Star Trek: Discovery To Change One Major Roddenberry Mandate

Star Trek: Discovery is set to debut this fall, and promises to bring the world of Star Trek television for a whole new generation. As it turns out, this involves breaking one of the rules of the franchise’s creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Discovery showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg recently revealed that the CBS All Access series will be shedding one particular rule put in place by Roddenberry. In keeping with the fictional universe’s ideals, Starfleet crew members are not allowed to have a major conflict with each other (unless one of them is possessed by aliens).

“We’re trying to do stories that are complicated, with characters with strong points of view and strong passions,” Harberts explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “People have to make mistakes — mistakes are still going to be made in the future. We’re still going to argue in the future.”

This limitation has plagued writers on various Trek properties for years, becoming known by some as ‘Roddenberry’s Box’. Discovery is choosing to move beyond the rule, while still adhering to Roddenberry’s overall mindset.

“The thing we’re taking from Roddenberry is how we solve those conflicts,” revealed Harberts. “So we do have our characters in conflict, we do have them struggling with each other, but it’s about how they find a solution and work through their problems.”

Berg echoed this, saying that the increased possibilities for conflict will only make Discovery‘s characters more human.

“The rules of Starfleet remain the same,” Berg assured. “But while we’re human or alien in various ways, none of us are perfect.”

Star Trek: Discovery takes place roughly a decade prior to the five-year mission of Star Trek: The Original Series. In breaking with franchise tradition, the show’s main protagonist will not be a captain. Instead, it will be First Officer Michael Burnham, played by The Walking Dead alum Sonequa Martin-Green.

Star Trek: Discovery‘s cast also includes Jason Isaacs as the starship Discovery’s Captain Lorca, Rainn Wilson as Star Trek: The Original Series character Harry Mudd, James Frain as Sarek, Spock’s father, and Michelle Yeoh as Captain Georgiou, the captain of another Starfleet ship, the Shenzhou, which will be important to the plot of Star Trek: Discovery. Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp both play science officers. Mary Wiseman will play a final year Starfleet Academy cadet.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres Sept. 24, 2017.

More Star Trek News: Sonequa Martin-Green Confirms Her Star Trek: Discovery Character’s Origin / Star Trek: Discovery Showrunners Explains The Series’ Production Delays / Star Trek: Discovery Premiere Mirrors The Next Generation 30 Years Later / Star Trek: Discovery To Blur Line Between Movies And TV