Polygon's review of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 argues that the series continues to prioritise gimmick-driven, high-concept episodes over meaningful development of its core cast. While showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have produced some strong instalments, the review contends that characters such as Una Chin-Riley, Nyota Uhura, La'An Noonien-Singh and Erica Ortegas are once again sidelined or given underwhelming arcs, echoing a pattern seen in season 3.

The review highlights specific episodes to illustrate the problem, including a noir-styled black-and-white episode, "A Case of Chiaroscuro," criticised for adding little to Una's character, and a stoner-comedy mashup involving Ortegas and Scotty that fails to develop them beyond their job roles. However, it praises episodes where concept and character align well, such as the tense real-time instalment "Off-Hour" and the body-horror-influenced "The Griffin Incident," both of which deliver stronger emotional payoffs for characters including Christine Chapel, Joseph M'Benga and the Kirk brothers.