IGN Entertainment, the online magazine, received an exclusive set of Star Trek: Discovery posters that seemed to suggest thematic pairings for certain characters during Season Two. The posters feature profiles photos of couples facing in opposite directions, separated by the U.S.S. Discovery shooting up between the two figures with the mysterious seven red bursts of light scattered along the Discovery’s path. The tagline on all four reads “Exploration is Logical.”
The four pairings include:
Captain Christopher Pike and the Mirror version of Phillipa Georgiou, who has taken on the identity of the Prime version of Georgiou. We know Pike takes command of Discovery this season, whereas Georgiou has joined Section 31, the Federation’s secretive espionage group. This pairing appears to reflect on the themes of leadership and command.
The second pairing, Commander Michael Burnham, adopted sister of Spock, the half-human, half-Vulcan Science Officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise. We know that Spock is reported to be on a quest related to the seven red bursts. This space anomoly is somehow connected to a being known as The Red Angel. Burnham, in turn, seeks to find Spock. This pairing appears to reflect on the themes of family and a quest for faith.
Third comes Lt. Commander Stamets and his murdered partner, Lt. Commander Hugh Culber. Since his death at the hands of Ash Tyler/Voq in Despite Yourself we were introduced to the possibility of Culber returning when he appeared to Stamets while he was trapped within a coma created by the mycelial network. Although Wilson Cruz has been present at major convention appearances throughout the summer and fall we have been given no clues as to why or how his character could be present in Season Two. Yet, we are assuming this couple reflects the themes of love and emotional connection that survives anything.
Finally, the last poster features newly promoted Ensign Sylvia Tilly and Commander Saru. This poster doesn’t lend itself to as easy a theory as to what themes they might be addressing. However, if we look for some direction from their respective Short Treks episodes we might be able to develop an idea. In both Runaway and The Brightest Star we see both characters as seekers. In those episodes both make “first contact” with an alien species: Tilly with “Po” and Saru with Captain Georgiou.
We will just have to wait until the second season of Discovery to understand if our interpretation of the posters and their pairings are right or wrong. Anyway, I’m anticipating it. #LLAP
