Eugene Cordero and Noël Wells discuss their characters’ friendship (and more!) in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2
"Cupid's Errant Arrow -- Pictured L-R) Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford and Noël Wells as Ensign Tendi of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS. Photo Cr: Best Possible Screen Grab CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
AUGUST 9, 2021 - The cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks has been making the rounds as the premiere of season two approaches, and TrekCore.com had a chance to sit down with Eugene Cordero and Noël Wells, who play ensigns Samanthan Rutherford and D’Vana Tendi on the show. The two spoke about the friendship between their two characters, and how these excitable ensigns evolve in the next season.
“In the first season, Tendi […] was a bit naïve,” Wells said. “In the new season […] she gets to sort of take herself to the next level. You’ll see her pushing back a little bit more, having a little bit more agency — and not only taking more risks, but standing up for herself more too.”
Cordero and Wells also addressed the relational dynamic between the two characters, which has led to some fan speculation concerning the future of their relationship. Cordero said, “The great thing about the Tendi-Rutherford relationship is that it is a kind of intellectual love they have for each other, in a way that you might with a coworker, or somebody who’s just as passionate about the work as you are.”
When asked to consider if that connection might lead to something else, Cordero added coyly, “Who knows what it is? I think sexual tension within a cartoon is always kind of weird, so I don’t know!”
The two actors also touched on how Tendi’s Orion roots play into the new season, the way their two characters relate to the rest of their crew, and how it feels to have their very own action figures, and you can read it all at TrekCore.com.
Jack Brown is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. Jack teaches at a small film school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also helps to manage his wife's career as a novelist and speaker. In his spare time he writes fiction, cooks, and watches classic movies.
