We’ve talked about the fun Star Trek: Discovery pins our friends at FanSets have been rolling out this fall — check out our review of the first wave of character pins here — and this week, the manufacturer announced they are launching a new global release program of Discovery episode-themed specialties!
Dubbed Episode Pins, this FanSets special collection will include an oversized, story-themed design for each episode of Star Trek: Discovery‘s first season, beginning with “The Vulcan Hello” and “Battle at the Binary Stars,” last weekend’s premiere pairing.
Burnham and the Torchbearer feature for the first episode; the ‘cleaver’ Klingon ship for the second.
Additionally, early subscribers can also get a “Season 1” collectors pin, but only if signed up for the program during the month of October, bearing the updated Starfleet Command insignia.
These incredible pins will all be approximately 2 -2 ¼” square in size and feature an important person, ship, alien or item from each episode. As a special bonus, the first pin is an oversized 3”x3” to celebrate the launch of the latest chapter in the Star Trek Universe!
There will be 16 pins in the set, 15 episode pins and an exclusive “Season 1 Pass Holder Pin”. Each pin will indicate the season, the episode number and the episode title.
Pins will ship in two sets. 4-6 weeks after the 8th episode airs, the first eight episode pins will ship with the ninth “Pass Holder” pin for a total of 9 pins. 4-6 weeks after the 15th episode airs, the last eight pins will ship.
Only people that order before October 29th will receive the exclusive pass holder pin. All orders placed after midnight MST, October 29th will receive the 15 episode pins but NOT the exclusive Pass Holder pin.
The Episode Pins subscription program, which is available to fans worldwide, can be found at EpisodePins.com.
FanSets also revealed their New York Comic Con-exclusive USS Discovery pin, set to debut next week at the annual event in the Big Apple: but only 750 of these pins will be available on-site in New York, selling for a $15 price point.
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High-end costume replica vendor Anovos has also launched their first line of Star Trek: Discovery costumes, with the company taking preorders now for both male and female designs of the new 23rd Century Starfleet uniforms seen in the new series.
Launching with a discounted price point of $425 for early preorders — a price only lasting through October 1 — the costumes are set to recreate the same high-end design seen on the crew of the USS Shenzhou in their known high-quality fashion.
This STAR TREK™ DISCOVERY costume replica was created using reference taken from the original screen-used production assets. Pre-order items are subject to change in availability and features.
– Diagonal full-length zipper functionality for tunic.
– Raised rubberized Delta print for tunic & pant inset detail panels is custom made.
– Side and shoulder striping for tunic & pant is raised rubberized print.
– Hook & bar attachment points to secure tunic to pant for optimal fit.
– Replicated zipper pulls as per the original assets.
– Functional pockets on thighs.
– Screen printed knee detail.
Ensemble is available in Command Gold, Sciences Silver, and Operations Copper. Fabric is 90% athletic spandex with 10% speciality contrast spandex fabric for channel stitching, dyed to match production colors.
Ensemble includes one (1) Starfleet insignia badge for appropriate division, as provided by Quantum Mechanix.
While not yet available, Anovos also indicates that the Captain’s variant — with expanded gold piping on the shoulders — is set to be announced at a later date.
Keep checking back here at TrekCore for all the latest Star Trek product news!
The excitement of Sunday’s premiere of Star Trek: Discovery was quickly followed by Tuesday’s release of Star Trek Discovery — Desperate Hours, the first tie-in novel featuring the crew of the USS Shenzhou authored by veteran Star Trek scribe David Mack.
We were fortunate to get the opportunity to talk to David about the book, how it came to be, and the challenges associated with writing the first novel featuring a cast and crew who hadn’t been seen on the screen at the time of writing.
Our interview contains minor spoilers for the plot of Desperate Hours, including the supporting role of the Christopher Pike-era USS Enterprise and Mack’s integration of the Original Series and Discovery visual aesthetic.
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TREKCORE: I understand that Bryan Fuller had the initial concept idea for this story, and that you worked closely with the Star Trek: Discovery writers’ room on its execution.
Can you describe what that experience was like, and was that more challenging than the normal process for writing Star Trek novels?
DAVID MACK: Bryan Fuller’s request, which was relayed to me by Discovery staff writer and media tie-in coordinator Kirsten Beyer, was simply that he wanted to see a story that crossed over the crew of the USS Shenzhou with that of Captain Pike’s famed Starship Enterprise. How I accomplished that, and to what effect, was left to my discretion.
There were some false starts before we reached that stage, however. Much earlier, when the show’s concept was still being debated by its top producers, there had been some suggestions that the first novel might be a story from Michael Burnham’s childhood or her adolescence (at the time it was not yet clear how old she would be in the series, or when exactly the series would be set).
I had actually gotten relatively far along on a couple of those iterations before the creative direction behind the scenes changed, and I was asked to start over with the Shenzhou–Enterprise story as my new springboard.
The notes I received from Kirsten and the writers’ room on the outline were minimal. I made a few changes and cut a few details that were considered too spoilery for some of the characters. But aside from those minor adjustments, the story was approved quite easily.
Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou of the USS Shenzhou. (CBS)
It was during the execution of the manuscript that I grappled with the two biggest challenges of writing a tie-in novel based on a series that hasn’t been filmed yet. First, all I had to guide me with regard to the characters’ voices were the scripts. I was deep into the novel when the show started filming and I finally got to see photos of the cast in costume and makeup. Before that, all I’d had to work from were set photos, design sketches, concept art, and prop designs.
