Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 4 – “A Case Of Chiaroscuro”Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reintroduces the first Klingon seen in Star Trek, who is played by a familiar actor replacing the late John Colicos. Directed by Meera Menon and written by Skylar Ojeda and Dana Horgan, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 4 strands the USS Enterprise’s crew members on a world occupied by Klingons, in a film noir hour inspired by Casablanca.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 4, “A Case of Chiaroscuro,” Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) go undercover to aid the resistance of the planet Mat’aar XII, which is under a Klingon occupation.
The Klingon governor of Mat’aar XII is Commander Kor, who is established as the same Klingon introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 26, “Errand of Mercy,” which was the Klingons’ debut in Star Trek.
John Colicos originated Kor in his lone 1967 appearance, and Colicos reprised the aged Klingon in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, however, goes in a different direction with Kor.
Demore Barnes Plays Commander Kor In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Image credit: Paramount+
Commander Kor in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4‘s “A Case of Chiaroscuro” is played by Canadian actor Demore Barnes. Demore may be best known for playing Sergeant First Class Hector Williams in CBS’ The Unit, and as Deputy Chief Christian Garland in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Superhero genre fans would also recognize Demore Barnes as DC Comics villains Henry Hewitt AKA Tokamak in The Flash and William Wintergreen in Titans, as well as for playing Mr. Ibis in American Gods.
Demore Barnes also has plenty of sci-fi experience on his acting resume. Barnes played Agent Hubert in Fringe, Raphael in Supernatural, Fred Camp in Flashpoint, and Whitley in 12 Monkeys, which was created by Terry Matalas, the showrunner of Star Trek: Picard season 3.
A pair of Barnes’ previous roles also connect to Star Trek. Demore played Tobias Budge in Hannibal, which was created by Bryan Fuller, who later co-created Star Trek: Discoverywith Alex Kurtzman. Barnes recently played Franklin Beaumont in Boston Blue, which co-stars Sonequa Martin-Green, the series lead of Star Trek: Discovery.
As Kor, Demore Barnes vividly captured the Shakespearan eloquence and sense of decorum that John Colicos brought to the first Klingon seen in Star Trek. Kor’s sense of honor and pride in the Klingons’ power and dominance were on full display in Barnes’ performance.
Strange New Worlds Retcons Commander Kor From Star Trek: The Original Series & DS9
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ “A Case of Chiaroscuro” makes it clear that Demore Barnes is playing the same Commander Kor that John Colicos originated. Dr. M’Benga describes Kor as “a descendant of Kahless,” the original Klingon emperor, which is the identical backstory of Commander Kor in Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment The Final Frontier Trivia Challenge
🚀ShipsEnterprise!
⭐CrewMake it so
☠EnemiesResistance is…
⚡TechWarp speed!
📖LoreLive long…
01
The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series?
✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager.
✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager.
02
Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character?
✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise.
03
Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called?
✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols.
04
“Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called?
✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.”
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.”
05
Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him?
✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard.
06
Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called?
✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive.
07
At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called?
✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario.
08
In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain?
✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos.
Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record
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Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty?
When the Klingons apprehend Ensign Uhura, Commander Kor personally interrogates the undercover Starfleet officer with the Klingon mind scanner, the same invasive weapon that Kor tortures Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) with in Star Trek: The Original Series’ “Errand of Mercy.”
Demore Barnes’ Kor requires fans to accept that this is the same Klingon about five years before he appears in “Errand of Mercy.” played by John Colicos. Confusingly, Barnes’ Kor and his soldiers look like post-Star Trek: The Motion Picture Klingons, which defies how Colicos’ Kor looks in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Star Trek: Enterprise introduced the Klingon augment virus to retcon why Kor and the Klingons in Star Trek: The Original Series look more human. Kor later appears in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s 24th century as a shaggy-haired and ridged-browed, post-revamp Klingon.
Now, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds asks fans to further reconcile Kor’s changes in appearance. Perhaps the augment virus affected the appearance of Commander Kor and his Klingon forces in the years before he encounters Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock on Organia.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4’s new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+
