With Another Classic Character Recast, Star Trek Is Just One Step Away From a TOS Reboot

Beam us up... you-know-who!

CBS/Paramount

The only person you ever want beaming you up in the Star Trek canon is back, and he’s got a brand-new origin story. In the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 finale, “Hegemony,” the series has dropped the surprising appearance of Lt. Montgomery Scott, better known as the legendary Starfleet engineer, “Scotty.”

Now, with a third actor is taking over the mantle of Scotty in this appearance, we technically have a new origin story of the classic character first originated by the late James Doohan in Star Trek: The Original Series . Here’s what to know about the new Scotty, how he fits into the larger Trek timeline, and what to expect from him in Season 3.

Who plays Scotty on Strange New Worlds ?

Martin Quinn as Scotty in 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.'

Martin Quinn as Scotty in the Strange New Worlds Season 2 finale.

Although not teased or hinted at in any promotional materials prior to this season dropping, Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 10, reveals that actor Martin Quinn is playing Scotty in the 2260 timeframe of Strange New Worlds . Quinn is a Scottish actor (appropriate for playing Scotty) who has appeared in the series Derry Girls, the film Our Ladies , and in 2014, appeared in a stage production of Let the Right One In.

Quinn is the third actor to play Scotty in terms of the official Star Trek canon, following James Doohan from The Original Series and all the classic films, and Simon Pegg, who played Scotty in all three reboot movies from 2009 to 2016. (If we count unofficial fan productions, Chris Doohan, son of James Doohan also played Scotty in the fan series Star Trek Continues .)

Scotty’s Star Trek timeline explained

LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 22: James Doohan as Lt. Comdr. Montgomery Scott on the STAR TREK: THE ORIGIN...

James Doohan as Scotty in Star Trek: The Original Series .

Uniquely, Martin Quinn’s Scotty gives us a version of the character at his earliest point glimpsed so far in the Prime Timeline. Prior to “Hegemony,” Scotty’s first canonical appearance in the primary timeline was in the 1965 second pilot episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which happens in 2265. The current SNW season is happening in 2260, so we’re actually just five years before the big “five-year-mission” of the classic show. And though Scotty was alluded to in Discovery Season 1, and we heard Scotty’s voice in an alternate timeline in the Strange New Worlds episode “The Quality of Mercy,” Scotty beaming onto a new Star Trek show, in the flesh, is a huge deal.

SNW is also giving us a new origin story of how Scotty got to the Enterprise . And, interestingly, just like Simon Pegg’s Scotty in the Kelvinverse timeline, the crew encounters him basically by accident, after he’s been stranded on a planet. In “Hegemony,” we learn Scotty was a member of the crew of the Stardiver before it was attacked by the Gorn. In this episode, we actually see Scotty’s shuttle crashing on Parnassus B at the very beginning of the episode, way before we see Scotty. When Captain Batel and the crew of the Cayuga wonder if the crashing shuttle is “one of ours,” the answer is: that’s Scotty!

Will Scotty appear in Strange New Worlds Season 3?

As most Trek fans are probably aware, Scotty is destined to become the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise sometime before 2265. So far, SNW has featured two Enterprise chief engineers — Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in Season 1, and Pelia (Carol Kane) in Season 2. Since “The Broken Circle,” Pelia seems to be serving as a temporary chief engineer for the Enterprise, and now, in “Hegemony” we learn that Scotty was one of her best students.

In fact, Pelia now, retroactively, is the first person chronologically to use the nickname “Scotty” to describe Mr. Scott. So, will Scotty be a part of Season 3? When Inverse spoke to showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, they made it clear that was a big yes.

“You will see more of Scotty in Season 3,” Myers said. “That’s all I can say for now.”

TOS reboot coming to SNW?

On the set of the TV series Star Trek (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

The cast of Star Trek: The Original Series .

With the introduction of Scotty, Strange New Worlds now has five of the eight regular, or semi-regular characters from The Original Series . Not counting Dr. M’Benga (who only appeared in two TOS ) episodes, SNW has James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Spock (Ethan Peck), Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and now, Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn.) Because Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy doesn’t appear in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” and Chekov didn’t start appearing until TOS Season 2, right now Strange New Worlds really only needs Sulu to give us a fully recast version of the earliest days of TOS .

Could some future season of SNW actually just feature the classic crew under the command of Kirk? Because there are various plot-based exits set up for Pike, M’Benga, Pelia, and Number One, it’s possible that at some point, we could get a Kirk-led Enterprise on Strange New Worlds in the year 2264, 2265, or maybe even earlier. At the start of Season 2, Akiva Goldsman said : “The closer we get, we have to start to resemble The Original Series. ”

The point where TOS and SNW start to overlap is still five years away in terms of the Star Trek canon, but now that Scotty had beamed himself up, that crossover between the current era and the classic era feels closer than ever.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 streams on Paramount+.

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This article was originally published on Aug. 11, 2023

  • Science Fiction

star trek scotty first appearance

James Doohan smiling in dress uniform as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

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Scotty’s accent was legendarily bad, but Scottish Star Trek fans loved him anyway

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[ Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 10, “Hegemony.”]

Great Scott! In this week’s season finale of Strange New Worlds , Star Trek ’s most beloved miracle worker finally arrives aboard the USS Enterprise. During a rescue mission on the border of the Gorn Hegemony, Captain Pike and his crew encounter the lone survivor of another Starfleet vessel, the talented and loquacious Lt. Junior Grade Montgomery Scott, who joins the effort to save a group of human colonists from an ongoing massacre.

Scotty’s debut on the show (the earliest TV appearance in the character’s personal chronology) was an unadvertised surprise, but not a total shock, as Strange New Worlds used its previous season finale to unveil Paul Wesley as the new James Kirk . What makes young Scotty a particularly sweet treat, however, is that for the first time, he’s being performed by an actual Scot: Martin Quinn has finally endowed the engineer with a convincing Scottish accent.

Martin Quinn as Scotty, making a confused face while Anson Mount as Captain Pike stands in the background.

But before we criticize him a bit, let’s pay proper respect to the late James Doohan, who originated the role on Star Trek: The Original Series back in 1966. Doohan essentially created Montgomery Scott himself, having been brought in to audition for a then-unnamed role as the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise by James Goldstone, director of the show’s second pilot episode.

According to Marc Cushman’s exhaustive multi-book reference guide These Are The Voyages , Doohan tried a variety of different accents for the character, and when series creator Gene Roddenberry asked which accent sounded best for an engineer, Doohan selected Scottish, citing Scotland’s history of naval innovation. Doohan was also permitted to name the character, and in the years that followed, “Scotty” became American television’s most famous man from Braveheart Country.

The trouble is, if you ask any true Scottish person, they’ll tell you that Doohan’s accent is laughable. Though Doohan learned it firsthand during World War II while serving alongside a soldier from Aberdeen, it’s widely mocked for its inaccuracy, and can frequently be found on lists of the worst Scottish accents in TV and film history . The Scotsman ’s David McLean called it “the Dick Van Dyke of Scottish accents,” in reference to the American comedian’s infamously awful attempt at a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins . On the other side of the pond, however, few Americans knew any better: Doohan says he was turned down for multiple roles in the 1970s because casting directors weren’t looking for a Scot.

Despite Doohan’s goofy accent, many Scots still took a liking to the jolly engineer. As foreign as the idea may seem in Trek’s native United States, positive representation for Scots has never been a given in the broader landscape of British television. In 2020, a survey of BBC viewers found that no single demographic — across nationality, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation — was more dissatisfied with their depiction on the network than Scots.

When Star Trek first arrived in the UK in 1969, Montgomery Scott was a relatively textured and dignified “Aberdeen pub-crawler.” He’s a consummate professional, often seen in command of the Enterprise, and adored by all. He enjoys a drink, but he’s not a drunk. He’s a flirt, but not a cad. Scottish audiences were so enamored that, upon James Doohan’s death in 2005, four different towns declared themselves the “future birthplace” of Montgomery Scott, each citing a different piece of non-canonical provenance. When Doohan’s son Chris visited one of the claimants, Linlithgow, the town provost told him that Scotty’s phony accent was, in fact, “one of the things they loved about him.”

However, when English actor Simon Pegg was cast as the new Scotty in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 feature film reboot, Scottish Trekkies were far less forgiving. Pegg based his take on Scotty’s lilt on his own father-in-law, who hails from Glasgow, but that didn’t prevent fans from voicing their strong negative reactions when the film’s first trailers were released.

Simon Pegg as Scotty in Star Trek (2009) spreads his arms in a questioning gesture, sitting in warm clothing at a cluttered desk.

While Pegg’s accent is certainly closer to the mark than Doohan’s was, the audience’s standards for a major motion picture in the 21st century were significantly higher. The performance fell victim to a common criticism of Hollywood Scottish accents, that being a lack of playable local identity, though this could be a consequence of Abrams asking Pegg to dial the accent back so an international audience could understand him.

More than a decade later, Strange New Worlds has gone where no Star Trek has gone before — the actual Scotland — to recruit 29-year-old Martin Quinn. Born in Paisley and trained at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Quinn has no previous North American productions on his résumé , though American viewers might recognize him from a bit part on the Netflix hit Derry Girls . Quinn makes a charming Star Trek debut, and even a clueless American listener (such as myself) can immediately detect the difference between the typical “Hollywood” Scots accent and the real deal.

Will his performance pass muster for Scottish viewers, and finally put to rest what part of the country Montgomery Scott calls home? Has even this accent been sanded down to better relate to American audiences, but to an extent only detectable by native speakers? Or, could it be that Strange New Worlds has really worked out the last bug in the man who can fix anything?

Star Trek: Discovery tore itself apart for the good of Star Trek’s future

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Montgomery Scott

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Montgomery Christopher Jorgensen Scott was a Human man, a Starfleet officer in the 23rd and 24th centuries , who served as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise -A under Captain James T. Kirk . He was presumed dead for 75 years until he was rescued from a pattern buffer by the USS Enterprise -D . He later became the head of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers .

  • 1 Early life and career
  • 2 Early Starfleet career
  • 3.1 Junior engineer
  • 3.2 Chief engineer
  • 3.3 The Enterprise refit
  • 4 Genesis crisis
  • 5 Kirk's Death and Retirement
  • 6.1 Return to the Fleet
  • 7.2 Post-war challenges
  • 7.3 Challenger
  • 8 25th century
  • 9 Relatives
  • 11 Alternate timelines
  • 12 Starfleet service record
  • 13 See also
  • 14.1 Connections
  • 14.2.1 Appearances
  • 14.3 External link

Early life and career

Montgomery Christopher Jorgensen Scott, son of Arlyne Jorgensen Scott , and Vaughn Scott was born in Scotland , Earth in 2222 . Scott also had a younger brother named Robert , a younger sister named Clara , and a niece and nephew, Dannan Stuart and Peter Preston . ( TNG episode : " Relics "; TOS - Strange New Worlds VI short story : " Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer "; TOS comic : " Furlough to Fury "; TOS novelization : The Search for Spock ; TOS movie : The Wrath of Khan )

Montgomery Scott was the eldest son of an eldest son, and inherited a targe (round shield) and broadsword that had been handed down in his family for centuries. Scott's mother lived in Linlithgow , West Lothian, Scotland, and therefore Scott may have been born there. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Glory )

Clifford Scott , Montgomery's grandfather, once said to him that "men make their own luck". He never saw himself as more than an engineer, no matter his rank. ( TNG novelization : Relics )

Having met Leonard McCoy in Aberdeen at age 9, this attitude was influenced when the two exchanged words while Scott was in the captain's chair, such as during the Eminiar / Vendikar War. While experiencing the effects of rapid aging orbiting Gamma Hydra , Scotty accidentally referred to the doctor on the sickbay intercom as " Captain ". ( TOS short story : " Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer ", TOS episode : " A Taste of Armageddon ", TOS episode : " The Deadly Years ")

Montgomery learned to play the bagpipes from his grandfather, from whom he inherited his heirloom instrument. Both his grandfather and grandmother hoped he would become a piper, but he was not sufficiently talented. For many years Scott played the bagpipes twice a year, on his grandparents' birthdays. ( TOS - Fortunes of War novel : Dreadnought! )

Scott's grandmother read him stories about the fairy folk from a book of folklore. ( TOS novel : Home Is the Hunter )

Scotty's sister Clara eventually became a sculptor. When they were teenagers, Scotty told her that he could build a machine that could make figurines just like hers. They both made figures of their father, but Scotty's didn't feel right the way Clara's did. That was when he understood the difference between art and science and knew that he was destined for science. ( TNG novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace )

Montgomery first met his future wife Glynnis Campbell in 2229 , when he was seven and she was five. In 2237 Montgomery reluctantly agreed to take Glynnis to the county fair, where they won a dancing trophy. ( TOS comic : " Retrospect ")

From a young age, Montgomery proved to be adept at engineering principles and practicality. In 2238 he disproved the Perera Theory regarding the detonation of photon torpedoes after he linked seven field generators together to simulate the multiship field system used by the Klingons . His experiment became known as the Aberdeen Solution and was printed in The Encyclopedia of Engineering Development and Design . ( TOS novel : The Kobayashi Maru )

As a young man, Montgomery enjoyed hang gliding , a pastime to which he was introduced by an uncle on his mother's side. ( TNG novelization : Relics )

After graduating from high school, Montgomery began to work aboard freighters to learn many new engineering skills and work in space. He began working aboard freighters at age 17, and served for over a year aboard the freighter S.S. Deirdre . ( TOS comic : " Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 2 ")

Early Starfleet career

Scott was living on Earth with his girlfriend Glynnis, still working aboard civilian freighters, when he received confirmation of his acceptance to Starfleet Training School . The couple parted ways amicably when Glynnis realized that Scott was determined to work with starships, while Glynn wanted to stay on Earth. ( TOS comic : " Retrospect ")

After his success at his Starfleet Academy classes, Cadet Scott graduated and attended Starfleet Command School in obedience to his parents' wishes and out of a feeling of obligation to become a command division officer . Although his work was sufficient, several of his tutors realized that what Scott wanted the most was to be a starship engineer. Scott completed command officer certifications but was eventually transferred to Starfleet Engineering School after he nearly stalemated the Kobayashi Maru test by using an engineer 's trick to fool the computers running the simulation. ( TOS novel : The Kobayashi Maru )

Among Scott's Academy friends were Joshua Helmes and Bill Nygulla . ( TOS comic : " Rest and Recreation! ") Scott studied physiology at some point, probably at the Academy. ( TOS comic : " The Cosmic Cavemen ")

Scott later re-united with his classmate, Garth Flanagan , in 2293 and they discussed their 2241 graduation from the Academy . ( TOS novel : The Fearful Summons )

Upon his graduation in 2242 , he returned home to show off his uniform. He was ridiculed by Gregor Campbell and Sean Toricelli , two of his friends. ( ST novel : Engines of Destiny )

Having proved to be an excellent engineer during his time at the Academy, Scott was assigned to the San Francisco Fleet Yards where he served on the construction teams working on four Constitution -class starships , including the USS Enterprise . ( TOS novel : The Galactic Whirlpool )

Early in his career, Scott also served on ships such as the USS Gagarin , where he served alongside Alec MacPherson ( TOS novel : Crisis on Centaurus ), and the USS Kumari . ( SCE eBook : The Future Begins ) As a young ensign , he served on a ship that ferried miners and mining equipment to the newly established mining colony on Rigel XII . Scott learned much information about mining and mining equipment, such as a Mole . ( SCE eBook : Foundations )

Aboard the Enterprise

Junior engineer.

