On the heels of the first official cast photo, CBS has released the first trailer for Star Trek: Discovery, which establishes the relationship between First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Things aren’t looking good for the Shenzhou, the ship led by Georgious, which has been rumored to play a key role in the first episode of the series. If those reports are true, then we’re not actually watching Martin-Green’s Number One on the bridge of the Discovery, but we do learn a lot about her character regardless—like Spock, she’s torn between two worlds: a human one, and Vulcan. And, like Spock, she’s under Sarek’s (James Frain) tutelage somehow.
We’ll admit that the earlier photo raised some questions about the feel of this new Star Trek, but this trailer puts those to rest. Set 10 years before the Enterprise set off on its five-year mission, Discovery aims to revisit the Federation’s past, when intergalactic diplomacy was even more fraught. It’s a decision that’s bound to strike a chord with viewers, or at least, grant them some refuge from our current situation.
In addition to providing the first real glimpse of the series, CBS announced that the original episode order has been extended to 15, and there will be an aftershow that will allow you to hash out your feelings about the Discovery crew with your fellow nerds and various celebrities.
Star Trek: Discovery’s launch date remains unknown, so set your phasers to pause.