Star Trek fans in the UK have cause for celebration: The first episode of Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which premiered less than a fortnight ago, is now available to view on YouTube for free (and legally, of course).
And, unlike last month when Season 1 of the series was available on YouTube – but only in the US – this time around the episode is available on YouTube in the UK, courtesy of Paramount+ UK.
Last week, series stars Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn visited London for the official premiere of Season 2 – where they shared intriguing insights about the upcoming episodes (see below).
The free Strange New Worlds episode marks some good news for Star Trek fans, in an otherwise sombre week: A few days ago Paramount announced the cancellation of the animated Star Trek: Prodigy series.
Furthermore, all episodes of the first season, are set to be removed from Paramount+ (they’ve already been removed from the service in the US, and will be removed from the UK version as well this week).
Normally, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available on Paramount+ in the UK (and around the world) – but you have to get a subscription to watch it (or maybe watch the full season during your free 7-day trial).
As we mentioned last time when Star Trek was uploaded to YouTube, it’s not unheard of for films and TV shows to go on YouTube for free – sometimes as a promotion for more episodes.
Last year, we saw House of The Dragon go free on YouTube (both in the US and the UK) – but only the first episode. Earlier – the entire James Bond collection was free on YouTube, for a time.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a television series that takes audiences back to the years Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise, before Captain James T. Kirk took the helm.
Season 1 proved quite popular – both with audiences and critics. Season 2, which premiered on June 15, 2023, promises to push the boundaries of the franchise even further, with a unique crossover episode that merges live-action with animation.
This special episode will feature characters from Star Trek: Lower Decks, Ensign Beckett Mariner and Ensign Brad Boimler, portrayed by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid, joining the U.S.S. Enterprise crew.
Strange New World Beaming To London
Last week, I attended Strange New World’s Season 2 Launch Event in London, where Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn took the stage to share their personal experiences and perspectives on being part of such a legendary franchise.
Anson Mount, who plays the illustrious role of Captain Pike, expressed a sense of awe at the trajectory of his journey with the Star Trek franchise.
“I’ve been watching Star Trek since I was 7 years old”, he said. “I can’t believe I’m captain of the Enterprise now.”
Mount also touched upon the introspective process behind each episode of Strange New Worlds. The team, according to him, poses a significant question at the inception of each story: “What is this episode REALLY about?”
Such a question allows them to delve deeper into the narrative, ensuring that each episode provides not only entertainment and phasers, but also thoughtful commentary and perspective, as is the tradition of the Star Trek franchise.
Similarly, Rebecca Romijn, who plays Number One, shared her heartfelt journey as a Star Trek fan herself. Emotion welled up in her voice as she recounted her early experiences on set.
“As a Star Trek fan, I was so overwhelmed when I first donned the Enterprise’s uniforms that I shed tears,” Romijn confessed. “The same happened when I first stepped onto the set”.
The passion for Star Trek is universal in the series, according to Romijn – “everyone working on this series is, at heart, a Trekkie.”
Romijn further shared her perspective on the grandiosity of the series, saying that the scale of each episode exceeded usual television parameters.
“Every episode feels like a movie,” she said, hinting at the monumental storytelling, cinematic visuals, and intricate plotlines fans can anticipate.
The duo also discussed the upcoming crossover episode with the animated series Lower Decks. The very notion of a live-action and animated crossover in the Star Trek universe is an intriguing prospect, and the stars shared their thoughts on this experimental endeavour.
Mount initially approached the crossover with a playful mindset, drawing from the classic animation-live-action mix of the iconic film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
He joked about his early expectations, saying, “I first imagined it would be like Roger Rabbit, and that I would have to look at cartoon characters down near my knees.”
Romijn gave fans a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes support they received to make the crossover possible, highlighting the role of Jonathan Frakes, himself a Star Trek veteran.
“Jonathan was there to help meld the tone of the two shows,” Romijn revealed. Frakes’ familiarity with both the on-screen and directorial aspects of the franchise would have undoubtedly been instrumental in ensuring the cohesion and seamless integration of the two divergent formats.
Strange New Worlds Season 2 On YouTube
Starting today, and for a limited time (we don’t know how long exactly – so hurry up!), Episode 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 is available to watch for free (and legally, of course) on YouTube.
“A distress call from Lt. Noonien-Singh compels Spock to disobey orders and take the U.S.S. Enterprise and its crew into disputed space…”
And yes – it’s available in the UK, and you don’t need a VPN or any other workarounds:
How Can I Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 In The UK?
If you want to watch all of Star Trek – including all episodes of Strange New Worlds (new episodes are now dropping weekly) – it’s all available on Paramount+ in the UK.
The standalone Paramount+ app is available on most major streaming devices and Smart TVs sold in the UK, and you can sign up either directly via the Paramount+ app/website, or via Amazon Prime Video Channels.
Prime Video Channels require an Amazon Prime subscription, and you then subscribe to Paramount+ on top of that. You will then be able to watch Paramount+ on any device that supports the Prime Video app, not just those with the Paramount+ app.
Paramount+ normally costs £6.99/month or £69.90/year in the UK, with a free 7-day trial available to everyone.