William Shatner and Jason Isaacs have apparently resolved their short lived Twitter standoff, much to the relief of Star Trek fans everywhere. Shatner, of course, is a cultural icon best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise for three seasons on television (five if you count the Animated Series) before bringing the character to the big screen, where he starred in seven Trek movies. He's a sci-fi legend if there ever was one. Isaacs, meanwhile, is a newcomer to the final frontier, having made his debut as Captain Gabriel Lorca on Star Trek: Discovery back in September.
Related: Star Trek: Discovery – The Story So Far
The pair found themselves in a highly illogical social media feud earlier this week, one that seemingly arose from a simple misunderstanding concerning a clickbait-y article headline. On Sunday, Isaacs announced on his Twitter account that he had been blocked by Shatner, though the cold shoulder treatment didn't last long. Shatner unblocked his fellow Starfleet captain just two days later, announcing his change of heart with a cheeky reference to Isaac's history playing Voldemort crony Lucius Malfoy. Check out their initial exchange below.
I've been blocked by @WilliamShatner. The unkindest cut of all. In what way have I broken the prime directive Captain? Was it the end of sentence minor-key uptick? The quizzical eyebrow (and blue eyeliner)? The just too-tight uniform? Forgive me my sins - it's an homage, I swear.— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) November 27, 2017
He who must not be named’s bff is now unblocked.— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) November 28, 2017
Isaacs sounded pleased to have been removed from Captain Kirk's shatlist (sorry), though he did make a parting jab that Shatner has seemingly declined to respond to.
Still not following, of course, but it’s good to know I could in an emergency.— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) November 28, 2017
The question of why this happened in the first place hasn't been confirmed by either party, though it likely has something to do with an interview Isaacs gave the UK-based newspaper Metro. Or, more specifically, the misleading headline of that interview, which read "Jason Isaacs hopes William Shatner won’t appear in Star Trek: Discovery as he teases ‘consequences’ to come." In the article itself, Isaacs was prompted about the prospect of a Kirk appearance in Discovery, something he discouraged strictly due to timeline issues (Discovery is set 10 years before the adventures of The Original Series) and his belief that stunt casting can have undesirable effects, like pulling the audience out of a story completely. Isaacs even took a crack at avoiding any misinterpretations of his views, adding, "I just hope people believe our stories, are engaged with them, and I’m happy to meet Will Shatner in real life in a restaurant."
Of course, that makes for a less snappy headline, and thus, a mini-feud was born. The standoff appears to be dead and buried, but it's certainly going to make for an awkward entry in the captain's log.
Next: Did Star Trek: Discovery Confirm Its Biggest Fan Theory?
Star Trek: Discovery will return from its midseason break on January 7th, and the first half of season one is available to stream on CBS All Access.
Sources: William Shatner, Jason Isaacs, and Metro