Interviews with Michelle Paradise and Doug Jones

[00:00:00] Hi everybody and welcome to the Syfy Sister Podcast. I'm Sabrina Wood and I'm joined here today by my sister Yvette Blackman Tom. Hello. And we're missing a couple of sisters but don't worry they will all be here at the next podcast.

[00:00:45] But today we have a very, very special show. We got to meet by the courtesy of Paramount Michelle Paradise herself, executive producer of Discovery right before the finale. So let me just warn everyone if you still haven't seen the finale of Star Trek Discovery

[00:01:08] pause right now, go watch the finale, come on back and listen to this show. How much fun was Michelle Paradise? She was a dream. She was a dream. This was the second time we met her so this was great. You're gonna love it.

[00:01:26] It's a short but sweet interview but hopefully there'll be more. Yes, she's got some good things to say so listen in. Here we go. Hi Michelle. It's so good to see you again. So good to see you again.

[00:01:46] Of course, we're the Syfy Sisters and our first question because we have short time. What was it about TNG's episode The Chase that made you want to create an entire season around it? Oh wow.

[00:02:00] I think it's one of those episodes that had really stuck with all of us because it's exploring this massive idea, the creation of life as we know it, where we all come from but it's one episode and then we named it The Progenitor. That was what we did.

[00:02:27] They didn't actually name the being in the episode and then they meet this being that created all of life as we know it and then a car just goes back to a ship and then they go on to another adventure. Any other mission.

[00:02:42] Another mission and it was one that just felt like wow, what an incredible idea and thematically there's so much to explore there that it felt like well in a season where we are exploring purpose and meaning,

[00:03:00] where we come from is such a huge question and for Burnham looking at where am I going? What is my meaning? What is my purpose to kind of circle back to here's where we come from felt like just a really, it just felt organic

[00:03:19] and a really wonderful way to kind of explore some of those questions. Well, because I totally that you know I remembered it but it was like oh wow they weren't ready. That was a deep cut right there.

[00:03:32] My favorite still that's one of my favorite episodes but no one ever talks about it. And Jonathan Brooks directed it. Yes, he sure well what didn't he direct? I know which I didn't remember at the time. I actually forgot until we were well into the fifth season

[00:03:48] and then we arranged for him to direct episode nine and then realized oh my gosh he directed the episode that we're kind of using. Beautiful beautiful book. I love that. Yes definitely. And Picard called himself an anthropologist you know because that was this thing on the side

[00:04:02] and it was just forgotten like you said. Yeah, yeah. My next question is what can you tell us about the plans for Owo and Detmer this season? Were there storylines casualties of the cancellation? Because they're our as Zyphus says those are our two of our favorite characters.

[00:04:23] Yeah, we love them. No, they were there were some scheduling challenges. Two of them and they were both working on some other projects and so for us in the beginning of the season it was a question of okay how do we

[00:04:40] knowing that we are limited with these two actors that we love how can we best use them when we do have them and then how can we kind of keep them alive

[00:04:53] when we don't and so we were looking at well how do we write them away from the bridge because we don't have the actors but still find a way to do justice to the characters

[00:05:07] and not just like because we love them we didn't want it to just be like and we've got new bridge crew people. Yeah, so that's where the story by the way in episode five where we hear some

[00:05:20] Burnham and Rainer talking about how they're going to bring the enterprise back to MHQ. That was a way of in the absence of having the actors honoring the characters and giving them something that felt worthy of their characters and something hugely important to do

[00:05:39] and then fortunately we were able to get them both back Oyen and Emily for the coda piece which yes yes we were so happy that they were available for that because we really missed them a lot but we loved them too. Loved them oh loved them. Sabrina?

[00:05:55] The new crew stepped up though they stepped up. They did yeah it's not an easy thing to step up into either. No, no not at all. Well my question is episode enterprise fans just almost choked and died

[00:06:14] and I want to tell you you are my new best friend for bringing enterprise back in this but I want to know why was it Daniel's and not Gary seven or Luther Sloan because I thought it was going to be Sloan.

