Fun Star Trek: Discovery (2017)

[Doctor Omega]

“Star Trek: Discovery” Adds Armor, Ditches Rule




The upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” is making two key changes to “Star Trek” lore and both of them are essentially for the better.

The first is the ditching of Gene Roddenberry’s long-standing rule which has long frustrated many writers on the show – to avoid having Starfleet crew members in serious conflict with each other.

In Roddenberry’s idyllic utopian future, the human race was in conflict with others but rarely with itself. Some ‘Trek’ cleverly worked around this rule (eg. alien possession). “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” effectively ignored it by incorporating numerous alien and non-Starfleet characters into its main cast.

The rule is being lifted altogether though from the upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery”. Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg have confirmed that the rule will not apply on the new series and explain to EW why they’ve made the change:

Harberts: “We’re trying to do stories that are complicated, with characters with strong points of view and strong passions. People have to make mistakes — mistakes are still going to be made in the future. We’re still going to argue in the future.”

Berg: “The rules of Starfleet remain the same. But while we’re human or alien in various ways, none of us are perfect.”

Harberts: “The thing we’re taking from Roddenberry is how we solve those conflicts. So we do have our characters in conflict, we do have them struggling with each other, but it’s about how they find a solution and work through their problems.”

The magazine also has a new photo (see above) of the transporter room of the U.S.S. Shenzou which shows off one other big change – Starfleet officers will don tactical armor on away missions.

“Star Trek: Discovery” is set to kick off on September 24th on CBS All Access in the United States and Netflix around much of the rest of the world.

 

[Doctor Omega]

First Photo: Jason Isaacs In “Star Trek: Discovery”





Following a few days on from the announcement of a premiere date, CBS has unveiled the first look at Jason Isaacs as Captain Gabriel Lorca in the upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” series.

Lorca is described as a steely Federation Starship Captain who’s considered a brilliant military tactician. He’s the man in charge of the U.S.S. Discovery, but unlike previous Trek shows this will be the first to shift the focus from the ship’s captain to its first officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).

Neither Isaacs nor the bridge of the Discovery itself were seen in the first trailer for the series, the photo below offers a first glimpse at both.

“Star Trek: Discovery” will consist of fifteen episodes for its first season with the initial eight kicking off weekly from September 24th, and the remaining seven starting in January. The show will be available on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Netflix outside North America.

 

[Janine The Barefoot]

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” effectively ignored it by incorporating numerous alien and non-Starfleet characters into its main cast.

I would argue that ST Voyager, as well, broke the concepts/rules of the "Prime Directive" as it's Capt. Kathryn Janeway took on almost half of the Maqius Guerrilla fighters (that Voyager had been sent out to repel and capture if possible) to fill out the losses her crew took when they discovered they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant as the direct result of the actions of yet another undiscovered alien species. She pretty much acknowledged to her crew that Voyager was going to have to find new ways and a new set of rules, to return home from Delta and much of it would probably, by necessity, require them to break a variety of fundamental Federation rules in order to survive. We watched as she struggled to uphold Federation standards within her ship, even as she broke them, regularly, in order to keep that crew safe and get everyone home intact.

As such, most of the entire first season saw her crew at war with each other, largely for human ideological reasons, as the "new" crew represented both pro and con attitudes towards the Federation. Therefore, although both shows created environments that allowed them a more "loose" interpretation of The Federation's rules (when they didn't throw them out almost entirely) so they could survive in their respective locations in space, many Sci-Fi fans still ended up believing that the future J.M. Strazinsky laid out in his Babylon 5 series was more of a "true" representation of what life in space for out species would actually look like.

the man in charge of the U.S.S. Discovery

I also find it very telling (and not necessarily in a good way) that the traitors they have released have tended to imply that Michelle Yeoh was going to be the primary Capt. of the show, thus also leading us to believe it was she who would Captain the Discovery and not Jason Isaacs. But then, they fired the only guy they had on staff who had a strong connection to the original shows and a complete understanding of the canon of same...... As I see it, Les Moonves (head of CBS and founder of Sat. Night Live) is probably going to have a lot to answer for to hard-core fans. Not the least of which is the Geo Blocking of the entire US as to how they will be able to view the show.

 

[Doctor Omega]

 

[Doctor Omega]

Star Trek: Discovery storyline revealed








You’ve seen the trailer. You’ve read our teases. But what is Star Trek: Discovery really about? And why are there two starships in this show, the U.S.S. Discovery and the Shenzhou?

Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg don’t want to give away too much of the plot. The CBS All Access drama is heavily serialized with plenty of twists and turns — particularly in the first few episodes — which makes the storyline difficult to discuss.

But here’s some new intel the duo are ready to reveal about the series, which stars Sonequa Martin-Green as a Starfleet First Officer who was the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy.

“Burnham [has] spent a lot of time on Vulcan, but she’s human,” Harberts says. “Sarek [Spock’s father, played by James Frain] plays an important role in her life, which has been completely planned until she makes a very difficult choice that sends her life on a very different path. When we meet her, she’s the First Officer on the Starship Shenzhou [captained by Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh]. And Burnham’s choice that we’re alluding to is most difficult choice you can make — it affects her, affects Starfleet, affects the Federation, it affects the entire universe. That choice leads her to a different ship, the Discovery [helmed by Captain Lorca, played by Jason Isaacs] and there we begin what Gretchen and I call our ‘second pilot.'”

Burham is, of course, the first Trek lead who is not a captain,* so we asked the showrunners what that choice adds to the drama.






“The joy is in the journey,” Berg replied. “The advantage to her not being in charge of the bridge right now is we get to tell stories from a very different point of view. It’s a fresh feeling because we’re not on the bridge all the time. We get access to more parts of the ship.”

Also, the Klingons are heavily involved in the season … and they’re not very friendly.

In addition, we asked the producers which Trek series or film has the biggest influence on the new series.

“There’s a hint of all of them, but in the writers’ room people are so in love with The Original Series and Next Generation, and they talk about the family aspect of those cast members,” Berg said.

Added Harberts: “I think Nicholas Myers’ film are a touchstone, and not just because he’s been on staff with us. His storytelling is complex and intellectual and yet there’s a lot of room for character voices and character work, he’s done such an incredible job with the franchise. In terms of scope and scale, there’s something about Star Trek: The Motion Picture that really speaks to us as well. CBS has allowed us to find a cinematic language that’s wider in scope — our aspect ratio is 2:1 — and it just lends itself to a very lyrical way of telling the story. And just visually speaking, there’s also a little hint in terms of what J.J. Abrams did, a little bit, in terms of some of the visuals.”

 

[Doctor Omega]

“Star Trek: Discovery” Details & Frakes Directing






Riker himself, actor/director Jonathan Frakes, has been revealed as a director of an upcoming episode of CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery”. Frakes has directed plenty of “Star Trek” episodes in the past, along with two films (“Star Trek: First Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection”), as well as plenty of non-Trek shows.

Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg confirmed the hiring in a new piece in EW which has also revealed more details about the storyline for the new series. They say that Sonequa Martin-Green’s character of Michael Burnham is the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy and a decision she makes impacts not just the show but the whole “Star Trek” universe. Harberts says:

“Burnham [has] spent a lot of time on Vulcan, but she’s human. Sarek [Spock’s father, played by James Frain] plays an important role in her life, which has been completely planned until she makes a very difficult choice that sends her life on a very different path.

When we meet her, she’s the First Officer on the Starship Shenzhou [captained by Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh]. And Burnham’s choice that we’re alluding to is most difficult choice you can make – it affects her, affects Starfleet, affects the Federation, it affects the entire universe.

That choice leads her to a different ship, the Discovery [helmed by Captain Lorca, played by Jason Isaacs] and there we begin what Gretchen and I call our ‘second pilot.'”

Berg says the advantage of following Burnham is that you get to see a different point-of-view to this story than you might otherwise see:

“The joy is in the journey. The advantage to her not being in charge of the bridge right now is we get to tell stories from a very different point of view. It’s a fresh feeling because we’re not on the bridge all the time. We get access to more parts of the ship.”

The pair also discussed some of the influences on their version of “Star Trek” ranging from Nicholas Meyer to J.J. Abrams’ influences:

“I think Nicholas Myers’ [sic] film are [sic] a touchstone, and not just because he’s been on staff with us. His storytelling is complex and intellectual and yet there’s a lot of room for character voices and character work, he’s done such an incredible job with the franchise.

In terms of scope and scale, there’s something about Star Trek: The Motion Picture that really speaks to us as well. CBS has allowed us to find a cinematic language that’s wider in scope — our aspect ratio is 2:1 — and it just lends itself to a very lyrical way of telling the story. And just visually speaking, there’s also a little hint in terms of what J.J. Abrams did, a little bit, in terms of some of the visuals.”

