Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Best Gimmick Story Yet Is Unforgivable Underrated

Image via Jan Thijs / Paramount+ / Courtesy Everett Collection Published Sep 18, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT JC is a pop-culture enthusiast and native New Yorker, with over 20 years of experience in entertainment as a writer/producer creating content for HBO, Warner Brothers, and Paramount. He has covered the biggest Hollywood red carpet premieres from Los Angeles, California, to Leicester Square, UK, and has been behind the scenes of hit series, interviewing notable industry personalities across all media, on the front lines of many of the most thrilling franchise hits and theatricals. A lifelong comic book reader, JC likes to say: “I knew comics were cool before primetime.” The intersection of comics, science fiction, and fantasy across all media, becoming mainstream, remains one of the most profound shifts in modern popular culture, keeping JC’s finger on the pulse, grateful for the opportunity to share his unique insights with fans everywhere, especially as a contributor to CBR and via the podcast “Out Loud & Live with JC Alvarez!” Sign in to your CBR account A 60-year-old franchise has the privilege of throwing a few curves now and then in the direction of its fans. In the latest se...