Today’s Star Trek: Discovery update rounds up some recent interviews with some of the show’s actors, including Rainn Wilson talking about this weekend’s episode and why he thinks Dwight from The Office would love Discovery. We also have Shazad Latif talking about perfecting that classic Star Trek two-handed punch and responding to those fan theories. Plus, James Frain is talking about the difficult choice Sarek had to make in last weekend’s episode. All that plus a bunch of extra links for those who want to keep up with all things Discovery.
Rainn Wilson thinks Dwight from ‘The Office’ would love ‘Discovery’
Rainn Wilson opened up to the official Star Trek site about his role as Harry Mudd, who made his initial appearance on the fifth episode of Discovery. Mudd is set to return this weekend (in “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”) and the actor gave a brief preview:
Well, we know that Mudd is not so happy being left behind in the Klingons prison. We know that Mudd visits the ship. And I think that sh-t is really gonna hit the fan. That’s about all I can say.
Wilson made it clear he is up for returning to the role and even suggested (with tongue-in-cheek) that Mudd could get his own show:
This is what I would like to see in season two, episode four or so: They bump into Mudd, he’s got a merchant ship, he’s got a crazy crew on the merchant ship, and he’s getting into all kinds of trouble traveling around the galaxy trying to do little deals. And, boom! We’ve set ourselves up for a spin-off show. The Harry Mudd spin-off show. That would be my ideal
Wilson also talked to the Inverse which included a revelation that he thinks sci-fi fan Dwight from The Office would love Discovery.
“You know, normally, I would say Dwight wouldn’t like anything, But, I actually do believe this, and I’m not saying it to plug the show. I think Dwight would love it. I think he would love it. I think he would side with the Klingons. They value loyalty, tribalism. They’re bloodthirsty. They never bluff. I think he would love it.”
Rainn Wilson as Harry Mudd
Latif talks double-fisted fighting and fan theories
Shazad Latif talked to IndieWire about the prison escape scene from “Choose Your Pain,” explaining the use of classic Star Trek fight moves:
“I think that moment of desperation, you hear stories of a mother lifting a car because of adrenaline in a desperate moment, if you need to escape you find a way. There’s moments of vulnerability among the Klingons, that’s why they broke their necks. The softest part of their neck is their throats, that’s probably the one way you can get in there, and use double-handed, blunt fists.”
As for those persistent fan theories about Lt. Tyler, Latif only offered this non-denial denial:
“My publicist has told me a lot of some of the stuff that’s been going around. It’s kind of great,” he said. “It’s the perfect ‘Star Trek’ fandom, the biggest, the craziest, the most in-depth and in detail. It’s sort of what we’ve expected from the ‘Star Trek’ fans, and it’s beautiful. They’re so interested in what’s going on in the show. Some of the theories are just crazy. Some of them get stuff right, but I’m really enjoying it. I like to retain mystery and I’d rather just watch the show and see how it plays out. For me that’s more exciting.”
Tyler (Latif) double-fist punches a Klingon in “Choose Your Pain”
James Frain on Sarek’s choice and what’s next with Amanda
Variety spoke to James Frain about Sarek’s difficult choice involving picking Spock over Michael Burnham for the Vulcan Expeditionary Group. He refers to the decision as Sarek’s Sophie’s Choice, a reference to the classic 1982 film starring Meryl Streep.
“The scene is a kind of “Sophie’s Choice.” He knows immediately that someone is going to get hurt, that someone is going to have to be sacrificed, and that this is an intolerable position that they’ve put him in. He’s at a loss for what the right thing to do is. It’s a really interesting beat for that character. We’ve always seen the Vulcans as people who have answers. And here’s a situation where he doesn’t have an answer.”
Frain also spoke to TV Line about Sarek’s contentious relationship with Burnham and how that affects their dynamic on the show. When asked if Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner), who made her first appearance in “Lethe,” will have more of a role on Discovery, Frain had this to say.
“… it’s one of the starting points, when you’re looking at Sarek as a younger man. We just accepted, in the original series: “Oh, he married a human, and that was the backstory for Spock.” But it’s like, “Wait a minute… he married a human?? How did that happen?” It’s less extraordinary that he adopted Michael than that he married Amanda, and has this child [with her]. That precedes Michael. So yeah, I think there’s so much there to explore, dramatically, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Sarek (James Frain) with Amanda (Mia Kirshner) and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green)
More Disco Bits
Here are a few more quick links with what some other sites are saying about the new Star Trek show.
Nerdist: 7 Things Star Trek: Discovery Needs To Do in Season 2
The Verge: Does Continuity Matter for ‘Star Trek: Discovery’?
