There are a few things to share with fans who want to get caught up before tonight’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery, so dive into our latest Disco Bits.
Culber has been through a lot, tonight’s episode has memorable “Culmets” scene
Wilson Cruz did a brief media tour to promote his return to Star Trek: Discovery, speaking to Build and Buzzfeed (see videos below). While he did briefly appear in a recording in the first episode of the season, tonight’s “Saints of Imperfection” is when he is actually back on the show, although he didn’t provide any specifics on how he is being resurrected. The actor did talk about growing out his hair and beard so he can depict the disheveled state we find Culber in tonight’s episode (as seen in the preview image sent out earlier this week), telling Build:
He has been through a lot. He has been through this place for months. We have to remember the Klingon war has been over for I think nine months. So, he has been in this plane for nine months. So there are consequences. We really wanted to make sure that people understood when you see him in that first moment, what he has been through.
Cruz also talked about shooting Culber’s reunion with Anthony Rapp’s Stamets:
It is a lovely scene. They wrote it beautifully. So, it made it that much easier. And what a relief. I don’t want to spoil it, but we had a few moments on this series—first and second season—where he and I look at each other and go “let’s remember this moment.” The toothbrush scene was one of those. Our first kiss was another one. And this scene would be included.
The actor also clarified something about the Culmets relationship:
They have been together quite a long time. They are not married… maybe some day they will be, but they have been together for a long time and it was important for us to feel that.
Cruz talked about how the cast and the producers are aware of how fans responded to the show’s first season:
This fan base is deep and wide and passionate and they aren’t afraid of letting us know what works and what doesn’t work. And I think our job is to listen. As long as you come to us in a respectful way, we are open to hearing that. And when you watch season two, you realize that the producers and the network have also been listening to the fans. I think all of us are incredibly proud of what we created this season and I think we finally got what Discovery is. We are presenting to you the show we always wanted to make.
Watch the videos below.
Mount talks Pike, Kirk, and Spock
Speaking to Collider, Anson Mount contrasted his Pike, with the character of James T. Kirk:
My instinct about him is that he’s much more by the Starfleet code of conduct than Kirk. He can seem like a bore in that, if you look at him just from that angle. But the writers did such a great job of bringing levity to the character. It’s not often something that I get asked to play. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, but people keep hiring me to point a gun and snarl.
He also spoke about Pike’s relationship with Spock:
If Pike has one magic power, it’s his ability to turn the bridge into a bigger brain, and you can only do that from a place of egoless-ness, which is the thing I love the most about Christopher Pike. It’s fascinating because Ethan told me that he thinks that Spock looks at Pike as a big brother type, and that he values the friendship, and I said, “Wow, I’m not sure Pike knows that. I think Spock probably keeps that bottled up.” And he said, “Oh, absolutely! Absolutely, he keeps it bottled up.” I think that Spock is maybe Pike’s most valuable resource because of his ability to look at things so coldly. He is dependable, in his ability to give a different viewpoint, every time, and he is unafraid to do so because he considers it part of his job. So, I think that Pike really tries to cultivate the friendship, and he thinks that Spock is confused by the concept of friendship, but he’s really not.
Saru’s workplace advice
CBS released (as did Netflix) another one of their cute videos of a fictional character from Discovery offering real-life advice:
#KlingonLife
Some fun behind-the-scenes moments with the Klingon characters have been shared on social media recently, including L’Rell actor Mary Chieffo showing how carefully she eats lunch.
Kenneth Mitchell (Kol-Sha) cradling the prop baby from “Point of Light.”
A closer look at the Klingon bassinet
and L’Rell’s new bladed weapons made for Discovery by Walter Klassen FX.
Romijn talks Number One
CBS released a promotional video after last week’s episode which focused on Rebecca Romijn’s debut as Number One.
Filed under TMI: Romijn’s husband is into the Number One look
Speaking of Romijn, Extra covered the actress and her husband hosting a rescue dog show event, where Jerry O’Connell revealed his wife’s new look is really working for him. Watch the segment below.
Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusively in the USA on CBS All Access. It airs in Canada on Space and streams on CraveTV. It is available on Netflix everywhere else. “Saints of Imperfection” will be released on All Access and Space on Thursday, February 14th, 2019, and on Netflix Friday, February 15th, 2019.
I wonder if Gagh is vegan.
Gagh is made of worms, so it could not possibly be vegan.
Aw man, you should have gone for the “Now that’s a can of worms” joke.
[slow applause] I’ll let you take that glory. :)
Cruz: “This fanbase is deep and wide and passionate and they aren’t afraid of letting us know what works and what doesn’t work. And I think our job is to listen. As long as you come to us in a respectful way, we are open to hearing that.”
Well, that last sentence rules out quite a few regulars on the different boards I browse.
That is the thing I expect most from fans, respectful criticism. For the most part, that is what we see on Trekmovie.com and that is what makes it such a great forum for discussion. Of course like any show, Discovery too has its issues. When fans provide legit criticism, then it is wise for the producers to listen. The problem often is trying to determine what is legit and what is not. What is sad is when you go to a social media forum like a few of the Youtube sites where all they do is spew venom and hate for Discovery, sites that for the most part attract vile and disrespectful posts which delegitimizes a few possible good critiques. Fortunately there are sites like Trekmovie.com so fans like myself don’t have to wade through garbage in order to listen to thoughtful fans both praise and criticize Discovery.
Yep, Midnight’s Edge, Doomc*ck, Dave Cullan, and Nerdrotic are some of the worst perpetrators on Yutube ( though there are many more ) – they don’t just criticise – they blatantly make up false stories and clickbait videos such as “Discovery to be Cancelled” “Discovery does ‘Mansplaining'”, etc.
Worst episode thus far (Saints of Imperfection). I gave the new series a chance and it just keeps getting more stupid. Producers are not listening to their fan base. Good-by Star Trek…
But I’m sure you’ll still watch it and you’ll still come here and to other boards to complain about how much hate the show!
Will Jerry O’Connell appear in Section 31? You’ll never guess his secret identity.
I saw what you did there.
Jerry O’Connell slides between the Mirrorverse and other realites in section 31 :-)
Don’t buy it, never heard of producers listening to fans.
Bob, I agree that producers ought not listen to the fans. But many of the changes made have come to address fan complaints. Are you saying this is just a coincidence?
I. Was. Kidding!
Understood. Now.
Regarding listening to the fans… The following comment contradicts that.
“We are presenting to you the show we always wanted to make.”
So is it what they wanted to make or were they listening to the fans? Or was this version of the show the one they REALLY wanted to make? If so then why did they make that trainwreck of a first season the way they did? Is this what the NEW producers want? Or did “listening” to the fans happen to coincide with what they always wanted to make?
And about Culber… For this to work what they get back cannot be original Culber. It’s got to be some sort of mycedial agent or something pretending to be Culber or something else that just looks like him. Real Culber had his neck snapped.
His body might be reproduced – remember Spock was “regenerated” by the Genesis wave. He’s not the “real” Spock either.
While both are sci-fi poppycock, the Spock resurrection has a reasoning that can be followed. A leads to B which leads to C. None of that existed with the Culber resurrection. Culber’s body is still in the morgue. Or jettisoned into space or whatever it is they do with their dead. If he’s still in the morgue all they need to do to confirm it isn’t him is just to open up that drawer.
SimonTC,
Well that-s the age old philosophical question, since human bodies obviously physically change over time, is there any collection of atoms in any moment that’s more the “real” us than at other moments in our lifespans or is the “real” us just the self organized electrical impulses that “run” on a body’s neural net?
That’s why bringing Shatner back could have worked. Whoopy said even in Generations that one part of her is always in the Nexus. So must be Kirk. I guess they never thought about that.
Michael Hiller
The trouble with that thinking is so is Soran. So how are shadow Kirk, Picard and Guinan keeping shadow Soran from undoing what they undid?
But generally speaking, you are correct, if Picard could use the Nexus to undo hundreds of deaths why would undoing Kirk’s be the one that breaks the Nexus’ back?