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Published Mar 15, 2022

Paul Wesley Joins the Cast of Strange New Worlds

An Original Series favorite is set to return for season two

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Paul Wesley

Marni Grossman/Paramount+

Paramount+ announced today that Paul Wesley has joined the season two cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as James T. Kirk, the iconic character originated by William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series . “Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

Wesley starred in eight seasons of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries , one of the network’s most watched shows. He also was featured in Paramount+’s series Tell Me a Story , as well as other projects including upcoming horror film History of Evil . An accomplished director and producer as well, Wesley has directed episodes of The Vampire Diaries , Roswell, New Mexico , and Legacies .

Teaser Trailer | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew in the years before Kirk rises to the Enterprise ’s captain’s chair. Other cast members include Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Spock. Season two has recently started production, with season one set to premiere on May 5 exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, Latin America, Australia, and the Nordics.

James Kirk is a role that is beloved by audiences and is an exciting addition to the season two cast of Strange New Worlds . Excited to see Kirk’s return to the Star Trek Universe? Let us know @StarTrek on social media!

I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created. Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the pic.twitter.com/U8GVD4ZemP — Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2022

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, Australia and the Nordics. The series will air on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave in Canada with additional international availability to be announced at a later date. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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‘star trek: strange new worlds’ casts captain kirk: paul wesley to play iconic character.

The 'Vampire Diaries' actor will step into the sci-fi role made famous by William Shatner.

By James Hibberd

James Hibberd

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There is a new James T. Kirk.

Star Trek : Strange New Worlds has cast actor Paul Wesley in the iconic sci-fi role.

The Vampire Diaries actor will join the upcoming Paramount+ series in the show’s second season, which is in production in Toronto. In an unusual move, the second-season casting is being announced before the first season has debuted.

Above is a first-look image of Wesley in character on what’s presumably the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers in a statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Finds Its James T. Kirk With Paul Wesley

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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' casts Paul Wesley as a young James T. Kirk for season 2

Paramount Plus just announced this key addition to its "Strange New Worlds" spinoff.

Actor Paul Wesley as a young James T. Kirk in

The upcoming "Star: Trek: Discovery" spinoff titled " Strange New Worlds " just dropped their first teaser trailer this week ahead of its premiere on Paramount Plus on May 5, 2022 but that’s not the only thrilling announcement for avid fans to digest.

Per Variety this week, actor Paul Wesley ("The Vampire Diaries") has now signed up aboard the show to play a younger Captain James T. Kirk for next year's "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 2.

It's unclear at this juncture exactly how Wesley's Kirk will dovetail into the series but suffice it to say, this thirty-something version of the legendary Starfleet Captain first played by William Shatner will be perhaps presented as the commander of the USS Farragut prior to stepping into the center seat on the USS Enterprise . You can out our Star Trek streaming guide to catch up on the characters we'll meet in "Strange New Worlds."

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"Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show," executive producer Alex Kurtzman and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers noted in an official statement. "Like all of us, he is a life-long 'Star Trek' fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role."

This inaugural season of "Strange New Worlds" seems to be veering away from the overly melodramatic model of "Star Trek: Discovery" and instead warping back to the sort of exciting "planet of the week" exploratory storytelling witnessed in "Star Trek: The Original Series” and even "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which will be a welcome relief for many Trekkies who’d run out of Kleenex tissues.

“Strange New Worlds" stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura as they cruise the galaxy seeking out new alien civilizations.

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Since Captain Pike will most likely still be at the Enterprise helm in "Strange New Worlds" Season 2, it's unclear how the two legendary characters will meet and what adventures they might have together in the larger context of the Federation at this point in time.

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Within the realm of "Star Trek" canon as part of the Prime Timeline, the two-part episode from 1966 titled “The Menagerie” give us a small clue as to where their lives might intersect.

In this iconic chapter of "The Original Series," Captain Kirk informs Commodore Mendez that he encountered Pike as he was promoted to "Fleet Captain" prior to taking over the Enterprise in the year 2265. "Strange New Worlds" season 1 can be traced to a date sometime after 2258, which is where "Star Trek: Discovery" season 2 ended .

Without knowing exactly when we’ll pick up in "Strange New Worlds," the answer to this pivotal captains’ commingling will remain a mystery until later this spring. Nevertheless, this new casting announcement for Paul Wesley is a bold choice for bringing Kirk back into the " Star Trek " fold.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" debuts on Paramount Plus starting on May 5.

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

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Paul Wesley on His 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Debut as Captain Kirk

He also spoke about about 'The Vampire Diaries' and the impact the franchise had on audiences.

Editor's note: The below article contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delivered a lot of unexpected twists and turns as Captain Pike ( Anson Mount ) was given a glimpse into a future that could be, were he to alter the course of his destiny. With Pike avoiding his date with death, Captain Kirk ( Paul Wesley ) never became the captain of the USS Enterprise and instead moved up the ranks aboard the USS Farragut to become captain to an entirely different crew. Pike ultimately learns that by saving himself, he puts everyone he cares about at risk, forever altering the courses of their fates and inadvertently causing a deadly war with the Romulans.

After fans spotted Wesley on the set of Strange New Worlds Season 2 back in March, Paramount announced that the actor had been cast as Captain Kirk in the series, though most Trekkies assumed that he'd be beaming up to the series starting in the second season. Ahead of his debut as Captain Kirk, Collider had the opportunity to talk with Wesley in one of his first interviews since the announcement. In our 1-on-1 interview with Paul Wesley, he spoke about growing up with Star Trek , sitting beside William Shatner on a flight after being cast as Kirk, whether his Captain Kirk is more like Shatner or Chris Pine , his first day in the Captain's chair, what he can tease about Kirk in Season 2, and he discusses the end of The Vampire Diaries franchise and the impact it had on fans.

COLLIDER: First of all, I just want to say congratulations on being cast as Captain Kirk.

PAUL WESLEY: Thank you.

Star Trek was very much something that was part of my childhood. Was it something that you grew up with and were a fan of before the audition?

WESLEY: Yeah. It's funny, I was born in the '80s, so obviously I didn't watch it live, but I've always [been] someone who watches films and series from the '60s, the '70s. I enjoy it. I think there's something about it. There's something about the nostalgia of not having 18,000 streamers and a bazillion special effects artists. There's something about the purity of the shows that were created in the '60s and '70s.

I think that, for me, I watched Star Trek and I always envision myself watching it live and having a limited amount of television channels. We didn't have the same technology that we have now, and so it was really the most incredible form of escapism for people. It was a way for people to see. I love the title of this new series, Strange New Worlds , because it really is. It truly encapsulates what the show is about, which is about exploration. It's [a] space adventure. It's about this crazy little community of people that are exploring worlds, and that is really what this show is. I love that there's an optimism. Again, it's fun, but at the same time, there's a lot of meaning [and] there's a lot of metaphor. We get to analyze our own behaviors on planet earth through the actions of this crew.

RELATED: 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 2 Casts Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk — See the First Image

I remember when you were cast back in March, you mentioned that you ran into William Shatner on a flight. Did you get any advice from him?

WESLEY: No, because I was still playing a little bit coy about it. I was under this sworn secrecy, NDA madness, so I wasn't able to be like, "Hey, so, as you know, I'm playing Kirk, give me the tips." I had to kind of tiptoe, and I had to really play it dumb in a way. I wanted so badly to just talk to him about it so openly and I [also] didn't want to bother him. He [had] literally just got back from space, and he was on this plane, and we happened to be sitting next to each other. I also didn't want to sit there and talk his ear off for four hours.

We talked a little bit, but it was really less about Kirk. I'm sure he's been talking about Kirk for the last however many years and I think it was really more about just sort of chatting. We've actually spoken before very briefly. He's a classy guy. When the announcement came out that I was playing Kirk, he tweeted, "Congratulations." I just thought that was such a classy move. He didn't have to do that at all.

Kirk is such an iconic character. You're now one of three people who have gotten the chance to play him. When you took on the role, were you aiming to emulate Shatner or Chris Pine, or did you approach this as a completely fresh character?

WESLEY: No. What William Shatner did is not touchable. You cannot mess with William Shatner. He created Captain Kirk. Period, end of story. For me to try to imitate William Shatner in any way would be, I think, an insult to Captain Kirk. Right? I think it's important to just understand who Kirk is, what his childhood was like, what he wants, what he doesn't want, what the pillars of his personality and his character traits that are important to the development of that character. With that in mind, you can then play and create your own interpretation, because it is. There's a different Spock, there's a different Uhura, there's a different everything. You have to just create your own things. You can't just do an imitation, because that would be too shallow.

I would say he's somewhere in between, because this is a younger Kirk. In the Season 1 finale, it's like an alternate timeline that really has never been done before, and so there's a little bit more room for interpretation. But as we get to know Kirk in Season 2, it's a younger Kirk, it's pre-Enterprise Captain Kirk. It's a little bit of that... He's a little bit more of that, I guess, in that Chris Pine world. But Chris Pine was the Kelvin. He's sort of in between all of it, but at the end of the day, it's a different Kirk. It's a different Kirk than we've seen. I think that was really the only way to do it, frankly. There's no other way.

You mentioned the finale. You get to be in the captain's chair. What was it like the first day you got to be on the bridge of the USS Farragut and got to sit in the captain's chair?

WESLEY: TV schedules are crazy, right? You don't get to prep for two months. It's daunting showing up on set [the] first day [like], "Oh my God, I got to sit in this chair that presumably I've been sitting in for, comfortably, hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of times, and I'm sitting in it for the first time." It's like all of those things are just so pivotal, and so I was just trying to be as comfortable as possible, trying to get out of my head that I was playing Kirk. You just have to try your best to just get that out of your head, have fun, explore, because ultimately, the reason people fell in love with Captain Kirk is because William Shatner was having fun. He was using his instinct, he was charming, he got to do so many different things, and if he wasn't using his instinct, then using some of his own personality in that role, maybe people wouldn't have appreciated it as much. I think I really just wanted to be myself in some ways while paying respect to the character.

Season 2, we get to explore a little bit more of Kirk. The Season 1 finale is plot-driven, it's Pike's episode. I mean, it's Pike's show, let's be honest. But really, I am sort of part of this plot. It's a little less getting to know Kirk, and it's a little bit more about the dynamics between the two captains. It's about the action that's taking place. There's a lot at stake. Season 2, we get to have a little bit more of exploration, I think.

I'm sure you can't say much about Season 2, but we do get a tease in the finale of Scotty, which I was really excited about.

WESLEY: Isn't that great?

Are there any Original Series characters that you would love to see in Strange New Worlds ?

WESLEY: Well, the Gorn.

That's a good answer.

WESLEY: Right? Yeah. That's the most iconic. We'll see whether that comes to fruition.

Before we wrap up, I feel like I would be remiss not to at least cross the IP streams a little bit. Legacies just got canceled, bringing the end of The Vampire Diaries era on television. What is it like for you to be part of something that has had such a long-lasting, overarching reach for audiences? It's a lot in the same way that Star Trek has been around for so long. It's such an integral part of people's lives.

WESLEY: When I was first cast in The Vampire Diaries , we all knew that there were some special things there. We didn't know that we were going to create this universe. I had no clue there would be spinoffs, and I didn't know that these characters would become so iconic and that the series would become so iconic. I had done God knows how many pilots at that point, and you're just doing your best, hoping something sticks.

We put a lot of time and effort into The Vampire Diaries . I'm just glad it resonated with people. I think that show, particularly Seasons 1, 2, and 3, it's pretty high-level stuff. I know it was on the CW, so it's a little bit more like, "Well, it's Vampire Diaries, and it's these 'attractive young people biting each other in the neck.'" A lot of people think it's not for them, but at the end of the day, when people watch Vampire Diaries Season 1, 2, and 3, it's really pretty good stuff. I'm really proud of what we created. Who knows? Maybe there'll be another spinoff in the future. I certainly won't be a part of it, because at Vampire Diaries you don't age, and I do age, unfortunately. I can't play Stefan's dad. Nor do I want to.

