samuel kirk star trek episode

George Samuel Kirk

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George Samuel "Sam" Kirk, Jr. was a male Human scientist and Starfleet sciences division officer who lived during the mid- 23rd century .

• 1 Early history
• 2 Starfleet career
• 3 Civilian career
• 4.1.1 George Kirk Sr.
• 4.1.2 James T. Kirk
• 4.2.1 Christopher Pike
• 4.2.2 Spock
• 4.2.3 Una Chin-Riley
• 5.1 Neutral Zone incursion
• 5.2 Alternate 2259
• 6 Key dates
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2 Background information
• 7.3 Apocrypha
• 7.4 External links

Early history [ ]

George Samuel Kirk, Jr. was born the son of George and Winona Kirk in Riverside , Iowa on Earth . ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ") He was the brother of famed Starfleet Captain James T. Kirk ; who believed he alone called his brother by the nickname "Sam". ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ") Unknown to James, however, George was frequently referred to as "Sam" while serving aboard the Enterprise in the late 2250s . ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ", " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

Kirk, along with Winona and James, spent the majority of James' childhood chasing George Kirk, Sr. from one posting to another, to the point that James and Sam barely saw the man. When James asked Winona why they never saw George Sr., she told James that "he's helping people who really need it." ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

By 2259 , Kirk was married to Aurelan and they had three sons , including Peter . ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ", " Operation -- Annihilate! "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Kirk served as a Starfleet officer , like his father and brother; he had attained the rank of lieutenant junior grade by 2259.

On stardate 2259.42, Kirk reported to the USS Enterprise as a member of the life sciences department under the command of Lieutenant Spock . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ") He worked primarily in one of the ship's science labs as a xenoanthropologist . ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

On stardate 2912.4, Kirk was assigned to the landing party to the comet C/2260-Quentin to determine how to stop it from hitting the planet Persephone III . Kirk himself was injured but was transported back to the Enterprise with the landing party where he received proper medical attention. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

By stardate 1943.7, Kirk had recovered from his injuries. ( SNW : " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

On stardate 2510.6, Kirk was involved in the landing party to investigate why the USS Peregrine had crash-landed on Valeo Beta V . He was notably stressed by the threat posed by the Gorn that had infiltrated the downed vessel. Following their rescue from the incident, Kirk attended the funeral of Chief Engineer Hemmer and the other crewmen lost. ( SNW : " All Those Who Wander ")

During a mission to Bavali Station to get the new deuterium refinery up and running, Kirk welcomed his younger brother James aboard the Enterprise . Kirk would assist James and Nyota Uhura in identifying the existence of extradimensional lifeforms that existed within the deuterium found in Bannon's Nebula , and the threat that processing that deuterium would pose to them. Following the mission, Kirk considered writing a paper on the subject, a prospect James called "thrilling." ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Kirk would volunteer to take part in a mission to rescue survivors of a Gorn attack on Parnassus Beta . Kirk recognised his shortcomings during his previous encounter with the Gorn and wanted to make amends, as well as gather useful information on the Gorn species and their weaknesses. Based on Montgomery Scott's description of coronal mass ejections in the nearby Shangdi system, Kirk theorised that the Gorn may have been responding to the solar flares in a similar way to locusts . ( SNW : " Hegemony ")

Civilian career [ ]

In 2265 , Sam saw James off when the captain began a five-year mission of exploration in command of the Enterprise . Also saying farewell were Aurelan and their three sons. On this occasion, Sam mentioned that he wished to be transferred to the Earth Colony II research station . ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

The following year , Sam was working as a civilian research biologist living with his family on Deneva ; his private transmitter was designated GSK 783 .

A short time later, vessels from Ingraham B arrived carrying flying parasites , and many of the colonists, including Sam, were attacked and infiltrated by the parasites . Resisting the parasites' control was excruciatingly painful, but in early 2267 , eight months after the Ingraham B vessels arrived, Aurelan managed to break the long communication blackout and get a brief distress call out to the Enterprise .

