Star Trek: Strange New Worldscan never repeat a mistake made byStar Trek: The Original Series. Strange New Worldsis a prequel toTOS,with the voyages of Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) Starship Enterprise taking place about 5-6 years before Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) inStar Trek: The Original Series. Strange New WorldshonorsStar Trek’s classic format with episodic episodes involving a new planet and alien problem of the week. However, theEnterprise crew’s character development is serializedas they grow, learn, and evolve.
Star Trek: The Original Series' classic season 1 episode,“The Devil in the Dark,“has the unfortunate distinction of having no speaking parts for female characters. “The Devil in the Dark” involves the mystery of why a creature called a Horta was killing miners on the planet Janus VI. NBC even noticed the lack of female speaking roles, and reached out toStar Trekcreator Gene Roddenberry, who agreed that more women should be incorporated into Star Trek’s"planet stories.‘Roddenberry remindedStar Trek’s production that"We’re in a century where women are granted equal status and responsibility with men.”
Why Strange New Worlds Can Never Repeat Star Trek: TOS’ Mistake
Strange New Worlds is comprised of many great female characters
It would be impossible forStar Trek: Strange New Worldsto repeat the mistakeStar Trek: The Original Seriesmade with “The Devil in the Dark.” Not just because storytelling and equality standards have progressed in the almost 60 years sinceStar Trekwas created, but also becauseStrange New Worldsis stacked with female characters.Strange New Worlds’main cast has three male leads: Anson Mount’s Captain Pike, Ethan Peck’s Lieutenant Spock, and Babs Olasanmokun’s Dr. Joseph M’Benga.Strange New Worldsseason 3 also adds Martin Quinn as Scotty in a series regular role, while Paul Wesley and Dan Jeanotte recur asLt. James T. Kirk and Lt. Sam Kirk, respectively.
Strange New Worlds Season 2 Cast Guide — Every New & Returning Star Trek Character
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ cast of USS Enterprise legends grows in season 2, including the additions of Scotty and Lt. James T. Kirk.
The rest ofStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' main cast are women: Rebecca Romijn as Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley AKA Number One, Christina Chong as Lt. La’an Noonien Singh,Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Celia Rose Gooding as Ensign Nyota Uhura, and Carol Kane as Commander Pelia. Melanie Scrofano also recurs as Captain Marie Batel.It’s inconceivable thatStrange New Worldswould have an episode sidelining these womenwhere none of them have speaking roles.
How Strange New Worlds Is Fixing Star Trek: The Original Series
Many TOS characters are getting the character development they lacked
Even with only 10 episodes a season, the character-centricStar Trek: Strange New Worldshas already done an impressive job of addressing and fixingone ofStar Trek: The Original Series' biggest flaws: the lack of character development given to its supporting cast. Most episodes of the originalStar Trekfocus on the triumvirate of Captain Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), andDr. Leonard “Bones' McCoy(DeForest Kelley). Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Mr. Sulu (George Takei), Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koening) serve their functions and occasionally display their personalities, but classicStar Trekdidn’t delve into their backstories.
Strange New Worlds enhances Star Trek: The Original Series.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas revealed Uhura’s tragic past and sparked her character’s evolution, exploredNurse Chapel’s romantic desire for Spockthat conflicts with her career ambitions, andStrange New Worldshas answered questions about Number One that endured for almost six decades.Strange New WorldsenhancesStar Trek: The Original Seriesby filling in blanks and adding context that was previously absent. And, of course,Star Trek: Strange New Worldstruly makes thewomen of the Starship Enterprise equal to their male crew mates.