But yeah, I'm grateful. It's a needle in a haystack. It's extremely rare as an actor to be a part of something that becomes a cultural phenomenon. To do that twice now, to play this character that has been such a huge part of people's lives, I feel very blessed to not only have been a part of creating The Vampire Diaries universe, but now to be jumping into this even bigger, more important universe in many ways with this iconic role. I don't know. Karmically. I feel quite blessed.

You can stream the entirety of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+. Check out Paramount's special bonus content about the finale below:

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Star Paul Wesley Discusses Playing Captain Kirk for the First Time: ‘It’s Not an Imitation’

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

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Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot developments in the Season 1 finale of “ Star Trek : Strange New Worlds,” currently streaming on Paramount+.

One day in 2021, Paul Wesley got a call from his agents asking whether he would be interested in playing James T. Kirk, the iconic “Star Trek” character originated by William Shatner in the original “Trek” series from the 1960s.

“It was a lovely call,” Wesley says. “I told them that I had actually been neighbors with William Shatner, believe it or not, many, many years ago — pure coincidence. We just talked a little bit about ‘Star Trek,’ a little bit about Kirk. We hung up the phone and then the agents called and said, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And I was like, ‘What?!’ It happened that quickly. I really don’t know what to say.”

According to Myers, Wesley was cast after the production had already held “a bunch of auditions” to find the right actor to play Kirk. “We were looking for someone who had a combination of gravitas and fun and was sort of familiar and yet different,” Myers says. “Honestly, we tried a lot of people and he was the guy that we all agreed on who we felt could do it. And then when we talked to him, he really seemed to understand what the role entailed and what he could bring to it.”

After news broke in March that he’d been cast in the role, Wesley tweeted about meeting Shatner on a flight to Los Angeles following Shatner’s voyage into low Earth orbit on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space shuttle. “I’m not one who usually believes in fate but this was more than a coincidence,” Wesley tweeted . “So thanks Mr. Shatner for the good company.”

The episode leaps into an alternate timeline after Pike, who’s known that in the future he is horrifically injured and disfigured, attempts to avoid his fate. Suddenly, Pike jumps seven years into the future, and lives through what would happen if he survived and remained captain of the Enterprise. For one, he encounters Wesley’s Capt. Kirk, who now is leading another Federation starship, having never joined the Enterprise — or met Spock (Ethan Peck).

In what Wesley said was his first ever interview about the role, the actor discussed what it felt like to take on a character who has loomed so large in pop-culture for over half a century, why he felt it would be “blasphemous” to try to recreate Shatner’s performance, and why the Kirk of the “Strange New Worlds” Season 1 finale is different than the Kirk from the original series.

From your tweets about meeting William Shatner on that flight, I gather you’re a “Star Trek” fan. What pulled you into “Trek”?

You know, it’s funny. I was born in the ’80s, so it’s not like I grew up watching the original series live. With that said, I’ve always had an appreciation for films from the ’60s, ’70s. I always like to think of if I were watching that live in that era, and I think, “Holy crap, that was the first show that really gave people this sense of a bigger world out there.” And so when I watched the original series, even when I was younger, I still got that sense of awe, that sense of, Wow, how cool would it have been to see this live on television? It really was is this incredible form of escapism for many, many people. It offers this incredible sense of hope that I think people really need.

In your first meeting with the “Strange New Worlds” producers about playing Kirk, was there a sense yet of what kind of performance they were looking for, how they were going to recreate this character who had been played by the original actor in a very specific way?

I think one of the most important things that I said — well, they may have said it first and I entirely agreed — was that I think the biggest insult would be to do an imitation of what William Shatner originated and what people fell in love with. If I did that, it would just be a reminder that I’m not William Shatner. And that in a way it’s almost like an insult of character, right? I think William Shatner, when you watch the original series, he’s so incredibly charming. He has this incredible sense of leadership, but it’s done with this little twinkle in his eye that no one can quite describe. It’s what made him so famous. It’s what made that character so iconic, and it’s just not something you can easily replicate. That’s something that comes organic to the actor himself.

So what essence of Kirk as a character, separate from what Shatner was doing in his performance, did you want to capture?

A director I was working with on “Star Trek,” said, “Kirk’s the kind of guy that will jump off out of a plane without a parachute and he knows he’ll figure out a way to land midair.” Obviously, that’s an extreme example. But his instinct, his gut, is his North Star. It’s something that I really wanted to make sure that I captured. And then on top of that, he has incredibly good sense of morality. He is someone who I think is selfless for his crew. He’s someone that, even though he has his bravado, I think at the end of the day, he has a deep sensitivity, and he cares about doing the right thing. I think those are the pillars of Kirk, if I had to really pick apart the archetype.

In the Season 1 finale, we jump ahead in time and meet a Kirk who never becomes captain of the Enterprise and hasn’t ever met Spock. Did that affect your approach at all?

Yeah. It was liberating. We can talk about it openly because the Season 1 finale is an alternate timeline. Kirk hasn’t been influenced by Spock, by Uhura. In many ways, he’s the same Kirk. But he’s not really the Kirk that we know, because he’s had a completely different life. So there’s room in Season 1 for exploration of Kirk in a different way. It allowed me to put less pressure on myself, at least for that particular episode.

You knew this would be the first time audiences would get to see you as Kirk, so what were you hoping to communicate within this alternate version of him?

It’s sort of an iconic moment for Kirk: He’s talking to Pike in the first scene, and then Spock interjects, and Kirk is intrigued by this man who said something that Kirk immediately flags as, that’s pretty sharp, that’s pretty wise. I want to capture that he recognizes, “Oh, that’s an interesting guy,” and they form a connection, even if it’s for a split second. Little Easter eggs like that. I wanted to capture a little bit of that bravado, but at the same time, that particular episode, there was a lot at stake there. There was less room to play with Kirk’s humor. There was some charm, but he was very mission driven in that episode, so we didn’t explore Kirk as much as we will in Season 2.

When Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn (as Number One) and Ethan Peck (as Spock) were cast for Season 2 of “Star Trek: Discovery,” there was no sense yet that they would ever been in their own “Trek” spin-off. So has anyone talked with you about playing Kirk beyond “Strange New Worlds”? Do you expect to be playing Kirk for a long time?

Ultimately, I don’t know what their plans are. All I can say is that I’m really enjoying being a part of this storyline, because it’s a Kirk that we’ve never seen. This is a younger Kirk. It’s before he was fully developed as a man. I know we saw a little bit of that with Chris Pine in the J.J. Abrams films, but it wasn’t part of the original canon. That’s the Kirk we’re dealing with [on “Strange New Worlds”]. So anyway, I really don’t know.

Even if there’s not necessarily a long professional commitment, there is a certain cultural commitment that you’ve now made in playing Kirk. How does that feel, to be stepping into that tradition?

It feels amazing. First of all, I was part of a cult-y family, in a sense — I don’t mean cult in a bad way. I mean, a cult classic. You know, “Vampire Diaries” was obviously a different audience. It was much more younger skewing. It was a very successful show. We created our own fanhood — there was a real community that was built around it. There were multiple spinoffs.

It’s much smaller than the “Star Trek” world. But I know what it’s like to be involved in those worlds, in the spotlight, so to speak. And frankly, my goal after “Vampire Diaries” was to do something that took me out of that world in a way, because you don’t really want to be stuck in that world forever. As an actor, as an artist, as a person, you want to evolve. You want to try different things. So when this opportunity came along, I said, “Of course, I want to jump into it.” This to me feels like the next evolution for me as a man now. I’m in my late 30s. I want to go to that next phase. I don’t mean to demean “Vampire Diaries”; it’s awesome. But I mean, “Star Trek” feels like a more adult level of that. So I was very excited to move on to that next phase of my life.

So now that you’ve nearly wrapped Season 2 of “Strange New Worlds,” what can you say about what to expect?

I can’t talk about it too much, but man, I had such a blast on Season 2. The writing is so good. It’s so fun. Season 2 is where we get to really let loose and explore Kirk. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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Paul Wesley (II)

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4 wins & 13 nominations

Captain James T. Kirk
Lieutenant James T. Kirk
2022–2023 • 4 eps

Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, and Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries (2009)

Stefan Salvatore
2009–2017 • 171 eps

Dorian Missick, Paul Wesley, and Michael Raymond-James in Tell Me a Story (2018)

Tucker Reed
Eddie Longo
2018–2020 • 17 eps

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Maria Bello, Jane Lynch, J.K. Simmons, Brittany Snow, Paul Wesley, Lenora Crichlow, Johnny Simmons, Beck Bennett, and Kumail Nanjiani in The Late Bloomer (2016)

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The Highly Illogical 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' SDCC Interview

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Trivia He began to credit himself as Paul Wesley in 2005 because he thought his birthname was too hard to pronounce. He asked his family's permission before changing it.
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Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk on Star Trek is not like William Shatner: 'This is a whole new look'

The Vampire Diaries alum opens up for the first time about playing a younger Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and what's in store for season 2.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale.

A new captain has beamed up to the command deck.

Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley was announced in March as a young Captain James Tiberius Kirk on the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . But — SPOILER ALERT — Wesley's Kirk ended up making his debut in the season 1 finale, which dropped on Paramount+ Thursday.

According to Wesley, who opens up about the role for the first time with press, the original plan was to never formally announce his casting. The network and producers hoped it would be a surprise for Star Trek fans when he popped up on screen at the end of SNW . But meddling paparazzi threatened to leak images of him from the set, so the powers that be decided to announce his season 2 role, while holding onto the season 1 surprise.

"I'm glad they did [announce it] because it allows people to digest it in a way," the actor tells EW.

Trek fans know Kirk by way of William Shatner on the original Star Trek series of the 1960s, while a newer generation got their introduction to the character from Chris Pine in the J.J. Abrams Trek films. This Kirk, Wesley says, is somewhere in between. "This is a whole new look," he notes.

The SNW finale sees Captain Pike ( Anson Mount ) getting a visit from his future self. He's not just shown, but lives out a potential tragic future that could happen if Pike's prophesied death doesn't play out as its meant to. This future takes place several years down the line when Pike meets Kirk, who's captain of the U.S.S. Farragut and arrives on the scene amid a conflict with the Romulans.

Wesley discusses taking on the role, what people can expect from his performance, and what's coming in season 2.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I feel like you're probably getting this a lot these days, but how does it feel to be Captain Kirk?

PAUL WESLEY : Gosh, how many adjectives? I could give you about a hundred and it would still not really describe it. Obviously, it is incredibly daunting. Ever since I got the role of Kirk, I'll literally be speaking to someone and there's a massive language barrier and I can't quite communicate certain words. Then I'll say "Captain Kirk." There's nobody on the face of planet earth... or I should say, most 99 percent of people know who Captain Kirk is. That is crazy. It's arguably the most iconic fictional character. There's Hans Solo and there's Captain Kirk.

There's the generation of Trek fans who know Kirk through Chris Pine and there's the other generation who know Kirk through William Shatner. What is your personal Captain Kirk?

He's somewhere in between. At the end of the day, the most important thing for me and the most important thing for the showrunners was to not insult the original series' Kirk by doing an imitation of [Shatner]. It's an interpretation that is different. I think doing an imitation of either [Kirks] would be an insult. We just remind people that it's not William Shatner. This is a whole new look. It's a whole new Spock. It's a whole new Uhura. It's a whole new Kirk. It's a new Pike. They're old characters interpreted in a new way. What is most important is to pay respect to the integrity of who Kirk is — his wants, his needs, his deep desires, his morality, his spontaneity, his instinct.

What was really important for you to bring out in him with your debut in the season 1 finale?

In the season 1 finale, it's actually a Kirk that we've never seen because he doesn't really exist. It's an alternate projected timeline of something. If Pike hadn't died and he was still commanding the Enterprise, what would this world look like? Of course, it doesn't exist. It's just in his mind. So he meets Kirk, and Kirk is not captain of the Enterprise. Kirk is captain of the Farragut. Kirk has never met Spock, he's never met Uhura, he hasn't gone through all the things that the original Kirk had gone through. So, in a way, it allowed me to... I'm not gonna say whatever I wanted, but it's a looser interpretation, right? We're not sticking to a regiment. So it was a little liberating because I didn't have as much pressure. I can't talk about season 2 too much, but it's a little bit more in line with a Kirk that we know, but it's pre-Enterprise. The most important thing is, to answer your question, is to maintain that sense of Kirk having this incredible gut instinct that he relies on, that is preternaturally accurate in a way, a morality, courage, charm, humor. We don't get to see as much of that humor in the season 1 finale because there's something very intense happening. Season 2, we get to explore a little bit more of Kirk.