By the time the ship arrived, Sam was dead ; his wife died soon after. Their son, Peter, lived and was ultimately freed of the parasites. ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

Relationships [ ]

George kirk sr. [ ].

While he was the elder son and had been named after George (though he did not use the name), Sam felt his father held "old-fashioned" views on what made a fulfilled life and successful career, which were reflected more by James than Sam. This instilled a sibling rivalry in Sam, perhaps moreso than his younger brother. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

James T. Kirk [ ]

Sam and James Kirk hugging in an alternate 2266

Sam was the older brother of James T. Kirk , who was the one who gave Sam his nickname. When James was given command of the USS Enterprise , he, along with his family, were present when James left on his five-year mission. ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

Their relationship did experience signs of strain at times; Sam expressed feelings of jealousy towards James' quick rise through the ranks. In 2259 , James had become the first officer on the USS Farragut , the youngest in Starfleet history, a record previously held by their father. Sam felt James' ambition and brash attitude reflected badly on him. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

An alternate timeline version of George Samuel Kirk described his brother as a "huge pain in the ass, but he's as fine a captain as Starfleet has." ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Friendships [ ]

Christopher pike [ ].

Samuel Kirk and Christopher Pike

Kirk and Christopher Pike met sometime prior to 2259 and became friends. In fact, prior to the mission to Kiley 279 , Pike personally wanted Kirk aboard the Enterprise as a crewmember. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

During the briefing prior to his first away mission, Pike commented on liking Kirk's new mustache , prompting Kirk to suggest that Pike might want to try one on himself. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

When Kirk reacted emotionally to the Gorn hunting the landing party on the USS Peregrine , Doctor M'Benga suggested to Captain Pike that he be given a sedative. Pike refused him, stating his belief that Kirk was "stronger than he looks". ( SNW : " All Those Who Wander ")

Kirk served under Spock in the life sciences department aboard Enterprise ; upon being introduced by Captain Pike, Spock's initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Kirk's tendency to eat (and therefore leave dirty plates and crumbs) during departmental meetings was a source of frustration for Spock; when his Vulcan DNA was temporarily removed following an encounter with the Kerkhovians , he angrily lunged at Kirk, who was bewildered by the scale of his overreaction. ( SNW : " Charades ")

Una Chin-Riley [ ]

Kirk held a great deal of respect for Una Chin-Riley , as he described her to his brother as "the first officer that he thought James should be like," someone who kept a necessary distance from her crew because she knows she has to make hard decisions. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

Neutral zone incursion [ ].

Lt. George Samuel Kirk in an alternate 2266

In an alternate timeline , Sam was still serving aboard the USS Enterprise in 2266 during the Neutral Zone Incursion .

A time traveling Christopher Pike from 2259 consulted with Sam after learning that his brother was the captain of the USS Farragut . After James beamed aboard, he and Sam immediately shared a hug, warmly greeting each other. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Alternate 2259 [ ]

In an alternate 2259 , Sam had died due to unknown circumstances. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

Key dates [ ]

• 2259 : Appointed to the life sciences department aboard the USS Enterprise
• 2265 : Sees brother James T. Kirk off on his five-year mission
• 2266 : Moves to Deneva
• 2267 : Dies after being infected by a flying parasite

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! " ( Season 1 )
• " Strange New Worlds " ( Season 1 )
• " Children of the Comet "
• " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach "
• " All Those Who Wander "
• " A Quality of Mercy " ( alternate timeline )
• " Charades " ( Season 2 )
• " Lost in Translation "
• " Subspace Rhapsody "
• " Hegemony "

Background information [ ]

George Samuel Kirk was portrayed by Dan Jeannotte in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Originally, the corpse of George Samuel Kirk was portrayed by William Shatner in his only non-James T. Kirk role (possessed or otherwise). According to the script for "Operation -- Annihilate!", " Sam is revealed, very definitely a Kirk… older by ten years than the captain, perhaps a little different in nose or jawline… but he looks too much like Jim Kirk to be anyone but his brother. "

Johnny , formerly George Samuel Kirk

George Samuel Kirk was to appear in 2009 's Star Trek (referred to in the film's script as "George Kirk, Jr." [1] ), where he would have been played by Spencer Daniels . Scenes featuring Daniels as Sam Kirk were filmed, but the character was entirely cut from the final release. The one remaining scene of Daniels playing Sam Kirk, in which Jim Kirk called out to him as he was driving past him in their uncle's (in the final cut, their stepfather's) Corvette , was altered to change the name of Daniels' character to " Johnny ", apparently a friend of Jim's.

