Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 somehow has holodeck technology a century before Star Trek: The Next Generation. The long-awaited Strange New Worlds season 3 premieres in summer 2025 on Paramount+. Strange New Worlds season 3's 10 new episodes promise more genre-bending in the mold of Star Trek's first-ever musical and the comedic crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks in Strange New Worlds season 2.One of the early reveals from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is a Hollywood noir episode directed by Jonathan Frakes. Strange New Worlds season 3's new teaser trailer offers the first look at Frakes' opus, which plunges into a murder mystery that involves the cosplaying Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) as suspects. Somehow, the USS Enterprise's crew seems to borrow technology from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Has A Holodeck 100 Years Before TNG
Jonathan Frakes' Murder Mystery Episode Shows Off TNG Tech
Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) and a giddily in-costume Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) enter what appears to be a Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3's trailer. The familiar yellow grids on the black walls are a dead giveaway. The holodeck recreates an old Hollywood mansion where the cosplaying USS Enterprise crew are accused by La'an of being suspects in the murder of their host.
A holodeck in Star Trek's 23rd century timeframe appears anachronistic since Starfleet didn't begin installing holodecks in Federation starships until the 24th century. However, the USS Enterprise had a holodeck in Star Trek: The Animated Series, and holodeck-like technology was introduced to 22nd century Starfleet in Star Trek: Enterprise. Where, exactly, Strange New Worlds' holodeck comes from isn't clear, but it's possible that this may be the origin of holodecks in Starfleet.
What We Know About Jonathan Frakes' Strange New Worlds Season 3 Murder Mystery Episode
Frakes Says It's "The Best Episode Of Television I've Ever Done"
An icon of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Commander Will Riker, Jonathan Frakes is no stranger to holodeck episodes. Frakes' Hollywood noir romp was one of the earliest leaked episode genres from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Coming off his success directing Strange New Worlds' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks, Frakes' murder mystery, which Jonathan told Variety is "the best episode of television I've ever done," set his personal bar even higher.
Fascinatingly, it appears Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3's murder mystery episode is set in the 1970s judging by the costumes and hairstyles, instead of perhaps the expected 1940s era from the "Hollywood noir" description. One of the USS Enterprise crew appears to be a killer, and it looks like Strange New Worlds' version of the board game Clue, but with a Star Trek twist. The holodeck appears to be a means to an end in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, but perhaps holodeck technology will have greater Star Trek timeline implications as well.
