What We Know About The Lanthanites From Season Two Of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'
Image Source: Paramount+
The concept of aliens living incognito among humans has been a part of science fiction for a long time. The season two premiere episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has now introduced a completely new species that has presumably done so for a very long time.
"The Broken Circle" sees the arrival of Commander Pelia, played by Carol Kane, on the USS Enterprise. The actress, whose career dates back to 1966 - the same year Star Trek premiered - and admits to never having seen a single episode before joining the franchise, is known for turning her characters into oddballs, and Pelia is no different.
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But her wacky attitude is only a shield. Upon entering the bridge of the Enterprise, she immediately discovers Spock's (Ethan Peck) ruse to steal the starship for a secret rescue mission after Starfleet Command has explicitly objected to the search for a missing ex-crew member.
But instead of selling the Vulcan out, she decides to stay on board as the new chief engineer, even helping the crew.
When she mentions that she hasn't been on a space flight for more than 100 years, Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) recognizes her accent (which Kane explicitly created for Pelia) and asks if she is "Lanthanite", to which she answers: "Guilty as charged."
At the end of the episode, Spock approaches her again, stating that he has always been intrigued by the Lanthanite, as they presumably have lived on Earth unrecognized until the 22nd century. Pelia answers that Amanda Grayson, Spock's mother, was one of the first humans to whom she revealed her secret.
Source: Paramount+
All this implies that the Lanthanite - presumably named after the rare earth element carbonate minerals, are a known species in the galaxy, though they have never been mentioned in any other Star Trek media before.
In Star Trek, near-human aliens often sport small signs of distinction, such as pointed ears or a ridged forehead, but this is not the case with Pelia, and the episode gave no indication that she was wearing a kind of mask or could alter her appearance to look like a human.
Pelia also reveals that Lanthanite live "almost forever" and the greatest burden of having such an extended lifespan is not to eventually have to face everyone they care about die, but simply boredom.
We know that Pelia will eventually be replaced by Montgomery "Scotty" Scott as the chief engineer of the Enterprise, but for now, it looks as if Commander Pelia will stay on board the NCC-1701 for a while.
Surely enough time to learn about this new interesting species and for Pelia to tell her (as she calls it) "very long story."
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