While there wasn’t much information available on the then-unseen Star Trek: Discovery calendar, Universe Publishing has now revealed a look at the upcoming 2018 Discovery wall calendar, featuring a plethora of previously-seen Discovery promotional images.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Mirror Broken is a comic that I actively try to predict.
You see, Scott and David Tipton have such a masterful grasp of the nuances of all aspects of The Next Generation, that they are able to portray the opposite characters from the Mirror Universe to an equally detailed degree, and that’s what I want to predict.
Is it just being competitive? Maybe. But the thing about this book is that it’s written by talented writers — writers who are fans, like me — so when I read it, it’s like I want to pit myself against these accomplished professionals and see if they have the same appreciation for these characters that I do.
You might think it’s no contest, but I’m no slouch when it comes to Trek trivia and knowledge and I think I have a fairly good grasp of the characters — after all, my last name IS Kirk.
Without hesitation, I can honestly say that these guys have the stuff.
Mirror Broken #3 is the issue where everything happens. The ISS Enterprise is just about to undertake its maiden voyage under Captain Jellico… and he’s even more hated in this incarnation than in the regular universe — which means, along with the fact that this universe represents the antithesis of the ideals that the Federation is to stand for, this is a Jellico that you can hate even more!
What surprises me in this story? First off, there’s the incredible realism in extrapolating what Wesley Crusher looks like in this universe. I love the fact that he pretends to be autistic, but hides an underlying criminal genius that is simply brilliant to see.
The Tiptons are scary in their understanding on how to warp this perception of the Wesley we know in the mirror universe, but it’s even scarier in that I completely get their portrayal! Now this evil Wesley is a version of the character I can totally accept — and I’d love to know Wil Wheaton’s take on this portrayal of the character.
The way that this incarnation of Jean-Luc Picard plots in taking the ISS Enterprise is captivating. His precision and command charisma carries over from the strategic and thoughtful Jean-Luc Picard that we know from the regular universe, but those characteristics are definitely twisted through a selfish point of view. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this incarnation of the character in action!
The completely clinical nature of the Beverly Crusher in this issue is totally acceptable: ready to accept triage and the possibility of an abnormal number of casualties heading her way. I think the way that she was ready to accept this task is more frightening than the casualties themselves — it imparts a truly more frightening image of the Dr. Crusher that we know, yet in no way reduces the scope of her technical abilities.
The chills that run down my spine when encountering a medical professional ready to employ her skills for the greater evil… well, I didn’t see that coming, but truly should have expected it. I even love how the Tiptons were able to justify Wesley’s presence on board the warship Enterprise, in connection with Beverly’s role aboard ship.
What truly emphasizes the acceptability of this evil universe is J.K. Woodward’s complete and total familiarity with the physicality of these characters. He warps them in such a deliciously evil way that Next Generation fans will sit back and wonder if this is really happening.
Look at ‘punk’ Wesley, compared to the sharp and exact realization of the clinical and stark Beverly Crusher. Woodward devotes the full capacity of his talent into portraying these characters as accurately as possible.
Woodard told me, when we had a chance to chat earlier this year, that he knew how Deanna had to be portrayed. She’s scintillatingly manipulative, using all of her abilities. The same goes for Riker, Jellico and all of the other transformed characters in this book. Crusher’s hairstyle is clinically sharp — and who would have thought that Geordi La Forge was such a crack shot with a phaser rifle?
Looking at the covers for this book, we have the regular cover by Woodward and it’s truly a magically evil piece. I can’t tell for sure Wesley is torturing in the agony booth — as this scene doesn’t occur in this month’s story — but the supervising stare of Beverly Crusher watching her son administering pain with demonic glee is something right out of the nine levels of Dante’s Inferno. It’s definitely my favourite one of the three.
The subscription cover is by George Caltsoudas and it’s a stylized representation of Beverly Crusher. Caltsoudas’s presentation of Crusher on this cover is definitely malevolent as well though it’s interesting that he uses the same hairstyle that she has in the regular television show. It actually makes Woodward’s piece look even better with that slight detail.
