CBS has been developing a new Star Trek series centered around Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Georgiou character for two years. And now one actor that has been expected to be part of it is dropping a few new details on the status of this possible “Section 31” project.
Latif’s Section 31 rumblings
Before season two of Star Trek: Discovery CBS announced development for a new series which “will expand on Yeoh’s current role as a member of Starfleet’s Section 31 division.” During season two, Yeoh’s Mirror Georgiou character recruited Shazad Latif’s Lt. Tyler (formerly Voq the Klingon) into Section 31, and at the end of the season Tyler was left behind in the 23rd century, apparently to pick up the pieces of what was left of the shadowy organization. Although never officially stated, it has been assumed that if a Section 31 show went forward, Latif is likely to return.
Now in a new interview with the UK’s Digital Spy promoting his new movie the British actor is offering a brief update on the possible Section 31 show. From their report:
[Latif] teased that there have been “slight rumblings” when it comes to the Michelle Yeoh-led spin-off…
“It’s just been slight yeses, slight questions, but I’ve no idea. I think it’s down to people’s schedules.”
Shazad Latif (Tyler/Voq) and Michelle Yeoh (Georgiou) in season two of Star Trek: Discovery
Even though there was no mention of the show during February’s big ViacomCBS investor day, which touted the five current Star Trek series in active production, Latif’s comments indicate the Section 31 series is still a distinct possibility. While Paramount+ hasn’t officially put the show on its future schedule for Star Trek, executive producer Alex Kurtzman did say this year it is still being discussed, and last year he touted the work being done by the writers’ room, led by showrunners Erika Lippoldt and Bo Yeon Kim.
Although Latif didn’t name her specifically, the most important schedule for the show would be for star Michelle Yeoh. The actress is in high demand and has been working with James Cameron on multiple Avatar sequels, which are still currently in production. She has also worked on numerous other projects in the last two years and is attached to multiple future projects, including a recently announced Netflix movie with Laurence Fishburne.
However, since her Emperor Georgiou exited Star Trek: Discovery dramatically through the Guardian of Forever during the third season, Michelle Yeoh has talked up her return to the franchise. On a recent episode of the official Star Trek podcast, Yeoh teased she will be back, saying “my executive producers and showrunners and writers have a lot more things in store for such an amazing character.”
Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou with the Guardian of Forever (aka Carl) and Micheal Burnham in “Terra Firma, Part 1”
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I wonder if they have thought of changing the series into the upcoming movie.
Ooh, that’s an interesting idea I’d never considered!
This has been suggested by at least one other poster here. One problem I see with that idea is that they couldn’t rely only on the Discovery audience to carry a movie. So that means that they couldn’t rely on people knowing her background. They would basically need to introduce Georgiou as a new character and give her some kind of origin story within the movie. Of course, that would probably be retreading common ground for people who have actually watched Discovery.
I’ve been suggesting that Georgiou take a trip to the Kelvin Universe.
She could team up with one or two of the Kelvin Movie cast, and bring together the audiences while building momentum for an eventual streaming series.
No.
I would hope not. Mostly because if TPTB really want to explore Section 31, they need to spend more time on it than a mere movie. It would be way, way to easy to make a Star Trek S31 movie nothing more than a CIA crime thriller, completely missing the point of what S31 was to the Federation (something the writers already seemed to miss in Disco Season 2).
We already got a S31 movie, it was STID!
Good point, and we all know how that turned out…
If Tyler might be coming back, I guess Carl sent her back to the 23rd century.
Why didn’t Karl just send her back to her original universe? It’s where she belongs morally.
I think because the GoF knew she could be in trouble or killed there if she did go back. The entire reason she was brought to the PU is because they were trying to kill her.
The reason she was brought over was because Burnham, in a fit of illogic and emotion, foolishly and needlessly brought her back with her. The GoF doesn’t care who lives and dies. But one would think that at the very least the device/being would realize what universe a living organism belonged to.
But then, The Star Trek Discovery people completely changed what the GoF could do for their own ends. Like, “Hey, lets make the GoF able to not just be a master of time and space but be a link between all the multiverse as well.” So I guess that’s as good an explanation as any.
