And season two promises a whole lot more, including a crossover episode with the animated series Lower Decks. We needed to find out more, so we sat down with Strange New Worlds star Christina Chong who plays Enterprise’s Chief Of Security La’an to talk about that crossover episode, where we find the Chief Of Security in Season Two and what she can’t wait for audience to see in the new season…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has firmly established itself as a big fan favourite. Why do you think that is?

I think because our show is really a modernised version of The Original Series and it encapsulates everything that that did… the diversity, equality… it’s got all of that.

But the fact that it’s those legacy characters. Celia [Rose Gooding, who plays Uhura], Ethan [Peck], Anson [Mount], Rebecca [Romijn], Jess [Bush], who plays Nurse Chapel – they’re creating the characters that are to be the characters that you see in The Original Series. So I think that’s really interesting for fans.

Also, it’s episodic, and it’s a different genre. So if you don’t like one episode, you’ll probably like the next one or the next one. It’s a family show as well. So I think it’s just a return to that. It’s very nostalgic.

What can we expect from the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

It basically just gets bigger, better and bolder!

Paramount, for the first season, was like, ‘oh, there were a few things they were trying out’ and then when it was a success, they basically said to the creators, ‘run with it, do what we did, and more!’ And we absolutely did!

There are things in there that I can’t talk about that is the first time it’s ever been done with Star Trek. And obviously, there’s the Lower Decks crossover episode. I mean, who knows what could happen? There are no other crossovers, as far as I’m aware. But who knows? Further down the line, next season? The season after? The possibilities are endless now.

What can you tell us about the Lower Decks crossover episode?

I can say that Jack [Quaid] and Tanwy [Newsome] are hilarious. They’re very fun to work with. My first scene for that episode was with Jack and he is just so funny. It’s really hard to work with him and keep a straight face, especially when the camera’s on him and I’m not on camera.

I had quite a few scenes with them in that episode and I literally was getting a free stand up show! Every take was slightly different. I would definitely work with those two in a heartbeat, they just vibe off of each other so well.

If the tables were turned and you were invited to appear in Lower Decks, would you?

Yeah! I’d love to do that. I’d love to be animated. I’ve never had that before.

We were talking to Jack and Tawny and how they go from animation to action and what they have to adjust and change is really interesting.

They were telling us that you’ve really got to do more for animation. You can’t just be real and natural like you would be on screen normally. You’ve got to put in extra energy because that extra energy then translates through the 2D smile or laugh. It’s a lot!

Where do we find La’an in Season Two of Strange New Worlds?

At the end of Season One, she’s left the ship and gone off to help Oriana [Emma Ho], the little girl, find her family. I think by doing that in some way she’s getting closure for what happened to her and for her losing her own family.

So she’s mellowing a little bit even at the end of Season One. In Season Two, we don’t know how, where, or when [but] she comes back to the ship. And when she does, she’s not running from that traumatic place anymore. She’s dealt with it, she’s faced her demons head-on. She’s now slowly opening up, connecting. She’s open to connecting, open to growing and we see her have a little romance with Captain Kirk.

She’s just a lot lighter, which was tricky for me to pitch because she still has to be La’an, Suddenly she’s smiling and laughing, so each new scene and each new episode was like ‘how far can I go but still keep the essence of La’an?’

We find out quite a lot about La’an in Season One. What was it like being able to delve into her backstory?

That was amazing because I did not expect that. When I booked the show, I booked the show for three scenes and accepted that. I thought that because it was an ensemble show [I’m] going to be in two or three scenes in each episode. So when I got the script for the pilot, I was like, ‘oh, wow, okay. This is more than I thought it would be!’

Then obviously being connected to the Gorn and then realising that the Gorn were the main enemy of Season One… that was just an amazing arc for me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that it’s allowed me. Especially episode eight where I get to play the princess.

I would never have thought Star Trek would have given me that because I didn’t watch The Original Series growing up. I’d seen a bit of Discovery and I just didn’t think that’s what Star Trek was. Because it really lends itself to being light and cheeky and fun, as well as having that depth and drama. Having both is what keeps it entertaining.

