nichelle star trek strange new worlds

Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Premiere Has A Touching Nichelle Nichols Tribute

The Season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds features a touching tribute to Nichelle Nichols the late actor who played Uhura on the original Star Trek.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Season 2, Episode 1, "The Broken Circle," now streaming on Paramount+ .

The latest Star Trek prequel series features a number of characters who appeared on The Original Series , including Nyota Uhura. The character originated with actor and activist Nichelle Nichols, who died July 30, 2022, just a few weeks after Season 1 ended. The Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere is dedicated to Nichelle Nichols with a touching tribute honoring her contribution to Star Trek and beyond.

Strange New Worlds begins roughly a decade before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series . Spock was already canonically part of Captain Pike's crew, however the series brought Uhura into the narrative as a cadet. Played by Celia Rose Gooding, viewers get to see the character become the exceptional Starfleet officer Nichols played. "For Nichelle," the dedication read, "who was the first through the door and showed us the stars. Hailing frequencies forever open." The dedication references both the character of Uhura and how Nichols lived up to the icon in real life. Star Trek may have started as just a silly little sci-fi show in the 1960s, but the legacy goes beyond just the 15 series and 14 films its inspired. Thanks to Nichols, people who never saw themselves represented in the future had a reason to shoot for the stars.

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Nichelle Nichols' Star Trek Legacy Is Proof-Positive Representation Matters

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to center his " Wagon Train in space" series around a trio of characters. Spock, Captain Pike and Number One are all characters who originated in that pilot, eventually reshot in favor of Captain Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy. Nichols was part of a diverse crew of actors who, on any other show, would've been basically speaking extras. Yet, since Enterprise was a starship light years from Earth, he argued for using the same actors to create continuity for the crew of the ship. Thus Nichols, George Takei and others essentially became recurring guest stars. To the audience they were as much a part of the core Enterprise crew as the lead trio. Uhura especially was very popular, at least if the amount of Nichols's fan mail was any indicator. Still, she wanted out.

Nichelle Nichols was a talented singer and dancer, too. She wanted to get back to the stage, performing musicals and live theatre. Roddenberry begged her not quit, telling her to take the weekend. As fate would have it, she attended an NAACP conference that weekend. The host told her that her "biggest fan" wanted to meet her. She obliged, stunned to discover it was none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. The civil rights legend told Nichols that Uhura's positive portrayal is why Star Trek was one of the only shows he let his children watch. He told her the greatest contribution she could make to the generational fight for civil rights was by giving children of color, especially girls, a larger-than-life role model like Uhura.

Dr. King was right. Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg often remarks that before Uhura, "there were no Black people in the future." Not only did Nichelle Nichols inspire Goldberg and fellow future Star Trek actor LeVar Burton , she inspired countless others to actually reach for the stars. NASA employed Nichols in the 1970s as part of an effort to diversify STEM fields. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to break free of the surly bonds of Earth to space, was directly inspired by Nichols. It's why she appeared as a walk-on guest in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

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Uhura's Strange New Worlds' Story Is Inspired by Nichols Own History

While creating the Uhura character, Roddenberry and Nichols came up with a loose backstory, including her African (later narrowed to Kenyan) ancestry. While these elements are present in Gooding's character, her arc during Season 1 seems loosely inspired by Nichols real-life Trek journey. Uhura is a stellar cadet with a knack for languages but isn't sure she belongs in Starfleet as a career. That she's now an official Ensign shows Uhura realized, much like Nichols, that she can make a difference from the bridge of a starship .

Gooding's Uhura is much different from the way Nichols portrayed the character, which makes sense. Like Ewan McGregor used Alec Guinness as inspiration for his younger Obi-Wan , Gooding imbues the character with the compassion and wit found in Nichols' portrayal. Yet, she effectively gives viewers a Uhura still discovering her own strength and the importance of her relationships with the crew. The dedication to Nichelle Nichols at the end of the Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere is touching. However, through Gooding, every episode of this show is a tribute to the actor's legacy on and off-screen.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Source: StarTrek.com

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Nichelle Nichols' remains will go explore strange new worlds

Rachel Treisman

Dustin Jones

The remains of actress and singer Nichelle Nichols will be launched into deep space later this year, according to company Celestis. Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The remains of actress and singer Nichelle Nichols will be launched into deep space later this year, according to company Celestis.

More than five decades after the original Star Trek series ended, its beloved communications officer will venture into the unknown for real when Nichelle Nichols ' ashes are launched into deep space later this year.

Nichols, the trailblazing actress who played Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek series in the 1960s and in several of the franchise's feature films, died at age 89 in July. She is remembered as one of the first Black women featured in a major television series, as well as credited with inspiring women and people of color to join NASA.

Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' dies at 89

And now her symbolic journey beyond the stratosphere continues. United Launch Alliance — an American spacecraft launch provider — announced last week that a portion of Nichols' ashes will travel to deep space aboard a Vulcan rocket with Celestis, a private company that sends peoples' cremated remains and DNA into space for memorial flights.

The first Celestis Voyager Service is set to launch later this year and will bear the name Enterprise Flight in honor of its passengers.

It will also carry the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife, actor Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, as well as those of James Doohan, who played Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the series and films.

Star Trek's Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter

"We're very pleased to be fulfilling, with this mission, a promise I made to Majel Barrett Roddenberry in 1997 that one day we would fly her and husband Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry together on a deep space memorial spaceflight," Celestis Co-Founder and CEO Charles M. Chafer said in a press release .

The flight is slated to launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral and travel more than 250 million miles into deep space, beyond the Earth-moon system and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, in what the company calls "a mission that is first of its kind."

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'star trek: strange new worlds' goes there, boldly.

Willing participants can pay to send their own DNA or a portion of their loved ones' cremated remains on the journey, with tickets starting at $12,500. Availability is limited, and reservations close on Wednesday.

Fans can also join from a distance by submitting a tribute message to Nichols online , which the company says will be sent into space too. Beam 'em up, Scotty!

Correction Aug. 30, 2022

A previous version of this story said the flight would travel 250 miles into deep space. The actual number is 250 million miles. Additionally, a previous version of this story said tickets are $125,000. The correct price is $12,500.

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• Nichelle Nichols

Strange New Worlds Season 2 Gives Fans The Perfect Tribute to Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols has been an icon for decades. The actress is legendary for her groundbreaking role in the original Star Trek series. As one of the first women of colour to be on prime-time television, Nichols broke barriers and paved the way for many other actors and actresses of colour. So it’s only fitting that there is a Strange New Worlds Nichelle Nichols tribute in the premiere episode of season 2. It’s something that ended up a very sweet moment in an already amazing season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds.

How Nichelle Nichols Became An Icon

Nichols played Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek series and its subsequent film sequels. The actress was not only one of the first African-American women on television but was also part of many groundbreaking firsts in American media. One of those things was being part of the first-ever interracial kiss on television, with her co-star William Shatner. As Uhura, Nichols was able to pave the way for many African-American women in film and television, and I would even go further to say that she helped move things along for all women of colour in the industry.

Since her Star Trek days, Nichols has been a huge advocate for the recruitment of minority and female personnel for NASA. In her years with the organization, Nichols was responsible for many first female and first astronauts of certain minorities. Nichols’ iconic status was even more special because of her ability to always say it like it is and be a person that called out BS when and where she saw fit. Nichols passed away in July 2022 from heart failure. So it’s only fitting that the Strange New Worlds Nichelle Nichols tribute comes from this show, and not the other Star Trek series on air.

