How Strange New Worlds built the next great Star Trek villain

Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds rocks for lots of causes — although most will level to its return to the episodic method that Star Trek was constructed on. It’s a throwback to the unique collection (virtually actually, because it takes place a couple of years earlier than Captain James T. Kirk helms the Enterprise), the place most each storyline will get resolved by the point the credit roll.

“The Serene Squall” is totally different, although it begins like several Star Trek episode: A Dr. Aspen (Jesse James Keitel) summons the Enterprise to assist with a humanitarian mission to resupply some colonists on the outskirts of Federation house. The crew (together with Captain Christopher Pike) will get kidnapped by house pirates whereas on a mission, and it’s as much as Spock and Dr. Aspen to rescue the ship and its crew.

[Ed. note: The rest of this post discusses “The Serene Squall” at length. Ye be warned.]

Picture: Marni Grossman/Paramount Plus

Solely — twist! — Dr. Aspen isn’t Dr. Aspen in any respect, however Captain Angel of the titular Serene Squall, who’s concocted an elaborate ruse particularly to carry Spock captive, with a purpose to commerce him for a Vulcan prisoner (and ex-flame).

In an episode the place Pike dons an apron over his tactical vest and helms the literal wheel of an enemy cruiser, it’s Keitel’s efficiency that actually carries the vampy, zany vitality of “The Serene Squall.” They (Angel’s pronouns; Keitel makes use of she/her) are usually not solely clearly comfortable and having enjoyable within the captain’s chair, however probably the most indelible Trek villain in a very long time. In each the buttoned-up provocativity of Dr. Aspen and the campy glee of Captain Angel, the character is simply loads of enjoyable to observe.

“I received to be 50 shades of chaos,” Keitel says of the expertise. “I knew they have been a little bit unhealthy — like, I knew they got here in and sort of flipped the script a little bit bit. However I didn’t know the small print of that […] so I used to be, like, screaming studying the script.”

Whereas Angel’s schemes are finally thwarted by Spock and Nurse Chapel, Star Trek’s favourite Vulcan isn’t so positive he’s seen the final of Angel, or the prisoner he believes they needed to launch. As T’Pring goes to examine on a prisoner, we hear Spock say he thinks the prisoner is his half brother Sybok.

Picture: Marni Grossman/Paramount Plus

Like a lot of Unusual New Worlds, it’s a name-drop that looms massive within the present’s universe, and appears poised to arrange the ultimate run of the present’s first season. However director Sydney Freeland (who has helmed motion pictures like Deidra & Laney Rob a Prepare and can direct Marvel’s upcoming Echo collection) says it was about opening the door to “one thing greater down the road.”

“The concept was offered once I first got here on board was that they needed to make use of this to attempt to introduce a type of, like, massive, charismatic villain characters that would come again,” Freeland tells Polygon. And it’s extra than simply Sybok; Captain Angel was simply as essential a personality to seed for one thing greater.

“I noticed her tape and I used to be like, Oh, that is fucking excellent. […] She’s received charisma, she’s received aptitude, she’s received humanity, she’s received presence,” Freeland says of the choice to construct Angel up. “Like, after we first see Khan within the unique collection, like, Oh, this man is campy as fuck! […] He’s chewing up the surroundings! He’s going for it! You possibly can see the place they received that concept for the way he grew to become that massive form of charismatic presence.”

Keitel admits it was a bit tougher to rein that in for the primary half of the episode, earlier than the twist, however she knew it was very important.

“I didn’t need it to be tremendous apparent that this particular person was mendacity early on,” Keitel says. “In order that was sort of a tough problem for me as an actor, to be earnest and truly get to know Spock. After which, additionally, I used to be utilizing him to get nearer to my objective of rescuing my husband — who everyone knows is Sybok.”

A part of moving into character got here from the method of being on the Enterprise, surrounded by all of the set and costume particulars that include a present made many years into the franchise. “The one factor we needed to keep away from was this swashbuckling, like, yar, matey! sort of factor,” Freeland says. “However we nonetheless needed to have a little bit little bit of [showing how] they’re outsiders, whereas on the bridge of the Enterprise, it’s very clear, and a little bit uniform, and orderly.”

Freeland says one level of reference for her was pictures she would see whereas rising up as a Native Indigenous child within the Southwest, of Indigenous folks within the 1800s, the place “you have got this form of Western influences interacting with Native and Indigenous” ones of their clothes.

“In order that form of advanced right into a dialog about, like, Oh, is there something we are able to do within the Star Trek universe? Are there items of Starfleet uniforms that these pirates might have gotten of their raids, and so they’ve integrated them into their uniform — and never solely their uniform, however their persona?”

In fact, Angel nonetheless stands out from the gang, not solely as a frontrunner however along with her costuming. Keitel says the mesh catsuit Angel modifications into (whereas nonetheless in disguise as Aspen) modified “all the things,” from her posture to her stroll. It helped put her within the mindset of Angel, as they attempt to “disarm Spock in one other method, a barely extra seductive method.” And at no level was it a chance Keitel took evenly.

Picture: Marni Grossman/Paramount Plus

“There aren’t loads of trans ladies working in Hollywood, particularly not in sci-fi, particularly not on a legacy present like Star Trek. And so I knew my being there may very well be impactful, or may very well be a serious misstep,” she says. “I feel it’s actually thrilling to haven’t only a queer-coded villain, however a villain who truly is queer.

“I feel oftentimes, not too long ago in Hollywood, persons are scared of constructing trans folks the villain. We’re consistently being villainized within the media; we’re consistently being villainized in laws. You possibly can’t activate the information with out seeing both trans folks get hate-crimed or an try and legislate us out of existence. So a chance to be an attractive, unapologetically daring villain is a dream, you realize? We’re not villains in actual life, so can’t I get to play an area pirate on Star Trek?”

Although neither Freeland nor Keitel is aware of (or will say) what’s subsequent for future Angel and Sybok escapades, they’re simply as excited to fulfill her once more as the remainder of us.

“Starfleet going to the totally different corners of the galaxy and, you realize, they’ve good intentions, however generally these good intentions don’t all the time manifest as such. And what are the implications of that?” Freeland asks. The Unusual New Worlds director says she hopes the viewers identifies and sympathizes with Keitel’s character, and may really feel like, , they’ve received a degree.