Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3 - "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow."As Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh, Christina Chong saves the future in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3. One of the finest episodes of the series, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" is an emotional and powerful time travel adventure about love, loss, and sacrifice.
La'an and an alternate reality version of Captain James T. Kirk, played by Paul Wesley, are sent back in time to 21st-century Toronto to stop an attack that will forever alter Star Trek's timeline. La'an and Kirk fall for each other but James is tragically cut down by a Romulan time traveler named Sera (Adelaide Kane). La'an then learns the Romulans' target is her ancestor, Khan Noonien-Singh (Desmond Sivan), and La'an confronts the very person she spent her entire life dreading she would turn into.
Screen Rant had the absolute pleasure to chat with Christina Chong about La'an's huge Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode. Christina shares behind-the-scenes stories of shooting "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," working with Paul Wesley, reveals how La'an really feels about Khan, and we also discuss her burgeoning music career and Christina's torchy new single, "Twin Flames."
Christina Chong Discusses Time Travel, Love & Loss In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Screen Rant: I think you know I've been dying to talk to you about this episode. Obviously, I love this episode, and you are in every scene. Tell me about getting the script and your reaction to it. It's a La'an episode, it's got time travel, and it's a two-hander with Paul as Kirk. It's a love story. This episode has everything.
Christina Chong: I know, right? I'd been told it was a two-hander beforehand, before we even started shooting, actually. There were talks about it being shot in New York. And then because of COVID, they were like, "No, let's do it in Toronto." So I was excited to get it. I'd met Paul, and we had a brief conversation in the previous season, but because I didn't really have much to do with him, I didn't really know him. And I thought, "Well, I'm sure it'll be cool."
When I actually started reading the script, I was like, "Okay, I'm in this scene. Oh, wow. All right, yeah. I'm in the next scene..." Because I'm always looking for the breaks because I plan ahead, and I do quite a lot of work on the script beforehand. So I'm thinking, "Okay, which scenes should I prepare first? Which ones are we shooting first? Where's my break?" To kind of focus. And I was like, "Oh, my God, I don't have one!" When I finished reading that script, the first time I read it, I was choked up. It really hit me. When we did the first read-through on Zoom, when I said it out loud, I really genuinely was crying at the end. It just touched me so much. But it was written for me. I just identified with it so much. There was a lot of personalization [so] it was easy to kind of do.
You and Paul have amazing chemistry. How did you guys get along off-camera?
Christina Chong: When I got to meet Paul properly, there's a little story there. We both have the same acting coach. And so, when my acting coach found out Paul was in this episode with me, she was like, "Oh, you have to meet him before you start working with him." I was like, "Oh, no, no, I'll just turn up on the day. I don't know. I'm not into that whole method thing. I'll just rock up on the day." [She said], "Well, you do what you want. But I'm telling you, I think you should meet Paul beforehand. I think you guys will get along."
At the last minute, I was like, "Okay, fine. I'll just text him to see if he's free." So we went to dinner at Soho House and we got on straightaway. We both love our dogs, you know, we just basically talked about dogs the whole time. And we had similar things going on in our lives at that point as well. So we really instantly connected, and I was like, "Wow, okay, this is gonna be fun. This is gonna be easy." Despite the Toronto weather.
Co-executive producer Chris Fisher Tweeted about how challenging the shoot was, on location in Toronto.
Christina Chong: So for me, I was like, "What an amazing opportunity to be able to work with amazing people throughout the whole episode." And a challenge to be in every scene. I've never done that before. And with the added adversity of things like the weather, the snow. There's COVID schedule [and] the actual schedule. I think at one point, the director was out because of COVID, and then somebody else went down. So the team was always changing and [our] episode was pushed or having to be reshot.
Because we were shooting outside in daylight, that meant we only had a certain amount of hours to shoot. So we had to get up every morning at the same time. Normally, your call is pushed by a few hours so that you get a proper 12-hour turnaround. But we couldn't do that because of the daylight. So we were pushed every single day. So yeah, it was a challenge and mental focus as well.
I love La'an and James together. I ship you guys.
Christina Chong: Can you tell me what 'ship' means? I've been reading it. Is it like 'relationship?'
It's online fan worship of a couple being together.
Christina Chong: Okay! I get it.
I was stunned into silence at the end of "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," and I did tear up. La'an was in love! And she lost James right after she started to let her guard down and started to open up. Tell me about playing her and getting to touch those sides of La'an.
Christina Chong: I love doing the drama kind of side of things. Although it's fun to play La'an in the security action side of her, my arena is more drama. That's what I've had most practicing. And that's what I love doing, drama. So for me to be able to go there was actually really cathartic. A nice release after that whole journey. That scene [at the end of La'an crying on her bed] was one of the first scenes we shot, actually. [Paul and I] did that scene in the same room on the same stage in La'an''s quarters. But he went over into a corner of the quarters and shot his against a wall there, and I was on the bed. So I couldn't see him on the screen or in real life. But we were shooting it at the same time so that we'd get some kind of emotional connection. I'm pretty sure that was the first time Paul was on set, and we shot that at the beginning.
