Gary mitchell star trek strange new worlds

Kirk’s First Star Trek: TOS Enemy Gary Mitchell Explained



Summary



Gary Lockwood played Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second pilot episode of
Star Trek: The Original Series.


Mitchell's transformation from friend to enemy reflects the show's early dynamics.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may provide an opportunity for Mitchell's character to be explored further in the franchise.




Gary Lockwood starred as Lieutenant Gary Mitchell in the second pilot episode of

Star Trek: The Original Series

, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Assigned as helmsman to the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mitchell's friendly and accessible countenance allowed for a good relationship with his fellow crew members and echoed Kirk's preference for a more casual command style and atmosphere as standard. Lockwood's prior casting in the television series
The Lieutenant
by the show's creator and producer Gene Roddenberry led directly to
Lockwood's role as Gary Mitchell on Roddenberry's next project,
Star Trek
.



Star Trek
's successful second pilot, "

Kirk’s Best Friend In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Isn’t Spock, It’s An Original Series Villain


Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) has not yet formed his most iconic friendship in

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

.
Star Trek: The Original Series
established Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) as one of science fiction's most beloved duos. The two Starfleet officers may have had very different personalities, but they complemented one another well. Along with Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Kirk and Spock formed the backbone of
Star Trek's
earliest stories. Although Kirk and Spock (Ethan Peck) have met as Lieutenants on
Strange New Worlds,
Kirk has another best friend at this point in his life.


Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
season 3 will take place around 2260, at which time Kirk's best friend is Lt. Gary Mitchell (originally portrayed by Gary Lockwood). Mitchell's first and only onscreen appearance came in
Star Trek's
second pilot episode, "Where No One Has Gone Before." In that episode, which takes place in 2265,
Mitchell was a lieutenant commander serving aboard the USS Enterprise
as a helmsman under Captain Kirk's command. When

Star Trek's Gary Mitchell Would Fit Perfectly in Strange New Worlds


Since it began,
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
has had to strike a delicate balance in its storytelling. As a prequel to
Star Trek: The Original Series
, it's been faced with the dual responsibilities of creating compelling television for the modern streaming audience and paying homage to established
Star Trek
canon. One way that
Strange New Worlds
has accomplished this mission has been through the introduction of new and existing
Star Trek
characters. Of the latter, some are well known to all fans, while others may be more obscure to more casual devotees. It looks like the series will continue to reintroduce recognizable figures from
The Original Series
as it progresses.

In Season 2 finale,
Strange New Worlds
introduced a young Montgomery Scott to the series as part of its effort to assert its own identity while rooting it in the franchise's established universe. While this can often be exciting, it runs the risk of rewriting established continuity -- even with some of the more overlooked characters from the classic series. At least one character in particular would benefit from this treat


This gambit works, and the
Enterprise
lives to fight another day, plus, it now has a way to track their missing comrades. We don’t know what happens next, but interestingly, this scene wouldn’t have worked without Mitchell’s quick thinking. And this isn’t the first time this character has been pivotal in
Strange New Worlds
.

In the season 2 premiere, “The Broken Circle,” Mitchell is part of a very small inner circle of officers—including Uhura, Chapel, and M’Benga—who all conspire with Spock to steal the
Enterprise
. It was Mitchell who faked the coolant leak that allowed the
Enterprise
to have a legitimate reason to leave spacedock. In another episode later that season, she’s the one helping Spock try to make Klingon coffee, raktajino. Mitchell was also transformed into a Crimson Guard character during the storybook effect in season 1’s  “The Elysian Kingdom.”

The point is, in many of the big episodes of
SNW
, Mitchell has been right there, even though she’s not a main character. But maybe she lowkey
is
a main character?

The SNW Mitchell Continues a Star Trek Tradition 

Although we think of Sulu, Uhura, Chekov, and Scotty as
main
cast members of
The Origi