Comedian Tig Notaro has joined the cast of ‘Star Trek: Discovery‘ for the show’s upcoming second season. As reported by Variety, Notaro will be appearing on the series in what the publication describes as a guest starring role, playing Denise Reno, Chief Engineer of the USS Hiawatha. No word yet on how many episodes Notaro will be featured in.
This lack of specificity echoes the previous announcement of Anson Mount’s casting. Mount, who has been cast as Captain Christopher Pike, will be making his own debut as the show picks up from its end of season cliffhanger, which saw the Discovery cross paths with the Enterprise under Pike’s command. As with Notaro, there has been no official word on the number of episodes in which Mount will appear, though executive producer Alex Kurtzman has suggested that he may not be a mainstay:
“The show is called ‘Discovery’. It’s not ‘Enterprise’. So yes, the Enterprise will play a part of season two but it will absolutely not overshadow Discovery. And I think with the Enterprise’s arrival in the finale we recognize that the audience has a lot of questions about our synchronicity with the original series, which really means our synchronicity with canon.”
While Notaro’s character is not serving aboard the Enterprise, it is likely that the Hiawatha will be featured in a similar capacity. That is to say that it may prove to be a ship with which the Discovery crosses paths for an episode or two before going on its merry way.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is due to begin production of its second season in April. The new season will feature returning stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, and Anthony Rapp alongside newcomers Anson Mount and Tig Notaro. Though no premiere date for the second season has been announced yet, it is expected to begin airing on CBS All Access in late 2018 or early 2019.
