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Star Trek Continues

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Star Trek Continues is a Star Trek: The Original Series fan film series set in the 23rd century , completing the USS Enterprise 's five year mission. The series production ran from 2012 to 2017, and consists of 11 episodes, 3 vignettes and multiple behind-the-scenes videos. Star Trek Continues was initially produced by Far From Home , LLC and DracoGen Strategic Investments in association with Farragut Films . Later on, the series incorporated its own production company, Trek Continues, Inc. after ownership of the studio transferred to the show's executive producer & star, Vic Mignogna .

• 3.1 Primary Cast
• 3.2 Recurring Cast
• 4 External link

Summary [ ]

The series was developed by a team of entertainment professionals led by Mignogna, Lisa Hansell, and James Kerwin who shared a fan interest in Star Trek . The idea was to complete the five-year mission set up by Star Trek: The Original Series (which was three years long but covered four years) by focusing on the final year. With the help of Kickstarter, the fan project was able to enter into a production stage. The series was able to attract a number of notable guest stars with ties to the Trek franchise such as Marina Sirtis , who provided the voice of the Enterprise's computer and Michael Forest , who reprised his character Apollo from TOS. Actors from other franchises also made guest appearances, such as Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant from Doctor Who ; Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk ; and Erin Gray from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century . Offspring of TOS-era actors also appeared, most notably Chris Doohan , who played his father, James', character of Montgomery Scott throughout the series, and Amy Rydell , who played the TOS-era Romulan Commander previously played by her mother, Joanne Linville.

Episodes [ ]

• Vic Mignogna as Captain James T. Kirk

Primary Cast [ ]

• Todd Haberkorn as Mr. Spock
• Larry Nemecek as Dr. McCoy (Episodes 1 & 2)
• Chuck Huber as Dr. McCoy (Vignettes & Episodes 3-11)
• Chris Doohan as Mr. Scott
• Grant Imahara as Mr. Sulu
• Kim Stinger as Lt. Uhura
• Wyatt Lenhart as Ensign (Later Lt.j.g. ) Pavel Chekov
• Michele Specht as Dr. Elise McKennah , ship's Counselor

Recurring Cast [ ]

• Steven Dengler as Lt. William C. Drake , Security chief
• Kipleigh Brown as Lt.j.g. Barbara Smith , relief Conn officer (formerly Ship's Yeoman)
• Cat Roberts as Lt. Elizabeth Palmer , relief Communications officer
• Martin Bradford as Dr. Jabilo G. M’Benga , relief Medical officer/Vulcan specialist
• Reuben Langdon as Lt. Kubaro Dickerson , Security officer
• Liz Wagner as Ensign Lia Burke , nurse
• Marina Sirtis as ship's Computer voice
• Amy Rydell as Romulan Commander

External link [ ]

• Star Trek Continues website
• 1 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-H) (Endurance class)
• 2 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G) (Excalibur class)
• 3 USS Phoenix (NCC-65420-X)

The coolest 'Star Trek' reboot you're probably not watching

Fan production "Star Trek Continues" re-creates the original series with incredible attention to detail. Crave’s Michael Franco talks with the series creator to see how he’s helping "Trek" live long and prosper.

Like getting beamed down to the surface of a planet you've never seen before, watching "Star Trek Continues" can be a bit disorienting. There's the familiar old schmaltzy theme song. The Bridge with all its colorful bleeping lights and its monitor screen. The brightly colored tight-fitting shirts with their triangle insignias and gold piping. And, most notably, the sounds of the Starship Enterprise: that familiar whoosh of the elevator doors opening and closing, the whooping siren of an alert, and the satisfying pulsing electric sound of phasers being fired. Yet something's not quite right.

Of course! All the actors we know and love from the earliest days of "Star Trek" in the late '60s (known as Star Trek TOS, or "the original series") have been replaced! Is it some mad Klingon plot? Some twisted scheme of the Borg? An invasion of tribbles perhaps? No, it's something far less sinister: a reboot of TOS from a team of Trekkies, called " Star Trek Continues ," that proclaims its intention to boldly go where no TV show has gone before -- helping the original "Star Trek" crew complete the rest of its five-year mission (the original show was canceled by NBC after just three years).

The first installment of this incredibly true-to-form "Trek" fan series aired just about a year ago and revisited the character of Apollo from the "Who Mourns for Adonis" episode in the second season of TOS.

The second episode of "Star Trek Continues" came about a year later and featured Lou Ferrigno guest-starring in a completely original story rife with an old-fashioned "Trek" morality dilemma. (Both these episodes, along with some short vignettes, can be viewed online .)

The most recent episode is currently in postproduction and will premiere in June at Australia's Supanova pop-culture festival.

We reported on the fan series when it was just getting going, but I wasn't so sure that all the Trekkies out there knew all they needed to about "Star Trek Continues" -- or knew the show exists at all. So I decided to revisit the series and talk with show creator Vic Mignogna to find out more, and spread the news of "Trek Continues" on an open channel throughout the universe (also known as Crave).

Mignogna, who's voiced hundreds of characters in animated series and video games, in addition to having acted on stage and screen, plays an eerily accurate Captain Kirk in "Star Trek Continues." Here's what happened when he and I whipped out our communicators and had a chat.

Q: So when did your love affair with "Trek" start? Mignogna: I've been a hard-core original "Star Trek" fan since I was a very young boy. Starting around 10 years old it was all "Star Trek," all the time. I drove my mother crazy making costumes, shooting my own episodes, building sets in the woods, making her take me to "Star Trek" conventions, recording episodes on audio cassettes then listening to them in my sleep as I went to bed.

How was "Star Trek Continues" born? Mignogna: Fast-forward several decades. I have a college degree in film and I do a lot of production-related and acting-related things professionally, and I was contacted by a fan production called "Starship Farragut." They contacted me and said, "We understand you're a "Star Trek" fan and we understand that you're a really good director, we would like to ask you to direct an episode for us."

So that's what I did.

What made you pick the first episode, the Apollo story revisited? Mignogna: Years ago, I became friends with Barbara Luna -- who played Marlena in the original "Mirror, Mirror" episode -- and one day out of the blue we were talking and she said to me long before I started "Star Trek Continues," "You know, Mike Forrest would love to do some more 'Star Trek.'" And I said, "Who is Michael Forest?" And she said, "Mike Forrest played Apollo in the original series. And I was like, "Oh my gosh, I love Apollo and I love that episode!" And so I kind of logged that away in the back of my mind, and when I started "Star Trek Continues" and was looking for an idea, I thought, wouldn't it be awesome to do a follow-up episode to that episode. And so I contacted Michael Forrest and told him I had an idea for an Apollo redemption story. He really liked it, and so we moved forward with writing the script and shooting the episode.

Are all your actors volunteers? Mignogna: Yes. We have, in some cases, given our actors some kind of modest stipend but it's really more of a gift because it's a complete nonprofit production. We've made it very clear that we don't charge money for anything and nobody is making any money from this.

Do you think you're going to keep it that way? Mignogna: I have no expectation of making any kind of profit with it at all.

I did not start this production to make any money. It was never my desire or my goal to make any money with "Star Trek Continues." This is purely a childhood dream come true. It is a labor of love, and everybody involved with it understands that.

I don't want to cross any line where we are making any money off of somebody else's product and someone else's license. We are doing this out of pure innocent love of the original series of "Star Trek," not because we think we're going to be picked up as a series, not because we think we can make any money with it.

You got some funding through Kickstarter, right? Mignogna: I funded the first episode, and to be honest, I did that because I thought it was kind of unethical for me to ask people to give me money to do something that I hadn't yet proven I could do. There are certainly no shortage of Kickstarter campaigns out there that asked for money for something they haven't even done. So I felt like the moral, ethical, honorable thing for me to do was to put my own money where my mouth is, and create a first episode. Once I did that, then we asked the fans to to give us enough money to make three more episodes and that's what they did. That covers the second episode, the third, which we just shot, and a fourth one.

The sets and the sounds in your production seem identical to the original series. Were you able to borrow anything from them? Mignogna: The sets were built off of the original soundstage diagrams. They're pretty easy to find; they're online.

I didn't know that! Mignogna: Sure. If you were to snoop around a little, you'd find that there are some overhead diagrams of the original soundstage. You can actually see exactly how the original soundstage was laid out, and how all of the sets are interconnected. So we actually built our soundstage based on those drawings, so I can say with pretty much certainty that our sets are within inches of the original soundstage dimension.

Then beyond that, we made sure to choose the right colors to paint and get the right carpet, and then either buy or build the pieces necessary to re-create all of the details. Like the pieces that hang on the walls, the intercoms, the nameplates, the emitters in the ceiling of the transporter room, the holographic-looking material that covers the alcove in the corridor, etcetera. Even down to the details of Captain Kirk's quarters. We actually sculpted the little statutes on the counter out of clay.

And then we paid enormous attention to making sure that we lit the scenes the way the original series would have lit them. And that the blocking is similar. And the acting style is similar. And the sound design is similar. You can find all of those sound effects online.

So we worked very hard to re-create the original series in every conceivable detail because we want people to experience the same kind of feeling they had when they watched the original series. Even to the extent of the stories. We didn't want to make them very surfacey. We wanted to tell stories that had an ethical point or a moral statement, or social commentary. When you see the second episode you'll see that especially driven home even more so than in the first episode.

Your goal is to do the next two years of the mission? Mignogna: That would be a long-term goal, if I could choose to do that. Obviously we can't do 12 episodes a year. And obviously even if we do two or three episodes a year, we're not going to be able to do that for more than five or six years because -- I can't speak for anybody else, but at least for me -- I'm not going to be able to play a 35-year-old Captain Kirk forever.

I'd like to ideally do the fourth and the fifth years of the five-year mission, and ideally even do some kind of a thing where we actually do a couple of episodes maybe toward the very end where Kirk gets promoted to admiral, and something devastating happens to McCoy and he leaves the service, and Spock decides to go off and pursue the kolinahr and purge out remaining emotions. We'd basically leave our series where the motion picture picks up.

Inside a $40,000 'Star Trek' fan episode (pictures)

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Star Trek Continues

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The STAR TREK CONTINUES webseries boldly completes the original five-year mission. Below, you can find all of our episodes, vignettes, and other content — including behind-the-scenes videos, set walk-throughs, and much more.

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Star Trek Continues

Star Trek Continues is a fan-created science fiction series set in the Star Trek universe produced by Trek Continues Inc., Far From Home, and Dracogen. The series is an unofficial direct continuation of the third and last season of Star Trek: The Original Series , whose visual and storytelling features have been reproduced to recreate the same look-and-feel.

As with all such Star Trek fan productions, use of copyrighted and trademarked properties from the original series was allowed so long as the production is not-for-profit. Part of the funds necessary to produce the episodes were raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign, to which almost three thousand backers contributed.

Star Trek Continues won a Geekie Award for "Best Web Series" in 2014 and has been very positively received by the critics, who praised the quality of the production, stating that the series has set a new standard for Star Trek fan productions.

Official site: www.startrekcontinues.com

8 ( 36 votes)

Previous Episode

To boldly go: part ii, episode 1x11; nov 13, 2017.

The iconic mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise comes to an end, as Kirk and his crew battle the ultimate adversary.

Previous Episodes

Vic Mignogna

Todd Haberkorn

Christopher Doohan

Larry Nemecek

Chuck huber.

Grant Masaru Imahara

Recent discussions.

Firstly let me just say WOOHOO , that was great. OK, now to address some of your thoughts. NO, there will be no more episodes as they are no longer allowed to make any videos/episodes longer than 10 min due to the studio kicking up a fuss because fans love this version and kept donating money for many more episodes. And if the studios wasn't making the full length show, then no one was as far as they where concerned. As for Kirk not being promoted after the 5 year mission, well actually he was. But of course in good old Kirk fashion, he did something naughty and was demoted, then promoted, then demoted, then porm.... well, you get the point. But when he died he had the rank of Admiral. Now the ONLY ship to separate the drive section from the saucer section was the Enterprise ship/s from Star Trek The Next Generation series and movies. (Apart from the experimental ship in one of the Voyager episodes) It was good to see it in this final episode and was done in a way to show how experimental it was in the time line. Hopefully there might be a now series from this team with 30 to 40 10 min episodes each year. Now that would be great. Thanks to all the talented folks that made this show possible.

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Web Video / Star Trek Continues

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Star Trek Continues is a Fan Sequel web series set in the Star Trek universe. Its mission: to continue where Star Trek: The Original Series left off, and complete the final two years of the Five Year Mission of the Enterprise .

The cast is comprised of professionals in the film business who all also happen to be huge Star Trek fans. They are aiming to capture the spirit of the original series as accurately as possible while still creating new, high quality stories.

The team's first output were a series of three short vignettes that were released from July 31 to November 30, 2012. A batch of three full-length episodes, partly funded through Kickstarter , were then released from May 26, 2013 to June 15, 2014. Two more episodes per year were released in 2015 and 2016, with the final four episodes released in 2017.

Since the series follows the crew of the original Star Trek: The Original Series , please refer to that page for most character tropes.

Compare Star Trek: The Animated Series , the official continuation to Star Trek: The Original Series , and Star Trek: New Voyages , the other major fanmade webseries.

    Episode List  Descriptions from the official website.

• "Pilgrim of Eternity": Apollo returns to wreak havoc on Kirk and the Enterprise in the first episode of the new series.
• "Lolani": A survivor from a distressed Tellarite vessel pulls Captain Kirk and his crew into a moral quandary over her sovereignty.
• "Fairest of Them All": In the Mirror Universe , Spock faces a choice that determines the future of the Terran Empire.
• "The White Iris": Captain Kirk finds himself haunted by guilt from his past as the fate of an alien world hangs in the balance.
• "Divided We Stand": Kirk and McCoy are trapped in time while an alien infestation threatens the Enterprise .
• "Come Not Between the Dragons": A troubled creature pierces the Enterprise hull, pitting the crew against a pursuer that threatens to tear them apart.
• "Embracing the Winds": While the Enterprise is sent on a seemingly routine mission, Kirk is recalled to starbase where he faces an ethical dilemma that challenges the very core of Starfleet Command.
• "Still Treads the Shadow": The Enterprise discovers a lost starship… with an unlikely passenger.
• "What Ships Are For": A society on an asteroid faces a mysterious affliction, while they cannot see colors at all.
• "To Boldly Go, Part 1": To solve the ultimate mystery, the Enterprise must return to where Kirk's five-year mission began.
• "To Boldly Go, Part 2": The iconic mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise comes to an end, as Kirk and his crew battle the ultimate adversary.

