Some of the Star Trek: Discovery producers did a few post-premiere interviews to talk about the two episodes that were released on Sunday night and to talk about what we can expect in episode three this weekend, as well as the rest of the season and even into the possible second season. WARNING: Minor spoilers for future episodes.

Kurtzman suggests Season 2 would be in 2019

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, about the process (and delays) with the first season of Discovery Alex Kurtzman got onto the subject of a possible second season. While he couched the notion with “If we get a second season” the producer also made it clear that some thought has already gone into the future of the show, saying

There have been preliminary conversations about when and how [a second season could air] and we’ve been very consistent in our message, which is that rather than announce a date and have to push again, let’s take into consideration everything we’ve learned from this season. Now we know what we can do and where the sand traps are, so let’s give ourselves ample time to announce a date that makes sense to everybody — both the needs of production and CBS. Breaking story is, in some ways, the easier and faster thing; it’s the ability to execute on it that’s much harder. We want to take the right amount of time and don’t want to rush.

When pressed to predict a date, Kurtzman said “Ideally, on the early side of 2019” which could mean January or even anytime during the spring. But after the beating Kurtzman and the production took for the multiple delays during season one, they appear to be taking a conservative approach to predictions for season two.

Kurtzman also revealed where they are in the production and post-production process for the remainder of season one:

We are about to start shooting the finale. Part of the grand design of the season included the ending. We knew where we were going from the beginning and that was important in terms of a lot of the big ideas we set up in the first two episodes. It’s all leading to something. We are just finishing episode 14 and about to start 15. That’s in terms of production. In post, I start mixing episode five on Monday. That gives you a sense of how long it takes between shooting and post.

Kurtzman: Episode 3 is a new pilot

Alex Kurtzman also talked to Entertainment Weekly about the premiere and it is worth read. He also spoke about this weekend’s episode (“Context is for Kings”).

There’s a time jump. It’s not a radical time jump. In many ways we designed episode 3 to almost be a new pilot. People were set up to expect one thing, and something very different episodes. The USS Discovery doesn’t show up until the third episode, along with its crew — which is our main cast. Burnham and the audience are going to have a reset. Burnham believes she’s headed to a prison colony and is met with an unexpected surprise that has to do with the Discovery and its captain.

Berg & Harberts on where Season 1 will go after premiere

Showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Season 1. They talked about the first two episodes, and where Season 1 will go after the premiere.

THR: The premiere introduces this world and a number of characters but by the end of episode two, much of it is blown up to propel the story to what Discovery will be about. Building from those ashes, where does the series go? Berg: The first two episodes is where we get to see her backstory. We get to see what launches her into the rest of the series and a lot of times, certainly on more traditional television series, you’d see that through flashback or hear about that through conversation. But we showed it.

Harberts: It enables the audience to see in two episodes who she was, who she is in that moment and who she thinks she’s going to be. She’s convinced she’s going to be a captain, her captain tells her as much. To be able to show the audience who Michael Burnham is and how she’s functioning in walking down a path she’s convinced she knows where it leads, what it allows us to do in episode three is show you everything she’s lost.

Doug Jones talks emotional loss, possible promotion

Talking to ET! Online, Doug Jones talked about the emotional devastation that occurs on episode 2, “Battle at the Binary Stars”, and gave his take on the premiere cliffhanger. He also teased at a possible promotion when he arrives on the U.S.S. Discovery under Captain Lorca.

For Saru, after going through the “Battle of Binary Stars” as the No. 3 on the Shenzhou, if he switched ships after being through a battle and surviving, he would hope for a promotion. I would probably leave it right there. (Laughs.)

Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusive in the US on CBS All Access with new episodes released Sundays at 8:30 pm ET. In Canada Star Trek: Discovery airs on the Space Channel at the same time. Discovery is available on Netflix outside the USA and Canada with new episodes made available Monday mornings.

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.