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Season 1 – Star Trek: Discovery

Where to watch, star trek: discovery — season 1.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Although it takes an episode to achieve liftoff, Star Trek: Discovery delivers a solid franchise installment for the next generation -- boldly led by the charismatic Sonequa Martin-Green.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Bryan Fuller

Alex Kurtzman

Sonequa Martin-Green

Michael Burnham

Jason Isaacs

Captain Gabriel Lorca

Shazad Latif

Lieutenant Ash Tyler

Star Trek: Discovery

Michael Burnham with the Discovery ship in background

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery finds Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Key art for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4

Season four of Star Trek: Discovery finds Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery facing a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered. With Federation and non-Federation worlds alike feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all.

Key art for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer, Michael Burnham, who learns that to truly understand all things alien, she must first understand herself.

Key art for Star Trek: Discovery Season 2

Cast of Characters

Michael Burnham as seen in Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery

The final season sheds light on the galaxy's political past.

Illustration of headphones attached to a music player, both adorned with Star Trek deltas

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Murf, Rok-Tahk, Dal, Gwyn, Jankom Pog, and Zero stand together in front of Starfleet Academy

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On a sandy surface of , Maj'El, Rok-Tahk, Gwyn, Dal, Murf, Rok-Tahk look out ahead of them in awe in 'The Devourer of All Things, Part 2'

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Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is the seventh series set in the Star Trek universe. Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman , Discovery was originally set roughly a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series , set primarily aboard the starship USS Discovery , before jumping from the 23rd century to the 32nd century .

The series was announced by StarTrek.com on 2 November 2015 . According to the press release, " The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966 . " [1]

It is produced by CBS Studios and Secret Hideout ; the executive producers are Fuller, Kurtzman, and Heather Kadin .

The first series to be developed for the CBS All Access subscription platform, it began airing on 24 September 2017 , with a preview broadcast of the premiere episode, " The Vulcan Hello ", on the CBS network ; the second episode being released on All Access on the same day. In the US, subsequent episodes were released exclusive to CBS All Access. The first season ran for a complete fifteen episodes, being released on successive Sundays, finishing on 11 February 2018 , with a mid-season break between November and January. [2] [3] The second season ran for fourteen episodes, between 17 January 2019 and 18 April 2019 , again released via CBS All Access, this time on successive Thursdays. The third season ran for thirteen episodes, also on Thursdays, from 15 October 2020 to 7 January 2021 .

Outside the US, the series was available on Netflix from 25 September 2017 and ending on 16 November 2021 , except in Canada, where Space and Z carry the series in English and French, respectively. The series was slated to begin a global rollout on Paramount+ in 2022. [4] However, on 24 November 2021 , it was announced that the program would instead release beginning on 26 November 2021 with the first two episodes in all markets where Paramount+ is currently available, with new episodes releasing weekly. In those markets still without the service, it will be made available on the free ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV on the same timetable. [5]

CBS aired the first season of Discovery on terrestrial broadcast, beginning on 24 September 2020 , exactly three years after " The Vulcan Hello " first aired. [6]

Discovery was the first official Star Trek live-action production the former franchise owner, Paramount Pictures , neither owned nor was involved with on any level (although since Viacom and CBS re-merged to form ViacomCBS in 2019 , Star Trek television is once again under the same corporate umbrella as Paramount – a distinction made even less significant after ViacomCBS rebranded itself as Paramount Global in February 2022 ).

On 2 March 2023 , it was announced that the series' fifth season would be Discovery 's last and will air in 2024 . [7] [8]

1.1 Special guest star
1.2.1 32nd century
1.2.2 23rd century
2.1 Season 1
2.2 Season 2
2.3 Season 3
2.4 Season 4
2.5 Season 5
3.1 Writing
3.4 Casting
3.5 Participation interest
3.6.1 Tie-ins
3.6.2 Products
4 Reactions
5 Related topics
7 External links
Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
Doug Jones as Saru
Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber (2019–2024)
Shazad Latif as Ash Tyler (2017–2019)
Rachael Ancheril as D. Nhan (2020)
Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal (2021–2024)
Tig Notaro as Jett Reno (2021–2024)
Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner (2024)
Jason Isaacs as Gabriel Lorca (2017–2018)
Anson Mount as Christopher Pike (2019)
David Ajala as Cleveland Booker (2020–2024)

Special guest star

Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou / Philippa Georgiou (mirror) (2017–2020)

Recurring characters

32nd century.

Ian Alexander as Gray Tal
Andreas Apergis as Xi
Noah Averbach-Katz as Ryn
Avaah Blackwell as Ina
David Cronenberg as Kovich
Orville Cummings as Christopher
Luca Doulgeris as Leto
Shawn Doyle as Ruon Tarka
Oded Fehr as Charles Vance
Rothaford Gray as Tareckx
Eve Harlow as Moll
Ache Hernandez as Kyheem
Chelah Horsdal as Laira Rillak
Vanessa Jackson as Audrey Willa
Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Hirai
Janet Kidder as Osyraa
Ian Lake as Tolor
Alex McCooeye as Lee'U
Linford Mark Robinson as L'Teis Kardashev
Seamus Patterson as Harral
Katherine Trowell as Bandra
Tara Rosling as T'Rina
Phumzile Sitole as Diatta Ndoye
Giovanni Spina as Sta'Kiar
Elias Toufexis as L'ak
Jake Weber as Zareh
Annabelle Wallis as Zora
Adrian Walters as Taahz Gorev

23rd century

Jayne Brook as Katrina Cornwell
Mary Chieffo as L'Rell
Conrad Coates as Terral
Emily Coutts as Keyla Detmer
Raven Dauda as Tracy Pollard
James Frain as Sarek
Riley Gilchrist as Shukar (mirror) / Shukar
Harry Judge as Gorch (mirror) / Gorch
Mia Kirshner as Amanda Grayson
Patrick Kwok-Choon as Gen Rhys
Clare McConnell as Dennas
Kenneth Mitchell as Kol , Aurellio
Sara Mitich and Hannah Cheesman as Airiam
Sara Mitich as Nilsson
Ali Momen as Kamran Gant
Chris Obi as T'Kuvma
Oyin Oladejo as Joann Owosekun
Ethan Peck as Spock
Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley
Ronnie Rowe, Jr. as R.A. Bryce
Christopher Russell as Milton Richter
Damon Runyan as Ujilli
Sonja Sohn as Gabrielle Burnham
Hannah Spear as Siranna
Alan van Sprang as Leland
Terry Serpico as Brett Anderson
Rekha Sharma as Ellen Landry / Ellen Landry (mirror)
David Benjamin Tomlinson as Linus
Sam Vartholomeos as Danby Connor
Chris Violette as Britch Weeton
Romaine Waite as Troy Januzzi
Bahia Watson as May Ahearn
Rainn Wilson as Harry Mudd

