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Strange New Worlds Easter Eggs Call Back to a Major Star Trek: Wrath of Khan Character

With “Subspace Rhapsody,” the Enterprise crew has sung their way into several deep-cut references, including a callback to Carol Marcus from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan!

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This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.

When Strange New Worlds premiered last year, nobody expected the show to become a series of strange new genres. And yet, the most retro Star Trek series of the modern era has proved to be the most flexible. In a race to see which Star Trek show would have become a musical first, nobody could have guessed SNW would have beat Lower Decks to that particular punch. But here we are. The first official musical in the history of Star Trek has arrived, and like a lot of SNW season 2, “Subspace Rhapsody” contains multitudes. 

Here’s every big easter egg from the Strange New Worlds musical and how some of the deeper cuts actually will change the way you think about Star Trek history…

“Triple the Speed of Subspace Communications”

Uhura and Spock are pumped about finding a “naturally occurring subspace fold” because they think it can speed up current subspace radios. This is a small tip of the hat to the idea that in The Original Series era the Enterprise was very often out of communications range of Starfleet Command, meaning Kirk had to make decisions on his own. In the The Next Generation era, it was far more common for Picard to have real time conversations with his superiors via subspace.

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More broadly, the idea of “subspace” in Trek goes back to TOS , and simply refers to a part of space that is separate and apart from normal space. Technically speaking, warp speed happens in subspace, but faster-than-light communications are also sent through subspace. Interestingly, in Discovery season 3, we learned that the Gorn destroyed parts of subspace prior to the 32nd century. Later in the episode, Spock says, “With our current relay network it takes weeks to send a message across the quadrant.” That’s pretty much still the case in TOS , which is in the future of SNW .

Uhura as a Switchboard Operator 

Because the Enterprise computer is being hogged by computations connected to the subspace fold, Uhura is having to route comms to different people manually. This actually happens a lot in The Original Series , and in The Motion Picture , too. This is another nod to the “outdated” tech of the TOS era that is still very much the present in SNW .

The Description of Roger Korby

M’Benga describes Roger Korby as “the Louis Pasteur of archaeological medicine.” Spock uses this exact characterization of Dr. Korby in the episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” from season 1 of The Original Series . Relevantly, Dr. Korby will eventually become Christine Chapel’s fiancé — before disappearing. Spock and Christine have no way of knowing this at this point in the timeline, but it does make Spock’s song later in the episode, “I’m the X,” all the more poignant. Spock isn’t just losing Christine to a fellowship. She’s destined to fall in love with Dr. Korby! 

We Have No Idea Who the Captain of the Farragut Is at This Point

Interestingly, although the Farragut has been referenced earlier this season in episode 6 , we have no idea who the captain is at this point in the timeline. At some point, the captain of the Farrugut was Captain Garrovick, who died sometime in 2257. We know this because the backstory of the TOS episode “Obsession” tells us a younger Kirk served on that ship at that time. Confusingly, this means that the events described in “Obsession” take place either at the very end of the Klingon War, or smack dab in the middle of it. It’s possible SNW is messing with the timeline a bit, and that we’re supposed to believe that Garrovick is still in command. But, because the captain of the ship has specifically not been named, it seems like the show is playing a small canon tapdance.

Kirk Shadowing Number One

Number One mentions shadowing Pike before she became the First Officer. This seems to imply Number One was shadowing Pike when he was still the first officer of the Enterprise , under Robert April. Was Una promoted to First Officer before Pike was promoted to Captain?

Number One’s “New” Personality 

Kirk and Number One’s song, “Connect to Your Truth,” mildly lampshades the idea that Number One is a kinder and gentler on SNW than she was in “The Cage.” In the original conception of Star Trek , Number One was supposed to be more Spock-like and cold.

Gilbert and Sullivan 

In the same song, Number One makes a reference to “Gilbert and Sullivan.” This comes from the Short Treks episode “Q&A” in which she and Spock sang “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” while stranded in the turbolift. Accidentally, that Michael Chabon-penned episode also referenced the TNG classic “Disaster,” in which Crusher had Geordi sing the same song.

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La’an’s Watch

When La’an sings “How Would That Feel,” we see her watch from episode 3, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” This was the watch she modified to find the secret facility during the time travel mission with the alternate Kirk.

The Ships in Starfleet, Circa 2260

When we learn that the musical reality is spreading to the “entire fleet,” we actually see several ships listed in Starfleet, including:

• Lexington 

All of these ships, including the Kongo, were listed as sister ships of the Enterprise in the book The Making of Star Trek . The TOS episode “Court Martial” established that the Republic was Kirk’s first ship before the Farrugut . The USS Lexington appears in the TOS episode “The Ultimate Computer” while the Kongo was listed in The Making of Star Trek and has appeared on several background readouts and charts, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

Klingon Planet Forcas

The star chart lists the planet Forcas here as a Klingon world. In the TNG episode “Parallels,” Worf has just come from a bat’leth tournament on Forcas III.

Deep-Cut Canon Planets

The same star chart also lists a few other planets, all of which are deep-cuts in Star Trek canon, including:

• Eminar: This references the system from the TOS episode “A Taste of Armageddon.” In that episode, Eminar VII was fighting a war with the planet Vendikar, but the war was waged entirely by computers.
• Delphi Ardu : This was a planet that was part of the long-extinct Tkon Empire, glimpsed in the TNG episode “The Last Outpost.”
• Gamma Tauri : Also first mentioned in “The Last Outpost” in TNG , it was later thought to be near the Cardassian border in Deep Space Nine .

“Secrets You Keep” 

The song, “Secrets You Keep,” refers to La’an’s time travel mission, Chapel and M’Benga’s actions in the Klingon War, and possibly, even Spock covering up the existence of his sister, Michael Burnham.

La’an calls Kirk “Jim,” which is what the alternate universe Kirk asked her to call him in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” Of course, throughout Trek canon, Kirk prefers “Jim” to “James.” But, oddly, almost everyone (including Uhura and La’an) in SNW has called him “James” except La’an.

Bruce Horak Returns!

In 2022, after Hemmer’s death in “All Those Who Wander,” Bruce Horak assured fans that he would return to Star Trek canon as a different character entirely. While one could argue this already happened in the episode “Lost in Translation,” in which Hemmer appeared as a kind of psychic memory, Horak appears here, again, as the Klingon captain .

K’Tinga Class and Aft Torpedoes 

The Klingon ships referenced in this episode are said to be “K’Tinga class,” which references the Klingon ships first seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Although very similar to the D-7 Klingon ships from TOS , the big feature these ships seemed to have in TMP was…wait for it…the ability to fire photon torpedoes from behind.

“I Don’t Love Rules”

The idea that Kirk is a rule breaker by nature is a matter of some debate. Although we tend to think of Kirk as someone who breaks the rules all the time, at this point in the Prime Timeline, the biggest rule Kirk has probably broken is simply cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test as a cadet. Although we saw Chris Pine’s Kirk take this test in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, based on what we learned in The Wrath of Khan , we really don’t know how many rules Prime Kirk has broken. Especially not by 2260. But what rule does Kirk think he’s referencing? It feels unlikely that the Temporal Prime Directive existed in 2260, but maybe there is some early version of temporal regulations that Kirk is referencing.

Carol Marcus

Kirk reveals to La’an that he can’t pursue a relationship with her because he’s getting more serious with a woman named “Carol” who is a “scientist on Starbase I.” This referencing Carol Marcus from The Wrath of Khan , who, we learned in that film, had a son with Kirk, but specifically asked Kirk not to be in his son’s life, at all.

At this point in canon, David isn’t born yet, but we learn here that Carol is pregnant. Kirk says, “I tend not to stay in one place for very long, which is a growing problem because Carol is…pregnant.” The idea that Kirk couldn’t stay in one place is referenced in The Wrath of Khan when Carol says, “Were we together? Were we going to be? You had your world and I had mine. And I wanted him [their son] in mine, not chasing through the universe with his father…”

To be clear, the idea that Kirk was a low-key deadbeat dad was a retcon in 1982 in The Wrath . So, if it feels like retcon here, this has been going on for a long, long time.

Spock’s Big Feelings

The idea that Spock has emotions that are more intense than regular human emotions was established way back in TOS in episodes like “The Naked Time,” “Amok Time,” and “All Our Yesterdays.” The fact that Spock says, “I feel things differently, bigger,” is 100 percent a huge part of his entire arc in the classic films, starting with The Motion Picture , when he fails to purge all emotions in the Kolinahr. In a sense, this episode also sets up “The Naked Time.” Because Chapel is breaking things off with Spock, this, in theory, could lead Spock to be colder with her when she returns to the Enterprise in the time of TOS . Spock’s song, “I’m the X,” also seems to contain strains of that funky Vulcan guitar riff from “Amok Time.”

