"Star Trek: Discovery" showrunner Bryan Fuller confirmed recently that the new TV show is going to feature a female lead character. Coming to CBS All Access in January 2017, the latest from the "Star Trek" franchise is also bringing both new and familiar elements to the fans. It's supposed to be based off something that was put in the show before, but was never actually fully explored in the franchise.
Since Fuller's announcement, speculations have since been trickling down among fans. Is Number One the female lead character in "Star Trek: Discovery?" Who is Number One, in the first place?
Described as a highly intelligent lieutenant commander, Number One was Capt. Christopher Pike's right-hand in the USS Enterprise, per Star Trek. Her character was supposed to appear in the "Star Trek" original series' pilot episode done in 1965 called "The Cage." She was played by Majel Barrett.
However, "The Cage" was shelved for many years due to the network's preference of cutting out Number One's character from the series. Her scenes from this pilot were then used in the re-developed special, "The Menagerie," which effectively faded Number One into the background of "Star Trek's" vast stories.
Fuller says Star Trek: Discovery takes event mentioned in previous iterations of Trek but "never full explored" #TCA16
— Daniel Holloway (@gdanielholloway) August 11, 2016
It wasn't until the 80s that "Star Trek" fans got to watch "The Cage" as another special on television. But by then, Majel Barrett had been playing other roles in the franchise. To this day, Number One has a small following of fans and was regarded as the franchise's First Lady, per Transformative Works.
Number One was what Spock was to Capt. Kirk in "Star Trek." Kirk commanded the Enterprise several years later, taking over Pike. With "Star Trek: Discovery" set a few years before Capt. Kirk assumed control of the ship, then it makes sense that Number One could become an important figure in the new TV series, since she appears in the same timeline. Hence, she might just be the female lead character that Bryan Fuller has been talking about. What do you think, Trekkers?
