Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 1 Ending Explained: Captain Pike Punches Back At The Gorn

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for season 3 with an action-packed and wholly satisfying conclusion to the cliffhanger Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the USS Enterprise faced against the Gorn. Directed by Chris Fisher and written by Davy Perez from a story by Henry Alonso Myers and Perez, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 1, "Hegemony, Part II," concludes the menace of the Gorn, who had been the series' primary antagonists since season 1.

"Hegemony, Part II" is the most thrilling and balanced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season opener thus far, with every main member of the Starship Enterprise's crew excelling during the Gorn crisis. Thanks to the ingenious problem-solving of Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Lieutenant Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn), and Commander Pelia (Carol Kane), Captain Pike found a way to defeat the Gorn and prevent a potential invasion of the United Federation of Planets.

Meanwhile, the kidnapped members of the Starship Enterprise crew not only fought their way free of the Gorn mothership, but also rescued the inhabitants of Parnassus Beta that the Gorn held prisoner. Aboard the Enterprise, Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) aided Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) in saving Captain Marie Batel's (Melanie Scrofano) life from her Gorn infection. Displaying the teamwork, camaraderie, optimism, and trust in science at the heart of Star Trek, here's how the heroes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds triumphed in season 3's premiere.

How Captain Pike & The USS Enterprise Beat The Gorn

Captain Pike Found A Way To “Punch Back”

Against impossible odds, Captain Pike led the Starship Enterprise to a victory against the Gorn by sending the alien reptiles into hibernation. Ensign Uhura and Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) briefed Pike on Nyota's discovery that Gorn behavior follows a pattern of activity and hibernation tied to the binary star in Gorn space, which is the hidden homeworld of the Gorn Hegemony. In short, the Gorn could be induced into hibernation if the Enterprise could mimic the effect of a CME (coronal mass ejection).

Commander Pelia and Scotty told Captain Pike that turning the Enterprise into a CME could be possible by modifying the deflector array and creating a magnetic field to draw solar energy from the binary stars to the Enterprise. Of course, Scotty also warned Pike that the Enterprise could easily blow up, but Pike liked those odds and figured they could just "shut it off." Ultimately, Pike's gamble worked. The Enterprise briefly became a star and triggered the Gorn's hibernation cycle, sending the alien reptiles back to their homeworld.

Uhura warned that the increase in Gorn aggression was leading towards an invasion of the Federation, which was also echoed by Admiral Robert April (Adrian Holmes). Unofficially, Captain Pike had orders to "punch back" against the Gorn. The Starship Enterprise's victory not only "punched back," but also prevented the invasion that the Gorn was building towards.

However, Pike also noted that this win was temporary, and the Gorn would eventually become a problem for "someone else," which is a sly wink towards the Gorn's return against Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Arena."

The Starship Enterprise Crew’s Daring Escape From The Gorn Explained

The Enterprise Also Saved The People Parnassus Beta 

Aboard the Gorn's destroyer ship, Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), and Lieutenant Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) freed themselves from their captivity, and had to plot out a means of escape to return to the USS Enterprise. La'an faced her trauma from her childhood Gorn abduction, but her previous experience was also the key to saving the kidnapped citizens of Parnassus Beta, who were captured as food for the Gorn.

La'an heroically decided that it wasn't enough for her and her friends to escape; they also had to save the Parnassans. La'an was able to access the Gorn's databanks and download the transport codes for all of the Parnassan prisoners. The Starfleet officers then fought the Gorn and fled to a Hunter ship to escape, but Ortegas was seriously injured by one of the Gorn, who stabbed her through the torso.

Still, Lieutenant Ortegas demanded to fly their stolen Gorn Hunter ship during their escape. Despite critical blood loss, Erica evaded their Gorn pursuers and managed to reach the Enterprise. Not only were La'an, M'Benga, Kirk, and Ortegas beamed to safety, but the Enterprise was also able to transport all of the Parnassans aboard before the Gorn destroyer retreated back to the Hegemony for hibernation.

