Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 9, “Terrarium”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has made great use of one of Star Trek’s best tropes, and season 3’s “Terrarium” delivers a particular highlight. Following the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his Enterprise crew, Strange New Worlds has become an ensemble show that gives all of its crew members moments to shine.
Directed by Andrew Coutts and written by Alan B. McElroy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 9, “Terrarium” finally gives Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) the spotlight, as she confronts one of her greatest fears. The episode begins with Ortegas exploring a strange area of space on a solo mission, when a wormhole suddenly appears and swallows her shuttlecraft.
Ortegas then crash-lands on a barren moon and soon discovers that she’s accompanied by a Gorn pilot (Warren Scherer). Meanwhile, Captain Pike and his crew search for signs of Ortegas, and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) continuously fights to save her friend even when the outlook seems bleak. “Terrarium” shows the depths of Erica and Nyota’s friendship, which has become one of the best relationships on Strange New Worlds.
Uhura & Ortegas Have Become Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Best Friendship
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has introduced several great friendships, but season 3 in particular has emphasized the bond between Uhura and Ortegas. When Erica’s brother, Beto (Mynor Luken), first visits the Enterprise in “Wedding Bell Blues,” his flirtatious relationship with Uhura immediately has Erica on guard. Still, the three of them clearly get along well and have fun spending time together.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 9, Uhura proves just how far she’s willing to go for Ortegas, fudging the numbers to ensure that Captain Pike continues the search. Of course, Pike’s not one to leave crew members behind, and he confirms that he would have kept looking for Erica anyway, but it’s nice to know that Uhura has her friend’s back.
Throughout “Terrarium,” Uhura devotes her time to finding a way for the Enterprise to safely enter the wormhole, running simulations over and over again until she finds a solution that might work. Uhura’s unconventional plan involves “propping open” the wormhole so the Enterprise can scan for signs of Ortegas.
Just in the nick of time, Erica and the Gorn set off an explosion that catches the crew’s attention, allowing them to rescue Ortegas (though her new Gorn friend isn’t so lucky).
Star Trek Is Built On Best Friendships Fans Love
The friendship between Ortegas and Uhura joins a long line of iconic Star Trek friendships that began with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) on Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek: The Next Generation had Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Deep Space Nine had Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meany) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), and the list goes on.
Since its inception, Star Trek has presented a utopian view of the future built on friendships, camaraderie, and celebrating “infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” Lt. Ortegas and Ensign Uhura’s friendship continues a classic Star Trek tradition, and Melissa Navia and Celia Rose Gooding continue to shine on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
