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Nyota Uhura

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Nyota Uhura was a female Human Starfleet officer who served from the mid- 23rd through the early 24th century . Uhura had a distinguished career as a communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise -A and was later given command of the USS Leondegrance until her retirement . ( Star Trek: The Original Series ; Star Trek: The Animated Series ; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ; PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque )

• 1 Childhood
• 2.1 USS Gallant
• 2.2.1 Captaincy of Christopher Pike
• 2.2.2.1 2266
• 2.2.2.2 2267
• 2.2.2.3 2268
• 2.2.2.4 2269
• 2.2.2.5 2270
• 2.2.3 Captaincy of Will Decker
• 2.2.4 Captaincy of Spock
• 2.3 USS Enterprise -A
• 2.4 USS Leondegrance
• 3.1 First Contact Day Party
• 3.2 Malfunctioning holoprogram
• 3.3 Jam session on the bridge
• 4.1 Interests
• 4.2 Talents
• 4.3.1 Dal R'El's Kobayashi Maru
• 5.2 Montgomery Scott
• 6.1 Romulans revealed in 2266
• 6.2 UEF Enterprise
• 7 Key dates
• 8.1 Appearances
• 8.2.1 Identifying appearances
• 8.2.2 Name and heritage
• 8.2.3 Establishing the role
• 8.2.4 Legacy
• 8.3 Apocrypha
• 8.4 Sources
• 8.5 External links

Childhood [ ]

Uhura appearing as she would as a child

Nyota Uhura was born in 2237 in Kenya on the continent of Africa on Earth , where she grew up in a village near Lake Simbi Nyaima . ( TOS : " The Savage Curtain "; SNW : " Children of the Comet ", " Those Old Scientists ") She had an aptitude for mathematics and languages. By 2259 , Uhura was fluent in 37 languages, including Andorian , Vulcan , and Swahili as well as 21 other languages spoken in Kenya. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ", " The Changeling ", " Spectre of the Gun "; SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

During her youth, she was able to run the hundred meter dash in record time . ( TAS : " The Slaver Weapon ")

Uhura's family photo

Uhura originally intended to attend the University of Nairobi , where both her parents were teachers . However, shortly before the beginning of her studies, her parents and brother were killed in a shuttle accident . She abandoned her original plans as attending the campus was too painful for her. Uhura went to live with her grandmother – who had herself served in Starfleet during her youth – and later followed in her grandmother's footsteps by attending Starfleet Academy . ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ", " Lost in Translation ")

Starfleet career [ ]

While at the Academy, Uhura wrote three papers about famed linguist Hoshi Sato of the Enterprise NX-01 . ( SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

USS Gallant [ ]

Uhura would serve aboard the USS Gallant prior to her assignment to the USS Enterprise as a cadet . For Starfleet Remembrance Day in 2259 , she wore a pin memorializing the crewmates she had lost from this ship. ( SNW : " Memento Mori ")

USS Enterprise [ ]

Captaincy of christopher pike [ ].

Cadet Uhura's first Starfleet assignment on space duty began in 2259 when she was assigned to the USS Enterprise on communications rotation duty under Captain Christopher Pike , who described her as a " prodigy ". ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ") In spite of this, she was concerned about whether Starfleet was the right choice for her and if she could handle the duties required of her. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

Her first away mission occurred shortly thereafter, when she landed on the comet C/2260-Quentin along with Spock , La'an Noonien-Singh , and George Samuel Kirk , in an effort to prevent the comet's collision with the planet Persephone III . She was assigned to the away team due to the discovery of an artificial structure within the comet; it was hoped that her knowledge of linguistics , like Kirk's expertise in xenoanthropology , would assist in understanding its nature and averting the threat. After Kirk was severely injured and the away team was trapped, Uhura was called upon to decipher the markings on the surface of an egg-like object within the structure. Despite her misgivings and insecurity in the dangerous situation, she was inspired by a pep talk from Spock to rise to the occasion. When she hummed the Kenyan traditional song Vamuvamba as she worked, the away team realized that the structure was responding to her music . She then used her musical talent to attempt to communicate with it. After the mission, she analyzed the structure's musical response and discovered that it had precognitive ability. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

The Enterprise 's chief engineer, Hemmer , would take Uhura under his wing and question her about her path in life – a question she didn't have an answer for. He reminded her of his late father, who had also pushed her to see things differently. ( SNW : " Memento Mori ", " All Those Who Wander ")

While assigned to Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh she impressed the strict chief of security with her diligence and ingenuity. ( SNW : , " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

When an alien consciousness from the Jonisian Nebula brought the fairy tale The Kingdom of Elysian to life on the Enterprise , Uhura was used for the character of Queen Neve . Uhura didn't remember the events after the ship was returned to normal. ( SNW : " The Elysian Kingdom ")

When Uhura's assignment on the Enterprise was nearing its end, she was still unsure if she should remain in Starfleet or not. She was then part of a mission to the USS Peregrine , which had made a crash landing on Valeo Beta V and was confronted by young Gorn who hunted the landing party. When Hemmer was infected by Gorn eggs and sacrificed himself for his comrades, he encouraged Uhura to open herself up to others and remain in Starfleet.

At his funeral, she acknowledged how much Hemmer meant to her and by guiding her, he had succeeded in his life goal of "fixing what was broken". ( SNW : " All Those Who Wander ")

Ensign Uhura

In the months that followed, Uhura graduated from the Academy and was commissioned as an ensign and continued to serve aboard the Enterprise . ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

During the Enterprise mission to the Brannon's Nebula , Uhura was contacted by a newly discovered species of extragalactic lifeform that lived there. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Sometime early in her career she once performed the delicate work of rigging a subspace bypass circuit , a fact she noted years later when she attempted to perform such a task aboard the Enterprise . ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

Captaincy of James Kirk [ ]

After Pike's promotion to fleet captain , Captain James T. Kirk assumed command of the Enterprise in 2265 , with Uhura remaining for the transition. In the years that followed, she proved to be a proficient technician and was considered by Captain Kirk to be a capable and reliable bridge officer , manning the helm , navigation , and main science station when the need arose. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ", " The Naked Time ", " Balance of Terror ", " The Galileo Seven ", " Whom Gods Destroy ")

Lieutenant Uhura in 2266

In 2266 , Lieutenant Uhura was a command division staff officer aboard the USS Enterprise . She was the department head of the communications section . ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " Mudd's Women ")

Later that year, Uhura permanently transferred to the operations division .

On stardate 1672.1, before taking a brief on-board ship sabbatical, Uhura's voice was heard ship wide reminding her fellow crew members to file their accurate " time sheets via the communications department." ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

Uhura taken under the "protection" of Sulu in 2266

On stardate 1704.2, Enterprise navigator Lieutenant Kevin Riley , while under the influence of the Psi 2000 polywater intoxication , left his post at navigation and Commander Spock assigned her to the station until Lieutenant Brent relieved her from that duty later the same day.

On stardate 1704.3, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu , also under the influence of the polywater intoxication, fantasizing himself a musketeer, took Uhura under his "protection" before first officer Spock subdued him with a Vulcan nerve pinch . ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Uhura loses her singing voice

On stardate 1533.7, Uhura was singing in the crew lounge with Spock's Vulcan lyre accompanying her for a song she made up about Charlie Evans , " Oh, On the Starship Enterprise ", when Charlie suddenly decided to literally take away Uhura's voice and stop Spock from playing the Vulcan lyre, because he wanted undivided attention from his love interest, Yeoman Janice Rand . Uhura then nearly choked on her own voice.

Uhura's communication console explodes

On stardate 1535.8, to keep Uhura from opening hailing frequencies to Starfleet Command to warn them about Charlie, Charlie caused electrical sparks to emit from the communications console, giving her second degree burns on her hands and causing her fall to the floor near her station. Fortunately, Dr. McCoy came with a medical bag and ointment for her hands. Charlie was ultimately taken from the Enterprise by the Thasians, who returned him to their homeworld. ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

On stardate 1709.1, Uhura also took over the navigation post when Lieutenant Stiles was needed elsewhere on the ship during the confrontation with the Romulans near the Neutral Zone . ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

Uhura, as acting science officer, discovers a Class M planet

In 2267 , from stardate 2821.5 to 2823.1, while the Enterprise shuttlecraft Galileo was studying the Murasaki 312 quasar , it was lost and then crashed on an uncharted planet . Because Spock was the commander of that mission and was not on the Enterprise , Uhura took lead in the search for the missing Galileo and took over at the bridge 's science station, as well as still helping at communications relieving Lieutenant Brent at sciences. Uhura discovered the planet Taurus II that the Galileo had crashed on. After Spock and the four other surviving crew members were found and rescued, Uhura was happy to allow Spock the science station back under his command. ( TOS : " The Galileo Seven ")

She was one of a few officers privileged to dine at a banquet arranged at the request of Lieutenant Marla McGivers for Khan Noonien Singh on stardate 3141.9.

When Khan later cut life support to the bridge, Kirk listed the names of bridge personnel to be recorded for commendations . Before Kirk ran out of air, he was able to include Uhura in that list.

Afterwards, Uhura was assembled along with several officers in the briefing room , when one of Khan's henchmen forcefully grabbed Uhura by the arm and shoved her into a chair located in front of a computer terminal. When Uhura resisted obeying Khan's orders, the henchman slapped Uhura across the face. ( TOS : " Space Seed ")

On stardate 3417.4, Uhura, under the influence of pod plant spores from the planet Omicron Ceti III , disobeyed direct orders from Captain Kirk, for the first and only time, and disabled the communications console aboard the Enterprise to only allow communications between the ship and the planet. She then left her post and her ship, to join other crew members on Omicron Ceti III. When Uhura was freed of the influence of the spores, she re-enabled the communications console to normal. ( TOS : " This Side of Paradise ")

Uhura as part of landing party that discovered the Guardian of Forever

Later that year, Uhura was part of the landing party that beamed down to the Guardian of Forever planet to find Dr. Leonard McCoy , who was in a wild state of mind due to an accidental overdose of cordrazine . Uhura was the first one of the landing party to notice that they had lost contact with the Enterprise . This was due to the fact that Dr. McCoy had run into the Guardian of Forever altering the timeline and erasing the Enterprise and everything the landing party knew becoming nonexistent. This was the only time where Uhura actually admitted to someone, specifically Captain Kirk, that she was truly frightened (without being under an influence of an alien force taking control of her mind). Fortunately after Kirk and Spock went through the Guardian of Forever and then came back from the past with Dr. McCoy they restored the time line and the existence of the Enterprise . ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

Uhura rewiring the communication circuits

Following a communications blackout caused by Apollo , jamming all communication frequencies between the Enterprise and her landing party on stardate 3468.1, Uhura attempted the delicate task of rewiring the entire communications system in an attempt to break through the interference. In conjunction with Sulu's rigging of all transmission circuits for maximum power generation, Uhura successfully connected the bypass circuit, a task she had not done in several years. Spock praised her work and could think of "no one better equipped" to handle the necessary repairs. ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

Uhura having her memories erased by the probe Nomad

Perhaps Uhura's most traumatic experience during her time aboard the Enterprise occurred on stardate 3541.9. On this date, Uhura had her memory wiped out by the space probe Nomad , which misinterpreted her singing of " Beyond Antares " as a biological malfunction. This assault required Dr. McCoy to use advanced medical and educational techniques to restore her memories. ( TOS : " The Changeling ")

Uhura distracts the mirror universe Sulu

Later, Kirk, McCoy, and Montgomery Scott relied heavily on Uhura to help them after a transporter accident caused the four of them to be trapped in a violent and ruthless mirror universe run by the Terran Empire . They relied heavily on Uhura for her skills at communications and to distract the parallel universe's Lieutenant Sulu , the head of security on the ISS Enterprise , by spurning him, flirting with him and then spurning him, again, so he would not see what the four of them were doing to get back to their universe, which successfully they did. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")

Near the end of 2267, Uhura was reluctant to testify against Kirk, at an on-board hearing in the briefing room , but was forced to do so and could unfortunately only agree with Commodore Stocker that when Kirk was suffering from the rapid aging he was not anywhere near his best. This unfortunate incident for Uhura started on stardate 3479.4 when Kirk ordered Uhura to send a coded message to Starfleet and to use code 2 since the Enterprise in orbit around Gamma Hydra IV was close to the Romulan Neutral Zone. When Uhura reminded Kirk that the Romulans had already broken code 2, a befuddled Kirk ordered her to use code 3 and to relay the information about the rogue comet that Spock (also suffering the rapid aging) had discovered earlier and that was strongly suspected may have spread the radiation that started the rapid aging. Luckily for Uhura, the rest of the crew, and the Enterprise , McCoy (also suffering from the rapid aging) discovered an adrenaline based cure for the rapid aging before Stocker nearly got the ship destroyed by the Romulans. ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ")

Uhura with Harcourt Fenton Mudd

In 2268 , on stardate 4513.3, the ship was hijacked by Norman to a previously undiscovered planet, the Enterprise 's crew discovered that Harcourt Fenton Mudd had crashed on the planet. The planet was populated by androids , from the Andromeda Galaxy , who wished to use the Enterprise to visit other planets and strand the Enterprise crew there. The androids tempted Uhura with long life and to never grow old by having her consciousness transferred to an android body, offering her virtual immortality. In the end, the crew banded together and escaped the planet, leaving Mudd with five hundred android replicas of his overbearing wife, Stella . ( TOS : " I, Mudd ")

Uhura giving away tribbles

On stardate 4523.3, while on shore leave aboard Deep Space Station K-7 , Uhura met a dealer named Cyrano Jones , who tried to sell rare galactic items, among them, furry little creatures Jones called tribbles . In hopes of more sales, Jones gave one to Uhura, which subsequently, due to their high reproduction rate, threatened to overrun the Enterprise when Uhura took the creature with her on board. Fortunately, the crew was able to find a way to dispose of the tribbles in a humane way. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

From stardate 4040.7 to 4041.7, during the Enterprise 's mission to Planet 892-IV , Uhura monitored the radio broadcasts , she explained to Kirk and Spock what they had misheard as " sun worship " was actually "son worship", as in the " Son of God ", and what they were witnessing was the equivalent of that planet's birth of Christianity . ( TOS : " Bread and Circuses ")

On stardate 3211.8, Uhura was the victim of an attempted sexual assault . When she, Kirk, and Chekov were kidnapped and imprisoned by the Providers of the planet Triskelion , Uhura fought off the advances of the drill thrall Lars with a water pitcher. ( TOS : " The Gamesters of Triskelion ")

When the Enterprise encountered a giant space amoeba in 2268, Lt. Uhura was one of the officers named by Captain Kirk as deserving of "special citation", along with Cmdr. Spock, Montgomery Scott, Dr. Leonard McCoy, Pavel Chekov, and Lt. Kyle . ( TOS : " The Immunity Syndrome ")

In 2268 on stardate 4657.5, Uhura was on the bridge when the Kelvan Hanar suddenly transported himself on to the bridge. Uhura, along with the rest of the bridge crew, was put into temporary stasis by Hanar. This was when the Kelvan Milky Way Expedition attempted to hijack the Enterprise to return to their homeworld in the Andromeda Galaxy. On stardate 4658.9, Kelvan leader Rojan neutralized and reduced Uhura into a dehydrated porous cuboctahedron solid , the size of a Human fist, composed of Uhura's base minerals which represented the "distilled" essence of her being. Uhura was considered by the Kelvans as one of many non-essential members of personnel. Uhura was reconstituted after Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty, the only four crew members not neutralized, regained control of the Enterprise . ( TOS : " By Any Other Name ")

On stardate 4770.3, the essence of the alien Henoch , in possession of Spock's body, terrorized the whole bridge crew, inflicting tremendous pain on Uhura with a flick of Spock's hand. Uhura managed to survive and rose above the pain inflicted by Henoch. ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ")

When the Enterprise was temporarily placed under the control of the M-5 multitronic unit as part of an experiment by Doctor Richard Daystrom on stardate 4729.4, Uhura was one of twenty officers selected by the computer to operate the starship during the series of M-5 drills . Most of her duties were accomplished by M-5, and when its became clear that the unit was becoming increasingly dangerous, she was unable to override the interference it caused, but was able to tap into the communiques between Starfleet Command and the USS Lexington . ( TOS : " The Ultimate Computer ")

On stardate 4372.5, the Enterprise was assigned to transport Elaan , Dohlman of Elas to the planet Troyius , Uhura offered Elaan her quarters to stay in while traveling on board the Enterprise . While the Dohlman was dissatisfied with them, Kirk appreciated her sacrifice in offering them. When Kirk confronted the Dohlman about her complaints, he explained that " my communications officer generously vacated the rooms hoping you would find it satisfactory, " which she did not, primarily due to it being too plush. After Kirk denied Elaan request for better quarters, noting that none better existed, he offered to "arrange to have the whole room filled from floor to ceiling with breakable objects ," as a means of getting her the gratification she sought. ( TOS : " Elaan of Troyius ")

An image planted by the Starnes Exploration Party children in Uhura's mind, of her seeing her own worst fear of being an old woman

On stardate 5029.5, the Starnes Exploration Party children, under the influence of Gorgan , terrorized the whole bridge crew with their telekinetic powers, including creating an illusion of Uhura's worst fear: a reflection of herself as a disfigured, diseased, dying, old woman. The illusion made it impossible for Uhura to perform her duties as communications officer. Once the children were freed of the influence of Gorgan, the image planted in her brain, making her see an illusion on the communications console, disappeared, freeing Uhura. ( TOS : " And the Children Shall Lead ")