How Many People on the Enterprise?

The number of crewmembers on the Enterprise is mentioned to be “200.” Does this seem low? Well, in The Original Series , Kirk (and others) mentioned more than once that the Enterprise had over 400 crewmembers. In “A Piece of the Action,” he even tells mobsters that “there are over 400 there.” But, in the Pike era, the crew complement of the Enterprise is around 200. In “The Cage,” Pike said he was “tired of being responsible for 203 lives.” When the Enterprise appeared in the Discovery season 2 debut episode, “Brother” — the foundation for Strange New Worlds — the crew mentioned the Enterprise had 203 crewmembers.

“Our Prime Directive”

At one point in the big, showstopping, final song, “We Are One,” the crew sings about “our Prime Directive,” to which Spock says, “Well, not exactly.” The Prime Directive is about non-interference, of course. Not about uniting as one. But, whatever! Good thing Spock was there to “Well, actually” everyone in the middle of the song.

TOS Theme…Emerges From the Subspace Fissure?

As the closing number stops the subspace fissure, we hear the classic theme from The Original Series . Could we take this to mean that the Alexander Courage-composed theme to the classic show is…perhaps…created at this point in the Trek timeline? Now that a musical universe is possible within Trek canon, anything is possible.

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Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Flips A Switch On Kirk's Heartbreaking Backstory

This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

In the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "Subspace Rhapsody," the crew of the Enterprise falls under the influence of a mysterious psychic field that is activated by a broadcast of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes." The crew becomes unable to keep its emotions hidden, and individuals find themselves confessing their more passionate inner lives ... in song. "Subspace Rhapsody" is a full-blown musical. 

As established in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) has developed a powerful romantic attraction for James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). This was complicated for her, however, as the Kirk she met hailed from an alternate timeline that was ultimately erased (dating in "Star Trek" seems quite difficult). In La'an's native timeline, however, Kirk is still alive, and she has to wrestle with the fact that she is intensely attracted to a man who has no memory of their time together. In "Subspace Rhapsody," Kirk visits the Enterprise, and La'an, thanks to the singing epidemic, has to confess her feelings for him. Kirk admits, however, that he cannot pursue anything with La'an ... because he's already in a relationship. He says that he's been periodically dating a woman named Carol and that she's pregnant with his child. La'an hadn't counted on that. 

The name Carol will instantly ring a lot of bells in Trekkies' minds. In Nicholas Meyer's 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Kirk (William Shatner) is reunited with an old flame named Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch), the developer of an instantaneous terraforming technology called the Genesis Wave. Kirk is also reunited with his son David (Merritt Butrick), now a bitter young man who never knew his father. 

"Star Trek II" made Kirk look like a deadbeat dad. "Subspace Rhapsody" attempts to recontextualize that interpretation. 

Dr. Carol Marcus

Kirk doesn't call the off-screen Carol by her full name, but it's safe to assume it's Dr. Carol Marcus. 

The dialogue in "Star Trek II" between Kirk and Dr. Marcus is full of quiet animosity, but an attempted understanding. Both characters are wholly devoted to their careers, and although they had a child together, they agreed — at some point in the past — to stay apart. David grew up resenting Kirk, seeing him as a violent military man that he wanted nothing to do with. The sudden introduction of an estranged son and abandoned lover reflected poorly on Kirk, but also lent important thematic underpinnings to "Star Trek II." The film is largely about getting older and facing the consequences of one's actions. Kirk is middle-aged and no longer has the luxury of galavanting away from his problems under the auspices of his career. Having a son indicates that he finally needs to take responsibility for things. "Star Trek II" implies that Kirk, as a younger man, was reckless and blasé. 

At best, Kirk was someone who had to leave behind a pregnant girlfriend under a mutual understanding. At worst, he knowledgeably ignored Dr. Marcus and absquatulated with his career intact. 

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is set just a few years before the events of the original "Star Trek" series, and, given David's age in "Star Trek II," it syncs up that Kirk would be fathering his son at about this time. "Subspace Rhapsody" seems to reclaim Kirk's caddish reputation, staging him as a man who would happily stay with Dr. Marcus and raise their child, but also that his relationships can be fraught and complicated. He is not a wild sexual cowboy as his popular reputation might suggest.

Kirk's popular perception

The popular perception of Captain Kirk is, even to this day, that of a careless lothario. Yes, in the original "Star Trek" series, Kirk kissed his share of beautiful women, but Kirk's sexual prowess was rarely a plot point. Indeed, he was more often presented as a judicious, even serious starship commander, approaching most situations with logic and thought. This pop image of Kirk likely emerged in reruns, wherein Trekkies could watch key scenes back-to-back and form a rendition of Kirk that presented him as a sexual dynamo. "Star Trek II" tried to humble Kirk in light of his reputation. 

The Kelvin-verse "Star Trek" movies ran in the opposite direction, presenting a young Kirk (Chris Pine) as a sex-crazy super-stud who had threesomes on the regular, and who was instantly attracted to a young Dr. Marcus (Alice Eve), presented in her underwear. The Kelvin movies weren't so much a new version of "Star Trek" as they were the non-Trekkies' popular image of "Star Trek" presented literally. Kirk's romantic recklessness was a big part of the character in those movies. 

"Strange New Worlds," in contrast, is rescuing Kirk from his reputation. This younger man is a mite brash but presented as friendly, compassionate, clear-headed, and even sympathetic. The SNW version of young Kirk doesn't need to grow out of his "wild oats" period, he needs to harden into an adult. He's actually a lot more sensitive as a young man in "Strange New Worlds" than in the Kelvin-verse. He thinks about Dr. Marcus a lot and wants to do right by her. 

"Subspace Rhapsody" turns Kirk's womanizing into a myth. He may be destined to abandon Dr. Marcus, but we now know that he never wanted to. He is not reckless. He is haunted. 

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Published Aug 4, 2023

RECAP | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 - 'Subspace Rhapsody'

Their voices will rise through space and through time.

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

StarTrek.com

In " Subspace Rhapsody ," this season of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' penultimate episode, an accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the U.S.S. Enterprise to break uncontrollably into song, but the real danger is that the field is expanding and beginning to impact other ships — allies and enemies alike.

• Nyota Uhura
• Christopher Pike
• Una Chin-Riley (Number One)
• Christine Chapel
• Marie Batel
• La’An Noonien-Singh
• James T. Kirk
• Erica Ortegas
• Dr. Joseph M'Benga
• Jenna Mitchell

• U.S.S. Enterprise
• Far edge of the Alpha Quadrant

"Subspace Rhapsody"

While traveling at the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant, the  U.S.S. Enterprise  encounters an unusual phenomenon — a naturally occurring subspace fold. Lt. Spock posits it could be used to triple the speed of subspace communications in the sector, but his experiment requires so much computer power that it temporarily forces Ensign Nyota Uhura to manually coordinate the entire ship’s communications network. Uhura struggles to keep up with the overwhelming task, routing calls and providing updates to numerous crew members.

In his quarters, Captain Christopher Pike conferences with Captain Marie Batel, who suggests their first vacation as a couple should involve visiting Crivo. Pike is hesitant to visit the touristy — and cliché — locale, claiming the time might be right and requesting they hold off on planning for a few days. Disappointed, Batel nevertheless agrees to postpone the chat.

Lt. La’An Noonien-Singh strolls into the Transporter Room, where Commander Una Chin-Riley waits for Lt. James T. Kirk, the  U.S.S. Farragut ’s future first officer, to beam aboard. Kirk’s captain hopes that, by shadowing Number One, Kirk will maximize his potential upon his promotion. Una senses an “energy” from La’An, observing the security chief had arrived in the room “hot” and “on fire.” Number One engages the transporter beam and greets Kirk, who is skeptical over the need to be shown the ropes. Noticing Noonien-Singh, Kirk playfully reminds her that she still owes him a drink, eliciting a knowing smirk from Chin-Riley. La’An struggles to compose herself and acknowledges she has met James.

Nurse Christine Chapel paces in Sickbay, worrying that she has received a rejection letter from Dr. Roger Korby’s fellowship. Dr. Joseph M’Benga describes Korby as the “Louis Pasteur of Archaeological Medicine,” while Lt. Erica Ortegas maintains she is unfamiliar with him.* Glaring at her PADD, a frustrated Chapel points out that thousands apply to this program each year, with only five being accepted. The nurse summons her courage and grabs the device, a wave of relief washing over her as she learns her application was granted. M’Benga notes she will be gone for three months, and Chapel realizes that a difficult conversation with Spock awaits.