In the finale, we see Kirk and Pike hitting up against each other. Do you see this episode as setting up that particular character dynamic in season 2?

Yeah, I do. The two men have a great deal of respect for one another. Pike sees this future, so he kind of knows Kirk in a way, but Kirk doesn't know him. So it's fascinating to see this. It's like, I've met you before, but I can't tell you that I've met you before and I can't explain to you how I've met you before. I do think that the two have different command styles and different approaches, but I think there's a lot of respect between the two men. There's never really a sense of animosity or real competitiveness. There's a deep sense of respect, 'cause ultimately they want the same thing. Kirk just knows that he'll figure it out quickly and he's relied on that his entire life.

We found out about you playing Kirk with the anticipation you would come in season 2. Obviously, you have this surprise appearance in season 1. It sounds like you've been hanging onto this secret for longer than I think a lot of us realized. Did you have to shoot this appearance under the cover of darkness, as it were?

Yeah, totally. I didn't tell anyone other than very, very close family and friends. And it was like an "if you say anything, I'm never talking to you again" kind of thing. Ultimately, we weren't even really gonna announce that I was playing Kirk at all until suddenly I just appeared on screen in the finale. But then we were shooting season 2 and a couple of photos came out because we did an episode where they go to earth. That's when they said, "Okay, let's just announce it because there's a lot of speculation," etc. I'm glad they did because it allows people to digest it in a way, you know? It was really hard to not tell. I ran into some people who are diehard Star Trek fans. This was before the announcement. Friends of mine that I hadn't seen in ages, and I'm like, "Well, I'm doing this show called Star Trek ." They're like, "Oh! What character?" I'm like, "Maybe you've heard of him. Captain Kirk." They're like, "Shut up! No, you're not." Nobody believed me. They literally thought I was a crazy person. Then the announcement came out and they were like, "You weren't kidding!" It's such an iconic role that everyone thinks you're pulling their leg. So I was glad that the announcement came out.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 is currently streaming on Paramount+.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Cast Talks More About Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk In Season 2

| June 15, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 113 comments so far

The second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is close to wrapping up production for season two, and one thing we know about it is it will include James T. Kirk , played by The Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley. And in the brand new issue of SFX Magazine members of the cast talk about the new Kirk.

SNW crew talks Kirk

The July issue of SFX Magazine features interviews with the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the subject of Kirk in season two came up with a number of them. Paramount has previously confirmed that even with the inclusion of Kirk in season two, Anson Mount remains the star of the show and Captain of the Enterprise. Speaking to SFX, Mount talked about how Kirk impacts Pike:

Pike himself is not even aware of the significance of Kirk, right? He’s going to be discovering this character in real-time, hopefully at the same time that we’re discovering what a young Kirk was like.

Rebecca Romijn, who is also a genuine fan, talked about her excitement for being part of a show that includes Kirk:

It’s very exciting. We’re actually shooting an episode right now and the very last thing that happens in that episode… I mean certain things happen and you just read it on the page and you burst into tears. That involves Jim Kirk…

Paul Wesley as Kirk in Strange New Worlds

Of course, a key part of Kirk’s future history involves his close friendship with Spock. When asked if he was looking forward to building on that classic relationship, Ethan Peck said:

It’s hard to wrap my head around that. It’s already so amazing to be part of this as Spock, so to bring him into the picture is its own kind of Bizarro World for me. But yeah, I’m thrilled, and trepidatious. I hope that they really handle it again with due diligence and great care. I’m sure that they will.

It was previously reported that Christina Chong (La’an Noonien-Singh) talked about the fun she had working with Wesley on set. This may or may not have anything to do with Kirk on Strange New Worlds , but when asked the open-ended question about what other Star Trek captain she would like to serve under, Chong told SFX:

I would say Kirk, because he’s very charming. And because, who knows… [meaningful smile]

From the July issue of SFX Magazine

Much more in the new SFX

The July 2022 issue of SFX has a lot more from the rest of the Strange New Worlds cast along with a special Pride feature about LGBTQ+ representation on Star Trek: Discovery with an interview with showrunner Michelle Paradise. The issue is showing up on newsstands now in the UK and soon in the USA and around the world. You can also buy the issue directly online .

July issue cover for SFX

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Picard news and analysis .

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I’d have preferred it if they kept Kirks involvement until the last season of the show but the producers did make it clear that they are gonna play fast and loose with canon so I think we might as well enjoy it. I am curious how Paul Wesley will interpret the role, lets hope it doesn’t become a parody of Shatner and just its own thing.

“Fast and loose” is too mild a term for this. Nearly completely ignore is more like it.

I have really enjoyed SNW but I wish they would just come out and say that it is a full on reboot. They wouldn’t have to be so strict and canon strict fans like myself can enjoy it a little more and they can prevent Pikes issue.. Thats how I was able to enjoy the Kelvin timeline movies.

I usually refer to it as a soft reboot but I don’t think soft applies anymore. Discovery being set before the original series opened the door and introducing Pike in season 2 kick the door wide open not to mention the Spock connection and the Enterprise it was inevitable they do this in comic books all the time they reimagine stories that were told 50 years ago or change them entirely in Star Trek you can blame time travel for any alterations to the prime universe as a fan I’m totally okay with this. The original series was great but it was canceled after three seasons and for generations writers use things like the novels and the newer shows to fill in gaps. I love the original series but let’s be real a lot of the things that happen on it don’t hold up well today including how they portrayed and treated women I guarantee you there will be another series with Kirk and Spock after strange new world is done and that series will create new episodes around the original series not negating the cannon necessarily but tweaking it.

Lieutenant uhura and chapel were treated as background characters and I would even go so far to say that chapel was way more developed as a character than Nyota was. As progressive as people claim Star Trek was the black actors were not exactly on full display all the time. I think the original series era is right for all kinds of possibilities how are they going to reconcile the Khan stuff. Guess we’ll just wait and see but Discovery already blew those doors wide open with the mirror universe and the list goes on and on. I’m loving strange New world and all it has to give. Just blame it on the red angel or a Klingon time Crystal and get it over with and I’m cool with that.

Me too. As much as I’d like to see TOS-characters again, the Pre-TOS-cast should have time to evolve and stand on its own. The show was created because of Pike and Spock’s popularity in Discovery. It’s clear from the beginning that SNW leads to TOS (or even a TOS-soft-reboot), but that should happen in a later season. Of course it might be interesting to see what Kirk makes on the U.S.S. Farragut (maybe the could do a prequel to “Obesession”?!?) but this shouldn’t be the focus.

“maybe the could do a prequel to “Obesession”

So, instead of a deadly cloud, they’ll have to fight living fat in “Obese-ssion” :-)

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! excellent!

It’s coming (Obsession prequel episode) I bet. That’s just too good not to do and was clearly an important moment for Kirk.

That would be great. There are some loose ends (or beginnings) in TOS which SNW could pick up.

I’d also love to see the original Captain Decker vs. the Doomsday Machine as an ep.

I left religion because of Star Trek demonstrated a future of possibilities. Let’s not become overwhelmingly clerical if the producers can come up with clever twists on what we thought we knew.

For example, I am loving cheesy Sam Kirk. It’s just so opposite our Kirk, and his hipster mustache…. I mean… Who would do this? Well, these producers did and it’s fun.

Remember, when Kirk said he only met Pike once, that could still be true. But that line was written post-WW2. With true social media-like interactivity likely in the military and science, there is no way that Pike and Kirk wouldn’t know a lot about each other eventually. In the current military I am sure everyone knows everyone’s record. Even if you listen to OSINT right now, you can hear discussions about Russian officers field experience. Where does that info come from?

There is no reason Pike wouldn’t know OF Kirk. He could have even recommended him for Captain. But it is clear they only met when Pike got promoted. Presumably when Kirk took over the Enterprise.

I agree with this too but I think like they been doing, they are going to ignore that idea obviously. But of course I get why they are doing, we all do.

WRONG. Kirk only says that he met Pike when Pike was promoted to fleet captain. He does not use the word only. Look at the script for the Menagerie. The only thing they weren’t aware of was the accident, because Kirk’s Enterprise was off underway with its 5-year mission and not in regular communication… . Pike simply gets a promotion in rank to Fleet Captain and remains as captain of the Enterprise, and Kirk continues his career on the Farragut… Perhaps he was acting captain of the Farragut… Perhaps he was given a new assignment with a different ship. There are plenty of possibilities in canon when the only certain thing is the point at which Kirk met Pike… Everything else we’ve carried around for 50 years is simply speculation.

Kirk only says that he met Pike when Pike was promoted to fleet captain. He does not use the word only. Look at the script for the Menagerie.

I just verified this — you are 100% correct. This removes a major canon issue with this.

I get a kick out of all this hypersensitivity with canon on this series on one hand, yet on the other hand I see so many fans just giving free passes all the time to the juvenile stuff that to me violates (or reduces to silliness)Trek canon on Lower Decks, but maybe that’s just me? LOL

True but the way he said it and the words used would STRONGLY imply that he had not met him before. If I had only met my predecessor that one time I would say “I met him when he retired.” But if I had met him and even worked together a time or two the closest to that line that I MIGHT say is “I last met him when he retired.” But it’s more likely my response would be if I already met him before the last time, “We worked together a couple of times. I last met him when he retired.” Or something to that effect. What people say does have implications.

Nevertheless, “strongly implied” does not equate to it being true in terms of canon. It provides them plenty of wiggle room, unlike if he had actually said “only.”

I think eventually they are going to redo TOS, and that will give them a chance to adjust some of the canon issues that are coming up with all of the new series’.

It was so strongly implied that the way it was presented it could be taken as factual. The only semi reasonable argument against that is in the future standard syntax could be different. While true the show is made for a current audience and pretty much needs to use language that people of the day comprehend. I’m not a fan of the logic that says just because it wasn’t specifically said or shown then strong implications don’t matter. Using that line of thinking one could say that Scotty sold ice cream on the side and it is perfectly OK because they never specifically said he didn’t. I don’t consider that sort of thing to be “wiggle room”.

Yes it all comes down to the original intent of the episode. Clearly Kirk and Pike didn’t know each other besides meeting him once or twice; but nowhere does it remotely imply the two went on adventures together or were friends.

But yes you can find enough room to say they met before. To me, it just feels disingenuous. There is a reason why Spock and only Spock was so hard pressed to help Pike in the Menagerie because he was the only one that had an actual relationship with him. Kirk didn’t seem to know Pike on a personal or professional level beyond meeting once.

But it doesn’t stop them from implying they had a deeper relationship either. This is where it becomes more subjective than anything.

Since we don’t know what happens in these upcoming episodes we may see a something like a conflict or even a diffidence between Pike and Kirk. Maybe not as far as disliking each other, but perhaps as far as not caring for the other’s opinion. Just a guess.

Of course we don’t know how this will work out until we see the episodes next year. I’m thinking the only way this works is if Kirk and Pike never share any scenes together. But the article suggests that is not the case and given how Secret Hideout has treated TOS canon on SNW it is reasonable they are going to throw that bit out the window as well.

Clearly those responsible for making SNW just don’t care, either.

Makes sense to me.

That’s totally what I thought they were going to do. But thinking about it I’d love to see a much younger Kirk as a Lieutenant serving aboard the Farragut. And there does need some explanation as to why Kirk was Pike’s choice for Captain and why he and Spock were so close from the (almost) very beginning of Kirk’s command.

It’s waaaaay too early to judge anything, but I did get a little concerned with Christina Chong’s comments- very slightly so. We are promised a very different version of Kirk, and I hope they let the “stack of books with legs” straight-edge Kirk come through. He can be a nerd and charming, right? Rebecca Romijn’s quote bodes well, she’s such a joyful TREK fan in real life.

