Background

A Fistul of Strange New Histories

All    Features    Universe    Categories    Fleet Alert    Comms   

Article arrow_drop_down

]Even before Strange New Worlds introduced it’s new crew, the return of Captain Pike and his Number One in Discovery’s second season had already given a new lease of life to the abandoned original crew of the Starship Enterprise. Now leading their own show and diving into two characters who’d barely had a chance to shine, the show has taken the opportunity to dive further into both underdeveloped characters and unexplored background of the original Star Trek era.

Continuing the trend, the show has given a new lease of life for original series character Christine Chapel, offering a more rounded history alongside a young Lieutenant Spock, and delved into a lot more. Particularly with the Second Season bringing Lieutenant James T Kirk to watch him grow into his future command and even ended on them bumping into a young Lieutenant Scott as the sole survivor of a destroyed ship.

Bones.
Often overshadowed by the history of Kirk and Spock, a young McCoy could be an interesting addition now that we’ve seen Spock and Kirk’s first mission together. The Kelvin Timeline movies delved into their meeting and friendship in it’s self contained alternate reality, but as we explore the origins of “Spirk” and how James T learns to be a leader ahead of taking over Pike’s command, it seems obvious that at some stage we’ll need to meet the other half of Kirk’s conscience at some stage soon. And it’d be a fitting addition now we have Scotty having made an appearance…

Emony Dax
It’s a bit of a cheat as Emony was clearly not in The Original Series, but when Jadzia Dax and Sisko were back in time and loitering on the bridge, the third Dax host did come up. Emony was living as an Olympic Gymnast in the mid 23rd century where she’d met Dr Leonard McCoy while judging a competition. Alluding to there being more to the story, Strange New Worlds could explore a young Dax and McCoy. Well, as long as they figure out a reason to have a gymnast on the Enterprise, and if they bring in McCoy and of course if they can figure out if the Trill’s are hiding their symbiotic nature or not at this stage….

Harry Mudd
A big fan favourite from the original era, Harry Mudd has already seen a return to the screen with Rainn Wilson cast in the role for Discovery’s first season. Last seen pulling off a successful con and evading Starfleet in Short Treks, Harry Mudd is still out there and would blend in quite well if he turned up to annoy Captain Pike and crew.

Janice Rand
Back in the original series, Nurse Chapel didn’t really have much character outside of her role whereas now we’re seeing a lot more background. Similarly, the short time Janice Rand was on screen she was a blank canvas waiting for some character to come through. Rand’s place initially was just a love interest for Kirk before things changed and she was written out after thirteen episodes.

https://youtu.be/lGLmwljq9dg?si=yKnErJfrlts8i4-f

Marla McGivers
Let’s face it. No matter whjp’s in charge, producers of Star Trek seem to love Khan. The singular Space Seed episode from 1967 would spawn a movie sequel that became the holy grail of Star Trek films and subsequently find Khan referenced absolutely everywhere. From Deep Space Nine regarding Bashir’s secret augmentation, to Khan’s legacy and ties with the Soong Family in Enterprise and even now in Strange New Worlds where the security officer, La’an, in one of his ancestors.

Even between Picard and Strange New Worlds we’ve already seen the origins of Khan between Adam Soong moving into genetics and La’an travelling back in time d comforting him as a child. So if you look back at everyone who ever appeared in the original series and handed producer – any producer – the list, you know full well they’d slam their fist on the table and pick “The Khan one!”

McGivers was the ships historian when Kirk found Khan and his crew in a lost sleeper ship. During the time Khan was on board, she fell head over heels for him to the point of breaking protocol an d betraying her crew. Despite helping Kirk re-take the ship in the end, she chose Exile with Khan over as court martial only to die a few months later due to a catastrophic accident that spurned the Wrath of Khan sequel.

The background of McGivers was explored in some non canon “beta” works, with stories about her upbringing as an orphan to almost killing off her career by having a fling with an Academy instructor, right down to her death on Certi Alpha V. On screen she might not be the most interesting character to delve into, but with her historical knowledge and fascination with Khan, bringing her to close proximity with La’an and the baggage she carries form her family history could make for some great character building for Lt Noonien-Singh.

About the author

About the author

ADM JT Marczynka, DoFA

Creator of things, writer of words, caffeine addict. Director of Communications for Starfleet Command Quadrant 2.