Tony Shasteen delivers the retailer incentive cover and it’s nothing short of gifted. I think this is Shasteen’s first cover for IDW’s Trek books and this one is absolutely gorgeous with the two Deanna Trois on the Queen of Hearts playing card. Maybe this is a new trend for Shasteen but I’d love to see more of his covers.
I have to say, honestly, this is the comic book I look forward to the most in the month. Not only is it Trek, but it’s a wondrous twist on Trek that only true acolytes of the faith could deliver. In fact, I’d venture to say that there is a market for a second iteration of this series and I truly hope that the powers-that-be at IDW are seriously considering running a second series.
In the end, Mirror Broken #3 went in a direction that I didn’t wholly foresee. So – they’re better than me. Hear that, world? While they did manage to meet the expectation I had for an incredibly adventurous story, I couldn’t help but be surprised by some of the wonderful twists and tweaks the Tiptons and Woodward threw at us.
Another day, another Star Trek: Discovery preview video! In addition to the week-long rollout of character spots, CBS also debuted a new minute-long commercial for the upcoming series on their social media channels today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6c18VApe7/
Embedded above is a region-locked Twitter video, only one of two CBS official release points for today’s promo – as the network relies on international distribution partners (Bell Media, Netflix, etc.) to promote the upcoming series in their regions specifically.
UPDATE: The above Instagram embed should be region free.
While today’s trailer contains mostly already-seen footage from previous Discovery previews, there are some notable additions.
First is much better look at the likely accidental, surprise collision of Starfleet vessel USS Europa with a cloaked (Klingon?) vessel, glimpsed only briefly in the Comic-Con trailer:
In addition, this sequence between Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) clearly shows that Burnham has been reassigned to a silver Sciences division aboard the USS Discovery — but does not appear to have been awarded any rank due to her lack of Starfleet insignia.
Lorca: “You know what we need to do?” Burnham: “We need to win.” Lorca: “That’s the spirit!”
…and just where are these two headed, down this secretive, darkened corridor?
Finally, the new preview also gives us a set of new dialogue bits from both Burnham and Lorca.
Burnham (voice-over):
We strive toward this dream of peace, where all species can share common ground… yet no dream will protect us from you.
Lorca (dialogue):
The work we do is hard, and it’s not with out sacrifice. We are a long way from home, but I know that is a sacrifice worth making.
Also of note is the TV-MA rating which tags the opening shot of the video; for those outside the United States, this rating is designed to signify that the program in question is “specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.”
We already knew that Discovery was going to be a more hard-edged series than previous Trek television adventures, and producer Aaron Harberts addressed this in a July interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Every writer’s impulse when you get to work on the streaming shows with no parameters is to go crazy. But then you look at things like: How does nudity play on Trek? Eh, it feels weird. How does a lot of [profanity] on Trek? Not so great.
[…]
What’s important to the creative team is the legacy of the show — which is passed down from mother to daughter, from father to son, from brother to brother.
We want to make sure we’re not creating a show that fans can’t share with their families. You have to honor what the franchise is. I would say we’re not going much beyond hard PG-13.
So while all television programming is required to carry a guideline rating in the United States, it sounds like TV-MA is set to allow Discovery the creative freedom to explore more adult themes, but the production team isn’t turning the series into a free-for-all of swearing and skin.
* * *
Lastly, we also have CBS’ newest character spotlights, including Lt. Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) and Klingon leader T’Kuvma (Chris Obi).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3PV9vAk9Z/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6CLfQAJxM/
Keep checking back here at TrekCore for more Discovery news as it beams down!
As we reported upon their Comic-Con debut, QMx has Star Trek: Discovery‘s license for the new split-delta Starfleet insignia badges, as seen in the new series — and while they’ve only been available to fans on-site at SDCC or Star Trek Las Vegas so far, the retailer has finally launched their online purchase portal for everyone to obtain!
