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How ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Cast Stacey Abrams as United Earth’s President

Christian blauvelt.

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[Editor’s Note: The piece below shares major spoilers for the “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4 finale, including its ending.]

She’s one of the most prominent “Star Trek” fans in the public eye. She’s spoken at length about how much she reveres Kathryn Janeway and that “Voyager” is her favorite “Trek” show. She co-hosted, with Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang, the “Trek the Vote to Victory” online fundraising drive for Joe Biden in 2020. And now she’s gone where few political figures have gone before: actually acting in a “Star Trek” show. Stacey Abrams appeared in the Season 4 finale of “Star Trek: Discovery” as the president of United Earth.

How did the producers of “Star Trek: Discovery” pull this off?

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In an interview with IndieWire, showrunner Michelle Paradise revealed she can hardly believe it herself: “Honestly, the number of times I’ve seen the episode, every time I see her face, I’m like, ‘Wow, that really happened. That’s awesome.'”

It’s a cameo appearance for sure, but one on which the entire season ends and resolves itself. And Abrams has lines — she is a SAG-AFTRA cardholder and previously narrated an episode of “Black-ish.” Whether we’ll see her again is another matter. “Oh my gosh, I would love that,” Paradise said. “I mean, I have no idea. She’s certainly busy doing other things.” Abrams is running for governor in Georgia in 2022, so she will have a lot on her plate indeed.

She’s certainly not the first politician to dabble in acting while still being engaged in politics: former Senator Fred Dalton Thompson was a series regular on “Law & Order” for a time and sitting Senator Pat Leahy has appeared in multiple “Batman” movies. And there have been all manner of cameos in “Star Trek” specifically: King Abdullah of Jordan even popped up as a crewmember on “Voyager,” but did not say a line (no SAG card in his case). But Abrams is a particularly inspiring figure, for her advocacy for voting rights and access, and someone whose values line up particularly well with those of “Trek”. In the finale a character talks about the ideals the Federation holds dear: the right to pursue happiness, freedom, equality, diversity, participation. Abrams channels those like few political figures today.

And that’s why, for Paradise, she made perfect sense to cap off a two-season-long meta arc about how the Federation comes back together in the far-distant future of the 32nd Century, after Earth had left the interstellar government following a cataclysm known as The Burn.

“We knew, coming into season three, that bringing the Federation back together again would be a two season arc,” Paradise said. “And in the third episode of Season 3, we go to Earth and we find out that Earth is no longer a member. So we were teeing up that Earth equals the Federation coming back together again. So we knew that, by the end of season four, we would need to focus on Earth.

“And as we got into season four and got halfway through breaking it, we realized: We need a person to represent Earth. And then the question became: who should that person be? I don’t remember where the idea came from, honestly. But I texted Alex to say, ‘What do you think of Stacey Abrams?’ Immediately, [he sent] exclamation points. And he said, ‘Let’s set up a meeting. Let’s talk to her. Let’s see.’ So we did. And she was so kind. And we got on Zoom with her, and we pitched her where we were for the season and who this character was and what this character would represent. And asked if she would be a part of this with us. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone better to represent the president of Earth in all of that.”

Abrams had a role in shaping her character too.

“When she saw the script and we started talking about costumes and stuff like that, it was just really wanting her input on those things,” Paradise said. “It’s a character that she needs to embody. She’s so collaborative and was really just wonderful about all of it. It really was just such a treat to have her there and get to have her in Toronto on set.”

While some other franchises have turned being apolitical and “playing it safe” into an art form, it’s remarkable to see “Star Trek” wear its values on its sleeve like this and take a stand. But if “boldly going” isn’t what “Star Trek” is all about, then what is?

“Star Trek: Discovery” is now streaming on Paramount+. 

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Star Trek: Discovery - The President of United Earth

A surprise guest star shares her love for Star Trek

Spoilers for season four, episode thirteen of Star Trek: Discovery to follow!

Stacey Abrams, who plays a pivotal role in the season finale of Star Trek: Discovery , shares what Star Trek means to her.

Star Trek: Discovery currently streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. Internationally, the series is available on Paramount+ in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics, and on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Discovery is distributed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

Star Trek: Discovery Debuts a 21st-Century Political Figure as Earth President

Star Trek: Discovery's Season 4 finale introduced the president of 32nd-century United Earth, played by a 21st-century politician and activist.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery 's Season 4 finale, "Coming Home," which is streaming on Paramount+.