Episode list

DIS Season 1 , 15 episodes:

DIS Season 2 , 14 episodes:

DIS Season 3 , 13 episodes

DIS Season 4 , 13 episodes

DIS Season 5 , 10 episodes [9]

Development

William Shatner claimed that a " 3 movie deal and then a new series [has] been in the cards since 2007 - 2008 . " [10] After the release of the Star Trek reboot in 2009 , Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci pitched an animated series to CBS, similar to their series Transformers: Prime for The Hub (now Discovery Family). [11] However, Orci said the success of the first film did not indicate whether a new show would be viable, explaining, " One movie doesn't make a trend. Two movies starts to indicate that there is a trend and it's viable. It will become more real as the year goes on. " [12]

By 2009, Bryan Fuller desired to produce a new live-action Star Trek series. " I told my agent and told the people of J.J. Abrams ' team I want to create another Star Trek series and have an idea that I'm kicking around, " he explained.

" I would love to return to the spirit of the old series with the colours and attitude [...] [of] the '60s fun and I would love to take it back to its origin [...] Star Trek has to recreate itself. Otherwise, all the characters start to feel the same. You always have a captain, a doctor, a security officer, and you have the same arguments based on those perspectives. It starts to feel too familiar. So all those paradigms where it takes place on a starship have to be shaken up. " [13]

In 2013 , after the release of Star Trek Into Darkness , a CBS Broadcasting representative reiterated interest in reviving Star Trek for television, in response to a comment from Abrams that he had heard the studio was not interested. [14] On 19 January 2014 , Fuller stated he "would drop everything" in order to become the showrunner for a Star Trek television series, commenting,

" I think it's finding a philosophy about it [that would be important], and I think there is such an interesting philosophy happening now with our identity as a planet and taking responsibility for what's happening on the planet, and I think I would make it about identity, in a specific way. " [15]

Meanwhile, however, Brannon Braga mentioned "the word on the street" was that " they probably won't do one until the movies have run their course, " while Rod Roddenberry concurred with this by saying he believed there would not be another series until after the conclusion of the films. [16] [17] In an October 2015 interview, comics writer Mike Johnson suggested the Tholians might "cause major trouble for the Federation" in the next Star Trek television series. ("Top 50 Alien Species!", Star Trek: Ongoing issue #50, " Live Evil, Part 1 ") Another idea for a new live-action Star Trek series, conceived by Worf actor Michael Dorn , would have focused on Worf as a captain . As early as 7 November 2015 , Dorn confirmed the newly announced series will not be the concept he had wanted. [18]

Netflix , Amazon , and Hulu all offered money to distribute the show, [19] but CBS Corporation President and CEO Leslie Moonves opted to develop the series as CBS All Access' first piece of original content, anticipating that millions would subscribe to watch the show. He also revealed,

" Our international distribution guy is going crazy; he can't wait to get out to the marketplace and sell [it]. Right away, we're more than halfway home on the cost of the show from international alone. The risk is small in seeing the track record. " [20]

Robert Hewitt Wolfe speculated the decision also " allows for good budgets so it makes sense for Star Trek." [21]

On 9 February 2016 , it was officially announced that Bryan Fuller would serve as showrunner on the new Star Trek series. David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios, explained,

" When we began discussions about the series returning to television, we immediately knew that Bryan Fuller would be the ideal person to work alongside Alex Kurtzman to create a fresh and authentic take on this classic and timeless series. Bryan is not only an extremely gifted writer, but a genuine fan of Star Trek . Having someone at the helm with his gravitas who also understands and appreciates the significance of the franchise and the worldwide fan base was essential to us. "

Fuller himself said, " It is without exaggeration a dream come true to be crafting a brand new iteration of Star Trek with fellow franchise alum Alex Kurtzman and boldly going where no Star Trek series has gone before. " Added Kurtzman,

" Bringing Star Trek back to television means returning it to its roots, and for years those roots flourished under Bryan's devoted care. His encyclopedic knowledge of Trek canon is surpassed only by his love for Gene Roddenberry 's optimistic future, a vision that continues to guide us as we explore strange new worlds. " [22]

On 26 February 2016 , it was announced that Nicholas Meyer would be joining the show as a consulting writer and producer. [23] In an interview conducted the next day , Meyer expressed hope in getting to write some episodes, but was not yet sure how big the writing staff would be. Still to begin work on the show, Meyer said he was waiting to be notified when to do so. He did, however, have some ideas about what the new show would entail. Meyer elaborated,

" I think it's going to be a different Star Trek . It will go in a different direction. And I think that is probably good. Because the thing that mainly troubles me about Star Trek is the fear of it being maybe re-treads of itself [....] And I think that Bryan [Fuller] – who is a very clever fellow – has ideas – some of which I’ve heard – that are innovative and different. Different is what got me interested. "

Meyer also said Fuller considered Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to be his touchstone for the new series. [24]

On 3 March 2016 , it was announced that Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth would be joining the show as executive producers. [25]

On 17 March 2016 , two photographs apparently showing behind-the-scenes test shots surfaced, but were later proven to be from an unrelated project. [26]

On 22 April 2016 , Pop Goes The News reported that it would be filmed in Toronto, Canada, saying CBS had booked studio space back in September 2015. [27] According to CBS' VP of communications Kristen Hall, however, CBS hadn't yet confirmed the shooting location by this point. [28]

Also in April 2016, Mark Worthington was confirmed as the series' production designer. Worthington's resume, in addition to confirming his own involvement, also revealed that Alex Kurtzman would direct the pilot episode. [29]

On 30 April 2016 , it was reported that the show would be filmed at Toronto's Pinewood Toronto Studios . [30] On 2 May 2016 , the Toronto location was confirmed in a tweet by CBS. [31] This marked the second time (after Star Trek Beyond ) that a Star Trek live-action iteration was not to be produced physically in Hollywood, [32] in itself a further indication of the diminishing relevance of Hollywood as a motion picture production hub, a trend that had set in in the early 2000s. [33] [34]

On 3 May 2016 , it was reported that the show would be available in weekly installments rather than a whole season all at once. Its premiere would simultaneously air on CBS' TV network and All Access, with subsequent episodes exclusive to All Access (for US viewers). [35]

On 18 May 2016 , the first teaser trailer, along with the logo for the show, was released, simply naming the series as " Star Trek ". [36]

On 6 June 2016 , it was reported that the project's code name might be "Green Harvest". [37] The Canadian industry union IATSE 873 confirmed the working title as "Green Harvest" and dated the filming between 26 September 2016 and 15 March 2017 . [38]

In a red carpet interview at the Saturn Awards on 22 June 2016 , Fuller revealed that the first season would be comprised of a thirteen-episode story arc. Filming was scheduled to take place from September 2016 to March 2017 . [39] This was to be the second season-long story arc in Star Trek history, the first having been in season 3 of Enterprise .

