There will really be a Klingon captain as part of the regular cast? I didn't know about that.
But you're probably right about the naval Cold War thing. After all they got Nick Meyer, and he's known to introduce such elements into Star Trek.
"Balance of Terror" is a touchstone for the Discovery story arc
- Thread starter elric428
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There will really be a Klingon captain as part of the regular cast? I didn't know about that.
But you're probably right about the naval Cold War thing. After all they got Nick Meyer, and he's known to introduce such elements into Star Trek.
You mean a gay character? I know about that. I however didn't know about the female admiral, a Klingon captain et al. Is that information also confirmed?
Discovery takes place 10 years before ToS.
Nobody has officially said the crew itself is from 10 years before ToS. I hear in some cultures period presumptions can be considered insensitive. Maybe the dated design of the ship is because they took an old abandoned ship to avoid drawing attention and suspicion, and we're going into a multi-season Trials and Tribble-ations story. Would explain the Klingon captain.
I'm not really suggesting the crew is from the future, just suggesting the notion of “first” in Star Trek is fluid, even without secrecy. Wait, no, I actually am suggesting they are from the future – bring out the pitchforks!
"Balance of Terror" is one of my favorite episodes from my all time favorite TV series! So whether Fuller is speaking about tone, or setting, or themes or actual plot line I am a very happy fan! As far as I'm concerned "Star Trek: Discovery" can't come here soon enough!
Balance of Terror story beat checklist:
.Classic naval Sub chase feel rather than a scifi face-off.
.Crew interaction and intermarrying coupled with the danger of life in space in the 23rd.
.Rampant racism and intolerance from starfleet officers who also aren't easy to control. Stiles insubordination went beyond Spock to even Kirk.
.Crew members acting professional but are not superheroes. Spock's blunder breaking radio silence. Kirk was less flamboyant and more real at this point in the series.
.More complex ship operations. Weapons control as a manned department as opposed to magically being available to the helmsman like later.
.Antagonists are not villains, but enemies with honorable behavior towards their adversaries.
.Real battle tactics rather than just yelling FIRE.
.Antagonist character development.
.Hacking the enemy's systems to see their bridge. Not what they meant then but is applicable as such now.
.History lesson about the Romulan war 100 years prior simplified with cool graphics (for the times).
.Crew and ship safety secondary to maintaining treaty.
.Skirmishes leading to violation of orders.
Variations in levels of tech achievement among species. Romulans had superior firepower but didn't have Warp drive.
There are a lot of cool things in this episode that were steered away from as the show's budget was tightened and focus on the big 3 became prevalent.
.Classic naval Sub chase feel rather than a scifi face-off.
.Crew interaction and intermarrying coupled with the danger of life in space in the 23rd.
.Rampant racism and intolerance from starfleet officers who also aren't easy to control. Stiles insubordination went beyond Spock to even Kirk.
.Crew members acting professional but are not superheroes. Spock's blunder breaking radio silence. Kirk was less flamboyant and more real at this point in the series.
.More complex ship operations. Weapons control as a manned department as opposed to magically being available to the helmsman like later.
.Antagonists are not villains, but enemies with honorable behavior towards their adversaries.
.Real battle tactics rather than just yelling FIRE.
.Antagonist character development.
.Hacking the enemy's systems to see their bridge. Not what they meant then but is applicable as such now.
.History lesson about the Romulan war 100 years prior simplified with cool graphics (for the times).
.Crew and ship safety secondary to maintaining treaty.
.Skirmishes leading to violation of orders.
Variations in levels of tech achievement among species. Romulans had superior firepower but didn't have Warp drive.
There are a lot of cool things in this episode that were steered away from as the show's budget was tightened and focus on the big 3 became prevalent.
I would absolutely love constant references to the Enterprise-era, its characters and situations as might've unfolded during the Romulan War. I find it unlikely any of that will be important to a show set 100 years later, and likewise assume it's the tone of "Balance of Terror" they're going for. Klingon espionage in place of Romulan probably. The asteroid base setting the Discovery launches from, could very well be part of another Neutral Zone defense system. One between the Federation and that other enemy Empire.
Here's an excerpt from the Star Trek timeline as posted on Wikipedia:
The next ship to be named Discovery was a Discovery class science vessel, NCC-100, referenced by the video game Star Trek: Legacy. After that came a Daedalus class science vessel, referenced by DS9 as having been in service in the year 2159. There was also a Constitution class (NCC-1798), Royal Sovereign class (NCC-3008), Nebula class (NCC-62049) and a Steamrunner class. The registry number of the Discovery in the teaser trailer was neither of these numbers. It was NCC-1031. This would place the ship as launched somewhere between the Discovery class (NCC-100) and the Constitution class (NCC-1798), but was not the Daedalus class referenced by DS9 as the Daedalus class is a science vessel of well known design, and the ship shown in the trailer doesn't match that design.
What we have is a ship which is completely unknown, but probably has nothing to do with the Earth-Romulan War, unless by time travel, or by existing in the Abrams universe, thus being exempt from the restrictions of canon. Which, is entirely possible considering Alex Kurtzman, an Executive Producer of Star Trek: Discovery, wrote the 2009 Star Trek reboot alongside Abrams. However, Bryan Fuller, another Discovery Executive Producer, was a writer for DS9 and Voyager. The third Executive Producer, Rod Roddenberry, was once quoted as saying that Abrams "made Star Trek cool again." I assume Roddenberry would like his next Star Trek to also be "cool." However, Abrams remarked in a 2013 interview that CBS had indicated they weren't interested in an Abrams Trek series. His films have after all been the most expensive Star Trek films to date, and they've heavily relied on those exorbitant production budgets. It's possible that the new series will be in the canon universe rather than the Abrams universe for that reason alone, because it's a very good reason.
