Woman of the Week

Nominated by Melissa: Mary Wiseman as First Officer Sylvia Tilly/Captain Killy on Star Trek: Discovery

I’ve been lowkey crushing on Mary Wiseman since the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Fresh out of Starfleet Academy, then-Cadet Tilly is as thrilled about her new position on one of Starfleet’s finest exploration vessels as I would be. Wiseman plays Tilly with a combination of warmth and nervous excitement that is endearing. She reminds me a bit of a young Dr. Julian Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but with a lot more tact. 

Over the course of three seasons, Tilly matured and grew more confident, without losing the character traits that made her so endearing. When Captain Saru asked her to be his Number One earlier this season, it was both surprising and not. Tilly may be young, but she has both superior people skills and a brilliant mind, not a common combination in the Trek-verse. Wiseman has done a terrific job of portraying Tilly as empathetic as Counselor Troi and as smart as…well, any number of other characters. 

Then came the two-part episode that concluded this week, “Terra Firma”.  In order to save the galaxy (again), Tilly must assume the identity of her mirror universe counterpart: Captain Killy. The real Captain Killy is dead, but with her doppelganger assuming the role, the Discovery crew has a fighting chance at completing their mission. Watching Wiseman play Tilly playing Killy was a treat! We see that Tilly is uncomfortable with her counterpart’s ruthless, cruel reputation, but when the time comes, she snaps into character. I think she even surprised herself with how well she pulled off the role. But in Wiseman’s capable hands, Tilly can do anything.

Star Trek: Discovery season three is currently streaming on Paramount+.

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