Summary

• Strange New Worlds seasons 1 and 2 received critical acclaim, with high ratings and recognition on "Best of" lists.
• Season 2 of Strange New Worlds featured notable episodes, including a musical episode and a comedic crossover with Lower Decks.
• Each main character in the series, including Captain Pike, Number One, Lt. Spock, Ensign Uhura, and others, faced personal and professional challenges that tested their roles on the USS Enterprise.

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast is beloved by fans after its stellar two seasons. Boasting a 99% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, Strange New Worlds season 1 landed on many Best of 2022 lists and was lauded for recapturing the New Frontier spirit of optimism and exploration of Star Trek: The Original Series, but updated for the modern streaming era. Strange New Worlds season 2's 97% Fresh score confirms the impressive range of the cast's talents as the show again landed on several Best of 2023 lists.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 raised the bar with "big swings" that included Star Trek's first-ever musical episode and a crowd-pleasing comedic crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks directed by Jonathan Frakes. Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra Per Aspera," is a best-ever Star Trek courtroom drama, while the canonical first meeting between Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), took place in Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation." Strange New Worlds season 2 also featured a Vulcan comedy of manners, a romantic time travel episode, and one of the darkest glimpses of trauma from the Klingon War before closing out with a nail-biting cliffhanger finale involving the Gorn. Here are all of the major Star Trek characters in Strange New Worlds season 2.

Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike

The Captain of the USS Enterprise

Captain Christopher Pike leads the USS Enterprise, the flagship of the United Federation of Planets. One of Starfleet's greatest Captains, Pike is a comionate leader who cares for his crew and Pike even prepares them gourmet meals in his luxurious quarters. Strange New Worlds season 1 dealt with Pike's trauma about his horrific, unavoidable future and Strange New Worlds season 2 further tested Pike's resolve and what it means to be Captain of the Enterprise. Anson Mount also starred in Hell on Wheels and Marvel's Inhumans.

Rebecca Romijn as Commander Una Chin-Riley

Number One is First Officer of the USS Enterprise

Commander Una Chin-Riley, affectionately dubbed Number One by Captain Pike, is the First Officer of the USS Enterprise. Una revealed she is an Illyrian, a genetically engineered race outlawed by the Federation. Number One won a Starfleet court-martial and returned to her role as First Officer of the Enterprise in Strange New Worlds season 2. Rebecca Romijn was a supermodel whose acting credits include the original X-Men movies and The Librarians.

Ethan Peck as Lt. Spock

Chief Science Officer of the USS Enterprise

The younger version of Leonard Nimoy's legendary Vulcan, Lieutenant Spock is the Enterprise's Science Officer. At this point in his life, Spock is attempting to reconcile his Vulcan and human sides, and Spock is thrown into a tumult when he pursues a romantic relationship with Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) when his fiancée T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) breaks off their engagement. Spock's human emotions come to the forefront in Strange New Worlds season 2 in more ways than one. Ethan Peck has appeared in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and The Midnight Sky.

Celia Rose Gooding as Ensign Nyota Uhura

Communications Officer of the USS Enterprise

The younger version of Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura, Nyota began Strange New Worlds season 1 as a Cadet wrestling with whether her future belongs in Starfleet. Under the mentorship of Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak), Uhura gained confidence, fortitude, and the respect of her Enterprise crew mates. In Strange New Worlds season 2, Nyota has been promoted to Ensign with new responsibilities as the Enterprise's Communications Officer, and Uhura gains greater insight into her power to keep the crew of the Enterprise connected. Strange New Worlds is Celia Rose Gooding's first major TV role.

Christina Chong as Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh

Security Chief of the USS Enterprise

Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh resumed her duties as Chief of Security of the Starship Enterprise, but Strange New Worlds season 2 saw personal challenges and growth for La'an. The tough, serious, and self-assured La'an fell in love with and lost an alternate reality Captain James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) in Strange New Worlds season 2, but this prompted La'an's desire to become a more open person. However, La'an's tragic past with the Gorn comes full circle when she is abducted by the reptilian aliens once again. Also starring in Black Mirror and Line of Duty, Christina Chong is a singer and songwriter who released an EP, "Twin Flames," in 2023.

Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas

Helmsman of the USS Enterprise

The Starship Enterprise's helmsman, Lt. Erica Ortegas is a cocky pilot who is perfectly at home on the bridge. Prior to serving on the Enterprise, Ortegas saw plenty of action in space as a veteran of Star Trek: Discovery's Klingon War. Strange New Worlds season 2 finally saw Erica leave the Enterprise to go on her first-ever landing party, but as luck would have it, Ortegas was one of the Enterprise crew abducted by the Gorn in Strange New Worlds season 2's finale. Melissa Navia also appeared in Bull and New Amsterdam.

Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. Joseph M'Benga

Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise

Dr. Joseph M'Benga is a character familiar to fans of Star Trek: The Original Series but in Strange New Worlds, M'Benga precedes Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) as the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise, a position he takes great pride in. In Strange New Worlds season 1, M'Benga cared for his terminally ill young daughter. Strange New Worlds season 2 delved into M'Benga's trauma from the Klingon War and the basis of his friendship with Nurse Christine Chapel. Babs Olusanmokun also starred in Black Mirror and Dune.

Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel

The best nurse in Starfleet.

Strange New Worlds revamped Nurse Christine Chapel into a brilliant and capable medical officer who helped innovate the Federation's technology to genetically modify humans into aliens. Chapel became romantically attracted to Lt. Spock in Strange New Worlds season 1, and their relationship intensifies before Christine breaks it off to pursue her career ambitions in Strange New Worlds season 2. Jess Bush also starred in Skinford: Chapter Two and Playing for Keeps.

Nurse Chapel will attend a fellowship on archeological medicine run by Dr. Roger Korby, Christine's future fiancé according to Star Trek: The Original Series canon.

Paul Wesley As Lt. James T. Kirk

First Officer of the USS Farragut

Paul Wesley s Strange New Worlds season 2 in a recurring role as Lt. James T. Kirk, the younger version of William Shatner's Captain Kirk. Wesley portrayed an alternate future version of Captain Kirk in Strange New Worlds season 1's finale, but the younger Lt. Kirk has a long way to go to reach his destiny as Captain of the Enterprise. Strange New Worlds season 2 also showed the canonical first meeting between Kirk, Spock, and Uhura in Star Trek's Prime universe, but James also has a burgeoning relationship with La'an Noonien-Singh. Wesley is best known for his starring role as Stefan in The Vampire Diaries.

Kirk confessed to La'an that he has a pregnant girlfriend named Carol, who is Dr. Carol Marcus, the mother of Kirk's son David from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Carol Kane As Commander Pelia

Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise

Commander Pelia comes aboard Strange New Worlds season 2 as the USS Enterprise's new Chief Engineer. Pelia is a Lanthanite, an extremely long-lived race that has lived on Earth for centuries. A former instructor at Starfleet Academy, Pelia taught engineering to the late Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak), Number One, and others. Carol Kane is a legend of stage and screen from her roles in Taxi, Scrooged, and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.