Fuller noted, " We are not subject to broadcast standards and practices. So we can have profanity if we choose – not that I want to see a Star Trek with lots of profanity. But we can certainly be more graphic than you would on broadcast network television. " [40] That also meant episodes could be longer than a typical broadcast show. [41]

On 18 July 2016 , Netflix was announced as the international broadcaster for the series in countries where it is available outside the US and Canada. In Canada, the series would air on Space in English and on Z in French. [42]

On 1 August 2016 , Bryan Fuller suggested that the series would be set prior to The Original Series , stating that the registry number of the Discovery was a clue as to the placement of the series in the timeline. He also stated that it would be possible to read a connection, "or not", to Section 31 in some aspect of the first season. [43]

On 8 August 2016 , Bryan Fuller tweeted a picture on Twitter for a makeup test for Discovery which was possibly a hint for the inclusion of an Andorian . [44]

On 10 August 2016 , Bryan Fuller announced that the series would take place in 2255 . [45] According to Fuller, the basis for the first season would incorporate "an incident in the history of Starfleet that had been talked about but never fully explored." [46]

In a radio interview on 27 August 2016 , Fuller revealed more details. The female lead would be the first officer of the Discovery and referred to as " Number one ", honoring Majel Barrett-Roddenberry 's character from TOS : " The Cage ". [47]

On 9 September 2016 , Fuller tweeted that the events of TOS : " Balance of Terror " would provide the "touchstone" for the series' story arc. [48]

On 14 September 2016 , Fuller announced that the series premiere would be delayed until May 2017, in order to ensure the quality of the show was not compromised. CBS agreed with the move. [49]

Variety reported, on 26 October 2016 , that Bryan Fuller would no longer oversee day-to-day operations on the show, but would remain executive producer. He was to remain involved in breaking stories and providing support for showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts . Sources indicated that CBS, while satisfied with the materials he had created, was concerned that Fuller had too much on his plate with his involvement in other work. This included Starz's then-upcoming drama American Gods . [50] Akiva Goldsman joined the show to provide additional support. [51] Fuller later clarified with Newsweek , on 2 December 2016 , that he was no longer involved with the production. [52]

According to issue #1 of the 2017 Emmy Magazine (p. 21), Star Trek: Discovery has a reported budget of US$6 to US$7 million per episode. [53]

At the CBS upfront presentation on 17 May 2017 , it was announced the first season had been extended to fifteen episodes. Talking Trek (now After Trek ), a post-episode discussion show, was also announced. [54]

The premiere date for the series was announced on 19 June 2017 , when it was revealed that the first season would be split into two airing blocks. [55]

On 23 October 2017 , it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season, which began filming in April 2018. [56] [57]

On 27 February 2019 , it was announced that the series had been renewed for a third season, with Michelle Paradise becoming co-showrunner with Alex Kurtzman . [58]

The renewal for the series' fourth season was announced on 16 October 2020 ; the renewal for the fifth season was announced on 18 January 2022 . [59] [60]

Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg have said the characters will be more conflicted and not as perfect as characters from previous Star Trek series. Harberts said they would hold true to Gene Roddenberry's idealised view of future Humans with " how we solve those conflicts. So we do have our characters in conflict, we do have them struggling with each other, but it's about how they find a solution and work through their problems. " [61]

Having the female protagonist be given the traditionally male name of Michael is one of Fuller's signature motifs: other examples include Chuck in Pushing Daises and Jaye on Wonderfalls . [62]

In contrast to previous shows, the writers are ready to kill off characters even if their actors aren't planning to leave the series. [63]

Due to Gene Roddenberry 's belief religion would die out by the 23rd century , writer Kirsten Beyer felt references to God should be avoided, quipping to Jason Isaacs when he ad-libbed on set "for God's sakes", that "for f–'s sake" would be more likely. [64] Gretchen Berg later clarified, " I don't necessarily agree with [Isaacs'] quote. On a show about diversity and with different points of view, I feel like you have to accept that some people believe in God, some people want to worship a potato, and some people don't want to believe in anything. I think there is room for that on Star Trek . " [65] Harberts later confirmed that the incident had been taken out of context and was specific to Lorca at that juncture, not the show in general. He also expressed interest in exploring the issue of faith or lack of it in later episodes. [66]

Even when the series was yet to begin airing, a second season had already been mapped out, with a third season beginning to be mapped out. [67]

The writers regularly consult Memory Alpha. According to Harberts, the series' writing team are themselves "fanatical" about fact-checking the information they discover on the wiki. For example, they sometimes rewatch, or ask researcher Anthony Maranville to rewatch, an entire episode based on a single detail from one of Memory Alpha's many entries. [68]

Writing for Season 2 began in January 2018. [69]

In August 2020 Kurtzman said that writing for Discovery had continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the writers' room meeting via Zoom. [70] On 16 October 2020 Season 4 was officially announced.

The teaser title card for Discovery

Bryan Fuller was adamant the Klingon make-up be updated for the show. Aaron Harberts noted, " In the different versions of Trek , the Klingons have never been completely consistent. We will introduce several different houses with different styles. " [71] According to Neville Page , who also designed the Klingons for Star Trek – though the Klingon scenes were cut from that film as released – and Star Trek Into Darkness , Fuller mandated most of them should be bald. [72] Page, and fellow lead designer, Glenn Hetrick continued to identify the baldness as an enduring part of Fuller's intentions for the Klingons, allowing them to reveal what was on their heads (such as in AT : " Lethe ").

