Strange New Worlds’ James T. Kirk Reveals a Possible Timeline-Shattering Truth to La’an

Summary

• In the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Kirk confesses his feelings for La’an, but also reveals he is in a complicated relationship with a woman named Carol.
• Kirk’s relationship with Carol Marcus is not consistent with the source material, suggesting that SNW exists in an alternate timeline.
• The revelation of Kirk and Carol’s relationship challenges the established narrative of TOS, opening up possibilities for new storylines and character dynamics in SNW.

The wait is over. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (SNW) La’an (Christina Chong) finally told James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) she has feelings for him in the latest episode of the Paramount+ streaming series. During Season 2, Episode 9’s Subspace Rhapsody, Kirk admits he feels something for La’an. But he also reveals a possible timeline-disrupting “relationship” that further corroborates that SNW does not faithfully follow the same narrative blueprint laid out in the mid-to-late 1960s and in 1982. Kirk reveals that he’s involved with another woman.

Kirk tells La’an:

“My life is complicated, not time travel complicated, but I’m in a relationship — a sometimes relationship. And right now is one of those times, in a very real way.”

The woman’s name is Carol, and she’s a scientist on Starbase 1. Carol Marcus is first introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Jim also tells La’an that Carol is pregnant, which alludes to Kirk’s son, David (Merritt Butrick), who also appears for the first time in The Wrath of Khan. The problem that may affect the SNW’s timeline, and its connection to the source material, is that Kirk and Carol were never in a relationship.

Related: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast and Character Guide

Kirk’s Relationship With Carol Marcus Further Complicates SNW

Paramount Pictures

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), and it’s loosely based on the rejected 1965 pilot starring Jeffrey Hunter as Christopher Pike and certain characters and events from TOS. And James T. Kirk (Wesley) may have thrown another time-altering wrench into the SNW continuity. Certainly, SNW has taken liberties. One example being the unrequited feelings Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) harbored for Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in TOS. And now comes the revelation that Kirk and Carol Marcus are in a relationship, which could serve as even more evidence that SNW exists in an alternate timeline than the aforementioned source material.

Dr. Marcus (Bibi Besch) asks Admiral Kirk (Shatner) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:

“Were we together? Were we going to be? You had your world, and I had mine. And I wanted him [their son David] in mine — not chasing through the universe with his father.”

From Carol’s point of view, there was no relationship between her and Kirk. In the same scene, it’s also revealed that Kirk did what Carol requested: He stayed out of his own son’s life. Certainly, it can be argued that Kirk’s interpretation of his and Carol’s romance as a “sometimes relationship,” in Subspace Rhapsody, could match up with Dr. Marcus’ dialogue in The Wrath of Khan. But, if casual fans of SNW are looking for concrete proof that Captain Pike’s (Anson Mount) crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise exists in an alternate timeline outside of the source material, they need look no further than TOS Season 1 storyline, The Menagerie.

Trekkies know The Menagerie was the only two-part episode ever made of TOS. In the first installment, it’s revealed that Christopher Pike has been in a horrific accident — the one alluded to in SNW. And Commodore José Mendez (Malachi Throne) plainly asks Captain Kirk (Shatner) if he has ever met Chris Pike.

“We met when he was promoted to Fleet Captain,” Kirk responds.

Kirk only met Pike one time, according to TOS, which directly contradicts the numerous interactions the future captain of the Enterprise had with its current commander and crew in SNW. Theoretically, the revelation means anything is possible moving forward in SNW. Pike may never suffer his life-altering accident, Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) could end up with Spock (Ethan Peck) rather than Dr. Roger Corby, and it also means that a romance may still be in the cards for Kirk and La’an (Chong).

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