I have maintained from the beginning that his final episode is crammed full of strange details that don't serve any purpose beyond setting up Hemmer's survival.

They make a point of saying that Aenar have different responses to cold. They make a point of saying the Gorn incubate at different rates in different species, and that they require a certain level of heat. They pointedly don't show him being killed after he leaves the ship - out into the cold, where the Gorn cannot easily incubate. And those are just the major things. There are a lot of little dialogue bits and production details that on close attention seem deliberately seeded in much the same way things in The Wrath of Khan were set up for a payoff The Search for Spock.

Of course, this could have just been the production leaving the door open to bring back Bruce Horak if they wanted, or to add in a note of hope to soften the blow, but I believe it was a calculated prelude to a planned return.

I hope so. I think Hemmer is such an interesting, well acted character, and a chance to further explore the Aenar. I'd love if he were brought back, somehow. Maybe pull a Georgiou with Hemmer. As much as I'm tired of this ruse, I wouldn't mind if they used it one more time. Even just going back to the planet and discovering that as an Aenar, Hemmer survived the harsh environment. But, I'm still wistfully thinking that Sito Jaxa is still around, somewhere.

I haven't started watching SNW season 2, yet. I intended to wait for all or most of the season's episodes to be released, but I feel like I'm losing that battle with myself. So if there's been any mention of Hemmer in season 2, I know about it yet.

My favorite of Bruce Horak's Hemmer art I've seen is "They Took the Ship ..."

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct7ZTJQPtS8/?hl=en

Pull a shaxs from lower decks, senior officers are back...no questions asked.