The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, now streaming on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds treats the Gorn like an extended game of chicken. The species represents a potentially catastrophic continuity error since the Federation formerly made first contact with them several years after the series concludes. It's pushed forward with the aliens regardless, and Strange New Worlds daring delivered one of the best episodes of Season 1 with the Gorn-centric "All Those Who Wander."
Season 2 ups the ante on the Gorn front, with the Federation plotting open war and La'an Noonien-Singh still troubled by the trauma of her youth. It runs an even greater risk of creating a big continuity error, though that clearly doesn't scare it. Swinging for the fences could also open the Gorn up as a long-term enemy for Strange New Worlds to face, making the rewards as big as the risks.
Strange New Worlds Occupies a Delicate Place on the Timeline
Strange New Worlds covers the adventures of Christopher Pike and the crew of the Enterprise before James Kirk became captain. It draws on the aborted pilot "The Cage," which presented an entirely different crew who vanished when the network ordered a second pilot. The updated crew became the beloved cast of The Original Series, taking place some 13 years after the events of "The Cage." Strange New Worlds steps into the gap to show the Enterprise with Pike in command.
It's proven a supremely winning formula, with a combination of thoughtfulness and levity that represents Star Trek at its best. It's also very mindful of the potential continuity errors in its path, particularly with younger versions of The Original Series crew as series regulars. The franchise already threaded an impressive needle by giving Spock another never-mentioned sibling in Michael Burnham. The Gorn require an equal amount of delicacy, though after "All Those Who Wander," the rewards may very well be worth the risk.
Delivering The Gorn May Require a Major Continuity Error
From a continuity perspective, the issue is simple. The Original Series Season 1, Episode 18, "Arena," depicts an unprovoked Gorn assault on the Federation that supposedly marks first contact with the species. Kirk and the Enterprise pursue the Gorn vessel, only to be locked in a battle to the death when local god-beings intervene. The Gorn captain is far stronger and tougher than Kirk, but he defeats it in one of the silliest single combat matches ever waged, then demonstrates mercy by refusing to kill him. The god-beings send both ships on their way, and little has been heard from the Gorn canonically ever since.
The problem is that every time Strange New Worlds uses the species, it runs the risk of disrupting that chain of events. It's already come perilously close with "All Those Who Wander," and it doubles down at the end of Season 2, Episode 1, "The Broken Circle," as Starfleet admirals darkly hint at an inevitable war with the Gorn. "All Those Who Wander" stepped carefully by stating that one in the Federation knows what Gorn look like, which helped its dark reimagining of the species as nightmares out of Alien. Unfortunately, it's also raised some continuity questions that leave it in murky territory.
Following those instincts could make for strong storytelling, and with the Gorn largely unexplored, reimagining them as something actively terrifying could give Strange New Worlds a long-term villain. But the specter of "Arena" looms large, particularly with James Kirk guest starring in Season 2. Star Trek has pulled off similar high-wire acts before, and with the series firing on all cylinders, there's reason for high hopes here. But it's already flirting with danger, and like its stalwart crew, one wrong step could spell disaster. That may be part of what makes the Gorn such an exciting prospect this season.
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stream every Thursday on Paramount+.