“I have a lot of pride around it”: Star Trek: Discovery Has Been Doing One Thing Right That Makes it Superior to George Lucas’ Star Wars

It has been a long journey for the Trekkies since the original Star Trek series 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.

However, as true as that statement may be for the creators and showrunners of Star 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 makes Star Trek: Discovery so much more special than all of its sci-fi contemporaries.

Star Trek Gets a Leg Up on Star Wars Due To One Element

Star Trek and Star Wars have 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 of Star Wars snowballed out of proportion over the decades that followed.

Despite lagging behind in its niche fanbase, Star Trek took 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 in Star 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.

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 in Star Trek

With an active involvement in Star Trek: Discovery since its Season 1 in 2017, actor Tig Notaro has 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.

In a May 2024 interview with Screen 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 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.

Surrounded by a cast that is equally supportive and funny as their Commander, Tig Notaroʼs Star Trek: Discovery remains light years ahead of its contemporary franchise Star Wars.

Star Trek: Discovery is available for streaming on Paramount+