Amid all of its twists and turns -- the existential threat of the Dark Matter Anomaly, and its true nature, betrayals, and so on -- Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 saved arguably its biggest surprise for the finale's closing moments : a cameo by 21st-century politician and activist Stacey Abrams as president of 32nd-century United Earth.

Discovery , which was originally set about 10 years before the events of the original Star Trek , leaped 900 years into the future in Season 3, where the crew found a galaxy, and Federation, fractured following a mysterious cataclysmic event known as the Burn . In Season 4, the galaxy was again imperiled by the planet-destroying Dark Matter Anomaly, even as the Discover y crew is tasked with helping to rebuild the Federation.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 13, 'Coming Home,' Recap and Spoilers

In the Season 4 finale, "Coming Home," the threat posed by the DMA is overcome, through diplomacy, and in the closing moments viewers are provided a glimpse of Discovery 's new normal in the 32nd century, which includes reforged bonds among long-distrusting planets. That includes United Earth, whose president is greeted in the episode's closing scene.

As Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Saru (Doug Jones) and President of the United Federation of Planets Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) wait on the hangar deck, the president's ship lands to reveal, yes, Abrams, the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate turned voting-rights activist. Although the meeting was thought to be only the beginning of diplomatic discussions regarding United Earth's return to the Federation, Abrams' unnamed character promptly makes clear there's "nothing to discuss."

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Raises Serious Doubts About Book's Judgment

"United Earth is ready right now to rejoin the Federation," she says, "and nothing could make me happier than to say those words."

An avowed Star Trek fan, Abrams has said she was introduced to the franchise after watching the 1987 premiere of The Next Generation , at the urging of her older sister. "I was hooked," she recalled in a 2019 interview with NowThis Nerd .

"I love the concept of space travel," Abrams said, explaining the appeal of Star Trek , "but also time travel, and what I loved about Star Trek: The Next Generation, but what I think was perfected in Star Trek: Voyager , and now Star Trek: Discovery , is their real, interesting interplay between space and time. I think what has been so interesting to me about The Next Generation , about Voyager , about the later iterations, is that you can address those core, fundamental economic and socioeconomic issues, but conflict remains, and he challenge is, how willing are we to find solutions when we think we have the answers."

To see Stacey Abrams' cameo as the president of United Earth, stream the Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 finale on Paramount+.

KEEP READING: Star Trek: Discovery Fulfills an Original Series Promise

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Watch: President Rillak Reveals [SPOILER] In Clip From ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 4 Premiere

| November 17, 2021 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 66 comments so far

On Thursday the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery debuts in the USA and Canada. Paramount+ shared a clip from the episode titled “Kobayashi Maru” featuring Federation President Laira Rillak, a new character played by Chelah Horsdal.

The president reveals the Federation’s future by honoring its past

This clip from Thursday’s episode features President Rillak (who is a mix of Cardassian, Bajoran, and Human) addressing a crowd to thank Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery for all their hard work in season three. She gives an update on what has been going on since we last saw our characters, including making a big introduction.

Archer Spacedock

Say hello to Archer Spacedock, introduced with “Archer’s Theme” from Star Trek: Enterprise . Inside is what appears to be the USS Voyager-J set to be “upgraded.” The president also reveals plans to construct “the next generation of Starfleet vessels,” as the Starfleet intends to return to exploring new worlds.

Rillak also addressed “cadets” hinting that she was speaking to a new class for Starfleet Academy, which has also been hinted at in preview images and of course with the episode title itself.

For more, check out the preview images from “Kobayashi Maru.”

Star Trek: Discovery  season 4 premieres on November 18, it streams exclusively on  Paramount+  in the U.S. In Canada  Discovery  is broadcast on CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Discovery will debut on Paramount+ in 45 countries around the world in 2022 .

Keep up with the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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My god… very effective nostalgia in place here… Goosebumps!

Right? When the music came in, I just about melted.

Nostalgia is really overdone now.

Exciting stuff! I just wish the show would stop having characters constantly exchanging glances, to the point of silliness. It occurs so often.

I thought this too, until my last company conference. Some good news was shared and I noticed how many people were nudging each other and whispering and smiling. I instantly thought “heh…I guess it does happen”

Good Point!

