Star Trek: Discovery's final season has been rolling strong with an action-packed season on the 2024 TV schedule as the crew continues to track the two couriers who keep finding clues to the Progenitors' artifact. Fans with a Paramount+ subscription seem to love the Bonnie and Clyde dynamic of L'ak and Moll, and some have even likened the latter to Ahsoka's Shin Hati. I asked actress Eve Harlow about it, but Elias Toufexis popped in and had to give his strong response to those likening the two.
It's not necessarily surprising Moll and Shin Hati are compared, seeing as they're both sci-fi villains with blonde hair and prominent eye shadow. With that said, the comparison stops there, and L'ak actor Elias Toufexis wanted CinemaBlend to spread the word that in no way did Star Trek: Discovery copy Ahsoka. Here's what he had to say:
Can I say something because this has been bothering me so much? I am online a lot. So [Ahsoka] came out in August of 2023. We started shooting this in May of 2022. I'm not gonna be on Twitter like, ‘Dude, shut up.’ But please put that out there because that bugs the hell out of me.
Ahsoka might've released before we had Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, but both shows began production at the same time. Disney+ confirmed on social media that the Star Wars show's shoot kicked off in May 2022, and it's fair to say neither show had any idea what the other had planned. That said, if we suddenly hear about an upcoming Star Trek show that features short stories similar to Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, I might get suspicious. I also wouldn't complain because I'd love to see what the Borg do when they aren't being thwarted by Starfleet.
Eve Harlow added that she generally doesn't look at fan reactions to her performances these days, but did have some insight to share on Moll's blonde hair and short cut. She talked about how she might've inspired the decision and added her thoughts about the situation just based on our conversation:
I will say, the blonde thing, I actually auditioned for the show [wearing a wig]. I'm into wearing wigs in my own life. I think it's really fun. I have an array of all different colors, and I auditioned for Moll with like a pixie silver wig because I just felt that it was very sci-fi, and I put on fun makeup. And actually, I don't watch Star Wars and so that was like my own thing. I mean, look, we can go back to Blade Runner, right? That cut I think has been around for a while in the sci-fi kind of realm.
Star Trek: Discovery fans may mean well or make the comparisons in jest, but before anyone takes it too seriously, let it be known now that there is no real link between Moll and Ahsoka's Shin Hati beyond the fact that they're both badass women. That said, Star Trek has a legacy of strong and inspiring female characters like Michael Burnham and more.
As Discovery's final season rolls on over on Paramount+, we're slowly learning more about what the future of Star Trek looks like after its end. Alex Kurtzman told CinemaBlend future series of a hundred episodes and more are "unlikely," and weeks later, we saw evidence of that when Lower Decks was canceled. Fortunately, we're told surprises are on the way, so hopefully there will be a new show announced to replace it before too long.
Until that time comes, continue to tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Paramount+ on Thursdays. I can't wait to see how the series ends, and whether L'ak and Moll can continue to evade Discovery or if Michael and the crew will eventually catch up to her.
