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‘star trek: strange new worlds’ actor bruce horak explores devastating penultimate season 1 episode.

Playing Lt. Hemmer, the Enterprise's chief engineer, the actor became the sci-fi franchise's first blind star when cast as the Aenar character.

By Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker

Former Senior Reporter

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[This story contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “All Those Who Wander.”] 

Bruce Horak was not taken by surprise. He knew how it was going to end for Lt. Hemmer.

The S tar Trek: Strange New Worlds actor was informed shortly after being cast as the Enterprise’s chief engineer for the first season of the Paramount+ series how his character’s arc would conclude. And when it finally came, Horak found great beauty in the moment, even though it signaled his time on the series as a regular had come to an end.

In “All Those Who Wander,” the penultimate season one episode, Hemmer — unknowingly at the time — sacrifices himself to save Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) when a Gorn attacks, spitting venom that hits him instead of her. Initially believed to blind or burn would-be victims, it is later discovered the vemon turns the body into a host for Gorn, leading to the deadly species’ babies bursting out of the body à la Alien . Hemmer, realizing what has happened, kills himself to spear his crew more harm and himself from horrendous agony.

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Playing Hemmer was a delight and honor, Horak told The Hollywood Reporter prior to the premiere of “All Those Who Wander.” The brave, wise Hemmer is an Aenar, which are an albino subspecies of Andorians. Although blind, Aenars have powerful telepathic abilities. In landing the role, the Calgary-born Horak actor became the sci-fi franchise’s first blind star.

Even though “All Those Who Wander” had been shot a year ago, Horak recalled with THR all the emotions that swirled around not only for his farewell but the entire Star Trek journey. In the below conversation, the actor touched on a number of topics, including how he was cast in the series, and the strong bonds he forged with the cast and his makeup team.

First, how are you doing, sir? I assume there must be a lot of emotions now that this heartbreaking and surprising episode has arrived. 

Well, we shot it a year ago, but I’m really happy with how the episode turned out. When I was approached to play the part, they told me right off the bat that this was going to be the character arc of Hemmer. So, I knew it going in. There was a bit of trepidation off the top about how the death was going to happen, how the grand finale was going to play out. When I read the script, I was so happy — well, happy is not the right word. I was relieved. It’s a pretty great death for a red shirt. ( Laughs .)

Was there a special dinner or party for your goodbye? I know some shows have a tradition when a beloved character meets their demise. 

There were a lot of tears. The final day we shot was actually the landing on the planet. It was really tearful, especially the prosthetics crew Allan Cooke and Shane Zander, who worked tirelessly on the look of Hemmer for the season. We really had a special bond, spending three and a half hours every morning getting ready and then an hour at the end of the day to get out of the prosthetic gear. Honestly, Shane and Allan sent me off in great style. There were exchanges of gifts. It was really lovely.

That perfectly leads me to my next question: How was the makeup process for you? Some actors tell me they don’t mind it, while others get super anxious sitting for so long. 

I have to say, I actually really enjoyed the process. I found it incredibly relaxing, and I was just in awe of their skill. It’s really a work of art industry. On the initial day, I had the head mold made, so they had to cover my face and hair with this sloppy goo, kind of like blue mud. And all of that was fine, but then when they covered the whole thing in plaster, that was a little unnerving.

How did you land the role of Hemmer, and what did it mean to you once cast? 

The audition call came through my agent. We knew it was a new Star Trek , but we didn’t know anything else about it. But as soon as I found out it was Star Trek , I was totally in. Then the character description sold me: I’d be playing a blind alien, and they were specifically looking for a blind or visually impaired performer to do the role, which again, I got really excited about because it felt like the door was being open[ed] to me. I think there were three or four auditions. I just couldn’t believe it during the whole process. When I did the camera test in the full makeup, standing on the bridge of the Enterprise, that was the point I took a huge breath in and had this incredible feeling of climbing to the top of a huge mountain and looking at the vast expanse in front of me while thinking, “This is going to be a heck of an adventure.” And it sure was.

What was the development of the character like? Did you have input given they sought to cast a blind actor in the role? I think of the scene early in the series when Hemmer dismisses any claims that his blindness is a handicap.

Honestly, all of that great character was written, and that very first scene you mentioned is what I read for the auditions. They’re kind of leaping in and discussing his impairment, which is — it’s a tricky word and always kind of has been when you’re coming up against living in the world. When I read that scene, I just immediately connected to it. In terms of the contribution, I added nothing to the text, it was all in the playing of it. It was really just about finding the way he moves and how he interacts in the world and bringing the physicality and the poise to it. That was my contribution.

I loved the bond formed between Hemmer and Nyota. Not only does he save her, but through the series, he encouraged her to believe in herself and let her walls down. What was it like working with Celia and creating those lovely moments? 

I knew that Hemmer was going to be a mentor figure. He starts off gruff and kind of aloof, but there are beautiful moments when he guides Nyota and then in the end, talks about purpose with that wonderful resolution in this episode. It feels like a really beautiful arc for the character. And for myself, mentors have been absolutely forefront in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am without people who have guided me and offered advice. So, I really connected with Hemmer. Celia and I connected from the very beginning. Most of our scenes are together, so we spent a lot of time off-camera just hanging out and connecting about music and theater. She has a background in theater, as do I. That was one of the hardest goodbyes, for sure.

And finally, Star Trek has taught me to never say never, so I will say I hope Hemmer comes back via a flashback or an alternate timeline. Safe to assume you’re on board for that? 

I do feel the same way, and so does my bank account! ( Laughs .) Well, I have been released to say that this is not the end of Bruce Horak’s career in Star Trek .

Interview edited for length and clarity. 

The season finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams on Paramount+ next Thursday.

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Strange New Worlds actor reveals why Hemmer is Star Trek’s own “Daredevil”

Bruce Horak’s new Star Trek character is unlike any Starfleet engineer before.

A blind engineer is running the engines of the Starship Enterprise .

If that sounds familiar, it should. Bruce Horak’s new Strange New Worlds character, Hemmer, is the second blind chief engineer to be a series regular in Star Trek. Back in The Next Generation , LeVar Burton played famously played Geordi LaForge, but the difference is simple: Horak is legally blind in real life.

Just before Strange New Worlds aired its second episode, “Children of the Comet,” Inverse caught up with Horak to discuss how Hemmer is like a certain Marvel hero and what makes him “so different” from any Trek character before him. Spoilers ahead.

Bruce Horak and Ethan Peck at the New York premiere of Strange New Worlds .

“Hemmer can see way better than I can,” Horak tells Inverse . “He’s like Daredevil and has that little Daredevil moment in that first scene. Only if his telepathy were messed up would he be in real trouble.”

As Spock (Ethan Peck) says in the episode, Hemmer’s other senses “compensate” for the fact that he’s blind, which includes a sense of telepathy. The “Daredevil moment” Horak mentions is when Spock chucks a carrot, and Hemmer catches it without looking. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is impressed, and Hemmer is cranky that she’s trying to treat him like an invalid.

“He’s written really well,” Horak says of Hemmer’s blindness. “I had no notes, especially that first scene with Uhura where they touch on the impairment. And he just brushes it off and shows off his incredible skills.”

