It’s almost here. Star Trek: Discovery will end the 12-year absence of Star Trek on the small screen. Now we’re getting our first look at the star ship’s bridge!
Take a look:
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As fans know, the bridge is the primary area or set within the Star Trek Universe with the exception of Deep Space Nine, which saw major parts of the space station share the role.
Looking at Discovery’s bridge you can see how J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin Timeline set of movies helped guide the design of the bridge. The color looks like Captain Johnathon Archer’s Enterprise NX-01 which is a good idea since the show is in-between Kirk and Archer’s Enterprise in the time line.
The color tone, as well as the placement of stations on the bridge, point towards a more linear and weaponized design. It makes sense that the ship takes a more cautious approach in space exploration. After all the Alpha Quadrant is still relatively untamed, and only a century ago a war with the Romulan Star Empire exhausted the fledgling alliance.
Some fans might be a bit concerned that the bridge design pulls too closely towards the J.J. Abrams universe or that it’s just too cold in comparison to Gene Roddenberry’s vision. However, I personally don’t feel that way. You have a television show that is able to take advantage of technology that would make Roddenberry smile. Not only that, but this show is expected to explore a time when the Federation is at a cold war with the Klingon Empire about 13 years before the Federation-Klingon War of 2267. Star Trek: Discovery will lay down a lot of ground work for one of the most important events in Star Trek history. It will also give us a bird’s eye view of a major galactic cold war.
The plot of the show itself has been purposely left a mystery with showrunners and staff working hard to keep details under wraps, with a few promo pieces, and interviews only hinting about the story this season.
What we do know is Star Trek: Discovery will take place ten years before the five-year mission of Kirk’s Enterprise. We also know the Klingon Empire and its relationship to the Federation will play a major role in the story.
One feature that will be changed will be in how the storytelling is changed. Unlike other shows within the franchise, Discovery will feature serialized long form storytelling. It’s a pretty big shift from the traditional episodic approach that has been used over the years.
The show stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham. You might remember her from AMC’s The Walking Dead.
We’ll get to see Star Trek: Discovery premiere on Sunday, September 24 on CBS. To continue viewing the series in the United States, you will need to purchase CBS All Access.