10 Best Episodes Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Ranked

One of the franchise’s best shows in years, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has some incredible episodes. By capturing the spirit of early Trek, like Gene Roddenberry’s The Original Series, SNW has been able to successfully bounce between lighthearted romps and more serious character studies with ease, giving fans a little bit of everything. 

If you’re a fan of the show, you know its best episodes rival some of the best Trek of all time. With Season 4 already in production and a final fifth season on the way, now is the perfect time to revisit the S-tier episodes across the three existing seasons. Containing at least one episode from every season, this is the ideal watchlist for those who want a rundown of the best Strange New Worlds chapters.

10) “Spock Amok”

A great shore leave episode with the twist being that Spock and T’Pring accidentally switch bodies during a Vulcan meditation ritual. Hijinks ensue as Spock (in T’Pring’s body) struggles through a diplomatic mission, while T’Pring (in Spock’s body) has to fake being Spock in front of his crew. Meanwhile, Chapel and Ortegas inject some heart via subplot.

This episode is excellent because it’s lighthearted while still offering some important character development. By Episode 5 of the series, the characters feel fully realized, with the actors comfortably finding their groove and shifting between serious and playful tones. T’Pring, in particular, is a standout; the Vulcan role is challenging to pull off, but actress Gia Sandhu nails it.

9) “Terrarium”

Lt. Erica Ortegas finally steps into the spotlight in perhaps the best Season 3 episode. A routine planetary survey mission goes sideways, leaving Ortegas stranded and forced to survive using only her wits and grit. The plot is simple and certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it delivers an extremely satisfying emotional payoff. Not to mention that Melissa Navia gives one of her best performances.

The pacing and character focus result in a showcase episode that sings the praises of the under-sung bridge crew. It’s tender, tense, beautifully acted, and contains all the best things Strange New Worlds has to offer. Fans and critics alike were caught off guard by how moving it was, with many calling it a “tearjerker.”

8) “Subspace Rhapsody”

The infamously devisive musical episode kicks off when a strange subspace field causes the crew of the Enterprise (and eventually the Klingons) to spontaneously break into song. It’s a musical extravaganza that includes a heartbreaking ballad from La’an and a jazz number from Spock. Whether you’re a musical person or not, there’s no denying the energy and creativity that exudes from this episode.

Historically, Star Trek hasn’t taken itself too seriously and isn’t afraid to poke fun at its own absurdity. The outlandishness of this SNW episode harkens back to the whimsical energy of TOS. There’s also something vulnerable about hearing a character sing; it makes you feel like you know them better. Even reluctant fans have admitted the Klingon performance was worth the ride. Likely a response to the audience feedback that Trek had become too serious in recent years, “Subspace Rhapsody” is top-tier as long as you aren’t allergic to fun. 

7) “Hegemony”

Season 2’s gripping finale delivers a tense standoff with the Gorn and one of the best Trek cliffhangers ever. The episode puts Captain Pike in a moral crisis as he’s forced to choose between carrying out a risky rescue mission or pulling back to preserve the ship and crew. Along the way, key characters make moves that will create big ripples throughout Season 3. The pacing sustains an adrenaline rush, with just enough horror-movie cues to turn the Gorn into a genuinely scary adversary.

“Hegemony” has everything you want in a Trek finale, including high stakes, political implications, major character development, and an excellent final act. Fans celebrated it as a perfect hybrid of DS9’s grit and TNG’s heart. 

6) “Under the Cloak of War”

The crew confronts the psychological consequences of war in this flashback episode centered on the Klingon-Federation conflict. Told through the eyes of Dr. M’Benga and Nurse Chapel, the story unpacks the brutality and lasting effects of combat. A brilliant performance from Babs Olusanmokun gives the episode its weight, and the script isn’t afraid to probe tough questions about violence and justice. 

