Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

There was plenty of Star Trek Discovery news for fans in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con on July 20.

A trailer for the second season was released, featuring Anson Mount’s Captain Pike heavily, and confirming that Spock will be involved with the new season – with showrunner Alex Kurtzman noting that we will actually see him. Librarians star Rebecca Romijn will be playing the Enterprise’s Number One (as seen in The Cage portrayed by Majel Barrett).

For those concerned about the relationship between Stamets and Culber, Wilson Cruz said, We talked about this early on, after Tyler and I had a moment in sickbay. We knew this was a chapter in a very long story, and in any epic love story, we have ups and downs and bumps in the road. This was just a bump … in my neck. I’ll be back, I won’t be telling you how. We’re still reveling in the fact that this gay love saved the world, the universes, all of the universe. You’re welcome.”

There will also be a short series of Star Trek: Short Treks released in the weeks leading up to Discovery’s premiere. The four episodes will roll out monthly beginning in the autumn, and will be stand-alone stories, each running approximately 10-15 minutes. Each short will be an opportunity for deeper storytelling and exploration of key characters and themes which fit into Discovery and the expanding Star Trek universe.

Rainn Wilson will return to play Harry Mudd in a short he will also direct, and Aldis Hodge will star in another as Craft, a man who finds himself the only human on board a deserted ship. Additional episodes include a deep dive into Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory as the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, and Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) journey aboard the U.S.S. Discovery and her friendship with an unlikely partner.

“There is no shortage of compelling stories to tell in the Star Trek universe that inspire, entertain, and either challenge our preconceived ideas or affirm long held beliefs, and we are excited to broaden the universe already with Short Treks,” said Kurtzman. “Each episode will deliver closed-ended stories while revealing clues about what’s to come on in future Star Trek: Discovery episodes. They’ll also introduce audiences to new characters who may inhabit the larger world of Star Trek.”