‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Character Name And Production Details Revealed
When it comes to talking aboutStar Trek: Discovery, showrunnerBryan Fullerhas a unique habit of saying whole lot while revealing very little. Other producers, writers, and directors should take note: this is how you work people into an excited froth without spoiling your show. Today’s deluge ofDiscovery-related business is full of intriguing morsels, promising suggestions, and even a nugget or two of potential controversy for a certain corner ofTrekfandom. Let’s start with the biggest news: the name of the show’s lead character.
In a radio interview (which has been exhaustively recapped byAICNandTrek Movie), Fuller revealed that the show’s lead character,a female human officer whonotthe captain of theDiscovery, will be named “Number One.”
There are few things to unpack here. First, this essentially confirms that the lead will the second-in-command of the ship, a first for the captain-centricTrekfranchise. Second, this is a very cool nod to the character played by Majel Barrett (later Majel Barrett Roddenberry) in the originalStar Trekpilot “The Cage,” which featured a female first officer who only goes by Number One. NBC and early test audiences balked at the thought of awomanbeing so far up the chain of command and the character was removed entirely from the second pilot, with Leonard Nimoy’s Spock taking on many of her qualities. Third, Fuller says that her real name will be revealed before the end of the show’s first season, which opens the door to another big question: why is her name hidden and why save it for such a big reveal? Is it possible that Number One is somehow related to someone else in theStar Trektimeline? Or will it be a reveal that somehow serves the plot of the show’s first season, which is be heavily serialized.
The full interview is a treasure trove of intriguing tidbits, so let’s run down what you need to know:
Star Trek: Discoveryhasn’t announced any cast members or revealed an official plot synopsis, but it is set to premiere on CBS inJanuary 2017before becoming a CBS All Access exclusive. You can read about everything we do knowright here.
