I’m sure Goldsman meant felt puppet characters on “Star Trek,” and not literally the Disney-owned Muppet characters. My deepest apologies to those who wanted to see Captain Pike (Anson Mount) converse with Kermit the Frog, or Spock (Ethan Peck) butting heads with Sam the Eagle. Plus, the Muppets already had their own sci-fi segment via their “Pigs in Space” shorts that date back to the original “Muppet Show.” The ship on “Pigs in Space” was called the Swine Trek, so the two franchises are already somewhat chummy.
There was also precedent for a Muppet episode of a mainstream sci-fi/fantasy show in an “Angel” episode called “Smile Time” from 2004. In that episode, the titular vampire (David Boreanaz) is transformed into a living Muppet-like puppet creature by an eerie magical egg. As a puppet, Angel and his compatriots must do battle with the makers of a demonic children’s show. Don’t worry: Puppet Angel returns to normal after a few days. “Angel” is a show about vampires and spells, so turning a character into a puppet is more narratively organic than whatever situation might arise for it to potentially happen on a science-based program like “Star Trek.”
But then, if “Star Trek” can orchestrate technobabble to explain a musical episode, a puppet episode wouldn’t be too far behind. The tone of “Strange New Worlds” matches the whimsical lightness of “Angel” anyway, so the showrunners have every excuse to make good on Goldsman’s little joke.
And, yes, Trekkies would love to see a silent episode. But a quick reminder: “Star Trek: Voyager” already did a few black and white episodes.