An example of their lazy writing, just more filler and very overwrought, cliched at that.

A lot of these steaming/cable shows have about two episodes worth of actual plot for 8-10 episodes.

Please send me the link to the series that you wrote. Your constant ragging on these threads is really old.

I’d love to see you try to write a TV show.

A lot of “exchanging glances” isn’t scripted, it’s actors doing what actors do — finding moments for human responses in material that might not, at first glance, lend themselves to human interactions. The choice to encourage and film that material is the director’s, and the choice to include it in the finished episode is the editor’s. Stop blaming “lazy writing” for every choice you don’t like.

You can say anything about Discovery, but not that they have ugly uniforms. Stylish all the way

There is no way the President of the UFP should be wearing a Starfleet Uniform. None. You scared me, looking at her uniform she has a UFP logo and her uniform is different than that of Starfleet. I hope her uniform is totally different than the Starfleet uniforms to avoid any pretext that everyone has to work for Starfleet and the UFP has gone full autholitarian.

In other images, it seems like all the members of the Federation Council have a specific uniform and the President has the sash to distinguish them.

By the way, doesn’t Chelah Horsdal do a great job with the gravitas of ceremony as President Rillak.

This is a step backwards I think versus the Federation Council in Star Trek IV which looked diverse with clear civilian influences (with Starfleet representation being there, but in the minority). One looks like a real alliance of peoples allowed to be different, one looks like forced comformity. It’s too bad they didn’t use the far superior and elaborate outfit seen in IV and VI, with that cool more alien looking pin. Maybe this can be a plot point, the Federation having gone a bit autholitarian given TNG the burn, etc and driven everyone out forcing all to be the human ideal of perfection including humans, has to learn to accept diversity and civilian control again. Learn something from those who left, learn some mistakes. Good lesson there.

I don’t get this argument at all. The Federation President is Bajoran, Cardassian and human. I mean this is the very definition of diversity! And it’s exceptionally beautiful given the brutal history between the Bajorans and Cardassians.

And how is this ‘Authoritarian’?? It was one scene of someone introducing a new space dock lol. It’s one costume. And why would they use outfits from 900 years ago?? And we haven’t even seen anything directly dealing with the Federation or the Council yet. It was all Starfleet related last season.

Having everyone in the same uniforms and act the same regardless of some genetics isn’t real diversity. Watch the Federation Council in Star Trek IV and then watch Discovery. Which one do you think is a functional democracy with diversity and which one looks like some military dictatorship?

It’s one character in a similar costume, that doesn’t imply authoritarianism; simply that they can be working closer together. There is a huge difference there lol. It’s been 800 years and the Burn, there has probably been a lot of necessary changes just for both organizations to survive. Yeah it’s not like the old days, obviously for a very big reason.

In Star Trek IV, it was just a bunch of aliens thrown in the background and didn’t even talk or voiced their opinion about anything, so I don’t really get your point. And the Federation President was just another human. was he not? So this talk of ‘diversity’ is pretty moot so far. Although from TUC and on all the other Presidents (that we seen) were alien which was cool.

And we only seen ONE character who represents the Federation so far on Discovery who happens to be President. So it’s weird to even compare the two. Are you worried everyone on the Council are suddenly all human or something? Look at Starfleet itself, still a very diverse group of aliens, so I’m guessing the same for the Federation Council. Why wouldn’t it be if the President herself is alien and human? I don’t understand the issue at all?

Maybe we should wait and see what the Federation Council itself is made up of and how they actually interact with Starfleet in this century before we call it a ‘military dictatorship’. But that’s just me.

The costumes look very cheap.

Nice touch about time Enterprise gets some love!

Fully agree. It’s 20th anniversary recently passed with barely a mention which is a great pity in my view.

I’m crying hearing that theme again in a new show. Enterprise has been my favorite of the series for many years now, and the nostalgia combined with the honoring of Captain Archer in the new shipyard is just perfect.

I’m still hoping they can find a way to bring Archer back in a cameo like on SNW. I would love a scene of him and Pike together!

Archer would be almost 150. I guess he could still be alive, but they’d have to make him look like an old man like McCoy in Encounter at Farpoint.

