Spoiler alert: Michelle Yeoh surprises Star Trek fans

--------------------SPOILER ALERT!--------------------------

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MID-SESASON PREMIERE, STOP HERE!

JUST WEEKS after getting called out by the Anna Awards for the shortened presence of Michelle Yeoh in Star Trek: Discovery by killing her off in the second episode of the CBS show, the producers gave us a surprise twist in the midseason premiere by bringing back the popular actress.

Yeoh gave the first hint that we had not seen the last of Philippa Georgiou last October when she made a surprise appearance at New York's Comic-Con. 

“I’m not going to let them kill me, okay?” she told the audience, who applauded with enthusiasm at the announcement.

In the midseason premiere, Georgiou is no longer a Federation captain in the mirror universe that the Starship Discovery accidentally wandered into. Her character in this new universe is the exact opposite of the character we saw die while fighting the Klingons. 

Instead of being a heroic figure, she is now the universe's Emperor, or as she is hailed,
she is the "Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo’noS, Regina Andor. All Hail Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius.”

Hoshi Sato (Linda Park)

Jordon Nardino, the writer of the episode “Vaulting Ambition,” took to Twitter to explain the Game of Thrones-like title. To understand, you need to know that 100 years before this series, during the time of  Star Trek: Enterprise where we introduced to communications officer Hoshi Sato (played by Korean-American actress Linda Park) is of Japanese descent.

In the mirror universe, Hoshi became Empress of Earth. As succeeding leaders took the power, they inherited the title Emperor and retained the hisotiric title.

Nardino continues his explanation:

I couldn't help but be reminded of the Dragon Lady stereotype of Asian women that was created and perpetuated by the white-dominated U.S. movie industry.

Michelle Yeoh as the
new Philippa Georgiou

The Dragon Lady trope first made it's U.S. appearance in the comic strips as the female villain in Terry and the Pirates. Later, Asian/American actress Anna May Wong portrayed the character in the movies.

As negative as that image is, let's hope Yeoh can infuse this character with complexity. The Singaporean actress seems to relish playing this new character, unlike any other role she has undertaken in her career in which she is usually cast as the heroine. Ask any actor and they'll tell you the bad guys are more interesting and challenging to portray.

At any rate, it's good to see Yeoh back again and that in this wildly popular and culturally influential Gene Roddeneberry-created universe inhabited by Klingons, Vulcans, Romulans and Ferengi, there is also room for Asians.

_______________________________________________________________________________