More posts Follow

trending_flat
Site & Service Updates July 2026

It's been a strange year as we adapt to then changing landscape of the Star Trek franchise with recent corporate shenanigans in the media industry, as well as adjusting to and anticipating new regulation sin our home base of the UK which has taken up more brain power than we'd expected!Still, despite distractions, we've been working away in the background with a revised Admin schedule to ensure at the very least every Sunday we can check off some items on the to do list and keep everyone updated on the changes whether minor, major or a bit pointless! On Screen Additions After being placed on the low priority list for a while, the On Screen Mission Log section has begun taking shape. Previously the On Screen section had it's own section per show since the launch of Discovery, however with […]

trending_flat
New Unit Application Guide

Account    Academy    Database    Fleet Updates    Calendar    Latest Entries Explore Database Index Starfleet Academy Help & Support ⯇ DATABASE INDEX ACCOUNT HUB NEw Unit Application Guide Clarification This section is both for information and for making formal applications for creating or importing a new unit into SFCQ2. Applications can also be made directly to Fleet Administration. All applications are considered for review. × JOIN THE CAPTAINS TABLE Every Star Trek fans dreams of being the captain of their own Starship. Although running an SFC Quadrant 2 Unit is (probably) easier than commanding a starship, both roles require commitment and dedication.Unit’s are, and always will be, the core of SFC. It is within them that members can indulge in their shared interests for Star Trek and science fiction while enjoying the company of fellow fans and like minded people. At their best, […]

trending_flat
[Q2&A] Membership Handbook: Revised & Updated for 2026

With over fifty years (and counting) of history, joining SFC can sometimes be a whirlwind and while we're always focused on a more casual experience, tit can sometimes be overwhelming knowing where to start. While we offer our Academy as an induction tour of Quadrant 2's organisation and structure, and are always open to expanding more information in the Fleet Database, our Officers Pack gives you a one stop resource to highlight our core policies, membership information and more; The Membership Handbook/ Membership within Q2 is fairly laid back. But since it's inception - both overall as Starfleet Command as well as the administrative split for Quadrant 2 - out handbook has outlined who we are, how we operate and as a resource for members to be able to understand what membership entails from our core mission statement, to our […]

trending_flat
[Retro Review] The Galileo Seven

Pulled in two directions, the Enterprise has to deliver critical medical supplies to avert a plague and conduct vital research at the same time. Unable to turn down the order, Kirk thinks on his feet by carrying forward to save the planet, while sending Spock to lead a research team on the Galileo shuttle to carry out their mission until the Enterprise has finished it's mission of mercy. It's a good idea. Until it isn't. Isolated form the Enterprise, the Galileo runs into a bit of bother. Thrown off course by plot, the shuttle crash lands on a primitive planet. Alone with a broken ship and a people who are as barbaric as they are terrified by the shuttles sudden arrival, Spock has to lead his own team through fear and frustration with cool and calming logic. On the first […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of O’Brien

Entering the Star Trek world as an unnamed extra with a few bits of dialogue, O'Brien soon became a fixture on the Enterprise D as it's transporter chief before moving to Deep Space Nine to head up engineering and operations on what was thought to be a backwater outpost before it became one of the most strategically important stations in the quadrant!As the only enlisted or non commissioned officer to feature in the main cast of any Star Trek show to date, O'Brien stands as the only working class hero in the Star Trek universe with a vast and varied career taking from the front lines of the Cardassian war as a soldier, to the front lines of the Dominion War as an engineer, retrofitting DS9, keeping the Defiant from blowing itself apart, and even sniping Dominion troops. All in […]

trending_flat
[Q2&A] Career Track

SFC has always structured it's internal reward and recognition system on the command structure of Starfleet on screen. Newbies are cadets. When they become full members, they become Ensigns. And those eager to take on a leadership role can rank up to Commander or Captain. Even the board of directors are mirrored within the theme as Commodores and Admirals! It's always been the way, but the path of an officer isn't for everyone... Despite the original idea of all star ship personnel being highly trained astronauts, therefore nullifying the need for enlisted crew, the enlisted ranks have existed in some form since the original series. More defined in the film era, particularly under the revision of style and structure in The Wrath of Khan, they have been slightly more prominent since. Most notable of the enlisted members of Starfleet was […]

