Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is finally giving Uhura the love story she deserved

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the prequel series to Star Trek: The Original Series, explores the lives of Captain Christopher Pike and his crew on the USS Enterprise before Captain Kirk took command.

Among the crew is Cadet Nyota Uhura, portrayed by Celia Rose Gooding. First introduced in The Original Series (1966), Uhura has always been a beloved character. Now, season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is most likely going to give her the love story she deserves.

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Uhura’s romance in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is most likely going to introduce romance in Uhura’s life. For the first time, the show has hinted at giving her a meaningful love interest. In the trailer for the show’s third season, we see the following words at the 0:44 mark:

"New Romances"

This is followed by a scene of Beto Ortegas, his older sister, Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Nyota Uhura walking together. Beto asks his sister:

"You don’t trust me with your best friend?"

To which Uhura asks Erica:

"You don’t trust me with your baby brother?"

Erica responds by saying,

"It’s madness."

Additionally, we also see Uhura and Beto share a few laughs and a drink. While the show has not explicitly confirmed a romantic relationship with blossom between Uhura and Beto, the trailer has hinted at it heavily.

This is a major development for the character of Uhura. In past Star Trek projects, Uhura rarely had any serious romantic interests. Her most iconic "romantic" moment took place in the 1968 The Original Series, when she shared a kiss with Captain Kirk in the episode "Plato’s Stepchildren". It was progressive for its time, but the kiss was forced by alien mind control and never developed into anything more.

There were also subtle hints at a bond between Uhura and Scotty in the later Star Trek films. In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), they were shown enjoying each other’s company and even planning time off together. Still, nothing concrete came of it.

In the rebooted film universe, known as the Kelvin Timeline, Uhura (played by Zoë Saldana) had a more fleshed-out romance with Spock. Star Trek (2009) by J.J. Abrams and its sequels showed them in a real relationship. While their connection added depth to both characters, at times it felt secondary to the main storyline. Their love story was there, but was never the focus.

That’s what makes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds feel different. The show takes time to let characters grow, not just in their duties, but also in their personal lives. Uhura is no longer just a voice at the comms panel. She’s a complete character with friendships, challenges, and now, possibly love.

What’s interesting about this new storyline is how naturally it fits into the show. Uhura’s bond with the crew has grown over the last two seasons. Giving her a romantic connection feels like a natural next step. The introduction of Beto adds a fresh dynamic, and the scenes in the trailer suggest that their chemistry could become something special.

One of the strengths of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is how it distributes the spotlight among its characters with shifting narrative focus. Unlike The Original Series, which centered primarily on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, this show lets everyone have their own moments. Legacy characters like Uhura are given a new space, with new faces bringing something fresh to the table.

As Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its third season, Uhura is most likely going to have a well-deserved romance. Her first real love story could be one of the most influential arcs the show has offered yet. It’s been a long time coming, and it is absolutely worth the wait.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season three premieres on Paramount+ on July 17, 2025.

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