I’m thinking more of a flashback scene like when Pike first started his career in Starfleet and meets Archer for some reason. That should get down by 20-30 years. Whatever it takes. ;).

Archer is dead by the point SNW takes place – his bio from “In a Mirror Darkly” has him dying in 2245, just after the Enterprise is built. ( https://twitter.com/_MichaelSussman/status/900895290063847424/photo/1 ). Granted, that’s not quite “canon” as that part of the bio did not appear on screen.

SNW takes place (presumably) between 2257 (Discovery S2) and 2265 (when Kirk takes command of the Enterprise).

It is possible Archer could appear in a flashback or a recording however.

Which is literally what I said in my second post lol That he could appear in a flashback.

And yes his death is not canon since we didn’t see it on screen. And we also know Archer was still living in the Kelvin Timeline at least by 2258, so it wouldn’t be impossible to be living in the Prime universe as well…but yes very old.

Didn’t Archer die when the 1701 launched? Tho I suppose that’s not canon so they could totally do it.

Not trying to be rude here, I promise, but do people just skip over the actual discussions?? It’s discussed in this exchange right above your post days before you posted this.

Nice touch of nostalgia with that strain of Archer’s Theme

Like the spacedock, the ships still look like uncompleted 3d models to me Lol A couple of chamfered boxes and… done! If they trust power so much, the whole interior of the ship should be one big holodeck that you can reconfigure and projects data and everything instead of windows and walls with blinky uninformative hard drive lights.

They actually said in Die Trying that most vessels had holographic walls.

Baby steps, I’ll even take a wall with a functional and informative interactive display. Kind of like the screen they are using to project bland doors, windows and blank walls with.

The ships should actually be much smaller in size. Enterprise showed future tech where ships were bigger on the inside than the outside. And DISCO seasons 3 and 4 take place even further in the future than that. But the tech showed in ENT was way more impressive.

Presumably all the “TARDIS” technology was banned, not just time travel…

Archer Space Dock, that gave me the feels… and that theme was so apropos. I like when she said they “they will seach for alternative to dilithium”

Nice touch, a little love for Enterprise.

Yeah, there’s no pleasing some people, I guess.

No offense, but some people may just have higher standards.

The easy nostalgia template, Force Awakens is an example, is rather tired and doesn’t actually do anything new.

You seem to be trolling. Every replay you have to someone if counter productive and looks as though you are looking to start something. You are entitled to your opinion, but how about making your own comment and move on. You tend to reply to everyone that has a good reception of the episode.

Gatekeeping troll.

Brought a tear to me eye…

Naming the space station after Archer was an amazing and brilliant touch! But then hearing that theme song just got this fanboy emotional for a moment. Acknowledging the original pioneers of Starfleet a thousand years ago as they begin exploring the final frontier again has both great symbolism for the universe and Discovery as a show.

Seeing the Voyager J and the TNG reference was also very well done. Discovery is trying very hard to honor its roots! Now hopefully it will honor it best by giving us a great season!

And there was a subtle DS9 allusion in the President’s species background.

Welcome back Elrond!! :)

And you’re right, didn’t think about that until now.

Endless references are just that, easy nostalgia, and nothing more there.

We haven’t seen the episode yet man. 😏 But I know you’re not it’s biggest fan.

Not if those references remind at least some viewers of responsible leaders of the real world past who valued certain virtues that often seem disregarded today.

We get it. You don’t like the show. You don’t need to remind us every time somebody posts.

The symbolism could go beyond that. Remember that Archer later became the Federation President too. So this is also like NASA’s Cape Canaveral being called “Cape Kennedy” to honour JFK (for a few years, anyway). Two for one ;)

By the way, thank you for your long comment about UFOs/Elizondo etc on the other thread last week. I wrote you a long reply there a couple of days ago. Sorry about the delay in replying man — I was offline for a few days around last weekend.

Also very true! I forget Archer was a Federation President as well and not just an iconic starship Captain.

And sorry, I didn’t see your new post about Elizondo in the other thread. I love TM, but I do wish they had a more updated and direct posting system where you just have a history of your own posts and can see whoever responded to them. It’s really hard to keep up on posts at times. But I’ll go back to read it and comment on it!

A nice touch. I would have love to see the future Enterprise in spacedock or bring the NX01 out of the space museum.

Beautiful. Gives me faith of the heart.