Related

trending_flat
A Fistful of O’Brien

Entering the Star Trek world as an unnamed extra with a few bits of dialogue, O'Brien soon became a fixture on the Enterprise D as it's transporter chief before moving to Deep Space Nine to head up engineering and operations on what was thought to be a backwater outpost before it became one of the most strategically important stations in the quadrant!As the only enlisted or non commissioned officer to feature in the main cast of any Star Trek show to date, O'Brien stands as the only working class hero in the Star Trek universe with a vast and varied career taking from the front lines of the Cardassian war as a soldier, to the front lines of the Dominion War as an engineer, retrofitting DS9, keeping the Defiant from blowing itself apart, and even sniping Dominion troops. All in […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of Justice

Although it's one of the worlds most legendary science fiction shows, Star Trek has always dabbled with format and genre's, all dressed up behind deep space adventures. Whether using the holodeck for a touch of fantasy, or diving into the horrors of war through Deep Space Nine's run, the variety of story telling never seems to fit one mould. But out of all the different tales told in the wonderful world of Starfleet, one that always promises to deliver is the court room drama. This month we're diving into the most captivating of Star Trek's courtroom drama's with a Fistful of Justice! AD ASTRA PER ASPERA Strange New Worlds, Season 2 One of the most modern examples of Strar Trek's court room drama saw Pike's own Number One, Una-Chin Reilly, under court martial for a serious breach of Starfleet regulation […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of Sisko

In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it's past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to 'black sheep' of the family with it's history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet's most complex captains. Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who's become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of.... why?! And also, if you want a quick intro - here's our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBkvzPoofQ IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Season 6, Episode 13 Lets […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of Honour Beyond Bloodshed

Feared throughout the galaxy due to being fearless warriors who thrive on battle and bloodshed, the Klingon's are one of Star Trek's most iconic races and yet, with all their history, perhaps the most misunderstood. Starting off in the original series as authoritarian and distrustful antagonist, they were written as a parallel to Russia with the Klingon Empire in a cold war with the Federation following a long conflict. The Klingons would have a bit of reinvention in the movies thanks to higher budgets giving the producers a chance for a more alien look, while their culture and history would get a little more depth on The Next Generation thanks to the inclusion of Worf, the first Klingon member of Starfleet. But Worf's views on the Klingon culture weren't quite spot on. From a noble house, Worf was displaced and […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of Familiar Surroundings

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. President Forward During the Next Generation multiple set pieces were re-used and recycled from the set pieces built for the film franchise. From the obvious re-use of internal corridors, to smaller pieces such as Dr Crushers office being McCoy's, it's hard for a keen eye to ignore how much the productions shared between them. But as The Next Generation became the dominant forcer with ongoing production and full standing sets, eventually the turn tabled and by the final original cast instalment, it was the TNG stages that became the obvious redress solution. The most jarring of the films set re-uses was the office of the president. As Kirk and McCoy were charged with assassination, a political poop show begins and the Federation […]

trending_flat
A Fistful of New Beginnings

The coming of a new year always comes with a feeling of new beginnings. Whether it's hearing the bells at midnight or planning a list of new years resolutions to forget about by February, the changing of numbers and another year ahead can bring us a sense of starting over. To commemorate another year passing, and the beginning of a new Star Trek milestone, we're kicking off with our usual list looking at five times Star Trek itself was able to give itself a fresh start. GROWING THE BEARD Between the first and second seasons of The Next Generation, things changed. A lot. A lot of the Next Generation was just carrying over from the abandoned Phase II and Roddenberry's constant rewrites led to a very inconsistent start for the show. By the second season things has calmed down a […]

site2025m

Serving the fan community since 1974, SFC is an international not for profit fan organisation bringing together collective of fans collectively enjoying strange new worlds in science fiction media.

Star Trek and all related, derived or inferred ideas are the intellectual property of Paramount and Paramount Global. No infringement is intended in the use of this material. Starfleet Command Quadrant 2 (SFCQ2) does not generate any income or profit from their endeavours as a fan organisation, no part of which is sanctioned by the Paramount Global group or any sub-division of the legitimate copyright holders.

Core Website layout by Ghostpool. Managed and Maintained by Aim to Misbehave on behalf of Starfleet Command  Quadrant 2

© 2401 Starfleet  Command Quadrant 2 (SFCQ2)

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Unfollow Cancel

Cancel subscription

Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription? You will lose your Premium access and stored playlists.

Go back Confirm cancellation