The other hurdle was that I frequently had to stop writing and go back to revise earlier scenes and often also the outline of my novel whenever the writers’ room changed their mind about some detail or other. I had to pay very close attention to every update of revised script pages, because a tiny change of wording in a single line of dialogue could make the difference between my scenes tracking with the show’s continuity or winding up way off.
The biggest risk of all? My novel was locked sometime around June, after final edits. At that point, there was still half a season of the series left to be written. Which means any continuity errors between my book and the show — after episode 108 — are not my fault. Just sayin’.
TREKCORE: Which of the new Discovery characters were the most fun to write?
MACK: Saru quickly became my favorite Discovery character to write. There is such a great deal of complexity to him. Though the series’ premiere makes Saru seem very binary in his outlook, he is a being of subtleties and contradictions.
When I delved into his history and the professional rivalry between him and Michael Burnham, I found myself sympathizing with Saru much more than I’d expected to. His story arc in Desperate Hours focuses on his need to accept and make his peace with the fact that he has been passed over for promotion, and now finds himself placed in a role subordinate to Michael, who he thinks does not deserve to be the Shenzhou’s first officer.
But there is more to Saru than fear and resentment. He has hope, curiosity, and compassion. He also has a great deal of love and admiration for his shipmates—but he is plagued by a social awkwardness that makes it difficult for him to convey his feelings to those around him. He is a wise and gentle soul who is all too often misunderstood by his peers.
Doug Jones as Lt. Commander Saru, on the USS Shenzhou bridge. (CBS)
TREKCORE: Sticking with Saru, he has a strong supporting character role in the book, but there isn’t any previous backstory or reference material to draw from for him other than what we see in Discovery because the Kelpians are a new race.
How did you overcome the challenge of aligning your depiction of the character with what we see on screen?
MACK: Having concept art carried me through the early phases. But it wasn’t until after the two-part pilot script was close to locked that his personality and “voice” took shape.
One of my colleagues, a fellow Star Trek author, did a lot of work fleshing out the backstory and world-building related to the Kelpiens. My work was built while standing upon his shoulders.
Though most of that information about the Kelpiens is not yet canon, and some of our assumptions are likely to be superseded by future canon, we were able to get enough of it approved that we could arrive at a consistent characterization of Saru based on his species, personal history, and known quirks of temperament.
Later, during the editing phase on Desperate Hours, at which point we had a few more scripts from which to work, I tweaked some of Saru’s dialogue and exposition to make certain it tracked with facts established after I’d finished my submission draft.
That’s the really hard part of writing a tie-in for a show that hasn’t aired yet: revisions are like trying to repair a jet engine… while the aircraft it’s driving is cruising at forty thousand feet.
A promotional image of Jones as Saru. (Entertainment Weekly)
TREKCORE: The book includes a number of characters from the crew of the USS Shenzhou who did not have big roles on screen. How much of those characters’ back stories were the creation of the writers’ room, and how much did you have to invent?
MACK: When I started working on the story for Desperate Hours, I realized that in the early script drafts of the pilot almost none of the Shenzhou’s bridge crew had names. They were just “conn officer,” “engineering officer,” “tactical officer,” etc. In the action scenes, Captain Georgiou never addressed her crew by names, just by their job titles.
I quickly realized that was absolutely not going to work in a novel. In filmed entertainment, which has an external point of view, one can get away with glossing over such details. (Though, in my opinion, it makes characters feel less “real.”)
It’s possible the scripts were being left vague so that the identities could be tailored after casting to fit the actors hired to those roles. But I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for that to happen; I had to start writing my book.
I was allowed to compile information about the minor characters, new aliens, and the principal starships into a pseudo-bible for the series. Where there were gaps, I was given latitude to fill them in. Consequently, I got to name half the bridge crew of the Shenzhou, including Keyla Detmer, Troy Jannuzzi, and Kamran Gant.
Some of the characters never named in the pilot include Ensign Proat (the bald blue guy with plugs in his head) and Lieutenant Jira Narwani (the girl in the Daft Punk video helmet). I wrote full bios and profiles for all of these characters, as well as for Ensign Danby Connor (ops), Ensign Britch Weeton (engineering), and Doctor Anton Nambue, and also expanded bios for Georgiou, Burnham, and Saru.
I also got to place on the bridge of the Shenzhou some original characters who are, for whatever reason, no longer there a year later when the series premieres. Those include communications officer Ensign Mary Fan and operations officer Lieutenant Belin Oliveira. I also gave the Shenzhou a chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Saladin Johar.
Fun detail: some of those bios ended up being shared by the show’s producers with the actors playing those supporting roles, to provide them with a foundation for their performances.
TREKCORE: In addition to the new crew of the USS Shenzhou, the story features a significant role for the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike.
What was it like to put the Enterprise opposite the Shenzhou, and how did you balance integrating a ship and characters whose last appearance was in The Original Series, versus the new crew and the updated visual style of Star Trek: Discovery?
MACK: Once I began in earnest to develop the story that Bryan Fuller had asked for, I struggled at first to think of a situation that would be so dire as to merit the involvement of two Starfleet vessels, especially when one of them was the Enterprise.
I didn’t want to let the Enterprise and its crew overshadow the book’s main cast on the Shenzhou. I shared this conundrum with fellow author John Jackson Miller, and he gave me some good advice. “Pit the two crews against each other,” he said, “and have them both be right.” Once I did that, the shape of the story revealed itself, and it came together very naturally.
The chief concern I had in placing the crews and ships side-by-side in my narrative was that I knew it would invite questions and comparisons. In particular, folks would ask why the technology of an older ship looks more advanced than that of a newer ship. And why did the crews wear different uniforms? I didn’t want to offend fans of the new show or fans of the Original Series, so I knew I couldn’t just pretend that the Enterprise looked like the Shenzhou, or that its crew wore the same uniforms as the ones we see in Discovery.
