Star Trek Director Hanelle Culpepper Shared The Big Difference Between Working On Picard And Discovery, But I’m Especially Jazzed At How She Shouted Out The Trill

As a dedicated Star Trek fan with a soft spot for groundbreaking directors, I must admit that Hanelle M. Culpepper has become a beacon of inspiration in the realm of science fiction television. Her journey from helming episodes in both the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises is nothing short of extraordinary, but her work on Picard and Discovery truly stands out.

Prior to directing episodes for Disney+’s “The Acolyte,” making her the first director to manage TV episodes in both the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” franchises, Hanelle M. Culpepper had already worked on “Star Trek.” She helmed episodes for both “Picard” and “Discovery,” both of which are available with a Paramount+ subscription. These series played significant roles in re-establishing “Star Trek” as a prominent force on television. In an interview with TopMob, Culpepper talked about the distinct differences between working on “Picard” and “Discovery,” but what particularly caught my attention was her mention of the Trill during the conversation.

Hanelle M. Culpepper had a more significant impact on “Picard” than “Discovery,” as she was responsible for directing the first three episodes in the former. This allowed her to play a pivotal role in shaping the visual style and overall tone of the series, which remained consistent throughout its three-season journey. In our conversation, she shared that this was due to her initial involvement in establishing the show’s aesthetic and atmosphere.

In essence, Picard differs significantly when you’re not only directing but also shaping the show from its inception, compared to joining a series where everything is already established. Although you still infuse your personal touch into each episode, key elements such as the main cast and sets have been chosen and built beforehand, allowing for some tweaks. Nevertheless, working within this universe remains an exhilarating experience.

In 2020, “Star Trek: Picard” debuted, marking an 18-year gap since viewers last saw the “Next Generation” crew in “Star Trek: Nemesis”. Unlike a simple revival of the “Star Trek” series that aired from 1987-1994, “Picard” introduced Jean Luc-Picard with a new set of characters, including “Voyager’s” Seven of Nine. This series offered a darker, more mature narrative compared to its predecessor. The original crew would reunite in Season 3 (with the exception of Wesley Crusher who made a cameo in the Season 2 finale and later appeared in “Prodigy”), but “Picard” was intended as a standalone story rather than a direct sequel, with Culpepper playing a significant role in establishing this distinct identity.

In the series “Star Trek: Discovery”, Hanelle M. Culpepper directed episodes such as “Vaulting Ambition” from Season 1, “The Red Angel” from Season 2, and “Forget Me Not” from Season 3. It was during the filming of the last episode that she had a chance to portray a Trill, an alien species initially presented in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. She expressed this character by saying:

I was thrilled that I got to work on Star Trek: Discovery and I love the episodes that I did. I remember in the third one I did… if you look back at the original episode that dealt with the [Trill and their symbionts], looking up how they did that in the TV show and then incorporating that for that species that worship that being that lives inside of people as a host. So you get to do things like that, take from the canon and add to it or bring it into a new space. That was in an episode that I did. I wasn’t the pilot director of that, obviously. But with Picard, everything you see has a little bit of my footprint on it.

In the second episode of Picard, a Trill doctor named Naáshala Kunamadéstifee made an appearance, but it was Star Trek’s flagship series, Discovery, that brought this unique species back into focus. This marks the Trills’ significant return to the franchise since Deep Space Nine, where Jadzia Dax served as a main character for six seasons and Ezri Dax in the final season. Following the Discovery crew’s journey to the 32nd century, they encountered Adira Tai, the first human to be combined with a Trill symbiont, and their partner at the time was a Trill named Gray Tal. Throughout several episodes of Discovery, more aspects of Trill culture were explored, and Culpepper expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to add to this element of the show.

The series “Picard” and “Discovery” have concluded, but there’s plenty of exciting “Star Trek” content coming up on Paramount+! Get ready for Season 3 of “Strange New Worlds”, the final season of “Lower Decks”, a new season of “Starfleet Academy”, and even a “Section 31” movie. If you’re looking for something outside of “Trek”, check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what other shows are currently airing or will be premiering soon!

2024-08-09 20:38

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