Star Trek may be at a big transition point right now, but the series that are still airing are doing some righteous work for the franchise. The landscape of Star Trek TV has narrowed since the 2020s began; at one time, there were four different Star Trek shows streaming on Paramount+ (Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy); now, there is only Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy, both of which are headed for their respective final seasons.
While Starfleet Academy just finished Season 1, Strange New Worlds is already promoting Season 4, its penultimate season, which will premiere in July. The cast of the show was out and about at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City over the weekend. In addition to revealing the Strange New Worlds Season 4 trailer, the cast members in attendance teased what fans can expect from the upcoming season. That included fixing one major complaint that Star Trek fans have had with Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Giving Number One The Lead
Rebecca Romijn as Una in STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Photo Cr: Pari Dukovic/Paramount+
Rebecca Romijn stars in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Una Chin-Riley, aka Number One. In the first season of SNW, Number One got as much spotlight as any other character in the ensemble; however, as the series has gone on, many fans have felt that Number One’s role hasn’t grown into what it should be. After all, Number One is one of the biggest legacy characters on the show aside from Spock (Ethan Peck), James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), or Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). A lot of Star Trek fans want to see the character get the best development possible, so that we understand so much more about her by the time Star Trek: The Original Series starts. The character’s legacy is marked by not getting her fair share of screen time, as Romijn reminded the crowd: ‘
“The original [Star Trek] pilot that was scrapped had the first officer, Number One, played by Majel Barrett Roddenberry. And she only had 13 minutes of screen time. So I’ve been very lucky to be able to flesh out this character. We really got to know her.”
Later during the convention, Romijn directly addressed fan concerns about Number One, letting it be known that in these final seasons of Strange New Worlds, Una will be stepping up to be the leading officer she’s destined to be:
“We get to see a much freer Una, who gets to lead missions starting in season 4, and 5… It’s so exciting, it’s so fun,” Romijn said. “Una makes a request at the beginning of season 4 for more time on planet. And now that she is living her authentic self, she gets to lead these incredible missions.”
Strange New Worlds Needs to Start Making Big Changes
Paramount+
Strange New Worlds is a prequel series that sees Captain Kirk’s mentor, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), commanding the USS Enterprise and its crew during his final years before suffering a tragic fate. Kirk then stepped up and took command of the Enterprise, which is where the events of Star Trek: The Original Series begin.
The major appeal of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been the fact that it appeals to both the new era of Star Trek fans and manages to capture the spirit of The Original Series. That means a lightness, hopefulness, and sense of fun and wonder that embody what Star Trek is originally about. However, the fun of Strange New Worlds always came at the cost of ticking doomsday clock hanging overhead. The lore about Christopher Pike’s tragic accident is set in stone, and SNW will have to eventually confront that tragedy head-on. After Pike is down and out, the series will still have to go through the bittersweet motions of explaining which crew members stay with the Enterprise and which ones move on. At that point, the trio of Kirk, Spock, and Number One will become a focal point, as they will be the main set of characters to carry on Pike’s legacy.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 will premiere on Paramount+ on July 23rd. Come discuss the show and all things sci-fi with us on the ComicBook Forum!
Via: Trek Movie