The lead costume designer is Gersha Phillips . The Starfleet uniforms were originally similar to those in the original series. [73]

The teaser clip presented at the San Diego Comic-Con on 23 July 2016 was scored by Fil Eisler as an audition for the show. At the following year's panel, Jeff Russo was announced as the series' composer, and it was revealed that he had already completed work on the Discovery theme. [74] Russo recorded the theme, along with the score for the first episode, with a sixty-piece orchestra in Los Angeles on 27 July 2017 . [75]

Russo returned for Season 2. [76]

The show was announced to have a female lead. [77] The first cast member, Michelle Yeoh , was revealed by Nicholas Meyer in an interview on 22 November 2016 . [78] Anthony Rapp and Doug Jones were confirmed the following week. [79]

Bryan Fuller commented that the cast should be diverse. "Star Trek is a show of firsts. And in researching the characters for this new iteration of Star Trek , I've been talking to Mae Jemison , who's the first black woman in space, and who saw Star Trek in the '60s and who saw Nichelle Nichols on the bridge of a ship and said, 'I see myself in space.' So there's something wonderful about the legacy that Nichelle Nichols represents as giving a gift to people who weren't previously able to see themselves in the future. We are going to be continuing that tradition of progressive casting and progressive character work to be an inclusive world. " He also said "eventually, eventually" there will be appearances from previously established characters. [80]

On 24 May 2016 , it was reported that some fans wished to see Castle and Firefly alumnus Nathan Fillion in the series. [81] It was even suggested that this was why Fillion ended his commitment to Castle . [82] Bryan Fuller ideally wanted Angela Bassett and Rosario Dawson ; Bassett declined due to prior obligations, and there is no evidence Dawson was ever approached for consideration. [83]

Star Trek alumnus Tony Todd also expressed interest in working on the new series and even confirmed he is on a casting list of the studio. [84] [85]

In late October, it was reported the cast would feature, in addition to the female lead, an openly-gay male lead, a female and a male admiral , a male Klingon captain, and a British male doctor. [86]

Early news stories of Sonequa Martin-Green's casting in December 2016 identified her character as "Lieutenant Commander Rainsford"; [87] CBS' official announcement on 3 April 2017 changed the name to "Burnham".

On 28 April 2017 , it was announced that Shazad Latif had been re-cast as Lt. Tyler, being replaced in the role of Kol by Kenneth Mitchell. Three other cast members were also added: Rekha Sharma as Commander Landry, Clare McConnell as Dennas, and Damon Runyan as Ujilli. [88]

Wilson Cruz's casting as Dr. Culber was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con panel on 22 July 2017 .

Participation interest

Marina Sirtis has expressed interest in reprising her role as Deanna Troi in a phone interview with MZNOW , saying, " I loved playing her... It would be interesting to me to go back now, twenty years later and kind of go 'who did she become? Who is she now?' I would find that very interesting, and I would love to do that. " [89]

Both Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan have expressed interest in reprising their roles as Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine respectively. In an interview with the TODAY show, Mulgrew said, " I want to be the admiral and I want to boss them around. " Ryan, in an interview with Digital Spy , said, " My understanding is that it's in a very different world from any of the previous shows – but never say never. It'd be fun to just drop in and revisit her – not that I want to revisit her all the time! " [90]

Scott Bakula , Jonathan Frakes , and Nichelle Nichols have also expressed interest in appearing on the series. [91] [92] [93]

In an interview with "Variety", Martin-Green's Walking Dead co-star Andrew Lincoln expressed his desire to appear on the show, possibly with alien make-up on. [94]

According to Michael Dorn 's publicist, brief discussions were held between Discovery producers and Dorn about a possible role on the show, but that there are no plans for him to appear on it at this time. An Orlando Sentinel writer expanded on the publicist's statement by stating that Dorn was offered less than one percent of what he had been paid for his last appearance as Worf. [95]

Robert Duncan McNeill has stated that he had to turn down the chance to direct an episode of Discovery due to being unavailable but that he would "love to do it". [96]

The show's title was revealed by Bryan Fuller at the San Diego Comic-Con on 23 July 2016 with a clip of the title ship, the USS Discovery (NCC-1031). [97] [98] The promo was produced in three weeks and scored by Fil Eisler as an audition for the show. It greatly resembled the Ralph McQuarrie concept art for the canceled film Star Trek: Planet of the Titans , which the staff could not confirm at the time for legal reasons. [99]

Fuller also announced, at a press junket immediately thereafter, the show would be set in the prime timeline, though Fuller declined to say exactly when in that timeline it would be set.

↑ John Van Citters has chosen "DSC" as the series' official abbreviation. [100] This is consistent with the studio's use of "VGR" for Star Trek: Voyager , but MA will use the abbreviation "DIS" for Discovery , for consistency with using "VOY" for Voyager .

On 31 January 2017 , a trailer was released, showing behind-the-scenes footage of early filming. [101]

Ahead of the CBS upfront presentation on 17 May 2017 , the first official promotional image of the series was released, featuring Yeoh and Martin-Green in character on location in Jordan. [102] At the presentation, Martin-Green appeared to debut the first full trailer for the series, which was released online immediately afterward. [103] A trailer featuring the same footage recut was released by Netflix at the same time. [104]

The first official teaser poster for the series was released alongside the trailer, with a second released to accompany the announcement of the season premiere date. Two further limited edition posters were released at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2017 . At the Discovery panel on 22 July 2017 , a second full trailer debuted, featuring the first footage of Isaacs' Captain Lorca and Wilson's Harry Mudd. The trailer was released online shortly after the panel. [105] [106]

The overall first year publicity efforts of CBS Television Studios on behalf of Discovery were coordinated by its Vice President Communications Kristen Hall , [107] which earned her an industry award nomination in 2018, the ICG Publicists Award; she did not win, however. [108]

Season 3 title card

At the Mission New York convention in September 2016 , it was announced that IDW Publishing would produce comics (written by Mike Johnson ) and that Gallery Books would produce novels (the first by David Mack ) tying into the series. Both tie-in lines are coordinated with the events of the series, and are supervised by Discovery writer Kirsten Beyer. [109]

In August 2017 , it was announced that Star Trek Timelines would be updated to include characters and ships from Discovery , including Philippa Georgiou, Michael Burnham, and Saru. [110] [111] In October 2017 , more Discovery characters were added to the game including Gabriel Lorca, Ash Tyler, and Harry Mudd. [112] A month-long event, Discovery: A New Frontier , gave players the opportunity to acquire other characters and ships from the series. [113]

In September 2017 , to mark the start of the series, Perfect World made Discovery 's Starfleet uniform available to players of Star Trek Online for a limited period. [114] In January 2018 , the publisher announced that the " Discovery Lock Box" would be added to the game, giving players the chance to win ships, weapons and equipment based on those of the series, including the Crossfield -class , the Sarcophagus , and the Walker -class . [115] Starting in the autumn of 2018, Age of Discovery allows players to create a character from the Discovery era. [116] Later additions include the uniforms worn by the crew of the ISS Charon and ISS Shenzhou and several weapons used by the Emperor .