In Engineering, the  Enterprise ’s science officer updates Uhura and Commander Pelia — their 12th attempt at sending a message through the subspace fold has failed. Frequencies propagate through the fold three times faster than normal, meaning the weeks it takes a message to travel across the quadrant through their current relay network would be replaced with instantaneous, real-time communications. The thought thrills Uhura, who hums as she works. This sparks an idea from Pelia, as the Lanthanite proposes they send music through. Given they are seeking to communicate through a medium with different laws of physics, Pelia believes fundamental harmonics might be the answer. Curious as to whether the phenomenon is a fan of the Great American Songbook, Uhura boosts a recording of “Anything Goes” toward the fold...

...with unexpected results. The shimmering, ribbon-like phenomenon releases a visible pulse which ripples through the Federation ship. Confusion descends upon the crew, and Captain Pike calls for an analysis as he steps onto the Bridge. Lt. Jenna Mitchell declares there are no other ships in the sector — the distortion must have come from the subspace fold! The captain checks in with Uhura, who is astounded when Spock begins delivering his own report in the form of a song. Visibly perplexed, Spock continues to croon his words, and additional vocals are heard from M’Benga and Chapel, who report no serious injuries among the crew. The peculiar melody strikes the Bridge, sending Ortegas, Chin-Riley, and Noonien-Singh into song as they check in at their stations. All systems are stable and no threats are detected, yet Pike’s concern grows as the Bridge crew harmonizes around him. The captain adds to the chorus, asking, “Why are we singing?”

Captain Pike gathers his senior staff — Spock, Noonien-Singh, Chin-Riley, M’Benga, and Pelia — in his Ready Room, where the music has finally subsided. James Kirk is still shadowing Number One, and he admits he thought the musical interlude was something the crew had rehearsed. M’Benga emphasizes that he does not sing. They turn their focus to the problem at hand, with Spock theorizing that the song they transmitted had created a resonance frequency and dislodged a quantum uncertainty field from the fold. An area of space where quantum uncertainties collapse so rapidly and randomly could create new realities — including one in which people sing uncontrollably. The Vulcan states the Enterprise has become tethered to this particular improbability field, so trying to fly out would most likely widen the disturbance. Pelia and Pike observe the phenomenon’s zipper-like properties, leading Spock to offer a way to close the rift — manually connect the shield harmonics and Heisenberg compensator to the deflector array. The captain approves, and Kirk compliments Spock’s explanation.

Spock and Uhura confer at the ensign’s Bridge station, where the science officer notices the ship’s communications log lists a transmission from Dr. Korby to Nurse Chapel. Intrigued, Spock questions if the message was related to Chapel’s fellowship application, but Uhura doesn’t read personal correspondence. The ensign perceives Spock’s discomfort, and the Vulcan concedes that he and Chapel have become more than colleagues. Uhura’s grin quickly gives way to concern, prompting her to wonder why Spock doesn’t ask Chapel about the transmission. An incoming call from Number One and Kirk interrupts their chat, and Uhura sends her the harmonics data.

Chin-Riley watches as Kirk makes a few modifications inside a Jefferies tube. The Farragut officer comments that his brother Sam described Una as an excellent Number One — someone who keeps a necessary distance from her crew because she knows she has to make hard decisions. Una confesses she has recently elected to try a more hands-on approach. Kirk slides out of the junction, and music begins to resonate through the ship. Singing once again, Chin-Riley advises Kirk to connect to his crew. Her musical side causes her to divulge that she could imagine herself performing on stage and sharing her fondness for Gilbert and Sullivan.** The two officers begin dancing in the corridor, and a dejected La’An looks on from afar. Kirk replies to Chin-Riley with his own lyrics, expressing an eagerness to heed her advice and connect with his truth.

The song concludes, and La’An quietly retreats from the scene — at least until her emotions start to unravel through a somber song of her own. Noonien-Singh enters her quarters, lamenting her trouble with expressing her innermost feelings to others. She gazes at her reflection in the mirror, moving to the window as she belts out an admission — it might be time to let go of her fears and be vulnerable. La’An pulls the watch she obtained during her time-traveling mission with another reality’s James T. Kirk from a drawer, gripping it tightly to her chest. The security chief pictures herself back in 21st Century Toronto, imagining the life she and the alternate Kirk could have had together . A tearful La’An returns the watch as the music fades.

In the turbolift, Noonien-Singh reports that people are confessing highly personal — and emotional — information when they sing. Skeptical that their emotions constitute a security threat, Pike marches onto the Bridge. Spock and Uhura are ready to initiate their plan to collapse the musical reality back into their standard quantum state. Uhura relays their status to the bantering — or bickering — Kirk brothers in the Transporter Room. The Enterprise ’s deflector is activated, and a beam is projected into the phenomenon. Another energy surge bursts out, but an incoming hail from Captain Batel on the U.S.S. Cayuga arrives before Spock can determine what happened.

A reluctant Pike orders Uhura to put Batel’s transmission through to the main viewscreen. The musical reality has spread beyond the Enterprise , as the Cayuga ’s captain sings about her irritation with Pike over their canceled vacation plans. Pike replies in kind, uncharacteristically displaying his emotions in front of his crew. The private conversation intensifies, with Pike professing his bad habit of hiding in the face of true affection. Pike collapses to his knees, but — recognizing the situation will only escalate — La’An cuts off Batel’s signal. Embarrassed, Pike listens as Spock states the improbability field must be expanding across Starfleet’s entire subspace communications network.

Pike, Chin-Riley, Noonien-Singh, Uhura, and James Kirk discuss the developments in the captain’s quarters. A message from Admiral Robert April — which he delivered in a surprisingly beautiful baritone — indicates the field has spread to 12 Federation ships. The captain questions why this reality is compelling them to reveal their deepest emotions. Uhura theorizes that the musical reality actually follows the rules of musicals, where characters begin to sing when their emotions are so heightened that their words won’t suffice. Emotions have the capacity to overwhelm rational thinking, as well as the potential to drive the crew apart. Pike is eager to blow up the subspace fold, but Spock encourages them to test the idea first. Una assigns La’An and James to beam subatomic particles from the fold over to the ship, a task which clearly unsettles La’An.

Chin-Riley and Noonien-Singh visit the Ready Room, allowing the security chief to confide in Number One. La’An doesn’t believe she is acting like herself, but Una guesses she is actually afraid of singing to James Kirk. Referencing her time in 21st Century Toronto, La’An claims her feelings pose a space-time security risk and decides to just tell James what is on her mind. The fervor instigates another catchy tune, allowing Number One to recommend that sometimes it’s best to be your own best friend and keep your secrets safe inside you. Una deactivates the room’s artificial gravity, ultimately announcing she wishes she had never become so good at keeping secrets.

In the Transporter Room, La’An speaks to James as they work to refine the molecular imaging scanner and isolate subspace particles from the fold. They succeed and transfer the particles to Engineering, inspiring Kirk to say he and La’An should collaborate more often. La’An takes a deep breath, but an explosion rocks the ship.

Standing on the Bridge, Pike, Number One, and Spock assess the experiment in front of a map of the Federation-Klingon border. Hitting just a few subatomic particles nearly blew up Engineering, so firing on the field would destroy everything connected to the Federation’s subspace network. Uhura alerts them to a hail from an incoming vessel, and Spock detects a signal with Klingon encryption. Number One is unenthusiastic about the prospect of singing Klingons, but the tension escalates when Uhura replays a message from the Klingon ship. The improbability field has reached them, and General Garkog of the Imperial Klingon Defense Force calls the disturbance a Federation invasion. The Klingons plan to destroy the fold and warn Starfleet not to oppose them.

Back in the Ready Room, Pike and most of his senior staff agree that — by firing upon the fold — the Klingons would inadvertently destroy the Federation and half of their own Empire. Disinclined to strike first and commit an act of war, Pike wants Noonien-Singh and James Kirk to devise a tactical strategy to disable their opponents’ disruptor cannons and torpedo launchers. The captain turns his attention to the remote prospect of shutting down the improbability field before the Klingons are within range, assigning Spock and Uhura to explore new possibilities.

In the corridor, Uhura marvels over Spock’s scheme to study the songs and the frequencies the moment they begin. Isolating a pattern in the improbability field could reveal how to generate an improbability-breaking event. Wishing to use overwhelming emotion to trigger a song, Uhura brings Spock to see Chapel in the Enterprise ’s Port Galley. The nurse celebrates her fellowship with Ortegas and Sam Kirk, who toast to her achievement. In Sam’s view, they can’t put their lives on hold every time the ship is in trouble. Spock and Uhura join them. The Vulcan congratulates Chapel and inquires why she did not share the news with him — was it intentional? Chapel is not interested in talking about it now, but Spock presses the issue...