How do we find La’an and Una’s relationship develop for Season Two and what’s it like working so closely with Rebecca Romijn?

Rebecca is amazing to work with and that was so nice to have that throughout the season, especially Season One because obviously she’s so straight laced and reserved that that [friendship] allowed La’an to have some kind of vulnerability and connection.

In Season Two, Una is still there and is still kind of helping. She’s almost like her older sister, helping her to open up even more and posing those questions. She makes her think about what she’s doing and if that is the best way, and giving advice without actually telling her what to do – we’ll definitely see more of that in season two.

What are you most looking forward to audiences seeing in the new season of Strange New Worlds?

Episode nine is the one that I am most excited for people to see. Because it’s something that’s never been done on Star Trek before. It will allow the audience to see all of us in a different light.

There’s a long tradition of Star Trek captains having their signature calls to action – like Captain Pike has “Hit it” and Picard has “Engage”. If La’an were ever to become captain, what would you think hers would be?

“Now!” It’s succinct, it tells you what to do. No BS: Now!

Season Two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, will be released on 15 June 2023. 

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It’s the crossover that we didn’t think was possible – Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Mariner (Tawny Newsome) from the animated Star Trek series Lower Decks are on board the Enterprise in the first trailer for Season Two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Watch the trailer here…

In season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds., the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will also embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any “Star Trek” series.

The series stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun. Season two also features the return of special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and new addition Carol Kane in a recurring role as Pelia.

Season Two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, will be released on 15 June 2023. Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow YouTube Channel.

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First up, Captain Pike will return for the Season Two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which will be released on 15 June 2023.

Season two of Strange New Worlds includes the previously announced special crossover episode featuring both live-action and animation, and Lower Decks’ Tawny Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner and Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler joining the U.S.S. Enterprise. The episode was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard actor and director Jonathan Frakes.

That’s not all, Strange New Worlds has also been renewed for 10-episode Season Three! Hit it!

Next, we’re going to be rejoining our favourite gang from the lower deckes – Ensigns Boimler, Mariner, Tendi and Rutherfood – for a fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which will be released this summer.

Plus we’re getting more animated action as the series has been renewed for Season Five, with 10 episodes commissioned.

“Season 4 this summer! Season 5 being written now!” Star Trek: Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan wrote on Twitter after the announcement. “Lower Decks! Lower Decks!

“In Season Four of Star Trek: Lower Decks, an unknown force is destroying starships and threatening galatic peace,” McMahan further teased. “Luckily, the crew of the U.S.S Cerritos isn’t important enough for stuff like that! Instead, Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and Provisional Ensign T’Lyn are keeping up with their Starfleet duties, avoiding malevolant computers, and getting stuck in a couple caves – all while encountering new and classic aliens along the way…”

That’s not all, for the kids (and adult kids), Star Trek: Prodigy will also be returning to our screens for Season Two, which will be heading our way this winter.

“That’s right — more Star Trek: Prodigy coming in 2023!” Prodigy writer Aaron J. Waltke Tweeted. “Season 2. 20 episodes. Wild surprises. Some of the boldest storytelling we’ve done yet, with familiar faces and new ones. Be sure to spread the word — now is the time to catch up! More viewership means more Trek.”

As previously announced, the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discover will premiere in early 2024.

Psst: Want to catch up with the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? We’re giving away THREE copies of Season One on Blu-ray with our latest competition!

Simply click here and answer the question to be in with a chance! Don’t delay, this competition closes on 6 April. Good luck!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Two will be out on Paramount + on 15 June 2023, Lower Decks Season Four will be out this summer and Prodigy will be released this winter.

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To celebrate the release of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season One on Digital, Blu-ray, DVD and limited-edition Blu-Ray SteelBook on 20 March, and on 4K UHD and limited-edition 4K UHD SteelBook on 15 May, we have THREE copies of series one to give away on Blu-ray!

The debut season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series features fan favorites from season two of Star Trek: Discovery, Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

“Each episode has its own adventure, its own world or conflict to explore and solve, its own bad guy,” said Ethan Peck when we spoke to him about the series. “I think that we’re trying to embody more of the Original Series vibe, which was a bit brighter and a bit lighter.”