Strange New Worlds Nichelle Nichols Tribute Is Sweet

Since the original Star Trek series, the franchise saw a reboot in the cinematic Star Trek in 2009 by director J. J. Abrams . In that movie, Zoe Saldana played the character of Uhura. However, that film was later set up as a different timeline from the original series. However, Strange New Worlds is a new series that acts as an in-canon prequel to the original series. And in that show, Celia Rose Gooding plays Lt. Uhura, acting as the official in-canon depiction of that character since Nichols.

So it makes sense that the Strange New Worlds Nichelle Nichols tribute comes on the heels of her passing, as well as the Season 2 premiere. The show takes a deeper look at the character of Uhura and her motivations and origin story. Actress Rose Gooding even wrote a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter discussing how Nichols inspired her, and how she feels stepping into her shoes as the character that she embodied.

“I’ve embraced the role of Cadet Nyota Uhura, understanding and grateful for the role Nichols played in paving the way, and the work she did to establish a proud tradition of Black women carving out a place for others to fill. On the TV screen and beyond, Nichols’ legacy lives on in all of us, myself included, who are grateful for and benefit from her perseverance, talent and grace.” Celia Rose Gooding for THR

Zoe Saldana Offered Her Own Nichelle Nichols Tribute

As mentioned, the only other actress to play Uhura after Nichols was Zoe Saldana . So it makes sense that the Guardians Of The Galaxy actress was affected by her death. On Instagram , Saldana shared some kind words about her experiences with Nichols, and what it meant to her to play the same role as Nichols on Star Trek 2009.

“She’s an icon, an activist and most importantly an amazing woman- who blazed a trail that has shown so many how to see women of colour in a different light.” Zoe Saldana, Instagram 

Nichols played Uhura as a proud and strong black woman at a time when Black women or women of colour were scarcely seen on television. She was a trailblazer who opened the doors to many other women of colour on film and television. And even outside her contributions as an actress, she continued opening those doors for women and women of colour in many other fields. Making the Strange New Worlds tribute to Nichelle Nichols that much more powerful and emotional.

You can see the tribute at the end of Strange New Worlds Season 2’s first episode now airing on Paramount+.

What did you think of the Strange New Worlds Nichelle Nichols tribute? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @theshahshahid.

Entertainment Writer | Film & TV Critic | Bollywood Blogger | Host of Split Screen Podcast | Proud Geek Girl Dad

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How Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 2 Pays Tribute To Nichelle Nichols

Hailing frequencies open! With "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," one of the franchise's most tragically underused characters is finally getting her due. The character in question? Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, of course. She may be one of the most beloved characters from the original " Star Trek " series, but roll the tapes back and you'll realize that Uhura rarely had much to do on the Enterprise bridge. But with " Strange New Worlds " — and the franchise's brand-new Uhura , played by Celia Rose Gooding — that's beginning to change.

In the series' second episode, "Children of the Comet," Cadet Uhura officially falls in with the crew of the Enterprise. Her first-ever away mission involves the study of an ancient (and possibly sentient?) comet hurtling towards a Class M planet. While attempting to divert the comet from its destructive course, the away team discovers the object is actually hollow. More than that, it's essentially piloted by a glowing gold egg that answers to a yet-unknown alien language. It's entirely up to Uhura to decode this language from inside the comet, all while the Enterprise tries to ward off a group of zealots called the Shepherds who'll stop at nothing to see the comet fulfill its apparent destiny. 

It's a daunting task for the cadet, but one she eventually (and brilliantly) pulls off before time runs out. Uhura discovers that the comet-cave responds not to words, but to music. By harmonizing with Spock — which, in itself, is adorable — Uhura is able to communicate with the alien vessel, giving the Enterprise the opportunity to save the planet from imminent destruction.

To boldly vibrato

Such a musically-inclined mission is a perfect task for Celia Rose Gooding, who is both descended from Broadway royalty and a champion of the stage herself. Gooding's mother, LaChanze, originated the role of Ti Moune in "Once on This Island," and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for "The Color Purple" in 2006. Gooding herself is also Tony-nominated for her work in the Diablo Cody-penned musical "Jagged Little Pill."

"Children of the Comet" feels as much like a showcase for Gooding's serious skills as it is a tribute to the original Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, and her own musical exploits off-screen. Before she would lend her voice to original series episodes like "Conscience of the King," Nichols performed with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. And from 1967 to 1991 (roughly the same years she portrayed Uhura), Nichols released a solo EP, two singles, and three full-length albums. Most contain breezy renditions of old standards, not unlike the cheeky stylings of Eartha Kitt. Nichols also put out a few "Trek"-themed projects, like "Out of this World," which featured a version of the "Star Trek" theme with added lyrics.

Uhura saves the day

That Gooding and Nichols share a connection to music is a gratifying piece of trivia for long-suffering fans of Uhura — especially with the knowledge of all the people that got hurt whenever Uhura sang in the original series. In "Conscience of the King," an Enterprise officer is poisoned with a glass of milk while Uhura serenades the crew. Her voice later attracts the attention of a sentient probe in the season 2 episode "The Changeling," which inevitably causes chaos on the bridge, and even (briefly) claims Scotty's life. 

Ironically, Nichols' captivating voice was most commonly used as some sort of harbinger of ruin in the original series. It's the probe's failure to understand the concept of music in "The Changeling" that puts the Enterprise crew at risk. Looking back, it's a weird subversion of Nichols' talents, and it's taken years for the franchise to reverse it. In "Strange New Worlds," it's Uhura's voice that saves lives, and cements her place among the Enterprise crew along the way. It's a fitting (and frankly delightful) reintroduction of a character that's always deserved better — and a stellar tribute to Nichols' legacy, too.

Strange New Worlds is finally fixing the most neglected character in Star Trek canon

Uhura was a super talented linguist in The Original Series . But now, her skills will finally be showcased.

Uhura is the MVP of the classic Enterprise. But, in the 1960s Star Trek: The Original Series, you might not have known. Although Nichelle Nichols’ character created a pioneering moment for Black representation on mainstream TV, she was often frustrated that Uhura’s role wasn’t bigger. Now, in a new clip from Strange New Worlds , Celia Rose Gooding’s new Uhura is here to set the record straight.

Uhura’s origin story revealed

In a newly released clip from Paramount+ , we learn that Strange New Worlds will tell the origin story of Nyota Uhura. While it’s true we saw Zoe Saldaña’s Uhura at the beginning of her career in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, that version of the character is technically from the alternate Kelvin Universe. Celia Rose Gooding’s Uhura is from the Prime Universe, meaning Strange New Worlds is showing us what led to Uhura’s role in TOS .

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TIME-TRAVEL MOVIE? Click here to help us rank all the ones on Netflix .

And, in giving us her backstory, the character is finally getting the well-rounded skillset she deserves.

Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series.

