una chin-riley – Trekking with Dennis

Strange New Worlds: Taking Stock

A Strange New Worlds-themed spoiler warning.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1-3. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, Discovery, and Picard.

At time of writing, Season 3 of Strange New Worlds has just concluded. With Starfleet Academy on the schedule for the first half of next year, and with Season 4 having only finished filming a few weeks ago, there’s gonna be a wait of a year-plus before we’ll see it – late 2026 or early 2027 is my guess, barring any strikes or similar disruptions! So it’s a bit early to look ahead – but Strange New Worlds is on my mind right now.

What I want to do this time is try to take stock of how the series has performed so far, as well as look ahead to a few things that I’d like to see in Seasons 4 and/or 5. This isn’t going to be a review or a recap of Season 3, though obviously we’ll talk about Season 3 along the way, but rather a broader overview of how I see Strange New Worlds now that we’re three seasons in – and, regrettably, past the halfway point of what will be a forty-six-episode run.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing the Enterprise at warp. — The final shot of Season 3.

As always, a couple of caveats before we get much further. Firstly, I have no “insider information,” so anything I say about possible future episodes and stories should be viewed through that lens! And secondly, all of this is the subjective, not objective, opinion of one old Trekkie. If you disagree with me about Strange New Worlds, hate my take, or want to see the series go in a completely different direction… that’s okay! There’s enough room in the Star Trek fan community for differences of opinion and polite disagreement.

Alright, now that that’s out of the way… let’s talk Strange New Worlds!

Season 3 was, on the whole, pretty good. There were a couple of dud episodes, but even those had some redeeming qualities. It felt a bit more serialised this time, thanks to the ongoing Batel-Gorn storyline, but still episodic enough that we got a diverse mix of stories. If I had to highlight two episodes for special praise, I’d pick Through the Lens of Time and Terrarium. I think Through the Lens of Time is, with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps somewhat let down by a weaker conclusion in the season finale, but on its own it’s still a solid episode. And Terrarium is just fantastic across the board.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing Ortegas on an away mission. — Ortegas in *Terrarium*.

In terms of characters, I’d like to see Strange New Worlds do more with some of its original creations, rather than leaning so heavily on the younger versions of TOS characters. Scotty seems to have taken precedence over Pelia for a lot of engineering storylines, such as in A Space Adventure Hour, and because Pelia is just a ton of fun… that doesn’t sit right. She’s the chief engineer, and he’s… what? A glorified assistant at best. And although sometimes lacking in confidence, this version of Scotty is still working engineering miracles. We’ve seen that before, and while there’s definitely fun to be had in seeing Scotty’s growth and the development of some of his friendships with folks like Uhura and Kirk… I don’t want that to overwhelm an original character like Pelia.

I’ve said this before, but if Star Trek had relied so heavily on legacy characters when considering spin-offs in the 1980s and 1990s, the franchise would feel a lot smaller today. We might never have met the likes of Picard, Sisko, or Janeway if the folks in charge had insisted on retaining characters from past iterations of Star Trek – and I’m just a little concerned that the attention dedicated to legacy characters is beginning to overshadow the rest of the cast. Spock was almost omnipresent this season, and we got stories heavily focused on Kirk, Chapel, Scotty, and Uhura, too. I’m glad that we finally got an Ortegas episode – and that it was so darn good! But with only sixteen episodes remaining, I’d really like to see Strange New Worlds strike more of a balance between characters who’ll go on to play big roles in TOS and the rest of the cast.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing Kirk in the captain's chair of the Farragut. — Kirk in command.

I mentioned this in one of my Season 3 episode reviews, but La’an being related to iconic Star Trek villain Khan has been a complete nothing-burger so far, and unless something major changes on that front… I’m gonna reach the end of the series wishing she’d been given a different last name. If you know me, you know I’m not a stickler for the tiniest minutiae of “canon,” but given how important Khan is to Kirk, Spock, and really to Star Trek as a whole… making La’an a direct relative of Khan kind of treads on the toes of what was established in Space Seed. If there’d been a big narrative payoff for that, it could’ve easily been worth it. But so far? I’m afraid it hasn’t been.

Think about it like this: what would change about La’an if her last name had been… Shellac-Wombat instead of Noonien-Singh? She could still have been a descendant of augments. She could still have survived the Gorn as a kid. She could still have felt shame about her ancestry. She could still have developed a friendship with Una, fallen for Kirk, and gotten into bed with Spock. Her iconic ancestor doesn’t matter one iota – and because of how important Khan still is to the franchise, I don’t think that’s good enough. There’s just no reason to have made her a member of Khan’s family – and right now, the name feels like little more than cheap nostalgia bait.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing La'an peeking out from a hiding place. — La’an in Season 2.

What appealed to me the most about “the Captain Pike show” in the aftermath of Discovery’s second season was spending more time with Anson Mount’s take on the character. Season 1 gave us a decent mix of Pike and other characters, but the captain seems to have stepped out of the limelight a little in Seasons 2 and 3. There were whole episodes this season where Pike got remarkably little to do, and one of his bigger roles – in Four-and-a-Half Vulcans – was far from his best. Anson Mount did a great job, by the way, in that kind of comedic role… but I just wasn’t thrilled about the end product.

So in Seasons 4 and 5, I hope we get to see a bit more of Pike. That doesn’t mean every story needs to put the captain front-and-centre, but there have been moments in some episodes which could’ve been perfect for Pike to step up and play a role – but where writing decisions meant other characters came to the fore. Maybe you think this contradicts my earlier wish to see more of Strange New Worlds’ original creations – but I kind of include Pike, Una, and Dr M’Benga along with the brand-new characters, as their roles prior to this series were much smaller.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing Pike holding a wine glass. — It’s still “the Captain Pike show” to me!

There are plenty of great characters on the show, and with only sixteen episodes left – and presumably at least one or two new recurring or secondary characters to be added – there are clearly gonna be constraints on how often Pike can be centre-stage… and I get that. But this is, for me, still “the Captain Pike show,” so when Pike is absent, relegated to a background role, or even mischaracterised – as I’d argue he was, to an extent, in episodes like Under the Cloak of War and Four-and-a-Half Vulcans – then a big part of Strange New Worlds is missing.

This leads into one of the concerns I have going into the remainder of the series: filming for Season 4 has already concluded, and Season 5 is currently underway. There’s no time for Skydance/Paramount to address feedback from Season 3; it’s too late to make any changes to the stories that have already been created. And given that Season 3 did have a couple of misfires and, I would argue, an over-use of characters like Kirk and Spock at the expense of Pike and some of Strange New Worlds’ original characters… that could be a problem. Feedback is important, especially in the modern streaming television landscape, and unfortunately, Strange New Worlds went ahead with producing Season 4 and 5 before there was a chance for any significant responses to Season 3 to be known. Hopefully, because the show is still pretty good, that won’t be too much of a problem. But I worry that the creative team may have doubled-down on some of the things that fans and viewers have been less keen on this time around.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing the Enterprise bridge. — Pike and the crew on the bridge.

Returning to Pike, I don’t think we need to see his accident and disability again at the end of the show. That story has already been told in Discovery, in The Original Series, and in a couple of Strange New Worlds episodes, so ending the show that way would, I would argue, be repetitive. If Kirk hadn’t been such a big presence this season, I’d probably have said that the series finale should show Pike handing over the Enterprise to Kirk – and a big part of me still believes that will be the final shot of the series. But given Kirk’s expanded role… I think some of the impact of that will be lost, even if the moment itself is handled well.

Instead, I think Strange New Worlds needs its very own Undiscovered Country-type of story. Perhaps Pike and the crew get word that the Enterprise is to undergo a major refit, and that Pike himself is to be promoted. The crew have one final mission to undertake – perhaps against the Klingons, the Gorn, or another well-known antagonist. The mission could be intense, explosive, and action-packed, but rather than the final moments of the show depicting the handover to Kirk… I’d like to see Pike on the bridge, setting course for parts unknown one final time.

Cropped comic book cover from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds spin off series. — Ortegas, Una, Chapel, and Spock from one of the *Strange New Worlds* comic books.

We’ve had it confirmed in a recent interview that the creative team weren’t sure a renewal was coming after Season 3, which I think explains a few major decisions this time around. It explains why there was such a rush to do the “backdoor pilot” for their Year One idea, with Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Chapel, and Uhura all working together. It explains why some characters – like Chapel and Uhura – now feel like they’re coming to the ends of their arcs on the show. And it explains that epilogue in the season finale, which I said in my review felt like it was intended to serve as the ultimate ending to the show if it hadn’t been picked up for more episodes.

Some of those decisions could, if the creative team are aware of them, open up different possibilities in Seasons 4 and 5. We’ve already had the “Kirk in command” Year One spin-off episode. So check that one off the list – no need to do that again. Chapel’s relationship with Dr Korby has emerged, gone through a couple of bumps in the road, and gotten to a point where he doesn’t need to regularly reappear. Uhura’s grown in confidence and ability, taking her from a raw cadet unsure of her place in Starfleet to a confident officer who was even willing to bend the rules. Spock has just been all over the place… but even if we never got another Spock episode, I think we can safely say we’ve spent more than enough time with him, too!

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing Spock. — Spock.

So that should open up other opportunities. We haven’t had a major storyline for Una since the beginning of Season 2 (and no, getting horny for Patton Oswalt doesn’t count). We finally got our Ortegas episode, three seasons in, but there’s still scope to do more with her character. It would be nice to get a story for Dr M’Benga that doesn’t revolve around either his violent past or some other secret he’s keeping from his shipmates – perhaps one that could explain why, by the time of The Original Series, he’s no longer the chief medical officer.

Then there’s the secondary cast. Mitchell’s been a regular on the bridge – maybe the show could do something with her? Admiral April’s family was hinted at in the Season 3 finale, as was his friendship with Pike, so perhaps a story in which he’s in focus would be well-received. I’d also love to get one more story featuring Hemmer! Perhaps a time-travel story, of some kind, could see Hemmer getting some screen time with Scotty? That could be absolutely fantastic if handled well. And Sam Kirk has been rather overshadowed by Spock in the science department and his brother, but it would be lovely to get a story in which he’s in focus, for once.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing Sam Kirk holding a machine. — Sam Kirk in Season 2.

You’ll have heard me say this before (I often use it as a bit of a caveat when talking about episodes I didn’t like!) but I’m really glad to see Strange New Worlds remaining a mostly episodic show. Discovery and Picard both went for big, season-long serialised arcs… but for me, that’s not really what I’ve wanted from Star Trek. In past shows, where seasons were longer and there was more room for manoeuvre, arcs like the Dominion War worked pretty well. But in the modern television landscape, where there are fewer episodes and fewer seasons available, I think Star Trek really needs the diversity and options that only an episodic format can deliver.