I addressed the difference in the ships’ aesthetics to a human tendency to want to redesign even the simplest things every few years, whether we need to or not. This confuses Earth’s closest allies, the Vulcans and the Andorians, who can’t understand why humans don’t just pick a style and stick with it. But that’s just the way humans are — always changing fashions, styles, etc.
Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise crew, as seen in “The Cage.”
The differences in technology posed a different hurdle. I posited that the use of subspace holograms had fallen out of favor by the time the Enterprise was built because the holograms were bandwidth hogs on subspace channels and prone to encryption flaws. And while the interfaces on the Shenzhou’s bridge look fancier, the characters who serve on the Enterprise feel proud that their ship is so advanced that it doesn’t need all these gadgets to get the job done.
I have a moment near the end of the book when the Shenzhou lands what the crew thinks is a solid hit on the enemy — and then they watch a phaser beam from the Enterprise’s state-of-the-art weapons carve off part of the enemy’s hull. And the Shenzhou crew is just flabbergasted and in awe. In that moment we see their respect and reverence for the majesty of a Constitution-class starship.
As far as the differences in the crews’ uniforms, there is ample precedent in real life for a military service having multiple approved duty uniforms at any given time, and sometimes special uniforms for elite units, etc. So my retcon for the difference in the uniforms is that most of Starfleet is wearing the “utility blue” jumpsuits of the Shenzhou crew.
But the crews of the Enterprise and other Constitution-class ships are considered elite units, so they’ve been issued special “diplomatic” uniforms to designate their status. What I like about my solution is that it explains the apparent discrepancy while showing proper reverence for the Original Series.
TREKCORE: For the better part of a year you’ve known the story behind Star Trek: Discovery and had to keep quiet. Now that the world has had the chance to see the first two episodes, what aspects of those episodes did you enjoy most?
Were there elements from those first two episodes that you thought were particularly ripe for greater exploration in Desperate Hours?
MACK: I loved the interactions between Burnham and Saru, and between Georgiou and Burnham.
The bonds between those three characters, and the dynamic of two children competing for a parent’s attention and approval, struck me as something new in the Star Trek canon, and as fertile ground in which to seed new stories (even if they need to be told in flashbacks).
The trade-paperback-sized ‘Desperate Hours’ and Mack’s ‘Star Trek: Vanguard – Harbinger.’
TREKCORE: For those people who are reading your work for the first time because of Star Trek: Discovery and want more, what other books you’ve written would you recommend they pick up, and what can we look forward to from you in the near future?
Fans of the Original Series would likely get a kick out of the Star Trek: Vanguard saga, an eight-book series I developed with editor Marco Palmieri and on which I alternated writing duties with the writing duo of Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore.
Next up for me is a Star Trek: Titan novel, Fortune of War, coming out on Tuesday, November 28. It’s a follow-up to a third-season TNG episode, “The Survivors,” in which a godlike being exterminated a race known as the Husnock. But he left behind all of their terrifying ships and weaponry and technology — which now is being found by unscrupulous bad guys. It falls to our heroes on the USS Titan to keep the Husnock’s deadly toys out of the wrong hands.
My biggest book news, however, is the publication of The Midnight Front, the first volume in my original Dark Arts series from Tor Books. The Midnight Front is a World War II adventure that combines brutal action with demon-based black magick and a tale of revenge.
It’s coming out on January 30, 2018, and will soon be followed by The Iron Codex (a spy thriller with magick set in 1954 during the Cold War) and The Shadow Commission (a conspiracy thriller set in 1963, right after the Kennedy assassination).
Dark Arts is my passion project, years in the making, and I hope that all of the readers who have enjoyed my Star Trek stories through the years will follow me as I embark on this new narrative journey.
Thanks to David for taking the time to chat about his new book. If you enjoyed Sunday night’s premiere, we recommend picking up a copy of Star Trek: Discovery — Desperate Hoursand get to know more about the Shenzhou crew!
In Star Trek: Boldly Go #11,Megan Levens and Mike Johnson really connect in delivering this tale that looks at a minor, yet recently popular character among Trek fans.
That’s right … I’m talking about Captain Garth of Izar, otherwise known as the Hero of Axanar – and yes, instantly, I think people will immediately connect this character to the controversial fan-film of recent history.
While I hate to dwell on this, I’ve got to mention the controversy associated with this character, simply from a contextual point of view. If I don’t, then someone will and it’s important to nip any misunderstanding in the bud as soon as possible.
First, this story is not associated with the fan-film Prelude to Axanar. Captain Garth is an awesome character who fans of TOS will remember from the episode “Whom Gods Destroy.” Starring Steve Ihnat as Garth, this episode gave us a captain who was considered Starfleet’s greatest before his mind was shredded and he was remanded to the Elba II Colony.
Before Kirk, there was Garth and he was considered to be a mentor to all aspiring captains, including young Cadet James T. Kirk. While on Antos IV, he learned to shapeshift his form and this was a major part of the story in the TOS episode — and in this comic.
Second, a Star Trek combat board game from FASA describes a scenario called “The Four Years War,” where Garth fought the Battle of Axanar and got his acclaim. In this scenario, he commanded the USS Xenophon (aptly named) and this encounter began “The Four Years War.” However, in the novel Garth of Izar written by Pamela Sargent and George Zebrowski, Garth commands the USS Heisenberg.
In this comic, Mike Johnson has Garth commanding the USS Heisenberg and we see some of tactical brilliance that was never seen in the TOS episode.
