Star Trek Discovery Why Do the Klingons Again

Discovery Klingons and Star Trek'due south Continuity

Star Trek Discovery reimagines or redefines many staples of Star Expedition. The full redesign of the Klingons is the arguably most dramatic among the many deliberate visual changes in the series. The species doesn't only lose the hair, but essential features of the Klingon body look totally different than the established appearances of TOS Klingons or TMP Klingons. In addition, their whole styling and engineering science, including starships, architecture, equipment and clothing, was altered across recognition.

Considering that its creators tell us that Discovery takes place in the Prime Universe, information technology is not possible to simply overlook the radical visual alterations made for the series. Without an official approving, it is non possible for fans to dismiss Discovery and slap a "total reboot" or even a "not-catechism" characterization on information technology, even if it is effectively a reboot and disregards essential parts of the canon. So even though much about Discovery feels incorrect (non to say *is* incorrect), EAS has to take care of issues similar the Klingon redesign in some fashion. Withal, that still doesn't mean that EAS will cobble together speculative theories to brand Discovery fit with catechism.

Justifications

Diverse arguments are brought forrard in defense of the redesign:

The producers besides as some fans contend that the Klingons were inverse before, when the so far human-looking make-upward of TOS fabricated mode for the TMP advent with the brow ridge appliances. And fifty-fifty the TMP Klingons did not remain totally visually consistent, so some don't recall it is a big issue if everything is changed yet again.
Some defenders of the new look pretend that it is close enough to that of the TMP Klingons, the only notable departure existence the lack of pilus, and only in the beginning season.
Another rationale brought forwards is that the DIS Klingons, and particularly the House of T'Kuvma on their sarcophagus ship, could be a and so far isolated sub-species of the Empire that for some reason becomes powerful in only one decade, only to vanish once more or to undergo a mutation. This is not hinted at in Discovery though, and the serial never shows any Klingons with former make-upward for that matter.
It is often cited as an important point that there are 24 Klingon houses with different looks now. But this new diversity is not in line with the unified warrior race we know from all TOS sequels as well every bit prequels.
1 frequently stated argument is that the redesign was sort of required to employ of the most recent make-up techniques and to let the Klingons announced truly conflicting. The question is whether the intent to make them more alien doesn't go beyond the limitations of a "just visual" alteration.
Brand-upwardly FX designer Glenn Hetrick defended his new Klingons, calling the redesign an "evolutionary imperative", based on the assumption that the species is a "cross between reptilian and avian". Only he ignores that the Klingons were ever mammalians, and shouldn't "evolve" to birds or reptiles, not in an artistic and much less in a biological sense.
Finally, a cartoon of a hairless Klingon with an exoskeleton by Robert Fletcher for TMP was unearthed as a rationale for the redesign, as if a pre-product sketch discarded xl years ago of a sudden overruled the canon Klingon appearance in more than than 400 episodes.

Speculation and wishful thinking doesn't help to make sense of the DIS Klingons, so permit us stick with the facts. The following analysis shows how much the Discovery Klingons were changed and whether or not information technology could exist possible to make them fit with catechism. And yes, canon definitely includes visuals, equally opposed to what some people want to brand united states believe in the wake of Discovery's repercussions.

Comparison of "Classic" and Discovery Klingons

Nosotros may desire to add to the list that Discovery Klingons are unwieldy, compared to any of their predecessors of archetype Star Trek. They also speak slowly, and with distorted voices.

Flavour 2 adjustment

In a revision of the revision, the Discovery Klingons get back their hair for season ii. Additionally, a few new characters such as Kol-Sha in DIS: "Bespeak of Light" and the unnamed human on L'Rell's bridge in "Such Sweet Sorrow II" are given a make-up that is closer to the universally accepted look. L'Rell even loses a third of her skull volume, but this item change remains an inexplicable exception. Other "long-headed" Klingons can still be seen in season ii. The growth of hair is explained in DIS: "Point of Light" as a tradition afterwards the finish of a war, as previously suggested by Mary Chieffo at New York Comic Con. The previous idea that there are sensory organs that must not exist covered with pilus is definitely obsolete now.