In 2253 , Lieutenant Scott signed aboard the Enterprise as a junior engineer under Lieutenant Commander Caitlin Barry . In his early days aboard the ship he set up a still in main engineering for producing Engine Room Hooch . The location of the still combined with Scott's skill in making hooch meant the Enterprise' s version of the beverage was very strong. Despite the popularity of the beverage, it was produced by an illegal still, and Scott along with the other engineers were warned never to produce the beverage again. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Glory )

By 2259, Scott was serving on board the USS Stardriver . When the Gorn attacked and destroyed the the Stardriver , Scotty was left the sole survivor. He was able to escape to Parnassus Beta by using parts from the Stardiver sensor array to fool the Gorn into thinking the shuttle he flew to Parnassus was one of their own ships. Scott was reunited with some of his former shipmates when the Enterprise came to effect a rescue. ( SNW episode : " Hegemony ")

By 2264 , Scott had earned the respect of the crew of the Enterprise and was awaiting his assignment as chief engineer following the Enterprise 's year-long refit at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards . However, he was summoned to Starbase 10 and was ordered to accompany the Starfleet Corps of Engineers team aboard the USS Lovell to repair the PXK reactor of several outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone . Following his return from the assignment, he was appointed as chief engineer aboard the Enterprise . ( SCE eBook : Foundations ) By this point Scott had served on nine Starfleet vessels other than the Enterprise . ( TOS short story : " Ambition ")

Chief engineer

Shortly after Scotty assumed the responsibilities of being chief engineer and was promoted to lieutenant commander , the Enterprise found itself under the command of Captain James T. Kirk . Scott was fiercely loyal to Captain Christopher Pike and initially he didn't warm up to Kirk as he felt that the young captain could place the ship in jeopardy. Over time, the two officers put their initial differences behind them and became close friends. ( TOS novel : Enterprise: The First Adventure ) Scotty once said of Kirk, "You know how the Captain is when his mind's made up. After that, it's the Universe that'd best bend, for it won't be himsel' that's doing it." ( TOS novel : My Enemy, My Ally )

According to the elder Spock in TOS novelization : Star Trek , "In both our histories the same crew found its way onto the same ship in a time of ultimate crisis." This may imply that there is an untold story set in the prime timeline in which Kirk's crew faced an extremely serious challenge while still a new and untested unit.

  • It is also possible that Spock may have just been describing the events in TOS movie : The Motion Picture ' .

During a mission to Gamma Alpha V , Scotty beamed Spock out of a collapsing underground cavern where he was feared dead. ( TOS comic : " The Legacy of Lazarus ") Along with Kirk, Spock and McCoy, Scotty was abducted by the sorcerer Chang and faced off against stone giants and a huge robot before Chang was vanquished. ( TOS comic : " Sceptre of the Sun ")

Like his crewmates, Scotty was affected by the unbottled emotions of the Vulcan founders, laughing uncontrollably as Kirk and McCoy fought on Pollux II . ( TOS comic : " The Brain Shockers ") Scotty joined Kirk, Spock and McCoy on an undercover mission as pirates to discover the location of a stolen dilithium supply. During the mission Kirk was forced to betray Spock and Scotty, allowing the pirate captain Black Jack Nova to send them floating into space to their apparent doom, but in fact they were picked up by the Enterprise transporter. At some point prior to this adventure Scotty fought armed savages on Centuri II . ( TOS comic : " The Flight of the Buccaneer ") Scotty objected to the traveler called Nomad taking control of the Enterprise , causing Nomad to stun him with a ray from his golden staff. ( TOS comic : " Dark Traveler ") Scotty was stunned again, this time with a phaser , by a Klingon duplicate of Captain Kirk when he objected to the duplicate's ordering the Enterprise to maximum warp . ( TOS comic : " The Enterprise Mutiny ") In command of the Enterprise while Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Pavel Chekov were stranded on a medieval planet , Scotty risked court-martial by delaying an urgent mission to the Sigma Quadrant to search for his friends. ( TOS comic : " Day of the Inquisitors ") During a mission to the primitive planet Neesan , Scotty's romantic feelings for the tribal leader Lok-the-Wise enabled her to steal his phaser, nearly resulting in a Prime Directive violation. Fortunately, Kirk and Scotty were able to recover the phaser. ( TOS comic : " The Cosmic Cavemen ")

When Kirk and Spock were unable to leave mining negotiations on Pentam V , Scotty commanded the Enterprise as it responded to a distress call from Thraz Outpost , an Andorian scientific base. ( TOS short story : " Ambition ") When the Enterprise responded to a distress call from Donico II , Scotty tried to warn the Donicans of the impending failure of their planetary energy grid and was sentenced to death for sedition. Nyota Uhura saved Scotty's life by convincing the Donicans to acknowledge the problem. ( TOS short story : " See No Evil ")

On a visit to the agricultural colony Beta Nirobi II Scotty encountered Glynnis again and learned she was now married to his former best friend, Angus McFarlane . ( TOS comic : " Retrospect ") At some point Scotty had a romantic relationship with Andrea Manning which ended badly, with Scotty telling her "there was no room in his life for a woman". ( TOS comic : " ... Like a Woman Scorned! ")

This was apparently after Scotty's relationships with Carolyn Palamas ( TOS episode : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ") and Mira Romaine ( TOS episode : " The Lights of Zetar ").

Following Starfleet's decision to decommission the Gagarin in 2269, the Gagarin 's crew were reassigned. Alec MacPherson, who had risen to the chief engineer's position on the Gagarin , contacted Scott and requested a job. He was assigned to the Enterprise as assistant chief engineer . Due to his strong working relationship with Scott and the fact that the two engineers would independently devise the same solution to almost any problem, they were nicknamed "the twins" by the Enterprise crew. During the Centaurus crisis they worked together to keep the ship's systems functioning after a major computer breakdown. ( TOS novel : Crisis on Centaurus )

Scotty was left alone on the Enterprise when the entire crew beamed down to a location inside the Dyson sphere -like spacecraft Chatalia . Commander Kulain of the Klingon ship IKS Korezima beamed onto the Enterprise and was captured by Scotty, with whom he then began drinking. ( TOS novel : World Without End ) When the Romulan Second History project radically altered reality, Scott was still a chief engineer in the changed timeline , serving on the VSS ShiKahr under Captain Spock. ( TOS novel : Killing Time ) During the Rittenhouse Crisis , Scotty sabotaged the weapons system of the USS Pompeii . ( TOS - Fortunes of War novel : Dreadnought! )

Scotty joined Kirk, McCoy and Lieutenant Commander Piper aboard the schooner Edith Keeler , from which he and Kirk were escorted to Starfleet Headquarters for questioning regarding the theft of technology by Lieutenant Sarda . When Scotty's old enemy Dr. Samuel Boma gassed the Enterprise crew with a hypnogenetic compound, Scotty returned to the bridge when he was barely recovered. Later, Scotty visited Piper's quarters , presumably to remonstrate with her about damaging one of the Enterprise 's warp nacelles . ( TOS novel : Battlestations! )

After Scotty and McCoy attended a biotechnology conference on Starbase Ten , the USS Lexington dropped them off on Denebia for the Enterprise to pick up. They got drunk on Denebian slime devils and engaged in a barroom brawl with some locals and a Klingon named Krong , but afterwards convinced Kirk to ferry Krong to another neutral planet aboard the Enterprise . Scotty kept some Denebian coins for his box of mementos, which he showed to his nephew Peter on his visits to Earth. By this point Scotty had saved civilization four times and died twice. ( TOS short story : " Where Everybody Knows Your Name ") During a mission to Archernar IV , Kirk nominated Scotty for the Pentares Ribbon of Commendation after he saved the Enterprise from being pulled into a micro- black hole by jettisoning the ship's warp coils . ( TOS comic : " Mission's End, Issue 2 ")

The Enterprise refit

After the Enterprise 's five-year mission ended, Scotty remained the ship's Chief Engineer during her complete refit and was given a promotion to the rank of full Commander . ( ST website : StarTrek.com ) This was the happiest period of Scotty's life. He came to respect Will Decker , the ship's young new captain. ( TOS novelization : Motion Picture ) When James T. Kirk again took command of the refitted Enterprise in response to the threat of V'Ger , Scotty ferried him to the ship by shuttlecraft because the transporters were malfunctioning. Later, on Kirk's orders Scotty prepared the ship for self-destruct in order to destroy V'Ger from within, but this fortunately proved unnecessary. ( TOS movie : The Motion Picture )

When the Enterprise attempted to evacuate the inhabitants of Andrea IV , Scotty burned his hands while heroically battling a transporter malfunction that threatened to kill Kirk, Spock, McCoy and two ensigns . ( TOS comic : " Tomorrow or Yesterday ") Scotty was nearly lost, along with Kirk, McCoy, Chekov and Hikaru Sulu , when a shuttlecraft accident left them drifting and helpless in space. Scotty performed a spacewalk in an attempt to repair the problem, during which he suffered a suit breach but made his way back inside. The five men were ultimately rescued by the Enterprise . ( TOS novel : The Kobayashi Maru ) When a child was killed by a plasma grenade during a fight between Klingons and an Enterprise landing party on Cragon V , Weyland , the omnipotent ruler of the planet, punished Kirk by sending Scotty, Sulu and Chekov back in time . Scotty found himself in Scotland in 1746 during the Jacobite rebelllion, and blocked out his memories of the 23rd century because of his desire to aid the Scottish cause. He rescued a young man named Seamus MacIntyre from execution as a spy . Together they attempted to capture the English cannon at Fort Augustus , but succeeded only in blowing up the magazine. Scotty was badly wounded at the Battle of Culloden WP . On the point of death, he was returned to the 23rd century by Weyland. ( TOS novel : Home Is the Hunter )

Scotty was reunited with Andrea Manning, to the pleasure of neither, when she beamed aboard the Enterprise as Dr. Carl Wentworth 's assistant. Desiring vengeance on Scotty, Andrea unleashed psychically materialized monsters on the Enterprise which left Scotty helplessly terrified, being taken from his own subconscious memories of Scottish folklore. ( TOS comic : " ... Like a Woman Scorned! ") With Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Sulu aboard the runaway starship USS Icarus , Scotty gave the order for the Enterprise to ram the Icarus to prevent it from colliding with the planet Phaeton and killing billions. He gathered the entire crew on the Rec Deck to inform them of the decision, but disaster was averted when Spock and Janice Rand gained control of the Icarus . ( TOS comic : " Eclipse of Reason ") Scotty was trapped on the Enterprise bridge when an energy beam from Zeta Reticuli II began to shrink the ship but not its occupants. ( TOS comic : " We Are Dying, Egypt, Dying! ") On a mission to save the population of Goran IV from toxic gas, Scotty ordered the antidote released into the planet's atmosphere as soon as Spock radioed it was safe to do so, saying, "In matters o' science , when Mr. Spock says " Jump " all I ask is: how high?" ( TOS comic : " The Long Night's Dawn! ") Scotty and McCoy exchanged harsh words while the Enterprise was trapped in the tractor beam from the Sustainer 's world-ship, but when the Sustainer claimed it was about to destroy the Enterprise , Scotty accepted McCoy's apology and addressed him as "Bones". ( TOS comic : " A Thousand Deaths ")

During tests of the intergalactic inversion drive , a method of propulsion that could move a starship vast distances in zero time, Scotty formed a close friendship with K't'lk , the Hamalki scientist who had developed the experimental drive. K't'lk was one of the few beings to call Scott by his first name (which she pronounced "Mt'gm'ry") rather than "Scotty". ( TOS novel : The Wounded Sky ) K't'lk's esteem for Scott was so high that, when she died and was reborn in her own daughter, she adopted the name "K's't'lk", the added "s" standing for "Scott". K's't'lk once referred to Scott as "a human engineer with a genius for physical things". ( TOS novel : Spock's World )

On the mission to Levaeri V , when Subcommander Tafv attempted to take over the Enterprise Scotty oversaw defense measures against him from the auxiliary bridge . ( TOS novel : My Enemy, My Ally )

In 2274 Scotty learned on a visit home that Glynnis Campbell was back on Earth, Angus McFarlane having left her for a younger woman. Scotty proposed to Glynnis, who said she might accept his proposal after his next five-year mission. In 2280 Scotty and Glynnis signed a five-year wedding contract. ( TOS comic : " Retrospect ")

Genesis crisis

The relationship between Scotty and his niece, Dannan Stuart, was strained at best. Dannan was also a Starfleet officer, and apparently a maverick. Scotty warned his nephew Peter Preston not to follow the example of "that sister of thine that has been thrown in the brig more times than I can count," even though he admired her greatly. ( TOS novelization : The Wrath of Khan )

Peter Preston was killed in battle with Khan Noonien Singh , to Scotty's intense grief. For the funeral of his fallen friend, Spock , Mr. Scott played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes. ( TOS movie : The Wrath of Khan )

When Scotty returned to Scotland to attend Peter's funeral, he got into an argument with Dannan. She accused her uncle of riding Peter to show his fairness, not realizing that he was actually singling him out. He countered that he was the natural choice to train him, given her disciplinary history. ( TOS novelization : The Search for Spock )

Following the beating the Enterprise took from the captured USS Reliant , the Enterprise was scheduled for decommissioning by Admiral Harrison Morrow , and Scott was transferred to the new USS Excelsior as captain of engineering, in preparation for the ship's transwarp trials. His assignment was short-lived, however, as he took advantage of his position to help steal the Enterprise and disable the Excelsior to stop it from pursuing the Enterprise . Along with his crewmates, Scotty grieved for the destruction of the original Enterprise and was present for Spock's fal-tor-pan on Vulcan . ( TOS movie : The Search for Spock )

While Kirk's crew was reassigned to the Excelsior , Scotty visited Starbase VII on leave. With the help of a young cadet named Gulder , he foiled a plot by his old friend Joshua Helmes to smuggle narcotic barbit crystals and saved the starbase from destruction. ( TOS comic : " Rest and Recreation! ")

Shortly before the Enterprise crew's departure for the Genesis Planet , Glynnis and Scotty decided not to renew their marriage contract, which was due to expire in three months. Glynnis died in 2286 in a shuttlecraft accident. Scotty, exiled on Vulcan at the time, did not learn of her death until some months later. ( TOS comic : " Retrospect ") In 2286, Scotty traveled back in time to 1986 with his former colleagues from the Enterprise senior staff. While in the past, he beamed George and Gracie , two adult humpback whales , into twin tanks along with sea water. The most massive payload he transported in his career to that date was +400 tons. ( TOS movie : The Voyage Home ) Shortly after the crew's return to the twenty-third century with the whales, Scotty helped cure George and Gracie of a mysterious disease. ( TOS - Strange New Worlds IV short story : " Scotty's Song ")

Later that year, the renegade Vulcan Sybok took over the Enterprise and used the ship to penetrate the Great Barrier to find the legendary planet Sha Ka Ree . Scotty finally came to terms of peace with his familial pains through the powers of Sybok , whom he called a " sin eater ", of old Scottish legend. It was at this time that Uhura confessed her affections toward Scotty while the two were alone. Even though her emotions were uninhibited on this occasion, he kept composed and decided to maintain a Platonic relationship. Scott, however, had told her she was one of the most understanding women (besides the Enterprise ) he had known. ( TOS novelization : The Final Frontier )

Kirk's Death and Retirement

Scott, Kirk and Chekov were aboard the USS Enterprise -B on its shakedown cruise and subsequent encounter with the Nexus energy ribbon. Kirk was presumed dead after the energy ribbon struck the deck of the ship where he was located. ( TNG movie : Generations ) Scott led an intensive search of the sector where the Nexus had appeared, using experimental sensors capable of detecting individual molecules. While finding several El-Aurian bodies, he was unable to locate Kirk's. ( TNG novel : The Return )

Captain Scott retired soon after Captain Kirk's apparent death. He briefly lived with his sister and her husband in Cromarty before finding his own place in Glasgow . Besieged by nightmares of Kirk's death, he did very little consulting work. After about a year, he briefly met Guinan before befriending Ensign Matt Franklin . The newly-graduated ensign convinced him to travel with him on the USS Jenolen to Norpin V , where Scott was to retire. ( ST novel : Engines of Destiny )

According to another account, Scott met Ensign Franklin while onboard the Jenolen . ( TNG novelization : Relics )

The Jenolen crashed on a Dyson sphere , leaving Scott and Franklin as the only survivors. They rigged the transporter to keep them alive indefinitely. ( TNG episode : " Relics ")

The 24th century

Scott was eventually rescued by the Enterprise-D in 2369 , though Franklin's signal had degraded beyond recovery. He helped the Enterprise escape from the Dyson sphere and was "loaned" the shuttlecraft Goddard . Another, more successful transporter miracle Scotty performed was beaming himself and Geordi La Forge off the USS Jenolen while the shields were raised, a feat Scott accomplished with critical time to spare, as the ship held the sphere open long enough for the Enterprise to exit. ( TNG episode : " Relics ")

Not long afterwards, Scotty was reunited with fellow temporal-displaced Captain Morgan Bateson . ( TOS short story : " Ancient History ")

Feeling out of place in the twenty-fourth century and blaming himself for the deaths of Kirk and Franklin, Scott aimlessly wandered aboard the Goddard . One day in early 2370 , Scott detected a distress call and traced it to a Federation shuttlecraft carrying two escaped Narisians , being chased by Proctors from their homeworld of Narisia . Garamet and Wahlkon mistook Scott for a Wise One after beaming them off their shuttle. Scott initially requested assistance from Starfleet, and Captain Buck Stratton and the USS Yandro were to assist, but Scott used the old shuttlecraft to draw away a chasing vessel long enough to return to the vessel the two had fled, a B'rel -class Klingon bird-of-prey . Intending to utilize the ship to go back in time and save Kirk, Scott contacted the Enterprise and rendezvoused with it in order to pore over the logs from the original crew, specifically looking for Spock's time travel equations. Guinan met him with Saurian brandy, but he turned her away, and although she alerted Captain Picard to a feeling of unease around Scott, he still was able to escape without notice. Using the Bounty 2 and the Arhennius star, he was successful in returning to 2293 and beaming Kirk off the Enterprise -B at the moment of his supposed death, but the actions altered the timeline for him - and the Enterprise -D which had followed him into the past - to a universe where the Borg now controlled some of the Alpha Quadrant , including the Sol system .