So, as production gets underway on Season 5… please keep the episodic format! A two-part or even three-part finale could work, sure, but I hope that at least some of Season 5 can retain the episodic charm that has made Strange New Worlds feel like such a nostalgic throwback in the best possible way. It wasn’t until I started watching Strange New Worlds that I came to recognise how much I’ve missed episodic television – and how essential the format is to a franchise like Star Trek.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing zombies. — The zombies in *Shuttle to Kenfori*.

Star Trek shows need the freedom to explore strange new worlds… pretty much every week. The Enterprise needs to visit a planet, meet an alien, then warp away to a different destination next time. As Strange New Worlds has demonstrated, that doesn’t mean you have to lose character growth, personal relationships, and other modern television trappings. But it means that, for a franchise all about exploring the galaxy, spending too long in one place or having too narrow a focus isn’t what works best. And I’m not alone in feeling that way, I suspect.

I think there’s room for something like a two-part finale to wrap up the show, or even a two-part cliffhanger in between Seasons 4 and 5, as we got with Seasons 2 and 3. One or both of those ideas could be great. But what I don’t want to see, really, is for Seasons 4 and 5 to go down the Discovery/Picard route of being fully serialised, as I think that would take away so much of what has made Strange New Worlds work. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the Strange New Worlds model – which I’d describe as episodic with character arcs – should be adopted by Starfleet Academy and by any other Star Trek project that might get greenlit in the years ahead. It’s absolutely the best choice for this franchise.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing La'an on the holodeck. — La’an on the holodeck.

At this stage, with Starfleet Academy on the schedule for early 2026, I’m not convinced that Strange New Worlds’ fourth season will be ready in time for the 60th anniversary, which is now less than a year away! But if I could be allowed one “wish,” it would be for Season 4 to contain some kind of celebratory episode, perhaps a story akin to my Cardassia Prime pitch, which would bring in characters and factions from elsewhere in the franchise.

The 60th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate a milestone that few franchises ever reach. And let’s be honest: with all the cancellations and Paramount+ struggling, being able to do anything big for the 70th or 75th seems unlikely! And speaking for myself… I might not be here by then! So I’d dearly love to see at least one Season 4 episode written as a “love letter” to Star Trek and to the fans, really leaning into the 60th anniversary and celebrating all things Star Trek.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing an illusion of Hemmer. — A 60th anniversary episode could really celebrate the franchise.

Before we wrap things up, I have a couple of much siller, almost-certain-never-to-be-made ideas. The first is one I’ve talked about a few times here on the website: rescuing Captain Lorca! Lorca appeared in Discovery’s first season, and the prime timeline version of the character is assumed to have died in the Mirror Universe… but what if he didn’t? Captain Pike could lead a rescue effort, stepping through the looking-glass to save a friend. I think that could be a ton of fun as an episode.

And finally… I still kinda want to see a “Captain Pike versus the Borg” story! Yes, there are timeline problems. Yes, it would tread on the toes of canon. And yes, the Borg have been overused in Picard in recent years. But still… I think you could write a script which sees Pike’s Enterprise catapulted to an alternate universe where the Borg are dominant, with Spock saying “it’s unlikely a cybernetic race like this exists in our universe,” and where La’an, Dr M’Benga, and the rest of the crew have to battle drones and figure out a way home. I just think it would be a really fun idea.

Still frame from Star Trek: First Contact showing a borg drone. — I know, I know… it ain’t gonna happen!

So that’s all for today!

We’ve talked about Strange New Worlds, the show’s first three seasons, some of its characters, and a few things I’d like to see going forward. I’m still disappointed that the show has been prematurely cancelled – especially because it happened before Season 3 had aired a single episode. But we are where we are, and there are now just sixteen episodes left. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some wonderful adventures before Captain Pike and co. have to hang up their uniforms for the final time.

I hope this has been interesting. I wanted to talk about the show more broadly now that Season 3 has ended. I still don’t think we’re gonna see Season 4 before next autumn at the earliest – and a 2027 release doesn’t seem impossible, either, given the lengthy post-production involved for modern shows. So… it could be a while before we rejoin Pike, Spock, Una, and the rest of the crew. Before then, I’d like to finally write up some Season 1 episodes, which I didn’t do at the time because Paramount cut off Strange New Worlds from an international audience! And if and when there’s a trailer, a teaser, or more information revealed about the upcoming season, I daresay I’ll take a look. Until then… Live Long and Prosper!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1-3 are available to stream now on Paramount+ in countries and territories where the platform exists. The first two seasons are also available on DVD/Blu-ray. The Star Trek franchise – including Strange New Worlds and all other properties discussed above – is the copyright of Skydance and/or Paramount. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Strange New Worlds: Season 3 Wishlist

Wed 02.04.25Dennis

A Star Trek-themed spoiler warning graphic.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Strange New Worlds Seasons 1 & 2, including the season finale. Spoilers are also present for Enterprise Season 3 and Picard Seasons 2 & 3.

Today we’re going to take a look ahead! There’s been a recent hint that Strange New Worlds might premiere at the end of July; a so-called “leak” from Sky in the Netherlands put the show’s broadcast date in Europe on the 1st of August, and with the 31st of July being a Thursday – Strange New Worlds’ usual broadcast day in its first two seasons – that could line up. I’d been working on the assumption that we’d see the show sometime in the late summer or autumn, so if Strange New Worlds runs for ten interrupted weeks beginning on the 31st, that would take it through August and September with the season finale airing at the beginning of October.

Whether or not that timeframe is anywhere close to accurate, though, it got me thinking about Season 3 and what I’d like to see whenever Strange New Worlds returns!

Strange New Worlds has been, for me, the absolute highlight of modern Star Trek. There have been a couple of episodes that weren’t as good as the others, sure, but the show’s episodic tone feels like a breath of fresh air after Discovery and Picard. Spending more time with Captain Pike has been wonderful, too, and I’m really hoping for a renewal announcement sometime soon to give the series a thoroughly-deserved fifth season. Perhaps there’ll even be some kind of celebratory episode in Season 4 to mark Star Trek’s sixtieth anniversary!

Behind-the-scenes photo from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 showing a clapper board. — Season 3 is coming soon!

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves a little! What I’d like to do today is share some of my wishes for Strange New Worlds Season 3 – the things I really want to see, and perhaps one or two pitfalls that I hope can be avoided. Despite taking a long time to work my way through Season 2, I’m really looking forward to Season 3 and hoping for another outstanding batch of episodes!

Before we get into the wishlist, a couple of important caveats. First of all, this is just the subjective opinion of one old Trekkie. If I miss something that seems obvious to you or “wish” for something that you think sounds atrocious… that’s okay! There’s plenty of room in the Star Trek fan community for polite discussion and differences of opinion. Secondly, I’m not claiming that anything below will definitely be part of Season 3 of Strange New Worlds. I have no “insider information;” I’m just a random Star Trek fan sharing their thoughts!

So let’s talk about some of the things I’d like to see in this upcoming season.

Wish #1:
Keep the episodic format.

Promo photo for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 showing Pike, Una, and Mitchell on the bridge. — Captain Pike, Mitchell, and Una on the bridge.

This has to be my biggest single wish for Season 3. As I said earlier, Strange New Worlds being a largely episodic show is one of the best things about it – and one of the best decisions that Paramount has taken with the Star Trek franchise in decades. It’s not just that Picard, Discovery, and even Prodigy have been pretty serialised affairs, but basically every sci-fi and fantasy show on TV is, too. In its heyday, Star Trek was an episodic franchise, and I can’t be alone in thinking it works better that way. Being able to visit different planets and meet new aliens every week is part of what makes Star Trek feel like Star Trek, at least for me, and it’s really been wonderful to see Strange New Worlds bringing this back.

There’s still room for characters to grow and evolve, as we’ve seen already in the show’s first couple of seasons. But with Season 2 ending on a cliffhanger – and a possible war with the Gorn breaking out – I’m a tad nervous that Paramount plans to focus on the Gorn storyline at the expense of others this time around. I really hope that won’t happen, because I really think it’d be to Strange New Worlds’ detriment.

Promo photo for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 showing Spock wearing a space suit. — Spock in a teaser image from Season 3.

Across just twenty episodes and two seasons, Strange New Worlds has had episodes in a diverse range of genres – from horror and war to comedy and even a musical. I really hope the show’s writers keep that wonderful mix of different stories going, because it’s a huge part of what makes Strange New Worlds so enjoyable. I also think it’s helping the show – and by extension, Star Trek as a whole – stand out in a streaming landscape that’s overwhelmingly dominated by serialised storytelling.

Episodic storytelling allows a range of characters to be in focus across the season, not just one or two primaries with a handful of supporting roles. Writing the show this way also gives us a lot more opportunities to meet different aliens, visit different planets and locations, and for the Enterprise’s five-year mission to genuinely feel like one of exploration. By keeping this episodic tone, Strange New Worlds can get back to Starfleet’s mission of seeking out new life – with detours, here and there, of course!

Wish #2:
Revisit Una’s Illyrian heritage.

Promo photo for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 showing a close-up of Una. — A promotional still of Una as she’ll appear in Season 3.

After standing trial at the beginning of Season 2, we didn’t spend a lot more time with Una. Crucially, her Illyrian heritage – which caused such problems for her – wasn’t so much as mentioned again, and we never got to see her interacting with any other Illyrians. I hope that this genuinely interesting backstory won’t just be ignored in Season 3, because there’s a ton of potential to expand our understanding of Una as a character – and also revisit a faction we haven’t seen since Enterprise.

There are a lot of ways a story like this could go, and it wouldn’t have to be the main focus of an entire episode necessarily. Perhaps Una could be given a B-plot in which she has to return to her homeworld for some reason, or some of her relatives could come to visit her aboard the Enterprise. How would her surviving family members react to seeing her serving aboard a Federation ship? Are there any lingering ill feelings from the Illyrians toward Starfleet given their run-in with the NX-01 Enterprise and the Federation’s ban on genetic engineering? Those could be interesting angles to explore.

Still frame from Star Trek: Enterprise showing a damaged Illyrian spaceship. — A 22nd Century Illyrian starship as seen in *Enterprise*.

As we were just saying, Strange New Worlds is an episodic show – so after Una’s true backstory was revealed in Season 1, and she stood trial in Season 2, the show just had other things to do and other stories to tell. That’s totally okay; I don’t want a multi-episode arc where only the Illyrians are in focus! But it would be nice to call back to those earlier episodes and not just completely ignore this side of Una. Her Illyrian heritage is part of what makes her the Starfleet officer she is – and I think there are interesting and creative ways the show could approach the topic.