The notion that all Klingons without exception are bald during a state of war is absurd, considering that classic Klingons were more or less e'er at war in the 22nd, in the 23rd and in the 24th century and all of them always had hair (the just exception beingness General Chang). All Klingons of the different houses of Discovery, in contrast, had no hair fifty-fifty before T'Kuvma made the surprising suggestion to get to state of war against the Federation. Klingon children had no pilus in T'Kuvma's flashback, and Mirror Voq was hairless as well. Maybe the political changes brought nearly by L'Rell are the bodily reason why Klingons grow hair again and never surrender this custom again. But this conflicts with the uninterrupted continuity of classic "hairy" Klingons, and quite paradoxically Discovery postulates that the Klingons have totally conformist traditions at a time when they are said to be totally divided.

In any case, those Discovery Klingons must have astonishing razors!

Options to Explicate Discovery Klingons (incl. "hair-raising" revision)

(Most) Klingons mutated in this society: TMP appearance to TOS to DIS to TOS to TMP

The offset of the 100-year isolation of the Klingons mentioned in DIS: "The Vulcan Hello" corresponds to the time of ENT: "Divergence" when the Klingons began to mutate from the TMP to the TOS await. This period (in which no homo has seen whatsoever Klingons?!) may serve as a loophole to explicate the new mutation in a future episode.

We should dominion this out from the showtime because the frequency of changes is and then manifestly ridiculous, even if information technology may not exist a hard dominion that all Klingons underwent all stages of the many metamorphoses.
Where is the amazement about the new Klingon await? Burnham is just unfamiliar with the Torchbearer, but no i seems to accept a problem with T'Kuvma'due south appearance.
Too, would T'Kuvma's people celebrate their electric current, mutated land as the "pure" Klingon appearance? Totally unthinkable.
If they are mutated, wouldn't the Klingons at to the lowest degree desire to continue their hair?

DIS Klingons were an isolated sub-species that vanished subsequently DIS

In season 1, the focus is on T'Kuvma and his closest allies. They all share the rare traits, while the actual majority of Klingons, the ones that might look as in TMP or fifty-fifty in TOS, are what seems to be a minority in Discovery.

This theory would necessitate the appearance of a sufficient number of "old" Klingons in the series too T'Kuvma'south alleged sub-species. Perhaps the guy from "Such Sweet Sorrow Ii" would qualify just hardly anyone else.
The 24 other houses, at least all of them who announced in "The Vulcan Hi", share the wait of T'Kuvma'south. At that place are some variations regarding the skull shape, just none that looks similar an "old" Klingon. The main distinguishing mark is the styling (less heavily decorated costumes and weapons than T'Kuvma'south house, for example, and different hairstyles since season 2), rather than the biological science.
The gray-skinned DIS Klingon Kol is a member of the House of Kor (and an enemy of T'Kuvma). Nosotros tin can take for granted that this is the same firm that Kor of TOS: "Errand of Mercy" belongs to. Kor underwent a metamorphosis (back) to his original Klingon look between TOS and his appearances on DS9. Could his relative Kol (and his male parent Kol-Sha) belong to a however completely unlike looking sub-species? Very implausible.
Where were the DIS Klingons earlier DIS and where will they become afterward DIS? It may take to do with the sub-species being isolationist, simply in flavour ii it becomes credible that fifty-fifty on Qo'noS they are the simply type of Klingons to exist. The DIS Klingons would non simply disappear without a trace, and with never existence referred to once more.

