The Main Character of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Has a Connection to Spock

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TV Star Trek
TV Star Trek

Producers of Star Trek: Discovery dropped a major bombshell on Trek fans at the anticipated series’ Comic-Con panel today. The show’s main character, First Officer Burnham (The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green), has a familial connection to Spock.

Burnham was raised by Spock’s parents.

Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham.

Producers revealed today that Martin-Green’s character was raised by Spock’s mother and father, Sarek and Amanda. But if Spock had a stepsister, why haven’t we heard of her before in Star Trek canon? Well, they’re referred to as her “surrogate” parents, and the implication is that there’s more to this story that will come out over the course of the series.

“There are big reveals at several points throughout the course of the season. I think you’ll find a lot of surprises along the way,” EP Alex Kurtzman told the crowd.

James Frain, who plays Sarek, says this version of the character includes an exploration of who Sarek was in youth. “It’s fascinating for a Vulcan to marry a human,” he said.

Sarek, it was revealed, commits Burnham to Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) for mentorship.

Always mindful of the canon…

The Klingons have an updated look.

Kurtzman said, “We are all huge fans of the original series and take inspiration from that. We’re always mindful of canon.” In response to fan questions about why the sets, uniforms and even the Klingons are so vastly different from what we’ve seen in adjacent eras of Trek canon he added, “It’s 2017. we can’t give you sets like the original series but we are consistent with origins.”

Star Trek: Discovery will feature a new ship and new characters while seeking to embrace the same ideology and hope for the future that made Star Trek special from the beginning over 50 years ago.

Everything else we learned from the Star Trek: Discovery Comic-Con panel…

Jason Isaacs as Captain Lorca.
  • Jason Isaacs says his Captain Lorca differs from other captains in that he’s “probably more f***** up than any of them.”
  • Anthony Rapp plays Stamets, a science and the first openly gay character in a Trek series. We learned that his partner will be played by Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life).
  • The Klingons will be mostly subtitled. The producers went to great lengths striving for accuracy with language.
  • Doug Jones’ character, Saru, is a Kelpian. He stands 6’8″ and his feet are hooves.

You can watch the first of Star Trek: Discovery’s 15 episodes on CBS September 24th. Following the broadcast premiere, the series will be exclusively available to watch on CBS All Access.

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