Showrunners Alex Kurtzman & Michelle Paradise and Actors Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, David Ajala, Wilson Cruz and Blu del Barrio talk to The Inside Reel about understanding vs. acceptance, community, extistence and circumstance in regards to the 5th and final season of their show: "Star Trek: Discovery" on Paramount+.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:27 Well, it's interesting, even looking at season five,
00:30 just to show that growth.
00:31 The aspect of understanding versus acceptance
00:34 and the grace at which that is done.
00:36 I mean, actually, David mentioned the word grace
00:38 as well.
00:39 Yes.
00:39 Could you talk about that?
00:41 Because she has an elegance and a grace
00:42 in how she maneuvers now.
00:44 And yet, she's still as hard edged as she ever was.
00:47 Yes.
00:48 Thank you for saying that.
00:49 And that's so interesting, because I
00:51 used that word grace just a little bit ago as well.
00:54 Because that's such a great umbrella sort of term to use.
00:58 That is what was found.
01:00 That's one of the major things that Burnham found
01:03 over the course of the journey.
01:05 She found grace and actualized to a place
01:09 where she could give it to someone else
01:11 and see someone else in the position that she used to be in,
01:15 be able to take people in for who they are,
01:17 be able to be questioned, but still be able to dig the gold
01:22 out of others because she had dug the gold out of herself.
01:26 And really, her crew helped that journey.
01:30 We all helped each other do that in this story.
01:33 We dug the gold out of each other.
01:37 And so, yes, that grace forward leadership,
01:41 it's something that particularly speaks to me,
01:44 because I feel that that's what Jesus teaches.
01:46 And it's something that I want to do in my own personal life.
01:49 And it's something that I feel I had the gift of being
01:51 able to bring to life as Captain Burnham.
01:54 So I mean, big respect to the writers for that.
02:00 But for you filling those shoes, Sneakway,
02:02 it's not an easy task being the captain and being the leader.
02:06 And you've done it.
02:07 So thank you very much.
02:08 Awesome.
02:09 Can't wait to see the reaction of everybody tomorrow night.
02:11 Yes.
02:12 Thank you.
02:13 Thank you so much.
02:14 It was such a wonderful journey.
02:15 Thank you so, so very much.
02:17 Let's talk.
02:20 Fine.
02:20 You want to talk?
02:22 We'll talk.
02:23 Let us go and no one gets scuttered.
02:35 Hand it over first.
02:42 This doesn't have to end badly for you.
02:43 It won't.
02:47 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:50 Saru, the hull is breached.
02:59 O-1 reach are trapped and losing life support.
03:01 Oh, that didn't feel good.
03:03 We are extracting them now, Captain.
03:05 Give us a moment to lock on to you.
03:07 Wait.
03:09 No, Saru, I got it.
03:10 I see them.
03:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:14 Activate suit magnetization.
03:22 Captain.
03:33 Wow!
03:39 Never a dull moment.
03:40 Because the thing is, Discovery and all the Star Trek shows
03:43 are always about hope.
03:44 But it's always about seeing the best in people,
03:47 both in yourselves and in others.
03:49 Can you talk about that community,
03:51 the community of actors, not just of the characters,
03:54 but of the actors and how that has evolved
03:57 through the seasons?
03:58 Oh, wow.
03:59 Wow.
04:00 That's a big question.
04:01 That is good.
04:02 I think the sense of community among us actors,
04:07 it's a big task to do a Star Trek series.
04:09 And to support each other and remind each other
04:13 that you got this.
04:14 You're doing great.
04:15 It's been a very family feeling about that.
04:18 And also, just on the dramatic side,
04:20 as a character, too, as Saru, taking on a fatherly role
04:26 on the ship, as I have, with characters like Tilly,
04:28 where we've had a father-daughter sort
04:30 of relationship, where I see the potential in her,
04:33 even though she's a bit of a goofy character.
