Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Presents a Full‑Muppet Episode in Season Four

EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview contains spoilers for ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 4, Episode 5, “Level-Five Transporter Accident.”

Episode Overview

• The puppet installment features Jim Henson‑crafted figures, a team of 14 puppeteers, and extensive pre‑production planning.
• Showrunners Henry Alonso Meyers and Akiva Goldsman explain how the idea evolved and what to anticipate from the show’s final season.
• The Season 4 finale, titled “Tomorrow’s Enterprise,” is teased as a “timey‑wimey” adventure.

Strange New Worlds delivers one of the most delightfully unconventional entries in the franchise with Season 4, Episode 5, “Level‑Five Transporter Accident.” First hinted at SDCC 2025, the creative team confirmed that the series would devote an entire episode to a puppet‑style narrative in its fourth season. The episode leans fully into the Muppet aesthetic, showcasing intricately designed puppets from the Jim Henson Company, generous physical comedy, and a subtle romantic thread.

Ahead of the premiere, I spoke with co‑showrunners Henry Alonso Meyers and Akiva Goldsman about this long‑awaited installment, which Meyers co‑wrote with Dana Horgan. Meyers shared that the production required countless hours of planning, new bridge‑set constructions, and a dedicated crew of 14 puppeteers to animate the Enterprise crew. Meanwhile, Goldsman hinted that the Season 4 finale, “Tomorrow’s Enterprise,” will be a “timey‑wimey” adventure reminiscent of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” He also outlined the six‑episode final season slated for next year, promising an emotionally resonant conclusion. The interview is available in the player above, and a full transcript follows below.

Behind the Puppet Production: 14 Puppeteers and Hundreds of Hours of Preparation

“I believe there’s a crossover audience for Muppet fans and Star Trek enthusiasts, and we aimed to bridge that gap.”

COLLIDER: My favorite episodes each season are those that fully exploit the idea that anything can happen in space. Henry, knowing you co‑wrote this episode with Dana Horgan, how did the puppet concept originate, and what was the most thrilling aspect of pushing the episode beyond its original expectations?

HENRY ALONSO MYERS: We had been discussing a puppet episode for quite some time, and we felt that, similar to our musical episode, a half‑hearted attempt wouldn’t suffice. We needed to commit fully and strive for the highest possible execution.

The second priority was ensuring the story unmistakably felt like a Star Trek tale, maintaining the series’ tone and continuity throughout. The transporter mishap served as the narrative glue that united the elements. We had not yet explored a transporter accident storyline, and it seemed like an ideal opportunity to do so.

Part of our motivation was to tackle the biggest challenge we hadn’t yet attempted. Considering this might be the final season, we asked ourselves which experiences we truly wished we had pursued. I recognize a shared interest between Muppet admirers and Star Trek fans, and we wanted to find a way to explore that intersection.

Our goal for the series is to create a show that, at its core, serves longtime Star Trek lovers while also welcoming newcomers. I believe each season offers something for every type of viewer; you may not adore every episode, but you will appreciate the series as a whole. There’s a place for everyone within the show, and our aim was to reach both those unfamiliar with Star Trek and those who hold it dear.

I’d love to hear more from either of you about the practicalities of filming this episode with so many puppets. How many puppeteers were on set? How much time did the prop team spend designing and constructing all of these puppets?

MYERS: Our puppet crew consisted of 14 performers. Notably, our director Jordan Canning, with whom we had completed extensive prep work during the previous season, walked through every set with us, discussing the concept as we developed it. We contacted the Jim Henson Company early in the process because we trusted them to build the puppets.

We began with a broad outline of the episode, knowing it would spotlight Spock, and we held detailed conversations with Ethan Peck about his character’s role. To accommodate a puppeteer, we had to redesign the captain’s chair; a few sections required adjustments, but our existing sets proved surprisingly amenable to puppeteering.

Moreover, having a director who truly grasps the nuances of puppet performance was essential—someone who could collaborate with the sets, craft shots that feel authentically puppet‑driven, yet retain the spontaneity of an impromptu idea.

I appreciate the scientific liberty puppets afford—such as not needing to breathe or being able to be “cut in half”—and I enjoyed the closing moment of the puppets performing a suitless spacewalk. Were there any “puppet‑only” concepts that ultimately didn’t make it into the episode?

MYERS: We brainstormed roughly a hundred ideas, but interestingly, nearly every concept we wanted found its way into the final cut. A few notions were pushed but may not have appeared in the finished version. Simply having puppets on screen tends to lend a humorous tone to even the most dramatic scenes.

The Season 4 Finale as a Nod to Star Trek: The Next Generation

“It could very well be a timey‑wimey episode.”

We were pleased to reveal the episode titles at Collider. I’m eager to learn what you can share about the back half of the season, especially the soap‑opera vibe of Chronitron’s “Through the Hourglass” and the finale, “Tomorrow’s Enterprise.”

AKIVA GOLDSMAN: “Tomorrow’s Enterprise” loosely references a classic Next Gen title, so it’s hardly surprising that fans might anticipate a time‑centric storyline, using a genre‑adjacent label.

What you’ll encounter in the latter half of the season is a showcase of all the series’ signature elements. It delivers classic Star Trek action‑adventure sci‑fi, then layers in the distinctive Strange New Worlds approach—using varied genres as lenses through which to examine our narratives. As we continue to deepen character arcs and move toward the inevitable conclusion, we are laying the groundwork for the final season, which will consist of six episodes designed to bid farewell to the show while ushering in the next era.

We’ve already seen musicals, puppet shows, horror, noir, and many other genres. How do you intend to surpass that in the final season?

GOLDSMAN: We don’t aim to outdo ourselves merely by adding another spectacle. If we manage to exceed expectations—and I believe we will—it will be by focusing on what we do best: storytelling infused with genuine emotion, supported by our talented cast and the genres we serve. Emotion, after all, remains the heart of Star Trek.

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debut each Thursday on Paramount+.

Release Date

2022 – 2027-00-00

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman

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