The elevated emotions give way to the rise of a new melody, and Uhura seizes the chance to take scans with her tricorder. Chapel croons, elaborating on how the fellowship changes everything — a distant dream has become real. The nurse’s joy spreads to the other officers in the lounge, and the room joins in with song and dance. Buoyed by the possibilities, Chapel acknowledges she’s prepared to let Spock go, a confession which silences the crowd and sends Spock to the exit.

La’An and James utilize the Ready Room’s display to assess the vulnerabilities of the approaching K’t’inga -class battlecruiser, but James revisits what La’An had intended to tell him back in the Transporter Room. Uncrossing her arms, the security chief bravely conveys her time-traveling adventure with the alternate James Kirk. The other James saw La’An for who she really was, and — through his eyes — she could finally see her own potential. As someone unburdened by tragedy, she could be free to take chances and make connections. James ponders her words before convincing La’An to acknowledge that she also likes the way he looks at her. James feels their connection, but reveals he’s in a “sometimes” relationship — and his partner Carol, a scientist on Starbase 1, is pregnant.*** La’An is overwhelmed with speechlessness.

Uhura finds Spock down in Engineering, and the duo analyze their fresh data in search of a pattern. Rattled by Chapel’s certainty over ending their relationship, Spock sees the logic in her decision, yet he is still hurt. The self-reflection turns into song, and the Vulcan admonishes himself for thinking he and Christine shared the same feelings. Now the ex, Spock concludes he must follow reason — his true north. Spock apologizes and departs, leaving Uhura to wax poetically about needing to find a pattern in their data. Loneliness overwhelms the ensign, and she reminisces over her parents, brother, and the late chief engineer, Hemmer. In a life defined by love and loss, Uhura has found purpose by keeping others connected, an observation which sparks a pivotal idea — and rays of exuberance — within the ensign.

Now in the Ready Room, Uhura presents her findings to the captain. Every time someone sings, the state of quantum improbability in the field spikes. If they can push that spike to 344 giga-electron volts, it would shatter the fold. Uhura has found the improbability-breaking event, but two additional K’t’inga -class battlecruisers are headed their way. The singing has caused many relationships to be torn apart on the ship, but Uhura highlights music’s communal properties. Citing the backup vocals she helped supply to Chapel in the Port Galley, Uhura surmises that a grand finale with melodies and harmonies with tone ratios that achieve algorithmic and logarithmic balance on a mass scale — the whole crew needs to sing together. Spock is curious as to how they could rouse the entire crew’s emotions at once, but Pike expresses his confidence in Uhura’s ability to see connections and inspire song.

On the Bridge, Pike sits in the captain’s chair and addresses the Enterprise via a shipwide broadcast. He entrusts their lives to Ensign Uhura — the voice of the Enterprise . At her Communications station, Uhura speaks to her colleagues, focusing on the threads that connect them. Her impactful speech causes her to start singing, emboldening other crew members to enact elaborate choreographed moves. La’An and Spock join in, and the giga-electron volts reading climbs. The chorus grows, with officers throughout the vessel voicing their dedication to Starfleet and its mission. 

A perimeter alert chimes, notifying the Enterprise that the three Klingon battlecruisers have reached their position. Invigorated and electrified, the crew praise one another. Uhura hails the Klingons, who deliver a pop-infused threat. The music resumes aboard the Enterprise , and various officers lock arms in friendship around the Bridge. The quantum improbability state spike hits 344 giga-electron volts, eliciting a tremendous burst of light and energy from the field. The plan has succeeded! The elated Bridge crew exchange smiles and congratulatory remarks.

La’An broods over a drink in the Port Galley, telling Una about what happened between her and James. Even in the face of her pain, La’An is glad she took the chance to share her feelings with Kirk. Meanwhile, in the captain’s quarters, Pike cooks for Captain Batel, who emphasizes that not even Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon could make her forget Pike singing about lying to her. Batel proclaims their relationship will never work if Pike isn’t more comfortable being honest with her. Pike agrees, but Batel must soon leave for a Priority One mission. The couple promises they’ll decide on a vacation when she returns.

An unsteady Spock wobbles onto the Bridge, having just returned from engaging in diplomacy with the Klingons over bloodwine. At her station, Uhura acknowledges the receipt of a transmission from the U.S.S. Nimerfro . At Captain Pike’s request, the Communications officer scans for nearby vessels to share their fold-related findings. Uhura hums a melody, drawing worried glances from her shipmates. Noticing their unease, Uhura apologizes and assures them the humming was caused by an earworm — not another musical reality! The captain sighs in relief, and Uhura resumes her duties.

* " What Are Little Girls Made Of? "  - The  U.S.S. Enterprise  searches for exobiologist Dr. Roger Korby, Nurse Christine Chapel's fiancé, on the planet Exo III. Chapel had signed onto the  Enterprise  in hopes of finding Korby, who is known as "Pasteur of archeological medicine." His expedition had left him stranded on an icy planet with 'The Old Ones,' ancient android natives that have since been extinct.

** " Q&A " - This Star Trek: Short Treks episode reveals Spock's first day aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise . While stuck on the turbolift with Number One, the ensign is allowed to barrage her and the other crewmen with questions until he becomes an annoyance. The first officer observed his smile when he beamed aboard the ship and cautions him to keep his "freaky" under wraps if he hopes to be in command one day. She then shares her freaky by singing Gilbert and Sullivan’s “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” She then forces Spock into secrecy once the moment passes, which he's forced to betray during her court-martial trial in " Ad Astra per Aspera ," revealing her secret affinity to musicals.

*** Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Carol Marcus was first introduced this film. Investigating Dr. Marcus' complaint, Kirk and his crew board the Regula I , and then the planetoid below it where he reunites with his old love Carol. A ruse set in motion by Khan Noonien Singh propels David Marcus — Carol and Kirk's son — to discover who his father is.

• " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Main Theme (Subspace Rhapsody Version) " - Jeff Russo
• " Status Report " - Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Melissa Navia, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Paul Wesley, Carol Kane, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " Connect to Your Truth " - Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " How Would That Feel " - Christina Chong, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " Private Conversation " - Anson Mount, Melanie Scrofano, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " Keeping Secrets " - Rebecca Romijn, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " I'm Ready " - Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Dan Jeannotte, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " I'm the X " - Ethan Peck, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " Keep Us Connected " - Celia Rose Gooding, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " We Are One " - Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Melissa Navia, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Dan Jeannotte, Paul Wesley, Carol Kane, Tom Polce, Kay Hanley
• " Subspace Rhapsody End Credit Medley " - Tom Polce, Kay Hanley

• Written by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
• Directed by Dermott Downs

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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.

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Who Is Carol: Kirk’s Pregnant Girlfriend In Star Trek Strange New Worlds Explained

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ musical episode, James Kirk mentions he is seeing a woman named Carol. But just who is Kirk’s pregnant …Google Alert – "Star Trek" Read More

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ James T. Kirk Reveals a Possible Timeline-Shattering Truth to La’an

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Won't Repeat One of Its Most Divisive Episodes in Season 3

Batman: caped crusader star opens up about their controversial role, shogun star teases off-book story in season 2.

• In the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Kirk confesses his feelings for La'an, but also reveals he is in a complicated relationship with a woman named Carol.
• Kirk's relationship with Carol Marcus is not consistent with the source material, suggesting that SNW exists in an alternate timeline.
• The revelation of Kirk and Carol's relationship challenges the established narrative of TOS , opening up possibilities for new storylines and character dynamics in SNW .

The wait is over. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' ( SNW ) La’an ( Christina Chong ) finally told James T. Kirk ( Paul Wesley ) she has feelings for him in the latest episode of the Paramount+ streaming series. During Season 2, Episode 9's Subspace Rhapsody, Kirk admits he feels something for La'an. But he also reveals a possible timeline-disrupting “relationship” that further corroborates that SNW does not faithfully follow the same narrative blueprint laid out in the mid-to-late 1960s and in 1982. Kirk reveals that he’s involved with another woman.

Kirk tells La'an:

"My life is complicated, not time travel complicated, but I’m in a relationship — a sometimes relationship. And right now is one of those times, in a very real way.”

The woman’s name is Carol, and she’s a scientist on Starbase 1. Carol Marcus is first introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Jim also tells La’an that Carol is pregnant, which alludes to Kirk’s son, David (Merritt Butrick), who also appears for the first time in The Wrath of Khan . The problem that may affect the SNW’s timeline, and its connection to the source material, is that Kirk and Carol were never in a relationship.