George Samuel Kirk's deleted scene from 2009's Star Trek was available on Star Trek  the two-disc DVD release for the film , Star Trek  the three-disc Blu-ray release as well as the Blu-ray set Star Trek: The Compendium . In the scene, George ran away from home and his brother to escape the cruelty of their uncle Frank , finding it impossible to "be a Kirk" in Frank's household. He was also angered that Frank had claimed their late father's Corvette as his own. After George left, Jim found the keys to the Corvette and drove off in the car. As originally conceived, Jim drove by and called out to a shocked George, who had been trying to hitchhike.

Apocrypha [ ]

George Samuel Kirk appeared in the last chapter of Star Trek: Enterprise novel Last Full Measure , set in 2238 , in which an elderly Trip 's first visit to the Starfleet War Memorial coincided with that of young Sam and Jimmy Kirk, rendering the quiet reflection he had hoped for an impossibility. The scene established George's birthdate August 12, which was also when Federation Day was celebrated. However, according to "Echoes of Yesterday" in TOS Special 3 , George's birthdate was September 7, 2229 , and his death took place on April 13, 2267 . ("Operation – Annihilate!" originally aired on April 13, 1967)

George's two unnamed sons have been given many different names in various novels, comics and video games. The TOS novels The Last Roundup and Provenance of Shadows gives these boys the names Alexander and Julius. The novel The Autobiography of James T. Kirk calls them Joshua and Steven. The comic book Star-Crossed Part 2: Loved Not Wisely... calls them Brett and Robbie. The comic book story " Bloodline " calls them Marcus and Virgil. The comic story " The Unforgiven " calls them Adam and Jason. The photocomic " Sam " calls them George and Gregory. The video game Star Trek: Starship Creator calls them Stephen and Thomas. One of the sons was named Craig in the game Star Trek: Away Team .

A slightly altered version of George's deleted scene from 2009's Star Trek was found in the film's novelization . Among the scene's changes made for the book was George's revelation that Frank (who in a merger of the script and film characters the boys' stepfather, not uncle) wanted Jim to wash the Corvette, which had belonged to their late father, because he intended to sell it behind their mother's back - it was after hearing this that the decision to steal the car was made.

George Samuel Kirk of the alternate reality

The alternate reality George appeared in IDW Publishing 's Star Trek: Ongoing comic series, exploring events of the original series in the alternate reality, which clarified that the boys lived with their uncle until George ran away to live with his grandfather. This later led to a rift between the brothers, James feeling that George had abandoned their mother.

During their investigation of the neural parasites, Kirk and the crew discovered George living underground with his family to escape the influence of the parasites after their attack on the colony, with the Enterprise subsequently devising a means to banish the parasites and cure George's family, which here consisted only of his wife Aurelan and one son, Peter ( β ). At the story's conclusion, George and his family return to the colony, with George complimenting his brother's success, a degree of reconciliation having been reached between the two of them.

His mirror universe counterpart ( β ) was mentioned as being a Terran Empire scientist in the short story "The Greater Good" contained in the anthology Shards and Shadows . In 2263 , he was awarded the Zee-Magnees Prize for his work in precision frontal lobotomy. As he had no interest in a military career and his brother James T. Kirk had no interest in science unless he could manipulate it to make his life easier, neither brother had to worry about the other getting in the way of his career and having to be eliminated.

External links [ ]

• George Samuel Kirk at StarTrek.com
• George Samuel Kirk, Jr. at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Star Trek: The Next Generation
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

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STRANGE NEW WORLDS – Who is Samuel Kirk?