This series provides examples of the following tropes:

• Abusive Parents : Usdi from "Come Not Between the Dragons" took refuge on the Enterprise because, as it turns out, its father is abusive, and it fled in fear . And then, Ensign Taylor reveals her father was this as well , which is why she and Usdi bonded in the first place.
• Actor Allusion : Lou Ferrigno plays a green-skinned Orion in the second episode.
• Addiction Displacement : At the end Apollo discovers that self-sacrifice can provide as much sustenance for him as worship.
• A.I. Is a Crapshoot : Tiberius in "Still Treads The Shadow". With only the computer to communicate with, Old Kirk ends up imprinting himself on it. Tiberius obsesses over him, refusing to let him go and even knocked him out by removing life support then cryo-freezing him with a brainwashing message .
• Alien Gender Confusion : Upon a new species making first contact with the Enterprise , one of their ambassadors mistakes Spock for a human female. (The aliens of the week are humanoids themselves, which makes it especially funny.)
• And the Adventure Continues : In a Shout-Out to Star Trek: The Motion Picture , The Stinger of "To Boldly Go, Part 2" tells the audience that "The Human Adventure Continues..."
• An Arm and a Leg : In "Divided We Stand," Kirk and Bones are forced to endure a facsimile of The American Civil War , which winds up with Bones amputating Kirk's leg. Luckily, it's All Just a Dream .
• Alas, Poor Villain : Despite a thorough dose of skepticism, the crew can't help feeling bad for Apollo's fate.
• Ascended Extra : In the Original Series , Lieutenant j.g. (formerly Yeoman) Barbara Smith was just an extra appearing solely in " Where No Man Has Gone Before ". Here she appears as a recurring extra and eventually plays a central role in in the finale.
• The Atoner : What Apollo becomes in the end. In a way.
• Beauty Inversion : Jamie Bamber gets quite bruised and battered in his appearance.
• Big Bad : Lana, the leader of the Espers that have been causing problems for Starfleet and destroying Constitution-class starships like the Hood .
• Bittersweet Ending : The Enterprise completes its five year mission and returns to Earth in triumph, coming off of just having saved the entire galaxy. But the joyous occasion is somewhat tempered by Kirk, Spock, and McCoy all realizing that they are feeling rather worn down and weary from the personal losses they have faced along the way, especially the recent deaths of Yeoman Smith and Dr. McKennah . This respectively leads to Kirk deciding to accept a promotion to admiral, McCoy choosing to resign from Starfleet, and Spock arranging a return to Vulcan to undergo a ritual to purge his emotions.
• The intro to "Lolani" shows Kirk squinting at a book he is trying to read in his quarters, a reference to him wearing reading glasses in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
• In "To Boldly Go, Part 1", Lana explains to Kirk that Starfleet has been doing experiments with weaponizing Espers, such as herself. When Kirk responds with skepticism to her claim, telling her that he is pretty sure that the Federation is not in the business of weaponizing its own citizens, she says that if that is what he believes, he had better study " Article 14, Section 31 ".
• At the end of "To Boldly Go, Part 2", Spock has a discussion with Kirk with about emotions, as he blames himself for the death of Dr. McKennah , believing that the whole unfortunate thing happened because he was thinking emotionally and not logically, and that he needs to do something about it. This, of course, ties into Spock's subplot from the Motion Picture , where he was attempting to undergo a ritual to purge all emotion from himself.
• Early versions of the ship's counsellor position, saucer separation and the Holodeck all make appearances in this episode, all being things that are standard in Starfleet by the time of the Enterprise-D are (mostly) fully working.
• Cannon Fodder : When Mirror Sulu says that there might be casualties trying to capture Mirror Spock, Mirror Kirk tells him to "Take Chekov and put him out front."
• Canon Foreigner : The series adds the psychologist, Dr. Elise McKennah note  played by Michele Specht, Vic Mignogna's wife and Chief of Security, Lt. William Drake, as recurring characters. Elise is the Enterprise 's first Ship's Counselor, described as a new and somewhat experimental position. In the mirror universe, she's more like the ship's chief courtesan.
• Mr. Scott is played by Chris Doohan, the son of James Doohan , the original Scotty.
• On a more meta level, the computer voice is provided by Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation . Her mother, Lwaxana Troi, was played by Majel Barrett , who also provided the original voice of the computer. The mirror universe's computer voice is Michael Dorn , who was Lt. Worf.
• Bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno , who played the titular character in The Incredible Hulk (1977) , appears in "Lolani" in the role of an Orion slaver, once again requiring him to put on lots of green bodypaint.
• The female Romulan Commander, returning from "The Enterprise Incident", is played by Amy Rydell , daughter of the original actress Joanne Linville . Just like Doohan, she strongly resembles the original actor - although the makeup job probably helped too.
• The Chains of Commanding : In "To Boldly Go", Kirk has a melancholic moment where he notices that 73 crewmembers have lost their lives under his command during the mission. McCoy tries to reassure him, telling him that during the same time he has also saved countless lives and even a couple of planets as well, but Kirk doesn't find it much consolation, finding each single death still haunts him regardless.
• Book Safe : A copy of The Fall of the Roman Empire , on "Lolani".
• "Embracing the Winds" early on has a discussion about being glad to not be the one to have to tell the Tellarite ambassador that there's going to be a female Constitution -class captain, seeing as a) the Tellarites are responsible for the informal policy that has kept women from commanding larger Federation Starfleet ships and have been making hints about leaving the Federation if not appeased, b) Tellarites are famously argumentative and abrasive . At the end of the episode Kirk has a conversation with the ambassador, who turns out be not only quite amiable and friendly, but also personally opposed to the sexist glass ceiling policy and intending to join the debate against it on his homeworld .
• Chess Motif : The climax of "Fairest of Them All" involves this, with Mirror Kirk viewing his crew as "pawns" and himself as the "king".
• Chroma Key : Used in the prototype holodeck scenes. Of course, the holodeck in question being a somewhat crude prototype and therefore not yet capable of projecting the convincing visuals seen in the Next Generation era means that its actually Justified by an In-Universe explanation.
• Continuity Cavalcade : "To Boldly Go, Part 2" has Kirk meeting with a Starfleet admiral, who has models of various ships from the fleet standing on a shelf in his office. Kirk briefly studies the ships, allowing the audience to see that the admiral's models includes the NX-01 , the USS Kelvin and even the USS Discovery .
• Prototype versions of Next Generation features, including the holodeck and saucer separation note  Saucer separation was canon from the beginning of TOS; it was mentioned in " The Apple ", but we never saw it done. , not to mention the Ship's Counselor, can be found sprinkled throughout the series.
• Marina Sirtis, who played Barrett's daughter in Next Gen , does the computer voice. Barrett died in 2008.
• In "Fairest of Them All", Mirror Kirk addresses the helm officer as "Jones" and she says "It's Smith, sir." Her expression suggests he does this a lot. This goes back to "Where No Man Has Gone Before" where our Kirk made this error with Yeoman Barbara Smith. A precursor to Janice Rand, she was played by Andrea Dromm. It's pretty clear that the helm officer, played by Kipleigh Brown, is meant to be the same character in the mirror universe.
• Mirror Kirk takes a swig from a bottle of booze in exactly the same manner as Evil Kirk did in " The Enemy Within ".
• Checkov briefly mentions decoding something from the Xindi in the Academy before Kirk cuts him off.
• Kirk accepts promotion to the admiralty, while McCoy and Spock announce their intentions to leave Starfleet. Spock's emotional lapses (as he sees them) in the finale are also implied to be his motivation to undergo the Kolinahr ritual that he almost completes in The Motion Picture .
• The Starfleet uniforms featured in TMP are confirmed to be filtering down through the ranks in the near future, having already been adopted by the admiralty in an earlier episode, with Kirk clearly wearing his TMP uniform at the end. The uniforms are also instantly disliked by the crew, which may go some way to explaining their short-lived nature.
• The Enterprise is completely trashed in the battle against the Espers, necessitating the extensive refit seen in the movie era.
• All the remaining Constitution -class starships in the fleet are destroyed - the class is never seen again onscreen following TOS, despite other ship designs of the era persisting for over a century in canon.
• The Canon Foreigner characters Drake and McKennah, along with Ascended Extra Smith, are all killed.
• Starfleet decides to readopt the arrowhead insignia worn by Enterprise crew members throughout all of Starfleet. The not only explains why the arrowhead is used exclusively in post-TOS series, but also patches the Continuity Snarl created by Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Discovery .
• Kirk recommends that the experimental ship's counsellor position pioneered by McKennah - not featured in TOS, but prominient in the 24th century Trek era - be rolled out across Starfleet.
• The Dead Have Names : In "To Boldly Go", Kirk reveals that he can remember the name of every crewmember he has lost during the mission and they all weigh heavily on his conscience.
• Dead Star Walking : Between being a Red Shirt and being played by Jamie Bamber , it's obvious Mr. Simone is doomed.
• Deliberately Monochrome : An In-Universe case and even a plot point in "What Ships Are For". Due to special radiation emitted by their sun, the inhabitants of Hyalinus are unable to see color, and as a result see everything in monochrome. For the benefit of the audience, the scenes taking place on Hyalinus are therefore rendered in black-and-white, which also helps to hide the plot twist that Sekara and Thaius and several other Hyalians are actually Abicians .
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu? : McKennah shoots Apollo in the back with a phaser when he starts to revert to his A God Am I tendencies. He shrugs off the blast, but the fact that she pulled the trigger snaps him out of it.
• Distracted by the Sexy : Dr. McKennah suffers from this when she walks in on Kirk in his quarters when he's shirtless .
• Despite the Happily Ever After to "Fairest Of Them All," Mirror Spock's later attempts to reform the Terran Empire are doomed not just to fail, but prop up the tyrannical Klingon-Cardassian Alliance into power instead .
• Downer Ending : "Lolani".
• Engineered Public Confession : Mirror Spock gets Mirror Kirk to rant about how the crew are just pawns to be used, broken and sacrificed to service his lust for power. Too bad he didn't see the open communications panel.
• Evilutionary Biologist : Lana and her fellow Espers believe that they are the next step of human evolution, and therefore should be rulers of humanity.
• Existential Horror : "Still Treads the Shadow" sees Kirk meeting a very aged duplicate of himself who was created via the Negative Space Wedgie which shallowed up the Defiant and ended up stranded alone on the other side of the anomaly for a little over two centuries. Kirk is extremely disturbed by the whole thing, not least from seeing how far beyond said duplicate went over the Despair Event Horizon during his entrapment as the isolation caused him to go mad and his hope to slip , noticing how it was just a stroke of sheer luck that kept him from suffering the same fate.
• The Farmer and the Viper : Played with heavily in the plot of "Pilgrim of Eternity", though it is solved in the end.
• Foreshadowing : Someone or something is destroying the Federation's starships. An innocuous hint of this was dropped in Episode 6 when they mention the Lexington has been destroyed. Episode 7 shows that what's going on aren't accidents.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man : Kirk dresses down a crewman in this manner who tries to assist Lolani in stealing a shuttlecraft. Kirk: Get a hold of yourself, Mister! (beat) I may have to tolerate the sovereignty of alien worlds, but what I won't tolerate is insubordination ON MY SHIP !
• A God Am I : In the first episode, the crew meets Apollo ( again! ).
• Gods Need Prayer Badly : Apollo, again.
• Green-Skinned Space Babe : The title character of the second episode "Lolani".
• Grand Finale : By going beyond the rather Anti-Climatic and infamously sexist " Turnabout Intruder " which capped off The Original Series back in the day in what be described as a somewhat lacking fashion at best, the series tries its hand at offering a properly grand send-off to the original show with the "To Boldly Go" two parter, which is set as a Bookend to " Where No Man Has Gone Before " sees the original Enterprise crew facing off against a threat to all known galactic civilisation and finally complete their five year mission, before ending on a couple of more personal low-key moments of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy discussing the future of their careers (thereby setting the stage for Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) and Kirk taking one last stroll on the bridge of the Enterprise .
• Hand Wave : "To Boldly Go, Part 1" does this to Original Series episode " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", chalking up Gary Mitchell's mistake — referring to James T. Kirk as James R. Kirk — to the overwhelming amount of power he'd achieved clouding his memories.
• Heel–Face Turn : Mirror Spock slowly invokes this in the crew of the I.S.S. during "Fairest Of Them All." The only ones still loyal to Mirror Kirk by the end are Mirrors Sulu and McCoy, who join the tyrant in exile .
• Heroic Sacrifice : In "To Boldly Go, Part II", Yeoman Barbara Smith is revealed to be an Esper, but rather than become corrupted, she uses her newfound power to go over to the Kongo and render the ship inoperable. Sadly, her attempt winds up being this trope.
• Hey, That's My Line! : In the Gag Reel , this is Bones' response when a Red Shirt says He's Dead, Jim .
• Sadly, this isn't [ Lolani's ultimate fate. But maybe her death will be an inspiration to others.
• Lana, commander of the Espers, cites this trope when the sub-commander of the Romulans shows his true colours, killing both the Espers and Mc Kennah
• Mirror Spock takes this attitude when he mutinies against Mirror Kirk, believing that the Empire must change its ways. When Moreau shows him the Tantalus device, he refuses to use it. Also, he has the officers loyal to him set their phasers to stun instead of to kill. This surprising act of mercy on his part prompts Mirror Chekov and others to join his side .
• Mirror Kirk invokes this almost word-for-word when Mirror Spock chokes him. It works.
• I'm Having Soul Pains : Throughout “The White Iris”, Kirk experiences physical pain over the loss of four women he loved in the past. According to Bones, this pain is affecting his heart and he’s slowly dying.
• Informed Ability : Zaminhon states that Orion men secrete the same types of seductive pheromones as their female counterparts, but Dr. McKennah seems unaffected. It might be because the entire crew was inoculated, though.
• Is This Thing Still On? : The coup de grace in "Fairest Of Them All", as Mirror Spock listens to Mirror Kirk's shrieking rant about the crew being brainless sheep, then moves aside to reveal that the intercom was on and everyone throughout the entire ship heard that.
• Killed Off for Real : Several of the recurring characters are killed off at the end of the series, including Drake, Smith and Dr. McKennah .
• I Lied : Sentrek readily admits as much when his claims of holding the crew of the Kongo hostage and offering to return them safely in exchange for Dr. McKennah turns out to be a deception. Sentrek: My apologies, Commander. I lied. Spock: ( actually outraged ) Vulcans never lie! Sentrek: We both know that not to be true, Mr. Spock.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall : In "Lolani", the titular character interrupts a not-so-whispered argument between Kirk and McKennah to ask a... slightly awkward question. note  A reminder than Kirk and McKennah's actors were married in Real Life . Lolani: Do you always challenge each other in this manner? McKenna: Uh... no. Not always. Why do you ask? Lolani: Well, I read in some cultures, such challenging between males and females is considered a... mating ritual. Kirk: [glances awkwardly at McKennah] ...No. Not in this culture. McKennah: Yes. I mean, no. No. Yes to the no. No.
• Love Is in the Air / Smells Sexy : Orion females secrete pheromones.
• Mad Doctor : The mirror universe McCoy is willing, even gleeful, to use his "patients" as guinea pigs.
• Mirror Universe : "Fairest Of Them All" provides yet another version of what happened after Kirk and Co. left.
• Mook–Face Turn : Mirror Kirk's own henchmen are the ones who seize him at the end. One even knocks him out when he breaks loose.
• The intro of "Pilgrim of Eternity" has Scotty proudly showing Kirk the new prototype holodeck technology him and a team of other leading Starfleet engineers are working on. It should be great... once they've worked the bugs out .
• At the end of "Embracing the Winds", Commander Diana Garrett says to Kirk, "Maybe someday a Garrett will command an Enterprise " — implying that she's an ancestor of the ill-fated Captain Rachel Garrett of the Enterprise -C.
• Of course, "To Boldly Go, Part II" sees Kirk having to wear a new uniform.
• The same Admiral also mentions Starbase Yorktown .
• The Romulan Commander from " The Enterprise Incident " is referred to as Charvanek in "To Boldly Go", a name that was introduced in the novel Vulcan's Heart .
• At the end of "To Boldly Go, Part II", McCoy announces to Kirk that he is resigning from Starfleet, listing amongst his reasons that he wants to spend some time with his daughter, whom he hasn't seen during the entire Enterprise 's mission. This a nod to the fact McCoy's daughter, Joanna, while part of his backstory in the production notes and despite having been loosely planned to appear in The Original Series at some point, never actually made it all the way to an on-screen appearance or even getting a mentioning during the show's run.
• My God, What Have I Done? : Apollo of all people gets such a moment. Feeling emboldened and empowered by how the crew of the Enterprise enjoys hearing his tales and songs, he slips back into his "tyrannical god" mood and when Kirk tries to talk him down from this, he gets even more angry and punishes him by using his powers to torment him, until McKennah shoots him in the back with a phaser. Shocked by this, Apollo turns around to face her and notices the fear in her eyes, making him very remorseful.
• Never Got to Say Goodbye : "The White Iris" sees Kirk being haunted by resurging memories of several women he loved, but died before he could come to any closure to their relationships or even bid them a proper goodbye, including Rayna Kapec , Edith Keeler , Miramanee , and an unnamed girlfriend from his time aboard the Farragut .
• Not So Stoic : Spock, in "To Boldly Go, Part II", when the Espers fool him and capture Dr. McKennah.
• No MacGuffin, No Winner : The A plot of "Embrace the Winds" centers around the question of whether Spock or Commander Garret is to be promoted to the post of the USS Hood 's new captain. Meanwhile, the B plot ends with the Hood 's reactor going critical and exploding, taking the ship with it, rendering the question ultimately moot .
• Noodle Incident : We don't really know what happened on Nimbus III in "Embracing the Winds," other than that they lost the captain who commanded the mission and Cmdr. Garrett, who's been partially blamed for the tragedy, says "those arthropods came out of nowhere". This obviously takes place before the colonization of Nimbus III by combined elements of Terran, Romulan and Klingon civilizations as portrayed in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .
• Villainous example in "Fairest Of Them All." Mirror Kirk notices Spock's increasingly erratic ( to him ) behavior and eventually decides to get rid of him with the Tantalus Field. Or he would have, if Marlena hadn't disabled it beforehand .
• People of Hair Color : Used as plot twist, actually. The Abicians are easily identified by their purple hair, but because the Hyalians cannot see color, the Abicians has been able to slip under their radar and live peacefully among them for generations.
• Power Echoes : Apollo's voice gets increasingly boomier and echos as his power returns.
• Promotion to Opening Titles : Relative to the original series, the character of Scotty (though played by a different actor — Chris Doohan, James Doohan's son!) finally makes the opening titles, rectifying a longstanding fan criticism of James Doohan 's low billing relative to his character's prominence. He even gets the And Starring designation!
• Put on a Bus : "What Ships Are For" reveals that Nurse Chapel has returned to Starfleet, working on her doctorate.
• Rank Up : As a reward for risking his life to save the ship, Chekov is promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade . Scotty of all people is the one who promotes him, although he notes that the paperwork still has to go through at Starfleet Command before it's officially official.
• Rapid Aging : By phlebotinum, in "Pilgrim of Eternity," to Hand Wave why Apollo underwent Character Aged with the Actor when in the Star Trek universe, only a little under two years has passed.
• Sadist : It is made obvious that Mirror McCoy gets quite a kick out of inflicting pain on others when he interrogates for Mirror Kirk.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! : Kirk in the end of "Lolani". Not that it helps.
• "Pilgrim of Eternity" is a follow-up to " Who Mourns for Adonais? .
• "Fairest of Them All" directly follows the events of " Mirror, Mirror ".
• "Still Treads the Shadow" is a very, very dark sequel to " The Tholian Web ".
• "Embracing the Winds" is a Fix Fic for "Turnabout Intruder", featuring a woman who is qualified to be a starship captain, to the point that the actress is coming across as a young James T. Kirk.
• Silent Credits : The credits for "To Boldly Go, Part 2" only has the ambient noises from the Enterprise 's bridge playing.
• Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil : The social issue of the week in "Lolani".
• Special Edition Title : Taking a page from " In a Mirror, Darkly ", the titles in "Fairest of Them All", which is set entirely in the Mirror Universe, replace the familiar narrative with "Space, the Final Conquest..." while snare drums are heard in the title theme and the Terran Empire's symbol of a globe with a dagger through it is added to the Star Trek logo. The visuals are also all mirrored compared to the normal series opening. The end credits for this episode are also different, using the series 2 font rather than the normal series 3.
• Theme Song Reveal : "To Boldly Go, Part 2" has a couple of Call Forwards to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and even Star Trek: The Next Generation by way weaving some of the notes from the iconic theme tune into the soundtrack, especially during scenes like the saucer separation.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Galisti of the Hyalians gives one to Kirk about the Federation's hypocrisy that cuts right through his Kirk Summation about why they shouldn't turn away the Abicians trying to settle on their planet. Kirk says they should show compassion for another species that's just trying to survive; Galisti retorts that the Federation itself allows pre-warp species to die to uphold the prime directive instead of saving them. He shuts down Kirk's argumant that the Hyalians are "condemning the many for the crimes of a few" by accusing the Federation of willingly "condemning the many for the crimes of none".
• Torture Technician : Mirror McCoy is Mirror Kirk's head interrogator, and since they live in the Mirror Universe, torture is an inevitable part of any interrogation.
• To Be Lawful or Good : The main moral conflict of "Lolani". Kirk ultimately chooses to be good, but it is rendered moot before he has a chance to actually act on it.
• Trap Is the Only Option : Mirror Spock knows that Mirror Kirk's request for parley is just a ruse. But he believes that he should go anyway, to give Mirror Kirk a chance to see reason. But it doesn't mean that he isn't ready for the trap when it's sprung.
• Video Will : The final scene of, and last farewell of the title character of, "Lolani".
• Villain Ball : In "Fairest of Them All", Mirror Kirk orders the Halkans' civilisation destroyed via bombardment to make them an example of what happens to those who dare to resist the Terran Empire. While the pitiless attack wipes out most of the Halkans (we're later told there were survivors who've been safely brought onboard), it also destroys the dilithium crystals on the planet that the Enterprise needed in the first place. The Halkans had installed piezoelectric charges in the crystal structures so they couldn't be used... and Mirror Kirk only realized it after the fact.
• Villain Episode : "Fairest Of Them All" is set in the Mirror Universe directly after " Mirror, Mirror ." Subverted however, as Mirror Spock is not a Villain Protagonist .
• War Is Hell : "Divided We Stand" where Bones and Kirk are transported (via brain nanonites) to The American Civil War . Things only get worse when Kirk gets injured and Bones has to perform an amputation on Kirk while he’s awake.
• Wham Line : Towards the end of “The White Iris”, Kirk confronts the mysterious girl he’s been seeing around the ship and he finally learns who she is. Kirk: What’s your name? Mysterious girl: You never gave me one.
• You Have Failed Me : Don't tell Mirror Kirk something can't be done or hesitate when he demands an answer unless you want a punch in the gut or a jolt from your agonizer.
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Fan Film Factor