Available in four designs to match the series — Command gold, Sciences silver, Operations bronze, and Medical silver — the badges are on sale now at a $14.95/each price point, and measure approximately 1.5″ x 2.6″, matching the on-screen props.
Like with their other Star Trek insignia badges, each on features a pair of magnets in the two-part design, getting away from the old days of pin backings and off-balance mounting on clothing.
Magnetic backing.
QMx’s badges do not include rank pips on the lower part of the delta, unlike the ‘real’ badges, and the border isn’t quite as crisply chamfered as the true props, but we feel those are acceptable compromises to allow the retailer to meet the low price point offered.
One of the real DISCOVERY insignia badge props, featuring rank pips and crisp edges. (Photo: Nick Duguid)
In addition, there’s no sign yet that the retailer will be launching the specialized Starfleet Academy badges, as worn by Sylvia Tilly – but perhaps a future release may bring that additional, unique design to their store.
Cadet Tilly with her special rectangular Starfleet badge, signifying her student status.
We were able to pick up these badges ourselves out in Las Vegas, and we can attest to the look and feel of them being very similar to the Discovery props – and if you like this sort of thing, they definitely have our recommendation.
In the newest edition of SFX magazine, released today in the UK, writer Joseph McCabe caught up with the Star Trek: Discovery cast to get some more detail on the series and their characters.
(Note: Images below are from previous ‘Discovery’ media releases.)
Sonequa Martin-Green and Mary Wiseman. (EW)
Series lead Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham) started off by giving a deeper picture of “cross-culturalism,” a central tenant of the show.
It’s such a phenomenal picture of acculturation; the ideal, the utopia, is one where acculturation happens without assimilation.
Where I am able to take on the processes and customs and rituals of your culture without losing those of mine, and we can come together. Because you have the original culture you were born in, but then, so often, we have so many examples in human history of that core culture being lost.
‘Star Trek’ explores that, always has, and certainly explores it to the next level with our show. Where we see how you and I can come together. How can I maintain who I am, fully empathize and appreciate who you are, and then how do we have that two-way exchange?
That’s, gosh, it’s gorgeous. It’s the most powerful thing about ‘Star Trek,’ and about our iteration of ‘Star Trek.’
Co-star Mary Wiseman (Cadet Sylvia Tilly) also expanded upon the themes examined in the series.
It’s about the merging of cultures without colonialism. That’s what’s idealistic about it now, if you think about america right now and the people that are coming into contact with cultures and frustrated by a lack of assimilation.
Rapp recaps what we know about astromycologist Paul Stamets:
Saru’s sort of the general science officer that you think of in Trek, [whereas] my science officer is really honing in on a specific project based in my science, which is astromycology, the study of space fungus/mushrooms, which is based in real science.
My character is named after a real scientist, living and working today doing incredible work in the field of mycology, and all the various implications that it can have in our lives on this planet.
Doug Jones, the resident alien of the cast, expanded upon Saru and his transformation to become the non-human character.
I play Lieutenant Saru, and I’m a Kelpien, an alien species that’s never been seen in the ‘Star Trek’ canon ever before. I’m the first of my kind to leave our home planet and go to Starfleet Academy. So i’m very upwardly mobile with something to prove.
I’ve been equated with gazelles a lot, so they’re celebrating the long and lanky of me. They put me in high hoof-foot shoes/boots, much like for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ I’m six-eight in the show. I’m very tall and they have not hidden my skinniness at all. I’m in a tight Starfleet uniform.
There’s a grace to him, absolutely, and a beauty to him… but if pushed into a corner he could kick your ass too.
Jones in character as Saru. (EW)
Jones also shared his thoughts on the cast of characters as a whole, that each one is explored to great depths throughout the first year.
Each character is like an onion – there are many layers to peel back and discover over the course of the series. I think the phrase ‘things aren’t what they seem’ applies to everyone sitting here right now.
We’ve talked a lot about the level of grit and the intense storylines, but there’s also some nice doses of humour. It’s also very grounded in character.