If we don’t get much of this in Season 3, then perhaps it can be included in Season 4 or 5 instead!

Wish #3:
Some kind of character growth for Scotty.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing Scotty on Parnassus Beta. — Scotty may remain aboard the Enterprise in Season 3.

In my review of Hegemony, I noted how Scotty seems to have arrived in Strange New Worlds pretty much fully-formed. He’s confident enough to interrupt two captains when they’re having a private conversation, and he’s mechanically skilled enough to have built a Gorn transponder out of random pieces of equipment he found on a Federation science ship. So… where does that leave this younger version of the character? Is there any potential to see him grow and evolve now that he’s presumably going to be a recurring or even main character on Strange New Worlds?

Another element of Strange New Worlds that I’ve really enjoyed has been seeing how Spock and Uhura in particular started out at least somewhat different to how they are in The Original Series. Both of them have changed and grown over the course of the show’s first couple of seasons, and in Spock’s case, I’d argue that he still has a way to go to become the stoic, logical Vulcan that we’re familiar with. Even Kirk, though very much a secondary character, has room to grow in order to become the captain we know and love.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing Pelia and Scotty. — Pelia with Scotty at the end of Season 2.

So I’d like to see Strange New Worlds show us, somehow, that Scotty isn’t perfect just yet! Maybe he’s not as confident as he seemed on Parnassus Beta, and he needs the mentoring of a senior officer like Pelia before he can become the “miracle worker” from The Original Series. Perhaps he’s mechanically skilled but inexperienced when it comes to working on a Constitution-class ship, and he’ll need some time to adapt. Or maybe he’s a bit socially awkward with people he doesn’t know very well, and it’ll take someone like Uhura to help him come out of his shell after he transfers to the Enterprise. Any or all of these could be interesting ways to give Scotty room to grow.

Part of the point of doing a prequel series, especially one that focuses on familiar characters, is to expand their backgrounds and show us how they became the people we remember. If Scotty arrives fully-formed, with perfect engineering skills and the same basic personality that we’re familiar with from The Original Series, it might well be fun to spend some more time with him… but it’ll also be a bit of a missed opportunity.

Wish #4:
Bring back Sarek to explore more of his feud with Spock.

Promo photo for Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 showing Sarek. — Sarek (as he appeared in *Discovery’*s first season).

I genuinely enjoyed James Frain’s take on Sarek in Discovery’s first two seasons. Strange New Worlds has already brought back Spock’s mother, Amanda, and she’s been a welcome addition to the show. Journey To Babel suggested that Spock and Sarek became estranged when Spock chose to study at Starfleet Academy instead of the Vulcan Science Academy, but I’ve always wondered if there might be more to it than that. I guess technically this would come close to treading on the toes of “canon;” Amanda told Kirk in The Original Series that Sarek and Spock have been estranged for eighteen years, and Strange New Worlds takes place ten years or so earlier. But I think it could still work!

In any case, it would be fun to see Sarek again, and even if we don’t learn a lot more about this feud and estrangement, seeing the awkwardness of Spock having to navigate the complicated situation could make for a fun or interesting episode. Perhaps the Enterprise could be called to Vulcan for an assignment, and Sarek and Amanda would come aboard – or Spock could be invited to their home.

Still frame from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home showing Spock and Sarek at Starfleet HQ. — Spock and Sarek in *The Voyage Home*.

Sarek and Captain Pike didn’t meet face-to-face in Discovery, but there could be a relationship there to build upon that we haven’t seen. And this could also be a way for Strange New Worlds to reference Discovery and Michael Burnham; I’m surprised that Spock hasn’t talked more about his adopted sister. There’s no reason for him to keep this a secret, and it could have implications for someone like Ortegas – a veteran of the Klingon war that Burnham had a role in sparking.

An episode featuring Sarek could also bring back T’Pring – Spock’s wife. The teaser clip from last year’s Comic-Con (and one set photo) seem to suggest a Vulcan story will be part of Season 3, so at least we know we’re going to get something to do with the Vulcans! As to whether Sarek will appear, though… I mean, why not?

Wish #5:
Cross over to the Mirror Universe and find Captain Lorca.

Promo photo for Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 showing Captain Lorca holding a phaser. — Captain Lorca.

Trekking with Dennis asking for a Mirror Universe episode?! Has the world gone mad?! Seriously, though, despite my general dislike of the Mirror Universe as a setting (and its overuse in modern Star Trek), if there’s one good reason to visit Star Trek’s most famous parallel universe it’s this: rescuing the prime timeline version of Captain Lorca.

Lorca was a big part of Discovery’s first season, but the man we came to know was actually an imposter: he’d switched places with his prime timeline counterpart and sought to use Discovery and her spore drive to get back to his home universe. That seems to imply that the real Captain Lorca got stranded in the Mirror Universe, and despite Burnham and Admiral Cornwell thinking he’s dead, I can’t shake the feeling that Lorca might’ve found a way to survive!

Still frame from Star Trek: Enterprise showing the Terran Empire emblem. — Could Lorca have found a way to survive in the Terran Empire?

We know that Pike is aware of the existence of the Mirror Universe; he said as much to Georgiou in Discovery’s second season finale. With Pike and Lorca having been Starfleet captains at the same time, it stands to reason that they know each other – and perhaps they’re even friends. Somehow, Lorca might be able to get a message across the divide between universes, leading Starfleet to send Pike on a particularly difficult rescue mission!

I think Spock would have to be kept out of this story – prime Spock, at least. It could be fun to see Mirror Spock, if only for a scene or two! Uhura and Scotty would also have to be left out, so as not to tread on the toes of Mirror, Mirror. Perhaps Captain Pike takes someone like Ortegas on a specially-modified shuttle, spends time in the Mirror Universe while he tracks down and saves Lorca, and then returns to the Enterprise. I think it’s a really fun idea, one that would connect Strange New Worlds back to Discovery while also allowing for a visit to a very different setting.

Wish #6:
Don’t introduce another character from The Original Series.

Promo photo from Star Trek: The Original Series showing most of the main cast. — The main characters of *The Original Series*.

Spock, Uhura, Chapel, Kirk, and now Scotty – Strange New Worlds is filling out its main and secondary rosters with a lot of legacy characters! Some stories featuring characters we remember from The Original Series have been great and will continue to be great in Seasons 3 and 4, too… but as I said before Strange New Worlds premiered: I don’t want the show’s main focus to be on these people. It’s just as important to spend time with people like Pelia, Ortegas, and La’an – as well as Pike, Dr M’Benga, and Una.

So with all that in mind, let’s not introduce someone like Chekov, Sulu, or Dr McCoy this time! I think having yet another Original Series character would start to unbalance Strange New Worlds, tipping the scales in that direction a little too much. I already noted, in several of my Season 2 reviews, that Captain Pike seemed to be less present in what fans originally called “the Captain Pike show,” and I think there’s a real danger that the writers will choose to focus on legacy characters at the expense of the rest of the crew. A good mix of stories featuring legacy characters sometimes, new characters other times, and different pairs and groups working together is what I want to see going forward.

Still frame from Star Trek: The Original Series showing several characters materialising in a transporter beam. — An away mission…

If the likes of Kirk and Scotty stick around – as I assume they will – and no one else is leaving the show or taking on a lesser role, there’s really not a lot of room in the cast for another legacy character. Season 3 is gonna be ten episodes long, and in order for the show to spend time with the growing group of characters it already has, there just won’t be time to do justice to someone like Dr McCoy or Sulu. Plus, if someone like that were introduced for a one-off story, there’s gonna be a huge temptation to keep them around and bring them back, as we saw with Paul Wesley’s Kirk. Now, I’ve found Wesley’s take on Kirk to be a ton of fun and I’m glad there have been episodes where he was included. But I’m also conscious of the fact that too many legacy characters could overwhelm Strange New Worlds and detract from what made it so appealing in the first place.

There’s a parallel here with Star Trek: Picard. That show introduced several new characters, but jettisoned all but one in between its second and third seasons, leaving character arcs incomplete, stories untold, and quite frankly, a bit of a mess in its wake. There was a mad rush to bring back Picard’s friends from The Next Generation for “one last adventure”… but that was never how Picard was originally pitched. As much fun as Season 3 was, there was also a ton of wasted potential in new characters that just never got a turn in the spotlight. I really hope Strange New Worlds won’t repeat that mistake.

Wish #7:
A major storyline for Ortegas.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing Ortegas in the captain's chair. — Ortegas in the captain’s chair.

For Season 2, actress Melissa Navia requested a reduced role, which explains why her character – Lt. Ortegas, the Enterprise’s pilot and helm officer – wasn’t a huge presence. Ortegas is probably the new character we’re least-familiar with at this stage, and I think it would be great if we could get at least one episode in Season 3 where we learn more about her, her history, or where she gets more of a central role.

It was fantastic to see Ortegas play a role in Hegemony, finally getting her wish to be part of an away mission and showing off her piloting skills. We also came to learn that she’d been a test pilot for Starfleet – harkening back to the early days of NASA and space exploration here in the real world, where many of the early astronauts were test pilots. Ortegas also served during the Klingon war, as we saw in Under the Cloak of War, so that could be another piece of her history to delve into at some stage.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing Ortegas pilotting a shuttle. — Ortegas on an away mission.

As I was saying above, I’d really like to get to know some of the new characters created for Strange New Worlds. We’ve spent some time with La’an, Hemmer got a bit of development before his untimely demise, and we’re getting to know Captain Batel, too. I hope that the time is right for an Ortegas spotlight, giving her a significant storyline of her own in one episode next season.

If I had to create something, I’d want to go with a story all about piloting. We could flash back to Ortegas’ time at Starfleet Academy, perhaps, showing her testing out a brand-new type of shuttlecraft or fighter. And we could get a story akin to something like Drive from Voyager’s seventh season – an episode that focused on shuttle racing. At any rate, I’d like a storyline that really puts Ortegas in the pilot’s seat, and even if it was just a one-time thing that took up half of one episode, getting to spend a bit more time with her would be fantastic.

Wish #8:
A connection to a storyline from Enterprise and/or The Next Generation era.

Behind-the-scenes photo from Star Trek: The Next Generation showing the USS Enterprise-D filming model. — The filming model of the Enterprise-D from *The Next Generation*.

If you haven’t read it yet, please check out my “pitch” for a Strange New Worlds episode that I’ve titled Cardassia Prime, because I go into detail about a hypothetical story that would bring together elements from across the Star Trek franchise. Click or tap here to check it out!

