Recurring director Jonathan Frakes says there’s a change in the Star Trek: Discovery actor.
When Star Trek: Discovery resumes on CBS All Access for its third season, it will be a different world that Frakes calls “magical.” And it’s not just because the series moves ahead 900 years into the future. The change comes from the series Number One portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green.
In an interview with Will Wheaton, and joined by Patrick Stewart, on Star Trek Day, Frakes said that he feels so much joy from Martin-Green and that it’s affected not just her work, but the set and the show. When he told her he felt so much joy from her, her response was “because my character is no longer driven by fear.”
While that is a big issue for Burnham in the series, many fans have another problem with the actor’s character. The series seems to revolve more around Burnham than any other Star Trek series. And viewers have expressed dislike of a break from the traditional Star Trek mode. One reviewer called it “The Michael Burnham Show” while another said “This is not Star Trek. It is a show about a woman who is some sort of god, that’s going to save us all, surrounded by right on people who talk nonsense.”
It’s difficult to imagine these types of reviews not affecting the actor, and in reality, Martin-Green probably has little control over her character. She plays the part as written which, unfortunately, the writers of Star Trek: Discovery seem to have made into a very unlikable character. However, there is always a chance for character redemption. Look at Commander Shran in Star Trek: Enterprise. He started out as an extremely unpleasant Andorian, but he would have been a regular character in the fifth season of the series had it been renewed.
And it’s entirely possible we’ll see a different Burnham when the series returns as Patrick Stewart asked if the change in Martin-Green was because of the writing, and Frakes responded with a resounding “yes.” So before you cast this character into the abyss, perhaps giving her a second chance should be considered. It certainly sounds like the things are looking up on set.
The third season of Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on CBS All Access on Thursday, October 15th.