Star Trek: Discovery may kill off its characters Game of Thrones style

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

People don't typically die on Star Trek. Sure, plenty of red-shirts and even entire civilizations have bit the dust over the decades, but main cast-members, almost never. Those who have died have usually done so because the actor who played the character wanted to leave the series, it's rarely for storytelling reasons. The upcoming Star Trek: Discovery is looking to take a page out of Game of Thrones' book as showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg told Entertainment Weekly that the major characters of the series will not be safe.

Game of Thrones changed television. They almost made it difficult to fall in love with people because you didn’t know if they were going to be taken away from you. That show’s had an influence on all TV dramas that have come after it.

Aaron Harberts added that, "death isn’t treated gratuitously on this show. It’s not for shock value. But when it happens we want to make sure that people really feel it." As audiences haven't yet met many of the characters of Star Trek: Discovery, nor had the chance to fall in love with them, it remains to be seen whether Discovery's attempt at sending their characters off to the farm in the style of Game of Thrones will be as effective. I doubt that Star Trek: Discovery will kill off its characters with the same regularity as Game of Thrones, but a little life and death stakes for its main characters would be most welcome.

Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg dropped a small tease as to the direction of Star Trek: Discovery's first season last week, saying that Sonequa Martin-Green's character of Michael Burnham will make a "difficult choice that sends her life on a very different path" and also affects Starfleet, the Federation, and the entire universe. After spending part of the season as first officer aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou commanded by Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), Burnham's choice will lead her to a different ship, the U.S.S. Discovery captained by Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs). I'm hoping that the Game of Thrones influence doesn't spell doom for Michelle Yeoh. I'm already rather fond of her.

Star Trek: Discovery will debut on CBS on September 24, 2017 before moving to CBS All Access.