I read it as possibly hinting at a romance between La’an and Kirk, though in that case people really have to come to terms with him not recognising the name Noonien-Singh immediately.

Or a romance between Chong and Wesley come to think of it.

The way the article is written it very much sounds like there is interaction between Kirk and Pike. Which given how they have opted to ignore nearly everything that has happened on TOS I’m not surprised they would screw up using Kirk, too.

I say this as a life-long “fundamentalist canon” guy: we gotta just let it go.

Everything past Enterprise is so far removed, production and writing-wise, from the Berman-era at this point — twice removed from the original series — that we’re setting ourselves up to be incredibly miserable audience members the further we go. In light of that, I’ve since accepted that as long as the broad strokes are represented, and the story is engaging, it’s fine.

Besides, declaring it “prime” or not, we’re so far up the ass of ‘multiverses’ nowadays that if we’re REALLLLY butt-hurt over a narrative decision, we can just chalk it up to that and get on the with the day. :P

Exactly the way I’m going, Fortyseven. Well said. Let it go.

I’m with you. This is a reboot. The only drawback — from my perspective — is the natural arrogance that comes with thinking they can do TOS but better because it’s new and modern (which is always better than something old). It’ll beg for comparison and take up time explaining the hows and whys it all “works,” which I think is a disservice to SNW. NOT because I think TOS is the best thing ever, but because that makes it difficult for SNW to stand on its own — which every show ought to be able to do.

Of course, there are no doubt millions of Trek fans unfamiliar with TOS or who outright hate it who wouldn’t care/welcome any changes or remixes, this comment isn’t for them and I’m glad they have SNW to stomp all over something they dislike/know nothing about. Maybe someday I’ll get something that stomps out these Star Trek writers’ most cherished personal work.

I think TOS 2.0 was forseeable, but I expected that more in 10-20 years and maybe with modern DeepFake CGI technique which could bring back Shatners and Nimoys Kirk and Spock.

As a fan of 70s sci-fi-styles I would love to see the hypothetical Phase II series how it could have aired in 1977. The designs and the screenplays exist. Maybe one day…

The Phase II scripts are pretty terrible. It’s a good thing that show never happened. It would’ve, in all likelihood, killed off the franchise for good.

In terms of redoing Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (I will be SHOCKED if/when this SH team remembers McCoy exists and understands his role in that trio’s friendship), it’s a marketing decision only, and that’s why it’s such a bummer. We can’t get knew ideas that’s not directly tied to the most recognizable bits of the IP because that’s the easiest way for execs to lose their jobs. Just a bummer that we might not ever get a new Star Trek show that has nothing to do with a prior show.

Well said. Agreed.

We saw what were viewed as the better Phase II scripts in TNG season one.

They weren’t great.

No, THE CHILD was s2 and DEVIL’S DUE was s5 or so.

There are plenty of unmade p2 scripts and outlines, but except for the one by David Ambrose (is it called DEADLOCK maybe?) and John Meredyth Lucas’ KITUMBA, none of them seemed very good to me, and most were plain bad. The Pearl Harbor one was particularly flinch-worthy, especially coming from a competent and busy writer who should have been able to do better, and shame on the folks who bought the idea.

I admit, that bums me out too at least and we probably won’t get a totally new show anymore. Right now the two shows we know are on the drawing board are the Section 31 show which obviously stars Georgiou and the Academy show which could be completely new characters (and the cadets basically have to be) but like most I suspect the lead will also be a legacy character. Maybe they will surprise us? I suspect ANY Picard spin off will have at least 1-2 legacy characters and most likely from TNG.

Of course it is fun to have legacy characters back. But it doesn’t mean they have to be on every show either. And I do feel they WAY over did it with SNW. That show already has the most legacy characters as part of their main ensemble. The next show after that is Picard with just two characters (OK, next season that’s about to change too ;)). But SNW has even more when you include minor characters from TOS in supporting roles like Sam Kirk and T’Pring as part of the show too. And now Captain Kirk will be showing up next season, but who knows how many other characters will show up before that guy does?

So SNW is really the first show that stuff their cast with a lot of old characters unlike the other shows where it’s at least just been the leads. And it may be a fluke given that show’s setting but yeah who knows?

It’s not arrogance. It’s a TV show. Let’s keep some perspective here.

Relative to what? You do not believe that ego is a factor at all in the entertainment business?

Everyone is concerned with canon violations, but yet I haven’t seen one. They are playing loose with canon but I interpret canon broadly anyways.

I have a difficult time reconciling the fact that the show is so obviously a reboot with the fact that the producers continue to insist it isn’t. I wish I could do what you and Danpaine are doing. Just pretend. For Star Trek Discovery I was able to consider it a KU set show for some time. But for some reason this one I have a tough time with that. I just with the producers would have just said it was a reboot going in. Would be a ton easier to take. But a big problem thus far has been that the misalignments they have made with TOS have been ones that could have so very easily been dealt with without compromising one bit of any episode they have done. I find that to be amazingly frustrating.

Ultimately, they should do what they want and do the best they can to make it work without going out of their way to contradict canon any more than necessary. In the end, it would be a ridiculous notion for them to miss a chance to tell a story they are excited to tell because of something that aired 55 years ago on a show where no one working on it could possibly have imagined all the shows, movies and stories that would follow. I honestly hope that at least half of their audience has never seen TOS. Those young fans are the future!

I love Star Trek , every last bit of it, and I am loving Strange New Worlds . They should be free to make the show they want to make, while doing their best to respect what came before. Which is exactly what I think they have been doing. Keep up the good work!

Ultimately, they should do what they want and do the best they can to make it work without going out of their way to contradict canon any more than necessary.

And I agree with that. The issue is the canon mistakes they made were easily correctable with zero affect on the story they wanted to tell. For example… Everything related to the Gorn could have been done with another alien that wasn’t an established unknown in Pike’s time. They could have used Kzinti assuming they got the rights. They could have made one up, too. Then just replace every word “Gorn” with whatever the new scary alien is. Momento Mori is the exact same episode. La’an is exactly the same just with new scary alien instead of Gorn. The other major misalignment is Christine Chapel is not only an entirely different person but is now very well aware of Spock’s relationship status. If they wanted a kick-ass tough as nails nurse/scientist they easily could have made up a new character. That would have also killed the T’Pring knowledge, too. But even ignoring the character change they could have had a different character (#1 or La’an for example) go with Spock/T’Pring on T’Pring’s job. Would have still been a bit of stretch but certainly better that completely exposing Chapel to it.

So again, that is the most frustrating part of the show. All the mistakes they made should have been pointed out and were amazingly easy to fix while still changing nothing about the stories they are trying to tell us.

Speaking as a TOS-centric Trek fan, and someone who does care a lot about canon, I don’t personally think that the examples listed above are all that big a deal, and they don’t really bother me at all or affect my enjoyment of the show. Just my own personal opinion. .. On the other hand, what DID bother me a lot was the concept of Spock having a previously unknown sister, even though technically that didn’t break any canon at all, since nobody had ever directly said that he didn’t have one. But it was an egregious attempt on the part of the producers to foist upon the existing Trek universe a conceptual change with wide ramifications. That I object to…

Yeah that’s the thing with me too. I don’t like all the canon issues SNW has created but none of it has stopped me from enjoying the show obviously. I have made all my concerns clear but with the idea A. No one else has to care and B. that most of it is not a huge issue even for myself. But what DOES bother me when they pretend it’s not breaking canon when it is. Of course, people can argue it’s really not but these arguments can get super super tedious. But everyone can see what they want of course, so fine.

But the Spock/sister idea is just on another level of ridiculousness. Now I have accepted it as you know because it is just a TV show, but I have a much bigger problem with that compared to anything they done on SNW because it just flies in the face of common sense to me. Now they have rectified as much as they could short of killing Burnham (which technically they did do lol) so it is what it is at this point. But it just felt cheap since it was clearly just to get fans more invested in the new show and not for any story reasons.

I didn’t like the Spock adoptive sister thing at all. It felt like a safety net more than anything. But I didn’t hate it because it was a canon violation. It wasn’t. It was a bad creative decision. Which in all honestly Star Trek Discovery has made a lot of and still makes them. Albeit not as bad as the first two seasons but they are still doing it.

And honestly I’m whining about this canon violation but in general I’m not a huge stickler to canon. I’m fine with a tweak here or a twist there. Especially if it makes the story work better. Even the changes they made to Chapel I can take but that’s about my limit. But some things I just don’t think are things that should be broken. Trek history should be observed. Picard is French and changing him to Australian just ‘becuse’ (like they did with the Gorn) ought not happen. That is where I stand on this.

“But I didn’t hate it because it was a canon violation. It wasn’t. It was a bad creative decision.”

Exactly right!

They never actually said anywhere in TOS that Dr. McCoy’s mother WASN’T a Saurian lizard person, so if the current producers suddenly decide to reveal that McCoy is descended from lizard people it technically wouldn’t be breaking canon… but c’mon!!! Just because you can write anything you want doesn’t mean you should write anything you want…

Yep. Exactly that.

I made a similar argument in an earlier response that just because something isn’t superficially spelled out EXACTLY does not mean there is room to screw with it. Intent can be very clear.

Again, from David:

Look at my earlier response to you above that starts with “ It was so strongly implied that the way it was presented it could be taken as factual.”

And “could” also is not definitive.

So there you have it. This provides plenty of “room of maneuvering” in terms of Pike and Kirk. Obviously your not going have them be best buds, but limited interactions are certainly fine based on a liberal interpretation of this non-definitive statement.

Well said. Canon for me is a general guidestone…it’s not a definitive “law,” nor is it meaningless as some clown here said a couple of months ago.

Nearly everything that happened on tos has not been ignored.

You are right. Only the bulk of the TOS connections we have seen on the show so far. And I’m sure more are on their way…

I have a feeling that we are going to see “TOS-Revised” in about 4-8 years…and then they will tweak/update the canon to be consistent with these shows. It needs to be done regardless, as there is lots of dumbass stuff now like the Eugenics Wars not happening in the 1990’s, etc. etc.

I think TOS Revised will include both redone versions of some of the best eps, plus some new ones as well…perhaps a 50/50 ratio.

Geezus, that has got to be one of the most misguided notions ever. You want to spend more time and money ‘fixing’ shows that were mostly okay to begin with nearly 60 years after the fact so that they dovetail with whatever nuttiness this group coughs up?

I’d like see TOS updated. Don’t get me wrong, I love TOS classic eps, and they aged very well for many decades, but today they are now just too far dated for most of the younger generation to appreciate them. That’s the primary reason I’d like to see a new TOS. Adjusting the canon issues would be a supporting secondary benefit for me. Plus, I’d like to see some “new eps” from TOS crew, as TOS movies (and the Kelvin movies) never really provided the sort of stories that I wanted to see, even though I enjoyed a few of them.

I definitely agree with you on the latter point; there are some early TOS-era Pocket novels that deserve to be adapted into actual filmed installments, plus I’d like to see more about the gap between TOS and TMP and especially between TMP and TWOK.

And the last years of the 23rd Century are the great unmined latinum deposit of TREK for me, because dramatically it is wide open … basedon parts of TSFS and TUC, you have an almost insanely retro Starfleet and Fed rife with paranoia and sadly contemporary thinking, a setting that could let you take Jack Sowards’ unused notion for ST II — that Starfleet has abandoned (temporarily for our purposes) the ‘to boldly go’ in favor of just hanging onto its existing territory — and really run with it. You’d have generations of Starfleet who literally are wondering if it is better to get out and go privateer if they want to see the universe, and you could run all sorts of relevant-to-today stuff with conspiracies and selfishness coming to the fore. It would be a way to play out all the dark stuff that TPTB like to do, but without steamrollering the eras where that clearly wasn’t the main focus.

Ever since coming out of GENERATIONS opening day, I ‘ve had an idea for doing a miniseries on the E-B and crew and their ‘rehabilitation’ post-getting-kirk-killed, and it’s the only reason I never read THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER, because I want to honestly say I wasn’t influenced by anybody else’s take on the material.