Costume looks very cheesy, like a fan film.

Off topic but anybody in Canada watching Discovery on CTV SCIFI the US History Channel Star Trek documentary Centre Seat is airing after Discovery. Pretty sweet.

I was waiting for her to say “to boldly go where no one has gone before”.

I’m not the biggest ENT fan but that hit me in the feels! Brought a tear to me eye…..now I want to watch ENT….

Also, after 900 years, they couldn’t perfect quantum slipstream or transwarp drive? I wasn’t a fan of the hand waving of these propulsion systems in the S3 premiere. My head cannon imagined them exploring the Delta Quadrant by slipstream in the 25th Century.

Benamite is rarer than dilithium.

I just wet myself. More than usual.

awww more memberberries!

I stopped watching Discovery halfway through the last season. I haven’t watched more than 3 or 4 episodes of it and I was reminded today why I stopped and why I still have hope. I stopped because the facial expressions the characters show, totally over the top…so the emotional fluff is still there. But I have hope because somewhere, locked in the basement of the writers room… is the person responsible for putting that beautiful piece of music in at just the right moment. Whoever he or she or they is, I hope that they escape the dungeon and they put a pen in their hands…

Releasing this on the same day that Paramount pull the show from Netflix and delay it for god knows how long is an extra slap in the face to international fans. ViacomCBS truly hate their non-US fans, huh?

Being in the UK, I know I shouldn’t really have watched the clip but I couldn’t help myself and it hit doubly hard that it’s out of reach for the foreseeable. Loved the use of Archers theme though.

NO SPOILERS – For all fellow Canucks north of the border, I noticed CTV Sci-Fi Channel has picked up the documentary The Centre Seat – 55 Years of Star Trek. It will debut tonight after the season premiere of Discovery and the new episode of Prodigy. I may have to skip the Leaf game haha. Should be a fun evening.

It’s really cool that we got the Archer spacedock but why does it feel like the entire franchise has forgotten all about Kirk?

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Stacey Abrams Becomes President of United Earth on 'Star Trek: Discovery' : 'She's a Civil Hero'

Stacey Abrams previously shared that she hopes to serve as president of the United States at some point in her career

Kelly Wynne has been a TV writer at PEOPLE digital since 2021. Her work has been seen in Newsweek, where she acted as a reality TV and true-crime writer, Atwood Magazine and her mental health blog, The Chronically.

Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams looked presidential in her recent acting role.

The longtime Star Trek fan, 48, made a cameo in the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Discovery as the new President of United Earth.

Abrams, who is currently the only Democratic candidate in Georgia's race for governor, has been vocal about her future plans to serve as the president of the United States. She previously told Five Thirty Eight that she hopes to run by 2040.

Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green raved about Abrams' cameo, telling Deadline that the cast, including Chelah Horsdal, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala, Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander, were all ecstatic to spend time with the politician.

"I'm still floored when I think about Stacey gracing us with her presence in our Season 4 finale," Martin-Green said. "We spent so much of our time fanning out and pretending to be cool in her midst."

Praising Abrams, the actress added, "She's a legend in the making and a civil hero, and she was an absolute delight to work with. She wowed us with her charm, humility, and generosity, and she whipped out some acting chops too! It was an honor for me as a Black woman to stand with her in the story. It's an experience I'll cherish for the rest of my life."

Abrams has been vocal about the impact the Star Trek franchise has made in her life, even using plotlines from the show to illustrate her own worldviews in her book Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change .

Because of her deep love for the series, Abrams had one request when stepping into the role as fictional president, according to executive Producer Michelle Paradise. Abrams agreed to the role if they promised not to spoil anything from season 4 — and just give her the information she needed to play the role.

"She was very specific about that," Paradise told Variety . "She wanted to be able to just watch it and enjoy when the show finally came out. So, yeah, we avoided all the spoilers."

Paradise also said Abrams was a natural choice for the role. "We always knew that Earth returning would be a big, big moment, and coming into season 4, we knew that was going to happen in the finale," she said. "As we started to look ahead to the finale, we realized we are going to need a face for this moment, someone to represent Earth."

Paradise added, "When the time came to start talking about the president of Earth, it seemed like, 'Well, who better to represent that than her?' "

Casting Abrams paid off. "There's just something that made us think, 'Well, of course she can do it,' " Paradise continued. "And she did. She just blew us away."