Exploring the world of Star Trek fan films.

STAR TREK CONTINUES transfers OWNERSHIP of their TOS sets!

The challenge for VIC MIGNOGNA, the showrunner for STC, is that the sets are currently housed in a building in Kingsland, GA that costs about $5,000 a month in rent (according to their 501(c)(3) non-profit filing from 2015).  As much as Vic wants to keep the sets open and intact, $60K per year is a LOT to ask any Trekker to pay to keep those sets open.

Enter: RAY TESI.  Ray will be the new owner of the TOS sets that were used by STC .  Ray is the executive producer behind STARSHIP REPUBLIC , which released its first fan film vignette, the 9-minute “ Serpent of Yesterday ” almost one full year ago.   I interviewed Ray here on Fan Film Factor when he was trying to generate funds through an Indiegogo campaign to complete their first episode.  The plans were to shoot the scenes on the Starbase Studios sets in Arkansas.  But with the current uncertainty regarding those sets , Ray wasn’t certain he’d be able to rely on Starbase to film his fan project.  Now he’ll film in Georgia instead.

Ray has decided to keep the name STAGE 9 STUDIOS, which is what STC decided to call their facility (named after the location of the original TOS sets on the Paramount lot back in the late 1960s).

Obviously, there’s more news to come on this (including plans to restart Starship Republic  later this year).  I’ve requested an interview with Ray, but right now, here’s the press release that was just circulated by Star Trek Continues …

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STAR TREK CONTINUES transfers set ownership to Stage 9 Studios

KINGSLAND, GA USA — Stage 9, the studio that has been home to the award-winning web series STAR TREK CONTINUES since 2013, has transferred the ownership of its sets to Ray Tesi of STAGE 9 STUDIOS LLC. The new entity will remain in the same building where STAR TREK CONTINUES filmed its 3 vignettes and 11 full length episodes.

Vic Mignogna, Executive Producer of STAR TREK CONTINUES, says, “The main priorities for me were to see that these beautiful sets remain intact where we built them, and to know that they would be preserved and well cared for. I’m extremely gratified that Ray Tesi has ensured that these priorities of mine are accomplished.”

STAR TREK CONTINUES completed filming their final episodes at this studio in February of 2017. The Board of Directors of Trek Continues, Inc., headed by Mr. Mignogna, have searched for a year for a suitable answer to the question of what to do with the sets that did not include dismantling or destroying them.

According to Ray Tesi, President of Stage 9 Studios, LLC: “This is a lifelong dream come true for me. This is NOT a money-making enterprise, but an opportunity to share the passion that millions of STAR TREK fans have for the series! What Vic and his cast and crew have created is remarkable. The mission of STAGE 9 STUDIOS is to pay homage to the legacy that is STAR TREK, and remain respectful to STAR TREK CONTINUES and CBS BROADCASTING, INC.”

STAGE 9 STUDIOS contains a full-scale suite of Constitution-class starship sets modeled after those used in the original STAR TREK series, including: the bridge, transporter room, engineering, sickbay, briefing room, captain’s quarters, auxiliary control, a 100 foot-long corridor, a nearby green screen location, and much more!

Related Links: stage9studios.com startrekcontinues.com

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10 thoughts on “STAR TREK CONTINUES transfers OWNERSHIP of their TOS sets!”

My name is kenny Smith from Rancho Cordova CA. I don’t want no one to give no part of the star trek set to CBS they don’t need it. They can fight all of the star trek fans to keep it and give it to them and not CBS. I don’t like CBS. I will give you my plans with the star trek tos set. Just get a hold of me thru this site.

Ah, Kenny’s back! Things were getting too quiet and coherent around here. 🙂

This gives people hope who had their dreams shot down over the Starbase nightmare here is hoping for many wonderful projects to resume and start back up.. And Ray if your watching… PLEASE do not repeat Starbases mistake and get everything SIGNED and notarized.

That’s good news. Congratulations to Ray Tesi. I note the specific wording of “transfer of ownership.” Is that to say no money is changing hands? Like how Vic says the sets would stay “where we built them.” Um, outside of the Engineering set, shouldn’t that credit be given to John Broughton and Starship Farragut?

The money changing hands is an unknown at present. I know that Vic put a lot of his own money into STC and that studio, just as Alec Peters put a lot of his own money into Industry Studios. So even if money did change hands (not saying it did!), I wouldn’t consider it profit in any sense of the word. As for the “we,” yes, many of the sets were built by the Farragut team, although not all. And many were constructed after STC and Farragut began cohabitating. You can call a penalty if you want, but I say “let ’em play.” Great Superbowl, eh? 🙂

I’m a Giants fan, the Super Bowl had no meaning for me. It just would have been nice to see Vic give credit where credit was due.

I’m a long-suffering New York Jets fan. Life’s been tough these last 50 years. 🙂

Ha…the Jaguars almost made it again!

Much agreed in congratulating Mr. Tesi on the new venture. Looking forward to Starship Republic.

This is great news, so glad to hear there will be no dismantling of those set.

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Published May 27, 2017

No End In Sight: Unresolved Story Arcs

The extensive detail of the Star Trek universe lends realism and limitless storytelling potential to every episode. A specific scenario may continue a previous story arc or send our heroes off into new and unknown realms of exploration. The beauty of having so many avenues to pursue brings the unfortunate inevitability that certain intriguing storylines will not be revisited due to time constraints. Excluding elements introduced in series finales, such as the fate of Captain Sisko or the current status of the Borg Collective, what unresolved plot mysteries stand out above the rest?

Fan-favorite Denise Crosby returned to Star Trek: The Next Generation as the half-human, half-Romulan Commander Sela in the episodes " The Mind's Eye ," " Redemption ," " Redemption II " and " Unification II ." Sela's animosity toward the Federation resulted in nefarious attempts to influence the Klingon Civil War, annex Vulcan, and heap guilt upon Captain Picard over the death of Tasha Yar. The calculating commander seemed a likely candidate to appear again, particularly at times pivotal to the future of Romulus. Would the Romulan alliance with the Federation during the Dominion War received Sela's approval? Did Praetor Shinzon consider Sela a friend or a foe? In addition, Sela's unresolved issues with Captain Picard held the seeds for many prospective storylines.

The unique relationship between Worf and Kurn endured many hardships, but the two brothers parted ways in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Sons of Mogh ." The Klingon Empire seized Kurn's lands and removed him from the High Council due to Worf's refusal to help Chancellor Gowron invade Cardassia. In order to prevent Kurn from allowing someone to take his life, Worf chose to give Dr. Bashir permission to wipe Kurn's memory and alter his facial features. After the surgery, Worf informed Kurn that he was now Rodek from the honorable House of Noggra. While Kurn's new identity provided a sense of closure to the story arc, the question of "Rodek's" fate never received an answer. Did the sons of Mogh ever encounter each other again? When the Klingon Empire and the Federation mended fences, did Worf feel guilty about his decision? Nevertheless, so many stories needed to be told aboard Deep Space 9 that a follow up with Rodek never occurred.

The U.S.S. Voyager crew awakened the remnants of the hostile Vaadwaur race in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Dragon's Teeth ," and it appeared as if the Vaadwaur would become another Delta Quadrant belligerent. Despite escaping their entombment, the Vaadwaur never materialized as a recurring species. Future interactions between the expansionist Vaadwaur and other nearby species, including the Turei, Devore, Borg, and even the Voyager crew, held significant promise for potential episodes. Would the Vaadwaur, rendered nomadic with a depleted population and outdated technology, be able to keep up with the region's current occupants? The battle the dormant race fought against Voyager and the Turei fleet indicated that this dragon's teeth remained sharp.

In the second part of the Voyager episode " Unimatrix Zero ," the Borg Resistance formed when drones separated from the Collective and assumed control over many Borg cubes and spheres. The resistance consisted of a variety of species spread throughout the galaxy and represented a unique political entity. Newly freed and with advanced vessels, this amalgamation of races no longer considered themselves Borg, but most found themselves far from home. Did small groups form, or did the entirety of the resistance remain a unified faction? If so, how would they affect the balance of power across the Milky Way? While their primary function focused on tackling the Borg and freeing more drones, there exists no doubt that their interactions inevitably extended to other species, from Romulans and Cardassians to Hirogen and Kazon. Though small in number, the Borg Resistance immediately found itself a galaxy-wide political player.

During the Dominion War, the lack of reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant forced the Founders to breed new Jem'Hadar warriors in the Alpha Quadrant. The DS9 episode " One Little Ship " introduced the new "Alphas" and the friction with their "Gamma" counterparts. The rift between the Alphas and Gammas never progressed beyond this incident, but the prospect of conflict amongst the Jem'Hadar seemed inevitable. The by-the-book nature of the Gammas clearly clashed with the forward-thinking philosophy of the Alphas, but would their loyalty to the Founders prevent an open dispute? As the ramifications of such dissension never bore another mention, it can be assumed that the Founders either quelled the differences or minimized the leakage of any information about combat between Alphas and Gammas.

An aura of mystery and terror surrounded the Borg from the moment Federation outposts disappeared near Romulan space and the U.S.S. Enterprise-D encountered its first Borg Cube in the TNG episodes " The Neutral Zone " and " Q Who ," respectively. Much was revealed about the Borg over the next two decades, but information about their exact origins continues to be elusive. In Star Trek: First Contact , the Borg Queen stated that her species began without synthetic components, while Dr. Crusher noted the assumption that the Borg originated in the Delta Quadrant. Nevertheless, precise information about the Collective's creation and the species that initiated its creation never materialized. In this circumstance, a lack of knowledge may be preferable, as the nature of the unknown adds an element of intrigue to the Borg and evokes a primal fear, much like a cave shrouded in darkness.