Fans can enjoy every out-of-this-world episode from the first season of the Paramount+ original series with the collection featuring over 90 minutes of special features, including exclusive-to-home-entertainment cast and crew interviews, gag reel, deleted scenes and more.

Want to be in with a chance of boldly winning  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season One on Blu-ray? Simply answer the question below…

This competition closes on 6 April. Good luck!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season One is available now digitally, on Blu-ray, DVD and limited-edition Blu-Ray Steelbook and on limited-edition 4K Steelbook on 15 May.

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Listen up Trekkies! Paramount+’s Star Trek Day returns for the third time this September and will include back-to-back conversations with casts from across the Star Trek universe, live performances, exclusive news from Star Trek Original Series on Paramount+, a special tribute to Nichelle Nichols and more.

The global live-streamed event, which will be streamed from the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, will take place on Thursday, 8 September at 12pm PT/8pm BST and can be streamed directly from YouTube here.

On 8 September 1966, Star Trek debuted for the first time on television with ‘The Man Trap’, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. Fifty-six years later, this important day and the franchise’s enduring legacy is honoured with the Star Trek Day celebration, providing fans with a memorable way to enjoy and celebrate all things Star Trek.

Here are some of the things you can expect from this year’s Star Trek Day…

Star Trek Day live-streamed celebration

Join Paramount+ and co-hosts Tawny Newsome (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Paul F. Tompkins (Star Trek: Lower Decks), co-hosts of ‘Star Trek: The Pod Directive’ for two hours of free live-streamed conversations and programming that will unite iconic cast members from the television series as they gather in person to celebrate Star Trek, with a few surprises along the way.

The event will kick off live from the red carpet with co-hosts Jackie Cox (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Mary Chieffo (Star Trek: Discovery) interviewing “Star Trek” cast members from past to present.

The conversations will include the casts from the following “Star Trek” television series:

• Star Trek: Picard with series stars Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd.
• Star Trek: Lower Decks, with voice cast members Tawny Newsome, Noël Wells and Dawnn Lewis.
• Star Trek: Prodigy with series voice cast including Brett Gray and Kate Mulgrew.
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with series stars Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun.

Additional programming also includes:

• Nichelle Nichols Tribute, featuring a special video to honor the impact and influence of Nichelle Nichols.
• Behind-the-scenes set tour of Star Trek: Discovery with Wilson Cruz from Toronto, as he provides fans with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at filming season five of the hit original series, along with appearances from Sonequa Martin-Green and other cast members.
• Put On Your Best Face where a fan will be transformed into a Star Trek alien by a series make-up artist.
• Star Trek Cosplay Runway, hosted by Jackie Cox, fans will strut the runway in their finest “Star Trek” cosplay.

Fans worldwide will be able to live-stream the “Star Trek Day” celebration for free at the Star Trek Day website and on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

After their initial airing, the conversation portions of the event will be available on-demand on Paramount+.

Star Trek Augmented Reality Delta Portals

Star Trek Day will also be celebrated with a one-of-a-kind opportunity for fans around the world with the debut of in-person Star Trek” Augmented Reality Delta Portals. The Delta Portals will be set up for a limited time in select cities internationally from Wednesday, Sept. 7 to Thursday, Sept 8. Each location will have three Star Trek Deltas, each seven feet tall and featuring QR codes that, when scanned on Instagram, transform the objects into mixed-reality portals that bring the user into the world of Star Trek.

Each augmented reality experience will be based on a current Star Trek series, featuring fully 3D alien planets, classic starships and iconic characters as they interact with both the virtual and physical worlds.

U.S. Locations:

• Los Angeles: The Grove
• New York: Hudson Yards
• Chicago: Water Tower Place

International Locations:

• London, United Kingdom: Science Museum
• São Paulo, Brazil: Shopping Cidade São Paulo (Note: Brazil dates are Thursday, Sept. 8 to Friday, Sept. 9)
• Melbourne, Australia: Federation Square

There’s also plenty more besides for Star Trek Day including the #StarTrekUnitedGives campaign, as well as a special merchandise sale (use the code “STARTREKDAY” for 20% off sitewide here)

Star Trek Day will be taking place on 8 September. Find out more here.

