{
  "id": 2140460,
  "title": "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review/Recap... Yeah, This Is the One With the Puppets...",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-review-recap-yeah-this-is-the-one-with",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-20T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-4-episode-5-recap-review-puppets"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 5, “Level Five Transporter Accident.” This latest high-concept episode draws inspiration from past concepts, including musical, noir, and LARP episodes. The idea of characters turning into puppets due to a transporter accident certainly feels like an accident, but not one that can be easily fixed. Ethan Peck's Spock delivers a comedic performance that walks the line between witty and conflicted, managing to keep the character believable amidst the absurdity. However, the concept of the episode - having most of the cast turn into puppets - brings a heightened sense of absurdity, making the show's other comedic attempts seem less original. The puppet designs by the Jim Henson Company are nice and should be collectible, but the show's humor often falls flat, with the exception of a few funny moments involving a Red Shirt puppet in space. The Spock-centric plot, featuring his comedic timing and emotional struggles, provides the episode's only saving grace.",
  "summary": "The puppet episode of Strange New Worlds feels like it got here 20 years too late, with Ethan Peck’s non-puppet Spock standing tall as the hour’s saving grace.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}