u/rolodexlexia

Strange New Worlds' highly publicized puppet episode finally drops this Thursday. However, fans can check out several sneak-peek images from “Level-Five Transporter Accident” below, courtesy of Trek Central's Instagram account, which includes the return of Mr. Spock’s (Ethan Peck) former flame, T’Pring (Gia Sandhu). And yes, she has also been transformed into a puppet by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop!

The news is frighteningly good for the beloved sci-fi series!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds started its fourth season strong with quite the entertaining time-travel premiere, “Valles Marineris,” on July 23. Unfortunately, the first SNW episode of 2026 barely cracked Paramount+’s “Top 10 Shows Now” section at No. 10 last week, but things changed drastically, and for the better, with the latest installment titled “The Griffin Incident." Yes, a much larger audience decided to check out the show’s spooky follow-up to its debut.

The highly publicized Strange New Worlds season 4 horror story came out screaming and scared up nearly a Top 5 debut for episode 2 at No. 6 on the streaming service’s Top 10 Shows Now list. And according to FlixPatrol, “The Griffin Incident” is ranked at No. 7 worldwide (Top 10 shows on Paramount+) as of Friday, July 31.

Strange New Worlds' second episode also ranked as the top content overall, whether it be shows or films, on Paramount+ in a number of countries, including Australia, France, Germany, and Italy. Meanwhile, “The Griffin Incident” helped SNW rank as the top series in Austria, Canada, and Switzerland. So, how did the surprisingly graphic ghost story fare in the United States?

Well, Strange New Worlds landed at No. 3 on Paramount+’s Top 10 in the U.S. (July 31), only behind No. 1 Criminal Minds and No. 2 South Park. In addition, SNW nabbed the No. 2 spot on the Top 10 overall (Amazon channels), with only No. 1 Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender ranking higher.

I’m a Trekkie and a die-hard horror fan, so I’m delighted to see that “The Griffin Incident” helped Strange New Worlds perform even better in the streaming ranks this week. However, I honestly thought the SNW season 4 premiere’s 65-million year adventure into the past would have scored better with most audiences than a gory genre piece.

I mean, who expected that startling scene where "Chef" Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) actually cut off his own fingers while tormenting Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck) on the USS Griffin? Hammer horror meets Star Trek? What a fantastic and frightening idea for an episode!

After inadvertently traveling eons into the past, the Enterprise encounters an aggressive alien warship led by Commander Cassell (Saffron Burrows). While trying to broker peace, Captain Pike (Anson Mount) makes a surprising discovery about Cassell’s people that raises the stakes of the mission.

One Star Trek enthusiast who attended the special screening said, “I was biting my nails.” Another fan revealed after watching the second episode of Strange New Worlds season 4, “I am still shaking, actually. Can you see that?”

“It scared the daylights out of everyone in the theater,” one terrified Trekkie claimed. Another fan laughed, “I did not think Star Trek could be this scary.” Now, what I found most interesting about the reaction video was the small spoiler that there’s an unforgettable scene featuring actor Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike in the sickbay of either the Griffin or the Enterprise — and it must be gruesome based on the reaction.

SNW season 4’s “The Griffin Incident” drops Thursday, July 30, on Paramount+.

The photo says 60th Anniversary Panel but this video cuts to the Strange New Worlds panel that came right after it

Last evening Paramount+ provided a free screening of the first two episodes of Season 4 of Strange New Worlds, at the Balboa Theater Friday, July 24th

Don't know where these images were found so not 100 percent sure they're legit, but there's an image of T'Pring I haven't seen before, and the last slide appears to show Rhys Darby will return in season 4 as Trelane?

EDIT: at least one commenter thinks they're AI

Last year Jessie went hard on how much they hated season 3, and after watching the first 6 episodes of season 4, is amazed to love Strange New Worlds again!!

Despite calling the first episode "utter crap" and still in Season 3 mode, starting with episode 2 the show abandons what was most hated about 3 (shallow heteronormative romances, bioessentialism, silly dancing) and begins to build substantive character development with solid plots. Jessie even liked the puppet episode despite fully expecting to loathe it. Episodes 2 and 6 are the best, but 4 and 5 are really good.

They are still disappointed there is no queerness in Season 4 (as there was in Season 1) but understands why producers are being conservative in this political era. However it looks like there is no dancing and all the romances we saw in S3 are either gone or not discussed.

