June marks the return of "Strange New Worlds," the hit series that has
"Star Trek" fans rediscovering their favorite final frontier. But before
you warp back into the show, here are some important things to know.
In addition to the recent announcement of the season premiere on June 15th,
more information has been released about the eagerly anticipated crossover episode
with the animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
It will be directed by Jonathan Frakes, best known as "The Next Generation's" Will Riker. Jack Quaid
and Tawny Newsome, who voice Ensign Brad Boimler and Ensign Beckett Mariner, will feature in a
live-action and animated episode. Anson Mount told "Star Trek" fans at 2022's Comic-Con panel that,
"The honor falls to me to announce that in Season
2 of 'Strange New Worlds,' there will be a crossover episode with Lower Decks."
He also made a joke about his famously coiffed character, Captain Pike.
"…you may get an extremely buff, two-dimensional version of me."
The Season 1 finale of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" was explosive,
with Christopher Pike forced to accept the consequences of trying to change his future
and the arrest of Una Chin-Riley, his Number One. According to Anson Mount,
Pike will be more relaxed in Season 2 now that his future is decided. He told "Esquire,"
"His job now is to make every day count as much as possible. There's a lot of freedom in that."
In addition, We'll see a new side of Spock, with Ethan Peck telling "TV Insider,"
"Spock gets to really start to explore his human side, and it leads to a lot of — I hope — funny
hijinks. So I'm really excited about that, bringing that comedic element to Spock."
There are also hints from Christina Chong that her character La'an Noonien Singh may explore facets
of her personality, with the actress hinting at a dark side. Speaking at Comic-Con, she said,
"Who knows, maybe we get to see a version of La'an where
she inherits more of the other side of Khan."
With James T. Kirk finally introduced, we can expect to finally see the iconic friendship
between him and Spock begin to form, as well as Kirk's time on the USS Farragut. Showrunner Henry
Alonso Myers told "TrekMovie" that Season 2 keeps up what fans enjoyed of season 1, and then some:
"I would also say, in some ways, it's different. We were trying to take what
worked and really amplify that. And then try to correct where we weren't happy with it."
Most of the entire cast from Season 1 is expected to return, which includes Anson Mount as Captain
Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Ethan Peck as Spock, Christina Cong as La'an Noonien Singh,
Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura , Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas,
Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. Joseph M'Benga.
While Bruce Horak's Hemmer died in Season 1, co-executive producer Davy
Perez alluded to his return as another character, telling "The 7th Rule" that,
"[Horak's] relationship with Trek is not over. We
really love him. And Star Trek has a long tradition of reusing actors."
Paul Wesley will return as Captain James T. Kirk, as is Spock's betrothed,
T'Pring. Adelaide Kane is in at least one episode,
but her role is largely unknown at this point. Another addition is two-time Emmy Award winner
and Oscar-nominated legend Carol Kane. She plays Pelia, the new chief of engineering,
who is described as "Highly educated and intelligent" and someone who "suffers no fools."
Between the Chapel-Spock-T'Pring love triangle and Captain Pike's encounter with old flame Alora,
the first season of "Strange New Worlds" had plenty to offer in the romance department.
The teaser trailer for Season 2 hints that sparks will continue to fly, perhaps in some unexpected
directions. In addition to a few knowing looks between Spock and Chapel, there appears to be a
close-up of a near-kiss between Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga. The two medical officers have shared
a warm working relationship so far in the series, but could circumstances push them closer together?
Meanwhile, Commander Una notices something between
Lt. Commander La'an Noonian-Singh and visiting Commander James T. Kirk.
"You have an energy…"
"What?"
"It's making me sweat."
"Ummm…"
Kirk has a reputation as a lothario, so it's not surprising that the show might tease his
involvement in some kind of fling. But the prickly security chief La'an is a surprising choice for a
romance. Will La'an break out of her shell to pursue the smooth-talking Starfleet maverick?
Most of the recurring aliens in "Star Trek" have been redesigned at least once,
but no one's had as many controversial facelifts as the franchise's most iconic antagonists,
the Klingons. Originally actors in dark makeup and glued-on fu-Manchus when they debuted in 1966,
the Klingons would adopt their famous forehead ridges in 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
Over the next 25 years, their designs would receive multiple modifications and variants.
"They are Klingons, and it is a long story."
"We do not discuss it with outsiders."
When "Star Trek: Discovery" premiered in 2017, the Klingons were given a prominent role,
as well as a dramatically different makeup and costume design. Rather than sporting the
long hair and bumpy foreheads to which fans had become accustomed, these Klingons had hairless,
ridged, and elongated heads. This effort to use modern advancements in makeup effects to make
the Klingons more alien was loudly rejected by the fans. This led to a course correction in Season 2,
giving Klingons their hair back while retaining much of the new makeup.
Since then, however, the Klingons have been notably absent from live-action Star Trek.
Worf's role in Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" was an exception. His makeup effects resembled
those he wore during the later years of his tenure on "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine."
As glimpsed in the teaser trailer, the Klingons will return in Season 2
of "Strange New Worlds," complete with the prominent ribbed foreheads and luxurious
hair and beards that fans are used to. The makeup seen in the trailer is definitely new,
but it's much closer to the most popular image of the spacefaring warriors. They're also apparently
in a better mood than when we last saw them, toasting a cup of bloodwine with Mr. Spock.
