Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 4 - "Among The Lotus Eaters"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fans have clamored for more of Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Melissa Navia is proud that season 2, episode 4 delivers on the promise of #Mortegas.
In "Among The Lotus Eaters," the USS Enterprise is struck by radiation from the planet Rigel VII that erases the crew's memories. Despite not knowing who she is, Lt. Ortegas reaffirms her best nature as the helmsman and that, "I fly the ship!" Thanks to Erica's fancy flying, the Enterprise is able to survive a deadly asteroid belt, and Ortegas gets some of Strange New Worlds' well-deserved spotlight.
Screen Rant had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Melissa Navia about Ortegas' heroic turn, Erica's relationship with Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), the fan demand to see more of her character's backstory, and hints about the mysterious ninth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
Melissa Navia On Lt. Erica Ortegas Saving The Day In Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 4
Screen Rant: Months ago, we saw the clip of Ortegas being denied ing the landing party. But now we get to see the whole story of why she couldn't go to Rigel VII. Let's talk about that.
Melissa Navia: Yes, absolutely. Well, I loved that we were able to show a sneak peek of this episode on Star Trek Day. And as I told the fans, and we've spoken about it, our writers and our showrunners heard what fans were saying. It was always in the grand scheme of things to have more Ortegas stories told. But with this amazing ensemble cast, and we have so many stories that have to be told, there's only so much screen time that we can give to everything. So there's plenty more Ortega stories that have to be told, but on Star Trek Day, everyone [knew] the fans have been asking for more Ortegas, and that's what they're gonna get. And so that was really cool. That was a special moment.
This whole episode for me, it was wonderful because you kind of get a side of Ortegas that we haven't seen before. Where she isn't completely in control, where she has to what it is that she does, why she is so good at it, and why she is the only one who can do it. And I think that that will speak to audiences. Because so many of us know that feeling where we feel like we are not up to the task at hand. And we really have to find out that not only are we up to the task, but there's only one person - that's the person that's being asked to do it - who can make it happen.
What the writers have done in Episode 204 and intertwining multiple stories, I think is just really a testament to what they have done so well over the course of a season and a half so far. That's what the fans have seen. But yeah, this whole episode... It was a joy.
Rigel VII emits radiation and wipes everybody's memories. A very classic Star Trek plotline. What I loved about Erica's story is that when she loses her memories, her reaction is kind of innocent and childlike. It's almost like we see the pure essence of Erica, especially in the way she talks to the computer. I really love the way all that played out and the way you performed it.
Melissa Navia: Yeah, what I had to ask myself as the actors is: What do you do when you forget what it is you do? And the funny thing is that fans last season [said] so much of everything we know about Erica was her job as the helmsman. Pretty much our characterization of her is her job as the pilot. And suddenly she's like, "What am I doing here at the helm? Next to this guy." I love that too, that we got to have these great scenes of just Erica and Spock, which I don't think we get to see a lot. We do see that her way of handling things does not jive so much with the Vulcan way of handling things. And so, this is a great opportunity where they got to work together.
It's kind of what happens if you're walking through your own workspace, and you're like, "What is this? What are these desks? What is this elevator?" And feeling suddenly so vulnerable because you do not know what it is that you're doing or what you're supposed to be doing. And that goes to like you said, an innocent place where you literally do not know what the next step is. And so what does that look like? And for me, I just kind of went to that place of, "I need to go home." And that's where she needs to go. Something that she feels comfortable and familiar with. And at the same time, the ship is being buffeted by things that are trying to kill her and her friends.
I'm glad you mentioned Erica and Spock, and you and Ethan, because I love those scenes you have together. Spock isn't able to control his emotions right now. So when Erica is mad at him, you can see Spock is hurt by it, but he still has to be composed. How does Erica really feel about Spock, do you think?
Melissa Navia: I think, and I've been saying this since the beginning, and fans have seen it, that there's just this great camaraderie among the crew. Everyone really looks at each other as someone who is confident capable, highly skilled, and is worthy of the Starfleet name. And I absolutely think that Erica thinks that of Spock.
But I do like the playfulness where we see that they're different. She's kind of more like, "We're gonna figure it out, and we're gonna joke about it, and we're gonna get things done. And it doesn't always have to be the logical way or the 'right' way. We don't have to go by the book." And Spock is the antithesis of that. But I do think we're gonna see examples where the two of them do see eye to eye. To me, it's almost like a sibling rivalry. They live together, they love each other, you know, 'he doesn't do it the way that I do it,' and 'she doesn't do it the way that I do it.'
You have such big moments in this episode, but you know fans have been asking for the Ortegas spotlight episode. #Mortegas. Is this the spotlight episode for season 2?
Melissa Navia: This is the spotlight one. Do you know what? I almost think fans at the end of this season are gonna be like, "We did not get enough Ortegas." And the funny thing is that I put so much into what I do for the character and into the storylines that for me, I spent five or six months giving my everything into this character and every piece that you see of Ortegas in these episodes.
We are going to see more of her backstory as a soldier, which I love. Because we definitely did not touch on enough of that in season 1. There's so much more Ortegas in this season, but I'm like, you know what? I think fans are still going to be like, 'We want more!' Which is a great thing to know that that's going to happen as an actor [and] that fans want more of the character that you are playing.
You do kill every scene you're in. You don't blend into the background. When Ortegas is given something to do, you get everyone's attention, which is why everybody wants so much more of you.
Melissa Navia: Yes. That's thanks to the writers, for sure. And then also, she's just a fantastic character. And she's a part of everything that happens on the Enterprise.
For a year now, ever since I interviewed your cast mates at Comic-Con, I've heard rumblings about the mysterious episode 9 and how it's even crazier than the crossover. Is there anything you can tease about it?
Melissa Navia: I'll say this, I'll say I'm gonna be hanging out with my cast mates soon. And I feel like everyone has been talking a lot about it. I have not been interviewed as much as I think everyone else has been interviewed. (laughs)
I'm like, if they had interviewed me across the board, I don't think anyone would have been talking about episode [9]... The one in question. Because it's a surprise that's coming, and even once you kind of know about it, you still can't imagine what it's going to be until you see it. So I'll just say this: the episodes that are coming, I am so honored to be a part of them as an actor, as a performer, as a storyteller, and as a member of Star Trek. They are going to be something you've never seen before.
About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.
Check out our other Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 interviews here:
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 air Thursdays on Paramount+.