Star Trek: Discovery has only recently begun filming its second season, but it is already undergoing a major shake-up. According to a story in The Hollywood Reporter, showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who took the reins of running the show from Bryan Fuller before shooting started on the series’ first season, have been let go. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who wrote and produced the first two J.J. Abrams movies, will take over as showrunner and head of the Discovery writers’ room for the second season.
It’s said that the first five episodes of the season are already done, so Kurtzman’s takeover won’t really be reflected until episode six. According to the original report, Berg and Harberts were accused of abuse from some of the show’s writing staff, and several of the writers are said to have been very uncomfortable working on the series under their watch. Some had apparently threatened to file a complaint with human resources, or quit the show’s writing staff.
Also leaving the series is executive producer Akiva Goldsman, though it isn’t immediately clear if the controversies surrounding his departure—THR reports that he had “a management style that clashed with the writing staff”—are in any way related or comparable to the above.
The early seasons for modern Star Trek have always been filled with behind-the-scenes turmoil. The first two season of Star Trek: The Next Generation were filled with creative changes, and the plug was almost pulled on the show in its early days because of it. Similar stories abound for spin-off series Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Hopefully, Discovery finds the right people behind the camera who have a solid vision for the show based on good storytelling and less on plot twist sensationalism, and, more importantly, who treat their staff with respect and humanity. The cast deserves something better, and so do the fans.
What do you want to see change on Star Trek: Discovery? Be sure to leave your thoughts down below in the comments.
Images: CBS
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