Under Eaglemoss Collections ' Hero Collector imprint, Penguin Random House published the Star Trek: Discovery Designing Starships volume of the Designing Starship reference book series on 3 September 2019 . From an in-universe perspective, a number of DIS ships are also covered in the Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet Ships 2151-2293 volume from the Shipyards series. Starfleet ships from the show's third season will also be covered in the second edition of the Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet Ships 2294 to the Future reference book . [117]

Anovos produced a phaser pistol prop replica in December 2017 [118] and released a phaser rifle late in 2018. It began to retail Starfleet uniforms (replica costumes) in the summer of 2018 [119] and markets upscale "Studio-Scale Filming Miniatures" of the USS Discovery , USS Shenzhou , and USS Enterprise ( as seen in DIS ) along with a number of Eaglemoss and QMx products. [120] [121] Rubie's Costume Company also produces DIS costumes.

In January 2018, Eaglemoss Collections ' Hero Collector brand premiered the Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection partwork , featuring starship miniatures , dedication plaques , and a figure from the series. Other ships from the series were also released as larger models within the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , and polyresin busts of DIS characters were featured in the company's Star Trek: The Official Busts Collection . Following the release of its 33rd (numbered) issue in 2021, the company's DIS starships will be marketed as part of the Star Trek Universe: The Official Starships Collection .

QMx debuted its magnetic DIS Starfleet insignia badges at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2017. FanSets launched its first wave of collectible Discovery pins in August 2017. [122]

Hallmark released a Keepsake Christmas ornament depicting the USS Discovery in July 2018. Another DIS ornament that featured Commander Saru and Michael Burnham was released a year later.

Beginning in August 2018, McFarlane Toys began to retail a series of seven-inch articulated figures which will eventually feature characters from DIS. [123] [124] [125] Toy weapons and accessories for role-play were planned but the production of phaser pistol toys was halted after regulatory issues (and the ensuing retailer reticence) came to light, due to the toys' perceived resemblance to real firearms.

Titan Merchandise debuted DIS "Titans" vinyl figures at a 2018 convention and planned to put them into wide retail release during 2019. [126]

Gentle Giant released a Saru bust in the summer of 2018, followed by figurines of Michael Burnham and the Torchbearer. Its toy division, Gentle Giant Toys , announced that it planned to release Fleet Flyers "starship danglers" in the autumn of 2018 but they did not reach retail and had been placed "on hold" as of February 2019. [127] [128] [129]

Branded as Polar Lights products, Round 2 began to release plastic model kits (and display models) of DIS starships in early 2019. [130]

Ukonic/Robe Factory released a USS Discovery pizza cutter in 2021.

On 13 July 2021 , ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Playmates Toys jointly announced that the latter had acquired new licensing for " action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories ", and slated the first of these products for retail release in 2022. Among other Star Trek series and films, this licensing encompasses Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Picard , and Star Trek: Prodigy . [131]

Rick Berman responded to the new series with cautious optimism. On his Twitter feed, he tweeted, " I wish them nothing but good luck and smooth sailing. Just hope it stays true to Gene's vision. " [132]

Brannon Braga likewise wished the new series well, commenting on his Twitter feed, "Star Trek is a vast canvass with many artists. Constantly evolving. Godspeed to Mr Kurtzman. " [133] Braga additionally remarked, " Hopefully with the new series they can get back to more meditative storytelling. " In Braga's opinion, the new series is vital to ensuring Star Trek continues for another fifty years. He stated, " It's all about making sure the next television show is really good and finds a new generation of viewers to keep it going. " ( SFX , issue 270, p. 68) He later commented, " With Discovery , I am honestly as excited to see it as any other Star Trek fan. I devour each new trailer the moment it comes out. " [134]

Robert Hewitt Wolfe admitted to not knowing anything about the new series, apart from having read about it online, and stated he is currently too busy to write for it. He also commented, " Sounds like it could be great though. " As for the way the new series will be released, he stated, " Subscription streaming is an extremely successful model & allows for good budgets so it makes sense for Star Trek." Wolfe tweeted a "congrats" message to Bryan Fuller, upon him being named as the series' showrunner, adding, " You have the conn. Do us proud. " [135] [136] [137]

David A. Goodman reacted to news of the series by saying, " Hope it's good, will watch it even if it's bad. " [138]

As for whether he and wife Denise Okuda will be involved in working on the new series, Michael Okuda remarked, " We'd love to be involved. Kurtzman already has a talented, experienced team from the last two films, but who knows? " [139] Regarding the announcement that the series will be run by Bryan Fuller, Michael Okuda stated, " Congrats, Bryan! Go boldly! " [140]

Rene Auberjonois dismissed the notion that the new series will feature himself and Nana Visitor portraying their respective Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters of Odo and Kira Nerys . [141]

On Seth MacFarlane 's Twitter feed, he recommended, " Let's make this new Star Trek series optimistic, eh? I think we're all dystopia'd out. " [142] MacFarlane incidentally, actually put his money where his mouth was, as he is the creator/star/producer of the Star Trek: The Next Generation inspired science fiction series The Orville , adopting the former's upbeat tone and which almost simultaneously premiered with Discovery in September 2017 on FOX TV, thereby de facto becoming a competitor for the latter, as it has inevitably led up to many fans and reviewers making head-to-head comparisons between the two. The overlapping airings continued when the respective second seasons of both series started their run in January 2019.