How TOS short-changed Uhura

As revealed in the documentary Woman In Motion (as well as her memoir, Beyond Uhura ) Nichelle Nichols got pretty sick of saying “hailing frequencies open” over and over again on the classic Star Trek . Although Roddenberry had imagined her character as the lead linguist and communications officer on the Enterprise , most of that canon exists offscreen. Like George Takei, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan, Nichols was essentially a supporting cast member. And after seeing the various changes made as scripts were developed, Nichols often felt short-changed. In William Shatner’s memoir, Star Trek Memories , she said :

“I’d get the first draft, the white pages, and see what Uhura had to do this week, and maybe it was a halfway-decent scene or two, sometimes more, and then invariably the next draft would come in on blue pages and I’d find that Uhura’s presence in the show had been cut way down...it finally got to the point where I had really had it. I mean, I just decided that I don’t even need to read the f**king script! I mean I know how to say, ‘hailing frequencies open.’”

The J.J. Abrams films did a bit to try and build up Uhura’s actual presence as part of the crew, but in three movies of that continuity, there was only so much space for Saldaña’s Uhura.

Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) sets Captain Pike straight about her language skills.

Strange New Worlds is finally giving Uhura her due

In the new Strange New Worlds clip, we see Uhura’s first moments on the USS Enterprise. We also see Captain Pike erroneously thinking she speaks “12 languages.” She quickly corrects him, saying it’s actually “37.”

This is a pretty big deal. Although Uhura’s presence in The Original Series was important for representation, her character was tragically underdeveloped. Her skill and importance to the crew was implied in The Original Series more than it was depicted. The feature films did a bit to mitigate this sense of tokenism, but even in The Undiscovered Country , Uhura was depicted looking up Klingon phrases on the fly, which makes no sense for an expert linguist.

In the new clip, Spock (Ethan Peck) says to Uhura, “Starfleet would be fortunate to have an officer like you.” This doesn’t mean that Spock and Uhura will become a couple like they did in the Kelvinverse, but it does connect to a relationship that Spock and Uhura had in The Original Series . In several episodes, including “The Man Trap” and “Charlie X,” it was clear that of all the people on the Enterprise , Spock often deferred to Uhura.

And now, in Strange New Worlds , it looks like we’re finally going to see why. If this new Trek delivers on its promise, Uhura could end up being an even bigger deal than Spock, which will hopefully raise more than a few eyebrows.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hits Paramount+ on May 5, 2022.

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‘star trek: strange new worlds’ star celia rose gooding wasn’t told she was auditioning to play uhura.

The Broadway actress only found out she’d be playing the iconic character until after she’d booked the role: “It’s daunting knowing that you're stepping into a role that already means so much to so many people.”

By Evan Nicole Brown

Evan Nicole Brown

Culture Writer

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With the May 5 premiere of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  on Paramount+, Celia Rose Gooding, who plays a young Uhura (a role originated by Nichelle Nichols), made her television debut. But the 22-year-old Westchester, New York-born actress and singer is far from a newcomer, having cut her teeth on Broadway as Frankie in the hit musical  Jagged Little Pill , a performance that earned her a Tony nomination.

Already renewed for season two,  Strange New Worlds  is a prequel to  Star Trek: The Original Series , but for Gooding, television is a new frontier — a next step toward her EGOT goal (she’s one-fourth of the way there, with a 2021 Grammy Award for best musical theater album already on her mantel). In his review of the new  Star Trek  series,  THR ‘s Daniel Fienberg said, “Gooding is just a general delight, funny and emotionally available, honoring the Nichelle Nichols original and making Uhura her own.” Gooding spoke about the “daunting” challenge of stepping into the iconic role of Uhura and the invaluable guidance she’s gotten from her mother, Tony Award winner LaChanze.

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What does Broadway represent to you?

Broadway has been a haven for me since I was a little girl. The opportunity to leave my troubles backstage and be whisked away to a completely different world was everything to me, especially growing up as a young Black person in predominantly white institutions. Of course, as I grew up, I learned that the things I was trying to escape are inescapable, but live theater still was a means of escape to me.

When you were auditioning for the role of Uhura, what attracted you to the character?

Fun fact, actually: I didn’t know that I was auditioning for the role of Uhura until after I booked it. Casting went about it in a very interesting way, and I think they actually gave me a bit of grace because I auditioned under a pseudonym. But her character description really got to me: She was described as a bright, young prodigy who is deciding whether or not the place that she’s in is where she wants to be right now. And as someone who is very young in this industry and is still figuring out what my explicit goal and dream is in this life, I found that a lot of her story and a lot of her mentality mirrored mine — in a different industry.

You got your start on Broadway — theater and musicals are really your background. What has it been like pivoting from that world to the world of television? Has anything surprised or challenged you while making this transition?

Having a theater background, a lot of my training is a lot more full body. It’s a lot more physical, as opposed to TV and film which is a lot more cerebral and in my head. The major difference between theater and film is that with theater you can really see everything that’s going on on a stage at one time, whereas film is whatever the editors decide to share with you — and everything else is sort of off-camera and up to the perception of the viewer.

What’s it like to take on a role that audiences already are so familiar with?

It’s an honor, really, to know Uhura’s future and how her story ends. But we don’t really learn much about her beginnings in Starfleet, and even during The Original Series we didn’t really get to know Uhura as a person. We knew her as a communications officer — someone who worked on the ship — but we don’t really know how she got there and who she was before she grew into this confident, brilliant, graceful woman.

Joining something that is already well established versus starting a new musical and building that from its genesis? At first, I was incredibly overwhelmed because it’s daunting knowing that you’re stepping into a role that already means so much to so many people. The social and political aspects of this character and what it meant to be a young Black person in the 1960s having a role onscreen — it’s incredibly daunting and overwhelming knowing all of that. And during the first season, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to measure up to who this character is and who she ends up being. But then I had to remind myself that that’s not where I am yet. I had to remind myself that I don’t have to step into this character with all of the knowledge of her future, because this character has no knowledge of her future yet. I realized that the work of it is going to be braiding in the aspects of herself as this character ages — and as we continue season to season — instead of showing up as a carbon copy of the character that we see in The Original Series .

What did winning the Grammy for Jagged Little Pill change for you?

I am someone who, of course, has big dreams. Of course I manifest like crazy. I have a vision and a dream and a goal for myself and my future and I would love to be an EGOT at some point. I just didn’t think it was going to start happening this early! It felt unreal; I originally never considered myself to be a vocalist; I always considered myself to be an actor who has a voice and can sing if asked to. So for my first big award to be a Grammy, it’s like, life is wild.

Your mother is a Tony Award winner [best actress in a leading role in a musical in 2006 for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple ]. What’s the best advice your mother has given you?

Having someone who is already so well-loved and well-respected in this industry as your mother is a gift. It’s a blessing, honestly, because there are certain things that I’d have no idea about, and I have someone in my life who I trust to give me the honest lowdown about what to expect. I think her greatest piece of advice, that I remind myself of every day, is, “It’s not that deep.”

What do you miss about NYC when you’re shooting elsewhere, like in Toronto?

I miss the spontaneity of Manhattan. Almost everything I need is within a couple of blocks. I miss the city even when I’m home in Westchester, so it’s definitely hard being this far away for months at a time. Things close pretty early in Toronto compared to NYC, and the pizza isn’t nearly as good. I miss my friends, and my community. I’m someone who was raised by a village, so being away from them takes some getting used to.

How has the environment of NYC shaped you as a person, and as a performer?

