Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Reveals New Image Confirming Original Series Character's Return

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is premiering this week, giving fans of the franchise nice retro throwback series, set in the modern Star Trek TV Universe. With Strange New Worlds telling the story of Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) time as captain of the USS Enterprise, before he passed it on to James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), fans are primed and ready for some characters from the Star Trek: TOS era to show up in Strange New Worlds. And now we have a first-look character photo that does just that! 

It's been previously confirmed that actress Gia Sandhu (The Lost Symbol) has been cast in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as T'Pring, Spock's Vulcan fiancée to whom he has been bonded with since childhood. 

In Star Trek: The Original Series, T'Pring was featured in the Season 2x05 episode "Amok Time", which is famous for pitting Spock and Kirk against one another in a fierce duel. When Spock felt his stoic nature overrun by urges of pon farr (the Vulcan mating instinct), he returned to Vulcan to marry his betrothed, T'Pring (Arlene Martel – RIP). However, T'Pring had found another suitor during Spock's absence from Vulcan (Stonn) and used the Vulcan ritual of kal-if-fee (fighting for your lover) to set up a duel for Spock. Instead of the competing suitor (Stonn), T'Pring chose Kirk, in a chess move calculation that no matter who won, she would be freed from any marriage duties and could choose her own lover. Spock ultimately relinquished his claim on T'Pring, warning Stonn that he might not get the prize he hoped for in the scheming T'Pring. 

Since her debut in Star Trek: TOS, T'Pring has had more extensive development in other Star Trek works. For Strange New Worlds, we're being told that "Sandhu's T'Pring is Spock's very alluring and intelligent fiancée; the two have been bonded since childhood. Though T'Pring often wishes Spock would return to Vulcan and settle down, she understands his sense of duty, having her own career that she is passionate about: helping to rehabilitate criminals and bring them back towards the teachings of Vulcan logic. T'Pring tries to be lovingly patient with Spock while he comes to terms with the human side of his nature, hoping that her support will ultimately bring them closer."

When Spock actor Ethan Peck spoke to ComicBook.com, he addressed how nerve-wracking it was to try and expand on Spock's pivotal romance with T'Pring: 

 "It was also quite frightening too because we want it to be authentic and feel real and be truthful to what's already been laid out before us. And so it was done very carefully and we had some fun doing it as well and hopefully we'll get to do some more."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on May 5th.

Source: Deadline