End of 23rd century Trek in my mind is very much equivalent to westerns set at the start of the 20th century, where the idea that things are changing but people not so much so plays out against a visually interesting landscape. Think THE WILD BUNCH, plus Richard Brooks’ THE PROFESSIONALS and BITE THE BULLET if you like and know westerns, but add the 70s political paranoia feel that TSFS verges on with its extremely troubling ‘sir, I don’t think you want to be discussing this matter in public’ line, and you’ve got insanely good potential to do good trek in tough times that is still largely virgin territory.

I gotta try to get an agent again.

I love that idea of a series set during the period of say Star V to VI, and yes, I agree that there was a vibe that the Federation was kind of stagnating during that point.

70’s westerns with a political feel are an interesting idea. Your idea isn’t all that different from I expect Tarantino was thinking about? I think 80% of my fav movies were made between 1962 and 1977.

I’m pretty close to being with you on my fave era for movies, though I might extend it another 5 years through the start of the 80s, so I can put ALL THAT JAZZ and APOCALYPSE NOW and TAPS and TRUE CONFESSIONS and CUTTER’S WAY in there.

There’s what some call a ‘second level of sell’ in a lot of films from that stretch, where in the second half of act 2 you pay off something hinted at earlier that makes things much more complex, possibly even introducing an ethical quandary. That’s usually the sign a movie I like is going to move into the must-own category. A later film that delivers on this is the Timothy Dalton film LICENCE TO KILL, where we and Bond find out fairly late in the story that his revenge rampage has wrecked two legit operations, one of which was a years-in-the-making sting.

By way of contrast, since back when I was a teenager in the 70s, I found that the second half of act 2 is also where most movies, good or bad, fall apart. I called this the ’10-10:30pm problem’ since a movie starting at 9 and ending at 11 often experienced this dropoff. A movie with Nimoy in a small role as a baddie called CATLOW is what made me come up with this, because it was a very fun western with Richard Crenna and Yul Brynner that just utterly derails in irrelevancy an hour or so in, then comes back strong at the end.

I often tend to think of TOP GUN in this way, but I guess the dropoff is actually in act 3, post the death of Goose, because the movie (which wasn’t any great shakes to me before that event, to put it mildly) just stopped dead to mourn with Cruise for what felt like a 1/2hr before the obligatory air stuff at the end. I don’t blame the writers on this, because I think it has to do with the daddy issue stuff that Cruise had added. Plus I think the film was fatally flawed (again a minority view, but hey, I don’t get Cruise’s appeal, never did) when they split what was originally a single character into the Tom Skerrit and Michael Ironside parts (presumably to help avoid having a great character actor totally overshadow the star.)

Fine. Do that. But that is called a “reboot”. Which really is what Secret Hideout Trek is but they aren’t officially calling it that.

This group has the hubris to do just that. They obviously think their version is superior and are already taking it upon themselves to “fix” Trek. As if it was broken and they are the only ones who can.

It’s idiotic to shift Trek history just because something the show said would happen in the ’90’s didn’t. The show is fiction. Not reality. Does Inglorious Basterds need to get fixed because that is not what actually happened in WWII? It’s fiction. In THEIR history the WWIII/Eugenics wars happened in the 1990’s. Nothing to fix there.

What will Trek writers do in 40 years when Vulcans don’t appear? Will they have to go back and fix all the Trek stuff?

At the end of the day TOS is nearly 60 years old and I personally would love to see it redone…my opinion.

I disagree that they think their Star Trek is superior. However, I do think that you are right in that they have enough hubris to try to recreate TOS.

Good point, and I’m glad that they are not ignoring what happened on TOS.

I knew this was going to happen from the moment they announced SNW was a real thing. Here comes TOS 2.0. Add McCoy and Scotty and we’ll be pretty much done here.

Same. I predicted Kirk was going to be in season 2 a year ago in fact. People who thought he was going to show up in the last episode of SNW for 5 minutes were kidding themselves. Kirk sounds like he’s going to be part of this show the way T’Pring is and not just a one off appearance.

And yes it probably will be setting up a TOS show down the line. How can it not? If you have fans begging for a Pike show (and they got it), imagine how many will want a TOS show in time too? Fans were begging for a TNG revival (and they will sort of get it now in Picard next season), an Enterprise revival (which I personally want too) and now that Kate Mulgrew hinted she will be back as a live action Janeway, some are now suggesting a continuation of Voyager. I’m not suggesting all of this will ever happen of course but the producers know nostalgia sells and more than ever these days so they are going to create as much of it as possible.

And fans from every property go with what they like and what they know. So none of it is a surprise of course. Star Trek is having a big revival and it’s doing that by bringing in characters and settings fans have grown up with and love. There was a time people thought the Prime Universe was ‘over’ once Enterprise left the stage and we got the Kelvin movies. And now it oddly feels like it’s just getting started and they have a thousand year time period to play with thanks to Discovery.

If they end up doing a TOS 2.0 and are STILL trying to tell us this is prime….

You are overthinking this. It would replace TOS as prime.

No, it would be a reboot.

Yea, I’ve been saying that we are going to get a new TOS since last year here myself. It’s coming, and it will allow a modest canon rewrite, which is needed in any case given that series is almost 60 years old.

They’ll do the whole Killer Cloud thing, and show Kirk stepping up.

Here’s hoping Wesley’s Kirk is nothing like the fratboy portrayed in Trek 2009. Nothing against Pine as an actor, but as someone who idolized Kirk as a youth I just loathed the way the character was written in the 2009 movie. (And don’t even get me started on his magical leapfrog promotion.)

Seconded. The childhood and early life Kelvin Kirk lived is NOTHING like the live real Kirk lived. Those 2 men couldn’t be more different if they tried.

easy on the frat boy stuff…

That’s a stretch to say nothing.

Nah. He seemed a lot more like more of a bad-boy loner than a guy who needs the group approval to misbehave that one would get with a frat?

On the whole I’d have preferred to let this cast/these characters stand on their own for a while longer before bringing James Kirk into the mix, which comes off to me more like a stunt than something they really need to do. That said, there’s not too much in canon regarding Kirk’s early years, his first encounter with Spock or the Enterprise, nor the circumstances of his first meeting Pike. So I don’t think there’s really any canon for them to break here. I do hope, though, that the writers show restraint…

Agreed. They didn’t even wait to get feedback from the 1st season before diving right into the 2nd. Because of that it doesn’t look like we will get any adjustments from the errors they made in the first season. And as some have said, I’m honestly not surprised they dipped into that well so quickly. Running to Kirk this fast again tells me they have little faith in their own show to carry the load. But given how they have treated TOS I don’t see how this is going to help.

….like DSC did, running to Pike and Spock. So predictable.

Well, as Nick Meyer had it, in his judgment his task was not to “give the fans what they wanted”” — i.e. solicit their feedback — but to get them to want what he wanted. I haven’t seen SNW aside from the pilot and a few clips on YouTube, but I have gauged a pretty solid chunk of the fan, critical, and public reception to the show, and while your opinion is no less valuable than anyone else’s, you seem to be very much in the minority in your level of dissatisfaction. The simple fact of the matter is, the producers can’t please everyone.

Trying to please everyone is a fools errand. This is a big lesson in life too because no matter how much you try you never can please everyone. So sometimes its just better to do what you want to do and hope for the best and don’t really care for what others say.

No, they cannot try to please everyone. They should make the show they want to make. But if they want to keep their show in the Prime world they should be obliged to follow the rules. They haven’t been. If they want to be free of such restrictions then make the show you want and call it a reboot. It’s really quite simple. These people want both. It just doesn’t work that way.

I have not gone out to check how the show is being received except by the handful of people here. So I cannot say for sure what kind of consensus, if any, there is out there. It might be seen as better than the other stuff and if so it’s probably mainly because older TOS people like me are getting fewer in number.

Asking for these writers to show restraint is like asking for Sonic to go slow or for Vader to stop breathing, never gonna happen.

Absolutely love this show so far, but I’m kindve bummed at the Kirk news. I just don’t feel like the show needs another legacy character – the cast and characters are already great. I just don’t want these great characters to be sidelined to spend more time with a character we already know well. Uhura and Chapel weren’t developed in TOS or the movies so I’m fine with them being on the show and they have been great – but I just don’t feel the need for more Kirk at this point. I’m hoping he’s just a small part of the season.

That’s a valid point.

So far the canon stuff hasn’t bothered me that much, and I’m enjoying this show for the most part. But having said that, if there is a weakness in SNW, and really pop culture as a whole right now, it’s the unneeded wedging of too many familiar iconic elements into things when it would probably be best to concentrate on creating new stuff.

And it’s not like they’re incapable of doing it. Hemmer, if we ever see him again, seems like a great character in the making. I’m liking Ortegas. Plus, the stories that have focused on new aliens and cultures have been good, I think.

I don’t mind seeing Kirk, eventually, but do we need him? Probably not. Just like La’an didn’t need to be related directly to Khan to tell her story. And the Gorn didn’t need to be the Gorn. And Chapel didn’t need to be Chapel. Er, you get my point.

I would just prefer if they made these things canon adjacent instead of hitting it directly on the head. That makes the universe seem bigger, and strange, and new .

One more point, I think this ‘canon adjacent’ way of going about it is one reason The Mandalorian was such a big hit from the start (a cute little gremlin buddy doesn’t hurt either). They didn’t make it, at least at first, about the iconic character Boba Fett. They made it about a guy who kinda looks like Fett but is different. He comes from a weird cult, has a different code of honor, had never heard of the Force before, etc. So they could go at the familiar canon stuff at a different angle by creating a new character.

So, briefly, the Star Wars universe felt big and fresh again.

The Mandalorian really is a great example but same time an ironic example to use. First season, not a single old character. It did feel new and original even if it was obviously using a lot of old familiar elements of that universe. But then season 2 came and the flood gates opened wide! Now characters were showing up from the OT through the TCW. It even tied the show into a story line directly from TCW in fact. And it was then used as a back door for two spin off shows for two iconic characters, Boba Fett of course and Ashoka. Now it looks like future seasons it’s going to be a big tie in for all the SW shows going forward and probably movies the same way TNG became a big tie in to the other shows, movies and characters when it was running.

I always wondered was that the plan for Mandalorian from the beginning? Or once they knew they hit gold with the show they could use it as a spring board to bring other legacy characters in it? We’ll probably never know but more proof producers knows what fans want. And it’s being directed more to casual fans than hardcore fans obviously (since they know we’ll watch anything) but obviously hardcore fans have a vested interested to see legacy characters too.

Yeah, that’s why I was sure to say “briefly.” The first season being that brief period.

I can’t say I know what fans want, but I know I couldn’t care less about legacy characters anymore. That’s why I can’t be bothered with the Obi-Wan show. I’ve watched a few clips and read the reviews but still can’t find the interest.

I mean, I’m supposed to care what he did without himself in hiding? Well, maybe if it were interesting, but rescuing Leia and facing off against Vader isn’t interesting to me. Been there, done that. A long time ago…

I’m enjoying the Obi-Wan show but same time noting about the story felt necessary to be told. We learn nothing new or interesting about any of the characters. It’s there because yeah, it’s Obi-Wan and Darth Vader which oddly hasn’t been as prominent as fans hoped.

Anyway, I do like seeing legacy characters but no I don’t need to see them either. When a lot of us was begging for the next show to go forward in time, many was hoping a century past Voyager because we wanted to start fresh with new setting, situations and characters. But I can understand wanting to return to the TOS and TNG eras obviously, they can still go to new eras in future shows too and hopefully they will…but not holding my breath it will be anytime soon.

I am waiting to binge watch it. Sounds like they pulled a Picard S2 and dragged out the story, and fans are generally disappointed?

If you respond to my post here, please, no spoilers. :-)

Ah dang, sorry if I spoiled anything in my earlier post. I’ll be more careful in the future.

No worries, I deliberately looked away when I saw your post. LOL

Obi Wan has a few problems but for the most part it has been great. It’s a masterpiece compared to Picard S2.

I’m already rewatching episodes of Obi-Wan, while I can safely say I’ll never watch PIC S2 again. I didn’t even finish it, I thought it went off the rails so badly.

