The Vulcan Hello

This Story: Season 1 Episode 1 (production code 101)
DSC Overall: Episode 1
Trek Overall: Story 685a, Episode 727
Airdate: 24 Sep 2017
Story by Bryan Fuller & Alex Kurtzman
Teleplay by Bryan Fuller & Akiva Goldsman
Directed by David Semel

Notes

• The first episode of the series, and the first part of a two part story that launched the show.  Both episodes aired on the same night.
• While this episode (and the next) were broadcast on CBS All Access at the time, this first episode was also broadcast on traditional terrestrial television.  That was specifically CBS as a “free teaser” of sorts.  The entire first series was broadcast on CBS in 2020, three years later.
• The first incarnation of Star Trek (on TV) to not include some character that’s a holdover from a prior incarnation.  This is a clean break with what’s come before.
• The first episode of Star Trek since 1969’s “Turnabout Intruder” not to have something done by Rick Berman.
• Of the ongoing regular series cast, only Doug Jones & Martin-Green appear in this episode.  That also includes the ship – the USS Discovery.
• The only episode of the series directed by David Semel.
• The voice of the ship’s computer on the USS Shenzhou was played by Tasia Valenza.  She was also the Vulcan T’Shanik in the TNG episode “Coming of Age“.
• James Frain takes over the role of Spock’s father Sarek in this episode.  He would appear in ten total episodes as Sarek.
• The first time in any Star Trek show where the Captain and First Officer were both female.
• We get to see the Klingon death howl which made it’s first appearance in TNG’s “Heart of Glory“.
• The Vulcan Learning Center looks exactly like the same location in the “Star Trek 2009” film.
• The USS Shenzhou appears to have the same phasers as the NX-01 Enterprise – “phase cannons”.
• Voq was played by the same actor who played Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) through the first and second seasons of Discovery.  In this episode though he was credited as “Javid Iqbal” (a made up name).
• Saru makes his first appearance, as well as the first time we’ve ever seen anyone from the Kelpian race.

Links