While these elements in themselves are harmless, Garth of Izar and “The Four Years War” became a focal point for the fan-fiction film, Prelude to Axanar. In this project, the character of Garth is fleshed out and explored in greater personal detail, prior to his time on Antos IV. In late 2015 this film became the subject of a lawsuit contesting that the fan-project crossed lines and generated revenue, threatening infringement on CBS’s intellectual property, effectively ending the project.
I’ve written extensively about the Axanar issue the past for other outlets, so this is a subject of which I am fairly well-informed. I know of its controversy, which still exists in the minds of many fans — which is why I found it extremely interesting that Johnson would pick this aspect of Trek to write about.
Still, there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a very cool character backstory to explore in the Kelvin Timeline, and that’s what Johnson does best. He takes those elements from the Original Series that weren’t explored or needed to be explored further and places them within the new timeline. Johnson knows Trek and knows how to deftly insert material from the prime timeline into the ongoing Kelvin story.
In Boldly Go #11, he takes the basic idea of Garth’s visit on Antos IV, where he learned to shapeshift, and turns it into this story. While we are led to believe that Garth died on Antos in his first visit after a freak transporter accident, we then learn that he survived. Clearly more information is bound to follow about the specifics of his time on Antos IV, but that’s meant for the rest of the story to be told.
A very interesting feature in this issue is Levens’ representation of the Klingon battleship that Garth faces over Axanar. It isn’t the Klingon ship from the Kelvin Timeline we saw in Star Trek Into Darkness, but the typical D7 Battlecruiser of TOS times. If intentional, then I love the nod of the hat to the classic timeline.
Johnson also brings back two relatively new characters into this story: the traders Thalia and her mother Eurydice, last seen in 2015. The “cute ‘n’ streetwise prodigy” may be a bit of an overworked device to get Kirk and the crew of the USS Endeavour out to Antos IV, it works well with Levens’ art style in that the characters tend to be usually presented with a happy demeanor.
While this may not work all the time, it certainly does work with children.
Cover A by George Caltsoudas is a very stylistically prepared cover with a flared Endeavour at warp set against the Starfleet delta. While somewhat generic, it’s quite good in that it fits the spirit of the Kelvin universe.
Cover B is Tony Shasteen’s excellent rendering of Pine’s James T. Kirk being dragged through the streets of Antos IV by the young child, Thalia, who looks older than the one in the story. In my mind, this is a better version of Thalia, when you consider that in the story, she adroitly navigates a starship with precision and by herself. I’d see her as at least a 15 or 16-year-old, and Shasteen confirmed that for me.
I’d say this is my favourite cover, but that’s probably because I’m a big fan of Shasteen’s work.
Retailer Cover A is a photo-cover of Zachary Quinto’s Spock. Given that Spock isn’t really associated with the story, it’s not relevant. I’m also not a photograph guy for a comic cover. Move on.
Retailer Cover B is a startlingly good likeness of John Cho’s Sulu. I have to say that I’ve been watching Cryssy Cheung’s art develop and it seems to get better every time I encounter it. Likenesses are the way to my heart and Cheung’s talent just seems to be getting better and better.
Regardless of any controversy Star Trek: Boldly Go #11 may elicit, I’m very much nostalgically intrigued and gratified to see such an entertaining character return to a Trek story. Levens and Johnson are at the start of their collaboration and it’s clear that they work well. It’s my understanding that Levens has a reputation for reliability and that’s a characteristic that I admire.
Looking forward to more high-quality teamwork as we follow the rest of this story!
We’re only a few days away from the next episode of Star Trek: Discovery, and today CBS has released a series of photos from “Context is for Kings,” as well as videos featuring footage from the upcoming season.
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Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) meets Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). (CBS)
Burnham in prisoner gear. (CBS)
With Airam in command, Burnham reunites with Saru (Doug Jones). (CBS)
Saru minds the bridge. (CBS)
Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) on a Starfleet shuttle. (CBS)
Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Burnham, Stamets, and a security officer in a dangerous corridor. (CBS)
In addition to those episodic images, CBS has also made available two videos which premiered on CBS All Access this past Sunday, a preview at more from Season 1, along with clips from the After Trek live show showcasing Sonequa Martin-Green’s adventure shooting the premiere’s spacesuit sequences in Los Angeles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TFZoBczCLk
A third video was also released, focusing on the new Klingon makeup process and including as-yet-unseen looks at Mary Chieffo’s L’Rell.
Finally, actor Wilson Cruz shared the first photograph of him in costume as Dr. Hugh Culber (rank: Lt. Commander) of the USS Discoveryon Twitter this evening, speaking with Saru (Doug Jones) on the Discovery.
Saru (Doug Jones) speaks with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz). (CBS)
Stay tuned for more Star Trek: Discovery news as we approach next Sunday’s airing of “Context is for Kings.”
An all-original novel based upon the explosive new series on CBS All Access
Aboard the Starship Shenzhou, Lieutenant Michael Burnham, a human woman raised and educated among Vulcans, is promoted to acting first officer. But if she wants to keep the job, she must prove to Captain Philippa Georgiou that she deserves to have it.
She gets her chance when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony that is under attack by an ancient alien vessel that has surfaced from the deepest fathoms of the planet’s dark, uncharted sea.
As the menace from this mysterious vessel grows stronger, Starfleet declares the colony expendable in the name of halting the threat. To save thousands of innocent lives, Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship.
But to do so, she needs to face the truth of her troubled past, and seek the aid of a man she has tried to avoid her entire life—until now.
Did you enjoy the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on Sunday night and can’t wait a week for more stories about Michael Burnham, Phillipa Georgiou, Saru, and the crew of the USS Shenzhou?
Well you’re in luck this week, because Tuesday sees the release of Desperate Hours, the first Star Trek: Discovery tie-in novel authored by David Mack.
The book, which was written by Mack in close coordination with the Star Trek: Discovery writers’ room and Star Trek-novel-scribe-turned-Discovery-writer Kirsten Beyer, is everything you would want from the first tie-in novel of the series. Desperate Hours provides more depth to the characters we’ve just started to love in a thrilling adventure that bounds Discovery to the rest of the Star Trek canon.
The events of Desperate Hours are set one year before the events of “The Vulcan Hello,” following the elevation of Burnham to acting first officer. We get more of an exploration of the relationships between Burnham, Georgiou, and Saru that provides greater depth to the interactions we saw in Sunday’s premiere and adds additional emotional weight to Burnham’s decisions in those episodes.
If you were upset by what happens to Captain Georgiou at the end of “Battle at the Binary Stars,” Desperate Hours gives you more to love about this character, and a chance to see more of why she was such a respected character by the crew of the USS Shenzhou. In some ways, it makes the events of “Battle at the Binary Stars” even more emotional.
The book also features the USS Enterprise in a supporting role, commanded by Captain Christopher Pike. The two crews work together — though not always amicably — to solve a crisis that could wipe out an entire planet, and the scenes depicting a stand-off between Captain Georgiou and Captain Pike are excellent. You really get the sense that these are two famous captains with different styles squaring off, and Georgiou and the Shenzhou provide more than a match for Pike and the Enterprise.
But it’s the relationship between Michael Burnham and Spock that provides the novel both its most delightful storyline and its emotional arc. These are two characters with a shared father and both very similar and very different life experiences.
They go on a journey in the novel that allows them significant interaction and the opportunity to learn from each other that is worth the price of admission alone. We’ll never get the chance to see Leonard Nimoy and Sonequa Martin-Green share a scene, but Mack gives you everything you need to see it in your mind.
Saru is another featured character in the novel, and partners for one subplot of the book with Number One from “The Cage,” who book fans know as Commander Una.
We get a really nice peak into Saru’s head and learn more about his motivations and philosophy. The relationship between Burnham and Saru in Desperate Hours appears more confrontational than we saw in the premiere, but I look forward to their relationship being explored in greater detail as the series progresses.
If you were a fan of the Star Trek: Discovery premiere — and if you’re a fan of the long line of Star Trek novels — there’s also a lot to like about Desperate Hours.
The book does not hide from the rich tapestry of characters and ideas that the books have created, most notably in this case the character of Number One/Commander Una. But there are a number of Easter eggs scattered throughout the book that novel fans will enjoy finding. For canon-obsessives, the book also provides some subtle perspectives on aligning the visual continuity of “The Cage” with Star Trek: Discovery. I was surprised, but pleased, to see them.
Like all great Star Trek books, this novel also provides much greater depth to characters we only briefly glimpse on screen, in this case the bridge crew of the USS Shenzhou.
Curious about the bridge officer with the Daft Punk-esque helmet? Mack explains exactly what’s up with that. The blue alien with the metallic flourishes on his cheeks? Mack tells you more about him too. Admiral Anderson (played by Terry Serpico) also plays a small role in the narrative.
Overall, Desperate Hours is an ambitious story that adds greater depth to the main characters from Sunday’s premiere, while integrating the USS Shenzhou pretty seamlessly into Star Trek lore.
If you just want to spend more time with these characters, or if you were looking for a jumping on point to the world of Star Trek novels, look no further than Desperate Hours. David Mack has established himself as one of the best authors in the Star Trek pantheon, and Desperate Hours is a worthy addition to your collection.
If you liked Desperate Hours, you should check out:
Section 31: Control by David Mack – I know this is the third review in a row I’m recommending it, but seriously, you should read it! The riveting and challenging conclusion to David Mack’s Section 31 and Julian Bashir arc.
Harbinger by David Mack – The first novel in the Star Trek: Vanguard series, there are a number of thematic similarities between Discovery and Vanguard, which is set on a space station at the edge of Federation space during the Original Series. If you enjoyed the serialized story and adult themes of Discovery, you’ll love Vanguard.
Legacies Book 1: Captain to Captain by Greg Cox – The first novel in a trilogy of 50th anniversary books, Captain to Captain features Number One/Commander Una in a prominent role. The second novel in the series, Best Defense, is authored by David Mack.
Only a day after the much-anticipated Star Trek: Discovery premiere, and already a load of post-airing press had arrived from the series’ creative team on the aftermath of that eventful first two-hour story, where Discovery heads from here, and when Season 2 may come to fruition.
It’s a very complicated, elaborate process. We’re not kidding around with the visual effects. It’s four to five months just for the visual effects, per episode. Many people are waiting with arms crossed to see if it’s going to be worth the money.
The way I always think is that no one ever complains about paying for Game of Thrones. We have to deliver that level of spectacle and experience so the audience feels that this isn’t something they could get on network television and it feels worth it [considering All Access comes with a monthly fee]. Then you go do the mix and that can usually go one or two days and we need four. We’re mixing a movie; every episode is huge.
What we recognized was that CBS had never made a show of this scale before. I say that without judgment because very few people have. If you really want to bring a film experience — with all the requisite trappings — it was going take a lot more time. I would have been very scared to do a show in less time because having had production experience, you would not have been able to deliver something that felt worth the expectation.
He also spoke a bit about the creative team’s general hopes for the second season, should it be approved…
We have a larger picture for season two — if we’re lucky to get a season two order. As you’re breaking the season you get bunch of ideas you love and realize they won’t fit in this season, so you put them on index cards and up on the board.
