SNAPSHOT
Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series features a new ship and new characters while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. (synopsis via Decider)
Waiting … waiting … waiting …
After a stellar first season which saw the Star Trek both honoured and expanded and challenged in some viscerally exciting ways, there’s still a bit of a wait until season 2 of Star Trek Discovery debuts in early 2019 on CBS All Access in USA and Netflix internationally.
So what’s a Star Trek-loving fan to do in the Klingon-deficient interim?
Why watch four new shorts, known as Short Treks, beginning 4 October.
As Decider explains, each short film will get us a little closer to four of the Star Trek Discovery characters we have come to know and love:
“Each of the four stories will center on a key character, including familiar faces from Star Trek: Discovery: Mary Wiseman (Tilly), Doug Jones (Saru) and Rainn Wilson (Harry Mudd), in a short he will also direct, as well as a new character unfamiliar to fans, Craft, played by Aldis Hodge.”
So who are we seeing and when will we be seeing them?
“Runaway” – Thursday, 4 October
Onboard the U.S.S. Discovery, Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman) encounters an unexpected visitor in need of help. However, this unlikely pair may have more in common than meets the eye.
Written by Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman. Directed by Maja Vrvilo.
UPDATE 30/9: There’s a trailer for the first short film!
“Calypso” – Thursday, 8 November
After waking up in an unfamiliar sickbay, Craft (Aldis Hodge) finds himself on board a deserted ship, and his only companion and hope for survival is an A.I. computer interface.
Teleplay by Michael Chabon. Story by Sean Cochran and Michael Chabon. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.
“The Brightest Star” – Thursday, 6 December
Before he was the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, Saru (Doug Jones) lived a simple life on his home planet of Kaminar with his father and sister. Young Saru, full of ingenuity and a level of curiosity uncommon among his people, yearns to find out what lies beyond his village, leading him on an unexpected path.
Written by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt. Directed by Douglas Aarniokoski.
“The Escape Artist” – Thursday, 3 January 2019
Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson), back to his old tricks of stealing and double-dealing, finds himself in a precarious position aboard a hostile ship – just in time to try out his latest con.
Written by Michael McMahan. Directed by Rainn Wilson.
Oh… I guess this means Star Trek Discovery has been delayed. I was worried about possible scheduling conflict between Star Trek and Doctor Who, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Not delayed I don’t think. Always due early next year – these short films look like a fun appetiser 🙂