[00:06:28] I was like oh I thought it was going to be Gary seven. And it's Daniel that was like yes yes. It was um well it was it was interesting because we we didn't know that going going

[00:06:43] in when Kovach came on to the show he came on and the way David plays him is just so fascinating. He's just he's a fascinating actor and there's so much in just what he does with his body

[00:07:02] and his face that's so mysterious I just there's no other word for it other than mysterious and we kept out like the minute he comes on screen I find myself we all find ourselves leaning in and waiting to do the next one. What's he gonna do right?

[00:07:19] And so we would have conversations knowing that we needed to address the mystery. What is the best way to do it and a couple of our writers who are huge enterprise fans suggested Daniel's and as we talked about it and then dug more into Daniel's it just felt

[00:07:36] like oh yeah yeah that seems like the right thing and I don't remember honestly if we came up with that in season four or very early in season five it might have been season four

[00:07:52] but if you go back and now watch season five we we laid in a little a couple little easter egg things um in one of the episodes he's writing with a pen and paper

[00:08:03] which is very strange for someone in the future to be doing that all the holopads and so um but yeah that's that's where it came from and it just felt right. Yeah yes it was right. The time was right. It was right.

[00:08:18] It would have been harder to explain Gary Seben or Sloan in the future but yeah you could have done something you could have done something. But it was it was right it was definitely right that was that was a good one Fran.

[00:08:30] Um I love the nod uh that was to astronaut Dr. May Jamison. I love that that one of the crew was named Jamison. I'm like oh thank you so much and also I'm so thrilled that you connected Kraft.

[00:08:54] Yeah yeah yeah because he had never been that was the only short that had not been connected to any of any of them. I'm like how are they going to do this now? Are they are they are how are they going to I thought it was ingenious.

[00:09:09] Thank you so much. Thank you oh I'm glad yeah um May Jamison we when we knew that we were going to have to have some new bridge crew characters come on you know we're always very thoughtful about

[00:09:21] the names and how can you not name someone uh after May Jamison um and then yeah when when we found out that um this was going to be our last season and that we were going

[00:09:32] to be able to do a coda piece um the two there were three very important things that we wanted to accomplish with the coda. The first was to find out what happened with Burnham uh Burnham and Book of course

[00:09:44] but really Burnham she's the heart of our show so we wanted to go and see where she landed and know that you know uh happiness ensues. The other thing we knew we wanted Alex had a vision for that scene on the bridge where

[00:10:00] we kind of go into the dream a little bit and we go back and we see all of our heroes as they are now. We wanted to see everybody one last time so that was hugely important and then the

[00:10:10] thing we knew we needed to do was to tie uh Calypso up and you know the ship discovery and Zora they're also huge a huge character. Yes I'm telling you that's my ship you all know yeah I was crying.

[00:10:29] Yeah so it's not just answering the question of what happens to Burnham and knowing that she's in a good place it's what happens to the ship. Yeah and Zora. Yeah and we know that she's going to do that.

[00:10:42] Yep yep yep awesome we have one more um question now I can't find it. What is your I have yeah there you go thank you. What is your next Star Trek project because we want to talk to you more and more.

[00:10:59] Oh thank you um I don't know I don't have one at the moment um. Let's get her one let's get her one. Awesome I've been you know I've just been very uh at the you know the show has been done but

[00:11:17] this particular time has just been really focused on um things like this and talking folks and uh really wanting to get the word out about the show and just um really being excited about people getting to see it and it's also of course bittersweet because I just loved

[00:11:34] working on this show and I love Star Trek um and as far as what's next I don't know I'm actually in the process of figuring that out right now. Awesome so many congratulations on this and thank you like we said we hope to see you

[00:11:48] very soon we would love to have you on the show also uh because we are we adore you you've done a great job and I know you were of the body right of the body but yeah we would love to talk to you again you I you've done

[00:12:04] Star Trek justice and we appreciate you thank you so much and I would love to just let me know when we will we definitely will thank you heard what you said it.