Nurse Chapel & Spock Saved Captain Batel (For Now)

Captain Marie Batel's Gorn infection was complicated by the fact that Marie is allergic to cryo-serum, which nullified Nurse Chapel's plan to place her in stasis so she could have time to cure Batel. Lieutenant Spock volunteered to aid Chapel, and together, they realized that injecting Batel with Number One's genetically modified Illyrian blood would help her combat the Gorn infection, although it only gave Marie a 14% chance of survival. Forced to perform surgery to remove the infant Gorn ready to burst, Spock came up with a different solution.

Thinking "outside the box," the Vulcan Science Officer suggested satiating the Gorn to prevent them from bursting out of Batel's body to feed. Spock and Chapel's unorthodox solution worked and saved Batel. Although they were unable to remove the Gorn DNA from Batel, Christine and Spock were able to render it dormant. Batel stays alive, but the Gorn are now part of her. What this means for Batel and a relieved Captain Pike remains to be seen, but Chris and Marie now have a shot at a future together.

Pelia Teaches Scotty How To Be A Miracle Worker

Scotty Took A Big Step Towards His Chief Engineer Future

Lieutenant Montgomery Scott had to overcome his trauma and self-doubt, thanks to Commander Pelia's help. Scotty's first crisis was duplicating the cloaking device he jerry-rigged to hide from the Gorn when his previous ship, the USS Stardiver, was destroyed. Pelia, Scotty's former Starfleet Academy instructor, realized Scotty works best under pressure, so she tricked him into believing the Gorn was attacking, forcing the Lieutenant to complete his functional cloak. This allowed the USS Enterprise to return to Gorn space undetected.

Pelia also overrode Scotty's warnings that turning the Enterprise into a coronal mass ejection would blow up the ship. By never arguing with Captain Pike and always telling him his orders could be executed, Pelia taught Scotty a valuable lesson about how to be a "miracle worker" that Mr. Scott would carry into his future as Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise Chief Engineer. The younger Scotty in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a genius but plagued by insecurities that, it seems, Commander Pelia will guide the Scotsman through.

Spock & Nurse Chapel Are Staying Broken Up

Chapel Is Still Leaving For Her Archaeological Fellowship

Lieutenant Spock volunteered to help Nurse Chapel save Captain Batel, in part, so he could apologize to her for the way they ended their relationship. Spock was hurt and humiliated by Christine publicly dumping him with a song during Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode, "Subspace Rhapsody." Still, Spock risked his life to save Chapel from the destroyed shell of the USS Cayuga, and they fought a Gorn together to escape at the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.

Chapel accepted Spock's apology but reiterated that she is still leaving for three months to study archaeological medicine with Dr. Roger Korby (Cillian O'Sullivan). Christine reminded Spock that they are broken up, and not to do "anything romantic, like wait for me." Spock seemed to get the message, and they parted as friends after he and Chapel saved Captain Batel. Of course, Dr. Roger Korby will soon enter the picture in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, and Chapel's two suitors will come face-to-face eventually.

Due to his relationship with Nurse Chapel in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, Spock was more open from exploring his human emotions. The double-edged sword was Spock getting hurt by his breakup with Christine. After Chapel sets the parameters that their time apart is a permanent thing, it will be interesting to see if Spock begins to lean more heavily into his logical Vulcan side, and grow closer to becoming the Mr. Spock played by Leonard Nimoy, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.

Lt. Erica Ortegas Was Critically Injured By The Gorn

Will Erica Recover?

At the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 3 premiere, Lieutenant Erica Ortegas was beamed directly into Sickbay in critical but stable condition. Erica suffered the most from her Gorn abduction; even before she was stabbed through the torso and lost copious amounts of blood, her right hand was torn apart by the Gorn. Lieutenant Ortegas has a long road to recovery ahead of her, both physically and emotionally.The tragic irony of what Lieutenant Ortegas went through with the Gorn is that Erica had long requested a landing party mission, and Parnassus Beta was her first outing away from the USS Enterprise's bridge in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Hopefully, Ortegas will bounce back and resume her role as the Enterprise's snarky hotshot pilot. Perhaps the imminent visit by Erica's younger brother, Beto Ortegas (Mynor Luken), will boost her spirits, although Beto may be more interested in a romance with Uhura.