Later in 2268, on stardate 5431.4, Uhura was rendered unconscious by the Eymorg Kara when she boarded the Enterprise and used her control bracelet in order to steal Spock's brain. Later, following her recovery, Kirk trusted Uhura's finding large, regular energy pulsations on the otherwise glaciated and pre-industrial Sigma Draconis VI as to the planet in that system to find Spock's missing brain over Sulu's and Ensign Pavel Chekov 's suggestions of which planet to search for Spock's brain. Uhura's guess proved to be the correct one. ( TOS : " Spock's Brain ")

Uhura ( first row, third from left ) attends Kirk's memorial service

Again in 2268, Uhura, after attending Kirk's memorial service , was the first one of the crew to see the ghost-like image of Kirk in a mirror in her quarters. Kirk was trapped in the interphase Tholian space aboard the USS Defiant . For a short time after, Uhura thought she might be suffering from the ill mental effects of the interphase as many of her fellow crew members were. But after Scotty, McCoy, Brent, and Spock saw the ghost-like image of the interphase trapped Kirk, McCoy determined that Uhura was completely sane. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ")

Kirk and Uhura about to kiss

On stardate 5784.2, under the influence of powerful telepaths, Uhura was forced to kiss Captain Kirk; Kirk stopped the aliens from forcing him to torture Uhura. ( TOS : " Plato's Stepchildren ")

On stardate 5710.6, Uhura was the first one on the bridge to notice the "disappearance" of Kirk after he sipped some of the Scalosian water spiked coffee , courtesy of Deela , while hyper-accelerated Kirk up to the Scalosians speed. Later, she accidentally touched the tape button from the previous Scalosian distress call , which called up an image of Deela on the viewscreen , but Kirk inquired if it was indeed not a malfunction, which Uhura comfirmed. ( TOS : " Wink of an Eye ")

Also in 2268, Uhura had trouble making Spock comprehend that she was inquiring about what happened to the Enterprise from the turbulence caused by the image of Losira appearing in the transporter room to protect the Kalandan outpost planet. She had to laugh at Spock commenting about his head hitting the captain's chair when she made the inquiry and then she had to rephrase the question. ( TOS : " That Which Survives ")

Near the end of 2268, Uhura immediately ran to the bridge's main science station after an explosion on the far side of planet Elba II had Scotty and Sulu registering it as a 9.5 earthquake . Just as with Scotty and McCoy, Uhura was as concerned about whether life still remained on Elba II as Kirk and Spock were at the Elba II asylum penal colony. Fortunately Uhura, McCoy, and Scotty's fears about Kirk and Spock being dead turned out to be unfounded. ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

On stardate 5423.6, Uhura agreed with McCoy and Scotty that Spock should stand his ground – with Spock starting to concur with them – that he wouldn't let the evasive answers of or behavior from Ambassador Hodin , of the planet Gideon 's Council , about what happened to the missing Kirk or Admiral Fitzgerald 's trying to get Spock from insisting on getting true answers about the whereabouts of Kirk . ( TOS : " The Mark of Gideon ")

On stardate 5725.3, Uhura temporarily lost her ability to move her hands and could not open hailing frequencies to contact the Memory Alpha library when the Enterprise encountered the "lights of Zetar " beings. ( TOS : " The Lights of Zetar ")

Later in 2269, on stardate 5843.8, Uhura was miniaturized and placed into temporary stasis by Flint . After Kirk's successful plea, she was restored to normal. ( TOS : " Requiem for Methuselah ")

On stardate 5221.3, Uhura picked up a strange radio signal from a long-abandoned insectoid race's ship orbiting the dead star Questar M-17 . After Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty beamed back aboard the Enterprise from investigating the abandoned ship, the crew discovered they had also beamed aboard the same malevolent entity that had caused the insectoids' ship's abandonment. The crew, including Uhura, were temporarily taken hostage by the entity, until Kirk managed to trick it into leaving the ship and go live around Questar M-17's orbit. Scotty then used a slingshot effect to break the Enterprise free from Questar M-17's orbit. As they were leaving the stellar cluster that Questar M-17 was located in, Uhura, on stardate 5221.8, picked up one last signal from the entity, announcing it was "lonely, very lonely...." ( TAS : " Beyond the Farthest Star ")

Uhura takes charge on the planet

In 2269 on stardate 5483.7, the male Enterprise crew was incapacitated by the "siren's song" of the second planet of the Taurean system 's female population , necessitating Uhura to take command of the ship. She and Nurse Christine Chapel led an all female landing party to rescue Captain Kirk, first officer Spock and Dr. McCoy. ( TAS : " The Lorelei Signal ")

On stardate 1254.4, as the Enterprise was exploring the galactic core , the ship and its crew became caught in a matter-energy whirlwind and were thrown into an alternate universe . In that universe, the crew met a being who called himself " Lucien ". Lucien claimed that he had, at one-time, been on Earth and had met Humans before. Lucien also claimed that the Enterprise crew could perform magic in the alternate universe, with the crew being very surprised when they could. Unfortunately, Lucien's fellow Megans were not thrilled to discover that the Enterprise crew was doing just that. The Megans transported the whole crew to planet Megas-Tu and promptly put all of them, including Uhura, into 17th century style pillories, as punishment. The crew, including Uhura, were in the Megans' interpretation of 1691 Salem and were put on a similar Salem witch trial , nearly put to death courtesy of Megan Asmodeus ' prosecuting legal tactics. Fortunately, Spock, as a Vulcan defense counselor, pleaded successfully for the crew's release in that Humanity had grown away from the hatred, fear and bigotry of 1691. ( TAS : " The Magicks of Megas-Tu ")

Uhura held hostage by the Shore Leave Planet's master computer

On stardate 5591.2, Uhura suffered the first of two assaults by a computer. Kirk took the Enterprise and its crew to the " Shore Leave Planet " in the Omicron Delta region for much-needed rest and relaxation. But unaware to the crew, the planet's Keeper had died since their last visit and the planet's master computer suffered from what amounted to its version of a mental breakdown. One of the many violations of its original protocol the planet's master computer did was to kidnap Uhura. While being held hostage in the planet's computer core, Uhura found out that the master computer decided it was time to free the individuals on the fellow computer, the Enterprise , from their being a slave to their master. Uhura reasoned with the computer and convinced the master computer that the Humans on board the Enterprise did not have that kind of relationship and, with the Humans on board needing rest and relaxation, the planet's computer itself was not being taken advantage of – but that was useful and needed purpose for it. That worked, eventually, to get the master computer to go back to its protocols, and to cease its hostile actions against the Enterprise crew. That talk also made much easier Spock's later work with the master computer to make sure something like that did not happen again, on the "Shore Leave Planet". ( TAS : " Once Upon a Planet ")

On stardate 5577.7, Uhura and the rest of the Enterprise crew were paralyzed from a flash of light coming from a planet in the Cepheus star system, after Uhura received a distress signal using a 21st century intersat code with the word " terratin " attached. The flash of light ended up shrinking Uhura and the rest of the crew to fingernail length, at one-sixteenth of an inch high. Uhura and the rest of the crew were restored to normal size via the transporter as the mutated descendants of the lost Terra 10 colony were rescued and relocated from the unstable planet. ( TAS : " The Terratin Incident ")

On stardate 5267.2, when the Enterprise went through the " Delta Triangle " space-time warp, Uhura, along with the rest of the crew, suffered from temporary vertigo . ( TAS : " The Time Trap ")

In 2269, on stardate 4187.3, Uhura was on the Enterprise shuttlecraft Copernicus , traveling with Spock and Sulu, when the Slaver stasis box they had on-board indicated the existence of another stasis box on an uncharted icy planet in the Beta Lyrae system. Uhura, Spock and Sulu discovered, in the second box, a weapon of great power. When the Kzinti traveling on the Traitor's Claw found out that the three Enterprise crew members were on the planet with such a newly discovered Slaver stasis box, they twice kidnapped Uhura and the Chuft-Captain held her hostage . Spock and Sulu were able to free Uhura by discovering new settings on the weapon, settings that tricked the Kzinti. ( TAS : " The Slaver Weapon ")

In 2270 , Uhura was again temporarily in command of the bridge when the Enterprise lost contact with Kirk and Spock, half of the ships' contact party , while exploring the surface of Delta Theta III . Per Kirk's orders of avoiding unnecessary risks, she ordered Scotty and Sulu, the other half of the contact party, to re-board the ship, contrary to their attempt to locate Spock and the captain. ( TAS : " Bem ")

Uhura, McCoy, and Sulu caught in a vicious blizzard

In 2270, on stardate 3183.3, Uhura dealt with the second assault by a computer. This time, the assault came from the Enterprise computer. Captain Kirk, to hide the ship from an attacking Romulan ship, took the Enterprise into a space cloud, not realizing that this would turn the ship's computer into a practical joker, and there were several jokes played on many crew members. To get away from the practical jokes, not realizing that the computer was the cause of the jokes, Uhura, McCoy, and Sulu decided to get themselves away from the practical jokes in the holographic recreation room . The computer first played a "practical joke" on the three of them by trapping them in a deep hole in a forest. When a security search party could not find them, the Enterprise computer's practical joker went further and trapped Uhura, McCoy, and Sulu in a raging blizzard that none of the three asked for. Fortunately, all three were found and saved, before they froze to death, by a second successful security search party. Another trip through the cloud rid the Enterprise computer of the practical joker. ( TAS : " The Practical Joker ")

Later in 2270, on stardate 5275.6, Uhura collapsed on the bridge due to the effect of the Dramia II plague . Fortunately, Dr. McCoy was able to find a cure to rescue her and the rest of the infected crew. This was the final illness Uhura suffered from during the Enterprise 's historic five-year mission. ( TAS : " Albatross ")

On stardate 6770.3, upon entering an anti-matter universe , the Enterprise crew experienced the effects of accelerated reverse aging and Uhura also was reduced to infancy. After returning the ship to normal space, the crew was able to return to their normal age by using the transporters. ( TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ")

Captaincy of Will Decker [ ]

Lt. Commander Uhura in the 2270s

In the mid- 2270s , Lieutenant Commander Uhura served aboard the refitted Enterprise under the command of Captain Will Decker , and later during the V'ger crisis under the command of Rear Admiral Kirk. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Captaincy of Spock [ ]

During the mid- 2280s , Uhura remained aboard the Enterprise , which was then attached to Starfleet Training Command , where it served as a training vessel under the commander of Captain Spock.

In March 2285 , Uhura, who was by that time promoted to commander , was a participant in Saavik 's Kobayashi Maru scenario at Starfleet Training Command . After the scenario, she served aboard the Enterprise under the command of Captain Spock.

Later, she was one of the ship's communications officers for a three week training cruise. Upon receiving a call for help from Regula I , Starfleet Command ordered an investigation by the Enterprise . With Rear Admiral Kirk assuming command, the cruise was cut short. The Enterprise became involved with Project Genesis and Khan Noonien Singh's attempt to steal the Genesis Device . Eventually, Kirk was able to stop Khan, but not before the latter had wrought extensive damage upon the Enterprise , requiring Captain Spock to sacrifice his life to save the ship. Uhura attended the funeral of Spock. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Uhura performs her part in Kirk's theft of the Enterprise

Following the return of the Enterprise to Spacedock, Uhura had requested an assignment to the Old City Station transporter room . During the planned rescue attempt of Spock from the Genesis Planet , Uhura played an instrumental role of illegally transporting Admiral Kirk and company to the Enterprise prior to its theft. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Kirk and his senior staff succeeded in saving Spock, and Uhura met up with her crewmates on Vulcan . Along with the rest of the crew she traveled back to the year 1986 aboard a Klingon Bird-of-Prey – which they named the HMS Bounty – to retrieve two humpback whales to save the planet Earth from an alien probe .

Uhura and Chekov extracting protons from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise

After arriving in the 20th century , Uhura quickly located whale song coming from San Francisco .

Upon landing, she and Chekov were assigned with resolving "the uranium problem" that impeded their return to the own time. From San Francisco the two questioned a number of passersby on how to find the naval base in Alameda . That night they beamed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise stationed there and acquired the required high-energy photons from its reactor core . Uhura narrowly escaped with the collector in hand, but Chekov was captured.

Uhura monitored the local comm channels, but displayed regret for leaving Chekov behind; Kirk assured her that she did what was necessary. She eventually located him at Mercy Hospital , and following his rescue and their departure, she directed the Bird-of-Prey towards George and Gracie , after locating their signal in the Bering Sea .

Upon their return to the 23rd century, she was among the crew charged with her involvement – specifically conspiracy – in the theft of the Enterprise . However, all charges against them were dropped because they had saved the planet. She and her crew were subsequently reassigned to the USS Enterprise -A . ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

USS Enterprise -A [ ]

Uhura seduces the Paradise City Guards in the desert on Nimbus III

In 2287 , the Enterprise was dispatched to resolve a hostage situation on Nimbus III , the Planet of Galactic Peace. Under the influence of the rebel leader Sybok , Uhura, and many other crew members cooperated to divert the Enterprise to the galactic core where Sybok convinced them they would find the mythical Sha Ka Ree . In an initial attack on the rebel-held Paradise City , Uhura played a vital part by performing an erotic, moonlit fan dance on a sand dune to distract a lookout party of rebels. Her dance seduced the entire party and they were captured by Kirk and his team in order to steal their horses which they used to enter Paradise City. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Uhura with Chekov in 2293

In 2293 , Uhura was three months from standing down as the communications officer of the Enterprise-A . Before the Camp Khitomer crisis, she had expected to chair a seminar at Starfleet Academy . During the crisis, Uhura served as communications officer of the Enterprise -A. The Enterprise crew played a vital role in the success of the Khitomer Conference by exposing a conspiracy that sought to sabotage the peace process. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

USS Leondegrance [ ]

Sometime after the Enterprise -A was decommissioned, Uhura was promoted to Captain and given command of the USS Leondegrance . From 2301 to 2305 , Uhura and the Leondegrance carried out a five-year mission to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud , and participated in over one hundred first contact missions with the civilizations encountered there. Following the five-year mission, the Leondegrance became an Academy training ship in 2317 , with Uhura retaining command until her retirement in 2333 . During that time, many Academy cadets experienced faster-than-light travel for the first time under Uhura's command; one of these was a young Jean-Luc Picard . ( PIC : " Remembrance " Speed of Light Club certificate ; PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque )

By the 25th century , Uhura would be honored by having a ship named after her, the USS Uhura . ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

Anything but canon scenarios [ ]

First contact day party.

Uhura at the First Contact Day party

According to an anything but canon account, Uhura was present along with Hemmer , Spock , Una Chin-Riley , Christine Chapel and others at a First Contact Day celebration on the Enterprise.

Although the captain originally assigned Hemmer to emcee this event, he turned it over to Spock , who might have a better idea of what to do since he's technically both Human and Vulcan . After all, First Contact day was all about first contact between those two species .

Spock then begins by playing a variety of bloopers from a blooper reel that he compiled together. These bloopers were very much offensive, since they resulted in the deaths of various Starfleet officers . This was upsetting to the other crewmembers . Uhura even told him that bloopers shouldn't have an in memoriam .

She goes onto explain that a blooper should be about a person walking into a door and slamming into it because it failed to open automatically like it's designed to do, or someone accidentally mispronouncing " Spock " as " Spork ." Inspired by her words , he decides to try one last clip, which featured an ensign who had space diarrhea running through the corridor along a freshly mopped floor . He slips and and rams his genitals into the mop and then farts . Uhura then tells Spock that this clip was perfect. ( VST : " Holiday Party ")

Malfunctioning holoprogram

Uhura hologram 1

Uhura hologram 2

According to an unreliable and unverified account, two different holograms of Uhura were present in the narrative of a nonsensical or malfunctioning holoprogram .

The first version of Nyota Uhura to appear in this program appeared alongside her fellow crewmate , Hikaru Sulu . They were shown to be in the rec room in Area 39 of the USS Enterprise . They were running a program about Gwyndala , Zero and Rok-Tahk . Sulu was annoyed with the nonsensical nature of the program, and he stopped the program, saying that he was sick of the nonsense. He and Uhura then began to leave the rec room, but the were frozen in place when Saru called out to the computer , saying: "Computer, end simulation ."

Uhura appeared in the same malfunctioning holoprogram later on during the program. This time it began on as a scene on the USS Voyager , where Neelix was watching a holonovel on his PADD . He finally decides that he's seen enough silly stories for one night , and so he puts his PADD down, and lies down, going to sleep . The scene turns quiet for a second, until the voice of Charles Tucker III could be heard trying to pause the playback .

Then the shocking reveal, was that he wasn't really Tucker at all, but just a head on a holographic five-headed monster . The other four heads were holographic images of the heads of William T. Riker , T'Pol and Spock . Uhura's head was likewise part of the holo-monster. This time the computer itself calls out to pause the program, and the holographic monster was frozen in place. ( VST : " Holograms All the Way Down ")

Jam session on the bridge

Uhura on the viewscreen

In another anything but canon account, there was a party on the bridge of the Enterprise in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the TOS era crew 's cartoon show .

To celebrate, William T. Riker brought his trombone and Hikaru Sulu brought his keyboard , so that they could play some Post Mainframe Acid-Cardassian Ten Forwardcore music . As they began their song , other band members joined in. Scotty played the drums , Arex was on the double guitar , M'Ress played the tambourine and D'Vana Tendi provided backup vocals .

Clips from the animated series were shown on screen during their song . Uhura could be seen at her communications station at one point. Eventually, the song ends when a fleet of D7 class Klingon battle cruisers attack the ship , causing an explosion on the bridge . ( VST : " Walk, Don't Run ")

Personal life [ ]

Interests [ ].

