Why Detmer & Owosekun Were Missing From Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Explained By Showrunner (screenrant.com)
from veeesix@lemmy.ca to startrek@startrek.website on 31 May 2024 03:40
https://lemmy.ca/post/22283868

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors”, Detmer and Owosekun were assigned to pilot the Mirror Universe’s ISS Enterprise to Federation HQ by Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). This explained Detmer and Owo’s absence for the rest of Discovery season 5.

However, Detmer and Owo do appear in Star Trek: Discovery’s epilogue scene, and they were a sight for sore eyes.

#startrek

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singpolyma@lemmy.ml on 31 May 12:03 next collapse

I barely even noticed they got replaced. They never got to have any story involvement or character development, just like most of the rest of the bridge crew in Discovery.

ValueSubtracted@startrek.website on 31 May 13:35 next collapse

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I didn’t realize there were conspiracy theories floating around about them being fired or some nonsense. I figured the actual reason was probably pretty benign.

USSBurritoTruck@startrek.website on 01 Jun 18:06 collapse

Yeah, I never thought it was anything deeper than that they’re working Canadian actors who probably had other projects. I looked both of them up because someone in another group I frequent was chirping about it, and Emily Coutts recently wrote and directed her own short film, and Oyin Oladejo got to play the lead in an indie thriller.

Hobbes@startrek.website on 31 May 17:18 next collapse

That explains the story they used to explain in universe, but not why they chose not to have them on the final season.

geoff_green@friendsofdesoto.social on 31 May 17:20 collapse

@Hobbes Click through to the story, where Michelle Paradise says “They had other projects during that time so we got them when we could.”

observantTrapezium@lemmy.ca on 01 Jun 03:00 next collapse

These two had the misfortune of being in the grey zone between background and supporting characters. It’s fine for a show not to focus on the bridge crew (who’s at the helm on the Cerritos?) but Detmer and Owosekun got a raw deal because sometimes it seemed like they were gonna have some character development. Like in season 3 that Detmer had this bizarre beef with Stamets out of nowhere, and that was probably the only episode where she got more than a couple of lines.

I’m not surprised that the actresses chose their other projects (they were probably at the bottom of the totem poll of the show in terms of pay).

I probably wouldn’t have noticed they were missing, but in episode 3 Michael introduced Rayner to the crew and said “You’ll meet Owosekun, Detmer and the rest of the crew in a little bit”, and then later Tilly said “I’ll send Commander Owosekun in”, off screen of course. Lame.

ValueSubtracted@startrek.website on 01 Jun 03:11 collapse

I think it was a worthy experiment - take the nameless, silent extras that populate the bridge on the older shows and give them a little more to do.

But I think it created some unintended and unfortunate audience expectations. Maybe a failed experiment.

I would imagine none of those actors were under contract.

Tove@startrek.website on 01 Jun 12:30 collapse

I missed them. :(