Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) won’t be part of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2’s crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks. The highly-anticipated episode is directed by Jonathan Frakes and will be the 7th episode of Strange New Worlds season 2. Titled “Those Old Scientists,” the crossover will see Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid’s animated characters, Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler, jump to live action in what Frakes describes as “a flat-out comedy.”
At the press junket for Strange New Worlds season 2, Screen Rant took part in a roundtable interview with Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley. Peck was asked about working with Jack Quaid, who the actor is friends with. When it came to Wesley to talk about the crossover, he confirmed he doesn’t appear in the episode. Read his quote below:
I wasn’t a part of the episode, so I’m gonna plead the fifth.
What To Expect From Strange New Worlds’ Lower Decks Crossover
Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Ensigns Boimler and Mariner will likely be crushed not to meet James T. Kirk when they come aboard the Starship Enterprise, if they learn that was a possibility. Mariner and Boimler come from the 24th century and both are Starfleet diehards well-versed in past lore. In fact, Boimler and Mariner have a special affinity for Kirk and Spock. The Lower Deckers do get to meet Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and the Strange New Worlds season 2 trailer already shows Bradward tongue-tied when the Vulcan flashes his signature salute and bids “Mr. Boimler” to “live long and prosper.”
The good news for the Lower Deckers is that there’s no shortage of Starfleet legends for them to interact with in the Strange New Worlds crossover. The USS Enterprise in Strange New Worlds’ 23rd-century era counts Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Number One (Rebecca Romijn), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) among its crew. It’s already confirmed Boimler and Mariner meet Pike, Spock, and Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), who the Lower Deckers surely know is the descendant of Khan (Ricardo Montalban). It’s also highly likely Mariner and Boimler also interact with the rest of the Enterprise main cast like Number One, Uhura, and perhaps Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) as well, even if they don’t cross paths with James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 premieres Thursday, June 15, on Paramount+.
