Five Things about Star Trek Discovery you never knew (but now you do!)
Star Trek is back on the small screen and what an amazing new take on the venerable franchise it is! With the production design and budget for a single episode that outstrips the entire Original Series, Star Trek Discovery is going back to a pre-Kirk era whilst warping forward with cinematic FX, challenging story lines and brilliant new characters.
Irish Trekkie Mark Hughes was invited along to an exclusive preview and discussion with the stars and show runners of Star Trek Discovery at Netflix HQ in London and got to get some answers for questions that we’re all dying to know.
Why is Michael called Michael?
This is a curiosity for many fans which has still not been fully explained in the shows plot. Sonequa Martin Green said that it was she that created the backstory as to why Micheal is called Micheal.
“In story terms I made it that I was named after my biological father who passed away after a Klingon attack. What I love about that its subtle political statement about gender roles in the future and about how gender can be a lot more fluid i.e. a girl being named after her dad or a son after his mother.”
Producer Harberts chimed in with approval of that answer. “It totally works; there’s also a biblical connotation to the angel Michael but that idea of gender fluidity for a typically male name can applied to a woman works here. I love Sonequa’s take on it”
How come Jason Isaacs and Shazad Latif playing it all “American”?
Many movie fans were delighted to find out veteran English actor Jason Issacs (who has appeared in the likes of The Patriot, Armageddon and Death of Stalin) joining the cast of the new Trek series but were left wondering why he was playing Captain Lorca an American with a southern drawl.
“That was a decision on my part to distance myself from what had already been done by Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation” said Issacs. “I wanted to make Lorca my own and not have comparisons made between us.”
As for Shazad Latif many comedy fans will know him as Clem Fandango from Channel 4’s brilliant Toast of London. So how come he’s suddenly crossed the Atlantic? According to producer Harberts it turns out he auditioned with an American accent. “It was a complete shock to me once I found out after day one of shooting with him that he was British, I totally recalled his audition tape being American. But that’s what got him the part and the accent has stuck!”
Have any Trek alumni passed on any pearls of wisdom to the new crew?
Trekkies (or Trekkers) are amongst the most discerning of fans at the best of times and anyone who is a part of the Trek universe is showered with heaps of affection.
Jonathan Frakes (aka Will Riker) passed on some stories of fan encounters and anecdotes to the newest members of the Trek family whilst directing an episode of the show including “how to rock from side to side” during photon torpedo hits on the ship and “what to do with your hands due to lack of pockets on the uniforms.” According to Isaacs that involved a lot of folding of arms and to never start a scene with your hands on your hips!
SMG, who is a veteran of another hit TV series “The Walking Dead” said it was amazing to be part of the family. “Cuz that’s what it is, a family. People who have been a part of this show have been telling stories for years and they do feel like a family unit and that’s what Jonathan told us to expect.
Shazad Latif was also humbled to be a part of the new series having grown up with TNG on BBC2 as a kid. “It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of!”
What’s it like to wear the uniform?
All of us Trekkies have at least one Starfleet Uniform which we don for conventions, meet ups and fan film shot in the garage. And the new uniforms have us all keen to get the Disco look especially the cool gym t shirts. But how do the actors feel about them?
Turns out the top and bottom halves are sewn together which according to SMG can be taken apart “especially when you want to eat or go to the restroom!” “I quite like it because it makes you keep in shape”
Turns out due to this design quirk the actors can’t lift their arms above their heads either. “If you do (lift your arms up)” Isaacs explained, “You’ll cause creases which, according to CBS, do not exist in the future.”
How come the Klingons are different in ST:DSC from the ones we know from previous shows?
This has been particular bane of contention for many fans who are mindful of the role of canon in the Trek universe. The Discovery Klingons are arguably the most elaborate vision of the famous alien race ever committed to screen.
According to Haberts “The redesign of the Klingons was down to Brian Fuller. He has great reverence for the Klingons. He wanted to explore their culture a lot more. We (the production team) realise it’s been quite polarizing but we wanted to give the audience something new to look at. They worked with some of Hollywood’s top creature designers to bring more detail than had ever been seen before as well as give more individuality to each Klingon you see (past series they all seem to wear very similar uniforms!)”
After a highly successful first series Star Trek Discovery will be beaming back to our screens having proved to be hugely successful with fans and critics alike. What’s more it’s brought back Trek to a fandom that have been starved of exciting original sci fi programming in the guise of their favourite federation of explorers. Live Long and Prosper Discovery.