Kirk and Scott were picked up by the Sarek of the altered timeline, now leader of the interstellar Alliance . Originally, Kirk suspected that Sarek was part of a plot to deceive him, but after being presented with sensor recordings of the Goddard appearing out of nowhere, came to the realization that they were in an alternate universe. After Kirk saved Sarek's life from an assassination attempt, they came to trust each other, and Kirk suggested they could consult the Guardian of Forever to determine where the timelines diverged and how to correct it. After Picard and the Enterprise -D rendezvoused with Sarek's ship, and the Borg started to seek out Picard to kill him, Kirk suspected it was his death that would save the timeline; however, Guinan insisted he could not die, but must be returned to the Nexus. Scott was able to work another miracle, and helped La Forge modify the ship's deflector shield grid to block sensor scans rather than weapons fire and routed a holographic projection through the grid to confuse the sensors of a pursing Borg fleet. The Enterprise was able to avoid destruction long enough to return Kirk to the Nexus, and the timeline returned to normal. ( Star Trek novel : Engines of Destiny )

Later that year, Scotty inspected the restoration of the old Enterprise -museum ship. He was escorted around the ship by Robin Lefler , when the Klingon Koloth arrived to finish an old honor debt with the engineer. ( TNG comic : " Old Debts ")

In 2371 , Scotty stole the Constitution -class USS Yorktown from the Starfleet Museum in an attempt to rescue Ambassador Spock from a Romulan prison on Constanthus . ( TNG novel : Crossover )

Return to the Fleet

Later that year, Scotty was visiting Argelius II when he encountered Burgoyne 172 , assistant chief engineer of the USS Excalibur . Burgoyne's comments caused Scott to re-enlist in Starfleet. After taking some refresher courses, Scott was stationed on Starbase 12 , where he worked under Captain Morgan Bateson in the construction of the Sovereign -class starship, the USS Honorius . ( NF novel : The Two-Front War ; NF short story : " Through the Looking Glass "; TNG novel : Ship of the Line ; SCE eBook : The Future Begins )

Later that year, Scotty attended the sixtieth wedding anniversary of Admiral John Harriman and his wife Amina Sasine , when they learned of Tolian Soran 's plot to destroy Amargosa . Scotty later learned of the real death of James T. Kirk and the destruction of the Enterprise -D. Shortly thereafter, the Honorius was re-designated the USS Enterprise -E . ( TNG short story : " Solemn Duty ", " Full Circle "; TNG novel : Ship of the Line ; SCE eBook : The Future Begins )

In 2370 , Scotty recommissioned the USS Theseus . Using technologies of his own design, Scott began rebuilding the ship. ( ST - Godshock comic : " Part 1 ")

In 2372, Scotty served as chief engineer of the Enterprise -E's maiden voyage under Captain Bateson before command was turned over to Captain Jean-Luc Picard . He then spent some time with Bateson on the USS Bozeman -A . ( TNG novel : Ship of the Line ; SCE eBook : The Future Begins )

Following that, Scotty served a tour of duty as chief engineer of the USS Sovereign , testing new technologies for possible implementation on all Sovereign -class vessels. ( TOS novel : Spectre ; SCE eBook : The Future Begins )

Corps of Engineers

FutureBegins

In April 2375 , after Scott's tour on the Sovereign ended, Admiral William Ross offered Scotty the position of head of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers . Scotty accepted, though only on an interim basis, until Ross could find someone better suited for the position. He disliked the administrative aspects of the job, and spent as much as time as possible out of the office doing hands-on tasks, delegating his responsibilities to Commander Leland T. Lynch . ( SCE - Have Tech, Will Travel eBook : The Belly of the Beast ; SCE - What's Past eBook : The Future Begins )

One of those trips was to repair a communications array on Tsugh Kaidnn . Another was a month-long inspection tour with Admiral Leonard McCoy in the runabout Hudson . Scotty and McCoy were on the Hudson when word came of the Breen attack on Earth during the Dominion War . Once he returned to Earth, Scott threw himself into the reconstruction wholeheartedly. ( SCE eBook : The Future Begins ; TOS short story : " Safe Harbors ")

Soon after, Scotty was manipulated by Admiral Alynna Nechayev into assisting in the theft of a captured Breen vessel from a prospective Federation member, the Kropaslin . This set off a chain of events that led to the rejection of the Kropaslin request for membership, and the eventual disintegration of the planet's infrastructure. Scotty resigned from Starfleet in protest. ( SCE eBook : The Future Begins )

After tendering his resignation, Scotty was hired by the government of Risa to rebuild that planet's weather modification net. Once that job was completed, he was offered and accepted a position as a greeter at the El Dorado Hotel . Scotty rejected numerous attempts by Admiral Ross to convince him to rejoin Starfleet, as Scotty was convinced that Starfleet was not the same organization that it was in his youth.

While at the El Dorado, Scotty, Lieutenant Robin Lefler , and her mother Morgan Primus stopped an attempt by a criminal named Rafe Viola to sabotage the resort's computers.

Soon after this incident, Ross offered Scotty the opportunity to help re-build Kropasar if he returned as head of SCE. With this incentive, Scotty finally accepted the offer and returned to Starfleet and the SCE. ( SCE eBook : The Future Begins , NF novels : Renaissance , Restoration )

Post-war challenges

Scotty saw the SCE through the Gateways Crisis and the reconstruction efforts around the Federation following the war. ( Gateways series; Star Trek: Corps of Engineers series)

In 2377 , Scotty was part of a covert mission to the Watraii homeworld aboard the USS Alliance to rescue the captive Admiral Pavel Chekov . ( Vulcan's Soul book two, Exiles )

In 2379 , Scotty volunteered to be a part of an inspection team reviewing the crew of the Enterprise -E, fearing that Starfleet's choices for the other inspectors were dubious at best. ( TNG novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace )

Later that year, Scotty, at the request of Jean-Luc Picard , turned the Theseus over to Benjamin Sisko in his quest to prevent a galactic deicide. When Sikso boarded, Scott turned over captaincy of the ship to him. ( ST - Godshock comic : " Part 1 ")

As of 2382 Captain Scott was in command of the USS Challenger which had become a personal engineering project for him. He commanded the ship during an investigation of the derelict NX -class Intrepid where he and his crew also discovered evidence of a new type of propulsion technology called Trans-slipstream . Scott was severely injured during an attempt to recover the Intrepid after it was stolen by Mission Specialist Berlinghoff Rasmussen and his partner, the Ferengi Bok . The Challenger was able to rescue the crew of the Intrepid ; however, the ship was unable to be recovered and was lost. Due to his injuries, Doctor Alyssa Ogawa informed Scotty that he would no longer be able to command the Challenger as he did not meet the minimum health requirements for starship command. Before he could be removed he retired from his position and recommended that Geordi La Forge replace him as the Captain of the Challenger .

As of 2383 , Scotty was still aboard the Challenger as a civilian mission specialist working in Engineering. Scotty was aboard the ship when it was assigned to investigate the recently discovered Trans-slipstream wake. After the Challenger was pulled into the galaxy NGC 4414 , Scotty was severely injured and was unable to continue his 48 hour required cellular regeneration treatments due to the damage to the Challenger . When the USS Hera was discovered, Scotty agreed to lead the away team to the vessel to ascertain its status and to protect his Captain from the emotional consequences of such a mission. During this Scotty became more and more frail due to the damage caused to his heart by being suspended in the transporter system of the Jenolen for so long - which was the reason behind his regenerative treatments. Upon the away team's recovery it was already too late for the Captain to resume treatment. Knowing he did not have long to survive, Scotty returned to the Challenger in order to seal the rift preventing the Challenger crew and the IRW Tomalak's Fist from returning to the Alpha Quadrant . Using the Challenger to seal the rift, Scotty disabled the drive systems of the ship and opened the doorway for the other vessel to return home. He was last seen on the bridge of the Challenger as the vessel was crushed inside the closing rift. A memorial service was held in his honor aboard the USS Enterprise -E. ( TNG novel : Indistinguishable from Magic )

25th century

In the year 2422 , the Montgomery Scott Engineering Sciences Building opened on the grounds of Starfleet Academy on the date of Scotty's 200th birthday. Scotty himself was present, and cut the ribbon. ( ST novel : Engines of Destiny )

Scotty also has a great-granddaughter, Katarina Scott , who was present in the Exomorph Crisis in 2380 and who used the very same technique that saved his life on the Dyson sphere ; namely storing a person's pattern in a transporter buffer. Whether Scotty has had any contact with her is unknown. ( ST video game : Elite Force II )

At some point prior to 2387 Scotty developed the theory of transwarp beaming , which allowed long-distance transport between a planet and a starship. He perfected the field equation for this process, which relied on the key insight of treating space as moving, rather than the transported object or person. When Spock was exiled to the alternate reality created by Nero of Romulus he carried this knowledge with him, and shared it with the Montgomery Scott of that reality, who had not yet perfected the theory. ( TOS movie : Star Trek )

Alternate timelines

Scotty Early Voyages

Scotty in an alternate timeline

In an alternate timeline created when Yeoman J. Mia Colt was sent forward in time from 2254 to 2293 after her tricorder scans released the tachyon energy contained in an Algolian artifact known as a Keepsake, Scotty served as the chief engineer of the commercial freighter Bounty , which was under the command of his fellow former Starfleet officer James T. Kirk , for over twenty years. He was married to the ship's first officer and tactical officer Zhota .

In 2293, he was killed by a Klingon on the surface of Algol II while he and his crew were helping Colt to reach the Well of Tomorrows so that she could return to to 2254. His sacrifice made it possible for her to do so and she was therefore able to restore the proper timeline. ( EV comics : " Future Tense ", " Futures ", " Now and Then ")

In another alternate timeline in which John Frederick Paxton destroyed Starfleet Command and ended the talks for the Coalition of Planets in 2155 , Scott served as chief engineer aboard the UESS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike during the early 2260s .

He frequently told the captain that the Enterprise needed to return to Spacedock in order to undergo complete repairs and that this had been the case since before he had become chief engineer. While Pike agreed with this assessment, his efforts to convince Starfleet Command of it were unsuccessful. ( TOS - Myriad Universes novel : A Less Perfect Union )

When Nero and Ambassador Spock were sent back to the 23rd century , causing what was called the Kelvin timeline after Nero's assault of the USS Kelvin , a photo of Scotty and Spock's crewmates aboard the USS Enterprise -A was among the personal effects bequeathed to the alternate Spock after Ambassador Spock passed away in the year 2263 . ( TOS movie : Beyond )

Starfleet service record

  • Aberdeen Solution
  • Katarina Scott

Connections

Appearances and references, appearances, external link.

  • Montgomery Scott article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
  • 1 Cetacean Probe
  • 2 Eclipse class
  • 3 Resurgence

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Finale Understands The Art Of The Surprise

Anson Mount, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

This post contains spoilers for the season 2 finale of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

When Scotty (Martin Quinn) showed up in the season 2 finale of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" this week, chiding Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) for mucking up his Gorn trap, I didn't see it coming. In fact, even as Scotty began explaining the mechanism of the tech he built in an enthusiastic Scottish brogue, it took me a few seconds to process who he was, to connect this man to one of the most beloved characters from "Star Trek: The Original Series." That's because with the Scotty introduction, "SNW" did something it hardly ever does anymore: let a surprise be a surprise .

In the current leak-heavy pop culture landscape, the process of keeping key cameos and twists in franchise films and shows under wraps has all but become a cottage industry in its own right. A high-profile actor's appearance in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" was shot last-minute and wasn't shown in test screenings, for example, while a starry cameo in "The Flash" was shot as quickly as possible and even withheld from early industry screenings of the film. Duplicate scripts, NDAs, fake-out alternate takes and more have all made headlines in recent years, as fans grow ever hungrier for pre-release spoilers.

Paramount+ era Star Trek doesn't always try to guard its secrets

"Star Trek" doesn't really roll like that, though. The franchise has pulled off several key surprises over the years, but the Paramount+ era of "Star Trek" has been punctuated mostly by major moments that were teased months or even years beforehand. Paul Wesley's casting as Captain Kirk in "Strange New Worlds," for instance, was announced in March 2022 , before the show ever aired its first season. The announcement proved more than a little confusing when it turned out Kirk wouldn't actually show up until the finale, and even then, it was an alternate-timeline version of the character. Audiences finally met the real, main timeline, modern-day Kirk in episode 6 of season 2, a full 16 months after fans first started speculating about whether Wesley would be any good in the role.

Other modern Trek "surprises" have taken a similarly press-heavy route to fruition. By the time "Star Trek: Picard" finally aired its third season, months of teases and previews had already revealed the return not just of a whole host of original "The Next Generation" castmates including LeVar Burton and Gates McFadden, but also of villains Lore (Brent Spiner) and Moriarty (Daniel Davis). Similarly, the "Star Trek: Lower Decks" live-action crossover episode of "Strange New Worlds" was hyped months in advance.

Scotty's appearance is a joyful twist

None of these marketing choices are overtly bad, and in some cases, they're probably necessary to maintain viewership and the health of the franchise. There's also a level of fan participation encouraged by these early reveals: more time knowing about the reappearance of lore means more time to speculate, a collaborative act that's half the fun for some people. But the lack of surprise can also make it tough for major moments to meet and exceed our expectations, which often inflate to untouchable levels in the months leading up to heavily teased arcs and episodes.

Personally, I've always loved going into my favorite shows as cold as possible, which is why I thought Scotty's appearance in "Hegemony" was an absolutely delightful surprise. It didn't feel like an empty Easter egg or a moment of fan service, but a proper character introduction, and a tremendously winning one at that. Scotty (or Mr. Scott, as everyone calls him before Carol Kane's Pelia reveals her nickname for her former student) is immediately endearing, scurrying around the Enterprise with a heap of spare parts as he chatters about the technical processes he needs to undertake to hold the Gorn at bay. Every character in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is some flavor of unapologetic geek, so he fits right in — but he's also an immediate cast standout for his can-do attitude, a mix of bluntness and helpfulness that ultimately saves the day.