In Trek canon, Strange New Worlds happens before both The Original Series and The Next Generation , making Hemmer not only Scotty’s predecessor in The Original Series but also — chronologically speaking — the first blind chief engineer of a starship named Enterprise . He’s also the first actor since 2005 to play a member of the Aenar — a subspecies of the Andorians first introduced in the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise .

A lifelong fan of Trek, Horaks says he studied the performances of Andorians and famous character actor Jeffrey Combs, who played the Andorian Shran on Enterprise .

“Oh yeah, you’ve gotta give a nod to him,” Horak says of Combs’ performance.

He adds, “But I really trust the writers. So much of my background is in theater, in disposable performance. Every time I do this, it’s getting written in stone. It’s creating canon. It’s terrifying. It’s a bit like the first time you ever pick up a pencil.”

“He’s a pacifist .”

In addition to thinking of Hemmer as a blind superhero in the mold of Marvel’s Daredevil (but in Starfleet), Horak also draws a very specific distinction between this chief engineer of the Enterprise and every other person who has occupied this position before.

“There are so many engineers in Trek. They're all incredibly skilled and capable,” Horak explains. “But you know, he’s a pacifist, which I don't believe any of the other engineers had ever expressed. They may have been maybe in action, but I don't believe they actually outwardly stated that. And that’s one of the Aenar things; they’re pacifists. And that really touched home for me.”

Hemmer is ready for action... but not the violent kind!

As the new resident engineer on the Enterprise , Horak will be required to pull off technological miracles on the fly constantly. “Children of the Comet” is only the tip of his Aenar antenna, and Horak promises that as the series goes on we’ll find out a lot more about Hemmer.

“There’s a really soft side to him,” he says.

If there’s one defining, overriding constant in all of Star Trek, it’s that the action heroes are always trying to avoid senseless brutality. And in this very specific way, Horak thinks Hemmer embodies the Gene Roddenberry idealism of Star Trek’s ethos perfectly.

“It’s a very powerful statement that the engineer of the flagship that's responsible for moving this thing through the cosmos is a pacifist,” Horak explains. “It speaks to the real heart of Roddenberry's vision; that we're going to find another way. That we're going to find diplomacy or that compromise. Or maybe, just maybe, we leave people alone. I think that’s pretty great.”

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

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

This article was originally published on May 13, 2022

• Science Fiction

Old Federation Allies: Star Trek's Aenar And The Andorians Explained

Episode 2 of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" properly introduced the Enterprise's chief engineer, Hemmer (Bruce Horak). Hemmer is a member of a familiar "Star Trek" species, but not quite the one you may think. Specifically, he's an Aenar (pronounced i-nar ), a subspecies of the Andorians. The pale white Aenar resemble their blue-skinned cousins, but there are some differences that go more than skin-deep. The Aenar are blind and have telepathic abilities which Andorians lack.

While not as famous as the Vulcans or Klingons, the Andorians go back to "Star Trek: The Original Series." The Aenar are a more recent introduction to the franchise, debuting in 2004 during an eponymous episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise." Indeed, Hemmer is the first Aenar main character in a "Trek" series. 

Let's look back at the history of these two closely related alien races.

Introducing the Andorians

The Andorians debuted in the second season of "Star Trek," specifically "Journey to Babel." In this episode, the Enterprise is assigned to transport numerous diplomatic delegations to the titular planet; among the representatives are Andorians. The villain of the episode is an Orion spy posing as an Andorian named Thelev (William O'Connell).

Written by D.C. Fontana, "Journey to Babel" is an important episode for the "Trek" canon. For one, it fleshes out Spock's backstory and marks the first appearance of his parents, Vulcan Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) and Amanda Grayson (Jane Wyatt). On a more macro-scale, the episode makes the world of "Trek" feel much fuller by emphasizing that the Federation is more than just Humans and Vulcans.

Though very little of Andorian culture was revealed, Fontana's script described them as a "warrior breed," and ambassador Shras (Reggie Nalder) notes his people are "violent." Indeed, later works would depict the Andorians as militaristic, especially compared to their Federation comrades.

Of all the alien species introduced in the original "Trek," the Andorians had the most distinctive appearance. The work of make-up artist Fred Phillips , they were blue-skinned, white-haired, and with a pair of antennae atop their heads. Their costumes were vaguely medieval, with chain-mail beneath green/brown vestments. The Andorians certainly looked more like aliens than the Vulcans/Romulans or "TOS"-era Klingons. However, this was a double-edged sword. Make-up expenses kept the Andorians from being a major presence in the series; they only appeared in four episodes, and none besides "Babel" was more than a cameo. The same held true for the "Star Trek" films, where Andorian characters were little more than crowd filler in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "The Voyage Home."

Absent from the Next Generation

The Andorians were an even more meager presence in the 24th-century era "Trek" shows, specifically "Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager." Indeed, no Andorians appear in the latter two shows. The closest they came on "Next Generation" was a background appearance in "Captain's Holiday" and Data creating a holographic model of an Andorian in "The Offspring." The "TNG" Andorians looked more like the Great Gazoo, with green skin, a bulbous head, and longer antennae. With such a lacking design, perhaps it was for the best they didn't show up more.

A non-presence in the TV series, the expanded universe had to pick up the slack in fleshing out the Andorians. The "Deep Space Nine" novels by S.D. Perry on an offhand comment in "Data's Day" that Andorian marriages have four participants. Perry interpreted the species as not simply polyamorous but actually having four sexes: the roughly masculine chan and thaan and the approximately feminine zhen and shen. Take this with a grain of salt, though; "Trek" novels are treated as secondary canon and filmed works have depicted Andorians as a binary-sex race.

IDW's "Alien Spotlight" comic meta-series included an Andorian issue, published in 2007. Written by Paul D. Storrie with art by Leonard O'Grady, the issue centers on a 24th century Andorian named Sharad. A member of Starfleet Intelligence, Sharad finds that there is discontent among his people, some of whom prefer the "Old Ways" when Andorians were the types of conquerors who Starfleet often fights against. Sadly, this is one of the only "Trek" works that explore Andorians' place in the Federation.

Andorian resurgence on Enterprise

The first "Star Trek" series to explore the Andorians in any depth was "Enterprise." Producer Brannon Braga's goal was to , "take the goofiest aliens from 'The Original Series' and make them a real culture that's cool and believable."

Advances in make-up no doubt helped facilitate their increased presence; their antennae now protruded from their foreheads rather than from the top of their heads, where the make-up splotches could be concealed with hair. The "Enterprise" Andorian design was a big improvement on the "TNG" look, harkening closer to how they looked in the original series. "Enterprise" also boasted the first recurring Andorian character, Commander Shran (Jeffrey Combs), and the first appearance of Andorian ships.

"Enterprise" is a prequel , set in the mid-22nd century about 10 years before the Federation's founding. In a call back to "Journey to Babel," the Andorians were revealed as one of the four founding members of the Federation, alongside Humanity, Vulcans, and Tellarites. The series used the Andorians as foils for the Vulcans; warriors driven by passion and romanticism instead of logical scientists.

Debuting in "The Andorian Incident," Shran and his compatriots are initially antagonists; they hold the Vulcan monastery of P'Jem hostage, believing the Vulcans are using it as cover for a listening post. Things become greyer when it turns out their suspicions were right. For the rest of the series, the Andorians waffle between ally and antagonist to humanity but ultimately settle on the former side, reflected in the friendship between Shran and Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). "Enterprise" Season 4 is also when we finally meet the Aenar.

