‘Star Trek: Discovery’ NYCC2018 Panel Recap

Yet another October on the Main Stage at Madison Square Garden for the cast and crew of Star Trek: Discovery. The CBS All-Access mega hit is entering its second season and the place is filling it up fast here at NYCC2018.

Fans are filing in and there are not a lot of seats left. Media section is about 200 seats and most all are full as well.

3:51 — still about 10 minutes out, so mostly just milling about for the folks in attendance.

3:58 — had the whole crowd is dancing to “Proud Mary” … before dimming the lights for the the panel to come out.

4:00 — Moderator is Rebecca Romijn… she is coming to the show this year, making some jokes to the fans… already apologizing for misprouncing some names 🙂

Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, Ethan Peck, Sonequa Green-Martin, Michelle Yeoh, Anson Mount, Shazad Latif, Mary Chieffo, Anthony Rapp, and Wilson Cruz are all front and center.

4:03 — Alex… right off the bat:

Alex: First of all, hi. We are so unbelivebale excited to be here. Season 2 we are weirdly see light at the end of the tunnel. Close to shooting the finale. It is an incredible season and we have had a great time.

If you have seen it, we have launched the short Treks, with Mary Wiseman that aired this weekend and will air until January. We started the Pickard Room, we are three weeks in.

Discovery has been an incredible joy for all of us, it is going to air in January. So… maybe we will show you some footage:

SIZZLE (will be released online after the panel)

4:08 — Sonequa addressing the crowd, saying that Star Trek mirrors society, making difficult choices, the right and wrong choices. You see Star Trek going htrough that. And you can see yourself in them. And across the board, I applaud our entire company for brining that kind of rawness to life.

Q: Anson, what is Pikes style?

Anson: That is what i like most about hte character actually. He is a new kind of captain with Pike and fleshing out what we already know. Pike knows that a good leader has fraility and publically so. He knows his best asset is his crew. He is not afraid to admit that he is stumped. He throws it out to the crew, and just says “larger brain… someone tell me what to do”

Q: What was the gold like?

Anson: Well, it was a lot of fittings. Those things are tight. They are not forgiving.

Q: Michelle, where do we find her in season 2?

Michelle: Dont you bow? In the last season I was invited to this universe – a lame universe. I think she was ready to kill herself. So when she saw that black badge and saw that Section 31 was — a nonexistent entity — and so now, it is a really interesting role. Not everyone knows I am from the mirror universe. So sometimes it is very nice and kind… and then the Section 31 version is manipulative, sexy because of all the leather.

More Star Trek Details From the Panel

4:15 — 

Q: Mary Wiseman, where are you at right now?

She was admitted to the program and so she needs to find out what that means to be an officer. To find herself. Find her way through.

Q: Ethan, what was it like putting on those ears.

Ethan: Outrageous. It was a long audition process and I didn’t know what I was reading for. I mean, I knew it was Star Trek and I knew it was person that struggled with emotion and logic. And that is when it clicked that it was Spock.

Q: Heather is it hard to cast someone they know and love or easier?

Definitely harder. You owe so much to the characters that the fans have known for years. We didn’t take Spock or Pike lightly and you will see that.

 Q:Doug, You were a captain for a moment. Where does that lead him?

 Doug: Season two he finds out something about imself and what it means to be a kelpian that he didn’t know and that you didn’t know and I cant tell you today. It will be altering, challenging, evolution? But his can be …. Yes….. and we get to go to my home planet.

You will meet my sister on Kaminar, which is where Saru is from. I dont think we ever named it publicaly before right now. So.

Headed towards the halfway point of the panel

4:26 — 

Q: Shazad where are you to start season 2

They ran off to be ambassador between Klingons and Star Fleet and a few other factions. So there is a lot going on with how that story goes.

Q: Wilson, where and how do we find…

They left me for last, because I can only saw: We find him where we left him. How’d I do?
I cant tell you anything more than that. We find him…. Where we left him. That’s your clue. But I want to add, I couldn’t be happier to be back here with these people and in this moment. This show and this franchise is a beacon for so many people and it has help up as this utopian where we appreciate each other for our differences. It is about that. But also the work and effort and struggle to create that type of world…. And this November we have an election…. And we can come together and set a new course for a different future. We can reject politics of division and create a world where we respect each other.

