The way Saru (Doug Jones) met Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and joined Starfleet in Star Trek: Discovery set up an amazing parallel to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). Discovery was originally part of the same 23rd-century timeline as Strange New Worlds before the USS Discovery took a permanent trip to the 32nd century. However, Una, the USS Enterprise's Number One, appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 2 before the Disco's one-way voyage 930 years into the future.
Saru's origin story was told in the 2018 Short Trek, "The Brightest Star." Saru lived on the Kelpien homeworld of Kaminar, which was dominated and fed upon by an alien race called the Ba'ul. The Kelpiens led an agrarian way of life, but Saru's curiosity led him to build an interstellar communicator from Ba'ul ship debris. Saru's signal was intercepted by the USS Archimedes, and Lt. Phillipa Georgiou traveled to Kaminar to investigate. Saru accepted Georgiou's offer to leave with her, and he became the first Kelpien in Starfleet, eventually serving with Captain Georgiou on the USS Shenzou before his career aboard the USS Discovery.
How Discovery's Saru & Georgiou Set Up La'an & Una In Strange New Worlds
Saru's origin is a compelling one and, intentionally or not, La'an Noonien Singh's Strange New Worlds backstory echoes the Kelpien's. As a child, La'an and her family were abducted by the Gorn, which fed upon the humans they captured. La'an endured her ordeal despite watching her family die, but the Gorn allowed the young girl to escape aboard a liferaft as part of a ritual. La'an was rescued by the USS Martin Luther King Jr., and she befriended Ensign Una Chin-Riley. It was Una's example that led La'an to join Starfleet so that they eventually served together aboard the USS Enterprise in Strange New Worlds.
La'an's close friendship with the Enterprise's Number One evolved differently from Saru and Georgiou's. Saru was a loyal crewman to Captain Georgiou aboard the Shenzou, but he was wary of the First Officer, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Yet Georgiou was a mentor to Saru, not so much a close friend. Meanwhile, Una and La'an are each other's confidants aboard Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) Enterprise, and they are more like sisters in spite of Una being La'an's superior officer. But the origin stories of Saru and La'an are remarkably similar.
Will La'an Be The Same Starfleet Success Story As Saru?
Saru is a great Starfleet success story. The first Kelpien in Starfleet learned over 90 alien languages as he rose through the ranks to serve on the USS Shenzou before he became First Officer of the USS Discovery. Saru's wisdom, compassion, and steadiness were rewarded when he was finally promoted to Captain of the Discovery. After he passed the Captain's chair to Michael Burnham so that he could return to Kaminar in the 32nd century, Saru turned down command of other starships to return to the Discovery. Captain Saru currently serves as First Officer of the Discovery, but he is a Starfleet hero of two eras.
The jury is still out on whether La'an's Starfleet career will be as decorated as Saru's. Lt. Noonien Singh left her post as the Enterprise's Security Chief before the end of Strange New Worlds season 1, although she returns to the ship in season 2. However, prior to her departure, La'an replaced Una twice as Acting First Officer, and she performed admirably. In an alternate future, La'an apparently becomes the First Officer of Captain James T. Kirk's (Paul Wesley) USS Farragut. La'an Noonien Singh in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has a long way to go to equal Saru's Star Trek: Discovery accomplishments, but it's fascinating that their origins involving Georgiou and Una echo each other.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 and Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premiere in 2023 on Paramount+.