‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Cast Promises Return to Familiar Trek Tone, Ideals in Season 2

Longtime Star Trek fans can expect a more familiar tone from the coming second season of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access.

Speaking at the Destination Star Trek convention in Birmingham in the UK over the weekend, the Star Trek: Discovery cast promised a return to the signature optimism of Gene Roddenberry’s vision in the show’s sophomore outing.

“The whole first season was about the effect of the Mirror Universe, thanks to Captain Lorca,” said Anthony Rapp, who plays Lt. Paul Stamets (via Trek Movie). “So, it was really going through that to come out the other side, building up to Burnham’s last speech. It was building up out of the darkness to get toward where we are much more in familiar territory. So, Season Two absolutely follows in those footsteps, building up the Starfleet that we are more familiar with.

“It is unusual to ask Star Trek audiences to have such long storytelling because it’s been much more episodic along the way,” he continued. “We’ve asked you all to have faith that we do know what we are doing. We are aware that we are going to spend a year taking a left turn to get us back to the path that is more familiar.”

Series lead Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Cmdr. Michael Burnham, also suggested that that familiar optimism is exactly what the Discovery crew was fighting for in the show’s first season.

“I think there is something to be said about the fight,” she said. “Because that is one of the things that is most beautiful about our show, and all the other iterations of Star Trek, but definitely Discovery. Not only do you see this future, but you see this fight it takes to get to it. Not to just get it, but to maintain it. So, you see us take this left turn into darkness because we are at war, but you see us fight out of it. I think that is actually most hopeful of all.”

She added that darker tone is also partially the result of the CBS All Access series using the more serializing storytelling model that is common for streaming shows.

“One of our executive producers once said he doesn’t find this iteration to be darker, it is just that we remember what happened yesterday,” Martin-Green said. “And when you remember what happened yesterday, there is going to come the sorrow of loss, and the mourning of loss. And you also have the philosophy to fight. But we will always strive to be Starfleet and so you get to see that fight in action and I think that is something that can really be latched on to because it’s not just a picture. You need to see an example of its actualization.”

Are you looking forward to Star Trek: Discovery returning to that familiar optimism? Let us know in the comments!

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S., through CraveTV in Canada and through Netflix in other international markets.

Star Trek: Discovery Season Two is now filming in Toronto and will premiere on CBS All Access on January 17, 2019.