I thought Picard S2 was the worst of the new live action seasons and it is a lot better than Kenobi. Picard had more weight in its story (although it did drag), more meaning, and more urgency in the early episodes than Kenobi has had at all. Kenobi is only 6 episodes and is repetitive. Also not much plot. Picard at least had some interesting character work for Picard and Jurati sprinkled in, and a great ending with Q…nothing like that in Kenobi so far. I feel like people get distracted because “It’s darth vader – cool!” but there isn’t a lot of meat in the stories. Obi Wan also has a bunch of plot holes, poor writing, and things that just don’t make sense.

“Obi Wan also has a bunch of plot holes, poor writing, and things that just don’t make sense”

Respectfully, so does PIC. Overall, I think legacy characters (and their new stories) have been treated pretty shabbily by both franchises, honestly.

That is the same criticism of Solo. No one cared how he got his name or his early days. I was hoping we would get something interesting but nothing of any real significance happened. (Except an enjoyable performance from Glover as Lando).

I still REALLY want a post TUC show. And while I’m not betting for legacy characters it does seem like a good opportunity for Cho to finally lead a Capt. Sulu show.

That said I just don’t want Secret Hideout to make any new Trek anymore. They just have shown they aren’t up to the task. I’d rather all the Trek leave streaming while Paramount finds a new group to produce it.

Solo in my opinion is the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy. A great story and underrated acting. It’s the John Carter of the Star Wars film — a hidden gem done in my bad marketing and internet fanboy group-think.

Yeah… What is the deal with Hemmer? We are 6 episodes in and it seems like he has had perhaps 10 minutes of screen time. I’m starting to wonder why he is even there?

I agree. I thought the point of having the grumpy character with a heart of gold is to get to know that person. Worked for Worf. And Odo. And the Doctor.

The bits with Hemmer and Uhura were pretty good. I assume we’ll get more eventually. Fingers crossed.

Bruce Horak, who plays Hemmer was tagged as “recurring” in the early writeups.

Absolutely agreed and it is kind of ironic that one of the best new characters of the show, Hemmer, has been sidelined for so long. It’s like pop culture is refusing to be creative just because there is money in what came before. Maybe its time for everyone to think beyond money.

So wait, young Kirk is played by a 41 year old? So what, by the time he takes over Enterprise, he’ll be 50? That doesn’t sound right.

Actors don’t always play the same age as their characters. Johnathan Archer was actually in his late 30s at the beginning of Enterprise although Bakula was in his fifties. On the flip side Picard was in his sixties on TNG although Stewart was only in his forties. In Hollywood, if an actor can pass for a certain age, then they just go with it. Actors in their 20s play teenagers on shows all the time. This is not exactly new.

Also, Paul Wesley is only 39 per Wikipedia.

He’s in his 30’s still.

Yet, he will turn 40 on the 23rd of July.

It kind of seemed to me that Discovery rushed into canon territory a bit early, meeting the Enterprise, Spock, Pike, etc. within one season. Now SNW is doing the same with Kirk. Maybe that’s something that has to be done, I don’t know.

This makes me a little nervous. The show is working *really* well at the moment. I hope this introduction of Kirk doesn’t shake things up too much and potentially break it.

I think Kirk’s line was “We met when he was promoted to Fleet Capitan” That could in turn mean that Pike is promoted but still commands the Enterprise as his Flag Ship. They then could meet again when Kirk finally takes command.

Paul Wesley Cast as Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Series

By Maggie Dela Paz

Paramount+ has officially announced that The Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley has been tapped to portray the iconic role of Captain James T. Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series. The announcement comes with the release of a brand new photo, which you can check out below, featuring our first look at Wesley.

The beloved Star Trek character was first famously portrayed by William Shatner in the original series and films from 1966 to 1994. Later on, Chris Pine took over the role in 2009’s Star Trek film as well as in its sequels Star Trek Into the Darkness and Star Trek Beyond .

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Teaser Trailer Features Anson Mount’s Star Trek Return

In addition, the 39-year-old actor also went on to share his statement about his casting by sharing a story on Twitter about the time fate had led him to meet Shatner and sat beside him during a flight to Los Angeles.

I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created. Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the pic.twitter.com/U8GVD4ZemP — Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2022

“I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T. Kirk,” Wesley posted. “Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created. Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the empty seat beside me was the one and only William Shatner, having himself just returned from space. I could barely put two words together but ultimately I managed to say hello and we chatted. I’m not one who usually believes in fate but this was more than a coincidence. And of course I had to get a picture. So thanks Mr. Shatner for the good company. And for seating us together, my thanks to the great bird in the sky. Can’t wait for all of you to see our Captain Kirk on your screens.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be led by Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn, who are reprising their respective roles as Captain Christopher Pike, Spock, and Number One. They first portrayed the characters in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery .

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

“Based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy,” reads the logline.

RELATED: ViacomCBS Teases the Star Trek Universe’s Expansion on Paramount+

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiere is written by Akiva Goldsmith with the story by Goldsmith, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. Executive Producers are Henry Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth.

Maggie Dela Paz has been writing about the movie and TV industry for more than four years now. Besides being a fan of coming-of-age films and shows, she also enjoys watching K-Dramas and listening to her favorite K-Pop groups. Her current TV obsessions right now are FX’s The Bear and the popular anime My Hero Academia.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actor Paul Wesley Breaks Down That Surprise Kirk Cameo in the Season 1 Finale

Keisha hatchett, staff editor.

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Warning: The following contains spoilers from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale.

Captain Pike is forced to confront his tragic fate in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ’ Season 1 finale, and his unexpected journey brings about a surprise cameo: Captain James T. Kirk (played by Paul Wesley ). It was previously announced that the Vampire Diaries alum was cast for Season 2, which is why his early appearance in Wednesday’s episode comes as a shock.

Catapulted into an alternate timeline where he isn’t horribly disfigured, Pike meets Kirk, who is captain of the U.S.S. Farragut and who has offered his help with the current Romulan crisis. At first, Pike and Kirk don’t see eye-to-eye on how to handle the sensitive situation. Kirk wants to strike before things get worse while Pike opts for a more measured approach.

In light of Kirk showing up in this week’s finale, TVLine hit up Paul Wesley to discuss that surprise appearance and what to expect from Kirk in Season 2. (See below for our full interview as well as new photos from the episode.)

On his interpretation of the iconic captain… “There are innate qualities to James T. Kirk that you can’t ignore — his instinct, his courage. He cares about his crew more than anything in the world. He’s a magnet. People are really drawn to him, and they trust him. I had to be aware of those characteristics, but I couldn’t just do an imitation of William Shatner. His interpretation and what he did is quite sacred, and I think it would be an insult to just suddenly do this modern-day imitation of Shatner. It really needed to be a different character, something that wasn’t an insult to the original Kirk.”

“In the Season 1 finale, it’s a very plot-driven episode [and] we don’t really get to explore Kirk in the same way that we do in Season 2. It’s a younger Kirk. It’s a Kirk pre- Enterprise , and so we get to really have fun [next season].”

On looking the part in the show… “Of course we had the side part. When you watch the original series, Kirk goes through sideburn phases where he has really pointy sideburns. Sometimes the sideburns don’t exist. He has these different haircuts, and so we got to play with it a little bit. We actually change his hair up a little bit for Season 2. When we meet them in Season 1, it’s a different Kirk. He’s captain of the Farragut . He’s never met Spock. He’s doesn’t know who these people are. But [in] Season 2, it’s within the canon. It’s the Kirk that we know [but] pre- Enterprise , so we got to play with it.”

On how the alternate timeline in the finale lessened the pressure of playing Kirk… “It’s Pike’s episode. It’s Pike coming to terms with a future that he is seeing for the first time, and Kirk comes in as part of that storyline. It was a little liberating to know that this is a Kirk no one’s ever seen before because he doesn’t really exist in this timeline. It’s all in Pike’s head. It took a little bit of that pressure off the first episode that I’m doing.”

On what it feels like to sit in the captain’s chair. “When he’s in the chair, it’s really about giving commands, and it’s so futuristic. You have this whole crew working, and he’s really just giving commands. There’s this instinct to want to steer [like the pilots in Top Gun ], but obviously, you’re not steering. It takes a minute to figure out. Even after rewatching every episode of the original series, it still takes a moment to get comfortable in this chair and really understand your role as the captain. In the Season 1 finale, I’m captain of the Farragut . In Season 2, it’s pre-captain so I don’t get to sit in the chair as much.”

On the Kirk and Spock relationship… “Ethan Peck and I have that relationship, which makes it so much easier. I adore Ethan [Peck], and we complement each other in the way that Kirk and Spock complement one another. We have this Kirk/Spock thing going, and I’m not sure if it’s because we know we’re playing [them]. I don’t want to give anything away, but when we do interact on screen, it comes naturally.”

On how he found out about the role… “I didn’t know they were casting Kirk. Obviously, I was aware of Star Trek . I knew that Paramount+ was doing all of these shows. I had seen the J.J. Abrams films and watched some of the spinoffs of the original series. But it really was the original series that I truly understood. It was literally a call on a weekend with my agents, and they were like, ‘Can you get on a Zoom tomorrow?’ And I was like, ‘Sure, of course.’ It happened pretty quickly.”

Comparing Kirk to The Vampire Diaries ’ Stefan Salvatore… “Stefan is a guy who’s been alive for 160 years, and he’s very tormented. Kirk is a guy who’s much less tormented. There’s a magnetic energy to Kirk. He is enjoying life in many ways, and for me, the big distinction between the two characters is that I’m not sure Stefan was enjoying life as much. Kirk is a guy who takes it all in. He’s a guy that you can’t help but be drawn to. He’s a natural-born leader. He’s someone who really relies on his instinct, and he’s also someone who has a lot of humor, and we get to explore that humor in Season 2. It’s a good time.”

On honoring what came before… “I know that with a role like this, there’s a lot of scrutiny and rightfully so. I just think it’s important for me to vocalize how much respect I have for this character and for what William Shatner created. It’s really just about paying respect to that character and having fun with that character and doing a whole new different version of it that pays a great respect to who he is.”

Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

What did you think of Paul Wesley’s appearance as Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ‘ Season 1 finale? Are you excited for Season 2? Sound off in the comments below.

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49 comments.

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Did you have to ruin the surprise with the headline. Can’t we have some time to watch it. Love TVline but geez

Hey thanks a lot for that spoiler in the headline on the day the show came out. Your are now blocked from all my feeds. Shame on you

The finale has been out FOR LESS THAN HALF A DAY and you spoiled it in the headline. All this is doing is convincing me to come to this site less and less. What would have been wrong with “SPOILER Talks About His Big Surprise Cameo in the Brave New Worlds Finale”?

you literally had to open this article to see who it was…… if you didn’t want to be spoiled don’t open the article. or wild concept, don’t come on tvline before you’ve watched. common sense.

The Headline (unless they have since edited it) is: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actor Paul Wesley Breaks Down That Surprise Kirk Cameo in the Season 1 Finale” That spoils everything.

The email I received was titled “Breaking News: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actor Breaks Down That Surprise Cameo in the Season 1 Finale”, with no additional information other than the pic of Uhura, Sam Kirk and Pike all looking at Spock after the alien transmission was decrypted. No spoilers for me – this time!

That’s what I did . I waited until I watched the episode.🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Nothing is more silly than complaining about spoilers in the message boards… everyone should know if you come to this site you will see spoilers for tv shows… I came here exactly to read about these interviews .. if you don’t watch the show right away and want to stay spoiled then don’t go online till after you watch.. simple as that.

The spoiler isn’t in the “message boards.” It’s literally the headline and supporting image. You can certainly hold people responsible for clicking on the article itself (do the click, take your chances), but presenting the information this way – where visitors to the site have no choice in receiving the information – is indeed a spoiler. Simple as that.

People complaining was in the message boards. People have a choice NOT to go to a website where things are going to be spoiled.. You don’t need to sign on and see the headlines… the internet is vast.. you know this site is full of spoilers, stay off it if you don’t want to know.

You don’t have a choice if it appears in your news feed. Plus, even if you’re already on the site, you shouldn’t have to worry about seeing something like this less than half a day after the episode airs. Other sites are more careful. This is just bad taste.