[00:12:16] Thank you have a great day thank you you too bye-bye thank you so what did I tell you was that cool what she was really really happy to see us which always makes my heart like you know

[00:12:31] jump because I'm like we don't know these people from Adam and you know they're really um when they hear that we're gonna come and interview them they generally get happy

[00:12:42] I know it's not like oh okay here's the next one and you know you know they're there all day this was yeah this was like a tour of I don't know what because this poor woman must have been

[00:12:54] on that and now they're talking to us. Probably answering the same questions all day long yes and she was so excited when she's when she saw us and I mean it just really me too

[00:13:04] I'm like I was like a little kid like oh my god like she she really likes us she likes us she really likes us it was awesome so the day didn't even end with that we also got

[00:13:19] to talk to the amazing amazing Doug Jones and you know I am a total Saru fan I am a total you know everything he's ever done fan so get ready to listen to one of uh

[00:13:34] happiest happiest moments talking to the incredible Doug Jones yes that was a lot of fun there you go all you ladies doing today we are great we're good we're good it's so good to see

[00:13:48] you again Doug you too hi hi um so we're gonna be gonna have a lot of fun uh although we're very sad to see our favorite Saru what do we call it Saruisms all our Saru

[00:14:06] there was a lot of Saruness going on in this show was um so my question is what do you hope Trek fans will be talking about um talking about discovery when we are celebrating the 25

[00:14:20] year anniversary while we're on the cruise because we will be on the cruise okay oh I would like I would like to know that the fans uh have have have loved our show

[00:14:34] and and have have um and respected as the new wave of Star Trek that came back because Star Trek television took a hiatus for a while after Enterprise right yeah so we brought

[00:14:46] our show was the one that brought it into the the here and now with the streaming services right uh we're in the bingeable age now back then tv was you know one episode every week

[00:14:57] right with and a lot of the episodes had start middle and end and ours is an overall arcing storyline that you want to binge uh so we were the we were the the fresh out of

[00:15:06] the gates with that and we were the series that that helps you know spawn more Star Trek in the here and now with uh strange new worlds you know after season two with Captain Pike being

[00:15:17] such a successful character on our show and the Spock storyline and Rebecca Romaine is as number one it was lovely to see them spin off and start a show that the fans are crazy about

[00:15:29] love that love the love that we could be there to help that happen yes you are the you were the flagship that's right that's right a kid flagship of new trek but um I want to stick

[00:15:42] with the sereneness because listen listen this was something else and now I've I've seen I love all of your works I I have seen it all and I'm still ready to fight to the death anybody

[00:15:55] about shape of water that is like one of the greatest movies ever thank you thank you oh my god so but after five years of playing Saru and all that sereneness that has happened in the five

[00:16:06] years has this affected your acting or changed your personality have you added any sereneness to Dougness oh that's a great thank you for that yes I'm gonna say yes because um Saru is such a refined gentleman and that is how I want to be in my real life

[00:16:26] and but also Saru started in season one with an undercurrent of fear constant fear that he had to overcome and he had to push through to find his sense of duty and his task for the day right

[00:16:40] well in season two when I went through Vahari and his threat gangly got infected and kind of like and finally fell out they were replaced with quills that could shoot poison darts okay

[00:16:50] uh that is an action Saru come on now that that is that's a metamorphosis that I would love all of us to go through where we can find our strength and our courage and our confidence right

[00:17:03] I love that whole arc for for Saru and and but he's been remained a gentleman even though he has the he's superhuman now but uh but he's he's remained a gentleman through it all that's

[00:17:12] that's a Sarunas that I never want to lose I love that I love that Sabrina as you again uh yes so to follow up with that um when you're looking at these parts is there something in a part where you're going to take on like full body change

[00:17:31] were you're going to say yes to a character or no to a character for example would you have said yes to predator oh back in the day sure uh now that I'm 64

[00:17:47] because I know what it takes yeah yeah now but I've played my 38 year career has been a lot of it's under rubber bits right so everything from from face head and hands like Saru is all to

[00:17:58] way to full body makeups and costumes with weight and heat and stickiness and you know all the things you go through so um I am a bit more selective now with what with what uh what I get

[00:18:09] glued on to me because I want to explore more human roles in my in my golden years here yeah yeah so so I love that we're looking for dougness we're looking for some more dougness

[00:18:20] at that yeah yeah that's it that's it Fran um gentlemen um I want to go back to that Saru has been a gentleman throughout even from the first uh episode when he was doing this

[00:18:37] sugar this tea and you know it was so gentleman they like and also Saru and Tiana you've been such a gentleman with that courtship I'm of the age I am older than you and I remember

[00:18:56] and um I remember the courting the courtings part you know our parents you say you know so and so is courting or so and so is you know and you and Tiana had this courtship that was slow

