'Star Trek: Discovery' Returns With a Female Showrunner

Good news, Star Trek fans. Star Trek: Discovery will be returning for a third season on CBS All Access, with a new showrunner. Writer Michelle Paradise, who joined the series last season, will be co-showrunning alongside executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

Kurtzman said of the promotion, “Michelle joined us midway through season two and energized the room with her ferocious knowledge of Trek, her grasp of character and story detail, her drive and her focus have already become essential in ensuring the Trek legacy, and her fresh perspective always keeps us looking forward. I’m proud to say Michelle and I are officially running Star Trek: Discovery together.”

While she may not be a household name, Michelle Paradise is well known among queer audiences for her cult comedy series on Logo, Exes and Ohs. Paradise created, wrote and starred in the series as Jennifer, a lesbian documentary filmmaker who struggles to navigate Seattle’s complicated queer dating scene. The series was the first comedy that centered on a group of queer women.

Having a queer woman helming a Star Trek series is both groundbreaking and exciting, especially considering how the series has struggled with its queer characters. After the unceremonious death of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), many fans were furious that the series would play into the “bury your gays” trope. Having the first canonically queer couple on a Star Trek series was a big deal for fans, who were furious about the bait and switch of Culber’s death. However, the recent episode “Saints of Imperfection” episode saw Culber return from the dead and reunite with Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp).

Star Trek: Discovery seems to be hitting its stride after a struggling season one, which saw season one showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts depart the show after rumors of a ballooning budget and allegations that the duo were abusive to the writing staff.

As Discovery‘s audience expands, CBS All Access has planned more Star Trek series, including a spin-off show following the adventures of Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), as well as a Michelle Yeoh-starring series following Captain Georgiou’s work with Section 31. There’s also an adult animated comedy called Star Trek: Lower Decks, following the anonymous crew members working in the bowels of the ship.

With its course correction of Dr. Culber and the inclusion of fan-favorite characters like Spock, there is plenty to look forward to in Discovery. The take-off may have been rough, but for now the ship seems to be sailing smoothly.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: CBS All Access)

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