Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Level-Five Transporter Accident." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode is finally here following lots of teases. It was probably a given that the fandom would have strong thoughts and, so far, the collective response is divided. Some hate it, and others love it, to put it simply. However, the common thread I've noticed is that those who love it also seem to mention Jim Henson and the Muppets.
For those unaware, the puppets created for "Level-Five Transporter Accident" were made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In the episode, the crew is transformed due to an accident with the transporter and is tasked with defending the Enterprise from invading Orions. It all ultimately ends up being a weird dream Spock is having, and those who did enjoy the episode had some passionate thoughts:
- Crazy once in awhile. We are lifelong trekkies. - LindaHowiler
- Level six is where they turn into "Pigs in Space". 😂 - fifimetz
- Jim Henson’s Shop is pure magic. Loved the design of the puppet crew - mzofchak
- So inventive and fun, what a joy to see a jim henson creature shop star trek crossover!! i had a blast watching this episode - sorayanaviadesign
- 😂 Amazing episode! Missed opportunity for Miss Piggy on the Enterprise though 😭 - phxnerd92
- I'm ok with a fully muppet ST from now on - no_one.man
Many loved the episode, and I would argue that with Seth Rogen's Muppet Show special airing earlier in the 2026 TV schedule, now was the perfect time to chase it with this. Plus, there is some pre-existing connective tissue between Muppets and Trek, as fans pointed out with the popular parody "Pigs In Space."
Of course, there were also fans who despised the episode, with the consensus that it was too silly for Star Trek. Whether it was Spock's dream or not was of no importance; they didn't like it:
- Come closer to my punches. - TheReverendPuck
- Gene Roddenbery would be disgusted - KevinVerhees1
- I've been a Star Trek fan for 55 years. This episode was the worst I've ever seen in all the different versions of Star Trek. I turned that crap off after 10 minutes. - klaus_47053
- Rumors continue that Season 5 will just be the Enterprise crew living in the Brady Bunch house with ALF. Special appearances by LEGO Batman and Patton Oswald. - saganbaby
- I don't even care enough to watch anymore. And yes I need to write about it - mortaupt
I can understand the frustration of some Star Trek fans. Strange New Worlds' stories have embraced "strange," but are generally lacking as of late in the type of space adventures that made the series so popular. This season, in particular, seems to embrace the theme of each episode feeling like a parody of some other popular franchise, and storylines and arcs of characters have fallen by the wayside.
Personally, I enjoyed the episode but, with the final season approaching, I do have concerns. Co-showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman have made it clear they intend to set the stage for Kirk's first day on the Enterprise in the finale, which means writing out a good deal of characters before that happens.
Puppet episodes are fun but are probably more ideal for series that don't have strict limits of ten-episode seasons. Star Trek fans are hungry for traditional franchise adventures, especially now that Strange New Worlds is one of the only remaining live-action shows in the franchise. Could this episode have done better had it aired a few years ago? I imagine that would be the case, unless there's just a huge chunk of fans who don't care for Jim Henson's Muppets.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 continues on Paramount+ with new episodes on Thursdays. Puppets aside, there are some great episodes for those not into that, and one of them stands as star Babs Olusanmokun's favorite to film.
