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It has been a long journey for the Trekkies since the originalStar Trekseries took off in 1966. Starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, the legend and legacy that the sci-fi series established survived through economic collapses, global wars, and one pandemic only to come out the other end better than before.

Star Trek: Discovery [Credit: Paramount Network]

Star Trek: Discovery[Credit: Paramount Network]However, as true as that statement may be for the creators and showrunners ofStar Trek: Discovery, it might be even more accurate for the seriesʼ audience and its cast for a gravely important reason. As the show enters its fifth and final season, it is finally time to address the aspect that makesStar Trek: Discoveryso much more special than all of its sci-fi contemporaries.

Star TrekGets a Leg Up onStar WarsDue To One Element

Star TrekandStar Warshave always been two sides of the same coin but not in the manner that depicts good vs. evil or light vs. shadow. The two sci-fi franchises have always played out in tandem with each other, keeping a somewhat equal pace in their storyʼs progression, even if the popularity ofStar Warssnowballed out of proportion over the decades that followed.

Tig Notaro inStar Trek: Discovery[Credit: Paramount Network]Despite lagging behind in its niche fanbase,Star Trektook the time to build a universe that stood out from its more popular counterpart in one essential aspect – representation. As was made so glaringly obvious inStar Trek: Discovery, the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the series storyline comprised an invaluable addition to the evolution of the franchise from its origin in the ʼ60s.

Tig Notaro in Star Trek: Discovery [Credit Paramount Network]

“I didn’t even know what the word ‘Trekkie’ meant”: How a $219M Tom Hanks Movie Landed Zoe Saldaña Her Star Trek Role

Star Wars, on the other hand, has yet to expand on that facet of its narrative since heteronormative relationships have prevailed for the past 47 years even in a galaxy far, far away from the one we reside in.

Tig Notaro Addresses LGBTQ+ Representation inStar Trek

With an active involvement inStar Trek: Discoverysince its Season 1 in 2017, actorTig Notarohas enjoyed her fair share of screentime on the show as a genius engineer and part-time bartender, Commander Jett Reno. But it is her presence as the most highly venerated member of the LGBTQ+ community among the cast that draws the crowsʼs attention to the showʼs unbridled inclusivity.

Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno inStar Trek: Discovery[Credit: Paramount Network]In a May 2024interview withScreen Rant, Notaro succinctly describes what it is like to be part of a show that favors moving ahead with its time rather than being left behind like lost antiquities and old ideals.

“I didn’t even know what the word ‘Trekkie’ meant”: How a $219M Tom Hanks Movie Landed Zoe Saldaña Her Star Trek Role

I have a lot of pride around it. It’s really remarkable how many people it speaks to. And also, even beyond the LGBTQ community, it’s so amazing how the general public and straight men and all of these people don’t even flinch at the world in Star Trek: Discovery, where it’s just presented as a part of everybody’s life and world.

And it’s just as cool of a series as the others. That’s what I find so cool about it. That it’s not only being watched and followed by one community. I feel like it just speaks across the board. So that’s really, really cool.

Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno in Star Trek Discovery [Credit Paramount Network]

“We’d like to use you as much as possible”: Star Trek: Discovery Actor Was Sure Her Character Won’t Make it Past Two Episodes

Surrounded by a cast that is equally supportive and funny as their Commander, Tig NotaroʼsStar Trek: Discoveryremains light years ahead of its contemporary franchiseStar Wars.

Star Trek: Discoveryis available for streaming on Paramount+

“We’d like to use you as much as possible”: Star Trek: Discovery Actor Was Sure Her Character Won’t Make it Past Two Episodes

Diya Majumdar

Senior Writer

Articles Published :2407

Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.

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star trek discoveryTig Notaro