04:37 But I know she's the smartest person on the ship.
04:39 And I know that.
04:40 And she may not know that yet.
04:42 So I'm kind of helping encourage her there.
04:44 The brother-sister relationship that Burnham and Saru have
04:48 has been lovely and great.
04:49 We went through our little neat, neat, neat with each other
04:51 in early seasons.
04:52 And now it's like complete support, love, and respect
04:55 for each other after all we've been through together.
04:59 So evolution is just a part of the deal.
05:03 The word grace, the word grace comes to mind
05:05 when I think about even the book is Journey.
05:08 Season 5, he's afforded so much grace
05:10 to be reintegrated within Starfleet.
05:13 And I think because of that gift of grace, which he has received
05:16 so abundantly, later in the season,
05:18 we see how he offers someone else that same level of grace.
05:24 And that's what I'm going to say,
05:25 because I don't want to get in no trouble.
05:28 Captain, are you all right?
05:30 Surprisingly, I'm not dead yet.
05:32 Focus on our team.
05:33 I'll try to take out their engines.
05:34 You can come pick me up, and we can get back
05:36 to whatever was in that vault. This
05:39 is not what I expected when the night started.
05:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:45 Whoever you are up there, identify yourself.
05:48 This is Captain Rayner of the USS Atari.
05:51 I see you started without me.
05:54 Well, we needed some excitement.
05:55 Thank you for the assist.
05:57 How close are you to taking out their engines?
05:59 I just need a few minutes.
06:00 Well, we're not letting them go, so you do what you need to do.
06:03 Warning, warp bubble stability at 70%.
06:07 Come on, come on.
06:09 50%.
06:11 That was fast.
06:12 The warp bubble's collapsing, Captain.
06:14 This ship could be torn apart.
06:15 You have to release your tractor beam.
06:17 I'm not letting them go, Captain.
06:19 Then reverse engines and pull them out of warp.
06:21 If I had a pathway, drive maybe, but we're still making
06:24 do with burn tech out here.
06:26 This ship can't take much more.
06:27 For you, Alex, it's because the aspect of thematics
06:31 has to play in, obviously.
06:32 With life this season, it's about existence,
06:35 but it's been about texture of identity,
06:38 the aspect of perspective and perception,
06:40 all these different things.
06:41 But if you can talk about some of those thematics that
06:44 have engaged you and continue to engage you into the season.
06:47 Well, I mean, look, the show's called Discovery, right?
06:50 And the idea is that every episode, all the characters
06:52 are discovering not only new worlds,
06:55 but new things about themselves and each other.
06:57 And that has always been a real thematic
06:59 that we've tried to apply to the show from the beginning.
07:02 Obviously, starting Burnham as a mutineer
07:04 and then taking her to Captain gave us a whole many, many,
07:07 many seasons of self-discovery for Burnham.
07:10 But I think one of the things that Michelle and I locked on
07:12 on quickly was just because Burnham became a Captain
07:15 doesn't mean she's necessarily an experienced Captain.
07:18 And so each story needed to reflect
07:20 a new door that was opening for her in what
07:23 it means to be a Captain.
07:26 I think Trek always explores big, deep themes of humanity
07:30 and what it means to connect and what it means to be
07:32 a Captain, and how we're connected with each other.
07:35 And part of the thing that happens, too,
07:38 which is just kind of a delightful experience,
07:40 is that when you have a cast that's
07:42 as talented as this one is, you begin
07:45 to shape stories around what you know they're capable of.
07:47 It's not just their characters, but they sort of step
07:50 into the shoes of their characters
07:51 in a way where the actor playing them
07:53 and the character themselves start to become
07:55 a little indivisible.
07:56 And that's a wonderful moment because it informs
08:00 the way you tell stories.
08:02 And it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:04 the story of the characters.
08:05 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:07 I think it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:09 the story of the characters.
08:10 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:12 I think it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:14 the story of the characters.