Something about the city makes you want to work harder. The knowledge that everyone around you is also trying to make their dreams come true is inspiring. Working in the city has definitely shaped me into the person I am today. It’s made me tougher but also more empathetic. There are so many people from all different walks of life grouped together on one island. I often have this thought on the train: “Everybody around me has a full life here, just as complex and layered as mine. I know I’ll probably never see any of these people again, but we’re all on this journey together.” It’s beautiful.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in the May 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

• Akiva Goldsman
• Alex Kurtzman
• Jenny Lumet
• Anson Mount
• Christina Chong
• 1K User reviews
• 38 Critic reviews
• 9 wins & 32 nominations total

Episodes 31

• Captain Christopher Pike …

• La'an Noonien-Singh …

• Lt. Erica Ortegas …

• Una Chin-Riley …

• Nurse Christine Chapel

• Nyota Uhura …

• Dr. M'Benga

• USS Enterprise Computer …

• Lieutenant George Samuel 'Sam' Kirk

• Jenna Mitchell

• Captain Batel …

• Admiral Robert April

• Captain James T. Kirk …

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• Trivia Bruce Horak , the actor who plays Hemmer, is legally blind, just like his character's species, the Aenar, who are also blind.
• Goofs There are some rank insignia mistakes. Number One is introduced as "Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley" yet she is wearing the rank insignia of a full commander: two full stripes. A Lieutenant Commander's rank insignia is a full stripe under a thin stripe (in TOS it is a full stripe and a staggered stripe). It is not uncommon for a ship's first officer to be a Lt. Commander if they have not been in the position long. Spock at this point is a Lieutenant but he is wearing Lieutenant Commander's stripes; a Lieutenant just has one stripe. La'an is the ship's chief of security and the ship's second officer. She is also wearing Lt. Commander stripes but is addressed as a Lieutenant, but it would make more sense for her to be a Lieutenant Commander. Either way both of their rank insignia are not matching the rank they are addressed by. Ortegas is addressed as a Lieutenant but is wearing Lieutenant Commander's strips. A Lieutenant Commander may be addressed as a Commander or Lieutenant Commander but never as just a Lieutenant, so either her rank insignia or the manner she is addressed by the rest of the crew is in error.

[opening narration]

Captain Christopher Pike : Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

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Technical specs

• Runtime 52 minutes
• D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1
• Dolby Digital
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Watch the cast of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' introduce themselves

Uhura returns, as does Nurse Chapel and we learn Number One's full name

Paramount+ treated " Star Trek " fans to tantalizing new footage from several Trek series during its Star Trek Day event Wednesday, but sadlythere was no trailer for its newest spinoff"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." 

So while we will have to wait a bit for our first true glimpse into the new show, Paramount+ did offer a very interesting introduction to many of the characters we can expect to see.

Afterthe appearance of Capt. Christopher Pike (played brilliantly by Anson Mount) in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery," fans made it known that they wanted a dedicated series following the crew of the USS Enterprise before Capt. James Kirk took command. And fortunately, "Star Trek" showrunner Alex Kurtzman listened. 

Related: Captain Pike gets spin-off series with Spock and Number One

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We knew that Ethan Peck (Spock) and Rebecca Romijn (Number One – whose full name is Una Chin-Riley) would also return, but up until now, we knew little else about the new series aside from the fact that the Pike and hiscrew on the USS Enterprise were on a similar mission as that of James T. Kirk: to explore strange new worlds and seek out new civilizations. 

We know now that the character Nyota Uhura will appear; she will be a cadet with Celia Rose Gooding wportraying the role immortalized by Nichelle Nichols on "Star Trek: The Original Series." Jess Bush is stepping into the role of Nurse Christine Chapel, first played by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett on the original series. And Babs Olusanmokun ("Dune," "Black Mirror") will play Dr. M'Benga, a medical officer first played by Booker Bradshaw on two episodes of the original show.  

In addition, there's a host of new characters including: Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), Hemmer, an Aenar played by Bruce Horak, the first legally blind actor to play a main character on a "Star Trek" show and La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), whose name strongly implies she's related to the infamous Khan Noonien Singh from the original series and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

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"Strange New Worlds" will return to an episodic format, rather than a season-long story arc, with the first season being made up of 10 episodes. Sadly though, there was no information about a premiere date. We assume it will be sometime in 2022.

All the Star Trek Day celebration panels are available on-demand on Paramount+’s YouTube Channel and on Paramount+.

Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook .  

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Celia Rose Gooding Talks ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,’ Broadway, and the Legacy of Nichelle Nichols

The 22-year-old actor dishes on her new role in the “Star Trek” series, plus her love of escapist plotlines and why she says, “Be kind to yourself.”

When actress Nichelle Nichols made her debut on Star Trek ’s original TV series in 1966, it was a historic moment. She not only played the role of Nyota Uhura — a brilliant linguist, translator, and cryptographer as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s communications officer — but she also broke new ground in the portrayal of African American women on-screen.

She wasn’t another maid or nanny; she was an intelligent, multifaceted woman who went beyond the typical stereotypes of how Black women were cast in the 1960s. She also took part in the first interracial kiss on national TV and became a figure of grace, elegance, and smarts as the Enterprise crew turned to her character to solve complex problems in space.

Later, the role of Uhura would be played by actress Zoe Saldaña in Star Trek feature films Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Now, the role of Nyota Uhura is being played by 22-year-old Broadway actor Celia Rose Gooding on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . The original series premiered on Paramount+ on May 5, with its season finale on July 7.

The series follows Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) as they explore the galaxy’s worlds aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, with Uhura playing a pivotal role in their discoveries. A second season of the show is in production, set to debut in 2023.

Gooding comes from a musical theater family too. Her mother is LaChanze, an award-winning singer, actress, and dancer who won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple in 2006.

With her role, Gooding shows us the representation she wants to see in the world. She tells Shondaland why she chose to rock her natural, short hair on-screen, opting out of wearing a wig — plus her thoughts on the legacy of her role and what we’re potentially overlooking on Broadway.

NADJA SAYEJ: Black women in Star Trek have always had a special legacy. How does it feel to be a part of that?

CELIA ROSE GOODING: I was pretty young when the Star Trek movies came out in 2009. My mother was a huge fan of those movies, so I remember her taking us to the theater to watch those movies. That’s what really introduced me to the Star Trek world.

NS: What did you think? Did the films really take you away?

CRG: I’m a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy. I’m a serial escapist, as I like to call it. Any opportunity to step out of the very literal plane of existence at the time was exciting for me to escape and get to know that universe. I wasn’t super into sci-fi before I was introduced to Star Trek . Now, I’m a huge fan by proxy, by association, I would say.

NS: What was your mom’s reaction, since she is such a huge Trekkie?

CRG: My mom freaked out much more than I did. She was so excited for me to step into this universe. My mother and her family watched the original series when she was little.

NS: How important is it to you — to Black history — playing the role of Nyota Uhura? It’s so iconic.

CRG: Yes, Nichelle Nichols was a pioneer in the industry for Black women. She was the first Black woman to play a role of non-servitude on TV. She is one of the, if not the first, Black women to really widen the scope of the characters available for Black women. The 1960s were an incredibly turbulent time for Black women outside of entertainment. But to have an opportunity to cement the importance of Black people in the future and in sci-fi history is groundbreaking.

NS: Why is Nichelle Nichols important to you as an actor?