Related: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast and Character Guide

Kirk's Relationship With Carol Marcus Further Complicates SNW

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series ( TOS ), and it's loosely based on the rejected 1965 pilot starring Jeffrey Hunter as Christopher Pike and certain characters and events from TOS . And James T. Kirk (Wesley) may have thrown another time-altering wrench into the SNW continuity. Certainly, SNW has taken liberties. One example being the unrequited feelings Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) harbored for Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in TOS . And now comes the revelation that Kirk and Carol Marcus are in a relationship, which could serve as even more evidence that SNW exists in an alternate timeline than the aforementioned source material.

Dr. Marcus (Bibi Besch) asks Admiral Kirk (Shatner) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan :

“Were we together? Were we going to be? You had your world, and I had mine. And I wanted him [their son David] in mine — not chasing through the universe with his father.”

From Carol’s point of view, there was no relationship between her and Kirk. In the same scene, it’s also revealed that Kirk did what Carol requested: He stayed out of his own son’s life. Certainly, it can be argued that Kirk’s interpretation of his and Carol’s romance as a “sometimes relationship,” in Subspace Rhapsody , could match up with Dr. Marcus’ dialogue in The Wrath of Khan. But, if casual fans of SNW are looking for concrete proof that Captain Pike’s (Anson Mount) crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise exists in an alternate timeline outside of the source material, they need look no further than TOS Season 1 storyline, The Menagerie .

Trekkies know The Menagerie was the only two-part episode ever made of TOS . In the first installment, it’s revealed that Christopher Pike has been in a horrific accident — the one alluded to in SNW . And Commodore José Mendez (Malachi Throne) plainly asks Captain Kirk (Shatner) if he has ever met Chris Pike.

“We met when he was promoted to Fleet Captain,” Kirk responds.

Kirk only met Pike one time, according to TOS , which directly contradicts the numerous interactions the future captain of the Enterprise had with its current commander and crew in SNW . Theoretically, the revelation means anything is possible moving forward in SNW . Pike may never suffer his life-altering accident, Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) could end up with Spock (Ethan Peck) rather than Dr. Roger Corby, and it also means that a romance may still be in the cards for Kirk and La’an (Chong).

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is upending canon for its new engineer

Carol Kane plays the the mysterious, hilarious chief engineer Pelia

by Susana Polo

As season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds comes to Paramount Plus this week, most things about the show are the same. It’s still the Enterprise as helmed by Captain Pike , Kirk’s predecessor. It’s still a return to the episodic Trek formula of yesteryear. And it’s all the same cast — except for one.

With last season’s heartbreaking death of chief engineer Hemmer, there’s a space to fill on the Enterprise roster. And as it’s still a little too early for Montgomery “Scotty” Scott to show up, that role has fallen to an original character: chief engineer Pelia, played by legendary actor and comedian Carol Kane.

Given that she’s brand-new, there’s very little anybody knows about Pelia — but in the season premiere, “The Broken Circle,” she’s already upending everything we know about Star Trek’s alternate history of humanity.

[ Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for the season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.]

The usual sign that a character is human rather than one of Star Trek’s innumerable humanoid aliens is that they’re not wearing some kind of facial prosthetics. And you won’t find a pointed ear or ridged forehead anywhere in Kane’s show wardrobe. But, as “The Broken Circle” reveals, Pelia is definitely not human. The first hint we get is when she casually refers to being more than 100 years old. In the same scene, Uhura, the ship’s polyglot, takes note of Pelia’s accent and asks if she is “Lanthanite,” to which Pelia replies, “Guilty as charged.”

Which is very interesting, because there’s no analogous Star Trek species to that name. In the episode’s final scenes, Spock drops one more tantalizing, explosive line about Lanthanites in conversation with Pelia: “I’ve always been fascinated by your people. That you managed to live on Earth among other humans undetected until the 22nd century is remarkable.”

This is brand-new information for Star Trek canon, and it would mean that somewhere in the 2100s — a century that includes the founding of the Federation, the obsolescence of money, and the events of the Star Trek: Enterprise series — humanity discovered that there had been aliens living among them. And this is something that everybody in Star Trek has just... known this whole time, but not mentioned until now? Buck wild.

When Polygon spoke with Kane, the first thing we asked was how she’d reacted upon realizing her character was an alien who’d lived secretly among humans for potentially centuries.

“Just thrilled,” she replied, “because you can let your imagination run wild and it’ll work. Also, I like the fact that I get to be the one that knows the most — in my opinion. And I probably do,” she quipped, “because of the time I’ve been on the Earth and in space.”

Kane said she relishes playing an older character, not unlike the original series’ Dr. McCoy, who’s doing cool space stuff right alongside all the young folks. “I like that at my age, which is Pelia’s age, that I get to be on the ship and embraced by the other people, so I’m not solitary. I like that. I relate to that.”

Kane couldn’t tell us anything about Pelia or the Lanthanites that wasn’t already revealed in “The Broken Circle.” All we can say for now is that they appear to be a completely new addition to the galaxy of species that make up Star Trek canon, and that chief engineer Pelia has a friendly history with Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson. There’s no telling when Strange New Worlds is planning to reveal more, but we, for one, eagerly await more answers about the aliens living among us.

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Star Trek's Most Shocking New Character Could Change Canon — If She Wants To

In Strange New Worlds Season 2, Carol Kane’s Pelia has a big secret — and the Trek timeline will never be the same.

Comedy legend Carol Kane never expected to get the call to be in Star Trek. But, as revealed in the season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds — “The Broken Circle” — her character, Pelia, has suddenly cemented herself into the franchise for a very, very long time.

Here’s what Carol Kane says about getting part of the latest Enterprise Chief Engineer, what she added to the role, and why she never even realized the implications of the character’s backstory. Spoilers ahead for Strange New Worlds , “The Broken Circle.”

Carol Kane as Pelia in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

“Okay, so I didn’t audition,” Carol Kane tells Inverse . “I was called. And I was shocked. I was stunned . Never in my life did I imagine myself on Star Trek.” In the context of the show, the famous actress — whether you remember her from The Princess Bride or Kimmy Schmidt — brings charming off-kilter energy to the Trek ethos, in a way no character has done before.

But, she oddly has big Starfleet boots to fill. Following the death of Chief Engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in Season 1, the Enterprise needs a new person to watch over the warp engines — and the time of Scotty is not yet upon us. Enter, Pelia, a woman who appears human, but is really a centuries-old Lanthanite. After Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) identifies the accent, Spock and the crew realize the new ad-hoc Chief Engineer of the Enterprise possesses memories of Starfleet that predate all their lives and the Federation itself. And when faced with the prospect of helping Spock (Ethan Peck) steal the Enterprise , Pelia is hilariously ecstatic.

Kane plays all of this with flourishes of whimsical, absent-minded indifference, which, might be because her Star Trek knowledge was close to zero when she was hired.

“I must admit — and I told the writers and producers right away that I really hadn't seen any Star Trek,” Kane says frankly. “But they kinda liked that idea! They liked the fact that I was coming to it fresh and now, and I like it too. I'm certain I'm learning. The jargon is not easy. It’s good for the brain because it's like a crossword puzzle in some ways.”

Pelia’s species revealed, in Strange New Worlds .

Although Kane maintains much of the character’s quirkiness was simply written that way by the Strange New Worlds team, she did convince showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers to let her give Pelia a unique accent. And it’s this accent which tips off Uhura about her true identity as a hitherto undisclosed nearly immortal alien race.

“I'm so grateful to them for allowing me to do it because it was a leap for them,” Kane reveals. “The accent. That wasn’t written. But they said, ‘Go ahead.’ It frees me up a lot and they could have gone much safer and just said, no. And that would've been okay, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun for me. And therefore, not nearly as much fun for the audience, I think.”

For fans who are thinking about how Strange New Worlds fits into the larger timeline of the entire canvas of the whole Star Trek story, Pelia is something of a game-changer. Because she’s been alive for hundreds of years, it means she’s suddenly in the backstory of Enterprise , but, also, that she could potentially be around in any Trek series, at any time. Is Pelia alive in Picard’s time? What about Discovery’s 32nd century? Could Carol Kane now become one of a handful of characters who could appear in any Star Trek, forever? Would she be up for those crossovers?

“Oh, I hadn't thought about that!” Kane says with glee. “But, I love the idea. That's fantastic.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is streaming on Paramount+.

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Does Kirk's Revelation on Strange New Worlds Fit Star Trek's Timeline?

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James gunn reveals first look at dcu's a.r.g.u.s. logo, this british historical drama is a secret prequel to one of netflix's best shows.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 9, "Subspace Rhapsody," now streaming on Paramount+ .