Pandering cliffhangers versus fulfilling surprises

We talk a lot about the deep feelings our favorite shows and movies evoke in us, and I think one of the most underrated (and in the case of poorly plotted twists, misused) feelings we can experience as a TV fan is surprise. The medium's relationship with surprises has evolved over the years, and it's a feeling that's felt cheapened by circumstances in many instances. Underdeveloped, shock-value cliffhangers of the '80s, '90s, and aughts have given way to finales that stuff in Easter eggs and teases for what's to come or forgo cliffhangers entirely in favor of tying up loose ends. Often, surprises exist only to keep viewers hooked and are offensively obvious about this end goal.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" doesn't typically do that, and when it does drop in a hook, it does it well. In a streaming landscape plagued by unquantifiable cancellations, it's a bold move to end a season of TV with a "To be continued" promise the way "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (which, thankfully, has already been renewed) just did. That cliffhanger itself is a fun surprise, but no moment in the finale feels quite as pure and joyous as Scotty's appearance. We knew the rest of the original Enterprise crew — other as-yet-unseen characters include Bones and Sulu — would have to appear in this prequel series eventually, but "Hegemony" is so laser-focused on its high-stakes, horror movie-like premise that it's easy for viewers to forget the larger world of "Star Trek" exists outside of this moment. The show waits until we're totally distracted, then hits us with a super-fun twist.

Welcome aboard, Mr. Scott

In an era that's rife with shows and films that seem to be made only as connective tissue between the last big thing and the next big thing, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" stands apart as a franchise entry that's engrossing on its own terms. It's episodic television at its most compelling, to the point that an unadvertised major character introduction doesn't feel one bit like it's pandering or tapping into nostalgia bait. 

Instead, Scotty's pitch-perfect first appearance is a welcome, happy surprise — yet another thing to smile about in a season full of them. The fact that viewers were likely just as caught off guard by the moment he stepped from the shadows as Captain Pike himself, making for a moment of genuinely unpredictable TV within a franchise that's not always known for them, is just the icing on the cake. Welcome to the team, Mr. Scott. Boy, are we glad to see you.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" seasons 1 and 2 are now on Paramount+.

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Star trek: 15 things you didn't know about scotty.

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Star Trek Fleet Command Codes (June 2024)

Star trek confirms captain shaw's story isn't over, star trek celebrations: pride is a wonderful tribute to the franchise's lgbtqia+ characters.

The original Enterprise that we saw in  Star Trek: The Original Series   was held together with tape and string. Starships were powered by dilithium crystals, which could not be replicated and had a tendency to be temperamental.

A lot of the problems with dilithium were ironed out by the time period of  The Next Generation,  which meant that the writers needed to come up with different reasons for the ship to break down. In  The Original Series,  the Enterprise was held together by a single man, whose intimate knowledge of the workings of machinery was all that saved the crew from destruction on many occasions.

His name was Montgomery Scott, and he was one of the greatest engineers in Starfleet history. He was played by James Doohan, who had lived a fascinating life before the idea of  Star Trek ever entered Gene Roddenberry's mind.

We are here today to celebrate the life of one of the greatest  Star Trek  characters of all time, as well as the incredible man who played him.

From his current status in the canon of the series, to one of the most misquoted lines in television history, here are the  15 Things You Didn't Know About Scotty from Star Trek.

15. Scotty Is Still Alive In Star Trek Online

The  Star Trek  reboot movies established the creation of a new timeline, due to a Romulan named Nero, who went back to the past and changed history. Fans wondered if this meant that the TV shows that took place after  Enterprise  had now been wiped out from continuity. The answer lies in a video game, as the original TV show universe of  Star Trek  is continued in the world of  Star Trek Online .

Scotty froze himself in time in  The Next Generation  episode called "Relics", and thus he is still alive in  Star Trek Online , where he can be encountered in several different missions. Scotty is voiced by James Doohan's son, Christopher.

When Leonard Nimoy passed away in real life, his character was also allowed to pass away in the  Star Trek  reboot universe. Scotty is not the only living member of the original Enterprise crew, however, as Pavel Chekov has become a temporal agent.

14. The Deleted Death Of Scotty's Nephew

In  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,  there is a scene where Scotty looks on sadly as a member of the engineering crew of the Enterprise dies from wounds he suffered when the ship was attacked. Khan used the USS Reliant to attack the Enterprise and tried to incapacitate the ship by attacking the engineering section. The young engineer did not abandon his post and thus his actions may have saved the Enterprise and her crew.

The reason Scotty looks so sad (other than the fact that he's witnessing the death of a young man) is because the crew member was his nephew. The character's name was Peter Preston, and he was the youngest son of Scotty's sister.

There were scenes recorded for the movie which explained their familial link, but were later removed for the theatrical release. These scenes were added back in for certain television showings of  The Wrath of Khan , though,   and can be found in the numerous home releases of the movie.

13. James Doohan Created The Klingon Language

The Klingon language is the most widely spoken fictional language in the world. There were many episodes of  Star Trek  that featured long sections of the Klingon language being spoken by actors, with handy subtitles added for the audience. Klingon was refined by a man named Mark Okrand, who helped to develop the language for the  Star Trek  TV shows and movies.

James Doohan is the man credited with creating the Klingon language. He came up with the first few words, which were used in  Star Trek: The Motion Picture . It was these words that formed the basis for the language, which Mark Okrand used to further develop into something that could actually be used in conversation.

This was the foundation that was used to create the  Klingon Dictionary,  as well as several audiobooks that were created to help teach the language to people. These were mainly narrated by Michael Dorn, who played Worf in  Star Trek: The Next Generation .

12. The Son Of Scotty

James Doohan fathered seven children in his lifetime, the youngest of which was born in the year 2000 when he was in his eighties. One of his oldest sons is Christopher Doohan, who has appeared in numerous  Star Trek  productions.

Christopher Doohan is the guy who voices Scotty in  Star Trek Online . He has had guest appearances in  Star Trek: The Motion Picture  and the first two reboot movies. Christopher is friends with Simon Pegg, who toke over the role of Scotty in the reboot films. Pegg personally invited Christopher and his family to the premiere of  Star Trek  (200 9) .

There are many  Star Trek  fan movies and series that have been created over the years. One of the most prominent is  Star Trek Continues,  which acts as a continuation of  The Original Series . Captain Kirk is played by Vic Mignogna, who is best known for his voice-over work in anime and video games. The role of Scotty in  Star Trek Continues  is played by Christopher Doohan, who may be the best possible man for the role.

11. Craig Ferguson's Revenge

One of the main goals of  Star Trek: The Original Series  was to show people of different gender, race, and nationalities working together in harmony. This is something that the show has often been praised for, especially considering the fact that it debuted in the '60s when civil rights was a huge issue in the United States of America.

There is one problem with the respectful nature of the crew of the original Enterprise, however, and it's Scotty's accent. Any Scottish person will tell you that his accent is widely overblown and is essentially a stereotype given form.

This doesn't mean that Scotty isn't loved as a character in Scotland, but he did manage to attract a few haters in his native land. The most prominent of these is Craig Ferguson, who is now best known for hosting  The Late Late Show .

Craig Ferguson played a character named Mr. Wick in  The Drew Carey Show.  This character was an over the top stereotype of a stuffy Englishman. Ferguson has openly stated that James Doohan's horrible Scottish accent in  Star Trek  was the inspiration for the character and that his portrayal was revenge against Scotty.

10. Gene Roddenberry Wanted To Get Rid Of Scotty

Gene Roddenberry didn't create the character of Scotty in the same way that he envisioned the other members of the Enterprise crew. He did want a chief engineer, but the character wasn't intended to have a large role in the story.

James Doohan was asked to audition for a role in  Star Trek  by James Goldstone, who had worked with him previously and had him in mind for other projects. Doohan auditioned for the role and was asked to try out different accents, with the Scottish one winning out in the end.

It seems that Roddenberry wasn't too fond of the Scotty character, as he was trying to get rid of him as early as the second pilot for the show. The only reason Scotty stayed on the show was that Doohan's agent came down to the set personally and talked Roddenberry down. It took time, but Doohan's performance won Roddenberry over and he was accepted as one of the main characters on the show.

9. Scotty's Missing Finger

James Doohan was born in Canada, though his parents both emigrated from Ireland. He joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and took part in World War II. He killed two men during the Normandy Landings when his unit assaulted Juno Beach.

Doohan was accidentally shot by one of his own sentries. He was hit by six different bullets, one of which would have killed him if it weren't for a silver cigarette case within his jacket. One of these bullets went into the middle finger of his right hand, which had to be amputated.

After the war, James Doohan pursued an acting career. He generally hid his missing finger during screen productions. There are only a few scenes in  Star Trek: The Original Series  where the missing digit can be seen. The most notable is probably during "The Trouble With Tribbles", in the scene where Scotty is holding an armful of the creatures.

James Doohan became less concerned with showing his right hand in later productions, as his missing finger can be seen in several scenes in the  Star Trek: The Next Generation  episode called "Relics".

8. The Loaded Weapon Cameo

The actors who were cast in  Star Trek: The Original Series  had no idea of how the roles were going to totally change their lives. They have made no secret about how they've all become best known for their  Star Trek  roles, and how this familiarity has prevented them from getting other work. William Shatner and George Takei had to become shrieking parodies of themselves in order to be better known than Kirk and Sulu.

James Doohan had trouble finding work outside of  Star Trek  for a long time, as he had become strongly associated with the character of Scotty. This wasn't helped by the large gap of time between the end of  The Original Series  and  The Motion Picture. 

It seems that James Doohan just gave up and started playing parodies of Scotty in other productions. He played Scotty in the parody film  Loaded Weapon , where he was a police officer who needed to fix a coffee machine. This involved him shouting a lot of the dialogue that he said in  Star Trek .

7. Scotty's Ashes Needed An Engineering Department

James Doohan passed away in 2005 at the age of 85. He suffered many ailments later in life, which were partly a result of the injuries he sustained in World War II. His passing was mourned by  Star Trek  fans across the world, as well as by the entertainment industry at large.

Before he passed away, James Doohan asked for his ashes to be shot into space. This turned out to be a far bigger request than he may have realized, as it took two years for this wish to be fulfilled. In 2007, a portion of Doohan's ashes was shot into space in a capsule, which then plummeted into a desert in New Mexico. It took weeks for the capsule and the ashes to be reclaimed.

The next portion of Doohan's ashes was sent up in a rocket in 2008. This rocket failed after two minutes and his ashes were spread over Washington. The remainder of his ashes were sent up in the Falcon 9 rocket in 2012, which, thankfully, made its way into space.

6. The Relics Retcon

When Gene Roddenberry first started developing  Star Trek: The Next Generation,  he had originally intended for none of the characters or races from  The Original Series  to make an appearance. This rule didn't last long, as a Klingon now served aboard the Enterprise. The first episode also featured a guest spot from a very old Dr. McCoy. Leonard Nimoy would also reprise his role of Spock in the show.

The last member of  The Original Series  cast to appear in  The Next Generation  TV show was Scotty. It was revealed that he had kept himself alive within a transport buffer for decades.

However, Scotty quickly manages to cause an inconsistency with his first few lines of dialogue. When he discovers that the Enterprise saved him, he asks if Captain Kirk led the mission. This line doesn't make sense, as it was later established in  Star Trek Generations  that Scotty was there when Kirk was believed to have been killed during the maiden voyage of the Enterprise-B.

5. The War For Scotty's Future Birthplace

It was never clear whereabouts in Scotland that Scotty was actually born. This is due to contradictory information that was given throughout the franchise and wasn't helped by his ill-defined accent. The matter was never officially resolved within  Star Trek  canon, though the novels have given several opinions on the subject.

After James Doohan passed away in 2005, there was a bidding war between several different cities in Scotland to become known as the future birthplace of Montgomery Scott. This might seem like a crazy idea, but it is one that has already happened in Iowa. The city of Riverside proclaims itself to be the future birthplace of James T. Kirk.

The town of Linlithgow made a bid to become the future birthplace of Scotty, which included an attempt to hold the world premiere of the 2009  Star Trek  there. This ran into a hiccup when it was revealed that Linlithgow didn't even have a cinema, however.

Alas, it was the city of Aberdeen that finally won the right to call itself the future birthplace of Scotty.

4. James Doohan Saved A Suicidal Fan

Star Trek  is known for inspiring lots of different people in their careers. Whoopi Goldberg has cited Nichelle Nichols' performance as Uhura for inspiring her to become an actress. There have also been a lot of people who cite  Star Trek  as inspiring them to enter scientific, engineering, or psychiatry careers.

James Doohan once gave an interview for the movie  Trekkies , where he talked about saving a fan's life. She sent him a letter that he recognized as a suicide note. He called her to invite her to a convention. Doohan kept inviting her to conventions, in order to make sure that she was alright. She came to visit him at different conventions for two years, before cutting off contact with him.

Eight years later, the fan contacted Doohan to tell him that she had just completed her master's degree in Electrical Engineering and that his actions had saved her life.

3. Pegg's Accent

The  Star Trek  reboot movies have been set in the era of the Enterprise from  The Original Series . This means that all of the old familiar characters were recast with new actors. The role of Montgomery Scott went to Simon Pegg, who was a huge Star Trek  fan.

Pegg's casting was ironic, as he had previously written and starred in a show called  Spaced , which included a scene where he said something was ". .. sure as every odd-numbered Star Trek movie is s--t. " He would go on to play Scotty in an odd-numbered  Star Trek  movie, which turned out to be great.

Simon Pegg took the role of Scotty seriously, to the point where he actually tried to emulate a proper Scottish accent for the performance. Pegg had some help with this from his wife and her family, who are from Scotland-- he based his Scottish accent on her's and used it for his performance of Montgomery Scott.

2. The Many Voices Of The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Original Series  was canceled in 1969 after a three-season run. The show quickly found a huge audience in syndication, which began the many attempts to revive the show.  Star Trek  finally returned in 1973 as a cartoon show called  Star Trek: The Animated Series . This show brought back the original cast, who all reprised their roles and continued the five-year mission of the Enterprise.

The show had a limited budget. It is for this reason that James Doohan was called on to voice numerous different characters on the show. Along with Scotty, he also voiced Kyle, an Ancient Insectoid, a Magnetic Organism, a science officer, the Guardian of Forever, Ari bn Bem, Dramian Supreme Prefect, Kol-Tai, Dawson Walking Bear, Kukulkan, and Karl Four, among many others.

The creators of  Star Trek: The Animated Series  clearly got their money's worth with James Doohan. The majority of the female roles in the show were also voiced by Majel Barrett.

1. No One Ever Said "Beam Me Up, Scotty"

One of the most recognizable phrases in all of  Star Trek  is "beam me up, Scotty." This phrase has entered the consciousness of society in such a way that even people who have never seen  Star Trek  can pinpoint its origin. It was the phrase used by Kirk or Spock whenever they needed to be quickly beamed up off the surface of a planet, which means that it was spoken in hundreds of episodes...

Actually, it wasn't. The phrase "beam me up, Scotty" was never spoken on any  Star Trek  TV show or movie. This is an example of a popular phrase coming from nothing, such as "elementary, dear Watson" or "play it again, Sam." There were a few instances where a character spoke a similar line, such as " beam us up Mr. Scott " or " Scotty, beam us up, " but the actual full line was never spoken.

James Doohan actually named his autobiography Beam Me Up, Scotty . This is proof of how ingrained this phrase became in our minds. The actual story of James Doohan's life was given a title from a phrase that people only thought he said. It represents the part of our brain that is forever dedicated to his memorable performance as Montgomery Scott.

Can you think of any other interesting facts about  Star Trek 's Scotty? Let us know in the comments!

James Doohan (1920-2005)

Additional crew.