But i think what distinguishes it in some ways is all the characters are going to evolve. It’s not just like you’re visiting them every week on a new mission. You’re seeing them evolve and be affected, and affect each other, by the events of the plot, which has enormous twists and turns.
Those things are very different from what you’ve seen in ‘Star Trek’ before. It’s not like we just solve the dilemma of the week.
Michael Burnham and Sarek (James Frain). (CBS)
As somebody who’s not in [the Sarek/Burnham] relationship, and somebody who loves the history of the relationship between Sarek and Spock, what happens between them also gives so much more resonance to the relationship of Sarek and Spock.
It’s this crazy thing. It’s beautiful and it also makes those things that much beautiful. The ability to do that while respecting that and then also enlarging it is amazing. As a fan, I read it and went, ‘that is so incredible.’
Finally, both Jones and Martin-Green expounded upon their experience watching Star Trek, with Martin-Green revealing that she’s not only played catch-up on the Original Series, but that she’s also been spending time in the Archer-era Star Trek: Enterprise world as well.
Jones:
I was born in 1960. When the Original Series was on TV, i watched it with my family in its first run on the night that you would have to watch it or you would miss it, back in the days when you didn’t have DVD or streaming. So I’ve actually grown up with it, truly, from my childhood on.
My connection was always Spock. He was tall and lanky, by the way. So being one of those tall and lanky kids, I connected with him as being the oddball in the room. I love his delivery, the way he articulated himself. It was just so different and curious.
Martin-Green on why she’s sticking to the early days of Starfleet:
When I did a deep dive after I got the role, I started with TOS, and it is my favourite. But because we are a prequel 10 years before TOS, I stayed in the TOS and ‘Enterprise’ world. I started binging ‘Enterprise’ as well because there’s such a Vulcan presence in that show, at least in the first season for sure. That really spoke to me.
Of course I, like so many others, just fell in love with Leonard [Nimoy]’s work. Also, it was quite a tremendous experience, very surreal, to watch TOS and see him as someone that I grew up with as burnham. It’s like, ‘Hey brother!’
If you’re not a subscriber, you can order a print copy of their October 2017 issue from SFX‘s web store, or through their mobile app.
We’re only two days into this week, and there’s already more than a handful of Star Trek: Discovery news updates to bring you – from new set photos and series teaser videos to what may be coming next after 2018’s episodes conclude!
Revealed in a preview of the October 2017 SFX magazine, featuring a big Discovery cover feature, TrekMovie reports some new character details for several cast members coming out of new interviews in the publication.
[We] see Sarek as a younger man, and we discover that he has been made responsible for Michael’s upbringing – her parents were killed while being hosted at the Vulcan Academy when there was a Klingon attack.
So we feel responsible for her, take her in, and I raise her in my family as a Vulcan.
In addition, we’re learning our first details about Michael Burnham’s Starfleet specialty, courtesy of Sonequa Martin-Green:
I’m a xenoanthropologist, I also had another field of study while at the Vulcan Science Academy. I’m the only human to have gone to the Vulcan Learning Centre and the Vulcan Science Academy and excelled at that.
As a xenoanthropologist, I’m also essentially and inherently a first contact specialist as well.
The Discovery-heavy issue of SFX will be out in the UK on August 16 and following soon in the United States, set to contain even more details from the series cast.
Each season needs to be about a different thing. I wouldn’t necessarily want to bring the Klingon War into season two.
However, the results of the war are going to allow for a lot of new storytelling that will be the result of everything that happens and the people that are left behind; the casualties, the things that have grown in Starfleet as a result of the war. That’s what we’ll inherit in the second season.
In addition to what we learned from the SFX preview bits above, Kurtzman added this interesting tidbit about Michael Burnham’s backstory – likely shaped by the attack her family fell victim to in her youth:
[Burnham] is fascinated and fixated on alien races; particularly the Klingons, for reasons that we’ll come to understand are very personal for her.