In short, I’d love to see an episode that brings together narrative elements from Enterprise or something from The Next Generation era – and ideally does both. There are many ways this could go, but I really like the idea of an older T’Pol meeting up with Spock, giving him advice on serving in Starfleet, and showing us a glimpse of her life a century or so after we last saw her. That could be a ton of fun.

Still frame from Star Trek: Enterprise showing an elderly T'Pol. — T’Pol could still be alive in the mid-23rd Century.

Given that Strange New Worlds has also brought back the exploration side of Star Trek in a big way, I’d also like to see Pike’s Enterprise making first contact with a faction we’d come to spend more time with in the 24th Century. In my fantasy episode that I linked to above, I suggested that the Cardassians would be a great choice. First contact with the Cardassians has never been shown on screen, and if it didn’t go well it could foreshadow the conflicts that the Federation would have with the Cardassian Union in the 24th Century. Plus we’ve only seen the barest glimpses of Cardassians in modern Star Trek, despite how important they were in Deep Space Nine.

But really, this kind of story could involve any race or faction from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, or even Voyager – though the latter might be a bit tricky! Captain Pike could make first contact with anyone from the El-Aurians to the Breen, or we could even see the return of someone like the Xindi or Suliban. Strange New Worlds has done new and creative things with the Gorn, so maybe a faction that was only seen once – like the Sheliak or the Klaestron – could be ripe for further exploration.

Wish #9:
Captain Pike versus the Borg!

Still frame from Star Trek: Voyager showing several Borg Cubes flying away from an explosion. — Borg vessels and an exploding planet…

In my provocatively-titled piece “Ten Star Trek Storylines That Should Be Non-Canon,” I argued that Enterprise’s Borg episode – Regeneration – added an unnecessary complication to the already muddled history of Borg-Federation contact. I’ve also made the case that Star Trek has over-used the Borg in recent years – most notably in Picard, where the Borg were present in different ways in all three seasons. So why do I think a Borg story would work in the 23rd Century, then?

First of all, this is pure fantasy! I’m 99.9% sure that Paramount wouldn’t do a “Captain Pike versus the Borg” story under any circumstances, so let’s state that up front. But if I think about incredibly fun one-off episode ideas, bringing back the Borg for a battle with one of my favourite Starfleet captains in what I consider to be the best modern Star Trek show… I’d really like to see how creative Strange New Worlds could be with the Borg Collective. Would it be fan-servicey to a ridiculous degree? Probably. But would it be a ton of fun? I think so!

Behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 showing a Borg character and two makeup artists. — Touching up a performer’s Borg makeup on the set of *Picard*.

Star Trek exists in a multiverse, right? There are parallel universes beyond the ones we’ve seen on screen, so who’s to say there isn’t an alternate timeline where the Borg overran the Alpha Quadrant in the 23rd Century? Through some kind of space phenomenon, Captain Pike and the crew find themselves in this parallel universe, having to battle the Borg while also searching for a way home. Someone like Spock could even theorise that the cybernetic race that dominates this universe may not exist in the prime timeline, giving some justification for how this storyline could co-exist with what we already know of the Federation’s history with the Borg.

A parallel universe could also be a great opportunity to re-work and modernise the Borg. Although Picard’s second season quickly went off the rails, I stated in my review of the season premiere that the new depiction of the Borg Queen – with an updated design and new abilities – was genuinely frightening; by far the scariest and most intense the Borg had been in a long time. Strange New Worlds has dipped its toes in the horror genre already with episodes featuring the Gorn, so this kind of story could take on a similar tone. I think it would be a blast, anyway!

Wish #10:
Surprise me!

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing several main cast members singing. — Not like this, though…

Alright, I guess this one’s just a big old cliché, but it’s my list so I’m keeping it! Strange New Worlds has, over the course of just twenty episodes so far, contained plenty of twists, turns, shocks, and surprises – and I hope we’ll get more of that this time around. There’s been a mixture of comedy, horror, exploration, adventure, and so much more, and most of the time I haven’t been able to predict what was going to happen or what kind of episode was coming up next. I’m absolutely in love with a show that can surprise me, and I really hope Strange New Worlds can continue to do so.

For example, I have no idea what’s going to happen to Captain Batel following the events of Hegemony. Batel was one of the characters featured in the Season 3 promotional posters… but does that mean she’s safe? Or is Paramount deliberately trying to mislead us? I genuinely don’t know whether Dr M’Benga and Nurse Chapel will be able to cure her condition in time, nor how Captain Pike would react if she passed away. It’s a genuine cliffhanger which is keeping me on my toes!

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing Captain Batel in sickbay. — Captain Batel is in stasis.

We’re obviously going to get at least one Gorn conflict episode at the beginning of the season, and there’s also at least one Vulcan storyline in the mix, too. But beyond that, I really have no idea where Strange New Worlds is going to take us in Season 3. Will there be an episode with the Klingons, perhaps? Or a deep cut to a random storyline from The Animated Series that hasn’t been mentioned on screen for decades? I like not knowing, and I like that Strange New Worlds is the kind of show that can take me on this kind of adventure!

This also ties back into what I was saying about episodic storytelling. Discovery and Picard both had season-long storylines – and while they could be mysterious and surprising in their own ways, they were also a lot more linear. Captain Pike’s crew encounter different aliens and visit different places every week, and that’s led to some genuinely unexpected storylines and episodes. As I said above, it just feels right for Star Trek.

So that’s it!

Cropped promotional poster for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showing the shadow of the Enterprise. — The Enterprise (and her crew) will be back soon!

With Season 3 perhaps arriving in late July or early August, we don’t have that long to wait. Less than four months from now, Strange New Worlds could well be back on our screens, and I really can’t wait to see what the series has in store!

I hope this wishlist has been a bit of fun and maybe a little interesting, too. I’d love to see the show include everything we’ve talked about – but some are definitely firmly in the realm of fantasy! The most important thing for me is that Strange New Worlds remains a largely episodic series – albeit one with character growth and some of the other modern trappings that serialised TV has brought to the table. When each episode has a different planet or new alien race to encounter, it opens up a ton of storytelling options. Strange New Worlds has done courtroom drama, horror, comedy, and even a musical – and I’m really excited to see what’s going to come next.

Still frame from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 showing the Enterprise under attack by the Gorn. — The Enterprise under attack by the Gorn in the Season 2 finale.

When Strange New Worlds returns later this year, I’ll do my best to follow along with reviews. I don’t have the best track record – it took me a while to get caught up on Season 2! But I’d really like to follow along week-to-week this time if I can, so I really hope you’ll join me for that. Who knows, I might even craft a theory or two, too, if the series lends itself to such things!

Thanks for checking out my Strange New Worlds wishlist. If you haven’t seen my Season 2 episode reviews, you can find them all by clicking or tapping here. Earlier this year I also checked out the Section 31 TV movie, and you can find that review by clicking or tapping here. There’s more Star Trek content to come here on the website, but until then… Live Long and Prosper!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 will premiere on Paramount+ in countries and territories where the platform is available later in 2025. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now and are also out now on DVD and Blu-ray. The Star Trek franchise – including Strange New Worlds and all other properties discussed above – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode Review – Season 2, Episode 2: Ad Astra Per Aspera

Mon 26.06.23Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1-2. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, and Picard.

This review touches on the subjects of transphobia and anti-trans legislation and may be uncomfortable for some readers.

Ad Astra Per Aspera was a great episode that shows Star Trek at its best. It took a sci-fi story about alien races and genetic engineering and used that to shine a light on some very real issues out here in the real world, becoming a classic Star Trek “morality play” in the process. But it did so with subtlety, and without allowing the analogy to overwhelm or subdue the character-driven story at its core. That balance can be difficult to get right sometimes, but Ad Astra Per Aspera nailed it.

For fans like myself, however, who’ve followed Star Trek over the course of decades… Ad Astra Per Aspera runs into one very specific story issue that’s entirely the result of Strange New Worlds being a prequel. This issue doesn’t ruin the episode, but it does detract a little from the powerful message it intended to convey, and leaves the ending feeling bittersweet.

But we’ll get into all of that in a moment.

First of all, before we dive deeply into the analogy at the core of Ad Astra Per Aspera, let’s take a look at a few of the other points of interest in the episode. For the second week in a row – and now for two episodes of what is only a ten-episode season – Captain Pike was once again sidelined. Though Pike had more to do this week than last week, and was physically present for a number of scenes and sequences, his role was relatively minor – as epitomised by Captain Batel telling him that he needed to stay on the sidelines and keep his mouth shut.

As I said last week, this again felt like an odd choice for what we once called “the Captain Pike show.” I’m sure Pike will have more than one centre-stage moment in the episodes that lie ahead, but for Season 2 to have kicked off with not one but two episodes that played out without much input from the Enterprise’s captain is a strange creative choice. Although Captain Batel told Pike that he needed to keep out of the court-martial for both Una’s sake and his own, it would have been just as easy to write a script in which Pike’s input at Una’s trial – perhaps even acting as an advocate for her defence – would have been of vital importance. I don’t hate or even particularly dislike that these two episodes focused on other characters, but it’s noteworthy, at least, that Season 2 started this way.

Captain Pike played a minor role for the second episode in a row.

There was also no mention whatsoever of the events of last week. Again, this is something we could see in a future episode, but Spock’s disobeying of orders, the theft of the Enterprise, and everything that transpired with Dr M’Benga, Nurse Chapel, La’an, and the Klingons… none of it came up. I would have expected Pike to comment, at least, on Spock’s actions – perhaps indicating his approval in such a way that could have set the stage for the events of The Menagerie.

I said last week that I felt it was odd that La’an’s story ended without a definitive resolution. The end of the episode saw her seemingly contemplating a return to Starfleet, but The Broken Circle ended without clarifying further. La’an has rejoined Starfleet, and seemingly regained her posting aboard the Enterprise – but all of this appears to have taken place off-screen. An extra minute or two last week could have cleared that up, and it would have been nice if La’an’s return to duty had been marked in some way by her colleagues and crewmates.

La’an was one of the more interesting characters this week, and her arc of coming to terms with potentially getting Una in trouble – and her palpable sense of relief when it turned out she wasn’t to blame – was an interesting B-plot that connected with the main thrust of the episode. I wondered if La’an might’ve been the one responsible for “outing” Una, and while I’m glad it wasn’t something she did maliciously, it made for an interesting and engaging secondary storyline as La’an and Uhura looked into what might’ve happened.

