Strange New Worlds’ Scotty Secretly Shouted Out Simon Pegg In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek
John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.
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Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 5 - "Level-Five Transporter Accident"Scotty (Martin Quinn) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode subtly nodded to Simon Pegg's Scotty, his Kelvin timeline counterpart in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. Directed by Jordan Canning and written by Henry Alonso Myers and Dana Horgan, "Level-Five Transporter Accident" lovingly melds Star Trek with the manic fun of The Muppets, thanks to the Jim Henson Creature Shop.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 5, Scotty's attempt to break the transporter distance record inadvertently turns the crew of the USS Enterprise into puppets. Everyone except Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), that is. Orion pirates (played by guest stars Rachael Harris and Joe Lo Truglio) suddenly arrive to hijack the Starship Enterprise from its puppet crew.
The climactic twist of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode is that it was all Spock's dream. Only the Vulcan Science Officer was knocked unconscious by the level-five transporter accident, and no one was turned into puppets. However, Scotty's engineering gambit did happen and ties into Simon Pegg's Scotty in J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot.
Scotty’s Strange New Worlds’ Transporter Experiment Ties Into Simon Pegg In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode, Scotty attempts to break Starfleet's long-distance transporter record, which was set by Montgomery's Starfleet Academy rival, Declan Milder. Impossibly long-distance transports are a feat by Scotty (Simon Pegg) in Star Trek (2009), whose transwarp beaming is able to send James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) aboard the USS Enterprise while it's at warp.
However, Scotty's formula for transwarp beaming in the Kelvin timeline originated in Star Trek's Prime timeline, and was given to Mr. Scott by Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who jumped across both time and universes to arrive in the alternate reality. Spock Prime gave Scotty the formula for transwarp beaming that was invented by Scotty (James Doohan) in the Prime universe.
It's unknown when Prime Scotty mastered transwarp beaming, but it was likely after the launch of the transwarp drive-enabled USS Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Captain Scott was assigned to be Excelsior's Chief Engineer, but he sabotaged "The Great Experiment's" transwarp drive. From there, Captain Spock must have learned Scotty's formula and brought it to the Kelvin timeline.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode establishes when and why Scotty began pushing the boundaries of long-distance transporting. Scotty aimed to break the record and achieve a distance of 30,000 kilometers, cementing his victory by beaming his ugly childhood puppet, Little Ricky, into Declan Milder's quarters — a petty gloat that would likely make Simon Pegg's Scotty proud.
Strange New Worlds’ Puppet Episode Left A Big Scotty Question Unanswered
Spock waking up from his puppet dream upended Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' puppet episode, since it turned out nothing between Spock piloting a shuttle to plant transporter beacons and then waking up after "several hours" of unconsciousness actually happened. But this also leaves Scotty's great transporter experiment unresolved.
Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment
The Final Frontier
Trivia Challenge
🚀ShipsEnterprise!
⭐CrewMake it so
☠EnemiesResistance is…
⚡TechWarp speed!
📖LoreLive long…
01
The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series?
✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager.
✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager.
02
Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character?
✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise.
03
Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called?
✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols.
04
“Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called?
✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.”
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.”
05
Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him?
✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard.
06
Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called?
✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive.
07
At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called?
✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario.
08
In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain?
✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos.
Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record
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Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty?
"Level-Five Transporter Accident" ends with Scotty unable to complete his mission to break the long-distance transporter record. A transporter accident did occur, but it didn't turn anyone into puppets. All it did was temporarily debilitate Spock, who was rescued and brought back aboard the Enterprise.
Scotty then left Little Ricky in Spock's quarters to help with his recovery, a gesture the Vulcan did not appreciate. Thus, Scotty has yet to best Declan Milder, and it seems that the Scottish engineer won't, at least, not for a long time. It will be over twenty-five years before Scotty is destined to perfect transwarp beaming.
Along with their reputations as "miracle workers," transwarp beaming will bond the two Scottys across two Star Trek timelines. Along with many jokes foreshadowing events in Scotty's future, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds uses its puppet episode to lay the groundwork for one of Mr. Scott's greatest engineering achievements.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2027-00-00
- Network
- Paramount+
- Showrunner
- Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman
-
Captain Christopher Pike
-
Spock
- Directors
- Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman
- Writers
- Onitra Johnson
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Creator(s)
- Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet
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