Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has finally given Star Trek: The Original Series' Number One (Majel Barrett) from TOS' unaired pilot "The Cage" the backstory she's deserved for 56 years. When Strange New Worlds', Number One (Rebecca Romijn), first appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, the character was essentially a blank canvas. This is because Majel Barrett's original character was never seen again after scenes from "The Cage" were re-purposed for the TOS 2-parter "The Menagerie."
The lack of knowledge about Number One has allowed Strange New Worlds' writing team to approach her as a fresh and completely new character, giving her a backstory that built to season 1's cliffhanger ending. The most notable thing about Strange New Worlds' Number One is that her presence on the bridge isn't a novelty. She's part of a far more diverse bridge crew than in Star Trek's unaired pilot, so it's a welcome change from the 1960s' casting in "The Cage". However, this isn't the only change that Strange New Worlds has made to Number One's character.
