Kate Mulgrew beams down from Star Trek: Prodigy to Center City Philly

Kate Mulgrew recently visited a historic bar in Philadelphia.

Nearly two years ago, Kate Winselt caused a stir by mastering—more or less—a Delaware County, Pennsylvania accent for her series Mare of Easttown. The area’s unique sound grabbed some time in the national spotlight, even becoming fodder for Saturday Night Live’s “Murdur Durdur” sketch. Now, another famous Kate—Star Trek:Voyager and Star Trek: Prodigy’s own Kate Mulgrew—is putting her vocal skills to the southeastern Pennsylvania test.

Mulgrew has been cast in Apple TVs upcoming crime series Sinking Spring. The show is about two friends from Philadelphia “who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to … unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.”

As part of her research for the role of Theresa Bowers, “de facto mother” to one of those friends, Mulgrew visited McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia during the holiday season. The Center City served its first beer in 1860, making it Philadelphia’s oldest continuously operating tavern.

Kate Mulgrew sought speech tips from her server at the bar

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kate Mulgrew sat at the McGillin’s bar on December 28 and asked to speak with server Haley Burke, inquiring about which part of the city Burke lived in. Mulgrew also talked about the Irish Catholic roots she and Burke share.

Striking up a conversation at a bar with someone because she finds their accent fascinating sounds like something Kate Mulgrew’s Star Trek alter ego, Captain (now Admiral) Janeway, might do. Of all the franchise’s captains, with the possible exception of Captain Michael Burnham on Star Trek: Discovery, Janeway took the most personal interest in her crew, bonding with several of them not just as fellow Starfleet officers but as friends.

Mulgrew’s real-life behavior also seems like it would fit Janeway’s ancestor Shannon O’Donnel, whom Mulgrew played in the Voyager holiday season-set episode “11:59.”

Living in (though not native to) “Delco” myself, I can attest our region’s speech is unique—and appealingly infectious. Yes, we call water “wooder.” No, we don’t go to the beach; we “go down the shore.” And we’re never done with anything—we’re “done work,” “done dinner,” and so on.

So I can’t help but wonder whether we’ll hear hints of southeastern Pennsylvania and the City of Brotherly Love from Hologram Janeway as Star Trek: Prodigy returns.

“Yo, crew! That planet is largely covered with wooder. Maybe you should investigate when you’re done the training simulation?”

Or perhaps Admiral Janeway will order a cheesesteak from the Dauntless replicator, which will ask her, “Wit or witout?”

No doubt Kate Mulgrew is too professional to let such speech escape Janeway’s lips.

Still, youse guys . . . it would be a fantastic jawn to hear!