IMDbPro Starmeter See rank

James Doohan

  • 2 wins & 1 nomination

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and James Doohan in Star Trek (1966)

  • Lieutenant Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott
  • Voice of Sargon
  • 1966–1969 • 66 eps

Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

  • Judge Peterson

Courtnee Draper in The Duke (1999)

  • Clive Chives

Through Dead Eyes (1999)

  • Barney Fredericks

Randy Quaid in Bug Buster (1998)

  • Sheriff Carlson

Heather Tom, Thorsten Kaye, and Katherine Kelly Lang in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987)

  • Damon Warwick
  • 20 episodes

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1994)

  • Kardassian (voice)

Star Trek: Generations (1997)

  • Capt. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (voice)

Flex Alexander and Darryl M. Bell in Homeboys in Outer Space (1996)

  • Uncle Monty

William Shatner, James Doohan, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1993)

  • Mr. Scott (voice)

Kathy Ireland and Jack Scalia in Amore! (1993)

  • Klingon and Vulcan languages (uncredited)

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, and DeForest Kelley in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973)

  • performer: "Yr Hufen Melyn"

Official Trailer

Personal details

  • 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
  • March 3 , 1920
  • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • July 20 , 2005
  • Redmond, Washington, USA (pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease)
  • Spouses Wende Doohan October 12, 1974 - July 20, 2005 (his death, 3 children)
  • Children Sarah Doohan
  • Other works (autobiography) "Beam Me Up, Scotty" (with Peter David)
  • 1 Print Biography
  • 7 Interviews
  • 10 Articles
  • 1 Pictorial
  • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

  • Trivia One of the proudest moments in his career was when he communicated with a fan whom he deduced was struggling with suicidal feelings. Doohan invited her to a convention and invited her to more conventions. Eventually, the woman disappeared and he could not find her. He then received a letter eight years later from the woman who said she had just received her degree in Engineering and thanking him for his help.
  • Quotes I like Captain Kirk, but I can't say that I'm very fond of Bill Shatner ( William Shatner ).
  • Trademarks Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott on Star Trek (1966) and seven of the Star Trek films
  • When did James Doohan die?
  • How did James Doohan die?
  • How old was James Doohan when he died?

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Scotty (Star Trek)

Montgomery " Scotty " Scott [1] is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise Star Trek . [2] First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series , Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series , 10 Star Trek films , the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Relics ", and in numerous books, comics, and video games. [3] [4]

Development and portrayals

Doohan depiction, pegg depiction, early years, birthplace dispute, in popular culture, external links.

Simon Pegg has assumed the character and appeared in the Star Trek reboot (2009) [4] and its sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). In 2023, a young version of Scotty appeared in the final episode of the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , portrayed by Martin Quinn. [5] Later in 2023, an animated version of Scotty was played by Carlos Alazraqui in a very Short Treks episode. [6]

Doohan was cast as the Enterprise engineer for the second Star Trek pilot, " Where No Man Has Gone Before " (1966) on the recommendation of that episode's director, James Goldstone, who had worked with him before. [7] The character almost did not make it to the show after series creator Gene Roddenberry sent Doohan a letter informing him, "We don't think we need an engineer in the series". Only through the intervention of Doohan's agent did the character remain. [7]

Doohan tried a variety of accents for the part and decided to use a Scottish accent on the basis that he thought Scottish people make the best engineers. [8] Doohan himself chose Scotty's first name, Montgomery (Doohan's own middle name), in honor of his maternal grandfather James Montgomery. [9] In a third-season production memo, Roddenberry said Doohan "is capable of handling anything we throw at him" and that the "dour Scot" works better when being protective of the ship's engines. [10]

Scotty (the fictional Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott) spent part of his life in Aberdeen , Scotland . [11] He wears Clan Scott 's tartan as part of his dress uniform . [12] Doohan claimed to have based Scotty's accent on an Aberdeen accent he once heard. [8] During the events of Star Trek , Scotty holds the rank of lieutenant commander and serves as the Enterprise ' s second officer and "miracle worker" chief engineer, [3] commanding the ship and recording its log when both Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner ) and First Officer Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) are not aboard. [13] Scotty's technical knowledge and skill allow him to devise unconventional and effective last-minute solutions to dire problems. [2] Scotty's identity is strongly connected to the Enterprise itself, and the character often takes a paternal attitude toward the ship. [2] He is frequently the liaison between Captain Kirk's ambitious tactical plans and what is technically feasible in the realm of the starship's capabilities. Scotty asserts in the TNG episode " Relics " that he "never wanted to be anything else but an engineer". [14] In addition to his engineering abilities, Scotty is often shown to be a fairly heavy drinker but is only shown drunk twice, in "By Any Other Name" and "Relics".

Scotty oversaw the Enterprise ' s refit prior to the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and is part of the crew when the Enterprise confronts Khan Noonien Singh ( Ricardo Montalbán ) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). [3] Although not stated when this occurred in the original release of the film, Peter Preston – who was mortally wounded during the attack on the Enterprise by the USS Reliant , and dies with Scotty at his bedside – was Scotty's nephew. After Scotty was promoted to captain of engineering of the USS Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), he sabotages the new ship and helps Kirk steal the Enterprise to rescue Spock. [3] Scotty joins Kirk's crew aboard the USS Enterprise -A at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), he helps Kirk, Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy ( DeForest Kelley ) escape the brig and retake the hijacked Enterprise . [3] Scotty kills Colonel West ( René Auberjonois ) before the latter can assassinate the Federation president ( Kurtwood Smith ) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). [3] Scotty joins Kirk and Pavel Chekov ( Walter Koenig ) for the USS Enterprise -B 's maiden voyage in Star Trek Generations (1994), saving the ship through his technical expertise. [15]

After serving aboard 11 starships in a career spanning 52 years and retiring at the age of 72 with the rank of Captain, Scotty was aboard a transport shuttle en route to a retirement colony when it crashed into a Dyson sphere ; stranded, he set the transporter to cycle indefinitely and "stored" himself in the buffer for 75 years before being recovered by the USS Enterprise -D crew in "Relics". [3] Even though he is no longer able to serve effectively as an engineer and struggles to get used to 24th-century life, Scotty nevertheless helps save the Enterprise -D from being trapped within the sphere. [15] At the end, the 147-year-old Captain Montgomery Scott is given an Enterprise shuttlecraft and left to explore space.

Simon Pegg (pictured in 2008) portrayed Scotty from 2009 until 2016 Simon Pegg 01.jpg

In September 2007, Paul McGillion auditioned for the Scotty role in the 2009 Star Trek reboot and received James Doohan's son Chris 's endorsement. [16] However, Simon Pegg's casting was announced on October 11, 2007. [17] Pegg's portrayal in the 2009 Star Trek reboot has Scotty stuck working at an isolated outpost as punishment for beaming Admiral Jonathan Archer 's [18] prized beagle from one planet to the next — and having no idea where it ended up. With assistance from Spock Prime and James Kirk, he joins the Enterprise crew and becomes the ship's chief engineer. Slate.com called Pegg's performance of Scotty in the 2009 Star Trek reboot "juicily comic". [4] The character of Scotty has an expanded role in the film Star Trek Beyond (written by Pegg and Doug Jung ), in which he meets an alien woman named Jaylah, who leads him to the crashed Federation starship, the USS Franklin . Working together, the two make the ship again flightworthy and Scotty helps Jaylah to see the value of working together with a crew. [19]

A young Scotty, played by Scottish actor Martin Quinn, appears in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Hegemony". In that episode, Scotty holds the rank of Lieutenant junior grade and is the only survivor of a Gorn attack on his ship, the USS Stardiver . After escaping from the wrecked Stardiver , Scotty took a shuttlecraft and managed to reach a Federation colony on Parnassus Beta. He was then rescued by the Enterprise .

Following Doohan's death, several Scottish towns campaigned to be named Scotty's "official birthplace". Scripts, production materials and Doohan's family support Aberdeen 's claim to being Scotty's birthplace. [20] In " Wolf in the Fold " (1967), Scotty says that he is "an old Aberdeen pub crawler", as he grew up and spent some of his reprobate youth there. Notwithstanding that caveat, Aberdeen city leaders proposed [ needs update ] plans to erect a monument to the actor and character. [21]

Scotty's operation of the Enterprise transporter system inspired the catchphrase " Beam me up, Scotty ", which gained currency in popular culture beyond Star Trek fans (most notably by former U.S. Representative James Traficant ), [22] even though the exact phrase is not spoken in that way in the original series, although it is used frequently in the animated series. In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Kirk says, "Scotty, beam me up."

Doohan himself briefly reprised the role for a gag cameo in the action comedy Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), as well as being Scotty in the movie Knight Rider 2000 (1991), while parodies of Scotty or his accent appear in such media as World of Warcraft (2004), Spaceballs (1987), Tale Spin , Goof Troop , The Simpsons , Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Beavis and Butt-Head and All That . Scotty also appeared in a Far Side comic, where he was in Hell .

In the song " Boat Drinks ", singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett asks, "Could you beam me somewhere, Mister Scott? Any old place, here on Earth or in space, you pick the century and I'll pick the spot." Rap artists D4L have a song "Scotty" that uses his character and Star Trek , as do Relient K in their song "Beaming".

In 2009, IGN rated Scotty the 16th best character of the Star Trek franchise, including the spin-off shows produced up to that time. [23]

In 2016, Screen Rant rated Scotty as the 18th best character in Star Trek overall as presented in television and film up to that time, highlighting the character as someone who could get the Enterprise out of trouble, with phrases that added both tension and humor to the show. [24] In 2016, Scotty was ranked as the 19th most important character of Starfleet within the Star Trek science fiction universe by Wired magazine. [25]

In 2018, The Wrap placed Scotty as 12th out of 39 in a ranking of main cast characters of the Star Trek franchise prior to Star Trek: Discovery . [26] In 2018, CBR ranked Scotty the ninth best Starfleet character of Star Trek . [27]

In July 2019, Screen Rant ranked Scotty the 5th smartest character of all Star Trek (including later series). [28]

Related Research Articles

Star Trek: The Animated Series ( TAS ) is an American animated science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired simply under the title Star Trek , subtitled Created by Gene Roddenberry , on Saturday mornings from September 8, 1973 to October 12, 1974 on NBC, spanning 22 episodes over two seasons. The second series in the Star Trek franchise, it features mostly the same characters as Star Trek: The Original Series . Set in the 23rd century, the series follows the further adventures of the Starship USS Enterprise as it explores the galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard McCoy</span> Fictional character from Star Trek

Dr. Leonard H. McCoy , known as " Bones ", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise Star Trek . McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the animated Star Trek series , in six Star Trek films , in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and in numerous books, comics, and video games. A decade after Kelley's death, Karl Urban assumed the role of McCoy in the Star Trek reboot film in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James T. Kirk</span> Character in the Star Trek media franchise

James Tiberius Kirk , commonly known as James T. Kirk or Captain Kirk , is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds, new civilizations, and "boldly go where no man has gone before". Often, the characters of Spock and Leonard "Bones" McCoy act as his logical and emotional sounding boards, respectively. Kirk has also been portrayed in numerous films, books, comics, webisodes, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Doohan</span> Canadian actor (1920–2005)

James Montgomery Doohan was a Canadian actor and author, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek . Doohan's characterization of the Scottish chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise has become one of the most recognizable elements in the Star Trek franchise, and inspired many fans to pursue careers in engineering and other technical fields. He also made contributions behind the scenes, such as the initial development of the Klingon and Vulcan languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where No Man Has Gone Before</span> 3rd episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Original Series

" Where No Man Has Gone Before " is the third episode of the first season of the American science-fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Samuel A. Peeples and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on September 22, 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Chapel</span> Star Trek character

Christine Chapel is a fictional character who appears in all three seasons of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Original Series , as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series and the films Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Portrayed by Majel Barrett, she was the ship's nurse on board the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise . A younger version of Chapel appears in the 2022 series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , portrayed by Jess Bush.

" Errand of Mercy " is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by John Newland, it was first broadcast on March 23, 1967. It was the first episode in which the Klingons appeared.

" Assignment: Earth " is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Art Wallace and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on 29 March 1968.

This Side of Paradise (<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i>) 24th episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Original Series

" This Side of Paradise " is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by D. C. Fontana and Jerry Sohl and directed by Ralph Senensky, it was first broadcast on March 2, 1967.

" A Taste of Armageddon " is the twenty-third episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Robert Hamner and Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on February 23, 1967.

" Wolf in the Fold " is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Robert Bloch and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on December 22, 1967.

" The Apple " is the fifth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Max Ehrlich and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on October 13, 1967.

<i>Star Trek</i> (film) 2009 film by J. J. Abrams

Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is the 11th film in the Star Trek franchise, and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series. The film follows James T. Kirk and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero, a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The story takes place in an alternate reality that features both an alternate birth location for James T. Kirk and further alterations in history stemming from the time travel of both Nero and the original series Spock. The alternate reality was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements.

" Relics " is the 130th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation , the fourth episode of the sixth season.

" The Eye of the Beholder " is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American animated science fiction television series Star Trek . It first aired in the NBC Saturday morning lineup on January 5, 1974, and was written by David P. Harmon. Harmon also worked on the original Star Trek series, writing the episode "The Deadly Years" and co-writing "A Piece of the Action" with Gene L. Coon.

<i>Yesterdays Son</i> 1983 science fiction book by Ann C. Crispin

Yesterday's Son is a science fiction novel by American writer A. C. Crispin set in the fictional Star Trek Universe. It describes the events surrounding Spock's discovery that he has a son. Yesterday's Son and its sequel, Time for Yesterday , make up A. C. Crispin's "Yesterday Saga".

<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American science-fiction television series Star Trek , originally created by Gene Roddenberry, premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966, and concluded on April 13, 1967. The season debuted in Canada on CTV two days before the US premiere, on September 6, 1966. It consisted of 29 episodes, which is the highest number of episodes in a season for the original series of Star Trek . It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.

<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek , premiered on NBC on September 15, 1967 and concluded on March 29, 1968. It consisted of twenty-six episodes. It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.

<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third and final season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek , premiered on NBC on Friday, September 20, 1968 and concluded on Tuesday, June 3, 1969. It consisted of twenty-four episodes. Star Trek: The Original Series is an American science fiction television series produced by Fred Freiberger, and created by Gene Roddenberry, and the original series of the Star Trek franchise. It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.

  • ↑ Johnson, Mike. Star Trek Ongoing #19 . IDW Publishing, 2013
  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Okuda, Michael ; Okuda, Denise ; Mirek, Debbie (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia . Pocket Books. ISBN   0-671-53609-5 .
  • 1 2 3 Stevens, Dana (2009-05-06). "Go See Star Trek" . Slate . Archived from the original on 2011-01-15 . Retrieved 2009-05-07 .
  • ↑ Seibold, Witney (2023-08-10). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Kept Its Biggest Surprise For The Finale" . /Film . Retrieved 2023-08-10 .
  • ↑ "Star Trek: very Short Treks | Walk, Don't Run | StarTrek.com" . 2023-10-04 . Retrieved 2024-05-09 .
  • 1 2 Solow, Herbert ; Justman, Robert (June 1997). Inside Star Trek The Real Story . Simon & Schuster . pp.   152 . ISBN   0-671-00974-5 .
  • 1 2 Hayward, Anthony (2005-07-22). "Obituary: James Doohan" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2021-08-15 . Retrieved 2021-08-15 .
  • ↑ "James Doohan (Obituary)" . TimesOnline. 2005-07-21. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29 . Retrieved 2007-04-29 .
  • ↑ Roddenberry, Gene (April 18, 1968). "Kirk, Spock and Other Continuing STAR TREK Characters" (memo). Archived from the original on August 14, 2013 . Retrieved September 10, 2013 .
  • ↑ Mandel, Geoffrey (1980). USS Enterprise Officer's Manual . New York, NY: Interstellar Associates. p.   23. Archived from the original on 2013-05-14 . Retrieved 2013-03-19 .
  • ↑ Suehle, Ruth (2012-09-21). "Twelve Fictional Characters With Officially Registered Tartans" . Wired . Archived from the original on 2020-08-04 . Retrieved 2020-01-21 .
  • ↑ Gene L. Coon . " Metamorphosis "; Star Trek: The Original Series ; November 10, 1967
  • ↑ "Relics". Star Trek: The Next Generation . 1992-10-12. Oh, I may be captain by rank... but I never wanted to be anything else but an engineer.
  • 1 2 Nemeck, Larry (2003). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion . Pocket Books . ISBN   0-7434-5798-6 .
  • ↑ Read, David (2007-10-01). "McGillion up for 'Star Trek' role" . GateWorld. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30 . Retrieved 2009-05-08 .
  • ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (2007-10-11). "Simon Pegg to play Scotty in 'Trek' " . Variety . Archived from the original on 2018-06-25 . Retrieved 2018-04-04 .
  • ↑ "Orci and Kurtzman Reveal Star Trek Details In TrekMovie Fan Q&A" . TrekMovie.com. 2009-05-22. Archived from the original on 2009-05-27 . Retrieved 2009-06-18 . 'Admiral Archer' is a reference to the Archer we all know and love
  • ↑ Fect, Sarah (July 21, 2016). " Star Trek Beyond Review: Everything We Loved and Hated" . Popular Science . Archived from the original on December 15, 2016 . Retrieved December 20, 2016 .
  • ↑ " 'Scotty' beamed back to Scotland" . BBC . 2005-07-21. Archived from the original on 2009-01-04 . Retrieved 2009-05-08 .
  • ↑ "Richard Arnold: Scotty Will Be Born In Aberdeen" . TrekToday. 2005-08-08. Archived from the original on 2005-08-10 . Retrieved 2005-08-08 .
  • ↑ "Beam me up: 5 classic Jim Traficant quotes" . Archived from the original on 2019-12-20 . Retrieved 2021-12-08 .
  • ↑ IGN Movies (2009-05-08). "Top 25 Star Trek Characters" . IGN . Archived from the original on 2019-03-27 . Retrieved 2019-06-20 .
  • ↑ "The 20 Best Characters In Star Trek History" . ScreenRant . 2016-11-19. Archived from the original on 2019-02-09 . Retrieved 2019-03-20 .
  • ↑ McMillan, Graeme (2016-09-05). "Star Trek's 100 Most Important Crew Members, Ranked" . Wired . ISSN   1059-1028 . Archived from the original on 2019-03-02 . Retrieved 2019-03-20 .
  • ↑ "All 39 'Star Trek' Main Characters Ranked" . TheWrap . 2018-03-21. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02 . Retrieved 2019-06-30 .
  • ↑ "Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked" . CBR . 2018-10-27. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20 . Retrieved 2019-06-20 .
  • ↑ "Star Trek: The 10 Smartest Characters, Ranked" . ScreenRant . 2019-07-08. Archived from the original on 2019-07-18 . Retrieved 2019-07-24 .
  • StarTrek.com: Montgomery Scott Archived 2010-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
  • Montgomery Scott at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki )
  • Wikipedia Star Trek Into Darkness debate

Memory Alpha

Montgomery Scott (alternate reality)

  • View history

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was a Human Starfleet officer serving in the 23rd century . He was recruited by James T. Kirk as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise before the Battle of Earth in 2258 and, soon after, became the Enterprise 's second officer . Scott was a brilliant engineer and physicist whose technical expertise enhanced the space travel capabilities of Starfleet. Scott was a speaker of the Scots language .

