Cadet Sidhu should join the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Amrit Kaur played Cadet Sidhu on Star Trek: Short Treks in arguably the best offering the digital mini-franchise ever produced.

The full cast for the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has it’s core three cast members in Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Spock. The rest of the show’s cast and ship’s bridge crew are…up in the air. For the sake of continuity, the best call to fill spots is to look for members of Short Treks and Star Trek: Discovery who can fill the proverbial seats. Enter actress Amrit Kaur.

Spoilers ahead. Amrit Kaur played Cadet Thira Sidhu on a brilliant episode of Short Treks called Ask Not. In that season two episode, Captain Christopher Pike is arrested and brought to Starbase 28 on charges of mutiny and left in the care of the cadet. After the guards leave, Tholians attack the base, causing Pike to use his rank and status to pressure Cadet Sidhu to disobey direct orders and release him. Pike even goes on to push emotional buttons for Sidhu, telling the cadet that her husband’s ship is engaged with the enemy now, and if she doesn’t let him go, his ship will be destroyed.

Pike is so harsh.

He also uses her history with Starfleet against her in an attempt to manipulate his way to his freedom. Reminding her that she and her husband were the sole survivors of a Tholian attack years prior and that she had served under Pike once before. There’s more to the episode, but you should really go watch it yourself. As for Sidhu, the way her character was written, and the way her actress (Kaur) portrayed her, made Sidhu a very likable character. Someone steadfast in her belief in Starfleet regulations.

That’s why Sidhu (Kaur) should help round out the cast for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

There’s already a rumor going around that hints at her joining the franchise and frankly, after the backstory laid in Short Treks, she’d make a brilliant addition. Her chemistry with Pike (Mount) was impressive. They have a natural chemistry that would only add to the series.

Her status as a low-ranking member of Starfleet also gives us as viewers a unique view into a cadet that matures and grows through the ranks. Usually, with the bridge crew, most members are an Ensign or higher. Even then, most don’t get a lot of opportunities to progress up the ladder. Namely, Harry Kim, who spent seven years as an ensign.

That has to be a record.