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Star Trek’s Greatest Modern Sci-Fi Spin-off Finally Solves a Problem That Started 59 Years Ago

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During the Paramount+ era of Star Trek shows, there have been hits and misses, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is definitely a hit. For the first time, Star Trek puts Christopher Pike in the driver’s seat as the captain of the Enterprise. The character was shown previously from time to time, notably by Bruce Greenwood in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. Strange New Worlds is a return to form as it shows the tragic destiny Pike has in store, while also showcasing the campiness that Star Trek was initially known for. Portrayed by Anson Mount in the lead role, Pike and the crew of the Enterprise go on adventures to these aforementioned strange new worlds in a series that has delighted fans.

Strange New Worlds shows Pike as he has never been seen before, as well as another character who has often fallen by the wayside. Rebecca Romijn plays Pike’s Number One, Una Chin-Riley, who made her debut 59 years ago in the infamous scrapped pilot. Number One and Pike were thrown out, which led to the creation of Kirk and Spock, but the characters still deserved a second chance. Under Romijn’s watch, Number One has become a highlight of the series, though it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

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Una Chin-Riley Still Has Room to Grow in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’

When Season 1 of Strange New Worlds first premiered, it was the epitome of a great ensemble cast that blended legacy characters and new ones. Ethan Peck returns as Spock from Star Trek: Discovery, while Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is also on the Enterprise. Una Chin-Riley is not as well-known as her other crewmates, but Rebecca Romijn’s version of the character was full of intrigue from her first episodes.



















































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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars

Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

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🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix
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You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.


The Wasteland

Mad Max
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The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.


Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner
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You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.


Arrakis

Dune
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Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.


A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars
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The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.

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In Strange New Worlds, Una is confirmed to be an Illyrian, a race of aliens who genetically augment themselves to adapt to specific planets. This, unfortunately, goes directly against the Federation, which forbids any genetic alterations because of Khan Noonien-Singh and his role in the Eugenics Wars. Una’s secret identity is a fascinating aspect of her character and a sad example of how she has to hide important parts of who she is. Juicy details like these were prominent in the first season, but became less so as the seasons went on.

The original iteration of the character only had 13 minutes of screen time, and fans began to get concerned that Romijn’s Number One would be getting the same treatment. According to trekmovie.com, the Strange New Worlds cast made an appearance at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, where Romijn assuaged these fears.

“We get to see a much freer Una, who gets to lead missions starting in seasons 4 and 5… It’s so exciting, it’s so fun,” the Strange New Worlds’ actor said. “Una makes a request at the beginning of season 4 for more time on the planet. And now that she is living her authentic self, she gets to lead these incredible missions.”

It is a relief that Una will take on a more leading role in the final two seasons and can live a freer life than she did at the beginning of Strange New Worlds. Romijn has been admired for her portrayal of the complex character in a series that has a ticking clock. It was revealed that Strange New Worlds would only last for five seasons, which may coincide with the tragic accident foretold to take Pike’s life. It will be sad to see the series go, but Una Chin-Riley’s character arc is something to look forward to.

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Release Date

May 5, 2022

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Network

Paramount+

Showrunner
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Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman

Directors

Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman

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Writers

Onitra Johnson

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