Entertainment & Arts
10 Things Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Must Do to Avoid Epic Failure
In the all important Star Trek: Discovery season 2 sophomore debut, these are 10 things the series must do to avoid screwing the pooch.
5. Who will Serve as the Primary Adversary Alien Race for Star Trek: Discovery Season 2?
CBS In top Romulan form: She looks pissed
It is hardly a great feat of deduction to conclude the Romulans are going to show up at some point – they couldn’t stay out of events even if they wanted to.
It is made clear in TOS “Balance of Terror” that the Romulans have largely operated in prolonged isolation since the conclusion of the Earth-Romulan War a century prior to the events of Discovery. Though what is Star Trek without those insidious, calculating, and measured enemies of the Federation? Romulans by their very nature are very handsy, even if at a preferential distance.
The introduction of the Romulans would both be a welcomed addition and the last remaining power of the Alpha-Quadrant triumvirate yet to be introduced in Discovery.
With their possible emergence in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, their presence opens any number of excellent stroryline trajectories. For this writer, the most exciting possibility is further substantiating the details of the aforementioned Earth-Romulan War.
In the past, fans have only received bits and pieces about the cosmic scuffle which ultimately gave rise to the first Neutral Zone. Yet given the conflict’s importance and galactic fallout—namely forging the budding reproachment between the erstwhile enemies the Andorians, Vulcans, Tellerites with United Earth in war—the specifics are vague. Due to this war Romulans are effectively responsible, along with the Borg, for the creation and rise of the United Federation of Planets. So a few details would be nice.
No doubt any introduction of the Romulans will be heavily influenced by those events. If that is so, there is much to look forward to in Discovery’s sophomore season.
Species on the Bench Awaiting Newfound Introduction
Of course there are other belligerent aliens just sitting and waiting to be tapped by the writers. As the showrunners have proven open to take from elements presented in later eras of the Star Trek universe, many desirable paths present themselves.
Moreover Kurtzman having been involved in both Discovery and the most recent alternate universe films, the audience has seen this before. Namely with the Chekist extrajudicial secret intelligence department Section 31, featuring in Star Trek Into Darkness.
With that in mind, one would not bat an eye in encountering, say, the Cardassians! If not perhaps going so far as portraying their first contact with the Federation.
CBS Surprise!
In a very subtle hint in the Star Trek: Enterprise’s episode “Dead Stop,” one of the bodies powering the mysterious maintenance space station is a Cardassian body. Hence, it is clear Cardassians have been transiting the same regions of space that Federation members inhabit for at least a century.
In addition to the clue that one of the pervious Dax symbionts hosts, Tobin, encountered one of Cardassia’s great writers during his exile on Vulcan. It is a chance encounter that occurs roughly in the same period as Discovery inhabits. Even though this would seem rather unlikely all told, the showrunners seem unafraid to take that chance such as that based on their history.
Qualifying the Best Possibilities
While there are numerous other candidate species afoot, the writers must avoid -as previously mentioned- Xindi 2.0. Specifically, introducing rival species with whom the audience is completely unfamiliar, has no role going forward, and are generally lame.
This outline may sound contradictory to the sentiment of breaking eggs in canon for the purpose of Discovery creating its own way, it is not. Clearly there are better ways than others to achieve that goal, and one of them can be to further fill out and enrich major threads first appearing down the narrative road, and both put Discovery’s imprint upon it, whilst adding to the series narrative substantively.
With plenty of awesome established species in Trek canon that fans know almost very little about, it is an ideal opportunity to perhaps encounter one – such as say the Tholians for example. A fascinating race with little substantive detail overall, that deserves some overdue attention, and can play a unique role in Discovery’s greater story.
The big point being is that there are immense opportunities that can inhabit Discovery’s storyline. All of which genuinely enrich both the series and the franchise as whole.
With alien species in question, there appears to be terrorism in the last place Star Trek fans might expect it, on Vulcan. As such, its potential role in Star Trek: Discovery season 2 is riveting.
