Summary

  • Ensign Uhura steals the show in the musical episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, showcasing Celia Rose Gooding's stunning voice and bringing warmth and charm to the character.
  • The character of Nyota Uhura has been given more depth in Strange New Worlds, adding to the legacy of Nichelle Nichols' original portrayal while honoring it.
  • Uhura's journey on Strange New Worlds shows her growth from an uncertain cadet to becoming a vital crew member of the Enterprise, embodying the ideals of Starfleet and showcasing her linguistic skills and empathy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode begins and ends with Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) at her communications console on the bridge, emphasizing how important she is to the USS Enterprise and to Star Trek as a whole. "Subspace Rhapsody" gives multiple characters their moment to shine, but Ensign Uhura truly steals the show. Not only does Celia Rose Gooding have a stunning voice, but they also bring so much warmth and charm to Uhura as a character. In "Subspace Rhapsody," and in many other episodes, Uhura saves the day and inspires those around her.

The character of Nyota Uhura was first played by the iconic Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek: The Original Series. As one of the only Black women playing a main role on television at the time, Nichols inspired and paved the way for future generations. While Uhura proved to be a capable and talented Starfleet officer, she often had little to do on TOS beyond answering incoming hails. Strange New Worlds and Celia Rose Gooding have added more depth to the character while still honoring and building upon Nichols' original portrayal.

Uhura's Solo Song Perfectly Encapsulates Her Star Trek Story

Star Trek SNW Subspace Rhapsody Uhura

Uhura delivers one of the best songs in the Strange New Worlds musical episode with "Keep Us Connected," and the song perfectly expresses Uhura's story. "Keep Us Connected" starts by describing the tragedies in her past - she lost her family in a shuttle crash and then lost her mentor, Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in "All Those Who Wander." Nyota sings: "My fabric is woven with love and loss" and "I absorb all the pain." Previous episodes have shown Uhura struggling with her grief and her anxiety. Her song shows the continuation of a journey Uhura began in "Lost in Translation" to accept the grief and pain as part of who she is.

The refrain of "Keep Us Connected" changes the last time Uhura sings it, going from "How come everywhere that I go I'm solo?" to "Everywhere I go I'm good with solo." Over the course of the song - and the show - Nyota Uhura really comes into her own, working through her feelings of uncertainty. The lines that end the song perfectly outline who Uhura is as a character: "My whole life has been 'fix this' and 'save you.' That's what I do; I keep us connected." Not only does she fix things and save people, but she also brings people together and listens when no one else will.

Ensign Uhura's Journey So Far On Strange New Worlds

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Uhura

Nyota Uhura began Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as a Cadet unsure of whether or not she would even remain in Starfleet. By the end of SNW season 2, not only has Uhura become one of the most important characters on the show, but she has also become a vital crew member of the Enterprise. After her parents were killed, Uhura went to live with her grandmother who had served in Starfleet. Uhura then made the decision to follow in her grandmother's footsteps. Although Uhura questioned her purpose in life, she has been saving the day since her very first away mission in "Children of the Comet."

In Strange New Worlds season 2, Ensign Uhura officially ed the Enterprise crew as a communications officer. Because of her knack for languages and her willingness to listen, Uhura has become a sort of point of for alien species on more than one occasion. She embodies the ideals of Starfleet, always responding to the unknown with curiosity and wonder. The opening scene in Strange New Worlds' musical episode illustrates how invaluable Uhura has become, as she rapidly directs multiple calls to and from the crew. Uhura truly shines throughout "Subspace Rhapsody," and the episode shows how far she has come from that Cadet who considered leaving Starfleet.

How Strange New Worlds Updates & Honors TOS Uhura

Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura in Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in Star Trek

Nichele Nichols reportedly wanted to leave Star Trek after season 1 to pursue a career in theater, but she was famously - and thankfully - talked out of it by none other than Martin Luther King Jr. While Uhura didn't always have much to do in TOS, she could handle herself on away missions and more than hold her own among the mostly male crew. As a linguistics expert and skilled translator, Uhura excelled at her job as a communications officer. She was also well-liked among the Enterprise crew of TOS and often charmed them with her quick wit and lovely singing voice.

A beautiful voice is not the only thing Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura shares with Nichols' version of the character. By Strange New Worlds season 2, the young Uhura has begun to channel the confidence and composure of the older version of Uhura. Uhura has always been comionate and empathetic, and this is something both Gooding and Nichols embody in their portrayals. Uhura was already a great character, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has only made her even more interesting and vital to the world of Star Trek.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 is streaming on Paramount+.