Well we agree on that.
But Discovery is not the first show to retcon something in Star Trek as we know, far from it. Maybe one of the worse at it, but not the first. ;D
And I don’t have any real issues with they did with Carl/GoF. I just think this direction is more interesting.
I think Tiger2 means she was brought back to the PU by Carl because if she stayed she would be killed (as we saw happen) – not the original reason why Georgiou was brought to the PU (which yes, was a stupid decision by Burnham…and the writers).
As far as the GoF, outside of “City on the Edge of Forever” and “Yesteryear,” there isn’t any other canon on what the GoF can and cannot do. We learned very little about it during those episodes (which I’m sure was intentional), so I don’t really feel like the writers changed anything or violated any canon, but simply expanded on something we knew very little about.
Well, in City the GoF didn’t seem to give a damn that Edith Keeler lived or died. (or anyone else as a result of the changed history) So why would the GoF care if Space Hitler lived or died?
And yes, it was not established that the GoF could NOT link different universes. But I find that kind of reasoning to be problematic at best. It can be used to explain away pretty much the most absurd things. One could say that Scotty in his spare time sold Ice Cream in the mess hall only because there was absolutely nothing to suggest he didn’t.
So, sorry. Using the Guardian the way they did in my book is absolutely a major canon violation. Honestly they would have been better served coming up with their own means of moving from Prime to Mirror and back again. This just goes back to my conclusion that these writers aren’t a good fit for Star Trek.
But major canon violations is already par for the course for Discovery lol.
And no offense but the reasoning that they can add something new because it didn’t conflict what we knew before is kind of what Star Trek, especially Discovery does, is it not?
You seem to be the one to argue giving Spock a sister after 50 years ISN’T absurd because no one ever said he didn’t have a sister. How is this not the same thing? You may find it absurd but others can live with it because they can simply justify it just like they can with Spock and Burnham (and most likely most of those people have problem with neither).
And unlike Spock. GOF was just in two episodes and depending on who you talk to TAS is not considered canon (or wasn’t, whatever) so it’s really just COTEOF that matters. But yes, this is not a new thing and how writers add to canon with old characters, species or concepts in the first place.
Another example (and probably the best) is the Borg who has been retcon again and again starting with literally the second episode. When they first showed up in Q Who, the didn’t assimilate people. That was not the original intention. They were just suppose to be their own unique species who goes around assimilating technology to better themselves. But then BOBW showed up and that was added that they assimilated both technology and people because nothing in Q Who said they couldn’t do that. That in itself could be considered a major canon violation, but of course it was just one episode and since they changed that just a year later no one cared and it’s been that way since.
But then seven years after that someone added a Borg Queen out of nowhere….and it’s been way ever since too.
And then six years after THAT, someone decided Starfleet first encounter with the Borg wasn’t actually in the 24th century but in the 22nd century and it’s been THAT way ever since too.
So yeah, this is just how Star Trek works, how it always worked frankly. I get it bothers people but NONE of this is etched in stone either. It’s still all fiction at the end of the day. It’s only ‘canon’ until the next writer shows up and says ‘not so fast’. The question is how well can they retcon something that at least feels organic enough to believe that change was really always there and that seems to be 50-50 at best.
But with Discovery, it’s definitely a much less success rate so far. ;D
I argue that Spock having an adoptive sister argument is not the same. There was already precedent that Spock is silent about his family to even his closest friends. So while I think it’s a bad creative decision, it doesn’t really violate canon. But the GoF is an entirely different matter. They flat out added something to it that not only wasn’t there before but there was no indication that it even could be. Granted it’s still POSSIBLE it could be. But I would argue it’s not a reasonable extension of what the Guardian is so far as the audience knows.
Your Borg argument is a much better one. And is a very valid point. And even I when I try to justify my position it sounds weak to my own ears.