If there was one thing about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiere episode that left us a little shook, it was THAT reveal. And by THAT I mean the arrival of Dan Jeannotte’s ‘George Samuel Kirk’. The series has secretly added the set-to-be recurring character to the crew. Samuel Kirk revealed himself after a surprising ‘bait and switch’ style build-up. Fans will of course have known that James T isn’t the only Kirk, but who is Samuel Kirk?

An unexpected surprise…

The latest Star Trek series kicked off this week with its self-titled first episode ‘Strange New Worlds’. Lt. Samuel Kirk joins the Enterprise crew in the final moments, much to the shock of the audience. I’m sure the first question on many long-time fans’ minds was, does this conflict with canon? And what does it mean for Captain Pike’s crew going forward?

We already know that Strange New Worlds would be giving us Sam’s younger brother James T. Kirk for the second season. Actor Paul Wesley was announced for the role a few months ago after he was spotted filming in Toronto.

The secret of Sam Kirk almost made it to the premier completely unspoiled. That was until an interview with Akiva Goldsman went public the day before the premiere. Regardless, there were many more fans oblivious to the news. And it was quite the reveal, spoiled or not.

Who Is Samuel Kirk?

There’s not a huge amount laid down in on-screen canon for this Kirk brother. George Samuel Kirk only briefly appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series (as a corpse). As well as JJ Abram’s first big-screen Trek outing in 2009.

Samuel Kirk is the older brother of Jim Kirk, according to lore. And it was only Jim who called his brother Sam. However, in Strange New Worlds Pike also uses Sam, implying the pair are very familiar with each other. Pike seems to be an old, family friend and specifically requested this Lt. Kirk for the mission.

Additionally like his Captain, Samuel’s future holds a cruel fate. However, how is he going to work on-screen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Samuel Kirk’s Star Trek History

When Jim Kirk undertook a new five-year mission, commanding the USS Enterprise, George Samuel Kirk saw him off. It is noted that his wife Aurelan, and their three sons, were also present. Sam would then mention that he wished to be transferred to the Earth Colony II Research Station.

Sam Kirk is a Starfleet Scientist, specifically a research biologist. For Strange New Worlds Sam where’s the blue of the science department, fitting with established lore. How does this affect Spock’s position as a science officer onboard the USS Enterprise under Pike? As Pike says, ‘he’s your boss’.

However, as for Sam’s unfortunate ending? The Original Series episode “Operation — Annihilate! ” sees the death of Sam Kirk and his wife. Flying parasites attack Kirk and his fellow colonists in the colony on Deneva. While his wife, Aurelan Kirk managed to signal for help, Sam would perish. When the USS Enterprise eventually arrived at the colony, Sam Kirk is long dead. As are two of his child, with his wife Aurelan dying shortly thereafter. Only one nephew survived, Peter Kirk.

Behind The Scenes

George Samuel Kirk and his moustache are brought to life by actor Dan Jeannotte, best known for his role in The CW’s Reign and Hallmark’s Good Witch . The actor has done an impressive task of keeping his Strange New Worlds role top secret. Additionally, with the exclusion of Akiva Goldsman’s interview, there wasn’t so much as a hint this character would be included absolutely anywhere.

He’s not the Kirk you wanted — but maybe, if you give him a chance… he could be the Kirk you NEED. #samkirk #startrekstrangenewworlds @startrekonpplus #ohman https://t.co/oOxpUqmPg7 pic.twitter.com/YZuJTgFs4F — Dan Jeannotte (@dan_jeannotte) May 5, 2022

Co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers recently spoke to Inverse about the character, and how he fits into Strange New Worlds .

