Summary

  • Gary Lockwood played Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.
  • Mitchell's transformation from friend to enemy reflects the show's early dynamics.
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may provide an opportunity for Mitchell's character to be explored further in the franchise.

Gary Lockwood starred as Lieutenant Gary Mitchell in the second pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Assigned as helmsman to the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mitchell's friendly and accessible countenance allowed for a good relationship with his fellow crew and echoed Kirk's preference for a more casual command style and atmosphere as standard. Lockwood's prior casting in the television series The Lieutenant by the show's creator and producer Gene Roddenberry led directly to Lockwood's role as Gary Mitchell on Roddenberry's next project, Star Trek.

Star Trek's successful second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," saw Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell slowly develop extraordinary powers when the Enterprise pierced an energy barrier at the galaxy's edge. The crossing inadvertently triggered Mitchell's unusually high ESP readings and transitioned him from popular crew member to cold, ruthless threat. As Kirk struggled between his loyalties to Mitchell and his crew, Gary's growing psionic powers led to murder, increasing disdain, and ultimately his undoing at the hands of Kirk and the similarly-affected Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman). Lockwood's performance as the unfortunate, friendly Starfleet helmsman offers a sympathetic insight into Kirk's first Star Trek foe.

The episode title, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," is also the final phrase in Star Trek's opening voice-over sequence.

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Related
Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

Star Trek: The Original Series features some of the most iconic characters in all of science fiction with the crew of the original USS Enterprise.

Who Was Gary Mitchell In Star Trek: TOS?

Star Trek: The Original Series first aired between 1966-1969.

Besides his professional role on the early USS Enterprise, Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell also had a personal tie to the ship. Prefixing Kirk's later multi-decade close friendship with fellow Enterprise officer Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Gary Mitchell was Captain Kirk's best friend. Mitchell and Kirk first met in the 2250s, cementing a friendship following Mitchell's later ission to Starfleet Academy. In "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Mitchell comments that upperclassmen had warned him that "in Lieutenant Kirk's class you either think or sink." The easy camaraderie and convincing performances by Lockwood and Shatner imbue the episode with care and affection, heightening the galling sense of loss at the episode's tragic end.

The easy camaraderie and convincing performances by Lockwood and Shatner imbue the episode with care and affection.

Born John Gary Yurosek, Gary Lockwood initially worked as a stunt cowboy in Hollywood before breaking into acting. Best known for his roles as Gary Mitchell in Star Trek and Frank Poole in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lockwood enjoyed a successful career in film and television. Lockwood's roles saw him working alongside Hollywood greats such as Stanley Kubrick, Jane Fonda, Anthony Perkins, Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Basil Rathbone, and Elvis Presley, with television credits including The Lieutenant, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Simon & Simon, Charlie's Angels, TJ Hooker (with William Shatner), Starsky & Hutch, and Murder, She Wrote.

Besides Gary Lockwood, several other Star Trek: The Original Series regulars appeared in Gene Roddenberry's The Lieutenant - including Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, and Majel Barrett.

Gary Mitchell Can Appear In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds began filming for season 3 in December 2023.

Star Trek Strange New Worlds James T. Kirk and Star Trek TOS' Gary Mitchell

A direct spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows the adventures of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Star Trek: Strange New Worlds explores the years before Captain Kirk's command in Star Trek: The Original Series. Strange New Worlds season 3 is currently in production, with the prequel having already slowly introduced several (younger) TOS characters, including Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Lt. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Martin Quinn), and Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley),

Strange New Worlds season 3 could introduce the younger Gary Mitchell and further develop his friendship with Kirk.

Gary Mitchell's story ended abruptly in Star Trek's second pilot, with the character exiting the show buried under a giant rock on Delta Vega. However, Paul Wesley's Lieutenant Kirk serving as First Officer of the USS Farragut, Strange New Worlds season 3 could introduce the younger Gary Mitchell and further develop his friendship with Kirk. Strange New Worlds may even depict away missions where, on Dimorus, for instance, Gary took a poisonous dart intended for Kirk. Gary Mitchell's potential return could allow for added depth to his character, making him more well-rounded and his Star Trek fate more tragic.

Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available for streaming on Paramount+.