An Instagram post reveals the new style and looks behind Star Trek: Discovery’s antagonists, the Klingons.
SPOILER WARNING: THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPECULATION AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR STAR TREK: DISCOVERY AND STAR TREK: BEYOND.
News on the internet spreads fast, and ST: Discovery tidbits are no exception. Andrew Mackay, a local Toronto Actor, just posted up this image a few hours ago to his Instagram feed.
This image was posted with a caption reading ‘Hanging out with my new Klingon Crew Today on the set of the new #startrek’. This has led many fans to believe that the individual who took the picture is in a Klingon Captain’s costume. Something that still has not been revealed or discussed in ST: Discovery media.
So why is this so important?
Star Trek: Discovery is said to take place 10 years before the events of The Original Series. During the TOS series run, we had our first taste of what Klingons looked like and it wasn’t this.
TOS Klingon EP ‘Errand of Mercy’
Fans of Trek recall this being the original look of all Klingons. Granted, TOS budget constraints prevented Gene Roddenberry from portraying the Klingons as originally intended, however, they did get a ‘face-lift’ (ha!) for ST: TNG and DS9.
Show writers explained this variation in appearance with in-universe explanations by way of genetic manipulation and a deadly virus. See ENT S4:EP6.
So why the big change?
Speculation time! Based on the images we have seen from the on-set production video released a few weeks ago by CBS, it is fully apparent that they are attempting to tie-in the aesthetic feel of ST: Discovery with the Kelvin–Timeline universe.
The LCARs, uniforms, and ship-design all blend in with the look and feel of the USS Franklin featured in ST: Beyond.
So it comes as no surprise that the look and feel of the Klingons will resemble what we were introduced to in ST: Into Darkness.
Star Trek: Into Darkness Klingon
Bald heads? Check!
Smooth Dark skin? Check!
Loads of smaller head ridges? Double Check!
It’s fair to say that these 2 Klingon designs are intentionally connected. Why? My guess is a marketing team decided that it might help connect the current movie audience with the new show.
With that being said, I think we are going to begin seeing a lot of visual callbacks to the USS Franklin and Kelvin–timeline style. Hopefully, that also means we will see a few ENT-inspired designs as well.
Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller and Rod Roddenberry will act as executive producers, with Nicholas Meyer and Kirsten Beyer serving as writers and consulting producers; with those names on the bridge whatever the plot of Discovery is we know it will be good.
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What do you think? What do you think about the Star Trek: Discovery Klingons? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below.