When Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2020, viewers were left wondering about the fate of the Klingons. Although the 23rd-century Klingons faced their own challenges, their far-future counterparts were nowhere to be found. Now, Starfleet Academy has provided a remarkable episode that thoroughly addresses this Klingon mystery. Season 4’s “Vox in Excelso” begins with an unusual concept but ultimately proves to be classic Star Trek.
Karim Diane’s portrayal of the gentle Klingon Jay-Den takes center stage, and together with showrunner the duo explained to Inverse the episode’s themes and how they revealed a fresh perspective on Klingons while preserving their essential nature. Spoilers follow.
The title “Vox in Excelso” translates from Latin as “a voice from on high,” and the installment opens with a direct focus on speech and communication. It reveals that Starfleet Academy maintains a speech and debate squad, coached by the Doctor (Robert Picardo). Caleb (Sandro Rosta) excels at debating, while Jay-Den suffers from stage fright. However, this setup serves merely as an entry point to a larger revelation: the Klingons have fallen from imperial rulers to displaced refugees scattered across space, with merely eight major houses surviving. This directly answers the Discovery mystery—the Klingons vanished from that timeline because their empire crumbled after the Burn, and they rejected assistance.
Landau explained to Inverse, “We felt it was crucial to address why we hadn’t encountered Klingons in this period and what Klingon existence would mean in the 32nd century.” This sparked a meaningful dialogue about Earth’s current refugee crisis and the hypothetical scenario of a Klingon diaspora—homeless, displaced, empire-less, yet culturally intact.
After disaster destroys several of the scarce remaining Klingon refugee vessels, the urgency to locate a new home planet intensifies, with Starfleet offering aid. Here, the episode’s core conflict emerges: Jay-Den recognizes that the Klingons will only accept help if it doesn’t compromise their cultural heritage.
This theme has anchored many of Star Trek’s most thoughtful explorations of multiculturalism, as Klingon Chancellor Azetbur (Rosanna DeSoto) stated in (1991), “The Federation is no more than a homo sapiens only club.” Fundamentally, “Vox in Excelso” continues that discussion centuries later. While the Federation champions diversity, even an unconventional, pacifist Klingon like Jay-Den understands that cultural salvation cannot come at the cost of identity. The solution must come from within Klingon culture itself.
According to Karim Diane, “Jay-Den’s arc in this episode centers on discovering his voice—a journey I was undertaking myself, literally crafting his vocal quality. How much feeling should infuse that voice? I believe audiences will witness both him and me evolving our voice, in terms of sound and emotional depth.”
In discussing his Klingon character, Diane shifts between his own gentle natural tone and Jay-Den’s resonant bass. This reflects pluralism as well—Diane embodies Jay-Den while infusing the timid Klingon with surprising influences. The actor thoroughly researched the role, exploring every facet of Klingon culture beyond common stereotypes.
Diane notes, “The episodes featuring Alexander were particularly impactful,” referencing Worf’s son from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. “Those stories made me realize Klingons possess many dimensions beyond a single archetype.”
While Jay-Den isn’t identical to Alexander, Diane’s continuation of this noble, intricate species’ legacy reaffirms the vast complexity within Klingon culture.