The Star Trek: Discovery Crew Had A Touching Ritual They'd Follow Every Single Day [SXSW 2024]

The crew of the U.S.S. Discovery will sign off on their final transmission this year when "Star Trek: Discovery" comes to an end after 5 seasons. The first "Star Trek" show of the Paramount+ era has gone through plenty of highs and lows across 55 episodes and counting, but with the end in sight, it's the perfect time for the cast and crew to reflect on the best memories they have from years spent bringing the series to life.

Cast members were in attendance for the world premiere of "Discovery" season 5 at South By Southwest this week (as was /Film's Jacob Hall), where star Wilson Cruz fondly recalled a particularly wholesome on-set tradition the entire cast participated in. Cruz, who plays Dr. Hugh Culber in the show, replied to a question about the cast's favorite set memories by explaining that specific crew members were given the spotlight each day. "I will also add one other thing that I just thought was beautiful [...] every day, we would start the day, before we did anything, they would bring everybody on set so that we could have crew appreciation," Cruz recalled.

The love for the below-the-line workers on "Discovery" apparently went far beyond a shout-out or polite round of applause. "We would pick one member of the crew who, that day, whenever you see them, you would thank them for their work and for the way that they show up every day," Cruz added.

Co-star Sonequa Martin-Green, whose Michael Burnham took over the Discovery as captain in season 4 of the series, chimed in to add that the crew member of the day was always given a medal to wear. "Then the next day," Cruz explained, "they would pick the next crew member and pass the medal over. And then we would appreciate them for that day. So that's how we started every day."

This story sounds cute on the surface, but in an industry that frequently devalues the craftspeople who make movie magic happen, it's a pretty great show of decency and kindness that fits right in with the "Star Trek" ethos. Stories of crew mistreatment across Hollywood have been around for decades, but employees began speaking out both openly and anonymously about nightmare sets during negotiations for the labor guild IATSE's latest contract back in 2021. Since then, reports like those by Maureen Ryan and the Hollywood Commission have revealed the widespread overwork and mistreatment of crew members, while a subcommittee of IATSE members and producers has been formed to figure out how best to protect below-the-line workers.

All this is to say that a crew member of the day-style honor, complete with a medal, is a small but lovely gesture that hopefully shows a willingness to break Hollywood's cycle of crew under-appreciation. The fact that this wasn't just done among crew members, but that the cast also showed up to see the medal bestowed each day, is pretty darn wholesome as well. It makes sense, though. The captains of "Star Trek" may be number one on the call sheet, but it's a franchise that has always been, at heart, all about the crew.

"Star Trek: Discovery" returns to Paramount+ for its fifth and final season on April 4, 2024.