Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 is on the way, and soon fans will get to see how Michael Burnham handles herself on a ship where she’s a captain. She has a lot to live up to, given some of the iconic captains of Star Trek’s past, as does her actress, Sonequa Martin-Green. Luckily, both are off to a great start, thanks in part to Burnham’s effortlessly cool new catchphrase, “Let’s fly.”
Sonequa Martin-Green’s delivery of the line in Season 3 gave me chills, so I had to ask the actress what her gut reaction was to the iconic line when we spoke ahead of Star Trek: Discovery Season 4. I asked Martin-Green if she had any thoughts on what Michael Burnham’s catchphrase should be, and while she had ideas, that changed once she saw what will become Burnham’s trademark line.
I’m gonna be really honest right now. I had thoughts, of course, but the very first time I saw, ‘Let’s fly,’ there was no conversation needed. And, I feel like that happens a lot where I look at the page and what’s there is so true to me as Burnham that there is no conversation required. Which obviously speaks to her [showrunner Michelle Paradise], the other writers, and Alex Kurtzman as well. So, no, I saw it and was like, ‘That’s freaking perfect!’. . .I felt like it was perfect. In so many ways, it’s the perfect one.
Showrunner Michelle Paradise and the rest of the Star Trek: Discovery team came up with “Let’s fly,” and according to Sonequa Martin-Green, that’s all it took. Now she’s set with a catchphrase that, dare I say, already ranks as one of the better ones we’ve heard in the franchise to date. I won’t hype it too much until we’ve heard it said a few times in Season 4, but I think the phrase will be a key part of what fans remember about Michael Burnham in the years to come.
Michelle Paradise seemingly shared Sonequa Martin-Green’s enthusiasm for “Let’s fly,” especially in light of other options. Following Martin-Green’s comments, Paradise threw in her thoughts on the phrase, in what I’m hoping could be a tongue-in-cheek response given the goofy alternative.
Much better than ‘Let’s tally forth,’ which was the other option.
If “Let’s tally forth” was legitimately considered, then yes, I’m glad “Let’s fly” was in the mix to rule that one out. Michael Burnham will likely use her line early and often as she and the Discovery crew work to unravel the mystery behind a gravitational anomaly. She’ll face all that while still adjusting to the newness of her role as captain of the Discovery, which will undoubtedly come with its struggles. Burnham has been through a lot, though, so I’d wager she’s more than up for the challenge.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 premieres over at Paramount+ on Thursday, November 18. CinemaBlend will have more from the cast as we get closer to the big premiere, and hopefully, some thoughts on what will be a defining season for the character of Michael Burnham.
