Beloved 'Star Trek' Series With a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes Gets Unexpected Season 5 Update

It is a real good news, bad news situation for fans of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The good news is that the series has been renewed for Season 5 even before Season 3 debuts on Paramount+ on Jul. 17, 2025. The bad news is that Season 5 will be the final season for Strange New Worlds.

Variety confirms that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5 will be the final season for the hit Paramount+ series. The final season will consist of six episodes instead of the traditional ten episodes of past seasons. Executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Alex Kurtzman said in a joint statement that they were “deeply grateful to Paramount+ for the chance to complete our five-season mission, just as we envisioned it, alongside our extraordinary cast and crew.” The statement continued by saying:

"From the very beginning, 'Strange New Worlds' set out to honor what 'Star Trek' has always stood for — boundless curiosity, hope and the belief that a better future is possible, and to the passionate fans who’ve boldly joined us on this journey — thank you. With three more spectacular seasons ahead for you to see and enjoy, this adventure is far from over."

Live Long, and Prosper, 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

While it is great to hear Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will get to go out on its own terms, it is certainly disappointing for fans who hoped it could match the seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It appears five seasons is the norm for Star Trek series on Paramount+, as both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks also ran for five seasons. Even though Strange New Worlds can say it ran for five seasons, outlasting the three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series, due to the lower episode count of streaming shows, it will have fewer than its 1966 predecessor, which had 79 episodes against Strange New Worlds' 46.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' conclusion is shocking, given the positive reaction it has received from fans and critics, but it is also inevitable. With Strange New Worlds being a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, characters like Captain Pike, Spock, and Uhura have set destinations that fans knew the timeline would eventually catch up with. The tragic fate of Christopher Pike has been hanging over the series since the beginning, and, like the Enterprise's five-year mission, it is finally coming to an end. The question is whether the series can give its characters their own satisfying conclusion while also leading into what fans know about Star Trek: The Original Series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5 is not expected to air for some time. Season 4 is currently filming and is expected to have a summer 2026 premiere date, which means Season 5 will not air until 2027 if it follows a similar trajectory. That will give fans plenty of time to prepare to say goodbye to the cast of Strange New Worlds, and hope it may continue in some spin-off series. With Paul Wesley playing Captain James T. Kirk and Season 2 introducing Martin Quinn as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, the series is slowly building up the crew from The Original Series. Maybe those years between Star Trek: The Original Series and The Motion Picture could be explored on Paramount+.