Georgia's gubernatorial race is expected to conclude in November and Abrams is running against current Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp.

This isn't her first time running for the position. She lost to Kemp in 2018.

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In 3189 , T'Rina contacted USS Discovery upon their arrival at Ni'Var to greet them and inform them that their request to access data collected by SB-19 had been denied, due to its cultural and political sensitivity. She reluctantly acceded to Michael Burnham 's subsequent invocation of T'Kal-in-ket and witnessed the proceedings. Though Burnham ultimately withdrew her challenge, T'Rina was swayed by Burnham's honest argument that the Federation could be entrusted to use the SB-19 data for the greater good. She thus had the data delivered to Discovery , and expressed to Captain Saru her receptiveness towards further communication. ( DIS : " Unification III ")

T'Rina visited Federation Headquarters later that year, as Ni'Var was contemplating rejoining the Federation. ( DIS : " That Hope Is You, Part 2 ")

In 3190 , T'Rina attended a meeting at Federation Headquarters regarding a massive gravitational anomaly that struck Kwejian and Deep Space Repair Beta Six . She offered the services of the Ni'Var Science Institute to analyze data on the anomaly. As part of this, she mind melded with Cleveland Booker , helping him to gain a fresh perspective on his final memory of his family. Although they didn't get what they were hoping for from the encounter, the mind meld helped Booker and T'Rina expressed her sympathies for his loss. ( DIS : " Anomaly (DIS) ", " Choose to Live ")

Despite political hesitancy on Ni'Var, she led the world's reentry into the Federation . It was later revealed that T'Rina herself had secretly alerted the Federation President of her people's wishes for an exit clause, leading to Burnham being brought along in Admiral Vance's place in an effort to help come up with a solution. After the successful negotiations, she had tea with Captain Saru. ( DIS : " All Is Possible ")

She later participated in the Multilateral DMA Strategy Assembly , supporting the attempt to make first contact with Species 10-C . ( DIS : " ...But to Connect ")

Captain Saru contacted her to perform a thresh-tor kashek meditation . ( DIS : " Rubicon ")

When the Ni'Var delegate could not arrive in time, she joined Discovery on their attempt to learn more and make first contact with Species 10-C herself. During the mission, T'Rina grew closer to Saru. At one point, T'Rina mind melded with Species 10-C which had negative physical effects on her, but gave the crew more insight into the situation and the 10-C themselves. T'Rina joined the rest of the crew in successfully negotiating with the 10-C to shut down the DMA. ( DIS : " The Galactic Barrier ", " Rosetta ", " Species Ten-C ", " Coming Home ")

Following Discovery 's return to Earth, T'Rina and Saru decided to pursue a romantic relationship with each other. She was later present for United Earth 's voicing their intent to rejoin the United Federation of Planets. ( DIS : " Coming Home ")

Sometime later, she asked Saru to marry her. ( DIS : " Red Directive ")

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Michelle Yeoh to Star in ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Sequel Series at Amazon

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The “Blade Runner” series in the works at Amazon Prime Video has cast Michelle Yeoh in a lead role, Variety has learned.

The series, titled “ Blade Runner 2099 ,” was ordered at Amazon in September 2022 . It serves as a sequel to both the original “Blade Runner” film and the followup film, “Blade Runner 2049.” Exact plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say Yeoh will play a character named Olwen, described as a replicant near the end of her life. Amazon declined to comment on specific character details.

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Ridley Scott first revealed “Blade Runner 2099” was in the works in November 2021 , with Amazon revealing it was in development there in February 2022.

Silka Luisa serves as showrunner and executive producer. Scott will executive produce along with David W. Zucker and Clayton Krueger of Scott Free Productions. Alcon Entertainment co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson also executive produce, as will Alcon’s president of television Ben Roberts. Tom Spezialy, Richard Sharkey, Michael Green, Cynthia Yorkin, Frank Giustra, and Isa Dick Hackett also executive produce. Jonathan van Tulleken will direct the first two episodes and executive produce. Steven Johnson is a co-executive producer. Film United is the production company in Prague.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Saru is missing from star trek: discovery season 5 - doug jones explains why, star trek: discovery’s moll & l’ak could never find season 5’s treasure on their own.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 6 - "Whistlespeak"

