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Strange New Worlds will be the flagship Star Trek series for Paramount+ for two more seasons, five total, counting the one that’s airing now. Well, at least until Starfleet Academy establishes itself that is. But that kind of room gives the cast and crew the room to give characters the arcs they want and find time to put on some fun episodes. Like the musical episode, or an upcoming puppet episode, which is in the works for Season 4.

It’s part of a greater plan executive producer Akiva Goldsman told San Diego Comic-Con, “We've tried to do is try to reach back to Pike's Enterprise and instill in it the kind of storytelling values we have today, and bring us right up to Kirk's first day on the job,” explained Goldsman. “If you like us enough, just write, ‘Dear Skydance and Paramount. We know you still have the sets. Don't you want to make Star Trek: Year One?’”

It makes sense, that’s for sure, but while we only got a teaser trailer for that puppet episode, we’re still a long way from Season 4. There’s still plenty of time to have a lot of fun in Season 3. For example, take the latest genre-blending episode that aired on July 31, 'A Space Adventure Hour.' In it, Lieutenant La’an is tasked to break in a prototype holo-deck that Scotty needs to test out. La’an crafts a scenario for the holo-deck, to create a Knives Out-type murder mystery with her playing the part of Detective Amelia Moon. 

Oh and fan-favorite Jonathan Frakes (AKA Commander Riker) directed this episode, too. This is Frakes’ second Strange New Worlds episode he’s directed, along with episode 207 'Those Old Scientists.' In total, that's 33 Star Trek-related episodes, films, or video games he has helmed. 

The prime suspects of a strangled corpse pin the cast and crew of the science fiction series, The Last Frontier against one another. Their ill-fated series is a spoof of Star Trek: The Original Series. In the holo-deck murder mystery, different members from the ship’s crew, (along with Paul Wesley guest-starring as the Captain Kirk-type of the fictitious parody) appear as cast members of The Last Frontier, allowing viewers to see them in different roles and personalities. Add the layer of the actual TOS spoof spliced in and it made for a big highlight of the current season.

Both Christina Chong and Jessica Bush referenced the recent holo-deck murder mystery episode amongst their favorites to film thus far.

“Mine was actually from this [A Space Adventure Hour] episode. The shots where Sunny Lupino [a Lucille Ball nod played by Rebecca Romijn] dies on the couch, and we'll run over to her just to check if she's OK. Bush told San Diego Comic-Con, while laughing. “We were shooting that for a long time because Babs [Olusanmokun] could not keep it together. And Rebecca's death was getting longer and longer every take.”

“I built onto the scene a lot,” Romijn added with a smile. “It kept getting more and more elaborate.”

“Babs' laugh is the most infectious thing you've ever heard in your life; it's really hard not to catch on to it,” Bush continued. “Add to that, Jonathan Frakes was hiding behind that palm tree in the left of the shot, crouched behind the fern, and trying to get us not to break. He was waiting there, and then there was one where we didn't break at all and he said [whispering] ‘you guys are doing so great.’ That episode was just the most fun every single day.”

Wesley agreed, “Jonathan’s such a ball of energy and joy, and he's such a brilliant director, and we all just had the best time!” 

Chong reveled in playing a period detective, but she keyed in on one particular activity in this episode and throughout Season 3 as her favorite.

“It was definitely all the dancing I had to do with Ethan,” Chong revealed. “They were all different ballroom dances, like the Latin routines and styles, that we learned throughout the season. I started off as a dancer and getting to do that as let La’an bring that into her character was just a huge gift that I asked for and they gave me. We spent like 74 hours rehearsing outside of normal hours and it was just so much fun.”

Spock’s newfound dalliance with La’an has been a surprise this season since it was a reasonable choice that a La’an and Kirk fling be a thing. However, both Spock and La’an are restrained characters. They’re holding a lot within themselves and being able to express all of their repressed emotions and feelings through dance is quite wonderful. That they could connect on a higher level has its own logic.

New episodes of Strange New Worlds Season 3 drop on Thursdays on Paramount+.  

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