13 Biggest Ways Strange New Worlds Retconned Star Trek Canon (So Far)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 has added even more retcons to the growing list of changes the prequel has made to Star Trek canon. Strange New Worlds season 3 is primarily set in 2261 and made great strides towards its endgame of leading into

Star Trek: The Original Series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' executive producers and co-showrunners, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, are lifelong fans of Star Trek: The Original Series, and they've recognized opportunities for

Strange New Worlds to fill in blanks and answer long-held questions about Star Trek's 23rd century.

Here are a baker's dozen ways that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has, so far, changed what was previously known about the final frontier.

Strange New Worlds Changed World War III & Star Trek’s Eugenics Wars

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' series premiere changed the date of World War III and conflated it with

Star Trek's Eugenics Wars.

Star Trek: The Original Series established that those conflicts began in the 1990s, and Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) fled Earth that decade after his defeat in the Eugenics Wars.

As a warning to the people of Kiley 279, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) revealed that Earth survived World War III, which took place in the mid-21st century. The Eugenics Wars also happened at that time, and this retcon had a ripple effect that directly impacted Khan.

Strange New Worlds Put Sam Kirk On The Starship Enterprise Before James T. Kirk

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' series premiere ended with the surprise reveal that a Kirk was already stationed on Captain Pike's Enterprise, but it was Lieutenant Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), the mustachioed older brother of James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley).

Sam is a xenoanthropologist in the Starship Enterprise's Science division overseen by Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), who dislikes the elder Kirk. Sam serving on the United Federation of Planets' flagship before Jim is his main source of bragging rights over his little brother.

Strange New Worlds Changed When Khan Was Born

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," was a time travel romance that revealed Romulan temporal agents meddled with

Star Trek's Prime Timeline.

When Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) time-traveled to Toronto in 2022, she discovered young Khan (Desmond Sivan) living in the Noonien-Singh Institute for Cultural Advancement.

This means Star Trek's Prime timeline changed Khan's canon so that he was born decades earlier, although how this reconciles with Star Trek: The Original Series' "Space Seed" is still unclear.

Strange New Worlds Completely Changed The Gorn

One of the biggest retcons by Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is its total overhaul of the Gorn, turning the alien reptiles into the show's primary villains in

Strange New Worlds' first 3 seasons.

Eschewing the man in a rubber suit seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Arena," Strange New Worlds turned the Gorn into cannibalistic and violent marauders whose infants gestate in hosts like the Xenomorphs in

Alien.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 9, "Terrarium," also revealed that the Gorn are more individualistic than the killer horde Starfleet sees them as. Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) befriended a Gorn pilot when they were stranded in a wormhole.

Strange New Worlds Revealed The Metron Before Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 9, "Terrarium" also ended with the Metron space gods revealing themselves to Lt. Erica Ortegas years before they do the same to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in

Star Trek: The Original Series.

For inexplicable reasons, the Metron are fascinated with whether humans and the Gorn can co-exist. The Metron manipulated Ortegas to meet a Gorn pilot, just as they will force Captain Kirk to fight a Gorn Captain after their encounter on Cestus III.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' executive producers and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have also hinted that the Metron have altered reality, erasing knowledge shared by humans and the Gorn, to explain why Captain Kirk knows almost nothing about the alien reptiles in "Arena."

Strange New Worlds Confirmed Trelane Is A Member Of The Q Continuum

After the omnipotent Q (John de Lancie) and the Q Continuum debuted on Star Trek: The Next Generation

in 1987, Star Trek fans conjectured that Trelane (William Campbell) in Star Trek: The Original Series' "The Squire of Gothos" was a Q all along.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

season 3, episode 2, "Wedding Bell Blues," brought Trelane (Rhys Darby) into the prequel era and confirmed that the cosmic meddler is a Q when his father, Q (voiced by John de Lancie), appeared to bring Trelane home.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' executive producers and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers confirmed to ScreenRant that Q's cameo was meant to confirm that Trelane is, indeed, also a member of the Q Continuum.

Strange New Worlds Gave Uhura A Backstory & Love Interest

Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) has enjoyed a backstory and deeper characterization in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

than Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) ever received in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Uhura was also the person who introduced Lt. Spock to Lt. James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation."

Thanks to Strange New Worlds, audiences now know that Uhura was orphaned before she joined Starfleet Academy. Uhura also received her first love interest in

Star Trek's Prime timeline: Beto Ortegas (Mynor Luken), the younger brother of Lt. Erica Ortegas.

Strange New Worlds Revealed Number One’s History & Romantic Past

Number One was one of the original

Star Trek characters when she was played by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry in Star Trek's first pilot, "The Cage," but little was known about her past until Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) was revealed to be an Illyrian, a species that practices genetic engineering, by Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Number One was arrested and placed on trial by Starfleet, but Una was exonerated and returned to the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8, "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans" introduced Doug (Patton Oswalt), a Vulcan spiritualist who was Una's former lover, and they still share an irresistible attraction to each other 15 years after they first dated.

Strange New Worlds Revealed Holodecks Were A 23rd Century Failure

Holodecks were first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation as standard technology aboard Federation starships and starbases in the 24th century. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds revealed Starfleet had holodeck technology a century earlier.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 4, "A Space Adventure Hour," established that Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh tested the viability of holodecks aboard 23rd century starships.

Unfortunately, the drain on a starship's power caused by the holodecks made it impractical for use in the 23rd century. The Starship Enterprise gained holodeck technology called a recreation room in Star Trek: The Animated Series, years after Strange New Worlds.

