One of the most complex and complicated relationships in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is between Spock (Ethan Peck) and Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and it's poised to only grow more nuanced in Season 2. The trailer for Strange New Worlds Season 2 has teased a budding romance between the two Enterprise crew mates and friends while facing the dangers of the final frontier together. However, it's not all love and war as the Enterprise explores the open cosmos, with Spock getting to lean into the unintentional comedy he brings to the starship, complete with his own catchphrase.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Strange New Worlds stars Ethan Peck and Jess Bush talked about bringing out more humorous moments in Season 2, reflected on delivering a more action-packed performance and share how they work together as scene partners in the show's more vulnerable moments.
CBR: Can we just talk about how funny Vulcans are? You really get to go for it this season, Ethan. How was it leaning into the comedic side of your performance?
Ethan Peck: It's funny because, for me as an actor, it's all approached very earnestly, and I do my best to keep myself from how it might appear in the given context or situation. Spock is so strange and out-of-place in a lot of situations. I bet Jess on how funny Vulcans are.
Jess Bush: You in Episode 5? Hilarious! You kicked it out of the park. It's so funny in a way that is so endearing. It's perfect and very funny.
Peck: Thanks!
Jess, right from jump we get to see Christine Chapel, action hero. How was it doing those big hallway fights and channeling your inner badass this season?
Bush: It's so fun! I love action, I love to do action myself so much, I’m very energetic, and I often struggle to know where to put that. [laughs] When I found out what we were doing, I was so pumped, also just to investigate that side of Chapel and what would push her to that point mentally and emotionally. She’s a healer and is down to support people, that’s her jam, but in this episode, she gets violent.
It was a really great exercise to find what could possibly drive her there. It was really challenging in the amount of the time that we had, and it was very intense physically. Babs [Olusanmokun] is like a weapon. [Laughs] He was so good at fighting. That was a whirlwind and a really fun one.
As much as I love The Original Series, I never felt Spock and Chapel were as supportive of each other as they could be. This season, Spock helps Chapel with her career aspirations while Chapel continues to help Spock reconcile his feelings. Two seasons deep, how is it supporting each other as scene partners?
Peck: It's wonderful! It’s really special and unique. Being these legacy characters and getting to write new history for them is really spectacular. Jess is such a joy to work with and an amazing collaborator, invested, interested, prepared, works hard and cares. Believe it or not, not every actor is like that. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have a scene partner like Jess.
Bush: Thanks, Ethan! That's really sweet.
Jess, how about you? How is it getting to play off Ethan?
Bush: It's wonderful! Ethan is extremely generous, patient, supportive and attentive as a scene partner. I’ve always felt really safe, thought of and cared for in situations where it might be a little complex and vulnerable. It's been a real joy to flesh out this decades-long unfinished business with someone who is just as, if not more, invested in making a truthful piece of art, this relationship. It's been wonderful to flesh out what the modern version of that relationship is, in all its complexities, difficulties and discomforts. I think it's much more real than the previous iteration.
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres June 15 on Paramount+, with new episodes released Thursdays.