Personally, I did not care for it. This is the first season and I thought this was Pike’s star trek. If this lasts seven seasons then bringing Kirk in the last couple of seasons, to me, would be best. Oh well what’s done is done. I hope we do not start making the show about Kirk yet.

Agreed. I thought Kirk really detracted from the episode, and changed the whole tone. I also felt the absence of Chapel and the energy she brings.

The episode was a ‘remake’ of the ToS episode ‘Balance of Terror’. Kirk was in the episode because he was always supposed to be the Enterprise captain at that point in history.

For those who are interested watch Season 1 Episode 14 of the Original series. You’ll see how this encounter was supposed to go down with Kirk as Captain of the Enterprise. You’ll even recognise much of the dialogue.

Here’s a tip for these commenters. Assume everything is a spoiler. Take responsibility for your own experience and stop whining. Jeez. It’s the comment section not the complaint section. A real fan would’ve watched the episode the second it dropped and avoided stories until they did. It’s not the writers job to protect your experience. It’s yours. You’re only a victim of your own actions.

That’s pretty insulting logic. Not every “real fan” has the chance to see something the second it comes out. It’s poor taste, and not consistent with current internet etiquette.

I wasn’t surprised being there was a promo picture of the actor as Kirk being shown for months, it wouldn’t make sense if he didn’t pop up in season one.

Other than the fact that he was billed as joining the series in Season 2. An early appearance was unexpected based on that. And they’ve wrapped filming Season 2 already, so clips of JTK in and or themselves would not be a surprise.

It would be absolutely lovely if you guys didn’t put the spoiler *and* a spoiler-photo in the dang headline. And then to say “the following contains spoiler for the season finale” in your intro… Unbelievable. There are ways to get clicks without doing this. Tease us and we will follow.

Has the episode even been up for 24 hours? I’ll watch it tonight, but thanks for stepping on the moment!

It’s nice to see Paul Wesley get a job, since his little vampire TV show was cancelled.

Great episode… losing a character last week and putting another in jeopardy this week… so glad we knew we were getting a season 2.

I say eeew. All I saw was a Jim Carey look alike as if the Cable Guy was a Star Trek Captain (like he did IN Cable Guy)🤮 🤢

They had to know his mannerisms and his appearance was SO NOT KIRK that it was unsettling.

Exactly! I said the same thing on another article. That’s all that went through my mind. Jim Carrey doing his ‘Shatner-as-Kirk’ impression. Welllll…alrighty then!

Wrong face shape, wrong body type, wrong mannerisms, wrong voice pattern, wrong energy. The most unsettling (to reiterate your perfect word choice) part is that Anson Mount is more reminiscent of William Shatner‘s Kirk then this actor cast to portray an established character he decided to “make new.”

I had to get used to the “new“ Spock and Uhura, true,, but at least they have *some* characteristics that connect to the original portrayal. This guy could’ve been ANYBODY but Kirk! 🥸😖

“… THAN the actor cast…,“ and I see that double comma. But, there’s no way to edit or delete comments on this thing that I know of. 🤷🏼‍♀️ #ProofreadTwice PostOnce

Agreed. Paul Wesley is ALL WRONG. Watched TOS every week as a kid in the ’60s. Anson is perfect as Pike Wesley does not work as Kirk. Voice: wrong; hair: wrong; way Kirk was played: wrong. GAH! See for example: Ethan Peck. No. Just no. What happened to the great casting? PLEASE no more Paul Wesley!

You’ve got a funny definition of “cameo”…

Shatner and Pine brought warmth, humor, charm and charisma to the role, hopefully we’ll see that from Wesley in Season Two

I loved it. The finale, the whole season. There were lots of fun TOS “easter eggs”, in not just the finale, but the whole season. (And before anyone comes at me for liking it, go back and watch TOS before you start screaming/crying about inconsistencies and retcons). The OG show was full of them, including the constant revolving name of their agency, before settling on Starfleet 20 episodes into the first season.

He’s not Kirk!

i’m 62 years old i’ve seen all of the Star trek franchises go through my years Star trek strange new worlds was the first one that i’ve watched in some years there is something about this one Star trek I don’t know if it’s the actors or the timeline or the writers or the directors this one these actors the directors and the writers are going places they’re literally going where no one has gone before in a great many years stay the course don’t go do something stupid keep with what you’re thinking I promise you I will stay with you and watch every episode Star trek strange new worlds is just unbelievable and the actors that they have chosen nail it week after week please pardon an old man but when you can please a 62-year-old with science fiction you’re doing something right thank you for listening by the way that was very interesting bringing scotty or should I say montgomery Scott at the bottom of the jeffrey’s tube saying Mr spock i’m in engineer not a miracle worker

Well said and agree!! 👌

Nope didn’t have the spark of Kirk at all not Shatner or Pine. I love the show but could Pike have his show without Kirk for 7 seasons please.

Hey he does kinda look like Chris Pine, so I guess it’s doable!

No, he looks and performs it like he’s Jim Carrey. Terrible casting choice.

I come to TvLine every day for news, but the blatant disregard for spoilers in this headline/picture has me rethinking that.

Boooo…. Talk about spoilers way too soon! Don’t put that kind of thing in the article’s title!!! :(

Paul Wesley did a great job as Kirk. Looking forward to what season 2 has in store.

How can you say you are paying homage to James T and then say it is a totally new character? Kirk is superman you can’t change him! He is a gun slinger,a ladies man the movies did a better job with young kirk.

A starring role is not cameo.

The new Star Trek series is truly Awesome, and it is so fun to watch relationships develop between the characters. It is a joy to see new versions of our beloved TOS characters in the series like Uhura, Nurse Chapel, and Spock. In that vein, I truly enjoyed seeing a young Captain Kirk interacting with the other members of the crew!!! Excellent job- Awaiting Season 2!!!

Paul Wesley

View history

Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski ( born 23 July 1982 ; age 41), better known by his stage name of Paul Wesley , is the actor who played Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds first season episode " A Quality of Mercy " and second season episodes " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow " and " Lost in Translation ". His second season performance earned him a 2024 Saturn Award in the "Best Guest Star in a Television Series" category.

1.1 Appearances as James T. Kirk
1.2 Other appearances
2 External links

Star Trek appearances [ ]

James T. Kirk Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recurring character

Appearances as James T. Kirk [ ]

" A Quality of Mercy " (personnel file photo)
" Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "
" Lost in Translation "
" Subspace Rhapsody "

Other appearances [ ]

TRR : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "

External links [ ]

Paul Wesley at Wikipedia
Paul Wesley at the Internet Movie Database
3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Casts ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley As James T. Kirk

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has cast Paul Wesley in the iconic role of James T. Kirk for the show’s upcoming second season. Wesley will appear as a young version of Kirk. He is the third actor to play the character in a live-action project.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike prior to Kirk becoming captain of the Enterprise. When news of Wesley’s casting was announced, the The Vampire Diaries actor took to Twitter to express his excitement and shared how he had met William Shatner on a flight.

Shatner played Kirk in the original Star Trek series and earlier films before Chris Pine took on the role in the newer Star Trek films.

“I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honour of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created,” shared Wesley.

“I’m not one who usually believes in fate but this was more than a coincidence. So thanks Mr. Shatner for the good company. And for seating us together, my thanks to the great bird in the sky. Can’t wait for all of you to see our Captain Kirk on your screens.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley. The series focuses on the Enterprise prior to the events of the original Star Trek series. The series is set to premiere on 5 May 2022 on Paramount+.

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Star Trek Sets the Stage for Wesley Crusher's Galaxy-Shaking Return

In Star Trek #19, by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Megan Levens, the stage is set for Wesley Crusher's epic return.
Wesley's organization, the Travelers, are a powerful, but mysterious group who may hold the key to the franchise's god war.
There could also be dire ramifications if Wesley meets his mother for the first time in years.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek #19!

Wesley Crusher has been suspiciously absent from Star Trek ’s franchise-shaking god war, but now the stage has been set for his return. Wesley’s mother, Doctor Beverly Crusher, was a key player in the god war–but little mention has been made of her god-like son. Now, in Star Trek #19, Doctor Crusher and the crew of the Theseus are heading to the Pleroma –and maybe Wesley Crusher as well.

Star Trek #19 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. In a text piece, made to resemble Doctor Crusher’s personal log, she reflects on her recent victories aboard the Theseus. She then switches gears, mentioning Wesley. Doctor Crusher wonders if there is anything she could have done to keep him closer. She also stresses she may not even have factored into his decision to leave.

Later, she talks with Captain Sisko about their impending trip to the Pleroma.

She tells him it is “personal” and he immediately knows she is going to look for Wesley.

Wesley Crusher Was More Than Just a Starfleet Cadet

Wesley had powers beyond normal humans.

Introduced as one of the main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Wesley Crusher was a precocious kid living aboard the Enterprise. He would eventually leave the show midway through its fourth season to attend Starfleet Academy, but it never sat right with him. Disillusioned, he dropped out. In the seventh season Next Generation episode “Journey’s End,” Wesley learned of his true nature. Wesley leaves his family and friends behind to join the mysterious Travelers. As revealed in Star Trek #400, this was a one-way trip for Wesley, as he was not allowed to revisit his loved ones.

In Star Trek: Year Five , Wesley's bosses were referred to as the Aegis.

Wesley returned to the screen, as a full-fledged Traveler, in the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard. This episode also connected the Travelers to the Supervisors introduced in the Original Series’ second season. Prior to launching the flagship Star Trek title, Lanzing and Kelly had already handled the Supervisors in Year Five, where they were cast as the villains. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Lanzing and Kelly admitted their story was completed before Picard’s season finale, but hinted that the two visions can be reconciled. The Pleroma may hold the key to Wesley Crusher’s return.

Star Trek's Darkest Timeline Turns Wesley Crusher into Picard's Opposite

Wesley's return to the star trek universe is almost guaranteed, what would be the cost of wesley's return.

In the ScreenRant interview, Lanzing and Kelly all but stated Wesley would be returning in a future issue of Star Trek. No details were given, but the Pleroma, the “Realm of the Gods,” is an entirely new place in the Star Trek universe. The Travelers and the Supervisors may have access to the Pleroma already, meaning Doctor Crusher could be reunited with Wesley sooner than later. However, the consequences of a Traveler returning home have never been fully explored. The ramifications of Wesley Crusher’s return to the Star Trek universe could be devastating.

Star Trek #19 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!

Star Trek Sets the Stage for Wesley Crusher's Galaxy-Shaking Return

Screen Rant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's unlikely, but not completely impossible..

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

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

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

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

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Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) isn’t thrilled by this prospect, pointing out before she leaves that it’s too dangerous a mission for a captain to undertake. But Burnham disagrees that this is enough of a reason to stop her; it’s a nice reminder that this is a show and a character that originated in the time of James T. Kirk, a time when captains didn’t stay behind in the face of danger.

But it’s not only that, there’s something else going on. Burnham gives Rayner permission to be blunt, quoting a classic work on Rayner’s native Kellerun , The Ballad of Krull , asking him to “serve it without a crumb of ossekat .” (As far as made-up Star Trek idioms go, that’s a pretty good one.)

It’s also the beginning of a sudden and relentless onslaught of references to Rayner’s culture, but more on that later. What’s Rayner’s problem? He’s uncomfortable with the prospect of being left in command of a ship and crew that aren’t “his.” Welcome to being second in command, buddy.

Book and Burnham take off, heading into the wormhole and finding it to be an inhospitable place. They quickly drop out of communication range with Discovery , there’s ship debris everywhere, including the wreckage of Moll and L’ak’s ship…. and what’s that, the ISS Enterprise ?!

(A side note before we get too excited about that: what is the deal with all the empty space in the new shuttlecraft set, introduced in last season’s “All Is Possible”? The two pilot seats looked like they were crammed into the corner of a huge unfurnished room.)

Okay, Enterprise time. Burnham and Book rightly surmise that this is where Moll and L’ak must have escaped to and beam to the ship, which of course turns out to be a redress of the Strange New Worlds standing sets. A quick scan identifies that no one else is aboard — though the clue, which Moll and L’ak have found, does also have a lifesign, hmm — and that Moll and L’ak are holed up in sickbay. Burnham takes a few moments to ponder her visit to the Mirror Universe back in Season 1 and wonder what the alternate version of her half-brother Spock might have been like (bearded, for one).

