Newer versions of Uhura seem partly inspired by a Star Trek: Enterprise character

As a long-time Trekkie with over three decades of fandom under my belt, I must confess that the latest incarnations of Nyota Uhura have left me feeling a bit like Captain Kirk in a parallel universe – confused and slightly disoriented.

Back in 2009 when I watched Star Trek for the first time, I found myself captivated by Nyota Uhura’s (Zoe Saldana) linguistic prowess in the film. It wasn’t just a common trope in sci-fi and fantasy that resonated with me; there was another character from Star Trek who shared this unique ability. You guessed it, I’m referring to Hoshi Sato (Linda Park).

At thirteen, I was quite sensitive and found it annoying at that moment. Over time, I moved past it. When Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuted in 2022, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were replicating the character of Uhura, who seemed to question her place on the Enterprise, as a newer version of Hoshi.

To set the record straight, there’s absolutely no issue with being like Hoshi Sato. As a language enthusiast and avid fan of linguistics, Hoshi is undoubtedly my favorite character from “Enterprise.” Her journey towards self-assurance and acceptance of her role on the ship provides a refreshing twist compared to the typical space exploration enthusiasm most characters exhibit. Hoshi was indeed unique as a central figure in “Trek.

One way to rephrase this in a more natural and easy-to-read manner: The unusual similarities between Uhura and Hoshi make it seem strange, as if an established, memorable character is overshadowing a lesser-known character who isn’t well-remembered by fans. It’s like the new character is taking away the spotlight from the original one.

In “The Original Series”, Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols), is a charming, self-assured, and competent communications officer. Although it’s clear that she can speak at least two languages – Swahili and English – there’s no evidence suggesting she has the ability to swiftly learn multiple languages. Instead, her role primarily involves managing the communications network.

Indeed, in the movie “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” there’s a moment where Uhura, along with Scotty and others, urgently look through dictionaries to maintain a basic conversation in Klingon without the Universal Translator. It seems plausible that someone with a strong command of languages would have learned some Klingon.

In a different approach, the Uhura portrayed by Saldana in the Star Trek reboot is a xenolinguist, much like Hoshi Sato. Her tasks primarily revolve around translation and debating with her fellow crew members. While arguing with crewmates is a common duty for many characters in the 2009 Star Trek and its sequels, this Uhura’s job role is more analogous to Hoshi Sato’s. However, in terms of personality, she doesn’t resemble Hoshi Sato, but their jobs share similarities.

In the role of Uhura, Gooding exhibits numerous similarities to Hoshi. She possesses linguistic prowess, yet also grapples with self-doubt regarding her position. Her character development seems primarily focused on finding her identity, much like Hoshi did. Admittedly, this might be a common narrative for new characters, but it is noteworthy that it has been used before in the realm of Star Trek, and particularly for a communications officer.

It’s possible that some might attribute the similarities between modern Uhuras and Hoshi Sato to mere coincidences. Nevertheless, the episode “Those Old Scientists” from Strange New Worlds implies that Uhura found Hoshi inspiring, hinting at the possibility that Hoshi may have influenced the writers as well.

Characters in stories often undergo changes or updates, especially when they’ve been around for almost six decades. It’s only natural that we’d see some adjustments and growth. For instance, infusing aspects of Hoshi into Uhura provides her with more diverse roles than she had during the original series. To avoid a sense of repetition, she could have been given a distinct set of abilities and talents instead.

For example, Uhura might have been portrayed as exceptionally skilled in technology-related fields. Her abilities are suggested throughout TOS, encompassing areas such as Fourier transforms, computer engineering, and the technical aspects of the Universal Translator. This interpretation could account for the change from Hoshi’s Science division to Uhura’s Operations division.

It’s worth noting that Nyota Uhura and Hoshi Sato share a unique similarity: Their names both translate to “star” in Swahili and Japanese. Could it be that these characters have more connections than we initially thought? If so, their current development in the story might make sense as well.

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2024-11-07 01:23