TNG re-introduced the popular characters of Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Montgomery "Scotty" Scott from Star Trek: The Original Series in the episodes " Encounter at Farpoint " and " Relics ." McCoy, a 137-year-old admiral at the time, saw the Enterprise-D off on her maiden voyage, whereas Captain Picard's crew rescued Captain Scott from a crash site on a Dyson sphere. McCoy soon left to board the U.S.S. Hood, and Scotty procured a shuttlecraft to travel to places unknown. What happened to these two legendary figures? Admiral McCoy's temperament indicated he had no plans of retiring, yet his lack of a uniform made it appear as if he either held a unique position in Starfleet or no longer served in a full-time capacity. Scotty's newfound rejuvenation clearly implied that he hoped to find an active role for himself, and the revelation in Star Trek (2009) that he discovered the equation for transwarp beaming proved his title as a miracle worker held true even in the 24th-century. Yet, while clues do exist, the precise career paths of Admiral McCoy and Captain Scott remain unknown.

The perception of these storylines as unresolved should not be viewed as a criticism, as Star Trek 's very nature instills in its writers’ inspiration to go boldly into the unknown, rather than revisit prior story arcs. The fact that so many interesting mysteries perpetuate this fictional universe is a testament to the creative talents behind the episodes. As the popularity of Star Trek continues to increase, the opportunity to discover the answers to some of these questions may arise in the future.

Jay Stobie is a science fiction writer who admits he has a perfectly normal obsession with Star Trek. He can be found on Twitter at @CaptStobie.

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While The Star Trek 4 Wait Continues, The Sci-Fi Franchise Has Unveiled Another Big Movie That Has Me Intrigued

Where are they going with this?

The TV side of the Star Trek franchise has been thriving for seven years now thanks to various shows being delivered exclusively to Paramount+ subscribers (although if you’re a Star Trek: Prodigy fan, you’ll now need a Netflix subscription to keep following along with it). Film-wise, however, there hasn’t been anything delivered since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond , and we’re still no closer to Star Trek 4 ’s arrival . But while the public continues to wait for the next entry in the Kelvin timeline, another big movie has been unveiled for the sci-fi franchise that has me intrigued.

Word’s come in that Paramount Pictures has tapped Andor ’s Toby Haynes to direct a Star Trek movie that hails from a script being written by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ’s Seth Grahame-Smith . Deadline describes this specific project as “an origin story that takes place decades before” 2009’s Star Trek . It was also clarified that Star Trek 4 remains in “active development” and is described as the “final chapter in the main series,” but that particular tidbit can be talked about another time.

Between Haynes’ experience on Andor , the popular Star Wars show that’s returning for a second season, and Grahame-Smith’s other genre work, like The LEGO Batman Movie and IT (which he produced), I’m interested to see what this duo can do together in the Star Trek franchise. It’s also good to hear that this new Star Trek movie is something separate from Star Trek 4 , akin to what Fargo ’s Noah Hawley had been working on until late 2020.

What I’m especially curious about, though, is how closely this Star Trek movie will be tied to the Kelvin timeline movies, if at all. The fact that it’s described as taking “decades before” the flick that introduced us to Chris Pine ’s James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto ’s Spock, among others, would indicate there will be a notable connective thread. However, it’s also important to remember that the Kelvin timeline’s divergence from the main Trek timeline occurred on the day Kirk was born. Technically speaking, within that timeline, everything up until that day should have happened the same as it did in the main timeline. 

On the other hand, perhaps when it comes to the Kelvin continuity, that one change may have produced ripples that led to alterations to the entire timeline, similar to what happened in DC Comics’ Flashpoint storyline. I may just be overthinking this, but regardless, I don’t mind the idea of the Star Trek franchise’s film side continuing to expand the Kelvin timeline rather than delve back into the main timeline. That reality is already getting plenty of attention with the shows on Paramount+, and the streaming service also has the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 movie coming up. Let the movies keep carving out their own distinct corner.

Still, with so many Star Trek movie-relate false starts in recent years, there’s no guarantee just yet that Toby Haynes and Seth Grahame-Smith’s movie will be officially greenlit. If that happens though, naturally we’ll share the news on CinemaBlend. Meanwhile, although the Kelvin timeline movies are still accessible on Paramount+, if you want to watch any of the first 10 Star Trek movies, you’ll need a Max subscription .

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Episode list

Star trek continues.

S1.E1 ∙ Pilgrim of Eternity

S1.E2 ∙ Lolani

S1.E3 ∙ Fairest of Them All

S1.E4 ∙ The White Iris

S1.E5 ∙ Divided We Stand

S1.E6 ∙ Come Not Between the Dragons

S1.E7 ∙ Embracing the Winds

S1.E8 ∙ Still Treads the Shadow

S1.E9 ∙ What Ships Are For

S1.E10 ∙ To Boldly Go: Part I

S1.E11 ∙ To Boldly Go: Part II

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Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 5 ending explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 contains two major reveals about the Mirror Universe and the Breen. We break down what the ending means.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

• Star Trek: Discovery's next clue is hidden aboard the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise trapped in interdimensional space.
• L'ak is a Breen with a blood bounty on his head, and his backstory with Moll is revealed.
• The USS Discovery crew, led by Commander Rayner, helps save Burnham and Book and bring the ISS Enterprise into the Prime Universe, but Moll and L'ak escape.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," ends with Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery's crew grappling with jaw-dropping reveals about the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise, L'ak's (Elias Toufexis) species, and the next clue in the hunt for the Progenitors' treasure. Written by Johanna Lee and Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, the thrilling "Mirrors" sends Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into interdimensional space after Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak and the third Progenitors' clue , but they found a lot more than they bargained for.

In Star Trek: Discovery s eason 5, episode 5, Captain Burnham, Cleveland Booker, Moll, and L'ak are all trapped aboard the derelict ISS Enterprise after Burnham's shuttle and L'ak's ship are destroyed by interdimensional space, a dangerous region between Star Trek 's Prime and Mirror Universes . Michael ingeniously uses the Enterprise's tractor beam to send a distress signal to the USS Discovery, where Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and the bridge crew find a way to keep the aperture of the interdimensional space wormhole open to fly the ISS Enterprise through. However, L'ak and Moll make their escape, leaving Burnham, Book, and the Starfleet heroes to grapple with the third clue to the Progenitors' treasure, and what they learned and found in the wormhole.

The ISS Enterprise's first and only previous appearance was in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2's "Mirror, Mirror", which introduced the Mirror Universe.

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

Captain kirk's mirror universe iss enterprise now belongs to 32nd century starfleet, it's been a long road for the iss enterprise.

The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise becomes the property of the 32nd century's Starfleet and United Federation of Planets at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors." Captain Burnham assigned Lt. Commanders Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) - who don't actually appear in the episode - to fly the ISS Enterprise back to Federation HQ to be put into "storage". However, the acquisition of a major historical find like a 23rd-century Constitution Class starship filled with Terran Empire technology from the Mirror Universe is bound to be of interest to Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg).

After the Temporal Wars, crossing over between the Mirror Universe and Star Trek 's Prime universe is now impossible, but the ISS Enteprise was trapped in interdimensional space for centuries, which crossing over could still happen.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5's ISS Enterprise scenes were filmed on the USS Enterprise sets of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Discovery season 5's production took place at the end of 2022, after Strange New Worlds season 2 had wrapped in June and long before Strange New Worlds season 3 filming started in December 2023. The USS Enterprise's bridge, medical bay, transporter room, and hallways were redressed to turn the starship into its Mirror Universe counterpart.

Commander Michael Burnham previously came aboard Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery season 2.

Star Trek: Discovery's Mirror Universe Revelations

We found out what happened to mirror spock and mirror saru.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5's ISS Enterprise appearance answered some big questions about the events of the Mirror Universe after Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror." Cleveland Booker learned from the plaque where the Enterprise's missing crew left their story behind that the Terran High Chancellor was assassinated after making reforms. This refers to the Mirror Universe's Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who was urged by the Prime Universe's Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) to make reforms to prevent the inevitable collapse of the Terran Empire, which happened anyway.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Mirror Universe episodes revealed that the Terran Empire, weakened by Spock's reforms, was conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Refugees led by a Kelpien slave-turned-rebel leader - Saru (Doug Jones) - used the ISS Enterprise to flee the Mirror Universe for the Prime Universe in the 23rd century, but the starship was trapped in interdimensional space. The Enterprise's crew eventually used the ship's shuttles and escape pods to abandon the starship in an effort to make it to the Prime Universe. Some did make it through, including the ISS Enterprise's junior science officer, Dr. Cho , who later joined Starfleet and became a branch Admiral in the 24th century.

Jinaal Bix redacted the names of the scientists who found the Progenitors' technology, including Dr. Cho.

Moll & L'ak Escaped Discovery With A Breen Bounty On Their Heads

L'ak is the nephew of the breen primarch.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 revealed the backstory of Moll and L'ak, including the revelation that L'ak is Breen . Years before Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Moll was a courier who sold latinum to the Breen Imperium, where she met L'ak, the nephew of the Breen's Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo), who had fallen out of favor and was working in the shuttle bay. Moll and L'ak fell in love , and L'ak committed a crime against the Breen by consorting with "a lesser being" and removing his helmet to show Moll his true face. Confronted by his uncle, L'ak shot the Primarch and fled with Moll.

Moll and L'ak used one of the ISS Enterprise's remaining warp pods to flee capture.

Moll and L'ak both have an Erigah, a Breen blood bounty, on their heads, and they hope that finding the Progenitors' treasure and selling it to the Breen will buy their freedom. Neither Moll and L'ak want the Federation's help offered by Captain Burnham, and they would "rather die" than be separated in a Federation prison. L'ak was injured in a brawl with Burnham, but instead of seeking medical attention from the USS Discovery, Moll and L'ak used one of the ISS Enterprise's remaining warp pods to flee capture. However, this time, Moll and L'ak left behind a warp trail Discovery can follow.

Cleveland Booker Tries To Connect With Moll

Booker's mentor was moll's absentee father.

Cleveland Booker has personal reasons to connect with and save Moll. Moll's real name is Malinne Booker, and she is the daughter of Book's late mentor, Cleveland Booker IV . Moll's father abandoned her and her mother to become a courier and raise the funds needed to move his family to a new home in the Gamma Quadrant. However, Booker IV's dangerous life as a courier and dealings with criminal organizations like the Emerald Chain made him keep his distance from Malinne, who blamed him for leaving her behind.

Moll doesn't want Cleveland Booker in her life.

Moll became a courier like her father to do what he didn't and earn enough latinum to move to the Gamma Quadrant, but Moll's entire world shifted when she fell in love with L'ak and the Breen placed a blood bounty on their head s. Moll doesn't want Cleveland Booker in her life , but she relents when she has the chance to kill the man who took her father's name. Whether Moll will ever come to see Book as the "only family" she has left, the way Book sees her, remains to be seen.

Commander Rayner Got The Best Out Of USS Discovery's Crew

Citrus mash for everyone.

Captain Burnham left Commander Rayner at the conn of the USS Discovery while she and Book went on their away mission, despite Rayner's reservations about leading Burnham's crew. However, Rayner was impressed that Burnhum learned Kellerun literature to connect with her new First Officer. This knowledge was the key to Rayner saving Burnham from interdimensional space. Burnham used the ISS Enterprise's tractor beam to send a signal the Kellerun commander would understand.

Rayner gained a new appreciation for Discovery's crew and how to work with them as his own crew.

Commander Rayner placed his trust in the USS Discovery's crew to "science" a way to open the wormhole's aperture and pull the ISS Enterprise into the Prime Universe. Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp). Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), Lt. Commander Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon), Lt. Christopher (Orville Cummings), Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson), Lt. Naya (Victoria Sawal), Lt. Commander Asha (Christina Dixon), and Lt. Gallo (Natalie Liconti) all rose to the occasion and found a way to save Burnham and Book. In turn, Rayner gained a new appreciation for Discovery's crew and how to work with them as his own crew.

Dr. Culber Reaches Out To Tilly

Culber has questions science can't answer.

The USS Discovery's counselor, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), needs a counselor of his own. Culber continues to deal with the unimaginable experience of Trill scientist Jinaal Bix occupying his mind and body in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal." Being taken over by a Trill has left Culber with existential questions, and he hopes finding the Progenitors' technology will provide him with the answers he seeks.

Hugh finds a sympathetic ear in Lt. Sylvia Tilly.

Unfortunately for Hugh, he doesn't believe he can share his feelings with his husband, Commander Paul Stamets because Paul is a man of science, and Culber's questions are ineffable. Hugh finds a sympathetic ear in Lt. Sylvia Tilly, but the answers Dr. Culber seeks are tied to what the USS Discovery finds when they locate the Progenitors' treasure - or so Hugh hopes. Culber, who has already died and been resurrected, may find himself in a new scenario that has pivotal life-or-death decisions in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Dr. Hugh Culber's dilemma in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a rare attempt by Star Trek to address spiritual questions.

Where Star Trek: Discovery's Next Progenitors' Treasure Clue Leads

The next clue involves water.

Captain Burnham acquired the third clue from Moll and L'ak, which is a vial of water contained within a piece of the Progenitors' treasure map. Burnham is waiting for Commander Stamets to conduct a chemical analysis of the water, which will reveal where the USS Discovery must go next for the 4th clue . However, Michael told Book that Dr. Cho, the former Terran scientist who became a Starfleet Admiral, went back to the ISS Enterprise in interdimensional space and hid her clue to the Progenitors' technology there.

Michael also told Book she saw him in the past during Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange's" time loops, and that they were happy back then.

Burnham and Book mused over the lessons attached to each clue. On Trill, finding Jinaal's clue was dependent on Burnham and Booker proving they value lifeforms other than their own. On Lyrek for the first clue, the lesson was the importance of cultural context. Michael surmised that the lesson Dr. Cho left behind with her clue on the ISS Enterprise was to have the hope to shape your own future in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 as the search for the Progenitors' treasure and the answers to life, itself, continues.

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

• April 26, 2024 | Michael Dorn Wanted Armin Shimerman To Play The Ferengi That Worf Killed In Star Trek Picard
• April 26, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Gets To Know The Breen In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 505, “Mirrors”
• April 25, 2024 | Prep Begins For ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Finale; Cast And Directors Share BTS Images
• April 25, 2024 | Jonathan Frakes Sees Opportunities With Streaming Star Trek Movies, Weighs In On “Filler Episodes”
• April 25, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reflects On Its Choices In “Mirrors”

Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reflects On Its Choices In “Mirrors”

| April 25, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 110 comments so far

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 – Debuted Thursday, April 25, 2024 Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco Directed by Jen McGowan

A solid episode with plenty of lore and character development gets weighed down with a bit too much exposition.

No, I didn’t kiss you in the past last week, what makes you say that?

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Maybe we’re not so different.”

As the crew regroups following the time bug incident that lost them 6 hours, they try to trace the trail of their main rivals in the search for the Progenitor tech. Book takes this time to reflect on the choices he has made in life and how it isn’t too late for Moll; perhaps he can redeem the daughter of his mentor and namesake Cleveland Booker. Stamets and Tilly figure out the trail didn’t disappear into nowhere: Moll and L’ak went through a wormhole. The aperture isn’t big enough for the Disco, so the captain assigns herself to shuttle duty—over the objections of her new XO, who is still struggling a bit. After a little bonding over old Kellerun poetry, she leaves him with “I know you can lead this crew” and heads off with her ex. Returning to their old banter, including some teasing about what happened during her time tour last episode, Book and Michael head through the wormhole. Things get really choppy as they fly through exotic matter “deaf and blind,” losing comms with the Disco, and dodging debris. Skilled piloting and good ol’ Starfleet engineering saves them, but things aren’t so hot for Moll and L’ak, whose ship is spotted cut in half. Their only hope for survival is another relatively intact ship that looks familiar. A 24 th -century scientist hiding a clue in this pocket dimension on a shipwreck from another universe makes as much sense as anything.  It’s the ISS Enterprise—and that’s no typo. If the “Mirrors” title wasn’t clue enough, the ISS does it: Things are about to get Terran, again.

