The upcoming season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds promises to be quite unusual.

The final season of *Star Trek: Strange New Worlds* is set to premiere on July 23, and based on the new Season 4 trailer, showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are ready to take some bold risks. Season 5 will consist of just six episodes, focusing on the transition of the Enterprise from Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) to James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). However, Season 4 promises to fully embrace the show’s core theme of exploring strange new worlds.

The trailer kicks off with the aftermath of Kirk and Spock (Ethan Peck) mind-melding at the end of Season 3, where Spock reveals his wish to share his hopes, dreams, and fears with the man destined to be his closest friend. Kirk humorously remarks, “I’m sure one day you’ll get to aim that logical mind of yours at some lucky captain.” This playful banter hints at their future dynamic aboard the Enterprise, even though Spock is currently serving under Captain Pike.

As the crew navigates new relationships, they embark on some wild escapades. Viewers see them dressed as cowboys, riding horses across a planet with floating stone platforms, aiming phasers at a roaring T. rex while pterodactyls soar overhead, and engaging in sword fights in a forest. Spock appears to be manipulating some energy that seems almost magical, and a fire-breathing dragon threatens the Enterprise. Chief of Security La’An Noonien-Singh and First Officer Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) are seen in elegant dresses that glow. The season hints at a horror-themed episode and a visit to a beachfront resort.

In true *Star Trek* fashion, the fantastical elements could stem from anything like a holodeck malfunction or an omniscient alien meddling with the crew, and the dinosaurs might just be a result of time travel. *Strange New Worlds* has previously embraced such concepts. The trailer also teases more classic sci-fi adventures, including an SOS that turns out to be a trap, helmsman Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) showcasing her flying skills, and several cosmic explosions. Additionally, Joe Morton makes an appearance as a Starfleet officer with a mission for Pike, which likely spells trouble given his knack for playing charming antagonists.

The trailer features flickering transporters, possibly hinting at the puppet episode teased last year. *Strange New Worlds* has successfully delivered a musical episode and an animated crossover, and the showrunners are clearly determined to make the most of their remaining time by continuing to push creative boundaries.

*Star Trek: Strange New Worlds* returns on July 23, with new episodes airing Thursdays through September 24.