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Star Trek: Discovery tore itself apart for the good of Star Trek’s future

And it helped set the tone for where Star Trek is now

by Dylan Roth

If you were to jump directly from the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery to its finale — which just debuted on Paramount Plus — the whiplash would throw you clear out of your seat like your ship had suffered an inertial damper malfunction. Since its first two chapters premiered on CBS All Access in 2017, the series has moved to a different ship and a different century, and has acquired an almost entirely different set of characters. Moreover, Discovery has received a radical tonal refit, evolving in fits and starts from a dark and violent war story to a much sunnier action-adventure serial.

Though it never won the mainstream attention or critical acclaim of its spinoff, Strange New Worlds , nor the gushing fan adulation of Picard ’s Next Gen reunion , Discovery spearheaded Star Trek’s return to television , the franchise’s maiden voyage into the frontier of premium streaming content. Like any bold pathfinder, Discovery encountered obstacles, suffered losses, and made some major course corrections. But, if you ask the cast and crew, the adventure has been more than worth the tumultuous journey.

Tacking into the wind

“We were on wobbly legs for a long time,” admits star Sonequa Martin-Green, whose character, Michael Burnham, has had the rug pulled out from under her a number of times over the course of the series. In the first season and backstory alone, Burnham lost her parents, saw her mentor murdered, was tried for mutiny, discovered that her first love is a Klingon sleeper agent, and was betrayed by not one but two Mirror Universe doppelgängers of trusted Starfleet captains.

Move over, Deep Space Nine — this was instantly the grimmest canonical depiction of the Star Trek universe on screen. Season 1 of Discovery was rated TV-MA and featured more blood and gore than the franchise had ever seen, not to mention an instance of graphic Klingon nudity. (Actor Mary Wiseman recalls seeing her co-star Mary Chieffo walking the set wearing prosthetic alien breasts and thinking, What the hell? ) The corpse of Michelle Yeoh’s character is cannibalized by Klingons off screen, and her successor, portrayed by Jason Isaacs, turns out to be a manipulative psycho from the Mirror Universe who tries to mold Burnham into his plaything.

The bleak, adult-oriented tone was not the only sticking point with Star Trek purists, as Discovery would take place a decade before the original 1960s Star Trek but have a design aesthetic much closer to that of the 2009 movie reboot, leading to some irreconcilable clashes with continuity. The show’s serialized, season-long arcs were a far cry from the familiar “planet of the week” stories of most previous incarnations of the franchise. Then there was Burnham’s backstory as the never-before-mentioned human foster sister to Trek’s iconic Vulcan Spock , a creative decision that has “clueless studio note” written all over it. Even ahead of its debut, Discovery faced vocal opposition from the fan base for straying so far from their notion of what Star Trek was supposed to be. (Not to mention the revolting but quite vocal faction of fans who were incensed that Star Trek had “gone woke,” as if it hadn’t been that way the whole time.) Many of Discovery ’s detractors flocked toward The Orville , a Fox series starring and created by Seth MacFarlane that was essentially ’90s-style Star Trek with the occasional dick joke thrown in. The Orville offered fans alienated by Discovery ’s vastly different approach to Star Trek a more familiar (but far less ambitious) alternative.

The grim Klingon War story was the brainchild of co-creator Bryan Fuller, who had been a member of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager writers rooms before creating cult series like Pushing Daisies and Hannibal . Fuller would end up departing Team Discovery before production even began, asked to resign after a string of creative differences with the studio. New showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg carried out a version of Fuller’s plans without him, and then oversaw the show’s first major pivot. Discovery ’s second season was immediately brighter, more colorful, and cozier with established Star Trek lore. (This is the arc that would introduce the versions of Pike , Spock , and Number One who now lead Strange New Worlds .) But things weren’t so sunny behind the scenes — Harberts and Berg were fired midway through the season after writers accused the duo of creating an abusive work environment.

As different as Discovery would eventually stray from the HBO-style drama of its first season, co-creator Alex Kurtzman feels that the mission of the series has never changed.

“One of the things that we set up in season 1 is that we knew that Burnham would start as a mutineer and end up a captain,” says Kurtzman. “What was exciting about that is that we knew it would take time.”

Captain on deck

It was after Harberts and Berg’s departure that Kurtzman, who had remained involved but been primarily occupied with the development of the growing television Star Trek franchise as a whole, took the helm of Discovery himself. Before long, he would promote writer and co-executive producer Michelle Paradise to the role of co-showrunner, which she would retain for the remainder of the series. Just as the late, great Michael Piller did during the third season of The Next Generation , Paradise brought a sense of stability and confidence to Discovery , which reverberated onto set.

“I commend Michelle Paradise and the rest of the writers because this show evolved ,” says Martin-Green. “Our initial showrunners, Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, they made their impact and that’ll never be erased, but landing where we did with Michelle co-showrunning with Alex Kurtzman, jumping farther than any Trek had gone before, I feel that’s when our feet were solid on the ground and when we really established our identity.”

Season 2 fell into a steady rhythm that felt more in tune with Kurtzman’s “movie every week” philosophy, never far in tone from the reboot film trilogy on which Kurtzman served as a writer and producer. The steady presence of Michelle Yeoh’s deliciously amoral Emperor Georgiou was a major boon, essentially becoming Star Trek’s answer to Buffy ’s Spike or Dragon Ball Z ’s Vegeta. However, Discovery was also undeniably borrowing clout from legacy characters Pike and Spock, and the constant friction with established canon wasn’t sitting well with Kurtzman or the audience.

The season ended with a surprising twist that resolved the continuity problems but also changed the entire nature of the show. The titular starship and its crew would be propelled 930 years into the future, past the furthest fixed point in Star Trek’s continuity. No longer forced to tiptoe around the sacred canon, Discovery was free to sprint in a bold new direction. Once again and in a more tangible way, it was a whole new show.

“If the folks who came in had sort of taken us off the rails that would have been a very different experience,” says Anthony Rapp, who portrays the prickly Commander Paul Stamets. “But Michelle Paradise came through as such a shining light and a beautiful presence in our lives. She took the show into this territory of being able to have the heart in its center in a way that felt very grounded and meaningful, and really helped us to make that transition.”

An open sky

Season 3 of Discovery offered Kurtzman, Paradise, producing director Olatunde Osunsanmi, and the rest of the creative team a rare opportunity to completely rewrite Star Trek’s galactic map . Not since the launch of The Next Generation in 1987 had a writers room been able to venture onto such “fresh snow,” as Paradise puts it. In the 32nd century, beyond the furthest point explored in the established Trek canon, the righteous United Federation of Planets has all but collapsed in the aftermath of “the Burn,” a mysterious space calamity. Some longtime friends are now adversaries, and even Earth has become an isolationist state. The USS Discovery, displaced in time, becomes the means by which to reconnect the shattered galaxy. It’s not hard to read this as a mission statement for Star Trek as a whole — a relic from another time, back to offer hope to a bleak present.

Season 3’s 13-episode arc restored a bit of Star Trek’s space Western roots, with warp drive a rare and costly luxury in the ravaged 32nd century and half the galaxy dominated by a vast criminal empire known as the Emerald Chain. Michael Burnham spent much of the season out of uniform, having found a new purpose as a more roguish freelance courier alongside the sweet and savvy Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). This is arguably the most interesting version of the show, as Michael questions whether or not Starfleet — the institution whose trust she has worked so hard to restore — is still her home.

By the end of the season (and right on schedule with Fuller and Kurtzman’s original plans), Michael Burnham finally accepts her destiny and becomes captain of Discovery. More subtly, this altered the premise of the show for a third time, as the central question of “Will Michael ever become captain?” had been answered in the affirmative. But, since she’d already been the central character and a figure of improbable cosmic import, the change was mostly cosmetic. And symbolic — Martin-Green considers her presence “being Black, and a woman, and a captain sitting in that chair” to be her greatest contribution to Star Trek. After three seasons of struggle and uncertainty, Burnham could now be as aspirational a character as Picard , Sisko, or Janeway .

The tone on which the show settled at the end of season 3 would be the one that finally stuck. Where the series had initially been bloody and brooding, it was now squarely an adventure show featuring a cast of characters with a boundless and demonstrative love for each other. The crew would face mortal danger each episode and a galactic-level threat each season, bolstered by very expensive-looking visual effects and a rousing score. At the same time, many conflicts both large and small would eventually be resolved by characters talking through their feelings and finding common ground. This was exhausting as often as it was compelling, but it was consistent. For its final two seasons, viewers could finally know what to expect from Star Trek: Discovery .

Discovering itself

This “feelings over phasers” approach was not for everyone, but it was never intended to be. Even from the outset, before Paramount began pumping out more Star Trek series to target different facets of the fan base, Discovery was never meant to be a definitive Star Trek experience that checked every box.

“You’ll never be able to be everything to everybody,” says Michelle Paradise. “The goal was always to make the best version of Discovery . It’s a different kind of Star Trek. It’s serialized, it’s fewer episodes, it’s a movie every week. That’s a thing that will appeal to many people, and for some people it won’t be their cup of tea.”

Discovery has bounced up and down my personal ranking of Star Trek series a number of times during its run, more than any of its past or present siblings. I have begun each season of the show with great excitement, and that excitement is frequently exhausted by season’s end. Most Trek series have good years and bad years. To me, Discovery suffers from being simultaneously brilliant, innovative, lazy, cringe, inspiring, and eye-rolling at all times, only in different measures. It features the franchise’s strongest lead actor since Patrick Stewart, and a supporting cast that has never been leveraged to my satisfaction. In my career, I have written more words about Star Trek: Discovery than any other television series, and I still haven’t made up my mind about it. For as many cheerleaders and haters as the show must have, I imagine there are many more viewers who feel the way I do — it’s a show that I wanted to love, but never fully fell in love with.

