Jess Bush describes bouncing from filming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ intense Klingon War episode to prepping for her big musical number.
Summary
- Jess Bush faced the challenge of transitioning from an intense Klingon War episode to a musical episode, but found it to be a perfect and healthy balance for her as an actor.
- The overlap in shooting schedules required Bush to go from scenes with explosions and medical drama to practicing dance numbers, which initially seemed like a difficult transition.
- Despite the stark contrast in tone and content, the experience of switching between intense and light-hearted scenes helped to cut through the intensity and keep Bush’s body in a healthy place.
Jess Bush describes bouncing from the intensity of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2’s Klingon War episode to prepping for her big number in Star Trek‘s first-ever musical. There may be no greater example of the 180-degree genre shifts of Strange New Worlds season 2 than episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War” being followed by episode 9, “Subspace Rhapsody.” “Under the Cloak of War” delved into the trauma of Nurse Christine Chapel (Bush) and Dr. Joseph M’Benga’s (Babs Olusanmokun) Klingon War service while “Subspace Rhapsody” saw the crew of the Starship Enterprise compelled to sing and dance as they bared their innermost feelings.
The cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds joined roundtable Q&A in support of the SAG Foundation. Jess Bush recalled the challenge she faced as her schedule between the Klingon War episode and the musical episode overlapped, which was an “interesting transition” that she ended up feeling “perfect” for her as an actor. Read her quote and check out the video below:
When we were shooting the Klingon War episode, there was overlap with the musical and I had quite a big number in the musical and also was quite heavy in the Klingon episode. So there were days where I would come from the AR wall where we had explosions and medical. We were operating on somebody who was hanging on by a thread. And then I would go straight from there to go and practice being lifted up by six dancers and being spun around in the air. Which at first, I was like, crap, that’s going to be an interesting transition. But it was actually perfect. It was really good to just cut through the intensity and keep my body in this healthy place.
Jess Bush got to work with Clint Howard in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8. Howard played multiple roles in Star Trek throughout the franchise, including Balok in Star Trek: The Original Series “The Corbomite Maneuver.”
Star Trek Strange New Worlds Musical Episode Ending Explained
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ musical episode ended with a rousing grand finale where song was both the problem and the solution to save the galaxy.
What’s Next For Nurse Chapel In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3
Christine is poised to meet her next love interest
Nurse Christine Chapel was set up to temporarily leave the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. After ending her relationship with Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) to pursue her dreams, Christine was en route to join a medical archaeology program headed by Dr. Roger Korby when the USS Cayuga and planet Parnassus Beta were attacked by the Gorn. Spock mounted a rescue mission and he and Chapel killed a Gorn before returning to the Enterprise, but Christine’s main focus is currently saving the life of the Gorn-infected Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) in Strange New Worlds season 2’s finale cliffhanger.
Chapel will likely leave the Enterprise to attend Korby’s fellowship in Strange New Worlds season 3, and Star Trek: The Original Series canon says Christine and Korby will be briefly engaged to be married. This would create a new love triangle for Chapel and Spock in Strange New Worlds season 3, but given the series’ proficiency at bending canon and surprising the audience, even that may not be so cut-and-dry. Chapel is a far richer and more fascinating character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Jess Bush will no doubt have a lot to sink her teeth into as she continues to evolve Nurse Chapel in season 3.
