Engineer / Engineering on Discovery

[Mark_Nguyen]

It's just occurred to me that I don't believe we've had any cast member specifically mentioned as the Engineer of Discovery (or for that matter, Shenzhou). And while it doesn't mean THAT much, we haven't seen a clip from any of the trailers involving anyone crawling around a warp core.

I'm recalling the issue that TOS had, that there wasn't an engine room set built for either pilot episode,and as such they had to wait some time before they had the budget to build one. For TNG, Roddenberry didn't want to repeat the issue, so he specifically wrote a couple scenes in which Picard walked around Engineering and used their awesome elevator, so they could justify getting the budget to build the TNG set (that is, to refurbish the existing TOS-era movie set). The set itself was otherwise not used in "Encounter At Farpoint", and they didn't even have an Engineer character until several episodes in.

DS9 aside, having a dedicated engine room with a big impressive warp core is a very Star Trek thing to have, and we've seen hide nor hair of such a set so far, let alone anyone to man it. It's always been a natural place for the cast of a show to gather to spout exposition, have the occasional phaser battle or fistfight (as it's often the biggest set on the ship), and of course as a visual representation of the thing that makes the ship go. Thoughts?

Mark

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

So long as it's not another brewer.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Given Discovery's apparent size, it's quite possible they could build just a tiny portion of set (comparable to, say, just the vertical core/railing consoles of the TMP Engineering set) and CGI all the rest.

 

[Michael]

Didn't they at some point talk about Stamets working down in engineering? Or did I imagine that? I could swear it was in one of the interviews.

 

[tenmei]

I think the fungus will be the new fuel for the ship, ergo the new way to fly comment, being a comment on green fuels in the present. By default, then, Stamets could be the engineer, and the room of fungus could be the engine room equivalent.

 

[Cake]

Didn't they at some point talk about Stamets working down in engineering? Or did I imagine that? I could swear it was in one of the interviews.

https://trekmovie.com/2017/07/23/sd...y-and-michael-burnham-on-star-trek-discovery/

Mary Wiseman on Cadet Sylvia Tilly’s place on the ship:

She works in engineering under Lt. Stamets [Anthony Rapp]. She spends a lot of time there doing great science and being super-intimidated and nervous.

 

[Michael]

https://trekmovie.com/2017/07/23/sd...y-and-michael-burnham-on-star-trek-discovery/

Mary Wiseman on Cadet Sylvia Tilly’s place on the ship:

She works in engineering under Lt. Stamets [Anthony Rapp]. She spends a lot of time there doing great science and being super-intimidated and nervous.

Hey, good memory! That's the quote I was thinking of. So yeah, I guess we will see the engineering set. Somehow I doubt, though, that it will just be the hall full of fungi. We'll see.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm sure they have one.

I mean, the doctor can't be the only one with a drinking problem.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

...She spends a lot of time there doing great science and being super-intimidated and nervous.

That description of Cadet Tilly sounds a little like Tal Celes from Voyager (played by Zoe McLellen) -- at least the super-intimated and nervous part of the description.

 

[Pure Antiproton]

TNG in its' first season didn't have a dedicated main character as the Chief Engineer until Geordi got the position in one of the first season eps. Arsenal of Freedom I think. Very curious to see what Discovery's engine room looks like.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

TNG in its' first season didn't have a dedicated main character as the Chief Engineer until Geordi got the position in one of the first season eps. Arsenal of Freedom I think. Very curious to see what Discovery's engine room looks like.

It wasn't "The Arsenal of Freedom" or any other first season episode. It was sometime after the first season and before "The Child," the second season opener. From "The Child":

PICARD: (back to his Yorkshire roots) Grand. Take a look at the containment module our Chief Engineer has designed.
RIKER: Chief Engineer. It still has a nice ring to it.
LAFORGE: Each of these units will have total environmental control. Gravity, temperature, atmosphere, light, all in a protective stasis field.​

http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/127.htm

 

[Noname Given]

It's just occurred to me that I don't believe we've had any cast member specifically mentioned as the Engineer of Discovery (or for that matter, Shenzhou). And while it doesn't mean THAT much, we haven't seen a clip from any of the trailers involving anyone crawling around a warp core.

I'm recalling the issue that TOS had, that there wasn't an engine room set built for either pilot episode,and as such they had to wait some time before they had the budget to build one. For TNG, Roddenberry didn't want to repeat the issue, so he specifically wrote a couple scenes in which Picard walked around Engineering and used their awesome elevator, so they could justify getting the budget to build the TNG set (that is, to refurbish the existing TOS-era movie set). The set itself was otherwise not used in "Encounter At Farpoint", and they didn't even have an Engineer character until several episodes in.

DS9 aside, having a dedicated engine room with a big impressive warp core is a very Star Trek thing to have, and we've seen hide nor hair of such a set so far, let alone anyone to man it. It's always been a natural place for the cast of a show to gather to spout exposition, have the occasional phaser battle or fistfight (as it's often the biggest set on the ship), and of course as a visual representation of the thing that makes the ship go. Thoughts?

Mark

Well, TNG had rotating 'Chief engineers of the week' for its entire first season. It was TNG's second season where they fell back to the old TOS forula of a 'main character' engineer and Geordi went from Helmsman to Chief Engineer (along with the Crusher character being relaced by the TOS McCoy clone character Dr. Pulaski.) Personally, I feel if the characters and overall story are good - Star Trek need not stick with the tropes of past Treks, but time will tell.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Very industrial, with lots of pipes and catwalks, please. The NIF Target Chamber in Into Darkness was awesome. No lava lamps or plasma balls, please.

 

[FalTorPan]

Discovery's engine room will be another redress of a contemporary locale. In this case, the name of that locale will be cleverly worked into the script, because the warp core will be conveniently stored on Deck 7, Section Eleven.

 

[Krandor]

You have to have an engine room.

 

[Tenacity]

Geordi became chief engineer in the first episode of season two, The Child.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

...ergo the new way to fly comment...

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling the "new way to fly" comment is being taken way too literally by some. It wouldn't surprise me if that ends up being a line that has nothing or little to do with any kind of specific and new spacecraft propulsion.

 

[USS Triumphant]

You have to have an engine room.

"Yes. It makes the ship go." - Pakled crewperson

 

[skeeler]

I think the fungus will be the new fuel for the ship, ergo the new way to fly comment, being a comment on green fuels in the present.

Your use of "fungus" and "ergo" in the same sentence made me think of ergot and ergotism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism

 

[cultcross]

You have to have an engine room.

Not necessarily, we saw the engines I think once on BSG, there's no real reason why stories have to feature the engine room.