Warning! The next accommodates spoilers for the Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds Season 3 episode “What Is Starfleet?” Stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and skim at your personal threat!
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds continued its run on the 2025 TV schedule with a difficult documentary-style episode diving into the query: What’s Starfleet actually? Erica Ortegas’ brother Beto launched his documentary, debating whether or not the outfit acted because the navy arm of the Federation or as peacemakers. It was a compelling episode that made me unexpectedly emotional after listening to about the way in which it honored Melissa Navia’s late companion.
I knew Starfleet did not function as a navy faction (even when it might obliterate Star Wars’ Empire), however I hadn’t anticipated to see the touching tribute honoring Brian Bannon (one different viewers might need missed). For those who did, let’s dive in and speak in regards to the episode, the tribute, and the showrunners lastly giving us extra Ortegas.
Melissa Navia’s Late Companion Brian Bannon Is Referenced In “What Is Starfleet”
As famous by prolific Star Trek Easter egg hunter Jörg Hillebrand on X, there was a refined tribute to Melissa Navia’s late companion Brian Bannon in “What’s Starfleet.” There was a vinyl album on the shelf of Erica Ortegas’ quarters, which was mysterious contemplating the present’s set sooner or later, and that is fairly low-tech for the Enterprise.
It was revealed the album was titled “Irish Cowboy Nation Blues” and it got here from musician Sean Fhéile. Based on Hillebrand, Brian Bannon was a musician for this album, therefore its place on the set and in Ortegas’ quarters.
How Melissa Navia And Brian Bannon’s Story Is Linked To Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds
Again in 2022, Melissa Navia penned an emotional piece speaking about her late companion Brian Bannon, and the journey that finally led her to Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds. Bannon helped her movie auditions in the course of the pandemic, and whereas they weren’t formally married, he was allowed to journey to Toronto together with her whereas she filmed Season 1 regardless of journey restrictions.
Sadly, Brian was identified and handed away in December of 2021 following a battle with an aggressive and uncommon type of acute leukemia. Regardless of her grief, Melissa Navia returned to the Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds set to start filming new Ortegas scenes in Season 2. The actress wrote about how returning to the set ended up being easier than she imagined, and it was the great solid and crew who helped her proceed on within the position. Her feedback weren’t stunning to listen to, given all I might listened to over these previous three seasons about how properly this solid gelled and the way they’ve all genuinely been buddies outdoors of filming.
So, after I discovered that the album in Ortegas’ room was linked to Brian Bannon, I could not assist however get tremendous emotional and completely happy for Melissa Navia. Positive, having the help of followers chanting that they need “Moretegas” was good, however I am unable to think about how good it should have felt to have a tribute to a beloved one endlessly etched in Star Trek historical past.
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds continues new episodes on Thursdays solely on Paramount+. With just a few extra episodes left in Season 3, the wait is on for Season 4 and different upcoming Trek reveals on the horizon. I do know I am not the one one psyched for Starfleet Academy!