Akiva Goldsman doesn't think there's a genre Strange New Worlds can't do

Since its debut on Paramount+ on May 5, 2022, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has run the gamut from mind-bending horror stories, a crossover with animated characters, to a long-awaited musical, and the strategy seems to be working as the series is hugely successful for the streaming channel. In a recent interview with Variety, Alex Kurtzman espoused the importance of keeping things both familiar and fresh at the same time. Fresh is certainly what Strange New Worlds has been working toward.

And season three looks to be making a leap into another genre, according to series director Jonathan Frakes who called an upcoming season three episode a Hollywood murder mystery and deemed it "the best episode of television I've ever done." That's high praise from one of Star Trek's most well-known actors and directors.

Variety wanted to know if there was a genre that the series couldn't do. Executive Producer Akiva Goldsman doesn't seem to think so. He offered up a response that could have some fans a little concerned if one of his suggested roads is taken.

"As long as we’re in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I’m not sure there is. Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!"

- Akiva Goldsman

We have to think that surely Goldsman is jesting when it come to Muppets, but the paranormal series, Angel, a spin-off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a successful episode where the main character played by David Boreanaz, became a puppet for the entirety of the episode. So stranger things have been done in the history of television and even in Star Trek itself. No one can forget the episode from The Original Series where Spock's entire brain was stolen, and the crew undertook a rather far-fetched mission to retrieve it. And do I even have to mention Sub-Rosa from Star Trek: The Next Generation which hovered somewhere between a mystery and a ghostly romance adventure?

Hopefully, if Strange New World does deviate into unchartered territory, it will be in keeping with the success the series has maintained so far. Let's keep all brains intact and skip the ghostly lovers, if possible. Maybe even leave out the Muppets.