“Star Trek: Discovery” will debut on Sunday, September 24th on CBS. New episodes will be available weekly on CBS All Access in the United States and on Netflix outside North America.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Producers Talk Death On “Star Trek: Discovery”






Though espionage series “24” and “Spooks” both famously killed of major characters at regular intervals in the early 2000s, it’s both the more heavily serialised and bloodthirsty HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead” that have really impacted the way character death is handled in the age of Golden TV.

Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg, the showrunners of CBS All Access’ upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” series are well aware of this and have hinted that their show will follow suit with some major character deaths in store for viewers. They tell EW:

“Game of Thrones changed television, They almost made it difficult to fall in love with people because you didn’t know if they were going to be taken away from you. That show had an influence on all TV dramas that have come after it …. Death isn’t treated gratuitously on this show. It’s not for shock value. But when it happens we want to make sure that people really feel it.”

“Star Trek” in the past has only seen a few notable regulars getting killed off from Spock to Tasha Yar to Jadzia Dax, with several of them coming back at different points albeit in different ways. “Star Trek: Discovery” debuts September 24th.

 

[Gavin]

It’s not for shock value.

Well it certainly isn't now that they've told us its going to happen.

Wouldn't it have been far better (and have had much more impact) to let people be surprised?

 

[Janine The Barefoot]

Always good to know that the "spin docs" will never be out of a job..... Sad to say Discovery will probably be employing most of them for some time to come! Ahhhhhh.... and once again, the excuses never end and never cease to be "validated"!

And for geo-blocking fans who've been loyal watchers on free TV for years and do know the cannon........

Where's the "pile of shit" symbol which should, by rights, go right next to the as-yet unachieved vomit emoji!

ROTFLMFAO!!!!! and really, truly wish I didn't love Michelle Yoeh and Jason Isaacs so much!

 

[Doctor Omega]

Apparently, the new Trek TV show will both hark back to the original series and surprise fans -- and the producer expects heated fan debate.

He has just released this video, laying down what we can expect of the new show......

 

[Doctor Omega]

And a transcript of everything he says in the video........



Kurtzman on Discovery’s Story and Michael Burnham

The story that we have for season one is really interesting and special and pays tribute to a lot of what Trek has done and in many ways is actually doing it in a new way. To have Sonequa [Martin- Green] and Michelle [Yeoh] as captains of our ship is really, really exciting and different.

I love stories that are based around strong women and we have some strong women on that show. Having Sonequa – she is a very, very special actress – is bringing a flavor to the character which I haven’t really seen in Trek and that is really exciting. Her story is very unique and draws on some really interesting things in Trek lore. I think fans will both, appreciate, and I’m certain, it will be a cause of much debate.


How Discovery connects to the original Star Trek

If you are a fan of Trek you are going to see a lot of things which hearken back to the original series and elements of the original series. I am not just talking plot, but the spirit of what that show was. We are going to be revisiting a couple of things on Star Trek: Discovery that I think people are going to find familiar. Without spoiling anything we are adhering to a timeline and sticking to the rules, but also I think finding some new areas and avenues that have only been alluded to, but never fully explored.

How Discovery is respecting Star Trek canon

You have got a roomful of people with very different and very devoted relationships to Star Trek in that writers’ room. And that carries on a pretty proud tradition of Trek being written by fans.

You have to respect canon as it’s being written. You cannot say, “That never happened.” No, no no, you can’t do that, they would kill you. Star Trek fans would kill you. No, you have to respect canon. You have to understand the timelines and what the different timelines were and what the different universes were and how they all worked together. You have to keep very meticulous track of who, what, where, when and why. And we have people in the writer’s room whose sole job is to say, “Nope, can’t do that!”


On why we still need Roddenberry’s vision

I think that the core of [Star Trek creator Gene] Roddenberry’s vision – and I think that is why it has endured for as long as it has – is the belief that human beings will always find a way to persevere and connect to each other. And that there is an optimistic outlook to where we can be going. And now more than ever we need that desperately. So, he gives you hope. Star Trek gives you hope.

 

[Janine The Barefoot]

Apparently, the new Trek TV show will both hark back to the original series and surprise fans

Well, I will admit that Kurtzman was one of the guys who went to L. Nimoy's house and sat in his living room to pitch him Abram's new ST movie and that they wanted something new and different that Nimoy would be proud to be part of. He is also one of the guys who told Nimoy they didn't want to do it without him... and in fact, wouldn't (I got the impression that they would change the storyline completely if Nimoy hadn't agreed to be part of it). I believe it was LN's wife who told him to do it. That he would regret it forever if he didn't and that this was the real cause of the feud between Nimoy and Shatner that hadn't been resolved at the time of Nimoy's death. Something Shatner later said would be a source of great regret for him for the rest of his life.... of course the back story on that is that Shatner wanted in on it and Abram's writers told him they had only written a part for Nimoy ("we're sorry but....").

