Star Trek fans have a bone to pick with Star Trek: Discovery over a major missed opportunity. As the show boldly ventured into new territories, it overlooked a chance to bring Jeffrey Combs back into a role he was born to play. Combs, who left an indelible mark in Star Trek: TNG with his iconic portrayal, was denied the opportunity to reprise this pitch-perfect role in Discovery Season 5.
Dive into the uproar surrounding this decision and why fans believe Discovery missed the boat on a stellar casting choice.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 5 Blunder: Why Jeffrey Combs Should’ve Been the Progenitor
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced a fascinating new chapter, but it also made a glaring misstep: ignoring the perfect casting choice for the pivotal role, and fans aren’t so happy about it. The legendary figure in the Star Trek pantheon, Jeffrey Combs, should’ve been one of the ancient humanoids—the species that the federation called Progenitors.
Combs’ impressive resume includes iconic roles like the Holosuite Guest in Deep Space Nine, the villainous Suldok in 2003 Elite Force II, Penk in the sixth season of Voyager episode ‘Tsunkatse,’ Tirone in Deep Space Nine episode ‘Meridian,’ and Ferengi Krem in Enterprise episode ‘Acquisition,’ among others.“S5 Discovery missed the boat,” said one fan on not casting the 69-year-old star as a Progenitor in Discovery Season 5.
S5 Discovery missed the boat not casting Jeffrey Combs as the Progenitor representative.
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To play the Progenitor’s role in Season 5, the makers cast Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, a Nigerian actress and model. Waiting in a ‘liminal space-time,’ the Progenitor shows Burnham how to handle the life-creating tech, but Burnham quickly realizes no one should’ve access to that kind of power. The Progenitor then drops some deep wisdom, saying she finds “meaning in embracing difference” and that the tech was meant to create diverse life to fill the galaxy.
Born in Nigeria, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama’s been killing it in the acting game since 2013. She’s graced shows like Gidi Up, Coroner, The Expanse, Station Eleven, and Titans. On the big screen, she rocked the role of Dr. Ada Igonoh in 93 Days, a Nigerian film about the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
Per reports, the makers aimed for diversity with Star Trek: Discovery S5. However, the missed opportunity to tap into Jeffrey Combs’ vast Star Trek experience’s a bitter pill to swallow. While Discovery brought us closer to understanding the Progenitors, it left a gaping hole in its narrative. A hole that could’ve been filled with the brilliance of one and only Jeffrey Combs.
Fans React to Discovery S5 Snubbing Combs for Progenitor Role
The internet’s on fire. Fans are staging protests, launching petitions at lightning speed on Reddit, stating Combs deserved better. It’s a full-on fan-fury takeover!
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Discovery almost had a shot at redemption. While Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama was well-suited for the Progenitor’s role in Season 5 finale, starring Combs would’ve been a next-level experience for fans.
Watch Star Trek: Discovery on Fubo TV and Apple TV!
