[44] Georgiou tells Burnham about Lorca planning to "cross time and space itself to take what was rightfully his" and Burnham puts the pieces together, along with Georgiou's sensitivity to light (the single biological difference between the Terrans and humans), that Lorca is from the mirror universe and their crossing over was not an accident. Burnham becomes curious of Voq's ability to forge alliances with other alien races, in order to find the solution to the Klingon war in her universe. [4] Unlike previous Star Trek leads, Burnham was not made a starship captain, "to see a character from a different perspective on the starship—one who has different dynamic relationships with a captain, with subordinates, it gave us richer context".[5]. They went further saying, "Equally adept at big action scenes and quiet character moments, Martin-Green has been the glue holding Star Trek: Discovery together all season long—and all those weeks of repressed emotion just made this week's splendid showcase all the more impactful. "[8] He felt the name was "cool and different"[9] and pitched it himself explaining, "[I was] thinking of female columnist Michael Sneed, who writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, and The Bangles' bassist Michael Steele." However, Mirror Burnham's quest to hunt down Lorca appears to be a ruse, as she was conspiring against her own adoptive mother to kill her and take her throne with Lorca, who Mirror Burnham once viewed as a father figure, until she grew up and it became romantic. Sonequa Martin-Green praised Nichols thereafter saying, "What a blessing, what a woman. Burnham learns she earned the rank of captain on the ISS Shenzhou. ", "The Walking Dead actor Sonequa Martin-Green cast as lead in Star Trek: Discovery", "All my love @SonequaMG, I've been smiling since I heard. "[13], The casting process was difficult for producers. When she refers to the emperor as "Philippa", she is outraged, as she would normally refer to her as "mother". TVSeriesFinale It's his signature move to name his lead women with names that would typically be associated as male. [31], This mutiny is the cornerstone of the entire setup for the series; however, it also became one of the first of many complaints about the show's apparent disregard for Star Trek canon and continuity. I owed it to the story and I owed it to the legacy to get it together. [64], In 2019, Cinema Blend ranked Michael Burnham the sixth best Star Trek Starfleet character of all time. Defiant, Captain Kirk and crew find that the entire crew of the Defiant was dead. And I had to focus myself in gratitude. Instead, she and Tyler opt to form a secret alliance with the Vulcans, Klingons, Andorians and Tellarites who oppose the Terran Empire. Producer. I'm incredibly proud to be the lead of this show and be at the forefront of an iteration of Star Trek that's from the eyes of a black woman that's never been done before, though obviously there's been other forms of diversity that have been innovated by Trek. Miller said, "Burnham's lengthy speech to the council awarding her and her fellow crewmen with well-deserved honors had plenty of standout moments. On their course to Vulcan to pick up the new Discovery captain, they receive a transmission from Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise. Her portrayal of convicted Starfleet mutineer Michael Burnham made the new show truly binge-worthy. I am eternally grateful that the diverse casting of our show means that we are now a part of the conversation and hopefully a part of making the world a better place, as cliché as this sounds. [3], Wiseman's stage roles have included Nitzan Halperin's Sow and Weep (2008, Boston University College of Fine Arts in New York),[6] Ariel Carson's I Wanted it to Have a How & I Wanted it to Have a Verb (2011, Dixon Place)[7] and Betsy/Lindsay in Clybourne Park (2013, Chautauqua Theater Company). "[6][5] With changes in the pre-production storyline, the character is found guilty of mutiny and no longer a First Officer by the end of the pilot episode. Martin-Green decided that the character was named after her father. They searched long and hard to find an actor to pull off Burnham's divided nature between Vulcan and human. [25], George Takei, the actor who played Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series offered his view on the issue of cast diversity in the Star Trek franchise. Burnham is fully reinstated as a Commander in Starfleet, her record is expunged, she is pardoned by the Federation President, and she becomes the Chief Science Officer for the Discovery. I had my almost catatonic moment where I thought, 'What is happening?' Voq appears, the mirror universe counterpart of the Klingon she fought at the Binary Stars, and asks Mirror Sarek, known as The Prophet, to mind meld with Burnham to see if her intentions are pure. The character is introduced as an anthropologist helping the Earth-based Starfleet understand and engage with new cultures in outer space. Knowing that her character Sasha would be killed off The Walking Dead, she shot a video