Does Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Feel Weird So Far? Here’s Why

Published Aug 13, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 4 - "A Case Of Chiaroscuro"Attentive viewers may have noticed that the first four episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 feel a little off. This is not because of the season's inventive genre shifts, but because of changes in the series' production that have affected the rhythms of Strange New Worlds season 4's serialized character arcs. Directed by Meera Menon and written by Skylar Ojeda and Dana Horgan, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 4, "A Case of Chiaroscuro" is a film noir homage to Casablanca. It's the fourth of as many genre changes for season 4, which began with a time-traveling premiere before Strange New Worlds shifted gears into horror and madcap comedy. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's odes to popular movies are also impossible to miss. Season 4's premiere nodded to Jurassic Park and John Carter, while episode 2 learned hard into Event Horizon and The Shining, and the third adventure was The Hangover and Dude, Where's My Car? filtered through a Star Trek lens. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4’s First 4 Episodes Are Airing In A Different Order From How They Were Produced Image credit: Paramount+ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is episodic, like Star Trek: The Original Series, but the prequel's character arcs are serialized. Thus, it's easy to track the growth and evolution of the USS Enterprise's crew. Fans attuned to Strange New Worlds' character shifts can feel how season 4's first four episodes have aired in a different order from how they were produced. ScreenRant and other outlets and critics received screeners, which included title cards that detailed the production and airing order of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4' first four episodes: Episode Title Airing Order Production Order "Valles Marineris" 401 401 "The Griffin Incident" 402 404 "Human Best Friend" 403 402 "A Case Of Chiaroscuro" 404 403 After Strange New Worlds season 4's time travel premiere, the comedic "Human Best Friend" was originally planned as episode 2, followed by the noirish "A Case of Chiaroscuro." The scare fest of "The Griffin Incident" was supposed to come fourth, but instead, was released as the second episode. The shift can be felt most strongly when observing Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh's (Christina Chong). In "Valles Marineris," La'an punches a dinosaur, confirming her fears that being turned into a Vulcan (or a Romulan) in Strange New Worlds season 3 activated her recessive augment DNA and is changing her. If Strange New Worlds season 4 had aired in production order, then La'an's psychotic behavior while intoxicated in "Human Best Friend" would have led her to seek out Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) to monitor and counsel her mood swings and paranoia in "A Case of Chiaroscuro." Then, La'an would've been possessed by the evil entity in "The Griffin Incident." Now, La'an's character arc in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 has her being infected by the Griffin's evil in episode 2, but waiting until episode 4 before confessing to Spock (Ethan Peck) that her augment DNA is changing her. Had "The Griffin Incident" been episode 4, it would have been a more natural and alarming escalation of La'an's troubles, instead of something she seems to have shrugged off. It still works as is, but the shift is noticeable to attuned viewers. "The Griffin Incident" becoming episode 2 affects Lt. Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) even more. James endures the horrors of seeing a vision of his brother, Lt. Sam Kirk's (Dan Jeannotte), gruesome death, and then being stabbed and nearly killed by La'an. However, Kirk shows no ill effects of his ordeal in "Human Best Friend," which would make sense if "The Griffin Incident" had happened after it, as the production originally intended. Finally, "A Case of Chaioscuro" was Una Chin-Riley's (Rebecca Romijn) first away mission since her promotion to Commander, and Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) congratulates her, despite weeks having passed. It gives the sense that the events of this episode were supposed to happen sooner. Strange New Worlds Season 4’s Airing Order Makes It Like Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Image credit: Paramount+ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's episode airing switcheroo echoes what happened with Star Trek: The Original Series season 1. A TV series as ambitious as Star Trek had never been done before, and NBC was uncertain about how to air it, while the complicated (for its era) production and visual effects delayed the delivery of certain episodes. NBC chose "The Man Trap," the fifth episode produced, to be the series premiere of Star Trek seen by viewers on September 8, 1966. This meant that the actual pilot episode (the second produced after NBC rejected "The Cage"), "Where No Man Has Gone Before," became the third episode to air. This remains jarring six decades later as the USS Enterprise's Starfleet uniforms are different and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) wasn't in the episode. Most episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 aired out of production order. "The Corbomite Maneuver," for example, was the third episode produced but became the 10th Star Trek episode aired on NBC. The jumbled airing makes for occasionally strange viewing, since many Star Trek characters and concepts were still being developed as season 1 was produced, and some episodes would contradict others. Unlike Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, however, the original 1966 Star Trek was truly episodic and did not have the same kind of character arc and growth as Paramount+'s modern streaming series. Star Trek: The Original Series episodes can be viewed in any order and, indeed, watching certain episodes in a different order than how they aired can improve the experience. Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment The Final FrontierTrivia Challenge 🚀ShipsEnterprise! ⭐CrewMake it so ☠EnemiesResistance is… ⚡TechWarp speed! 📖LoreLive long… ENGAGE → 01 The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series? ANCC-1701-D BNX-01 CNCC-1701 DNCC-74656 ✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager. ✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager. NEXT → 02 Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character? AData BSpock CTuvok DSarek ✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise. NEXT → 03 Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called? AThe Temporal Accord BGeneral Order One CThe Omega Directive DThe Prime Directive ✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake. ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols. NEXT → 04 “Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called? AThe Borg BThe Dominion CThe Romulans DSpecies 8472 ✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.” ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.” NEXT → 05 Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him? AWilliam Shatner BAvery Brooks CPatrick Stewart DScott Bakula ✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard. NEXT → 06 Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called? ATranswarp Drive BWarp Drive CSlipstream Drive DSpore Drive ✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive. NEXT → 07 At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called? AThe Prometheus Trial BThe Omega Simulation CThe Corbomite Maneuver DThe Kobayashi Maru ✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario. NEXT → 08 In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain? AKhan Noonien Singh BGeneral Chang CQ DGul Dukat ✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record / 8 Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty? ↻ RE-ENGAGE Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+.