Uhura off-duty in her quarters

Uhura was proud of her African heritage. In fact, she decorated her personal living quarters aboard the Enterprise with a zebra -skin bedspread, some African sculptures and masks, and wall panels containing African images. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ")

After Uhura offered her quarters for Elaan in 2268, the offended Dohlman referenced her treatment by being placed in Uhura's quarters, complaining " am I a soft Troyian fawn to need pillows to sit on? " Her review of Uhura's decor was, " and these ridiculous female trappings. They are an offense to my eyes . " When Elaan later questioned if Kirk was going to fulfill her request for new quarters, Kirk replied, " There are none better. I suggest you make do with these. " ( TOS : " Elaan of Troyius ")

Talents [ ]

Uhura was also talented in music , and had a " bad habit " of humming . In 2259 , however, her humming of the Kenyan folk song " Vamuvamba " led to the serendipitous discovery that the M'hanit communicated through music. On this occasion she also used her knowledge of musical theory to benefit the mission. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

She was well-known among her fellow Enterprise colleagues for entertaining them with her singing talent, including her own renditions of songs, such as " Oh, On the Starship Enterprise ". ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

One of Uhura's favorite love songs to sing was the song " Beyond Antares ". She chose the song in response to a request made by Kevin Riley, who was on duty alone in engineering , and who wanted to be reassured that he was not the only living thing left in the universe. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ") She also sang it while on bridge duty the following year. Her performance led to the incident that triggering Nomad 's assault on her. ( TOS : " The Changeling ")

She also hummed a tune while she relaxed planet-side during the Enterprise ' second visit to the Shore Leave Planet. ( TAS : " Once Upon a Planet ")

Holograms [ ]

Dal r'el's kobayashi maru [ ].

A holographic Uhura

During Dal 's setup of the Kobayashi Maru scenario aboard the USS Protostar in 2383 , he requested that the computer select the best officers on his behalf, which included a holographic version of Communications Officer Uhura, from the TOS era , as a member of his command crew. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

Relationships [ ]

Spock reunited with his shipmates

Throughout their years of serving together, Uhura developed a strong friendship with the other members of the Enterprise senior staff. In 2285 , she helped Kirk without hesitation in his quest to find peace for Spock 's katra . When the other crew members had recovered Spock's body from the Genesis Planet, Uhura had been waiting for them on Vulcan and witnessed the fal-tor-pan ritual being performed on Spock. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Spock and Uhura make music together in the recreation room

Near the beginning of her service aboard the Enterprise , Uhura attempted to reach the Human side of Spock.

On stardate 1513.1, she tried to start a conversation with a sardonic Spock and asked him how Vulcan looked when its moon was full. When Spock mentioned to her that Vulcan has no moon, she expressed little surprise at his lack of romanticism. She was also amazed that Spock lacked any curiosity with regard to the identity of a dead officer on planet M-113 . ( TOS : " The Man Trap ")

Soon afterward, when Charles Evans was aboard the Enterprise , Uhura and Spock entertained the crew together in the recreation room on stardate 1533.6. With Spock on the Vulcan harp , Uhura sang two versions of the improvised song Oh, On the Starship Enterprise , one about Spock, the second about Evans (which caused Evans to make her temporarily lose her voice). ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

In the alternate reality , Uhura and Spock became romantically involved. ( Star Trek )

Montgomery Scott [ ]

Scotty and Uhura (2267)

In 2287 , Uhura and Montgomery Scott were to take shore leave together. As Scott was unable to leave the Enterprise -A, she brought him dinner . Later, she began to show some romantic interest in Scott while being under the influence of Sybok. Scott, nevertheless, politely declined the advance, mindful of her "condition" and realizing that she was in fact a "convert". ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Uhura and Scott (2287)

Scott helped Uhura and Chekov look up Klingon phrases in antique books in 2293 while trying to cross the border into Klingon space to rescue their jailed colleagues. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Alternate timelines [ ]

Romulans revealed in 2266 [ ].

Lt. Uhura in an alternate 2266

In an alternate 2266 where Captain Pike prevented his exposure to delta radiation and saved the lives of several cadets that were due to die during that accident, Nyota Uhura had reached the rank of lieutenant and was still serving as communications officer aboard the Enterprise under Pike. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

UEF Enterprise [ ]

Nyota Uhura aboard the UEF Enterprise in alternate 2259

In an alternate timeline created where Khan Noonien Singh was killed by the Romulan Sera and United Earth was at war with the Romulan Star Empire , Uhura joined the United Earth Fleet and by 2259 was assigned as communications officer aboard the UEF Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk . ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

Key dates [ ]

• Assigned to the USS Enterprise
• Graduates from Starfleet Academy and commissioned as an Ensign
• Between 2259 and 2266 : Promoted to Lieutenant
• 2270s : Promoted to lieutenant commander
• 2285 : As a commander , whilst remaining attached to the Enterprise , is assigned to Starfleet Training Command
• 2285: Requested assignment at Old City Station
• 2287 – 2293 : Communications officer of the USS Enterprise -A
• Between 2293 and 2301 : Promoted to Captain
• 2301– 2333 : Commanding officer of the USS Leondegrance
• 2301– 2305 : Explores the Lesser Magellanic Cloud and participates in over one hundred first contact missions
• 2333: Retires from Starfleet

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " The Corbomite Maneuver "
• " Mudd's Women "
• " The Enemy Within " (voice only)
• " The Man Trap "
• " The Naked Time "
• " Charlie X "
• " Balance of Terror "
• " What Are Little Girls Made Of? "
• " Dagger of the Mind "
• " The Conscience of the King "
• " The Galileo Seven "
• " Court Martial "
• " The Menagerie, Part I "
• " The Menagerie, Part II " (voice only)
• " Shore Leave "
• " The Squire of Gothos "
• " The Alternative Factor "
• " Tomorrow is Yesterday "
• " The Return of the Archons "
• " A Taste of Armageddon "
• " Space Seed "
• " This Side of Paradise "
• " Errand of Mercy "
• " The City on the Edge of Forever "
• " Operation -- Annihilate! "
• " Catspaw "
• " Metamorphosis "
• " Friday's Child "
• " Who Mourns for Adonais? "
• " Amok Time "
• " The Changeling "
• " Mirror, Mirror "
• " The Deadly Years "
• " I, Mudd "
• " The Trouble with Tribbles "
• " Bread and Circuses "
• " Journey to Babel "
• " A Private Little War "
• " The Gamesters of Triskelion "
• " Obsession "
• " The Immunity Syndrome "
• " A Piece of the Action "
• " By Any Other Name "
• " Return to Tomorrow "
• " Patterns of Force "
• " The Ultimate Computer "
• " The Omega Glory "
• " Assignment: Earth "
• " Spectre of the Gun "
• " Elaan of Troyius "
• " The Enterprise Incident "
• " And the Children Shall Lead "
• " Spock's Brain "
• " Is There in Truth No Beauty? "
• " The Empath "
• " The Tholian Web "
• " For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "
• " Day of the Dove "
• " Plato's Stepchildren "
• " Wink of an Eye "
• " That Which Survives "
• " Let That Be Your Last Battlefield "
• " Whom Gods Destroy "
• " The Mark of Gideon "
• " The Lights of Zetar "
• " The Cloud Minders "
• " Requiem for Methuselah "
• " The Savage Curtain "
• " Beyond the Farthest Star "
• " One of Our Planets Is Missing "
• " The Lorelei Signal "
• " More Tribbles, More Troubles "
• " The Infinite Vulcan "
• " The Magicks of Megas-Tu "
• " Once Upon a Planet "
• " The Terratin Incident "
• " The Time Trap "
• " The Slaver Weapon "
• " The Pirates of Orion "
• " The Practical Joker "
• " Albatross "
• " How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth "
• " The Counter-Clock Incident "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Generations (picture only)
• Star Trek Beyond (picture only)
• DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations " (archive footage)
• PRO : " Kobayashi " ( hologram ; archive audio)
• " Strange New Worlds "
• " Children of the Comet "
• " Ghosts of Illyria "
• " Memento Mori "
• " Spock Amok "
• " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach "
• " The Elysian Kingdom "
• " All Those Who Wander "
• " A Quality of Mercy "
• " The Broken Circle "
• " Ad Astra per Aspera "
• " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "
• " Among the Lotus Eaters "
• " Charades "
• " Lost in Translation "
• " Those Old Scientists "
• " Under the Cloak of War "
• " Subspace Rhapsody "
• " Hegemony "
• " Holiday Party "
• " Holograms All the Way Down " (background hologram)
• " Walk, Don't Run " (archive footage)

Background information [ ]

Identifying appearances [ ].

Uhura was played by Nichelle Nichols , who appeared in sixty-six episodes. The character was voiced by her in two additional episodes, "The Enemy Within" and "The Menagerie, Part II", and appeared in stock footage in "The Paradise Syndrome". [3] For Star Trek 's 30th anniversary , Uhura reappeared in archive footage from "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "Mirror, Mirror" that was used in the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". Twenty-six year later, Uhura was portrayed by Celia Rose Gooding for her inclusion in the TOS prequel, Strange New Worlds .

In addition to her physical appearances, Nichols also provided Uhura's voice for The Animated Series , in which Uhura appears in all but three episodes . Forty-eight years later, archive audio of Uhura from in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , "The Gamesters of Triskelion", "The Enterprise Incident", "The Mark of Gideon", "Space Seed", and "The Trouble with Tribbles" were later used for her appearance in the Prodigy episode "Kobayashi".

Name and heritage [ ]

According to an anecdote told by Nichelle Nichols at Shore Leave 29 , she and Gene Roddenberry decided on the name "Uhura" because, before Nichols' audition, she and several others involved in casting had been reading the 1962 novel Uhuru by American author Robert Ruark. The story was verified by Robert H. Justman and Herb Solow in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story .

"Uhuru" is the Swahili word for "freedom". Spock, after making a mind meld with Kollos in " Is There in Truth No Beauty? ", says that Uhura's name means "freedom" and recites a line of poetry about beauty from Lord Byron . In Star Trek VI , her name is misspelled "Uhuru" in the credits.

In the non- canon Star Trek RPG published by FASA in the 1980s, the full name given for the character was "Samara Uhura". In the RPG adaptation, the USS Samara Uhura was included as one of several Decker -class starships that were named for the Enterprise crew. Another first name suggested by a non-canon source was included in a character index in an issue of the fan publication Trek (later included in an edition of The Best of Trek published by Signet Books): Penda Uhura.

Nichelle Nichols herself has said that an author writing about the history of Star Trek had asked Gene Roddenberry what Uhura's first name was and was told that one had never been decided. The author then recommended the name "Nyota". Roddenberry liked it, but said to ask Nichols before he allowed the name to be used. Nichols thought the name was perfect. ( TOS Season 2 DVD commentary) Alternatively, in the video William Shatner's Star Trek Memories , Nichols also said that she and Roddenberry came up with the name in initial discussions about the character, just after her casting.

The name Nyota ("star" in Swahili) was first publicly used for the character by William Rotsler , in his 1982 book Star Trek II: Biographies . ( Enterprise NX-01 communications officer Hoshi Sato 's given name, "Hoshi", also means "Star", in Japanese.) Uhura's given name was finally canonically established as Nyota in the 2009 film Star Trek . (In the movie, the revelation playfully paralleled the long-time real-life ambiguity; starting with their first meeting in an Iowa bar , for three years Kirk tries unsuccessfully to learn her first name, only to learn it when her lover – Spock – assures her that he will return alive from a particular mission he and Kirk are about to embark on.)

Uhura's date and location of birth were also never established on screen. Her date of birth ( 2239 ) was derived from the Star Trek Chronology and the Star Trek Encyclopedia . The original Star Trek writer's guide and the Star Trek Concordance established that she was born in the United States of Africa . Her familiarity with the Swahili language implied – but did not require – an East African origin or heritage. The Concordance also states the intended information from deleted material regarding her mother, M'Umbha .

Establishing the role [ ]

Uhura was the last main character to be cast for the Original Series (except Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov , since that character didn't debut until the second season of the show ). The casting of Uhura took place only a few weeks before production began on " The Corbomite Maneuver ", the first regular episode. In the original script of that installment, the communications officer was named " Dave Bailey ". When Nichelle Nichols (a former lover of Gene Roddenberry) was cast as the new comm officer, Bailey (played by Anthony Call ) was "transferred" to navigation. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , pp. 153–154) Other than Nichelle Nichols, three additional candidates for the role were Ena Hartman , Mittie Lawrence and Gloria Calomee . ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One )

Uhura was included in the final draft script of " Miri ", given multiple lines of dialogue. Her part in the story, however, was ultimately rewritten for relief communications officer John Farrell .

Nichelle Nichols has stated on many occasions during the years (including in the video William Shatner's Star Trek Memories ) that, during the first year of the series, she was tempted to leave the show as she felt her role lacked significance, but a conversation with Martin Luther King, Jr. changed her mind. King personally encouraged her to stay on the show, telling her that he was a big fan of the series and told her she "could not give up" as she was playing a vital role model for young black children and women across the country. After the first season, Uhura's role on the series was expanded beyond merely manning her console.

The 1967 Writers' Guide for Star Trek 's second season described the character thus:

Communications officer Uhura was born in the United States of Africa. Quick and intelligent, she is a highly efficient officer and expert in all ships' systems related to communications. Uhura is also a warm, highly female female off duty. She is something of a favorite in the Recreation Room during off-duty hours too, because she sings – old ballads as well as the newer space ballads – and she can do an impersonation at the drop of a communicator.

Uhura was to have appeared in Star Trek: Phase II , an aborted second Star Trek series. A character description of her was included in a 1977 Writers'/Directors' Guide for that series, a document written by Gene Roddenberry and Jon Povill . Uhura's description was as follows:

Rank of Lieutenant Commander, Communications Officer, played by attractive young actress Nichelle Nichols. Uhura was born in the African Confederacy. Quick and intelligent, she is a highly efficient officer. Her understanding of the ship's computer systems is second only to the Vulcan Science Officer , and expert in all ships systems relating to communications. Uhura is also a warm, highly female female off duty. She is a favorite in the Recreation Room during off duty hours, too, because she sings – old ballads as well as the newer space ballads – and she can do impersonations at the drop of a communicator.

Nichelle Nichols was slated to make a cameo as Uhura in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback ", but was cut from that episode after requesting more lines for her role. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 108 )

Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Nichols' role of Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut. [4]

Whoopi Goldberg also found Nichols's portrayal of Uhura inspiring as a child. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 64)) Goldberg recalled that when she saw Uhura on-screen for the first time, she ran out of the room, telling everyone in her house, " I just saw a black woman on television; and she ain't no maid! " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 56 )

Deanna Troi actress Marina Sirtis has stated about Uhura, " It was great that a black woman was on the bridge, but she really wasn't involved in many storylines. She was just there and that was enough for the times, it seems. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 18)

The idea that a young Jean-Luc Picard served under Captain Uhura has its roots in a story proposed for Star Trek: Short Treks , in which a young Picard would have been mentored by an elderly Uhura. Although the proposed Short Treks episode never came to fruition, two pieces of set dressing for Star Trek: Picard (the Speed of Light Club certificate in Picard's quantum archive, seen in " Remembrance ", and the commemorative plaque for the USS Leondegrance seen in " The Star Gazer ") establish the relationship canonically. [5]

Apocrypha [ ]

In the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (p. 49), Uhura was described as having a "fine-boned Bantu face". Likewise, in the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Pavel Chekov said Uhura was from the Bantu Nation. James Blish referred to Uhura as "a beautiful Bantu girl" in his adaptations of the original Star Trek episodes.

According to Star Trek II: Biographies , Uhura was born on October 24th, 2240 in Nairobi , United States of Africa to parents Damu Pua and M'Umbha Makia. She has two siblings named Malcolm Marien Uhura and Uaekundu Uhura.

According to the novel Living Memory , Uhura's father was named Alhamisi (Damu Pua was a childhood nickname meaning " bloody nose "). She has a brother named Malcolm and a younger sister named Samara, as well as an uncle Raheem.

In the novel The Fire and the Rose , set shortly after "Mudd's Women", Uhura went to Captain Kirk and requested to be reassigned from the command division to the engineering and services division. Kirk was not happy with this decision and grilled her about throwing away her command abilities and leadership potential, however, despite his disappointment, he approved her transfer and explaining why she switched from a red uniform to a gold uniform.

In the novel Vulcan's Forge , Commander Uhura served as first officer of the USS Intrepid II under Captain Spock. She and Dr. McCoy were the only members of Captain Kirk's bridge crew to join Spock in his new command (Captain Sulu commanded the Excelsior and took Commander Chekov along as his first officer, and Captain Scott retired and headed off to the Norpin colony ). Uhura turned down a captaincy before becoming Spock's first officer, commenting that she'd never married or had children, and didn't want to take on the similar commitment to a ship that a promotion to captain would entail. This story took place a year after Captain Kirk was lost to the Nexus . Following a mission to the planet Obsidian, Spock resigned his Starfleet commission, and Uhura was promoted to captain and given command of the Intrepid II .

Uhura was depicted in the novels The Art of the Impossible , Catalyst of Sorrows , and Vulcan's Soul : Exodus as later going on to achieve the rank of admiral and becoming the head of Starfleet Intelligence in the 24th century , serving into 2377 .

According to The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard , Uhura was the President of the United Federation of Planets in the year 2327.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual mentions a ship named the USS Samara Uhura , which is presumably named after Uhura, as her first name "Nyota" didn't become canon until Star Trek .

In Star Trek Cats , Uhura is depicted as a Burmese cat .