"The Aenar" is the final chapter of a three-part "Enterprise" episode . The previous chapters centered around a Romulan drone ship equipped with a holographic projector to mimic other ships' appearance. The Romulans' goals were to foment unrest; Shran's ship is destroyed by the drone posing as a Tellarite ship.

In part 2, "United," the drone ship's pilot was revealed to be an Aenar. His people are properly introduced when Archer and Shran visit Andoria to get answers. Incidentally, this was the first onscreen depiction of the Andoria, revealed as a cold, harsh world where the inhabitants dwell underground.

The Aenar are a pacifistic and isolationist people; the Romulans' pilot Gareb (Scott Allen Rinker) was abducted so his captors could exploit his telepathic abilities. Gareb's sister Jhamel (Alexandra Lydon) is able to communicate with her brother and sabotage the Romulans' plans.

"Enterprise" ended prematurely after Season 4. Considering it was building towards the Earth-Romulan War and the founding of the Federation from the ashes of conflict, it's a certainty the Andorians would've continued to be a major presence in the series. Whether the same is true for the Aenar remains unclear.

Andorians and Aenar in modern Star Trek

The Andorians have made sporadic appearances throughout "Star Trek: Discovery." The make-up hews close to the "Enterprise" iteration but with more accentuated facial features; a white version of this make-up was used to bring Hemmer to life. Animated comedy series "Star Trek: Lower Decks," (where make-up costs are a non-issue) also features a recurring Andorian character, Jennifer Sh'reyan (Lauren Lapkus).

"Strange New Worlds" marks the first appearance of the Aenar since their debut. Evidently, in the century since, at least some of them have abandoned their forebears' isolationism. Speaking to Nerdist , Horak described his character as:

"Crunchy outside and gooey on the inside. He is a bit crunchy on the outside. I think that comes from just his incredible intelligence and his incredible abilities. The Aenar species, at least as far as my research goes, is—they're a dying species. I think that kind of pressure might, or that kind of loneliness or aloneness, might give someone a bit of a crunchy exterior."

With Hemmer as part of the main cast, it's possible that "Strange New Worlds" will be the lynchpin series for the Aenar that "Enterprise" was for their Andorians cousins.

Den of Geek

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Just Pulled Off a Secret Cameo

Among the many joys of "Subspace Rhapsody" is the return of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fan favorite Bruce Horak!

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This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.

Andorian chief engineer Hemmer was one of the highlights of the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , thanks in large part to actor Bruce Horak’s gruff sweetness. Fans truly felt the loss when Hemmer sacrificed himself to save the crew from the Gorn in “ All Those Who Wander ,” even if it made way for the equally wonderful Carol Kane as new chief engineer Pelia .

But that didn’t mark the end of Horak’s time in Star Trek . We got a brief glimpse of Hemmer as both a zombie projection and a priority one YouTube video in season 2’s “ Lost in Translation ,” as Uhura called upon the teaching of her old friend to solve a complex communication problem. Now, Horak is back in the new musical episode, “ Subspace Rhapsody ,” but not as Hemmer.

In addition to the sudden bursts of song in the episode caused by a subspace fold, the Enterprise also needs to deal with the threat of Klingons, who plan to destroy the fold because of the “dishonor” it caused. Leading the Klingons is General Garkog, sporting an eye patch that would bring glory to Martok or General Chang. Garkog makes for a memorable presence, despite his limited screen time, especially when he and his crew briefly break into a hip-hop number.

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But according to showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, part of Garkog’s effectiveness stems from the actor portraying him: Bruce Horak, under a different type of alien makeup. “We love Bruce and wanted to find a fun way to bring him back,” the showrunners told Entertainment Weekly .

The return allows Horak to show off another one of his talents, one that might seem like a surprise to those only familiar with the actor through the ill-tempered Hemmer. In addition to acting, Horak is an accomplished musician, who records as a member of The Railbirds.

Horak wasn’t the only member of the Enterprise crew to show off chops honed in other roles. Despite the jaded persona she adopts as Security Chief La’an Noonien-Singh, actor Christina Chong actualy got her start in musical theater and still records pop songs when not acting. Before walking in the footsteps of Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, Celia Rose Gooding put in a Tony Award-nominated performance in the musical Jagged Little Pill , which also earned a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

But even those who knew of Horak’s musical skills, which tend to focus on covers of indie songs like Canadian legends The Tragically Hip, were likely shocked to see him break out an intricate dance number. Inspired by K-pop acts like BTS, the dancing Klingon interlude added one more dose of humor to an already delightful episode.

As the overwhelmingly positive response to “Subspace Rhapsody” proves, Strange New Worlds continues to thrill fans, especially when it finds exciting new ways to bring back favorites like Bruce Horak.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

• Cast & crew
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

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

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• 9 wins & 32 nominations total

Episodes 31

• Captain Christopher Pike …

• La'an Noonien-Singh …

• Lt. Erica Ortegas …

• Una Chin-Riley …

• Nurse Christine Chapel

• Nyota Uhura …

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

[opening narration]

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

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Meet Bruce Horak, Star Trek's first blind actor, playing Hemmer on Strange New Worlds

The calgary-born actor will appear as hemmer on star trek: strange new worlds.

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When new Star Trek cast member Bruce Horak was in grade three, the Quest Theatre company came to his school in Calgary touring a show called "Zeke and the Indoor Plants." At the end, the students were given pencils. The experience would be life-changing for Horak. That day he went home, pencil in hand, and told his mom: "I want to write stories like that. I want to write stories about kids like me." 

Horak has worked in theatre for over 25 years now. This year, the Calgary-born actor is playing Hemmer on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , as the first legally blind actor in the franchise's history. 

• Blind visual artist paints audience while exploring mystery of Tom Thomson's death

When he was 18 months old, Horak was diagnosed with Bilateral Retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye. The treatment of his condition left him legally blind.

"My right eye was removed completely," Horak says. "And my left eye — there were three tumours on it. So that was blasted with radiation and left me with about 9% vision."

Years after his first introduction to acting, Horak ran into Duval Lang, one of the co-founders of Quest Theatre, at Mount Royal College. The pair hit it off and Horak began to tour with the company. Since then, he's acted in and created numerous theatre productions, including an award-winning turn in Evil Dead: the Musical and his original one-man show, Assassinating Thomson , in which he creates a painting live on stage.

Even as he took to the stage, however, Horak says he faced lingering self-doubt stemming from his disability.

"I was very self-conscious about being considered visually impaired and/or blind, and that was somehow going to exclude me in some way."

Despite these initial doubts, though, Horak says he persisted through theatre with the support of mentors and a willingness to challenge himself. Now he is heading to a new frontier in his acting career, with a role in the latest series in the long-running Star Trek franchise, Strange New Worlds .

But for Horak, this role is particularly poignant, as he makes history as the franchise's first legally blind actor.

"They put out a call," Horak says. "They were looking specifically for blind and visually impaired performers. When my agent sent that to me, I thought 'okay, that checks off the box.' And then when it was Star Trek , I was like, 'okay, that's a no-brainer, go for it.'"

