Here's Mudd In Your Eye!

Last week CBS announced that actor Rainn Wilson, aka Dwight Shrute of The Office fame, would be playing Harry Mudd in their upcoming Star Trek: Discovery TV series (the one Sonequa Martin-Green left The Walking Dead to star in). A few things here.

First of all, it's gonna take a long time for me to get used to the idea of CBS owning Star Trek. The franchise was owned by Paramount for nearly half a century, until they were bought by CBS a couple years ago.

Secondly, I will be astonished if this series actually airs. It was supposed to come out in 2016, which of course was the 50th Anniversary of the Star Trek franchise. Obviously that didn't happen. It's been mysteriously and inexplicably delayed about twelve more times since then. Right now CBS officials claim it'll debut "this summer, or perhaps fall." Wow, way to precisely narrow it down there.

Thirdly... Harry Mudd? Really? Of all the characters to dredge up, did it have to be that one? Mudd, who was played by character actor Roger C. Carmel, was a space pirate/smuggler/con man who popped up twice in the Original Series to bedevil the straight-laced Captain Kirk. He was also an unrepentant sexist pig, who came dangerously close to owning female slaves. That sh*t don't fly here in our touchy-feely enlightened 2017. I'm honestly amazed anyone would even think of bringing back such a outdated character. 

Fourthly, is this new series gonna be filled with constant winks, nods and fan service like this? If so, they can count me out. Hey, remember Harry Mudd? Here he is again! 

The producers have already cast actor James Frain as Sarek of Vulcan, and there're rumors they may try and include a CGI Spock! At this point I fully expect the crew of the Discovery to beam down to a planet and literally bump into Doctor Evazan and Ponda Boba.

As for casting Rainn Wilson... eh, I'm not seeing it. If he absolutely has to be in the show, I think someone like Nick Frost would make a much better approximation of Mudd. 

I was also going to comment that Wilson is way too young to play Harry Mudd. But then I did a little googling, and was gobsmacked to find out just the opposite is true. Rainn Wilson is currently fifty one years old. Roger C. Carmel was only THIRTY FOUR when he first starred as Mudd in 1966.

Are you frakin' kidding me? That is a hard-looking thirty four indeed. I know people didn't take care of themselves in the 1960s like they do now, but Jesus Christ! I'd have guessed Carmel was close to fifty, if not older. Surely he must have lied about his date of birth in his official bio...

Suddenly I'm wondering if Rainn Wilson is too OLD to play Mudd!