And aside from some brief storytelling about Mirror Saru’s role as a rebel leader, that’s about it for the Terran Empire of it all. Star Trek: Discovery has spent plenty of time in and around the Mirror Universe already, and I personally don’t think they need to revisit it again. But introducing the ISS Enterprise — the ship that started it all with The Original Series ’ “Mirror, Mirror” — and then not doing anything momentous with it? Strange decision, and one that makes it ultimately feel more like this was a way for the show to get to reuse a set on the cheap than it does a materially significant addition to the episode.

In fact, in some ways it’s actually a detriment to the episode. If the action had been set on any other ship it would have been fine, but being on the ISS Enterprise I kept expecting something — like seeing Paul Wesley as Mirror Kirk slinking around, or finding Anson Mount camping it up as Mirror Pike in a personal log. If they’d set the action on a generic derelict ship, what we got wouldn’t have seemed like a let down. As it is though, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop… and it simply never did.

Maybe in a subsequent episode, it’ll turn out that there’s an advantage in having an entire functional starship composed of atoms from another universe at Starfleet’s disposal — or to have a convenient collection of Constitution -class sets available for that Starfleet Academy show to borrow once in a while — but until that happens (if it even does) the use of the ISS Enterprise just seems like a name drop and a “We have to set the action somewhere , why not here?” instead of a significant use of the setting and the huge amount of lore and history that comes with it.

It’s like setting something aboard the Titanic without ever mentioning any icebergs.

As Burnham and Book make their way down to sickbay they do find evidence that the ship was being used in a way that seemed unusually gentle for a Terran Empire vessel: signs that children and families were aboard at one time, and that they were the kind of people sentimental enough to have keepsakes and favorite stuffed animals. But again, nothing about this seems like it needs the Mirror Universe connection. Ships of people trying to escape adversity are already a Star Trek staple.

Burnham and Book find Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) in sickbay, and after a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt at getting them to surrender, everyone starts shooting. Moll and L’ak have a Breen blood bounty — an erigah — on their heads and surrender is simply not an option. During the firefight a lockdown is triggered, forcefields coming down that split the group into pairs: Burnham and L’ak stuck in sickbay, while Book and Moll able to go back to the bridge to try and reset sickbay.

Pairing off also gives Book the opportunity to continue his efforts to connect with Moll, and I have to say, I don’t think I’m a fan. Setting aside the portion of this that’s purely a strategic attempt to forge a connection with someone who is very to keen to kill him, my first reaction to the way Book talks to Moll about her father (and his mentor) was distaste.

I don’t think Book meant it this way, but the way he’s written in these scenes feels unpleasantly close to the “Well, he was a great guy to me , I never saw him do anything bad” response that’s sometimes made to accusations of misconduct. A person can be wonderful to some people in their life and terrible to others; both experiences are true for the people who received them, but they’re not mutually exclusive.

Book is preternaturally empathetic, and yet he doesn’t seem to see how continually assuring Moll that her father loved her is an act that’s both unwanted and actively painful for Moll to hear. I understand that Book is just trying to bring a sliver of comfort to Moll – but in the process he’s dismissing her own experiences of her father and his place in her life. Unless Moll asks him for this, it’s really none of Book’s business.

I suspect they’re setting up Moll’s character for a nice, cathartic arc where she comes to terms with her life, forgives her father, releases her past, whatever. And when that happens in real life that’s great — but it doesn’t always, and that’s okay too. If Moll never sees in her father the man Book saw in his mentor, it’s not a character failing. Discovery is really hammering home the theme of confronting one’s past in order to take control of one’s present and future, and I think it would be valuable if they included an example of a character learning to do the latter… without having to be okay with the former.

And to return to a question I posed in my review of “Under the Twin Moons,” I know Book is isolated and excruciatingly lonely after the destruction of Kweijan and his split with Michael, but the weight he’s placed on his relationship with Moll as “the closest thing he has to family” seems like he’s setting himself up for disappointment. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but this does not feel like a hopeful storyline to me. Not everyone wants to be family, and right now it doesn’t seem like Moll’s been given much of a choice in the matter — despite her frequent and very powerful explanations of why she’s not interested.

Clearly frustrated with Book’s topic of conversation and desperate to return to L’ak, Moll makes a reckless decision to brute-force a solution and overload some circuits. It works, and the forcefields in sickbay come down, but it also sends the Enterprise onto an unstoppable collision course with the too-small-to-pass-through and also going-to-be-closing-forever-soon wormhole. They’ve got eight minutes to figure this out.

Meanwhile aboard Discovery , we see Rayner’s struggles to interact with the crew. This thread could have gone so many different ways, Rayner seeming “too good” for a temporary command, him seeing this as his chance to do things “better” than Burnham or show how it’s “really done,” but instead the show takes the much more subtle and satisfying route: Rayner is deeply respectful of the captaincy, as a rank and a role, and really doesn’t want to step on Burnham’s authority.

He’s more than willing to disagree with her on command decisions , but he doesn’t question her command . And more personally, he doesn’t want his gruffness and lack of experience with this crew to cause problems. He’s trying, in his own Rayner way, and more importantly he’s succeeding — and, as we see as he shepherds the crew through figuring out how to communicate with and then rescue Book and Burnham, the crew does their part and meets him halfway.

Rayner is learning that he needs to tone down his temperament just enough that he doesn’t come across as an actual asshole to this crew, and the crew is learning that his gruffness isn’t a sign of disrespect but simply a desire to cut to the chase and get to direct, actionable information with a minimum of fluff. There are shades of Nimoy’s Spock or Voyager -era Seven of Nine here, but couched within a distinctly different temperament, and it’s fascinating to watch. I’d love to have seen him interacting with the crew of the Antares , where he presumably felt more comfortable.

The interpersonal stuff with Rayner and the crew is great; where Rayner’s thread feels distractingly like a box being checked is the explosion of “Rayner is a Kellerun!” being shouted from the bulkheads. I could practically hear the writers yelping out a panicked “Oh crap, we forgot to say what kind of alien Rayner is!”

Again, Discovery is back to its old self with the clunky, heavy-handed, and oddly paced character work. Rayner goes from having zero cultural touchstones to having about five in the span of the 15-20 minutes of screentime that his story gets this week. They’re good touchstones, don’t get me wrong — I’m skeptical of Kellerun citrus mash, I have to be honest, but I’d give it a try; not so sure about boiling a cake though — they’re just very present .

As with Rayner’s alienness, the frequent flashbacks throughout the episode to Moll and L’ak’s meeting and courtship feel like a “We forgot to explain this and now we’re trying to reference it!” correction. The content of the flashbacks is fine, there’s a lot of interesting Breen worldbuilding for a species that’s been mysterious from the start — and watching Moll and L’ak’s relationship grow from one of mutual convenience to one of true love is genuinely moving. But the way it’s woven into an episode that, again, feels like it’s composed of bits and pieces of storyline, makes it hard to shake the sense that I was watching a To Do list get checked off.

By the time the season is over it might be clear that there was simply no extra room to give a full episode over to Moll and L’ak’s meeting, or maybe an episode without any of the main cast wasn’t something they were willing or contractually able to do, but I would have loved if these flashbacks were pulled out and expanded into a full-length episode of their own. Some of the worldbuilding felt hasty to the point of hindering the emotional beats — at times I wondered if I’d forgotten a whole bunch of Breen lore and at others I was just trying to keep up with what was going on.

For example, my confusion about L’ak’s comment about having two faces, which Moll seemed to completely understand — “Duh, everyone knows the Breen have two faces” — was a distraction in the middle of an otherwise nice and significant moment. This is later clarified as the translucent face and the solid face, but again I was distracted from fully appreciating an interesting bit of Breen culture because I was busy applying what I’d just learned back to the previous scene.

The quickly (and maybe not totally clearly articulated notion) that Breen deliberately restrict themselves to their translucent form for reasons that are entirely to do with avoiding any perception of weakness is a potent if hasty bit of social commentary, and as I said I nearly didn’t catch it.

Whether holding the translucent form requires the armor for protection or the armor necessitates the translucent form — it seems like it would be more comfortable wearing that helmet all the time if you were the texture and consistency of lime jello — this is surely a metaphor for the increasingly rigid, isolating, and emotionally and sometimes physically unhealthy things men in certain circles feel they must do to be appropriately masculine. Seeing L’ak free himself from that rigidity is powerful.

With the forcefields in sickbay down, Burnham and L’ak immediately spring into action: Burnham trying to get the artifact from L’ak and L’ak simply trying to get away. They fight, and Burnham impressively proves she can hold her own against a Breen. When L’ak accidentally falls on his own blade, Burnham grabs the clue and speeds to the bridge where she manages to get a message to Rayner through some tractor beam trickery. The message? Another reference to that classic of Kellerun literature that gives Rayner the info he needs. Hey, did you know Rayner was a Kellerun?

The ISS Enterprise makes it through the wormhole, Moll and L’ak zip away in an escape pod, and it’s time to wrap things up. We head to Red’s for a quick but significant moment between Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Culber (Wilson Cruz), as Tilly offers advice and an ear to a Culber who’s going through a quiet existential – maybe also spiritual? – crisis.

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

In addition to the dedication plaques on the bridge, the ISS Enterprise has an additional plaque in its transporter room — one which, despite recounting the heroism of rebel action hero Mirror Saru, still states “Long Live the Empire.”
The transporter room plaque is marked with “Stardate 32336.6,” which is about 9 years before the events of “Encounter at Farpoint.”
The plaque describes the fate of Mirror Spock, who was killed after instituting the reforms which later led to the fall of the Terran Empire (as described in DS9’s “Crossover”).

The full text of the ISS Enterprise transporter room plaque:

The new High Chancellor presented hope and justice as if they were natural to our world. His words, “The light of hope shines through even the darkest of nights” became our rallying cry. He spoke of reform, and changed many of us. But some saw this as weakness. They killed him, and we sought help from an unlikely ally: A Kelpien slave turned rebel leader. He spoke of visitors from another world… a near perfect mirror cast our darkness into light. With his aid we secured the Enterprise and stayed behind to continue his work. We bear scars from our escape, but our hope remains. May it carry us into a pristine, peaceful, and just future.

Not counting L’ak’s previous appearances this season, this episode marks the first time we have seen the Breen in live action since their involvement in the Dominion War in Deep Space Nine. (The species has appeared in Star Trek: Lower Decks three times.)
The 32nd century Breen wear updated encounter suits clearly based on the designs introduced in Deep Space Nine ; their digital speech is extremely faithful to the incomprehensible noises Breen soldiers have spoken in past appearances.
Given the fact that Moll appears to be just fine in the environment of the Breen ship, I guess Weyoun was right when he said the Breen homeworld was “quite comfortable” in “The Changing Face of Evil.”
When L’ak is stabbed he gently oozes some green goo — but as we learned in “In Purgatory’s Shadow,” Breen do not have traditional humanoid blood.

During his time in command of Discovery , Rayner never sits in the captain’s chair.
This episode closes with a dedication plaque that reads “In loving memory of our friend, Allan ‘Red’ Marceta”. Marceta was, I presume, the namesake for Discovery’s bar.
Someone aboard Discovery keeps a Cardassian vole as a pet. Going by Tilly’s reaction, and what we know from Deep Space Nine , this is not a good thing.
Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson) plays a mean piano.
Owosekun and Detmer get the off-screen cherry assignment of flying the ISS Enterprise back to Federation Headquarters, alone. I’m thinking that’s going to inspire some fanfic…

We don’t learn what this week’s clue is, though we know there’s a blue vial tucked away inside it, but we do learn that the crew of the ISS Enterprise did indeed make it to our universe. The scientist responsible for hiding this particular clue there was one of them, a Dr. Cho, who eventually made it all the way to branch admiral.

They strove for something positive and succeeded against all odds. Hopefully Discovery will be able to do the same as they continue their pursuit of Moll, L’ak, and the Progenitors.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 returns with “Whistlespeak” on Thursday, May 2.

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