Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 7 – “What Is Starfleet?”Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 7 has an Easter egg that’s an emotional tribute to Melissa Navia. Directed by Sharon Lewis and written by Kathryn Lyn and Alan B. McElroy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 7, “What is Starfleet?” takes on a brilliant documentary format that probes the lives and asks hard questions about the crew of the USS Enterprise.
“What is Starfleet?” is a film by Umberto “Beto” Ortegas (Mynor Luken), the younger brother of Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia). Beto was granted special access by Starfleet to film his documentary aboard the Starship Enterprise. Mr. Ortegas’ drone cameras went everywhere, from Enterprise’s bridge, to sickbay, to Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) ready room.
Beto began his film with an agenda: to uncover the darker side of Starfleet and equate the United Federation of Planets as “colonizers.” In truth, Beto was angry about his sister joining Starfleet, and Erica nearly being killed by the Gorn in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3’s premiere. Beto’s cameras get intimate in “What is Starfleet?” and caught a special Easter egg in Erica’s quarters.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3’s Tribute To Melissa Navia’s Late Partner Explained
Renowned Star Trek expert Jörg Hillebrand, who was a researcher for Star Trek: Picard season 3, spotted the hidden Easter egg in Lt. Erica Ortegas’ quarters in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 7. On Erica’s shelf is a vinyl album of “Irish Cowboy Country Blues” by Sean Fhéile. This was a band Brian Bannon, Melissa Navia’s late partner, belonged to. Check out Jörg’s Bluesky post below.
The riddle has already been solved: the vinyl album in Erica Ortegas’ quarters in #StarTrekSNW’s “What is Starfleet?” is “Irish Cowboy Country Blues” by Sean Fhéile. Melissa Navia’s late husband Brian Bannon played on this album. This is such a sweet tribute!
— Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49.bsky.social) 2025-08-24T17:32:46.534Z
Brian Bannon tragically passed away in December 2021, not long before filming of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 started. Melissa has been open about her grief and has shared her experiences to help others on her social media. For Navia, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ cast and crew became an important support group.
Although Lt. Erica Ortegas is a fictional character, the “Irish Cowboy Country Blues” by Sean Fhéile vinyl album in Erica’s quarters on the Starship Enterprise is a touching fusion of the real-life actor and her iconic Star Trek heroine. It’s a spiritual reminder for Melissa Navia that lends itself to the grief Lt. Ortegas copes with in her Starfleet career.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Past Tribute To Melissa Navia’s Partner Brian Bannon
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6. “Lost in Translation,” paid a subtle but touching tribute to the late Brian Bannon. The USS Enterprise and USS Farragut were assigned to Bannon’s Nebula, named for Melissa Navia’s late partner. The starships under the command of Fleet Captain Pike were to oversee a deuterium refinery that the Federation constructed inside the nebula.
Bannon’s Nebula turned out to be the home of extradimensional lifeforms, which were bonded to the atoms of deuterium. The Federation’s refinery was inadvertently killing the lifeforms, and they struck back, haunting Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). With the help of Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), Uhura saved the aliens inside Bannon’s Nebula.
Although aspects of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6 touched upon the horror genre, the episode was also about Uhura coping with her grief over the loss of her mentor and friend, Lieutenant Hemmer (Bruce Horak). Uhura righted the wrong Starfleet unknowingly inflicted on the denizens of Bannon’s Nebula, and she was able to honor Hemmer’s memory.
Ortegas’ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Story Also Deals With Grief
“What is Starfleet?” touches on the grief that Lt. Erica Ortegas has coped with throughout Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Erica confessed to her brother Beto’s cameras that she joined Starfleet to escape because she couldn’t cope with their dying mother. Aboard the Enterprise, Erica has a purpose she embraces wholeheartedly: being the best pilot in Starfleet.
Lt. Ortegas’ desire to leave the USS Enterprise and go on a landing party mission resulted in her being abducted by the Gorn, with her hand burned off. As she and her crewmates escaped, Erica was gravely injured by the alien reptiles. Ortegas survived, and her body healed, but Erica’s mind, heart, and soul carry the unseen scars from the Gorn.
While different from Melissa Navia’s real-life grief, Lt. Erica Ortegas’ emotional torment is a powerful throughline for her in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Ortegas’ fear and feelings of powerlessness echoes what Melissa Navia heroically faces every day. The revelation about Erica’s mother in “What is Starfleet?” deepens what we know about the Starship Enterprise’s snarky pilot.
Lieutenant Erica Ortegas has yet to fully cope with her ordeal and put her Gorn demons to rest. Perhaps this denouement is still to come in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Thanks to “What is Starfleet?”, however, we now know that Erica sometimes privately unwinds listening to “Irish Cowboy Country Blues” by Sean Fhéile, and it’s a lovely way to link to the real-life love between Melissa Navia and Brian Bannon.
