Will Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Feature ‘Moretegas’? Melissa Navia Gave Her Take On Fans Wanting More Scenes Of Her Character
She flies the ship, but we also want to see her do other stuff.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 is finally here, and many are pumped that the last Trek series of the 2025 TV schedule dropped two episodes. It's been a long two-year wait to see the second part of the exciting Season 2 finale, and outside of that, there's a lot of built-up hope and expectations for fans hoping to see certain things. Quite a few are hoping for more of Melissa Navia's "Erica Ortegas," but will Season 3 appeal to the "Moretegas" fans?
I had a chance to speak to Navia before streaming Strange New Worlds with my Paramount+ subscription, and wanted to know if she felt the Moretegas fans would be satisfied with how much they see of Erica in this season. The actress, who has spoken to us before about Ortegas' story and uncertain future beyond this series, shared her honest opinion on how she thinks fans will respond to the character's role in Season 3:
I think so, but it's up to the fans to tell us if it's enough. I feel like it's good enough, but like for the first two seasons, I feel like I've had such a blast playing Ortegas, and whenever she's on screen, to me, that's so much of the episode. Then to hear from fans that they want more is, you can't ask for anything better. If they want to see less of you, then you know you're doing something wrong. If they want to see more of you. I'm just like we're doing something right. So in Season 3, we're going to see sides of Ortegas we haven't seen before, but I have a funny feeling. I know my fans, they're going to want a lot more. So, we're filming Season 4 as we speak.
I think Melissa Navia's instincts are spot-on, as the Moretegas crowd is hard to please. It also doesn't help that the ship's pilot has somewhat been in the background of every story in the first two seasons, with her story unfolding similar to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe treats The Hulk.
I also asked Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers the same question. Goldsman noted it was one he'd been asked about previously on our junket day, and why he was so confused by it:
I'm a little flummoxed, although I understand it by the release of only the first half of the season. There's a spectacular 'all Ortegas all the time' episode in the back half. It's one of the best episodes we've done. So, the Mortegas people will hopefully feel like they got [enough] Ortegas.
I only received the first five episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and it appears the big Ortegas episode is happening in the back half of the season. That might be comforting for some to hear, after the way the Season 3 premiere ended for her.
I'm excited for the Ortegas episode later in Season 3, and especially excited for what's on deck as production continues on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4. Unfortunately, the end date of Season 5 is looming in the distance, but there's still plenty of show to get through in the meantime.
This includes Season 3, which should be exciting as Pike and crew were successfully able to thwart the Gorn, and are pushing ahead to more encounters with creatures across the galaxy. And yes, Erica Ortegas will be along for the ride, but as Melissa Navia said, it'll be up to the Moretegas crowd if she's involved in the season enough.
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds drops new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Tune in to see what Ortegas and the rest of the crew gets up to next week, and get ready for what feels like one of the best seasons yet.

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.
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