Star Trek: Strange New Worldsprovided a jumping-on point for new fans while also serving as a new project within the sameStar Trektimelineas the rest of the franchise, so it managed to quietly reference two Starfleet icons in a way that doesn’t disturb the viewing process. As one of the newestStar TrekTV shows,Strange New Worldshas the advantage of acknowledging eras of the saga that previous projects couldn’t. Although it works well as an isolated story, it’s still very fun to notice those subtle little Easter Eggs.
WithStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3coming soon and season 4 currently in production, it can be very easy to get excited about the show’s future. However, the first two runs are so densely packed with nods to the larger franchise that noticing new things each time is part of the experience. AlthoughStrange New Worldsarguably has a responsibility to keep things relatively accessible to new Trekkies, that clearly hasn’t stopped the show from name-dropping characters only established fans would pick up on.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Premiere Has A Shuttle Named Stamets
The shuttle returns Captain Pike to the USS Enterprise
After essentially being forced back into service again after discovering his fate inStar Trek: Discovery, Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike returns to the USS Enterprise in a shuttle with a very loaded name: Stamets. Although there is a second possibility (which I’ll get to in a little while), what’s most likely is that the vessel has been named after the USS Discovery’s astromycologist, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp). Although the true nature of his disappearance is classified,Starfleet (or Pike) may have paid tribute to Rapp’s characterby naming a shuttle in his honor.
The actual Paul Stamets is also a mushroom expert, andStar Trekhas several shuttles named after key historical figures.
The alternative is that the shuttle was already named, even before Pike’s encounter with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2. If so, then it more than likely got its name from thereal-life figure who inspired the creation ofDiscovery’s Paul Stamets. The actual Paul Stamets is also a mushroom expert, andStar Trekhas several shuttles named after key historical figures. That being said, given the timing of the shuttle name reveal, I think it’s more likely that it’s named after Rapp’s character.
Strange New Worlds' Premiere Has A Tribute To Star Trek: Enterprise’s Captain Archer
Jonathon Archer went on to become an admiral after Star Trek: Enterprise
The firstStar Trek: Strange New Worldsepisode isn’t content with just name-dropping Paul Stamets. Instead, it delves even deeper into the franchise’s canonical past and names another ship after a decorated Starfleet officer - Scott Bakula’s Jonathon Archer. The captain of the Enterprise NX-01 was a major player inall four seasons ofStar Trek: Enterprise, and he was pivotal to the formative years of humanity’s exploration of life among the stars in the 22nd century.
A Strange New Worlds Detail You Probably Missed Honors Star Trek’s Original Captain Pike
There’s a detail hidden in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that alludes to Captain Pike’s past, and it’s so small you might’ve missed it.
The USS Archer is the ship that’s found abandoned in orbit of Kiley 279. Unlike the shuttlecraft Stamets, it’s far easier to parse whether the Archer is named after Bakula’s character or someone else from Earth’s history. Although there are several famous figures with the surname Archer, none of them are particularly relevant to the scenario at hand. While Bakula’s character isn’t particularly tied to Kiley 279 either,Star Trek:Strange New Worldsis almost definitely paying tribute to the captain of Earth’s first-ever warp 5 starship.