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You both made your Star Trek debuts in Discovery. How does Strange New Worlds feel different to its predecessor?

Anson Mount: It was very important to me when Alex [Kurtzman, showrunner] and I started talking about this that it was episodic. I’m a big fan of The Original Series because that’s what I grew up watching. It’s not to say other [Star Trek] shows haven’t done great things with serialised storytelling, because they have, but there’s something to the episodic form for me that really gets us out of the way a bit more and allows the big idea of the week to have more space. That sense of adventure, of exploration, is deeply human and that, along with the optimism in believing that we’re still going to be around to do that in a few centuries, that’s what’s at the core of Star Trek and people’s enjoyment of Star Trek, I think. It really does make a tremendous difference in the type of show that it is.

Ethan Peck: Each episode has its own adventure, its own world or conflict to explore and solve, its own bad guy. Also the look is very different. I think that we’re trying to embody more of the Original Series vibe, which was a bit brighter and a bit lighter.

With the lighter, brighter, more optimistic turn in mind, what do you hope viewers will take away from Strange New Worlds?

Ethan Peck: I hope they take away Gene Roddenberry’s original vision, which is one that celebrates inclusion, diversity, curiosity, exploration, self-awareness, and awareness generally. I think that the concepts that we embody in our show are really antidotal to a lot of the bleak things that are happening in our world right now. I think if we as a species were more curious about each other and more curious about ourselves, there could be a lot of healing and a lot of growth activated. I hope that people take away the inspiration to explore themselves in our world more and to have more love for it.

Many old sci-fi franchises try revivals to a bad fan response, but it feels like Star Trek keeps delivering hit after hit. What do you think it is about it that viewers always manage to connect with?

Anson Mount: My favourite Gene Roddenberry quote is: “There is some basic human need in that there is a tomorrow.” I really agree with that. I think he’s hitting something there. I think that there’s a deep human instinct to walk out beyond the firelight to see what else is out there. There’s something in us, we have to admit, that most people of, I would imagine, every nation on the planet, that when they see a massive, expensive, difficult project to launch a satellite or put a man on the moon or put a man onto Mars, the vast majority of people support that. There’s nothing material yet that’s really going to come out of it, so what is that? I think there’s a deep optimism in us. Sometimes that can be a tragic optimism, but I think there’s something in us that wants to believe we have a higher mission. And I think that Star Trek taps right into that.

Ethan Peck: I think people connect with the hopeful vision that it presents. To go back to Gene Roddenberry, in the original pilot, ‘The Cage’, Majel Barrett was a female, an officer on the bridge in this position of power. Nichelle Nichols portrayed a Black woman for the first time on television who had this enormous responsibility and had an on-screen kiss with Captain Kirk. These were groundbreaking cultural events, and that DNA is in each one of these shows, I believe. People want to move forward. People want to evolve. It’s who we are as a species, and I think this show celebrates that and gives a blueprint for it. It’s a possibility of a future we can have, together in harmony.

What was it like coming back to filming after being halted by the pandemic? We heard the cast and crew didn’t get much time to bond on set.

Ethan Peck: [Laughs] It was extremely challenging! We had to wear masks on set, we were getting tested all the time and were confined from one another. It was a really difficult experience, psychologically and emotionally. Not only was it that, I think we all felt the pressures of bringing this new show to life. [Personally], I felt quite a lot of pressure to perform at a certain level, to maintain integrity in the world, and also to combat the weirdness of the pandemic and the isolation that we were all feeling.

Anson Mount: It was very tough last year… but we did the best we could on set. That was just a case of being conscientious to people that are new to the set, making sure they know where everything is, that they have everything they need and that they feel safe. But no, there was not really a whole lot of hanging out outside of work last year. I mean, we were under a full lockdown for the majority of the shoot. It was work, home, work, home, work, home.