The Season 2 teaser trailer indicates that Lt. Spock will soon get his first opportunity to
take command of the USS Enterprise. In one of the trailer's highlights, the young science officer
sits in the big chair, preparing to give his first orders. When wisecracking helm officer Lt.
Ortegas primes him to debut his own "engage"-style catchphrase, Spock takes a moment before speaking.
"I would like the ship to go ... now."
Of course, fans know that Spock will eventually become much more comfortable in a leadership role
aboard the Enterprise. He becomes the ship's First Officer under James T. Kirk in "Star
Trek" and eventually its captain in the years between "The Motion Picture" and "The Wrath of
Khan." Henry Alonso Myers assured fans in a 2022 interview with "TVLine" that Kirk and Spock will
meet for the first time during Season 2, and that the show "absolutely [makes] a big moment of it."
Season 1 of "Strange New Worlds" re-introduced the Gorn, the reptilian antagonists who date back to
the original series but have rarely been seen since. In the new series,
the Gorn are more brutal and terrifying. They have essentially become the "Star
Trek" equivalent of the xenomorphs from "Alien." They lay eggs inside their prey
and burst violently from their hosts' bodies, killing everything in sight. The episode,
"All Those Who Wander," leans hard into the "Alien" comparisons, and it appears that
this trend will continue into Season 2. In the teaser trailer, we see La'an face down an adult
Gorn in a shot that immediately calls to mind a familiar moment from David Fincher's "Alien 3."
However, that doesn't mean that the Gorn will only be depicted as mindless monsters. By and large,
Star Trek avoids totally dehumanizing its antagonists. Fans know from their
appearance in TOS that the Gorn are a sentient species,
capable of communication and reason. This will not be ignored in the new series.
Speaking to "TrekZone," Anson Mount implied that the Gorn, who were essentially monsters
in Season 1, would receive further thematic exploration in the following season. He said,
"Is it possible that intelligence can be so completely ripped apart from any sense
of communication or idealism? Is there such a thing as a monster? We go down that exact road."
Time travel has been a staple of "Star Trek" since the very beginning, with every single spinoff
dipping its toes into the time stream at least once. Season 1 of "Strange New Worlds" concluded
with Captain Pike visiting an alternate future in which he avoids his fateful training accident
and remains in command of the Enterprise for the events of "The Original Series."
It appears that Season 2 will also feature at least one time-travel story of its own.
The final scene of the "Strange New Worlds" Season 2 trailer sees La'an and Kirk walking
into what appears to be a fast fashion retailer in our 21st century. Kirk struggles to figure
out the store's revolving door, though La'an teases him for it, implying that
we haven't done away with turnstiles by the 23rd century and Kirk is just being kind of clumsy.
"Strange New Worlds" has been an opportunity to delve deeper into a handful of characters
from the franchise's early days who never got the attention they deserved in the
original series. Chief among those recovered treasures is Nyota Uhura. Season 1 of the
new series finally filled out her backstory, revealing that she joined Starfleet in search
of a new home after the tragic deaths of her parents and brother in a shuttle accident.
Looking for distance from her loss and a new sense of purpose, Uhura is still unsure
whether she wants to remain in the service after her graduation from Starfleet Academy.
"I guess the truth is I'm not sure I'm all that…Starfleet."
Her experiences aboard the Enterprise,
particularly her bond with Chief Engineer Hemmer, encourage her to stick around.
But, in the penultimate episode of Season 1, "All Those Who Wander," Hemmer is killed in
an encounter with the Gorn, and Uhura is left behind once again to mourn
and question her future. Preview clips and interviews have implied that Cadet
Uhura will spend some of Season 2 grappling with her feelings of loss and abandonment.
At 2022's San Diego Comic-Con, Celia Rose Gooding described Hemmer as a father figure to Uhura,
and his death is bound to reopen the very wounds he helped her to heal. One image in
the Season 2 trailer, of Uhura standing next to the wreck of a shuttlecraft,
could even depict her revisiting her memories of the accident that shattered her family.
Modern "Star Trek" series relish in the opportunity to revisit popular characters
from previous incarnations of the franchise. Each of the shows in the streaming era has
taken place during a different time period in the history of the Star Trek universe. This makes it
possible for just about any character in the canon to show up at some point. "Strange New
Worlds" is set during the 23rd century, about seven years before TOS, meaning
that lots of familiar names from the classic era can — and have — cropped up on the show.
Speaking to "Inverse" shortly after the Season 1 finale, co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers said
that Season 2 will see the return of more "legacy characters" from the "Original Series" era. Myers
declined to offer any further details, preferring to keep these returns a surprise for fans,
and there have been no additional hints or reveals to the press since.
However, we think the smart money is on Spock's half-brother, Sybok, whose involvement in future
episodes was teased during Season 1's "The Serene Squall." At the end of that episode,
it's revealed that the Vulcan criminal at the center of the plot, Xaverius,
is actually Spock's half-brother. He's portrayed as an illogical rebel who currently resides in
a Vulcan rehabilitation center. Sybok is the antagonist of the often-reviled "Star Trek V:
The Final Frontier," but "Strange New Worlds" is the perfect opportunity to revamp the character.