star trek season 7 episode 2

TNG Season 7

• View history

The Season 7 cast

• 3 Background information
• 4.3.1 Production companies
• 6 External links

Episodes [ ]

Summary [ ].

The crew defeats Lore and his group of rogue Borg . Geordi La Forge struggles with the loss of his mother , while Data discovers his own. The captain foils a terrorist plot by Vulcan isolationists. It is discovered that warp drive damages subspace . William T. Riker is forced to choose between his loyalties to an old captain and Picard. Deanna Troi and Beverly Crusher learn long-kept family secrets. Worf meets a future version of Alexander Rozhenko , and both he and Deanna consider a romance. Wesley Crusher leaves Starfleet to study with The Traveler . Ro Laren defects to the Maquis . Q concludes his trial of Humanity, giving Picard an opportunity to save Humanity.

Background information [ ]

Jeri Taylor with Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner on the set of "All Good Things…"

• This season was broadcast concurrent with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 2 .
• This season earned Star Trek: The Next Generation an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series", the first (and so far only) time a syndicated series has earned that distinction.
• While Michael Piller continued to be credited as Executive Producer, he chose to focus on DS9 more, and so Jeri Taylor took over as showrunner for the final season of the series. One of her first decisions was to put an end to the open-submission process that Piller had put in place for scripts, and focus the writing around a core team of regular staff, with freelancers occasionally invited to make submissions.
• Ronald D. Moore has admitted he was less than satisfied with this season. In an interview about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in SFX magazine #55 (published in 1999 and reprinted in 2006 ), he said, "Next Generation , I think, overstayed its welcome. The last season of that show is kind of rough. To be honest, there are chunks of it I haven't watched myself. The show just didn't know what it was trying to do in the last year. "
• Moore said a similar thing in 1998 ; " I wish we could've had a more coherent idea of what we wanted to accomplish in TNG's last year. Too much of it was random story-telling without a sense of bringing the show to a conclusion. " ( AOL chat , 1998 )
• This season marks the switch from ALL CAPS to Small Caps in the actor names of the main title.
• Characters which crossover from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine : Evek (in " Journey's End " and " Preemptive Strike "), Admiral Chekote (in " Gambit, Part I "), Quark (in " Firstborn "), and Miles O'Brien (in " All Good Things... ").
• Production of the seventh Star Trek movie, Star Trek Generations (the first one starring the Next Generation cast) began simultaneously with the last season of the series. Filming for the TNG main cast on the film began only ten days after principal photography was completed on the series finale, " All Good Things... ".

Credits [ ]

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
• LeVar Burton as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge ("Descent, Part II” – “Dark Page", "Force of Nature” – “All Good Things…")
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data
• Gene Roddenberry
• Peter Lauritson ("Sub Rosa” – “All Good Things…")
• Brannon Braga
• Wendy Neuss
• Ronald D. Moore
• Peter Lauritson ("Descent, Part II” – “Homeward")
• Merri D. Howard
• David Livingston
• Jeri Taylor
• Michael Piller
• Rick Berman
• René Echevarria
• Naren Shankar
• Junie Lowry-Johnson , C.S.A.
• Jay Chattaway ("Descent, Part II", "Interface” – “Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Inheritance", "Sub Rosa” – “Lower Decks", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Emergence” – “Preemptive Strike")
• Dennis McCarthy ("Liaisons", "Phantasms", "Attached” – “Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Thine Own Self” – “Masks", "Genesis", "Firstborn” – “Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• John Debney ("The Pegasus")
• Jerry Goldsmith
• Alexander Courage
• Jonathan West ("Descent, Part II” – “Genesis", "Bloodlines” – “All Good Things…")
• Kris Krosskove ("Journey's End” – “Firstborn")
• Richard D. James
• J.P. Farrell ("Descent, Part II")
• David Ramirez ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part II", "Attached", "Parallels", "Sub Rosa", "Masks", "Journey's End", "Emergence", "All Good Things…")
• Steve Tucker ("Interface", "Phantasms", "Force of Nature", "The Pegasus", "Lower Decks", "Eye of the Beholder", "Firstborn", "Preemptive Strike")
• Daryl Baskin ("Gambit, Part I", "Dark Page", "Inheritance", "Homeward", "Thine Own Self", "Genesis", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Brad Yacobian
• Jerry Fleck ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "Genesis", "Firstborn", "All Good Things…")
• Adele G. Simmons ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike")
• Richard Wells ("Emergence")
• Arlene Fukai
• David Trotti ("All Good Things…")
• Robert Blackman
• Abram Waterhouse ("Journey's End” – “All Good Things…")
• Ronald B. Moore ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "All Good Things…") (credited as Ronald D. Moore in "Gambit, Part II")
• David Stipes ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Michael Backauskas ("Genesis", "Firstborn")
• Philip Barberio ("Emergence")
• Joe Bauer ("Preemptive Strike")
• Wendy Knoller
• John P. Farrell (credited as J.P. Farrell from "Gambit, Part I" on)
• Rick Sternbach
• Michael Okuda ("Descent, Part II” – “Journey's End")
• Michael Okuda ("Firstborn” – “All Good Things…")
• Michael Westmore
• Andy Neskoromny
• Gary Speckman
• Michael Backauskas ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "All Good Things…")
• Philip Barberio ("Descent, Part II” – “Parallels")
• Joe Bauer ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Edward L. Williams ("Genesis", "Firstborn", "Emergence", "All Good Things…")
• Philip Barberio ("The Pegasus” – “Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike” – “All Good Things…")
• Edward L. Williams ("Descent, Part II” – “Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike")
• Frederick G. Alba ("All Good Things…")
• Cosmo Genovese
• Dick Brownfield
• Jim Magdaleno ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "Genesis", "Firstborn", "Emergence", "All Good Things…")
• Wendy Drapanas ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike” – “All Good Things…")
• June Abston-Haymore
• Patti Miller
• Michael Moore ("Descent, Part II” – “Liaisons")
• Eddie Barron ("Interface")
• Lee Crawford ("Gambit, Part I” – “Gambit, Part II")
• Laura Connolly ("Phantasms” – “All Good Things…")
• Alan Bernard , C.A.S.
• Kris Krosskove ("Descent, Part II” – “Genesis", "Bloodlines” – “All Good Things…")
• Steve Gausche
• Kimberley Thompson ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "Genesis", "Firstborn", "Emergence", "All Good Things…")
• Matt Hoffman ("Descent, Part II", "Interface", "Gambit, Part II", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Parallels", "Homeward", "Lower Decks", "Masks", "Genesis", "Firstborn")
• Dave Powell ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike")
• Deborah Hall ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike")
• Carol Kunz ("Gambit, Part II")
• Maurice Palinski ("Emergence", "All Good Things…")
• Gerry Sackman
• E. Gedney Webb ("All Good Things…")
• Mace Matiosian
• Miguel Rivera
• Masanobu Tomita
• Guy Tsujimoto
• Ruth Adelman
• Chris Haire , C.A.S. ("All Good Things…)
• Doug Davey ("All Good Things…)
• Richard Morrison , C.A.S. ("All Good Things…)
• Modern Sound
• Diane Overdiek
• Dawn Velazquez
• Lisa De Moraes ("All Good Things…")
• Michael Westmore, Jr. ("All Good Things…")
• Arthur J. Codron ("All Good Things…")
• Kim Fitzgerald
• Kristine Fernandes
• Dave Rossi ("All Good Things…")
• Cheryl Gluckstern ("All Good Things…")
• Zayra Cabot ("All Good Things…")
• Lolita Fatjo
• Helen Mossler , C.S.A.
• Dennis Madalone ("Descent, Part II” – “Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I” – “Attached", "Inheritance", "Sub Rosa” – “All Good Things…")
• Lisa White ("Descent, Part II", "Gambit, Part I", "Attached", "Homeward", "All Good Things…")
• Herman Zimmerman
• André Bormanis
• William N. Stape ("Homeward")
• Jeanna F. Gallo ("Sub Rosa")
• Shawn Piller & Anatonia Napoli ("Journey's End")
• Sony Corp. of America ("Descent, Part II", "Gambit, Part I” – “Gambit, Part II", "All Good Things…")

Filmed with Panavision © Lenses and Cameras ("Liaisons” – “All Good Things…")

• Industrial Light and Magic , A Division of Lucasfilm, Ltd.
• Image "G" ("Descent, Part II” – “Preemptive Strike")
• Erik Nash ("All Good Things…")
• Digital Magic
• CIS Hollywood ("Descent, Part II” – “Preemptive Strike")
• Don Lee ("All Good Things…")
• John Carroll ("All Good Things…")
• Unitel Video ("Descent, Part II” – “Preemptive Strike")

Uncredited [ ]

