Seeing Fans Praise Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Was Bittersweet For Jonathan Frakes
When Paramount launched CBS All Access in 2017, the service's flagship show was "Star Trek: Discovery," the first new Trek series to air since the cancellation of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005. It was a reason to celebrate, but also a source of skepticism. Some were happy to see "Star Trek" updated for the streaming age and appreciated the franchise's shift to something more violent and incidental. Others bristled at the sloppy writing, the poor characterization, and the showrunner's bend away from the stodgy intellectualism that is Trekkies' bread and butter. "Discovery" has been a sticking point among Trekkies ever since its debut; one needn't look too far to find arguments online over its quality.
In 2020, CBS All Access debuted "Star Trek: Picard," a series that followed up on one of the main characters from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" several decades later. It, too, was a source of fan controversy, likewise for its shoddy writing and increased levels of violence. Both shows also adopted the modern TV-making ethos of season-long story arcs, rather than abiding by the "Star Trek" tradition of one-and-done episodes.
In 2021, CBS All Acces became Paramount+, and further Trek shows debuted, including "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." The latter two, perhaps wisely, picked up the episodic approach of traditional Trek, and both shows seemed to be instantly more widely embraced than the other neo-Treks. Finally!, some of us stubborn traditionalists thought. Paramount got it right.
Jonathan Frakes, longtime Trek actor and director, saw the positive fan sentiment toward "Strange New Worlds" as a backhanded compliment. In a recent interview with Star Trek Explorer Magazine, Frakes noted that every time someone complimented "Strange New Worlds," they were essentially decrying "Discovery" and "Picard," shows he liked.
'This is the Star Trek we've been waiting for.'
Frakes, it should be noted, has been deeply involved with "Star Trek" ever since he first played Commander Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" back in 1987. He went on to reprise the role for four movies — two of which he directed — and played Riker in 13 episodes of "Star Trek: Picard." He also moved into a prolific TV directing career starting with multiple episodes of "Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager." As of this writing, Frakes has also directed seven episodes of "Discovery" and six episodes of "Picard."
Frakes' most recent Trek directing gig was a special crossover episode between "Strange New Worlds" and "Lower Decks," an experience he cherished, but one that seemed to reveal Trekkies' true colors. He recalled the reactions and understood exactly what each compliment meant, saying:
"What a treat, that show. I was there when they premiered, and all of a sudden, everybody loved it, the fans and the critics. I was able to experience the joy of that cast seeing their work appreciated and loved. Unfortunately, part of what happened during that time was that the fans and the critics took the same opportunity to say, 'This is the Star Trek we've been waiting for.' Either written or unwritten was, 'Not "Discovery" and not "Picard,"' if you recall.
He continued by saying, "There was a 'congratulations' and a slap in the same swing." No one, it seems, gave him similar compliments for his Trek work of the previous four years. He was chuffed, however, to have joined "Strange New Worlds" in its second season when it was already well established, allowing him to ride the wave, as it were.
The action/adventure guy
And, make no mistake, Frakes was grateful for the praise his "Strange New Worlds"/"Lower Decks" episode received. In the same interview, he described the episodes as an all-out comedy, which he appreciated. Frakes' directing style is a lot more robust and active than mere television utility would necessarily dictate, and he clearly sees "Star Trek" as a lively, action/adventure series. This is clear by his direction of the films "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Insurrection" which both lean into the material's action-movie vibe (at least one of those movies features Patrick Stewart in a tank top murdering a cyborg supervillain).
And how can "Strange New Worlds," set in the mid-23rd century, cross over with "Lower Decks," set in the late 24th century? Time portal. It's pretty simple. There's a time portal. And what about the animation? The two shows merely look different. The "Lower Decks" voice actors merely play themselves in live-action.
Frakes' desire to direct "Star Trek: The Next Generation" back in the late 1980s and early 1990s not only entrenched him deep within the franchise but led to a prolific directing TV career that included shows like "Roswell," "The Librarians," "The Orville," and many, many others. Frakes wanting to direct also, it has been reported, led to headaches for the "Star Trek" producers, as, after Frakes, many other cast members across various Trek shows asked to direct episodes themselves. As of this writing, 110 episodes and movies have been helmed by cast members. It's now a tradition.