Summary
- Kurtwood Smith's two previous Star Trek roles are subtly referenced in Discovery season 5.
- An Efrosian in Star Trek: Discovery is a callback to Smith as the Federation President in Star Trek VI.
- The Krenim Chronophage in Discovery is linked to Smith's role in Star Trek: Voyager.
Kurtwood Smith has two shoutouts in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, which was confirmed by writer Carlos Cisco. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 centers on Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery's hunt for the ancient treasure of the Progenitors, which can create life itself. Despite its far future 32nd-century setting, Discovery season 5 contains many callbacks to the 24th-century era of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For fans who are especially immersed in Star Trek lore, Kurtwood Smith is also subtly evoked.
On X, Star Trek: Discovery writer Carlos Cisco (@carlos_cisco) replied to a post by Strange New Pod (@strangenewpod) to point out how two of Kurtwood Smith's Star Trek roles have been referenced in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Specifically, Smith's turns as the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and in Star Trek: Voyager's "Year of Hell" are woven into the fabric of Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Progenitors treasure hunt. Check out Cisco's post below:
Kurtwood Smith is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and Red Forman in That 70s Show and That 90s Show , among his dozens of other acting roles.
Kurtwood Smith's Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 References Explained
Star Trek VI and Star Trek: Voyager get shoutouts
The Krenim Chronophage in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," ties back to Star Trek: Voyager's "Year of Hell" storyline. In Voyager,Kurtwood Smith played Annorax, a temporal Krenim scientist who had built a devastating weapon that could remove elements from the space-time continuum. Star Trek: Discovery's Krenim Chronophage was a 'time bug' weaponized by Moll (Eve Harlow) to trap the USS Discovery in a time loop of its history and future.
The 'time bug' established the Krenim Imperium as adversaries of the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek' s Temporal Wars.
Kurtwood Smith also played the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Smith's white-haired alien chief executive was an Efrosian, a race first seen in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", introduces Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco), the first new Efrosian character in Star Trek since Kurtwood Smith's Federation President. Hy'Rell is a librarian and administrator of the Eternal Gallery and Archive, where the final clue to Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt is hidden.