audition. Voq's explanation triggers Tyler who speaks in Klingon and attacks Voq. He Still Left His Mark On The Series", "VULCAN SALUTE BLACK WOMEN CREATING #StarTrekDiscovery LEAD, I WAS INSPIRED BY #RUBYBRIDGES GROWING UP TO BE @maejemison #BlackHistory", "Inside Star Trek Discovery's mission to bring hope back to TV", "Star Trek: Discovery EP on Casting Sonequa Martin-Green: 'We All Breathed a Massive Sigh of Relief, "Can 'Star Trek: Discovery' Help CBS Boldly Go Into a Streaming Future? Later, Burnham asks if he is afraid of her, but he tells her he is jealous because he wanted to learn everything from Georgiou and she did instead, and rather than she become captain and teach him, her actions led him to be unprepared as acting captain for today. Burnham is left shocked by this revelation of her mirror counterpart's betrayal as well. You're gonna knock em dead", "The New Star Trek realizes Gene Roddenberry's Ultimate Vision", "How Sonequa Martin-Green became the first black female lead of Star Trek: 'My casting says the sky is the limit for all, "Star Trek: Discovery's Sonequa Martin-Green Shared the Best Tribute to Nichelle Nichols", "George Takei Responds To Star Trek: Discovery's Diversity Controversy", "For Alt-Right Trolls, "Star Trek: Discovery" Is an Unsafe Space", "Star Trek: Discovery star replies to show's racist critics", "Star Trek: Discovery's Main Character Has Suddenly Become a Major Canon Mystery", "Editorial: Spock Having A Sister In 'Star Trek: Discovery' Is Not That Big Of A Deal", "Star Trek: Discovery series premiere recap: 'The Vulcan Hello'/'Battle at the Binary Stars, "Star Trek: Discovery recap: 'The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry, "Star Trek: Discovery Recap: Wrestling With Mudd Just Gets You Dirty", "Star Trek: Discovery episode 6 review: Lethe", "Star Trek: Discovery episode 7 review: Magic To Make The Sanest Man Go Mad", "Star Trek: Discovery recap: 'Into the Forest I Go, "What 'Star Trek: Discovery' Gets Right (And Wrong) About Parallel Universes: Season 1 Episode 10", "Star Trek Discovery season 1 episode 10 'Despite Yourself' review: Darkness and light-heartedness in equal measure", "Review: "Despite Yourself" Takes 'Star Trek: Discovery' To A Whole New Place", "Star Trek: Discovery recap: 'Vaulting Ambition, "Star Trek: Discovery episode 12 review: Vaulting Ambition", "Star Trek: Discovery episode 13 review: What's Past Is Prologue", "Star Trek: Discovery Recap: Emperor Georgiou's New Groove", "Star Trek Discovery season 1 episode 14 'The War Without, The War Within' review and recap: One of the stranger HR decisions in TV history", "Star Trek: Discovery episode 15 review: Will You Take My Hand? In December 2016, it was announced that Martin-Green would serve as the series lead of Star Trek: Discovery,[3] with the character initially named "Rainsford". [39] Burnham is forced to disguise as her Terran counterpart on the ISS Shenzhou in order to retrieve the data files on the Constitution-class USS Defiant, to uncover how it crossed into the mirror universe's past. She serves as the series lead. [50], Writing for E! It's yours now." Joe Otterson said, "Despite a lot of negative news coming out ahead of "Discovery's" premiere (including multiple premiere date delays), Martin-Green deftly took on the challenge of leading the new installment of the iconic sci-fi franchise. TVSeriesFinale Later, Burnham learns more about her mirror counterpart's history. You either have the ability to roll that off your tongue, or you don't. [2] Development of the character was largely praised by critics leading up to the debut for having a black woman lead for the first time in Star Trek history and reviews of Martin-Green's performance have been positive. "[54] CultureFly's David Bedwell included Burnham in their list of "11 Best TV Characters of 2017" saying, "With their first ever black female lead and a character that's hardly straight-laced, Sonequa Martin-Green gets a lot to sink her teeth into. The decision is ultimately pointless as Spock chose Starfleet, after Burnham was forced to go. [12], Martin-Green referred to her character as being "the only human to have not just attended the Vulcan Science Academy but excelled as well, [which] speaks to Burnham's intellect and just sheer level of intelligence". The character was originally to be referred to only by the name Number One, to honor the character of that name portrayed by Majel Barrett in the original Star Trek pilot "The Cage. | I had to focus myself on the passion for the vision for the story that we're doing. This is how stars are born. | Mirror Sarek is taken aback by Burnham's memories, and concludes she is a compassionate person who means them no harm. Later, Burnham is dismayed to learn her falsities at Harlak have been uncovered by the silent emperor, who turns out to be her former captain Philippa Georgiou's mirror version. Burnham suggests a human host replacement would be possible, but Saru disregards her point, calling her a predator. However, AMC refused to release her from her contract, leading CBS to look elsewhere.