Calling back to DS9 and Voyager episodes that showed the scars left behind by battle. Chapel and M’Benga get some of their strongest material of the series. The morally complex storytelling is supported by stellar acting. It’s a more mature episode that serves as the perfect counterbalance to Season 2’s more absurd episodes, like the aforementioned “Subspace Rhapsody.”

5) “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”

When a temporal anomaly sends La’an Noonien-Singh into an alternate future, she teams up with an unexpected partner: an alt-version James T. Kirk. The episode that follows is an emotional journey through a different timeline. Christina Chong and Paul Wesley deliver excellent performances that inject humanity into the high-concept plot.

Beyond the time-travel twist, the compelling character narrative had fans calling this the most emotional episode since The Next Generation. Wesley’s Kirk is the best version of the character in years, and Chong’s heartbreak is enough to bring a tear to any eye. Many Trekkies have even expressed they’d watch an entire spin-off of these two working to restore the universe.

4) “Memento Mori”

Season 1’s “Memento Mori” leans dark and suspenseful to give us one of the defining episodes of the series. Trapped in the murky space fog, the Enterprise crew is hunted by an unseen predator. From there, we are led through a submarine-style thriller that excels in creating terrifying claustrophobia. La’an is forced to relive her childhood trauma while leading the charge to save the ship.

For many, this was the moment Strange New Worlds declared itself the best new Trek. There’s a great callback to TOS’s “Balance of Terror” and stunning performances, particularly from Christina Chong and Anson Mount. Even when the physics get a little funky (as is known to happen in Trek), the tone and sincerity keep it grounded throughout. Overall, it’s a heroic and harrowing story that deserves its place among the top five standouts.

3) “Those Old Scientists”

In a brilliant crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks, animated characters Boimler and Mariner accidentally find themselves on the live-action Enterprise, and of course, chaos ensues. The episode is perhaps the comedy highlight of the series, filled with hilarious self-aware tropes and even a sweet final message.

As many Trekkies today consider both SNW and Lower Decks to be the best contemporary Trek outings, doing a crossover was a genius play. Performed and directed with heart and humor (thanks to Trek legend Jonathan Frakes behind the camera), the episode had audiences laughing, crying, and even rewinding for Easter eggs. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome absolutely nail their live-action characters, and SNW flexes its ability to blend genres.

2) “Ad Astra Per Aspera”

This fan-favorite, all-timer episode brings Trek back to the courtroom. When Number One (Una Chin-Riley) is put on trial for hiding her genetically modified background, the episode becomes a legal drama that transcends Trek to offer an allegory of the systems in place in our own world, where the root problems lie, and what it means to try for better. If a characteristic of great Star Trek is that it is philosophical, this fits the bill and delivers one of the most interesting and thoughtful episodes, possibly in the entire franchise. 

Rebecca Romijn’s performance alone is worth a rewatch, and Yetide Badaki’s perfect guest spot as her defense attorney is the icing on the cake. Ultimately, fans fell in love with this episode because it recaptured the soul of Trek. It asks big questions about who we are, who we want to be, and how society grapples with implicit bias. It’s a story that you walk away from wanting to be the best version of yourself.

1) “A Quality of Mercy”

Taking the top spot is the Season 1 finale, “A Quality of Mercy,” which is no doubt among the greatest Star Trek episodes of all time. Pike is granted a glimpse into a chilling future in which he avoids his own tragic fate, but at a horrible cost to the galaxy. With Captain Kirk introduced into the mix and the delicate threading of lore from TOS’s “Balance of Terror,” the episode is a gorgeous reimagining. It does the impossible by both enriching the original story and recapturing a sense of urgency that hasn’t been felt enough in recent franchise history.

Audiences and critics have agreed that this is one for the Trek history books. It builds upon the lore in an additive rather than reductive way, and every element, from production to acting to writing, is firing on all cylinders. After a great first run, Strange New Worlds S1 ended on a note that had fans celebrating the triumphant return of Star Trek.

What’s your favorite SNW episode and why? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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