Former Star Trek , but now- The Orville , science consultant André Bormanis has stated, " When it comes back to TV, I hope they do something more in the spirit of the original. Everybody in Hollywood who has ever had even the smallest association with Star Trek I'm sure has a 'How would you do the next Star Trek ?' answer. I would probably do something a little more like Captain Pike's adventures. Go back to that era where it was a little more rugged, a little more fifties' sci-fi sensibility. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 39)

Press reactions to the series' announcement pondered how Star Trek could appeal to a new generation and compete against darker, more mature shows of the 21st century, like Game of Thrones , The Walking Dead , and Ronald D. Moore 's reboot of Battlestar Galactica . [143] [144] [145] [146] National Post felt there was no need for a new series, arguing Star Trek had become a quaint retrofuture series akin to Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers . [147] The Independent was one of the few to argue the optimistic future of Star Trek would make a welcome antidote. [148]

Other articles concentrated on the decision to produce the series for streaming, with some expressing deep cynicism over the idea. [149] [150] [151] Others noted the decision was a win-win in terms of keeping the series going. [152] [153] [154] [155]

Den of Geek and io9 noted most fans would prefer the show be set after The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager instead of in the same timeline as the film series. [156] [157] UK magazine SFX reported that was the most wanted request for the series. Other requests, in order of most desired, included: having the new crew undertake a multi-year mission in a starship rather than having them occupy a space station; focusing on controversial social issues; retaining a sense of fun; and introducing new alien species and technology. The magazine also determined that their readers' "dream cast" for the series included Dan Stevens as the captain, Rooney Mara as the first officer, Gina Torres as the doctor, Nick Frost as the engineer, and Wil Wheaton as the Federation President . ( SFX , issue 270, pp. 36-37) USGamer expressed hope that the series' success could revive interest in Star Trek video games after the failure of the movie tie-in . [158]

During an interview given at CinemaCon (11-14 April 2016), Brent Spiner commented that "looking at such a pedigree" working for the show, he thinks it is going to be fantastic. He also remarked that J.J. Abrams allegedly just became a producer of the show. [159] In an interview with SFX magazine (issue 275, p. 67) that was published around the same time, Spiner remarked, laughing, that all the new series had to do in order to work in the 21st century was simply "to be there." He added, " And just be entertaining [....] And I think there's a good chance it'll work. There's a really great bunch of people attached to that project, really talented people. I have no doubt that's going to be a really huge success. "

A lawsuit alleging that elements of Discovery had been copied from an unreleased video game called Tardigrades was filed on 19 August 2019 , and dismissed on 20 September 2019 . The judge found that Discovery "is not substantially similar to [ Tardigrades ] as a matter of law." Memory Alpha was cited in the finding. [160] The case was appealed, but on 17 August 2020 the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision. [161] [162]

In April 2021 , the third season of Discovery won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series. The show had previously been nominated in 2018 and 2019 for each of the first two seasons. [163]

As of 2021, Discovery has been nominated for ten Emmy Awards , mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup. It has won two: "Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special" and "Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode".

External links

Star Trek: Discovery at Wikipedia
Star Trek: Discovery at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Star Trek: Discovery at the Internet Movie Database
Star Trek: Discovery writers at X (formerly Twitter)
1 Daniels (Crewman)

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 release schedule - When is episode 10 on Paramount Plus?

The final season is nearing its conclusion.

The cast of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stood in a line and looking at the camera

James Hibbs
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Star Trek: Discovery is almost over, with speculation rampant over next week's series finale, which will bid farewell to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew.

The show's swan song comes roughly one year after Star Trek: Picard also wrapped up (on its best season yet, no less), leaving viewers to wonder what the future holds in store for the long-running sci-fi franchise.

Executive producer Alex Kurtzman told ComicBook.com his rationale for managing all things Trek, with Michelle Yeoh's Section 31 film and Holly Hunter's Starfleet Academy series being next on the list.

"I think that, contrary to what some people think, we're not really in the volume business. It's not just about churning out lots of shows, it's about turning out shows that mean something," he began.

"So, for me, I think I'm looking for every show to be different from the one that came before it. And that's really the only thing that matters. I'm not looking at this as, 'OK, I'm planning out the next 20 years. What are we going to do?'"

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Kurtzman added: "I'm really thinking more [along the lines of] what's a story we haven't told? A crew we haven't met yet? An adventure we haven't gone on? And that is really the qualification."

So, when is the final episode of Star Trek: Discovery being released? Read on for everything you need to know about the release schedule for season 5.

How many episodes are there in Star Trek: Discovery season 5?

There are 10 episodes in total in the fifth and final run of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Nine episodes have been released so far, leaving only one remaining – read on for everything you need to know about when the series finale will be landing on Paramount Plus.

When will Star Trek: Discovery season 5 episode 10 be released?

Anthony Rapp as Stamets in Star Trek: Discovery season 5

The first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 were released at once, but the show has subsequently shifted to a weekly release, with a new episode landing every Thursday.

This means that episode 10, titled Life, Itself, will stream on Paramount Plus from Thursday 30th May 2024 .

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Star Trek: Discovery season 5 release schedule – When are new episodes out?

Doug Jones as Saru and Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, looking at each of other while stood next to a tree

With the first eight episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 now available to stream on Paramount Plus , here is a full schedule of when the remaining two episodes will be arriving on the platform:

Episode 1 – Red Directive – Thursday 4th April 2024 (out now)
Episode 2 – Under the Twin Moons – Thursday 4th April 2024 (out now)
Episode 3 – Jinaal – Thursday 11th April 2024 (out now)
Episode 4 – Face the Strange – Thursday 18th April 2024 (out now)
Episode 5 – Mirrors – Thursday 25th April 2024 (out now)
Episode 6 – Whistlespeak – Thursday 2nd May 2024 (out now)
Episode 7 – Erigah – Thursday 9th May 2024 (out now)
Episode 8 – Labyrinths – Thursday 16th May 2024 (out now)
Episode 9 - Langrange Point - Thursday 23rd May 2024 (out now)
Episode 10 - Life, Itself - Thursday 30th May 2024

What time do new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 come out?

For viewers around the world, new episodes drop at the following times:

8am BST (British Summer Time)
12am PT (Pacific Time)
3am ET (Eastern Time)
2am CT (Central Time)

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 trailer

You can watch the trailer for the final season of Star Trek: Discovery right here now.

Star Trek: Discovery will continue on Thursday 23rd May on Paramount Plus. Get a seven-day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video .

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast .

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is over. Now Alex Kurtzman readies for ‘Starfleet Academy’ and ‘Section 31’

Alex Kurtzman leaning against an old TV set with a lamp hanging above him.

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In “Star Trek” terms, and in the real world of “Star Trek” television, Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the 21st century franchise, might be described as the Federation president, from whose offices various series depart on their individual missions. Indeed, to hear him speak of it, the whole enterprise — honestly, no pun intended — seems to run very much on the series’ ethos of individual initiative and group consensus.