Strange New Worlds is his first main TV role, following a guest spot on Warehouse 13 and some independent film work. Partly, Horak says he stuck to the stage due to feeling self-conscious about his physical appearance.

"When I was in college at Mount Royal, I took a film and television class," he says. "We'd learn scenes and then we'd film them and then we'd watch them back, and I got really self-conscious about the way I looked on camera. The safe place for me was doing theatre, because the audience was so far away."

Visual disabilities have been a part of the Star Trek universe in the past, perhaps most famously with the character of engineer Geordi LaForge in Star Trek: The Next Generation . 

Like Geordi LaForge, Horak's character of Hemmer in Strange New Worlds is also a blind engineer, but in this case, the character has other natural senses to see and interact with the world. Hemmer is a member of the fictional Aenar race, a subspecies of the Andorians, one of the founding races of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. All Aenar have telepathic abilities and are naturally blind.

They also have antennae, pale white-blue skin and white hair, which required Horak to sit still for a three-hour makeup application before heading to set. But while the process was long, the actor says it actually allowed him to overcome anxiety about his appearance on film.

"They've got an explanation for my strange-looking eyes in Strange New Worlds ," he says. "When I saw what they had created, and how the digital effects team had gone in, frame by frame and they had altered the eyes … they've given me the eyes that I could only dream of."

Strange New Worlds ' first season is now running until July 7 and is available for streaming in the US on Paramount+ and in Canada on Crave. The series has already been renewed for a second season, though it's not yet been confirmed if Horak will be involved. 

In the meantime, he says he is continuing to pursue stage projects, as well as visual art. But for Horak, playing the role of Hemmer has been a unique thrill.

"It means so much to me that I've been given this opportunity," he says. "When I watched episode one, and there was my name right beside the glowing engine … I cried. 

"It's a 55-plus-year legacy that Roddenberry began, and we're the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren now who are learning about this wonderful vision of unity and inclusivity and progress, and all of that encompassed in a single, one-hour show."

Season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' running until July 7 and is available for streaming in Canada on Crave.

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With “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” premiering Thursday on Paramount+, the franchise goes once again into the past, with a series you can consider, in quantum fashion, both as a spinoff from “ Star Trek: Discovery ” and a belated order for the original series’ rejected pre-Shatner pilot, “The Cage,” which starred Jeffrey Hunter as starship Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike and Leonard Nimoy as Spock. When “Star Trek” repurposed that footage into the two-part “The Menagerie,” it made Pike canon, and established that he and Spock were crewmates before James T. Kirk ever entered the picture.

Before it jumped 1,000 years into the future, “Discovery” brought back Pike, played by Anson Mount, as an interim captain in its second season, along with Ethan Peck as a younger Spock and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, a.k.a. Number One (a character from “The Cage,” played by Majel Barrett , not picked up for the series). And here they are, back home on the Enterprise, with some other familiar, less familiar and unfamiliar shipmates.

Characters with roots in the old show include Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), still a cadet, not yet a lieutenant, but a “prodigy” who speaks 37 languages (like Nichelle Nichols ’ Uhura, she sings, and does that thing where she puts her hand to her ear when she’s at her post); nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), originally played by Barrett, a recurring “Star Trek” character; and Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), a guest character now getting a regular gig. New are Christina Chong as tough-cookie security officer La’an Noonien-Singh (as in top villain Khan Noonien-Singh, a relation); Melissa Navia as pilot Erica Ortegas; and Bruce Horak as Hemmer, an Aenar Andorian and the new chief engineer. He has antennae. A “Kirk” is also mentioned, about a quarter of the way through the pilot, creating an expectation.

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As our story opens, Pike is hanging out — almost hiding out — on Earth. We meet him thickly bearded, hair beautifully unkempt, snow all around his plush Montana lodge while the Enterprise is in dry dock, avoiding answering his communicator, and watching the thematically resonant 1950s science fiction classic “ The Day The Earth Stood Still ” on his 23rd century flat-screen television. (Much like our own!) Something is eating him: Viewers familiar with “The Menagerie” will recognize that the strange reflections Pike sees of himself represent a vision of his future, and it’s not one he likes to contemplate. It’s the opposite of a tragic backstory — a tragic forestory.

Nevertheless! Number One has gone missing on a first-contact mission, so Pike loses the beard, puts some product in his hair and gets back into his swivel chair. Spock is fetched back from Vulcan and a deadpan rendezvous with T’Pring (Gia Sandhu), his very long-term fiancée, but not before they get a hot scene to add to the very short list of Spock Hot Scenes.

What “Strange New Worlds” brings back is some of the Buck Rogers brio of the original series, on whose opening theme it plays a minor-key variation. Like all pre-streaming “Star Trek” series, it’s episodic in nature, rather than serial, with problems that can be established and overcome in an hour — “Complicated problems solved in no time” is a “Star Trek” trademark. (It would be printed on their cards, if they carried cards.) The plots, reflective of contemporary social issues — “shades of Old Earth,” says Pike, set down on a planet riven by competing factions, in case you’re slow off the mark — feel close enough in spirit, even the letter, to the original series to call this almost an homage. There are alien temples and libraries, inspirational speeches, an ever-popular infection story. In time-honored tradition, the least expendable officers go on the most dangerous missions. And based on the three episodes available for review, there is seemingly little interest in soap-operatic shipboard relationships, unlike, say, the teary love fest that is “Discovery.” (A teary love fest of which I’m quite fond.)

That isn’t to say some characters don’t get a little backstory, or a secret to keep and reveal when the time comes. Psychology creeps in everywhere these days. But dealing with personal trauma, gaining closure, resolving their own issues do not seem to be what will mainly occupy the crew of the new old Enterprise. There is an old-fashioned emphasis on taking care of business, of working on other planets’ problems — without bending rule No. 1, not to interfere with their destiny, past breaking. (Watch for a nice Prime Directive joke.)

Not least, “Strange New Worlds” prioritizes the mutually bemused interplanetary quasi-bromance between a human captain and his half-human, half-Vulcan science officer. There is enough of William Shatner’s puckishness in Mount that one may easily forget that this is the Pike and Spock Show, and not the Kirk and Spock Show.

Spock [ responding to something or other ]: Fascinating.

Pike : I’m all ears.

Spock throws a look.

Pike : Just a figure of speech.

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Peck catches the essence of Nimoy’s Spock, inhabiting the character rather than imitating the actor. Mount more or less ignores Hunter’s midcentury-masculine Pike — indeed, dark premonitions notwithstanding, he might be the chillest of all “Star Trek” captains. He’s a pourer of drinks, a griller of ribs, a teller of stories in which he is the butt of the joke. And Romijn, who has her own chummy relationship with Pike, makes Number One feel like a person with more weight and canonical influence than the character was ever allowed to have.

The franchise always means to be funny, even at its self-referential expense (“Why is it always an alley?“ wonders Pike, beamed down into an alley), and “Strange New Worlds” might need a little time on this account, as characters get to the point where a raised eyebrow can serve as a kicker. Meanwhile, the series is most amusing when Mount, who appears to be enjoying himself, delivers some throwaway aside, like “I love this job” or “I like this plan,” or squeaking out a sheepish “Hi” when beaming in to interrupt a high-level diplomatic summit.