• Greg Agalsoff – Mike Operator ("Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Eric Alba – Visual Effects Artist ("Genesis")
• Melissa Antablin – Costumer ("Descent, Part II", "Dark Page", "Inheritance", "Homeward", "Lower Decks” – “Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End” – “All Good Things…")
• Dolores Arce – Assistant Accountant
• Camille Argus – Costumer ("Homeward")
• William L. Asman – "A" Camera Operator ("Journey's End” – “Firstborn") / "B" Camera Operator ("All Good Things")
• Richard Balder – Special Effects Labor Artist ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• David Bernard – Sound Cable Person ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Rob Bloch – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("Descent Part II", "Phantasms", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Genesis", "All Good Things…")
• Tom Bookout – Grip ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Brannon Braga – Writer ("Liaisons")
• Lloyd A. Buswell – Construction Foreman
• Zayra Cabot – Production Associate
• Ernie Camacho – Digital Effects Artist: CIS Hollywood ("All Good Things…")
• Ed Charnock – Painter
• Eric Chauvin – Matte Artist: ILM ("All Good Things…")
• Richard Chronister – Special Effects Artist ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Ray Clarke – DFX Paint FX Artist: The Post Group
• Joe Conti – Video Toaster Contractor ("Sub Rosa")
• Brian Cooper – Assistant Chief Lighting Technician ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Ed Cooper – Lamp Operator ("All Good Things…")
• Roy Cunningham – Costumer Cutter Fitter
• Dick D'Angelo – Swing Gang ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Doug Davey – Effect Re-Recording Mixer ("Genesis")
• Robert De La Garza – Assistant Property Master ("Homeward")
• Yvonne DePatis-Kupka – Hair Stylist ("Homeward")
• Robert Dollwet – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("Dark Page")
• René Echevarria – Writer ("Interface", "Dark Page")
• Hank Edds – Makeup Artist ("Homeward", "Genesis")
• Bobbi Edrington – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("Dark Page")
• Chris Edrington – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("Dark Page")
• Carolyn Elias – Hair Stylist ("Firstborn")
• Mark E. Fenlason – Prop Fabricator/Model Maker/Set Construction ("All Good Things…")
• Alfred T. Ferrante – ADR Mixer ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Larry Field – Final Colorist ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Anthony Fredrickson – Scenic Artist ("Parallels"); Model Maker ("Eye of the Beholder")
• Hala Gabriel – Accountant
• Jeff Gersh – Sound Editor ("Genesis")
• John E. Glassco – Medical Adviser ("Genesis")
• Cheryl Gluckstern – Production Assistant
• David Goldfarb – DGA Trainee
• Jacques Gravett – Assistant Editor
• Don Greenberg – Lead Compositor: The Post Group ("Liaisons", "Gambit, Part I", "Phantasms", "Attached", "Inheritance", "The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa", "Thine Own Self", "Eye of the Beholder", "Journey's End", "Bloodlines", "Preemptive Strike” – “All Good Things…")
• John Grower – Head of Santa Barbara Studios ("Masks")
• Eric Guaglione – Animation Supervisor: Santa Barbara Studios ("Masks")
• Chris Haire – Dialogue Re-Recording Mixer ("Genesis")
• Deborah Hall – Set Costumer ("Homeward", "All Good Things…")
• Kevin Haney – Makeup Artist ("Genesis")
• Bill Hawk – Miniature Fabricator ("The Pegasus")
• Bill Henderson – Sound Re-Recording Engineer ("Preemptive Strike"); Sound Re-Recording Mixer ("All Good Things…")
• Paul Hill – Visual Effects Compositor: Digital Magic
• Matt Hoffman – Set Costumer ("Bloodlines")
• Tina Hoffman – Makeup Artist ("Homeward", "Genesis")
• Adam Howard – Visual Effects Compositor ("Descent, Part II” – “Phantasms", "Attached” – “The Pegasus", "Sub Rosa” – “All Good Things…")
• Adrian Hurley – Special Effects Camera Operator ("Force of Nature")
• Gregory Jein – Model Maker ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Brian Johnson – Crab Dolly Grip ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Ralph Johnson – Lamp Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Bruce Jones – Visual Effects Producer: Santa Barbara Studios ("Masks")
• Brian Q. Kelley – Video Segments Editor ("Eye of the Beholder", "Firstborn", "Preemptive Strike")
• Richard Kelley – Assistant Camera Operator ("Descent, Part II")
• Michael Key – Makeup Artist ("Gambit, Part I", "Genesis")
• Barry R. Koper – Makeup Artist ("Homeward")
• Erwin H. Kupitz – Wig Maker ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Stephen Lebed – Model Maker ("Liaisons")
• Don Lehman – Lamp Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Michael Mack – Writing Intern
• Jill MacKay – Jewelry Designer
• Cary McCrystal – Second Assistant Camera Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Tim McHugh – Video Toaster Contractor ("Sub Rosa")
• Scott McKnight – Lamp Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Kim McLaren – First Assistant Accountant ("The Pegasus” – “All Good Things…")
• Ed Miarecki – Prop Maker ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• Susie Money – Costumer ("Bloodlines")
• Richard L. Morrison – Re-Recording Mixer ("Genesis")
• Murata – DGA Trainee ("Homeward")
• Danny Nero – Extras Casting: Central Casting
• John Nesterowicz – Swing Gang ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Josée Normand – Hair Stylist ("Phantasms", "All Good Things…")
• Renee North – Costume Cutter Fitter
• Frank O'Hea – Painter ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Dave Powell – Costumer ("Homeward")
• Daniel R. Purinton – Rigging Gaffer/Lot Best Boy
• Tom Purser – Construction Worker
• David Quashnick – Makeup Artist ("Homeward", "Genesis")
• Scott Rader – Compositing Animator ("All Good Things…")
• A.J. Raitano – Visual Effects Camera Operator: Image "G" ("The Pegasus")
• Bernd Rantscheff – Makeup Artist ("Homeward")
• Tim Roller – First Assistant Camera Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• LuJean Rose – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("All Good Things…")
• David Rossi – Production Associate
• Rick Rowe – Craft Service ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Charlie Russo – Set Property Person ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• John Saint John – Background Casting: Native Americans ("Journey's End")
• Jim Samson – Assistant Property Person ("Bloodlines")
• Stewart Satterfield – Transportation Coordinator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Roger Senders – DGA Trainee ("Gambit, Part II")
• Fernando Sepulveda – Property Lead Person ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Don Sheldon – Hair Stylist ("Firstborn")
• Suzie Shimizu – Production Accountant
• Debbie Silverman – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("All Good Things…")
• Steph Silvestri – Production Assistant
• Mike Smithson – Makeup Artist ("Genesis", "Bloodlines")
• Mark Stimson – Special Effects Artist ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Phil Stirling – Mike Operator ("Homeward")
• Thomas E. Surprenant – Makeup Artist ("Homeward", "Thine Own Self")
• Jeri Taylor – Writer ("Interface")
• Karen Thomas-Kolakowski – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("Descent Part II", "Phantasms", "Force of Nature", "Genesis", "All Good Things…")
• Kimberley Thompson – Costumer ("Bloodlines")
• Wil Thoms – Special Effects Artist ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Carrie Toth – Animal Trainer: Critters of the Cinema ("All Good Things…")
• Daryl Towles – Script Typist
• Audrey Trent – Foley Artist ("Genesis")
• Jerry Trent – Foley Artist ("Descent, Part II” – “All Good Things…")
• David G. Trotti – Second Assistant Director ("Gambit, Part II", "Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Elaina M. Vescio – Set Security ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Patrick J. Vitolla – Grip ("Homeward", "Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Jana Wallace – Script Typist
• L.Z. Ward – Set Security ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Mark Wendell – Digital Effects Artist: Santa Barbara Studios ("Masks")
• Jack White – Second Grip ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Joe White – Visual Effects Artist ("Phantasms", "Parallels")
• Murphy Wiltz – Lamp Operator ("Homeward", "Bloodlines")
• Darrell Woodard – DGA Trainee ("Bloodlines", "All Good Things…")
• Susan Zietlow-Maust – Hair Stylist ("Firstborn")
• Debbie Zoller – Makeup Artist ("Homeward", "Genesis", "All Good Things…")

Production companies [ ]

• Amblin Imaging – CGI Company ("Emergence")
• Central Casting – Extras Casting
• Critters of the Cinema – Animal Casting and Training ("Descent Part II", "Phantasms", "Dark Page", "Force of Nature", "Genesis", "All Good Things…")
• Diligent Dwarves Effects Lab – Specialty Costume: Knight in Armor ("Emergence")
• Santa Barbara Studios – Special Effects Company ("Masks")

See also [ ]

• TNG Season 7 performers
• TNG Season 7 UK VHS
• TNG Season 7 US VHS
• TNG Season 7 DVD
• TNG Season 7 Blu-ray

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Seven Credits at StarTrek.com
• The Next Generation Season 7 episode reviews  at Ex Astris Scientia

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recap: Strange Visitors From Another Dimension

Star trek: strange new worlds.

