Michelle Yeoh may only have a guest role in Star Trek: Discovery, but she’s already made her mark among Star Trek’s greatest captains.
As soon as the first trailer landed, fans commented with excitement that Yeoh had kept her accent—a decision she described as “a conscious effort and important.” Now the first two episodes have aired, you can see more of Yeoh’s creative choices in the background of her scenes as Captain Georgiou. In particular, you should check out her ready room on the U.S.S. Shenzhou.
A ready room is basically the captain’s office, a place where she can hold private meetings or do paperwork while someone else takes charge on the bridge. Since Starfleet ships are pretty sparse, officers tend to personalize their rooms with keepsakes. Captain Picard had a lionfish called Livingston; Janeway had a few archaeological items and a globe.
In the above photo, you can see one of Yeoh’s choices for Georgiou’s ready room: a Malaysian shadow puppet, suggesting the character shares her Malaysian heritage. Along with some unidentified artifacts and a shelf of books named after Original Series episodes, you can also spot a bottle of Chateau Picard wine. That’s a real French vinyard, but in the show, it’s owned by Captain Picard’s family—although Jean-Luc won’t be born for another 150 years. (As a truly deep cut for Next Generation fans, the Picard wine bottle label has barely changed at all.)
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As you can probably deduce from the show’s title, the U.S.S. Shenzhou does not stick around for long. Later episodes will take place on the U.S.S. Discovery, captained by Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs). Apparently, he opted for a standing desk in his office, indicating his businesslike attitude.