So I admit to my own inconsistency there. Mainly because I just think lower of TNG so I allow them more leeway when it comes to them changing things. Sorry. That’s not really a fair response, I know. But there it is. :)
As I said OTHERS can justify it. That’s all. Just like you don’t have an issue with Spock having a sister, many many do. Same with GoF, because it’s been 800 years since we last saw it, so for many they can simply tell themselves it changed its M.O. You can’t, fine, but you just admitted yourself it still possible, so yeah. It doesn’t take much and its an entity we know very very little about outside of a few lines it told us in one episode. Well that was 800 years from Discovery perspective, so for whatever reason it changed, which we already know the Temporal Wars was part of that reason.
And yes not liking another show as much is not a real excuse lol. End of the day it’s all fiction. My only advise is just accept things get retcon in Trek all the time and nothing is out of reach anymore. I can see Q getting retcon himself in Picard next season. It may not happen, but I won’t be shocked it if does. ;)
I’ll just say that possible and reasonable are two different things.
And yes, I know this is all fiction. I’m just going with what looks reasonable based on the little info we got.
I was gonna bring up the Borg re: changing canon vs. expanding canon, but Tiger2 beat me to it.
Another example I was thinking of was the Vulcan Katra. The Katra wasn’t mentioned until Star Trek III, but once it became a thing it was always a thing. (To the point that in the TOS episode “Return to Tomorrow” it has essentially been retconned that Nurse Chapel was carrying Spock’s Katra – not just his conscience). Did you find the introduction of the Katra as a canon violation?
There’s also the entire Klingon culture being based on honor, something that isn’t really mentioned in TOS and doesn’t become a true defining characteristic until TNG – which then become part of canon and is mentioned on more than one occasion in Enterprise.
There are countless other examples, but it all leads to the same conclusion: expanding upon canon is in Star Trek’s DNA. Hell, it’s not just Star Trek, most long running fiction stories (whether it be TV, movies or books) expand upon what has come before, and sometimes outright contradict it, when a change behooves the story.
No, I do not consider the Katra thing to be a canon violation. There is a difference between a huge stretch like McCoy cooked meth and sold it on the black market when he wasn’t working on that weeks’ medical emergency and coming up with a new aspect of Vulcan physiology. Especially one that blends so easily in with something that came before, as you said with Sargon. To me, and this is subjective, I know, it comes down to what is reasonable. Katras popping up in SFS is reasonable. The GoF suddenly caring about deaths when it didn’t in it’s other appearance and suddenly able to be a portal to other dimensions when it didn’t show that before just doesn’t fly with me. It’s not a reasonable extension. I think if it could show other universes it would have come up at some point when Spock & Kirk were talking to about about what it was and how it displays yesterday.
The Klingon culture thing is also reasonable because we got next to nothing about Klingon culture in TOS. Which honestly left the door wide open for fleshing that out in TNG and DS9 and such. And quite frankly nothing they did seemed like it severely contradicted anything we saw on TOS. In fact, the only thing that I feel was a TOS era Klingon mistake was in WoK and SFS. First in WoK they spoke of a Klingon neutral zone for the first time. I felt it weird that never came up before. It was always a Romulan thing. And of course, SFS giving the Klingons a cloak. Which we know was a result of changing from Romulans to Klingons. But also I feel like a culture so high on “honor” would shun something sneaky like a cloaking device. And the lines used to explain that in TNG and DS9 I felt were pretty weak excuses. But, meh…
Fair enough. I feel we learned very little about the GoF in those two appearances (one which’s canon is still somewhat debated), so adding additional aspects to what it can do didn’t really bother me (if anything I actually liked the changes), nor did it seem like a canon violation.
With that being said, after our rather lengthy discussion in a previous thread, to each their own ;)
Exactly, writers add to things that wasn’t always there. Many times it can fit fine when we still don’t know everything about a species, but other times it does conflict with previous knowledge and where it can get them into trouble. Either way all these are examples of either retcons or just major development changes to service the story they are telling in that episode or movie.
You bring up The Search for Spock and the Katras. But that’s where we also find out Klingons had cloaking technology for the first time. Now, it doesn’t conflict with anything because they never straight out said they didn’t or couldn’t. But we know production wise they were suppose to be Romulans in the original story, but this is 1984, no one is thinking that hard about it lol. So now Klingons simply have cloaking technology and from that point on it’s simply accepted.