“Those Old Scientists” is now available to stream now via Paramount+ after an advance screening at San Diego Comic Con.

First, it’s probably worth taking a moment to appreciate the level of difficulty at work in this episode. That Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome bear more than a passing resemblance to their   Star Trek: Lower Decks  characters certainly helps make their transition from animation to live-action believable. But  Lower Decks  and  Strange New Worlds  are shows with extremely different tones and performance styles. The difference should be so jarring to make any merging of universes impossible.

The solution: “Those Old Scientists” leans into the clash. That Boimler (Quaid) and Mariner (Newsome) don’t fit in on the  Enterprise  is the gag that undergirds the entire episode. They talk too loud. They make, as Una points out,  weirdly  specific references to  Star Trek  lore. Quaid runs like a cartoon character. Newsome even keeps Mariner’s mischievous grin as her character’s default facial expression in this new environment. It’s undoubtedly hard to make all the pieces fit together, but “Those Old Scientists” makes it look pretty effortless.

Anyone who doesn’t know what’s coming might at first think they’ve tuned into the wrong show. The episode’s animated opening is set on the  USS   Cerritos , the underachieving California-class starship the  Lower Decks  characters call home. It also opens in familiar  Lower Decks  fashion, with Boimler nerding out over a mundane assignment for reasons tied to Federation history, and Mariner making fun of him for it as Tendi (Noël Wells) and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) get excited over the mission’s scientific potential. And, also in  Lower Decks  tradition, things quickly start to spin out of control. After Boimler and Tendi disagree as to whether the portal was discovered by the  Enterprise  or Orion scientists (“They weren’t all pirates,” you know, Tendi reminds him) and Boimler expresses a desire to live in the past, the portal activates and grants his wish.

This, naturally, comes as a surprise to the (long-ago, from Boimler’s perspective) members of the  Enterprise  who greet him on the other side. Though they quickly figure out Boimler’s a harmless (and wildly enthusiastic to be among his heroes) traveler from the future, his presence is a real problem. Like any visitor from another time, he could screw up history. And as a student of Federation history with a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge about the  Enterprise  and its crew, he could screw it up in one specific way: by letting them know what’s coming. To prevent this from happening, he’s handed over to La’an, who briefs him on “temporal protocols,” including an admonition not to form any attachments. It’s La’an’s own addition and one she understands all too well.

Then again, history isn’t always right. Mariner knows Uhura for her ability to enjoy life and not be on duty all the time. That doesn’t quite square with the Uhura we know from  TOS  or the   movies (who can relax, but not to the point where it’s her defining trait), and it  really  doesn’t square with the Ensign Uhura of  Strange New Worlds  who works all the time, to the point it worries those around her. Boimler discovers this firsthand when he meets her for himself and gets a brush-off that suggests she’s too busy for his nonsense.

But it’s Boimler’s encounter with Spock that  really  weirds him out. Returning to the portal with Spock and M’Benga, Boimler makes Spock laugh, then barely has time to process this moment before an Orion ship shows up (though it will haunt him later). Are they pirates? Pike assumes they are before Boimler tips him off that  this  Orion vessel might be peaceful. But the line between science and piracy gets a little blurry when they steal the portal and take off, seemingly stranding Boimler in the past forever.

At least he’s making friends. After some ribbing from Chapel and Ortegas, he gets an invitation to join them for movie night, then accidentally lets slip that (a) Pike’s birthday is coming up, and (b) it’s a holiday in his era. A party strikes Chapel and Ortegas as a good idea, even if Boimler worries it could change the future. Then he  really  puts his foot in it. Following Chapel to the turbolift, he expresses his concern that his joke may have broken Spock, whom he knows as an unsmiling, joke-averse historical hero. He goes on to tell her he’s read every book about Spock available to him, and they don’t mention this. And that, Chapel realizes, means they don’t mention her.

The note of melancholy La’an sounds when she warns Boimler about forming attachments sets the stage for other such moments to come. Pike has spent the entire series coping with the knowledge that he’ll meet his end in less than a decade, and nothing Boimler tells him suggests otherwise. But Boimler knows what awaits other characters too, just as we do. As fun as it is to watch their relationship and as much as they seem to be enjoying it, whatever’s going on between Spock and Chapel won’t last without some disruption of the continuity. “I never assumed that I would get to influence him forever,” Chapel says through tears. Sometimes it’s best not to know where you’re going.

After using some future tech to put the  Enterprise  on the trail of the Orions (with the ship’s crew looking the other way lest they learn something they shouldn’t), Boimler urges Pike (and his “really great hair”) to find a peaceful solution. They do, though it means giving up some grain badly needed by some hungry   colonists. And with that, they gain the ability to send Boimler back to his own time. The end.

Or it would be if the attempt didn’t result in Mariner traveling through the portal and joining them. For Mariner, this is no problem at all (especially if she gets to meet Uhura). But for Pike and the others, it means their troubles have doubled. Pike decides to put the new arrivals to work, sending Boimler off with Spock and letting Mariner hang out with (and fan out over) Uhura. But Mariner’s admiration for Uhura and her future accomplishments only stresses Uhura out more. Mariner’s suggestion, perfectly in keeping in character, is to slack off. Joined by Ortegas, they kick back with some improvised Orion Hurricanes, and, in the process, they figure out how to decipher the symbols that surround the portal.

Meanwhile, Boimler discovers that Spock has figured out what’s troubling him, having spoken to an upset Chapel. Even though she didn’t go into details, Spock correctly deduces that it’s his displays of human emotion that trouble Boimler because these moments don’t match up to history. But logic also suggests to Spock that he just needs to roll with it. If he tries to be less human after speaking to Boimler, that itself will alter history. Whatever will end his relationship with Chapel, it’s not this.

One pep talk from Pelia later, Boimler joins Mariner on a shuttle with the intention of reclaiming the grain Pike previously traded away. It’s a short-lived plan, thanks to La’an discovering them before they can take off. Busted, they’re taken to Pike’s quarters, who’s mad but softens when he hears that Boimler once dressed as him for Halloween. (“He had to contour the hell out of the jawline,” Mariner notes.) But what’s really annoying him is the rumor that Boimler has encouraged the crew to throw him a birthday party, not so much because he doesn’t think he has many birthdays left but because this is the year when he outlives the father with whom he had a difficult relationship and, frankly, he’d planned to spend it drinking alone. But ticked off as he was when the conversation began, Pike comes around to Boimler’s way of thinking when the time traveler suggests that if his years are more limited than he’d like, Pike might want to spend some quality time with his friends.

With the mention of Captain Archer’s original  Enterprise , Boimler hits on a plan that will allow them to reactivate the portal using the alloy they need to fire it up again, which can be found on a piece of the older ship encased in the new one. One “Live long and prosper”’ from Spock later, they’re on their way home. Or they would be if there weren’t Orions in the way. Fortunately, they arrive at a compromise by letting the Orion scientists take credit for the discovery. (Tendi was right after all! Sort of.) After stepping through the portal and back into  Lower Decks ’ animated world, they’ve left some of it behind on the  Enterprise . Pike’s party is fueled by genuine Orion Hurricanes, which seem to have the ability to alter reality, temporarily rendering them two-dimensional (and weirding them out as the episode cuts to the credits).

This was a fun one, and fun in the same self-aware-but-not-too-self-aware style of  Deep Space Nine ’s “Trials and Tribble-ations.” And while it’s a lark of an episode, it also takes the ongoing story arcs of several characters quite seriously. Chapel’s moment in the turbolift is heartbreaking, made even more so by the way she steels herself after she absorbs the implications of what Boimler tells her. This is a character who has learned not to expect too much but who’d begun to believe that maybe she’d get what she wants anyway. But mostly it keeps it light, even more in the second half, which plays at times more like a  Lower Decks  episode than  Strange New Worlds . Here’s hoping this becomes a tradition, no matter how tricky it is to pull off.

• The animated credits are a nice, unexpected touch.

• Memorable lines: “But flipping it open’s the best part.” “Funny captain. What’s happening?” “I was thoroughly unprepared for how hot Young Spock was going to be.”

• The running, and developing, gag about Boimler’s reverence for Una and the poster he has pinned up (but which is not a pinup) was fun and touching, and having Ransom (voiced by Rebecca Romijn’s real-life husband, Jerry O’Connell) admire it was the perfect button for it in this self-referential episode.

• Pelia’s quote — “I always pretended to be someone I wanted to be until finally I became that someone, or he became me” — comes from none other than Cary Grant. Now  there’s  a potentially fun time-travel episode.

• “Thanks for going back to the  TOS  era.” It’s a clever title in a couple of ways, isn’t it?

• This episode was written by Kathryn Lyn, who has previously written for both  Strange New Worlds  and  Lower Decks , and Bill Wolkoff, who’s been with  Strange New Worlds  since its first season. In an additional behind-the-scenes crossover, it’s directed by Jonathan Frakes.