(All) Klingons always looked like in DIS

The official policy, as by the repeated affirmations of the producers, is that Discovery is set in the Prime number Universe and adheres to canon. If this is true, they have exempted visuals from canon, then Discovery is a reboot, but "only" on the visual side. In other words, nosotros have to imagine that all Klingons always looked like in DIS. The return of their hair in season 2 is supposed to make the credence of the official policy easier only raises even more questions.

The Klingon look of TOS was already iconic when TMP was produced. Many fans, too as many people working behind the scenes, would have been upset if TMP had invalidated the expect of TOS, fifty-fifty though it was the obvious choice for many years. Then DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" came along and set a standard: Visuals must non be ignored. If Klingons looked different in the past, so be it. If that doesn't fit with canon, we can and maybe accept to try to corroborate its canon status, in this particular example with the ENT double feature "Affliction" and "Divergence". Not everyone may similar this retcon, but it is how Star Trek used to work.
Practise we desire Worf to look like in DIS? Or any other prominent Klingon? Even with pilus that would be unthinkable. Michael Dorn more or less ruled out that he would always desire to wear such a thick make-up that doesn't allow truthful acting, and even Alex Kurtzman conceded that Worf would have to remain Worf, should he appear on PIC.
Hybrids like K'Ehleyr and B'Elanna may not even exist, seeing how non-humanoid the DIS Klingons are.
In TNG: "Birthright Ii", Worf discovers that Ba'el has pointed ears, unlike the other Klingons, because she is a Klingon-Romulan hybrid. This plot point would be invalidated if all Klingons take pointed ears anyway, and much more alien than either humans or Romulans.
As already mentioned, information technology makes no sense for Klingons to shave all their hair (and beards) during a state of war because they are a warrior race that is more or less always at war.
The catechism story of the ENT episodes "Affliction" and "Deviation" would be rendered cool, as we would take to see in our minds something very different than what appears on screen. Since information technology is unbelievable that the DIS Klingons could profit from man genes and might mutate to human-looking Klingons, perhaps information technology would exist better to carelessness this whole ENT story, and ultimately the whole idea of homo-looking TOS Klingons. Discovery would effectively become an incompatible reboot, non only visually.
Mudd's description of the new Klingons as "pointy headed bastards" further corroborates their different look and jeopardizes the idea of a visual update nosotros may be able to ignore.

DIS is a total reboot with no ties to the quondam Star Trek

Well, that is a conclusion we may draw for ourselves. But it is not supported by the official canon policy, which dictates that Discovery is "only" a visual reimagination.

Determination

Summarizing, Discovery fails to do two substantial things to justify the total redesign of the Klingons: give us a sufficient number of "classic" Klingons, and serve united states some explanation why key figures of the Empire of the 23rd century (too as their ships and styling) don't look familiar at all. The series has chosen to show only Klingons that look like T'Kuvma, L'Rell and Voq, by which Discovery implicitly declares itself a (total or visual) reboot, irrespective of all affirmations to the opposite.

The Klingons get dorsum their hair and some other familiar features in season 2, but this is but damage control, in an attempt to make the unloved reboot series a bit more relatable.

Commentary

Visual continuity has e'er been a quality mark of Star Trek, and an important part of its canon. With the extreme redesign of the Klingons and of everything related to them (such as the starships), Discovery has abandoned this longstanding principle. The purported reason is that the producers of the serial wanted to appeal to a "modern audition". Just does this mean a total reboot was inevitable?

Information technology is articulate that Discovery couldn't have been made with the crude visual effects of the 1960s, with sets consisting of colorfully illuminated walls and with mustached TOS Klingons. In that location are wonderful fan-made TOS revivals such as Star Trek New Voyages and Star Trek Continues, but hardly whatsoever fan would honestly demand from a mod Goggle box series to look like that (although this is a customary strawman used in an attempt to discredit my actual position). In fact, we already have an awesome and well-established Klingon make-upwards and styling since "Star Trek: The Motion Motion picture". There was zero wrong or dated about the iconic wait of the TMP Klingons and about their almost equally famous ship designs, like the D7/K't'inga or the Bird-of-Prey. They used to be the arguably most recognizable aliens of any science fiction series. Fifty-fifty casual fans and people with otherwise no ties to Star Trek were fond of the Klingon looks.