  • 1 Early life
  • 2.1.1 Stopping Nero
  • 2.1.2 Nibiru
  • 2.1.3 Going after John Harrison
  • 3.1 Altamid
  • 3.2 Jaylah's house
  • 3.3 Enterprise -A
  • 4.1.1 James T. Kirk
  • 4.1.2 Jaylah
  • 5 Key dates
  • 6 Memorable quotes
  • 7.1 Appearances
  • 7.2 Background information
  • 7.3 Apocrypha
  • 7.4 External links

Early life [ ]

Scott was born in 2222 in Scotland . ( TNG : " Relics ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Scotty eventually joined Starfleet and, sometime during his tenure, he engaged in a debate with his instructor on the issue of relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel. The professor was of the opinion that the range of a transporter was limited to a few hundred kilometers ; Scotty felt that he could beam a lifeform from one planet to the next within a star system . His theory, however, had never been tested. As he was experimenting with his theory of transwarp beaming , he used Admiral Archer 's prized beagle as a test subject, but was unable to locate the dog afterwards.

Montgomery Scott, 2258

Scott exiled to Delta Vega

Scott was sent to a Federation outpost on Delta Vega with his colleague, Keenser , in late 2257 , six months before the destruction of Vulcan . He believed his blunder with Archer's dog was the real reason for his ending up there.

In 2258 , Keenser brought him two visitors, James T. Kirk and Spock , who Scotty believed were sent by Starfleet to supply him with food.

Spock helped Scott fix this transport problem by giving him the finished version of the governing equation "his" Scotty – a longtime friend from his own future timeline – had completed in the future. The final detail Scott needed was to construct the equations from the perspective that outer space itself, not the ships, was moving. Using the new calculations, Kirk and Scott were able to beam aboard the Enterprise while it was moving at warp.

Chief engineer of the USS Enterprise [ ]

Stopping nero [ ].

Montgomery Scott (alternate reality) at transporter controls

Scotty operating the Enterprise transporter controls

Despite his technical knowledge and engineering specialty, Scotty suffered an initial run of bad luck when it came to transporter targets. When beaming himself and Kirk to the Enterprise he ended up in a water conduit in engineering labeled "Inert Reactant", nearly drowning before Kirk was able to evacuate him through an emergency hatch. The first time he used the Enterprise transporter, he aimed for the cargo bay of the Narada where he believed Kirk and Spock would be able to materialize unobserved; the area turned out to be filled with Romulans . His second use of the Enterprise transporter, however, was a tremendous technical success: he beamed three people from two different locations onto one pad, something joyously announced he'd never accomplished before.

After Spock's ship, the Jellyfish , was destroyed, the Enterprise began to be sucked into the black hole created by the simultaneous detonation of its entire store of red matter . However, Scotty was able to eject and detonate the ship's warp core , creating a large enough shock wave that the Enterprise could ride to safety. With Olson , the ship's original chief engineer, having been killed in action , and his benefactor Kirk in command, Scott eventually assumed the position of chief engineer aboard the Enterprise , bringing Keenser along with him. ( Star Trek )

Constitution class (alternate reality), warp core exterior

Scotty expressing concern over the Enterprise' s orders to terminate John Harrison

A year later , Scotty protested Kirk's decision to park the Enterprise underwater during a mission on Nibiru . When they returned to Earth, he was upset to learn that the transwarp beaming formula, which had been confiscated , was used by the traitor John Harrison to flee to Qo'noS .

Going after John Harrison [ ]

However, he also objected to the 72 experimental photon torpedoes given to execute Harrison from orbit, as he was not allowed to examine them, and was also angered they were setting off to Qo'noS without adequate time to fix the new warp core. Kirk granted Scotty's permission for a leave of absence, and Keenser left with him.

Later, while dining at a bar in San Francisco , Scotty and Keenser were called by Kirk to investigate coordinates given to them by Harrison. Scotty took a shuttle to investigate, and found a spacedock outside Jupiter . Blending in with an approaching convoy, Scotty entered the spacedock and could only swear in awe as he saw the enormous Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance .

Scott aboard the Vengeance

Scotty secretly aboard the Vengeance

Scott boarded the ship, and deactivated its weaponry when Admiral Alexander Marcus ordered an attack on the Enterprise . Scotty contacted Kirk, who ordered him to go to the cargo bay and open an airlock for him to space dive to. Scotty did so, ignoring that he was tiring himself out, and found the manual override console to tie himself to so he could open the airlock without being sucked into the vacuum of space. A particularly dense security officer showed himself and demanded to know who Scotty was, but his repetitive questions bought time for him to open the airlock when Kirk arrived in a thruster suit : Scotty apologized before blowing the guard out the airlock.

Kirk was accompanied by Harrison, who had revealed he was actually Khan Noonien Singh. His super strength made their takeover of the ship relatively easy. Scotty demanded to know who, or more accurately what, Khan was, but Kirk only responded he did not fully trust him and advised him to shoot to stun him later. When they entered the bridge and knocked out the officers there, Scotty did as Kirk asked. However, it proved ineffective as Khan responded by tackling him, pummeling Kirk, broke Marcus's daughter 's leg and proceeded to kill Admiral Marcus. Khan took the command chair and demanded acting captain Spock hand over the torpedoes or he would resume attacking the Enterprise . After Spock fulfilled his request, Khan beamed Scotty, Kirk, and Carol Marcus into the brig , but resumed attacking anyway.

Scott mourns Kirk STID

Scotty mourns the (temporary) death of Kirk

Scotty followed Kirk through the corridors of the ship, where artificial gravity was failing rapidly. They reached the warp core, but he warned the captain that radiation was leaking inside: Kirk ignored him and knocked him out, strapping him in a chair while he went inside to restore power to the engines and prevent the ship from crashing. When Scotty awoke, he asked acting captain Spock to come down, and he wept with Uhura when she arrived and witnessed Kirk slowly succumb to radiation poisoning . Fortunately, McCoy realized Khan's genetically-enhanced blood could save Kirk, so Spock and Uhura apprehended him and brought him to perform a blood transfusion .

The five-year mission [ ]

Scott in engineering

Ready for a long voyage

Almost a year later , Scotty attended a memorial service in San Francisco for the lives lost because of Khan and Admiral Marcus, presided over by a perfectly healthy Kirk. He resumed service aboard the refit Enterprise as it began a five-year mission , and was pleased to report the warp core was " purring like a kitten " and ready for a long journey. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Nearly three years into the five-year mission, Scott was aboard the Enterprise during a diplomatic mission to the planet Teenax – quickly beaming Captain Kirk (and two angry Teenaxi ) back aboard when that diplomacy failed.

In 2263 , the Enterprise docked for resupply at the Federation Starbase Yorktown - a feat of engineering that Scotty admired, to no one’s surprise.

Altamid [ ]

Scott during Battle of Altamid

"They're gone, sir!"

Soon after the Enterprise was attacked by forces under the control of Krall which disabled the ship. Working below to stabilize the Enterprise , Scott and Keenser attempted to restore power to the impulse drive by manually feeding it from the warp core. Nevertheless, the Enterprise was overrun by Swarm drones and Scott was forced to abandon ship by firing himself inside an advanced long-range torpedo into the atmosphere of the nearby planet Altamid . After violently crashing on the surface, Scotty barely managed to leave his torpedo before it dropped off a cliff, leaving him hanging over a precipice.

Scott in torpedo

Scotty using an oxygen mask to escape inside a torpedo.

Later finding the remains of the torpedo, Scotty was confronted by three alien marauders but was defended by Jaylah . Jaylah promised to help Scotty (calling him "Montgomery Scotty") find his fellow crew mates stranded on Altamid in exchange for help in repairing her "house" – in reality the remains of the 22nd century Starfleet vessel Franklin .

Jaylah and scott

Jaylah takes Scotty to her "house".

Jaylah's house [ ]

Recognizing the Franklin from Starfleet history, Scotty helped Jaylah repair the ship. He was soon met by Captain Kirk and Ensign Chekov (after they had set off one of Jaylah’s traps) and used the Franklin' s cargo transporter to rescue Spock and Dr. McCoy from an encounter with three Swarm ships . Together with Jaylah, Scotty and his fellow Starfleet officers formulated a plan to rescue the rest of the Enterprise crew from the clutches of Krall.

Beaming the crew aboard, Scotty then reluctantly agreed to help fly the Franklin off the surface of Altamid in order to stop Krall from attacking Yorktown.

Pursuing Krall to the Federation starbase aboard the Franklin , Scotty noted that the Franklin's weaponry were insufficient to combat the Swarm. Once Spock and McCoy hijacked a Swarm ship and confirmed the drones possessed a cyberpathic link, the crew began brainstorming ideas to disorient the Swarm, before Scotty came up with an idea to use the Franklin's musical archives to broadcast VHF radio signals that allowed them to destroy the Swarm. Though the Swarm was destroyed, Krall managed to penetrate Yorktown, forcing the Franklin to intercept him. Kirk and Uhura soon uncover Krall's identity as the Franklin' s former captain, Balthazar Edison and had Scotty pull up his last log detailing Krall's motives. Scotty and Jaylah then moved to Yorktown Headquarters to stop Krall from unleashing the Abronath super weapon and killing the station's inhabitants. When Krall placed the Abronath into Yorktown's atmospheric processor, Scotty instructed Kirk on how to flush Krall and the weapon into space, saving Yorktown.

Enterprise -A [ ]

Following the defeat of Krall, Scotty and the crew of the late-USS Enterprise gathered in Yorktown to celebrate the birthday of Captain Kirk. There Scotty presented Jaylah with an acceptance letter to Starfleet Academy and looked out with his shipmates as construction continued on their next assignment: the USS Enterprise -A . ( Star Trek Beyond )

Relationships [ ]

Friendships [ ], james t. kirk [ ].

Spock, Kirk, and Scott on the bridge

Kirk and Scott are confronted by Spock on the bridge of the Enterprise

Kirk and Scotty first met on Delta Vega when Kirk and Spock Prime went to the base he was stationed at for help using Scotty's transwarp beaming to return to the USS Enterprise . Scotty was skeptical of their story but treated both Kirk and Spock Prime with kindness. After Spock Prime completed Scotty's transwarp beaming equation, Scotty beamed to the Enterprise with Kirk. Unfortunately for him, Scott materialized in the Enterprise 's water tank. Kirk promptly saved his life by opening up the emergency hatch , which freed Scott. Later, during the confrontation between Kirk and Spock on the bridge, Scott was torn between conflicting orders from Kirk and Spock and chose not to take sides in the conflict. After Kirk became acting captain , he appointed Scott as chief engineer after the death of the Enterprise 's original chief, Olson . Scott was one of the few people to accept Kirk's assuming command without resentment. While battling and chasing Nero to Earth , Scott beamed Kirk and Spock aboard the Narada after the Enterprise dropped out of warp near one of Saturn 's moons , Titan . Near the conclusion of subsequent battle , Scott managed to beam back Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise 's commanding officer , Christopher Pike . Following Kirk's promotion to the rank of captain , Scott signed on as chief engineer of the Enterprise under Kirk's permanent command. ( Star Trek )

Scott confronts Kirk

Scott confronts Kirk over the Enterprise 's use of advanced long-range torpedoes

A year later in 2259 , during the Enterprise 's covert mission on Nibiru , Scott complained to Kirk about how ridiculous it was to have the Enterprise underwater and later advised Kirk against maneuvering the Enterprise near an active volcano to rescue Spock, warning the captain that he did not think the ship could take that kind of heat. Later, after an attack on Starfleet Headquarters , Scott showed Kirk the portable transwarp beaming device " John Harrison " used to escape to Qo'noS . Later on the Enterprise , Scott refused to betray his own beliefs by using the advanced long-range torpedos on John Harrison and resigned as chief engineer rather than comply with Kirk's orders, something Kirk reluctantly accepted. Before leaving, Scott warned Kirk, " Jim, for the love of God, don't use those torpedoes. " Despite this, Kirk was able to convince Scott through a communicator to check out a series of coordinates provided by Khan to prove his claims. During the conflict that followed , Scott worked with Kirk and Khan to take control of the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance and once more resumed following his friend's orders. When someone needed to sacrifice themselves to realign the severely damaged warp core , Kirk knocked out Scott rather than allow him to sacrifice his life. When Kirk died, Scott, along with Nyota Uhura , bore witness and was noticeably upset by his death. Following Kirk's resurrection and the repair of the Enterprise , Scott once more resumed his duties as chief engineer under Kirk for the vessel's five-year mission . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Kirk, Jaylah, Chekov, and Scott on Altamid

Scott finds Kirk and Chekov after the destruction of the Enterprise

In the years following, Scott and Kirk remained close friends. After the Enterprise 's destruction on Altamid , Scott came across Kirk and Chekov after they became caught in Jaylah 's trap. Scott explained to Jaylah that Kirk and Chekov were his friends. Later on, Scott provided his engineering expertise to repairing the dilapidated USS Franklin and using its old transporters to free the Enterprise crew from Krall's base and later saved Kirk and Jaylah's lives by beaming them back in midair before they fell to their deaths. Kirk ordered Scott to make the Franklin fly again so they could intercept Krall and the swarm ships on their way to attack Starbase Yorktown . Later, Scott attended Kirk's thirteth birthday party after Krall's defeat and handed Kirk a drink to make a toast with. He would later choose to join Kirk and the rest of the crew on the new USS Enterprise -A when it was completed at Starbase Yorktown. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Despite Kirk being his superior officer, Scott has on several occasions called Kirk by his first name. ( Star Trek Into Darkness ; Star Trek Beyond )

Scott meets Jaylah

Scott meets Jaylah on Altamid

Scott met the alien scavenger Jaylah after the torpedo he escaped the doomed Enterprise from crashed on Altamid . When Scott located the wreckage of the torpedo after it went over a cliff edge, he began looking for his communicator , but it was destroyed. Scott then encountered three aliens, Fi'Ja , Zavanko , and Hider , who were about to attack him when Jaylah intervened, using holographic copies of herself to fend off the alien attackers. She explained to Scott that the aliens who tried to attack and steal from him had " fallen from the sky " like he and she had. She told Scott that someone named " Krall " was responsible for the Enterprise 's destruction and was searching the stars for a " death machine ". Salvaging anything she could find from the innards of the torpedo, Jaylah urged Scott to follow her but he insisted on finding his crewmates first. Jaylah told Scott if he helped her fix something, due to his being in the engineering division in Starfleet , she would help him find his fellow Enterprise officers. Scott agreed and followed her.

