It's mostly episodic like the original series and 90s Trek but it has some season long story arcs. But it's modern in its style of telling. It's funny without resorting to being MCU quippy. And the science is closer to modern science fiction rather than TOS' parallel worlds pattern.

That said, it has a mix of action and moral dilemma and politics. There are "needs of the many" stories that don't have clear right or wrong, the psychological impact from the horrors of war stories, even a courtroom episode that rivaled the best ones from TOS and TNG. But there are also flashy fan servicey episodes that are just fun.

I suggest giving the first episode a go. It sets the mood for the rest of the first two seasons. Each episode brings something different, but I think the first episode really speaks to what the series is trying to be.

SNW is a complete return to the original Star Trek style. The first season is good but the second is GREAT.

it's just like TNG and TOS but with literally no episodes that aren't straight bangers. I've seen the whole first season and some of the second and it's a hard choice between this and DS9 as best trek ever. watch the first episode and see what you think. you'll like it

I've been a Star Trek fan since I was in primary school, back when TNG originally aired. (my favourite is DS9) I love Strange New Worlds. It has reignited my love for Star Trek, even more than Lower Decks already did.

And I can't say this often enough: I have a friend who grew up with TOS when that originally aired. And he never really liked any Star Trek that was produced after 1969. But he too loves Strange New Worlds. It's a great amalgam of TOS (by being episodic and not taking everything too seriously), 90s Trek (by tackling important societal issues here and there, and being really serious when it needs to), and modern Trek (the production quality and the storytelling).

Also, the entire cast is super talented. Personally, I'd say that Christina Chong is the breakout star because she's always giving everything, even if she's just there for a quick reaction shot. But it's hard to pick because they are all so good.

The only thing that bugs me is that they barely have the time to do something with all of their characters (with only 10 episodes per season) but keep adding new characters to the ensemble.

tl;dr - yeah, it's a great classic Star Trek show mixed with modern elements

What frustrates me most about "new Trek" is that the characters don't drive the story. Instead they have constant action, artificial tension, and over-the-top stakes. I love the characters on Discovery, but they're not allowed to exist as themselves. OTOH SNW is primarily character-driven, as good Trek always has been.

It has more of a classic feel.

How about watching it and judging it for yourself? YMMV.

It’s not a 90s Trek show, in that it leans more to recapturing a TOS vibe. But it’s its own thing, and that’s where it’s strengths lie.

There are a great variety and range of styles of episodes, which it can do simply because it is episodic. Most of all though, it is driven by character arcs and character development.

So it's basically a tale of two seasons.

Season 1, IMO, has the same flaws as discovery with more coherent writing. The plot jumps from point to point, the characters are underdeveloped, etc. It doesn't have any "this is not only extremely stupid but feels like the writers didn't actually bother watching star trek" moments, but it still isn't good.

Season 2 feels like a true modern tale on Trek. They manage to truly respect the old lore while bringing in new moral dilemmas. The characters are more developed and taken in interesting directions. They managed to sneak in a line that gives a decent explanation as to why things don't 100 percent match up in canon. There's also one episode that I would put up there as an all time great across every series.

So I would say slog through Season 1 for the joy of watching Season 2