And then of course, back to the main show being discussed, Discovery, goes even farther with it by suggesting they had cloaking technology even before TOS. Is it a canon violation, probably, but it’s easier to overlook it when we see them with this technology for over 30 years now, so its not a huge deal. And as said, nowhere does it say Klingons DON’T have cloaking technology in the TOS era, so you just shrug and move on as many fans did. It’s just part of their continued development even if it still conflicts in a way.
This is just what Star Trek does. I’m not trying to excuse it so much as just point out the reality. The question is how much of the changes is big enough for fans to accept the changes and to be honest, that’s always going to be half the fanbase no matter what lol.
But with Discovery and GoF, this is not something we seen done much worse in other shows and films, so I have zero issues with it.
You keep using the, “nowhere did it show or say they ‘didn’t’ have cloaking tech” type of argument. I consider that a slippery slope because it can pretty much explain ANYTHING no matter how crazy. Like my earlier McCoy sells meth on the black market example. From my point of view that argument only works with reasonable or logical extensions. The Klingons using a cloak I do not consider reasonable or logical based on their previous appearances. Ultimately it was just lazy writing as no one wanted to change things up when the studio wanted Klingons instead of Romulans. I recall watching SFS in the theater thinking “what the hell? Since when do Klingons have cloaking tech?”
I don’t think Carl deemed Georgiou morally clean if you will, just that the options where to a.) keep her where she is and let her die an agonizingly painful death, b.) send her back to the MU where she will end up dead as well, or c.) send her back to a point where the PU and MU where closer together so she at least has a fighting change to live. The whole point of Carl sending her back to the MU was for her to be “weighed,” and after said weighing, option c.) was the only viable option.
But this goes back to another question pointed out earlier. Why does the GoF care if Space Hitler lives or dies when it didn’t seem to care in any way shape or form in the other instances it appeared? It’s a sudden shift in behavior for no reason and makes no sense. Once again, if the writers needed Georgeau to be “weighed” they should have used some other means besides using something from canon that they had to alter to make do the things they needed to happen.
In the immortal words of Randy Jackson: “Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me, Dawg.”
Wise words.
I just can’t imagine a show about Georgiou, Tyler and Section 31 being great. I will watch it if it’s made because I’m a fan, but Yeoh’s acting was the weakest on Discovery, her character was all over the place, a Klingon being in Section 31 makes no sense, and both Section 31 and the mirror universe have been done to death so a show about both is a recipe for failure, in my opinion. Others may disagree and that’s fine, but I don’t foresee this working. I’ll be very happy and admit I’m wrong, though, if it turns out to be a good show, because despite my lack of faith in it, I do want it to succeed. I always want Star Trek to succeed so I can have more of it.
The way you describe it I can’t either. But I can envision several scenarios where a Georgiou/Tyler led S31 show could be great. My favorite being that they are recruited by someone like (but not necessarily) Captain Braxton or Kovich, to go on Quantum-Leap-Style episodic adventures correcting time travel and alternate reality mishaps. Perhaps the mission is to erase the Temporal Wars from existence.
They could be joined by characters from Trek past, present, future, and alternate timelines, plucked Millennium style out of their timelines the moment before their deaths.
In fact, forget the Section 31 part. Just have a straight up Department of Temporal Investigations show with time travel, guest stars, and fun adventure!
Now THAT I could get behind. Yes.
Who’s to say Braxton wasn’t Section 31?
Same. I would prefer a Temporal investigations show over a S31 one easily.
Also starring Scott Bakula.
And Dean Stockwell.
There are many of us that never want to see Bakula near a Trek property again after his performance in Enterprise.
I’m certainly one.
Besides his acting skills on the mirror universe, he was great.
Yeah I loved Archer. I thought Bakula was fine. I never had an issue with him but I never had an issue with any of t he captains although it took awhile to really like Picard in the beginning.