For all the musical expressions of emotion from members of the USS Enterprise crew, one of the biggest reveals is spoken. La'an Noonien-Singh and James T. Kirk finally steal a moment alone, where she confesses the truth about her time with his alternate timeline doppelganger. However, Kirk reveals that he's in a relationship and expecting a child, which fans know to be Carol Marcus and their soon-to-be son, David. But does this revelation fit in the Star Trek timeline?

Given what fans know of James T. Kirk and his passion for falling in love, they may have expected La'an and Kirk to have a respectable affair. La'an knows this Kirk isn't the one she fell for, but he's enough like his doppelganger. At the very least, she could've gotten closure by getting to know the real Kirk after losing the chance to know the "James" she met. She may or may not be falling for him, but even if she did, he'd be in competition with a ghost who looks just like Jim Kirk. So, it came as a shock when Kirk revealed that he was currently in a committed relationship. However, since this is a prequel to his time on the USS Enterprise , does it fit with the timeline as fans know it? The answer is complicated.

RELATED: Ed Begley Jr. Played One of Star Trek's Most Important Characters on Voyager

Who Is James T. Kirk's Partner and the Mother of His Son, Carol Marcus?

Introduced in The Wrath of Khan , Carol Marcus is one of the rare Star Trek characters not in Starfleet. She is a civilian scientist working with the organization on the secretive Genesis Project. Her son, David Marcus, is also a scientist on the station. When Captain Kirk and company arrive after Khan attacks them, the audience learns that David is his son. Unlike the brilliant Picard Season 3 , the revelation that Kirk had a son was not a surprise to him. One of the first things he says in the film about David is when he tells Carol he "stayed away" as she asked.

It's unclear who else knew about Carol and David. Dr. McCoy and Spock both give implicit reactions suggesting they are at least aware of her relationship with Kirk. Spock's reaction is an understated "Yes," when they first see it's Carol. McCoy is more direct, telling Kirk, "It never rains, but it pours." In fact, it seems Kirk didn't expect David to be with Carol during the film. The two fight and Kirk doesn't recognize him. He does know his name, though. He later asks Carol, "Why didn't you tell me?" which seems like he wanted a warning he'd be meeting his adult son.

Strange New Worlds makes it clear that, at least for now, Kirk and Carol are in a committed relationship. In The Wrath of Khan , Carol tells Kirk, "You had your world, and I had mine." So, their breakup is coming in hot and should be arriving soon. Still, the timeline around the early years was deliberately left vague. Some fans thought David was born after the events of The Original Series . Insofar as an official Star Trek timeline exists, Kirk had to become a father before he became a captain.

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Gets Up Close to Starfleet at War

When Was Kirk's Son David from The Wrath of Khan Born in the Star Trek Timeline?

The Wrath of Khan was the first Star Trek film to clarify when The Original Series era took place. The film opens with a title card establishing it "sometime in the 23rd Century." Thanks to inconsistent dialogue in The Original Series , fans weren't even sure what century the show took place in. The show used its infamous stardates, which had no correlation to the real world then. In the Season 1 episode, "Space Seed," which introduces Khan, Kirk tells him he's been asleep for 200 years. This would've placed it in the very late 22nd century. This has since been retconned to Kirk significantly rounding down Khan's actual departure date.

Designers on many of the series and Star Trek historians Denise and Michael Okuda developed an ingenious solution for pinning down the dates of the TOS era. They take place exactly 200 years in the future. This puts the events of The Wrath of Khan firmly in 2285, 20 years after Kirk's command of the Enterprise began. A similar approach was taken with ages, as well. The characters are the age the actors were when they played them. The late Merrit Butrick was 26 when he played David Marcus, meaning he was born in 2259.

The second season of Star Trek: Discovery takes place in early 2258, and the Strange New Worlds series premiere takes place six months later. In the episode where Uhura and Kirk meet , the communications officer says she's been on the ship for a year. So, this means it's exactly the time that Kirk and Carol Marcus should be expectant parents. It also means she and Kirk will break up relatively soon, possibly before David is born. So, even though Kirk told La'an he was unavailable in "Subspace Rhapsody," that status should change very soon.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts its Season 2 finale on August 10, 2023, on Paramount+ .

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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.

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• Captain Christopher Pike …

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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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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Adds Carol Kane in a Recurring Role, Releases First Season 2 Teaser

Keisha hatchett, staff editor.

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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ’s Carol Kane will soon beam aboard the Enterprise .

As revealed during Star Trek: Strange New World ’s panel for Star Trek Day, the actress has been cast in a recurring role for Season 2 of the Paramount+ series. Kane will play Pelia, a highly educated engineer who “suffers no fools,” per the official description, and solves problems “calmly and brusquely, thanks to her many years of experience.”

The streamer also unveiled a sneak peek at the upcoming season, featuring Lt. Ortegas prepping for an away mission.

Press PLAY on the above video, and then see a first look at Kane in full uniform below.

Set in the years before Kirk takes the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise , Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike, Number One Una Chin-Riley and Science Officer Spock as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

Additional crew includes Nurse Christine Chapel (played by Jess Bush), La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia).

As previously reported , Paul Wesley is also headed to the show next season to reprise his role as James T. Kirk, a lieutenant on the U.S.S. Farragut . Co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers told TVLine that this younger version of the iconic character is “not yet the person who he is going to be” and “has some stuff to figure out before he becomes that person.”

How are you feeling about Carol Kane joining Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ? What do you hope to see next season?

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I didn’t know I needed this but yes!

Deja-vu. Female comedian/actress (Tig Notaro) added to a Star Trek show as genius engineer type that solves problems. Hopefully Kane won’t be as sadly underutilized as Notaro has been.

I had heard Notaro’s role was cut back due to Covid and her availability. If so, hopefully she gets more screen time on Discovery next season. I really would like to see more of her character.

I love this show. Looking forward to Season 2.

Carol Kane, huh? A very strange new world, indeed.

Odd choice… very different for her, but I bet she’s nails it.

they couldn’t have made her into an alien? they decide to kill of one of the interesting aliens they have then replace it with a human?

Well, we know she’s not destined to be chief engineer long term.

Aye, you got that right, laddybuck

Interesting choice. I feel like they need more male characters, but I loved season one and trust their process.

The License to Drive mom . Great movie

Ortegas’ haircut looks like she is one of the three stooges.

She was great as Madam Morrible in Wicked!

It’s a show for the ladies, I might get excited if the guys get to go on away missions. The women are the one that save the day for the guys. So somethings seems always off on the show. But the girls are getting it done some creatively.

Disappointed. I was really hoping they would recast Kirk. I wonder what people were thinking when they cast Paul Wesley. I hope he only appears in one episode.

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10 Things We Want From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3

• Strange New Worlds season 3 picks up where season 2 left off, with Captain Pike facing a no-win scenario against the Gorn and the fate of the USS Enterprise crew hanging in the balance.
• Captain Batel's survival and the defeat of the Gorn are key storylines for season 3. Batel's survival is in the hands of Nurse Chapel, while the Gorn threat should be resolved before a new enemy emerges.
• Scotty makes an appearance in season 3, but it's too soon to replace Commander Pelia as Chief Engineer. Season 3 may also introduce Carol Marcus, Kirk's pregnant girlfriend, and further explore the relationship between Nurse Chapel and Dr. Roger Korby.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 production is underway, and here are 10 things we want from the next batch of episodes. Strange New Worlds season 2 was a phenomenal success, with most of its episodes charting in Nielsen's streaming top 10 while also delivering innovative and all-time classic Star Trek episodes. Indeed, Strange New Worlds season 2 contained a couple of never-before-seen episodes : Strange New Worlds ' first comedy crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek 's first-ever musical.

Strange New Worlds season 3's premiere will pick up where Strange New Worlds season 2's finale cliffhanger left off: Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is in a no-win scenario against the Gorn. Although Starfleet ordered Pike to retreat, the Captain's instinct is to rescue the members of the USS Enterprise crew kidnapped by the Gorn. Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) is also at death's door after she was infected by Gorn eggs, while new engineer Lt. Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn) may come up with a way to defeat the Gorn. But after Strange New Worlds pays those season 2 bills, there are still 9 more episodes to address multiple storylines and character threads in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 .

Star Trek Should Release Strange New Worlds Season 3 In 2 Parts

Captain batel survives the gorn, nurse chapel has to save batel..