“He is very much not his brother,” Myers says. “And that is important. He’s a different person. He comes from a different place. He and Jim Kirk have a complex relationship, that we will eventually learn more about. But, the intention wasn’t to come in and give us little ‘Kirk-lite’ flavor. Sam Kirk is his own man.” Henry Alonso Myers – via Inverse

Alonso’s comments definitely point to Sam Kirk’s inclusion as having a bigger part to play than initially suspected. If you watch the trailers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , you should be able to spot him in what we know is several episodes. He is present in what looks to be the away mission for Episode 2 ‘Children of the Comet’. Additionally, I’m almost certain we can hear Sam’s voice in the teaser for the “Ice World” scenes. According to some spoiler-laden reviews, this episode will see some form of action with the Gorn.

He wasn’t the Kirk we were expecting, however, he’s the Kirk we’ve got! For now, anyway, Jim Kirk will make his appearance in season 2. Samuel is now clearly firmly a part of Captain Pike’s crew on the Enterprise. This Kirk may well turn out to be a very interesting addition to the crew, but who Is Samuel Kirk? I guess we have plenty of time to find out in the season ahead!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds  airs on Thursday, May 5 via Paramount+ in the USA, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics. Additionally on the CTV Sci-Fi Channel and Crave Streaming in Canada. Plus Voot Select in India, TVNZ in New Zealand, and Cosmote TV in Greece. Additionally, the streaming service will also land in the UK & Ireland on June 22nd, 2022.

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Court Martial

• Episode aired Feb 2, 1967

Kirk draws a court martial in the negligent death of a crewman. Kirk draws a court martial in the negligent death of a crewman. Kirk draws a court martial in the negligent death of a crewman.

• Marc Daniels
• Don Mankiewicz
• Steven W. Carabatsos
• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• Percy Rodrigues
• 32 User reviews
• 13 Critic reviews

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk

• Mister Spock

• Portmaster Stone
• (as Percy Rodriguez)

• (as Elisha Cook)

• (as Winston DeLugo)

• Jame Finney
• Personnel Officer
• Board Officer

• Enterprise Computer
• (uncredited)
• Lieutenant Hadley
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia This marks the only appearance of the female Starfleet dress uniform during The Original Series, worn by Lt. Areel Shaw ( Joan Marshall ). Key differences between this uniform and the standard female uniform are a satin-like sheen, a gold braid on the edge of the collar, and a longer skirt.
• Goofs When Kirk is about to give his demonstration on the bridge he states that the ship's computer has audio sensors that they can boost by "1 to the 4th power". 1 to any power is only 1 so there would be no boost at all. He probably meant to say 10 to the 4th power, which is 10,000.

Dr. McCoy : Mr. Spock, you're the most cold-blooded man I've ever known.

Mr. Spock : Why, thank you, Doctor.

• Crazy credits The on-screen title is printed as "Court Martial", but the proper grammatical spelling should have included a hyphen. The title should have been printed as: "Court-Martial"
• Alternate versions Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song. The new exterior shots show the damage to the Enterprise around which the plot revolves.
• Connections Referenced in Star Trek: The Deadly Years (1967)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek Written by and credited to Alexander Courage

User reviews 32

• Jul 13, 2006
• February 2, 1967 (United States)
• United States
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• Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 50 minutes

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Strange new worlds hints at kirk’s brother’s tos death.

Lt. Samuel Kirk is famously dead in TOS but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 2 amusingly nods at the fate awaiting Sam in a just few years' time.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 2 - "Children of the Comet"

Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) just beamed aboard the Starship Enterprise but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 2 already hinted at his eventual death in Star Trek: The Original Series . In Strange New Worlds , Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the Starship Enterprise embark on a new five-year mission of galactic exploration. Sam Kirk joined Pike's crew at the end of Strange New Worlds ' premiere but episode 2, "Children of the Comet," winked at the future demise of Captain Kirk's (Paul Wesley) older brother.

Sam Kirk being part of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was a big surprise, especially since his reveal toyed with the audience expecting to see James T. Kirk after Paul Wesley's season 2 casting was announced prior. Sam (full name George Samuel Kirk) comes aboard the USS Enterprise as a xenobiologist assigned to Life Sciences, which makes Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) Kirk's boss in another fascinating twist. Of course, Sam Kirk is a Star Trek legacy character , although, in his only canonical appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series , Sam was already dead. Played by William Shatner wearing a mustache, Sam Kirk was killed by flying alien parasites in the TOS episode, "Operation - Annihilate!" Captain Kirk found his big brother's corpse in a memorable scene, which Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 2 homaged.

