Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode featured a first-ever Star Trek team-up 58 years in the making that couldn't be more unusual. Directed by Dermot Downs and written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, with songs composed by Tom Polce and Kay Hanley, Star Trek's first-ever musical, "Subspace Rhapsody," brought back Paul Wesley as Lieutenant James T. Kirk. One of the low-key historic moments in Strange New Worlds' musical is Kirk sharing the screen and a song with Number One AKA Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) for the first time.
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) became the main hero of Star Trek: The Original Series after NBC rejected Star Trek's original pilot, "The Cage" in 1965. Only Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) survived NBC's purge of "The Cage's" cast, as creator Gene Roddenberry created new characters and cast new actors in Star Trek: The Original Series. Among those from "The Cage" excised from Star Trek was Number One (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry), and the original First Officer of the USS Enterprise never met Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Musical Was The First-Ever Kirk & Number One Team-Up
Kirk Came To The Enterprise To Learn From Number One
Lieutenant James T. Kirk's first-ever team-up with Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 9, "Subspace Rhapsody," was both sweet and unusual. Kirk beamed aboard the USS Enterprise to learn the finer points of being a First Officer from Una, after James' promotion to Number One on the USS Farragut. After the Enterprise was struck with an anomaly that made the crew sing and dance under the rules of musicals, Una and Kirk worked together and performed a duet, "Connect To Your Truth."
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delights in the unusual and unexpected, so choosing to pair up Kirk and Number One for the first time with a duet is par for the course. 58 years after Number One was omitted from Star Trek: The Original Series, a younger Kirk being encouraged by Una to be a more open and personable commander through song was something no one could have predicted as their first-ever meeting. Nor is a smitten Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), the relative of Kirk's future adversary, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), enviously peering at Jim and Una.
Strange New Worlds Must Explain Why Number One Is Gone From Captain Kirk’s Enterprise
What Happens To Una When Kirk Becomes Captain Of The Enterprise?
Lt. James T. Kirk previously visited the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation," but he didn't encounter Number One. Kirk is set to return in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, and the prequel may begin to lay the groundwork for the future of the Starship Enterprise. A few years in the future, Kirk becomes Captain of the Enterprise, but Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) rises to become First Officer, while Number One exits the starship.
Number One does appear in the flashback sequences to "The Cage" in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1's two-parter, "The Menagerie."
What happens to Number One when Kirk takes over for Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is one of the prevalent mysteries of Star Trek. Does Una become Captain of her own starship? Does Number One die? Does Lt. Commander Chin-Riley face further legal issues because she is a genetically engineered Illyrian? Does Captain Kirk take any steps to make Una his Number One before Spock? Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to return for seasons 3 and 4, and perhaps the answers may be forthcoming.
Strange New Worlds Also Had Another First-Ever Kirk Event
The Kirk Brothers Appeared Together For The First Time On Strange New Worlds
Before Lt. James T. Kirk finally met Number One, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation," featured another first: scenes between Jim and his older brother, Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte). Sam, played by a mustachioed William Shatner, was already deceased when he was introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1's "Operation: Annihilate!" Strange New Worlds took advantage of its prequel status to make a very much alive Sam part of Captain Pike's Starship Enterprise crew.
Like Number One, Sam will also be gone from the Enterprise when James becomes Captain Kirk.
Unsurprisingly, a deep sibling rivalry exists between Lieutenants Sam and James T. Kirk, born from Jim being closer to their father, Lt. George Kirk. 57 years after a dead Sam Kirk appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series, Strange New Worlds has fun with the bickering Kirk brothers. Little does Sam know that his one advantage over Jim, serving on the Federation flagship, has a countdown since James is destined to become the Enterprise's Captain. Like Number One, Sam will also be gone from the Enterprise when James becomes Captain Kirk - history Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is well aware of.
