Warning: The article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season two.
Star Trek has had many long-lived aliens who have visited Earth throughout its history. Some even blended in with humans — perhaps the most famous being Guinan, an El-Aurien who lived on Earth in the 19th Century and would later go on to become the bartender aboard the USS Enterprise-D.
But Strange New Worlds introduced a new species that seemed to have beaten Guinan’s record. The Lanthanites — namely one called Pelia — were on Earth as early as the time of Pythagoras. With a lifespan described as being “almost forever,” Pelia arrived on Earth during ancient times and witnessed humanity’s centuries-long journey of progress until they finally reached the stars.
The truth about her, and any other Lanthanites who might have been on Earth, was finally revealed in the 22nd Century.
What is a Lanthanite?
Physically identical to humans, the only thing that distinguishes a Lanthanite is their very unique accent. By the year 2022, Pelia was living in Vermont, running a curio shop she named “The Archaeology Department.” During this time, she encountered Enterprise officer La’an Noonien-Singh and Captain James T. Kirk (from an alternate timeline), whom she aided in their mission to thwart a Romulan temporal plot.
As of Strange New Worlds, the Lanthanites are members of the Federation, with Pelia serving as temporary Chief Engineer aboard the Enterprise. When discussing her incredibly long lifespan with Spock, she revealed that the worst thing about living for countless eons is, in fact, boredom. Despite serving on a starship, Pelia still maintained her bunker in Vermont, in case the “no money, socialist utopia thing” turned out to be a “fad.”
Who plays Pelia?
Pelia is played by legendary actor Carol Kane, who you may have seen in The Princess Bride and Annie Hall. Talking about Pelia’s unique accent, Kane revealed to Variety that it was of her own creation.
“I wanted her to sound like you don’t know where exactly she comes from… I was terrified that at the end of it, they would say, ‘No, we want you to regular voice,’ but they didn’t. They said, ‘Go for it!’ I think that was brave of them.”
Kane, who hadn’t watched any Star Trek project prior to joining the show, also said she prepared for the reaction from Trekkies: “I’ve been told that when you become part of the world [of Star Trek], you will experience a reaction from the fans… I don’t know exactly what it will be like, but I’m kind of bracing myself for it, and also excited about it.”
Although Kane may have braced for the worst, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The overall sentiment seems to be that fans are simply excited to see more of Pelia in the future.