Related: Strange New Worlds Finally Reveals The Enterprise Captain Before Pike

In Strange New Worlds , Sam joins a landing party on a mysterious rogue comet that's on a trajectory to collide with the planet Persephone III. Sam is almost immediately injured and knocked unconscious by an energy discharge from the comet, which is actually an ancient arbiter of life being guarded by "space monks" called the Shepherds. Cared for by Lt. La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), Spock, and Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Sam spends the rest of the episode knocked out and he isn't seen again after the landing party beams back aboard the Enterprise. Amusingly, the sight of Sam taken out of commission and lying unconscious on the ground harkens to Jim Kirk finding his corpse in Star Trek: The Original Series , which will happen about 8 years later in the Star Trek timeline. This had to be intentional on behalf of Strange New Worlds ' producers, who are well aware that Sam Kirk is canonically doomed.

Sam's presence in Strange New Worlds seems to be one big cosmic joke. Excepting his surname, the most notable thing about Sam is his mustache, which Pike, his old friend, has quipped about twice already. Lt. Kirk is supposed to be "the best of the best" - hence being assigned to the Enterprise, the flagship of Starfleet - but Sam was completely ineffectual when he and the landing party beamed onto the comet. Sam was quickly taken out of commission and became a liability, although this enabled Cadet Uhura to rise to the occasion and solve some of the mysteries of the comet. But thus far, Lt. Sam Kirk's main accomplishment in Strange New Worlds is being immediately knocked unconscious on their first away mission.

The most interesting aspect of Sam Kirk being on Strange New Worlds ' Enterprise is his parallel to Captain Pike. Both Star Trek legacy characters are destined to die (which is how Pike refers to his fate of being deformed by delta rays and condemned to a wheelchair) within roughly a year from each other. Pike will be paralyzed in 2266 while Sam will be dead sometime in 2267. Presumably, Sam will recover from his incident on the comet and continue to serve out his tenure aboard the Enterprise. But Sam Kirk certainly seems prone to calamity, and it'll be interesting if the terrible things that happen to his big brother aboard the Enterprise will affect how James T. Kirk regards the starship and its Captain when he joins Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.

Next:  Strange New Worlds Explains Star Trek's Prime Directive Origin

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

The Wild History Behind That Cameo In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

This post contains spoilers for the first episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" premieres this week with a strong pilot episode that centers Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the canonical commander of the Starship Enterprise before Captain James T. Kirk came aboard. The latest "Trek" series is set to follow Pike's crew, and Paramount+ has already revealed that Kirk himself will be joining the show's second season , where he'll be played by Paul Wesley.

So who, then, does Captain Pike keep calling for? As the Enterprise gears up for its first in-series mission, Pike keeps asking the crew to have a Lieutenant Kirk report for duty. In the episode's final scene, the crew member finally arrives ... only it's not James Kirk. It's Sam Kirk. "Samuel Kirk! Welcome to Enterprise. How's the family?" Pike declares as he engages Sam in a super-friendly handshake.

Sam Kirk, who is played by Dan Jeannotte, sports a blue Starfleet uniform and a fun little mustache (more on that soon). He also seems to know Pike personally, as he calls him "Chris" before correcting his language to be more work-appropriate. Just before the premiere episode ends, viewers learn that Kirk will be "working on life sciences," and that his boss will be none other than Spock (Ethan Peck) himself. Okay, but who the hell is this guy?

A mustache for the ages

The Kirk bit works as both a funny fake-out for fans who await Wesley's debut as James T., and one of the new show's many nods to "Star Trek: The Original Series." Samuel Kirk is a character within existing "Trek" canon, and he makes his debut appearance in the first season finale of the original series.

Sam Kirk first appears in the 1967 episode "Operation — Annihilate!" The USS Enterprise is on the hunt for the source of a wave of a strange mass illness, and their search brings them to the Federation colony of Deneva. Kirk (played by William Shatner) receives a distress call that turns out to be from Aurelan, the wife of his biologist brother Sam, and gets to the planet as quickly as he can. Unfortunately, when he arrives, he finds Sam already dead at the hands of a parasitic hive mind creature.

When the team stumbles upon Sam's body, Kirk turns it over to identify him, only for audiences to discover that he's played by none other than Shatner himself. It's one of the original series' many, many bits of accidental comedy, as the character pretty much just looks like Shatner with a small, fake mustache and different hairstyle. And while Sam is alive and well in "Strange New Worlds," he's still sporting that same little 'stache.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" does plenty to pique longtime fans' curiosity in its premiere outing, but few moments are as sensational and surprising as the introduction of this Kirk sibling. We've only met him for all of one minute, but Sam Kirk already seems to be a playful presence, perhaps in possession of some of his brother's charms. Plus, Spock gets to be his boss, which sounds like a great "Trek" dynamic if ever I've heard one. Sam's not wearing a red shirt, and we know he won't die in "Trek" canon for some time thanks to the events of the original show. Let's hope Sam sticks around.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" arrives Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Published May 17, 2022

Strange New Worlds 101: The Kirk Family

Let’s talk about one of Trek’s most famous families.

StarTrek.com

Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode two to follow!

Welcome back to Strange New Worlds 101! Last week, we explored the history of the Prime Directive (or, as Pike calls it, General Order 1), and this week we’re diving into one of the most famous families in all of Star Trek : the Kirk family. While fans are definitely familiar with one James Tiberius Kirk, Strange New Worlds is shifting the spotlight over to Samuel Kirk, Jim’s older brother.

Audiences first met Samuel Kirk in a way, in the TOS episode “Operation — Annihilate!” Samuel unfortunately was a victim of the strange parasitic creatures that had overtaken the colony he lived on, though his wife and child survived. Sam is also mentioned in the TOS episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”, where Kirk mentions his brother was there to send him off on his five year mission, along with his sister-in-law and nephews.

In the Kelvin universe, Samuel makes a brief appearance in Star Trek (2009) as his brother speeds past him in a stolen car. However, in the final cut of the film, Sam’s appearance is changed to “Johnny,” who is presumably a friend of young Jim Kirk; Sam’s other scenes were cut from the theatrical version.

Samuel’s full name is George Samuel Kirk; he’s named after his father, George. George Kirk’s most famous appearance in the Star Trek canon comes in the Kelvin universe. In the opening of Star Trek (2009) , George is put in command of the U.S.S. Kelvin when the Romulan mining vessel manned by Nero appears through a wormhole. After the Kelvin’s captain is killed, George orders the evacuation of all personnel and saves 800 lives, including that of his wife and his newly born son, James. However, in order to insure the escape of the Kelvin’s crew, George sacrifices himself and is killed when the Kelvin collides with Nero’s ship.

In Strange New Worlds , Samuel Kirk is a charming lieutenant onboard the Enterprise , serving under Chief Science Officer Spock. Of course, fans know that Spock’s relationship with Samuel’s younger brother Jim is one of the most important dynamics of the Star Trek franchise, so it’s a fun nod to that future by having Samuel serve onboard the Enterprise alongside Spock. We even get to see Samuel and Spock go on an away mission together in “Children of the Comet,” where Samuel displays his brother’s usual devil-may-care attitude. However, Samuel ends up unconscious for most of the mission, due to being a bit careless as he approached part of M’Hanit.

Episode Preview | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Ghosts of Illyria

We know that James Kirk will make an appearance in season two of Strange New Worlds . It would be a delight to see him interact with his brother, as the pair haven’t shared much screen time in either universe. Are two Kirk brothers more prone to shenanigans than just one? We’ll have to wait to see if we’ll see them have an adventure together.

Relive your favorite moments from “Children of the Comet” with our official recap, and share your theories and thoughts with us @StarTrek on social!

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.