It is in the “Star Trek” way of things to get a little cornball, a little goofball, a little silly. This is more feature than bug. Earnestness has the edge over sense; science, if you want to call it that — it often amounts to magic here — just serves the drama, the philosophy and the themes. The real mission of the Enterprise and every other ship in the franchise fleet is to spread understanding and justice to the stars, while perhaps learning a thing or two about human limitations in the process. “Prejudices kept people from helping each other for centuries, with no scientific justification,” Dr. M’Benge will say. “After we met our new neighbors in the galaxy, we have new bigotries.” “Negotiation, debate — these are the tools to build a lasting peace,” Pike will optimistically declare after he lands in the middle of that alien summit. But, of course, they are talking to us.

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Also seen is Number One (Rebecca Romijn) leading a landing party, a transporter operator (Andre Dae Kim) wearing another new uniform design, more from the Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) welcome party in Captain Pike’s quarters, and another look at that downed  Constitution- class starship.

One of our readers on Twitter also spied what looks to be a revamped Orion ship in the new teaser as well:

Wait – Is that an Orion Scout Ship?? pic.twitter.com/q1y52TkIkv — Nick (@Stalsomething) March 30, 2022

These character teasers are likely to continue throughout the week as we approach next Tuesday’s “First Contact Day,” so keep your eyes on TrekCore in the days to come!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  debuts on Thursday, May 5 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada. Additional international distribution has not yet been announced.

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TrekCore.com is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with Paramount, CBS Studios, or the Star Trek franchise. All Star Trek images, trademarks and logos are owned by CBS Studios Inc. and/or Paramount. All original TrekCore.com content and the WeeklyTrek podcast (c) 2024 Trapezoid Media, LLC. · Terms & Conditions

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: All The Major Characters Confirmed To Appear

Here's who we can expect.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is taking franchise fans back to the pre-Kirk era, and on adventures that hearken back to the original Star Trek series. For that reason, fans might see a few characters from the original era appear in the upcoming Paramount+ show , as well as some new players with ties to other well-known characters, so there’s a lot to keep track of. 

The following is a breakdown of what Star Trek: Strange New Worlds characters we'll see, their past history in the franchise, and a little about the actor playing them. Let this be your guide to who’s who in the new series, set to arrive soon. 

Christopher Pike

Captain Christopher Pike is where Star Trek ’s story begins, so to speak. Christopher Pike was captain of the Enterprise in the scrapped pilot for the franchise, “The Cage,” but was ultimately replaced by Captain Kirk when the series premiered. Canonically, Pike still preceded Kirk as Captain, and after a standalone episode in the original series, the prime universe character got a real revival via Star Trek: Discovery . We learned a lot about Pike in his short time on that show, including that he knows about the eventual life-changing accident that removes him from Starfleet command. 

Anson Mount reprises his role as Pike from his Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, but that’s likely not the first place viewers know him from. Mount’s most-known television work might be Hell on Wheels , where he played the lead role of Cullen Bohannon. He also played Black Bolt on the Inhumans series for Marvel ( even though he wanted to play Gambit ), though that role was much shorter-lived.

Even those only somewhat familiar with Star Trek likely know Spock, and how his Vulcan logic made him famous all over the world. Spock has several appearances in Star Trek across television and film, and we’ve learned a bit about him in each work. In fact, Spock enters Star Trek: Strange New Worlds not long after his stint in Star Trek: Discovery , where viewers learned he has an adopted sister, Michael Burnham. Beyond that, fans will want to know more about Spock’s formative years, and his close bond with Captain Pike. 

Spock is played by Ethan Peck, who garnered praise from Trek fans and even Leonard Nimoy ’s daughter, Julie, for his portrayal . Peck’s previous works include Madam Secretary , and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels , just to name a few. 

Una Chin-Reilly (Number One)

Una Chin-Reilly might not be a name many remember from Star Trek , but Number One certainly is. The character was only known as “Number One” in “The Cage,” as she was second in command to Captain Pike. Now, she gets a chance to further flesh out her story in Strange New Worlds , as there’s still a lot we don’t know about the character, even after her appearance in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2. 

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Rebecca Romijn is no stranger to film or television, as fans might know her from her role as Mystique in four X-Men movies, or her long stint on The Librarians . Romijn gets the privilege of fleshing out an established character that fans don’t know much about, which is a rare opportunity in Star Trek .

Nyota Uhura was a Lieutenant and Chief Communications Officer in the original Star Trek series. In Strange New Worlds , she’ll enter the show as a cadet, and I’m sure audiences will love to see how the character acts and carries herself in the time before she became one of the more trusted members of Captain Kirk’s crew. 

Uhura is played by Celia Rose Gooding, who is a relative newcomer to television roles. Gooding is most known for her performance in Diablo Cody ’s stage musical, Jagged Little Pill . She’ll get a real chance to showcase her acting skills on Strange New Worlds and give new life to the character made famous by actress Nichelle Nichols ( who has some thoughts on the new Trek shows ).

Dr. M’Benga

Dr. M’Benga was a member of the original Star Trek cast of characters, though not featured too often. One notable thing about his character is he interned on Vulcan, and as such is particularly skilled in the treatment of Vulcans. That’s good news for Spock, though I’m sure as the Enterprise doctor he can treat all types of lifeforms. 

Babs Olusanmokun steps into the role of Dr. M’Benga, who was first played by Booker Bradshaw. Olusanmokun starred is series like Black Mirror , as well as The Defenders , and Gotham . I’m looking forward to see how he adds to Dr. M’Benga and what more we learn about the character.

Christine Chapel

Nurse Chapel worked for Dr. McCoy in Star Trek: The Original Series and will appear again in Strange New Worlds . Chapel had a crush of sorts on Spock in the original show, so it’ll be interesting to see if the two have any sort of romance on the upcoming Paramount+ series. 

Jess Bush plays the role of Christine Chapel in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , after cutting her teeth on Australian television prior to this. Those looking to check out her work might want to watch Playing for Keeps or Home and Away .

La'an Noonien-Singh

La’an Noonien-Singh is a character new to the franchise, though the character she’s associated with is not. The Strange New Worlds newcomer enters the series as a relative of the infamous villain, Khan Noonien-Singh. We don’t quite know a lot about her character at this time, but suffice it to say, many are interested in learning more. 

Christina Chong steps into the role of this mysterious Star Trek: Strange New Worlds character, but she’s known by many for her work in other shows. Anyone interested can check her out in Line of Duty , or 24: Live Another Day , and get ready for what should be an exciting performance in the upcoming spinoff.

Erica Ortegas

Erica Ortegas is a character new to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , so there’s not a lot of things to say about her. We know she’s a lieutenant, but that's pretty much it. Obviously, we’ll learn more about her when the series gets underway on Paramount+. 

Actress Melissa Navia might be new to Trek , but she’s no stranger to television. There are a lot of notable shows Navia has appeared in as of late, including Bull , New Amsterdam , and Billions . That’s more than enough for me to be excited about her appearance in Strange New Worlds , and see what Ortegas brings to the team.

Hemmer is a character that’s new to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , though his species has precedent in the franchise. Hemmer is an Aenar, a type of albino Andorian species who appeared in Star Trek: Enterprise . 