Sources [ ]

• Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens ; Star Trek: Phase II - The Making of the Lost Series ; Pocket Books , ISBN 0671568396 (softcover, 1997)
• Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens ; Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission ; Pocket Books, ISBN 0671025597 (softcover 1998)

External links [ ]

• Nyota Uhura at StarTrek.com
• Nyota Uhura at Wikipedia
• Nyota Uhura at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Nyota Uhura at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 3 Ancient humanoid

The Untold Truth Of Star Trek's Nyota Uhura

As a member of the original "Star Trek" crew, Lieutenant (and later, Commander) Nyota Uhura is a sci-fi legend. First appearing on television in 1966, Uhura was one of the first Black women to be depicted in a position of authority on American television. Following three seasons of the original "Trek," the character appeared in nine feature films (first portrayed by Nichelle Nichols and later by Zoë Saldana) and is about to make a more substantive return as part of the regular cast of the new streaming series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," where she'll be played by Tony Award nominee Celia Rose Gooding.

While Uhura is practically omnipresent on "Star Trek: The Original Series" –  appearing in more episodes than famous colleagues Scotty, Sulu, or Chekov — the "Trek" canon has provided scant few details about her backstory, personal life, or career apart from her decades-long tenure as Chief Communications Officer aboard the USS Enterprise. Thankfully, not only do official "Star Trek" novels and reference materials fill in some of the details, but the behind-the-scenes story of Uhura's evolution and contribution to American television has been very well documented. While we wait for "Strange New Worlds" to open a new chapter in Uhura's story, here's a quick look back at her legacy so far.

Nichelle Nichols gave Uhura her name

Actor Nichelle Nichols did more than perform the role of Lt. Uhura, she also played a substantial part in shaping and inspiring the character. According to her memoir, "Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories," Nichols and future "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry first met in 1963 on the set of his previous television series, "The Lieutenant," after which they began a months-long romantic relationship . During their time together, Roddenberry would make vague references to a science fiction project he'd been working on, which he called "Wagon Train to the Stars." Years later, while Nichols was on tour as a singer in Paris, she received a telegram from her agent telling her that she had an important audition for "Star Trek" — whatever that was.

Nichols was invited to audition for "Star Trek" before any specifics about her character had been decided. Since her part had yet to be written, she actually auditioned by reading scenes written for Spock. While waiting for her meeting with Roddenberry and his production team, Nichols was immersed in reading the novel "Uhuru" by Robert Ruark. Uhuru is Swahili for "freedom," and (according to the documentary  "Woman in Motion" ) Nichols suggested that this be repurposed as her character's surname. Accounts vary as to when the first name of "Nyota" was decided upon, but it first appeared in the 1982 reference book "Star Trek II: Biographies," and did not become canon until its use in the 2009 "Star Trek" film.

Uhura's early life is yet to be depicted on screen

Most of Uhura's life before she joined the crew of the USS Enterprise has only been represented in non-canonical novels, which might be retconned by her appearances in the upcoming "Strange New Worlds." According to the novels "The Starless World" and "Catalyst of Sorrows," Uhura was born and raised in Kenya, which in the 23rd Century is part of the United States of Africa. As a teenager, she attends the Institute for Advanced Mathematics prior to being accepted into Starfleet Academy. "Beyond Uhura" explains that Nichelle Nichols and Gene Roddenberry imagined Uhura as Spock's protégé, an association that is supported by their interactions on "The Original Series" and expanded upon in the alternate "Kelvinverse" of 2009's "Star Trek" feature film.

Most non-canonical works depict Uhura's Academy years overlapping with that of her future commanding officer, James T. Kirk, and that may not be contradicted by her appearance on "Strange New Worlds." On the new series, Uhura is a fourth-year Academy cadet on assignment to the USS Enterprise. Since "Strange New Worlds" is set after the second season of "Star Trek: Discovery," it can begin no later than 2258, by which time Kirk would have already been a lieutenant serving aboard the USS Farragut — which doesn't preclude their having met there. What "Strange New Worlds"  does change is that, while Kirk is the name most famously associated with the USS Enterprise, Uhura gets there first.

Uhura's job is actually really important

Lt. Uhura is unquestionably an underserved character on "Star Trek: The Original Series" and the subsequent films featuring the original cast, never getting the same spotlight as Kirk, Spock, McCoy, or even Scotty. While this is a completely fair criticism of the show, its producers and its writers, it has unfortunately led some fans and critics to diminish the character of Uhura herself and her role on the command staff of the USS Enterprise. At a glance, it's easy to see Uhura as the woman reduced to placing Captain Kirk's phone calls — after all, that's most of what she's seen doing in your average episode. While the underuse of Uhura is a glaring defect of the series, her contributions to the crew are not unimportant, merely underexposed.

As Chief Communications Officer, Uhura is the nerve center of a crew of over 400. She's a department head managing the rest of the communications staff, meaning anyone else you ever see at her post, plus other stations around the ship that we never see. She handles all inter- and intra-ship communications, including Kirk's orders from Starfleet and imperatives issued to the rest of the crew. Since the production of "Star Trek" predates our modern concept of networked computers , Uhura essentially is the network aboard the Enterprise, manually routing information across its hundreds of work consoles. Uhura being away from her station would basically be the equivalent of the internet going out on the ship.

Dr. Martin Luther King insisted Nichols remain on Star Trek

By the end of the first season of "Star Trek" in 1967, Nichelle Nichols was frustrated with how little her character actually got to do on the show. According to "Beyond Uhura," Nichols suffered a number of indignities during her time on "Star Trek" — her lines and subplots were frequently cut from the script , the studio secretly ordered the mail room not to deliver her fan letters , and studio representatives would make malicious racist comments directly to her face. Having had enough, she told Gene Roddenberry that she would be leaving the show to pursue a role on Broadway. Roddenberry asked her to take the weekend to think about it.

As fate would have it, Nichols was scheduled to attend a fundraising event for the civil rights organization NAACP  the very next day. There, Nichols was introduced to "her greatest fan" — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As recalled in "Beyond Uhura" and in interviews such as this one with the Washington Post , King told her that Uhura was an indispensable role model for viewers, particularly for Black children, who needed to envision themselves in a better future. Up to this point, she admitted in the documentary "Woman in Motion," Nichols had seen "Star Trek" as just another acting job. Now enlightened to the broader impact of her presence on the show (by one of the century's most compelling leaders, no less), Nichols retracted her resignation the following Monday and would remain for the duration of the series.

Uhura and Kirk's kiss made history

In the "Star Trek" episode "Plato's Stepchildren," Lt. Uhura and Captain Kirk are telekinetically compelled to kiss for the amusement of bored aliens. This caused quite a stir on set, according to "Beyond Uhura." Episode director David Alexander still insisted on capturing versions of the scene both with and without the kiss, in case NBC affiliates refused to air a kiss between Black and white performers. Nichelle Nichols and William Shatner performed the scene with the kiss first, insisting on dozens of takes from different angles. They left time for only one take without the kiss, which Shatner sabotaged by crossing his eyes directly into the camera. This assured that the show's producers would have no choice but to use one of the takes where the pair actually kisses.

Uhura and Kirk's kiss in "Plato's Stepchildren" is sometimes cited as "the first scripted interracial kiss on television," though this is an exaggeration — it's the earliest known kiss between white and Black actors on American TV, but actors of other differing races had kissed on TV previously, and outside the United States. Strictly speaking, "Plato's Stepchildren" wasn't even William Shatner's first interracial kiss on TV, as he and French-Vietnamese actress France Nuyen kissed while performing a scene from the play "The World of Suzie Wong" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1958. (These two events do, of course, carry different cultural connotations.) The actual earliest known kiss between Black and white actors on TV took place on British television in 1962. Nevertheless, Uhura and Kirk's kiss remains an important moment in US television history, challenging cultural taboos during one of the most tumultuous years of the civil rights movement.

Uhura finally commands the Enterprise

Though high in the command structure of the USS Enterprise, Uhura never gets the chance to sit in the Captain's chair during "The Original Series" or any of her appearances in feature films. She does, however, get to briefly take the lead in "Star Trek: The Animated Series," the brief ink-and-paint revival of "Star Trek" that aired between the cancellation of "The Original Series" and the launch of the film franchise. In the 1973 episode "The Lorelei Signal," siren-like aliens from the Taurean system transfix and incapacitate the entire male population of the Enterprise, leaving the ship's remaining female officers to rescue them. Uhura (still voiced by Nichelle Nichols) takes command of the Enterprise and leads an away team comprised of herself, Nurse Chapel, and a number of female security officers who one must assume had always been just off-screen somewhere this whole time.

It's still a sad state of affairs that the storytellers behind "Star Trek: The Animated Series" felt they needed to arrange such a contrivance to get Uhura her moment in command, as if it would take every single man on the ship to be out of commission in order for her to get her turn. (It should have taken five, tops, which is still pretty damning of the show.) Would it be too much to ask that "Strange New Worlds" find an opportunity to give Cadet Uhura another (by which we mean "previous") turn at the big chair?

The novels detail Uhura's illustrious career

"Star Trek" made the leap to the big screen in 1979 with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," in which Uhura still serves as Communications Chief aboard the refitted USS Enterprise. The classic crew mostly sticks together throughout the six films, which see the gang receive a string of promotions but still remain in their familiar posts with their found family. Uhura is last seen in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" at the rank of Commander, but still far from, well, command.

Thankfully, Uhura's journey continues in print, via the ongoing series of "Star Trek" novels. In "Vulcan's Forge," Uhura serves as Spock's first officer aboard the USS Intrepid II, where she later succeeds him as captain. The short story "The Hero of My Own Life" sees her move on to a new command, the USS Hermes, where she serves as captain for over a decade. The novel "Catalyst of Sorrows" reveals that, at some time during this command, Uhura is secretly recruited into Starfleet Intelligence, and served concurrently at both posts for a period of decades. As human lifespans are significantly longer in the future of "Star Trek," Admiral Uhura is revealed to be alive and well and still working for Intelligence during the Dominion War (concurrent with "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" ) at the age of 138. A contradictory tale in "The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard" mentions that she is elected President of the United Federation of Planets.

Nichelle Nichols changed the real-life space program

While Lt. Uhura was television's first Black astronaut, actress Nichelle Nichols leveraged her character's popularity to effect substantive change in the real-life US space program. Her involvement in real space activism began in 1975, when a NASA presentation at a "Star Trek" convention impressed upon her the homogeneity of NASA's white, male astronaut pool. Nichols decided to take it upon herself to create the change that her TV character was supposed to represent, writing editorials for newspapers and magazines questioning why the pool of American astronauts was not representative of the America around us.

These editorials got the attention of NASA, who invited her to cooperate in revamping their recruitment efforts for the upcoming class of space shuttle astronauts. Nichols agreed, but wisely did so as an independent contractor rather than as some sort of mascot. Not only did this preserve her credibility, but it also meant that she could hold NASA accountable if they didn't hold up their end — if she lined up the qualified candidates they asked for and NASA still hired only white men, she'd have the leverage to sue. Nichols spent the latter half of 1975 traveling the United States spreading her vision of the space program and personally recruiting much of the NASA Class of 1978, which would include America's first six female astronauts and first three African American astronauts.

Nichols' efforts for the space program are the center of the documentary "Woman in Motion."

Plans to bring Uhura back fell through

During the "Star Trek" renaissance of the 1980s and '90s, nearly every core member of "The Original Series" cast returned to make appearances on "Star Trek" offshoots — except for Nichelle Nichols. DeForrest Kelley, Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan each returned as special guests on "The Next Generation," Doohan joined William Shatner and Walter Koenig in the crossover film "Star Trek: Generations," George Takei and Grace Lee Whitney returned on an episode of "Voyager," but Nichols never officially reprised Uhura after 1991's "Star Trek VI." (She did appear in the unofficial miniseries  "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men" produced by "Trek" alums in 2007.)

This isn't to say that Nichols was never invited to return to "Star Trek," but perhaps that no invitation was particularly enticing. In 1996, Nichols was offered a cameo in the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Flashback," which had a far more prominent role for her castmate George Takei as Captain Sulu. Nichols declined, feeling that her role was not significant enough to warrant her involvement. The most recent opportunity to bring Nichols back into "Star Trek" was a pitch for an episode of "Short Treks" in which an older Uhura would send a young Jean-Luc Picard on a mission. This episode has yet to be produced.

The movie reboot expands her role

In 2009, "Star Trek" was rebooted as a big-budget blockbuster film series featuring new versions of the original characters, with only Leonard Nimoy returning from the original cast as a time-displaced older Spock. Uhura, now portrayed by Zoë Saldana, had a much more prominent role in the new film series than she had previously. In addition to being depicted more explicitly as a genius polyglot whose skill with languages saves the crew on several occasions, she and James T. Kirk cross paths frequently at Starfleet Academy as Kirk is an infamous ne'er-do-well who also happens to be dating her roommate. The pair end up serving aboard the USS Enterprise together, where they eventually put aside their differences. Uhura also gets to participate more in the action-adventure side of "Trek" than her television counterpart, and has a romantic subplot with Spock that runs across all three films.

Zoë Saldana was offered the role of Uhura after already signing on to play Neytiri in James Cameron's sci-fi behemoth "Avatar." Saldana was initially hesitant to take on another demanding role with an overlapping production, prompting a summit between Cameron and "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams to ensure that she wouldn't have to miss out on either opportunity. Saldana joined "Star Trek" with relatively little knowledge of the franchise, which is ironic — Saldana had previously portrayed a massive "Star Trek" fan in Steven Spielberg's 2004 film "The Terminal."

Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols died in 2022

Uhura will forever be hailed as an icon in the annals of science fiction history, and the character, no matter who plays her in the future, will surely continue to appear in future "Star Trek" reboots and spin-offs for as long as the franchise endures. However, as important as Uhura was to the television landscape, the woman who first brought her to life — the actor, singer, and activist Nichelle Nichols — was no less iconic.

Sadly, Nichols died on the night of July 30, 2022, as reported by Variety . Nichols had spent the last few years of her life diagnosed with dementia, per The Los Angeles Times . She is survived by her son Kyle Johnson, who was the one to reveal the news on her official Instagram account the morning after her death. There, Johnson wrote, "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration."

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Published Dec 28, 2023

Nyota Uhura’s Most Iconic Star Trek Moments

It’s time to celebrate the Enterprise’s communications officer.

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Nyota Uhura remains a groundbreaking character even to this day. Originated by Nichelle Nichols, the communications officer of the starship Enterprise was not only a courageous and clever addition to the crew, but represented a better future for viewers. Nichols herself was asked to remain on the show by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , as he said it was one of the few shows he allowed his children to watch due to its depiction of Black characters as an equal leading character. Nichols also inspired legions of others, such as Sonequa Martin-Green, who blazed a trail as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery .

In 2009, Zoe Saldana stepped into the role in Star Trek (2009) . She delivered an equally powerful performance, setting the stage for Celia Rose Gooding to play the role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . While Gooding’s Uhura is a cadet, she is ready to prove herself and find her place among the cosmos.

To celebrate the beginnings of Uhura’s journey, we collected a few of Uhura’s most iconic moments from across the franchise to highlight her courage, her cleverness, and her leadership.

" Charlie X ," Star Trek: The Original Series

While this episode is full of dated views on gender, it does feature a scene highlighting Uhura’s friendship with the crew, particularly Spock. In the recreation room, Spock plays the Vulcan lute as Uhura sings “Oh, On the Starship Enterprise ” for the delight of the crew. While their performance ends abruptly due to Charlie’s powers, it’s a sweet scene that not only highlights Nichols’ gifted voice but shows that Uhura is a character with multiple sides to her beyond being a gifted officer.

"Mirror, Mirror," Star Trek: The Original Series

What do you do when trapped in an alternate universe? Uhura, along with Kirk, Scotty, and McCoy, finds the answer to that question in “Mirror, Mirror.” Uhura plays a key role in getting everyone home by distracting Sulu long enough for Scotty to divert warp power to the transporters. Even though she’s nervous, Uhura still proves herself to be as capable as the other officers on the mission, and without her bravery, Kirk and his crew would still be trapped in the Mirror Universe.

"The Lorelei Signal," Star Trek: The Animated Series

When Kirk and several male officers have their life forces drained on a planet full of siren-like women, Uhura steps up to take charge. Leading an all-women landing party, she convinces the women to free her captain and crew and to stop luring men to their deaths every 27 years. She even arranges for a ship — crewed only by women Starfleet officers — to come to pick up the women and take them to a more habitable planet. This is one of the few original episodes to allow Uhura to take full command, and of course she more than rises to the occasion, resolving the problem peacefully and without losing a single crewmember.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

When she has the opportunity to help Spock come back to life, Uhura joins the rest of the crew in taking action. While her role is smaller in the film compared to her colleagues, she still gets one key and memorable scene. Uhura easily disarms and stops a young, brash Starfleet officer who’s guarding the Transporter room. “I’m glad you’re on our side,” McCoy says, and he’s right. Any side with Uhura on it? That’s clearly the winning team.

Star Trek Beyond

In the Kelvin universe, Uhura gets many opportunities to shine, but one key moment is her face-off with Krall in Star Trek Beyond . Uhura never gives up the faith that Kirk and her fellow crew members will save the day, and never displays fear or worry when Krall is threatening her. Once rescued and aboard the Franklin , it’s Uhura who is able to figure out that Krall is actually Captain Edison via the video logs left on the ship. Without her, the mystery behind Krall would have never been solved. She showcases her quick thinking to help save the day.

" Children of the Comet ," Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

"Children of the Comet"

Uhura lands an invitation to dinner at the captain's cabin where the crew gets to learn more about the cadet, with Pike noting how impressive she must be to land one of the few postings aboard the flagship Enterprise . She surprises the crew with her fluency in 37 languages, as well as her belief that she's doesn't consider herself "all that Starfleet."