Given the fact that we’re at war with the Klingons in the show, she’s going to have a lot to say and do about it.
[An anthology show is] a cool idea, but at the same time, I’ve now fallen in love with the characters on [the Discovery]. I like seeing them. I like being with them. And I wouldn’t necessarily want to throw them away at the end of the season for a new show.
I would not want to limit our storytelling, especially given the topics that we’re bringing up this season. It’s not just one season’s worth of television. I think the idea might be that there are more Star Trek series [further down the line].
We’ll have to wait and see if Discovery will pave the way for future Trek television expeditions.
Like clockwork (as we first pointed out on Twitter early Monday), two more arrived at 12:27 PM and 10:31 AM Pacific time Monday and Tuesday, following CBS’s trend of releasing media aligned with the series’ starships registries (Shenzhou: NCC-1227; Discovery: NCC-1031).
Here’s James Frain as Sarek, and Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXyTQ4WAF0k/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX0qrNMg3wp/
We’re expecting the week to continue with more videos, centered on characters like Shazad Latif’s Ash Tyler, Chris Obi’s T’Kuvma, Mary Chieffo’s L’Rell, and more.
* * *
Sonequa Martin-Green had a brief discussion with E! at the recent Television Critics Association press event in Los Angeles, where she was asked about her reaction to backlash from certain ‘fans’ of Star Trek.
In addition, Martin-Green discussed some of the new-found ‘freedoms’ that a streaming presentation may allow the Discovery creators to expand the nature of Trek storytelling.
* * *
Discovery Co-Executive Producer Ted Sullivan (who, along with writers Bo Yeun Kim and Erika Lippoldt we finally ran into at STLV – hi guys!) continues to share some glimpses from the set on his Twitter stream, showcasing several behind-the-scenes photos.
A quick summary of the plot: the Enterprise has received a distress call from a nearby Federation research vessel with a station established on a planet with sub-arctic temperatures. The research team and its families have all disappeared and its up to Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise to investigate and determine where they are.
In the process of the investigation, they discover that there is more to the planet that meets the eye. Of course, that’s about as much as I’d like to share for fear of giving away spoilers, but immediately, this is exactly the type of plot that you could expect to find in one of the 79 original episodes.
It’s hard for me not to love this book. After all, we are talking original Star Trek storytelling and imagery that’s been re-purposed for die-hard fans like myself. Also from one of my comic heroes? Well, that’s an added bonus, but it’s also important to look for progression and this is a difficult book to search for it. It’s not like we can see refinement in penciling or dynamic new colourization, but Byrne has been a very busy artist in learning to improve the photographic recreation of his and my favourite fandom.
So, what has he been learning? Well, in the last few issues, we can see that Byrne has been learning more about graphic software. He’s also been talking quite a bit about the original images he’s creating with this software. In fact, if you visit his forum, he is very eager to discuss his new techniques and entertains questions about them. If you like what he does with this book and have some curiosity about his technique, then it’s worth a visit.
But the store of images that he can use is finite. Eventually, he had to learn to create more images. Even the demand of writing new stories needed original imagery that needed to be crafted. The backdrops, new aliens, robots or even new spaceships necessitated the ability to fabricate new objects that fit into the settings of the television show and blend in with the surrounding technology.
For example, if you look on page 11 of this issue, you can see Byrne had to create an entire new setting for the research station that fits in mind with not just what we can expect to find form the show but is also appropriate for the story he’s telling. We can see a kitchen, living quarters, and a research and development section. Byrne has either compiled these from original images or created his own – or he’s even modified them.
Actually, in the kitchen, there’s an Easter egg from one of the original episodes. See if you can find it! I’ll give you a hint – it’s somewhat robotic.
And speaking of robots, Byrne creates a new robotic character in this story. While I feel it might have been a bit of an abandoned character, it still is an example of a completely new character that Byrne has had to create with his growing expertise in graphic design. The same can be said for the hologramatic character who is played by a who I can only assume is an acquaintance of Byrne, Katherine Larocca.
