The Exciting New Addition Star Trek Almost Made in Strange New Worlds

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 4 - "Among The Lotus Eaters"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds came close to introducing a remarkable new Commodore, and it's unfortunate that Starfleet missed out on the opportunity. In season 2, episode 4, titled "Among the Lotus Eaters," Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the USS Enterprise returned to Rigel VII, which was first seen in the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." Pike and his crew had to endure significant memory loss in order to redeem a mission that was abandoned by Pike five years earlier. However, Pike's own actions led to a personal crisis when he foolishly ended his relationship with Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano).

According to the canon of Star Trek: The Original Series, before Captain Pike's debilitating delta-ray accident in 2265, he was promoted to Fleet Captain. While this is a prestigious rank, it falls below the rank of Commodore, which is a lower grade of Rear Admiral. The rank of Commodore has gained recent prominence in Star Trek: Picard season 3, thanks to Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), who oversaw the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime, secretly restoring the USS Enterprise-D to its combat-ready state. In season 1 of Star Trek: Picard, the devious Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita), the head of Starfleet Security, was also introduced. Oh was actually a covert Romulan General who caused significant harm to the United Federation of Planets over several decades.

Star Trek Almost Got Commodore Batel In Strange New Worlds

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4, Captain Batel missed out on a promotion to Commodore, which was instead given to William Geary. This decision was perceived by Batel as a punishment from Vice Admiral Pasalk, who holds a grudge against her for losing a court-martial case involving Captain Pike's Number One, Commander Una Chin-Riley.

While William Geary might be suitable for the role of Commodore, the petty actions of Vice Admiral Pasalk deprived Starfleet of an outstanding candidate in Captain Batel. Batel has proven herself to be intelligent, compassionate, and dedicated to her duties in Starfleet. She also believes that her job should not hinder her personal life, and she had pursued a romantic relationship with Captain Pike, which temporarily faced obstacles. Although Pike apologized and reconciled with Batel by the end of the episode, a more just scenario would have seen Chris humbly seeking to repair his relationship with Commodore Batel as well.

Who Are Starfleet's Commodores In Star Trek TOS's Era?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes place in the 23rd century, a time when there were numerous noteworthy Starfleet Commodores. In the premiere of Strange New Worlds season 2, a new Commodore named Tafune (portrayed by Russell Yuen) emerged. He held a private consultation with Admiral Robert April (played by Adrian Holmes) regarding a potential war between the Federation and the Gorn. During the era of Star Trek: The Original Series, other Commodores included Jose Mendez (played by Malachi Throne) in the two-part episode "The Menagerie" and Stone (portrayed by Percy Rodriguez) of Starbase 11, who presided over Captain James T. Kirk's court-martial.

One of the most notorious Commodores of the Star Trek: The Original Series era was Matt Decker (portrayed by William Windom). Decker lost his sanity when his starship, the USS Constellation, encountered a planet-destroying robot known as the Doomsday Machine in the TOS episode "The Doomsday Machine." In a reckless attempt to destroy the robot, Decker took command of the USS Enterprise from Captain Kirk, resulting in his own demise. It is difficult to imagine that Captain Batel would suffer the same fate as Commodore Decker, but it remains a possibility that Batel may receive a promotion to flag officer in the future of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.