The third season of Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds wrapped up a pair months in the past however followers are nonetheless debating it, with a little bit of a consensus that it was a blended bag. Even showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman have commented on manufacturing points with the third season, main them to assert the following season to be “the perfect but.”
At ST: CHI – Trek To Chicago conference over the weekend TrekMovie had an opportunity to talk to La’an actress Christina Chong about what makes the following season completely different and the way she and the solid are feeling as they’re now taking pictures the fifth and remaining season. Chong additionally had some ideas on a Physician Who/Star Trek crossover.
Season 4 has much more genre-bending
Season 4 wrapped manufacturing over the summer time. Throughout her panel when requested by TrekMovie in regards to the showrunners hype, Chong was fast to again their evaluation up, saying “I agree, it’s the finest but.” Nonetheless, when requested about how they described the upcoming season as “extra critical,” Chong took subject with that, saying “I’m undecided that bit is totally right. I feel, yeah, no. Not for my part”
When pressed on if she at the least felt the upcoming season was completely different than season 3, Chong did agree, saying:
“Oh I feel it’s very completely different. I feel its WAY higher… It’s method higher as a result of there are extra swings. And I simply suppose there’s extra social commentary, perhaps that wasn’t there as a lot in season 3. And it’s a whole lot of enjoyable. However there’s so many issues in it. It’s in all probability the season that has probably the most episodes which might be genre-blending. So be careful. Be ready.”
Christina Chong as La’an in season 3 , Episode 4 of Unusual New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Picture Credit score: Marni GrossmanParamount+
Getting ready for her final Trek
TrekMovie additionally introduced up the fifth and remaining season, which is presently in manufacturing in Toronto. Christina confirmed that filming on the penultimate episode of the six-episode season was nearly accomplished earlier than final weekend, including:
“We’re simply nearly ending [episode 5]. We’re about to start out taking pictures the final episode of Unusual New Worlds. How loopy is that?”
She additionally confirmed there isn’t any plan to take a Thanksgiving break, with the objective to “wrap earlier than Christmas.”
The upcoming finish of the sequence has put star Anson Mount in a reflective temper, together with posting about being “exhausted” after late evening filming final Friday. Throughout her panel, when requested by TrekMovie in regards to the temper is like on set, Chong talked about how coming to the top is actually beginning to sink in:
“I imply, it’s bittersweet. It’s unhappy. It’s realizing that is the final time we’re all on the bridge collectively. Okay, that is the final time I’m on the bridge. That is the final time I’m going to placed on this uniform. That is the final time I’m going to be in a scene with Spock… It’s all these final occasions… My final costume becoming is tomorrow [Monday, November 24]. It’s loopy that it nonetheless doesn’t really feel actual it’s coming to an finish.”
Christina Chong as La’an in season 3, episode 9 of Unusual New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Picture Credit score: Marni Grossman/Paramount+
The sequence has been filming at CBS Phases in Mississauga, Ontario since early 2021. The actress talked about the way it’s laborious to say goodbye to the prolonged household in Toronto:
“It’s not simply the solid, it’s the crew. We’ve labored with these individuals for 5 years. Virtually all of the crew are nonetheless there from day one, and it’s such a present to have the ability to work with the identical acquainted, pleasant faces day-after-day. As a result of it permits you to chill out and produce your finest efficiency… So, yeah, it’s sort of unhappy, however like with something, making an attempt to understand the previous few moments after which additionally trying ahead for what’s to return.”
Chong additionally addressed how the top of Unusual New Worlds has her questioning what’s subsequent, mentioning how there may be nonetheless no phrase on the proposed Star Trek: Yr One:
“I don’t know what I’m going to be doing… who is aware of if there’ll be a spin off? We don’t know but. And if there may be, we’re not all going to be in it. So it’s going to be a really completely different present. It’s not going to be Unusual New Worlds. It’s going to be one thing completely different.”
The British actress did verify that she was transferring to Los Angeles on the finish of December after Unusual New Worlds wraps up.
Christina Chong at ST: CHI 2025 (Picture: TrekMovie.com)
Concepts for Olympic and Underwater episodes… and Physician Who crossover
Throughout her panel, Chong famous that she was a type of who had been pushing the showrunners to do a musical episode, which resulted in season 2’s “Subspace Rhapsody.” Though it didn’t end up the best way she thought. The veteran of musical theater defined, “I believed it might be all refrain traces and Gorn with high hats and canes.” She additionally revealed she thought her musical track second was a bit “boring as a result of there have been no jazz palms.” And this resulted in her pitching the thought of dancing, which resulted within the season 3 storyline of La’an giving Spock dancing classes.
When one fan adopted up by asking if she had extra present pitches the actress had a pair prepared, saying:
“I’ve at all times pitched the thought of Federation Olympics. And we find yourself going through the Klingons on the final hurdle, and now we have to discover a solution to beat them. And perhaps now we have to discover a solution to cheat to beat them. After which there was additionally an underwater episode that I pitched, which must be shot in Mexico Metropolis, simply due to the Cenotes and issues. We’d must scuba dive and that may in all probability solely be enjoyable for just a few hours, after which we’d be simply chilly and moist. Yeah, these had been had been my two different concepts which will or could not have occurred.”
L to R Christina Chong as La’an and Ethan Peck as Spock in season 3 , Episode 4 of Unusual New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Picture Credit score: Marni GrossmanParamount+
Christina Chong can be considered one of a handful of actors who’ve appeared in each the Trek and Who universes. In a 2011 episode of the BBC sci-fi sequence Physician Who she performed a soldier from the 52nd century named Lorna Bucket. Throughout her ST: CHI panel when a fan requested what she would consider a crossover, Chong was prepared with a pitch:
“So what I’d do is – I performed character known as Lorna Bucket in “A Good Man Goes to Conflict,” considered one of Matt Smith’s episodes – and I’d someway discover a solution to make La’an and Lorna Bucket the identical character. And create a narrative as to why Lorna Bucket was within the Whoniverse and what introduced her to Trekverse. I don’t know what that cause can be proper now.”
When the fan recommended the 2 characters might be increase twins separated at delivery, she cherished that concept.
Christina Chong in Physician Who (BBC)
It’s going to nonetheless be some time earlier than we see the fifth and remaining season of Unusual New Worlds. Season 4 is coming “quickly” in 2026, seemingly not lengthy after the primary season of Starfleet Academy wraps up in March.
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