Jaylah led Scott to her "house" on Altamid – actually, the long lost Federation starship, the USS Franklin . Scott helped Jaylah repair the Franklin and discovered she liked to listen to old music from Earth in the Franklin 's database, specifically, Public Enemy 's " Fight the Power ", which he told her he found "loud and distracting". Upon coming across Captain Kirk and Ensign Chekov and later rescuing Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock , Scott and his fellow officers began to formulate a plan to free their captured crew mates from a base operated by Krall. Jaylah objected, saying that their crewmates would die there, just like her family had. Scott tried to get her to help them, saying that if she knew the way in, she would surely know the way out. " No! This is not the deal we made, Montgomery Scotty! ", she told him. She left the bridge of the Franklin , telling the Enterprise crew if they chose to rescue their friends, they would do so on their own. Following her outside the Franklin , Scott told her the crew needed her knowledge of Krall's base and for her to be brave. Jaylah told Scott the story of how her father had fought Manas , Krall's henchman, so she could escape and was killed. Scott managed to convince her to help the Enterprise crew by telling her that she was now a part of something bigger now, and to not give up on them, as they would not give up on her.

After the successful rescue of the Enterprise crew, Scott and Jaylah's repairs to the dilapidated Franklin allowed it to escape Altamid and the vessel headed for Starbase Yorktown to confront Krall and his enormous fleet of swarm ships . Spock determined that in order to defeat the swarm, they would need to disrupt their unified cyberpathic coordination. Jaylah and Scott used her radio on the Franklin to blast the Beastie Boys song " Sabotage " on the swarm's frequency, which ended up completely destroying it. Later, Jaylah and Scott assisted Kirk in defeating Krall by shutting down Yorktown's atmospheric processor so Krall would not be able to use the Abronath to kill Yorktown's population.

Jaylah accepted at the Academy

Scott and Kirk tell Jaylah she has been accepted into Starfleet Academy

A short time after Krall's defeat, Jaylah attended Kirk's surprise birthday party on Yorktown. Scott expressed his surprise in Jaylah finishing multiple alcoholic beverages to try to "take her edge off", which ultimately had no effect on her. Scott then announced to Jaylah that Kirk had pulled a few strings and had gotten her accepted into Starfleet Academy . Scott and Jaylah looked at the acceptance letter together. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Key dates [ ]

  • 2222 : Born in Scotland on Earth
  • 2258 – 2263 : Appointed chief engineer of the USS Enterprise
  • 2259 : Temporarily resigns as Enterprise chief engineer
  • Attends the re- Christening ceremony of the Enterprise
  • Heads out on five-year mission
  • Sometime after 2263: Assigned to the USS Enterprise -A

Memorable quotes [ ]

Montgomery Scott, alternate reality

Montgomery Scott

" You are Montgomery Scott! " " You know him? " " Aye, that's me. You're in the right place, unless there's another hard-working equally starved Starfleet officer around. " " Me! " " Get tae – shut up! You don't eat anything. You can eat, like, a bean, and you're done! I'm talking about food. Real food. "

" Are you from the future? " " Yeah, he is – I'm not. " " Well, that's brilliant. Do they still have sandwiches there?! "

" So, the Enterprise has had its maiden voyage, has it? She is one well-endowed lady! I'd like to get my hands on her ample nacelles, if you'll pardon the engineering parlance. "

" The notion of transwarp beaming is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet, whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse. "

" Get off there, its not a climbing frame. "

" Are you a member of Starfleet? " " Uh... yes. Can I get a towel, please? "

" I like this ship! You know, it's exciting! "

" I've never beamed three people from two targets onto one pad before! "

" Kirk to engineering. Get us outta here, Scotty. " " You bet your arse, captain! "

" I'm giving her all she's got, captain! "

" Do you have any idea how ridiculous it is to hide a starship at the bottom of the ocean? We've been down here since last night! "

" Well now, if it isn't Captain James Tiberius... Perfect Hair. Did you hear that? I called him 'Perfect Hair!'' Ha!'"

" Are you drunk? " " What I do on my private time is my business, Jimbo. "

" What, you don't think I can remember four numbers? (chuckling) You of little faith! ... What was the third one? "

" Holy sh..."

" You're a miracle worker!"'

" It's going to be like jumping out of a moving car, off a bridge, into your shot glass."

" Its not easy! Just give me two seconds, alright, you mad bastard!"

" Welcome aboard."

" You're part of something bigger now, lassie. Right? Dinnae give up on that. 'Cause we'll sure as hell never give up on you. That is what being part of a crew is all about. "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

  • Star Trek (first appearance)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness
  • Star Trek Beyond

Background information [ ]

Simon Pegg and Justin Lin between takes

Simon Pegg with Star Trek Beyond Director Justin Lin

Scott was played by Simon Pegg .

Roberto Orci stated Scotty's backstory, like Spock's, was intended to overlap with events in the prime reality, unlike Kirk, whose life is altered from the day he is born. [2]

Simon Pegg modeled his Scottish accent on a Glaswegian accent spoken by his wife and her family. Pegg concocted a backstory for Scotty on his MySpace page to reconcile his performance's accent with the traditional belief Scotty was born in Aberdeen or Linlithgow. [3] (X)

Pegg's father-in-law found his accent awful, so Pegg resolved to improve it in the sequel. He also wanted Scotty's lines of dialogue to include more Scottish phrases like "cludgie" (toilet), but Abrams felt the audience needed to understand Scotty. [4]

Scotty wears the stripes of a lieutenant commander on his sleeve in both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , but shoulder pins on his dress uniform at the end of Into Darkness indicate a rank of lieutenant .

Simon Pegg once cited Scotty as the character who, out of all the main characters, changes the least during the course of the films Star Trek , Star Trek Into Darkness , and Star Trek Beyond . Pegg also speculated this was " because he's been in his element, he's been in the engine room, tweaking the Enterprise . Scotty's as pragmatic and cantankerous as ever, but he secretly loves the opportunity to test the ship, and be present at this point in its evolution. His inter-personal dynamics with everybody have evolved [....] I don't think Scotty's ever felt uncomfortable about speaking his mind. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 76)

In Star Trek Beyond , Simon Pegg, in his role as co-writer of that film, contributed to the writing of Scotty. " I found that I tended to be the one writing Scotty's dialogue, just because I know the character very well [....] I felt kind of weird, because I thought, 'It's going to be strange writing Scotty, and putting him in it a lot,' because I didn't want to seem like I was writing myself a role, " Pegg remembered. " So I deferred to Doug [Jung , Pegg's co-writer] in terms of how much Scotty should be in it, or what his role should be, a lot of the time [....] I felt like I would be doing the script a disservice if I hijacked the best lines. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 74)

With the addition of his appearance in Star Trek Beyond , Simon Pegg has intermittently been playing the character of Montgomery Scott for twice as long as James Doohan played the prime version of the character in Star Trek: The Original Series . " I do feel I know him, certainly, and I love playing him, " stated Pegg. " He's a great character to play, and it's been really nice to be given the chance to put my own spin on that. I always defer to James Doohan, just because he was there first. I've inherited this character from him, and it's always been important to me that I'm aware of that [....] But yeah, I do feel less of a guest actor in that part now, and more that it's mine [....] I'd love to [play Scotty again]. It would be great. I'd love to carry on and be as old and overweight as everyone else was. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 76)

In the virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals , Scotty is pictured on card #53, Outpost Engineer M. Scott; card #80, Lieutenant Commander M. Scott; and card #97, Chief Engineer M. Scott.

Apocrypha [ ]

The nineteenth issue of the IDW comics series Star Trek: Ongoing reveals Scotty's full name to be "Montgomery Christopher Jorgensen Scott".

Female Scotty IDW

His female counterpart

He has a female counterpart in " Parallel Lives, Part 1 ", an issue of Star Trek: Ongoing .

In the novelization of Star Trek , Scott, shortly after his arrival aboard the Enterprise , took offense at Uhura calling him a "vagrant." Kirk responded by describing him as " Montgomery Scott, an experienced Starfleet engineer of unexpected mental and technical gifts, if possibly dubious character. " Scott, moments later, revealed that his "friends" knew him as "Scotty".

The 2013 Star Trek video game features several commentaries by Scott about the various items players scan with their tricorders . Among the various anecdotes he relates is a time when, as a child, he had to wear a medical device for a prolonged period to determine the cause of headaches he had been having, only to be teased mercilessly about it. He particularly dislikes being asked to give his opinion on torturous Gorn weaponry or lifeforms.

In the first issue of IDW's Star Trek: Boldly Go comic series that is set after the events of Star Trek Beyond , Scotty returns to Earth and Scotty begins to teach at Starfleet Academy in which Jaylah appears to be in one of his classes.

External links [ ]

  • Montgomery Scott (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Montgomery Scott at Wikipedia
  • 1 Daniels (Crewman)
  • 3 Calypso (episode)

star trek scotty first appearance

Why Scotty didn't ask about his friends on Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Relics"

A fter Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, no one really knows what transpired in the lives of the original crew of the Enterprise. Some retired. Others went on to work in the underground world like Mr. Spock, but we didn't know what had happened to Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) until the season six episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Relics."

Doohan returns in the episode with his character's life signal having been stored in the USS Jenolan's transporter buffer for seventy-five years. Scotty had been a passenger aboard the Jenolan when the ship got stuck in the Dyson sphere's gravity field. After seventy-five years, Scotty is amazed at the new technology, but he doesn't ask about his friends. And many fans have asked why over the years. As it turns out, one scene actually had Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) asking Scotty if he wanted to know what happened with his friends and family. Scotty's response was that he wasn't ready to hear that.

In Star Trek All Good Things: A Next Generation Companion, writer Ronald D. Moore said that he thought the topic would clutter things up. Troi would have to tell him about each of his friends, and that would take a while. On top of that, if Troi had told Scotty what had happened to everyone, it would have essentially been locking the crew into their futures. That would have changed the plot of Star Trek: Generations which released two years later. Though some might not think that was a bad thing, there was no way to know how things were actually going to go for the rest of the Star Trek: The Original Series' characters.

Though only Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) showed up with Scotty on the bridge of the new Enterprise at the beginning of Star Trek: Generations, the writers/producers had no way of knowing if other actors from the original series would return to the big screen. This might not have been their thought process at first, considering the movie wasn't in production at the time, but they knew Star Trek was going to continue. To do that, it couldn't lock the characters away, although, Generations ended up doing that with Captain Kirk . Hopefully, the captain's fate will be corrected in a future iteration of Star Trek.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Why Scotty didn't ask about his friends on Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Relics" .

Why Scotty didn't ask about his friends on Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Relics"

'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock' Is Returning to Theaters, But There’s a Catch

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The Big Picture

  • Star Trek III: The Search For Spock returns to U.K. theaters for its 40th anniversary.
  • The film made $76 million domestically in 1984 with divisive reviews but strong performances from the cast.
  • Despite the U.K. release only, there is hope for a U.S. release soon, giving fans a chance to see the iconic film in theaters in 2024.

Not long after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace returned to theaters for its 25th anniversary and made waves at the box office, another iconic sci-fi franchise is following in its footsteps. Empire Magazine officially revealed that Star Trek III: The Search For Spock will be re-released in theaters to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary. The report is also accompanied by a new poster from Matt Ferguson , aka Cakes Comics, who has partnered with other major movie franchises such as Star Wars and Planet of the Apes for posters in the past.

The Search For Spock initially premiered in theaters on June 1, 1984, and brought in an impressive haul of $76 million domestically, including an opening weekend of $16 million, which adjusted for inflation computes to a $216 million domestic total and $45 million opening weekend in 2024. For comparison, Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong , the two biggest movies of the year so far, opened with around $80-$85 million domestically earlier this year. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock has been divisive among fans in the 40 years since its release, and lands as the eighth-highest-rated Star Trek movie out of 13 on Rotten Tomatoes , with a 76% score from critics and a 64% rating from audiences.

The only catch is that, as of now, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is only scheduled to re-release in theaters in the U.K. It's unknown at this time if or when a U.S. release will be announced, but given the franchise has passionate fans all over the world, it's possible that an announcement is coming soon. This will be the first time since its 1984 release that The Search For Spock is back in theaters, and there are surely young and old Star Trek fans across generations who would jump at the chance to see the film in theaters in 2024.

Who Stars in 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'?

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock returned the previous film's iconic cast members, such as William Shatner as the legendary Captain Kirk , Leonard Nimoy (who also directed the film) as Spock, and DeForest Kelley as McCoy. The film also rounded out a strong supporting cast which consists of James Doohan as Scotty, Walter Koenig as Chekov, George Takei as Sulu, and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura. While opinions on the film are split, particularly about some rocky special effects, the one thing that has garnered universal appreciation for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is the impressive performances across the board.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock returns to U.K. theaters on June 14. Check out the new poster above and stay tuned to Collider for future updates on the re-release schedule, and stream the film on Max in the meantime.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is over. Now Alex Kurtzman readies for ‘Starfleet Academy’ and ‘Section 31’

Alex Kurtzman leaning against an old TV set with a lamp hanging above him.

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In “Star Trek” terms, and in the real world of “Star Trek” television, Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the 21st century franchise, might be described as the Federation president, from whose offices various series depart on their individual missions. Indeed, to hear him speak of it, the whole enterprise — honestly, no pun intended — seems to run very much on the series’ ethos of individual initiative and group consensus.

The first series to be launched, “ Star Trek: Discovery, ” has come to an end as of Thursday after five seasons on Paramount+. Others in the fleet include the concluded “ Picard, ” which brought “The Next Generation” into a new generation; the ongoing “ Strange New Worlds, ” which precedes the action of what’s now called “The Original Series,” from which it takes its spirit and several characters; “Lower Decks,” a comedy set among Starfleet service workers; and “Prodigy,” in which a collection of teenage aliens go joyriding in a starship. On the horizon are “Starfleet Academy,” with Holly Hunter set to star, and a TV feature, “ Section 31, ” with Michelle Yeoh back as Philippa Georgiou.

I spoke with Kurtzman, whose “Trek” trek began as a writer on the quantum-canonical reboot movies “ Star Trek ” (2009) and “ Star Trek: Into Darkness ” (2013), at Secret Hideout, his appropriately unmarked Santa Monica headquarters. Metro trains glide by his front door unaware. We began the conversation, edited for length and clarity here, with a discussion of his “Trek” universe.

Alex Kurtzman: I liken them to different colors in the rainbow. It makes no sense to me to make one show that’s for everybody; it makes a lot of sense to make a lot of shows individually tailored to a sect of the “Star Trek” audience. It’s a misnomer that there’s a one-size-fits-all Trekkie. And rather than make one show that’s going to please everybody — and will almost certainly please nobody — let’s make an adult drama, an animated comedy, a kids’ comedy, an adventure show and on and on. There’s something quite beautiful about that; it allows each of the stories to bloom in its own unique way.

A tall, thin alien and a human woman walk through the tunnel of a spaceship.

Do you get pushback from the fans?

Absolutely. In some ways that’s the point. One of the things I learned early on is that to be in love with “Star Trek” is to engage in healthy debate. There is no more vocal fan base. Some people tell you that their favorite is “The Original Series,” some say their favorite is “Voyager” and some say their favorite is “Discovery.” Yet they all come together and talk about what makes something singularly “Trek” — [creator] Gene Roddenberry‘s extraordinarily optimistic vision of the future when all that divides us [gets placed] in the rearview mirror and we get to move on and discover things. Like all great science fiction, you get to pick your allegory to the real world and come up with the science fiction equivalent. And everybody who watches understands what we’re talking about — racism or the Middle East or whatever.

