reads, “Strange New Worlds treks across familiar territory to refreshing effect, its episodic structure and soulful cast recapturing the sense of boundless discovery that defined the franchise’s roots.”
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Of course, that’s still only based on the first season, but most Star Trek shows improve until they peak somewhere in the middle. If Strange New Worlds is starting this strong, that’s a good sign.
For comparison, we’ve listed the entire Star Trek franchise in order of their Rotten Tomatoes score (sans Star Trek: The Animated Series, which has a 94% rating but on too few reviews to compare to the rest of the franchise). You can take a look below.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike at the helm of the USS Enterprise in the years before Star Trek: The Original Series. The series brings back fan-favorite stars from Star Trek: Discovery‘s second season: Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Pike, Spock, and Number One before Captain Kirk’s command of the USS Enterprise, as they explore new worlds across the galaxy. The series also stars Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+. Its second episode, “Children of the Comet,” debuts this week.
Star Trek: Enterprise
Tomatometer: 55%
Synopsis: Set in the mid-22nd century, over 100 years before James T. Kirk helmed the famous vessel, this installment of the Star Trek franchise is set on the Enterprise NX-01 — the first Earth starship capable of warp 5 — and explores the history of the interplanetary upheaval that eventually leads to the formation of the Federation.
Critical consensus (Season 1): While some may find Star Trek: Enterprise a welcome return to a familiar universe, it’s equally as likely to repel those uninterested in mining stories from the franchise’s past.
Star Trek: Voyager
Tomatometer: 76%
Synopsis: Kathryn Janeway is the captain of a starship that is lost in space and must travel across an unexplored region of the galaxy to find its way back home. On its way, the crew encounters different species they must deal with, but find that all their adventures only make them long for home.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Star Trek: Voyager breaks the Star Trek mold with a brand new final frontier and the fierce leadership of the franchise’s first female captain.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Tomatometer: 80%
Synopsis: The iconic series Star Trek follows the crew of the starship USS Enterprise as it completes its missions in space in the 23rd century. Captain James T. Kirk — along with half-human/half-Vulcan science officer Spock, ship Dr. “Bones” McCoy, Ensign Pavel Chekov, communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura, helmsman Lt. Hikaru Sulu and chief engineer Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott — confront strange alien races, friendly and hostile alike, as they explore unknown worlds.
Critical consensus (Season 1): An optimistic ode to humanity, Star Trek may look dated, but its gadgetry and solid storytelling solidify its place as one of pop culture’s most enduring franchises.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Tomatometer: 83%
Synopsis: Star Trek: Lower Decks focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford, and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship’s bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs, and Doctor T’Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74’s Star Trek: The Animated Series, but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Fun, but not very bold, Lower Decks flips the script on Star Trek regulation just enough to stand out in the franchise, if not the greater animation landscape.
Star Trek: Discovery
Tomatometer: 86%
Synopsis: Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for CBS All Access, the story of Star Trek: Discovery begins roughly a decade before Captain Kirk’s five-year mission — as portrayed in the original Star Trek from the 1960s — and a century [after] the events of Star Trek: Enterprise. The series follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they encounter new worlds and civilizations, delving into familiar themes and expanding upon an incident that has been talked about within the franchise’s universe, but never fully explored.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Although it takes an episode to achieve liftoff, Star Trek: Discovery delivers a solid franchise installment for the next generation — boldly led by the charismatic Sonequa Martin-Green.
Star Trek: Picard
Tomatometer: 86%
Synopsis: Retired admiral Jean-Luc Picard — still deeply affected by the loss of Lieutenant Commander Data and the destruction of Romulus — steps into the next chapter of his life.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Anchored by the incomparable Patrick Stewart, Picard departs from standard Starfleet protocol with a slower, serialized story, but like all great Star Trek it tackles timely themes with grace and makes for an exciting push further into the final frontier.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Tomatometer: 91%
Synopsis: A spinoff of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine is set on a space station near the planet Bajor. This time, Commander Benjamin Sisko is in charge of a diverse crew. But unlike other Star Trek series, there’s no USS Enterprise to help them. Sisko and the crew must fight off rival alien species who want control of Deep Space Nine because of its strategic position close to a wormhole, which allows speedy travel to the far reaches of space.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Deep Space Nine‘s first season lays the groundwork for what could be the grittiest Star Trek series yet.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Tomatometer: 91%
Synopsis: Featuring a bigger and better USS Enterprise, this series is set 78 years after the original series — in the 24th century. Instead of Capt. James Kirk, a less volatile and more mature Capt. Jean-Luc Picard heads the crew of various humans and alien creatures in their adventures in space — the final frontier.
Critical consensus (Season 1): It may never be the original series, but with an exciting new mission and an expansive ensemble, Star Trek: The Next Generation proves to be an engaging introduction to a bold new final frontier.
Star Trek: Prodigy
Tomatometer: 93%
Synopsis: A motley crew of young aliens in the Delta Quadrant find an abandoned Starfleet ship, the U.S.S. Protostar; taking control of the ship, they must learn to work together as they make their way towards the Alpha Quadrant.
Critical consensus (Season 1): (None yet)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Tomatometer: 98%
Synopsis: Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One explore new worlds around the galaxy on the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Critical consensus (Season 1): Strange New Worlds treks across familiar territory to refreshing effect, its episodic structure and soulful cast recapturing the sense of boundless discovery that defined the franchise’s roots.
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