There are many of us who want Quantum Leap to happen again and don’t care if he is tricked into it.
I don’t think Scott Bakula was bad, he was just woefully miscast as a Kirk-like Captain.
Bakula excels when playing dramatic roles, particularly in moments of pathos. He just doesn’t have that kind of presence to be a strong, commanding military type. It’s exactly WHY he was so good in Quantum Leap, a dramatic emotional show, and even did well when “inhabiting” strong commanding lead types, specifically BECAUSE he felt out of place in that character.
I wouldn’t mind his return to something in Trek. But it would have to be the right part. He was badly miscast as Archer.
Yeah, Guardians of Forever… Bring it on, Carl!
This has the benefit of almost acting as a quasi-Trek history lesson show, exploring the universe we diehard fans know, to both introduce it to new audiences and tickle nostalgia for you and me. Re-reading my own comment, it bears a resemblance to the concept behind “Trials and Tribble-ations”.
Yeoh is the best thing in this serie. Even Pike was worse. And Lorca at the end with this fate stupid idea. I like bad side of Georgiou but yes I prefer good Georgiou as main capitan and hero of DSC.
Georgiou becomes the Future “Guy”!
I read somewhere that Archer was the Future Guy.
That was one of the options they discussed according to Brannon Braga, but he said that they never really decided who or what Future Guy was. It is one of the frustrating loose ends of Enterprise that will never be resolved.
And fans today gripe about show runners not planning out their arcs… He went in to create the Future Guy, and even the Season 3 cliffhanger, with no idea what he would do with them…
In fact if I recall, BOBW part 1 was written without any idea of how they would get out of that sticky situation.
That’s a very different situation. A season ending cliffhanger is not exactly the same as planning out a full on 13 episode story. I believe that the BOBW writer was just trying to write a good cliffhanger. He thought it was unlikely he would be back the next season so he figured the problem was going to get dealt with by some other writer. But I promise you if that same writer was going to write a full season story arc, he would map out a beginning, middle and end.
All situations are different, that’s life ML31. No two examples will ever be a truly equal comparison.
But it quite correctly illustrates that not planning out multi-episode stories properly is not a new phenomenon in Trek. ENT did it particularly horrifically, as the storyline was essentially abandoned, and when they briefly addressed it later it was not at all a satisfactory conclusion.
I think DS9 did it the best. Not only in execution, but in hearing Ira Behr over the years– they had a clear path from A, to B, to C, to D, but kept enough flexibility to be able to alter the story if something popped up that was or wasn’t working.
Hating on a show that doesn’t exist yet. Typical Trekkie.
I agree!!!
I think Yeoh’s a good actor, but yeah – the writing for the character was pretty terrible.
I feel like I’d watch this assuming it would be terrible while hoping it would get better.
Hard to disagree. I feel there is just so much wrong with this show going in. Based on what we saw they did to Section 31 particularly. I was never much of a fan but what Secret Hideout changed them into is way worse than what we saw on DS9 and Enterprise. Now I’m not going to say that the concept itself is not a good one. I myself am not particularly keen on S31 but if done right there could be some potential there. But it would certainly not involve an MU Pol Pot on a road to “redemption” (or fall from her perspective) nor would it involve a Section 31 with their own identifying badges, their own fleet and their own hyper advanced tech.
I think we’ll see it eventually.
I’d rather see Tyler return in Strange New Worlds. I’m hoping Georgiou ends up in a different time period if she gets a series/limited series/streaming film.
Go away Tyler, go away.
I would love to see Tyler come back on Star Trek discovery series 4. I’ve not watched the show since the end of series 2. Ash Tyler is complicated, I like complicated.
Booker is like a comfortable shoe you know what your getting.
But I don’t know how he can show up on Discovery now. It would have to be some Q/GoF/Carl shenanigans’ to get him into the 32nd century and then for what? What possible reason would he need to be there?
I think it would just be simpler to bring him on to SNW. Especially since we know he is leading S31 in this era, another reason why it would be odd for him to leave it.
Well, they can go the Michael Dorn route and make him play one of his descendants.