In any case, I suppose it would only be fair of me to admit that Kurtzman has worked pretty hard on the ST movies (although I've only seen the first 2) and has included in that work, a nod to long-time fans that might otherwise not have been there. So perhaps I should just quit whining and wait to see how it gets handled in the end. The clips you've gotten for us Doc, have been truth be told, pretty amazing; so if he's not just saying what he thinks everyone wants to hear and really will walk the walk instead of just talking the talk then maybe I should lighten up a bit and keep a fire of hope burning after all.......

Let's face it, we won't know until we see all of it so there's no sense in going off half cocked before the show hits the air.......

And wow!!!!!....... was it really me that just said all that?????????????

So here's some hopeful DBs cause... what else ya gonna do?

 

[Doctor Omega]

Kurtzman On “Star Trek: Discovery” Continuity





As an executive producer on CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery,” Alex Kurtzman has the unenviable job of trying to calm the nerves of anxious “Star Trek” fans worried about the new series.

Marking the first Trek show on the air in twelve years, the story revolves around the lead character of Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in a time ten years before the original series. In an interview with CNET this week, Kurtzman promises the show intends to honor both the spirit and plot of the stories that have come before:

“If you are a fan of Trek you are going to see a lot of things which hearken back to the original series and elements of the original series…I’m not just talking plot, but the spirit of what that show was.

We are going to be revisiting a couple of things on Star Trek: Discovery that I think people are going to find familiar. Without spoiling anything we are adhering to a timeline and sticking to the rules, but also I think finding some new areas and avenues that have only been alluded to, but never fully explored.”

Kurtzman also says the show’s writers room is stocked with Star Trek devotees who aren’t going to allow the series to lose sight of what makes the franchise what it is:

“You’ve got a roomful of people with very different and very devoted relationships to Star Trek in that writers room. And that carries on a pretty proud tradition of Trek being written by fans. You have to respect canon as it’s being written. You can’t say, ‘That never happened.’ No, no no, you can’t do that, they would kill you. Star Trek fans would kill you.

No, you have to respect canon. You have to understand the timelines and what the different timelines were and what the different universes were and how they all worked together. You have to keep very meticulous track of who, what, where, when and why. And we have people in the writer’s room whose sole job is to say, ‘Nope, can’t do that!'”

The show has endured a rough creative process and has suffered criticism for numerous issues. How much that will factor into the show when it finally airs we’ll have to wait until September 24th to find out when the premiere episode goes to air on CBS.

 

[Janine The Barefoot]

Thank you Doc.

For your never-ending hard work. All the research you do and the open-mindedness with which you do that work. For all the talk we do and all the observations we make, in the end it's your posts, your searching for the truth of what is going on in the world of TV and movies that gives all of us a foundation from which to make those observations and talk the talk we all do. You give us truth and meaning. For that, I for one, am and will always be grateful.

Have some DBs on me Doc.... you've earned em!

 

[Doctor Omega]

Zachary Quinto: Spock Should "Dip In" to 'Star Trek: Discovery'





Because Star Trek: Discovery takes place ten years before the original Star Trek, the character of Spock could, in theory, appear on the show. And now, the incumbent Spock actor — Zachary Quinto — has made it clear that he’s game to “dip in” to the new series.


In a profile published by Entertainment Tonight, Quinto playfully responds to the idea that the planet Vulcan and Spock’s father Sarek is a big part of the story. “Well, then maybe I’ll have to dip in for a little visit,” he said. Later in the profile ET claims that the cameo “probably” wouldn’t happen, but their reasoning for it is because of the chronological setting. But, the fact is, the chronological setting of Discovery in any existing timeline, makes it perfectly reasonable for Spock to appear. And because Zachary Quinto is canonically Spock — in any reality — it would be fine for him to show up as “prime” Spock, only younger on Discovery.

The first J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie establishes that this would be okay: old Spock (Leonard Nimoy) recognizes young Spock (Zachary Quinto) as himself. Same with old Spock laying eyes on Kirk (Chris Pine) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) and “seeing” the Scotty and Kirk he knew in the past. It’s one of those things that requires the audiences to give the reboot movies a break, but it does seem to the intent. Two actors: same character.