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 creates a treasure hunt with moral and ethical lessons for Captain Burnham.
• Hidden clues from the Progenitors' treasure left by a team of scientists challenge the USS Discovery crew's respect and compassion.
• The final clue from Betazoid scientist Marina Derex may teach empathy from whoever possesses the galaxy's greatest treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 revealed the identities of the 24th century scientists who hid the clues to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors, and here are the dots that Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery have connected and what they mean. Written by Kenneth Lin and Brandon Schultz and directed by Chris Byrne, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak", contains a huge breakthrough as Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) reveals the identities of the scientists to Captain Burnham. The names of the scientists were purged from United Federation of Planets databases in the 24th century to protect the Progenitors' treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6's "The Chase", which introduced the ancient humanoids who seeded the galaxy and created humanoid life billions of years ago. In the 24th century, the Progenitors' wondrous but dangerous technology was found by a team of scientists assembled in secret by the President of the United Federation of Planets. There were originally six scientists who found the Progenitors' treasure, but one died horribly when they tried to activate it. The remaining five scientists hid the technology and left various secret clues behind that came with moral and ethical lessons in the hopes that only someone truly worthy would find the greatest treasure in the known galaxy.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

5 Doctor Vellek

Romulan scientist hid his clue on lyrek.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 retconned Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) as one of the Romulan scientists who first learned about the Progenitors along with Cardassians, Klingons, and Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase." Vellek kept a detailed diary of his findings about the Progenitors, which led to the first clue to the Progenitors' treasure. Vellek hid his clue on Lyrek, a necropolis planet heavily guarded by deadly ancient technology.

Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) arrived on Lyrek first but left empty-handed.

On their final away mission together as USS Discovery crew mates, Captain Michael Bunham and Captain Saru (Doug Jones) survived the necropolis planet and acquired the first clue beneath a burial structure. What Burnham and Saru learned on Lyrek was the importance of cultural context as they strove to maintain the ancient grave site despite weapons trying to kill them. Since the Progenitors created countless different species, the lesson is respect for other cultures, which Burnham and Saru proved they possess.

4 Jinaal Bix

Joined trill scientist hid his clue on trill.

Dr. Vellek's clue led the USS Discovery to Trill in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" . Trill scientist Jinaal Bix hid his clue on his homeworld, and his symbiont is miraculously still alive. Temporarily joining with and possessing Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), Jinaal led Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into a canyon near the Caves of Mak'ala, which were the nesting grounds of huge creatures who can cloak called itronoks. It was a test by Jinaal to see how Burnham and Book would deal with the itronoks .

Jinaal was suitably impressed at the compassion shown by Burnham and Booker.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker proved their respect for lifeforms other than themselves . Rather than kill the itronoks, Michael and Book realized the itronoks were merely protecting their young. Even after Booker was injured by the creatures, he and Burnham found a non-violent solution. Jinaal was suitably impressed at the compassion shown by Burnham and Booker and willingly surrendered his clue, confident that the USS Discovery would treat other lifeforms with respect if they find the Progenitors' treasure.

The experience of bonding with Jinaal through the Trill zhian'tara left Dr. Hugh Culber with a new sense of spirituality.

3 Carmen Cho

Terran scientist hid her clue on iss enterprise.

Jinaal's clue leads the USS Discovery to the Tzenkethi system where a wormhole leading to interdimensional space is hidden. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker entered interdimensional space and found the derelict ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe, where the third clue was hidden and found by Moll and L'ak. Burnham and Book eventually acquired the clue and piloted the ISS Enterprise into Star Trek' s Prime Universe , although Moll and L'ak escaped.

The refugees aboard the ISS Enterprise left a plaque behind with new details of the history of the Mirror Universe .

The third clue was a vial of distilled water hidden by Dr. Carmen Cho, who was a member of the Terran Empire and the junior Science Officer of the ISS Enterprise. Cho was among the refugees who fled the Mirror Universe aboard the Enterprise and escaped to the Prime Universe. Cho joined Starfleet, became a branch Admiral and one of the Progenitors' science team, and returned to the ISS Enterprise to hide her clue. The lesson Burnham learned was to have the courage to overcome impossible odds to shape your future for the better.

When assembled, the five clues will create a map to the Progenitors' treasure. Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) learned that replicating the clue pieces doesn't work, and it has to be the real thing.