After docking, Michael and Book make their way through the mess of a ship to the bridge with more playful banter. The warp drive has been bricked and all shuttles and escape pods are gone, very out of character for ruthless Terrans. They track three quantum signatures in sickbay, but start with a trace in the transporter room, which looks more like a makeshift refugee camp. A chronicle reveals the crew mutinied after the Terran High Chancellor (aka Mirror Spock) was killed for making reforms. A certain Kelpien rebel leader (aka Mirror Action Saru) led refugees to the Prime Universe, where they abandoned ship. While Book expositions, Michael puts a piece of her badge (and its important Prime Universe quantum signature) in a locket she finds. Pay attention BTW, or you will be confused later. In sickbay, they find Moll and L’ak, Moll and L’ak, and Moll and L’ak—until they take out the holo-emitters so the four former couriers can face off for real. Book tries the “I knew your father” gambit and is immediately rebuffed by Moll’s serious daddy issues. The baddies figure they have the clue so they have all the leverage, but Michael uses that locket as a bluff, claiming she has the real clue. Still, no deal with the Federation is good enough because they need the Progenitor tech to get rid of an Erigah… a Breen blood bounty. That’s right, L’ak is Breen. Holy refrigeration helmet , Batman.

Mirror McCoy was a bit of an evil pack rat.

“You both still have choices .”

Cut to a series of Burn-era flashbacks when Moll was delivering dilithium to the Breen Imperium. The “bucket heads”  are not amused by the wisecracking courier who gets into a fight with one of them, but she turns the tables, revealing she knows he’s a disgraced member of the royal family—and she even knows his name. It’s L’ak, of course. He is intrigued by her plan to skim more latinum, getting payback for being humiliated for this cargo duty demotion. Soon enough, this unlikely pair is hooking up between cargo containers and he even takes off his helmet to show her his face, as well as his “other face.” It turns out the Breen have two: the one we have been seeing with L’ak and a glowing eyed translucent one.  Later, the star-crossed romance is threatened when Moll is drawn to the lure of even more latinum by delivering to the Emerald Chain. Before they can sort out if he should join her, Uncle A-hole shows up, not happy about his nephew’s little interspecies exchange program. He’s also not cool with L’ak using that old face and not the “evolved” glowy face. L’ak is given one chance at redemption: Kill Moll. He picks door number 2, killing some guards but sparing Primarch Ruhn, who declares the Erigah. L’ak knows this means they will never stop hunting him, but Moll is all-in on being a fugitive, so they escape together. Ah, true love.

Back on Mirror Enterprise, the standoff devolves into another quick firefight as the Breen/Human duo chooses not to take the offered off-ramp before going too far down the bad guy road. Moll and Book end up outside force fields that pop up around sickbay, so she reluctantly agrees to a ceasefire. The current Cleveland Booker tries again to connect, but Moll only has bad memories of a brutal childhood of abandonment after her Cleveland left her on her own at age 14. L’ak is all she has. L’ak feels the same about Moll, telling Michael that he would die before being separated, but seems open to the idea of them sharing a cell in the Federation pen. On the bridge, Book pivots to use his relationship with Michael to connect, but Moll’s need to get back to L’ak means no waiting for computer hacking, so she starts yanking out wires. The resulting short does lower the forcefield, but now the ship is out of control. Their shuttle is flung off with the jolt and there’s only eight minutes until the Big E is squished in the little wormhole. Book takes his final shot, handing over his phaser and telling Moll she is the only family he has left. She finally relents and they head to sickbay, where Michael and L’ak have resumed fighting. The captain gets the upper hand and ends up with the clue L’ak was holding and the Breen is left with a knife in his side, but impressed by the locket bluff. Moll arrives and is super pissed, so the Disco duo makes a quick exit before things escalate into yet another phaser fight. This former courier couple’s double date is over.

Uh, can you go back to the other face now?

“Maybe we can shape our own futures too.”

As Moll tries to patch up her boyfriend, Michael and Book work through the problem on the bridge, deciding that the tractor beam as their only hope. Over on the Disco, they detect an oscillating pattern, 3-4-1-4, which means something to Rayner. He now wants the nerds to figure out how to open the wormhole aperture big enough for a ship, offering kegs of Kellerun booze for the best idea. Adira sparks a team effort and Rayner rallies around the crowdsourced solution involving a hexagon of photon torpedoes. “We are only going to get one shot at this. I trust you will all make it count, red alert.” That’s the stuff. With what may be the last seconds of her life, Michael lets Book know she shared a “happy” moment with his past self during the whole time bug incident. Discovery fires the torpedoes and the crew is surprised to see the ISS Enterprise emerge at the last minute from the permanently collapsing wormhole. Everyone releases their tension as the captain informs her crew they saved her… but why is the Enterprise about to fire? A warp pod is launched! It’s Moll and L’ak. Before you can say “plot armor,” they escape to another episode. The captain returns to the Disco to tell Rayner she’s impressed with how he handled the crew during her time away, and he tells her how impressed he was with her subtle “3-4-1-4” message using the Kellerun “Ballad of Krull.” Alien poetry FTW!

In the background of the episode, Tilly has been noticing that Dr. Culber seems out of sorts. Everyone else leans on him, so she offers to be a friendly ear. As things wrap, Hugh takes her up on her offer over drinks at Red’s, admitting that ever since he was possessed by a Trill a few episodes back, he has been feeling a bit off, and he’s beening having some trouble coming to grips with the quest they are on with questions “so big and impossible to grasp.” He is not sure his matter-of-fact husband will understand what Tilly points out is a sort of spiritual awakening. This thread is left unresolved, unlike Adira’s mini-crisis of confidence: They were losing their science mojo due to guilt over the time bug, but got it back through Rayner’s tough love and being the one to come up with the hexagon of torpedoes solution. Things wrap up with Michael and Book looking over their prize, the latest piece of the map and a mysterious vial of liquid hidden inside, ready to set up the next episode once Stamets unlocks its secret. Burnham is starting to see a pattern with these clues and how the scientists who left them were trying to teach lessons along the way to the successful questers. The clue hidden in the ISS Enterprise came from Dr. Cho, a former Terran junior officer who later became a Starfleet Admiral. This happy ending for her and the others from Saru’s band of Mirror refugees fills them with hope as they can’t wait to find out what they will learn when they put the map together. There are just 2 more map pieces and 5 more episodes to go.

I think I have a thing for being possessed—no judgment.

Love stories

This halfway point episode is a bit of a mixed bag. Strong performances were a highlight, bringing extra life to welcome character development for both heroes and villains. But valiant attempts to expand upon franchise lore got weighed down in overly complicated exposition. And for an episode with a strong (and yes, often repeated) theme about choices, some of the directorial choices just didn’t work, potentially leaving some audience members confused or requiring a second viewing to follow the narrative. On the other hand, the episode carried on the season’s reflection on Discovery’s own lore and the evolution of its characters. David Ajala stands out as the episode MVP as he shows Book’s struggle to navigate the emotional complexities of his own choices and those of Moll while desperately trying to forge a new family connection. While some of the action scenes in this episode felt a bit perfunctory, the show is still getting better (for the most part) in finding moments for those character sidebars to talk about their emotional journeys and relationships. That was especially important in this episode, which took a closer look at how the events of the season are impacting some of the key romantic pairings of Book and Michael, Paul and Hugh, and Moll and L’ak.

Eve Harlow—and especially Elias Toufexis—stepped up to add layers and nuance to Moll and L’ak, with Discovery finally embracing how fleshing out adversaries and their motivations goes a long way towards making your plot hold together. The nicely drawn-out reflection of their love story with the rekindling one between Michael and Book adds another layer to the more obvious meaning behind the episode title “Mirrors.” Moll’s single-minded anger and L’ak’s desire for safety now all make sense, as does their unshakable bond. The episode also did a good job weaving in a handful of substories, including Rayner’s growing connection with the crew, with a nice sprinkling of Kellerun lore-building — adding some color to his character. Callum Keith Rennie continues to be a stand-out addition for the season, although Doug Jones is sorely missed, presumably not appearing in two episodes in a row for some scheduling reasons. Culber’s spiritual journey also gets just enough time, as it and these other substories all feel like they are heading somewhere without distracting or spinning their wheels, something that often weighed down mid-season Discovery episodes in past seasons.

Okay, let’s just agree we both have daddy issues.

Under the mask

The reveal that L’ak is a Breen was a surprise, but also nicely teased through the previous episodes. Fans of Deep Space Nine should relish finally getting some answers about this enigmatic race and finally having a first look under those helmets. “Mirrors” picked up on many elements from DS9, including the Breen language, refrigeration suits, neural truncheons, and the position of Thot , while adding lots to the lore, including some worldbuilding behind this new Breen Imperium and its “faction wars.”

Setting the Breen up as what appears to be the real big bads for the season involved a lot of data dump exposition here, surely keeping the editors of Memory Alpha busy for the next week. The notion that Breen have two forms with their signature suits and helmets allowing them to hold the more “evolved” form and face makes sense. If one were to get nitpicky, the Breen aren’t supposed to bleed, but perhaps that was a function of his suit; fill in your own headcanon. L’ak’s desire to hold the other, less evolved form making him a pariah in Breen society has echoes of allegorical episodes such as TNG’s “The Outcast.” That being said, the nuances are still not entirely clear, and fans who like the lore shouldn’t have to rewatch scenes to pick up the details. It feels like some details were cut, perhaps because this episode was already trying to cram in too much exposition with the Breen, Kelleruns (they boil cakes?), and the Mirror Universe.

Like the previous time travel adventure, this was a mid-season bottle show, this time using the conveniently located Strange New Worlds sets. Bringing back the ISS Enterprise was clever and fun, with the twist of how this time the Mirror Universe came to us. If you follow closely, “Mirrors” did a nice job of filling in some lore gaps and tying together the MU storylines from the first visit in “Mirror, Mirror” to follow-ups in Deep Space Nine , Enterprise , and Discovery . There is now a nice throughline from Emperor Georgiou saving Mirror Saru through to Mirror Spock, killed for the reforms he instituted after being inspired by Kirk. However, the redress of the Enterprise sets was not very inspired, with only a smattering of Terran wall sconces and some repainting, instead of demonstrating the brutality of the Empire with elements like agony booths. But what was even more missed was the promise of any character crossovers. There was a lot of talk about Mirror characters like Spock, Saru, Dr. Cho, and others, but we don’t get to see any, one of the many examples of how this episode broke the golden rule to show not tell. There were plenty of opportunities for a flashback or holo recording. Burnham longingly gazing at her brother’s science station is no substitute for Ethan Peck with a goatee.

We’re back!

Final thoughts

“Mirrors” is a decent episode, but it could have been much better with a few tweaks here and there. While not falling into the pointless plate-spinning trap of past mid-season Disco outings, it still dragged a bit for something so jam-packed with lore and revelations. Still, it provided a nice hour of entertainment, and possibly more with rewatches to catch up on the little details. The episode also continues the season’s welcome trend of weaving in the show’s own past, which makes it work better as a final season, even if they didn’t know that when they crafted it. Season 5 hits the halfway mark, and it’s still the best season yet, and hopefully the second half of the season will nail the landing.

Wait, we’re in this episode too? Anyone remember their lines?

• Like the previous episode, “Mirrors” began with a warning for flashing images.
• The episode is dedicated “to the loving memory of our friend Allan ‘Red’ Marceta ,” the lead set dresser who died in a motorcycle accident in 2022.  Presumably the USS Discovery bar “Red’s” was named in his honor.
• This is the first episode where Book’s personal log starts it off.
• Stardate: 866280.9
• Booker examined wanted notices for Moll from the Federation, Orion/Emerald Chain (who have a new logo), and the Andorian Empire.
• Tilly was able to reveal the wormhole by compensating for the “Lorentzian Coefficient,” referencing the real Lorentz Factor used in special relativity equations.
• A new ensign on the Discovery keeps a Cardassian vole as a pet.
• The ISS Enterprise was built at Tartarus Base, possibly referencing Tartarus Prime , from the TOS novel The Rings of Time .
• Moll refers to Breens as “bucketheads” (just as Reno did to Emerald Chain Regulators last episode). This could be a nod to the use of “ bucketheads ” in Star Wars as a derogatory term for stormtroopers.
• Moll’s mother died on Callor V in a mine for Rubindium , a substance first mentioned in TOS “Patterns of Force.”
• Linus can play the piano.
• Breen Primarchs may be a nod to the genetically engineered Primarchs from Warhammer 40,000 .
• How does Book know that Pike’s catchphrase is “Hit it”?
• This is the third (of five) season 5 episodes in which Oyin Oladejo and Emily Coutts do not appear, but their characters, Detmer and Owosekun, are mentioned when they get the honor of escorting the ISS Enterprise back to Starfleet HQ.
• Even though we didn’t see it warp away, presumably the missing intermix chamber was replaced, otherwise Owo and Detmer’s trip is going to take a very long time.
• Tilly says her long day makes her feel like she has been through a Gormangander’s digestive tract.

Remember when Mudd hid inside a Gormagander? Gross.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

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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waste of ISS Enterprise

While I enjoyed the episode overall, the ISS Enterprise was a huge letdown and not even worth being an easter egg with what little they did with it. They should have just made it a generic constitution class ship from the mirror universe.

It felt like it was nothing more than a budget saver. Use existing sets from the other show. Which is weird because one of the arguments in favor of mini seasons is it allows more money to be spent.

That’s exactly what it felt like. Along with the missing, yet again, Detmer and Owosekun.

There must have been some deep budget cuts for the season.

Detmer and Owosekun were replaced by other characters so I don’t think they are missing for budget reasons. It’s more likely that the actresses were unavailable.

I get the budget issues considering what’s going on with the studio. But the end result was it showed that there isn’t much difference at all in the 900 years between the SNW Enterprise and the aesthetic of Star Trek Discovery. They both look as if they were set in the exact same era.

And there really shouldn’t be much. Discovery is from the same era, as the Enterprise. While the ship gets a technological upgrade, why would it get an interior design makeover?

Since it was deemed important (Stamets certainly makes since) that the crew stay on the Discovery, I would certainly think that psychologically having its design aesthetics stay similar to what it was would help give the crew a little bit of their past to hold on to, versus having all physical interactions be with a timeline that they aren’t native to.

Now where we should see it is in native places in this time. And we have seen some differences in design from standard Starfleet settings, versus Starfleet settings on this time (I actually wish we got more).

I did wish for a little more of self reflection from Burnham’s point of view as the ISS Enterprise should of course remind her of Spock (the Enterprise tie in), but also Georgiou (the ISS tie in). We get a small brief nod to Spock, but nothing to Georgiou (and while I still question the use of the character, there is no question that Burnham did have a connection with her, even if its primarily transference from her former Captain, not the mirror Universe Empress.

That’s always been my issue with Discovery.

Agreed. The last two episodes just felt very budgeted and basically bottle episodes. And this just felt like a twofer, a way to use an existing set and add a little fan service but that’s all it was. I thought the Enterprise itself was going to be a viral part of not just the episode but the story overall.

