Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Introduces A Doctor From The Original Series

In Thursday's episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the Enterprise encountered a crisis when a space vortex threatened to engulf the ship. As the crew raced against time, Dr. M Benga was crushed by a heavy table, with Chapel desperately attempting to save his life. Earlier, Benga had expressed his intention to leave the Enterprise, and a shift change saw Dr. Phil Boyce, played by Brian Markinson, stepping in as a potential replacement.

Markinson, known for his role as Don Draper's neighbor Arnold Rosen on Mad Men, brought a new character to the series.

Boyce's presence on the ship was not a mere one-off character. In fact, he had once served as the Enterprise's chief medical officer on the original Star Trek TV series, portrayed by DeForest Kelley. The original series featured Boyce as the chief medical officer alongside Captain Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter. Boyce's tenure on the original Enterprise was brief, as he left before the series' inception.

However, Strange New Worlds had previously mentioned that Benga replaced Boyce as the Enterprise's chief medical officer.

Interestingly, Boyce's character appeared in the Season 1 two-parter "The Menagerie," which utilized footage from the rejected Star Trek pilot "The Cage." In "The Menagerie," Boyce joined Pike in the landing party and examined the survivors of a crash, unaware that the situation was all a Talosian illusion. This episode showcased Pike's journey to Talos IV and his encounter with the Talosians, a reference that has since been echoed in Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds.