Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak) tragically died near the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, but there was an interesting rationale for why the series killed off its Chief Engineer. In Strange New Worlds episode 9, "All Those Who Wander," Hemmer became infected by an infant Gorn when he and the Starship Enterprise's crew faced the newborn reptilian aliens on the frozen world of Valeo Beta V. Hemmer knew he was doomed, and he sacrificed himself to ensure his crew mates' safety, becoming the first main character to die on Strange New Worlds.
Hemmer was a blind Aenar, which is a subset of the Andorian race. Hemmer beamed aboard Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise to take up the position of Chief Engineer at the end of Strange New Worlds' series premiere. At the start of Strange New Worlds episode 2, Hemmer met Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), who quickly became his protégé. Thanks to her shift rotations to work in Engineering, Uhura learned a great deal about Starfleet and about life itself from Hemmer, whose remaining senses were "superior" and more than compensated for his blindness. Uhura was uncertain about life in Starfleet, but her time with Hemmer before and after his noble sacrifice inspired her to remain on the Enterprise.
The Real Reason Hemmer Died In Strange New Worlds
Hemmer's death in Strange New Worlds episode 9 was a genuine shock, and that's just what the producers of the show intended. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, executive producer Henry Alonso Myers explained that Hemmer was always intended to die since the character's inception. Myers' logical reason was that Strange New Worlds had so many legacy Star Trek characters that they feared audiences would think that "There's no tension because we know everyone survives... And we wanted to say, 'What if not everyone survives?' And part of that was also to see our characters go through loss."
However, Myers added that when they cast Hemmer, they didn't know "how wonderful Bruce [Horak] would be, and how much he would pop." Indeed, Horak quickly won fans over with his gruff but insightful Aenar, who represented a fresh and wise perspective on the Enterprise. Hemmer's mentorship of Uhura was one of the highlights of Strange New Worlds season 1 that beautifully illuminated the young Ensign who will go on to become the seasoned Lt. Uhura played by Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Hemmer Is Gone But Bruce Horak Will Return In Strange New Worlds Season 2
The good news for Strange New Worlds fans is Henry Alonso Myers assured us that "Hemmer may be dead, but this is not the last we will see of Bruce on our show." Indeed, Bruce Horak is indeed part of Strange New Worlds season 2's cast, but he will be playing a new character whose identity is currently classified. Hemmer was a breakthrough new Star Trek character and, as a blind Aenar, he was a huge step forward for the representation of a disability. Meanwhile, the position of Chief Engineer of the Enterprise will be filled by Pelia, a new character played by Carol Kane in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.