Anson Mount Wanted Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Riskiest Moment To Feel Uncomfortable

In the first episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which is simply titled "Strange New Worlds," Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is assigned to the planet Kiley 279 to finesse a teetering effort to engage in First Contact. In the world of "Star Trek," Starfleet has a strict hands-off policy when it comes to worlds that haven't yet developed faster-than-light travel. Right when a planet is about to develop such a technology, though, Starfleet officers usually go undercover to subtly introduce themselves to the world's rulers and tell them that they are about to join a giant galactic community of peaceful aliens.

In "Strange New Worlds," Pike has to put on some alien-looking prosthetics and go to Kiley 279 to rescue a missing crew mate while, perhaps, smoothing over the planet's turbulent, unfolding history. It seems that Kiley recently witnessed the U.S.S. Discovery, something that shouldn't have happened, and its inhabitants began reverse engineering their new faster-than-light engines into a weapon. The world was dividing, and it looked like a civil war was imminent. Because the turbulence was inspired by Starfleet, Captain Pike makes the risky decision to reveal himself to the planet and announce that peace is at hand. He explains to the Kilians that Earth was also once a turbulent place, and he even broadcasts old news footage from Earth detailing a period that led to World War III, adding that Earth barely survived. It was only by devoting itself to progress, growth, science, exploration, and diplomacy that humanity was able to recover and excel.

Perhaps controversially, Pike shows some real-world footage of the insurrection that took place in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. "Strange New Worlds" thus implies that the January 6 riot was a key moment in the downfall of humanity — proof that democracy was not going to hold much longer. Back in 2022, Mount talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the footage, stating he was glad it was used. He wanted people to be shaken. Yes, it certainly does seem that humanity is currently sliding into fascism.

"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry constructed his utopian future as a wish, but also as a warning. In the timeline of "Star Trek," Earth had to undergo several devastating, ill-advised wars before it could reach the glorious anticapitalist, anti-combat universe in which it takes place. The Eugenics Wars and World War III had to serve as humanity's "low point" before we could have a collective moment of clarity.

Looking out the window in the 2020s, one can see a world even more turbulent than the one Roddenberry lived through in the 1960s. And the violence of today sure seems like it locks into place with Roddenberry's ideas of an oncoming war. "Star Trek" has always implied that there will be glorious peace on the other side of all the future conflicts, but in a turbulent present, there is a lot to be wary of. As such, Mount was glad the people at Paramount made the connection between Roddenberry's prediction of entropy. When asked if the January 6 footage would make people uncomfortable, Mount replied:

"I hope it does. We knew we wanted to go there. Whenever you want to take a big swing on TV, the question is, 'Are the bosses going to okay it?' And I've got to tell you, we're taking a lot of big swings on this show. [...][The studios], they got immediately what we were trying to do and allowed us to take a very big swing there. And it just shows that they understand what we're trying to do and that they get 'Star Trek.' I hope it makes some noise. Part of 'Star Trek' is staying relevant without preaching. And I think that we did exactly that."

"Star Trek" has always espoused a progressive philosophy, advancing ideas of pluralism and multiculturalism and standing against prejudice, money, war, and greed. January 6 was, in the eyes of the "Strange New Worlds" creatives, a sign of regression — an attempt to circumvent democracy and illegally install a fascist dictator. It's fitting that it should be used in the context it was.