Knowing Uhura's desire to study alien languages, Pike orders the cadet to join her first landing party as they survey a comet. On the comet's surface, they end up cut off from the ship's comms as they're near a volatile ancient egg-shaped relic. With time against them and a crewmember in critical condition, the away team relies on Uhura's specialty as a linguistics expert to help them out of their current predicament. As this was the first time her life was in danger; Uhura questions her presence there. When she defaults to her trait of humming when distressed, they noticed that the relic and the chamber reacting to Uhura's melody — the comet's form of communicating. As Uhura matches the comet's melodies, it lowers its force field allowing them to beam back aboard the Enterprise to save not only Sam Kirk's life as well as the lives of a neighboring planet in the comet's range.

" Subspace Rhapsody ," Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Keep Us Connected

In another music-based moment, Ensign Uhura truly shines in her solo musical number, "Keep Us Connected," as performed by the Grammy Award-winning Gooding. She details the tragedies of her life — losing her family as well as her friend and mentor, Hemmer — at such a young age, and how that grief is woven into her fabric.

Despite all this, it's her experiences that has guided her here, and towards understanding the subspace anomaly. Armed with her strengths, she inspires the entire crew into a full-blown musical ensemble, " We Are One ," saving not only the Enterprise , but all others in the surrounding area.

What’s your favorite Uhura moment? Let us know on social!

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This article was originally published on May 16, 2022.

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.

Star Trek's Uhura Once Brilliantly Commanded the Enterprise

Nichelle Nichols' remarkable character Nyota Uhura once commanded the USS Enterprise in an overlooked corner of the Star Trek universe.

The passing of Nichelle Nichols has prompted renewed reflection on her pioneering role as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and its related properties. An African-American woman serving as a senior officer on the bridge of Starfleet’s flagship was groundbreaking. Uhura's presence embodied the promise of Star Trek ’s brighter, more inclusive future, and her poise under fire inspired generations of fans to reach for the stars.

Uhura did much more than fans may recall. In addition to consistently performing her communications officer duties under severe conditions, she also assumed crucial roles such at the navigation and science stations at critical moments. However, she made her most significant contribution to Star Trek ’s tradition of promoting representation in an overlooked corner of the Trek universe. Uhura was captain of the USS Enterprise in an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series , and her time in command isn't discussed enough.

RELATED: William Shatner's Right About Gene Roddenberry and Modern Star Trek

In Season 1, Episode 4, "The Lorelei Signal," Uhura is forced to take control when the males of the Enterprise crew are seduced by a planet of alluring females. The episode takes inspiration from a German legend regarding a jilted woman who threw herself into the Rhine River and enchanted fishermen from a large rock with her beauty and singing. The men would be mesmerized by her siren call and crash on the rock. The Enterprise fared much better because there were plenty of females aboard. Uhura is the first to observe that her male counterparts are captivated by the signal, while the females are unaffected. She and Nurse Christine Chapel investigate and discover that the men are in danger.

Recognizing that the welfare of the crew is threatened, Uhura does not hesitate to take command. She informs an entranced Commander Scott that she is “taking responsibility for the safety of this ship" and proceeds to lead an all-female landing party to rescue Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy, who have been imprisoned on the planet. She also manages to secure a better fate for the Taurean women. Uhura absolutely shines in the episode. Unfortunately, the disdain some hold for the series has cast a shadow over it. Worse yet, Nichols was nearly not associated with the show at all.

RELATED: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Gives Captain Pike's Tragic Fate a Silver Lining

The Animated Series , which ran from 1973-1974, has been regarded as a second-tier entity in the Star Trek franchise. In fact, it was long questioned if the series was canon. But elements it established are finding their way into newer shows. For instance, the series introduced the Enterprise’s first captain Robert April, and Captain Christopher Pike’s mentor now plays a vital role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . The show also bridged the gap between The Original Series and the next phase of the franchise when a growing fan base craved new content. But, The Animated Series was not going to feature Nichols in order to keep costs down. Leonard Nimoy reportedly insisted that she and George Takei join the cast, according to Takei's autobiography To the Stars .

Fans were fortunate that Nichols voiced Uhura in "The Lorelei Signal" because she deserved the right to be a part of Uhura’s biggest moment. Uhura, Chapel and Takei’s Hikaru Sulu would also see much more character development thanks to The Animated Series . The show even imaginatively continued the stories of several memorable guest characters, including the Tribbles, the Guardian of Forever and Harry Mudd. Nichelle Nichols will be remembered for her graceful performance and trailblazing role as Lt. Nyota Uhura in The Original Series , but it's important not to forget Uhura's finest moment happened on another show entirely.

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Star Trek: Nichelle Nichols’ Best Uhura Moments

The legendary Nichelle Nichols boldly went where no woman had gone before on Star Trek. Here are the moments where Lt. Uhura got to shine.

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A true icon and legend to generations of fans, actor, singer, dancer and activist Nichelle Nichols left this plane of existence on July 30, 2022. Nichols, of course, was best known for her portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in all three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series , the short-lived 1973 animated series, plus six feature films featuring the original show’s crew members.

Uhura’s station on the bridge of the Enterprise as communications officer was a breakthrough in American television for both women and African-Americans. A woman, let alone a woman of color, had never been situated in such a high-ranking position before, one of several ways in which Star Trek and Nichols broke new ground.

When Nichols decided to leave after the first season after getting an offer to do a Broadway play, she was convinced to stay on the show by no less than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an interview with the Archive of American Television , she recalled King saying, “For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful, people who can sing, dance, and can go to space, who are professors, lawyers … If you leave, that door can be closed.”

Nichols did stay, and while Star Trek perhaps remained the crowning professional achievement of her life, she continued to act, sing, write and appear at conventions well into her later years. She also worked with NASA on a successful program to recruit minorities and women into the space program.

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Uhura was undeniably an inspiration to millions and a beloved fixture in Star Trek lore. But the character was underused on The Original Series , often relegated to simply opening the hailing frequencies, occasionally screaming, and often reporting on communications failures. On the rare occasions she did get to do something more, her presence and grace was like a beam of pure light on a show that already lit up the imagination every week. Here are 10 examples of Uhura getting that chance to shine, and we’ll treasure them forever as her wonderful spirit heads into the undiscovered country.

“Charlie X” (Season 1, Episode 2)

While Uhura did get some brief business of her own in the first broadcast episode (“The Man Trap”), with a monstrous shapeshifter appearing to her as a member of her own nation, she got a chance to really stand out in this classic episode about a teenage boy who is unable to handle both his developing emotions and his massive reality-warping powers.

In one memorable sequence, Spock and Uhura entertain crew members in the recreation room, with Uhura singing along as Spock plays his Vulcan lute. Not only did the scene let Nichols show off her singing voice, but it established the respectful, playful – and slightly flirty – relationship between Uhura and Spock that was later developed as a full-blown romance in the Star Trek reboot movies.

“The Squire of Gothos” (Season 1, Episode 17)

Uhura doesn’t get a whole lot to do in this episode – in which a petulant superbeing toys with the crew of the Enterprise until his parents show up and scold him – but it at least gets her off the bridge for a few minutes. At one point, Trelane (William Campbell) transports the entire bridge crew down to his castle on the planet Gothos, where he gives Uhura the ability to play the harpsichord so that Trelane can dance with a female yeoman.

Uhura seems to actually having this newfound ability – cementing the character’s longstanding relationship with music – but she’s all business once Kirk (briefly) gets the upper hand on Trelane and manages to get the crew back to the ship.

“The Changeling” (Season 2, Episode 3)

When the psychopathic space probe Nomad comes aboard the Enterprise (a plot later reused in Star Trek: The Motion Picture ), it hears Uhura singing and does not understand it, so it zaps her brain looking for information – wiping her memory and reverting her mind back to that of a child.

Since her mind has been erased, Uhura’s only memory is of speaking Swahili – and a linguist was reportedly brought to the set to write a few lines in the language for Nichols to say. She is shown recovering slowly in Sickbay, and we’re happy to report that she’s back to college level by the end of the episode – and apparently back to normal in time for the next episode and her big role there.

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“Mirror, Mirror” (Season 2, Episode 4)

Regarded as one of the very best episodes of The Original Series , “Mirror, Mirror” finds Kirk, Scott, Uhura, and McCoy trapped in an alternate universe where the Federation is a savage tyranny and Starfleet officers move up in ran through brutality, genocide, assassination, and torture.

Uhura gets lots to do in this episode: she’s involved throughout with the plans to get back to “our” universe, she seduces and then spurns Sulu – on the bridge, no less – in an attempt to distract him at a crucial moment, and even gets a brief fight scene of her own against the “Captain’s Woman” (yeah, we know). As with other episodes that get her out of that damn chair, it’s great to see this trained officer in action.

“The Trouble with Tribbles” (Season 2, Episode 15)

Uhura had perhaps her biggest role ever in this classic episode about a species of furry little animals that breed like crazy and overrun the Enterprise . It is actually the communications officer who brings the first tribble on board the ship: she and Chekov are enjoying a little shore leave in a space station bar when she is presented with one by a traveling salesman who wants to promote his wares.

Uhura’s little pet subsequently begins to breed, and what happens from there is the basis of one of Trek ’s most popular and iconic segments. Uhura is involved throughout, and in her foray to the space station, we actually get to see her act like a woman and a human being – not just a futuristic switchboard operator.

“The Gamesters of Triskelion” (Season 2, Episode 16)

Another (somewhat inexplicably) popular episode, this one finds Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov captured by a group of disembodied aliens called the Providers, who stage gladiatorial contests among various humanoid “Thralls” on their planet as a way to amuse themselves. Our three Starfleet officers of course resist their confinement and training, although they must eventually fight for their lives.

This one found Uhura again in the heart of the action, although both she and Chekov get to do considerably less fighting than good old Kirk (we wonder if Shatner counted the fight scenes). Uhura also must fend off an attempted rape by another Thrall, which fortunately occurs offscreen and which she is able to successfully beat back.

“The Tholian Web” (Season 3, Episode 9)

One of the better third season episodes finds Kirk trapped aboard a starship that has slipped into an interdimensional void, while the Enterprise must fend off an attack from an aggressive race called the Tholians as they wait for Kirk to re-emerge.

Not a lot of Uhura in this one besides her usual duties, but there is one striking scene late in the episode in which we see her in her quarters for the first time in civilian clothing – in this case, a long, flowing gown and ceremonial necklace. Nichols told author David Gerrold in his book The World of Star Trek that this was one of her favorite episodes: “I enjoyed anything that I was able to get out of uniform.”

“Plato’s Stepchildren” (Season 3, Episode 10)

It’s widely regarded as one of the worst Star Trek episodes , yet it contains a moment that stands tall in the history of television. A small band of depraved aliens with vast mental powers, who embrace classical Greek culture, submit Kirk and Spock to various forms of humiliation in order to keep Dr. McCoy from leaving after he saves their leader’s life.

At one point, Uhura and Nurse Chapel are transported down for further entertainment, resulting in a scene in which Kirk and Uhura kiss. The kiss is mentally imposed upon them by the aliens, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was one of the first kisses between a Black person and a white person on television (it was thought to be the first for some time, but that is not in fact the case ; it was also not the first interracial kiss, as long stated, since other shows, even Star Trek itself, had featured kisses between whites and people of Asian or Latino ancestry).

In any case, it was almost certainly the first kiss of its kind (between Black and white) on American network television, a brave move indeed during the turbulent late ‘60s and a moment in which Nichelle Nichols played an essential part.

“The Lorelei Signal” (The Animated Series, Season 1, Episode 4)

Although Uhura was supposed to be fourth in command of the Enterprise , after Kirk, Spock, and Scotty, she was never shown doing so in the live-action show (indeed, Sulu and recurring redshirt Lt. Leslie even got to sit in the chair, but not Uhura!). That changed, however, in this animated series episode, in which a race of beautiful alien women lures the male members of the Enterprise crew to their planet, in order to drain their life force.

With the entire male crew incapacitated by the alien women, Uhura assumes command of the ship for the first time in its televised history as she and Nurse Chapel search for a way to free the men. According to Andy Mangels’ Star Trek: The Animated Series , Nichols reportedly exclaimed during the script’s table read, “What, you’re kidding? I actually get to run the Enterprise ? Really?” Long overdue, madam.

“Once Upon a Planet” (The Animated Series, Season 1, Episode 9)

The animated series returns to the “amusement park” planet from the classic TOS entry “Shore Leave,” in which anything you desire can be made real for your entertainment. This time, however, the planet’s alien caretaker has died, and the planet’s massive computer is running things – and not doing a good job of it.

Uhura gets kidnapped by the computer at one point, and it’s up to her to try and talk some sense into it, albeit unsuccessfully. Not a great episode overall, but hey! It gets Nyota off the bridge again.

Star Trek: The Motion Pictures

In keeping with the TV series, Nichelle Nichols didn’t get a whole lot to do in the first three Star Trek feature films (she was even insultingly left behind as the others took off to save Spock in Star Trek III : The Search for Spock ). But things got a little better in the back three of the original cast’s six films.

In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , she and Chekov must go on a mission to covertly board an aircraft carrier parked in San Francisco (and also called Enterprise ) and borrow some energy from its nuclear reactor to recharge their stolen Klingon ship. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier finds Uhura – Nichelle Nichols not giving a shit and still bringing it in her mid-50s – doing a fan dance to distract some local morons on a backwater planet. That makes Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – Nichols’ final appearance as Uhura – a bit of a letdown, since she’s back at mostly communications, although she has a generally more primary presence on the bridge (and is at the awkward dinner with the Klingons).

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‘Strange New Worlds’ Gives Uhura’s Story the Space It Deserves

The iconic Lt. Uhura has gone through several recasts and retcons over the years, along with the rest of the original Enterprise crew from Star Trek: The Original Series ( TOS ). First played by Nichelle Nichols, and then Zoe Saldana in the Kelvin-verse reboot, the torch has now passed to Celia Rose Gooding in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ( SNW ). But who is this version of Uhura, which continuity does she belong to , and what are the things that set her apart from her predecessors and flesh out the canon of an already brilliant character?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds exists in the prime timeline, meaning that Cadet Uhura from SNW is a younger version of TOS ‘ Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) rather than the Kelvin-verse’s Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Given the point at which the timelines diverge into the prime universe and the Kelvin-verse, and that SNW takes place in the years immediately after Nero’s assault on the Federation in the other timeline, you could say that Saldana and Gooding’s Uhuras are directly parallel versions of the same woman; with the movies providing an almost Marvel’s What if…? -style vision of how Uhura adapts and changes in response to different circumstances.

Of course it’s also possible that SNW actually exists in its own, third timeline, as theorized by Eric Diaz over at Nerdist . It’s a very Schrodinger’s cat/quantum physics sort of situation—the idea that by observing his future (in the Star Trek: Discovery episode “Through the Valley of Shadows”), Pike has already changed it, and other changes may follow on from there. It’s a fascinating idea, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, but it also won’t affect the canonicity of any details SNW has added to Uhura’s backstory, as they predate Pike’s encounter with the time crystals. Anything that happens post-series start however? That’s all up in the air, depending on which way the writers go with this, and if there’s one thing Star Trek has been doing to us lately, it’s surprising us.

Joining Starfleet

One thing SNW has been praised for is delving deeper into the backstories and motivations of characters who were largely relegated to supporting cast. We now know that Uhura joined Starfleet not because of her own dreams or ambitions, but because a personal tragedy derailed them and left her in need of a new path in life. Originally intending to study xenolinguistics at the University of Nairobi, where her parents taught, Uhura lost both of them and her older brother to a shuttle accident shortly before matriculating. Distraught and unable to face the idea of spending the next few years somewhere filled with memories of her parents, she withdrew from her course of study and moved in with her grandmother for a while to figure out her next steps. Inspired by her grandmother, a retired Starfleet officer, and feeling like she didn’t fit in anywhere on earth, Uhura joined the academy and excelled, performing well enough to secure a coveted spot on the Enterprise. Despite this, she was still unsure of whether Starfleet was really the right choice for her when she first appeared on the show, or if she was just running away from her pain and hadn’t found her “true purpose yet.”

Life before the Enterprise

Though still only a cadet, Uhura has already served on at least one other ship before being assigned to Pike’s Enterprise: the USS Gallant. During her time there, several crewmen died, leading to her wearing a pin that commemorates them and their loss on Remembrance Day in SNW: Memento Mori . Though we don’t know the circumstances, her assertion that her life has never been in danger before (made during SNW: Children of the Comet ), suggests it was either the kind of localized accident that commonly occurs in areas such as engineering, or happened during an away mission she wasn’t on. Nonetheless, even though Uhura hadn’t been at risk herself, the loss of her crewmates only exacerbated her uncertainty about Starfleet and whether it was where she truly wanted to be.

37 languages and counting

A common criticism levied at the TOS writers, and one that was shared by Nichelle Nichols herself, is that they failed to make proper use of Uhura’s character or showcase her skill set—often relegating her to a background presence, and the phrase “hailing frequencies open.” While the character was created by Roddenberry as a gifted linguist, the show does such a bad job of conveying it that some viewers have even come away with the impression that Uhura only speaks one or two languages. Though TOS Uhura is canonically a polyglot, the exact number of languages she speaks is never specified, and the only two we know for sure are English and Swahili, with her minimal grasp of Klingon a plot point played for laughs in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country .

SNW ‘s Uhura comes in and smashes this misconception from the get-go. When Pike incorrectly tells the other dinner guests in SNW: Children of the Comet that Uhura speaks 12 languages, she corrects him, explaining that the real number is actually 37. Given Uhura is still only a cadet at this point, that number is only going to increase by the time she reaches the age and rank her character was portrayed with in TOS —even if, in an attempt to keep the canons roughly compliant, they decide that she never does quite master Klingon.

