Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas already done one episode inspired byBuffy the Vampire Slayer,and season 4 will have an episode inspired byBuffy’sspin-off,Angel.Since its 2022 premiere,Strange New Worldshas experimented with numerous genres and storytelling techniques, swinging from humor to horror and everything in between.
At San Diego Comic-Con’sStar TrekUniverse Hall H panel, whichScreenRantattended, the folks behindStrange New Worldsrevealed a brief teaser for the show’s upcoming fourth season.WhileStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3is currently streaming on Paramount+, the fourth season recently wrapped filming.
The Comic-Con teaser reveals that season 4 will feature an episode in whichCaptain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is transformed into a puppet.The episode will feature puppets created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop,although it remains to be seen who else besides Pike will get the puppet treatment. Check out the teaser below:
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Copying A Buffy Universe Gimmick Again
First A Musical, & Now A Puppet Show
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis not the first series of its kind to feature an episode with puppets.Angel,thespin-off ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer,delivered an episode that sawthe titular vampire, Angel (David Boreanaz), get turned into a puppet,much to the amusement of his friends.
Several puppeteers from The Jim Henson Company contributed toAngelseason 5, episode 14, “Smile Time,” and the episode received positive reviews from critics and was even nominated for a 2005 Hugo Award.
The excellentBuffy the Vampire Slayermusical episode,“Once More, With Feeling,” also inspired the creative team behindStrange New Worlds.In season 2, the show deliveredStar Trek’svery first musical episode, entitled “Subspace Rhapsody,' which ended up being one of the best episodes of the series so far.
As in “Once More, With Feeling,” “Subspace Rhapsody” featured entirely originalsongs that revealed the personal feelings of the characters,allowing them to express things they may have otherwise kept hidden. “Once More, With Feeling” is widely regarded asone ofBuffy’sbest episodes, and with good reason.
While magic was typically the cause of the shenanigans onBuffyandAngel,Star Trekgenerally provides a more technobabble-type solution,sometimes involving aliens or strange space anomalies. But ultimately, if the episode is good enough, the reason behind the sudden singing or puppet transformation becomes incidental.
Why A Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Puppet Episode Will Probably Work
Strange New Worlds Has Seen Great Success With High-Concept Episodes
In only two full seasons so far,Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas proven its ability to pull off high-concept episodesthat play with genre and tone. Clearly created by people who love and understandStar Trek,Strange New World’s “Subspace Rhapsody” was a great musicalepisode full of important character development, with creative (and catchy) musical numbers.
Strange New Worldsalso delivered a brilliant crossover with the animatedStar Trek: Lower Decks, which sawEnsigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid)and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) make the jump to live action.“Those Old Scienists” was packed with references toStar Trekhistoryand even featured a brief scene of Captain Pike and his crew in animation.
With the success of episodes like these, it’s no surprise thatStrange New Worldscontinues to take"big swings,“and “Once More, With Feeling” and “Smile Time” are both great episodes to draw from. The creative team behindStar Trek: Strange New Worldsclearly knows what they are doing, and it’s hard to imagine a puppet episode being anything other than a success.