Hmm….not bad!
I think it will come eventually, but I doubt it will be set in a timeline where Tyler would realistically show up.
Perhaps but remember Klingons and voq’s son have the time Crystal.
And they could always use the trope of casting the same actor to play the son so Shazad Latif could also return as the son.
If they do time travel / timelines, I really hope they’ll do an Ash Tyler / Janel Tyler crossover with The Orville. I’d like to listen to that conversation about the Tylers discussing their human undercover experience…
COVID screwed up the Schedule.
I wonder if they’re going to work on this in the background until Picard ends? I recall reading somewhere that the plan is for that to last three seasons. Then they would have a replacement series already in progress.
I would think Paramount+ would like to get to the point where there’s a Trek series on close to year-round so people like me don’t continue to cancel their sub between Trek shows. Four shows, each running 10-13 weeks, gets them pretty close to that sweet spot with a few open weeks to keep everything from running back-to-back-to-back-to-back.
Actually Akiva Goldsman said in an interview a few months ago that Picard can go 5 or more seasons now. I’ve always said the 3 season thing was probably just the minimum they expected to go and anything beyond will probably just be up to Stewart and obviously if the viewership is healthy enough. But clearly it must be if they are shooting seasons 2 and 3 together.
But I do think it will be either Picard or Discovery that goes first. In Discovery case, it’s just the oldest so naturally it could end the soonest unless it’s just doing a lot better than the others.
DSC and PIC are two completely different beasts. DSC is an epic spanning an entire millennium now. There is so much potential in that future AND in the spore drive! They could start exploring all new galaxies with that technology.
PIC on the other hand seemed to me like a mere afterthought. Sir Patrick is about 80 years now so I guess he won’t continue acting to film 5 seasons. I could have lived with only one season of PIC. Not because it was completely bad (which it wasn’t, just lackluster in some aspects), but because it doesn’t have too much potential.
If they want to continue the TNG era, they should do Paramount+ reunion movies twice a year…for all three shows!
I’m not sure how PIC can be considered an ‘afterthought’? And it’s been one season, the show, like Discovery, can literally be anything they want it to be because it doesn’t really have a set premise beyond what we saw in first season.
And Q is coming back. With his presence alone they can do literally anything they want with the show. And since we now know he’s in both seasons 2 and 3 they probably plan go big with it.
Now that said, sadly PIC is currently my least favorite show, so yeah it lacked a lot lol. But I don’t know how it has any less potential than any show out there. They can basically do whatever they want with it, add any characters, etc. It’s really hard to say until we know exactly what season 2 is about although we do know it has something to do with time travel at least.
But you have to consider the fact that the Picard show is literally what Patrick Stewart wants it to be. I mean yeah, it has potential if done right, but in the end most of the decisions on where the show goes lies with Stewart as he made this clear before accepting the offer to return.
Kinda sorta. I don’t think the story arc was dreamed up by Stewart. I think they pitched him the idea (but most likely they gave him many bags with $ signs on them) and he was on board with it. He very well may have veto power over things. But that doesn’t mean he’s exactly running the show. He may very well be OK with things they do but he’s not telling them specifically, “I want this and this to happen to Picard.”
You always bring up the money thing which I don’t understand why? Yes, I’m sure getting paid to do the show was a factor like anyone in a career, I don’t think that was his main drive to do it or he would’ve just signed on to whatever they wanted to do. He clearly did it first because the premise in general appealed to him and why he was willing to play Picard again.
Its no different than Nimoy coming out of retirement to do the Kelvin movies. I’m sure they paid him well even for the brief time he was in the first film but it was probably the story that appealed to him first and foremost that convinced him it was worth doing (even if others here disagree with that).
I bring up the money because it just feels like it was a pretty large reason why. Especially since he has reportedly been asked multiple times to come back and play Picard again. It seems unlikely that every pitch to him was “come back and play Picard on the bridge of the Enterprise again”. It is more likely that in at least SOME of the offers they suggested Picard in a different light or way. Which is what he says he would be interested in. It’s just common sense. Sure, I admit it very well could be that he wasn’t interested in the other pitches regardless of salary. But if I were a betting man I would wager that the offered payment was substantial enough that he was willing to come back.
