CBS / Getty Images Arlene Martel and Gia Sandhu
As the primary filming of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has officially ended, the stars of the new show are starting to let us know a little bit more about the show. Anson Mount, who portrays Captain Christopher Pike, tweeted on July 23 that the “main unit” wrapped and that the “lion’s share” of the work is completed.
He also let fans know when he arrived back in the United States (the show films in Toronto) and when he actually made it to his home.
Other actors from the show, like Cecilia Rose Gooding, tweeted their joy at being finished as well. She and fellow castmate Christina Chong were in some photos that Chong tweeted (along with a few others) at the wrap party.
A Toronto-based photographer has been posting set images for anyone to see, which gives some additional insight into the aliens of “Strange New Worlds.”
The biggest “Strange New Worlds” headline of recent days may be the news of who is playing T’Pring. This character might not have their own Funko Pop or part of the J.J. Abrams’ reboot, but she is an essential character. T’Pring is Spock’s betrothed wife and the center of a classic Trek episode — “Amok Time.”
Amok Time
In “Amok Time,” Spock (Leonard Nimoy) felt the urge of ‘Pon Farr’ and needed to return to Vulcan to participate in an ancient mating ritual. When the crew arrived at Vulcan, Kirk (William Shatner) and McCoy (DeForest Kelly) learned that Spock had been a part of an arranged marriage, and he would marry T’Pring. Spock was torn, as he did not want to give up his career in Starfleet.
Eventually, Spock had to battle Kirk (because T’Pring chose him as her champion). McCoy gave Kirk a sedative, making the captain fall and appear dead, allowing Spock to win the contest. T’Pring eventually left with Stonn, her real Vulcan love.
“Amok Time” would set the tone for years of Trek storytelling to come and greatly influence what happened on the Genesis Planet between the regenerated Spock and Saavik.
T’Pring was initially played by actress Arlene Martel, who would return to Trek in the fan film “Star Trek: Of Gods and Men.” Martel died in 2014.
A New T’Pring?
According to a tweet by the British fansite Trek Central, the woman set to play T’Pring in “Strange New Worlds” is Gia Sandhu.
Trek Central points to Sandhu’s IMDB page as proof that she will be reprising this iconic role. Sandhu is an actress based in Canada and has appeared in many television shows, including “Kim’s Convenience” and “The Mysterious Benedict Society.”
If this is true, then some of the storylines would undoubtedly revolve around Spock, portrayed by Ethan Peck. According to “Amok Time,” Spock had not told anyone in Starfleet about his arranged marriage or even the need to return to Vulcan every seven years. Introducing T’Pring into the “Strange New Worlds” story could mean that the show will delve into Spock’s past and even his personal life on Vulcan.
Bringing in a character that had but one appearance in the “Star Trek” canon thus far is a smart move for the producers of “Strange New Worlds.” This will allow them to tell new stories between a beloved character (Spock) and T’Pring without worrying about confusing timelines and earlier stories.
Spock’s Adopted Sister and Half-Brother
Fans were confused when “Star Trek: Discovery” revealed that Michael Burnham was Spock’s adopted sister. Many fans wanted to understand why this had not been mentioned before. But, some pointed out that Spock also never mentioned his hippie half-brother Sybok until the events of “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.”
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