Star Trek's Epic Musical Collaboration: A Historic Team-Up After 57 Years

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 9, "Subspace Rhapsody".

Summary

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode unites Kirk and Number One for their inaugural encounter. Within the episode, it is revealed that Number One played a pivotal role in mentoring one of Starfleet's esteemed captains, bestowing upon her an illustrious heritage subsequent to the ill-fated Star Trek pilot.

Complaints from test audiences and network executives prevented Number One from joining Kirk's Star Trek: The Original Series Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds not only marks the first-ever musical in the franchise's 57-year history, but it also brings together two iconic characters for the very first time in canon. "Subspace Rhapsody" is a remarkable accomplishment for Strange New Worlds as it successfully weaves together the season 2's overarching themes and avoids being a mere gimmick episode. Additionally, the musical episode resolves one of the ongoing plot threads, which involves the unspoken attraction between Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) and Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Their reunion occurs when Kirk is assigned to the USS Enterprise to shadow Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and gain insight into the responsibilities of being the executive officer of the Federation's flagship.

Number One, the original second-in-command to Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) in the unaired pilot for Star Trek: The Original Series, never had the chance to share any scenes with Spock (Leonard Nimoy) as the character was replaced when the show was redeveloped. However, after 57 years, "Subspace Rhapsody" finally brings the two characters together for a duet in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode.

Kirk & Number One Team Up For The First Time Ever In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Musical

In "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," there is a special episode that features a musical performance. Captain Kirk and Number One collaborate in this episode, where Kirk seeks to acquire knowledge about being a second-in-command. Number One imparts this lesson to Kirk through a delightful song, reminiscent of Mary Poppins, with elements of Una's beloved Gilbert and Sullivan. This addition to Number One's Star Trek storyline reveals her role in training one of Starfleet's most esteemed Captains. The crossover episode in "Strange New Worlds" further unveils revelations about Starfleet recruitment, solidifying Number One's remarkable legacy following the unsuccessful Star Trek pilot.

As the Enterprise crew grapple with the musical effects of the quantum improbability field, Kirk and Number One join forces to assist in mitigating the aftermath. Given Una's role as La'an's mentor, her connection with Kirk's alternate reality counterpart adds an extra layer of intrigue. It is worth noting that every scene featuring Kirk and Number One in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode is truly exceptional, making one wonder why these two characters were never paired together in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Why Number One Doesn’t Join Kirk’s Star Trek: TOS Enterprise

Complaints from test audiences and network executives led to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) serving without Number One (Majel Barrett) in Star Trek: The Original Series. Reference books, such as Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman's Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, highlight the character's lackluster performance. Considering the era and Captain Pike's sexism in "The Cage," one might speculate that the network executives simply disapproved of having an intelligent woman on the USS Enterprise's bridge. Despite the specific objections, Roddenberry received orders to remove the character for the second Star Trek: The Original Series pilot.

Unknown to the network, Gene Roddenberry managed to smuggle his wife, Majel Barrett, into the show as an entirely different character. Nurse Christine Chapel, with her blonde hair and submissive demeanor towards the male characters, especially Spock, was a far cry from the cool and confident Number One. This new character was much more palatable for the network's preferences. Fortunately, after 57 years, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has revamped both of Majel Barrett's original Star Trek characters, presenting them as significant figures in Starfleet history and paying tribute to Barrett's legacy within the franchise.

Don't miss the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, streaming on Paramount+ this Thursday, August 10.