Number One (Rebecca Romijn) needs a love interest onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds,and I have a crazy solution that draws from Rebecca Romijn’s real life. The highly anticipatedStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 premieres July 17 on Paramount+. Picking up fromStrange New Worldsseason 2’s cliffhanger ending, season 3 continues the genre-bending voyages of the USS Enterprise, with Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley as its exemplary First Officer.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis chock-full of love storiesin outer space. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) breaks the mold of the lonelyCaptain of the Enterpriseby dating Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano). Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) has loved and lost two romantic foils: T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). Evenspecial guest star Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) has a romantic attractionto Lieutenant La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong).
However, Number One’sStar Trek: Strange New Worldsstory has been about hiding and then taking pride that she is agenetically engineered Illyrian. Una owning her true self has defined her character arc thus far. Meanwhile, most of Number One’s crew mates on the Starship Enterprise deal with matters of the heart.Una needs her own love storyinStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3or 4, and the logical candidate can be played by Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn’s husband in real life.
Number One’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Love Story Should Be With The Ancestor Of Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Captain Jack Ransom
Ransom & Una Are A Match Made In Starfleet Heaven
The perfect love interest for Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley would be a newcharacter created forStar Trek: Strange New Worldsbut linked toStar Trek: Lower Decks:an ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell). This would be Ransom’s great (times 3 or 4) grandfather, whoStrange New Worldscould reveal was also a Starfleet Officer in the 23rd century. This would retcon Captain Jack Ransom as a part of a Starfleet legacy family, and, even better, it would mean Jerry O’Connell could guest star onStrange New Worldsin the flesh.
Jerry O’Connell voiced Commander Jack Ransom in the 24th-century-set animated segments ofStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 crossoverwithStar Trek: Lower Decks, “Those Old Scientists.“Ransom even remarked,“Numera Una, the hottest First Officer in Starfleet!“when he saw the Starfleet recruitment poster of Number One that Ensign Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) keeps in his bunk on the USS Cerritos. The seed is already planted for Una Chin-Riley and the Ransom family to have a common bond 200 years in the past, which would explain Jack’s esteem for Una (beyond her great looks) in the 24th century.
It would be a fantastic meta joke if Una has a romance with a Starfleet Officer named Ransom played by Jerry O’Connell.
Number One is a legacy character who first appeared inStar Trek’s original pilot episode, “The Cage,” but was brought back to canon by Rebecca Romijn’s portrayal inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2. Yet even after two seasons ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldsso far,Una’s history is largely a blank canvas.There’s no reason why Number One can’t have a love interest like the rest of the Starship Enterprise’s crew, and it would be a fantastic meta joke if Una has a romance with a Starfleet Officer named Ransom played by Jerry O’Connell.
Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell Have Worked Together Before
They Hosted The Love Boat & Co-Starred In Other Series
Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell teaming up inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsas lovers makes perfect sense since the couple already have an established chemistry on-screen as well as off-screen. After meeting in 2004 and marrying in 2007, Jerry and Rebecca have popped up in several TV projects together.Romijn and O’Connell have shared the screen inUgly BettyandEastwick,and the couple hostedThe Real Love Boattogether while appearing in their separate Star Trek on Paramount+ series.
Jerry and Rebecca can claim to be the modern-day first couple of Star Trek.
Jerry O’Connell regularly accompanies Rebecca Romijn to various comic cons andStar Trekconventions. As Number One onStar Trek: Strange New Worldsand Captain Jack Ransom onStar Trek: Lower Decks,Jerry and Rebecca can claim to be the modern-day first couple of Star Trek.They are also the first married couple to play First Officers on differentStar Trekshowsat the same time, at least until Jack Ransom was promoted to Captain of the USS Cerritos at theend ofStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5.
AsJerry O’Connell toldScreenRantduring an interview aboutStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5,he wanted the bragging rights of Jack Ransom becoming a Captain before Rebecca’s character:
It would be so much fun if I outranked her. I know Lower Decks is coming to a close, but if Mike McMahan and Alex Kurtzman and the bosses of Starfleet right now could somehow find it in their hearts that I could outrank Una Chin-Riley, that’s all I ask for.
Jerry indeed got his wish. Even thoughStar Trek: Lower Decksended on Paramount+, it closed out with Jack Ransom wearing four pips on his collar and sitting in the Captain’s chair of the USS Cerritos.O’Connell now has the prestige of portraying aStar TrekCaptainwhile Number One remains the best First Officer in Starfleet.
Jerry O’Connell On Strange New Worlds Is The Perfect Next Star Trek: Lower Decks Crossover
Jack Ransom On Lower Decks Also Became A Captain Before Una Did
Jerry O’Connell is the logical and ideal next actor fromStar Trek: Lower Decksto appear onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsomekicked the door open by guesting onStar Trek: Strange New Worldsas the live-action versions of Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner. However,Strange New Worlds’crossover withStar Trek: Lower Decksrequired time-travel shenanigans.Jerry O’Connell could appear as Captain Jack Ransom’s ancestor- who would be a new character - in live-action.
The family ties between Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, andStar Trekrun deep and strong. O’Connell would also be a huge coup as aStrange New Worldsguest star. Jerry is a popular veteran of film and TV, going back to appearing in 1986’sStand By Me.O’Connell has appeared inJerry Maguire, Scream 2, andPiranha 3D,and he remains beloved for his role as Quinn Mallory in the 1990s sci-fi cult favorite,Sliders.O’Connell onStrange New Worldswouldkeep the Star Trek: Lower Decks fire burning until the series hopefully returnsone day.
The ideal character to be Number One’s squeeze would be the ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom.
Number One has existed for 60 years ofStar Trekbut has lacked a personal life and a love interest. Not only is Una overdue for an on-screen romance, but Rebecca Romijn is married to anotherStar Trekluminary who is perfect person to play him - and the ideal character to be Number One’s squeeze would be the ancestor of Captain Jack Ransom. Bringing Jerry O’Connell toStar Trek: Strange New Worldsin live-action would be must-see television and tell a story Number One has waited decades for.
