NYCC2017 Panel Recap: Star Trek: Discovery

Panelist-led Q&A

4:07 pm -- Producers... talk about having the first mutanieer in Star Fleet history as the main character...

So I think when Brian and I were first talking about coming into the show. So we got excited that our lead was not going to be a captain. We wanted to keep things true to Trek but also something new and different and that is a fine line to walk. The fact that we have never had a mutineer was an intersting way to lead the audience into one thing and then flip it to something else... sort of pull the rug out from under them. To turn that around even on her, to have killed her captain and her mother showed and gave her a lot of emotional room to grow and gave her a really long path.

This is a character raised on Vulcan and can control emotions... walk through that for me...

So, she is still full human. She has had to supress so much of her human activity to fit in and learn how she is to interact. Her presense was something that she didnt choose but it was something that happened. She is looking for home. It isnt here or there but she is searching for it.

Sonequa: The turmoil is quite viceral. My emotions help my logic and dont impede them. I had to learn how to make sure that they didnt hold me back and let them carve knew paths of logic. Those sorts of emotional sensabilities led me to where I am now. It is also a path of redemption and the yearning for that absolution will always be there as well.

We have a different take on Vulcans and a different take on Captains... how is Lorca different or similar to what we have had in the past.

Jason: I just like to blow sh!t up. I grew up loving the orignial series, if they came to be and said do you want to be a captain that looked anything like any other captain I would have run for the foothills. This is something before all of that. We have seen positive adventures. We ahve seen explorations. This is a war-time captain. This is something we havent seen. This is a man we havent seen before. He is surrounded by idiots. As far as he is concerned none of them know that they are trying to save everything around them. Then he sees a woman with extraordinary vision for what needs to be done. I get her on my ship and giving her what she needs to succeed. Now that creates an incredible minefield... is this right or is it wrong. It is like after 9-11 or it is like now with gun control and terrorists and this gives you something to talk about after hte credits roll.

(this moderator is amazing.)

One character of Star Trek is 'science' ... what level of importance does science as a charater play?

The function of biology and not just the science of phyics comes into play. Our engine is organic. In terms of biology as Jason says, we are against the backdrop of war. There is something unique that the science we are using has ot do more life science than the more phyiscal science.

So Doug (Saru) do you have a soul? What are you doing with creating a new species?

D: It is a burden but also a relief that I didnt have to do something that people have seen before and be particular. I can develop him from the ground up and not have the expectations. I can develop the Kelpians and decide how they walk, how they talk all of that. Now, they are prey. They are hunted. Hearded. I am the first to break away of that and go through Star Fleet. So I am trail blazing for my type.

Mary, you play a cadet in your last year? Should you even be on Discovery?

M: Tilly says she is the best theoretical engineer on the ship and so I take that to be true. So what she lacks in impulse control and social graces, but what she lacks there she will make up for in other ways and prove she is deserving to be there.

You had to learn Klingon... we walk a line between not giving much away, but Mary you learned Klingon...

M: It is a tremendous endeavor, like it takes a village. We get the script in English and then Robin Stewart who will translate. The syntax is pretty much the exact opposite as English and it is about as alien as possible. But she also gives us a back translation, so it is a word for word thing. Meaning for meaning. And I like to line by line more so, but, anyways... we get together to really practice. We have a great group of Klingons who will keep practicing and get the emotions. So, I compare it in some ways to Sheakespeare, that once you get it you get it.

Shavad, we havent met you yet... but when we do you are in prison... can we talk much more about it?

S: You meet me with Rainn Wilson and there are terrible things that happen to me. And that is all I can talk about.... right, that is all I can talk about?

EPs: Yep. That's all.

This Star Trek is a little darker... is that fiar?

EPs: No. Ill address that. The truth is, we have been talking baout Star Trek and the characters. That is different than other Star Treks even DS9. We are a wholly serialized show nad we can tell stories and not so much plot. And that isnt to say we dont deal with plot, but what we can do is stretch emotions out over a sesaon and not just have to deal with a death and it be fine in a week. The show is called Discovery for a reason. These people get to discover who they are.

Fan Q&A

4:33 pm -- Michelle Yeoh crashes the panel!

M: It has been such an amazing adventure. The character, I just follow whatever they tell me. Go there - yes. Do that - yes. Hold the chair - yes. The best journey has been with Sonequa. So, Captain Lorca, if you dont look out for my baby, I will kick your ass and you know I can do it.

For Doug, Saru is incredibly interesting, his subjective reality, will we see an episode from HIS perspective?

D: You wanna see how I shower, dont you... I would a visit back to my planet to visit my people and see where I come from.

For Sonequa, will there be any romance for Michael down the line?

S: Umm, ya know... Ill say that there is all kinds of life on this show. I think it is very corageous in that way. We are covering EVERYTHING with EVERYONE, you see what Im saying, see what Im saying??? So, I think.. umm, okay.

The timeline is a little different but cameo actors?

Moderator: I want to cameo!

J: Rain Wilson steals a whole episode from us... but there are a lot of other call backs and Easter Eggs.

With this fanbase there is always going to be a complaint... with the pay wall and not broadcast... how do you explain to people to pony up to watch this show?

Gretchen EP: From a personal place, I go person to person. It was what was set up from the beginning. It was our job to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. There is a new bar for television and we have to be over it to make sure that people are comfortable paying for it. I understand that, but I think we are part of the changing tide of what media consumption is.

Sonequa closing remarks: Michelle, thank you so much. We are so greatful to be here with you fans. You are brilliant. Thank you so much.