What specific objections did you find to “Discovery”?

I think people felt it was too dark. We really listen to our fans in the writers’ room — everybody will have read a different article or review over the weekend, and we talk about what feels relevant and what feels less relevant. And then we engage in a healthy democratic debate about why and begin to apply that; it seeps into the decisions we make. Season 1 of “Discovery” was always intended to be a journey from darkness into light, and ultimately reinforce Roddenberry’s vision. I think people were just stunned by something that felt darker than any “Trek” had before. But doing a dark “Star Trek” really wasn’t our goal. The show is a mirror that holds itself up to the times, and we were in 2017 — we saw the nation fracture hugely right after the election, and it’s only gotten worse since then. We were interpreting that through science fiction. There were people who appreciated that and others for whom it was just not “Star Trek.” And the result, in Season 2, Capt. [Christopher] Pike showed up, Number One showed up, Spock showed up, and we began to bring in what felt to people more like the “Star Trek” they understood.

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You’re ending the series after five seasons. Was that always a plan?

You know, we were surprised we didn’t continue, and yet it feels now that it was right. One of the things that happened very quickly as streaming took off was that it radically changed watch patterns for viewers. Shows that used to go 10, 12 seasons, people would tap out after two — like, “I got what I want” — so for any show to go five seasons, it’s a miracle. In ways I don’t think we could have predicted, the season from the beginning feels like it’s the last; it just has a sense of finality. The studio was wonderful in that they recognized we needed to put a button on it, we needed a period on the end of the sentence, and so they allowed us to go back, which we did right before the strike, and [film] the coda that wraps up the series.

Alex Kurtzman, the executive producer of Paramount's new "Star Trek" franchise, sits in a Danish modern chair.

“Discovery” is a riot of love stories, among both heroes and villains.

There’s certainly a history of that in “Star Trek.” Whether or not characters were engaged in direct relationships, there was always a subtext of the love between them. I believe that’s why we love the bridge crew, because it’s really a love story, everyone’s in a love story, and they all care for each other and fight like family members. But ultimately they’re there to help each other and explore the universe together. If there’s some weird problem, and the answer’s not immediately apparent, each of them brings a different skill set and therefore a different perspective; they clash in their debate on how to proceed and then find some miraculous solution that none of them would have thought of at the outset.

One of the beautiful things about the shows is that you get to spend a long time with them, as opposed to a two-hour movie where you have to get in and out quickly and then wait a couple of years before the next one comes along. To be able to be on their weekly adventures, it affords the storytelling level of depth and complexity a two-hour movie just can’t achieve in that way.

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It’s astonishing how much matter you got into these things. Some storylines that only lasted an episode I remembered as seasonal arcs.

The sheer tonnage of story and character we were able to pack into “Discovery” every episode was kind of incredible. The thing to keep in mind is that “Discovery” was made as streaming was exploding, so what I think you’re also seeing there is a lot of writers who were trained in the network world with an A, B and C story applying it suddenly to a very different kind of storytelling in a much more cinematic medium. And when you have that kind of scope it starts to become really, really big. Sometimes that works really, really well and sometimes it was too much. And we were figuring it out; it was a bunch of people with flashlights in the dark, looking for how to interpret “Star Trek” now, since it had been 12 years since it had been on a television screen.

Are you able to course-correct within a season?

Sure. You get people you really trust in the room. Aaron Baiers, who runs Secret Hideout, is one of my most important early-warning systems; he isn’t necessarily in the room when we’re breaking stories, but he’s the first person who’ll read an outline and he’s the first person who’ll read a script. What I value so much about his perspective is that he’s coming in cold, he’s just like, “I’m the viewer, and I understand this or I don’t understand it, I feel this or I don’t feel it.” The studio executives are very similar. They love “Star Trek,” they’re all die-hard fans and have very strong feelings about what is appropriate. It then goes through a series of artists in every facet, from props to visual effects to production design, and they’re bringing their interpretations and opinions to the story.

Three seated officers and the standing captain on the bridge of a starship

Did “Strange New Worlds” come out of the fact that everybody loved seeing Christopher Pike in “Discovery?”

I really have to credit Akiva Goldsman with this. He knew that I was going to bring Pike into the premiere of the second season of “Discovery,” and said, “You know, there’s an incredible show about Capt. Pike and the Enterprise before Kirk takes over; there’s seven years of great storytelling there” — or five years, depending on when you come into the storyline. I said, “We have to cast a successful Pike first, so let’s see if that works. Let’s figure out who’s Number One, and who Spock is,” which are wildly tall orders. I hadn’t seen Anson Mount in other things before [he was cast as Pike], and when he sent in his taped audition it was that wonderful moment where you go, “That’s exactly the person we’re looking for.” Everybody loves Pike because he’s the kind of leader you want, definitive and clear but open to everyone’s perspective and humanistic in his response. And then we had the incredibly tall order of having Ethan [Peck] step into Leonard [Nimoy’s] and [Zachary Quinto’s] shoes.

He’s great.

He’s amazing, just a delight of a human being. And Rebecca Romijn‘s energy, what she brings to Number One is such a contemporary take on a character that was kind of a cipher in “The Original Series.” But she brings a kind of joy, a comedy, a bearing, a gravitas to the character that feels very modern. Thank God the fans responded the way they did and sent that petition [calling for a “Legacy” series], because everybody at CBS got the message very quickly. Jenny Lumet and Akiva and I wrote a pilot, and we were off to the races. Typically it takes fans a minute to adjust to what you’re doing, especially with beloved legacy characters, but the response to “Strange New World” from a critical perspective and fan perspective and just a viewership perspective was so immediate, it really did help us understand what was satisfying fans.

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What can you tell me about “Starfleet Academy?” Is it going to be Earth-based or space-based?

I’m going to say, without giving anything away, both. Right now we’re in the middle of answering the question what does San Francisco, where the academy is, look like in the 32nd century. Our primary set is the biggest we’ve ever built.

So you’re setting this —

In the “Discovery” era. There’s a specific reason for that. As the father of a 17-year-old boy, I see what my son is feeling as he looks at the world and to his future. I see the uncertainty; I see all the things we took for granted as given are not certainties for him. I see him recognizing he’s inheriting an enormous mess to clean up and it’s going to be on his generation to figure out how to do that, and that’s a lot to ask of a kid. My thinking was, if we set “Starfleet Academy” in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it’s not going to speak to what kids are going through right now.

It’ll be a nice fantasy, but it’s not really going to be authentic. What’ll be authentic is to set it in the timeline where this is the first class back after over 100 years, and they are coming into a world that is only beginning to recover from a cataclysm — which was the Burn, as established on “Star Trek: Discovery,” where the Federation was greatly diminished. So they’re the first who’ll inherit, who’ll re-inherit, the task of exploration as a primary goal, because there just wasn’t room for that during the Burn — everybody was playing defense. It’s an incredibly optimistic show, an incredibly fun show; it’s a very funny show, and it’s a very emotional show. I think these kids, in different ways, are going to represent what a lot of kids are feeling now.

And I’m very, very , very excited that Holly Hunter is the lead of the show. Honestly, when we were working on the scripts, we wrote it for Holly thinking she’d never do it. And we sent them to her, and to our absolute delight and shock she loved them and signed on right away.

A woman with long brown hair in gold-plated chest armor.

And then you’ve got the “Section 31” movie.

“Section 31” is Michelle Yeoh’s return as Georgiou. A very, very different feeling for “Star Trek.” I will always be so grateful to her, because on the heels of her nomination and then her Oscar win , she just doubled down on coming back to “Star Trek.” She could have easily walked away from it; she had a lot of other opportunities. But she remained steadfast and totally committed. We just wrapped that up and are starting to edit now.

Are you looking past “Starfleet” and “Section 31” to future projects?

There’s always notions and there are a couple of surprises coming up, but I really try to live in the shows that are in front of me in the moment because they’re so all-consuming. I’m directing the first two episodes of “Starfleet Academy,” so right now my brain is just wholly inside that world. But you can tell “Star Trek” stories forever; there’s always more. There’s something in the DNA of its construction that allows you to keep opening different doors. Some of that is science fiction, some of it has to do with the combination of science fiction and the organic embracing of all these other genres that lets you explore new territories. I don’t think it’s ever going to end. I think it’s going to go on for a long, long time. The real question for “Star Trek” is how do you keep innovating, how do you deliver both what people expect and something totally fresh at the same time. Because I think that is actually what people want from “Star Trek.” They want what’s familiar delivered in a way that doesn’t feel familiar.

With all our showrunners — Terry Matalas on “Picard,” the Hagemans on “Prodigy,” Mike McMahan on “Lower Decks,” Michelle Paradise, who has been singlehandedly running “Discovery” for the last two years, and then Akiva and Henry Alonso Myers on “Strange New Worlds” — my feeling is that the best way to protect and preserve “Star Trek” is not to impose my own vision on it but [find people] who meet the criteria of loving “Star Trek,” wanting to do new things with it, understanding how incredibly hard it is to do. And then I’m going to let you do your job. I’ll come in and tell you what I think every once in a while, and I’ll help get the boat off the dock, but once I hand the show over to a creative it has to be their show. And that means you’re going to get a different take every time, and as long as those takes all feel like they can marry into the same rainbow, to get back to the metaphor, that’s the way to keep “Star Trek” fresh.

I take great comfort because “Star Trek” really only belongs to Gene Roddenberry and the fans. We don’t own it. We carry it, we try to evolve it and then we hand it off to the next people. And hopefully they will love it as much as we do.

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  4. "Metamorphosis" s2 e9 Star Trek TOS 1967 Scotty First Officer Nims

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  6. Star Trek: No One Actually Said 'Beam Me Up, Scotty'

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VIDEO

  1. Star Trek's ‘Scotty’ Birth Plaque In Scotland

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COMMENTS

  1. Scotty (Star Trek)

    Star Trek. ) Montgomery " Scotty " Scott [1] is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. [2] First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, 10 Star Trek films, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous books, comics, and ...

  2. Montgomery Scott

    Captain Montgomery Scott - often referred to as "Scotty" by his shipmates - was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the 23rd and 24th centuries.. For a period of nearly thirty years, he served as the chief engineer of both the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise-A, both under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.(TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before"; Star Trek VI: The ...

  3. Scotty

    Scotty was a nickname both for Montgomery Scott and his counterpart in the alternate reality. In the alternate reality, James T. Kirk regularly used the nickname and even used it to introduce Scott to Khan Noonien Singh in 2259. (Star Trek Into Darkness) In 2263 of the alternate reality, after Scott had met Jaylah on Altamid, she called him "Montgomery Scotty." (Star Trek Beyond) Chief ...

  4. 57 Years Later, Star Trek Is Just One Step Away From a TOS Reboot

    Now, with a third actor is taking over the mantle of Scotty in this appearance, we technically have a new origin story of the classic character first originated by the late James Doohan in Star ...

  5. Who Plays Star Trek's Scotty In Strange New Worlds?

    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 ...

  6. Star Trek Executive Producer Explains TOS' Scotty Joining Strange New

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds co-showrunner and executive producer Henry Alonso Myers explains how the young Lt. Montgomery Scott, AKA Scotty (Martin Quinn), joined the show in the season 2 finale, "Hegemony." Scotty shockingly met Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew of the USS Enterprise after an attack by the Gorn.

  7. Star Trek's Scotty played by a Scot for first time

    For the first time in almost 60 years Star Trek character Scotty is being played by a Scottish actor. Previously the role has been filled by Canadian actor James Doohan and Englishman Simon Pegg ...

  8. Strange New Worlds breaks Star Trek ground with Martin Quinn as Scotty

    Scotty's debut on the show (the earliest TV appearance in the character's personal chronology) ... When Star Trek first arrived in the UK in 1969, Montgomery Scott was a relatively textured ...

  9. Scotty (Star Trek)

    Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, 10 Star Trek films, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous books, comics, and video games.

  10. Montgomery Scott

    Montgomery Christopher Jorgensen Scott was a Human man, a Starfleet officer in the 23rd and 24th centuries, who served as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise -A under Captain James T. Kirk. He was presumed dead for 75 years until he was rescued from a pattern buffer by the USS Enterprise -D.

  11. The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Finale Understands ...

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kept a finale secret a surprise in an era where movies and TV shows intentionally spoil their own reveals. ... Instead, Scotty's pitch-perfect first appearance is a ...

  12. Star Trek: Things You Didn't Know About Scotty

    James Doohan fathered seven children in his lifetime, the youngest of which was born in the year 2000 when he was in his eighties. One of his oldest sons is Christopher Doohan, who has appeared in numerous Star Trek productions. Christopher Doohan is the guy who voices Scotty in Star Trek Online.He has had guest appearances in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the first two reboot movies.

  13. James Doohan

    James Montgomery Doohan (/ ˈ d uː ə n /; March 3, 1920 - July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor and author, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek.Doohan's characterization of the Scottish chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise has become one of the most recognizable elements in the Star Trek franchise, and inspired many fans to ...

  14. Scotty in Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 finale explained

    Here's our complete breakdown of Scotty's cameo appearance in the Strange New Worlds season 2 finale. ... As seen in the events of the first Star Trek movie, Scotty is promoted to the rank of Commander after the five-year mission, and leads the refit of the USS Enterprise which forms the basis for the design of the Enterprise-A. He is then ...

  15. James Doohan

    James Doohan (3 March 1920 - 20 July 2005; age 85) was a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven Star Trek movies. He also appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics" and in the archive footage used in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". Doohan's work as ...

  16. James Doohan

    James Doohan. Actor: Star Trek. Best known as Scotty in Star Trek he was educated at High School in Sarnia, Ontario, where he acted in school productions. When WWII began he joined the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery eventually obtaining the rank of Captain. He was wounded on D-Day, suffering severe damage to his right middle finger which was removed ahead of first knuckle, then became a ...

  17. Transporter (Star Trek)

    (In the 2009 Star Trek film Kirk and Scotty beam aboard while the Enterprise is traveling at warp, however, the movie takes place in an alternate continuity, ... In the first appearance of Trill in the TNG episode "The Host", Trill were unable to be transported, once joined with a symbiont. It seems that was due to the symbiont being detected ...

  18. Scotty's Birthplace

    FUTURE HERITAGE. Linlithgow's heritage reaches from the past to the future - as the acknowledged birthplace of famed Star Fleet engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott in 2222, as featured in the TV series 'Star Trek'. Beam onboard!

  19. Scotty (Star Trek)

    Israel. United States. Montgomery Scotty Scott is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, 10 Star Trek films, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Relics, and in numerous.

  20. Montgomery Scott (alternate reality)

    122259 Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was a Human Starfleet officer serving in the 23rd century. He was recruited by James T. Kirk as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise before the Battle of Earth in 2258 and, soon after, became the Enterprise's second officer. Scott was a brilliant engineer and physicist whose technical expertise enhanced the space travel capabilities of Starfleet. Scott was a ...

  21. Why Scotty didn't ask about his friends on Star Trek: The Next ...

    Scotty had been a passenger aboard the Jenolan when the ship got stuck in the Dyson sphere's gravity field. After seventy-five years, Scotty is amazed at the new technology, but he doesn't ask ...

  22. Star Trek: The Original Series

    Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. It acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series ( TOS) to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began. [3] The show is set in the Milky Way galaxy ...

  23. Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock Is Returning to Theaters ...

    The Big Picture. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock returns to U.K. theaters for its 40th anniversary. The film made $76 million domestically in 1984 with divisive reviews but strong performances ...

  24. 'Star Trek: Discovery': Alex Kurtzman on the finale and what's next

    May 30, 2024 3 AM PT. In "Star Trek" terms, and in the real world of "Star Trek" television, Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the 21st century franchise, might be described as the Federation ...

  25. Pavel Chekov

    Pavel Andreievich Chekov (Russian: Павел Андреевич Чехов) is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe.. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the second and third seasons of the original Star Trek series and the first seven Star Trek films. Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 Star Trek reboot film and two sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond.