The jury’s out on how deeply Star Trek: Discovery connects to the original franchise, but at least one episode will make it a Number One priority. Our favorite beard-having, leg-swinging First Officer is back, as Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes will work behind the scenes on Discovery.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the erstwhile Commander William Riker will go behind the camera to direct one episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s first season, much as he’d done for Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and even two of the films. Don’t expect Riker himself to be pausing Discovery scenes like a holo-program, but co-showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts are nonetheless glad to have Frakes back:

Jonathan Frakes will rejoin the Trek world with Discovery. He’s a fantastic guy and great director.

Our cast is dying to work with him.

Shooting primarily in Toronto, the new 15-episode Star Trek: Discovery is said to take place 10 years before Kirk’s original Enterprise mission, as well to be “heavily serialized.” The new series will also explore the fallout of an event referenced, but never seen in the original series. Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer has also joined the creative side along with Gene Roddenberry’s son Rod, fan-favorite Voyager novel alum Kirsten Beyer, franchise vet Joe Menosky and Heroes writer Aron Coleite.

Discovery will stream the first two episodes on CBS All-Access Sunday, September 24 (the first will air on CBS), pushing the second half of Season 1 to January 2018. We’ll likely see more from the new Star Trek soon, so stay tuned.

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