Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has wasted the opportunity to break bag this great legacy character. After being introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Anson Mount's Captain Christopher Pike quickly became a fan favorite. This led Paramount to greenlight a spin-off following Captain Pike, Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and their Enterprise crew, and Strange New Worlds was born. With pitch-perfect casting, Strange New Worlds has reintroduced several Star Trek legacy characters, including Lt. Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley).
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has added depth to characters like Uhura, and has the opportunity to bring in even more legacy characters in the seasons to come. Star Trek: Discovery may have received mixed reviews from some fans, but the show nevertheless introduced some amazing characters to Star Trek canon. As a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, Discovery also incorporated some classic characters from the 1960s, including Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson). Originally portrayed by Roger C. Carmel, Mudd remains one of TOS' most memorable guest stars and would make a perfect addition to Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Wasting Rainn Wilson’s Harry Mudd
Rainn Wilson's Harry Mudd Would Be A Fit On Strange New Worlds
After appearing in two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery's first season and one episode of Short Treks, Rainn Wilson's Harry Mudd has been absent from Star Trek for over six years. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already proven that it can do comedy extremely well, making it even more glaring that Harry Mudd has yet to appear. Discovery season 1's time loop episode, "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad," was one of the season's best episodes thanks in large part to Wilson's take on Mudd, and it would be a shame to waste him.
The last time viewers saw Harry Mudd in Short Treks season 1, episode 4, "The Escape Artist," he had fully embraced life as a conman. Mudd is wanted by the Federation for committing a long list of crimes, so he's likely avoiding Starfleet, but a man like Mudd would not be able to stay hidden for long. It would be a lot of fun to see him interacting with the crew of Captain Pike's Enterprise. In its first two seasons, Strange New Worlds has brilliantly experimented with various genres and types of storytelling, and Harry Mudd would be a perfect guest star.
How Harry Mudd Can Appear On Strange New Worlds Without Breaking Star Trek Canon
Strange New Worlds Has Already Found Ways Around Established Canon
In Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 6, "Mudd's Women," Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and his Enterprise crew encounter Harry Mudd for the first time. To maintain Star Trek canon, Strange New Worlds could find a way to ensure that Spock and Uhura never encounter Mudd. Captain Pike and an away team could encounter Mudd while Spock and Uhura remain on the ship, or Spock and Uhura could be away on a different mission. Either way, it would not be difficult to incorporate Mudd into Strange New Worlds without contradicting TOS.
The Harry Mudd of TOS was a problematic character, with both of his episodes featuring outdated and misogynistic views of women. Thankfully, Rainn Wilson's take on the character moved away from these tendencies, and his Mudd treated pretty much everyone with equal disrespect. Wilson's Mudd was darker than Carmel's in some ways, too, turning on his fellow prisoners when he was being held captive by the Klingons. This Mudd fits in with the darker tone of Star Trek: Discovery, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could embrace a more fun version of the character that combines elements from both actors' portrayals.