SlashFilm: Star Trek Discovery is The Star Trek Show 2017 Demands
Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusive in the US on CBS All Access with new episodes released Sundays at 8:30 pm ET. In Canada Star Trek: Discovery airs on the Space Channel at the same time. Discovery is available on Netflix outside the USA and Canada with new episodes made available Monday at 8 am BST.
Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.
The first episode of The Office I ever caught had Dwight at a party asking someone “Do you watch Battlestar Galactica?” When the guys say he doesn’t, Dwight says, “Then you are an idiot” and walks away. Of course Dwight is watching DISCO.
Agreed! I had the exact same thought. In some ways this show is Battlestar Discovery and I’m sure Dwight’s all in. Plus, he talked about having a set of Vulcan ears and I think he might even speak a little Klingon if I remember correctly.
In another episode, Jim is trying to catch Dwight “wasting” company time. So he initiates a conversation with Andy about the previous night’s Battlestar Galactica. He purposely screws it up by injecting Klingons, Wookies and elements of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter while Dwights quietly suffers that he can’t correct them.
The more Harcourt Mudd the better!! Can’t wait to see more of him!
A Mudd spinoff would be great. Especially this Mudd.
I cannot fathom what is so great about Harry Mudd?
He was a scoundrel, sometime pimp and conman who got his comeuppance from that scamp Jim Kirk and his loyal crew. What’s not to like about that?
A Mudd spin-off works for me! I’d love to see that show during STD’s production breaks. Much better idea than Fear the Walking Dead or The Farm!!
They did this hole makeover to keep one of the things I hated the most. The doublefist punch! Stupidest way to fight and it looks bad on screen.
Yeah they should have shelved that. I thought these days it was a side-first or fingers-first hand thrust into the throat/windpipe or a hand-heel smash upward into the nose [I doubt that the latter would work on a Klingon though]. I need to watch some martial arts movies I guess.
” double-fisted fighting ”
I’ve long wondered about the philosophy and thinking behind the fighting style of the old show. Like everything else on the show it was obviously thought out, but it’s the one part of the show I’ve never read or heard about.
From McCoy’s double karate chop in the transporter room on Mr. Kyle in “City on the Edge of Forever”, to Kirk’s devastating sledgehammer fist pounding in the OK Corral, to Gary Seven’s double side of the neck karate chops to Spock ….same with Kirk on Cloud William in the jail cell.
I’d love to hear about the thought behind that. Someone needs to write a book or article on it.
Probably some poorly imagined future martial arts.
You may be right. But I always dug it as a kid. Still do.
I forgot about the Khan two-thumbs-to-the-side-of-the-neck maneuver that Dr Sevrin, Tongo Rad and the other space hippies adopted also
Somebody wrote an article about the history of the two-handed strike: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yw3vvw/how-the-star-trek-punch-became-the-worst-fight-move-on-tv
I was ridiculously excited to see they’d copied this for Discovery.
Begs the question, who’s going to do the double-foot Kirk jump? Or maybe Kirk created it ;^)
Latif’s most interesting remarks is that some fan theories are “right”.
Agreed. I think the prevailing theory is the right one, personally.
I hope the next time Amanda appears she isn’t just giving motherly advice. James Frain is right that there is a lot more to explore there.
I’ve always wanted to explore Amanda’s role. I think she’s possibly more interesting and complex than Sarek. An emotional human, in love with and married to, an unemotional and logical Vulcan. On top of that, having inserted herself to fully into Vulcan culture. I find her fascinating.
I’m pretty sure that Harry Mudd is drinking Beet Vodka in that picture.
It’s a good thing Spock is dead, or having the f-bomb in Star Fleet would have killed him! I loved Star Trek , but now it’s just another show my kids can’t watch! Do we really have to lower the class level of every show, to “ghetto”? Next episode the crew can snort space coke before making out.
@Gina — I assume you’ve never let them watch THE VOYAGE HOME then?
Gina, I’m sure your kids have heard the f word more every day with their friends or at school or out on the street more they will have on Discovery.
I guarantee your kids have heard worse language than “that’s so f-ing cool.”
Also, really? “Ghetto”? That’s pretty f-ing racist, and way more offensive to me than the f-bomb.
Ash Tyler (is he related to José?) breaks the Kingon’s neck because he saw Lorca do it. And Lorca is not Picard. He’s a son of a bitch who shoots to kill. For that very reason he leaves Mudd in the cell. The next chapter confirmed it.
I REALLY want to see a Harry Mudd handlebar mustache. ;^)