• star trek: strange new worlds

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'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 7 'Eirgah' is the best yet of this final season

So, just to clarify, Moll and L'ak are chasing the ultimate power in the universe, to trade it so they can, in essence, elope..?!

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 7

Almost immediately, we're treated to the return of Commander Nhan (Rachael Ancheril), who we last saw in the episode " Rubicon " S04, E09, just like we called a couple of weeks ago with episode 3, "Jinaal." And you know, this new episode, entitled "Eirgah," starts off strong and actually holds our attention throughout. In short, with just three more episodes remaining until the end of " Star Trek: Discovery " forever and ever, we actually get a pretty good installment. 

Yes, it seems the writers aren't quite sure what to do with Captain Rayner's character, and that was always a danger. Callum Keith Rennie is an actor of the highest caliber, and a reoccurring B-character was never going to be worthy of his talent. And so we seem to continually walk the very thin line between a basic, two-dimensional character and someone who teases the tiniest hint of Mariana Trench -like depth.

Regardless, we are at least given a little more insight into his background, and, of course, it leaves us wanting so much more — though his character is so disappointingly clichéd at times, you really have to wonder how Raynor actually made it through Starfleet and ended up with his own command in the first place. 

Related:   Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

Watch Star Trek on Paramount Plus: Get a one month free trial  

Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Discovery and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

Another interesting observation is the mention of the USS Mitchell, clearly a nod to the actor Kenneth Mitchell, who popped up a number of times in "Star Trek: Discovery" playing various roles, but who tragically died from complications of ALS back in February . Possibly an indication of when this scene was actually filmed, which seems really rather recent, but it's a small matter. 

Arguably the most important issue to focus on here is that Malinne "Moll" Ravel (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are in fact chasing the ultimate power in the universe, to trade it ... so they can, in essence, elope? It's less of a romantic gesture and slightly more of a staggeringly irresponsible and breathtakingly selfish thing to do, don't you think? 

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"Oh, darling, let's go and visit Risa, the pleasure planet, for our honeymoon," purred Moll as she gently shifted under the bed sheets, her skin enjoying every moment of contact with the luxury one-billion-thread Vulcan cotton. 

"We could do that," he replied, his arms still wrapped around her. "But don't forget, absolutely everyone in the galaxy is dead, so we'd have to make our own Samarian Sunsets..." he added almost as an afterthought. 

But enough of all of that. There are a number of reasons, many beyond the obvious, as to why this is a pretty good episode. The obvious ones include the fact that this episode didn't rip off any decades-old sci-fi that the millennial scriptwriters have only just discovered, so you know, that's always a plus. It happens, sure. It's like discovering the music of T-Rex for the first time, 20 years later, then trying to form a band, aged 13½, believing beyond any doubt that you have a rock-star future ahead of you, basically by copying their songs. The difference is, you were prepubescent, no one in the band could actually play an instrument — and the writers on "Discovery" are Paid Professionals.

Interestingly, this episode is the first major directorial role that Jon Dudkowski has had, and frankly, it shows a lot of promise. He too, we suspect, has studied the work of the legendary Vince Gilligan, and some of the camera angles and edits reflect this. The problem with all of Nu-Trek is that a ton of different directors are hired to come onboard and churn this stuff out. " Picard " was practically a case study on how not to production line principal photography as quickly as possible. Because every director has their own style and when you have a minimum of say, six different styles, more often than not, it jars, making the show inconsistent and harder to enjoy, ultimately driving a wedge between the viewer and the experience. 

"Discovery" too suffers from the same problem, but if they'd given Dudkowski the whole season to direct, well, we might have had better episodes, and certainly a more consistent experience. Having the same showrunner isn't the same as having the same director, and having a variety of such notably different styles, in this instance, is a bad thing. Each episode should be a labor of love, and, as such, in a show where the season is only 10 episodes long, both the season and the show would really benefit from being seamless. 

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Of course, quite how much actual control Dudkowski had we'll never know. But this installment definitely benefits from good dialogue, good pacing, some creative cinematography and even little touches like how Burnham is never quite given the chance to use a catch phrase, lame or otherwise. And that self-aware-style of writing has been noticed and appreciated.  

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every other episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the U.S., while "Prodigy" has found a new home  on Netflix.  

Internationally, the shows are available on  Paramount Plus  in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on  Paramount Plus  in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Yes, THAT Character Death In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 7 Really Happened

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 - "Erigah"

• L'ak tragically dies in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah."
• Moll makes a desperate move by teaming up with the Breen to find the Progenitors' treasure.
• Major consequences are in play as Moll seeks to resurrect L'ak with the Progenitors' technology.

Yes, that major character death in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah," really happened. Written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7 sees Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) apprehended by Starfleet, but the Breen arrive at the United Federation of Planets' doorstep to collect the nephew of Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo). Refusing to get caught between the Federation and the Breen, Moll and L'ak enact a desperate plan to escape that tragically backfires.

Moll and L'ak were introduced as Star Trek: Discovery season 5's villains racing the USS Discovery in the hunt for the ancient treasure of the Progenitors. But Moll and L'ak's backstory, revealed in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," shows them as troubled lovers on the run from the Breen, who placed an Erigah (blood bounty) on their heads. L'ak is a Breen and the nephew of Primarch Ruhn, one of the warlords competing to become the new emperor of the Breen Imperium. Star Trek: Discover y season 5, episode 7, "Erigah" clarified L'ak's true importance to Primarch Ruhn: L'ak is the Scion, a direct blood descendant of the late Breen Emperor. Controlling L'ak would bring validity to whoever becomes the next Emperor of the Breen.

L'ak was seriously injured in a fight with Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) aboard the ISS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 7 Really Killed Off Lak

The scion of the breen imperium is dead.

L'ak dies in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah." Moll and L'ak were beamed into the USS Discovery's medical bay so that the grievously injured Breen could receive treatment from Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) . But Moll and L'ak, who only want freedom to be together, decide to escape instead of letting the Federation and the Breen decide their fates. The Breen Scion created a distraction so that Moll break out of sickbay and steal one of Discovery's shuttles, but L'ak accidentally gave himself a fatal overdose of tricordrizine.

L'ak's death is a tragedy, not just for Moll but for the Federation.

Moll didn't make it to the USS Discovery's sickbay, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) was able to convince her to lay down her phaser and return to the medical bay to see the dying L'ak. Captain Burnham persuaded Primarch Ruhn to allow a Breen physican to treat L'ak but there was no way to save the Scion. L'ak's death is a tragedy, not just for Moll but for the Federation. Because Moll doesn't trust the Federation, she told Primarch Ruhn about the Progenitors' treasure, which means the Breen has now entered the race for the greatest and possibly most destructive power in the galaxy.

The Breen capture the Progenitors' technology and destroy the Federation in a possible future Captain Burnham saw in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange."

What Happens To Moll In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Moll has one desperate gamble to resurrect l'ak.

Moll had a surprise for Primarch Ruhn and the Breen: she and L'ak are married. Because she is the Scion's wife, Moll was allowed to leave with the Breen, promising to find the Progenitors' technology for Primarch Ruhn. Moll throwing her lot in with the Breen, who despise her, is her desperate gamble to save L'ak. The Progenitors' life-giving technology is said to have the power to bring back the dead, and Moll hopes she can resurrect L'ak and the Breen will allow them to leave together in exchange for the Progenitors' power to conquer the galaxy.

The Federation council led by President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) agreed to turn Moll over to the Breen rather than instigate an immediate war.

Moll is between a rock and a hard place since she has to lead the Breen to the Progenitors' treasure without the clues . The Breen's only gambit is to follow the USS Discovery to the treasure and then overpower them and take it. Then, Moll has to persuade Primarch Ruhn to both let her resurrect L'ak, which would give Primarch Ruhn legitimacy to become Emperor, and hope Ruhn allows them their freedom. However, if Moll stayed on the USS Discovery, the Breen would have attacked the Federation, and she has no way of persuading Starfleet to let her use the Progenitors' technology to bring back L'ak. The death of L'ak launches Star Trek: Discovery season 5 toward its endgame and the conclusion of the series.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 Review: ‘Erigah’ Is the Beginning of the Series' Tragic End

With "Erigah," Star Trek: Discovery kicks off its series finale as a villainous alien race hunts down the USS Discovery and its crew.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 7, "Erigah."

The first six episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 were mostly standalone adventures that led toward the discovery of important, ancient technology. However, with the capture of antagonists Moll and L'ak, the show's latest episode kickstarts the endgame by bringing them face-to-face (in more ways than one) with a long-feared and mysterious enemy. Up until "Erigah," Star Trek: Discovery's final season was a race of fun Star Trek- styled missions, but things just got very serious .

