Warning! Spoilers for Strange New Worlds episode 9 - "All Those Who Wander"
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actor Bruce Horak reacts to the sad conclusion of his character Hemmer's arc on the show. As Star Trek's eleventh series, Strange New Worlds has been receiving praise from critics and audiences alike. The episodic nature of the show harkens back to Star Trek: The Original Series, and the engaging characters are a highlight of the show. It features a great ensemble cast starring Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Bruce Horak.
In taking on the role of Lt. Hemmer, Horak became the very first blind actor to appear in the Star Trek franchise since its premiere in 1966. Hemmer is an Aenar, an albino subspecies of Andorians. Though he is blind, he has telepathic abilities, which is a vital asset to the character's role as the chief engineer on the Enterprise. The character's wisdom and interactions with Cadet Nyota Uhura have made him a stand-out character on the show.
However, in the penultimate episode 9 of Strange New Worlds, Hemmer's story comes to an end. When a Gorn, a classic villain from TOS, attacks, Hemmer saves Uhura from its venom by getting hit with it instead. Initially, the venom is believed only to blind or burn the victim, but then the horrible truth comes out. Gorn venom makes the victim host to Gorn babies, who will soon burst out of the host. Hemmer realizes this is coming and kills himself to protect his crew from further harm and prevent the approaching agony. In a recent interview with THR, Horak speaks about his reaction to his character's end:
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.)
Hemmer's death is unlike most red shirt demises. As Horak alludes to, the Star Trek universe's infamous "red shirts" have historically been cannon fodder, unnamed characters that are unceremoniously killed just to show the audience that the threat is real. This one is different. Hemmer is a main character the viewers have come to connect with over nine episodes of Strange New Worlds; he is not an expendable person. His death is a powerful and noble sacrifice, not a quick way to establish a sense of danger.
Thus, Hemmer's death is incredibly emotional, a fitting sendoff for the unique character. His death also shows how Strange New Worlds is honoring TOS while giving more attention and depth to certain details and characters that have been overlooked in the past, such as the red shirts. This modern twist on the classic 1960s trope is a touching update that will hopefully keep audiences coming back for the final episode next week and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
Source: THR