More illuminating is Uhura’s reasoning for learning all of these languages and focusing her career on not just language acquisition but also linguistics, and facilitating communication between different cultures and species. With 22 languages spoken in her homeland alone, Uhura decided from a young age that the best way to understand people was to learn to understand their language first—something many professors of literature and history will agree with, as a lot of meaning and idioms are lost in translation.

Combined with her statements about feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere, and her father once telling her that she was “unburdened by conversational boundaries,” there’s the suggestion that Uhura may have (or had) some social difficulties, and might be autistic. This kind of drive to understand others does often lead autistics into fields like sociology or linguistics in real life, so it will be interesting to see if Uhura is intentionally coded that way and, if so, whether the show runners of Strange New Worlds will make it more overt later.

(featured image: Paramount+)

Celebrate ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s’ Farewell With the Franchise’s Best Black Characters

As ‘star trek: discovery’ begins its final adventure, we celebrate the universe’s most memorable black characters..

As enduring as the “Star Trek” franchise is, there are still countless timelines and ships left to explore. The universe was reinvigorated and rebooted a little in 2017 with the debut of its seventh series, “Star Trek: Discovery.” As the series enters its fifth and final season on Paramount+, we’re showing it some love for its diversity, inclusivity and originality. Not only did it give us Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham, the first Black woman to lead a series as a Starfleet captain, it also championed representation with LGBTQ+ characters, beautiful stories of Black love and a captivating expansion of “The Original Series.”

Ahead of the April 4 premiere of Season 5, Martin-Green spoke to The Root about Burnham’s legacy and what she learned from the character.

“I hope that people look to this character, see themselves reach higher, go further, do what they never felt comfortable enough to do or confident enough to do,” Martin-Green told The Root. “For me personally, I learned how to not fight for my value or my worth. When I came into ‘Discovery,’ that’s very much where I was coming from. A lot of internalized racism was in my heart and I felt that I needed to prove that I belonged there, deserve to be there. I learned over the course of ‘Discovery’ that’s not the case. God used it to show me that my value is intrinsic and, and I pray that’s part of the legacy as well. Especially for Black women.”

“Star Trek: Discovery” Season 5 premieres April 4 on Paramount+, with new episodes debuting every Thursday. The streaming service is also home to the entire “Star Trek” Universe.

Lt. Uhura (‘The Original Series’)

Any examination of “Star Trek’s” Black characters must begin and end with Nyoto Uhura. Nichelle Nichols literally changed the course of history, inspiring generations of Black scientists and astronauts.

Benjamin Sisko

What’s great about Capt. Sisko is that he was never afraid to take chances. His chief concern was doing what’s right and protecting people, not following regulations.

Dr. Richard Daystrom

This brilliant scientist is the literal architect of the Federation’s future. He created the computer program that ran all Starfleet’s ships. He made the future possible.

Cleveland “Book” Booker

When Book and Burnham are together on a mission they give off “03 Bonnie & Clyde” vibes. Even when they’re being the good guys, it feels like they’re going rogue.

Raffi Musiker

Michelle Hurd is fantastic at playing complex, authentic characters. In “Picard,” Raffi is a brilliant, badass, compassionate, flawed, fully humanized woman, which makes her fascinating to watch.

Michael Burnham

Capt. Michael Burnham is logical, courageous, loyal, clever and not afraid to occasionally play dirty. Nothing is more important to her than her crew, making her one of the franchise’s best leaders.

Geordi LaForge

A brilliant engineer, Geordi is one “Star Trek’s” rare scientists who’s led more by his heart than his exceptional brains.

She’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma that we’ll never really figure out and we love every minute of it. No one else but Whoopi Goldberg could’ve played Guinan.

Travis Mayweather

We never spent enough time with “Enterprise’s” Lt. Mayweather. We knew he was an expert pilot who basically grew up in space, giving him a perspective the rest of the crew would never understand. He’s the kind of character we could definitely see rising through the ranks of Starfleet, but never gives up on the action.

Cadet Uhura

It’s truly captivating to watch “Strange New Worlds’” Celia Rose Gooding take a character like Uhura and effortlessly combine all the familar elements of her origin with brand new stories and developments. She simultaneously honors Uhura’s legacy while also making the character feel new.

Dr. M’Benga

The balance between M’Benga the healer and M’Benga the warrior is fascinating to watch. No offense to Dr. McCoy, but we don’t want to see him leave the Enterprise.

Lily Sloane

“First Contact” is one of the best films in the franchise and big part of that is because of Alfre Woodard. The way she deftly puts Picard in his place while evading the Borg is something every Black woman has had to do to co-worker. Plus you know she really did all the work on Cochrane’s warp flight.

Emory Erickson

As the inventor of the transporter, there would be no “Star Trek” without Emory Erickson. We need whoever is working on this technology in the real world to speed things along, as traffic is out of control.

Neera Ketoul

As Number One’s lawyer in the heartbreaking “Strange New Worlds” episode “Ad Astra per Aspera,” Yetide Badaki is the foundation for one of the franchise’s most unforgettable stories. She brings a regal authority to the courtroom, providing authenticity to the futuristic outing.

Tuvok’s Vulcan logic was always at the forefront, but “Voyager’s” Delta Quadrant setting away from the main universe gave him a chance to showcase the character’s emotional influence from his human friends. He was a relatable Vulcan.

Lt. Uhura (‘Star Trek’ Kelvin Timeline)

Zoë Saldaña made Uhura into a fiercely independent action hero in the new “Star Trek” film trilogy. We always knew that Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura was more than she was allowed to be, so it was thrilling to see this version of the character in the thick of the action.

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The Last TOS Episode, Turnabout Intruder...Where Is Uhura?

Discussion in ' Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series ' started by Spock's Barber , Oct 11, 2014 .

Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

Anyone have any information on why Nichelle Nichols was not in this episode??!  

Harvey Admiral Admiral

I think she had a singing gig? I may be incorrect, though.  

Green Shirt Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Since the show was toast, she was advised by MLK to take a week off.  

Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

Was she scheduled to appear in every episode?  

Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

Like most of the minor recurring characters, Nichelle was a day player and called in on an as-needed basis.  

Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

^ Correct. It's probably just a strange quirk of scheduling or budget that Nichelle disappears three episodes from the end, none of the cast except the big three appear in the penultimate episode at all (Scotty is heard over the communicator, but he is not seen), and everybody sans Nichols was present for the finale.  

Lance said: ↑ ^ Correct. It's probably just a strange quirk of scheduling or budget that Nichelle disappears three episodes from the end, none of the cast except the big three appear in the penultimate episode at all (Scotty is heard over the communicator, but he is not seen), and everybody sans Nichols was present for the finale. Click to expand...

EnsignHarper Captain Captain

Mutoid said: ↑ Lance said: ↑ ^ Correct. It's probably just a strange quirk of scheduling or budget that Nichelle disappears three episodes from the end, none of the cast except the big three appear in the penultimate episode at all (Scotty is heard over the communicator, but he is not seen), and everybody sans Nichols was present for the finale. Click to expand...

EnsignHarper said: ↑ Mutoid said: ↑ Lance said: ↑ ^ Correct. It's probably just a strange quirk of scheduling or budget that Nichelle disappears three episodes from the end, none of the cast except the big three appear in the penultimate episode at all (Scotty is heard over the communicator, but he is not seen), and everybody sans Nichols was present for the finale. Click to expand...

I meant exactly what I said: Uhura is gone after her appearance in "The Savage Curtain", we only 'see' the big three in "All Our Yesterdays" (although Scotty is HEARD as a voice-over, we don't actually SEE him, so it's unlikely that Doohan was even required for the filming of the episode, his bits could've been recorded separately at any time), and then everyone except Uhura appears in "Turnabout Intruder". I'm not sure the order in which they were produced, but I suspect it's probably just a strange quirk of scheduling that Uhura vanishes three episodes from the end.  

erastus25 Commodore Commodore

Lance said: ↑ ... his bits could've been recorded separately at any time), and then everyone except Uhura appears in "Turnabout Intruder". Click to expand...

^ Absolutely. That's what I said. I'm afraid Mutoid's gotten a wee bit confused (perhaps I could've worded it better?).  

Lance said: ↑ ^ Absolutely. That's what I said. I'm afraid Mutoid's gotten a wee bit confused (perhaps I could've worded it better?). Click to expand...

Green Shirt said: ↑ Lance said: ↑ ^ Absolutely. That's what I said. I'm afraid Mutoid's gotten a wee bit confused (perhaps I could've worded it better?). Click to expand...

Nebusj Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Spock's Barber said: ↑ Anyone have any information on why Nichelle Nichols was not in this episode??! Click to expand...

johnnybear Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Nichelle wasn't missing from the last three episodes as she appeared in The Savage Curtain! She wasn't in All Our Yesterdays or Turnabout Intruder! The whole crew wasn't actually all present in Turnabout as where was Mr.Kyle? we can't forget the chicken soup engineer now can we? I know he only showed up in one season three episode but.....  

HIjol Vice Admiral Admiral

Mutoid said: ↑ Green Shirt said: ↑ Lance said: ↑ ^ Absolutely. That's what I said. I'm afraid Mutoid's gotten a wee bit confused (perhaps I could've worded it better?). Click to expand...

diankra Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Looking at Star Trek: The Inside Story, Turnabout Intruder was the only episode shot in 1969, so if Nichols had been offered a gig to start the first week of January, then knowing that the series was cancelled it would make sense for her to take it, unless she was under contract to Paramount and they obliged to do the last week of Trek. Speculating, but...  

diankra said: ↑ Looking at Star Trek: The Inside Story, Turnabout Intruder was the only episode shot in 1969, so if Nichols had been offered a gig to start the first week of January, then knowing that the series was cancelled it would make sense for her to take it, unless she was under contract to Paramount and they obliged to do the last week of Trek. Speculating, but... Click to expand...

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Uhura (TOS)

Uhura is a character from Star Trek: The Original Series , played by Nichelle Nichols . She was the communications officer and a translator aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. When it was needed, Uhura readily and capably assumed control of the helm, navigation and science stations on the bridge.

The character was one of the first black women main characters in a major television show, and became a cultural role model, receiving praise from Dr. King himself, and encouraging black women into science careers (see: The Uhura Effect .) The kiss between Uhura and Kirk during 1968 episode "Plato's Stepchildren" is also widely held as holding special significance as a very early occurrence of interracial kissing on American television, although some fans question its signifiance due to the dubcon aspect of its setup.

Despite intense fanon interest about her, few canon facts are actually known about Uhura. Noticeably, her first name was never given in the original series, and was a topic of much fannish discussion before finally entering official canon in 2009.

Canon & Fanon

In 1967, The Star Trek Writers Guide stated Uhura's birthplace was the United States of Africa, although this was never outright stated in canon .

Uhura is known to speak Swahili. Fanon holds that Uhura is from Kenya, an idea supported by the tie-in novels. [1]

Uhura's First Name: Penda? Nyota?

Uhura's first name was never revealed in the original series, and she did not have an official canon name until 2009 when the name "Nyota" was used in Star Trek: Alternate Original Series . In that film, her name is a running joke: Kirk apparently doesn't know either, and only finds it out in an intimate moment between the two of them.

The name used in Abram's movie, however, was first mentioned in William Rotsler's 1982 licensed tie-in book, "Star Trek II Biographies." Despite the fact that Rostler's book contains many errors, such as the existence of a sister for Kirk named "Michele," and the fact that Kirk was not born on Earth, "Nyota" became her accepted canon name.

Fans, however, had agreed upon a different name long before "Nyota." That name was "Penda," and it was used as early as 1975.

From an LoC by Mary Lou Dodge in T-Negative #27 (April 1975):

A friend consulted with a Tanzanian professor who is a Swahili expert: the Swahili noun for Love is Upendo, but when it was made into a name the U is dropped. Since, the expert said Uhura is not really correct Swahili (well, language changes over a couple centuries), the first name would probably be English feminized like the last name -- Penda Uhura. (Information provided by Dr. Richard Kurtz, Notre Dame University.)

Regarding Uhura's first name: fanon vs canon :

Natonne Elaine K was starting a fan club called Fans of Penda Uhura and Hikaru Sulu and wants some clarification on those characters' two first names -- she points out that Mary Louise Dodge in her capacity as a spokesperson for the STW has given her some information:

As mentioned previously, Ms. Dodge was extremely helpful. For example, Ms. Dodge stated that during the mid-1970's, Dorothy Fontana announced at a convention that the first name of Sulu was "Itaka" [2] and the first name of Uhura was the Swahili name for love ("Upenda" or "Penda"). In addition, Ms. Dodge stated, that to the best of her knowledge, "Hikaru" was first used in Vonda N. McIntyre's novel, The Entropy Effect . From our research and inquiry, "Itaka" has never been well received by the fans. In contrast, "Hikaru" seems to be well accepted by the fans. This is why this organization favors this name. In reference to "Penda," besides the information provided by Ms. Dodge, members of this organization have heard about fans selecting "Penda" as Uhura's first name in the mid-1970's. What occurred first: Dorothy Fontana announcing "Penda" as Uhura's first name or the fans selecting this name? Or, was the selection of "Penda" by Star Trek fans an act of approval of the name chosen?... In recent novels published by Pocket Books/Timescape, the name "Nyota" (which means "star", thereby Nyota Uhura meaning "Star Freedom" [see Uhura's Song ]) has surfaced as Uhura's first name. As far as this organization can determine, "Nyota" first appeared in William Rotsler's Star Trek II Biographies . [3] Rotsler's book contains many errors, such as the existence of a sister for Kirk, "Michele" and the fact that Kirk was not born on Earth. Since there are gross errors surrounding the biography of a major character such as Kirk, the credibility for the other biographies is weakened. Thus, FOPUAHS would like to know, is Rotsler's version considered official? Rostler states that "Hikaru" is Sulu's first name. We realize that Rotsler's book was published after McIntyre's novel. Hence, Rostler probably derived Sulu's first name from The Entropy Effect . Likewise, Uhura seemed to lack a first name in the novels until after Rotsler's book was published. Thereafter, writers of Star Trek novels began to incorporate "Nyota" into their novels. [4]

Among some fannish groups, Uhura's first name became a battle between canon/tie-in novels and fanon/zines:

I just don't know about this movement to make "Penda" Uhura's first name. I'm usually not one to pick at details but a name is pretty important. It seems like every Star Trek book I've ever read (and that number is close to 100) that mentions Uhura's first name says it's Nyota. I remember reading an article somewhere, sometime in the distant past (maybe a Best of Trek?) that said her name was Penda. But, I'm much more inclined to take the general consensus of a lot of books rather than someone who simply says what her name is. If Penda was "officially" recognized, all those books would be rendered untrue. [5]

In a 1990 zine foreword for Starbound #2, Nichelle Nichols herself affirms that Uhura's nickname is Penda/Upenda. (She spells it "Upenda" in the foreword; the name spelled as "Penda" many times in the story):

Consider the deep-welled friendship between Uhura and Christine in "Hot Time In The Old Town". The author, in this case, wisely chose a light-hearted approach to their strongly felt relationship. These are two women totally at ease with one another (note Christine's use of Nyota's nickname, Upenda, obviously stemming from years of shared adventure on and off the starship Enterprise). They really know one another, and so their emotions are very real and natural and their friendship survives through it all, even their different tastes in music. Their mutual trust and quirky senses of humor are ties that bind them so nicely. (They truly remind me of Majel and me...okay, who's been eavesdropping?!?!)

Putting [a history of K/S fandom] together would be a pain in the royal ass, though, and would have to include some of the history of general Trek fandom as well. A good point is Uhura's first name. I don't know when the COMPENDIUM came out, but "Nyota" is not how I think of Uhura. Penda was used in a story in the 70's (does anyone know which one?) and fandom took it up. It was one of those things which seemed right and was used by so many that it became part of the fannish lexicon even though it wasn't in the aired Trek. When an author uses Penda. it says she has either read a lot of the old zines or she is an old-time fan.. [6]

Pre-1985 Fanworks and Penda

The tie-in novel, "Uhura's Song," was published in January 1985 and that author utilized "Nyota."

This is a partial list of the many fanworks that used the name "Penda" instead:

• many stories in Diamonds and Rust (1977)
• "Reverie" by Mary Lou Dodge in Interphase #4 (1977)
• "Upenda" by Pat McCormack in Fesarius #2 (1977)
• "Thy Gracious Dews of Solace" by Juanita Salicrup in The Sensuous Vulcan (1977)
• "Third Times a Charm" by Julie Osburn in R & R #11 (1979)
• various stories and filks in Kan't Stop Laughing #2 (1980)
• "Homeward Bound" by Joy Mancinelli in Spin Dizzie #3 (1980)
• many fanworks in Woman, Warrior, Wife (1981)
• The Gallian (1982)
• "Somebody Open the Airlock" by Robert Jan in Spock #38 (1983)
• "Paid in Full" by Robert Jan in Spock #34 (1983)
• "Upenda" by Vel Jaeger in Trekism at Length #3 (1983)
• "In Between Earth and Sky (Epilogue)" by Robert Jan in Spock #38/39 (1984)

Secondary Canon

• Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan is a Star Trek: TOS tie-in novel that gives Uhura a leading role.
• Nichelle Nichols contributed a story to Star Trek: The New Voyages ' second issue.

Cultural Impact

As a Black Role Model

Despite being a visible presence on the show, Nichols has spoken of her early frustration at the limitations imposed on her role on the series. She faced oppressive resistance from a network concerned about the reactions of its affiliates to her presence onscreen; her lines in scripts were often cut.

