Mind-Blowing Revelations: How Strange New Worlds Altered Discovery's Klingons According to Star Trek Director!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds director Chris Fisher discusses the decision to alter the appearance of the Klingons in season 2's premiere episode, "The Broken Circle." Unlike the Klingons in Star Trek: Discovery, the Klingons in Strange New Worlds resemble their counterparts from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: The Original Series. Fisher clarifies that this change was driven by the narrative requirements of Strange New Worlds, and not as a response to fan criticism of Discovery's Klingons. Check out his statement and the podcast for more details.

I found one of the major challenges I faced as a director in this episode was reintroducing the Klingons. Although I personally find the Klingons in Discovery visually appealing, their appearance wouldn't have been suitable for us. Since our show focuses on character development, we needed Klingons who could express emotions without relying heavily on prosthetics and visual effects. Therefore, we transformed the Klingons from mere creatures into fully-fledged characters. As the season progresses, you'll notice that we approach the Klingons in a different manner, perhaps even toning down their portrayal further.

Strange New Worlds' Klingon Change Wasn't A Reaction To Star Trek: Discovery

Many Star Trek fans speculated that Strange New Worlds reverted the appearance of the Klingons to their more popular Star Trek: The Next Generation look in response to the negative reception of the Klingons in Star Trek: Discovery. Discovery took a bold approach in reimagining the Klingons to appear and sound more alien, which emphasized the themes of Klingon identity and their conflict with the United Federation of Planets in its first season. However, while the producers of Strange New Worlds are aware of the concerns expressed by a vocal group of fans regarding Discovery's Klingons, it seems that this was not the primary motivation for the change.

The Klingons in Strange New Worlds are a great fit for the character-driven series. They are able to interact with Dr. Joseph M'Benga and Nurse Christine Chapel, as well as share a drink of blood wine with Lt. Spock and La'an Noonien-Singh. They are also able to engage in tense negotiations with the Vulcan Science Officer through the view screen. It would be difficult to imagine Star Trek: Discovery's Klingons, with their guttural language, being able to participate in these types of story points. Additionally, the Klingons are set to make a return in season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and director Chris Fisher hints that they will be toned down even more compared to the monstrous Klingons in Star Trek: Discovery. You can catch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streaming on Paramount+ every Thursday.

Source: The 7th Rule