Hemmer is played by Bruce Horak, who doesn’t have a ton of television credits to his name just yet. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is his first major series, though he had a guest role in the Syfy series Warehouse 13 , as well as a role in a short called Gitch . We’ll see what he brings to the table in this new show!

James T. Kirk

Fans originally believed that with Christopher Pike in charge of the Enterprise, there was a slim to nil chance James T. Kirk appeared in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . It turns out he’ll appear in Season 2, though that’s about all we know about the character’s appearance so far. I’m assuming he won’t be captain at any point during that time, but in some other role within Starfleet. 

James T. Kirk will be played by Paul Wesley , who is famously known for his role in The Vampire Diaries . Wesley was also a part of the short-lived Tell Me A Story on Paramount+ and is no stranger to television, or taking command of a series. We’ll see how he plays Kirk, and whether or not there’s a future for the character in the franchise. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, May 5. Pick up a Paramount+ subscription to watch it, as well as the other upcoming Trek shows on the platform. 

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Salute First Contact Day with a fresh new 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' trailer and poster

This rousing planet-hopping spinoff enters Earth orbit May 5 on Paramount Plus.

However you’re celebrating this year’s First Contact Day, make sure you fly your “Star Trek” colors by checking out the latest electrifying trailer for the new 10-episode Paramount Plus sci-fi series, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”

Spawned from the steaming platform's “Star Trek: Discovery” show and beaming into our living rooms starting on May 5, “Strange New Worlds” is a return to an old-fashioned “planet of the week” format once popularized in Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek: The Original Series.”

It chronicles the ongoing outer space adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise and its Starfleet crew commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), his Number One (Rebecca Romijn), and Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck) as they navigate the spaceways in search of new life and new civilizations. The intrepid trio was last seen in the “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 2 finale.

You can check out our Star Trek streaming guide to see where to watch Star Trek: Discovery online and catch up on the intriguing characters you'll meet in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”

This new official full trailer is a whirlwind of colorful sci-fi action punctuated with shots of fantastical alien planets, bizarre reptilian creatures, exotic otherworldly sunsets, formal sword fighting, fuzzy beasts, a giant golden orb, the Enterprise engaging in interstellar combat, and even Spock sharing an unexpected kiss. Wow!

“Our mission, to chart the stars, push the boundaries of what is known, and what is possible,” Captain Pike declares in this thrilling preview.

“Strange New Worlds” also showcases recast versions of legacy characters that might sound a bit familiar to fans old and young, like Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding); Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush); and Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun). New faces include the Andorian Engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak); Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navias); and La'An Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). 

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Academy Award winning writer Akiva Goldsman penned "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'" debut chapter, which was adapted from a story by Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners, with Goldsman also in the director's chair for the premiere episode. “Strange New Worlds” is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" arrives exclusively on Paramount Plus starting on May 5, and we can't wait to see the new adventures of Captain Pike and his crew. While you're waiting for the release, you should check out our other great Star Trek content. We've got our Star Trek movies, ranked worst to best guide and we're positive that it won't cause any arguments amongst die-hard Trekkies.... OK, maybe a couple. We've also got our guide to watching the Star Trek movies in chronological order , which is more difficult than you might think once you account for all the time travel and parallel dimensions.

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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Meet the crew of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' including Captain Pike's Scotty, the Aenar Hemmer

Anything you can do, an Aenar can do better. 

Credit: CBS All Access

Strange New Worlds , the Star Trek show focused on Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and his U.S.S. Enterprise crew, is set to premiere in a few weeks. To get us ready for the grand occasion, Paramount+ is getting us up to speed on the show’s new characters.

One of the new crew members is the Enterprise’s pre-Scotty engineer, Hemmer (Bruce Horak), an Aenar who appears to be a very cool, very confident genius. Hemmer is also blind, like all Aenar. His other senses, as this 30-second clip makes clear, more than make up for his lack of sight. 

Check out his suave style in the clip below:

The Enterprise needs an engineer, and Hemmer is the Aenar for the job. #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds premieres May 5 on @ParamountPlus ! pic.twitter.com/O1bd7oORqX — Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) March 30, 2022

You may also have noticed that Hemmer looks similar to an Andorian. If you did, you’re not wrong — Aenar are an Andorian sub-species who live in the Andorian arctic. We first came across the species in Star Trek: Enterprise , where Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) “discovers” them and finds out that they have telepathic abilities.

Until we met Hemmer, we didn’t know for sure whether the Aenar joined the Federation. Given that Hemmer is Pike’s Starfleet engineer, however, it seems like a safe bet that they’re officially part of the interplanetary organization. 

Hemmer is just one member of Pike’s Enterprise crew . We already know Spock (Ethan Peck) and Pike’s Number One (Rebecca Romijn), who will also star in Strange New Worlds along with a young Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). Other new crew members — Chief of Security Lieutenant La’An  (Christina Chong), who has a familiar surname , Noonien-Singh, and Lieutenant Ortegas (Melissa Navia) — also have gotten their own 30-second introductions, which you can check out below.

Lieutenant Ortegas came to fly—you're gonna want to hold onto something. #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds premieres May 5 on @ParamountPlus ! pic.twitter.com/o8r3SNcJ68 — Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) March 30, 2022

Lieutenant La'An isn't just chief of security—she's a survivor. #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds premieres May 5 on @ParamountPlus ! pic.twitter.com/zL457YwMia — Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) March 29, 2022

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on May 5. 

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Star trek strange new worlds season 2 episode 8 ending explained.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to the aftermath of Discovery's Klingon war, in a dark episode that ends with an Enterprise crew divided.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War."

• "Under the Cloak of War" explores the lasting effects of the Klingon War on veterans from Star Trek: Discovery, highlighting the division between those who served and those who didn't.
• Dr. M'Benga, once known as "The Ghost" for his hand-to-hand kills, reveals a dark secret of being the true Butcher of J'Gal, leading to his moral conflict and desire for vengeance against Klingon Ambassador Dak'Reh.
• The episode sets up future storylines, including the potential involvement of Section 31 in M'Benga's past and the complications in Spock and Chapel's romance due to the trauma of the Klingon War. The crew of the Enterprise is also divided as they face a possible war with the Gorn Hegemony.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues to explore the aftermath of the Klingon War in a devastating new episode that ends with Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) on either side of a moral debate. When the USS Enterprise is tasked with transporting the Klingon Ambassador Dak'Rah (Robert Wisdom), it exposes the division between those officers who served in Star Trek: Discovery's Klingon War, and those who didn't. "Under the Cloak of War" is a dark and thematically dense morality play that recalls Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's explorations of the trauma left by the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. M'Benga and Dak'Rah's scenes crackle with a palpable tension that recalls the very best episodes of DS9 .

The overall theme of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War" is that those veterans of Star Trek: Discovery 's Klingon war were profoundly changed by their experiences. It quickly becomes clear that nobody on the outside of the conflict can truly understand how those changes have manifested. This is demonstrated by the shocking revelations about Dr. M'Benga and the complicity of Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) in a cover-up. By the end of "Under the Cloak of War", Dak'Rah's visit has exposed the interpersonal divisions caused by the Enterprise sitting out the war.