I would think that Nimoy, in addition to being interested in the KU take on things, also came back for a fairly sizeable paycheck. Although we do know he was not interested in his “walk on” appearance for Generations. That right there could have been $ related, too. I think we do know that Shatner didn’t do the Enterprise job because it came down to pay. They just couldn’t afford to budget for Shatner’s appearance.
But that’s the point, if he’s been asked multiple times to play him and turned it down, then it doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with money directly as I’m sure he’s been offered ton of money in the past. Yes, they could’ve had other idea with Picard but it doesn’t mean it appealed to him to come back. Or maybe he was just too busy to want to do another TV show again. Or yes maybe at the time he just didn’t want to play Picard again because he wanted to do other things. But it’s been nearly 20 years now and he’s been able to shed the Picard persona and do a wide range of roles.
Either way, I just don’t think it matters. Actors like Stewart are no longer hurting for work (or money since according to Google he’s worth around $70 million) and he clearly picks roles that appeal to him. But yes I’m sure getting paid is kind of a factor, like EVERY job out there is.
Tom Cruise clearly loves what he does and the Mission Impossible movies has become his passion project. I’m sure the humongus paychecks he gets making them is a factor obviously, but clearly he loves that character and the crazy things he is allowed to do on them that keeps him coming back. He’s so dedicated to those movies on an almost obsessive level. And its a character he’s been playing for over 20 years now. Stewart seems to have the same affection for Picard and Star Trek, I don’t think its money alone because like Cruise he makes money doing pretty much any role these days.
But yes of course money IS a factor as it should be because it’s still a job and a very busy one if you are the lead role.
Yeah OK, but how does that make it an ‘afterthought’?? I don’t really understand this point? It will be like every Trek show in the sense it will have its own storyline, purpose and guide the franchise in a certain direction based on what happens in it. And it’s obvious they not only sunk mucho dinero with it, my guess is they are going to use it to set up future spin off shows or characters whenever this show is done.
And I don’t think Stewart has complete control or anything. Far from it in fact. He literally said in the final episode of the season in the Ready Room to Wil Wheaton that he had no idea what second season was going to even be about and they were already writing it. Which was odd statement given not only is the show based around him, he’s also one of the executive producers and was still in the dark about it.
I think what ML31 said makes the most sense, he doesn’t have direct approval of what the story is, but probably has some veto power on certain elements in it, but still not everything. That was also made clear when he said in an interview he was surprised how much cursing was in the show which sounded like he didn’t approve of it, but it was out of his hands. It sounds like he approved of the basic premise of the show that got him on board but the story itself is still in other hands.
So end of the day it sounds like its still the show runner, Kurtzman and of course CBS who has most of the control over it…for better or for worse.
Of course, I can’t speak to what exactly the other posters mean by “PIC being an afterthought”. One interpretation I could think of is: Picard as a character has always been defined mostly by his role as a Starfleet Captain. Well, that’s gone now. He retired years ago and (based on season 1) it seems Starfleet Command wasn’t too sad to see him leave. So the show is basically about what comes after Picard’s life (as in his career, purpose) is over. By the end of season 1 he may have found a new purpose in life, but with his biological body dying, some might argue that we’re now literally past the end of his life.
OK I guess you can sort of look at it story wise that the character doesn’t have the clout he had in the glorious TNG days when he was Starfleet captain of the flag ship and kind of just out there doing his thing. But clearly he’s still doing some pretty big stuff even as an elderly civilian by literally stopping an A.I. invasion force from taking over the galaxy and all (which ironically all the Romulans were trying to do as well but their way was a bit more dirty).
Maybe that’s the point of the story but its still a weird argument for the show itself. But until Garth comes back to explain it more (or at least discuss the points I brought up) I won’t over think it.