Lieutenant Ortegas is the one main character who still hasn’t had a turn in the spotlight. I hope we get to see more from her in Season 2, and while her scenes with Dr M’Benga and Spock this week added a rare moment of light-heartedness to what was an otherwise heavy episode, I’m still hoping to spend more time with the Enterprise’s helm officer.

The scene in the mess hall with M’Benga and Ortegas was a fun one, though, and I love how the series continues to find new and different ways to make Spock and the Vulcans unintentionally funny. Seeing Spock apologising for his “outburst,” when all we saw was him and the prosecuting officer sitting calmly and quietly was a blast – drawing on what we know of Vulcans and subverting our expectations in the best way possible!

Admiral April continues to confound me. His presentation in Season 1 was that of a decorated, well-respected, and upstanding Starfleet officer. But last week we saw him keeping secrets, potentially scheming with others at Starfleet in a way that could lead to war. And this week, the trend of turning April into somewhat of a “badmiral” seemed to continue. When challenged about Una’s case, April said repeatedly that he would have denied her application to Starfleet Academy simply because of her genetically-enhanced background, positioning him firmly as someone who would uphold the law and the status quo at any cost.

Admiral April may be going down a dark path…

I’m not wild about this direction for Admiral April, and I hope that there will be more to his characterisation this season. We didn’t see any more war scheming this week – which is good. But it’s the second episode in a row that didn’t present him in an especially positive light.

As I said last week, the redress of Discovery’s Federation HQ set wasn’t spectacular. The redress was incredibly obvious, and as Federation HQ has been seen in probably fifteen or more episodes of Discovery beginning with Season 3, it was a poor choice to recycle it here. More could have been done to disguise the repurposed set – such as removing the circular “fence” that took up a large part of the middle of the room. In Discovery, this area is supposed to be open, looking down on other levels. In a courtroom, that just seems silly. The room was also too large for the number of people in it, with a huge gap between the judges’ bench and the prosecution and defence desks. The circular shape also felt clunky and awkward. Better options were available – including the set used for the mess hall, for instance.

The set was a redress of *Discovery’*s Federation HQ.

Star Trek can do courtroom drama exceptionally well, and Ad Astra Per Aspera will take its place alongside episodes like Court-Martial, The Drumhead, and Rules of Engagement as one of the best. The scenes that took place both in court and outside of it were tense and dramatic, and until Una’s advocate sprung her legal trap it wasn’t at all obvious how the proceedings were going to go. There seemed to be a genuine threat to Una, with the evidence against her being rock-solid, and this was maintained all the way until the final moments of the episode.

The danger with this kind of outcome is that the ending can feel a bit too convenient… and there was a sense of that here. Una’s advocate managed to find a relatively obscure piece of Federation law – obscure enough, anyway, to be unknown to both prosecuting officers – and thus Una escaped punishment on a last-second technicality. That wasn’t unsatisfying by any means, and the writers of Ad Astra Per Aspera did well to connect it back to Una’s own statements. But it’s definitely a trope of the courtroom drama genre.

Neera Ketoul, Una’s advocate, found a technicality to resolve the case in her favour.

One part of Ad Astra Per Aspera that I felt was just a little underdeveloped was the conflict between Una and her advocate: the Illyrian Neera Ketoul. At a couple of points this felt like little more than forced tension; an unnecessary addition to the episode that didn’t really add anything nor elevate the main storyline. We could have seen more of Ketoul in an extended flashback sequence, for example, or learned what transpired between her and Una either at the beginning of the episode or during Pike’s conversation with Una last week. Something like this would have added a bit more to this otherwise pretty bland dispute.

That aside, however, I loved what Ad Astra Per Aspera did with Neera Ketoul – and with the Illyrians in a broader sense. Unlike someone like Atticus Finch – the small-town lawyer in To Kill A Mockingbird – Ketoul’s entire practice is based on advocating for civil rights, particularly for the Illyrians. She embodies many of the same traits as someone like Atticus Finch, but comes from a much stronger starting point. It’s obvious from her first moment in court why Captain Pike believed she would be Una’s best hope!

So let’s talk about the analogy at the core of Ad Astra Per Aspera. Such things are subjective in nature, and I’m sure that there are other interpretations of the episode. What I’m going to share is my own take, my own thoughts and feelings on the messaging here, and how well I feel it worked in the context of the story.

I viewed Ad Astra Per Aspera’s main story as being an analogy for trans and gender non-conforming people, our rights, and the multitude of legislation that has been and is continuing to be passed in various jurisdictions around the world. When Una spoke of the “privilege of passing,” and how Illyrians who could “pass” for human could conceal their true selves, that was when the analogy really hit. There are definitely other interpretations – but I think this is what the writers were going for. At any rate, that’s what I took away from the episode.

*Ad Astra Per Aspera* had a powerful message at its core.

Una’s speech about her childhood, about having to hide her true self while listening to vile abuse dished out by others, is something that really hit home for me. I’ve spoken about this before, but when I was younger, being trans or gender non-conforming was something that would lead to ridicule and mockery at best – and abuse and even physical harm at worst. The way Una described the treatment of Illyrians is something that felt uncomfortable – because it’s something that I think a lot of us have seen firsthand.

Here in the UK, as well as in the United States and elsewhere, there are currently some very vicious anti-transgender movements, some of which have scored some pretty big legislative victories. The prominence of some anti-trans figures has also led to the issue being discussed and debated in public far more often, with the result being a pushback against trans people, the rolling back or blocking of trans rights, and even hate campaigns directed at well-known trans individuals.

Una’s trial and her backstory can be seen as an analogy.

Compare that to Una’s description of her early life and there are a lot of parallels. Una describes a typical “moral panic,” one that targetted the Illyrians. Out here in the real world, a similar panic is being whipped up against trans people, non-binary people, and the wider LGBT+ community.

This is Star Trek doing what it’s always done: telling a sci-fi story with a real-world comparison, using its fantastical setting to shine a light on and even reframe issues out here impacting real people in the real world. It’s hard to watch Ad Astra Per Aspera and not sympathise with Una, with the inherent unfairness of the position she’s been placed in, and with the traumatic experiences she had to endure. At the same time, Una is presented as more than simply a victim: she’s someone with ambitions and aspirations, and despite everything that was done to her under Federation law and Starfleet’s code of justice, she still aspired to join the organisation and embody its values.

This is one of the main messages of Ad Astra Per Aspera: that society may not always live up to its own ideals and promises, but those ideals and promises are still worth striving for and fighting for. The notion that “all people are equal” is under attack in some quarters, and the rights of minority groups – not only the LGBT+ community, but ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, religious minorities, and more – aren’t always guaranteed in an era of populism and government by soundbite. But even when those rights are infringed, the principle that upholds them – and the guiding philosophy behind them – is something worth fighting for.

In terms of the actual narrative side of this analogy, I felt it was brought to screen exceptionally well. Rebecca Romijn put in a truly outstanding performance when Una was taking the stand to speak in her own defence, running the gamut of emotions from trauma, fear, and despair through to the hope and optimism that Una saw in Starfleet. It was gripping to watch; a powerful performance.

This was a really powerful performance by Rebecca Romijn.

Guest star Yetide Badaki was excellent, too, and although I wasn’t wild about the interpersonal conflict angle that the episode forced on her character, she played the role of the seasoned advocate exceptionally well. Seeing Ketoul cross-examining Admiral April, talking around points of law, and finally figuring out how to win the case – these were all exceptional sequences, performed beautifully.

However, as I indicated at the beginning of this review, there is a bittersweet feeling to how things ended – and this is perhaps the biggest example so far of Strange New Worlds as a whole running into what I’ve termed “the prequel problem.” For a casual audience watching the episode, and for new fans too, the episode ended in a positive, uplifting way. Although the laws prohibiting genetic engineering were still in place, an exception had been found for Una – and there was hope, perhaps, that Starfleet and the Federation might re-examine some of their laws and attitudes in light of her case and her exceptional performance in Starfleet.

The end of the episode feels bittersweet.

But for Trekkies who recall Deep Space Nine in particular, we know that isn’t the case. In the Deep Space Nine Season 5 episode Dr Bashir, I Presume, these anti-genetic modification laws were shown to be in place, and still enforced by Starfleet. Dr Bashir’s father would be imprisoned for his role in genetically augmenting his son, and whatever prejudice Ad Astra Per Aspera told us may underlie those laws is something that neither Starfleet nor the wider Federation ever addressed following this episode.

I’d also add into the mix Picard’s ban on synthetic life-forms. A reactionary position taken after the attack on Mars saw the Federation ban any synthetic life-form and prohibit research into synthetic life. Some in the Federation would even adopt attitudes toward synths that seemed positively xenophobic. Whatever lessons could have been learned from Una’s case clearly were never heeded – leading to problems in the 24th and early 25th Centuries… almost 150 years later.

Unfortunately, Starfleet’s treatment of genetically-engineered people did not improve…

I can’t lie: this detracts from the powerful message that the episode aimed to tell. Taken on its own merit, Ad Astra Per Aspera is uplifting, leaving a sense of hope that things can and will get better. But if we extend its metaphor to Deep Space Nine and Picard… well, it’s clear that, at least in the Federation, things don’t get any better.

And I know: this is an issue for the relatively small number of Trekkies who care about a single Deep Space Nine episode. If we set that aside, the analogy works as intended. But any prequel has to consider what comes next within the confines of its fictional universe, and at the very least the knowledge of the Federation’s continued crackdown on genetic engineering puts a downer on the episode’s otherwise uplifting conclusion. Now, there are ways around it if we want to craft some head-canon: we could argue, for example, that the Federation did become much more accepting of genetic engineering and of Illyrians, and its ban only extended to humans by the late 24th Century. Nothing in Deep Space Nine would rule that out. In fact, that might be my personal head-canon going forward!

Strange New Worlds has, for me at least, done a good job so far at telling new and engaging stories that expand our understanding of the Star Trek universe rather than overwriting or grating against anything we’d seen on screen in past iterations of the franchise. Nothing we saw this week in any way “challenges” or “violates” Star Trek’s canon or internal consistency – but it feels like Ad Astra Per Aspera kind of hit a wall at the end, unable to go further.

The ideal ending to a story such as this would have been to see the Federation as a whole rolling back its most extreme laws, allowing Illyrians and other genetically-enhanced people to live openly and without fear. To continue its powerful analogy for the plight of trans and gender non-conforming folks, this would be the outcome we’d hope to see here in the real world! But the episode was, to an extent, constrained by canon. Prequels can run into this kind of issue, and I guess I have to say that Ad Astra Per Aspera navigated a difficult situation about as well as it could. But that doesn’t leave the end of the episode feeling any better.

The panel of judges at Una’s court-martial.

