Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Rebecca Romijn Explains How Jonathan Frakes Helped Establish Pike and Una’s Relationship (Exclusive)

It’s clear to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fans that Captain Christopher Pike and his “Number One,” First Officer Commander Una Chin-Riley, have a special relationship. If anyone knows what it means for a captain to have a special relationship with his first officer, it’s Jonathan Frakes. Frakes played Commander William Riker, Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s “Number One,” through seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films before returning to the role in Star Trek: Picard. It makes sense then that Frakes, who has 30 Star Trek directorial credits across six different series (including Star Trek: Discovery, which reintroduced Pike and Number One, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ upcoming Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover episode) and two films, had something to do with establishing Pike and Una’s relationship, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Rebecca Romijn revealed to ComicBook.com.

“I can only speak to us in our relationship, but I think Anson and I have agreed that our friendship goes back to Starfleet Academy days,” Romijn said of Pike and Una’s relationship when asked about during our chat at the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 virtual junket. “We are just friends that can see straight through each other and can call it out. And sometimes when Anson and I have these two-handers together, which always feel very grounded to me, I have very vivid memories of Jonathan Frakes, again, being on set, saying, ‘Old friends, old friends,’ and he says that at the beginning of every take and it’s just such a nice way to approach every scene.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.