I’m not surprised it’s coming down to Yeoh’s availability. Par+ wants her as a star, strictly for the Asian markets. If Anson Mount held out for some (rightfully deserved)$$$ to do SNW, Yeoh may be doing the same. I’ll watch what they eventually produce, and like I’ve always tried to do, watch with an open mind. I’m just not excited about the whole concept, yet. I was OVER the moon when SNW was announced. I was about the same for Picard. I’m (for the most part) enjoying DSC. I quite like LDS, for what it is.
Section 31? If it never gets made, I won’t miss it. I’ll feel badly for Shazad as I like him as an actor. I’d have enjoyed seeing him for 10-12 weeks.
Feel much the same dennycranium.
But I liked how Georgiou evolved as a character in the Discovery S3 Mirror Universe episodes and am sincerely intrigued by the possibilities for where she will go next.
Well said TG47. I really liked how Georgiou evolved on Season 3. It took me back to a wiser Prime Universe Georgiou.
“ Par+ wants (Yeoh) as a star, strictly for the Asian markets.” She’s a star globally, as shown by the English language, non-action films she gets cast in.
While I don’t work for CBS, I’m peripherally involved with Star Trek. I can only tell you what I’ve heard. Yes, she’s a worldwide star. CBSAA was talking about launching in Asia, and wanted a Trek show with an Asian lead. I heard THAT from somebody who WORKED for CBS in an official capacity.
If so then it’s actually rather absolutist thinking. But whatever…
Really don’t understand why some think using Yeoh will somehow be a magic wand to reach Asian markets. Makes no sense. Do people really think that viewers in Asian markets will watch some new North American streaming show ONLY because it has an Asian lead? Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.
Didn’t Kurtzman say in an interview not too long ago if the Section 31 show happened, it would mean one of the five shows have to get canceled or just end first? If that’s still the case I don’t see a show happening for a long time, if not years. I mean LDS and PIC seem to each gotten a third season renewal, DIS seems like it’s going strong enough and both SNW and PRO hasn’t even aired their first season yet and PRO already has a two season order. I wouldn’t be shocked if its the same for SNW as well.
All these shows are still very new considering DIS the only show that has aired more than a first season so far. Again if its true, S31 is still probably 2-3 years away minimum if it happens at all.
But I would still like to see Latif come back. I don’t know why he can’t show up in SNW? Both Tyler and L’Rell seem like they can easily show up on that show, especially L’Rell given still being the Klingon chancellor and I’m guessing we will see Klingons again (although its been nice that we gone a few seasons without them on Picard and Discovery season 3). Anyway, hope to see them on SNW at least at some point.
S31 needs to happen. It is actually one of my favorite things about trek. I never truly bought the idea that the UFP created a paradise or maintains peace without getting it’s hands done.
We do what we do so you can do what you do!
Please bring Tyler and Georgiou! Love the black ops stuff.
Dirty not done lol.
“Philippa, this is Ash Tyler. Can you hear me?”
The ratings suck for discovery. Why make another show?
Which ratings are you talking about? Nobody knows what Discovery’s numbers are on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) or Netflix. While some people may argue that CBS All Access simply cannot afford to cancel the show because they don’t have a lot of Originals the same certainly cannot be said about Netflix. Discovery must be doing reasonably well for Netflix if they keep financing the show.
Ratings for Discovery’s 1st season re-run on CBS (the broadcast TV station) were indeed not too good but the show has already been paid for.
The reason there is talk about more shows tells you exactly that CBS expects that them to make money.
To be fair, no one outside of P+ really know how many times the show has been streamed. Although I think it reasonable to suggest it’s probably one of the most streamed programs on P+. Of course a 2,000′ peak in the middle of a plain looks like a mountain until you compare it to 10,000′ peaks of other ranges elsewhere…
Stop trolling. And we have no idea what the ratings are for Discovery since nothing has ever been released. And clearly they are doing well enough if they are on season 4 right? It doesn’t mean its amazing but we don’t know how good/bad it is either way.
Well, there have been “rumblings” about this show for years now. I’m questioning how much they really want to do this show at this point.
I think a Section 31 show could be really interesting, if done right. But based on the S31 we saw in Discovery, I don’t trust the writers to do it right.