As Discovery disappears in the aft viewport, some will bid it a fond farewell, some will be blowing it raspberries, and some will turn away with total disinterest. But regardless of how well Discovery itself is remembered in the coming years, it has already made a substantial impact on the franchise. It paved the way for every Trek series that followed, including three direct spinoffs. Its second season was the incubator for Strange New Worlds , now the most acclaimed Trek series in a generation. Michelle Yeoh had such fun in her recurring role on Discovery that, even after winning an Academy Award , she was still keen to return for the upcoming Section 31 TV movie . Discovery ’s 32nd-century setting will continue to be explored in the new Starfleet Academy series , leaving the door open for some of its characters to return.

Even the new shows that have no direct relationship to Discovery have benefitted from the precedent it set by being different from what came before. Lower Decks is an animated sitcom, Prodigy is a kid-targeted cartoon , Picard is… a bunch of different things that don’t work together , but they are all different shows. Star Trek was one thing, and beginning with Discovery , it became many things. And for Star Trek, an institution that preaches the value of infinite diversity in infinite combinations, that’s a legacy to be proud of.

Star Trek: Discovery is now streaming in full on Paramount Plus.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Standout Jess Bush Is a Bit of a Mad Scientist

On paper Star Trek: Strange New Worlds sounds like a studio note-driven nightmare. It is a spin-off to a prequel, featuring a mix of new characters plus actors like Ethan Peck and Celia Rose Gooding doing the impossible: recreating the iconic roles of Spock and Lt. Uhura. 

But the Paramount+ series, now over halfway through its first season, is cruising at warp factor nine. (That’s good; if it went much faster, there would be catastrophic consequences .) Everything about this new show works: the stories, the sets, and, especially the performances. Led by Anson Mount as Captain Pike, and surrounded by Peck, Gooding, Rebecca Romijn, Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia, Gia Sandhu, Bruce Horak, Dan Jeannotte, and Adrian Holmes , the pre–Captain Kirk version of the USS Enterprise is an upbeat, lively place loaded with energetic and invigorating adventure. 

But should one get hurt (or need a shot of tri-ox compound prior to an away mission), there’s someone waiting for you with a smile in sick bay. That’s Australian actor Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel.

Bush’s role is one of the trickier ones in Strange New Worlds. Chapel is a character from deep within the lore of Star Trek; she was originally played by Majel Barrett, later Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, wife of series creator Gene Roddenberry. She rarely got more than a line or two per episode, but if you watched closely, you saw there was great potential in the character. And now that potential has been realized. 

The Trek gig certainly represents a big break for the 30-year-old Bush, whose first television appearances were on Australia’s Next Top Model. Speaking to V.F. via Zoom from Toronto, where Strange New Worlds is shooting its second season, the self-taught visual artist (more on her project involving dead honeybees in a moment) told us about her favorite concert (Prodigy), her comfort movie ( Ferngully) , and made some observations about Canadian living that, perhaps, only someone from Sydney would make.

Vanity Fair: A Star Trek gig is a life-altering event. What was the audition process like?

Jess Bush: All on the internet, all digital. It started very mysteriously. The character name was false. I only could look at the audition pages for 24 hours; I couldn’t screenshot them or print them. If I did anything, I would self-detonate. 

So no “chemistry tests” with the other actors?

No. I met Ethan Peck at the airport. He was living in L.A., I was in Sydney, and I met him during the layover [to Toronto].

Was that intentional?

No, I recognized him in the airport lounge. We had a cast Zoom the morning before I left. He had a bright green mask on, and he walked into the lounge with the same bright green mask. I was feeling shy so I didn’t say hello, but he came up to me. 

Strange New Worlds is a neat trick, because some of the characters are brand new, and others are very well known. Some, like yours, are down the middle, with characters that were on the periphery, known mostly to hardcore fans. Did you do a crash course to watch earlier stuff?

I did a bit of research, indeed.

I looked up The Original Series, then saw how many episodes there are, but then saw Nurse Chapel is only in there sporadically. I watched “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” She’s quite present in that—and it was great! 

The one with the robo-girl, and that outfit!

The robo-girl’s outfit—totally impractical, I don’t know what it was holding onto!

But I tried to distill [Chapel]’s essence, even though she never got a lot of screen time. 

We always saw that Nurse Chapel had some sass in her, but it’s really in the forefront now.  

I’ve been nothing but encouraged by the writers and creators of the show. They’ve said, Here are the bones of the character, and they’ve trusted me to explore it. 

Historically, Nurse Chapel has worn light blue, but you are in crisp white.  

The white jumpsuit was a collaborative effort. At first they asked if I wanted to wear a tunic or if was I interested in a jumpsuit—and I said absolutely jumpsuit . This iteration of Nurse Chapel is all about agility. She’s active and gets stuff done. 

There was a blue one too, and we tried both. At first I wanted blue; then we did the camera test and white was way better. 

Plus it’s got little embroidered crosses on there.

Yep. It’s funny because when the first images came out, I was only seen down to my waist, and apparently some fans started making costumes and just assumed it was a tunic. They didn’t see I had legs. 

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Have you always been a sci-fi fan?

I have not been, historically, but this has brought me into a whole new world. I love how sci-fi can take abstract elements of humanity and dissect them in a fantastical light. Star Trek does this so well. 

But I am getting more interested in space. I’m reading the book Extraterrestrial , about this object that passed through our solar system that has no other explanation other than it came from another place—it gives me tingles just thinking about it. 

You think there’s life on other planets that will visit us some day?

Whether they make contact with us is another question, but it would be the most insane idea ever to think we’re the only life in the universe. 

You mentioned the fans recreating costumes. Part of being on a Star Trek show and its 55-year legacy is the “convention circuit.” Are you prepared for all that?

I can’t wait, and I feel like this experience will not be whole until I experience conventions. This show exists because of the fan base . We’ve been building it all through the pandemic, and I want to meet the people that helped create it. 

Some of your colleagues have already dipped their toe in—Ethan and Anson were both on a Star Trek Cruise already. Have you gotten feedback of that scene?

I think it’s something that you can prepare for but…it’s gonna be different in person. 

Ethan Peck is a handsome man.

In episode five, you got to whap him across the head.  

That was really fun. That was one of the first times Spock and Chapel got to chat and play. The first smack I was worried—“is this too hard?” I didn’t want to get carried away. 

You are also with Dr. M’Benga, Babs Olusanmokun , a lot. I saw him at the premiere in New York City—he came into the party with shades on.

He was, hands down, best dressed at that premiere. Don’t tell anyone else I said that. 

I was poking around, and I see that you have done a lot of work in visual art , particularly jewelry and site-specific installations involving honeybees. What’s the deal with Jess Bush and bees?

Well, I don’t only focus on bees, but that series you are referring to, The Bee Totems , I’ve been working on for several years. 

I collect honeybees from beekeepers after they have died, and preserve each one in a sphere of crystal resin. Then I suspend them in hundreds or thousands in different formations. Sometimes a light artist designs a projection, other times it interacts with natural light. Sometimes a sound artist designs a soundscape, so it’s an immersive experience. I am super invested in it. I’ve been doing it forever, and probably will do it forever. 

But why bees?

It started by walking though a park and finding a dead bee in the grass. I was just taken by it. They make it possible for us to exist, and they fall into the background. The die by the thousand, they live by the thousand, and are hardworking animals. If you look at a bee, they are special—they feel like they come from another place. At least that’s how I experience them. 

If you say there are hundreds in these spheres, how long does that take?

It’s hard work, and difficult to get it right. A long process, but I love that, because when you get one perfectly centered with no bubbles, you can’t stop looking at it. And my friends and family understand. They are used to my mad-scientist ways. 

Are you able to keep up with this while working on Star Trek ?

I don’t do visual art while I am acting, but I do have my materials with me. 

Wait, you brought a huge sack of dead bees to Toronto?

No, no, I did not smuggle dead animals into the country, but I have all my tools. 

What’s the biggest difference between Sydney and Toronto?

The weather, and the appreciation of the weather. When a day warms up you can feel it in the street. People are overcome with joy. There are festivals, there are cherry blossoms, it’s infectious. 

And the food scene is great here. And the tulips. And the squirrels! Squirrels are so great. Raccoons are so cute. We don’t have anything like that; so cute. The wildlife won’t kill you. Well, that’s not true. The coyotes might kill you, but it’s nothing like at home.

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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds': Jess Bush & Babs Olusanmokun on Their Characters and Working on the Sickbay Set

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Paramount+ is gearing up again to boldly go where no one has gone before with the premiere of the highly anticipated Star Trek: Discovery spin-off series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Set in the years prior to Star Trek: The Original Series , the show will explore the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the leadership of Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ). Pike was first introduced in The Original Series , along with Number One ( Rebecca Romijn ), Spock ( Ethan Peck ), Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ), Doctor M’Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ), and Nurse Chapel ( Jess Bush ), though the roles were originated by different actors. Strange New Worlds is set to introduce new characters as well, including La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong ) and Erica Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ).

During this interview with Collider, Jess Bush and Babs Olusanmokun spoke about their characters, getting to bring a new approach to familiar characters, and the first time they were set foot on the sickbay set. As with most of our interviews, you can choose to either read the interview below or watch it in the video player above!

COLLIDER: As a lifelong Trekkie, I have to ask, were you both already Trekkies when you got cast?

BABS OLUSANMOKUN: I was a childhood fan, but I would not say I was a Trekkie because it'd be an insult to other Trekkies, but I was definitely a fan.

RELATED: Most Essential Star Trek Episodes to Watch Before ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’

So Babs, the first time that you got to go onto the Sickbay set, what was it like?