In short, I can reveal to you absolutely nothing you haven't already heard about the new series.
The series Enterprise was immediately prior to the Earth-Romulan War. Had the series not been cancelled, we would have presumably had to opportunity to see that war. The first starship named USS Discovery was NX-04. During the episode Fortunate Son, NX-02, NX-03 and NX-04 were referenced as planned, but not necessarily under construction. We later saw the NX-02 Columbia enter service, and the Discovery came to be discussed in the novel Beneath the Raptor's Wing, where it was launched in August 2155 from San Francisco Yards under the command of Captain Curtis. The Discovery became the first Starfleet ship to be lost, destroyed by nuclear weapons launched from a Romulan warship.Wikipedia said:
The next ship to be named Discovery was a Discovery class science vessel, NCC-100, referenced by the video game Star Trek: Legacy. After that came a Daedalus class science vessel, referenced by DS9 as having been in service in the year 2159. There was also a Constitution class (NCC-1798), Royal Sovereign class (NCC-3008), Nebula class (NCC-62049) and a Steamrunner class. The registry number of the Discovery in the teaser trailer was neither of these numbers. It was NCC-1031. This would place the ship as launched somewhere between the Discovery class (NCC-100) and the Constitution class (NCC-1798), but was not the Daedalus class referenced by DS9 as the Daedalus class is a science vessel of well known design, and the ship shown in the trailer doesn't match that design.
What we have is a ship which is completely unknown, but probably has nothing to do with the Earth-Romulan War, unless by time travel, or by existing in the Abrams universe, thus being exempt from the restrictions of canon. Which, is entirely possible considering Alex Kurtzman, an Executive Producer of Star Trek: Discovery, wrote the 2009 Star Trek reboot alongside Abrams. However, Bryan Fuller, another Discovery Executive Producer, was a writer for DS9 and Voyager. The third Executive Producer, Rod Roddenberry, was once quoted as saying that Abrams "made Star Trek cool again." I assume Roddenberry would like his next Star Trek to also be "cool." However, Abrams remarked in a 2013 interview that CBS had indicated they weren't interested in an Abrams Trek series. His films have after all been the most expensive Star Trek films to date, and they've heavily relied on those exorbitant production budgets. It's possible that the new series will be in the canon universe rather than the Abrams universe for that reason alone, because it's a very good reason.
In short, I can reveal to you absolutely nothing you haven't already heard about the new series.
In the STNG episode The Drumhead there is an Ensign Simon Tarses, who is 1/4 Romulan.
Kind of curious as to how his grandparents got together, yes? Could the timing line up with Discovery era? Perhaps he was posing as a Vulcan to spy?
Would be an interesting connection...
Q
Kind of curious as to how his grandparents got together, yes? Could the timing line up with Discovery era? Perhaps he was posing as a Vulcan to spy?
Would be an interesting connection...
Q
He looks young, maybe Wesley's age or slightly older. One of his grandparents was a Romulan, probably someone of Picard's generation. Though they might be older, since the Tomed Incident happened in 2311 and the Romulans went into seclusion after that.
My problem with an allegorical approach to the Vulcans as being Islamic-like, and then Romulans as an extremist threat within... is that it would've basically worked best on Enterprise. That show had the perfect set-up to achieve that. A couple of important canon events within a few years - probably much more fascinating and essential to the history than whatever Bryan Fuller's alluding to. Vulcans established as close allies, and everywhere on Earth, but ones humans particularly didn't seem to appreciate being around. Throw yet another reason for them to be hated into the mix, and racial tension bubbling under in the form of Terra Prime. Full scale war ignited with an unknown and apparently unseen race out on the frontier. Have it uncovered they are assisting the terrorist threat on Earth, but somehow through cultural misunderstanding we ended up adding 2 + 2 and getting 5.
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Discovery takes place 10 years before ToS.
Nobody has officially said the crew itself is from 10 years before ToS. I hear in some cultures period presumptions can be considered insensitive. Maybe the dated design of the ship is because they took an old abandoned ship to avoid drawing attention and suspicion, and we're going into a multi-season Trials and Tribble-ations story. Would explain the Klingon captain.
I'm not really suggesting the crew is from the future, just suggesting the notion of “first” in Star Trek is fluid, even without secrecy. Wait, no, I actually am suggesting they are from the future – bring out the pitchforks!
It seems to have been largely forgotten as the conversation charged onward into speculation, but I thought one of the original statements Fuller made about Disc was that there probably wouldn't be time travel in season 1. Maybe not definitive, but certainly enough to rule out the entire main story revolving around time travel.
I truly wonder if they didn't misspeak there. Openly gay actor? As early as that was made available, I'm wondering if they had even thought about casting? The actor being openly gay really isn't important to the show, they should be choosing the best actors, regardless of sexual orientation. Openly gay character makes more sense.
Though in the Abrams films, Zach Quinto plays a straight character and John Cho plays a gay character.
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If we're barking up the correct tree here, I'd guess that they'll use the never seen aspect by having Romulan infiltrators appear as Vulcans.
Mr Awe
Gosh, I hope not. I want DISCOVERY to live up to its name and ... you know, discover sh*t. Let's explore.
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This.
I really want Trek to go back to its "Twilight Zone"/"The Outer Limits" roots, where the universe was this weird and wild place where anything could happen. More political drama like DS9 would make me very, very sad.
Agree. And I can't understand why DS9 is so popular. It just doesn't feel like very STAR TREK, and not because they were stuck on a space station. But because it was about war, in the end. And in TOS war was something to be avoided at all cost, including having to start a real one to stop a neverending, sanitized war.
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