Strange New Worlds’ Superpowers Are Why Star Trek’s Enterprise Can’t Lose

Published Sep 1, 2026, 4:00 PM 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. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 6 - "Off-Hour"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' USS Enterprise can't lose because many crew members possess superpowers. The extraordinary advantages of Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) Starship Enterprise are in full display in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 6, "Off-Hour," which was written by Bill Wolkoff and directed by Dan Liu. Perhaps the most powerful and versatile Starship Enterprise crew belongs to Star Trek: The Next Generation. The USS Enterprise-D and E boasted a positronic android, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), a Klingon warrior, Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), and a Betazoid empath, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). In addition, Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge's (LeVar Burton) VISOR and ocular implants give him heightened vision. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 6 showcases the remarkable skills of Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) crew, who worked together and used science, ingenuity, and sheer courage to save the USS Enterprise when it was trapped in a slipstream wormhole. The extra abilities of Pike's crew gave them an advantage that allowed them to succeed. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Enterprise Has 2 Vulcans, 2 Augments & 1 Immortal Image credit: Paramount+ In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, the USS Enterprise has the benefit of two Augments, one immortal, and two Vulcans with the addition of Cadet A'Sha (Bianca Nugara). All five of those special crew members contributed to the Enterprise surviving and escaping the slipstream wormhole in "Off-Hour." Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) are best friends who are also products of genetic engineering. Una's enhanced strength allowed her to endure and fix the crushing gravity in the Port Galley, though her left leg was injured in the process. La'an's augment DNA also gave her the strength and endurance to spacewalk on the Enterprise's hull and rescue Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck). Speaking of Spock, the Vulcan Science Officer was the logical choice to perform the initial spacewalk to retrieve the Enterpise's ion pod data. Spock survived severe radiation poisoning in the process, as did La'an. Meanwhile, Scotty (Martin Quinn) would've been stuck in a turbolift if Enterprise's Vulcan cadet, A'Sha, didn't use her superior strength to pry the doors open and free the engineer. Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) has lived for over five thousand years because she's a Lathanite. Pelia's bottomless well of life experience was crucial to calming Scotty's panic and talking her protégé off of a proverbial ledge. Pelia had the necessary wisdom to motivate and teach Scotty how to be a "miracle worker," and quell his fears about the Enterprise. The Real Secret Why Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Enterprise Can’t Lose Image credit: Paramount+ Although the Starship Enterprise couldn't have survived the slipstream wormhole without Una, Spock, La'an, Pelia, and A'Sha's extra abilities, what truly makes the USS Enterprise crew unbeatable is that they are the best and brightest that Starfleet has to offer. Most importantly, they never give up. No one exemplified this more in "Off-Hour" than Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment The Final FrontierTrivia Challenge 🚀ShipsEnterprise! ⭐CrewMake it so ☠EnemiesResistance is… ⚡TechWarp speed! 📖LoreLive long… ENGAGE → 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? ANCC-1701-D BNX-01 CNCC-1701 DNCC-74656 ✓ 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. NEXT → 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? AData BSpock CTuvok DSarek ✓ 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. NEXT → 03 Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called? AThe Temporal Accord BGeneral Order One CThe Omega Directive DThe Prime Directive ✓ 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. NEXT → 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? AThe Borg BThe Dominion CThe Romulans DSpecies 8472 ✓ 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.” NEXT → 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? AWilliam Shatner BAvery Brooks CPatrick Stewart DScott Bakula ✓ 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. NEXT → 06 Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called? ATranswarp Drive BWarp Drive CSlipstream Drive DSpore Drive ✓ 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. NEXT → 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? AThe Prometheus Trial BThe Omega Simulation CThe Corbomite Maneuver DThe Kobayashi Maru ✓ 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. NEXT → 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? AKhan Noonien Singh BGeneral Chang CQ DGul Dukat ✓ 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. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record / 8 Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty? ↻ RE-ENGAGE When Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) was mortally injured by a lab table in Sickbay, Chapel refused to leave his side and risked her own life to save Joseph's. Chapel and M'Benga's previous argument meant nothing to her when Joseph needed her most. Christine committed all of her medical know-how and problem-solving abilities to rescue M'Benga, even disobeying the orders of acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Phil Boyce (Brian Markinson) to let Joseph die. The same determination and refusal to accept defeat belongs to the entire crew of the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 6. From Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and A'Sha restoring comms to Lieutenant Erica Ortegas' brilliant piloting (Melissa Navia) to Captain Pike making impossible calls and projecting calm and leadership, heart, brains, adaptability, and sheer courage won the day in "Off-Hour." Still, Captain Pike and the Enterprise can't lose because Una, Spock, La'an, A'Sha, and Pelia are part of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' crew. Four of them have superior physical abilities that factor favorably in crises like the slipstream wormhole, while Spock and, presumably, A'Sha, are gifted with heightened intellect. Meanwhile, Pelia has literally seen it all and collected the swag. 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 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