08:15 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:17 I think it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:19 the story of the characters.
08:20 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:22 I think it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:24 the story of the characters.
08:25 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:27 I think it's a moment where you're able to tell
08:29 the story of the characters.
08:30 And I think that's what makes it so special.
08:32 -Summer, take us in as close as you can.
08:34 -Aye, Mr. Saru.
08:35 -Lieutenant Gallo, prepare to beam the captain
08:37 to safety the moment she is free of the warp bubble.
08:39 -Aye, Mr. Saru.
08:40 -Hang on.
08:41 [beeps]
08:42 [whirring]
08:44 [beeps]
08:45 [whirring]
08:46 [whirring]
08:47 [whirring]
08:48 [whirring]
08:49 [whirring]
08:50 [whirring]
08:51 [whirring]
08:52 [whirring]
08:53 [whirring]
08:54 -Lieutenant Naya, report.
08:56 -Structural integrity is holding, Mr. Saru.
08:58 [beeps]
08:59 -Dr. Kovach, perhaps you would be more comfortable
09:01 in the writing room?
09:02 -I'll be perfectly comfortable
09:03 when you've completed your mission.
09:05 [beeps]
09:06 [whirring]
09:07 -As you wish.
09:08 [whirring]
09:09 -The greatest treasure
09:10 [whirring]
09:11 in the known galaxy is out there.
09:13 [whirring]
09:15 What are you waiting for?
09:16 [whirring]
09:18 -Let's fly.
09:19 [whirring]
09:20 [whirring]
09:21 [whirring]
09:23 [whirring]
09:26 [whirring]
09:27 -Yeah, Tully's changed a lot, uh,
09:29 over the course of the series, um,
09:32 and there have been a lot of inflection points
09:35 where she's gotten to kind of, um,
09:39 take in her life and her choices and her dreams
09:42 and question whether those are really
09:44 what are going to serve her,
09:45 and if that's what-- really what she wants,
09:47 or if that's what an older version of herself
09:50 is, you know, wanted, um, and, uh,
09:55 and, yeah, that's really lovely.
09:57 And for Star Trek, you know, we kind of, like,
09:59 blow up circumstances, uh, to these, like,
10:02 high galactic states where, like, you died,
10:06 um, both of us were thrust into the future,
10:10 um, you got a worm put inside your body,
10:14 is how I understand it.
10:15 [laughter]
10:16 Um, and these are chances to reflect
10:19 and second chances to make sure the life
10:21 that you want is the one that you're living,
10:24 but, um, all of us have that opportunity every day,
10:28 and that's a very common, uh, life experience
10:31 to say, "Wait, like, who am I really?
10:33 What's presenting me from being the most real
10:36 actualized version of myself, um,
10:39 and what can I change to get there?"
10:41 Um, so that feels very real in unreal circumstances.
10:45 I think, yeah, Adira had a big change as well,
10:48 and--
10:49 When the worm went in?
10:50 When the worm went in, yeah.
10:51 When the-- when the squid--
10:52 Squid.
10:53 Squid, that's what we call it.
10:54 Sorry, my name's Squid.
10:55 Squid.
10:56 Yeah, I think what was nice was, I think, like,
11:00 especially watching season one, season two,
11:02 you-- I saw your characters start their, like, new lives.
11:06 To be able to do that kind of a little bit later
11:09 and have, uh, your help in that was really nice,
11:13 and I-- I-- I 100% agree with you.
11:16 I think, uh, it was a huge thing
11:18 of getting a second chance for them,
11:19 getting a second chance at family,
11:21 um, having lost theirs,
11:23 and at friendships,
11:24 and-- and being able to be in an environment
11:27 that they fit in.
11:29 [dramatic music]
11:32 ♪ ♪
11:33 Whoo!
11:34 ♪ ♪
11:44 [screaming]
11:45 ♪ ♪
11:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]