Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Rebooted Romance Is Finally The End Of An Era For Spock
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Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 9 - "Once La'an a Time"It's finally the end of an era for Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reboots a popular romance. Directed by Sydney Freeland and written by Onitra Johnson, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "Once La'an a Time" returns to the Kingdom of Elysian, the fairy tale land introduced (in an episode Johnson also penned) in Strange New Worlds season 1.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 9 was all about Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) facing her inner anger, figuratively and literally, in the form of dueling with her fairy tale doppelgänger, Princess Thalia. Throughout Strange New Worlds season 4, La'an became increasingly isolated and erratic, as she feared her augmented DNA was changing her into a villain.
At the end of "Once La'an a Time," Lieutenant Noonien-Singh reconciled her innate duality and made the decision to pursue happiness. This includes choosing to try a relationship with Lt. Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), after seeing the love between Princess Thalia and Kirk's fantasy counterpart, Princess Dashing. La'an had previously fallen for and lost an alternate reality Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
La’an & Kirk Rebooting Their Romance Ends Spock’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Relationships
Whatever happens with Kirk and La'an's romance in the 7 remaining episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (no matter what, it is doomed, but how and why it will end is the question), it marks both the end and the start of a new era for Spock. The Vulcan Science Officer's overall story throughout Strange New Worlds' four seasons thus far has been about Spock exploring his human side through romantic relationships.
Mr. Spock had three love stories in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' four seasons. He was initially engaged to T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) before she broke it off when Spock's feelings for Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) became clear. Yet Spock and Chapel didn't make it to the end of Strange New Worlds season 2 before Chapel ended the romance.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, Spock becomes La'an's dance partner, which blossoms into a romance. However, La'an refused to define their relationship, calling it "fun times." After they suffered trauma aboard the USS Griffen ghost ship in Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 2, La'an ended things with Spock. The breakup became final at the end of Strange New Worlds' soap opera episode.
Spock's saga as a romantic lead in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is now over. The Vulcan is already moving past prizing his human feelings and embracing logic. This is the final leg of Spock's journey to become the Vulcan Science Officer played by Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Spock's trifecta of romantic failures in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also explains why the Vulcan stays single for the rest of his long life, before and after his death and resurrection. While Spock occasionally had love interests in Star Trek: The Original Series, including Nurse Chapel's (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) unrequited love, the Vulcan does not attempt a long-term romantic relationship again.
Spock & Kirk Will Stay Best Friends Despite James’ La’an Romance
La'an and James Kirk dating so soon after she dumped Spock seems cruel, but Star Trek canon says it won't affect the long-term bromance between the future Captain of the Enterprise and his Vulcan Science Officer. However, it's logical if there is initial tension and hard feelings between Spock, Kirk, and La'an when the Vulcan learns of this new romance.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is also the story of how Kirk and Spock became eternal best friends.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is also the story of how Kirk and Spock became eternal best friends. Season 2 depicted Kirk and Spock's canonical first meeting. Their mutual respect and loyalty were strengthened by sharing a mind meld in Strange New Worlds season 3. In season 4, an inebriated Spock declared Kirk his "human best friend," and shared "everything" with Jim, although Kirk is keeping mum about which of Spock's secrets he knows.
La'an and Kirk can't and won't last, as every Star Trek fan knows. Kirk never mentions La'an in Star Trek: The Original Series, and nor does Spock, even when La'an's evil ancestor, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) comes aboard the USS Enterprise. Of course, Strange New Worlds and La'an were created decades later, and the reveal of La'an's ultimate fate is coming in season 5.
Just as Spock and La'an had chemistry, she and Kirk also share an electric attraction. With the fifth and final season imminent, it's now or never for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to give Kirk and La'an a brief chance at love (and loss). However, Spock is now on a different path as the Vulcan Science Officer leaves his era of romancing his USS Enterprise crew mates behind.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is streaming on Paramount+
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2027-00-00
- Network
- Paramount+
- Showrunner
- Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman
- Directors
- Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman
- Writers
- Onitra Johnson
-
Captain Christopher Pike
-
Spock
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Creator(s)
- Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet
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