Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Performs An Unexpected And Perfect Bonnie Tyler Tribute

Mild spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4, Episode 3, "Human Best Friend."

In "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4, Episode 3, "Human Best Friend," the crew of the USS Enterprise find that they're in desperate need of a vacation. Luckily, there's a remote resort planet on their route, Seznar Grand, that fits the bill perfectly. The one-of-a-kind atmosphere on Seznar, you see, causes its inhabitants to feel as if they're deeply intoxicated. It leaves most of the crew feeling like they've been drinking cocktails, although a few act like they're blissed out on weed. Spock (Ethan Peck) retains his Vulcan composure, yet even he seems to be hallucinating James Kirk (Paul Wesley) in his hotel room.

The episode's plot is wholly amusing, with Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Scotty (Martin Quinn) finding themselves having to locate their missing shuttlecraft, having forgotten where they parked it thanks to the booze-like atmosphere. It's basically a stoner comedy storyline, which is a bold stroke for the "Star Trek" franchise.

Other crew members get into similar shenanigans. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) becomes stoned and fabulous and begins talking about everyone's personal spiritual journeys, while Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) fancies himself a bartender, and pours drinks for assorted resort guests ... usually dropping bottles in the process. As for Commander Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), she dons a long rainbow boa and signs up to sing multiple karaoke songs in a row. When we catch up with her, she's singing Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in the Klingon language.

Notably, though, the creatives behind "Strange New Worlds" couldn't have predicted Tyler's death on July 8, 2026, when they worked on this episode. As such, "Human Best Friend" is an unwitting tribute to Tyler and her best-known hit.

Welsh pop star Bonnie Tyler's first charting hit in the United States (as a solo artist) was 1977's "It's a Heartache," a single from her album "Natural Force." But her first major, major hit wouldn't come until 1983's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," itself from her album "Faster Than the Speed of Night." That album went platinum and was a massive hit in multiple countries, the U.S. included. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was written and produced by Jim Steinman, who also handled the whole of "Faster Than the Speed of Night" (not to mention Meat Loaf's gangbusters album "Bat Out of Hell"). Steinman also wrote music for the amazing 1980s movie rock musical "Streets of Fire," so he was clearly very fond of long, ultra-bombastic, incredibly wordy pop songs

Tyler could handle the length, the bombast, and the strange lyrics of "Total Eclipse" and then some. She had a voice that was gentle at times but could easily blast barn doors open. I've seen many people try to sing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" at karaoke, but they always run out of energy partway through. The album version of "Total Eclipse" is over seven minutes long, and you need to be Bonnie Tyler to truly handle it.

And while "Total Eclipse" was her biggest hit, Tyler remained prolific throughout her career, releasing studio albums all the way until 2021. In a sad development, her last album was titled "The Best is Yet to Come." Tyler died from complications during surgery to treat a perforated intestine. She was 75.

It's quite a legacy, so it's nice to see "Strange New Ways" honor it with "Human Best Friend" (even if, again, it's not wholly intentional).

It's always a little odd to hear modern-day pop songs in the "Star Trek" universe. One might recall, for instance, the use of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" in the 2009 "Star Trek" movie or the weird usage of Wyclef Jean's "We Are Trying to Stay Alive" on "Star Trek: Discovery." The "Star Trek" franchise takes place in a post-capitalist utopia, of course, so viewers, upon hearing a licensed pop song, can't help but think of the financial deals and money involved in securing it. It's a peculiar situation.

Then again, in the distant future of "Star Trek," all music will presumably be in the public domain, so if we hear any pop songs, it's a declaration that those tunes will survive into the 23rd or 24th century as a centuries-old standard. And while I'm not convinced that all of the property's needle drops work in this regard, I have no doubt whatsoever that people will still be singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in several centuries. The song is catchy, its poetry beautiful, and its vocals impeccable. 

Indeed, "Strange New Worlds" seems to be implying that "Total Eclipse of the Heart" will one day be discovered by the inhabitants of the Klingon homeworld, with a Klingon-language version becoming a new standard. Bonnie Tyler will remain one of humanity's cultural stalwarts, and I believe it. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a karaoke standard in the 2020s. It will be so in the 2250s as well. 

As for Rebecca Romijn, she avails herself well singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in Klingon. She doesn't match Tyler's enormous voice, but then, no one else could, either.