
Set about six years before the original Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds explores the early days of the USS Enterprise. What made the original series so special was how the crew felt like fully developed characters, even those who weren’t always central to the plot. While Captain Kirk, Spock, and Doctor McCoy were the main stars, characters like Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and Scotty were incredibly memorable thanks to the actors’ strong performances. This feeling continued in the Star Trek movies, even when those supporting characters didn’t have a lot of screen time. Small moments – like Scotty grieving for his nephew or hints of a connection with Uhura – resonated deeply with viewers. However, these Bridge Officers largely fulfilled familiar roles; Scotty, for example, was the brilliant engineer completely devoted to the Enterprise. The younger version of Scotty we see in Strange New Worlds hasn’t fully become that iconic figure yet, which makes his character arc particularly compelling.