The first series to be launched, “ Star Trek: Discovery, ” has come to an end as of Thursday after five seasons on Paramount+. Others in the fleet include the concluded “ Picard, ” which brought “The Next Generation” into a new generation; the ongoing “ Strange New Worlds, ” which precedes the action of what’s now called “The Original Series,” from which it takes its spirit and several characters; “Lower Decks,” a comedy set among Starfleet service workers; and “Prodigy,” in which a collection of teenage aliens go joyriding in a starship. On the horizon are “Starfleet Academy,” with Holly Hunter set to star, and a TV feature, “ Section 31, ” with Michelle Yeoh back as Philippa Georgiou.

I spoke with Kurtzman, whose “Trek” trek began as a writer on the quantum-canonical reboot movies “ Star Trek ” (2009) and “ Star Trek: Into Darkness ” (2013), at Secret Hideout, his appropriately unmarked Santa Monica headquarters. Metro trains glide by his front door unaware. We began the conversation, edited for length and clarity here, with a discussion of his “Trek” universe.

Alex Kurtzman: I liken them to different colors in the rainbow. It makes no sense to me to make one show that’s for everybody; it makes a lot of sense to make a lot of shows individually tailored to a sect of the “Star Trek” audience. It’s a misnomer that there’s a one-size-fits-all Trekkie. And rather than make one show that’s going to please everybody — and will almost certainly please nobody — let’s make an adult drama, an animated comedy, a kids’ comedy, an adventure show and on and on. There’s something quite beautiful about that; it allows each of the stories to bloom in its own unique way.

A tall, thin alien and a human woman walk through the tunnel of a spaceship.

Do you get pushback from the fans?

Absolutely. In some ways that’s the point. One of the things I learned early on is that to be in love with “Star Trek” is to engage in healthy debate. There is no more vocal fan base. Some people tell you that their favorite is “The Original Series,” some say their favorite is “Voyager” and some say their favorite is “Discovery.” Yet they all come together and talk about what makes something singularly “Trek” — [creator] Gene Roddenberry‘s extraordinarily optimistic vision of the future when all that divides us [gets placed] in the rearview mirror and we get to move on and discover things. Like all great science fiction, you get to pick your allegory to the real world and come up with the science fiction equivalent. And everybody who watches understands what we’re talking about — racism or the Middle East or whatever.

What specific objections did you find to “Discovery”?

I think people felt it was too dark. We really listen to our fans in the writers’ room — everybody will have read a different article or review over the weekend, and we talk about what feels relevant and what feels less relevant. And then we engage in a healthy democratic debate about why and begin to apply that; it seeps into the decisions we make. Season 1 of “Discovery” was always intended to be a journey from darkness into light, and ultimately reinforce Roddenberry’s vision. I think people were just stunned by something that felt darker than any “Trek” had before. But doing a dark “Star Trek” really wasn’t our goal. The show is a mirror that holds itself up to the times, and we were in 2017 — we saw the nation fracture hugely right after the election, and it’s only gotten worse since then. We were interpreting that through science fiction. There were people who appreciated that and others for whom it was just not “Star Trek.” And the result, in Season 2, Capt. [Christopher] Pike showed up, Number One showed up, Spock showed up, and we began to bring in what felt to people more like the “Star Trek” they understood.

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You’re ending the series after five seasons. Was that always a plan?

You know, we were surprised we didn’t continue, and yet it feels now that it was right. One of the things that happened very quickly as streaming took off was that it radically changed watch patterns for viewers. Shows that used to go 10, 12 seasons, people would tap out after two — like, “I got what I want” — so for any show to go five seasons, it’s a miracle. In ways I don’t think we could have predicted, the season from the beginning feels like it’s the last; it just has a sense of finality. The studio was wonderful in that they recognized we needed to put a button on it, we needed a period on the end of the sentence, and so they allowed us to go back, which we did right before the strike, and [film] the coda that wraps up the series.

Alex Kurtzman, the executive producer of Paramount's new "Star Trek" franchise, sits in a Danish modern chair.

“Discovery” is a riot of love stories, among both heroes and villains.

There’s certainly a history of that in “Star Trek.” Whether or not characters were engaged in direct relationships, there was always a subtext of the love between them. I believe that’s why we love the bridge crew, because it’s really a love story, everyone’s in a love story, and they all care for each other and fight like family members. But ultimately they’re there to help each other and explore the universe together. If there’s some weird problem, and the answer’s not immediately apparent, each of them brings a different skill set and therefore a different perspective; they clash in their debate on how to proceed and then find some miraculous solution that none of them would have thought of at the outset.

One of the beautiful things about the shows is that you get to spend a long time with them, as opposed to a two-hour movie where you have to get in and out quickly and then wait a couple of years before the next one comes along. To be able to be on their weekly adventures, it affords the storytelling level of depth and complexity a two-hour movie just can’t achieve in that way.

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It’s astonishing how much matter you got into these things. Some storylines that only lasted an episode I remembered as seasonal arcs.

The sheer tonnage of story and character we were able to pack into “Discovery” every episode was kind of incredible. The thing to keep in mind is that “Discovery” was made as streaming was exploding, so what I think you’re also seeing there is a lot of writers who were trained in the network world with an A, B and C story applying it suddenly to a very different kind of storytelling in a much more cinematic medium. And when you have that kind of scope it starts to become really, really big. Sometimes that works really, really well and sometimes it was too much. And we were figuring it out; it was a bunch of people with flashlights in the dark, looking for how to interpret “Star Trek” now, since it had been 12 years since it had been on a television screen.

Are you able to course-correct within a season?

Sure. You get people you really trust in the room. Aaron Baiers, who runs Secret Hideout, is one of my most important early-warning systems; he isn’t necessarily in the room when we’re breaking stories, but he’s the first person who’ll read an outline and he’s the first person who’ll read a script. What I value so much about his perspective is that he’s coming in cold, he’s just like, “I’m the viewer, and I understand this or I don’t understand it, I feel this or I don’t feel it.” The studio executives are very similar. They love “Star Trek,” they’re all die-hard fans and have very strong feelings about what is appropriate. It then goes through a series of artists in every facet, from props to visual effects to production design, and they’re bringing their interpretations and opinions to the story.

Three seated officers and the standing captain on the bridge of a starship

Did “Strange New Worlds” come out of the fact that everybody loved seeing Christopher Pike in “Discovery?”