Dr. M'Benga's Dark Secret: He Was The Real Butcher Of J'Gal

Although he's now a diplomat who's turned his back on the Klingon Empire to preach peace, Dak'Rah gained a reputation as the Butcher of J'Gal. Although he authorized the slaughter of Federation civilians including children, it was the Klingons, not Starfleet, who gave Dak'Rah this title. The legend was that, to cover his retreat from the Moon of J'Gal, Dak'Rah slaughtered his own men, an act that seemingly convinced him to embrace peace. However, Dak'Rah wasn't the Butcher of J'Gal, because he left his men behind to the mercy of the true butcher - Dr. Joseph M'Benga.

During flashbacks to the Federation-Klingon War , it was revealed that M'Benga had a reputation of his own. Known for his 90 confirmed hand-to-hand kills, M'Benga was dubbed "The Ghost" by Starfleet special forces. Like Dak'Rah after the war, M'Benga had turned his back on that life and instead pursued a career in medicine, opting to save lives rather than take them during the Klingon war. Tragically, the extent of the violence on J'Gal forced M'Benga and Dak'Rah to swap places. The brutality meted out to children was the final straw that convinced M'Benga that he was the man to topple the Klingon senior staff on J'Gal, and he finally accepted the mission he'd been offered by the mysterious Andorian officer.

Killing Dak'Rah's three captains with a Klingon dagger, M'Benga later watched as the Klingon Ambassador publicly adopted the title of Butcher of J'Gal. It was a good basis for a formerly bloodthirsty Klingon Warrior to preach his message of peace. However, it was also a story that, as a serving officer in the peace-loving Starfleet, M'Benga could never publicly reveal. Dak'Rah's arrival on the Enterprise dredged up M'Benga's suppressed shame and trauma and forced him to confront the man that the Klingon war had turned him into. For M'Benga, the only way to move on was to complete his J'Gal mission and kill Dak'Rah, removing the final reminder of this dark secret.

It's presumably for this reason that he goaded Dak'Rah into a fight, knowing that it would allow him to kill the former Klingon Warrior in "self-defense". As Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and the audience see M'Benga and Dak'Rah's struggle through frosted glass, it's left ambiguous who first reached for the Klingon dagger. However, at the very end of the episode, M'Benga realizes that Pike will not accept his old friend's approach to avenging the deaths of children and civilians. And so, M'Benga maintains that Dak'Rah started the fight, but admits that he's not sorry that the Klingon is dead. It's as close as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will likely get to an admission of guilt on the part of M'Benga.

M'Benga And Chapel's Klingon War Service And Super Soldier Serum Explained

The story of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War” unfolds in parallel timelines. In the “present day”, the Enterprise pays host to a visiting Klingon dignitary. In the flashbacks, viewers get to see the first meeting between Nurse Chapel and Dr. M’Benga, when she’s assigned to the Moon of J’Gal as Chief Nurse. While there, the pair form a strong bond and Chapel learns M’Benga’s revolutionary strategy for saving lives using Star Trek’s transporters – something he would later do for his daughter. In the final stages of the battle of J'Gal, Chapel also gets her first taste of the Star Trek super drug that was first seen in the Strange New Worlds season 2 opener.

It’s revealed that M’Benga designed this concoction - dubbed Protocol 12 - for use by Starfleet officers placed in combat zones. A combination of both adrenaline and pain inhibitors, M'Benga tells Lt. Va'Al Trask (Kyle Gatehouse), the enigmatic Andorian special forces officer, that it was discontinued due to the damaging effects of repeated use. When M'Benga refused to accept the mission to kill Dak-Rah and his senior staff, he was instead asked to provide special forces with the serum. It's clear by the end of "Under the Cloak of War", M'Benga regretted not handing over the serum, which is why he avenges the fallen Andorian and his team by taking Protocol 12 himself and going off to complete their mission single-handedly.

Strange New Worlds Continues To Set Up Star Trek 6's Klingon Conspiracy

Both the meal with Dak'Rah, and M'Benga's killing of the Klingon Ambassador aboard the USS Enterprise recall the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . The signing of the Khitomer Accords is decades away from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' timeline, but it's clear that there are those aboard the Enterprise who are skeptical about peace with the Klingon Empire. Despite M'Benga's belief that it's through the brutality of war that Starfleet can guarantee that others in the Federation can live in peace, he still can't cope with a Klingon Ambassador on the same ship.

Nurse Chapel and Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) also find it difficult to maintain their professionalism while in the presence of Dak’Rah. It’s interesting to ponder where they would both stand decades later when Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner) was framed for the murder of Gorkon. Hopefully, they and M’Benga would have made some peace with the horrors of the Klingon War, and would accept that peace is the way forward. The alternatives – that these beloved Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crew members condone or even participate in the plot of Admiral Cartwright (Brock Peters) and his fellow officers – are too heartbreaking to contemplate.

Strange New Worlds Brings Back Section 31 - Who Try To Enlist M'Benga

Although the Black Ops group isn’t explicitly named, “Under the Cloak of War” subtly sets up Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Section 31 movie in its M’Benga flashbacks. It’s revealed that, while stationed on the Moon of J’Gal, Section 31 made repeated attempts to recruit Dr. M’Benga. “ Tell them to stop sending people ” is M’Benga’s response to Trask's latest offer, but by the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, he’s effectively carried out their mission for them by brutally assassinating Dak’Rah’s senior staff. It’s also implied that M’Benga may have been a former Section 31 operative, having created Protocol 12.

M’Benga’s nickname of “The Ghost”, and his 90 confirmed kills heavily suggests that if he hadn’t worked for Section 31, he had definitely worked for Starfleet Special Forces. However, he turned his back on this military career to pursue medicine, which ultimately made him a perfect all-rounder to run J’Gal’s field hospital. It also explains why he was specifically requested for Pike's return mission to Rigel 7 in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4. With Starfleet now facing a potential war with the Gorn, it will be interesting to see if Section 31 makes further job offers to M’Benga.

The Klingon War Complicates Spock And Chapel's Romance

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) explores raktajino recipes and human emotions. Realizing how difficult the presence of Dak'Rah is for Nurse Chapel, he tries to empathize with her and offer her some emotional support. It's a touching moment from the usually repressed Spock, but heartbreakingly it also hints at why he will eventually abandon his exploration of human emotions and romantic relationships. While Spock means well, Christine feels smothered by his concern for her and finds it hard to vocalize her pain and trauma from the Klingon War.

She eventually pushes him away, explaining that because Spock wasn't on the Moon of J'Gal, he can never truly understand what she went through. She immediately regrets rejecting Spock's offer of consolation, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in future episodes. Spock and Chapel's distance helps to highlight the divisions between those aboard the Enterprise who served in the Klingon war, and those who didn't. It also teases a possible reason why Spock and Chapel's romance won't last .

Strange New Worlds' Enterprise Crew Is Divided Before Possible Gorn War

M'Benga's attempts to repair biobed 2 in sickbay are a metaphor for his own mental health. In his Chief Medical Officer's log, M'Benga notes that biobed 2 has been malfunctioning since the Enterprise crew's traumatic encounter with the Gorn. It implies that the trauma of that encounter reactivated "The Ghost" and also teases the potential Gorn war ahead for Starfleet and the crew of the USS Enterprise. In the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 premiere, Admiral Robert April (Adrian Holmes) was seen to be concerned about a possible war with the Gorn Hegemony. And then, in "Lost in Translation", Starfleet authorized the construction of a deuterium refinery on the fringes of Gorn space.