Instead it was just a backdrop. And yeah it’s obvious they cut the budget for this season but all the live action shows have felt this way starting with Picard season 3 and SNW season 2. That all felt pretty bare a lot of the times. I guess this was all during Paramount+ belt tightening and probably not a shock why the show was cancelled.

And maybe the I.S.S. Enterprise should have been the refit or maybe the Phase II Enterprise? That would have been a lot of fun but combine a lack of vision with a reduced budget and this is what you get.

Looking back on “In a Mirror: Darkly”, season 4 of Enterprise was dealing with a reduced budget but managed to recreate sets from TOS, introduced a few new set pieces and did a lot of great effects work.

This was a missed opportunity.

Which was added by stretching that story over two episodes, so that they had the budget to recreate the sets they used. Having half the episode count, doesn’t really help avail yourself to planning out a two parter for a way to save costs.

If Picard could pull off recreating the bridge of the Enterprise D for three days of shooting with barely half the budget of Discovery season 5, they could have done something equally as fun for Discovery on the cheap without actually having to building anything new and using the Enterprise as a crutch. They could have come across Deep Space Station K-7, where the exterior would have been immediately familiar and with interiors served by redressed sets from virtually anything available from Discovery or SNW.

I thought Discovery is basically the PII Enterprise?

The Phase II Enterprise looks like a slickly modified version of the Enterprise from TOS, falling squarely between the Enterprise from TOS and the refit. The “Star Trek: Phase II” fan series did a great job bringing it to screen.

No, Discovery resembles the Enterprise concept for the Planet of the Titans movie.

I don’t get that. I never assumed that the Enterprise (or its mIrror Universe history) was going to feature in significant manner (certainly the producers and promotional department didn’t make a significant deal about it). Perhaps it’s the time difference. But I literally assumed it would be as significant as the Defiant going in and out of phase like TOS “Tholian Web” the time difference. And that was primarily set dressing. That’s not a bad thing. I mean Tholian Web is considered one of the better third season episodes.

And the only reason I assumed it was the Enterprise versus another Connie, is simple to give Burnham a moment to reflect on Spock. Now I do freely admit that I wish this was a slightly larger moment. But I never expected it to be anything but a small moment. Roughly my preconceived notion would be something like Spock’s Mind Meld scene with La’an in SNW where she is able to get a peak into Spock thinking about his sister and the emotion that comes with it. It’s a very brief scene, but I thought SNW did a good job in conveying the emotional aspect, especially from a half Vulcan/ Half Human.

Ok fair enough. This is probably more my hang up and to be fair since they never really promoted the the Enterprise being back then clearly they weren’t trying to make it that big of a deal.

But same time a lot of people do feel there could’ve been more done. The main problem is it just feels like a ridiculous stretch this ship itself is even there. It’s a ship from 900 years ago from a DIFFERENT UNIVERSE that conveniently happens to be the ship that gives them their next clue. I know it’s Star Trek so whatever lol. But when you go through the effort to present it I think it would’ve nice to build a bigger story around it. It could’ve just been any ship.

When you feel like the Mirror Universe has been nothing but a let down after the initial TOS episode, It’s really not a surprise. There’s really nowhere to go with it, but I did find that the fulfilling of the promise that Prime Kirk spoke to Mirror Spock about from the original TOS episode quite satisfying. The ship’s inhabitants embraced the benevolence of the prime universe, and I thought that was great.

I felt the idea that the MU people just easily adapted was pretty ridiculous. But then, they admitted SNW was an alternate timeline. It’s not a stretch that alternate extends to all the Secret Hideout productions.

I’m not sure I would feel the same about Picard given it depicts the Prime events of ST:2009. The others tho yeah I think of it that way too. Although The Chase does make that harder to swallow about DISCO

I liked the MU in DS9. It was fun to revisit and a great reminder of the Prime Directive. But… after that it got tiresome.

It was pretty benign there, but the problem with it, is finding it plausible. It was a fun idea in the 1960’s, and it had a good message. After that, it an indulgence. The notion that that the same people would even exist in the same fundamental places, and that the same ships would exist with virtually the same crew just seems like too much of a stretch even for modern Star Trek.

That’s my only complaint about this episode. Seeing the tantalus field show up would have been really cool. When Michael talked about how she was sure that Mirror Spock was a savage just like the other Terrans, I was sure that we would see a recording or something of Ethan Peck in a goatee to prove her wrong. Or flashbacks with Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley as their mirror counterparts would have also been cool.

All the stuff with the Breen and Mol and Lak was really cool though.

“ waste of ISS Enterprise” should be the official episode description.

waste of series

They ate Mirror Saru in season one…

Was that Saru or another Kelpian? It’s been a while since I watched Season 1, but I recall Mirror Saru saving Burnham from Tyler just as Voq’s personality re-emerged. I know Mirror Georgiou served Burnham some Kelpian, I just didn’t remember it being Mirror Saru.

Mirror Saru saved Michael from Tyler in The Wolf Inside, which was the episode that preceded the one in which they ate the food made from a Kelpien (Vaulting Ambition).

Looking at Memory Alpha now, it says that the chosen Kelpien ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVQSipQlJR8 ) was played by someone other than Doug Jones, but they look so much alike that I thought for sure she had chosen Mirror Saru.

As per Memory Alpha, we never saw him again after The Wolf Inside until season three, but that was in the alternate timeline Carl sent Georgiu to, so it wasn’t the same Mirror Saru.

Nope, that was another Kelpien.

“They ate Mirror Saru in season one…”

They didn’t.

Wasn’t Mirror Saru established as having survived in Season 3 (can’t remember the episode name).

A s per Memory Alpha, we never saw Mirror Saru again after The Wolf Inside until season three, but that was in the alternate timeline Carl sent Georgiu to, so it wasn’t the same Mirror Saru.

Loved this episode. I liked seeing the I.S.S Enterprise though i would of loved to of seen maybe a video log of Mirror Spock.

As a big fan of DS9 I’m glad we finally get to see what a breen looks like and the 32nd century breen outfits look great.

I enjoyed seeing Book/Burnham trying to get through to Moll/L’ak and i hope they can eventually get through to them. With this season about connections and 2nd chances i can see Book and Burnham talking both of them down before they do something that they can’t come back from.

The shot of the I.S.S Enterprise coming out of the ‘wormhole’ is probably one of my favorite CGI scene in all of Trek.

I’m glad they didn’t. I think the conceit of using the I.S.S. Enterprise was not much more than a budgetary decision to be able to use the sets. Could have made it a different constitution class, but then they don’t get to tell the story of the crew’s transformation into our society. Just don’t think about it too much.. because that universe is just pushing out its own doppelgängers into our universe.. which seems problematic. lol.

As a big fan of DS9 I’m glad we finally get to see what a breen looks like and the 32nd century breen outfits look great.

Any kind of big reveal was bound to be disappointing, I suppose. Still, the idea that they were just another latex alien was a letdown. I had always hoped that the Breen were gaseous or plasma creatures.

Ethan Peck with a goatee would have been EPIC

“This is the way.” 😉

But seriously that was a pretty good episode. I’d like to see a 31st century restored Terran empire that never went through “the burn.”

“ The reveal that L’ak is a Breen was a surprise ”

It really wasn’t, though. That was many viewers’ guess since the beginning of the season, and it’s been a common discussion on many websites. The surprise would have been if he HADN’T been a Breen.

I am on a lot of other sites and I haven’t heard anyone thinking he was Breen. And I don’t believe anyone voiced that in Trekmovie either.

LOL. It’s been a common theory.

Obviously not THAT common. LOL

I’ve seen the theory mentioned in the comments here on TrekMovie.

Yes, quite common from what I’ve been reading. I just commented on this very site a couple weeks back that I liked the idea, when somebody else theorized it (forget who it was)!

I guess it’s just where you go for these discussions but yeah the first YouTube review of episode one I saw theorized Lak was a Breen in the first scene he was in when he took off his helmet. And this was obviously before the species was mentioned on the show.

So yeah some people caught on the first episode the way others theorized Tyler was Voq the first time he showed up. Others needed more convincing.

I never saw it but I certainly don’t read the majority of comments. And almost never watch video reviews. Now Voq, was something I remember seeing in many places. Though in fairness, the amount of conjecture done about any Trek series for its Pilot and early couple episodes has been in my experience far more than what you see for most regular episodes. So that shouldn’t;t surprise me.

It was a surprise to me.

The Breen being so ordinary looking was a bit of a surprise.

Well, one of their forms are. It explains the frozen wasteland/tropical paradise. Their “evovled” form needs cryo suits, their “normal form” doesn’t

Was a surprise to me. Then again, I don’t run around the internet and over analyze the show.

This season started out so well. What happened? It’s falling apart.

I hate to a agree. But its once again a long slow burn (pardon the bun) that I fear is going to lead to another whimper of a conclusion. I feel like the season could have been a movie instead. Where is Chapel?!

Wrong show. Chapel is on SNW. The ending was rewritten and new scenes were shot to make it a series finale. They had already started shooting when they got the word that it was ending after season 5.

presumably on Her show, SNW?

“pardon the bun” …🍔⁉️

What’d that poor bun do for it to be in need of a pardon? 😋

This is what happens in every single season of Discovery. Two lovers who want to destroy the galaxy so they can get to paradise was the plot of season four, and now they are recycling the exact same plot for this season.

Did you watch the show. In no seasons has two lovers wanted to destroy the galaxy….Period. L’ak and Moll want to pay off their bounty. Nothing about what they are doing is about wanting to destroy the galaxy.

Outside of the destruction caused by the aliens referred to as 10-C, did any character want to destroy the galaxy let alone a couple. The only couple we had, was one person wanting peaceful means of communication to prevent destruction, while the other wanted to use force to ensure the destruction doesn’t occur. In no case does that equal people wanting to destroy a galaxy.

I can understand not liking the show, but to have such a misconstrued concept of the plot of the seasons shows a shocking lack of basic understanding of what the plot and motivations of the characters are.

I mean the show has plenty that one can find legitimate issues with. Thats not one of them.

They want to pay their bounty by giving a weapon of potential mass destruction to the Breen, thus destroying the galaxy, as seen in the time jumps last episode. They want to do that so they can escape to the Gamma Quadrant while the Breen take apart the Alpha Quadrant.

Last season the scientist wanted to let the 10-C species bulldoze the Alpha Quadrant so he could get across the galactic barrier to meet his lover in paradise, without caring what happened to trillions of other lives.

It is the same basic plot point. Your analysis is incorrect, Wood.

I think you’re overreacting a little. As always.

This episode was disappointing and fell flat. The return of the ISS Enterprise from the mirror universe was of no interest. I had hoped to possibility see a video log from Kirk, Spock, or another familiar character. Why not explore other Constitution Class Starships like the ISS Lexington, Hood, or Potemkin? Enterprise, Enterprise, Enterprise. (Sigh)

Maybe cause the enterprise is the trek ship pretty much everyone knows even if they are a new trek fan or a casual trek fan or not even a trek fan it is so engrained and intertwined with the name Star Trek that is why they chose to make it the iss enterprise instead of one of the others you mentioned

Because exploring a random ship isn’t the plot of the episode. It’s basically set dressing. Having it be the Enterprise versus a different Connie, gives it a tie to the lead character and part of her family she left behind. That it sorry wise. Another ship wouldn’t have any emotion aspect to the characters. Now production wise its to save a ton of money, as creating a random ship with multiple settings to take use of takes money (if your trying to give it the same level of production that you see for the primary ship). Now of course they could have just created a redress of an existing set to be random alien ship of the week. Those usually aren’t done to the same level of using the existing bridge set of another show. So it serves a small story purpose (ie a setting), it serves a small character purpose *reflection for Burnham, and it serves a production purpose (having high quality set pieces without having to build or do a serious redress and thus saving some money).

Seems rather obvious, to me.

I’m annoyed by what they seem to be doing with Owosekun and Detmer this season. I assume that the actors are absent because Paramount wanted to pay them less, and that’s poor treatment for characters who have been around since practically the beginning of the series.

“ I’m annoyed by what they seem to be doing with Owosekun and Detmer this season. ”

…as opposed to the previous four seasons, when all they did was sit in chairs and look meaningfully at each other?

Which is all Sulu and Chekov do in the average TOS episode. So yes, it’s aggravating for them to be replaced by other actors who are doing the same thing.

I doubt they are paid exorbitantly as recurring guests. It could be similar to what happened in season 4 and Bryce Ronnie Rowe Jr’s absences – he had another gig.

I have a theory that before it was decided that Disco would be cancelled, they were going to replace some of the characters. I think Owosekun and Detmer were going to be replaced, and also that Rayner would become captain and Burnham would go away to do something else. But then that didn’t work out, and so to us it just makes no sense why those two main characters are suddenly missing.

You might be right — I hadn’t considered that revamps due to cancellation might be involved.

Well… It is what it is . This was easily the worst episode of the 5. Tropes galore and really bad plot contrivances.

It feels like the reshoots for when they got the cancelation news are getting dropped in throughout the season. A lot of scenes appear grossly out of place. It feels like they just aren’t even trying anymore to be honest. As flawed as the show has been one thing that never came across among the other problems was a lack of trying.

I am loving the addition of Rayner and the professional Starfleet officer energy he is bringing to the ship. I also liked when he told Burnham the mission was too dangerous for the captain to go on. He is turning out to be a nice counterbalance to the unusual way Discovery has been run as a Starfleet ship after season 2.

I hope he doesn’t get killed off.

Sorry but this was another big fat ‘meh’ for me. This was very very disappointing. Nothing of consequence happened. We learn Mol and Lak backstory basically and it is cool we learn that Lak is a Breen which has been the leading theory since he showed up but it just felt sooo bare overall. Like another Discovery infamous spinning wheel episode where they do the bare minimum to move the plot along but just through a lot of action scenes and inconsequential dialogue to feel like we were getting any real development.

And the biggest elephant in the room (or dimensional wormhole) was the ISS Enterprise. Such a let down. It almost felt like a gimmick or just shoehorned fan service. There was no real reason it needed to be there other than HEY THE ENTERPRISE IS BACK!

Again one of the problems with this show, no real development just there for another connection. Think about what they did with In a Mirror Darkly on Enterprise. They brought in the Defiant as obvious fan service from TOS but the ship had a very vital part to the story. It helped changed the dynamics of the MU. It wasn’t there just for show like this was. And Anthony made a great point the redress felt like a joke. It just felt like an excuse to use the set but little else.

Here it was nothing more than just a backdrop and a really forced one at that. And the whole Saru thing just felt very contrived.

I did like all the Breen stuff though and hopefully they will be the big bad the rest of the season. I still think they should’ve used the Breen as the main villain for SNW instead of the Gorn but I digress.

But yeah this is probably the weakest one for me which is disappointing since last week is my favorite so far. I’m getting a little nervous now. It’s usually the second half of the season this show begins to falls apart but still open minded. Still enjoying it overall but please don’t end up a tedious bore like last season felt once it got to its mid season.

You have one last chance Discovery, make it count!

I never considered the Breen in SNW before, but that’s a cool idea. Yeah, I would’ve liked that much more than the Gorn.

For me it was literally the first Gorn episode I thought the Breen would’ve been a better idea. You get the same type of stories and it doesn’t feel like it’s breaking any canon like the Gorn obviously does. I ranted enough about it but nothing about their appearance on SNW feels remotely canon anymore.

But the Breen could’ve been a great substitute if they wanted a known species not named Klingons and zero canon issues.

Agreed. I always enjoyed the mysterious quality of the Breen. Seems ripe for exploration.

This season is largely working for me. Not as good as last week, but the chase is enjoyable. I have a little trouble buying that Mol and L’ak fell in love so fast. I would have liked to have seen that handled better.. but the slow burn of the plot works because of what they do to sustain individual episodes. Only episode I thought was kind of wasteful was the one on Trill.

