The second-to-last episode of *Strange New Worlds*, titled “Terrarium,” featured Lt. Erica Ortegas crash-landing on a remote moon with another pilot-who turned out to be a Gorn. Despite the danger, they managed to work together and even developed a tentative connection, until La’an unexpectedly killed the Gorn, destroying their fragile truce. Over the past three seasons, the Gorn have become one of the show’s most popular and recurring villains. However, by establishing them as major antagonists early in Season One, *Strange New Worlds* created a conflict with previously established *Star Trek* lore.
In the original Star Trek episode “Arena” (1967), Captain Kirk acted surprised by the Gorn, despite the newer series *Strange New Worlds* establishing that Starfleet had encountered them much earlier. The show addressed this inconsistency by revealing the Gorn hibernate, a plot point introduced in the premiere, “Hegemony Part 2.” Recently, creators Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers explained this change in backstory wasn’t just a fix, but a deliberate choice. They’ve reimagined the Gorn, transforming them from a relatively minor classic enemy into genuinely frightening and cunning strategists.
Star Trek’s Gorn Retcon Explained
Fans of the original *Star Trek* were surprised by the ending of the episode “Terrarium,” which revealed the ship’s crash wasn’t accidental. It was a deliberate test orchestrated by the powerful Metrons – the same beings who previously challenged Captain Kirk to a fight with a Gorn captain in “Arena.” This connection makes “Terrarium” feel like a setup for the events in “Arena” and adds a new layer of meaning to both episodes.
As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I was floored by what the showrunners, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, revealed. Apparently, the Metrons weren’t just behind everything that happened to Ortegas – they were running a huge experiment to see if humans and the Gorn could ever get along. But the really wild part? They then wiped *all* memory of their species from Starfleet’s collective mind! It’s a pretty bold move, and explains why no one remembers them. It makes you wonder what else Starfleet doesn’t know!
The Metron says to Ortegas, “You won’t recall this meeting. And it’s possible we’ll have to change how you see the Gorn in the future.”
Okay, so I was reading an interview with Goldsman, and he really clarified something cool about the Gorn. It’s not just some random detail they threw in there! Apparently, the Metron are messing with the Gorn’s memories. He even hinted this could happen *again*. The implication is that there was another showdown between the Gorn and humans sometime *after* what we just saw in the show, but *before* the classic Kirk vs. Gorn episode, “Arena.” And that encounter somehow erased all memory of it! It’s a really neat way to connect everything and explain why the Gorn seemed so unfamiliar. It adds a whole new layer to their story, honestly.
Myers explained that they aim to hint at future storylines and keep viewers engaged. “We like to create mysteries and suggest there are more stories to tell,” he said. “By continuing to watch, viewers will eventually see those stories unfold.”
It’s unclear if we’ll see the Metrons or Gorn again in future episodes, but a recent plot development addresses a continuity error. The story now reveals that the Metrons intentionally erased Starfleet’s memories of the Gorn before the events of the classic episode “Arena.” This explains why Kirk didn’t seem to recognize the Gorn in the original series, and it makes the Metrons seem much more powerful and frightening than previously thought.
Why Star Trek’s Metron Threat Is More Terrifying Now
In the “Arena” episode, the Metrons seemed like haughty judges – clearly powerful, but more conceited than truly evil, as they acted as if they were better than everyone else. The ending suggested they didn’t have a strong sense of right and wrong; Kirk’s decision not to kill the Gorn actually earned their respect and saved the Enterprise.
However, in *Strange New Worlds*, the Metrons aren’t simply watching events unfold. They actively interfere, even conducting experiments on species they consider inferior. This changes how we view Kirk’s fight in “Arena.” It wasn’t just a battle for his life-it was a controlled test within a lab, monitored by beings who had previously manipulated the minds of others. While the episode still shows Kirk choosing compassion, that act now seems less like a victory for humanity and more like another data point in the Metrons’ ongoing research.
Okay, so *Strange New Worlds* just pulled a clever move by revealing the Metrons wiped the Enterprise crew‘s memories of that whole Gorn encounter. It neatly fixes a long-standing continuity problem in *Star Trek* – honestly, it’s a relief! But here’s the unsettling part: it opens up a really disturbing possibility. The crew might *never* be able to trust their own recollections, unsure if their decisions, their triumphs, even their memories are genuinely *theirs*. It’s a fantastic, if slightly terrifying, twist that adds a whole new layer of complexity to the show.
The Metrons are among the most disturbing species in *Star Trek*, perhaps even more frightening than the powerful beings we’ve seen before. While beings like Q openly challenge humanity, the Metrons operate in secret. Pike, Spock, Ortegas, and Kirk may have been unknowingly subjected to numerous ‘experiments.’ Even though a Q might dramatically change reality, you’d at least be aware of it. The Metrons, however, can warp reality, change the past, and manipulate entire crews – all while casually dismissing it as ‘data collection.’
Q often challenged Starfleet captains, but it seemed he did so to help humanity evolve, and he always had a playful side. In contrast, the Metrons treated humans like subjects in an experiment, constantly changing things and observing the results. This is a disturbing idea that affects both the time periods of Captain Pike and Captain Kirk.
The retcon gives a surprisingly rich new layer to the famously over-the-top *TOS* episode, “Arena.” While it still highlights Kirk’s cleverness and empathy, it also suggests there were hidden forces at work behind the scenes.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1–3 are now streaming on Paramount+.
What do you think of this retcon? A clever explanation or too much canon meddling?
Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-09-14 18:16