
In the wacky new trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, there are almost too many Easter eggs and references to count. And among the big reveals — like the holodeck murder mystery episode and the metafictional retro episode — there are also a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos in the trailer, one of which could translate to an unexpected return of an Original Series character with a complicated canonical history.
Here’s why it’s possible that Strange New Worlds Season 3 could really feature the retroactive first appearance of the trickster alien Trelane, plus why a nonlinear appearance from this character has a canon precedent. Speculation ahead.