The Breen were first seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but they were mentioned in the previous series, Star Trek: The Next Generation . In various Star Trek sourcebooks, the Breen were something of a running joke among the writing staff. They were a species meant to be mentioned sporadically, and nothing more. They were a group of unknown bellicose aliens with whom Starfleet and the Federation had no diplomatic ties. As stated in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion by Terry J. Erdman with Paula Block, when it came time to show the Breen, showrunner Ira Steven Behr "wasn't really in the mood to come up with a new alien race," so they were shown in armor with a long snout like an "arctic wolf."

The pressurized suits suggested they came from a harsh climate, and meant the storytellers never had to figure out what they actually looked like. The closest look at a Breen that Trekkies got was L'ak, since he was actually a Breen prince. The Breen were also revealed to have a liquid and solid form, though the latter is seen as an abomination . L'ak's affection for Moll sent him running from the Breen Imperium and earned him a blood bounty, the titular "Erigah." In this episode, things came to a head when the fully unveiled Breen showed up looking for a fight.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Gets Its First Major Casualty

L'ak's death sets up star trek: discovery for the final battle, 'they're not really villains': star trek: discovery's moll & l'ak actors defend their characters.

Since the onset of Season 5, Moll and L'ak were particularly distrustful of Starfleet in part because of former Captain Rayner's relentless pursuit of them in the past. Now that they're in the custody of the USS Discovery's crew and returning crewmember Nhan, who left the ship in Season 3 , things are no better. Even though Starfleet is desperately trying to protect Moll and L'ak from the Breen, a mortally wounded L'ak still initiates a foolhardy escape plan. He injects himself with medicine to cause a distraction, and it ultimately leads to his death. It was a truly terrible plan.

All season long, Moll and L'ak were depicted as efficient operators . In fact, they were almost too efficient. This set up a false sense of security for them, allowing them both to fail miserably in this episode and surprise everyone. Not only did Moll not secure transport off the ship, but her worst fear comes true when L'ak dies . Even after Starfleet agrees to bring a Breen physician onboard to save L'ak, he dies just the same. Instead of throwing her lot in with Starfleet, Moll tells the Breen about the Progenitors' technology, because she knew from Dr. Vellek's journal that it could, in theory, reanimate someone who died. She doesn't care about the galaxy. All she wants is to bring L'ak to life.

In her grief, Moll seemingly forgot that L'ak would rather die than go back to the Breen Imperium . It's a frustrating decision for the characters and the viewers, though intentionally so. The only person who felt any sympathy for Moll was Cleveland Booker, who got his name from his courier mentor, Moll's biological father. He was deeply against President T'Rina's and Admiral Vance's willingness to let her go. However, beyond the strategic reasons for not letting her go, it was Moll's wish to go with the Breen. While Cleveland wanted to help her, he doesn't seem to actually care that much about what she really wants.

Michael Burnham Once Again Proved Why She’s One of the Best Star Trek Captains

Captain burnham channeled bits of captains kirk, picard and even janeway in ‘erigah’, star trek: discovery's callum keith rennie shows a new side of starfleet.

Like most Starfleet captains who lead a Star Trek series, Captain Michael Burnham is exceptional. Her perceived "perfection" annoyed some fans, almost more than her (very Spock-like) mutiny in Season 1 . Yet, Captain Burnham's excellence is on full display in "Erigah." She balanced the desires of her ex-partner Booker with Starfleet's needs. She may not have been in charge of Starfleet's negotiations with the Breen, but she was the one who figured out both sides' best hope to avoid conflict. Despite her impressive depth of compassion and penchant for doing the right thing despite what others may say, she sided against Booker when it came to deciding Moll's ultimate fate. This was an admirable but tough decision for Captain Burnham to make.

The episode's best scene was when Burnham interrogated Moll and L'ak to figure out why the Breen were so intent on hunting L'ak down. Using her limited knowledge of the Breen and the details that the criminal duo inadvertently gave away, she figured everything out. She realized that L'ak was somehow crucial to the Primarch -- which audiences know from "Mirrors (Season 5, Episode 5)" is his uncle -- because of a claim to the Breen throne. She correctly surmised that L'ak was a direct descendant of the Breen emperor, meaning he would have to "rule" but in the shadow of his uncle. In brief, he was supposed to be a puppet ruler. Using this information, she convinced Starfleet to bluff the Primarch that they were in negotiations with other Breen royal houses.

The ploy might have worked, if L'ak hadn't been so foolish as to fatally wound himself. Once L'ak died, Captain Burnham's bluff was no longer relevant. Since Moll aligned with the Breen in the hopes of resurrecting her husband, the USS Discovery was now fated to have an inevitable confrontation with the Primarch and his forces . In the trailer for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 , the USS Discovery was seen fleeing some unknown alien fighters. This was clearly a sign that before they can find the Progenitors' technology, the crew will have to fight the Breen. Captain Burnham will also likely face Moll one last time before the series ends.

The Hunt for the Progenitors’ Final Clue Rested on an Unlikely Source

Sylvia tilly and adira tal sought jett reno’s help, star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

While the rest of Starfleet dealt with the Breen, Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly and Ensign Adira worked on the final clue. They traced it to an obscure text from Betazed, the home planet of Deanna Troi. But to decipher the clue, they needed to find the text's original handwritten manuscript. Using paper in the 24th Century was anomalous, so it almost seemed hopeless. Thankfully, Commander Jett Reno -- the black licorice-loving engineer -- spent some time as a smuggler whose cover was that of a purveyor of ancient manuscripts.

The team figured out that the manuscript was likely hidden in a galactic library that contains texts and artifacts from across the galaxy. The metal "card" they found in the fourth clue was likely a "library card" for this very institution. Though the USS Discovery's crew failed to save L'ak and prevent a conflict with the Breen, Tilly, Adira and Reno gave them a much needed win . Next week's episode, "Labyrinths (Season 5, Episode 8)," is likely the final search for the last clue before Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's grand finale gets underway. Whether or not Tilly, Adira and Reno really deciphered the final clue, the Breen are not going to stop chasing the USS Discovery.

Commander Rayner Grew Closer to Captain Burnham After a Heated Clash

Captain burnham’s past with the klingons helped her connect to her second-in-command, 'bittersweet and shocking': star trek: discovery star addresses the series getting canceled.

One reason why Captain Burnham was blamed for the Klingon War was because Klingons killed her parents. Commander Rayner found himself in a similar place in "Erigah." In the 800 years since the Kellerun people were introduced on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Breen decimated Rayner's homeworld. His legitimate concerns and aggressive stance in a meeting with Starfleet and Federation leadership regarding the Breen's threat led to him being expelled. This didn't stop him from helping Captain Burnham hatch her plan, and facing the Breen when they were executing their bluff.

At the end of the episode, instead of chewing out her subordinate officer for his disrespect, Captain Burnham complimented him. She understood his fears of the Breen wiping out Starfleet, which is the only home he has left. When he confessed he indeed thought of that, Captain Burnham promised him that such destruction at the Breen's hands would never happen again. Instead of creating tension, this moment further solidified the captain's relationship with her gruff and unorthodox Number One. This was a nice resolution to their season-long animosity that arrived just in time for their coming final confrontation against one of Star Trek's deadliest enemies yet.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

• The episode allowed the characters to be at their best and still lose.
• The reintroduction of the Breen demystifies one of Star Trek's coolest alien antagonists.
• As fun as Season 5 has been, the hunt for the Progenitors' tech has real, galactic stakes now.
• The deliberate choices leading to Moll and L'ak's poor decisions could frustrate some viewers.
• While nice to see Nahn again, her presence in the episode felt superfluous.
• The absence of Saru is a missed opportunity to further tie his Ambassador promotion to the larger story.

Screen Rant

8 best "o'brien must suffer" star trek: ds9 episodes.

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The Real Reason O’Brien And Bashir Play Darts In Star Trek: DS9

What is a chief petty officer miles o’brien’s rank in star trek explained, 5 star trek actors with real-life children in tv & movies.

• O'Brien's suffering in "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes allows the audience to connect with his character on a deeper level.
• Episodes like "Whispers" and "Hard Time" showcase O'Brien's resilience in the face of intense mental and emotional challenges.
• The dynamic between O'Brien and his family, especially with his wife Keiko, adds a human element to the sci-fi drama of Star Trek: DS9.

"O'Brien Must Suffer" is a unique subgenre of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, but which one is best for the audience and worst for Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney)? Originating in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Chief O'Brien became a regular member of the Star Trek: DS9 cast because the producers wanted to give Colm Meaney a bigger role. Promoting the show a month before it aired in the Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine #1 , Meaney said that O'Brien was the same as he was in TNG , but just had " to deal with many more problems " .