4:29 — Q: Sonequa, what’s is been like shooting with Ethan?

Sonequa: Eeeek….  Ethan is incredible. Hes so good. So good. So so good. It has been amazing working with him. We are brother and sister already. I love how much he gives. Loves his soul. He brought his entire self to it. It has been very inspiring. We have become very close and very quickly. I could not ask for a better brother. You will be wowed by him.

Q: Sonqeua: What is this red angel

Ethan: I don’t know much about it.

Sonqeua: The red angel is a mystery. The mystery of the season. It appears to Burnham and what I can tease is that Spock has also seen it earlier in his life… and yeup..

Q: How has Saru and Burnham changed in season two?

Doug: They are pretty brother sister in season one with the competiion and everything else. And with all of the changes and evolution for me this season, I need help, and I call on my sister on the ship to help me.

4:33 – Q: Anson, what are some of the missions that Pike leads them through…

Anson: I gotta good crew. It was great working with you, by the way. The you can see all of us are wrestling on what to peal back on the present. We start out by chasing these red signals, whih we determine the energy to create them is stronger than anything that we have ever encountered. We see that there is an asteroid going back towards the Haiwatha. There is one survivor and she was fun working with, too. That character comes aboard for a little while and each step and each time we chanse down a signal there is a new truth.

Q: People connect with Tily unexpected ways?

Mary: Probably the sexy uniform that works on lots of body types. It is probably that she is a person that is herself, quirks and all. Lots of nerves, lots of feelings, talks to much and she is loved.  I am person with quirks and nerves and talks too much and I feel embraced here too. This is a character that on the outside looking in she isn’t a person that should succeed in a system like Star Fleet, but this show creates that utopia where anything is possible.

Rebecca is moving this show right along with a pace

4:38 — Kurtzman jumps in and explains that Tilly is so pure, deeply pure and that she communicates her love for everyone. Says, we are all frail and searching, always. It is called Discovery for a reason. 

4:43 — Q: Mary C, talk about that hair?

Mary: It is pretty great. Glen was inspired by that moment. I feel there is something beautiful in the metaphor of letting your hair down. And that is something that she is going to be doing into the second season. They are in very close proximity and they needed each other. And who else grew out there hair this season (points to beard) and I think there is something cool to use that hair growth to symbolize times of peace.

Q: Normally this goes to Alex or Heather, but Sonequa… any fun casting to announce

Sonequa: So…. You guys….. ima take it down. My husband, my amazing husband, Kenric Green is going to be on the show. I cant say in what capacity. But it will be an indelible contribution.

So, that is one. I was thinking that trailer is so jam packed but this season is a deeply emotional story. You get everything this season. We dip down into the depths this season. Palpable action, but the emotion is most palpable. It is going to be thrilling because of that. It is a bit of a departure.

Audience Questions

Ethan, How much Leaonard Nemoy are you bringing to Spock?

Ethan: So, the Nemoy in the original series is the light at the end of the tunnel. We are starting Spock at the beginning before he is that person. I did a lot of research and read the biography, and looking back at the moments with Spock. 

4:49 — If you were transported to the deck of Discovery… who would you democratically elect as the captain.

All: Sonequa. 

Q: Do Klingons have two buttholes?

Mary: We are an honorable culture. We dont discuss things in person. 

Q: #SpockGotHot … as an LGBTQ person I love the representation, as actors if you could have a romantic interlude who would you pick. 

Wilson: Ethan. I am going straight to Ethan. 

Anson: That is everyones answer. 

Anthony: I have too must respect to denigrade someone like that. 

Wilson: I have enough respect to do it. Ill do him a solid. 

 4:54 — Q: Can you tell us a little how Pickard is going to mesh into this season?

Alex — He will not mesh into this season. He will be his own thing. 

Heather — We are doing a whole different series with Pickard.