Posted in: Paramount+, Preview, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: star trek, strange new worlds

Strange New Worlds: Romijn, Chong Talk S03, Tease S04 "Big Swings"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Rebecca Romijn and Christina Chong previewed the third season, teased Season 4's "big swings," and more.

Rebecca Romijn and Christina Chong are in a unique position in the realm of Star Trek, playing genetically enhanced beings as the first officer Illyrian Lt. Una Chin-Riley, and the Augment security chief Lt. La'an Noonien Singh, respectively, of the U.S.S. Enterprise in Strange New Worlds. As both has to deal with their share of prejudice given their nature, it was Una who had to stand on trial lying about her origins facing a tribunal in the season two episode "Ad Astra per Aspera" that proved her worthiness and dedication to the Federation superseded the very Federation law she broke as an enhanced being that allows her to continue serving as Capt. Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) first officer.

For La'an, it was a rough upbringing due to her family name and her relation to her infamous ancestor, the tyrant Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalban), who shares his Augment traits. With season three underway and Paramount+ announcing that season five will be its last, Romijn and Chong spoke to Bleeding Cool about reacting to the studio news, previewing what's to come for Una in season three if Federation persecution is behind her or if there are elements of prejudice that remain, if we'll get another genre-breaking Trek episode like the musical "Subspace Rhapsody", if there is a future for Strange New Worlds beyond season five.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Stars Rebecca Romijn and Christina Chong Preview Season Three

When the announcement was made that season five would be its last, when fans hadn't had a chance to experience season three, what were your initial thoughts that the end game was already laid out as actors?

Romijn: I think we're incredibly grateful we get to complete our five-year mission, which was the original plan from the get-go. Not every series gets five seasons, so we're very glad to have been notified so that we can complete our storylines. Everyone's going to know where they're going, and the good news is fans of the show have more episodes ahead of them than have ever aired, so there's still a lot to look forward to.

A great part of last season, Rebecca, was Una's Ilyrian origins and, of course, Starfleet's stance on enhanced beings. I was wondering if season three is going to explore that more.

Well, now that she's been cleared through the court tribunal in "Ad Astra per Aspera," we'll see a lighter and freer version of Una, who no longer must hide. We get to see her have a little more ease on the Enterprise, and in command a little bit more often when Pike is down on the planet doing whatever he's doing and standing in for him. We get to potentially see what kind of a captain Una could be, which was fun to play and fun to discover.

You guys had a chance to do something no other Trek series has done with 'Subspace Rhapsody', and I was wondering if there will be another genre-breaking type of episode you want to see the show tackle with whatever time you guys got left?

Chong: That you haven't already seen?

Romijn: If there's any that we want to do.

Chong: I would love to do and I keep pitching this to the writers, "Federation Olympics," I think would be cool. [laughs]

Romijn: Oh, right.

Chong: Or like some, oh, I won't say that one, because it actually is happening.

Romijn: We keep on thinking that we can't outdo season two, but season four is our favorite season, and we're not even allowed to talk about anything. Season four [will take], again, such big swings genre-wise, and our writers just keep coming up with newer and stranger worlds for us. It's wild.

Was there any talk of a special or feature that might be in the cards beyond season five, or season five going to be that final bow?

Chong: No.

Romijn: I haven't heard anything either. It sounds like season five is where they're going to wrap up all the storylines for this particular five-year mission, but then it would be lovely to do like a Christmas movie or something. That would be fun.

The two-episode season three premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which also stars Ethan Peck, Melissa Navia, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokun, Carol Kane, Paul Wesley, and Martin Quinn, premieres July 17th on Paramount+ with new episodes every Thursday.

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