Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 8, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds demonstrates that Lt. Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) had a somewhat negative influence on Lt. Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn). By the time of Star Trek: The Original Series, Scotty (James Doohan) will have assumed the role of Chief Engineer on the Starship Enterprise, ultimately gaining a reputation as an engineering “miracle worker.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” provides insight into the early days of Kirk and Scotty’s friendship. In “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and three of his crew members transform into full-blooded Vulcans for an away mission, but complications arise when they cannot immediately reverse the transformation.
Shortly after, Lt. Kirk arrives on the Enterprise to spend his downtime with the ship’s crew, and he and Scotty find themselves attempting to prevent Vulcan La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) from instigating an intergalactic war. Kirk and Scotty’s interactions throughout “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” are among the highlights of the episode, with Kirk clearly leaving an impression on Scotty, both positively and negatively.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Made Kirk A Bad Influence On Scotty
When Lt. Kirk first arrives on the Enterprise in “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” he encourages Scotty to call him “Jim,” reflecting their shared near-death experience in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 6, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” Kirk urges Scotty to adopt a more relaxed demeanor, taking him to the Port Galley for drinks with La’an.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 2, “Wedding Bell Blues,” Scotty mentions that he’s “not really much of a drinker” when offered a drink. This sharply contrasts with the Scotty of Star Trek: The Original Series, who had a well-known fondness for scotch, but it turns out that Kirk is the one who introduced Scotty to his drink of choice.
By the end of the episode, Kirk and Scotty are back in the Port Galley, reminiscing about their experiences over glasses of scotch. As Kirk presses a cold glass against his bruised head, Scotty suggests visiting sickbay, but Kirk responds that he “prefers the scotch.” Scotty replies that he “could get used to it,” and by the time of TOS, it will become his favorite drink.
Everyone On The Starship Enterprise Drinks, Not Just Scotty
Of course, Scotty is not the only crew member aboard the Enterprise who enjoys a drink during his leisure time. Captain Pike frequently hosts dinner parties in his quarters where he and his crew share drinks, and the Port Galley is always bustling with activity. None of the ship’s crew members appear to have issues with alcohol consumption, and sickbay could likely offer quick remedies for drunkenness or hangovers if needed.
By the 24th century in Star Trek: The Next Generation, synthesized alcohol known as synthehol will have replaced real alcohol on most starships. While synthehol is designed to taste like regular alcohol, it lacks intoxicating and addictive effects.
When Scotty visits the Enterprise-D in TNG’s “Relics,” he immediately senses something amiss with the synthesized scotch, prompting Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) to introduce him to one of Guinan’s (Whoopi Goldberg) “non-syntheholic products”. Scotty’s appreciation for genuine scotch is well-documented and can now be traced back to none other than James T. Kirk due to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
