When viewers first met Star Trek: Discovery’s Commander Jett Reno on the Starfleet Federation starship U.S.S. Hiawatha, she’d been alone for 10 months keeping her wounded crewmates alive amid a war she didn’t know had ended. At first, it may have appeared as though Reno, a resourceful engineer with duct tape and one-liners at the ready, was just comic relief. But there’s a scene early on when the character, played by Tig Notaro with her signature deadpan delivery, telegraphs her depth.
Heartrending openness, hope, and relief flash across Reno’s face when she realizes that not only is the war with the Klingons over, but her side has won. The through line from gravity to comedy is one Notaro, who famously did a set announcing her breast cancer diagnosis in 2012, has traversed with grace and hilarity throughout her career. It’s reflected in her Star Trek: Discovery character, who is later revealed to have endured the loss of her wife.
