Every Star Trek fan knows that The Original Series debuted on NBC on September 8, 1966. But what gets forgotten is that the second pilot episode of Trek — and the first filmed episode that featured Kirk and Spock — was actually shot in 1965. That means, in 2025, we’re technically approaching the anniversary of the first time Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock stood on the bridge of the USS Enterprise together, even though that episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” ended up getting aired in 1966, and wasn’t presented as the pilot.
Interestingly, the latest trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 seems to know this. Because a prominent part of the trailer teases James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) standing together on the bridge of a starship (probably the Enterprise) as though Strange New Worlds is about to lead straight into The Original Series. But, does this work from a timeline point of view? How close are we to Kirk taking command of the Enterprise?
