3 ways Star Trek: Strange New Worlds improved the Original Series
By Chad Porto
The Kirk Brothers
If you're a younger or newer fan of the franchise, you may be surprised to learn that James T. Kirk has a brother named George. Since he's never really mentioned in any of the films, it'd be ok to miss that fact. What's even more interesting is that, until Strange New Worlds came out, the two brothers never had any real screen time together.
The character of George Kirk appeared in one episode in the original series where he was already dead when the episode started. It was seen as such a pointless character that they threw James Kirk's actor, William Shatner, into new makeup and had him play his own dead brother. It seems rather unsettling that two brothers would have such a weak relationship. To create a character just to kill him off? Seems poorly thought out.
Thankfully, Strange New Worlds gave us more. The two brothers not only have screen time with one another in the prequel but they also provide details about their strained dynamic. It makes the fact that James and George aren't that close when George ultimately dies make a lot more sense.