What I also like about following Byrne’s technique is that he not only has a library of these established television episode images, but he is adding to the library. He now has a collection of modified or new images of his own creation that can be used for future stories. I’m sure that we will see the robot character in future issues but we will also see science vessels (that very closely resemble the Starfleet cargo vessels of the original Star Fleet Technical Manual and the medical vessels we remember from The Next Generation – though clearly dated appropriately). As Byrne continues to create more of these stories, this collection will clearly grow.
All the Ages Frozen seems to me to be a watermark book in John Byrne’s developing collection of Trek stories. After all, there seem to be more newly created images in this story than stock photos. The engaging cover sports a partially desiccated Spock and a choking Kirk trapped in what can only assumed to be some sort of a cryogenic coffin (as suggested by the title) with a very scary high-priestess figure standing overhead.
This is a very elaborate picture and reveals a great deal of story information. Byrne has no shortage of images now, with his grasp of image generation.
This is a very intricate and engaging story – more than what I’ve seen in Byrne’s other photomontages and I’ve read ‘em all. It keeps to the spirit of the original show and Byrne’s layout seems to somehow replicate the pace of an original episode, but it does so in a wholly new fashion. His later books are going to be even more exciting to read.
Oh, and If anyone was to complain about Byrne’s apparent lack of artistry on this title, then I’d venture to say that they weren’t really looking hard enough.
We had a chance to catch up with project manager Alex Engel and lead engineer Paul Siegel from the Disruptor Beam team on-site in Las Vegas to discuss the upcoming Timelines update.
* * *
TREKCORE: Star Trek Timelines will now include Discovery visuals – but will you be bringing any voice talent from the new series?
ALEX ENGEL:Star Trek Timelines brings ships and characters from every era and every series, and this is the first time we’ve been able to bring a new series in. We do enjoy bringing different voices from episodes in there, so it’s always been our desire to do so. Everything of course, is very hush-hush and up in the air as to how Discovery is being licensed, but the plan is, we would love to do that.
PAUL SIEGEL: We’re looking forward to having crew, and ships, and anything we can get our hands on.
Saru, Burnham, and Georgiou are the first announced DISCOVERY inclusions.
TREKCORE: Given the fact that the show is so new, does your team get an early look at the upcoming details from the series, to help align Timelines and Discovery?
ENGEL: We look closely and work closely with CBS as partners of theirs, so we’re in constant communication with them about Discovery. We have access to some material about the show that we’re able to take a look at and start the work, because as with any gaming project, you have to build a lot of the stuff in advance.
So we’re doing the best we can to be a good partner with CBS.
TREKCORE: From what we’ve seen of the artwork details and renderings of the show so far, the visual elements of Discovery are a leap above any Trek television show to date – how has that impacted your design work?
SIEGEL: Our game really features [the USS Discovery] very nicely when it’s onscreen. It sort of takes up a lot of the the digital space, so we’ve devoted a lot of the computational resources to making it look really good.
TREKCORE: The press announcement said that both Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Saru (Doug Jones) are included in the first Timelines update. Are you going to bring other elements from the show, such as the Klingons or other Starfleet officers?
ENGEL: Absolutely yes! We can confirm that we’re bringing Michael Burnham, [Michelle Yeoh’s] Captain Georgiou, and Lt. Saru as our first characters from Discovery.
One of the things we really want to work hard with CBS on is fidelity and accuracy to the actors — and the parts that they play — to the game, so we’re making sure there’s extra care to all of our characters so that they match exactly what’s onscreen.
TREKCORE: How will you mesh the radically different styles between the relatively basic look of the Original Series or the well-established design of the TNG-era shows to Discovery?
SIEGEL: Timelines has a huge crew, almost 400 unique crew in the game right now. You see style differences from the Original Series to The Next Generation, or even from Next Generation to Enterprise.