CRG: I would not have a career without Nichelle, obviously. If Nichelle didn’t continue with her character, I don’t think we — Black people, Black women — would have had the opportunity to start the path to showcase ourselves in roles of importance, intelligence, and capability. In roles where we’re not serving others. We are showcasing ourselves as the incredibly gifted, intelligent, and capable people that we’ve always been. But to showcase and cement that in entertainment, that was, is, and will continue to be groundbreaking. Hundreds of years from now, we will have this moment knowing that in 1966, we made it really clear that Black women have an integral role in the future. We have to continue to forge that path for ourselves so we can eventually get there.

NS: What was it about Nichelle Nichols’ performance that you loved?

CRG: I loved that she was a lieutenant in the original series; she was a commanding officer. She was someone who had a role of importance. She had people looking at her and utilizing her for her intelligence that she had naturally. She was someone who was multitalented. In her role, she was a polyglot; she had knowledge of different alien cultures. She was someone who her captain and crew looked to in life-or-death moments. She was always thinking, “How can we connect with these people?” She was someone who was constantly giving up herself and sharing her knowledge, her brainpower. I think that’s historically something that Black women have not had the opportunity to do up until that point.

NS: How did you bring your own flair to playing the role of Nyota Uhura? I like to think you bring your voice; your singing plays a role in the series. You come from Broadway!

CRG: Having a musical theater background was definitely helpful in this series, seeing as Nichelle had a musical background too. She was a singer and dancer with albums out. On-screen, she was incredibly graceful, having incredible posture and lines to her. We got to see Nichelle singing in the original series. To bust out the gate with her, to showcase her voice with the singing background that I have married so well. While Nichelle’s singing was integral to her, we didn’t get to see a lot of her. We didn’t get to see her background [or see her] showcase her full self. Now in 2022, we have the opportunity to really flesh out this character — and give her the spotlight she has always deserved.

NS: Why was it important for you to not put a wig on as Uhura?

CRG: I auditioned with this haircut. They liked it. They asked me if I would consider wearing a wig. They never forced me; they left it up to me. I decided that it would be incredibly important for me to showcase my short hair. I know Nichelle really fought for the presentation of having an Afro. She really wanted to have an Afro on-screen, and it was pushed back from the higher-ups at the time. She really wanted to have an opportunity to showcase Black women with their natural hair in the future.

NS: What do you love most about the way Nichelle broke boundaries on TV as a Black woman?

CRG: There’s a quote from her where she says: “Black women’s presentation has always been different, multifaceted; there’s so many ways women can style their hair. Any of them would be appropriate in the future. All of them are appropriate for the future.” So, for me to be able to rock my short Caesar cut, I had Nichelle’s vision in mind of what Black women in the future look like. I didn’t want to alter my appearance, to alter my look into something that may have been more acceptable in 2022 standards. I wanted to have something that felt natural and appropriate for my presentation because this is how I rock my hair all the time. And for as long as I can!

Knowing that Nichelle fought for all kinds of Black women’s presentations in the future, it was important for me to show up as myself. The Star Trek and Paramount team were excited for me to have this opportunity, to showcase myself like this. I feel beautiful! It’s important to play a character that I feel is beautiful and has always been applauded for her beauty and grace. To do this and have this haircut really meant the moon to me.

NS: Coming from a background in theater, what do you wish people going to see a show on Broadway would realize?

CRG: Broadway has been commended and applauded for its professionalism. When it comes to live theater, there’s so many moving parts — so much is happening behind the scenes, backstage, and even underneath the stage sometimes. Broadway is commended for its presentation and the final product of a show. What people don’t know is that there’s so much going on backstage — choreography, lighting, sound, incredibly long meetings. There’s so much that comes into play when it comes to putting on a show.

Yes, the cast [gets applauded], but I think there needs to be a bit more praise for the talents that put these shows together. As the cast, we are the last bit of it all. The crew, the writers, the set dressers, costume designers — so many people come into play. It’s not just the cast; it’s so many people putting their heart and souls into these shows so the cast can do what we do.

NS: What advice do you have for young actors who look up to you?

CRG: I would say take your time. Breathe. I got into this industry when I was really young. So many people say, “I don’t have a Broadway credit, and I’m 20, and I’ll never have a future career.” That’s not the case. Don’t rush yourself. Be kind to yourself. As an actor, your profession is coming from your likeness and your energy. You have to remember to be kind to your mental and emotional state. You can say no to things. You don’t have to say yes to everything that falls into your lap. Stay true to yourself, stay true to your heart, and the projects meant for you will come to you, no matter what.

Nadja Sayej is an arts and culture jounralist based in New York City who has written 5 books, including Biennale Bitch and The Celebrity Interview Book.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Review: Season 2 Offers Classic Episode After Classic Episode

Christian blauvelt.

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A franchise that’s producing as much as “ Star Trek ” is right now shouldn’t be this good.

A year ago, “Strange New Worlds” debuted and delivered the best first season of a “Trek” show since “The Original Series.” Then “Picard” ended on a soaring and soulful note , leaving fans desperate for more. And now “Strange New Worlds” is back for Season 2, delivering the kind of character-driven episodic sci-fi that now seems downright revolutionary in the serialized streaming era.

Somehow franchise overlord Alex Kurtzman has unlocked the secret to both quantity and quality, something which has eluded that other space-bound saga in its own streaming era . He seems to have done it by simply trusting his showrunners: Terry Matalas for “Picard” and Akiva Goldsman (never better) and Henry Alonso Myers for “Strange New Worlds.” Related Stories ‘Under the Bridge’ Review: Lily Gladstone Carries Hulu’s Tender, Overburdened Crime Drama ‘Franklin’ Isn’t Very Good. What It Represents Is Worse.

The result, in “Strange New Worlds” Season 2, is a number of instant-classic episodes — three, by my reckoning, out of the first six screened for critics — that’ll stand alongside some of the best the franchise has ever given us over the past 60 years. They achieve this by being singularly focused on character first, with each episode putting one of the ensemble in focus in just way the Bermanverse “Trek” of the ‘90s did. It’s not repetitive of that time, because it can’t be: these characters are different, these interpretations are different. But the ground-up, from the inside-out characterizations give each story a vastly deeper emotional charge.

There’s first officer Una Chin Riley, a.k.a. Number One (Rebecca Romijn), now imprisoned for hiding the fact that she’s genetically altered (something the Federation is strongly opposed to because of Khan Noonien-Singh trying to establish a master race of genetically engineered supermen on Earth in the 21st Century). The way her story unfolds dramatizes how fighting for an individual and fighting for a cause may be very different things.

Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) continues to harbor feelings for Spock (Ethan Peck), and together they offer incredible updates of these characters played by the legendary Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Leonard Nimoy on “The Original Series.” Joho, whose Nurse Chapel hides a reservoir of emotion with the kind of breeziness Barrett Roddenberry specialized in conveying, can use her eyes to convey a flick of emotion that’s as deep as a gorge on Vulcan. While Peck gets about Vulcans what really only Nimoy and Jolene Blalock on “Enterprise” truly understood before him: That Vulcans are not emotionless robots, but have a tremendous inner emotional life they can barely repress and often jumps out. They are expressive, not inexpressive.