8 minute interview with Jess, Celia and Melissa, all looking STUNNING. They start out deeply articulate about what Trek means to them and to the world, and then the interviewer gets silly and asks about wigs and hair on set. Melissa gets real about the upkeep required for Ortegas' hairstyle.

From Trekmovie: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Actors Tease Noir Episode And More Physical Season 4

“That’s just the type of leadership that we have with Akiva and Henry,” Mount said in remarks published by Mauxa. “They are so confident in their craft that they often come to us and go, ‘Give us ideas. Best idea wins. Go.’ They’re not protective at all, so everything was very much dialogue. I mean, we were lobbying for a musical episode, and they gave us one. We lobbied for a puppet episode; they gave us one. We lobbied for a film noir; we got it, which you’re gonna see [in season 4].”

The embargoed press junket interviews are starting to come out. Here's one from Reuters.

Gregory Peck's grandson Ethan Peck is secretly dating his Star Trek costar, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Peck, 40, and Christina Chong, 42, have been dating for 'several months,' according to a source, who claimed they are already 'in love.'

'He's gone to London to meet her parents. And she has already met his folks,' the source told the Daily Mail. 'They are very much in love and serious about one another.' 

The pair met in 2022 on hit series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in which he plays Spock alongside her La'an Noonien-Singh, but didn't start dating until shooting season three which aired last year.

Though fans have been speculating for the past year that they are an item, the actors have not confirmed their relationship because they reportedly 'don't want to cause a fuss.'

'They are always professional on set, they never show that they are actually dating,' said the source who claimed their romance is the worst kept secret. 'Everyone knows they are having a thing.' 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Peck and Chong. 

They continued: 'Ethan is a serious guy, he's funny and warm, but more introverted than Christina. Christina brings out the playfulness in him.'

Fans have been going wild on social media, desperately trying to decipher whether or not their character's chemistry has translated into real-life.

'I love these two together, please tell me it's more than just acting,' said one, while another wrote: 'They should date, they look good together and have the right vibe.'

One fan took their onscreen kiss as confirmation: 'That Star Trek kiss was more than just scripted, it was for real, y'all.'

Rumors were further fueled by their meet-ups outside of work. The actors have been spotted getting lunch together and working at fan conventions and even collaborated musically on Chong's EP, Since 2021.

Peck also revealed that they would practice dancing for hours outside of work hours for some very intimate scenes.

'Christina was a professional dancer, so I felt like I was in very good hands with my dance partner, someone who was very experienced, because I don't have very much dance experience,' Peck told TV Guide back in August.  

'And we put in a lot of hard work during rehearsals, which were outside of normal hours during the weekends sometimes. I just have always had a lot of respect and admiration for her work ethic, and this just further solidified that.'

Discussing his character's romance with Chong's La'an, he told the publication: 'It's surprising that there's so much exploration of his romantic life - I think to some viewers as well.

'I think these are all teachers for him. They teach him about being human, which I think is sort of the aim of this Spock, in Strange New Worlds: to sort of explore and understand his humanness.'

And he found it surprising his character was paired with La'an. 

'I was surprised that they put Spock and La'an together, but on paper it really does make a lot of sense,' he continued. 'They're both protecting their hearts and they're both hiding a lot, I think, and shielding themselves from the world and sort of need each other in this moment to open themselves up and evolve.'

Peck previously dated actress Lindsey Shaw from 2009 to 2010 and Molly DeWolf Swenson between 2017 and 2018.

Peck has worked on three other Star Trek shows, playing Spock in Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks and Star Trek: Very Short Treks.

Before entering the Star Trek universe, he played a younger Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher's character) on That '70s Show.

He was then in Adopt A Sailor with Peter Coyote and Bebe Neuwirth, and from 2009 to 2010, he starred on the television series 10 Things I Hate About You. In 2016, Peck starred in The Curse of Sleeping Beauty and Tell Me How I Die. He was also cast in the 2018 comedy film The Honor List alongside Karrueche Tran.

He is the grandson of actor Gregory and his first wife, Finnish-born Greta Kukkonen, and the son of former actor Stephen Peck and abstract artist Francine Matarazzo.

Gregory, who is best known for his films To Kill A Mockingbird, Roman Holiday and The Omen, died in 2003. He was 87. 

Chong is a British actress who has appeared in several films and TV shows, including Monroe, Line Of Duty, Halo: Nightfall, Black Mirror, Doctor Who and 24: Live Another Day. 

In 1999 he was in the movie Passport To Paris starring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, and in 2008 he had a role alongside Mariah Carey in Tennessee.