Captain Batel looks like a goner in Strange New Worlds season 3. After all, no one has survived an infection of Gorn eggs, as evidenced by the death of Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in Strange New Worlds season 1. But Batel dying would be the predictable move , and it seems wasteful to keep Marie alive into S trange New Worlds season 3 only to kill her in the premiere episode. Further, Batel's survival was placed in Nurse Christine Chapel's (Jess Bush) hands, and Chapel has to pull Marie through somehow. While Batel isn't around when Pike is horribly disfigured in Star Trek: The Original Series , after building up Batel and Pike's relationship , it would be a disappointment to kill off Marie when Strange New Worlds season 3 premieres.

Batel was Captain of the USS Cayuga, which was destroyed by the Gorn when they attacked Parnassus Beta.

The Gorn Are Finally Defeated

Strange new worlds season 3 needs a new big bad..

The Gorn have menaced Captain Pike and the Starship Enterprise since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, but season 3 should hopefully mark the Gorn's defeat... for now. Strange New Worlds has done a deft job rebooting the Gorn into savage killers, and they have been a fearsome adversary like no other in Star Trek . However, the Gorn threat should conclude in Strange New Worlds season 3 before their menace is played out . Hopefully, a new enemy will emerge in Strange New Worlds season 3, and the Gorn can take a rest before they return in Star Trek: The Original Series .

Scotty Joins Enterprise Engineering - But Pelia Doesn't Die

Pelia should remain chief engineer..

Lt. Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn) was a pleasant surprise in Strange New Worlds season 2's finale. The younger Scotty's reintroduction is yet another link to the future USS Enterprise led by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek: The Original Series, and hopefully, Scotty will stick around to join the Engineering squad of Captain Pike's Enterprise. However, it is too soon to replace Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) as Chief Engineer , and Pelia, a long-lived Lanthanite , is one of the most fascinating new characters Star Trek has introduced in recent years. Strange New Worlds shouldn't kill off Pelia for Scotty. Rather, Scotty can sit under Pelia's learning tree for a while before he inevitably rises to Chief Engineer years from now.

Carol Marcus Appears In Strange New Worlds Season 3

Kirk's pregnant girlfriend should meet la'an..

Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) confessing to Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) about his pregnant girlfriend, Carol, is a tacit promise that the future Dr. Carol Marcus could appear in Strange New Worlds season 3 . Carol is the future mother of Kirk's son, David (Merritt Butrick), and the creator of the Genesis Device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . But in Strange New Worlds , Carol would be an intriguing foil for the budding romance between James and La'an. Strange New Worlds has a ton of storytelling potential to show what, exactly, led to Kirk promising to stay away as Carol raises David on her own.

5 Actors Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Should Cast As Carol Marcus

Nurse chapel starts her relationship with dr. roger kirby, spock and chapel should remain friends..

Nurse Christine Chapel was en route to her fellowship in archeological medicine with Dr. Roger Korby when the Gorn attacked, but once the reptilian threat is over, Chapel should commence her studies with the mysterious Dr. Korby. Christine is destined to become Korby's fiancée according to Star Trek: The Original Series canon, and it's a story Strange New Worlds season 3 is uniquely poised to explore. However, Korby is also a great way to add a new wrinkle to the relationship between Chapel and Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), as well as further the complications between Spock and his Vulcan fiancée, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu).

Sybok & Captain Angel Return To Strange New Worlds

It's time to officially meet spock's criminal half-brother..

Spock's Vulcan half-brother Sybok, the future villain of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, was shockingly reintroduced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 7, "The Serene Squall," and it was an equal surprise when Strange New Worlds season 2 came and went without any mention of Sybok or his space pirate wife, Captain Angel (Jesse James Keitel). Angel still has to make good on her promise to break Sybok out of the Vulcan rehabilitation center run by T'Pring, and Strange New Worlds season 3 would ideally bring Sybok formally back to reiterate the threat he and Angel pose to the Starship Enterprise as well as possibly plant the seeds of Sybok's mad quest to find the God of Sha Ka Ree (George Murdock).

If Sybok returns to Strange New Worlds, he can't meet Lt. James T. Kirk to preserve how Kirk had no idea Spock had a brother in Star Trek V ,

More Information About Star Trek's Changed Timeline

Are khan and world war iii the only things that changed.

Strange New Worlds season 3 will hopefully clarify the changes to Star Trek' s Prime Timeline the prequel has made. Captain Pike's history lesson to Kiley 279 about Earth's World War III was Strange New Worlds ' first instance of timeline changes , and certain events have moved to happen later than established by Star Trek: The Original Series . Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" confirmed the new timeline was caused by Romulan time travelers' interference, resulting in Khan Noonien-Singh (Desmond Sivan) being born in the 21st century instead of decades earlier. What further changes to the timeline could be revealed by Strange New Worlds season 3?

Starfleet Learns The Truth About Dr. M'Benga Killing Ambassador Dak'Rah

Could another courtroom episode happen in strange new worlds season 3.

"Under the Cloak of War", the darkest episode of Strange New Worlds season 2 , ended with the unthinkable: Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) murdered Klingon Ambassador Dak'Rah (Robert Wisdom) in cold blood, an act Nurse Christine Chapel witnessed and helped M'Benga cover up. Although Captain Pike believed his officers were telling the truth, this is a secret too big to not be dealt with in Strange New Worlds season 3. If Starfleet finds out and prosecutes M'Benga and Chapel, it could jeopardize the entire Starship Enterprise under Pike's command, but it could also result in another spectacular Star Trek courtroom episode like Strange New Worlds season 2's "Ad Astra Per Aspera." This could also plant the seed for why Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) replaces M'Benga as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer.

Star Trek's Best Courtroom Episodes Ranked

Dr. leonard "bones" mccoy and mr. sulu appear in strange new worlds season 3, kirk's enterprise crew is almost complete..

The last two remaining main characters from Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 waiting to be introduced in Strange New Worlds are Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). Will Bones, Sulu, or both appear in Strange New Worlds season 3 ? Scotty's arrival in Strange New Worlds means that Kirk, Spock, Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and Nurse Chapel, as well as Dr. M'Benga, have all come aboard Captain Pike's Starship Enterprise. Meanwhile, Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) may still be too young to appear in Strange New Worlds , but stranger things have happened in the prequel series already.

More Strange New Worlds Gimmick Episodes In Season 3

Strange new worlds must continue with big swings..

Strange New Worlds season 2 took some big swings like the crossover and the musical that paid off in becoming instant modern Star Trek classics, and Strange New Worlds season 3 should be emboldened to keep trying new and crazy things. Strange New Worlds has proven it has a cast that can handle anything and a writer's room adept at spinning gold with the show's beloved characters. It boggles the mind what further gimmick episodes Strange New Worlds season 3 can try, but even if the show abandons gimmicks in the third season, maintaining Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' incredibly high standards would be a guaranteed success.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Release Date: 2022-05-05

Cast: Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Rebecca Romijn, Bruce Horak, Anson Mount, Christina Chong

Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action

Story By: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet

Writers: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet

Streaming Service(s): Paramount+

Franchise(s): Star Trek

Directors: Chris Fisher, Amanda Row

Showrunner: Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman

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• August 14, 2024 | Review: ‘Star Trek: Lost to Eternity’ Pulls At Leftover TOS Movies Threads To Spin A Fun Adventure

Review: ‘Star Trek: Lost to Eternity’ Pulls At Leftover TOS Movies Threads To Spin A Fun Adventure

| August 14, 2024 | By: Dénes House 20 comments so far

Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity Written by Greg Cox Published by Pocket Books

KIRK: No, no, no. All I need is the radio frequency to track them. GILLIAN: What are you talking about? I’m coming with you. KIRK: You can’t. Our next stop is the twenty-third century. GILLIAN: I don’t care? I’ve got nobody here. I have got to help those whales! ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

And so, cetacean specialist Dr. Gillian Taylor disappeared from San Francisco that morning in 1986, never to be seen again. Or not for a long time, at any rate. What did her friends and co-workers think about her disappearance? Was there a police investigation? When combined with the other strange occurrences in those three days, like the capture and loss of an odd Russian spy aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier, that same spy’s disappearance from a local hospital the next day, and odd happenings around Golden Gate Park, did Dr. Taylor’s missing person’s case raise any red flags in the United States government? Well Greg Cox’s new Star Trek book has that covered, and more so.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity takes place in three time periods: in 2024, following podcaster Melinda Silver and her producer, Dennis Berry, as they try to track down leads on that 1986 cold case for their true-crime podcast; in 2268, following the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk during the third year of the Enterprise’s mission as they investigate a missing persons case of their own; and in 2292 (a year before Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ), following the Enterprise-A under the command of Captain James T Kirk, escorting delegates from a first contact species to a conclave with representatives of the Federation and the Klingon and Romulan Empires. Cox loves balancing stories in multiple timelines, which has become a sort of calling card of his writing. Here, he expertly balances each storyline, bringing all of them to an action-packed and stirring conclusion.