OLUSANMOKUN: It was just amazing. It was amazing. I'm like, "Wow, this is this sickbay. This is my office. This is where we get to play." And it was just massive and level of artistry that went into the design and the detail, and the minutia, like all just all the little pieces. Is just staggering, staggering, really. So it helped us settle in even more.

JESS BUSH: Yes.

OLUSANMOKUN: Really like, we're here, and we have to use this space, and we have to command this space. So it was really lovely.

Jess, you are both playing a character that originated in the original series. Did you feel like you had the freedom to flush it out and bring something new to the character?

BUSH: Mm, absolutely. It was a really cool process of collaborating and speaking extensively with the Akiva and Henry, the showrunners. And taking in Majel's performance and distilling the essence of that. And then really having the conversation about like, "Who is she in 2021? Who is she when she was younger? How do we marry those things?" And it was cool. They both gave me a lot of points about who they wanted her to be, but they also gave me a lot of license to explore and then trusted me with. Which was so, it was such an honor to be trusted with that as an artist. So yeah, I mean, it's been such a great time and I've felt inspired and supported by almost everybody that I've met in the Star Trek universe from every side of it. So it's been a real pleasure and an honor.

RELATED: Ethan Peck on 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,' Spock's Relationship With T'Pring, and Meeting Uhura

Babs, without spoilers, we get to see a little bit more of M'Benga's backstory at the beginning of the season. What was it like getting to explore that arc and what can fans expect from it?

OLUSANMOKUN: Unfortunately, I can't say what fans expect from it, but it was a lovely journey to undertake, it was a lovely challenge to undertake. And I just tried to make sure I was serving the truth as much as possible, really all through. Yeah. Yeah.

Jess, if you could use one word, how would you describe Nurse Chapel?

BUSH: Oh, that's hard.

Isn't it?

BUSH: It's so hard to choose.

OLUSANMOKUN: I know three words.

BUSH: Three words for you or for me?

OLUSANMOKUN: For you, for you.

BUSH: I would say mischievous, very moral, she's got a really strong moral compass and that guides her more than any other rule or regulation. That's her sticking, her North Star. And I don't know, Babs you help.

OLUSANMOKUN: Know it all.

BUSH: Okay, all right.

OLUSANMOKUN: In a good way, in a good way.

Can you do the same for your character Babs?

OLUSANMOKUN: For my character?

OLUSANMOKUN: Wow. One word.

Yeah, just one.

OLUSANMOKUN: Centered.

That's a good answer. Well, thank you both so much.

BUSH: Thank you.

OLUSANMOKUN: Thank you.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins May 5 on Paramount+.

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We’ve got a lot more interview content coming, as we spoke to the  Strange New Worlds creative team — franchise boss Alex Kurtzman and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers — at the show’s New York City premiere this past Saturday, along with some more of the cast, so watch for that content very soon!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts with its premiere episode — aptly titled “Strange New Worlds” — on Thursday, May 5 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada; additional international distribution has not yet been announced.

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'Star Trek: Picard' actor and director Jonathan Frakes talks playing Riker again in exclusive interview excerpt

The popular "Star Trek" celebrity discusses getting pampered on set and becoming a series regular once more.

Number one is back. 

The upcoming issue of "Star Trek Explorer #7" arrives on Earth on May 2, 2023 and the prestige quarterly is packed with extensive coverage of " Star Trek: Picard " with an all-new exclusive interview with the prolific filmmaker and actor Jonathan Frakes . 

There's also a sneak peek of the upcoming "Star Trek: Resurgence" video game, and interviews with two "Star Trek" fiction authors, novelist John Jackson Miller, and comics writer Christopher Cantwell. Larry Nemecek puts "TOS" doctors and canon continuity under scrutiny, and Treknology explores how "Star Trek's" Treknology is being reimagined and realized today.

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Plus, enjoy a "Star Trek: Prodigy" roundtable with the Hageman Brothers, Kate Mulgrew, Brett Gray, Jameela Jamil, Ronny Cox and Bill Campbell, read the second half of the magazine's interview with Nana Visitory, and check out a definitive guide to "Star Trek" crossovers.

But first, " Star Trek Explorer " caught up with Jonathan Frakes and the conversation covered so much territory that they're spreading the illuminating chat across two issues. The concluding part will be found in this summer's "Star Trek Explorer #8."

Here's Space.com's exclusive excerpt from "Star Trek Explorer #7:"

Star Trek Explorer: You were in season one of "Star Trek: Picard." You directed two episodes in season one and two episodes in season two. What stood out to you about both those experiences, acting and directing?

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Jonathan Frakes : I was at the end of Season 1. I was in the "Nepenthe" episode, when Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Soji (Isa Briones) came to visit Riker, Troi (Marina Sirtis), and their child. Then, at the end, I flew in and kicked some Romulan ass, which was great. Michael Chabon was responsible for bringing me back into the "Picard" world, and he was fabulous. I wish he was still with us. He's moving on to other projects. I had a blast. When I was asked to play Riker again, I got nervous because I had spent years directing Patrick, but I hadn’t done much acting in anything and he was on fire from doing Picard and everything else he’d been playing. 

Marina closed a play on the West End that she had been starring in. Both of them had their acting chops and muscles flexed. I thought, "Oh man, if my friends bury me, I'm going to be pissed." It turned out to be great. We had a ball doing it. And for season three, the writing and the reunion were wonderful How it was set up, this was probably the best season of "Picard."

Star Trek Explorer: How did season three fall into place? Did Terry Matalas call you and ask you to both act in and direct for it?

Frakes : When I was directing in season two, early on – Episodes Three and Four – and he said, "Are you ready to play Riker?" I said, "Yeah, sure." Then he said, "No. I mean a lot of Riker." I said, "What are you really asking?"

He said, "I want to make sure that you’re all in, because Riker is going to be a big part of this. They're going to be a big part of this. They’re breaking in the writers' room right now." He wrote the best s--t Riker ever had to do! Riker is in conflict with Picard, Riker takes the piss out of Worf. Riker and Troi have a very emotional reunion. Our marriage was having problems. 

He's let me be sarcastic. Terry has embraced all the things that I've always liked when they let me put a little of Frakes into the character. I don't know how everyone else feels, but I feel like I was well served in season three, as an actor. And I got to direct Episodes Three and Four of season three as well, which was great.

Star Trek Explorer: You were in all 10 episodes of season three. How ready were you to be what amounts to a series regular again?

Frakes: It was great. It's easier to be an actor that it is to be a director when it comes to your mind and body. You get to rest as an actor. Actors, you've got people pampering you, filling in your bald spot, putting makeup under your bags, giving you clothes that fit, and bringing you lunch. You're pampered as an actor. It's great. Like I said, the lines don't come in and go out quite as easily, but there's time to work on that. As I said a minute ago, I was thrilled with what I got to do as Riker. 

It's so hard sometimes to separate Patrick and Picard, as those two people have become very fluid. But let's talk about Riker and Picard. Riker was who Picard chose to run this mission to go and save Beverly (Gates McFadden), who had reached out after many years because she was in very dire straits. Her son who turns out, as we now know, to be Picard's son – which was a very clever, dramatic, and emotional storyline – was beautiful. I got to direct the episode where she broke it to him. I thought that was clever. And this guy Ed Speleers crushed it as Jack. 

Frakes: So, the idea of being brought in by Picard early and being part of the adventure, if you will, then after we've rescued them, when he has to deal with that, it was sort of a carryover from the season one thing, where he comes to Riker and Troi because he doesn't know how to parent or what it's like to be a parent. This resonated the same way, because Riker has lost a son and lives with that pain. 

He advises his old dear friend and sort of brother, Picard, "Don't f--k this up. This is a great gift you've been given." Picard is torn, overwhelmed, and not thrilled that he hadn't been told. Patrick got a lot of colors to play with. "I've got a son that I didn't know about, at my age. An adult son." Riker tires to steer him towards embracing it and Picard doesn't really buy into it, which carries the story. The drama in the show is great. Remember, Gene Roddenberry always insisted that we not have any conflict among the crew. Gradually, over the four shows that Rick Berman supervised, and then on "Picard," "Discovery," and "Strange New Worlds," the conflict and drama has filtered in. And it's all for the better.

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Read the full Jonathan Frakes interview in "Star Trek Explorer #7." Trekkies looking to subscribe can score up to 25% off , plus receive an exclusive digital supplement with extra content and two additional exclusive short stories!

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Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Screen Rant

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Star Trek Isn’t Supposed To Have Money: What Is Latinum?

I’m glad voyager’s tom and b’elanna are no longer star trek's only successful romance, seven of nine is the fastest captain of the uss enterprise since kirk in j.j. abrams’ star trek.

Warning: This Interview Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 5 - "Spock Amok"

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 5, "Spock Amok," T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) and Spock (Ethan Peck) body swap thanks to a Vulcan mind-meld gone awry, and it brings out the comedic sides of the Vulcan couple.

In Strange New Worlds ' prequel years, Spock and T'Pring are engaged and still years away from their tragic breakup in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Amok Time." Rather, "Spock Amok" brings the Vulcan couple closer after they are forced to literally spend time in each other's skins.

Related: Strange New Worlds Makes Kirk's Best Enterprise Trick The PIKE Maneuver

Screen Rant chatted with Gia Sandhu, who takes us behind the scenes of shooting "Spock Amok," how she and Ethan Peck were able to adopt each other's mannerisms as Spock and T'Pring, what it's like acting scenes on Vulcan thanks to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' AR wall, and what is the best and most challenging part of playing a Vulcan. Check out a clip from this week's episode and read the full interview below:

Screen Rant: When you got cast, did you know who T’Pring was? Were you a Star Trek fan?

Gia Sandu: I hadn't actually watched any of the original Star Trek so when I found out that I was cast as T'Pring, the first thing that I did was watch the episode that T'Pring is in. ["Amok Time."] I was thrilled when I saw Arlene Martel perform the role. Oh my gosh, that's who I'm playing? I was very excited.

