A closer look at Discovery’s Harry Mudd

As we near Star Trek: Discovery’s debut, we’re looking closer at each primary member character. Let’s take full aim at Discovery’s Harry Mudd.

One of the most colorful characters in all of Star Trek is Harcourt Fenton Mudd. Also known as Harry Mudd, he appeared in two episodes of the original series (“I, Mudd” and “Mudd’s Women”) and an episode of the animated series.

In the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery, Mudd will appear once again, portrayed by Rainn Wilson, of The Office fame among other roles. While the extent of Mudd’s role in the show is yet unknown, he may be more than a bit player.

In fact, according to IMDB, Mudd is set to appear in the first nine episodes of the season, which will take them past the eight episode mid-season break. From the looks of it, Mudd’s final episode will be the premiere of the second half of the season, expected to pick up in January.

Wilson spoke about the character at the San Diego Comicon last month.

"“This Harry Mudd is kind of a reimagining or reinvention, in the same way that so many things have been reinvented,” Wilson said. “He’s a bit more dastardly than the original. But that character made such an impression on me. It’s a dream come true to try and bring him to life with as much drama and comedy as possible.”"

It’s important to remember that this incarnation of Mudd will take place about 10 years before the events of the original series where he encounters Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise. In that meeting, they stumble across him essentially trafficking humans, transporting wives for lithium miners.

Next: Everything we know about Discovery so far

This could be a formative time for the character of Harry Mudd, leading him to be the man we know later. Wilson sees this reimagined character as an entertaining and devious one, which is another interesting twist on somebody we once thought we knew.