Colm Meaney's words turned out to be eerily prophetic, as it was soon decided that once or twice a season the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writers would put Chief O'Brien through the wringer. These episodes later became known as "O'Brien Must Suffer" stories, and many of them make up the canon of Chief O'Brien's best Star Trek episodes . Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe explained why it was so important to the DS9 writers to "torture" O'Brien once or twice a season in the DVD special feature, Crew Dossier: Miles O'Brien on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5 boxed set. Read Hewitt Wolfe's quote below:

" If O'Brien went through something torturous and horrible, the audience was going to feel that, in a way they wouldn't feel it with any of the other characters. Because all the other characters were sort of, I wouldn't say larger than life, but nobler than life, but O'Brien was just a guy, trying to live his life and so if you tortured him that was a story. "

Colm Meaney’s Best 10 Acting Roles (Including Star Trek: DS9’s Chief O’Brien)

DS9's Colm Meaney is one of the best actors to appear in Star Trek and these brilliant roles display the depths of the iconic Chief O'Brien star.

8 Season 6, Episode 15, "Honor Among Thieves"

O'brien goes undercover, betrays a friend, and sends a man to his death..

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 15, "Honor Among Thieves" is something of an oddity, playing out more like a cop show than an episode of Star Trek . However, it ticks the box of making O'Brien suffer by placing him inside the Orion Syndicate to expose a Starfleet mole. Over the course of his investigation, O'Brien also discovers that the Dominion are using the Orion Syndicate as trigger men for an assassination attempt against a Klingon ambassador .

"Honor Among Thieves" started life as a gangster comedy in which Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) would befriend the Orion Syndicate and quickly get in over his head.

O'Brien's information is passed from Starfleet Intelligence to the Klingon Empire, who will execute the would-be assassins. If that wasn't morally dubious enough, O'Brien has become close to one of the men, Bilby, whom he'll be sending to his death. To save his friend's life, O'Brien is forced to admit his betrayal, but it's not enough to convince Bilby not to walk into a Klingon ambush . The final scene in which O'Brien cares for Bilby's cat is brutal, showing how traumatized Miles is by the whole ordeal.

7 Season 3, Episode 17, "Visionary"

O'brien gets radiation sickness, jumps through time, sees ds9 get destroyed, and dies..

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 7, "Visionary", O'Brien contracts a rare form of radiation sickness that allows him to travel through time. These time jumps allow O'Brien to unmask a Romulan conspiracy to destroy both DS9 and the Bajoran Wormhole to prevent the Dominion from entering the Alpha Quadrant. To foil the Romulans' plot, O'Brien has to keep shifting into the future, which increases the fatal effects of the radiation sickness.

"Visionary" is notable for being the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to introduce the legendary O'Brien dart board, later memorialized in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

As in "Whispers", Chief O'Brien again has to watch himself die, as the time traveling version encounters the corpse of his future self, the victim of sabotage. In the climax of the episode, the time traveling version of O'Brien finally succumbs to his radiation sickness, and sends his future self back in time to replace him. It's a mind-boggling paradox that must have made life quite difficult for O'Brien in the immediate aftermath of the events of "Visionary".

Bashir and O'Brien had a fierce racquetball rivalry in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, so why did they swap their racquets for darts in DS9 season 3?

6 Season 2, Episode 13, "Armageddon Game"

O'brien is infected by a deadly bioweapon, targeted for execution, and on the run with bashir..

"Armageddon Game" is the episode that bonds Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's two best friends, Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) for life. Having been targeted for execution by the Kellerun, Bashir and O'Brien have to go on the run, hoping that eventually their crewmates will come to their rescue. The only problem is that everyone on DS9 believes the lies that O'Brien and Bashir perished in a tragic accident. It's only due to Miles' wife, Keiko O'Brien (Rosalind Chao), that Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) realizes that he's been lied to.

The Kellerun have finally expanded upon in Star Trek: Discovery , with the addition of a Kellerun Starfleet officer, Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) in season 5.

While not officially the start of the "O'Brien Must Suffer" trend, the Chief does suffer a great deal during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 14, "Armageddon Game". Not only is he forced to spend time with the youthful and arrogant Dr. Bashir in close quarters, O'Brien gets infected by the very bioweapon that he and Julian were sent to destroy. A cure is eventually found, and the Chief's life is saved, but it's fair to say that he's been through hell and back, made worse by the fact that Dr. Bashir thinks he and O'Brien are bonded for life.

5 Season 2, Episode 14, "Whispers"

O'brien gets kidnapped, duplicated, and has to watch himself die..

The first proper example of an "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode, "Whispers" follows an increasingly paranoid Chief O'Brien as he comes to believe that the entire crew of Deep Space Nine have been replaced by impostors. In reality, the audience is actually following a replica of O'Brien, who is a sleeper agent programmed to assassinate a visiting dignitary. However, O'Brien's strength of character is so great that his replicant sets out to solve the mystery rather than succumb to his programming.

To better get across the paranoid atmosphere of "Whispers", Colm Meaney played the role of the O'Brien replicant as if he were the real one, never deviating from this throughout the episode.

Technically, the real Chief O'Brien is unconscious for almost the entire runtime of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 14, "Whispers". So it's DS9 's O'Brien replicant that truly suffers, experiencing paranoia, alienation, isolation, and ultimately death. Still, the existential horror of the real Chief O'Brien looking into the dying eyes of his replicant is more than enough to categorize "Whispers" as the first true example of the "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

TNG and DS9's Miles O'Brien is Star Trek's most notable Chief Petty Officer, but where does the CPO rank fit in the Starfleet officer hierarchy?

4 Season 5, Episode 5, "The Assignment"

Keiko o'brien is possessed by a pah-wraith who forces miles to do their bidding..

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 5, "The Assignment", Keiko returns from Bajor to reveal that she's the victim of demonic possession. During a visit to the Bajoran Fire Caves, Keiko is possessed by a Pah-wraith, essentially the demons of Bajor's religion. In "The Assignment", the Pah-wraith embodying Keiko threatens to kill her unless Chief O'Brien assists it in destroying the Celestial Temple of the Bajoran Prophets. Family is everything to Chief O'Brien, so there's a particular type of pain for him witnessing his wife being inhabited by a malevolent force.

The Bajoran Fire Caves was the location for the final confrontation between Captain Sisko, Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) and Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher).

O'Brien is stringing the Pah-wraith along so that he can eventually save Keiko and avert the destruction of the Wormhole. However, O'Brien still has to shoot his wife with a chroniton beam to remove the Pah-wraith from Keiko's body. O'Brien and Keiko were Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's emotional core, the everyday family put under the extraordinary pressure of living in the Star Trek universe. It's for that reason that "The Assignment" feels particularly gruelling as this down-to-earth husband and wife are placed right in the center of a conflict between angels and demons .

3 Season 6, Episode 24, "Time's Orphan"

O'brien and keiko lose their daughter in a temporal anomaly..

The O'Brien family are tested once again in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 24, "Time's Orphan". When Molly O'Brien (Hana Hatae) falls into a time portal, she returns as a teenager, who has gone primal after spending so many years alone. It's a unique parenting challenge for both Miles and Keiko, who struggle to cope with their young adult daughter. Events reach a head when Molly tears up Quark's Bar and stabs a patron with a broken bottle. This crime forces the Federation to order that Molly be sent to a special facility, something that Miles and Keiko oppose.

Joe Menosky originally pitched "Time's Orphan" for Star Trek: The Next Generation , because he had become sick and tired of Worf's son Alexander.

With no other options, the O'Brien's break Molly out of prison, with help from Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) . Returning to the planet where they lost Molly, the O'Briens were fully prepared to never see their daughter again by destroying the portal and leaving her to live in her own time. Thankfully, this outcome is averted when the older Molly finds her younger counterpart and reunites her with her parents. It's a brutal episode for both Miles and Keiko as they're forced to consider some huge moral issues as parents .

Star Trek crews almost always feel like families, but some Star Trek actors got the chance to act alongside their real-life children.

2 Season 2, Episode 25, "Tribunal"

O'brien is framed for arms dealing, imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to death..

It's well known from Star Trek: The Next Generation that Chief O'Brien hates Cardassians, due to his experiences in the Federation-Cardassian War . This fact is used against him in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 25, "Tribunal", when he's framed as a Maquis traitor. DS9 reveals that the Cardassian legal system is utterly brutal, as it's based on a presumption of guilt. This means that Chief O'Brien's verdict has been sealed long before he goes on trial. Sentenced to execution, O'Brien is forced to live out a miserable life in a brutal Cardassian prison until his sentence is carried out.

A line from "The Maquis, Part II", in which Gul Dukat said " On Cardassia, the verdict is always known before the trial begins " inspired the conception of "Tribunal".

As if O'Brien being sentenced to execution and brutal prison treatment isn't enough, "Tribunal" also reveals that one of his old friends, Raymond Boone (John Beck) had been killed and replaced by a Cardassian spy. Worse still, O'Brien's life is being used as a political bargaining chip, with his trial designed to discredit the Federation during the ongoing Maquis crisis. There's some small consolation that, by being at the heart of a conspiracy, O'Brien is like Captain Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , but Miles truly suffers in "Tribunal".

1 Season 4, Episode 19, "Hard Time"

O'brien spends twenty years inside a psychic prison, struggles to readjust..

The most brutal, and therefore the "best" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes is "Hard Time". Once again, Chief O'Brien is on the receiving end of alien justice, as he's wrongfully accused of a crime, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Normally, this would allow plenty of time for Captain Sisko and the crew to prove O'Brien's innocence and get him out of jail. That's not the case in "Hard Time", however, as the Argrathi punish their criminals by instantly implanting twenty years of prison memories, meaning that O'Brien serves his full sentence before Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) gets him back to DS9.

The wife of writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who was a trained psychotherapist acted as an unofficial consultant on the script's treatment of O'Brien's PTSD.

It's heartbreaking to watch O'Brien struggle to readjust to life aboard Deep Space Nine, experiencing hallucinations of the cellmate that he "killed" as his mental health rapidly deteriorates. O'Brien even considers suicide in one of the most devastating scenes in the whole episode. It's thanks to the love of his family, the support of his crew, and his friendship with Dr. Bashir that O'Brien ultimately pulls through one of the harshest ordeals in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

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Episode list

Star trek: deep space nine.

S7.E1 ∙ Image in the Sand

S7.E2 ∙ Shadows and Symbols

S7.E3 ∙ Afterimage

S7.E4 ∙ Take Me out to the Holosuite

S7.E5 ∙ Chrysalis

S7.E6 ∙ Treachery, Faith and the Great River

S7.E7 ∙ Once More Unto the Breach

S7.E8 ∙ The Siege of AR-558

S7.E9 ∙ Covenant

S7.E10 ∙ It's Only a Paper Moon

S7.E11 ∙ Prodigal Daughter

S7.E12 ∙ The Emperor's New Cloak

S7.E13 ∙ Field of Fire

S7.E14 ∙ Chimera

S7.E15 ∙ Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

S7.E16 ∙ Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

S7.E17 ∙ Penumbra

S7.E18 ∙ 'Til Death Do Us Part

S7.E19 ∙ Strange Bedfellows

S7.E20 ∙ The Changing Face of Evil

S7.E21 ∙ When It Rains...

S7.E22 ∙ Tacking into the Wind

S7.E23 ∙ Extreme Measures

S7.E24 ∙ The Dogs of War

S7.E25 ∙ What You Leave Behind

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Star Trek – Season 2, Episode 7

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Watch Star Trek — Season 2, Episode 7 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

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• May 17, 2024 | Inside How ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Transformed A Toronto University Library Into The Eternal Archive
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• May 17, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Won’t Be Silenced In The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Library For “Labyrinths”
• May 16, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Navigates Its Way Through In “Labyrinths”
• May 14, 2024 | IDW Celebrating 500th Star Trek Comic With Big Era-Spanning Anthology

Doug Jones Explains His Recent Absence From ‘Star Trek: Discovery’… And Confirms Saru’s Return

| May 5, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 17 comments so far

Fans have noticed how actor Doug Jones has been missing from the most recent episodes of  Star Trek: Discovery . The actor has now explained what kept him away and confirmed his return.

Where is Saru?

Doug Jones has been a series regular for Discovery since the first episode. With the exception of a couple of episodes in season 3, likely for story reasons, he had appeared in every episode, but that changed in season 5. He appeared (and was in the main credits) for the first three episodes, which saw Saru move from the USS Discovery to Starfleet HQ to take up a new position as an ambassador for Starfleet. While Saru was seen and heard briefly in the fourth episode, Jones was not credited as the time travel episode utilized old footage from season 3. Jones’ Saru also didn’t appear in episodes 5 and 6.

Doug Jones as Saru in Star Trek: Discovery, episode 3, season 5 (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Fans have been curious about this absence, but the actor explained, saying he took time off Discovery to promote his appearance in the 2022 film Hocus Pocus 2 , where Jones reprised his role as Billy Butcherson from the original 1993 film. Jones’ explanation was in a reply to question on Twitter/X, so it may have been missed by most fans…

I was off promoting Hocus Pocus 2 at the time, but I will be back for more before the season ends! — Doug Jones (@actordougjones) April 27, 2024

The fifth season of Star Trek: Discovery was in production in Toronto during the summer and fall of 2022. Hocus Pocus 2 was released on September 3oth, 2022. Jones did a lot of press for the film around this period. You can see an image below of Jones at the red carpet premiere in New York on September 27th, below.

Production on season 5 of Discovery wrapped up on November 20th . Jones has confirmed he will be back, but it isn’t known for how many episodes. Given the time frame, he should be back for at least the finale and possibly one or two additional episodes. Jones also confirmed in a TrekMovie interview from earlier this year that he also returned for the “epilogue” shot in 2023 to turn the season 5 finale into a series finale. In that same interview, he talked about how he was of two minds when it comes to the series ending:

There’s a part of me that’s melancholy that it’s the fifth and  final  season. Nobody wants to hear “final,” but at the same time, I think in this day and age to get five seasons is really good with television the way it is now. But the other part is a bit of relief. I was just talking about memorizing large blocks of science fiction dialogue. That’s very difficult and so I don’t have to do that anymore. “Oh, yay!” And also the rubber bits. I love Saru. He is a part of me now. But he also comes with a look that’s glued onto me and taking that off for the last time was like, “Oh, oh that’s good. I don’t have to wear that again.”

It does appear that the producers of the show had time to work around Jones’ schedule, which likely resulted in Callum Keith Rennie joining the cast as a series regular as Rayner. By the third episode, Rayner had stepped into Saru’s former role as first officer of the USS Discovery.

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner in episode 2 (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

But Saru will be back. If nothing else, the show has to finish Saru’s romance storyline. By the third episode Saru and T’Rina (Tara Rosling) were just announcing they were getting married. Could the season finale include a Kelpien/Vulcan wedding?

Doug Jones as Saru and Tara Rosling as T’Rina in season 4 (Marni Grossman/Paramount+)

The fifth and final season of  Discovery  debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on  Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery  will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

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I regret that he wasn’t able to be more involved with the fifth season – especially because it became the final season. At least we got Commander Rayner as part of the deal though.

Good to know but I do wonder if it was a cost saving measure in general. The show feels a lot more budgeted this season.

Well that makes sense. Honestly I’d like to see Saru get role in Starfleet Academy or his own spin off show or movie. He’s been my favorite character from the show so far.

It’s a shame because that time off was wasted promoting a movie that flopped hard.

I don’t even remember it coming out lol.

I haven’t seen it (or the first one) but it was a Disney+ movie, I did see a lot of chatter about it my social media so I think some people were into it.

Flopped? First of all it was a Disney + movie, secondly they are developing a third. It might not have been popular in your mind, but it was well liked from what I remember.

Saru is the best part of the show. Doug Jones is a phenomenon. Would love to see him in the future, in his own show or a spin-off …

He brings so much heart and soul to the character. Saru is just one of the most likeable characters of any Trek.

leave it to the writers’ room of DSC to take the one likable character and sideline him. uhhh hey they like smartass shaw lets uh replace Saru with a smartass not Romulan but looks Romulan

Why would we leave it to them when clearly they weren’t even involved in the decision? Leave it to Sean not to read an article! (I assume it’s okay for me to just make that little fact up seen as it’s what you do lol)

Have you even read the article? Obviously not. How about going back to do that before commenting next time.

Not a fan of the show, but every single Saru storyline has been written well and performed beautifully. I’m actually excited for this prospective Kelpien/Vulcan wedding LOL.

I’m glad he’ll be back but his absences, for me has been notable. Especially knowing that this is the final season.

And why are Owo and Detmer also MIA?

Probably scheduling problems as well. For example, Oyin Oladejo (who plays Owo) starred in Orah, a movie that was shot in 2022 and released in 2023.

My favorite character from Discovery. Can easily forget he is human. This is how amazing is his acting. Jones gave an excellent character to the franchise.

'School Spirits' Season 1 Ending Explained: What Happened to Maddie?

It's not what you think.

The Big Picture

• In the School Spirits Season 1 finale, Maddie learns the truth about her mother's involvement in her death, but realizes she didn't kill her.
• Xavier, Claire, and Nicole try to free the janitor while dealing with their own secrets.
• The other spirits investigate their own deaths and discover hidden truths about Janet and Mr. Martin.

If you need your next series binge, look no further than the teen murder mystery series School Spirits . Maddie Nears ( Cobra Kai 's Peyton List ) had a hell of an afterlife, and over the course of the season, she learns hard truths and discovers those she loves are not exactly who they claim to be. Her boyfriend Xavier ( Spencer MacPherson ) was cheating on her with former bestie Claire ( Rainbow Wedell ), making him the first suspect to investigate with her best friend and connection to the side of the living, Simon ( Kristian Flores ). Together, they’ve revealed a teacher was embezzling money from the school, watched an innocent man framed for a crime they know he didn’t commit and had to come to terms with their incredibly poor treatment of the third member of their trio, Nicole ( Kiara Pichardo ). Maddie has been forced to reconcile with a life cut short, while her friends struggle to imagine a future without her. Meanwhile, the other spirits haunting Split River High School — namely, Wally ( Milo Manheim ), Charley ( Nick Pugliese ), and Rhonda ( Sarah Yarkin ) — have taught Maddie about the other side while desperately trying to find a way to deal with their unfinished business and finally move on.