For my money, the most interesting story by far takes place in 2024 as Melinda interviews supporting characters from the story told in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home— people who interacted with Gillian at the Cetacean Institute, the pizzeria, and the hospital, and with Kirk, Spock, Chekov, and others throughout the film. As her investigation heats up, she and her conspiracy theorist producer find themselves in increasing danger and their journalistic drive and ethics are severely challenged. Melinda Silver is a spunky and resourceful journalist, and the tale told here feels very much of our time, bringing a freshness to the Star Trek stories I grew up loving.

The 2268 story is harrowing and filled with action, teasing out some of the boundaries of adherence to the Prime Directive in a situation where our crew must retrieve a kidnapped scientist whose research could be deadly in the wrong hands. In this, we see Kirk and his crew at their prime, working undercover and clashing with Klingons and many others. Of special note is Kirk’s Klingon counterpart on the planet, a smoky Klingon spy reminiscent of a buff Emma Peel. I greatly enjoyed this part of the adventure.

I was delighted to see Saavik on the cover of this novel. She plays a major role in the 2292 storyline, and it’s fantastic to see this part of the story through her eyes. While this is the era in which everything finally comes together, it is the weakest of the three storylines. Though Cox takes great pains to craft distinct personalities for each of the Klingons and Romulans, the Klingon captain with whom Kirk interacts the most is just an annoying, shouty impediment to progress. I prefer Kirk’s main adversaries to be clever and worthy of respect.

That said, the delights of this book far outweigh the slight annoyances. Cox has taken the question of “What happened after Gillian Taylor disappeared in 1986?” and run with it in fascinating and fun directions. Every page is layered with references to previous Trek adventures as characters believably connect what they are currently doing with their past experiences, enriching both the characters’ inner lives and the fun for the diehard fan reader. And in the Osori, Cox has crafted a new alien species with a unique and interesting take on immortality and space exploration, an approach that challenges the worldviews of the Federation and its sometime foes. The package is all wrapped up in the hopeful idealism that marks the best of Star Trek.

This book is a lot of fun and rewards both the casual fan and the committed Trekkie alike.

Available Now

Greg Cox’s Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity was released by Pocket Books on July 23. You can order it on Amazon in paperback and  Kindle e-book .

Lost to Eternity is also available as an audiobook on CD now and also Audible .

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Okay fine I am buying this one! Been a long time since there was a Trek novel I wanted to buy!

Weird timing. I just finished watching Voyage Home on Pluto and wondered at the end whatever became of Dr. Taylor. Gonna pick up this book pronto! Thanks!

shame savvik was written out of the OS movies but glad they did not bring her back in TUC so she would become a villain.

means she can reappear either in books or maybe on screen one day.

I wonder if the book will touch on Chekov leaving 23rd century tech (a Klingon communicator and phaser) with the FBI, when he ran from the room where he was being questioned aboard the naval vessel USS Enterprise (CVN-65).

It should be the basis for the tech Cochrane uses for the Phoenix! I guess McCoy didn’t blunder nearly as much as Pavel hahaha

Having finished it- no, it does not. :-)

This so sounds like it will be my next audio book binge! I just hope it is offered in that format given the story’s narravitve story telling. In Generations I always thought if “Antonia” was not going to be Carol she totally should have been Gillian. Like WTF about Antonia? Talk about no heart tugs driving the story at all!

Taylor was in (or at least referenced IIRC) in the first Department of Temporal Investigations book. Her time in the 23rd century has been poked at before, but I love the idea of the podcast in 2024. Why aren’t they doing anything this interesting on Paramount+?

Just another example (Star Wars included) of how these companies are wasting their best writers on print only and not licensing their work or plots for film / tv. (Una McCormack not withstanding)

Excellent. Just finished reading it. It answers some questions about the Voyage Home, while some questions it doesn’t. I won’t say anything because of spoilers, but in some parts it feels like you are watching a Original Series episode because Kirk and company and their mannerisms are spot on from the show. I highly recommend it. Read it only in 15 days which is good for me.

I haven’t read a Star Trek novel in years. Back in High School I read a lot of them, but then I kind of got disillusioned for three reasons. One was that they had no bearing whatsoever on continuity. I understand that there was a recent reset in the novelverse thanks to post-Voyager/Nemesis etc. stories not adhering to what has been shown in the new ST series like Picard and Prodigy.

The second reason was that, as sci-fi books, they weren’t particularly imaginative or groundbreaking. I mean, they’re not Dune, or Ringworld, or a Peter Hamilton, Stephen Baxter, Benford, Brin, Bear, or Poul Anderson novel or short story collection. They’re pretty light weight in that regard, not really that substantial. Part of that is the fact that they are written by some first time writers and the like. There are exceptions. I gave away a lot of my ST books but I kept the ones I thought were the best. Greg Bear actually wrote one, Corona, I think it was. I really liked the two Diane Duane books I read too. And I actually have a couple of the major ones that I have yet to read.

I can tell you that the worst books I read were those by Sondra Marshak. They’re awful.

This book by Greg Cox, though, sounds interesting. Maybe I’ll pick it up.

I must be the only person on Earth who likes the Marshak/Culbreath books. Except TRIANGLE, now that is a steaming pile — but I love the first three, I think they got the character voices amazingly right. Though it is kind of weird, I never saw the antagonist in their PHOENIX novels as he was described, I just always see Darth Vader! Must have been proximity to when STAR WARS came out.

Yeah, I know I read Triangle and the Phoenix book. I thought both were really boring and I think these two ladies are Kirk-Spock shippers, am I right?

Anyway, I hated everything I read from them.

The Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies are really good IMO. Also Federation. A shame they didn’t license those two trilogies as the legacy series for Paramount+ rather than what we got w/ Picard. They would have been great

Thanks for the recs, nkc. I’ll read the 2 I haven’t read yet. There was a Peter David TNG book that I really liked. Peter David is just a really entertaining writer, both in books and comics.

I want to pick this up. t’s awesome to see the spin-off characters from the movies featured.

I hope from Paramount Plus that they do TV-movies with Sulu, Chekov, Saavik, Harriman, and Dr. Gillian Taylor.

Interesting that the cover illustration depicts the Robin Curtis Saavik, as opposed to Kirstie Alley…

The novels featuring Saavik that I’ve read all seem to follow Vonda McIntyre’s lead, retaining the character’s dual heritage instead of the awful retcon Nimoy sprung on us (and poor Curtis) by making her straight Vulcan in TSFS. But I always see Curtis when I think of the character, because Alley just came off like a jittery cheerleader to me in most of TWOK. Her ‘prepare for warp speed’ line is just as bad as Curtis’ ‘david is dead’ but the difference is that nobody could play the latter without getting a bad laugh, whereas anybody should have been able to do the former without causing flinches across the viewing audience.

I still think most of Alley’s acceptance from fans came from the fact she took her jacket off long enough to show she had a significant bustline.

Saavik is Spock’s baby momma

That was the intention, I believe, at the time of STIII from Harve Bennett, anyway.

Nimoy, I believe, killed that idea. I think it’s sad. That could’ve been a really interesting development for Spock, learning he had a kid with Saavik and not (I assume) remember the whole Pon-Farr episode on the Genesis planet. Actually, maybe he did remember it.

I wonder whether they could still use it? Have Spock’s son-daughter show up in Legacy if it’s ever made or something like that, taking place at least some years after STVI. You could get Robin Curtis to reprise Saavik possibly.

Anyway, again, I was bummed that Nimoy killed that possible storyline. IIRC Deforest Kelly joked in a post STIII interview that he was ready to deliver Spock’s child. I think he said he’d probably have trouble with the ears. Oh well.

I’m already enjoying reading this book a second time. I always wanted to know more about Gillian. She’s among my favorite characters from the movies. I just wish Gillian, along with George, Gracie and their baby were seen more throughout the entire framework of the story.

That said, Melinda Silvers is another character I’ve enjoyed getting to know. She’s another ordinary Human person with alot of heart. She doesn’t want to give up her quest. Her curiosity just doesn’t want her to give up. She simply doesn’t want to give up on Gillian, no matter where it leads her.

I also like that Saavik is included as well. She’s another character who has grown on me over the years. I like that Melinda is welcomed into the future by her as a new friend. What is not indicated is if Saavik is now Spock’s wife, fiancee or significant other.

During this second reading, I’ve decided to read through each timeline individually. It’s helping me sort through the various aspects of the story and how they actually fit together. I can follow the overall story a bit more clearly.

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