It’s been twelve years since the last Star Trek series went off the air, and now at long last, a return to Gene Roddenberry’s Utopian vision of the future is about to begin, possibly when we need it most. Tuesday morning, CBS announced that production has begun on Star Trek: Discovery, and to whet the appetites of Trek fans everywhere, they’ve released a special behind-the-scenes video commemorating the start of filming. You can watch the entire video above.
So what can we glean from this behind-the-scenes video? Not a whole lot, however there are a few tantalizing clues to be found for the eagle-eyed viewer. Maybe most importantly, at the 37 second mark, we see our first glimpse of the new Starfleet uniform. (…Or should I say “old” Starfleet uniform, since this series is set ten years prior to the events of the original series.) The Starfleet insignia is definitely of the old school variety, echoing the original series, although gold piping along the shoulders is a new detail. Considering Starfleet seems to change uniform designs drastically every few years, the idea that the crew of Discovery would have a totally different uniform that those on the original series isn’t weird at all. There are also quick glimpses of alien-looking uniforms, as well as production art of the Discovery itself.
Another very nerdy hint can be found in the audio; towards the end of the video, we hear a sound effect usually associated with the Klingon Bird-of-Prey “cloaking” sound. Considering we know that Klingons play a central role in the series, and the design of the Discovery has a sort of Starfleet/Klingon hybrid look to it, could this confirm the rumors that the show is about an early Klingon/Starfleet alliance? One that, as we know, ultimately failed by the time of the original series? That sound effect wasn’t put there by accident.
Star Trek: Discovery stars The Walking Dead’s Sasha, Sonequa Martin-Green, as Lt. Commander on the Discovery, who, in a change from tradition, is the show’s lead character instead of the Captain. Other main cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Anthony Rapp, and Doug Jones. Orphan Black star James Frain recently joined the series as Sarek, Spock’s father, and actors Chris Obi, Shazad Latif, and Mary Chieffo were also cast as Klingons. The first season of the show will be 13 episodes, a change from previous Star Trek series which were always at least 20 or more episodes per season. No premiere date has been given for the series, but expect it before the end of the year.
Does this video have you even more excited about a return to the Roddenberry future? Let us know down below in the comments!
Images: CBS, AMC
