Here's every major reveal from the SDCC 2020 Star Trek panel. Right about now, San Diego should be a utopia of geekdom - a city of elaborate cosplay, celebrities of film and TV and some juicy news about forthcoming releases. Due to the current global pandemic, that isn't happening, but SDCC have found a way to bring the comic con fun directly to fans in these strange times with SDCC At Home. The event includes a series of pre-recorded panels with (almost) all of the usual shows and stars.
Thursday morning's big attraction was the hour-long Star Trek panel covering all of CBS' forthcoming TV projects. Included were Star Trek: Discovery, which is currently gearing up for its third season, Star Trek: Picard, in the process of developing season 2, and Lower Decks, due to premiere next month. The panel also revealed that the previously announced animated Star Trek series on Nickelodeon would be titled Star Trek: Prodigy.
Given the low-key nature of the panel compared to regular SDCC years, it's perhaps not surprising that the Star Trek session didn't include the usual big trailer released and seismic announcements, but with so much going on in the world of Trek on CBS: All Access, there was still plenty to digest for each of the three main shows.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 3
- The Star Trek: Discovery panel begins with a cast script reading from the season 2 finale, complete with concept art and early CGI.
- Many of the core Discovery cast are proud of the show's political and social leanings, seeing the series as a continuation of what came before, but still taking a new approach. This is interesting, as William Shatner recently argued that Star Trek wasn't originally a political story. Mary Wiseman makes the point that Discovery doesn't assume the work is done in terms of diversity - an interesting parallel to Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision, but one that better fits with the modern world.
- Continuing that notion, the panel makes it very clear that Star Trek: Discovery season 3 will be heavy in political themes.
- Olatunde Osunsanmi, director of the season 2 finale two-part episode, picked the final scene of "Such Sweet Sorrow" on the bridge of the Enterprise as his favorite, defining moment of the season.
- Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) will continue to seek balance between the "forces that rage within" her in season 3.
- Doug Jones claims that Saru leaving his sister and home world behind was the hardest thing his character has ever had to do, but the actor also hints that Kelpian race will play a further role in season 3.
- Michelle Yeoh believes Mirror Georgiou will go into Discovery season 3 "very pissed off" with Burnham, but that the Terran Empress will adapt to the future as quickly as she did to the prime universe.
- Anthony Rapp reveals that Stamets and Culber's relationship will continue to grow in Discovery's third season, but alludes to a theme of family. Could the couple be getting a child of some kind? Wilson Cruz claims he much prefers the reborn Culber to the original character.
- Despite travelling centuries into the future, Mary Wiseman confirms Tilly's journey towards Starfleet captaincy will continue.
- Ethan Peck sees Michael Burnham's influence as vital in Spock embracing his human side ahead of the previously announced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series. Meanwhile, Captain Pike will be struggling alone with the foresight of his future accident, suggesting that he'll be reluctant to let his crew in when the new show begins.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
- Mike McMahan reassures fans that Star Trek: Lower Decks will not "break canon." An interesting comment to make given that Star Trek: Discovery (and to a lesser extent Star Trek: Picard) were both accused of exactly that.
- A clip from episode 1 expands on the "captain's log" moment from the recent Lower Decks trailer. The episode revolves around the crew of the Cerritos making "second contact" with the Galadonian high council. Second contact apparently involves all the admin first contact ignores. The scene also includes Romulan whisky and a Klingon Bat'leth, which prove to be a bad combination.
- Tawny Newsome describes her character, Beckett, as someone who jokes around, but only because she's so far ahead of everyone else around her, whereas Jack Quaid claims his Ensign Boimler is a well-meaning Starfleet fanboy.
- Ensign Tendi is said to be super-excited at everything around her, Rutherford is the smart tech guy with a wealth of knowledge. Fred Tatasciore reveals that Lieutenant Shaxs is a security officer inclined to shoot anything that moves. Jack Ransom sounds like the most controversial character in Lower Decks in terms of edgy, near-the-knuckle dialogue, whereas Dr. T'Ana could potentially be McCoy amped up to 11.
- The holodeck is going to be a big feature in Star Trek: Lower Decks, but CBS really don't want spoilers to leak before the August premiere.
- McMahan is hoping the animation and comedy of Lower Decks could please existing Star Trek fans while acting as a gateway that brings newbies into the franchise.
Star Trek: Picard
- Patrick Stewart talks up the success of Star Trek: Picard season 1, while admitting that the first half was a period of adjustment. It seems the legendary actor has found a groove ahead of season 2.
- Alison Pill (Dr. Jurati) talks up the more mature nature of Star Trek: Picard that the advent of streaming has opened up to the franchise.
- Evan Evagora (Elnor) shares a harrowing, cringe-worthy tale of his first meeting with Patrick Stewart, in which he responded to his co-star's first introduction with "good, thanks."
- Isa Briones (Dahj/Soji) reveals that going into Star Trek: Picard she had no idea that her role as Soji would involve playing multiple characters.
- Jeri Ryan was delighted with Seven of Nine's progression in Star Trek: Picard, having never thought she'd reprise the role after Voyager. Ryan also claims the feedback has been hugely positive thus far.
- Marina Sirtis (Troi) highlights Jonathan Del Arco's Hugh Borg as one of the best guest stars in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Patrick Stewart wraps up by concluding that, despite reservations, his decision to come back as Picard was the right one, highlighting the evolution of Jean-Luc and the Star Trek world as major factors in his return.
- Brent Spiner believes that the closure on Picard and Data's relationship was already provided by Star Trek: Nemesis, and describes his Picard ending as a "different kind of closure."
- Given a free choice, Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd (Raffi) would take the inclusion and social awareness of the Star Trek universe into the real world.
Star Trek: Lower Decks premieres August 6th on CBS: All Access.