Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is chock-full of love stories in outer space. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) breaks the mold of the lonely Captain of the Enterprise by dating Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano). Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) has loved and lost two romantic foils: T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). Even special guest star Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) has a romantic attraction to Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong).
However, Number One's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds story has been about hiding and then taking pride that she is a genetically engineered Illyrian. Una owning her true self has defined her character arc thus far. Meanwhile, most of Number One's crew mates on the Starship Enterprise deal with matters of the heart. Una needs her own love story in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 or 4, and the logical candidate can be played by Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn's husband in real life.
Number One’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Love Story Should Be With The Ancestor Of Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Captain Jack Ransom
Ransom & Una Are A Match Made In Starfleet Heaven
The perfect love interest for Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley would be a new character created for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds but linked to Star Trek: Lower Decks: an ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell). This would be Ransom's great (times 3 or 4) grandfather, who Strange New Worlds could reveal was also a Starfleet Officer in the 23rd century. This would retcon Captain Jack Ransom as a part of a Starfleet legacy family, and, even better, it would mean Jerry O'Connell could guest star on Strange New Worlds in the flesh.
Jerry O'Connell voiced Commander Jack Ransom in the 24th-century-set animated segments of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Those Old Scientists." Ransom even remarked, "Numera Una, the hottest First Officer in Starfleet!" when he saw the Starfleet recruitment poster of Number One that Ensign Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) keeps in his bunk on the USS Cerritos. The seed is already planted for Una Chin-Riley and the Ransom family to have a common bond 200 years in the past, which would explain Jack's esteem for Una (beyond her great looks) in the 24th century.
It would be a fantastic meta joke if Una has a romance with a Starfleet Officer named Ransom played by Jerry O'Connell.
Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell Have Worked Together Before
They Hosted The Love Boat & Co-Starred In Other Series
Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell teaming up in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as lovers makes perfect sense since the couple already have an established chemistry on-screen as well as off-screen. After meeting in 2004 and marrying in 2007, Jerry and Rebecca have popped up in several TV projects together. Romijn and O'Connell have shared the screen in Ugly Betty and Eastwick, and the couple hosted The Real Love Boat together while appearing in their separate Star Trek on Paramount+ series.
Jerry and Rebecca can claim to be the modern-day first couple of Star Trek.
Jerry O'Connell regularly accompanies Rebecca Romijn to various comic cons and Star Trek conventions. As Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Captain Jack Ransom on Star Trek: Lower Decks, Jerry and Rebecca can claim to be the modern-day first couple of Star Trek. They are also the first married couple to play First Officers on different Star Trek shows at the same time, at least until Jack Ransom was promoted to Captain of the USS Cerritos at the end of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5.
As Jerry O'Connell told ScreenRant during an interview about Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, he wanted the bragging rights of Jack Ransom becoming a Captain before Rebecca's character:
It would be so much fun if I outranked her. I know Lower Decks is coming to a close, but if Mike McMahan and Alex Kurtzman and the bosses of Starfleet right now could somehow find it in their hearts that I could outrank Una Chin-Riley, that's all I ask for.
Jerry indeed got his wish. Even though Star Trek: Lower Decks ended on Paramount+, it closed out with Jack Ransom wearing four pips on his collar and sitting in the Captain's chair of the USS Cerritos. O'Connell now has the prestige of portraying a Star Trek Captain while Number One remains the best First Officer in Starfleet.
Jerry O’Connell On Strange New Worlds Is The Perfect Next Star Trek: Lower Decks Crossover
Jack Ransom On Lower Decks Also Became A Captain Before Una Did
Jerry O'Connell is the logical and ideal next actor from Star Trek: Lower Decks to appear on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome kicked the door open by guesting on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as the live-action versions of Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner. However, Strange New Worlds' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks required time-travel shenanigans. Jerry O'Connell could appear as Captain Jack Ransom's ancestor - who would be a new character - in live-action.
The family ties between Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O'Connell, and Star Trek run deep and strong. O'Connell would also be a huge coup as a Strange New Worlds guest star. Jerry is a popular veteran of film and TV, going back to appearing in 1986's Stand By Me. O'Connell has appeared in Jerry Maguire, Scream 2, and Piranha 3D, and he remains beloved for his role as Quinn Mallory in the 1990s sci-fi cult favorite, Sliders. O'Connell on Strange New Worlds would keep the Star Trek: Lower Decks fire burning until the series hopefully returns one day.
The ideal character to be Number One's squeeze would be the ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom.
Number One has existed for 60 years of Star Trek but has lacked a personal life and a love interest. Not only is Una overdue for an on-screen romance, but Rebecca Romijn is married to another Star Trek luminary who is perfect person to play him - and the ideal character to be Number One's squeeze would be the ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom. Bringing Jerry O'Connell to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in live-action would be must-see television and tell a story Number One has waited decades for.