Celia Rose Gooding has some of the biggest shoes of all to fill: the role of Uhura, pioneered by the late Nichelle Nichols. Her take on the character, someone right out of Starfleet Academy, is as a work in progress, the new member of the crew still trying to find her place and her voice — and you know it’ll be epic when she does.

Dr. Mbenga (Babs Olusanmokun) continues to project a wellspring of empathy and hurt, following the fantastic Season 1 episode where his young daughter’s childhood storybook was brought to vivid life by aliens (quasi-holodeck-style) as a way for him to work through letting go of her.

Most enigmatic, really, is Anson Mount’s Capt. Christopher Pike himself. Presumably, after making peace with what he knows will someday be his grim fate, he’s in a place of such equanimity that he doesn’t need the spotlight quite yet in Season 2’s early episodes. He’s strong enough of a character to share it. But Mount makes the most of every moment he’s in, including one hilarious incident where he’s a human caterer of a Vulcan feast. There’s a solidness and strength to this character that reflects the eloquent way Mount has talked about wanting to offer a vision of “true masculinity” via Pike that counters the many images of “toxic masculinity” in our society.

It’s worth addressing and appreciating each of these textured, carefully crafted characters with this level of detail because, until recently, the “Star Trek” series that have streamed since 2017 had not given that attention to their ensembles. “Discovery” has particularly struggled with this: Owosekun, Nilsson, Rhys… they all seem like really interesting characters. That show has just never taken the time to develop them. Within the first 10 episodes, “Discovery” immediately did a Mirror Universe arc — but moral reversals of its characters via their evil Mirror Universe doppelgängers only really mean anything if you knew what the characters were supposed to be like in our universe in the first place.

That intimate feeling of knowing “Trek” characters well lives long and prospers on “Strange New Worlds” — it’s the kind of feeling we thought we lost when plot suddenly seemed to become more important than the character grace notes that used to be the bread and butter of “Star Trek”: Data reading a poem he wrote about his cat or announcing that he’s entered his Expressionist phase as a painter; Capt. Archer kicking back to celebrate saving the world by watching “Rosemary’s Baby”; Tom Paris’s love of “Flash Gordon”-style serials; “Deep Space Nine” devoting an entire episode to a baseball game.

When you know characters that well, then you can do anything with them — and tell ever more sophisticated stories. You can have them playact at swapping roles and identities, trying them on like costumes — an actor playing a character who’s playing a character — as in “Twelfth Night” or “Some Like It Hot” or “The Two Mrs. Cranes” episode of “Frasier.”

“ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ” premieres new episodes each Thursday on Paramount+.

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Published Jun 16, 2023

RECAP | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 201 - 'The Broken Circle'

There's a tension that they can't quite pin down...

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

StarTrek.com

In the Season 2 premiere episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , " The Broken Circle ," a distress call from Lt. Noonien-Singh compels Spock to disobey orders and take the U.S.S. Enterprise and its crew into disputed space, risking renewed hostilities with the Klingons in a bid to aid their shipmate.

• Christopher Pike
• Una Chin-Riley (Number One)
• Dr. Joseph M'Benga
• Christine Chapel
• Erica Ortegas
• Jenna Mitchell
• Nyota Uhura
• Robert April
• La’An Noonien-Singh
• Kr'Dogh
• The Broken Circle extremists
• Ror'Queg
• D'Chok

• U.S.S. Enterprise
• Starbase One, Sol System
• Cajitar system, edge of Klingon space
• False Federation Crossfield -class starship

The U.S.S. Enterprise is docked at Starbase One in the Sol System so the Operational Support Services team, led by the Chief Fleet Inspector Commander Pelia can run comprehensive inspections, systems checks, and upgrades. Captain Christopher Pike logs a disturbing tension he senses among the admiralty, yet his attention is drawn to Commander Una Chin-Riley’s upcoming trial. Pike speaks with Una via a comm channel in his Ready Room, and they both voice frustrations over an inability to get a response from their defense lawyer of choice.

Number One believes the lawyer is the only one who would argue the case, while the captain suggests they take their plight public. Unwilling to allow her “mistake” to impact Pike’s career, a deflated Una mentions she expects the prosecution to offer a plea deal involving her resignation. Pike objects, citing the incalculable loss to the Enterprise , but Una responds with the captain’s own advice, “Don’t start a fight you can’t win.” Pike resolves to traverse the quadrant and meet the lawyer face-to-face.

"The Broken Circle"

In Pike’s quarters, Lt. Spock learns he will have the center seat during the captain’s trip. The science officer points out that half the crew is on shore leave and the ship has yet to find replacements for their chief engineer and head of security. Spock appears nervous, but Pike expresses his faith in him and promises he won’t even have to leave spacedock.

Despite the captain’s confidence, a distressed Spock visits Sickbay. Dr. Joseph M’Benga recalls the Vulcan lowered the cognitive blocks controlling his emotions during his recent fight with the Gorn. M’Benga suggests Spock may have to learn to live with more freely flowing emotions. Spock expresses doubt, so the doctor offers another solution, retrieving a Vulcan lute and outlining the benefits of channeling emotion into expression. Spock’s heart rate decreases as he strokes the instrument’s strings — that is, until Nurse Christine Chapel enters, causing Spock’s readings to spike and inducing his swift exit. Not interested in chatting about Spock, Chapel brings up a fellowship in Archaeological Medicine for which she thinks she will apply.

On the Bridge, Commander Pelia’s inspectors critique Lt. Erica Ortegas’ helm layout and seek to install a secure comms patch at Ensign Nyota Uhura’s station, eliciting annoyed glares from the Enterprise crew. Since the maintenance requires a system reboot, a resilient Uhura insists she prep a secondary comm channel in case of emergency.

The newly-promoted ensign’s wisdom yields results, so Uhura heads to Spock’s quarters and informs him that an odd signal variance is emanating from the Cajitar system, on the edge of Klingon space. Uhura rules out random signal shifting and concludes it is a distress call from Lt. La’An Noonien-Singh.

Back in the Ready Room, Admiral Robert April denies Spock’s request to aid La’An, reminding him she was on voluntary leave. Spock persists, disclosing the message indicated an anti-Federation threat on Cajitar 4. Exasperated, April explains that the planet serves as a dilithium mining center where access alternates between the Klingons and Starfleet, as a result of a painstakingly negotiated treaty. Right now, it’s the Klingons’ turn. Any intervention may stoke hostilities, so La’An must fend for herself.

Standing by out of April's view in the Ready Room, M’Benga, Ortegas, Uhura, Chapel, and Lt. Jenna Mitchell share their disagreement with the admiral's orders. Spock announces his “obvious” plan — steal the Enterprise ! The officers exchange curious glances but opt to support the endeavor.

Mitchell simulates a coolant leak in the intermix chamber, setting off blaring alarms and catching Commander Pelia’s attention. The chief inspector, who teaches a course in warp core breaches at Starfleet Academy, ignores the evacuation and enters the Bridge to confront Spock about the ruse. To Spock’s surprise, Pelia divulges she knows his mother Amanda Grayson, and states, “If you’re going to steal a starship, do it correctly.” The unexpected ally instructs Ortegas to vent ionized plasma from the warp nacelles, prompting Starbase One to blow the docking clamps.