ENGEL: There’s a lot of stylistic differences with Enterprise already, right? Not to mention plot changes. There are lots of times where [the Enterpise-era] uniforms and [character] demeanor are significantly different from other shows, so I think this is going to be more of the same.
SIEGEL: We have a great art team, and they’re really fantastic at adapting that stuff and giving it our Star Trek Timelines look, but still [keeping it] representative of the show they’re drawing from.
ENGEL: That said, I think we, as Star Trek fans, just like everyone here at the convention, are fascinated, excited and also a little nervous to see what Discovery looks like on the screen.
The stylized look of TIMELINES characters.
TREKCORE: What else can you tell us about upcoming Timelines updates?
SIEGEL: We’re [working on] a bunch of new features that’ll come out probably about the same time as [you will] start to see some Discovery content: more ways to interact socially with other players; more ways to leverage your crews and your ships to build your dream team, [and] to mishmash the characters the way you want to create your own story.
ENGEL: …and I can’t wait to see what people will do when they put together the new features, when they put together Lt. Saru, with Lt. Uhura, and uh…let’s throw Locutus in there too. Why not? See what kind of voyages and situations they get into.
I know that our writers are really excited to bring the storylines of Discovery and mash them up with the storylines that we love from all of our past episodes.
* * *
Watch for an update to Star Trek Timelines in the coming months!
As revealed ahead of the Las Vegas Star Trek convention the other week, FanSets launched their first Star Trek: Discovery pins featuring T’Kuvma, Saru, Georgiou, and the Walker-class USS Shenzhou from the upcoming series.
If you were planning to sign up for CBS All Access to watch Discovery in the United States — and you’re a pin collector — this bit of Trek swag might cover several months of subscription costs.
We’re inching closer and closer to the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in September, and today we bring you one more cast interview from last week’s adventures at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas!
TREKCORE: Your casting was only just announced at Comic Con, and now just two weeks later here you are with the ‘hometown crowd’ in Las Vegas.
CRUZ: Yeah! I’ve been filming on the show since April, and I had to keep my mouth shut. That was painful! Anyone who knows me knows just how painful it was to keep my mouth shut. But yeah, I’m just really proud to be a part of this cast and telling this story at this particular time.
TREKCORE: And today on stage was the first time we heard your character’s name – Dr. Hugh Culber. Could you talk a little bit about your role as chief medical officer of the Discovery?
CRUZ: I’m not the chief medical officer, but I am a ship’s doctor; I just want to be clear on that. Maybe I’ll get a promotion!
TREKCORE: Okay, not the chief, but one of the medical officers.
CRUZ: Right!
So my name is Dr. Hugh Culber, and even though by the time we get to this time in history, I have a very white last name — but am very much Latino.
Just like every other character in the series, Culber is a genius in his field in his own right, and is truly in awe of the people that he fights with — and in playing him, I draw inspiration from doctors and nurses and other medical people in battlefields where they have to really balance the the mission and the well-being and health of their fellow soldiers.
So there’s that, and there’s the element of working with and loving someone you work with [Paul Stamets, played by Anthony Rapp]. That’s an interesting dynamic to play as well.
TREKCORE: We have just another minute — have you seen these insignia badges yet? [pulls from bag]
CRUZ:[Gasps] No!
VARTHOLOMEOS:[Excited] Oh my God, I was looking for this!
CRUZ: I have not seen these!
TREKCORE: These are some of the first pieces of Discovery merchandise out on the floor.
CRUZ:[Examines the medical badge] It feels like the right weight, too!
VARTHOLOMEOS: Yeah, right?
CRUZ: That’s amazing.
TREKCORE: These are the Medical and Operations copper versions, which are the ones that you guys wear.
CRUZ: That is so cool — I’ve got to go get me one!
Cruz with a Starfleet white medical uniform – “Great motivation to go to the gym!”Vartholomeos poses near Starfleet operations copper — no redshirts in DISCOVERY.
We’ve still got a handful of things yet to come from our time in Las Vegas, so keep checking back here at TrekCore for more Star Trek news as it breaks!
