Contains spoilers from the end of Season 1…
With his new role as right-hand-man to the potential uniter/leader of the Klingon Empire, I could see Ash becoming a kind of Klingon cultural icon. Along with improvements in the Voq-humanification surgical procedure, maybe large numbers of Klingons (especially those in professions that might cross paths with humans) "transition" to a more human-looking form. With Ash's pleasant face as the template, we end up with lots of tan and beardy hybrids running around…
Get out of my head, @chrissam42!!! Lol I was just last night thinking about how Shazad Latif's dark skin and facial hair resembled the look which makeup artists gave to TOS Klingons. Great minds think alike? :) :) :) hahaha
While the look of that era of Klingons was already explained by the DS9 ep "Trials and Tribble-ations" (as a result of the Klingons' attempt "to bio-engineer enhanced warriors using DNA from genetically-modified human embryos left over from Earth's Eugenics Wars" *), Ash-Voq's interesting medical history and upcoming presence on Qo'noS does seem like it could add to that explanation somehow.
(*per the Memory Alpha wiki)
There's a Deep Space Nine episode called "Blood Oath" that features three TOS/DISCO-era Klingons in a blood-feud with another century-old person known as The Albino. It's not clear that The Albino is a Klingon, but I'm holding out hope that The Albino is an aged Ash/Voq.
@Glenn, oh cruel Glenn, think about this...
What you're saying is, you want poor Voq - who was flayed, had his skeleton/organs remodeled, then reskinned under a cloned human dermis, then had his mind jammed into a tiny corner of his newly-molded brain to make room for all those xeroxed Ash Tyler memories (and then had his heart broken by Michael Burnham, to boot!) - you THEN want this sadly tortured creature to somehow redevelop the ONE physical trait from his original biology which caused him to be a social pariah all throughout his formative years - just so you can link him to an (admittedly awesome) episode of DS9 as you kick back and down a Spore Drive with extra Chanterelle-mushroom-infused gin?! You are one cold fan! LOL
Haha, I am a cruel tyrant, indeed. Now if only someone will buy me an oompa loompa.
What I’m taking from this thread is that we’re all expecting to see “this guy” (Ash/Voq) wearing a lot more shimmering gold in Season 2 (and I’m ok with it).