The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
DISCOVER ‘DISCOVERY’
Meet the crew from the newest ‘Star Trek’ show
“Star Trek: Discovery” unveils a new saga in the iconic franchise, with new characters and elements that are different yet familiar. ¶ “This is the prime universe. It’s not the JJ-verse or the Kurtzman-verse. It is 10 years before ‘TOS,’” says Akiva Goldsman, a producer-writer on the show and Oscar winner for his script for “A Beautiful Mind.”
Want that quote translated?
Goldsman’s such a Trekkie that he went to his first “Star Trek” convention in 1976 and still has the souvenirs from it.
The “JJ’ refers to JJ Abrams, the director of “Star Trek,” the 2009 reboot of the franchise starring Chris Pine.
Kurtzman is Alex, one of the writers of that movie who also created “Discovery” along with Bryan Fuller.
“TOS” means “The Original Series,” which is the 1966 show created by Gene Roddenberry and that starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the half-Vulcan Science Officer Spock.
“We are going to cross
paths with components that “Trek” fans are familiar with,” explain Goldsman, “but it is its own standalone story with its own characters and its own unique vision of ‘Trek.’”
So with that in mind, here is a guide to the new “Discovery” — at least in the beginning. Changes will come.
FIRST OFFICER MICHAEL BURNHAM (Sonequa Martin-Green) Don’t get thrown by the name, Michael is female. The name came from Fuller, who has since left to work on other projects. “It’s his signature move to name his lead women with names that would typically be associated as male,” says Aaron Harberts, an executive producer on the show. Michael is played by “Walking Dead” alum Sonequa Martin-Green, who says she appreciated the “statement it makes all on its own to have this woman with this male name.”
Burnham is second-incommand of the USS Shenzhou, where she has served under Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) for seven years. Eventually, she will come into contact with the USS Discovery under Capt. Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs)
Here’s her connection with “TOS.” After her parents were killed a Klingon attack, Michael becomes a ward of Vulcan Ambassador Sarek (James Frain), who raises her. Trekkies know Sarek as Spock’s father. Though she takes on a Vulcan visage, Michael is human, but is not Spock’s half-sister, like some have speculated. Years of Vulcan schooling has informed her character but underneath it — like the half-human Spock — she is conflicted.
CAPT. PHILIPPA GEORGIOU (Michelle Yeoh) Georgiou is a veteran starship captain and something of a mentor to Michael. “She is one who still has hope for humanity,” “Crouching Tiger” actress Michele Yeoh told CBS news in an interview. “She believes very, very strongly there is goodness out there and we will always work from that point of view.”
CAPT. GABRIEL LORCA (Jason Isaacs) Lorca is the captain of the USS Discovery, and Isaacs has called him the most screwed-up captain ever in the Star Trek universe. So Kirk on steroids? We know Lorca accuses Michael — who has reason to hate them — of sparking an incident that starts a war with the Klingons. “There’s a lot of conflict between us,” says Isaacs. “We are complicated characters for complicated times.”
SAREK (James Frain) Since “Discovery” is set before “TOS,” this is a younger Sarek than we have seen In the series he gives guidance to his ward. He does so from distance mostly, by holographic communications. “It’s been amazing to have James Frain playing Sarek,” says executive producer Aaron Harberts, “because we are able to tell father-daughter stories, and we are able to really drill down on particularly what’s interesting about a Vulcan raising a human.”
Taking on the role originated by Mark Lenard in the first series, Frain says, “It’s been really interesting looking at the human world through those eyes of a people who have decided that emotion itself is barbaric and will always lead to war, that human beings are barbaric as a result and not to be trusted because they start wars and they kill people.” By the way, in “TOS” lore, Spock isn’t speaking to Sarek at this time over his choice to join Starfleet.
SCIENCE OFFICER SARU (Doug Jones) Played by the lanky Doug Jones (who played the creature in “Pan’s Labyrinth”), Saru is a Kelpien, a new alien species created for “Discovery. He’s the first of his kind to enter Starfleet. He comes from a planet where his race was hunted, and the character has an ability to sense death.
SCIENCE OFFICER PAUL STAMETS (Anthony Rapp) The “Rent” actor will play the first openly gay character introduced in the Star Trek television universe. Sulu was never portrayed as gay on “TOS,” although George Takei, who played the character, is. In the third reboot, “Star Trek Beyond,” Sulu played by John Cho is shown to be gay. Stamets is in a relationship with Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), another Starfleet officer.
T’KUVMA (Chris Obi) He is the leader of a Klingon house who wants to unite the 24 houses of the warlike race under one banner and judging by the trailers, will go to any extremes to do so.
KOL (Kenneth Mitchell) A commanding officer of the Klingon ship and T’Kuvma’s protégé. He is wary of humans, whom he believes are trying to rob the Klingons of their identity.
L’RELL (Mary Chieffo) The 6-foot actress Mary Chieffo plays L’Rell, who serves under Kol as a battle deck commander. Chieffo noted it has been fun to see for L’Rell’s relationship within the Klingon world. “I love seeing the nuances between characters,” she says. “I think it’s a very important message that no one is actually the bad guy.”
HARRY MUDD (Rainn Wilson) Fans of “TOS” will recognize the rascally con man originally played by Roger C. Carmel who appeared in the sixth episode of the series called “Mudd’s Women.” Carmel reprised the role in a second episode, “I, Mudd.” Since “Discovery” is a darker vision than “TOS,” the new Mudd will be more sinister.