To put it another way, nobody thinks Saavik in Star Trek III is from a different universe than Saavik from Star Trek II even though one was played by Robin Curtis and one was played by Kirstie Alley. Similarly, no one who is a fan of the Marvel movies would claim that the first Iron Man is in a different universe than the other movies even though Roadie is played by Terrence Howard intially, and then later, by Don Cheadle.

So, if Zachary Quinto is both Spock Prime and Spock from the Kelvin universe, then where would he be during the time of Discovery. If the show follows the original canon, Spock would be serving aboard a little ship called the Enterprisewith a guy named Captain Pike. And oh guess what? We’ve got a guy who could play Captain Pike, too: Bruce Greenwood!

 

[Doctor Omega]

Discovery‘s 15-episode first season will premiere on September 24 at 8:30 PM ET on CBS. Immediately following the first episode’s release, the second episode will be available on CBS All Access, with subsequent episodes released on Sundays.

The first eight episodes will run from September 24 through November 5, with the series returning in January 2018.

The cast of Star Trek: Discovery includes Michelle Yeoh (Captain Philippa Georgiou) Jason Isaacs (Captain Gabriel Lorca), Sonequa Martin-Green (First Officer Michael Burnham), Chris Obi (T’Kuvma), Doug Jones (Lt. Saru), James Frain(Sarek), and Shazad Latif (Kol), Anthony Rapp (Lt. Stamets), Sam Vartholomeos (Ensign Connor), Mary Wiseman (Cadet Tilly), Mary Chieffo (L’Rell) and Rainn Wilson (Harry Mudd).

Gretchen Berg, Aaron Harberts, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Heather Kadin and Alex Kurtzman are executive producers on the series.

Nicholas Meyer, Kirsten Beyer and Ted Sullivan are serving as a writers and consulting producers.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Star Trek: Discovery Producers Explain Why Klingons Look So Different





When Star Trek: Discovery premieres on CBS All Access this September, fans will notice some visual differences from previous Star Trek shows, including new transporter rooms and phasers. Fans will also notice that the Klingons, aliens known for their ridge foreheads, look different.

According to EW, Discovery showrunner Aaron Harberts said that the original series showrunner Bryan Fuller wanted to change the look of the Klingons, and he was involved in the resdesign. Harbert points out that the Klingons' appearances have frequently changed over the franchise's 52 years.

"In the different versions of Trek, the Klingons have never been completely consistent. We will introduce several different houses with different styles. Hopefully, fans will become more invested in the characters than worried about the redesign."

 

[Doctor Omega]

And here is the new transporter room............

 

[Doctor Omega]

Why did they just not set it post Nemesis and then they could have had loads of lovely cameos from the stars of TNG, DS9 and VOYAGER.

No, they had to go and make it a prequel again, thus, not only nixing any Berman era cameos, but also resulting in inevitable contradictions and messed up continuity.

And, Post Nemesis, they could have introduced whatever those creatures pictured above are, as a new race, instead of trying to pass them off as, not only Klingons, but these Klingons.....

 

[Doctor Omega]

Doug Jones' 'Star Trek Discovery' Character Saru Is the Show's Answer to Spock and Data





When you've got the king of prosthetics acting, Doug Jones, on board for your futuristic science-fiction show, you're going to want to show him off. As such, it's exciting to finally get a better look at the character of Saru, who will appear in the role of weird alien Other in the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery. What's particularly interesting here is that the character's description hints that all is not well within Starfleet.

Saru, the character that Jones plays, is a "prey" species, and as a result of years of evolution, his people have developed the ability to sense danger before it arrives—especially when it brings imminent death. It's an almost supernatural ability, but one that fits well within the wider Star Trek canon where aliens come in all shapes and sizes. According to Entertainment Weekly:

"On Saru's planet, there's a dominant predator species that constantly imperils another weaker species called Kelpiens. As part of the latter group, Saru has evolved with heightened survival instincts. Such prey species tend to have a cowardly reputation in the Federation, but Saru should not be underestimated."

What's significant here is the idea of the Federation belittling the Kelpiens for their cautious behavior. One of the primary tenants of Gene Roddenberry's science fiction has always been that, in the far-flung future, humanity has evolved past petty squabbles to become a utopian society of acceptance. Discovery's showrunners have made no secret of the fact that they're simply flat out ditching this ethos, instead creating situations filled with tension and imperfect sentient beings making far-reaching mistakes. Institutionalized speciesism, though, amounts to more than simply Sonequa Martin-Green's character making a bad call on a mission, and this kind of attitude within the Federation will probably irk longtime fans.