Even so, the makers of Discovery decided to throw this legacy away. They replaced our beloved Klingons with a clumsy race that is barely capable of clear articulation and whose styling is ridiculously overblown. They turned one of the most formidable sci-fi civilizations ever created into a pseudo-religious xenophobic sect with foolish leaders. I could feel a little fleck amend about the unwarranted redesign of the Klingons if it were successful. The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 suffered a similar fate in Discovery, but the visual reboot of the ship in "Will Yous Accept My Hand?" is at least aesthetically pleasing and still looks like an Enterprise. In contrast, everything about the all-new Klingons is just appalling.

Information technology is true that Star Trek had plenty of inconsistent visuals already earlier Discovery, and few people have cared more for them than me. But with the new Klingons and some other questionable blueprint decisions the makers of the series cross a line. We're non talking nearly the Trills, a race that appeared only once on TNG before it was decided to alter their advent for DS9. We're not talking about brand-upwardly updates cheers to new techniques, similar the moving antennae of the Andorians on Enterprise. Nosotros're not talking nigh something that may always make sense in canon or only in our headcanon, similar the previous changes to the Klingons. Discovery is and will e'er exist visually incompatible with everything that came before. The visuals are one of several aspects in which Discovery is Star Trek in proper name but.

Discovery does not endeavour to extend the painting the style that all previous series did, including Enterprise. It paints all over the sheet of the existing Star Expedition. Setting the series in the 2250s was the first big mistake considering catechism problems are inevitable once new stories are shoehorned into an era that is already taken by an old series. Information technology is odd how the producers themselves lament this setting as if they didn't anticipate the problems (Discovery beingness the third prequel in a row).

The 2d mistake, the visual redefinition, may have been more tolerable in a serial fix in an unclaimed era, and preferably in the futurity. It may take fifty-fifty been possible without any impairment to the old Star Expedition. Imagine Discovery were fix in the 25th century and the new aliens are no Klingons but a race not even so encountered. The story could exist still the same; merely the token nostalgia, such equally the graphic symbol of Sarek, would have to be removed to that end.

With its actual setting, notwithstanding, the serial merely adds insult to injury in a "historical" in-universe context. Information technology is like the redesigned Klingons, ship designs, dress and interiors speak to the states, proverb that the look of the old Star Trek was crap and that merely the latest visual update is endorsed. I don't want to imply that the Discovery producers and product designers hate the style of the pre-existing Star Trek and wanted to get abroad with it at whatsoever rate. They may have done their all-time to make the blueprint of the series work for themselves. Just whatever their self-perception is, they totally failed to pay the sometime Star Trek the due respect. From now, watching the onetime Star Expedition with the onetime Klingons is impaired by the knowledge that the manufacturer has concluded the support for this legacy product.

It is good that the Klingons got back their hair and familiar looking ships in season ii. While this is only a small stride on a very painful way to reconcile DIS with classic Star Trek, it shows that the people in accuse listen to justified complaints and are willing to revise at least the worst errors of the series. Yet, I would accept preferred a serial that wouldn't brand such glaringly obvious errors in the kickoff place.

Meet Also

The Klingon Forehead Problem - the history of the legendary continuity trouble until Enterprise

The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads - fairly consummate gallery and commentary

The Visual Continuity of Star Expedition - examples of if and how visual continuity was maintained through the generations

Discovery Continuity Problems - where the serial is not in line with classic Star Trek

Credits

Thanks to Chris for the hint about the STID Klingons with pilus and to Charles Eavenson II for the mentions of Klingon hair and claws, likewise as the observation about the "reptilian ears".

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Source: https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/dis-klingons.htm