My apologies for not sharing before the weekend hit.

Paramount Plus is making Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Episode One, available to all on YouTube. The YT post hit Thursday, May 12, 2022.

Overall, I like what I'm seeing. This new series is starting in the right spirit of the Original Star Trek. The devil is in the details. There are a few moments that I would describe as "less than elegant". Only one scene strikes me as "clunky" in it's execution - nothing that can't be forgiven.

As we are all aware at Retro-Daze, Paramount's track record with Star Trek calls out for caution as new episodes air. My personal nit-picks are unnecessary violence, excessive weapons use, having the Enterprise partially destroyed every episode, plus a few other dislikes I'll keep to myself.

But I'm giving this Premiere Episode a big Thumbs Up - I'm pleasantly surprised. Sooo, have a go at "Strange New Worlds" for yourself!

I certainly hope it's better than Discovery!

Ya know, I was kinda happy to see Paramount Plus making this available on YouTube. But I understand that the whole Star Trek Universe has gone off the rails thanks to Discovery and Picard. There's an air of desperation setting in at Paramount/CBS - a lot of money has been spent over the rights to Star Trek, and something has to click with fans of Old Trek.

Of all the predictions about the 21st century I heard as a kid, none of them included writers that can't write, or actors that can't act. What's happened to Star Trek, Dctor Who, DC Comics and the MCU is so unbelievable that there are times when it feels like I'm trapped in some alternate universe of entertainment evil.

Whatever happens with the rest of the Strange New Worlds series, I still have no plans to subscribe to Paramount Plus. I'd rather spend my money on something else/anything else!

What I want is a Star Trek series about the formation of the United Federation of Planets. We've never been given a Star Trek detailing first contact leading to interstellar friendships and the building of an alliance between all the members of the Federation.

The over-emphasis on Kirk, Spock and the Starship Enterprise has led to a one-dimensional universe of Kirk versus the Klingons/Romulans or Kirk versus the beautiful space-babe of the week.

Who are the member planets of the Federation? How did we meet them? Can we track the development of friendships that lead to political/economic alliances?

In summary: can we have a Star Trek that is not writen by adult children?