However, despite everything Maddie has learned thus far, nothing could prepare her for the revelation at the end of the Episode 7 . After falsely accusing Nicole, and finally learning about what she had been hiding, Maddie’s memory flashes back to her as she pictures her mother Sandra ( Maria Dizzia ) yelling at her on the day of her death. Despite their horrific history, could Maddie’s mother have really killed her? That’s the question as we head into the season finale, which wonderfully shakes up the series in a way we haven’t seen since the finale of NBC’s The Good Place Season 1. Plus, after Dawn ( RaeAnne Boon ) moved on, the ghosts felt something that they didn’t when Janet moved on back around the time Maddie died. What’s that about? With School Spirits on Netflix and a Season 2 in the works , let's break down what exactly happened.

School Spirits

Set in the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, the show follows Maddie, a teen girl stuck in the afterlife investigating her own mysterious disappearance; she goes on a crime-solving journey as she adjusts to high school in the afterlife, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers.

Maddie Learns Some Uncomfortable Truths About Her Mother

As the final episode begins , Maddie has Simon investigating her mother. She tells Simon about all of her mother’s hiding places around the house, places where she had stored alcohol over the years. When he doesn’t find anything in Sandra’s room, he moves to Maddie’s, as Maddie said that, eventually, Sandra began to hide things there, too. Simon does find something — an envelope that Sandra was looking at in a prior episode — and finds something major inside: Maddie’s necklace , which she was wearing on the day she died but didn’t have on her as a spirit. So, they move to the next step, which is to get Sandra to school so Maddie can watch as Simon questions Sandra, as Maddie knows all of her tells and knows when Sandra is telling the truth . Luckily, an opportunity arises quickly as Ms. Fields ( Kalyn Miles ) tells Simon that Maddie won an award, and he suggests that Sandra accept the award on Maddie’s behalf.

Simon brings Sandra into Ms. Fields’ classroom under the guise of working on a speech honoring Maddie, but really to question her about the necklace. She tries to evade the conversation, one of her specialties, but he keeps pushing with Maddie’s assistance, and they finally discover the truth about what happened when Sandra showed up at the school, drunk, on that fateful day. But, we don’t learn the truth from just Sandra. When Maddie touches her necklace, she remembers seeing her mom that day .

Overly excited, Sandra showed up and told Maddie she didn’t need to stay in rehab, but had great news instead. Maddie drags her away, and Sandra tells Maddie that she bought a cabin up north that she heard about from someone in rehab. Sandra also says she used the money they put away when Maddie’s father died, which was her college fund. Sandra says they’ll figure it out and schools are cheaper up north, but Maddie fights back and says she’s going to school in Chicago to get away from Sandra. But, the bell rings, so Maddie brings her mother down to the boiler room — the last place she was alive .

Maddie tells Sandra she’s going to fix this and get the money back, but Sandra explains that she paid with a cashier’s check and Maddie needs to “get over it” and “realize [she’s] the adult] in their relationship. Then, finally, Maddie tells her mother off for her neglect and mistreatment over the years. How Maddie didn’t get to be a kid after her dad died because nobody was looking out for her, instead she had to look out for her mother.

Heartbreakingly, Maddie explains that Sandra is trying to take away everything that her dad gave to her . She throws her necklace at Sandra with a cruel, but necessary comment about how she can pawn that for around $40 and buy herself a welcome mat for her new home. Sandra begins to say something, but Maddie cuts her off and tells her to leave. Sandra takes the necklace and leaves Maddie alone in the boiler room, crying. So, her mother did not kill her . Who did? At the very least, the accusation finally makes Sandra confront what a terrible mother she was and how Maddie deserved better in a heartfelt and powerful speech as she accepted the award.

In 'School Spirits,' the Living and Dead Want Answers

As Simon and Maddie focus on Sandra, Xavier, Claire, and Nicole are trying to find another lead to get the janitor freed without revealing their own secrets. Xavier happens to show up at the station as his father, the Sheriff, is getting a tip about the person who has been breaking into homes in the area. Xavier steals the address, and the three of them decide to stake it out that night. After a while, nobody shows up, so Xavier and Nicole decide to take a look inside for clues about who’s staying there, leaving Claire in the truck. But, while they’re inside, Claire notices someone sneaking in and runs in after them. There’s a scuffle, as the person runs outside and gets in Xavier’s truck — with the keys left inside — and turns it on. Xavier makes it to the back of the truck when the person puts it in reverse and backs into him, hard, knocking him to the ground and splitting his head open . Nicole records the truck driving away before calling emergency services when Xavier passes out. When she watches her recording again, though, she notices something unbelievable and sends the video to Simon.

Meanwhile, as Maddie and Simon attempt to coerce Sandra into a confession, the other ghosts are in their daily circle and asking Mr. Martin ( Josh Zuckerman ) questions about what they felt when Dawn moved on versus when Janet did. Mr. Martin aims to get them to drop the subject, becoming worked up as they suggest that facing the memories of how they died might allow them to move on. The others ask Mr. Martin what he means when he shouts that it’s "too painful," thus turning their attention away as he recounts his own death. He explains that he died in a fire caused by a student in the chemistry lab, but managed to save all of his students at the cost of his own life. Despite Mr. Martin’s attempt to distract them, Wally and Charley are motivated to find answers. Rhonda, not so much. She fights back when Charley tries to get her to join them in digging for answers.

15 Best Paranormal TV Shows to Watch That Will Creep You Out

Together, they begin digging into the school’s history without her, looking over previous editions of the school’s newspaper. Their best guess for how Dawn crossed over is she finally confronted her death, which makes them curious about Janet’s death. But, as Wally moves in reverse chronological order, he’s confused when he doesn’t find anything from 1960 about Janet’s death, which is when she had always told them she died. Instead, he finds an article about the school building a fallout shelter in the location of the old chemistry lab where Mr. Martin died in 1958. The catch? The article goes on to say Janet died with him in the fire . Why did they both lie and hide their connection? To find answers to their new questions, Wally and Charley head to the fallout shelter to investigate.

They quickly find Mr. Martin’s hidden stash of notebooks analyzing each of the spirits psychologically, along with the obituaries they wrote for themselves. They find a copy of the football play that Wally was doing when he died, while Charley reads a news clipping about how Janet’s parents wanted to hold the administration accountable for Janet dying in a fire started by Mr. Martin , not a fellow student as he explained to them. And, Wally notices that none of the journals even mention Janet. To make matters worse, Rhonda bursts in and asks what they’re doing before revealing a box filled with items related to each of the spirits’ deaths, like the football from the game where Wally died. With all of this knowledge about Mr. Martin’s nefarious deeds, it only makes sense that they’re subsequently locked in the fallout shelter.

What Happens to Maddie's Body?

After watching the video Nicole sent, Simon finds Maddie. Before he can explain, Maddie decides to read him the obituary she wrote for herself . She explains her trust in Simon and how he’s been her greatest friend, confessing that she loves him in a way that’s bigger than life or death. But, it doesn’t quite have the impact she expected. Instead, Simon shows her a frame from Nicole’s video of her face in the mirror of Xavier’s truck from that night. Simon believes the Maddie he’s been talking to is fake, a figment of his imagination because she’s actually alive, and he walks away.

She pleads for him to believe she’s real, and he’s not crazy, trying to chase after him, but goes too far and ends up in the boiler room. She hears her friends screaming for help from the fallout shelter, which triggers her final forgotten memories from the day she “died.” That day, she heard a girl crying for help from the fallout shelter . When she opened the door, she saw Mr. Martin yelling at someone. The details of how she saw a ghost while alive aren’t exactly clear, though Mr. Martin’s research suggests that confronting someone’s deepest trauma is the veil between the living and the dead.

Before she can assess the situation, Maddie sees a figure charging at her — Janet — as Mr. Martin calls out to her. Janet possesses Maddie’s body, knocking Maddie’s own spirit out. Thus, Maddie’s body is still alive, but can she ever return to it? Not if Janet has her say, as she buys a bus ticket to get the hell out of town. Now, Maddie’s friends think she is alive and have abandoned them. She no longer has Simon to help her. Mr. Martin’s actions have finally been exposed, though there’s still a major mystery regarding his relationship with Janet and what exactly occurred on that fateful day. But, before Maddie can save the others and open the door to the fallout shelter, Rhonda yells out that she “can’t trust him.” Maddie asks who, but her answer is quickly answered by Mr. Martin standing creepily at the top of the stairs at the end of the season .

School Spirits is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.

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