Now that Star Trek: Discovery is complete, fans can pick up the Blu-ray or DVD of the show’s fifth and final season, as well as a set of the complete series later this month. The sets include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, exclusive special features, a gag reel and more. August 26 sees the digital release of Season 5, with DVDs and Blu-rays arriving the following day; the entire series will be released on the 27th and includes over 15 hours of special features. (Full details and pre-order links are available here.)
Doug Jones played Saru for all five seasons of the show, and his character went through one remarkable transformation after another, evolving from a fearsome being who could predict the coming of death to an “Action Saru” of the 32nd century. TrekMovie interviewed Doug Jones about Saru’s journey, the changes he never expected, the impact the character has had on him, and his hopes for the Kelpi’s future.
Looking back on your time on the series, do you have a favorite Saru adventure?
I think probably the biggest growth Saru had in an episode was back in Season 2 when he went through the Vahar’ai. Being born into a species that was a prey species… He was scared, always looking over his shoulder for the next threat, right? Going from that to getting through where his threat ganglia fell out and he went through an adolescence called the Vahar’ai where he could now live as an adult with an indefinite lifespan that no Kelpien had explored in centuries or generations, it was truly liberating for him. And also to return to his home planet and free everyone else from the dominion that Ba’ul had over us, that was just life changing.
And getting through it with me personally too.. I found it like with my own fear and anxiety, I took an example from Saru. Saru, everything around Saru, the world around him, and the daily dangers and threats that came at him didn’t change, his reaction to them did. Instead of being like, “Oh no, here comes a thing,” it was like, “Here comes a thing, and we’ve got to get through it.” Very different, right? So I thought if I can adopt that into my own life and be able to handle whatever comes at me with “No, we’ll get through this, we’ve been through this before…” I learned a lot about fear and anxiety that it’s more about my perspective on it than the actual threat you know. And I also hear from the fans who have dealt with their own fears and anxieties, and it makes my heart swell with pride that I could help tell his story that has inspired others to deal with their own fears and anxiety and depression. I hear so much feedback from fans in a really, really good light.
Saru goes through the vahar’ai and survives, with Michael Burnham by his side.
It is beautiful. So when you started and you were told you were going to play this fearful creature of prey, did you know you were going to evolve and get quills and lose your fear and get all this later?
No, I didn’t see any of that coming. Saru’s growth was a surprise to me, season after season, and I loved it. But when his threat ganglia fell out, and when he now had new courage and confidence… When I saw the episode coming, I was like oh, honey, I’ve developed this whole character with a baseline of fear. So now I have to – as an actor, I have to change my intentions, I have to change my insides, you know, to play him correctly now. So it took some time to find a confidence and also I, like early Saru, Doug Jones comes into the room without much confidence. I have imposter syndrome and I’ve always dealt with my own self image and everything. So I related to early Saru. But now that Saru has gone through a growth period, it’s like, oh, I don’t know this part, do I? I have no life experience to handle this. So Saru taught me a lot. I have taken a lot away as an adult in the sixties, now I have finally come into myself. And I think Saru helped me get there, honestly.
Oh, that’s great to hear. I think we all struggle with those things too.
Oh, God. Right?
Were you particularly excited to get quills?
[laughs] It was such a nice surprise too. I loved how it turned out too. He didn’t know quills were there. The first time they came out, it’s like he knew his threat ganglia had gone out, but now he was facing a threat, and he built up some anger and righteous indignation against Ba’ul, and these came out, and it was like, whoa. I think this is another lesson for all of us: we have strength within us that we are not aware of and at the right moment when we are pushed into a corner and we have to, we have to bring something out of ourselves, we have to bring a fight, we have to bring a winning attitude. It is there. It’s there for us.
By Season 5, “Action Saru” had mastered the use of his feather money.
If there had been another season, what would you have liked Saru to do? Did you think of him as a father? Was it about starting a family?
Honestly, when season 5 ended I was like, I don’t know where you go from here! So when we didn’t know – I thought we had seven seasons left. But when Season 5 finished filming, I had no idea where they were going to take Saru after that. So when I heard the news that Season 5 WAS our last season, it was like, oh, yeah, I’m totally happy with where we left off with Saru professionally. He had been promoted and had such growth all the way from a science officer in the beginning, as a lieutenant commander, then a commander, first officer, acting captain, captain and ambassador to minor planets with the Federation, a very dignified diplomatic position that he that it fits him very well. And now that he’s married to another diplomat, the president of Ni’Var, it’s perfect. So professionally and romantically, I think he found his happily ever after.
I mean, I was hoping for little alien babies, but that’s just me.
And what would they look like, Kelpie and Vulcan together? Right? Anyone guessing, right?
T’Rina and Saru with Michael at their wedding where their “happily ever after” begins.
So I know you can’t tell me anything even if you know something, which you probably don’t, but if Saru showed up on the Starfleet Academy show, what would you like to see him do?
By the way, I have not received this call yet, but I would never say never to such an opportunity. Um, what would he do? I assume he would be a guest lecturer of some sort, and because he speaks 94 languages, and I think he might be, we might be in—and now that he’s an ambassador for minor planets, and be a link between those who join the Federation, he can be someone who speaks the languages and the diversity of planets that he represents, could be a way to connect all the different species that are in the cadet space and find a way to communicate between those with difference.
Good workshop for the students. I like it!
I think it’s a good one, yes.
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Star Trek: Discovery season 5 comes home August 27
You can pre-order Discovery Season 5 at Amazon on Blu-ray for $34.99 or DVD for $29.99. The limited edition Steelbook Blu-ray can be pre-ordered for $39.99.
Season 5 Steelbook Blu-Ray
The complete series box set is available for pre-order for $59.95 on Blu-ray and $49.95 on DVD.
Box art for Complete Series Blu-ray Edition
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Note: The interview has has been edited for brevity and clarity.