"Spock Amok" is my favorite of the first five episodes because, unlike Spock, I love hijinks. Are you a fan of hijinks?

Gia Sandhu: (laughs) On a personal level, yes. But I had to get myself into T'Pring mentality and assert myself as not being fond of hijinks at all.

Can you tell me about some behind-the-scenes hijinks in this episode?

Gia Sandhu: Hmm. That's a good question. We were shooting during COVID so the usual antics that happen on set were pretty limited because we were all meant to keep a bit of distance. We weren't able to freely interact with each other as we normally would, to be honest.

You and Ethan play each other’s characters in Spock Amok. You guys were both incredible. Your body moments and intonations were just perfect. What was the process lie for you and Ethan learning to play Spock and T'Pring, and vice versa?

Gia Sandhu:  We definitely spent as much time as we could helping each other play each other. I had a bit of a head start because Ethan had already played Spock on [Star Trek] Discovery so I was able to use that as a reference. Whereas he only got to see me as T'Pring very briefly in [Strange New Worlds] episode 1. But by the time we got to shooting "Spock Amok," Ethan was really well-established in the character of Spock whereas I was still discovering T'Pring. So we would ask each other, "How would you say this or that?" In that exercise, not only was I discovering how to play Spock but I was also discovering how T'Pring speaks and moves, and who she is in life as well.

I think we can officially add you now to the list of Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, and Ethan of actors who have played Spock .

Gia Sandhu: Am I the first woman? I think so.

I think you are, yes. You made history. Did you enjoy playing Spock? 

Gia Sandhu: Oh yeah, playing Spock is a lot of fun. I love the dry sense of humor, the complete sincerity at all times. There's a lot of innocence to Spock, I think, because what you see is exactly what you get, and I love that.

If you could swap bodies with anyone else in the cast, who would you want to be?

Gia Sandhu: (laughs) Maybe La'an. She's so strong and powerful and determined, and also has great moments of humor, too, because Christina [Chong] is such a talented actress.

I wanted to ask you about Vulcan. They recreated the Vulcan set from "Amok Time. " What was that like to act in?

Gia Sandhu: Isn't it incredible? The very first scene Ethan and I shot on Vulcan was in episode 1. I just remember walking onto that set [in front of] that huge AR [Augmented Reality] wall. I'd never had the experience of shooting in front of one of those before. When I walked onto that set and I saw it for the first time, my jaw completely dropped. It was magnificent to look at. It's interesting because, usually, when you look off-camera on a set, you see a couple of monitors, a few snack trays, a few people walking about. But on Star Trek where the AR wall is, you basically see what's really an office floor full of really complicated technology. And dozens of people sitting behind screens that are operating this massive technology and all of the other components that make it look like we're on Vulcan. It's really a unique opportunity to work this way because normally, you would be using a green screen and the actors have to use their imaginations to set themselves there. But all that work was really done for us. It's a wonderful way to shoot.

In Spock's dream on Vulcan that opens the episode, we find out Spock is really afraid he’s too human for T’Pring? Do you think T’Pring does feel that way about him?

Gia Sandhu: That's a really great question. I think that T'Pring is a little bit of a rebel herself within Vulcan culture. We don't see too much of it but we do get a glimpse in the first episode where Spock makes a remark, "Vulcans are so formal," and she says, "Aren't we though?" I think that there's a bit of rebellion in her and we see that in her choosing to be with somebody who is half-human. Which is, for the most part, looked down upon by the rest of the Vulcans. I think that she's constantly assessing how their relationship is going to move forward. How can they have a fruitful and meaningful relationship? We'll see later on, I think that she is mindful that he is human. And she does want to accept him, fully and completely, for who he is. And she really does try to do that.

You and Ethan, Spock and T’Pring. You guys are a sexy couple. What’s your take on Vulcan romances and relationships?

Gia Sandhu: I think this relationship has probably come as a surprise for a lot of people who are established Star Trek fans because it's the first time we're really seeing behind closed doors, in terms of what a romantic relationship can look like between two Vulcans. These are two people who are quite young and I think they're in an interesting place in terms of this being a love story, but also a really challenging one, because they are doing the ultimate version of a long-distance relationship. With Vulcans, I think it ends up being quite calculated in terms of, "Now we're romantic with each other, and passionate, and sexual with each other. And now we're going through formal ceremonies with each other. And now we're suddenly in front of [Captain] Pike , and all of a sudden, there's quite a bit of distance between the two of us physically from each other. We both face him standing very straight and very square-on, not showing any physical touch between the two of us." I think we're seeing Vulcans behind closed doors instead of in front of others and you really see the stark difference.

I'm glad you mentioned Pike. There’s also an untold backstory of T’Pring and Pike being friends. She calls him Chris. Do we find out what that’s about?

Gia Sandhu: No. (laughs) There's nothing that comes up in the story this season in terms of that. But I'm curious, too. I wanna know!

What’s the best part about playing a Vulcan? And what’s the hardest part about it?

Gia Sandhu: The best part is probably the sense of humor. It's dry and it's precise. A lot of it lives in where you choose to take a pause or a look. All of that is quite deliberately calculated as a Vulcan. That's what I would say is fun. And for what I'd say is challenging? Well, for me... (laughs) the challenge was whilst I was playing Spock, Ethan and I worked on each other's mannerisms a bit and [Spock's] voice. For me, I had to work on [raising] the eyebrow. So that was my challenge because Ethan lifts his right eyebrow whereas I naturally want to lift my left one. There was some face yoga involved in getting my right eyebrow up. I have an embarrassing number of videos on my phone of me just practicing getting my right eyebrow up. (laughs)

So we know how Spock and T’Pring end up, but that’s years from now. Personally, I like you two together so much, I hope those two crazy kids make it somehow.

Gia Sandhu: Me too! Me too. I love it. I love it all!

You do come back as T'Pring later on?

Gia Sandhu: Yeah, there's a third episode this season where I'm back as T'Pring.

Next: Strange New Worlds Just Made Its Biggest TOS Retcon So Far

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek Legend William Shatner Has Two Conditions To Return As Kirk - And They're Big

When it comes to "Star Trek" characters, there's no one quite as legendary as James Tiberius Kirk, the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the very first "Star Trek" series back in 1966. Played by William Shatner, the character became a cornerstone of a greater franchise universe — the captain who really set the tone for all of the other captains to come. Shatner last played the character onscreen in the 1994 film "Star Trek Generations," which was a  complicated and controversial send-off for Kirk . However, he told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2024 that he is open to playing the character again ... with two major conditions.

Bringing back an older version of Kirk back would be sort of difficult since the character died in "Generations." Of course, given that various timelines and time travel are a part of the "Star Trek" universe, it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. It would just boil down to the 92-year-old Shatner being game to film, and everyone being willing to follow his pair of rules.

The two conditions for Shatner's return as Kirk

During the interview, Shatner was asked if he would ever be interested in reprising the role of Kirk like Patrick Stewart did with Jean-Luc Picard for "Star Trek: Picard," and he explained his restrictions: 

"Leonard [Nimoy] made his own decision on doing a cameo [in J.J. Abrams' 2009 'Star Trek']. He's there for a moment, and it's more a stunt that Spock appears in a future. If they wrote something that wasn't a stunt that involved Kirk, who's 50 years older now, and it was something that was genuinely added to the lore of 'Star Trek,' I would definitely consider it."

In the 2009 "Star Trek" film , Nimoy appears as an older version of Spock due to some timeline-jumping (creating the "Kelvin timeline"), but it is more or less an extended cameo. It's understandable that Shatner would want something a bit more substantial, perhaps more in line with the "Picard" series, which gave Stewart a chance to say goodbye to his character in a truly profound way. Sure, Stewart had his own rules for returning as Picard and producers eventually broke one of them big time, but if there was a way to bring back an older, wiser Kirk and give him the same treatment, it sounds like Shatner would be interested. 

Would an Old Kirk story work?

So, how would a show about Kirk at Shatner's current age even work? While "Star Trek: Picard" served as both a great goodbye to the crew of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and a potential way forward for some of the other legacy characters like Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) from "Star Trek: Voyager," it's hard to imagine a way for writers to bring back Kirk in the same manner. Kirk's preserved body appeare d in "Picard," which means it's possible for the franchise to try and resurrect him in some way, although it's more likely that he would be cloned or something to similar effect. After all, there's probably a limit to how many "Star Trek" fans would tune in to watch a bunch of old folks scooting around the galaxy. There's only so much nostalgia can do.

All things considered, it seems pretty unlikely that we'll ever see Shatner reprise the role of Kirk again in any meaningful way, but we did get a lot of great performances from him before he bowed out. Live long and prosper, sir, and don't worry about playing ole James T. again. Your legacy is secure. 

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Interview: Jeri Ryan On Taking Seven From Borg To Bi Captain Of The Enterprise To ‘Star Trek: Legacy’

| February 15, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 108 comments so far

This year, Jeri Ryan received her fifth Saturn Award nomination for playing Seven of Nine in two different Star Trek series. She won in 2001 for Voyager and then again this year for the third and final season of Picard , which ended by setting her up as captain of the newly christened USS Enterprise-G. TrekMovie spoke to Ryan before and after her Saturn win about the character’s arc and asked if she is ready to lead the much-discussed Star Trek: Legacy spin-off.    

Along with yours, Star Trek has 15 total nominations tonight. Do you feel that Picard and Star Trek are having a moment and getting some of the recognition that the franchise deserved back in the ‘90s?

I think it’s definitely getting a little more mainstream notice, which is cool. I think I think genre TV and films as a whole, I think are more mainstream now than I think they used to be.