So I think that’s all I have to say for now. Ad Astra Per Aspera was a great episode for pride month… and a really good episode in general. Its central message was clever, and it did what Star Trek has done since its inception more than fifty-five years ago: used a sci-fi setting to examine real-world issues. But analogy alone is not enough to make a strong story – and in some cases an overbearing metaphor can actually diminish a story. So where Ad Astra Per Aspera truly succeeded was its engrossing courtroom drama, its smaller character moments with other members of the crew, and in setting up a threat to one of our favourite characters that felt real and, at times, inescapable.

Ad Astra Per Aspera will stand alongside other great courtroom drama episodes in the Star Trek franchise, and nets another massive win for Strange New Worlds. The bittersweet nature of its ending is perhaps the first major occurrence of the series running into “the prequel problem,” and for some Trekkies, such as myself, that unfortunately does detract from its otherwise powerful story – if only a little.

All in all, though, I had a good time this week. And speaking as someone who is non-binary, I found some of Ad Astra Per Aspera’s themes timely, relatable, and even emotional.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1-2 are available to stream now on Paramount Plus in countries and territories where the service is available. The Star Trek franchise – including Strange New Worlds – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Strange New Worlds Season 2 theory: Una Chin-Riley

Tue 12.07.22Sat 30.07.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, including the season finale. Spoilers are also present for Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Discovery.

This theory is going to get into major spoiler territory for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, including the very last scene of the final episode of Season 1. If you aren’t fully caught up on the events of Season 1 – and you decided to ignore the spoiler warning above – this is your last chance to nope out!

So today I thought it could be fun to speculate about Una Chin-Riley – a.k.a. Number One. Captain Pike’s first officer had an interesting season, with a truly unexpected backstory that connected back to the events of Star Trek: Enterprise while simultaneously setting the stage for some significant development in her relationship with La’an in particular.

The decision for Una to be an Illyrian was a genuinely interesting one, and I felt sure that there’d be something more to come after the revelation of her true heritage in Ghosts of Illyria. It took until the closing moments of the season finale, but eventually we got there! Una’s arrest was the perfect tease on which to end the season, setting the stage for what will presumably be the first part of Season 2 in truly spectacular fashion.

There are a few points to consider before we jump into the main theory list. First of all, the fact that Captain Pike visited an alternate future in which Una is still incarcerated almost a decade after the events of Season 1 does not, in itself, mean that that will be her fate. That was an alternate timeline, after all, one which Pike’s actions have now erased. So I don’t think we can dismiss Una, saying “that’s it, she’s off the show” and close the book! There’s obviously going to be something more to come – though whether it will fully restore her to a leading role in Starfleet is still an open question.

Una was arrested at the end of Season 1.

One of the interesting things about a show like Strange New Worlds is the potential it has to explore different aspects of Star Trek’s 23rd Century and answer questions that most fans didn’t even know they had! One such question could be “where was Una after the events of The Cage?” She didn’t participate in Spock’s off-the-books quest to transport Captain Pike to Talos IV, despite being one of only a handful of people who knew about his impending disability and the powers of the Talosians.

Una was also never seen, nor even mentioned, during the entire run of The Original Series and its films. On the production side of things that’s at least partly because Majel Barrett, who was the first actress to take on the role, was playing the character of Nurse Chapel. But again it leaves the question of Una’s fate open-ended. A senior officer with such promise serving on the Federation flagship would usually be gunning for a promotion and their own command; was that what Una hoped to do?

Majel Barrett as “Number One” in *The Cage*.

It could be that the explanation for Una’s absence from the events of The Menagerie and other significant moments in the second half of the 23rd Century is that she was either locked up or exiled for her deception and illegal genetic enhancements. That would be a pretty depressing way for the story to go, but it wouldn’t contradict anything we know of from other Star Trek productions. Personally, I’ve never felt any of these absences were glaring omissions that have been crying out to be explained away – but perhaps some of the show’s writers disagree.

There’s also a potential narrative reason to shuffle Una out of the way, and that comes from the character of Spock. Firstly, Spock long ago took over Number One’s original “cool and logical” persona that debuted in The Cage. And secondly, while Captain Pike was surprised to learn in A Quality of Mercy that Spock was his new Number One, as Trekkies we know that Spock’s arc will take him through being Captain Kirk’s first officer and trusted confidante all the way to becoming a captain in his own right, an ambassador, and beyond. Perhaps part of the next chapter of Strange New Worlds will involve setting the stage for Spock to step up and grow into that kind of role, either by serving as Pike’s XO aboard the Enterprise or potentially by pairing him up with a younger Jim Kirk.

However, I’m not convinced that we’ve seen the back of Una just yet. Strange New Worlds already killed off Hemmer – in one of the most shocking and tragic sequences in the entire season – and La’an’s request for a leave of absence to track down the family of Oriana could mean that she will have less of a role to play in future, too – potentially being absent for some or all of next season. With at least one and possibly two characters already gone, it would be one heck of a shake-up to lose Una as well.

With the exception of Lower Decks, modern Star Trek shows have struggled with consistency. Discovery has famously had four different captains across its four seasons, and Picard took two very different approaches to its characters in the two seasons that we’ve seen so far, with some noteworthy absences in Season 2. In short, it would be to the benefit of Strange New Worlds – and the Star Trek franchise overall – to settle down and to find room to breathe; to expand and develop the characters who are already in play before rushing off to make more and more changes. So if I had a vote, I’d find a way to keep Una around!

Una as she appeared in *Discovery* Season 2.

All of this leads up to my theory list about Una. The first part of the list will consider possible culprits for grassing her up to Starfleet Command and getting her arrested, and the second part will consider possible outcomes and options for Season 2 that could either bring her back into the fold or see her depart the series.

My usual caveats apply: I have no “insider information” and I’m not trying to claim that anything discussed here will be part of Season 2. This is pure speculation from a fan and nothing more! If Season 1 is any indication, Una’s story in Season 2 will go in a wildly different direction that I won’t be able to predict! Secondly, all of this is the subjective opinion of one person. If you hate all of my ideas (or I don’t include your current pet theory) that’s okay! There’s room within the Star Trek fan community for civil conversations and polite disagreement.

With all of that out of the way, let’s look at some theories!

Culprit #1:
Captain Pike

Captain Pike in his ready-room in *Ghosts of Illyria*.

I don’t believe that Captain Pike would have intentionally told Starfleet about Una’s Illyrian heritage. But in the course of his duties as captain, he may have had to log or otherwise record Una’s disclosure to him – or may have done so in a personal log. If those logs were then sent to Starfleet, it could be that Captain Pike inadvertently flagged up Una’s true origin.

There was room in Season 1 for more development of the relationship between Una and Captain Pike – a relationship that seemed well-established when they appeared together in Season 2 of Discovery. In a busy season, though, their time together was somewhat limited, and I’d like to see more interaction between the Enterprise’s captain and first officer going forward. Making Pike the one who got her arrested – even if it was completely accidental – would risk damaging that relationship. While that could give them a starting point to rebuild from, it wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice.

Culprit #2:
Dr M’Benga

Dr M’Benga learned of Una’s true heritage.

As with Captain Pike above, I don’t believe that Dr M’Benga would deliberately reveal Una’s secret to Starfleet. Just as Una had something to hide, so too did Dr M’Benga, and Una was the only one who knew about his daughter being kept suspended in the transporter buffer. He would have no motivation to expose her, and from his perspective doing so may have compromised himself and his daughter’s safety.

However, Dr M’Benga is responsible for the ship’s sickbay and the health of all its personnel, so perhaps he logged somewhere that there’s an Illyrian aboard. Maybe Dr M’Benga noted that the treatment for the contagion that broke out aboard the Enterprise came from Illyrian antibodies; Starfleet Medical must surely keep records of these dangers and their cures for the sake of other ships and crews.

Culprit #3:
La’an Noonien-Singh

La’an is really the only character who would have any motive for deliberately and maliciously telling Starfleet the truth about Una. Although the two had resolved their differences by the end of Ghosts of Illyria – and grew closer over the rest of the season – La’an was incredibly angry at first upon learning who Una really was. It seems possible to me that La’an contacted Starfleet sometime during the events of Ghosts of Illyria, possibly while under the influence of the contagion.

This could set up La’an and Una for a confrontation, but one for which La’an already feels guilt and remorse. If she is responsible, I think there’s a pathway for forgiveness – and perhaps she’ll find a way to make it right, such as by advocating on Una’s behalf or even trying to break her out of prison.

Culprit #4:
Spock

On a number of occasions we’ve seen how Spock is a stickler for the rules – particularly at this early point in his life and career. In Star Trek Into Darkness, his decision to be completely truthful in a mission report ended up getting Captain Kirk in a lot of trouble, so even if Pike, M’Benga, and everyone else had chosen to conceal the truth in their logs, it’s possible that Spock wouldn’t. He may not even see it as a bad thing at first, regarding telling the full, unvarnished truth as part of his job.

One of the interesting things about Strange New Worlds is how it’s taking Spock on a journey; building him up to become the character we’re familiar with from The Original Series. Perhaps one of the lessons Spock will learn in Season 2 is how to bend the rules, how loyalty to one’s friends and the need to keep certain things private can superscede the official rules. That could make for an interesting story and a chance for growth.

Culprit #5:
Una herself

Maybe Una was sick of hiding. Maybe she wanted to get caught. Maybe she hoped to give herself an opportunity to defend her people against Starfleet’s hardline anti-genetic engineering rule. There are a few different reasons why Una might have turned herself in, or anonymously submitted the evidence to get herself arrested.

This would be a bit of a twist, but it could lead to a wonderfully complex story and character arc for Una if it’s handled well. The idea that she was fed up with having to live a lie, or even that revealing the truth to Captain Pike, La’an, and some of her other shipmates was a weight off her shoulders could be an interesting angle to explore. It would also absolve anyone in the crew of any wrongdoing – intentional or not!

So those are the culprits!

Up next we’re going to look at a few different ways that Una’s story could go from here. As above, please keep in mind that all of this is speculation; I’m not claiming that any of these things will happen.

Theory #1:
Una will stand trial with Captain Pike defending her.

Star Trek can do courtroom drama exceptionally well, and perhaps we’ll be treated to an episode that blends the likes of The Measure of a Man and Court Martial. I can absolutely see Captain Pike stepping up to be Una’s advocate – like Captain Picard did for Data or Captain Sisko did for Worf. How exactly this trial would go is unclear, but with Spock and the rest of the crew also working on it, maybe there’d be a way to win – or to convince Starfleet to make an exception for Una.