We have a bunch of those as well as a big idea that emerged mid- to late-season one for something we want to do for season two. That’s now become the spine of what we want to do for season two. We have an emotional compass pointing toward a big idea for a second season. But given the scope of this thing, we’re also focused on finishing strong. Hopefully we’ll get an order for season two.
I don’t know that we’ll have a tremendous amount of downtime between seasons. There have been many iterations of Trek that have run for a very long time. I only want to keep it going for as long as it feels fresh and like we have stories to tell.
…and when we may see that sophomore season, if all goes well: sometime in 2019.
There have been preliminary conversations about when and how [a second season could air] and we’ve been very consistent in our message, which is that rather than announce a date and have to push again, let’s take into consideration everything we’ve learned from this season.
Now we know what we can do and where the sand traps are, so let’s give ourselves ample time to announce a date that makes sense to everybody — both the needs of production and CBS. Breaking story is, in some ways, the easier and faster thing; it’s the ability to execute on it that’s much harder.
We want to take the right amount of time and don’t want to rush. Ideally [it could arrive] on the early side of 2019.
First, of course, is the topic of Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), and how the death of Michael Burnham’s mentor will affect the young officer going forward.
[Killing off Georgiou] was always a piece of storytelling that [former showrunner] Bryan Fuller and [executive producer] Alex Kurtzman had as the architecture for the first two episodes.
For us, it’s a very old way of telling the story. Getting people invested in these two characters, only to yank one away. It was sort of subliminally designed to say to the audience, “You think you know what kind of Star Trek you’re getting. You think you see who your Kirk and Spock are. But they’re not. This is not your everyday Star Trek.”
Not only was it important for Burnham’s emotional journey and the loss she’s going to carry the entire series but it was a really terrific way to announce that this show was going to defy certain expectations.
Casting somebody like Michelle Yeoh, we needed to make sure we had a character and an actress that, even if you don’t see her physically on the screen, you’re going to feel her absence because she leaves that kind of impact on Burnham’s life and on the audience’s life.
It’s a constant reminder for Burnham. It puts her in a very vulnerable position. There’s this character who’s so sure of herself. Every choice in her life was made with a goal in mind and it’s all been ripped away from her. Now she’s starting from nothing. She thought she knew who she was and where she was going and the people around her were going to be constants. That’s all different now, it’s all gone.
Harberts also touched upon how Burnham’s relationship with USS Discovery captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) will differ, as the series continues.
If Georgiou represents the absolute ideal version of a Starfleet captain, which is to say she has the moral authority given to her by Starfleet, Lorca represents the situational ethics that come into play during times of desperation and war.
During times where sometimes the rules don’t apply when it comes to matters of life and death. He exists in a very gray area and he’s almost a captain that could only exist in this context. And, in fact, context is a very important thing for Lorca. He believes that context is what should decide actions.
Finally, the showrunners confirmed that we’ll see plenty of James Frain’s Sarek in future flashbacks, but also that it seems we haven’t quite seen the last of Michelle Yeoh in the series.
We’ll definitely be exploring the parental relationship between Burnham and Sarek further on in the series in flashbacks. Georgiou will always be present in Burnham’s life, in her consciousness.
We won’t be doing as many flashbacks with Georgiou but we do definitely explain and explore what happened to young Burnham at the Vulcan learning center in that horrific bombing, when Sarek brings her back to life.
We explore how that event really cemented the relationship between this little human child and this Vulcan ambassador.
* * *
Lastly, a few new production photos have arrived from the filming of the premiere episodes.
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Michael Burnham, phaser ready. (CBS)
Burnham and Georgiou on the sarcophagus ship. (CBS)
James Frain and Sonequa Martin-Green film a scene. (CBS)
Philippa Georgiou welcomes Michael Burnham to the Shenzhou. (CBS)
Georgiou takes on T'Kuvma. (CBS)
Stay tuned to TrekCore for more Star Trek: Discovery news!
Last night’s premiere of Star Trek: Discovery brought down the house at CBS, as the network reported both high ratings and record new subscriptions to their CBS All Access streaming service in the wake of the show’s debut.
While it was delayed by overtime football by about twenty minutes here in the United States – which also delayed the streaming and Canadian launch of the series – Discovery’s first hour landed on CBS’ airwaves with a solid 9.6 Million viewers between both broadcast and All Access live-streaming venues.
The network expects that when factoring in time-delayed playback of the show (on DVR, etc.) that final number may rise as high as 15 Million within a week.
Star Trek: Discovery continues next Sunday on CBS All Access at 8:30 PM ET, followed by the Matt Mira-hosted After Trek live at 9:30 ET from New York City.
After nearly two years of build-up, it feels so good to say we’re in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, doesn’t it?
We’re all catching our breath after last night’s premiere in the US and Canada (and today on Netflix around the world), the creative team behind the series is finally able to open up their photo vaults and share a host of behind-the-scenes imagery from the series’ production – with promises of more to come throughout the year.
First up is a series of makeup transformation photos turning Discovery actress Mary Chieffo into Klingon strategist L’Rell, with the help of award-winning makeup designers James MacKinnon and Glenn Hetrick — while Chieffo herself shared an image between takes, sharing a liquid snack with fellow actor David Tomlinson.
Discovery executive story editor Bo Yoen Kim shared some shots, including writing partner Erika Lippolt with a bottle of Chateau Picard from the Shenzhou set:
Discovery producer and director Olatunde Osunsanmi released a pair of photos last night, showcasing the craftsmanship that goes into the the show’s sets:
Producer Aaron Baiers put out a number of shots showcasing details from the Discovery sets, including a set of books in Captain Georgiou’s ready room with some familiar titles.