Your fellow nominee Jonathan Frakes has said he did his best Star Trek work in season 3 of Picard . Do you feel you did your best work as Seven in season 3 or in all 3 seasons of Picard ?

I think it was some of my best work as this character because we had some of the best writing as this character. I’ve been so lucky. She’s had such an arc over the years, starting out not even human 20-something years ago, and to end up as the captain of the Enterprise was pretty big character growth.

Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine in “The Next Generation”(Paramount+)

Speaking of being captain of the Enterprise, I did s peak to Terry [Matalas] and I know Legacy isn’t real yet, but if it happens, are you ready to lead a show as captain of the ship?

You know, I have learned one thing with this franchise, which is: never say never. So we’ll see.

If it were to happen, what would you like to see for the character?

I am not a writer, I have no illusions about being a writer. There are people like Terry and our amazing writing staff who do that very, very well. I trust this character to be in good hands with them. So I don’t have any story ideas to pitch. This is not a route that I would have ever imagined for her and I think it’s amazing.

But if Legacy happened, are you ready to go?

Jeri Ryan accepting the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress (Saturn Awards)

QUICK CHAT WITH JERI IN THE PRESS ROOM AFTER SHE WON THE SATURN AWARD

You also won a Saturn for playing Seven on Voyager , how does it feel to do it again over two decades later?

It’s a huge honor. It was such a rare gift to have this much growth and character arc. It’s pretty cool. I feel lucky. And congratulations to all the other nominees. I am in huge awe of their work.

Looking back to Voyager, how do you think [co-creator/executive producer] Jeri Taylor would feel about where Seven has gone and the rejuvenation of the character in Picard ?

I think Jeri especially would be thrilled with Seven’s development. I know that she was a big champion for Seven from the beginning. I think that she would be thrilled that Seven is a bi captain and character. It is my understanding that is something she championed from the beginning as well. I think at the time the network felt that they weren’t ready for that yet. But I think she would be thrilled. I hope she would be.

Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker and Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine in “The Last Generation” (Paramount+)

More red carpet interviews from the Saturn Awards

TrekMovie spoke to more Star Trek presenters, nominees, and winners at the Saturn Awards, so come back for more interviews and updates.

Check out our earlier Saturn Awards interviews:

• Doug Jones on Discovery
• Tawny Newsome on Lower Decks and Starfleet Academy
• Terry Matalas on Picard season 3 and hopes for Legacy
• Paul Wesley on Strange New Worlds season 3 and beyond
• Nicolas Cage’s desire to be in Star Trek
• Danai Gurira’s almost casting for Star Trek 4
• Wil Wheaton on playing Wesley in Lower Decks , and Ready Room update

You can hear audio from these interviews and more in the latest All Access Star Trek podcast .

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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I know this isn’t the popular opinion, but I don’t feel PICARD did right by Seven, and I’m not entirely sure why people keep praising her use on that show. In season one, she was great, but in season two she had a meandering plot with Rafi that went nowhere, and in season three she was far less interesting and important than the TNG crew. For me, Seven was a side character on PICARD after season one, not the Second Coming of Star Trek everyone makes her out to be. I actually think she was a much better character on VOYAGER. It’s a shame, too, because season one showed so much promise for her arc.

After season one? She wasn’t in the first half of season one. She was a supporting character throughout all three seasons. I agree with you about season 2 but I liked her in season 3, especially her interactions with the real and fake Tuvoks.

I liked her arc, having to serve under a Captain who didn’t give her the proper respect she deserved.

I agree, rooted in bigotry really based on his prejudices toward ex-Borg. Gutsy story for Captain and first officer.

Gutsy and brilliant IMO. I’ve never seen Seven bow down to anyone like that before. Not even Janeway.

I loved her S3 arc with a Captain that doesn’t trust her, but she rises to the occasion anyway. S2, well, no one had a great story arc, so that season is a complete throwaway for the entire cast in my book. S1 she was just a guest star in a couple eps, so I don’t think that really counts.

I love her as Captain of the Enterprise. I just don’t like the actual ship at all.

Yeah the ship blows. Agreed my friend.

Right? I get that Matalas likes the TOS movie ships and he wanted a return to that. And in a way I agree that ships like the Enterprise E were a bit too sleek looking for me. But this was such an over exaggerated design IMHO

Agreed, that ship does not live up that the name Enterprise whatsoever. There was word they almost named it the ‘Picard.’ Admittedly that may have been a bit cheesy, but I would have liked it better.

Actually that may have been a better idea and name it after Picard as a thank you for saving the galaxy once again and a nice way for the show to go out.

And we seen other ships named after Starfleet officers.

Just 2 thoughts. I may be wrong on this cause I am not military but I think IRL ships are christened after famous officers only after the die. But could be totally wrong. The other thing I was thinking like just now is that although a USS Picard would be Epic, they might have felt it would demean Seven’s character in a way if her first command is still under the shadows of Picard. Even if he isn’t there.

I’d wager if they didn’t have the idea in the back of their heads for Legacy they would have done just that. After all Discovery has a USS Janeway and a Space Station Archer. but those are not the hero ships/stations of the series so its easier to get away with

She’s a bit meh in Picard, kinda just ‘there’. Lost all charisma.

I think it might have felt that way at first because Seven was totally bowing down to Shaw’s authority, even when it comes to her own name! But when she got a whiff Picard and Riker were up to something and confronted them I was like, there’s Seven!!!

In season 1 she was difficult to recognize as even being Seven of Nine apart from her makeup and being played by Jeri Ryan. The character’s voice is so radically different from what it was on Voyager, and Ryan has said she had a full on panic attack over not being able to reconcile how much she had changed. What I do like about season 3 (and the season 2 premiere) is how the freer and more raw Seven has been melded with the unique and tightly controlled character from Voyager. They found a balance I could live with, but I still think it’s a shame to have lost so much of what made the character so memorable.

Interestingly I read about something similar happening to Gillian Anderson when she returned to X-files after so long. Sometimes it becomes really difficult to get back those original character beats.

And in both Ryan’s and Anderson’s case, they went on to play completely different characters in their careers. Jeri Ryan was playing a defense attorney on law and order and I don’t remember what in Boston Legal but prob something similar.

Absolutely, but with Ryan she’d come back to voice the character occasionally for video games. The main issue was that Seven in Picard was a radical departure from what she was like in Voyager. So she and Jonathan Frakes had to create the idea that she’s just pretending to fit in. Otherwise it was too hard for her to reconcile the change, which is totally understandable to me. It was so odd to take away that much of a character’s unique voice and replace it with something we’ve all seen before – cocky, damaged, vengeful soldier.

To me, the best writing for her character was in season 3. It was interesting for the first half of season 1, as others have said, but then it and the rest of the story crashed and burned. Season 2 was so bad, I didn’t even bother watching the last two episodes, and what I did watch was a tedious mess. Season 3 was her shining moment, imo.

Oh I agree I still think she was more amazing on Voyager without a doubt. But loves her on Picard as well although season 2 they did NOTHING with her…sigh.

And I think a lot of people want to see Seven be a leader. It is amazing where her arc has gone and I definitely want to see that continue personally.

Seven was such an interesting character on VOY. One minute she is every bit as logical and forthright as Tuvok. The next she could flip out as hard as B’lanna. It was played so well that her human and borg sides were at war.

shame she was stuck in that darn catsuit…

I don’t think a Saturn award is enough to push a Legacy series forward, but it’s certainly nice to see people recognized for a job well done.

I don’t think it is so much whether a Saturn could push them forward as much as it is the days of a Trek show all year around are over and P+ already has a full slate of upcoming projects.

Yes, that’s very true as well. Just nice to see Jeri get recognized, spin off or no spin off.

Totally agreed.

The fact that Picard ended production almost two years ago is a major obstacle.

Ya but due to the strikes that’s kind of a problem for everyone right now. I mean I know Picard ended way before that and maybe they took down the sets and stuff for S31 but who knows..

Seven in S3 of PIC IMO felt like the Seven from Voyager vs whatever we got in S1 and S2 i have done my best to try and forget exists. i’d love to see Janeway show up from time to time in Legacy if that ever gets greenlit, as a mentor

Especially that scene between Seven and Tuvok in PS3. THAT was the 7 of 9 we knew from Voyager.

I love Seven’s arc this season. She definitely earned that chair.

Absolutely agree on all points! 👍

“I think it was some of my best work as this character because we had some of the best writing as this character.” I agree. The writing was much improved this season.

Right, she basically said it herself. Glad she feels the same way about it I do.

Absolutely loved Seven in Picard, especially the last season where it was amazing to see her in command. Our girl did great!

NOW GIVE US THE LEGACY SHOW PARAMOUNT!!!

Legacy characters. Gotta have legacy characters.

Honestly as a regular 7 is the only legacy character I care about returning. The others can guest star here and there.

Exactly. There is one Legacy character.

Yep. And that’s all we (or I should say I) need :)

I told you to stop talking to me because you’re past annoying. 🙄

Emily you’re happy to have Kirk on SNW which shouldn’t even be in the show and last time I checked was a legacy character. So stop being a hypocrite about it.

And as stated Seven is the only official legacy character we know will be on the show. Not sure why people think the cast of TNG/DS9/VOY would all have main roles. Matalas gave 20 interviews saying the show is about the next NEXT generation. He used those words specifically so get a grip please.

SNW is well made though, with good story-telling and good crew dynamics, so it gets somewhat of a pass.

Discovery is just a terrible show with a terrible cast of characters more interested in being diverse than being compelling, interesting or likeable.

And Picard S3 is literally just fan service, with nothing else to it.

So you admit to being a hypocrite? 🙄

A legacy character gets a pass because you happen to like the show they are on but want to chastise others for doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over again?

I try to be as fair minded to everyone but people like you is why message boards sucks.