That is a big part of the problem, yes. The characters have little chemistry.

The flashbacks took [place over an extended period of time, it wasnt THAT fast

They both felt like outcasts in their family/society, fusing them together like lightning. I had no problem with that as it gave me a Bonnie & Clyde-vibe which is historical.

It’s fine, but the romance piece just isn’t clicking for me.

Tarka was a similar situation last season with the reveal of his motivation not really moving me, but I’m also not the biggest fan of waiting several episodes to fill in a lot of backstory in a flashback. It’s not easy to pull off, and Discovery hasn’t really perfected it.

It’s a wonder I stuck with Lost as long as I did, now that I think about it.

“ it’s still the best season yet ”

Well, it was for the first two episodes, but the three since then have been a downward spiral. Seasons one and two were much better than this week’s episode and last week’s.

I’ve enjoyed it all except for the Trill episode. I think it’s been fun with a faster pace.. which has helped with a lot of issues that haven’t gone away. Raynor has been a very welcome addition to the cast.

Overall, very entertaining!

For complaints: any other constitution ship would be cool – but I also feel like we don’t know what happens next – there could be some Prime Mirror Universe people out there. & the “hit it!” joke felt like Dad was in the writer’s room.

Otherwise, I the pairings felt very TOS. Rayner is a little bit Serious Scotty when performing a captain’s role. And he took pride in rescuing her – which is feels good.

For me, this season has been 5/5.

Personal Log. Stardate: Today.

Week 4 of not-watching Discovery continues without incident. Opinions gleaned from critics on the latest episode seem to confirm that ‘mid-season malaise’ has been reached right on schedule.

Based on the collective opinion of commentators, there have been a grand total of one episode out of five that qualifies as “actually good”.

In conclusion, it appears the decision to not-watch until the penultimate episode has been vindicated. The plot points I am privy to following the one episode I watched are:

– There is a chase (or ‘The Chase 2.0’) for the Holy Grail / the technological marvel Salmone Jens left behind.

– The Cylon is now the First Officer.

– The Trill and the Robot are no longer together.

All in all, I remain confident that the recap at the beginning of the penultimate episode should be sufficient to fill in all the key points required.

Again, my thanks go out to the resolute souls who manage to endure what I could not.

these threads are for people to talk about the episodes they have seen. CLOSED.

Am I wrong or did the DS9 episode Through the Looking Glass make a reference to the Mirror Spock being on Romulus? Also given all the DS9 cross overs with the Mirror Universe you would think Burnham would have known something more about her brother’s counterpart.

Spock was not mentioned in Through the Looking Glass. We know between Crossover and the new dedication plaque of the ISS Enterprise that he reformed the Terran Empire and was killed for it. Burnham has clearly boned up on a lot of info since coming to this century, but easy to assume the future history of the mirror universe wasn’t part of that. Also, that info could have been lost or been classified.

Wow! The Breen. From CGI to burn victim.

Does anybody think the Commander Rainer is gonna become the Commandant of Starfleet Academy?

Everything involving Book is incredibly tedious. They brought back the ISS Enterprise as a way to resurrect the OG Enterprise in continuity. Perhaps it ends up as the Enterprise Q or whatever, if Saru is in command then ok. Burnham insisting on going on the away mission is diametrically opposed to how TNG dealt with this – e.g., when Riker as captain insisted on boarding the Borg cube in Best of Both Worlds, and his senior officers reminded him his place was on the bridge. I guess everyone got much dumber in the 32nd century, but “dumber” is Discovery’s whole concept.

This post missed an important Easter egg towards the end: Morn was at the bar “Red’s” just like he did on Quark’s on DS9.

We don’t call out or find every little egg, but when the bar was introduced last season we noted the Lurian (Morn’s species), who has been there ever since. We don’t usually do repeated easter egg bits for each episode

Yay! Good seeing the Breen again and their evolved design in the 32nd Century is great.

Boo! Pretty much everything else except Rayner who is the best character in the show.

Imagine they used the Star Trek: Tour set in Trekonderoga for the ISS Enterprise? What a cool surprise that would have been. But nope, we got the generic canon-breaking Discoprise. Not surprised.

I swear if they make the new Enterprise in the 3190s a refitted Constitution, I will facepalm. Just a stupid idea, when you have far superior tech and designs in the future time period. Please don’t, Disco-writers. Bad enough they did it with the Ent-G (one of my few criticisms of the great PIC S3).

Would it have been too much if Dr. Cho was instead Marlena Moreau? Just saying. Kind of like Dax in Jinaal… I feel like they are making all of these deep cuts, why not make them count a bit more to the overall lore, instead of just throwing the ISS Enterprise in with no good reason. Making these deep cuts actually count towards the overall lore might make the obvious (potential) budget cuts, set reuses, etc. be a bit more forgiving. Giving loved characters some finality that affect the course of this in our face galactic scale quest… might make it hit harder? Maybe I’m wrong, I’m sure someone here will think so lol

Overall the episode was okay. I do understand using the ISS Enterprise since this is supposed to be the final season of Discovery it was a nostalgia play and kind of wrap up the history of that ship in regards to the series. But overall it just seems kind of mashed together. Have to see how it ties in with the rest of the season.

I would say this episode along with the one before it were definitely the weakest of the season. They started out with a bang on the first few, and while I know that they tend to slow down in the middle of the season before ramping up the action for the final few, this episode dragged. There were also a few things with the Breen and the Enterprise that seemed a bit confusing:

– The Breen have 2 faces…great! Awesome twist to the species and fantastic to finally be able to see them after all the mystery around them in DS9. If the second face is supposed to be the more evolved one though, why do they need the masks and the suits? Can the more evolved face not breathe in a standard atmosphere? When L’ak and his uncle opened up their masks, they seemed fine, so there’s still quite a bit we don’t know about why they use that whole setup, especially when they’re around their own people

– Does the more evolved form extend past the face?

ISS Enterprise

– The stardate on the commemorative plaque is 32336.6. Popping that number into a couple of online stardate calculators puts that around mid-2355, which would be a few years before the prime universe Enterprise-D was commissioned in 2363. They mentioned that Dr. Cho came back to the Enterprise to hide the clue, so the assumption is that she also placed the plaque there at the same time. The timing doesn’t quite add up though because The Chase took place in 2369. Nobody would have known about The Progenitors or their technology before that, so they were at least 14 years off with the plaque

– If this Enterprise has been caught in extradimensional space since at least 2355, that means it’s been there for over 800 years by the time it’s discovered. How does it still have power?

– It’s been discussed by the Disco production team that the Discovery-era Enterprise was designed so that it could eventually be refit into the TOS Enterprise. The ISS Enterprise was contemporary with Kirk’s version and was seen on screen in TOS in that configuration. Why is the version in this episode the Discovery one? I know the real-world explanation is that it was easier to just re-use that model to align with the sets, but we saw a TOS-era Constitution class USS New Jersey at the Fleet Museum in Picard, so they had that model available to use. Just a bit sloppy

– How did Stamets immediately know that the ship exiting the wormhole was the ISS Enterprise and not a different prime Constitution class ship?

Photon Torpedo

– The solution to hold the wormhole open for the Enterprise to escape was to remove the payload from the torpedoes and replace them with antimatter. Photon torpedoes are matter/antimatter weapons, so this is a little confusing. Are they taking out the matter and just loading them with more antimatter?

I don’t know that it’s been there for 855 years.. not sure if it’s kind of like the Nexus or the black hole in Trek 09, where time does things differently. My guess is, that’s how the people on board were able to integrate into society. Their doppelgängers were long deceased.

Here’s the other thing… if the idea of revolution started with Mirror Spock, and the crew of the Enterprise more or less went along with him.. this is a way of explaining how they didn’t spread the idea to teh rest of the Empire.. they were lost in space and didn’t have much, if any, influence off of their own ship.

But they did spread the idea enough to weaken the empire to the point where it could be conquered.

Yeah I was wondering that also. It’s possible since it was extradimensional space that it didn’t put them in exactly the same time that they left. Also odd that they said Dr. Cho went BACK to the Enterprise to hide the clue. That’s a pretty risky trip unless the wormhole was more stable back in the 24th century.

It is strongly implied, if not explicitly stated, that the wormhole’s instability was caused by the Burn. So, it had to be more stable in the 24th century.

I feel like I’m seeing the same episode over and over, what a waste this series is became.

Great episode! This season has really been fantastic so far. The writing has been consistent, the acting of the principals is fantastic, and the pacing has been great.

I really loved the scenes with Rayner in command. That worked so well!

Loved getting the backstory about Moll and L’ak – it really did add layers to their characters and their story. And the reveal that L’ak was a Breen! I never saw that coming! Was great to know more about the most underdeveloped and mysterious alien race in Trek history.

Seeing the ISS Entreprise was a treat! I am guessing it was lost quite some time after mirror Spock took over from mirror Kirk. Nice Easter Egg… better than having some unknown ship in there.

Looking forward to the remaining episodes.

Did anyone else see “Morn” (or one of his species) sitting at the bar in Red’s?

Yes, I did catch that. It was a fun detail.

Seriously, an episode doesn’t go by without at least one eye roll over the touchy feely huggy share my feeling vibe that is shoe-horned into worst places. I wonder what this series would be like if Bryan Fuller had stayed on…

It would had been .. a Star Trek show, not this happy sad feeling sharing at all costs every single time somebody speaks.

I have a question because I’m really confused:

So discovery originally was set less than a decade before ToS. (And then they ended up far in the future)

The ISS enterprise is a reference to the ToS episode about the mirror universe. So that means the ISS enterprise is a contemporary with ToS and the USS enterprise, which means Dr Cho (who was expressly stated to be Terran) was about back in Kirk’s day.

However the progenitor technology and science in general was only discovered in TNG under Picard and i think it was expressly stated that the scientists that hid this research were originally asked to research it after the discovery by Picard in the first place.

TNG is set in the 24th century but ToS is set in the 23rd century – theirs about a hundred years between them.

So I’m trying to understand the timeline here because at the moment, from what I understand, it’s a human from the 23rd century somehow became a scientist on a study in the late 24th century and then stole the research and helped hide it with her 4 pals.

I thought for sure the Real Captain Lorca would be found in the transporters.

What a waste of an episode… filler and feelings…. Rinse and repeat

What an empty, disappointing episode. Discovery feels smaller and smaller every season.

Star Trek Is Officially Redefining What "Where No One Has Gone Before" Actually Means

• The iconic catchphrase "where no one has gone before" gets an epic new meaning in Star Trek #19, by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Megan Levens.
• Captain Sisko and his crew are heading into the Pleroma, Star Trek's newly revealed "realm of the gods," prompting Doctor Crusher to call it "where no one has gone before."
• One of Star Trek's key tenets is that humanity can evolve and transcend, and the journey to the Pleroma is the first step in this quest.

For generations of Star Trek fans, the catchphrase “where no one has gone before” has been an iconic call to adventure, but now it has taken on a whole new meaning. In Star Trek #19, the crew of the Theseus is heading to the Pleroma, a mysterious new realm that promises great adventure–and great peril. As they prepare for the hazardous journey, the franchise’s catchphrase takes on new layers.

Star Trek #19 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. T’Lir, the enigmatic Vulcan, has been revealed to be the last of the Organians and has charged Sisko and company with a new mission: travel to the Pleroma and help fix the damage Kahless has caused. Sisko is wary of the Pleroma, having been forbidden to travel there by the Prophets.

He discusses the impending journey with Doctor Crusher, and she refers to the Pleroma as “where no one has gone before.”

For Over 60 Years, Star Trek's Opening Monologue Has Perfectly Set the Show's Tone

It has undergone several changes over the years.

The catchphrase “where no one has gone before” is one of the most memorable in pop culture. Part of a larger opening monologue, the phrase has undergone a few alterations. When Star Trek premiered in 1966, the line read: “where no man has gone before.” When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, it was updated to the much better and more inclusive “where no one has gone before.” This has since become, with a few exceptions, the standard across the franchise, still recited in both the Abrams Kelvin-timeline movies and Strange New Worlds.

In the pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise , it was revealed Zefram Cochrane coined the phrase "where no man has gone before."

Star Trek is a story of exploration and discovery, and this catchphrase perfectly sums up this philosophy. Every week, the crews of the various Star Trek shows encounter bizarre alien life forms and awe-inspiring stellar phenomena. Ships like the Enterprise, Voyager or Discovery expanded the frontiers of knowledge while keeping the galaxy safe. Star Trek’s opening monologs set the tone perfectly for the incredible stories that follow. Now, on the eve of one of the biggest discoveries in galactic history, it is taking on a new meaning.

Star Trek Already Confirmed Its Real Final Frontier (& It's Not Space)

Star trek is about more than just exploring space--it's about exploring the human heart too, the pleroma may hold the key to humanity's evolution.

Yet, Star Trek is more than just stories of the exploration of space, but also expanding the potential of humanity . In addition to featuring a future where strife and war have been eliminated, the franchise has shown humanity has great potential, something Q alluded to in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “All Good Things.” Humanity will one day be like gods, and the Theseus’ journey to the Pleroma is the first step along the way. The Pleroma opens new possibilities in the Star Trek franchise, giving new meaning to “where no one has gone before.”

Star Trek #19 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!

What Happened To Chase Masterson After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Chase Masterson turned heads as both Leeta on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Leeta only pops up in 17 episodes throughout seven seasons — just a tiny fraction of the 173 Episodes that comprise its full run — and yet everyone remembers her sweet ways and personable nature. A Bajorian Dabo girl hired by Quark ( Armin Shimerman,  who would return to the franchise under one condition ) to keep the tables hopping at his club on the space station, she manages to make friends with most of the crew. Her courtship with and marriage to Rom (Max Grodénchik) provides "Deep Space Nine" with one of its most memorable romances, and her friendship with Quark is often both hilarious and touching.

Masterson, as many actors from "Deep Space Nine" did after it ended , took to appearing in TV movies. Her credits include "Sometimes The Come Back...For More," "Terminal Invasion" with Bruce Campbell,  and "Manticore." She established herself as an American dubber for multiple animes, lending her voice to Mamiya for "Fist of the North Star: The Shin Saga" and its attendant properties, "Starzinger" and "Lun Lun the Flower Girl" and voiced the computer in "Pandora." More recently, she's branched out and lent her voice to a variety of podcasts, including "Master!" and "Vienna," both spin-offs linked to her appearance in "Dr. Who"-related audio dramas. She continues to act professionally.

However, one of the most important roles Chase Masterson has played over the years is heading a vital organization for youngsters. 

Chase Masterson has kept a toe in the world of sci-fi while pursuing a life of activism

In 2013, Chase Masterson fought online abuse by co-founding the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an organization that seeks to aid the mental health of children and teens and teach them how to stand up to bullies by using characters from popular pop culture properties like "Star Wars." The organization began providing school curriculum material in 2016 and teamed with Random Acts in 2015 to support children and teens in crisis.

Masterson has previously worked as a mentor for Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, and she seems to be incredibly proud of her work. She told Startrek.com that she believes the Pop Culture Hero Coalition is absolutely working in the same spirit as "Star Trek: The Original Series" creator Gene Roddenberry."These stories hold such transformative truth, things that have really changed the world as Roddenberry intended," the actor said.

In 2020, Masterson participated in a Ted Talk  where she expounded upon the founding of her coalition and talked about her own experiences with being bullied and harassed. It's clear the actor is on a mission Leeta herself would be proud of.

'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 5 'Mirrors' is a quality installment, but weighed down by another anchor of nostalgia

This entire episode was more than likely written for the sole reason that the sets from "Strange New Worlds" could be utilized.