After the first season, Nichols was tempted to leave the series and work toward a Broadway career. The day after Nichols told Gene Roddenberry about her plan to depart the show, she had a conversation with Martin Luther King, Jr. that changed her mind. King (who told her "I am your greatest fan. I am that Trekkie.") told her that she was an important role model for young black children and women across the country. In a 2011 interview, Nichols described meeting King and of his encouragement:

He complimented me on the manner in which I'd created the character. I thanked him, and I think I said something like, Dr. King, I wish I could be out there marching with you. He said, no, no, no. No, you don't understand. We don't need you on the - to march. You are marching. You are reflecting what we are fighting for. So, I said to him, thank you so much. And I'm going to miss my co-stars. And his face got very, very serious. And he said, what are you talking about? And I said, well, I told Gene just yesterday that I'm going to leave the show after the first year because I've been offered - and he stopped me and said: You cannot do that. And I was stunned. He said, don't you understand what this man has achieved? For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen. He says, do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch. I was speechless. [7]

Indeed, Uhura was a positive influence. Actress Whoopi Goldberg, and astronaut Mae Jamison both claim Uhura as an early role model. [8]

In her book of essays, Racism 101 , Nikki Giovanni writes "I've been a Trekkie since the television series Star Trek began. I was intrigued that a sister, Nichelle Nichols, was the communications officer." [9]

After the series ended, Nichols volunteered her time in a successful NASA campaign aimed at recruiting African Americans and women. [10]

See: The Uhura Effect

The show's episode "Plato's Stepchildren" is often (though mistakenly) cited as one of the first interracial kisses on U.S. television. [11]

In that episode, a mind controlled Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura kiss. Both Shatner and Nichelle Nichols claim that there was no actual physical contact between them during the scene in question, due to pressure from NBC. [12]

While the studio was concerned about reaction to the episode, viewer reaction was largely positive. In 2001, Nichols said:

The mail poured in. We had more mail on that episode than any other episode in all of the time of Star Trek. But Gene [Roddenberry] said to me over a letter from the fanmail, "This one letter in here, this is the extent of the negative mail that we've received." And it was from a man in the South who said "I don't believe in the integration of races and the fraternization of the races, but anytime a red-blooded American boy like Captain Kirk gets a girl in his arms that looks like Lieutenant Uhura, he ain't gonna fight it." So so much for the worries and the concerns about whether people can handle it, so I think we knew we were on the right track. [13]

Some fans have turned a more critical eye on this kiss. From a 2009 discussion:

But... am I the only one who is really bothered by this being used as a great example of something wonderful, since the Kirk/Uhura kiss is clearly non-consensual by both parties and is actually a form of sexual harassment/assault? [...] In fact, non-consensual sexual contact between white men and black women has long been considered "okay" and a way to enforce white power over women of color; the aliens forcing the kiss were shown as white after all. The forced kiss was also meant to demean and humiliate Kirk as well; perhaps not quite as far as making him a "n----- lover" but it was not meant as a shining example of interracial harmony. If Kirk and Uhura had kissed because, you know, they were happy or in love or whatever, then yeah, I could see this as being a great progressive moment in which we can all take pride as Star Trek fans. But for me, it's hard to get past the very problematic issues (which were, of course, intended as such in the script) of power and consent, so I can't really be thrilled about "the first [sic] interracial kiss on teevee." ...as for the kiss in Plato's Stepchildren, it was badly played and written. It had more to do with the lies Whites tell about black women and black bodies and, well, it kinda makes me sick to my tummy. I don't believe that the kiss can ever be taken on it's own. It was a big deal because racist and sexist American and Europen [sic] aesthetics made it a big deal. Just. Yuck. [14]

• Uhura/Chapel
• Spock/Uhura
• Scotty/Uhura
• T'Pring/Uhura
• Kirk/Spock/Uhura

• Amani , the newsletter of the Nichelle Nichols Fan Club, and the Nichelle Nichols Fan Club Yearbook .
• Delta Triad , a seven-issue Kirk/Uhura zine published between 1974 and 1984.
• Furaha , an anthology zine (edited by Virginia Walker ) dedicated to Uhura that ran to at least three issues, all published in 1975. The issues were short, averaging 54 pages. Contributors included Stephen Clarke , Robin Hill , Winston Howlett , Merrie K , Ros O. Ludwing , T'Lay , Anji Valenza , Ellen Vartanoff , Laura Virgil , A. Stuart Walker , Virginia Walker , Johanna Cantor , D.L. Collin , Joel Davis , Jeff Maynard , Jack Townsend , Joni Wagner , Shirley Maiewski , Elizabeth Marshall , Diane McClaugherty , and Sam Segal . The third issue also featured a poem by Nichelle Nichols.
• Hyperion , a gen fanzine which features Uhura as a Captain on the USS Hyperion, published in 2004.
• Kefrendar , an Uhura novel by Bonnie Reitz , published in 1988, set after Star Trek: The Voyage Home . Reprinted in The Worlds of Bonnie Reitz .
• Kiku , a 1986 Kirk/Uhura novel by Jacqueline Comben.
• Spock's Ever Logical Equation , a 1984 Spock/Uhura novel by Millie Fabricius.
• Starbound , an Uhura anthology with at least 3 issues (1998-1990)
• Woman, Warrior, Wife , a gen anthology dedicated to Nichelle Nichols

Sample Fanart

from Spockanalia #2, "The Allure of Uhura" by Kathy Bushman

from Spockanalia #3, Allan Asherman

from Plak-Tow #11, Kathy Bushman

from ST-Phile #1, by Juanita Coulson , Uhura and The Big Three

from ST-Phile #2, by Juanita Coulson

from StarDate , by Connie Reich

from Inside Star Trek #11, by A.G. Probert

Uhura on the cover of T-Negative #3 , by Greg Jein (1969)

from T-Negative #8 , by Clarica Scott (1970)

from The Vorpal Sword #3, by Carol Grosso

from Triskelion #4, Alice Jones

from T-Negative #14 , by Rosalind Oberdieck (1972)

interior art from Delta Triad #1, artist Mel Shreve (1975)

from Furaha #1, by Merrie K

from Furaha #3, by Joni Wagner

from Furaha #3, by D.L. Collin

from Furaha #3, by Jack Townsend

from Furaha #4, by Laura Virgil

from The Other Side of Paradise #1, song by Amy Falkowitz, art by Signe Landon

Nichelle Nichols costumed as Aida (reprinted from T-Negative #19, 1973) on the cover of The Star Trek Songbook #3, by George Barr (1976)

from The Weight by Leslie Fish , Uhura and James Kirk (1976)

Art postcard from Signe Landon Star Trek Postcards (1976)

Art by MEL/Martin from Delta Triad #3 portraying Uhura in the 1860s dress, for the story "To a Time Divided" (1976)

from The Other Side of Paradise #2, by Leslie Fish

from T-Negative #32/33 by Gee Moaven

from Alnitah #6, by Mike Eason (1977)

from Interphase #4, art by Gee Moaven (1977)

cover of Fesarius #2, Signe Landon (1977)

Art from Tal Shaya #4, by Cheryl Frashure (1977)

from The Sensuous Vulcan by Alice Jones

from Galactic Discourse #1 by Suzanne Kirwan

from Warped Space #34, by Leslie Fish

from The Other Side of Paradise #3, Gayle F

Uhura on the cover of Interstat #6, by Heather Firth (1978)

from Probe by Alice Jones : "Black Goddess" (1978)

Interior art from the IDIC zine by Connie Faddis (1978)

from T-Negative #34/35 by Signe Landon: "Uhura Transformed"

from Warped Space #41, by Leslie Fish

from Warped Space #42, by Leslie Fish

Mei-Moi Lee for "Afro-Disiac" in the zine Dagger of the Mind

from Menagerie #16, by Phil Foglio

from Baselines #2, artist is Sat Nam Kaur (1982)

from Parallax Ring by Barbara P. Gordon

from Katra: The Living Spirit #2, unknown artist (1985)

from Destiny's Children #2, artist is Anja Gruber

Uhura on the cover of Idylls #2 (1987)

from Spock #57, artist is Marianne Plumridge (1990)

from Starbound #2, by Chuck Frazier

from Starbound #2, by Anja Gruber

Uhura on a cover of Engage! (1991)

Art from Portraits #1 by David Lawrence (1991)

by Emcee Frodis

• Nyota Uhura, Original Series at Archive of Our Own
• Uhura, Original Series at FanFiction.net
• Nyota Uhura at Trekiverse
• Dreams of Africa , all ratings. (Note: Was hosted on Geocities, now defunct)
• The Uhura Fic Fest , open to gen, het, or slash, any rating. Stories were posted in 2004.

Meta/Further Reading

• The Allure of Uhura (1968)
• What do we know about Uhura? , Archived version (2009)
• 5 Things You Should Know About Uhura (and How Awesome She Is) , Archived version by laurajv (2009)
• Speaks Romulan, All Three Dialects: The Endurance of Lieutenant Uhura , by Emily Asher-Perrin at Tor.com (December 22, 2010)
• The Endurance of Lieutenant Uhura Means We’re Changing For the Better , by Emily Asher-Perrin at Tor.com (April 10, 2013)

External Links

• Memory Alpha (TOS Uhura)
• ^ An Uhura Question. (Accessed June 4, 2009).
• ^ The fan-created zine, USS Enterprise Officers' Manual (Interstellar Associates, January 1980) by Geoffrey Mandel also gives Sulu the first name of "Itaka"
• ^ Rotsler, William, Star Trek II Biographies (Wanderer Books, December 1982).
• ^ from Interstat #129/130 (July/August 1988) - the surname Rotsler was consistently written as "Rostler" (sic) in the article
• ^ from Interstat #131/132 (September/October 1988)
• ^ from The LOC Connection #44 (August 1992)
• ^ NPR interview: "Star Trek's Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter" (Accessed 24 Jan, 2011.)
• ^ Social History: Star Trek as Social Phenomenon . (Accessed May 21, 2009)
• ^ Giovanni, Nikki (1994). Racism 101 . W. Morrow. ISBN   978-0-688-04332-2 .
• ^ Wikipedia entry . (Accessed May 24, 2009.)
• ^ Was Kirk & Uhura’s Kiss Actually the First Interracial Kiss on TV? on Heavy.com, June 12, 2021
• ^ Plato's Stepchildren (episode). (Accessed May 26, 2009).
• ^ Trek Today - Nichols Talks First Inter-Racial Kiss. (2001) (Accessed May 26, 2009)
• ^ The Kiss. (Accessed May 26, 2009)
• 2022 Featured Articles
• Star Trek TOS Characters

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57 Years Later, One Underserved Star Trek Character Finally Gets Justice

In Strange New Worlds, Uhura has become the person Nichelle Nichols always wanted her to be.

In the very first Star Trek episode ever, “The Map Trap,” Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) says, “Mr. Spock, sometimes I think if I hear that word ‘frequency’ once more, I’ll cry.” Right from the beginning, The Original Series floated the idea that the Enterprise’s communications officer was a little overworked and more than a little underappreciated.

Now, in Strange New Worlds nearly six decades later, Uhura isn’t just getting her due but actually expressing herself, which is a powerful commentary on the character’s history. Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura was a huge step forward for Black representation in TV, but the character was never really given the spotlight.

In Star Trek’s big musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody,” Uhura ( Celia Rose Godding) is the driving force that saves the Enterprise, while in her big solo song, “Keep Us Connected,” she reveals her inner frustrations about being alone and unseen. It’s a powerful moment that honors the journey of Uhura, and Nichelle Nichols.

Uhura in “Subspace Rhapsody.”

As Uhura realizes the subspace fold and the ensuing improbability field have the power to drive the crew apart, she wonders why she always ends up alone, working to fix the ship behind the scenes. “My whole life it’s been ‘do this,’ and save you,” she sings.

In a sense, this could refer to the character’s innermost feelings throughout the franchise. Nichelle Nichols nearly quit The Original Series because she was tired of scripts being rewritten to give Uhura fewer and fewer lines. In her memoir, Beyond Uhura , Nichols wrote, “But even in the fictional, enlightened twenty-third century of Gene’s [Roddenberry] imagination, a strong, independent Black woman was not welcome as equal.” She was on the team, but she wasn’t trusted to carry stories. Nichols recognized early that “Uhura’s role was constantly being diminished.”

That’s obviously not the case today. Strange New Worlds isn’t just an Original Series prequel story, but a series that does what TOS couldn’t or wouldn’t do in the 1960s. “We try to imagine what The Original Series would do today,” co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers tells Inverse . “The way the original show approached female characters, for example, we do differently.”

For Star Trek fans, the power of Uhura was often symbolic. Nichelle Nichols used her influence in politics and science fiction circles to recruit some of the first women and people of color to NASA . The importance of Uhura to the real world cannot be understated. Even Martin Luther King was a fan of Star Trek and Uhura.

Celia Rose Gooding singing “Keep Us Connected” in “Subspace Rhapsody.”

But within the Trek canon itself, we’ve rarely had a sense of how Uhura feels about her role as a communications officer, the person tasked with keeping everyone together. Celia Rose Gooding is a fantastic singer, and “Keep Us Connected” is almost certainly the breakout hit from the musical episode. It honors the character, and how the way we think about her has evolved.

“Nichelle’s inspiration is always something we’ve used as fuel,” co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman tells Inverse . “But this is about character. And these are heart songs. These are the things the character couldn’t say in words, so they say in song. And for Uhura, that means you’re seeing something essential about her character. And, I guess, that’s what you’re seeing; our Uhura has some Nichelle in her. And nobody does that better than Celia.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 9, “Subspace Rhapsody” streams on Paramount+. The album itself is now on Apple and Spotify.

Ryan Britt's new book on the history of Star Trek's biggest changes. From the '60s show to the movies to 'TNG,' to 'Discovery,' 'Picard,' Strange New Worlds,' and beyond!

This article was originally published on Aug. 5, 2023

• Science Fiction

Civilizations Based On Earth History In Star Trek: TOS

• Encounters in Star Trek often mirror Earth civilizations; from Roman spectaculars to Nazi influences, the show draws parallels to history.
• TOS writers reused sets and props for alien worlds to reflect Hodgkin's Law; Earth-type planets develop similar civilizations.
• Star Trek explores ethical and political themes; from the Vietnam War analogy on Neural to the totalitarianism on Ekos, each planet's tale has a lesson.

Space, proclaims Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise , is the final frontier, an undiscovered place full of groundbreaking discoveries just waiting to be made. While the heroes of Star Trek: The Original Series do meet a variety of strange alien lifeforms during their voyages, other encounters hit far closer to home.

Star Trek: 8 Most Powerful Federation Starships, Ranked

TOS was not afraid to reuse props and sets from other productions when crafting alien worlds. Indeed, Star Trek 's writers even devised an explanation for this practice: Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development, referenced in several episodes, states that all Earth-type planets are likely to display similar civilizational arcs. From modern-day Romans to a gangster planet, Kirk gets a taste of home, no matter how far out he explores.

Before The Planet Was Called "Miri," It Was Referred To As "Earth Two"

• "Miri" (Season 1, Episode 8)

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Earth, the planet Miri is beset by a deadly virus when the Enterprise makes contact. As a result of a science experiment gone wrong, the adult population has died out, leaving the planet under the control of its infant inhabitants. Kirk and his crew soon find themselves not only at the mercy of the children but also suffering from the effects of the planet's disease. However, Dr. McCoy is able to cure the virus, laying the foundations for Miri's return to normality.

Indeed, Miri is so similar to Earth that the planet was not named in the episode's initial script, instead being referred to as "Earth Two." Subsequent Star Trek novels seized on this connection, with one suggesting that Miri was Earth itself, albeit from a different timeline, and another stating that the planet was one of several Earth duplicates created by the ancient Preservers.

Sigma Iotia II

Home to a 1920s gangster civilization.

• "A Piece Of The Action" (Season 2, Episode 17)

Season 2's "A Piece of the Action" sees the Enterprise travel to Sigma Iotia II, a planet located in the Beta Quadrant. Kirk and his colleagues discover that the planet's natives are living like 1920s gangsters from Earth, and they soon determine the cause of this deviation. A century prior, another Federation starship visited the planet, forever altering the course of Iotian history. The ship, Horizon, soon departed, but it left behind an item that changed everything.

Star Trek: The USS Enterprise's Best Commanding Officers, Ranked

The primitive Iotians based their society on a book discarded by Horizon, namely Chicago Mobs of the Twenties . This served as a civilizational handbook, trapping the developing culture in a gangland quagmire. However, Kirk's intervention puts the planet back on the right path.

Offers A Moral Vietnam War Story

• "A Private Little War" (Season 2, Episode 19)

While The Original Series showed an interest in re-purposing ancient history to generate plots, the show didn't shy away from addressing more contemporary themes. In "A Private Little War," the Enterprise becomes involved in a proxy war on the planet Neural. The Klingon Empire is backing one faction on the planet by providing it with advanced weapons; Kirk must intervene to restore balance to the primitive planet.

While Neural lacks the reused sets and props that so often characterize a TOS parallel Earth episode, it serves as the basis for a clear parable about the Vietnam War. This engagement with allegory elevates the story above others in the sub-genre, as it draws on real-world politics rather than simple aesthetics.

Draws Inspiration From Greek Mythology

• "Elaan Of Troyius" (Season 3, Episode 13)

While little is clear about the planet Elas, the circumstances surrounding it and the neighboring world of Troyius are deeply rooted in Earth mythology. Troyius and Elas, both located in the Tellun system, are at war; only a diplomatic marriage between Elaan, an Elasian, and the ruler of Troyius has any hope of ending the conflict.