But you also lump LDS into the same fan service nostalgia critiques despite it being aggressively new and different to any other Trek show. Your criteria is always shifting even though you keep saying the same refrain, so it’s hard to take you seriously.

I am confident we will get Legacy in some fashion … my hope is a series … but I don’t think any future show/movie/miniseries announcements are coming until the S31 film is “in the can,” meaning all post-production is finished and they’re waiting to drop it. That way they can reevaluate costs/budgets. Kurtzman isn’t stupid … he knows fans want this. I’m sure if he were pulling the purse strings Mr. Matalas would already have an office, a writing staff, etc.

I am confident too my friend. They have to wait to see what happens with this other stuff first. Many believe we probably won’t hear anything until SFA gets on the air but I would love it to be after S31 airs. So I hope you’re right.

Kurtzman sees what an easy lay up this would be.

Yep me too but TBH given all the financial trouble at Paramount his might not be in his pay grade right now.

Sadly agree. And you know anytime I root for Kurtzman proves the Apocalypse is almost here. 😂😐

HAHAHAHAHA I remember all too well my friend!

To be honest I think it’s probably a bit too soon to expect to hear anything about ANY new project after S31 unless it’s another TV movie (which also could be possible). I think that really only exists because of Yeoh and kind of a special project.

I think I’d we hear anything about Legacy it will be after SFA starts or maybe the next show that gets cancelled.

But sure I would love for your theory to be right as well.

And I agree about Kurtzman I’m pretty sure if it was up to him it would be the next project going forward. But things are more iffy right now.

Why they are wasting time with the useless Academy show when so many people want the Legacy show is beyond me?

They seem to be a clueless lot over there.

To be fair about it we have to remember they been trying to get the Academy show off the ground since 2018. I read they had multiple pitches on it and it sounds like the idea evolved in time.

That’s the main issue, Paramount already decided this was a go before Picard season 3 even finished. People act like it’s a competition. No, they been working on one idea for a long time and there was never a plan for a Picard spin off. Everyone has made that clear.

And I think both the reception of Picard and the demand for a spin off just caught them off guard. I think they just thought people accepted Picard ended and just went on to the next thing. But Matalas planted a spin off idea in people’s heads and here we are lol.

And these shows probably cost $80-100 million a season. There is only so much money they have for Star Trek these days.

But that doesn’t mean that will always be the case either. Fans should keep pushing for it then anything is possible.

I didn’t know they been trying to make this show for that long.. I understand better now. Still a bad idea though haha.

I will always keep pushing for Legacy since it’s the only show I even care about.

All probably true, but they did go another way when people wanted the Pike show over S31. I was hoping that would happen again with SFA. Guess not. 😥

Yeah I actually thought that might happen but looks like SFA is coming regardless!

And of course we don’t know exactly what happened with S31 and we probably never will. But my speculation ONLY, but I think there was a much bigger divide over Section 31 than there is for the Academy show. And Section 31 may have been the more expensive show to produce. Again no proof of anything or that I even believe it, just throwing it out there.

But I think the biggest difference is besides SFA gestating so much longer that’s probably Kurtzmans baby. Remember he’s going to be a show runner on this one too. The only other show he’s been a show runner on was Discovery and that was out of circumstance.

And yeah it’s probably just cheaper as well.

So I don’t think it was ever going to be the Legacy show over SFA because that show has been on the books for so long.

But what comes AFTER that is the main question and why I have confidence Legacy could be next. Could I be wrong? Since I’m rarely right, sure. 😆

But I’m really hoping not to be this time lol.

In fact the concept of a Star Trek Academy goes back all the way to Star Trek 6. I believe one of the first pitches to that movie was to make it a Kirk and Spock in the Academy movie.

Yeah also true. They been trying with this idea for decades now.

But honestly never really liked it, but suspected one day it may happen and here we are.

Now I do like the idea they came up with and why it interests me more today. But maybe more people would like it if it was back in the 23rd or 25th century. Not for me personally but it would probably go over bigger for some of the doubters.

She was one of the great performers in Picard S3. The cast’s performances saved the space-opera mishmash, nonsensical story and gave us a great sendoff for TNG cast.

NOW GIVE US THE ACADMEY SERIES AND SECTION 31 MOVIE PARAMOUNT!!!

I liked the story plot of season 3 but it there was way to much fan service moments and pointless easter eggs for the sake of fan service especially on daystrom station they did not need to bring back all the tng main characters or they could have killed off a couple like Worf and beverly and troi and maybe even riker leaving only data and picard and la forge at the end also card game at the end was again pointless and fan service

while I would love a series set on the ent-g with captain seven and her crew I don’t want it loaded with pointless fan service and Easter eggs each episode that really do not add to the plot and I can’t wait for the section 31 movie still wish it could have been a 10 episode mini series but at least we get a movie and I can’t wait for the discovery seasons 4/5 spin off starfleet academy hopefully we get guest appearances of the burn ham and the other discovery crew maybe being a guest lecturer on a particular subject at the academy hear and there

Michelle, I don’t say this very often to people here (lol), but I agree 100% with every single thing you bring up here!

Hopefully that SFA show isn’t full of Spock/Chapel awful teenage like romances as I don’t think I can take anymore. Not much interested in that one at all really as it is probably aimed a a younger audience. At least it is not set in another friggin prequel timeline though so small positive. I am looking forward to the S31 movie though and am glad it’s a movie and not a sequel. There are way too many Discovery spin off to be honest.

Seven has always been one of my favorite characters, in my top 10. Jeri Ryan has made her iconic and a well deserved win.

I truly hope the Legacy show happens and have faith it will. It’s the show most fans seem excited about and for good reason.

Everyone who wants it should continue to push for it. I certainly will.

Lol you don’t have to worry about that. Many fans constantly are, especially in places like Twitter.

Legacy is really the only thing I care about. I’ll watch S31 and SFA and stay open minded but most people definitely want Legacy over those two.

Obviously agree. And I’m looking forward to both of those. And I get it they were obviously the next things up and they could be great. I didn’t think anyone thought Picard season 3 would get the reception it did, certainly not after season 2 lol.

But I think if Legacy is the thing they announce next it would excite the fan base the same way when the Picard show was announced.

But we have to see where the franchise will be another year given everything. They may cut back on more shows in the future. But it doesn’t stop them from licensing the show for other streamers like Netflix or Amazon to make either.

But let’s hope we’re not still talking about it 8 years from now like the next Kelvin movie…or any movie for that matter. 🙄

LOL talk about something that will never happen. They turned these movie announcements into a complete joke. They announced the prequel movie a month ago already and still not a peep since. Unless they are making it for $80 million or something that will probably be DOA too like JJ verse currently is.

I am hoping Legacy will be the next show announced obviously, especially if something like SFA falls flat on its face since hardly anyone seems excited about it. I do hope it will be good though, but it’s currently just a big shrug to me right now.

I stopped caring about the films long ago. Been saying this for literally 5 years now and that Paramount has no idea what they want to do with them and probably because they are clearly afraid the next one will flop and just keep throwing mud at the walls. And 5 years later this still seems to be the case.

As far as SFA I think it will do fine as long as it’s good. If it gets the goodwill as shows like SNW, LDS and PRO have all gotten it will probably be a hit even if people don’t love the premise or setting. But yes if it’s good. If it’s not I don’t know but we’ll all be watching lol.

And that’s the thing if we want the Legacy show then people have to watch that show! I don’t believe if one fails then Paramount will just replace it with another one, not anymore. It’s obvious Star Trek is no longer the priority like it was in 2020 or we would have the Legacy show now or at least it being discussed.

Star Trek has to really produce and keep people excited. Now I am very sure the Legacy show has a much better chance of doing that than SFA since that already has a built in audience and a hungrier one obviously but here we are. But yeah if people truly want that show then we have to prove we are just hungry for more Trek in general because I think it’s easier to just give it less attention to the franchise now that they have bigger hits that probably drives up more subs then Star Trek ever did.

I don’t want to sound overly cynical but Legacy show or not I don’t want the shows to fall to the dreary wayside the movies are in now.

Agreed on all counts! 😀👍

Prodigy proved how quickly they are willing to shove anything to the side if it’s not performing well enough out of the gate.

If Academy sucks I don’t know how many people will care given everything. But you’re right everyone here will be watching anyway. I’m still watching Discovery and I don’t know why? 😂

I’ll give Academy about 3 or 4 episodes, then make my decision about sticking with it. I trudged through the first two seasons of DSC and that was a huge waste of time for me, I hate watching bad scripted television when there’s so much better out there. It’s a shame, because before that I would have never considered giving a Trek show an episode limit, but here we are. PRO and SNW were happy surprises, hopefully the Academy show will be, too.

Yep not really feeling Academy show at all. It just doesn’t appeal to me for so many reasons. Maybe if it at least took place in 25th century I can care a little more.

But I’ll definitely give it a real chance. I didn’t think I was going to love Prodigy and that ended up being awesome. So who knows? But Kurtzman himself is running it so that is already some serious red flags for me.

I was hoping maybe they do what they did with S31 when that show got killed off for SNW and SFA would be killed off for Legacy but didn’t happen.

the section 31 movie is not a theatrical movie but a made for streaming movie akin to a made for TV movie or a direct to video movie so it will not have to worry about a box-office take and things a normal trek movie does in the theaters

A lone voice of reason in between all the “Legacy is going to be big” over the top, wishful thinking posts. Lol – thank you!

It’s kind of sad that even when people involved with Trek at Paramount specifically tell us that Legacy is not in the cards, that so many fans still keep promoting it when we’ve got these other great offerings like the Academy series and Section 31 to look forward to. It’s doing a disservice to all the great people in the Kurtzman franchise who are working on those projects — fans need to be getting behind them and showing them the love they deserve.

