The second season finale of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has aired, leaving behind an acclaimed sophomore run that has varied considerably in tone between each episode and taken some big swings.
In the series, the lizard-like Gorn are portrayed as a considerable threat to the Federation, but only really has one appearance in the original series, had a brief appearance in “Enterprise” in a mirror universe episode, and aren’t really mentioned in the Next Gen era at all.
Speaking with Variety in the wake of the finale, executive producer Akiva Goldsman was asked if they intend to explain why the Gorn will be diminished as a threat.
Goldsman says for now the plan is to keep the Gorn as monsters for now than a misunderstood race than can be reasoned with:
“I thought it was important for there to be real monsters in our galaxy. That doesn’t mean that ten years, two seasons from now, we won’t be having a nice chat with the Gorn. But right now in Seasons 1 and 2 and 3, they’re the monsters.
By the way, many of the other “Star Trek” antagonists began as alien, as Other – forgive the use of ‘alien’ – but we learned to connect with them. Not so the Gorn. The Gorn are not understandable to us in this way, not relatable to us in this way.
Part of our galaxy is be good, be kind, be empathetic, and also understand that evil exists, because seeing with compassion does mean you should be blind to horror. The Gorn are monsters.
Goldsman and fellow writer/executive producer Henry Alonso Myers were also asked about the possibility of more original series characters like Bones or Sulu making an appearance following the introduction of Scotty in the finale. Goldsman says:
The longer we stay on the air – do we still say that? – the longer we stream, the longer we do whatever it is we do to let people watch us, the more likely it becomes. Given our druthers – because Henry and I are both greedy and gluttons for punishment – we’d go right into the TOS era and see what happens. So, if we’re around long enough, sure.”
The pair also indicate the third season plans to keep going in terms of genre-hopping and pushing boundaries, and saying: “Ambition will taper off only when we can’t figure out a thing to do we haven’t done before.”