Ethan Peck: Anson and I obviously had spent quite a lot of time together, but I developed a huge amount of respect for our new cast members because of the amount of hard work they put into it, and there wasn’t a lot of time to spend with each other outside of set as we weren’t really permitted to. For the most part, it was just seeing each other as our characters. I think of, for instance, Babs [Olusanmokun] who plays Dr M’Benga, I think of him as Dr M’Benga. The picture I have in my brain of him is in his uniform, which is really strange! My impression of these people are as their characters, which is really unique and kind of wonderful.

 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently streaming on  Paramount+ with a new episode available every Wednesday. Read our review of the first three episodes here.

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Strange New Worlds has been a long time coming. Following the fantastic fan reaction to the main trio’s arc in Discovery, Mount actually began actively campaigning for an Original Series prequel that would bring back the Enterprise with Pike at the helm, flanked by his two most respected Starfleet officers.

“This will be no surprise but I’ve never had a fan response to anything I’ve done like that,” says Mount. “I didn’t expect it and it’s crazy to me because, you know, you go to acting school and learn to bend and morph yourself into all these shapes and then along comes a role that fits pretty well, you don’t need to really screw around with your look or your persona too much. Pike is, in many ways, the closest to myself character I’ve ever played, so it’s ironic – or maybe it’s not, maybe it’s poetic – that people respond more to that than all the stuff I train for.”

Clearly not wanting to let a good thing go, showrunner Alex Kurtzman announced in early 2020 that ideas for a Pike-led spin-off series were being tossed around. Covid-19 obviously hit three months later and brought production to a halt. Since then, the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds have been filming the show between lockdowns and restrictions.

Now, more than three years after Mount’s initial campaign, it’s finally hitting screens with the launch of Paramount’s new streaming service, Paramount+. For the show’s stars, finally stepping back into their Starfleet-issued boots was a great feeling.

“It felt amazing on a variety of levels,” remembers Mount. “None of us had worked in over a year and it felt really good to get back on a set, it felt good then to start working on it, and it feels good now to [know] that people are finally going to see it. And it was also great to see Ethan and Rebecca again. We had a great time, a super time on Discovery together. We are blessed with having similar senses of humour, and we truly enjoy going to work because of each other. And the new cast has really added to that… There’s no weak link in this chain. We really got lucky.”

For Peck, donning Spock’s signature helmet haircut and frowny face brows brought about a mixture of emotions. “Oh gosh, it was crazy!” he says with a laugh. “I wasn’t sure that the journey as Spock would continue for me after Discovery. We didn’t know we were doing this show until a year later, I think, at least. It might have been more – the last couple of years have been such a blur! So coming back to the character was again really intimidating.

“When I was first cast in the role I was so overwhelmed by the responsibility of it. I knew that I would have to undergo a very profound journey of self-discovery, personally and as an actor. It’s not every day or every life that one gets called to do that. And so I’m just so grateful for that. And yeah, I just hoped that I could do it!

“I think Strange New Worlds depicts Spock in a way that he’s never been depicted before, which is a very nuanced version of him,” Peck continues. “It’s a version of him that we’ve never seen before. We get to go into his inner life. What’s his world like behind closed doors? What does he struggle with? What is he like romantically? These are things that I don’t think have been down with the character before, at least in the amount of depth that we go into with it.”

Unlike Mount and Peck, who play characters that have been portrayed on screen a number of times, Romijn’s Una Chin-Riley was more or less a blank slate. The First Officer made her screen debut in The Original Series’ pilot episode ‘The Cage’, played by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s future wife Majel Barrett, and wasn’t seen again until Romijn brought her to life in Discovery.

“The writers are a really impressive team that have been fleshing out this character, as well as me, and we’re excited!” Romijn enthuses. “She’s very good at her job, she takes her work very seriously, she’s very fastidious and meticulous… There’s a big development for her character in the first three episodes, which will continue to develop and be explored.

“When they first floated the idea I was beside myself, so excited, and it’s been a really interesting bit to play. It’s been really fun.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently streaming in Paramount+, with a new episode available every Wednesday. Read our review of the first three episodes here.

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