Star Trek fans need to stop chasing windmills here. Time to grow up, accept things as they really are, and move on.

Sure and exactly why it’s happening at light speed because it’s probably just a basic TV movie budget and they can really market it for P+ which can always use more content.

To be honest that’s probably more ideal in the long term instead of trying to finance $100+ million movies that may earn just a little profit at the end of the day. Just make event TV movies with scales down budgets.

And they still could do something similar like what they did with Picard and Lower Decks and put it in a few theaters for a day and have the hardcore fans check it out that way. I would certainly go. But it would just be a promotion thing obviously.

I would definitely be down for a Legacy TV movie as well! 😎🖖

Lots of ideas out there.

So would I. I think that would be a great idea and do a TV movie. AND that could be a back door pilot type of thing and see how well that does without ordering a full season first. And if that goes over big then make it a show if its viable.

There are lots of ideas out there if P+ can’t make a lot of shows but still want to capitalize on the demand. That beats doing another over bloated theatrical movie half the base doesn’t even seem to care about anymore.

So something smaller and fan oriented they know will watch it would be a great middle ground.

Best of both worlds to me. 🙂

Agreed, at this point I could care less if we ever see a Trek film again, Especially if it’s going to feature the TOS crew again, in any incarnation. Let’s move on. Sec. 31, even though I wouldn’t have picked it and though not a theatrical film, will at least be a step in ‘some’ direction, forward.

Never cared much about the movies and been over JJ verse since Star Trek Into Dreckness came out 11 years ago.

And you can tell fans are over these movies because they just announced a NEW movie a month ago and no one cares. 😂😴

No one is talking about it at all. Probably because we been D.I.C.K.E.D around so much most just think it’s more trolling. And because it’s a PREQUEL! Get a clue Paramount most fans are sick of prequels already. At least make something going forward again.

Maybe the Legacy show won’t happen but the difference between that and another tired movie is fans are excited about the prospect of the show. That’s why it’s a no brainier to do. There is real momentum behind it. Especially on social media.

At least do a TV movie and see how that goes over. That would be much more smarter than making a $150 million movie that will probably just bomb just like the last one did.

I have no idea why they keep pushing more prequels either? Just more proof how out of touch Paramount is and why no one should hold their breath for another film.

It’s just amazing how inept these people have been.

Me and you both bro. You’re just telling a lot of the fanbase to stay home and wait for it to arrive on streaming. It’s hard to get fans excited for something they been saying they are sick of seeing for 20 years now. We don’t anymore origin stories. Been there done that.

I think you are well aware of my thoughts on this right now. I really wouldn’t mind seeing another Kelvin movie, but stop wasting everyone’s fcking time.

At this point it’s clear they don’t have the money, ideas, motivation, faith or all the above in making another one so move on. The director for that movie dropped out in 2022. It’s now 2024 for Kahless sake and still just as dead as ever. And yes no more TOS reboots. No more reboots of anything. Go forward with new ideas please.

And if that also means no Legacy show in order to do something TOTALLY NEW AND POST NEMESIS also fine. But I think something in the 25th century would be more ideal for most than the 32nd century which probably feels too disconnected for some people.

I’ll remain optimistic about Section 31 but it’s obvious for most fans it’s just a side thing for now.

Dunno if this is gonna happen IF we get a 25th century show, but moving forward is not the only reason I want one. I want them to somehow bring the Federation and StarFleet back to their former 24th century glory before the destruction of Romulus screwed everything up.

Yeah same. But that’s why the 25th century is so appealing and can do things the Picard show just touched upon.

Same. I think the Legacy show could really reenergize the Federation after everything that’s happened since the Romulan explosion and make the 25th century the new golden age of space exploration.

There is no more movies because fans voted with their wallets last time and stayed home. They stopped caring about them. Why they want to still make more is beyond me?

I don’t care about the Section 31 movie but they were smart enough to keep it low budget and on streaming. I don’t expect it to be good but I’ll watch it since I don’t pay for Paramount Plus but use my brother’s account.

I grew up with TOS, I don’t need anymore more of it either. Especially since the people making Star Trek today don’t seem to have a clue what made it special in the first place.

They turned those characters either into silly action stars or into a bad melodrama and comedic farce.

Very well put, Legacy. My thoughts exactly. They have absolutely NO clue about what made it special in the first place.

For me SNW is enough TOS. I really want to go forward again when it’s over and I really like that show. But we know what happens to everyone else in TOS. Just doesn’t excite me enough but I know it would for some old TOS who wants more nostalgia.

Agreed. Jeri Ryan deserves all the accolades. I’m hoping for a Legacy show primarily because of her and because other than SNW and S31 I want Trek to start moving forward again in the timeline.

Agreed with all of this. And while I think there is a huge part of the fanbase who what this specific project with Seven, I do think most would be just as happy with a general 25th century show as well, new characters as well.

I just want a 25th century show and open to any form it takes.

In the back of my head I was hoping for the 31 movie to be 25th century as well. But that was if we could get Bashir and Sloan back and neither were announced. Oh well.

Me too. Being in the 25th century would be more interesting to me. Oh and having Bashir back would be a great idea.

Sloan is already dead so don’t see him back unfortunately.

Oh, that’s too bad about William Sadler. I didn’t know :(.

But like imagine having Georgeou in the 25th century and she goes back to the Mirror Universe on a mission for *reasons*. There she finds that the Emire collapsed long ago and humanity is enslaved by the alliance. That alone might make the movie for me lol

No I just mean the character. Didn’t he die in his last appearance on the show? I’m sure he did.

I don’t care about the Space Nazis but that would be delicious.

Ohh… Ummm IIRC Sloan died near the very end when Bashir and O’Brien were in his mind trying to get the changeling cure. While they were in there, Sloan did one of those spy things where he released a deadly toxin into his system. Bashir and O’Brien made it out in time but when they woke up Sisko informed them that Sloan died a few minutes or seconds or whatever ago.

But here is the rub LOL. That happens in spy novels all the time. Faking one’s death. I don’t think it would be a canon retcon to get him back given the nature of S31!!!

Didn’t like where they took her character in Picard. The less said about that first season the better. I liked her in S3 well enough, but 🤷 she was better in Voyager

When we look at the big picture of the Trek universe I think Spock, Seven and Worf had the best developments and character arcs throughout. From where they started to where they ended up. Congrats to Jeri Ryan for the much deserved win and for taking this character so far.

Absolutely adores Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine. Such a great actress and hope she continues in Legacy one day.

The headline says she’s bi, I thought she was a lesbian

Well in Voyager she was with Chakotay. I suppose you could make the argument that she hadn’t fully realized her own individualism yet back then and she later came to the realization?

Seven had a few male relationships on Voyager including Chakotay as Amirami mentioned. We also saw her trying to go on a date with a man (although it didn’t go well lol).

So Bi sounds right to me.

the one in ‘unimatrix 0’ was the longest lasting.

…and the blandest. Seven had more chemistry with her alcove than that guy.

The Chakotay romance was absolutely terrible in Endgame (Worf/Deanna and Ezri/Julia also get outsized finale attention but it’s nowhere nearly as forced and awkward as this), but mildly interesting in Human Error only because it was an insight into her private thinking.

The disastrous date in Someone to Watch Over Me and the Doctor’s unrequited love for her remain the best-realized explorations to do with her love life. The relationship with Raffi could have been so good, but it too comes out of nowhere and then is fumbled constantly in season 2.

It is quoting her response about Jeri Taylor…

I think Jeri especially would be thrilled with Seven’s development. I know that she was a big champion for Seven from the beginning. I think that she would be thrilled that Seven is a bi captain and character . It is my understanding that is something she championed from the beginning as well. I think at the time the network felt that they weren’t ready for that yet. But I think she would be thrilled. I  hope  she would be.

‘it’s been a long road…..’

PIC S3 wasn’t exactly my cup of chai, but if Jeri Ryan’s happy, I’m happy.

It was a fun ride for Picard! Now, #startreklegacy, please. Ready for Capt. Seven and Rafi’s continuing adventures. PLEASE!!!

I honestly want to see the reaction of the young Starfleet officers to the situation. You just had a compromised Picard and his son hand them over the Borg, then have the Borg force them to blow up their commanding officers and friends, forced to take out other ships and the Earth spacedock only to find out Picard son gets a promotion, a compromised Picard gets a pass and Seven who is attached to a name honoring her time where she was forced to commit genocide promoted all on the fast track. Oh and Shaw’s and Riker’s legacy mysteriously replaced. Crazy set up, I see morale on the low and maybe explaining some of the upcoming burn and why the UFP just disintegrates. Unlike most I love the Ent-G!! That’s the next gen Ent-A we should have got under Captain Saavik in the 90s!!! Love that ship, just lose the horrid horrid bridge.

Having a non-gay actor playing gay, a bit iffy these days. Sorry.

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Published Aug 19, 2024

Roger Clark on Star Trek's Enduring Appeal and Its Influence on His Career

The actor details meeting William Shatner, the success of Red Dead Redemption II, performance acting, and more!

Getty Images / StarTrek.com

Known to many as the actor who performed protagonist Arthur Morgan in the popular Red Dead Redemption II video game, Roger Clark is no stranger to crafting epic narratives that capture the imaginations of devoted fans from around the globe.

Given these creative credentials, it's no surprise that Clark also happens to have a deep and long standing love for Star Trek . He graciously shared some of his time with StarTrek.com to talk about what drew him to the franchise, its influence on his life and career, interesting encounters with Star Trek celebrities, and more.

Roger Clark

StarTrek.com: Before we dive into the role Star Trek has played in your life, can you tell us a bit about your "first contact" with the franchise?

