Captain Kirk’s First Star Trek Enemy Officially Gets A Surprising Strange New Worlds Retcon

Published Oct 1, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

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.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4's Finale - "Tomorrow's Enterprise"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds dropped a surprising retcon that changes what we know about Lieutenant Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood). Directed by Chris Fisher and written by Henry Alonso Myers and Robbie Thompson, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's finale introduces the USS Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) from one year in the future.

NBC didn't air Star Trek: The Original Series' first few episodes in their production order, but had the network done so, fans would have met Captain Kirk in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Star Trek's second pilot episode. Along with Kirk and his USS Enterprise crew, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" introduced Lt. Gary Mitchell, James' former best friend, who gains psychic powers and becomes a dangerous menace.

Captain Kirk battled and was forced to kill Gary Mitchell on the planet Delta Vega. Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel, fans have long wondered if Gary Mitchell would appear, either on the Starship Enterprise or Kirk's prior ship, the USS Farragut. While Mitchell still hasn't been seen, Strange New Worlds finally acknowledged him... with a surprising twist.

Lt. Gary Mitchell’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Retcon Explained

Image via Paramount+

To prove that Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) was a time traveler in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's finale, he tells her about an event that Uhura hadn't experienced yet: When Kirk taught Nyota how to play poker. James not only name-dropped Gary Mitchell, but Strange New Worlds retcons him to connect to another character:

Kirk: “We were holed up in Starbase 6. That solar storm had every ship in space dock for parsecs, and we played poker for five days straight. You, me, Ortegas, Gary… Mitchell? Jenna’s stepbrother?”

It's now Star Trek canon that Lieutenant Gary Mitchell is the stepbrother of Lieutenant Jenna Mitchell (Rong Fu). An operations officer serving on Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) Enterprise's bridge crew, Jenna is often stationed at navigation next to the helmsman, Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia).

Jenna Mitchell was created for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and a connection to Gary Mitchell wasn't on most fans' radar despite sharing a surname. In part, because Gary is Caucasian and Jenna is Asian. However, they are now stepbrother and stepsister, and both became Starfleet Officers serving aboard the USS Enterprise.

Lieutenant Jenna Mitchell didn't appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, and it's unclear if she is still stationed on the Enterprise. Jenna's last appearance was in Strange New Worlds season 3's "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail," which is, ironically, about James Kirk's first time as acting Captain of the USS Farragut.

Will Lt. Gary Mitchell Appear In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5?

"Tomorrow's Enterprise" doesn't actually specify that Lieutenant Gary Mitchell is stationed on Captain Kirk's Enterprise in the one-year-later alternate future timeframe. Kirk only said multiple starships were "holed up" at Starbase 6, which means Gary could have been serving on a different starship but joined Kirk's marathon poker sessions.

However, Lieutenant Gary Mitchell is aboard Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series until he breaks bad and has to be put down. This means that Mitchell could appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' series finale at the end of season 5, when Kirk launches the Enterprise as its new Captain.

Where Gary Mitchell is serving isn't clear. He could already be on the Enterprise, or Gary may be aboard the Farragut serving with First Officer Kirk. Alternatively, Captain Kirk could request Gary to join his Enterprise from another ship. Meanwhile, Jenna Mitchell's whereabouts and future are unknown, but she may leave the Enterprise when Captain Pike exits, if she hasn't already.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds set James and Lieutenant Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) as, possibly, the first brothers to serve on the Starship Enterprise, albeit not at the same time. Since they're now related, Jenna and Gary Mitchell may now be the first step-siblings to serve on the Enterprise, although, perhaps, also not at the same time.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is streaming on Paramount+

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  Captain Christopher Pike

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  Spock