As Starfleet prepare for a possible Gorn war in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, it will be interesting to see how these preparations are impacted by the experiences of the Enterprise crew. "Under the Cloak of War" shows three pairs of close colleagues who have divided opinions on war and morality. The most notable of these is Captain Pike and Dr. M'Benga, two old friends who have very different opinions on notions of justice and second chances. It's an extraordinary scene between actors Anson Mount and Babs Olusanmokun, that drills down into how difficult it is for Starfleet to maintain its ideals during wartime.

Star Trek canon has established that there is no war between the Gorn Hegemony and the Federation. It's therefore highly likely that it will be Pike's Enterprise that averts the recent attacks from snowballing into all-out war. Perhaps the combination of the harrowing experiences of officers like Dr. M'Benga, and the hopeful optimism of Captain Christopher Pike will be what stops the war. It might also allow Dr M'Benga to heal himself by coming to terms with his own traumatic military career in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 2 finale, ominously entitled "Hegemony".

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Published Apr 12, 2024

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Renewed for Fourth Season

The acclaimed hit original series is currently in production for its third season.

StarTrek.com

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return for a fourth season.

Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman confirms in a statement, "On behalf of the cast and crew of ‘ Strange New Worlds ’ we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can't wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure."

The third season, set to debut in 2025, is officially under way with production continuing in Toronto.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the  U.S.S. Enterprise . The series features fan favorites from Season 2 of  Star Trek: Discovery  — Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Una Chin-Riley (Number One) in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the  U.S.S. Enterprise , as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  also stars Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet serve as executive producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Aaron Baiers.

Watch the first two seasons of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  now!

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

Scotty Will Return in Season 3 of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

Martin Quinn's version of the character first appeared in season 2's finale.

The Big Picture

• Martin Quinn to bring authentic Scottish flair as Montgomery Scott on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
• Quinn adds a new perspective to the character previously played by actors from Canada and England.
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues to explore the adventures of the USS Enterprise under Captain Pike.

A classic member of the Enterprise crew will return for the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . After debuting in the final episode of the show's second season , Martin Quinn will stay on board as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the upcoming season of Paramount+'s newest Star Trek series. As reported by BBC Scotland in an interview with Quinn, the character will recur on Strange New World 's third season, which is currently filming in Toronto, Ontario.

Quinn is the first-ever Scot to play the character, who was previously played by a Canadian ( James Doohan ) and an Englishman ( Simon Pegg ), and the interview notes that he's adding authenticity to the character, making sure that the show's writers use authentic Scottish slang: "They let me put in the word 'baw-heid' instead of 'turnip-heid'. Maybe they think all Scottish people are farmers? But they were very gracious about it." Quinn is from the town of Paisley; he has previously appeared on episodes of Limmy's Show , Annika , and Derry Girls .

Who is Montgomery Scott?

Played by Doohan in Star Trek: The Original Series , Scott is the ever-capable head engineer of the USS Enterprise , famed for his ability to solve catastrophic problems in short periods of time. After the series went off the air, Doohan reprised the role in Star Trek: The Animated Series and in all six of the feature films starring the series' original cast. He also returned for a cameo in Star Trek: Generations , attending the launch of the USS Enterprise-B , and guest-starred on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", where he is discovered by the Enterprise-D 's crew a century in the future, having been preserved in a transporter buffer. Pegg took on the role for J.J. Abrams ' cinematic reboot of the franchise, and reprised it for its two sequels; a fourth film is still up in the air .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds features the adventures of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) prior to The Original Series . It has so far featured two different chief engineers. Hemmer ( Bruce Horak ) was a member of the Aenar species, and sacrificed himself in the show's first-season finale to save the rest of the crew from the Gorn. His replacement was Pelia ( Carol Kane ), a long-lived Lanthanite, who joined the crew in the show's second season.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently filming its third season; no release date has yet been set . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy in the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed As ‘Lower Decks’ Sets Ending After 5 Seasons

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fourth season ahead of the show’s Season 3 premiere which is slated for 2025 and currently in production. Additionally, the previously announced fifth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks will serve as its final. New episodes of the final season, currently in production, will arrive this fall.

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“Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we’ve built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we’re working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off,” they added.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated comedy series following the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos. The crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes the voices of Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero; the bridge crew is voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore and Gillian Vigman.

The series is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers include Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Titmouse serves as the animation studio for the series which streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

It stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun, along with special guest stars Paul Wesley and Carol Kane. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

“On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds, we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can’t wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure,” said Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and Alex Kurtzman in a statement.

The expanded world of Star Trek on Paramount+ also includes the fifth and final season of Star Trek : Discovery, currently airing; the original film Star Trek : Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh, which recently wrapped production; and the new original series Star Trek : Starfleet Academy, slated to begin production later this year.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fourth season

S eason 3 of Paramount Plus’ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is still in production, but the streamer has already decided to renew the series. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of Star Trek: Lower Decks , which is coming to an end.

Paramount Plus announced today that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be back for a fourth season following the premiere of its third sometime in 2025, and Star Wars: Lower Deck ’s upcoming fifth season will be the series’ finale. In a statement about Strange New Worlds ’ renewal, executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said they were thrilled about being able to continue telling new stories about the crew of the Enterprise.

And while Lower Decks is wrapping up, Kurtzman and showrunner Mike McMahan hinted that the crew of the Cerritos could “live on with new adventures” in the future after season five brings the series to a close this fall.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds renewed for season 4 - but Lower Decks confirmed to end

Season 3 of Strange New Worlds is yet to be released.

• Katelyn Mensah
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fourth season, despite season 3 having not yet arrived on Paramount Plus.

While this is good news for fans of the Star Trek franchise, it is bittersweet as Lower Decks , the first animated Star Trek series will come to an end with its fifth series.

"We remain hopeful that even beyond Season 5, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures," Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Mike McMahan said (as per Variety ). "While five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle, it's no exaggeration to say that every second we've spent making this show has been a dream come true."

Season three of Strange New Worlds is set to air in 2025. The production of the series saw a delay due to the strike action by the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America, which has since come to an end.

"On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds, we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together," said executive producers and showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman, in a statement.

More like this

"We can't wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure."

The sci-fi series follows Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and his USS Enterprise crew on some truly wild adventures. The second season proved to be a hit amongst fans and even featured a musical episode.

It is expected the main cast will be returning once more, with leads Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijin likely to reprise their roles as Christopher Pike and Una Chin-Riley/Number One respectively.

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Other cast members include Ethan Peck and Celia Rose Gooding as Spock and Uhura, Jess Bush as nurse Christine Chapel and Christina Chong as chief of security La'an Noonien-Singh.

In a statement, Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of Programming at Paramount Plus, said: "It has been incredibly rewarding to continue to build the Star Trek universe, and we’re so grateful to Secret Hideout and our immensely talented casts and producers.

"Strange New Worlds has found the perfect blend of action, adventure and humour. Similarly, Star Trek: Lower Decks has brought the laughs with an ample amount of heart to the franchise across its four seasons. We can't wait for audiences to see what is in store for the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos in this final season."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Paramount Plus. Sign up for a seven-day free trial of Paramount Plus .

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast .

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