2 Hitoroshi Kreel

Denobulan scientist hid his clue on halem'no.

The fourth clue, a vial of distilled water, pointed to Dr. Hitoroshi Kreel, a Denobulan scientist, who hid his clue on the planet Halem'no. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6 , "Whistlespeak", Captain Burnham and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) infiltrate Halem'no's pre-warp civilization to gain access to the disguised, artificial weather tower where the Denobulan Dr. Kreel stashed his clue. Tilly ultimately learns that Kreel's clue is located in the fifth of five weather towers built by the Denobulans to bring rain to the arid planet.

4 of the 5 Denobulan weather towers failed over time, and the remaining Halem'nites created a religion of sacrificing themselves to their gods so that it might rain.

Clue number 4 had a metal card attached with a Betazoid inscription, pointing to the final scientist and clue. In their time living among the Halem'nites, Burnham and Tilly realized the lesson was what a massive responsibility technology is , and that whoever wields the Progenitors' power to create life (and possibly resurrect the dead) has to be extremely careful how they use it.

Dr. Vellek and Jinaal Bix are the only scientists who 'appear' in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (so far), and the remaining scientists (so far) are only spoken of.

1 Marina Derex

Betazoid scientist hid the final clue yet to be found.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah," takes a detour from the treasure hunt to deal with the captured Moll and L'ak. This means a short break before the USS Discovery pursues the final clue hidden by Betazoid scientist Marina Derex. Commander Paul Stamets was still analyzing Dr. Kreel's fourth clue from Halem'no at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak," so it's unclear where Captain Burnham's final stop for the fifth and final clue will be, or what lesson will accompany it.

Perhaps the lesson Captain Burnham must learn from the final clue is empathy, either for others or for oneself.

The fact that Dr. Marina Derex is Betazoid may be a clue unto itself. The Betazoids are known for their empathic abilities, especially Star Trek 's most famous Betazoid, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) from Star Trek: The Next Generation . The name Marina Derex seems to be a direct nod to the beloved actress who plays Deanna Troi. Perhaps the lesson Captain Burnham must learn from the final clue is empathy, either for others or for oneself, in order to find the Progenitors' treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

• Star Trek: Discovery (2017)

Saru Is Missing From Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Doug Jones Explains Why

• Doug Jones clarifies Saru's absence from Star Trek: Discovery season 5 due to prior commitment to Hocus Pocus 2.
• Jones assures fans that he will return to Star Trek: Discovery before the season ends.
• Saru's limited appearance in season 5 linked to Jones promoting Hocus Pocus 2, not a storyline shift.

Doug Jones explains Saru's absence from Star Trek: Discovery season 5. As one of Star Trek: Discovery 's series leads and most popular characters, fans have noticed that Saru hasn't played a substantive role in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 since episode 3, "Jinaal", outside of his voice being heard and being briefly seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange"'s time travel flashbacks. Doug Jones' name has also been missing from Star Trek: Discovery season 5's opening credits .

To alleviate fans' concerns, Doug Jones replied on his X account to explain why Saru has been missing from Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Jones explains that his prior commitment to Disney+'s Hocus Pocus 2 , in which he plays Billy Butcherson, is why he and Saru haven't been in the last few episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Check out his post below:

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Saru Will Return In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Saru and t'rina are engaged to be married.

Doug Jones is very much in demand , and he has other roles in Hocus Pocus 2 and What We Do In The Shadow s keeping him busy beyond Star Trek: Discovery. However, as Jones noted, Saru will return later in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. The noble Kelpien left the USS Discovery early in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 to assume a new role as an Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets. It's logical to surmise that this shift in Saru's career was a creative way for Doug Jones to split his time between Hocus Pocus 2 and his commitment to Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery 's cast and crew also didn't know season 5 would be the final season during production.

Ambassador Saru's other big storyline in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is his pending wedding to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). Saru and T'Rina have announced their engagement, and hopefully, their wedding will take place later in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 . Since it's the final season, it's likely that Saru and T'Rina's wedding may be part of Star Trek: Discovery ' s series finale after the USS Discovery's hunt for the Progenitors' treasure is resolved. After all, Saru will want Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and his beloved crew mates from the USS Discovery to be guests at his wedding.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+