That wouldn’t be unprecedented in the Star Trek franchise. Dr Bashir, who was also genetically engineered and didn’t disclose that fact to Starfleet, was permitted to continue to serve after the truth came out. Perhaps what Captain Pike will have to do is convince Starfleet that Una is irreplacable and should be forgiven for her deception.

Theory #2:
Una will be broken out of prison – but will have to go into exile.

Is a dangerous prison break on the cards?

If Starfleet insists that Una needs to be locked up and won’t budge, maybe La’an and some of Una’s other friends will stage a break-out. It wouldn’t be easy – and they could all end up in hot water if things go wrong – but they may see it as a last resort if the alternative is Una being locked up for years in a Starfleet penal colony.

However, even if they succeed it seems unlikely that Una will simply be able to return to the Enterprise. She may have to go into exile, either by returning to the Illyrians or by striking out on her own. Either way, that could mean Una will be departing the series.

Theory #3:
Una is found guilty and imprisoned.

Una in an alien prison in the Season 1 premiere.

With the major caveat that what Captain Pike saw took place in an alternate timeline that has since been overwritten, this was Una’s destiny in that version of the future. Captain Pike, La’an, Spock, and the rest of the crew seemed to have come to terms with her imprisonment by that point, and while we don’t know what happened at the time of her arrest and trial, any schemes that Pike and the others may have had to get her released clearly didn’t work.

Again, this would surely see Una leaving the show, perhaps after one final episode in which she comes to terms with being locked up. I don’t think that would be a fun or satisfying end for her character, though. It would tie up the loose end of Una’s whereabouts as of The Menagerie – but as stated above, I don’t think anyone has ever really challenged or questioned that, making it a solution to a non-existent problem. If Una is to leave the show, I’d rather see her go out in a blaze of glory, saving the ship and crew!

Theory #4:
Diplomacy with the Illyrians.

An Illyrian seen in *Star Trek: Enterprise*.

If Una is still in contact with her family or other Illyrians, perhaps the Illyrian government will attempt to intervene on her behalf. Just because the Illyrians are not permitted to join Starfleet that doesn’t mean that formal diplomatic relations between the Federation and the Illyrian government don’t exist, and perhaps they’d have something to say about one of their own being arrested, especially if the reason is basically “because she’s an Illyrian.”

This could lead to some kind of diplomatic mission for Captain Pike, and again it could conclude with Una being given some kind of special exemption and being permitted to remain in Starfleet. Having revealed Una’s true heritage, it would be interesting to see more Illyrians show up in Strange New Worlds – perhaps they still hold a grudge after their meeting with Captain Archer during the events of Enterprise!

So those are the theories!

There are lots of different paths that the story could take from this juncture, and the question of whether Una will be back in a big way in Season 2 feels kind of open right now. Along with the departure of Hemmer and the potential absence of La’an, that would be a pretty radical shake-up of the main characters after only one season of the show.

I suspect that Una will be back aboard the Enterprise before too long, though. There’s untapped potential in her relationships with La’an, Spock, Captain Pike, and everyone else that would be wasted if she were to leave so soon. I’d love to spend more time with Una, perhaps seeing her in temporary command of the ship, leading an away mission, or doing other things that first officers in Star Trek are often seen to do. So it’s my hope, at least, that we haven’t seen the beginning of the end for Una on Strange New Worlds.

Captain Pike looks on as Una is taken into custody.

I hope this was a bit of fun. I haven’t had many opportunities to dive so deeply into Strange New Worlds thanks to the frustrating and disappointing international distribution situation, but with Paramount+ now here in the UK, that’s all changing. Hopefully by the time Season 2 rolls around we can talk about more theories like these during the show’s run instead of having to wait until the dust has settled!

I had a great time with Strange New Worlds Season 1, and the fact that it ended on this shocking cliffhanger was fantastic. I’m looking forward to welcoming back Captain Pike, Una, and the rest of the crew – and getting a satisfying end to this storyline, too!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is available to stream now on Paramount+ in the United States and other countries and territories where the platform is available. Episodes of Season 1 are being released weekly in the UK. The Star Trek franchise – including Strange New Worlds and all other properties discussed above – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Strange New Worlds: Thoughts on Captain Pike’s crew

Sun 19.09.21Fri 15.04.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, and Star Trek: The Original Series.

Though we still haven’t seen a trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, which is on the schedule for next year, last week’s Star Trek Day broadcast finally introduced us to members of the crew of the USS Enterprise who will be joining Captain Pike. Along with Pike, Spock, and Number One, who are returning to their roles from Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery, we briefly met six other characters.

We’ll look at each of these characters in turn to see what we can gleam and if we can figure out anything about the direction of any of Strange New Worlds’ plotlines, but first I wanted to cover an omission. Ever since Strange New Worlds was announced last year, fans had been speculating about who may or may not join Captain Pike on the Enterprise, but one character I felt had a strong chance of making an appearance was Cadet Sidhu.

Captain Pike with Cadet Sidhu in engineering.

Cadet Sidhu was introduced in the Short Treks episode Ask Not in 2019, and played a major role in that story alongside Captain Pike. Though Ask Not was primarily a vehicle for Anson Mount to reprise his much-loved role, almost any story aboard the Enterprise could’ve been invented for that purpose. To tell a story that focused on Cadet Sidhu and her being assigned to the USS Enterprise felt like a deliberate character introduction, and even though Strange New Worlds hadn’t been announced at that point, the series was clearly something that Star Trek was building up to.

I felt that Ask Not was a strong story, and that Sidhu actor Amrit Kaur put in a solid performance. It was a little surprising to see that she wasn’t part of the main cast at Star Trek Day, and while it’s still possible the character could return in some form, the inclusion of Cadet Uhura – whose role we’ll come to in a moment – seems like it’s potentially occupying a very similar space to the role that Sidhu might’ve played. Although the two characters are in different departments – Sidhu in engineering, Uhura in communications – in terms of narrative structure and character roles it seems unlikely that Strange New Worlds would have space to do justice to the stories of two cadets. If Sidhu is included, then, it seems certain that her role will be much less prominent than I’d have initially expected.

Cadet Sidhu doesn’t seem to be coming back – despite *Ask Not* seemingly setting her up for a role aboard the Enterprise.

Now that we’ve covered one non-appearance, let’s look at who will definitely be part of Season 1! The character about whom we know the least right now is Erica Ortegas, played by Melissa Navia. This lieutenant appears to occupy a role on the bridge, perhaps in either the helm or navigation positions in front of Captain Pike. Wearing a red shirt, however, could mean she has a role as a security officer, tactical officer, or engineer either in addition to or instead of a permanent role on the bridge.

Lieutenant Ortegas does not appear to be connected to any known Star Trek characters, either from The Original Series era or any other Star Trek production, so that speculation is really the extent of what we know! We can assume that she’s of Spanish, Latin American, or Hispanic-American origin simply based on her name and casting, which would make her the first major character in the franchise to be from one of those backgrounds.

Lieutenant Ortegas on what appears to be the bridge of the Enterprise.

Interestingly, the name “Ortegas” is not new to Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry’s original pitch for Star Trek, prior to commencing work on The Cage, included a character named José Ortegas who would occupy the role of the ship’s navigator. By the time The Cage entered production, however, this character had been changed. José Tyler (whose first name wasn’t mentioned on screen) replaced Ortegas. This subtle nod to Star Trek’s origin is incredibly sweet, and if we can infer anything at all from this connection, it could mean that Lieutenant Ortegas will indeed occupy the role of navigator on the bridge.

Up next is the other character who appears to have no connection that we’re aware of to anyone else in Star Trek: Hemmer, played by Bruce Horak. Horak was not part of the announcement of the cast of Strange New Worlds earlier in the year, so his inclusion was a bit of a surprise for more than one reason! Most interestingly, though, Hemmer appears to be an Aenar – an Andorian race first encountered in Enterprise.

Most Aenar were known to be blind, and actor Bruce Horak is himself legally blind. This aspect of Hemmer’s character wasn’t discussed at all during Star Trek Day, which was a little odd considering it’s a significant step for the franchise. The character of Geordi La Forge in The Next Generation was also blind, but in his case a visor allowed him to see. Hemmer will potentially be the first blind character on Star Trek whose sight hasn’t been restored through technological means. What that means for his role aboard the ship isn’t clear, though.

Hemmer was wearing the red shirt of the security or engineering departments, and the very brief clip of him appeared to show him in a different area of the ship. Perhaps we can infer from that that he isn’t a bridge officer and may work in engineering. The Aenar in Enterprise were known to have extensive telepathic abilities, which could give Hemmer an edge when it comes to things like diplomacy or even a medical field. Hemmer is already a fascinating character, and I love the nod to Enterprise. His inclusion is a positive one for the visually-impaired, and for folks with disabilities of all kinds. Not only that, but it was done in a very “Star Trek” way – casting a character who is a member of a blind race of aliens doesn’t tread on the toes of things like Geordi’s visor and the prospect of offering a cure for blindness in Star Trek’s optimistic future.

Geordi La Forge in *The Next Generation*.

Now we’re coming to characters who may be a little more familiar. La’an Noonien-Singh, played by Christina Chong, shares a family name with Khan Noonien Singh (albeit with a hyphen, though that could be a mistake). It seems incredibly unlikely to me that that’s a coincidence, so the question it raises is to what extent is La’an connected to Khan? At this point in the timeline, Khan is still in stasis aboard the SS Botany Bay. He wouldn’t be encountered by the Enterprise and awakened until after Captain Kirk assumed command of the ship, so La’an seemingly can’t be a direct relation.

It’s possible that she’s a distant descendant, then. Though Khan was genetically augmented, the practice was banned after the Eugenics Wars and thus it seems unlikely that La’an could be an augment herself. However, genetic traits found in Khan may still be present after several generations and she may have increased strength or mental faculties as a result.

La’an may be in sickbay during this scene.

One storyline that could be interesting for a character like La’an is how she might want to move away from her family history. Assuming that she does have a family connection with Khan, the choice to either embrace or reject his legacy could be something we see the character struggle with at points. Some people struggle with a family name and family legacy, and this can be a source of drama in fiction. Though Kylo Ren’s story went completely off the rails in the Star Wars franchise, it began with lofty ambitions of depicting a man struggling with different parts of his family history. Perhaps we’ll see something similar with La’an Noonien-Singh.

Other than that implied connection with Khan, all we can say about La’an is that she’s also wearing the red uniform of either the security or engineering divisions. Either could be a good fit if there’s any kind of genetic legacy from Khan and his augments – a security officer with enhanced strength and endurance would have an advantage, and an engineer whose brain works faster than everyone else would likewise be an incredibly useful asset to any engineering team.

