Star Trek's Uhura Once Brilliantly Commanded the Enterprise

The passing of Nichelle Nichols has prompted renewed reflection on her pioneering role as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and its related properties. An African-American woman serving as a senior officer on the bridge of Starfleet’s flagship was groundbreaking. Uhura’s presence embodied the promise of Star Trek’s brighter, more inclusive future, and her poise under fire inspired generations of fans to reach for the stars.


Uhura did much more than fans may recall. In addition to consistently performing her communications officer duties under severe conditions, she also assumed crucial roles such at the navigation and science stations at critical moments. However, she made her most significant contribution to Star Trek’s tradition of promoting representation in an overlooked corner of the Trek universe. Uhura was captain of the USS Enterprise in an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and her time in command isn’t discussed enough.

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In Season 1, Episode 4, “The Lorelei Signal,” Uhura is forced to take control when the males of the Enterprise crew are seduced by a planet of alluring females. The episode takes inspiration from a German legend regarding a jilted woman who threw herself into the Rhine River and enchanted fishermen from a large rock with her beauty and singing. The men would be mesmerized by her siren call and crash on the rock. The Enterprise fared much better because there were plenty of females aboard. Uhura is the first to observe that her male counterparts are captivated by the signal, while the females are unaffected. She and Nurse Christine Chapel investigate and discover that the men are in danger.


Recognizing that the welfare of the crew is threatened, Uhura does not hesitate to take command. She informs an entranced Commander Scott that she is “taking responsibility for the safety of this ship” and proceeds to lead an all-female landing party to rescue Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy, who have been imprisoned on the planet. She also manages to secure a better fate for the Taurean women. Uhura absolutely shines in the episode. Unfortunately, the disdain some hold for the series has cast a shadow over it. Worse yet, Nichols was nearly not associated with the show at all.


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The Animated Series, which ran from 1973-1974, has been regarded as a second-tier entity in the Star Trek franchise. In fact, it was long questioned if the series was canon. But elements it established are finding their way into newer shows. For instance, the series introduced the Enterprise’s first captain Robert April, and Captain Christopher Pike’s mentor now plays a vital role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The show also bridged the gap between The Original Series and the next phase of the franchise when a growing fan base craved new content. But, The Animated Series was not going to feature Nichols in order to keep costs down. Leonard Nimoy reportedly insisted that she and George Takei join the cast, according to Takei’s autobiography To the Stars.


Fans were fortunate that Nichols voiced Uhura in “The Lorelai Factor” because she deserved the right to be a part of Uhura’s biggest moment. Uhura, Chapel and Takei’s Hikaru Sulu would also see much more character development thanks to The Animated Series. The show even imaginatively continued the stories of several memorable guest characters, including the Tribbles, the Guardian of Forever and Harry Mudd. Nichelle Nichols will be remembered for her graceful performance and trailblazing role as Lt. Nyota Uhura in The Original Series, but it’s important not to forget Uhura’s finest moment happened on another show entirely.

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