With the vessel free, Pelia volunteers to sub in as the ship’s chief engineer, claiming it’s been 100 years since she’s gone out with engines of her own. Uhura finally recognizes Pelia’s accent; the commander is a Lanthanite. Ready to set course, the crew wonders whether or not Spock will say “his thing.” After briefly deliberating on the matter, Spock grips the captain’s chair and commands, “I would like the ship to go. Now,” sending the Enterprise into warp.

At the Cajitar colony, a confident La’An inspires cheers while downing bloodwine and drinking the Klingon Kr'Dogh under the table. La’An sets a meeting with someone named Greynax before recognizing M’Benga in the crowd. Conversing in private with the doctor, Spock, Chapel, and Uhura, La’An recounts how the settlement’s dilithium profits skyrocketed during the war. Once peace reigned, a syndicate composed of soldiers from both sides hoped to enrich themselves by reigniting the war. The extremist group had been collecting Federation tech, and a recent mining explosion produced ion radiation — a byproduct of photon torpedoes, noted by M'Benga, surprising them with his non-medical expertise. Chapel reminds them that she and M'Benga served in the Klingon War*, and doc likes to read up on weapons systems.

M’Benga laments the 100 million Federation bodies slaughtered in exchange for a parsec of space. La’An had located Oriana’s parents, but the ion radiation caused them to become ill. M’Benga and Chapel venture to a makeshift field hospital and treat one of Oriana’s parents. A Klingon notices their tech and forces them to follow her.

Elsewhere on the planet, Spock and Uhura covertly observe La’An’s meeting with Greynax, who speaks in the rare Klingon dialect Kach-Ugh . The buyer’s desire for Starfleet hand phasers leads him to threaten La’An, but she brandishes an “anti-matter detonation switch” that would explode if released. Amused, Greynax agrees to La’An’s price and requests additional weapons. After the Klingons depart, La’An coyly admits her bluff to Spock and Uhura; there is no such thing as a detonation switch. Uhura indicates Greynax’s plan will commence the next day, but when Spock requests a beam up, Chief Jay admits M’Benga and Chapel’s signals were lost an hour before.

Still held captive, the doctor and nurse enter a massive underground cavern where they are shocked to see a Federation Crossfield -class starship in the final stages of construction. Taken aboard, the two are tasked with treating the syndicate’s troops in Sickbay. A haunted M’Benga recalls looking after Klingon patients at the Battle of ChaKana on the moon of J'gal. Believing the photon torpedoes to be on the ship, Chapel and M’Benga hypothesize that the extremists intend to attack the Klingon Empire.

M’Benga procures a green liquid from his medical kit, indicating it would help them reach the Bridge and warn the Enterprise . A cautious Chapel questions whether M’Benga wants to do this “again,” but the doctor doesn’t see a better choice. The two use hyposprays to inject themselves with the liquid, resulting in an instant boost to their strength. M’Benga and Chapel fight their way to the ship’s transponder, which the doctor reprograms to send a simple message. With the effects of their “juice” running out, the pair continue their vicious hand-to-hand sojourn until they seal themselves in an airlock. The starship stirs from its hidden lair.

In a debris field near the planet, the Enterprise witnesses a Klingon battlecruiser exiting warp. In low power mode and surrounded by interstellar ice and rock with a high internal iron content, the Federation vessel goes undetected. La’An hails from the surface just as the false Federation Crossfield -class starship breaks through the soil and soars into orbit. The Enterprise ’s sensors pick up the vessel, and Uhura alerts Spock to the Morse code message M’Benga embedded in its transponder signal — “ Enterprise . Destroy this ship.” Spock surmises the extremists’ plot to initiate a false flag operation against the Klingon battlecruiser.

Rummaging through the airlock’s storage compartments for EV suits, M’Benga and Chapel locate a single helmet and thruster pack. The fake Federation ship opens fire on the Enterprise, and the doctor suggests they jump out of the airlock, using the pack’s attitude jet to maneuver and hoping the Enterprise detects the helmet’s internal beacon. Knowing it will take a minute to freeze to death, M’Benga and Chapel commit to the “terrible” plan. The syndicate’s vessel enters the battlecruiser’s sensor range; Spock hesitates. M’Benga assures Chapel that they’ve gotten out of worse, to which the nurse replies, “No, not really.”

Spock reluctantly gives the order to fire just as his comrades jettison themselves into space. The false Federation ship explodes; a tearful Spock watches on, believing he killed his friends. However, an alert at Uhura’s station notifies them of the EV suit’s transponder, and the medical officers are beamed aboard. Spock rushes to the Transporter Room and finds Chapel unresponsive. Spock fervently begins chest compressions, urging the nurse not to die. She finally inhales a deep breath and opens her eyes. M’Benga offers a knowing grin as Chapel strokes Spock’s cheek.

Spock utilizes the Bridge’s viewscreen to talk with Klingon Captain D’Chok, who accuses the Federation of destroying its own ship to cover its tracks. Spock explains the circumstances, though D’Chok insists he must look into his eyes to know the truth. Spock piques the Klingon’s interest by offering to confer over a barrel of bloodwine.

On the planet’s surface, Spock and D’Chok raise a toast. Pelia translates the Klingon’s salutation as “May your blood scream” and confirms to Spock that she is indeed Lanthanite — a people who lived among humans on Earth without being detected until the 22nd Century. Pelia notes that Spock’s mother was one of the first people she came out to, detailing that she helped Spock because the downside to living “almost forever” was not, as the “sweet, un-Vulcan Vulcan” theorizes, the loss of those you love, but boredom. Intrigued by excitement, Pelia suggests she might stay on the Enterprise . Having completed her mission to locate Oriana’s parents, La’An also returns to the Federation flagship.

In the Enterprise ’s Ready Room, Admiral April reprimands Spock for disobeying orders, though he asserts that the science officer’s bloodwine hangover serves as an adequate punishment. Spock visits Sickbay, sorrowfully watching over Chapel before retreating to play the lute in his quarters.

On Starbase One, April tells Commodore Tafune that Spock unknowingly prevented the Federation from potentially defending two fronts at the same time. The admiral ominously remarks that, if “this war” happens, they are going to need every good officer they have... just as a nearby display identifies an object near the Federation border — a Gorn attack ship.

"The Broken Circle" features a dedication for the late Nichelle Nichols :

“For Nichelle who was first through the door and showed us the stars.

Hailing frequencies forever open...”.

* " Battle of the Binary Stars " — The Federation-Klingon War was marked by the battle instigated by T'Kuvma who sought to unite the Klingon Empire against a common threat - the Federation. Further understanding of the impact of the war can be seen throughout the first season of Star Trek: Discovery ("Context is for Kings," "Choose Your Pain," "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry," "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad," "Lethe," "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum," "Into the Forest I Go," "Despite Yourself")

• Written by Henry Alonso Myers & Akiva Goldsman
• Directed by Chris Fisher

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery just did a secret strange new worlds crossover.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 brought Captain Burnham to the Mirror Universe's Starship Enterprise. If the sets look familiar, it's because they are.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 was a crossover with Strange New Worlds' Enterprise sets.
• Captain Burnham found the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise in interdimensional space.
• The two Star Trek series share sets in Toronto and they have filmed on each other's sets before.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," was a secret crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 sent Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into interdimensional space in pursuit of Moll (Eve Harlow), L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and the next clue to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors. Burnham never expected to find the derelict ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe within the dangerous wormhole.

Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror", introduced the Mirror Universe and the ISS Enterprise , the alternate reality counterpart of the USS Enterprise. The ISS Enterprise hadn't been seen since, but Star Trek: Discovery revealed refugees attempted to flee the Mirror Universe aboard the Constitution Class ship. The passengers, including Science Officer Dr. Cho, abandoned the Enterprise in interdimensional space and made it to Star Trek 's Prime Universe. Later, Dr. Cho returned to hide her clue to the Progenitors' treasure aboard the ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery season 5 filmed on strange new worlds’ enterprise set, discovery and strange new worlds film on adjacent sets in toronto.

Although no characters from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 - which makes sense since the two series are set over 930 years apart in Star Trek 's timeline - "Mirrors" was filmed on Strange New Worlds ' USS Enterprise sets which doubled for the ISS Enterprise. Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds shoot in Toronto on adjacent soundstages and both shows have access to each other's sets. In an interview with Screen Rant , David Ajala confirmed that Discovery filmed its scenes in late 2022 after Strange New Worlds season 2 wrapped production.

Sharing sets is a Star Trek tradition going back to the 1990s Star Trek series.

This type of 'crossover' between Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has happened before . Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2 , "Ad Astra Per Aspera" shot its courtroom scenes for Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley's (Rebecca Romijn) trial in Discovery 's Federation headquarters set. Sharing sets is a Star Trek tradition going back to the 1990s Star Trek series when Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine would film on each others' sets as a cost-saving measure.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country redressed Star Trek: The Next Generation 's 10 Forward set to become the office of the Federation President (Kurtwood Smith).

Can Discovery & Strange New Worlds Have A Real Star Trek Crossover?

It's unlikely, but not completely impossible..

Star Trek: Discovery season 1's finale and season 2 can be credited as the first Star Trek 'crossover' of the Paramount+ era when the USS Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One joined the show. The trio proved so popular, fans clamored for them to receive their own spinoff set aboard the Starship Enterprise, which became Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Star Trek: Discovery then jumped forward to the 32nd century, and it was a one-way trip that left the Enterprise and the 23rd century permanently behind. But can a Discovery and Strange New Worlds crossover still happen?

Yet there are possibilities for a Discovery and Strange New Worlds crossover.

There won't be a crossover with Star Trek: Discovery season 5 outside of Burnham, Book, Moll, and L'ak occupying the ISS Enterprise in "Mirrors" . Discovery season 5 has long since wrapped production and the hunt for the Progenitors' technology doesn't leave room for any time travel to see Strange New Worlds' characters . Yet there are possibilities for a Discovery and Strange New Worlds crossover. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in production and the series is renewed for season 4. Perhaps a way could be found to have Captain Burnham see Captain Pike and Spock one more time. Or both show's characters may meet on neutral ground through various sci-fi means on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . Where there's a will, there's a way to still crossover Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Kirks Starship Enterprise Returns In Star Trek: Discovery - With A Big Twist

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

• The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise, last seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Mirror, Mirror," makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5.
• Star Trek: Discovery filmed scenes on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
• The ISS Enterprise now exists in the 32nd century, offering a new glimpse into the alternate reality of the Mirror Universe.

Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) Starship Enterprise makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, but with a jaw-dropping twist - it's the ISS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror"! Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," sees Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) enter interdimensional space to pursue Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and the next clue to the Progenitors' ancient treasure. What Burnham and Book never expected to find was the Mirror Universe's derelict ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery picked up the mantle of the Mirror Universe from Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek; Enterprise. Discovery 's season 1's game-changing Mirror Universe arc introduced Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who would enter Star Trek 's Prime Universe and is now headlining Paramount+'s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie. Star Trek: Discovery deepened the saga of the Mirror Universe, but the alternate reality's final appearance was in Star Trek: Discovery season 3. Thanks to Star Trek 's Temporal Wars , it's now impossible for the Prime and Mirror Universes to cross over in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century.

Individuals who both time travel and cross from Star Trek' s Prime and Mirror Universes suffer a lethal medical condition, such as what happened to Emperor Georgiou.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery brings back kirks mirror universe starship enterprise, the iss enterprise last appeared in star trek: the original series' "mirror, mirror".

The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 is the same Constitution Class starship from Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," which was the ISS Enterprise's only prior canonical appearance. The ISS Enterprise was trapped in interdimensional space and abandoned by its crew, who were refugees and freedom fighters attempting to flee the Mirror Universe for Star Trek 's Prime Universe in the 24th century. As Captain Burnham later learned, the refugees made it to the Prime Universe, and one scientist even became a Starfleet Admiral.

In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4's "In A Mirror, Darkly", the 22nd-century Terran Empire gained control of the Constitution Class USS Defiant, which crossed over and time traveled from the 23rd-century Prime Universe.

In Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror", the ISS Enterprise was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk who assassinated its prior Captain, Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). "Mirror, Mirror" saw the Prime Universe's Kirk, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and Scotty (James Doohan) switch places with their Mirror counterparts due to a transporter accident during an ion storm. Before switching back, Prime Kirk planted a seed with the goateed Mirror Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to take control of the Terran Empire and institute reforms to prevent the inevitable destruction of the Empire.

Mirror Spock's reforms were successful but ultimately weakened the Terran Empire, which was conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, as seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Discovery Filmed Season 5s Enterprise On Strange New Worlds Set

Star trek: strange new worlds was on hiatus after season 2..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", was filmed on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . When Discovery season 5 was in production in late 2022, Strange New Worlds was on hiatus after completing season 2 filming in June . ( Strange New Worlds wouldn't begin season 3 production until December 2023.) Sonequa Martin-Green, David Ajala, Eve Harlow, and Elias Toufexis shot on Strange New Worlds ' sets, which are located in Toronto where Star Trek: Discovery also filmed.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in production, and the series has been renewed for season 4.

Star Trek: Discovery redressed Strange New Worlds ' USS Enterprise set to become the ISS Enterprise. Scenes were filmed on the Enterprise's bridge, hallways, and medical bay. Interestingly, by using Strange New Worlds ' Enterprise set, which depicts the USS Enterprise before Captain Kirk assumes command, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 establishes that the ISS Enterprise, which crossed into the Prime Universe decades after Star Trek: The Original Series , is the same ship as in "Mirror, Mirror" despite the very different interiors.

Star Trek: Enterprise recreated the sets of Star Trek: The Original Series ' USS Enterprise for the interiors of the USS Defiant.

What Happens To Mirror Universes Enterprise In Star Trek: Discovery?

The 32nd century just got another 23rd-century starship.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker piloted the ISS Enterprise out of interdimensional space and into Star Trek 's Prime Universe with the help of the USS Discovery. Afterward, Burnham assigned Lt. Commanders Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) to fly the ISS Enterprise to Federation headquarters, so that the Mirror Universe's starship could be put into "storage". However, there are now fascinating ramifications to the ISS Enterprise existing in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century .

Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself.

Although the ISS Enterprise is obsolete by 32nd-century standards, it's still a bonanza of Mirror Universe technology that the United Federation of Planets has now acquired . This would certainly be of interest to Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg). The 23rd-century ISS Enterprise is a window not just to 900 years ago, but also to the alternate reality, especially since the Mirror Universe is now sealed off permanently from the Federation. Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself. Perhaps the ISS Enterprise will reappear and play a role in the second half of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+