What connection might La’an have to iconic Star Trek villain Khan Noonien Singh?

Those three characters are brand-new to Star Trek – even though there are connections to the rest of the franchise. Strange New Worlds also re-introduced us to three other characters who are returning! These three all appeared in The Original Series. We’ll begin with Dr M’Benga, who appeared in just two episodes. When Dr McCoy was absent, Dr M’Benga appeared to be in charge, so he could’ve been the deputy chief medical officer by the time of The Original Series.

Though never confirmed on screen, the character’s first name was intended to be Joseph, and Dr M’Benga would’ve been born in Uganda in Africa. By the time of Geordi La Forge’s birth around a century later, an organisation called the African Confederation was known to exist, so it’s possible that Dr M’Benga may have originated from there as well. The actor taking on the role, Babs Olusanmokun, was born in Nigeria, so it’s possible that Dr M’Benga’s origin could be changed to give him a west African ancestry.

Dr M’Benga holding a padd in what could be sickbay.

The Original Series clarified one thing about Dr M’Benga – he was somewhat of an expert on Vulcan physiology having spent some time on Vulcan. It’s possible that we could see him strike up a friendship with Spock based on that, or prove useful if Spock requires medical attention. Given Dr M’Benga’s status by the time of The Original Series I’m not convinced that he’ll be the chief medical officer – if so, why would he seemingly have taken a demotion to serve under Dr McCoy a decade later?

Dr Boyce, who we met in The Cage, appeared to be a friend and confidante of Captain Pike as well as the Enterprise’s chief medical officer. It’s possible this character may yet return in some form, and that Dr M’Benga is again a deputy. Or perhaps Dr Boyce has taken a leave of absence leaving Dr M’Benga in charge temporarily. Of the returning characters from The Original Series, Dr M’Benga offers the creative team behind Strange New Worlds the most freedom. We saw him on only a couple of occasions, so his character is still largely unwritten.

Dr M’Benga in Season 2 of *The Original Series* – played by actor Booker Bradshaw.

Staying in sickbay, we come to Nurse Chapel. Along with Una (Number One), Nurse Christine Chapel was played by Majel Barrett during The Original Series and was a mainstay in sickbay alongside Dr McCoy. Jess Bush is taking on the role for Strange New Worlds, and presumably will share a number of scenes with Dr M’Benga. The two characters knew one another by the time of The Original Series, and even worked together to treat Spock in the episode A Private Little War.

Despite appearing in twenty-five episodes of The Original Series, as well as in The Animated Series and two films, I’d argue that Nurse Chapel is still quite an underdeveloped character open for Strange New Worlds to explore in more depth. Many of her appearances in The Original Series were as an assistant to Dr McCoy, and learning more about her as a person away from her medical duties could be something the new show does.

Jess Bush as Nurse Chapel in what appears to be sickbay.

There’s also the romantic feelings that Nurse Chapel developed toward Spock. Does she have a crush on him at this early stage? If not, perhaps the series will show how that came to be. Though I’m sure her characterisation won’t just be about that – the trope of female characters having nothing to think about but men is a tired one that needs to be retired – it could be one element among many that we see. Chapel was engaged to a man named Roger Korby by Season 1 of The Original Series, and this relationship could also be explored.

As a character that we’re at least a little familiar with, Strange New Worlds will have to tread somewhat carefully with Nurse Chapel. Though there is scope, as mentioned, to dive deeper into her characterisation and learn more about her, there are some constraints based on what we know of her from The Original Series that the show will have to respect.

Nurse Chapel in Season 1 of *The Original Series*.

Finally we come to the character that got many fans incredibly excited. Strange New Worlds was even trending on Twitter for a time following the reveal that Cadet Nyota Uhura will be a member of the crew. With the exception of Spock and, to a degree, Captain Pike, Uhura is the character fans are most familiar with, as she appeared in sixty-nine episodes of The Original Series, all but three episodes of The Animated Series, and all six films starring Star Trek’s original cast. She also appeared in the alternate reality Kelvin timeline films.

As such, there’s less scope to reshape or change Uhura’s character than there is for any of the others. However, as Discovery did with Spock in Season 2, there’s a lot of potential to show where Uhura came from and how she came to grow into the person we came to know and love during The Original Series. She can’t be too fundamentally different, but she can certainly start in a different place and slowly become the person we’re more familiar with. This was Spock’s journey, in some respects, in Discovery.

Cadet Uhura. We can clearly see Pike in the captain’s chair behind her, so this must be on the bridge.

We know from both her original depiction and her Kelvin timeline depiction that Uhura has a knack for alien languages. Perhaps her unique skillset is what landed her a role on the Enterprise to begin with, as it seems unlikely that a cadet would ordinarily be a regular on the bridge! In that sense we could see her akin to Hoshi Sato from Enterprise – still finding her feet on the ship, but confident in her particular field.

A young cadet or newly-graduated officer is a character archetype that Star Trek shows have used in the past to great effect. Wesley Crusher, Harry Kim, and Sylvia Tilly come to mind first and foremost, but I’d also point to Dr Bashir in his first appearances, as well as Pavel Chekov, D’Vana Tendi, and the aforementioned Hoshi Sato as great examples. These kinds of characters present a strong contrast with the more experienced members of the crew, and can offer different perspectives as a result. Not only that, but any character who’s new aboard the ship makes for a great introduction and point-of-view character for us as the audience. It’s possible that Uhura will fill this role at the beginning of Strange New Worlds.

Uhura in Season 3 of *The Original Series*.

Before we wrap things up we can also talk about Una Chin-Riley, also known as Number One. She’s Captain Pike’s first officer, and though we spent a little time with her in Discovery Season 2 and Short Treks, there’s still a lot that we don’t know about her. Her depiction in The Cage was as a rather unemotional, straight-laced person. In particular the Short Treks episode Q&A showed us that there is a fun side to her – and this is something we could definitely see more of. Number One seems like someone with a very professional attitude, and perhaps a very clear line between friends and co-workers. Captain Pike and Spock may have bridged that line – but who else will?

Rebecca Romijn, who plays the character, told us that Una is “way more complex” than we might expect, which is tantalising to say the least! She also said that Strange New Worlds will take the opportunity to “flesh out” the character in more detail, which sounds fantastic. Though the original portrayal – and to an extent what we’ve seen in Discovery – does act as a constraint on where the character could go, I think there’s still plenty of scope to explore who Number One is.

Number One passes Spock on what seems to be the bridge.

The uniforms have been redesigned for Strange New Worlds, with most characters sporting a V-neck variant without the high collar or much of the piping and stitching seen in Season 2 of Discovery. Number One appears to have her own unique variant with a zip collar and black undershirt, and more black or dark patches on the sides of the torso. It’s not clear why she gets a special uniform – or indeed if this is what she’ll wear most often. But it’s interesting, and makes her stand out from the rest of the crew.

Of course we also have Captain Pike and Spock returning as well – but I daresay you know at least a little about both of them already! We didn’t really learn too much more about either of them at Star Trek Day, though there was talk of Captain Pike potentially inviting members of his senior staff to his quarters and cooking meals for them. That seems like a neat addition to his character. In Discovery Season 2 we came to see Captain Pike as the embodiment of Starfleet’s values and the epitome of what it means to be a leader. I daresay that side of his characterisation will remain.

Captain Pike wearing the new V-neck uniform tunic.

When it comes to Pike, one element of his story that I’m most interested in is how he’s going to handle the knowledge of his impending accident and disability. He chose that future for himself in Discovery Season 2, and now it’s locked-in. As someone who’s disabled and suffers from a complex set of health issues, I’ve been in the position of knowing something is wrong and only going to get worse. I’ve heard bad news from a doctor, knowing there’s nothing I can do to change the outcome. Seeing how Pike will respond to being in a comparable situation has to be one of the things I’m most anticipating when it comes to his role in Strange New Worlds.

However, I’m also looking forward to spending time with Pike himself outside of that. There’s more to him than just one storyline, and we could see him, for example, attempt to make contact with Vina on Talos IV again, or furthering his friendships with Spock and Number One. I’m curious to see him interact with some of the other members of the crew, particularly those we remember from The Original Series era.

Captain Pike traded his future health for a time crystal in *Discovery* Season 2.

Finally we have Spock. As the character we know best, and as someone who’s been a major part of Star Trek for practically its entire history, there’s far less scope to radically change Spock. Additions can be made to his character – as we saw with Michael Burnham in Discovery – but at a fundamental level, who he is as a person is set in stone.

We may see Spock’s human and Vulcan sides in conflict in Strange New Worlds as he tries to bury his emotions. At Star Trek Day, producer Akiva Goldsman made reference to The Cage and how Spock was depicted there. How “smiley Spock” became the character we know, perhaps influenced by the loss of Michael Burnham, could be one element of his character that the new show will explore.

I think it’s more important for Spock to stay true to his past characterisation than it is for any of the others. Spock has appeared in The Original Series and its films, The Next Generation, and the Kelvin timeline films, and was a major character much of the time. There is still scope to explore unknown aspects of his character – and we could see, for example, how or why he came to have a falling-out with Sarek – but generally speaking this is the character that Strange New Worlds has to be the most careful with.

Production has now finished on Season 1 of Strange New Worlds. Though I fully expect a second season is already being worked on behind closed doors, there’s been no official announcement as of yet. If the show follows a similar pattern to Discovery and Picard, it might not be until the first season is about to premiere that we’ll learn a second is going to happen. Regardless, I think it’s a safe bet right now that, after all the effort and work that’s gone into Season 1, Strange New Worlds won’t just run for a single season!

The cast of *Strange New Worlds* Season 1.
*Photo Credit: Rebecca Romijn on Twitter*.

Promising a return to a more episodic format, and bringing back Captain Pike and Spock after their excellent roles in Season 2 of Discovery, Strange New Worlds was already high up on the list of shows I’m most excited for. But I have to say, after seeing the casting announcements (and, perhaps, because Picard Season 2 has dropped down a little) it’s now officially right at the top! 2022 can’t come soon enough, to be honest!

Each of the new characters look genuinely exciting and interesting, and the series seems to be doing a good job at walking the line between staying true to Star Trek’s past and carving out its own niche. That isn’t always going to be easy, and the producers have certainly taken on a challenge by bringing back fan-favourites like Uhura. But everything I’ve seen and heard fills me with confidence that Strange New Worlds is going to be utterly fantastic. I cannot wait to see the show when it premieres next year.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be broadcast on Paramount+ in the United States (and other regions where the platform is available) in 2022. Further international distribution has not yet been announced. The Star Trek franchise – including Strange New Worlds and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of ViacomCBS. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.