Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has An End Date, And That’s A Very Good Thing

Now we know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will end after season 5, and although it is sad to have an end date, it's ultimately a good thing. After Paramount+ and CBS Studios announced that Strange New Worlds would end with a shortened fifth season, Anson Mount reacted at the premiere of Strange New Worlds season 3 that knowing the end is in sight is "bittersweet." After a two-year wait, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is set to release on Paramount+ in July.

So far, each season of Strange New Worlds has been made up of 10 episodes, each about an hour long. And, while we can expect another 10-episode run for Strange New Worlds season 4, Paramount+ announced season 5 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will have a shortened 6-episode run. On the one hand, it is sad to think that one of Star Trek's most successful shows is coming to an end so soon. But, on the other hand, having a definite end date almost certainly means good things for the rest of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

An End Date Means Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Can Plan Its Ending

There Is Plenty Of Time To Set Up A Finale

With several years' warning, the writing team for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has enough time to plan an ending worthy of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the USS Enterprise. Throughout the past two seasons, Strange New Worlds' writers have proven time and time again that they are capable of telling some of the best stories in Star Trek. From "Under the Cloak of War" in season 2 to "Spock Amok" in season 2, Strange New Worlds has told some of the most innovative and dramatic stories in Star Trek over the past three years.

With so much time to prepare for season 5, there is no doubt in my mind that the creative team for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be able to craft a phenomenal ending. After almost six decades of Star Trek, the franchise's most controversial endings have consistently happened when the writing team has had very short notice. Star Trek: The Original Series has a non-ending because the show was cancelled, and proper TV finales were not commonplace in 1969.

Star Trek: Enterprise ended very abruptly, and its finale is the most controversial ending that Star Trek has ever seen. Even Star Trek: Discovery's ending happened on a more rushed timeline, and the send-off was not as impactful as the rest of the show. With time to prepare, however, Strange New Worlds can have a finale as iconic as Star Trek: The Next Generation.

We've Seen Less Than Half Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

There Are 26 Episodes Still To Come

At a gut level, knowing that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will end after season 5 feels just too short. However, it is important to remember that, of those five seasons, we have only seen two so far. Seasons 1 and 2 of Strange New Worlds were big and impactful, and there is no reason to think that seasons 3 through 5 will be any less so. Also, we have only seen 20 episodes so far, and there are 26 episodes to come.

We have seen less than half of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the story is far from over. On top of that, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is already in production, so the end of Strange New Worlds is not going to be the end of Star Trek on streaming. For now, it's just exciting to think that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was renewed for a fifth season, even if season 5 will be the last.