SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details of today’s Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 finale
Stacey Abrams may be running again to be Governor of Georgia, but the avowed Star Trek fan makes a pretty good President of United Earth in the 32nd century, as was proven in the Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 finale that launched today.
“Nothing to discuss,” she says to Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) right near the end of the Michelle Paradise penned and Olatunde Osunsanmi directed episode on Paramount+. “United Earth is ready right now to rejoin the Federation, and nothing could make me happier than to say those words,” Abram’s regal leader adds.
Coming at the end of a vociferous season of the Alex Kurtzman and Paradise co-showrun series and the heart thumping “Coming Home” finale, the surprise cameo by Abrams was treated like a state secret. Yet, at the end of cycle that saw some First Contact and Sonequa Martin-Green’s U.S.S. Discovery captain Michael Burnham and team stop the celestial rampage of the DMA, it made a lot of sense. Add to the fact that this was a pivotal Trekverse season that found the Federation partially rebuilt, it almost seems inevitable and the polar opposite of the infamous Kobayashi Maru
A scenario that found the Discovery stars starstruck.
“I’m still floored when I think about Stacey gracing us with her presence in our Season 4 finale,” Martin-Green told Deadline of the woman widely regarded as having saved American democracy joining Discovery. “We spent so much of our time fanning out and pretending to be cool in her midst,” the Walking Dead alum reveals of herself and cast mates Horsdal, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala, Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander. “She’s a legend in the making and a civil hero, and she was an absolute delight to work with,” Martin-Green adds.
“She wowed us with her charm, humility, and generosity, and she whipped out some acting chops too!” said the barrier breaking actress who portrays the first Black female Star Trek Captain. “It was an honor for me as a Black woman to stand with her in the story. It’s an experience I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
For executive producer & co-showrunner Paradise, the appearance by Abrams as Earth’s President was part of long term strategy for Discovery, as she told Deadline:
We knew rebuilding the Federation was always going to be a two-season arc. When we started Season 3, the Federation was in disarray; in episode 303 we learn that Earth was no longer in the Federation, so we knew at that point that Earth returning would symbolize the Federation coming back together again. So, coming into Season 4, we knew that would happen with Earth at the end of the season… and as we got about halfway into breaking the season, we realized we’d need someone to bring that moment to life, an Earth President to say those words – that Earth wanted to rejoin – and honestly, there’s no one better for that than Stacey.
We knew that she was a fan of the show and of Trek in general, and for us, there was no one better to be that President. Alex and I reached out to her, and she was kind enough to get on a Zoom with us. We pitched her the very basics of that part of the season – just that Earth would rejoin (she didn’t want spoilers, so we shared just enough to give her context) – and then talked to her about who this character is and what she represents. We asked if she’d be interested and she was kind enough to say yes. It was just an amazing thing. She did such an incredible job, it was a privilege for all of us to get to work with her, and we’re so grateful she joined us for that.
Having signed on, Abrams joined the Discovery production up in Toronto for a couple of days late last summer to prep and film her scenes.
Of course, the Discovery finale isn’t Abrams first trip to the scripted small screen. The All In: The Fight for Democracy documentary producer voiced herself on the two-episode election themed animated black-ish in October 2020. It was a vote getter, as the UTA-repped Abrams received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance last year for the sitcom role.
In fact, the “Coming Home” stint isn’t even the first time the actively campaigning Abrams has broken bread with the Discovery gang and other Trek vets. Back in December 2020, the Peach State politician hosted a virtual fundraiser for successful Senate candidates the Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff
Fellow Trekkies: Join me and #StarTrek cast members on Saturday, Dec 12 at 6PM for a chat about the importance of electing @ReverendWarnock and @ossoff on Jan 5! 🖖🏾
✨ Register now at https://t.co/9NrCpTg8s0 pic.twitter.com/zbP1F4BRvn
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) December 10, 2020
Renewed for a fifth season back on January 18, the lynchpin of Paramount+’s year-round Trekverse is expected to return to the streaming platform in early 2023. By then Abrams may be Georgia’s Governor and the first African-American woman ever to lead a state.
“There’s a lot of work to do, are you ready for that?” Abrams’ United Earth president asks Martin-Green’s Burnham after bringing the planet back to the Federation. In that spirit, perhaps we’ll see more of Stacey Abrams in Star Trek: Discovery to help that work get done. Perhaps.