How ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Pulled Off That Madcap Puppet Episode

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Courtesy of Jan Thijs/Paramount+

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Season 4 Episode 5, titled “Level Five Transporter Accident_,” now streaming on Paramount+.

At long last, the most anticipated event in recent “Star Trek” memory is here.

No, not another movie or another series focused on a legacy character. We are of course referring to the long-awaited puppet episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”

In the episode, Spock (Ethan Peck) is helping Scotty (Martin Quinn) with an experiment that would set a new record for the longest distance an object has ever been sent via transporter.

Naturally, Scotty chooses a creepy puppet his brothers used to frighten him with as the object in question, due in no small part to the fact he plans to transport it directly into the quarters of a former Academy rival on another starship.

Spock is dealing with his own issues in the episode, including La’an (Christina Chong) breaking up with him. Being near Vulcan, he contacts T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) and asks for her help in attaining a deeper understanding of logic. She agrees, one condition: no hijinks.

Aboard the Enterprise? Perish the thought.

Spock takes a shuttle craft out to place equipment that Scotty will need to boost the transporter signal. But when Scotty engages the transporter with the puppet in place, the titular transporter accident occurs, turning the entire crew aboard the ship into sentient puppets.

Ethan Peck as Spock with his puppet castmates

Courtesy of Jan Thijs/Paramount+

This episode was first teased at San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, and holy cow does it deliver. In what has to be one of the funniest episodes of “Star Trek” ever made, Spock and the puppet crew battle a band of Orion pirates attempting to steal the Enterprise while also learning the limitations (and advantages) of their new puppet forms.