[00:19:11] and steady and formulated into a beautiful wedding you know I just want you know it was so it was so nice you know because on tv now and in track you know people just go bam you know

[00:19:28] it's true you know what I mean and y'all didn't like bam you know you took it slow and easy how well we saw the chemistry I saw the chemistry when you all first met when you

[00:19:40] were thank you I saw the chemistry then yeah she did say that with we were like what yeah yeah you did call it Fran I did look at those too so thank you for the gentlemanly and her for the

[00:19:55] ladyship yes courtship yes it was gorgeous steady and it paid off thank you so much oh yeah Fran thank you for noticing all those things because that is exactly what Tara Roslyn

[00:20:09] who plays Tarina she and I both were like are we headed to a romance when we first met in season three and uh and so sure enough in season four they bring her back and yes that's exactly what

[00:20:21] they were sparking and and grow but I love the slow build of it I love the courtship aspect of it I love that it all built up to a handhold at the end of season four and and and

[00:20:30] and the the fans went nuts over that holding of hands right that's way better than jumping into bed isn't it it really is I lost it when she put that finger to your chin I was like

[00:20:44] I love that too and I also uh love that he's such he the gentlemanly part of him uh he really respects all that she is he respects her as as a woman but as a as a leader as a

[00:20:56] president as a as a diplomat and they understand each other's sense of duty he really respects her sense of duty and that's why here in season five when it was suggested that announcing an

[00:21:06] engagement right now might not be good for her political career Saru was ready to back off and be like yeah do whatever you got to do you know it's not about me this is about you

[00:21:14] and so and I also love that she was the one who proposed like she she yeah I know yeah she did it in such a vulcan way right are you saying what I think you're saying

[00:21:27] oh yeah that was so cute that's so cute well I think we're at the end but one more thing I wanted to ask I know you probably can't answer this but what's next for ambassador Saru

[00:21:39] do we know oh I wouldn't know once the once this series ends I don't know if he shows up anywhere else or not um uh but you know the only show that I could possibly do in the right

[00:21:49] timeline would be the new Starfleet academy that's underway so um uh you know will they write a guest you know appearance or I would be game for it if they did yes perfect perfect because you want to see some more Saru-ness look into my eyes yes

[00:22:09] oh yeah it was great to channel it was great to channel action Saru into that little sitting still normal just the actions through I love it I love it thank you Doug thank you also

[00:22:22] it's so good to see you all again it's been great bye right man is that a way to end a two person interview yeah Doug is so great yeah this is like nobody like him this now just nobody

[00:22:38] like him in the world and that's another person the master hugger yes oh my gosh I can't wait um he's we love him like we I guess we got to know him basically on the cruise

[00:22:48] and then we started um interviewing him because I think this is the second time we've interviewed him um but we have definitely been on the cruise with him and just you know he's been you know

[00:23:01] he's just been there we spent the time with him when we all found out discovery was ending like we were all together um and then the very next day we went to go see his um he had

[00:23:12] an actual show the very next day and that place was packed and you know so I just feel like this closeness to him because we've gone through like so many things and then unfortunately this

[00:23:26] this year we also were together when we found out about Kenneth you know and Doug came down to the promenade where we all were so you know he's just that guy you know it's just

[00:23:37] that guy so he's kind of who you need around when you have those kind of moments yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah he was he was there and he was great and um I just I just love him I I'm so sad

[00:23:49] that we probably won't be getting these opportunities like this with him um again so um I just you know I'm gonna I'm kind of sad about that what you never know you never know I don't know what kind of

[00:24:07] that's true that's true that's true that's true so well yep that was great nice and short but it was um as always thank you Paramount um for always thinking about us and letting us have these opportunities yeah but these these incredible

[00:24:24] interviews you don't know how much they actually mean to us I said it earlier on another broadcast that I've loved Star Trek for all the years it's been on and this has been so special making

[00:24:37] this whole Star Trek discovery journey with everyone in you know live time and meeting everyone while the show was on I mean I've never had this kind of experience before and Paramount you just made it all the more so wonderful by letting us talk to all of our

[00:24:53] absolute favorite people I mean we will not forget it so thank you everyone there yep exactly all right so I guess that's it for us right yep all right you can find us at

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