Star Trek: 5 Deaths That Rocked The Franchise's Foundation

While the Enterprise is assigned to assist with the marriage plans, the hotblooded nature of the Elasians complicates matters. They are a proud warrior race, recalling Earth civilizations like the Spartans, while the episode's title is a space-age twist on Helen of Troy, a figure from Ancient Greek poetry. However, the female Elasians have something that no human has ever possessed: tears that act as a powerful love potion. The Elasians may be rooted in classical antiquity , but they are not entirely derivative.

Reminiscent Of Nazi Germany

• "Patterns Of Force" (Season 2, Episode 21)

Seen in the "Patterns of Force" episode, the planet Ekos is modeled on the Nazi Germany of Earth's twentieth century . Originally a lawless pre-warp world, intervention by a Federation historian transformed the planet by introducing the Ekosians to the principles of National Socialism, somewhat naively believing that this would create an ordered society without any drawbacks.

By the time of the Enterprise's visit to Ekos, the planet has adopted a variety of Nazi iconography and practices. Thankfully, Kirk and Spock are able to remedy the situation on Ekos, hopefully ushering in a less genocidal system of government for the planet's population.

Showcases A Technologically Superior Ancient Rome

• "Bread And Circuses" (Season 2, Episode 25)

"Bread and Circuses" not only finds a way to incorporate the fashions of Ancient Rome into Star Trek 's future but also skewers contemporary network TV production with its televised gladiator battles. The episode features the Enterprise investigating 892-IV, a planet where Roman practices coexist with twentieth-century technology.

The Roman-style society on 892-IV is notable in that Kirk's intervention fails to significantly alter it. Rather than overthrowing the cruel model of government, Kirk and his fellow officers are only able to escape. However, a transmission detected by Uhura suggests the presence of a Christianity-adjacent movement on the planet. The Enterprise's crew concludes that, since the Rome of 892-IV so closely mirrors their own, it too will fall given time.

A Civilization That Adopts The Worst Aspects Of Humanity

• "Plato's Stepchildren" (Season 3, Episode 10)

Today, "Plato's Stepchildren" is best remembered for featuring what is widely (but incorrectly) referred to as television's first interracial kiss. However, the episode is also notable for how it reuses imagery from Ancient Greece in order to create the world of Platonius. This is understandable, as the alien Platonians admit to being heavily inspired by the teachings of Plato and Socrates .

Star Trek: The Fates Of Every Live-Action TV Show's Main Character

Unfortunately, Platonius and its citizens reproduce many of the worst features of Earth's history. They are cruel and petty, choosing to use their telekinetic powers to abuse those whom they consider inferior. Indeed, the Platonian's treatment of Kirk and his crew resulted in the British Broadcasting Corporation's refusal to air the episode on the grounds that it contained sadistic themes. Platonius may be modeled on Earth, but few of humanity's virtues are on display there.

A Civilization That Shares An Almost Identical History To Earth

• "The Omega Glory" (Season 2, Episode 23)

While "The Omega Glory" is widely regarded as being one of the worst episodes of The Original Series , it does introduce the notable world of Omega IV. The Enterprise's visit to the planet uncovers a conflict between the Kohms and the Yangs, a war that is being interfered in by a stranded Starfleet captain.

It is revealed, somewhat implausibly, that Omega IV experienced a nearly parallel history to Earth, although the Cold War on Omega IV escalated into a full-blown conflict. The United States Constitution was also written independently on the planet in what must be Star Trek 's biggest-ever coincidence. With contrivances like these, it's a mercy that "The Omega Glory" was not chosen as Star Trek 's second pilot, although Gene Roddenberry did consider the idea.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Creation Year 1966

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In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
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• 277 User reviews
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• Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
• Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

• Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
• Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Connections Edited into Ben 10: Secrets (2006)
• Soundtracks Star Trek Music by Alexander Courage

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• September 8, 1966 (United States)
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• Is Strange New Worlds the Most Innovative Star Trek Series Since the Original?

As Star Trek is almost 60 years old, the latest series from this iconic Sci-Fi series may be the most groundbreaking since the original series.

The refreshing and entertaining storyline will please both newer fans of Star Trek and even the fans of the original Star Trek series that aired back in 1966.

The first season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds first premiered on the fifth of May 2022. It is actually a sequel to the slightly controversial Discovery series that didn't follow some of the known or established lore in the Star Trek universe.

How Does Strange New Worlds Fit Into The Star Trek Universe

The original Star Trek series takes place in 2265, while the Strange New Worlds series starts in 2259. This means the iconic Captain Kirk is not the captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), which means the current captain will be Captain Christopher Pike .

This may be a bit of a change for some Star Trek fans, but it's a good change. 

Star Trek's iconic characters from the original series, such as Spock, Scotty, and Nyota Uhura, are also in the Strange New World series.

Some minor characters from the original show also appear throughout the new series, making Strange New Worlds feel like the show was meant to be.

Why is Strange New Worlds The Most Innovative Star Trek Show In Many Years

As the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series shows us the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and the crew at the start of USS Enterprise, it will immediately be compared to the original series.

The cast of the new Star Trek show has a compelling story arc, which can make fans of the show feel attached and almost there with them during the crew's many adventures.

The new show takes many elements of the original show, such as the optimism and fun that the crew seems to lavish on.

This does not mean the Strange New Worlds series doesn't have any heart-wrenching moments. The show does have some heavy hitters, as any Star Trek fan knows the fate of Captain Christopher Pike.

Spoiler warning for new Star Trek fans who haven't watched the original series or finished Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 :

Captain Christopher Pike will die.

Captain Christopher Pike's death happened in 2266, seven years after the Strange New Worlds series started and two years after the original series.

Christopher Pike dies during an accident while trying to save a handful of trainees on a Class J Starship.

Strange New Worlds doesn't shy away from the fact that Captain Christopher Pike will die; during the show, he learns that he will die and that he has to learn to face his future.

Anson Mount , who plays Christopher Pike in the Strange New Worlds series, gives us one of the best Star Trek captains who has even been in the series.

Anson Mount conveys the essence of how a Star Trek captain should act and treat his crew during any situation, even during a stressful situation.

This doesn't mean this captain doesn't break the rules; he just bends them when there is a need to do so.

Another great reason many Star Trek fans hold Strange New Worlds in such high regard is that it is family-friendly.

This alone is why the show is so popular, as families who grew up watching Star Trek can now spread the joy of Star Trek to their children without worrying about any taboo subjects or vulgar words popping up in the episode. 

Why Does Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Look So Good?

Strange New Worlds does a great job of using the older elements and designs of the original series while still finding new ways to improve the show's look and feel.

For example, during the Star Trek: Discovery series, the USS Enterprise does make an appearance in the show.

However, the design elements did not match how the starship was supposed to look during the original series.

The latest Star Trek series did a great slight remodel of the starship hull to bring it closer to the original designs while still giving the design a modern feel.

Some fans of the original series may think that the "new" USS Enterprise may look too modern and have lost the charm of the '60s version; this can be seen with the bridge of the Enterprise.

The bridge of a starship in Star Trek is the most important room on all Star Trek shows; this means they are iconic, and many fans know exactly how they look.

The Strange New Worlds creators revamped the bridge with its own elegant and unique design, but it still has many elements of the original set.

The Strange New Worlds series also relies heavily on props and filming sets that help the actors easily immerse themselves in their roles.

This allows the acting and chemistry between the actors to flow naturally.

How Will the Show Progress?

As the Strange New Worlds series is a prequel to the original series, there is only so much time before they reach the original series starting date.

But don't worry because this doesn't mean that the show will not have any compelling stories or familiar faces for fans to enjoy.

As the series continues on Paramount+ , we'll surely see some exciting and unique storylines. 

What do you think about the two shows?

Is Strange New Worlds truly more innovative than the Original? 

Jason Collins is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X .

Pike: Send someone else. You don't want me in command of that ship. April: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Permalink: You're getting us confused. You don't want you in command. Added: May 04, 2022

No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our own. No matter the mathematical probabilities or the number of times we say, 'We are not alone in the universe,' our first visit from the stars is always the province of children's stories and science fiction. First contact with aliens always lives squarely in the impossible. First contact is just a dream until one day, it isn't. Una Permalink: No matter how many stars there are in the sky. No matter how many galaxies swirl beyond our... Added: May 04, 2022

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Screen Rant

Ds9 actor nana visitor's book about women in star trek releases first look images.

The amazing women of Star Trek are explored in Open A Channel, a new, upcoming book by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor.

• Nana Visitor's new book celebrates women of Star Trek, inspired by Lt. Uhura, features interviews with numerous female stars.
• Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek showcases luminous women who portray iconic Star Trek characters, now available for pre-order.
• The book includes interviews with stars like Kate Mulgrew, Terry Farrell, Denise Crosby, Rebecca Romijn, and others from Star Trek.

Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek , a new book celebrating the women of Star Trek by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor Nana Visitor has released first-look images. Inspired by Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Nyota Uhura of Star Trek: The Original Series , Nana Visitor, who plays Colonel Kira Nerys on DS9 , interviewed almost every woman who has starred in Star Trek , including Star Trek: Voyager 's Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Terry Farrell, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Denise Crosby, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Rebecca Romijn, Melissa Navia, and Christina Chong.

Now available for pre-order, new images of Nana Visitor's book, Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek , showcases many of the luminous women who portray some of Star Trek 's greatest characters . Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek releases on October 1, 2024. Check out the preview images below:

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide

Star trek boasts amazing female characters, there is no lack of great women in the final frontier.

Starting with Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura, the Star Trek franchise boasts one of the greatest rosters of female characters in pop culture . Today, Star Trek features Starfleet admirals like Kate Mulgrew's Kathryn Janeway , starship captains like Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham and Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine, doctors like Gates McFadden's Dr. Beverly Crusher, and nurses like Jess Bush's Christine Chapel, pilots like Melissa Navia's Erica Ortegas, scientists like Terry Farrell's Jadzia Dax, and heroic survivors like Christina Chong's La'an Noonien-Singh.

Star Trek 's iconic female characters have inspired countless women to pursue careers in science, medicine, engineering, technology, and the arts. Beyond the actors and creative visionaries of Star Trek , in Open A Channel, Nana Visitor also interviews many real-life women who have been inspired by Star Trek to become soldiers, doctors, scientists, and astronauts, including astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti while she was in orbit around Earth on the International Space Station. Open A Channel: A Women's Trek is a celebration of Star Trek 's women whose time has come.

Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek is available for pre-order at Amazon.com

Source: Amazon.com

• April 11, 2024 | Paramount Pictures Officially Confirms Star Trek Origin Movie For Its Upcoming Film Slate
• April 11, 2024 | Japan’s Prime Minister Invokes Star Trek In White House State Dinner Toast
• April 11, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”
• April 10, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Preview Offers Intriguing Clues And The Return To [SPOILERS]
• April 10, 2024 | Mary Wiseman Really Doesn’t Want To Talk About Tilly Returning On ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’

Japan’s Prime Minister Invokes Star Trek In White House State Dinner Toast

| April 11, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 2 comments so far

Just a month after Star Trek made a surprise appearance at a major NATO ceremony , the franchise is once again finding itself on the world’s stage. This time it was from the Prime Minister of Japan who used Star Trek as part of his toast at a state dinner in his honor.

Japan’s PM boldly goes there

On Wednesday night Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was President Biden’s honored guest at a state dinner at the White House. Both leaders shared toasts as per diplomatic custom but Kishida surprised the crowd by taking them on a trip to the final frontier. He concluded his speech with:

“We are now standing at a turning point in history, embarking on a new frontier, and elevate this unshakable Japan-US relationship to even greater heights and hand it to the next generation. Finally, let me be conclude with a line from Star Trek, which you all know: To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

The Prime Minister then offered his toast, saying:

“Mr. President, Dr. Biden, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a toast to our voyage to the frontier of the Japan-US relationship with this word: Boldly go.”

You can watch the moment below in a video from Forbes.

Kishida’s speech had mentioned that many Japanese immigrants came to the United States from Hiroshima and after he mentioned Star Trek he noted “By the way, George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise, also has roots in Hiroshima.”

The Japanese Prime Minister’s comments made big news around the world with headlines like AP’s “ Kishida cracks jokes and invokes ‘Star Trek’ as he and Biden toast US-Japan alliance at state dinner ,” the UK’s Daily Mail with “ To boldly Joe! Japan’s prime minister quotes Star Trek as he hails Tokyo’s alliance with the US during glamorous, star-studded White House state dinner ,” and “‘ Boldly go’: Prime Minister Kishida quotes Star Trek in a toast to US-Japan alliance ” in the Times of India.

Presidential Trek

This is not President Biden’s first brush with Star Trek. During the 2020 election, his campaign hosted a “Trek the Vote” fundraiser featuring several Trek celebrities. And in 2022 the White House issued a statement from the president on the passing of Nichelle Nichols which noted her “groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek .” Nichols had visited the White House when Joe Biden was Vice President to meet with President Obama in 2012. Obama is an avowed Trek fan, who screened the 2009 Star Trek movie at the White House.

Nichelle Nichols with President Obama in 2012.

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It’s a pleasure to see leaders invoking Trek in a warm and optimistic way.

That dude is so wasted. 🤣

Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' deserves more credit as a barrier-breaking series

Starship Discovery will soon be ending its mission, and what a journey it's been.

“Star Trek: Discovery,” which premiered in 2017, is entering its fifth and final season Thursday on Paramount+. And you’ll need the Captain’s Log to remember all the twists, turns and transformations the show has gone through since it began.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the hate the series has received from some Trek fans. (“Discovery” has an overall audience score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, a stark difference from the 87% critic rating.)

While the show is far from free of legitimate criticism, many of the complaints seem unfairly – though perhaps tellingly – placed on the show’s focus on a Black woman commander, its LGBTQ+ stars and allies and its inclusive storylines. “Woke agenda” and other dog whistles frequently surface on Reddit and social media posts about the series.

That so much of the negativity is rooted in a backlash against inclusivity raises questions. After all, the "Star Trek" franchise has long emphasized and celebrated culture, diversity and humanity coming together and preserving the integrity of beings they meet across the galaxy.

"It doesn't make any sense, because (these fans) say they love this franchise," series star Sonequa Martin-Green says in an interview. The show “has always been about breaking those boundaries. It's always been about diversity and equality. And our world has changed since the last iteration of 'Trek.' We have a responsibility to push that needle forward and to stay true to that."

More: Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable. Here's why diverse shows are so important

The series is originally set before the events of NBC's original “Star Trek: The Original Series” (later jumping to the future) and follows Michael Burnham (Martin-Green), who became the starship’s captain, and the rest of the crew of the USS Discovery: first officer Saru (Doug Jones), chief engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), lieutenant and now Starfleet Academy teacher Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), medical officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), courier and Burnham’s love interest Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala) and ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).

Many more characters have stood on the bridge, battled with Burnham, or otherwise make up the world of "Discovery." The series had some trouble finding the right footing, but it’s always had heart, especially in its recurring theme of redemption. And it deserves more support for what it has meant for the entire "Star Trek" franchise.

Here’s why “Star Trek: Discovery” deserves more credit:

Prioritizing diversity and inclusivity

A Vulcan philosophy (and one espoused by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry) is IDIC, or “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” and many of the related series, movies and books underscore this belief. “Discovery” also has diversity at its core: the show focuses on a Black woman who becomes captain. Stamets and Culber are an openly gay couple, and engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) is a lesbian. And the show introduced a few franchise firsts: Adira Tal as the first nonbinary character in "Star Trek ," and their boyfriend, Gray ( Ian Alexander ), is the first transgender character , both introduced in Season 3.

More: 'Star Trek' documentary unveils star Nichelle Nichols' impactful NASA connection

Starting a new age of Star Trek

“Discovery” helped launch the CBS All Access streaming platform, a CBS subscription service that would eventually become Paramount+, as well as a new era of "Star Trek" series including “Lower Decks” and “Picard.” Before “Discovery,” the last Trek series was “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which ended in 2005.

Exploring strange new worlds

The second season of “Discovery” also served as a launching pad for the well-received spinoff, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which resurfaced popular characters from the original series including Spock (Ethan Peck), Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn).

Finding time for the simple things

In a few scenes scattered throughout "Discovery," we see characters like Culber and Stamets sharing a meal or talking about their day while brushing their teeth. It’s almost mundane, but there’s also something so lovely about watching LGBTQ+ characters who rarely are the focus in movies or television simply living their lives, being their whole selves. Burnham rocking braids at the beginning of Season 3 speaks cultural volumes. The subtle amid the big battles and overarching plots do have meaning, especially for those whose voices often go unheard.

Going boldly

The first season of “Discovery” went out of its way to highlight its connections to the original series: Burnham is Spock’s adopted sister, and there's a brief appearance by Spock’s father, Sarek. But it wasn’t always so neatly woven, sometimes seeming more like it was using franchise lore as a crutch. But “Discovery” wasn’t afraid to try new things, turning itself around after an overcomplicated first season and again after a very “TOS”-inspired second, slowly building up its own universe without relying too heavily on the old. 

The first episodes of Season 5 are a little rocky before it settles into a comfortable speed. 

"This time around, we wanted to bring in some levity," Martin-Green says. "But there's a grand sort of epicness to Season 5, even though we didn't know it was our last season when we were shooting it. I think looking back on it, and when we share it with the world, it'll seem that way because the season is so big. So people can expect a lot of fun. They can expect it to go really fast." 

It will be interesting to see if “Discovery” sticks the landing through the remainder of the season.

“The good outweighs the bad,” Burnham says in an upcoming episode about a mission, and that’s also true of “Discovery."

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" (two episodes now streaming, then weekly on Thursdays) streams on Paramount+.