As we’ve alluded to in some of today’s postings, it’s CBS’s turn to hawk its wares before advertisers in its upfronts presentation. The announcements and statements has ranged from the obvious to the obnoxious, which made the news of the first official photo of the Star Trek: Discovery cast all the more welcome. An ersatz cast photo of the new group of space explorers was shared on social media earlier this year, but CBS has just released an image that shows series lead Sonequa Martin-Green and co-star Michelle Yeoh in surroundings that are more in line with the show’s premise.
There’s Green, whose character recently received a new name and rank—she’s now playing First Officer Michael Burnham of the Discovery, while Yeoh has been cast as Captain Philippa Georgiou of the Shenzhou. They’re both sporting familiar looks, albeit ones that bring a different Star franchise to mind—they both look like they’ve wandered onto or from the set of The Force Awakens, or maybe even The Last Jedi, depending on whether they make it back to Jakku. Granted, there are only so many ways you can dress for a desert trek, with light colors and breathable fabrics often serving as a go-to for explorers. But with the goggles and color palette, Yeoh’s outfit is especially reminiscent of Rey’s. It doesn’t help that Seth MacFarlane’s new Fox series looks much more like it’s taking place on a Federation starship. That’s probably what he was going for, of course, but given how fitful production has been on Discovery—which has yet to firm up a premiere date—this first official look is a tad underwhelming, not to mention confusing. Word on the bridge is that CBS is releasing an actual clip of the series later today, so let’s hope that’s a bit more inspiring.