Strange New Worlds Established Kirk’s First Time As Captain

Lt. James T. Kirk was promoted to Lt. Commander and became First Officer of the USS Farragut in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, but season 3 saw Kirk make a big leap towards his destiny as Captain of the Enterprise.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 6, "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail," James became acting Captain Kirk for the first time, leading the USS Farragut in a successful rescue of the Starship Enterprise from a group of intergalactic Scavengers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds revealed the Scavengers were the descendants of human scientists who left Earth in the 21st century.

The lessons about command and compassion Kirk learned as acting Captain of the Farragut will form the foundation of why James becomes a legend as Captain of the USS Enterprise.

Spock Has 3 Love Interests & His Brother Sybok Is In A Vulcan Prison

Spock's romantic history has been thoroughly explored in surprising ways by Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, starting with the revelation of how Spock's engagement to T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) ended, as well as the Vulcan Science Officer's brief romance with Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush).

Spock's current flame in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, with whom the Vulcan shares a great deal in common, which the couple expresses through their intimate dance lessons.

In a shock, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 7, "The Serene Squall" revealed that Spock's older half-brother, Sybok, is held in a Vulcan prison, with T'Pring as his warden. Sybok also uses the alias Xaverius and is married to a space pirate named Captain Angel (Jesse James Keitel).

How Spock & Kirk’s Friendship Begins In Strange New Worlds

Spock and James T. Kirk's official first meeting in Star Trek canon was at the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation." Although they both admired and were intrigued by each other, Kirk and Spock weren't friends yet.

Kirk and Spock's friendship was truly forged in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 6, when Lt. Spock took it upon himself to help restore acting Captain Kirk's command confidence. Spock stood by Kirk against a doubting bridge crew, and Jim proved his mettle as a starship captain.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3's finale, "New Life and New Civilizations," revealed Spock and Kirk shared a mind-meld that created a deep and intimate understanding between them. Their mind-meld led to Kirk and Spock declaring they were officially friends, eternally bonding them in Star Trek: The Original Series and beyond.

Strange New Worlds Gave Captain Pike Another Future Before His Tragic Destiny

Captain Christopher Pike learned he would suffer a tragic accident that would disfigure and condemn him to a wheelchair in Star Trek: Discovery. Pike has learned to live with his destiny throughout Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3's finale let Pike live a different and happier future. Before she became the Beholder, the eternal warden of the malevolent Vezda, Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) used her powers to gift Pike and herself an alternate destiny.

In the reality created by Batel, Pike and Marie married, had a daughter, and lived happily together for decades until her death. Captain Pike's ultimate destiny is irrevocable, but Chris has the solace of having lived a better life with Marie, thanks to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Fire Country Should Be Pushing This Character's Boundaries In Season 4

Fire Country season 4 is just around the corner, and with one major plot point of the season confirmed, there's one characters who should be pushing their boundaries more than anyone this season. The Fire Country season 3 finale left viewers reeling as Sharon Leone (Diane Farr), Vince Leone (Billy Burke), and his father Walter Leone (Jeff Fahey) were all caught in the Buena Vista fire.

While Vince and Sharon, who have spent the duration of their time on Fire Country showing their strength together in the face of adversity, were more than capable of saving others from the fire, saving themselves and Walter was a bit trickier. After the Fire Country season 4 trailer revealed that Vince won't make it out of the fire, Sharon's been confirmed to become a widow.

After watching Vince and Sharon's relationship over the course of Fire Country's run, viewers know losing her long-time love isn't going to be something Sharon takes well. Going from the trauma of needing a kidney transplant to receiving the organ and recovering, Sharon's life is about to change drastically, but moving forward, she should be pushing her boundaries on screen.

Sharon Leone's Revealed To Be A Widow In Fire Country Season 4's Trailer

Vince Won't Make It Out Of The Buena Vista Fire

As Sharon moves into the new world of Fire Country season 4, she's going to be moving through her adult life without Vince for the first time. While Sharon and Vince had their share of problems, their relationship has long been one of the best adult romances on network TV. The couple, parents to Bode Leone (Max Thieriot), have proven to have a healthy, ever-evolving relationship.

Losing Vince is going to hit all of Edgewater firmly in the chest, but it's going to hit Sharon and Bode the hardest. Although Vince and Bode were able to work through their issues throughout the series, Fire Country season 3 proved there was still more to be done. Vince and Sharon, however, were never ready to lose each other, especially in such a tragic way.

Sharon Losing Vince Should Push Her To Change More Than Ever Before

Her Life Is Entirely Different, But Sharon Can Embrace Change

Although Sharon is going to be reeling from losing Vince throughout Fire Country season 4, the loss could be a great way to springboard her into a new phase of her life on screen. As Sharon works through the grieving process, she should be pushing her boundaries at every turn. Sharon's always been an incredibly strong character, but the pain she's certain to feel will change her.

As Fire Country season 4 continues on, it's clear that Sharon will likely lose her sense of self from all the loss she's suffered. Losing a child prior to the series beginning, Sharon now losing her husband who she was so closely connected to will push her to be a different version of herself, likely in a way that's difficult for others to handle.

From the look of Fire Country season 4's trailer, Bode and Sharon are going to be grieving the loss of Vince in two very different ways. While Sharon appears to be despondent and angry in the trailer, that's only the tip of the iceberg. As she moves through her grief, Sharon should push the boundaries of how Fire Country fans have come to know her.

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