Strange New Worlds Season 2 Phasers Gets Star Trek Fans Very Suspicious

By Douglas Helm | Published

strange new worlds finale
  • SUMMARY
  • Eagle-eyed Star Trek fans noticed something interesting about the phasers in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2.
  • Phasers used in the Strange New Worlds Season 2 finale appear identical to ones used by Section 31 characters in Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery.
  • Some fans question why the phasers aren’t different because of the years between Discovery and Strange New Worlds.
  • Other fans give potential explanations–the time difference between the shows isn’t that large, Section 31 would normally be issued more advanced equipment, etc..

Don’t let Star Trek fans catch you messing with their phases. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the phasers used in “Hegemony,” the season 2 finale of Strange New Worlds, were the same ones that were used in Section 31 in an episode of Discovery season 2. A Reddit user noticed the re-use of the prop and pointed out that since Discovery takes place before Strange New Worlds, the phasers used in the Season 2 finale should have had a more advanced, futuristic design–especially since in “Hegemlony” the phasers in question are said to be newer models designed specifically to fight the Gorn.

What Happened To Starfleet Innovation?

The complaint isn’t completely unwarranted since the first two seasons of Discovery take place between the years 2256 and 2258. Strange New Worlds Season 2 takes place in 2259, so it would make sense if the phasers were a bit more advanced by then. Of course, other Star Trek fans in the thread had their own opinions about the decision to use these phasers.

There Are Some Reasonable Explanations

Many users simply felt that reusing props wasn’t a big deal, considering the timelines are pretty close in Discovery and Strange New Worlds. Some fans took it a step further to point out that Section 31 had already fought the Gorn, so the phaser used in Discovery was already an advanced model, and using them again was accurate to the lore. Section 31 is known for using advanced technology, so it’s possible that they already had advanced phasers that the rest of Starfleet wouldn’t have access to in the Discovery timeline.

Trek Fans Care, And That Will Never Change

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Since the phasers in Discovery were advanced enough to take on the Gorn, there would be a reasonable expectation that they would be advanced enough for Starfleet officers outside Section 31 to use them in Strange New Worlds. In any case, these fan concerns just show how dedicated the Star Trek fanbase is. It’s not every day that you can see a full Reddit thread about the design of a weapon used in two different shows.

Budgetary Concerns

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Plus, it’s pretty safe to say that Strange New Worlds is not a cheap show to make by any means. Designing a new phaser would undoubtedly take some time and money, so why not just use the same phaser designs if the timelines are just a few years apart? In the end, it’s just some Star Trek fans having some fun diving into the minute details, so it’s not really that serious in the first place.

More Starfleet Vs. Gorn Is On The Way

Gorn

Still, the Star Trek franchise is one that definitely tunes into the concerns of the fanbase, so maybe we’ll see new phaser designs when the third season of Strange New Worlds is released. Filming for the third season was delayed due to the strikes this summer, but production officially started in December. Filming is expected to continue on into summer, so it might be a while before we get an official release date for the third season.

Watch The First Two Seasons Now

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they carry out exploration missions on new worlds. The series stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn. While there’s no release date for the third season yet, you can stream the first two seasons on the Paramount+ streaming service.