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

The chase across the galaxy for the Progenitors MacGuffin continues, offering chances to insert stand-alone, episode-length adventures along the way. And this week's installment, entitled "Mirrors" features a brief and very random reminder that the Mirror Universe exists. 

And that alone would've made an genuinely enthralling episode, but...Alex Kurtzman et al could not resist the temptation for an utterly pointless and thoroughly unnecessary throwback to the USS Enterprise. Honestly, these people have a serious problem, they should seek help. 

To put all of this into context, the crew of the USS Discovery continue their pursuit of Malinne 'Moll' Ravel (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and that chase leads them to er...well, you know, a giant, space-time swirly orifice that fills the viewscreen. Apparently, it's some sort of wormhole that's spectacularly unstable because of the constant matter/anti-matter reactions that are taking place at the opening. It's actually more than a little reminiscent of the inside of the V'ger spacecraft from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and that's just fine. 

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But it's what they find inside that grinds gears. Since the Discovery is too big to squeeze through the constantly opening and closing orifice, Capt. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Book (David Ajala) take a shuttle through only to find...the ISS Enterprise. Yes, indeed, last seen (and only seen, actually) in the epic "The Original Series" episode "Mirror, Mirror" (S02, E04).

While beaming back to the USS Enterprise during an ion storm, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura materialize aboard a almost-identical Enterprise in a parallel universe. Here, the United Federation of Planets has been replaced by the Terran Empire and its inhabitants are violent and cruel. Their only hope is to artificially reproduce the effects of the storm to facilitate a return to their own universe. (" I mperial S pace S hip replaces the traditional " U nited S pace S hip.")

And while the idea of finding a derelict, 900-year-old starship from the latter half of the 23rd century is a great idea, in the name of the Great Prophet Zarquon, why-oh-why did it have to be the Enterprise? There are — at least — 10 other Constitution Class starships that could've been potentially chosen and thus still allowing the updated sets from "Strange New Worlds" to have been used. 

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The USS Cayuga (NCC-1557), USS Constellation (NCC-1017), USS Defiant (NCC-1764), USS Excalibur (NCC-1664), USS Exeter (NCC-1672), USS Hood (NCC-1703), USS Intrepid (NCC-1631), USS Lexington (NCC-1709), USS New Jersey (NCC-1975) and the USS Potemkin (NCC-1657). And those are just the ones that are canon. Another new vessel could just as easily have been introduced as it's not unknown for Nu-Trek to bring brand new ships to the line.

And of course Burnham makes reference to the fact that her brother, Spock, served on this ship, which is probably another reason why the Enterprise was forced upon the writers. And according to some extremely rushed exposition, most of the crew escaped the weird wibblywobbly wormhole and went on to lead peaceful and productive lives — we assume somewhere not too far away given how long ago it happened and the current location in deep space — in a somewhat Space Seed scenario. Another interesting throwaway remark from Burnham was, "Crossing between universes has been impossible for centuries now," which shuts down that potential story avenue rather abruptly. 

But let's also focus on why this episode could've been near-faultless if only someone could counsel Paramount showrunners on how to ween themselves off of nostalgia addiction. This week we get to see the whole Moll and L'ak backstory...and it's rather good and to add to that, Book and Moll confront the fact that they're distantly related. You know, because that makes things much more absurd orderly. (See how Burnham had to be related to Spock.)

The pacing of this episode, and with the exception of using the Enterprise, when any other Constitution Class starship could've worked — and served to expand the Mirror Universe a little bit — this is an enjoyable episode. It's a shame though that this is following the same cookie cutter seasonal storyline template by relying very much on a quest to follow while having standalone episode-long adventures to fill in the gaps, but hey, it can't be much worse than last season. So, there's that.

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 US, 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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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 Review: The Crew Solves Two of the Series’ Biggest Mysteries

While on the hunt for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's powerful alien technology, Captain Michael Burnham solves two decades-old franchise mysteries.

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

One thing about Star Trek: Discovery fans is they are very observant. The big surprise in Season 5, Episode 5, "Mirrors," was slightly spoiled by the trailers, particularly when these eagle-eyed fans captured and examined screenshots. While the return of the ISS Enterprise after 58 years is a big deal, there is more that happens in the episode than solving an old mystery from Star Trek: The Original Series . However, the answer that Captain Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker uncover is a great one, and fans finally get a long-awaited first look at a mysterious alien species.

After dealing with the Time-Bug in the previous episode , the crew of the USS Discovery tries to figure out where Moll and L'ak disappeared to. While the space criminals have been very capable villains (almost too capable), they're not doing very well in the race. "Mirrors" marks the first time that Moll and L'ak put their hands onto one of the pieces of the Progenitors' puzzle before the Discovery crew. Of course, they aren't able to hold onto it for long after L'ak suffered a serious injury. Still, for the first time, both Burnham and Booker talk to their rivals, approaching them with the kind of compassion that Starfleet is known for. However, they still have to accomplish their mission, and L'ak's determination to be there for Moll gets in the way of any common ground they could've found. Thanks to flashbacks, viewers finally learn why the two are so eager to find this treasure, and where L'ak is coming from.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Continues To Put the USS Discovery in Classic Star Trek Situations

“mirrors” shows the crew rising to meet the challenge in classic star trek fashion, star trek: discovery's callum keith rennie shows a new side of starfleet.

From the lack of galaxy-ending stakes and major interpersonal drama among the crew, Season 5 is Stark Trek: Discovery at its most fun. This episode, in particular, is full of classic Star Trek moments, from forcing enemies to work together to sci-fi technobabble that provides a dramatic resolution to a major problem. The impetus for this race for the Progenitors' technology stems from Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," but there are major connections to all eras of Gene Roddenberry's universe throughout the season.

While they don't get a lot of screentime, the USS Discovery's crew under Commander Rayner's authority is an equally interesting part of the episode. The recently-demoted captain is hesitant to take full command of the ship in a crisis. In "Jinaal (Season 5, Episode 3)," he took command while Burnham and the away team were down on the surface of Trill. Yet, as far as he knew, their lives and that of the crew weren't in serious danger. His focus was on finding Moll and L'ak, and personally connecting with the crew in 20 words or less. That's not to say that the stoic commander was above some of the series' most emotional beats.

An early scene in the episode, where Captain Burnham tells her new Number One that she believes in him, was subtle but touching . After Rayner showed that he studied Earth customs and sayings, such as "breaking the ice," Burnham returns the favor and cites a historical epic from the Kellerun people. This comes into play when she's able to reference that story later on as a distress call for herself and Book. Instead of badgering the crew, Rayner uses his newfound personal connections (and a friendly offer of Kellerun Citrus Mash) to inspire the crew to solve the problem. This was as classic a Star Trek moment as any, and one longtime franchise fans will surely love.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Reveals the Face of the Breen Imperium Through Moll and L'ak

Star trek fans have wondered what the breen looked like under their armor for decades, star trek: discovery's mary wiseman, wilson cruz and blu del barrio hype finale.

First introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Breen Imperium was a galactic seat of power outside of Federation space who allied with the Dominion. The armored aliens look like something out of Star Wars , particularly their helmets, which were reminiscent of Princess Leia's Boussh disguise in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi . The Breen's appearance and who they really were was one of the most enduring mysteries in Star Trek canon. Even the Dominion didn't know what their Breen allies looked like under the armor. Star Trek: Discovery finally reveals the armor keeps their bodies in a translucent, almost liquid-like state. L'ak, as viewers have seen them, are what the Breen call their "other face."

Moll originally teamed up with L'ak to cheat the Imperium out of some faulty dilithium, a commodity that became scarce because of the Burn . They soon fell in love and when L'ak's uncle, the Primarch of the Sixth Fleet, found out, he ordered L'ak to kill Moll. He instead killed his uncle's guards, but spared the Primarch because, as L'ak said, "he raised me." This defiance earned him an "Erigah," a Breen bounty that is impossible to lift. He now hopes that bringing the Progenitors' technology to the Primarch will lift this death sentence.

Moll also bonded with her quasi-brother Cleveland Booker, though he's the fourth to use that name. Her father was the third Booker, which made him desperate to "save" Moll. Knowing that all she really wants is to live a quiet life, "Mirrors" could be the start of Moll and L'ak eventually joining forces with the USS Discovery crew. Captain Burnham is, after all, a big fan of second chances and redemption . If Season 5 is to have a big villainous threat, it will clearly be the Breen trying to collect on L'ak's Erigah, not two petty criminals.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Reveals What Happened to the Mirror Universe Enterprise

The iss enterprise was introduced in star trek: the original series “mirror, mirror (season 2, episode 4)”, star trek: discovery actors doug jones & david ajala prepare for their last adventure.

"Mirrors" also reveals another, older Star Trek secret, specifically the ultimate fate of the ISS Enterprise, formerly under the command of Tiberius Kirk . Previously, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Crossover (Season 2, Episode 23)" revealed what happened to the Mirror Spock and the Terran Empire. He started the revolution that Kirk suggested and was successful in conquering the Terran Empire to usher in galactic peace. Unfortunately, an alliance of Klingons and Cardassians attacked their weakened forces and took over the galaxy -- or at least the sector containing the Cardassian and Bajoran territory. The fate of Spock himself and his flagship was left open for other storytellers to explore.

Star Trek: Discovery still leaves Spock's ultimate fate an open question, though it seems unlikely that he would have fled his universe. His ship, however, became a refugee vessel for Terran reformers who fled, either in the face of Klingon-Cardassian attacks or a resurgence of the Terran Empire's xenophobic and warlike ways . Their goal was to cross over to the Prime Universe, where they knew the universe they hoped to build already existed. Along with Doctor Cho, the Federation scientist who hid the clue, the Mirror version of Saru (who also became a revolutionary) came with them. This placed the crossover sometime in the Kelpien lifespan, but close enough for Doctor Cho to still be alive. The use of the ship at all is mostly fan service, but it doesn't take away from the story's importance.

In Star Trek: Disocovery Season 3, a holographic interrogator told Philippa Georgiou, the former Terran Empress, that there was a subatomic "chimeric strain on the Terran stem cell" which explained their "evil" natures. Georgiou doubted this, and the ISS Enterprise's refugees are more evidence that the Empress was right. The ideal of Star Trek is that anyone welcomed into this utopian society would discover the logic and practicality of Federation morality, and thus abandon their more outdated worldviews. It obviously worked on Dr. Cho, who hid the clue to the Progenitors' technology instead of using it like a Terran out to reshape an ordered universe in their vainglorious image .

Moll & L'ak Are Bigger Wildcards Than Starfleet's 'New' Enterprise

Star trek: discovery season 5 suggests the uss discovery is headed for a confrontation with the breen imperium, star trek: discovery's sonequa martin-green embarks on one final voyage.

Thanks to the crew of the USS Discovery, the Federation is now in possession of a 23rd Century Constitution-class Terran warship. That said, its value is likely little more than that of an ancient relic from the Terran dimension. If anything, the dilithium left in the ship's stores is worth more than the rest of the ship's parts put together. However, one piece of it -- a warp-capable Terran life-support and escape vessel called a warpod -- disappeared with Moll and L'ak inside of it. The Breen's fate is an open question, but Moll will certainly return for the final piece of the puzzle. She doesn't have to solve the clues; she just has to follow Booker.

This episode is the middle point of Star Trek: Discovery 's final season , and the crew are just two pieces away from the full clue device. The race against Moll and L'ak will probably end in three episodes at most, leaving two for a different, more difficult mission. Whether or not L'ak survives, the Erigah placed on his head means that the Breen and the USS Discovery are headed for conflict. It's looking more likely that Star Trek: Discovery is going to go out with a big space battle. Star Trek is a sci-fi action-adventure story, too, which makes episodes like these even more special.

Star Trek: Discovery examines the kinds of big questions that Star Trek is supposed to. A happy ending for some of the "good" Terrans is reminiscent of how Picard brought the Borg into the Federation . In this universe, the heroes don't defeat their enemies; they convince them to become their allies. As Commander Hugh Culber and

Sylvia Tilly discussed in the lounge at the end of "Mirrors," the characters of this universe are essentially going to meet God, and not that phony one on Sha'Ka Ree. The fights ahead will be fun, but the biggest challenge facing Star Trek: Discovery from this episode onwards is making the discovery of the Progenitors' "prize" as meaningful as it needs to be.

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

Star Trek: Discovery

• Moll and L'ak get overdue screentime to tell their side of the story.
• Commander Rayner begins to find his place as a true member of the USS Discovery crew.
• The fate of Mirror Saru and the other Terrans is good Star Trek storytelling.
• Moll and L'ak's escape feels convenient, continuing the 'cards-down' approach to their telling story.
• The use of the ISS Enterprise could reasonably be called 'fan service' because the ship itself means nothing to the characters.
• The choice to keep the sequences on the ISS Enterprise so dark might be visually unappealing to some viewers.

Kirstie Alley Casually Laughed About Her Parents Being Dressed As A “Black Girl” And “Ku Klux Klan Member” In The Car Crash That Killed Her Mom, And People Are In Genuine Shock

“This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually,” one person tweeted in response to the viral video.

BuzzFeed Staff

It’s not often that something doing the rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter, receives a pretty universal reaction from other users, but a resurfaced interview with the late actor Kirstie Alley has done exactly that.

The clip was from a 1996 interview on NBC’s Barbara Walters Special and showed Kirstie — then 45 — open up about her mom Lillian Alley’s tragic death.

Lillian was just 59 years old when she died in a car crash in 1981, with Kirstie’s father, Robert Alley, suffering serious injuries in the collision. 

In the interview, Kirstie explained that she had only recently moved to Los Angeles when the accident happened and was preparing for the final audition for her role of Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan when her sister Colette called to tell her that their parents had been in a fatal crash. 

Kirstie then recalled the conversation that she had with her sister in the hospital waiting room in a clip that X user Kristi Yamaguccimane posted this week alongside the caption: “I could give you 1,000 tries to guess how Kirstie Alley’s parents were dressed when they died in a car accident and you wouldn’t get it right.”

In the video, Kirstie says: “I got there, we were all sitting in the waiting room and we were sobbing. And as I’m crying, my sister’s here and I wasn’t looking at her, but I said: ‘Where were they going?’ and she said: ‘To a Halloween party.’”

“And I said: ‘What were they dressed as?’ — why would you ask this! — and she said: ‘ The Odd Couple ,’” Kirstie continues, referencing a 1968 movie. “And I said: ‘Oh,’ and I’m thinking: What Odd Couple? Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon? ”

“‘Well, what were their costumes exactly?’ and she said: ‘Mom was a Black girl and Dad was a Ku Klux Klan member,’” Kirstie then reveals, bursting into laughter. “I was laughing, and the whole family — I guess they heard this conversation — and we all started laughing, and it was the greatest tribute we could give my mother.”

Needless to say, social media users have been left totally shocked by the clip, with the original tweet instantly going viral. At the time of writing, it has been viewed almost 8 million times and has racked up thousands of likes and retweets.

This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually https://t.co/x2sKBzWeVc — Bolu Babalola is technically on leave 🍯&🌶 (@BeeBabs) April 24, 2024

One popular quote-tweet reads : “This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually.” Somebody else wrote : “I’m honestly in shock fhdjdjcjxkdj now what on EARTH.”

One more picked up on the final detail of the anecdote, tweeting : “‘It was the greatest tribute you could give my mother’ WHATTTT.”

Kirstie previously recalled this story in her 2005 memoir, How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life , where she also added: “I wish sometimes that the woman that killed my mother that night...had known about my mother's costume, because maybe she, too, would know that my mother was a pretty funny person.”

Kirstie died from colon cancer in 2022, aged 71. She was best known for her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning performance in the iconic sitcom Cheers,  as well as movies like Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous . 

Topics in this article

• Kirstie Alley