Finally, Discovery art director Matt Middleton shared a host of production design images on his own Twitter feed last night, from set design to Starfleet logo development:
After sitting with the premiere episodes of Star Trek: Discovery for nearly a week, I have to declare the show — even at this early time in its run — an unqualified success. With expectations from fans, media and stakeholders at immeasurable levels, the new series does not disappoint, delivering intricate, well-paced and cerebral science fiction, with elite-level visual effects and the massive action sequences you would expect in today’s marketplace.
“This isn’t about what happened, Sarek. It’s what’s happening now.” – Michael Burnham
What Star Trek: Discovery and their entire production team accomplish in the first two hours of their much-discussed foray into the modern television age of compact seasons and serialized storytelling, is nothing short of miraculous. And by that we mean specifically that they kept a really big secret and were able to unleash a really big surprise.
SPOILER WARNING!
THE BELOW REVIEW REVEALS MAJOR STORY POINTS FROM
THE FIRST TWO EPISODES OF “STAR TREK: DISCOVERY.”
Through months of hype and promotion, we’ve known about a war with the Klingons. We’ve known about the migration of series lead Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham from the USS Shenzhou to the USS Discovery. We’ve guessed at a passage of time between the two ships and at the fate of Shenzhou captain Philippa Georgiou, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh.
What we didn’t know is what the show is really going to be about. And that’s where the success of “The Vulcan Hour” and “Battle at the Binary Stars” can truly be found. The last-second reveal at the conclusion of the show’s second hour is an all-time great Star Trek cliffhanger, and made even more impactful when you consider we’ve only known Michael Burnham for two hours.
Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) on the bridge of the USS Shenzou. (CBS)
The first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery play as a prequel to the real story that’s about to unfold: Burnham’s journey from a disgraced, imprisoned mutineer to, well, that’s what we’re seemingly going to find out across 13 more episodes.
In these first two hours, the writer’s room has packed an impressive amount of definition and motivation into the initial unspooling of Burnham’s backstory.
The dynamic between Burnham and Doug Jones’ Saru, in addition to Georgiou, is explored in very interesting and detailed ways in the first hour. Their somewhat adversarial approach to decision-making was played to perfection, with intelligent and cogent writing that allows the viewer to easily support either officer’s position.
Saru (Doug Jones), Burnham, and Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh): the command crew of the USS Shenzhou. (CBS)
To think this dynamic has already been achieved in advance of Burnham’s betrayal makes their eventual reunion on the Discovery — as we’ve seen both characters on that ship in promotional photography — into one of the most anticipated story points of the upcoming season. Burnham and Saru are likely to be a core element to be explored throughout the season.
And about that betrayal… it’s hard to put into words how surprising and emotionally effective that Burnham’s Vulcan pinch, sucker punch to Georgiou truly was; it certainly sent a gasp of shock through the crowd at the Hollywood premiere screening! That defining moment of the series’ first two hours is contrasted against a number of powerful, moving scenes between Martin-Green and Yeoh, especially when Georgiou returns to the Shenzhou bridge and halts her first officer with the barrel of a phaser.
Although the opening vignette on a desert world is a slightly clunky introduction to the characters — with lots of somewhat dry (pardon the pun) exposition about their mission on the planet — it reveals Georgiou’s confidence in Burnham as she proclaims she is ready for command.
Sarek (James Frain) and Burnham in the USS Shenzhou’s transporter room. (CBS)
More importantly, it sets the scene for an excellent transporter room flashback to their introduction seven years prior. Introduced as Sarek’s (James Frain) ward, Burnham has been raised by Spock’s family on Vulcan after her parents were killed by Klingons. The strong scene provides instant character depth for the smooth, nonplussed Georgiou and the stuck-between-two-worlds Burnham.
In another establishing scene for Georgiou, Burnham and Saru, the captain sarcastically teases them when they are on the same page for once in terms of their next bridge action. The scene showcases Georgiou’s easy, but firm style, and how she is a mentor to her entire crew.
Saru (Doug Jones), Burnham, and Georgiou on the Shenzhou bridge. (CBS)
Those exchanges make Georgiou’s death all the more palpable for Burnham, who must not only face the psychological pain of her decisions (watching her mentor die in front of her), but the physical ramifications, as well: being imprisoned for life for mutiny as the credits role on “Battle at the Binary Stars.” It’s that cliffhanger that is achieved so magnificently that gives the Star Trek: Discovery debut episodes their significant heft.
Also of note is the death of young Ensign Danby Connor (Sam Vartholomeos), who has represented the show at both the Star Trek 2017 convention in Las Vegas, as well as at the Hollywood premiere last week. Will we see him again in future flashbacks? Unclear.
As the hype in advance of the premiere seemed to indicate, the Kelpian Saru is seemingly destined to standout in the coming months as a revolutionary character. Jones, a master craftsman at acting through prosthetics, has imbued the character with a riveting sense of caution and reason in the face of calculated decision-making. It’s an important and subtle distinction for Jones to achieve in his portrayal, lest the character come off as cartoonish or cowardly. He succeeds wildly.
Lieutenant Commander Saru, the first Kelpian in Starfleet. (CBS)
The deliberate, methodical pacing of “The Vulcan Hello” takes the time to weigh the tactical decisions facing the crew of the Shenzhou. Much the way Kirk and Spock once debated their next move against the crafty Romulan commander in “Balance of Terror,” “The Vulcan Hello” showcases a strong ability to slow down and let the story unfold.
