Strange New Worlds Nearly Reused Chris Pine Captain Kirk’s Favorite Song
Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 8 – “Four-And-A-Half Vulcans”
The favorite song of Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trekmovies nearly made a comeback in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Directed by Jordan Canning,Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is a comedy that turns Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and members of his USS Enterprise crew into Vulcans.
After they turn fully Vulcan, Captain Pike, Lieutenant La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), along with half-Vulcan Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), stride down the Starship Enterprise’s corridor in slow motion wearing Vulcan regalia.
On her Instagram (@jjhcanning), director Jordan Canning shared a behind-the-scenes video of the four-and-a-half Vulcans’ hallway scene set to Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” That 1994 track from Beastie Boys’ “Ill Communication” was famously James T. Kirk’s favorite song in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) and was reprised in Star Trek Beyond. Check out Jordan’s video below:
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Didn’t Bring Back Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”
The four-and-a-half Vulcans’ slo-mo scene in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8 is set to “Reckless Youth” by The Home of Happy, Wayne Murray, and James Corbin. The final version of the aired episode didn’t use Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which was a temp track during filming.
The aggressive and rebellious chords of “Sabotage” were suited to J.J. Abrams’ visually propulsive Star Trek movies, but the choice of “Reckless Youth” better fits the four-and-a-half Vulcans’ confidently marching down the USS Enterprise’s corridor en route to the transporter room.
It’s unclear if Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” was ever meant to be part of the final cut of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8, or if it was always just a temp track. Still, “Sabotage” aptly set the tone during filming of the scene.
Our Take On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Vulcan Scene Musical Pick
As much as I enjoy Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies, that track is too-closely affiliated with Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk at this point. “Sabotage” worked during filming, but I’m glad Strange New Worlds switched to the more fitting “Reckless Youth.” As Kirk would say, “It’s a good choice.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8 was a full-blown farce where the actors went all-in portraying different types of Vulcans. The hallway scene set to “Reckless Youth” was the full unveiling of the four-and-a-half Vulcans, and made the absurdly entertaining tone of the episode crystal clear.
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
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