‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is finally becoming a reality after several starts and stops.  The show is set to premiere on CBS All Access this fall and though some information has been revealed, there are still some major questions, like… what’s it about?

For the first time, a ‘Star Trek’ series will focus on the second-in-command, First Officer Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy.

Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg did offer a few clues as to the show’s direction and the visual style.

Harberts stated:

“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 added that showcasing the First Officer actually opens the story up:

“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.”

As for the influences on ‘Discovery”s story and visual style, Berg said:

“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.”

Harberts added:

“I think Nicholas Myers’ films 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.”

So does that mean the return of the dreaded lens flares?  Hopefully not.

But it sounds like ‘Discovery’ is a spiritual amalgam of all things ‘Trek’, which should make longtime fans happy.  This show could use some positive spin after so many controversies up til now.

Are you excited to see ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ when it debuts this fall?

Source: Entertainment Weekly