Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will continue to explore the relationship between Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and Helmsman Ortegas (Melissa Navia) in season 2. Even though season 1 of the Star Trek series is still airing on Paramount+, production for the already-ordered season 2 is already underway, with an expected premiere date set for 2023. Strange New Worlds also stars Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Bruce Horak, and Celia Rose Gooding.
Strange New Worlds follows Captain Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy, with a more episodic structure comparable to Star Trek: The Original Series. The dynamic between Pike and Ortegas in season 1 suggests a stronger connection between the two, with more informal banter and Pike using Ortegas' first name when conversing. Navia has previously said how Strange New Worlds season 2 will build on the foundation of season 1, leading to more ambitious storytelling and character beats. It seems that will also extend to the further development of various relationships.
In an interview with CinemaBlend, Navia talks about how the dynamic between Pike and Ortegas was explored in the season 1 and how it'll be expanded on in season 2. Navia praises how Strange New Worlds and Mount have portrayed the subtle relationship, and teased what might lie ahead in future episodes. Read her quote below:
I think we’re going to see more backstory with Ortegas and Pike. What we see [now] though, is essentially a Captain that trusts his helmsman, and vice versa. Sometimes people are like, ‘Oh, [the banter] it’s too informal to be realistic.’ When you speak to members of the military and you speak to people who are in life and death situations in their work all the time, it is absolutely reality to have gallows humor. To be able to talk as if you’re not navigating through a field of meteors. You’re acting like it’s just every day, but you have to or else you will lose your mind. I think Pike and Ortegas really embodied that. One thing that fans have pointed out was that [Pike] frequently refers to her as Erica. I don’t think Anson or I ever thought anything too much about it, but I love that he does because you see that there is this friendship there that is not just official, but it doesn’t undermine the fact that they are professionals and that they trust each other in life or death situations. So yeah, you’re gonna see more of that in Season 2.
Strange New Worlds season 2 is expected to expand on the lore and established canon of The Original Series; for example, it will introduce the iconic James T. Kirk, to be played by Paul Wesley. That being said, it's good that the writers are able to find a balance between the expansion of the worldbuilding while fleshing out the character relationships of the leads. Navia seems to be championing the idea that Strange New Worlds will have a deeper emphasis on character relationships going forward, especially when it comes to some of the more surprising dynamics.
The best part about Strange New Worlds is its classical structure combined with modern sensibilities, where each episode feels unique. At the same time, there's still a sense of growth for the characters. One of the problems with The Original Series is that episodes didn't ever affect each other, so characters would be unaffected by events that would be traumatizing to most people in those situations. With Strange New Worlds' commitment to this idea, fans can expect more exploration into Pike and Ortegas' relationship and history, as it is clear there is a thread to be pulled on here. All the while, the show will maintain the sense of discovery that makes Star Trek the cultural touchstone it is.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.
Source: CinemaBlend