'Star Trek: Discovery' Air Date, Spoilers: Michael Burnham Is Spock's Sister
Producers of "Star Trek: Discovery" revealed a family secret ahead of the show's debut in September. It turns out that lead character of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is Spock's sister as she was raised by the same parents.
The family connection was made known during the show's Comic-Con panel in San Diego. Burnham, who is the First Officer of the USS Shenzhou, lost her real family as a young child in a war that happened on Vulcan land.
She was then taken in by Amanda, the human married to the Vulcan Sarek. As fans of the franchise's more than 50 years of history know, Amada and Sarek are Spock's parents.
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But fans never knew that Amanda had adopted another child until now. "Star Trek: Discovery" executive producer Alex Kurtzman assured viewers that this new angle in the story will be properly told in the upcoming TV show.
"We're aware Spock's stepsister isn't canon," Kurtzman told the panel. "Be patient with us."
Martin-Green provided further clarification into her character. She told IGN that Burnham is 100 percent human but got indoctrinated in the Vulcan way of life because of the parents who eventually raised her.
"There's struggle with that because I am fully human," the actress said. "My humanity doesn't have to be completely erased. It's a compelling dichotomy."
Meanwhile, "Star Trek: Discovery" will introduce a new alien species in the character of Lt. Saru (Doug Jones). Producers described him as the new Spock and the bearer of the Data. His role in the Starfleet is the Science Officer, so viewers can expect him to have intelligent lines in the series.
The show also stars Michelle Yeoh (Capt. Philippa Georgiou), Jason Isaacs (Capt. Gabriel Lorca), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Shazad Latif (Lt. Tyler) and Mary Wiseman (Tilly).
"Star Trek: Discovery" will premiere on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 24 but the series will run on the CBS All Access and Netflix streaming platforms for the rest of the season.