Of course, slowing down and letting the story unfold does not come at the expense of some massive action sequences and impressive visual effects. From the impressive production design seen throughout the uniforms, props and on screen visual displays to the complicated space battles, the “Battle at the Binary Stars” has it all. The pièce de résistance comes with a fun reveal of a cloaked Klingon ship ramming and piercing the hull of the USS Europa, led by short-lived fleet Admiral Anderson (Terry Serpico).
The USS Europa crashes into a cloaked Klingon ship, shortly before its destruction. (CBS)
Another impressive special effect comes in a powerful scene for Burnham as she escapes the brig while the USS Shenzhou crumbles around her. In both her well-timed dive through the vacuum of space and her ethereal encounter and pep talk with Sarek via a subspace Katra call, the visual effects astound.
Although we have yet to see a number of main characters on screen yet (most notably Jason Isaacs’ Capt. Lorca and Anthony Rapp’s Lt. Stamets), the cast on display here is pitch perfect. Frain is especially impressive stepping into the iconic role of Sarek, hitting just the right notes of support and expectation in relation to his “ward.”
Sarek reveals to Burnham that part of his katra resides in her. (CBS)
That bond is enhanced with a nifty trick not previously seen in Trek, in which he utilizes some sort of Katra transference to save her life as a child and establish an even stronger link between the two characters.
We see that link in a ‘Katra séance’ that is likely to be debated by fans in terms of its convenience for the story and its overall effectiveness, but it works as a subliminal kick in the pants for Burnham, while strengthening her bond and connection with Vulcan.
As for the ‘controversial’ portrayal of the Klingons in this new series, well, yeah, they don’t have hair, and the makeup is a bit different. Other than that, they basically look, talk and act just like every incarnation of Klingons you’ve seen through 51 years of televised Star Trek.
(Though we do agree with one criticism regarding the audio quality of the Klingon actors’ dialogue; while subtitles give us the meaning of their words, it’s difficult to tell if their voices are being digitally altered or they’re just having trouble enunciating through the makeup and false teeth.)
T’Kuvma (Chris Obi) prepares a fallen warrior for burial on the exterior of his ancient ship. (CBS)
These Discovery-era Klingons are defined best by Chris Obi as T’Kuvma, a would-be uniter of the 24 Klingon houses, who he rallies together for a common goal: to push back against Starfleet and his disdain for their oft-repeated platitude, “We come in peace.”
In another surprise achievement unlocked by the Discovery production team, the hyped and promoted T’Kuvma does not survive “The Battle of Binary Stars,” dying at the hand of Michael Burnham after killing Captain Georgiou.
It remains to be seen if Obi’s T’Kuvma will be seen again in flashbacks, but what does seem clear is that brief appearances by the disgruntled Kenneth Mitchell as Kol and the imposing Mary Chieffo as L’Rell will be but the first of many.
New viewers may be lost by some of the Klingon rituals, like the ancient death scream. (CBS)
Although we knew this was coming, and that most of the Klingon scenes would be staged in Klingonese with subtitles, it is surprising to see how that plays out on screen.
The scenes with T’Kuvma are incredibly dense and pack a significant amount of character motivations to navigate through. In fact, the series’ first scene, which will air over-the-air on CBS is T’Kuvma unveiling some of his aspirations for the first time in thick, heavy, perfectly enunciated Klingon.
In an era where CBS is pushing for subscriptions to CBS All Access, it’s hard to imagine the networks brass did not push for something a little more easily digestible in those Klingon scenes. And whether that happened or not, the end result is a gain for fans of the Klingon culture, and for fans of complex narrative that requires you to pay attention.
Georgiou and Burnham on their final mission together. (CBS)
Because that is what we have in Star Trek: Discovery. A nuanced, well-paced, thoughtful examination of motivations and their consequences, being packaged as one mammoth 15-episode arc, with layered, Star Trek storytelling and images interwoven into its DNA.
Back at STLV in August, our friends at Eaglemoss showed off their first Star Trek: Discovery prototype ship models — the Walker-class USS Shenzhou and Crossfield-class USS Discovery — after announcing the launch of their latest Star Trek ship subscription plan.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
THE OFFICIAL STARSHIPS COLLECTION
Star Trek returns 50 years after first premiering with Star Trek: Discovery, the new series from CBS featuring new characters, new missions, but most importantly: new starships!
Eaglemoss is proud to present Star Trek: Discovery Starships, a unique collection of die-cast models featuring brand new ship concepts and designs from CBS’s Star Trek: Discovery. Each ship in the Discovery collection has gone through extensive reference study and reproduced under the supervision of Star Trek; expert Ben Robinson for accuracy and detail.
Be the first to own the ships from Discovery and enjoy every stunning edition from the series delivered right to your door. With limited quantities coming in early 2018, guarantee your subscription by reserving the first ship, the U.S.S. Shenzhou NCC-1227 for only $9.95!
The U.S.S. Shenzhou NCC-1227 is scheduled to ship on or before January 31, 2018. Thereafter, you will receive 1 Star Trek: Discovery Starship per month. Subscribers enjoy an exclusive discounted price of $45 per ship with free shipping and handling –a 20% discount from the regular SRP of $55.
These Star Trek Discovery Starships will not be available through other Eaglemoss subscriptions.
The higher price point on the Discovery collection is due to the larger scale: ships will be larger than the standard bi-monthly standard Official Starships subscription (measuring an estimated 20-25cm / about 8-10 inches), with a single monthly release instead instead of two smaller ones.
The price point falls in the same general range as Eaglemoss’ current “special edition” releases. Also revealed are some previews of the digital models being used for reference in the model starship construction.
As an additional note, the FAQ page on the Eaglemoss site indicates that the creative team has “20 ships planned in this collection,” so if you’re signing up, you’re going to need some more shelf space!
