Strange New Worlds Revives Forgotten Star Trek Tech
Over the years, Star Trek sometimes resurrects forgotten technology, weaving it effortlessly into new narratives, as showcased in a recent of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “Among the Lotus Eaters.” Captain Christopher Pike’s Enterprise had pathway illumination lights, a technology that hadn’t made an appearance since Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Season 2 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “Among the Lotus Eaters reintroduces pathway illumination lights, a tech that hasn’t been seen in the franchise since the 1987 premiere episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In the sixth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Captain Pike and his team lose their memories, including their own identities, and confront a specter from Pike’s past when they revisit a planet associated with painful recollections.
In the episode’s latter part, Lieutenant Ortegas, portrayed by Melissa Navia, struggles with memory loss, causing her difficulty in finding her quarters while operating the Enterprise. However, the ship’s computer assists her, lighting up the corridor with luminous strips to guide her home.
In the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Encounter at Farpoint,” the staffer assisting Riker, played by Evelyn Guerro, is guided to the holodeck by illuminated panels along the Enterprise corridors.
Pathway illumination lights are a technology that haven’t made an appearance since Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Despite the ensign treating this feature as a standard aspect of Galaxy-class starships, it had only appeared this one time before resurfacing in the sixth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Without a doubt, fans were excited to see this overlooked feature make a return.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds chronicles the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, brought to life by Anson Mount, and his USS Enterprise crew in the 23rd century, exploring the galaxy’s uncharted territories ten years prior to Star Trek: The Original Series.
The series presents a modern interpretation of episodic storytelling and design aesthetics from the 1960s, aligning it with its original series’ spirit. The show stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia, Rebecca Romijin, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Babs Olusanmokun.
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the eleventh Star Trek series. The show made its debut on May 5, 2022, marking another expansion to Kurtzman’s broadened Star Trek Universe. Impressively, in the month of its premiere, it became the fifth-most sought-after streaming series in the U.S., with demand skyrocketing to almost 31 times that of an average series.
The series presents a modern interpretation of episodic storytelling and design aesthetics from the 1960s, aligning it with its original series’ spirit.
Apart from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, new seasons of Lower Decks and Discovery are currently in the pipeline. In addition, an all-new series, Starfleet Academy, is slated to start shooting in 2024, and production for a feature, Star Trek: Section 31, is expected to commence within the year. Needless to say, the Star Trek franchise is alive and well.
For now, viewers can embark on Captain Christopher Pike’s thrilling exploits in the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, with fresh episodes releasing every Thursday on Paramount Plus. In the latest episode titled “Charades” Spock undergoes an unforeseen transformation when aliens eliminate his Vulcan DNA following a shuttle mishap.
This event leaves him fully human and ill-equipped to confront T’Pring’s family during a significant ceremonial meal.
