The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finally started this week, and its opener, “Hegemony, Part II,” picked up right where the last season left off. But along the way, it surprisingly ended up taking the Gorn—a Trek mainstay and the show’s longest-running threat—off the board.

The updated, computer-generated versions in "Strange New Worlds" look much more reptilian and alien, and even boast prehensile tails. They're also a considerable upgrade on the CG Gorn who appeared in "Enterprise" episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" 20 years ago. Bitter experience.

Strange New Worlds" showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are mindful of "Star Trek" canon. They have to be, since this is a prequel series that must lead into "Star Trek: The Original Series.