Starfleet will be tested at “the craziest level” in Star Trek Beyond

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

After a rather disappointing first trailer and little to no promotion for months, it feels very good to be excited about STAR TREK BEYOND again and see the studio bumping up the marketing campaign. The third outing for J.J. Abrams' rebooted Star Trek universe is a little over a month away and will find the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise under attack by an unstoppable alien force which forces them to abandon ship and leaves them stranded on an alien world with no means of rescue. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, two of the stars of STAR TREK BEYOND took the time to tease what's on the horizon for the Enterprise crew.

Halfway through their five-year mission, Zoe Saldana says that the crew is beginning to get worn out.

We’re tired, we need time off, we’ve been working non-stop, and it’s become like a machine where you kind of forget about yourself, but you need to go back home and nurture yourself and rest. Life has a different journey for us, and instead of us having to go out and aid another population, another planet that has been the target of violence, we are the target, so this is very different. We are tested at the craziest level and not just our lives are tested, but our characters and our relationships are tested.

One relationship which will be tested in STAR TREK BEYOND will be the relationship between Uhura and Spock. Zachary Quinto says that Spock is "in this existential moment in his life and at a crossroads between his obligation to his Starfleet and his Vulcan roots. His planet was destroyed and they’re rebuilding, and he’s trying to figure out where his energy is best directed to help other people. He comes into a new awareness of his own mortality for a number of reasons, and there’s a lot of stuff that he’s trying to figure out in this film. By the end, I think he realizes the best path for himself moving forward.” Part of his existential crisis has Spock wondering whether he needs to be with a Vulcan rather than a human, which is something Uhura is aware of, so "they're not necessarily at the height of relationship bliss in this film."

Quinto goes on to say that despite any issues, both characters "love each other deeply and they want each other to be happy, to be fulfilled, to serve their purpose, and to realize their potential. It’s an ongoing relationship; I don’t think that it’s resolved necessarily in Star Trek Beyond. They’re learning about each other as well and figuring out the best way for each of them to move forward.”

STAR TREK BEYOND warps into theaters on July 22, 2016.