Roger Clark: I was a 'baby'! I saw The Wrath of Khan in the cinema, and I didn't actually take that much from it. All I remember was the little [Ceti eel] going into the ears, and that just freaked me out. I thought, This is not my cup of tea! Oh my gosh, how is he letting him do that to him? But then I got older and I realized that he wasn't [letting him do that]. And also seeing Ricardo Montalban as Khan at the very end, where he launches the [Genesis device]. He's got this mangled face on him and stuff, and I thought, Oh man, he's really gone downhill since Fantasy Island. [laughs]

And then for my second contact, I went and saw The Search for Spock . I was a little older, and I understood it a lot better. I was blown away by the amazing acting and writing. That was in the heyday of the movies, I think. Star Trek II , III , and IV probably make up the most solid trilogy of Star Trek films that we have, in my opinion.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

StarTrek.com

StarTrek.com: Once you had an idea of what Star Trek had to offer, what aspect of the series helped spark your fandom?

Roger Clark: " The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" stuck to me. I had never seen a sacrifice like that in a movie before. That had an impression on me.

StarTrek.com: Is that also part of why Star Trek still appeals to you now?

Roger Clark: Most of the sci-fi we see today is all about a post-apocalyptic world where everything's gone to shit. The beauty of Star Trek is that it's the opposite of that. Gene Roddenberry imagined a utopia. Yeah, there's conflict, but Star Trek is one of the few sci-fi franchises where things get better, for the most part. They get better through teamwork, cooperation, and goodwill. I think that's an awesome message to send out.

There are so many metaphors that the writers, like Roddenberry and [Rick] Berman and those who are at it now, find for the 24th Century, or what have you, that resonate with what we go through today and are just really well done. How different aliens encompass different characteristics of what it is to be human, and [they're] using aliens to show our own humanity back to us.

StarTrek.com: You've obviously gone on to be quite a successful actor yourself. Did watching Star Trek influence your career path?

Roger Clark: Oh, absolutely. One of the beauties about Star Trek is that, whenever a new series reared its head, [the cast] were almost always unknown actors. But they were almost always excellent actors. One of the things that attracted me to Star Trek was discovering brand new actors who were brilliant and inhabited the roles that they did completely. That was a huge inspiration to me as an aspiring actor. Great storytelling is possible without the [Hollywood] "star" system. As a young nobody, I found that encouraging.

StarTrek.com: A large number of fans will recognize you from Red Dead Redemption II . While there are significant differences between the two franchises, do you believe any parallels exist between Star Trek and Red Dead Redemption ?

Roger Clark: The Red Dead fandom is absolutely amazing, and I know the Star Trek fandom is, too. It's all about the fans, and [these are] two franchises that very clearly indicate that. Their success is totally because of the fans. Even in a world of social media, the fans are, for the most part, gracious, kind, and supportive people that have created a wonderful community. I think that's probably what Red Dead and Star Trek have the most in common. They've created a very welcoming and giving community of fans.

"Ménage à Troi"

StarTrek.com: For those who might not be familiar with your performance capture of Arthur Morgan, could you explain the distinction between it and voice acting?

Roger Clark: Most people think [performance capture] is voice acting. That's a very prevalent thing that we see in gaming, despite the fact that most of it isn't voice acting. And it hasn't been for probably 15 years. We see films like Avatar or [actor] Andy Serkis in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , and for some reason, the audience doesn't have an issue understanding that that performance was brought about by motion capture. As soon as you transfer that to gaming, [audiences] call it 'voice acting.' I don't blame anyone for that, it's just a common misconception that I like to raise awareness about. Performance capture is the way Red Dead II was done. People often ask if I'm the voice actor for Arthur Morgan, and they get so confused when I say, "No." [laughs]

It's an understandable misconception too, because before performance capture, it was all voice acting. A lot of it still is today, but they are very different mediums. I love performance capture, but if anyone is kind enough to say that they loved my voice acting in Red Dead II , I always thank them. Maybe 10 percent of my job [on Red Dead Redemption II ] was done in a recording booth. Voice acting's never going to go away, but performance capture is playing such a larger part in it now.

StarTrek.com: If Arthur Morgan ended up in Starfleet, which captain do you think he’d get along with the best?

Roger Clark: Definitely Kirk. Kirk's from Iowa, and he bent the rules the most. He had a bit of a cavalier attitude to him. Also, because it was the Original Series , there was more of a mentality of exploring the unknown.

Star Trek still has that, but there's so much of that universe that isn't unknown anymore. I think Arthur and Kirk would get along, because they’re both explorers who like to go into the unknown. Plus, I think Kirk has the best sense of humor. [laughs]

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

StarTrek.com: Are there any characters or moments from across the various Star Trek series and films that stand out as the most meaningful to you?

Roger Clark: Well, Next Gen was when I really got into Star Trek . When I saw Wesley Crusher on that TV series, he was only a year or two older than me. I resonated with Wesley, and the fact that he could end up on the bridge of the Enterprise .

Holy cow, that could be me… in three or four hundred years, if that exists. [laughs] It empowered me as an adolescent boy. If Wesley Crusher can become an ensign, then anything is possible.

And then there were characters like Data. All of the cast is phenomenal, but Brent Spiner blew me away the most. We see his range when he plays Lore and Dr. Noonien Soong. Those are three completely different characters , and he plays them all authentically. You believe everything he does as each one. Unlike Spock, who often had his mind blown away by the weird behavior of these humans and many times had a little dig at them, Data very much did want to be human. It was Data's pursuit of humanity that reached out and touched a lot of Star Trek fans. His love for humanity made us appreciate ourselves a little more, I feel.

"Encounter at Farpoint"

And also the respect and love [ Star Trek conveys] for science and research, and how intelligent teamwork will always solve the problem. These are all very good lessons to believe in, because they're true. The whole premise of the Federation is very encouraging. Working with people who are different than you is very difficult and challenging at times, but it's also very rewarding. Roddenberry's world shows the benefit of committing to working with people [who are] different from you.

StarTrek.com: You're also a proud father of two. How would you introduce your kids to Star Trek ?

Roger Clark: I think I would introduce them to Next Gen , because that's my favorite series. Those are the characters that I grew up with and grew to love. Every episode usually has a very good message and a very good theme.

Whereas Kirk was funnier, Picard was in many ways just better. He had more responsibility, and he was more of a diplomat than an explorer. I think that he probably displays the best leadership skills. So, it'd be The Next Generation , but I don't know if I'd start with Season 1. I might start with Season 2 or 3. Season 3's when they actually started getting the good uniforms with the collar. [laughs]

"The Offspring"

StarTrek.com: Conventions regularly invite you out to meet your many fans, and those gatherings often have Star Trek guests too. Have you had any fun run-ins with cast members?

Roger Clark: Yes, I have. I've met Mr. Shatner a few times. I don't typically get starstruck, but he's one of the few who can still do it to me. God bless the man, but more often than not, I do have to reintroduce myself whenever I meet him. Of course, I don't blame him for that one iota. I do remember having one conversation with him about KFC that made me laugh. "That shit'll kill you," he said. That made me giggle. He's still got it. He's in his 90s and he's still sharp as a whip. Bumping into him on a few occasions has really blown my world.

I met Walter Koenig, as well. [The actors] have been doing the convention circuit for [something like] 50 years now. There isn't a question that exists that they haven't been asked. At least, not one that's Star Trek -related. Foolishly, I found myself asking Walter something he'd probably been asked a lot of times before. I said, "When you were filming the Original Series, did you ever think that, 50 years on, you'd still be enjoying and benefiting from [that show]?" Walter looked at me and said, "Not only did I know that it would happen, I knew that you would be asking me that question at a table in St. Louis in the year 2022, isn't that crazy?" [laughs]

And then Walter told me that the name of his book is Beaming Up and Getting Off , and I thought he was joking. But I went onto Amazon and that is the name of his autobiography. It was hilarious. One thing I didn't realize until he mentioned it is that Star Trek was [looking to add] a Davy Jones-type guy on that set because of the popularity of The Monkees. And now that you look back, Koenig and Jones really did look alike.

"Catspaw"

StarTrek.com: Does being an actor yourself make it more difficult to introduce yourself to other actors at those types of events?

Roger Clark: Well, they have no idea who I am. [laughs] But since we're both sat in the green room, they probably know I'm not some crazy stalker. More often than not, we're just engaging in pleasant chit chat over lunch. "Having a busy day [at the convention]?" "Yeah." That's usually how the conversations go. They have no idea who I am, and I have every idea who they are. [laughs] That's the only difference.

StarTrek.com: Are you sure that none of them have confessed they are Red Dead Redemption II fans?

Roger Clark: Jack Quaid did! He's on Lower Decks , and this was [fresh off] the success of The Boys . Jack and Karl Urban were walking around, and Jack was like, "I loved you in Red Dead !" I said, "Holy cow. Thanks, man. That's awesome." Jack Quaid is a really nice guy, and he's a huge Red Dead fan. He's come up with some beautiful screenshots from the game.

Oh, and Wil Wheaton is a Red Dead fan, as well. He was kind enough to introduce himself to me and say how it was one of his 'COVID games.'

"Those Old Scientists"

StarTrek.com: Last question. If you could act on any Star Trek show, which one would you pick? 

Roger Clark: Any of them that would have me. [laughs] I'm not going to exclude myself. Absolutely, any single one of them. I would love that. I would be on anything. I also love how some of the actors from Star Trek show up in the craziest places.

Shazad [Latif] from Discovery , whose character [Voq] genetically altered himself to be human, was [excellent as] Clem Fandango in Toast of London . I couldn't believe it was the same actor! [Jason Isaacs] is in Baldur's Gate 3 , which is a popular video game from last year. And I see Elias Toufexis, who's a very well-known voice actor in a lot of games, was most recently on Discovery , as well. I love it when you see an actor pop up in two completely different roles that you weren't expecting.

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.