Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Finale - "Hegemony"
Summary
- Martin Quinn debuts as the young Lieutenant Montgomery Scott, AKA Scotty, in the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
- Although not yet Chief Engineer, Scotty shows his resourcefulness and ability to overcome challenges in the face of danger.
- Scotty's arrival on the Enterprise and possible replacement of Commander Pelia opens up new possibilities for his character in season 3.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 finale, "Hegemony," introduced Martin Quinn as the young Lieutenant Montgomery Scott, AKA Scotty. Originally played by James Doohan, Scotty first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series as the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Scottish actor Martin Quinn plays a younger version of the character who served as a lieutenant junior grade on the USS Stardiver. Unfortunately, the Stardiver is destroyed in "Hegemony" and its crew killed by the Gorn, leaving Scotty without a ship or a crew.
Although the Scotty in Strange New Worlds has not yet become Chief Engineer, he has already developed a knack for getting out of tough spots. In Strange New Worlds season 2's finale, Scotty manages to escape the Gorn in a shuttle by cobbling together a makeshift Gorn transponder out of parts from the Stardiver. Once he arrives on the Enterprise, Scotty and Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) - who taught Scotty at Starfleet Academy - begin working on a way to hide the Enterprise from the Gorn. Despite having just lost his entire crew and barely escaping with his life, the young Scotty handles himself incredibly well, acknowledging his fear, but facing the Gorn anyway.
Who Plays Scotty In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2’s Finale?
It will be years before Lieutenant Montgomery Scott becomes Chief Engineer of the Starship Enterprise, but he already shows signs of his future greatness. In TOS, Scotty earned the reputation of a "miracle worker" because he could fix almost any engineering-related problem. He served on multiple different ships before his time on the Enterprise and would write several different engineering guides over the course of his career. Throughout his time on TOS, Scotty proved to be one of the most invaluable members of the Enterprise crew, as he got the ship out of many difficult scrapes. He knew more about the ship's warp engines than pretty much anyone, and he held a certain pride for the Enterprise in particular.
Strange New Worlds' Scotty is Scottish actor Martin Quinn's first major television role. He began acting on screen in 2010 with two appearances on the Scottish comedy sketch show Limmy's Show!. Quinn has also appeared in episodes of Scot Squad, Annika, and Derry Girls, as well as the 2019 film Our Ladies. Quinn has been acting in stage productions since the age of 18, when he won the lead role of Oskar in the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Let The Right One In. Quinn has also done some voice work for video games and radio productions, including Doctor Who for Big Finish. Martin Quinn is the first Scottish actor to play the Scottish-born Engineer Scotty.
Will Scotty Replace Pelia as Strange New Worlds’ Enterprise Chief Engineer?
Not much is known about the plot for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, but the possibility remains open for Scotty to replace Pelia as the Enterprise's Chief Engineer. By the end of "Hegemony," Scotty is aboard the Enterprise and no longer has a ship of his own. Despite his apparently poor grades, Pelia claims Scotty to be one of her best students. Scotty has already proven himself to be a creative and competent engineer, and if he manages to help the Enterprise hide from the Gorn, he will earn even more admiration from Captain Pike and his crew. This, coupled with an endorsem*nt from Pelia, may be enough to land Scotty a position on the Enterprise.
Scotty served as the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise for all of Star Trek: The Original Series, but that show never established exactly when he took up that position. It's possible Scotty could become the Chief Engineer while Pike still commands the Enterprise. If Scotty does take over Pelia's role, hopefully, she will remain on the show in some capacity. Carol Kane's Pelia has proven to be a fun addition to Strange New Worlds, and her nature as a Lanthanite means she could appear in almost any Star Trek show. Whatever role Lt. Scotty plays on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it will be interesting to see more of Martin Quinn's younger version of the iconic character.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 is streaming on Paramount+.
