How Strange New Worlds Cast Made Season 2's Fight Scenes 'Fresh And Different'
Throughout its history, "Star Trek" has been devoted to concepts like diplomacy, egalitarianism, and pacifism. Despite military tensions often running high, war and violence were hardly ever seen as practical solutions to interplanetary issues. Several feature films notwithstanding, it was rare that a "Star Trek" story would conclude with "good guys" besting "bad guys" in battle. More often, solutions would take wit, skill, cooperation, a lot of techno-babble, and multiple brainstorming scenes. As previously opined in the pages of /Film, "Star Trek" is stronger when it eschews action for intellect.
That said, there is bound to be action in "Star Trek." Starfleet officers have a dangerous job out on the galactic frontier, and they are often armed with (usually non-lethal) phasers, just in case they are facing trigger-happy foes eager to see diplomacy break down. Additionally, officers are all trained in basic hand-to-hand combat, just in case they're cornered or feel threatened. Even non-Trekkies are likely familiar with Captain Kirk's clasped, two-fist whammo, or Commander Riker's heel-of-the-hand-into-the-nose maneuver.
In the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episode "The Broken Circle," Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) are able to fend off a gang of attackers by injecting a mysterious drug into their systems, temporarily making them action-capable fight machines.
In a recent round-table discussion with /Film's own Vanessa Armstrong, Olusanmokun and Bush said that they both enjoyed being able to fight a little more. Actors may be capable of communicating the stern diplomacy of "Star Trek," but it's also just fun to be able to flip stunt performers on their backs and take imaginary swings at them. Combat also showed new dimensions to their ordinarily care-giving characters.
Action nurse
Jess Bush especially was keen to get her fists dirty. Bush previously worked as a model, having appeared on "Australia's Next Top Model," and regularly makes jewelry and artworks she calls Bee Totems, which involve encasing dead honeybees in a special crystal resin. Connected with the natural world, and a very physical person, Bush wanted to do a little stage combat. She said:
"It was awesome. I was so excited about it. Me, Jess, is really physical and I'm happiest when I'm expending all of my energy outwards, and climbing things, and jumping off things, and rolling around. So for me, it was great. I loved getting the first script and seeing that ahead. And for Chapel, it was really interesting to tap into what would drive her to that point emotionally, because she's naturally quite a loving and caring person. Yeah, it was cool to investigate that for her."
Nurse Chapel, a character played by Majel Barrett on the original "Star Trek," was rarely in the line of fire, usually consigned to sickbay. On "Strange New Worlds," Chapel goes on more away missions, shares a lot more about her personal life, and will inevitably find herself in more extreme fight scenarios. How does someone who took a Hippocratic oath deal with fighting? It's a question that "Strange New Worlds" certainly brings up.
The same could be said of Dr. M'Benga, a character played by Booker Bradshaw on the original "Star Trek." Olusanmokun was likewise thrilled to fight and explore, saying:
"It was fantastic. It was really exciting to prepare for those things and to make sure we got it right, that it looked fresh and different. It took quite a bit of work, but we were very excited to do it."
The doctor's history
The fight scene in "The Broken Circle," as mentioned, sees Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel taking an unknown steroid prior to their fight. When they look at the drug, they both acknowledged without speaking that they know what it is. It seems that the two of them have experience with this drug and may have even taken it numerous times in the past. This would spell out an intriguing new past for the characters, a past that will likely be explored in future episodes. Olusanmokun saw the drug as a great character moment, knowing that the doctor and nurse would have a boring experience. He said:
"We're going to see some of [M'Benga and Chapel's] past history, how they came to be, how they came together as compadres. I think it was written beautifully, and of course, we then try to mold it as much as possible with our performances. And yeah, it's been something, it was really lovely to do."
Olusanmokun also displays a great deal of trust in Bush. It seems that neither actor is keen on rehearsing together, preferring to feel out scenes by instinct and letting reactions come more naturally. Olusanmokun was grateful for the mutual understanding, and the freedom he and Bush offered each other. He said:
"It was really lovely to experience and no, we don't [rehearse]. We perhaps maybe go over a scene together while waiting, but I think, 'Oh, I know what I do,' but I also see that Jess comes quite prepared, so when we land in front of each other, with the camera rolling, there's a lot to work with. That's all you can ever ask of your scene partner. Yeah, so there's a lot of give and take and being open."
They're doing great.