And I was a bit worried because like, hang on, I've just got to go there. And then I've got to backtrack and make sure I land at that place and earn the right to get to that place [emotionally]. It's great [because] it all weaves together [with] my single as well. "Twin Flames." Actually, I didn't plan [for] that particular song. I planned for a song to drop [timed to the episode] and it was just "Twin Flames" because that was my favorite song. And it just happened that it coincided with episode three. And it's only now that people are doing these videos and stuff [of La'an and Kirk set to "Twin Flames."] And I'm like, "Oh, this is really, really perfect." They actually are Twin Flames because the whole twin flame thing is about having met this person in another lifetime, and in this lifetime. And that's exactly what Kirk and La'an are doing. So she's on the bed. She's emotional. Oh, I was going through a similar kind of thing. Like a loss in a relationship. So it was easy for me to kind of put La'an on that journey.
We also have to talk about the Khan of it all. La'an protected the person who pretty much haunted her entire life. How does La'an feel about Khan now? And how do you feel about La'an and Khan?
Christina Chong: La'an and Khan! (laughs) Yeah, I mean, it's tricky, isn't it? Because of what everyone's talking about, how it's likened to a certain person in history. And would you kill him or not? But it just goes to show how La'an isn't him. She's a descendant of his, but she doesn't have his qualities in that way. She saw a little boy, looked into his eyes, and was like, "Wow, I can't. I chose not to kill him." And even though she had the chance to come back, and everything be fine, she chose to save this little boy's life. And more than that, as well, it was accepting, obviously, where she's wrong, and that good things can come from bad situations. And that's kind of how I like to live my life as well.
Things happen, yes, and it's not great, but they've happened. And we have a choice to either stay in that place and feel resentful, or we have a choice to change the perspective and continue looking for the good in it and moving forward. And that's what she's chosen to do. I came from that. The Enterprise, my family, came from that. That wouldn't exist, potentially, if Khan hadn't done what he did. So I think she's accepted the fact that she's related to him/ I don't think she particularly likes him or what he did, but she's accepted it, and who she is, and the past, and the shame that she's felt.
Ever since I interviewed you and the Strange New Worlds cast at Comic-Con last year, I've heard rumblings about this mysterious episode 9 in season 2. And I'm hearing that the idea came from you. Can you tease that a little bit?
Christina Chong: (laughs) So I did. I did ask for this thing. From season 1, any writer who would listen, I was like, "Hey, what about this? And then this could happen, this could happen and..." But I do tend to pitch ideas to them all the time about things. l'm always trying to think of what we could do. One that I wanted for season two was an underwater world with like a Mexican Mayan kind of mythological creature. But the thing is, [and it's] probably why they didn't go for it, I said, "The only thing is it's got to be shot in Mexico." (laughs) But they were like, "Oh, it's a good idea. We could use the AR wall." I was like, "No no no, we have to go to Mexico!"
This episode, which is episode 9, is basically one of the things that I've always wanted to do career-wise. And they said, "Oh, we were actually already thinking about that. So I just pushed it even harder. (laughs) I basically kept forcing it. And then [showrunner] Akiva [Goldsman] told me one day [they were doing it], and I almost broke into tears. I was that happy.
Of course, I have to congratulate you on "Twin Flames." Your song is available on Spotify, iTunes, and wherever you stream your music. Let me just do a little plug for you. It's a beautiful James Bond-like song. Everybody's saying it. What are the next steps for you and your music?
Christina Chong: I'm doing this during this whole journey because I love it, and it's fun, and I'm ionate about it. So I don't have this, "Oh, I need to do this with it. I need to do that with it." I'm going with the flow. See what happens. I've got my EP dropping on August 11th. "Twin Flames" is the first of four tracks on the EP. There are plans to potentially release acoustic versions and a club remix of "Twin Flames". Potentially a Christmas song... (laughs)
And I have lots of material, lots of tracks that are ready to go and release, which are completely different to the EP. I basically wanted to try different styles. I trained in musical theater where we had to train in all different kinds of genres. So I just wanted to touch on as many as I could. So yes, I have a lot of music in the bank to release. Just when, how, and where I'm not sure yet, but we're gonna go with the flow. I think it's more about seeing how this feels, how people respond to the rest of the EP, and then potentially, we're talking about live things. So we'll see. It's all up in the air at the moment. Nothing confirmed.
Everybody compares "Twin Flames" to a Bond theme. The Bond movies are rebooting. Could being a Bond Girl be in your future?
Christina Chong: That was always one of my dreams as well! I always wanted to be a Bond Girl. I mean, come on! If I could even just get a song in a Bond movie, that would be amazing. Oh, we're also thinking about doing physical releases, limited physical releases, as well. Signed CDs, wallet things, autographed. There'll be a limited edition type thing.
One more thing I want to ask you about "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow": There's a scene where you and Babs Olusanmokun are sparring. And we just recently found out that Babs is one of the greatest jiu-jitsu fighters in the world.
Christina Chong: I know, right?
What was that like sparring with him? Because that scene hits harder, so to speak, now that you know what Babs can actually do. What's it like throwing down with him?
Christina Chong: Well, this is the thing about a good fighter: a good fighter also is aware of his opponent, right? So Babs is very good, and very gentle, and very careful. And respectful of the fact that he's a powerhouse. And he's aware that I am not the same way. I'm my own version of a little powerhouse, but I'm not like that. (laughs) He's extremely respectful and disciplined and careful. And it's exactly what you would expect a top-notch fighter to be like when doing something like this. So yeah, he's great, Babs.
About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.
Check out our other Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 interviews here:
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 air Thursdays on Paramount+.