“It just gets bigger, better and bolder!” Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Christina Chong on S2

The first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has really hit the ground running. With its episodic structure that brought all the fun, optimism – and a few characters – of The Original Series, it has quickly established itself as a firm fan favourite.

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.