Strange New Worlds needs an Ortegas-centric episode (or 2…or more)

One of the fun things about many Star Trek series is that they feature ensemble casts, with different episodes focusing on different characters. It's okay if (like me) you're not a huge fan of the Data-centric episodes of The Next Generation, because there are plenty of great Worf ones, too. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds carries on this tradition, but one main cast member has yet to lead an episode.

Lt. Erica Ortegas, portrayed by Melissa Navia, is introduced in the first episode of Strange New Worlds as the helmsman on the U.S.S. Enterprise. As she is listed as a main cast member, you could assume we'd get Ortegas-centric episodes, much like we've gotten episodes focused on Pike, Spock, Number One, Uhura, M'Benga, Chapel, La'an, and Hemmer. After two seasons, this is not the case.

Aside from a handful of trivia mentioned in dialogue, all we really know about Lt. Ortegas is that she "flies the ship." Despite this, Navia and the writers paint a picture of Ortegas being a fun, confident, entertaining character. It would be really interesting to see Ortegas take center stage for an episode (or more), to explore both her history and her character more deeply.

For instance, we've seen that Ortegas is a talented pilot, but that she doesn't have as much experience on away missions. Maybe this could be mined for stories where she gets to develop and showcase talents beyond flying.

Similarly, Ortegas's laid-back, jokey personality can be really fun, but it could also open the door for interesting stories. Maybe Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is more tolerant of a friendly bridge atmosphere than other captains are. Is Ortegas's behavior related to something from her past? Does she get leeway because of her piloting prowess?

These are a few possible reasons to want Ortegas episodes, but another major one is the fact that she is wholly unique to Strange New Worlds. Aside from Hemmer (Bruce Horak)—another under-explored character before leaving the series—Ortegas is the only major character who was not either introduced in or related to a character from The Original Series.

Even though the SNW versions of these characters are often different from their TOS counterparts, there is still a sense that we either know their histories and destinies and that new information is at constant risk of being little more than lazy retcons. Ortegas is a blank slate. No preconceptions as to who the character should be—or how she would fit into canon.

Granted, the lack of an Ortegas-centric episode is likely due in large part to the fact that Strange New Worlds only gets 10 episodes per season. This is a far cry from the 26 episodes that were typical during the runs of Next Generation through Enterprise. At the same time, we've had A LOT of Spock (Ethan Peck) episodes in Strange New Worlds already.

As beloved of a character as Spock is, his story has also been explored extensively for over half a century. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have one less Spock-centered episode to give Ortegas a chance to shine, rather than being a support in almost every episode where she appears.

Hopefully, Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will finally give us an episode that is fully centered around Lt. Ortegas. She is, after all, a unique character to the series, which just makes me want to learn so much more about her.