I really have to credit Akiva Goldsman with this. He knew that I was going to bring Pike into the premiere of the second season of “Discovery,” and said, “You know, there’s an incredible show about Capt. Pike and the Enterprise before Kirk takes over; there’s seven years of great storytelling there” — or five years, depending on when you come into the storyline. I said, “We have to cast a successful Pike first, so let’s see if that works. Let’s figure out who’s Number One, and who Spock is,” which are wildly tall orders. I hadn’t seen Anson Mount in other things before [he was cast as Pike], and when he sent in his taped audition it was that wonderful moment where you go, “That’s exactly the person we’re looking for.” Everybody loves Pike because he’s the kind of leader you want, definitive and clear but open to everyone’s perspective and humanistic in his response. And then we had the incredibly tall order of having Ethan [Peck] step into Leonard [Nimoy’s] and [Zachary Quinto’s] shoes.

He’s great.

He’s amazing, just a delight of a human being. And Rebecca Romijn‘s energy, what she brings to Number One is such a contemporary take on a character that was kind of a cipher in “The Original Series.” But she brings a kind of joy, a comedy, a bearing, a gravitas to the character that feels very modern. Thank God the fans responded the way they did and sent that petition [calling for a “Legacy” series], because everybody at CBS got the message very quickly. Jenny Lumet and Akiva and I wrote a pilot, and we were off to the races. Typically it takes fans a minute to adjust to what you’re doing, especially with beloved legacy characters, but the response to “Strange New World” from a critical perspective and fan perspective and just a viewership perspective was so immediate, it really did help us understand what was satisfying fans.

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What can you tell me about “Starfleet Academy?” Is it going to be Earth-based or space-based?

I’m going to say, without giving anything away, both. Right now we’re in the middle of answering the question what does San Francisco, where the academy is, look like in the 32nd century. Our primary set is the biggest we’ve ever built.

So you’re setting this —

In the “Discovery” era. There’s a specific reason for that. As the father of a 17-year-old boy, I see what my son is feeling as he looks at the world and to his future. I see the uncertainty; I see all the things we took for granted as given are not certainties for him. I see him recognizing he’s inheriting an enormous mess to clean up and it’s going to be on his generation to figure out how to do that, and that’s a lot to ask of a kid. My thinking was, if we set “Starfleet Academy” in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it’s not going to speak to what kids are going through right now.

It’ll be a nice fantasy, but it’s not really going to be authentic. What’ll be authentic is to set it in the timeline where this is the first class back after over 100 years, and they are coming into a world that is only beginning to recover from a cataclysm — which was the Burn, as established on “Star Trek: Discovery,” where the Federation was greatly diminished. So they’re the first who’ll inherit, who’ll re-inherit, the task of exploration as a primary goal, because there just wasn’t room for that during the Burn — everybody was playing defense. It’s an incredibly optimistic show, an incredibly fun show; it’s a very funny show, and it’s a very emotional show. I think these kids, in different ways, are going to represent what a lot of kids are feeling now.

And I’m very, very , very excited that Holly Hunter is the lead of the show. Honestly, when we were working on the scripts, we wrote it for Holly thinking she’d never do it. And we sent them to her, and to our absolute delight and shock she loved them and signed on right away.

A woman with long brown hair in gold-plated chest armor.

And then you’ve got the “Section 31” movie.

“Section 31” is Michelle Yeoh’s return as Georgiou. A very, very different feeling for “Star Trek.” I will always be so grateful to her, because on the heels of her nomination and then her Oscar win , she just doubled down on coming back to “Star Trek.” She could have easily walked away from it; she had a lot of other opportunities. But she remained steadfast and totally committed. We just wrapped that up and are starting to edit now.

Are you looking past “Starfleet” and “Section 31” to future projects?

There’s always notions and there are a couple of surprises coming up, but I really try to live in the shows that are in front of me in the moment because they’re so all-consuming. I’m directing the first two episodes of “Starfleet Academy,” so right now my brain is just wholly inside that world. But you can tell “Star Trek” stories forever; there’s always more. There’s something in the DNA of its construction that allows you to keep opening different doors. Some of that is science fiction, some of it has to do with the combination of science fiction and the organic embracing of all these other genres that lets you explore new territories. I don’t think it’s ever going to end. I think it’s going to go on for a long, long time. The real question for “Star Trek” is how do you keep innovating, how do you deliver both what people expect and something totally fresh at the same time. Because I think that is actually what people want from “Star Trek.” They want what’s familiar delivered in a way that doesn’t feel familiar.

With all our showrunners — Terry Matalas on “Picard,” the Hagemans on “Prodigy,” Mike McMahan on “Lower Decks,” Michelle Paradise, who has been singlehandedly running “Discovery” for the last two years, and then Akiva and Henry Alonso Myers on “Strange New Worlds” — my feeling is that the best way to protect and preserve “Star Trek” is not to impose my own vision on it but [find people] who meet the criteria of loving “Star Trek,” wanting to do new things with it, understanding how incredibly hard it is to do. And then I’m going to let you do your job. I’ll come in and tell you what I think every once in a while, and I’ll help get the boat off the dock, but once I hand the show over to a creative it has to be their show. And that means you’re going to get a different take every time, and as long as those takes all feel like they can marry into the same rainbow, to get back to the metaphor, that’s the way to keep “Star Trek” fresh.

I take great comfort because “Star Trek” really only belongs to Gene Roddenberry and the fans. We don’t own it. We carry it, we try to evolve it and then we hand it off to the next people. And hopefully they will love it as much as we do.

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The Entire Star Trek: Discovery Timeline Explained

For a series ostensibly about exploring the galaxy and meeting new lifeforms in the hopes of sharing knowledge and resources, there sure is a lot of time travel in "Star Trek." It's been present from the very beginning, as even Kirk and crew visited the past multiple times . Two of those adventures resulted in the iconic episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Star Trek 4: The Adventure Home."

Modern "Star Trek" adventures have embraced this aspect of the universe, as time travel was also the direct cause of the Kelvin Timeline featured in the 2009 "Star Trek" film and its sequels. When the Romulan Nero traveled back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing James Kirk's father, he accidentally contributed to the creation of a new universe running parallel to the prime timeline. Ultimately, time travel has become every bit as important to "Star Trek" as exploration.

"Star Trek: Discovery" is no exception to this. Initially a prequel series set ten years before the original series, it soon became a sequel set further into the future than any other "Star Trek" installment. Time travel tends to muddy the narrative progression of a story, so we will be looking at where "Star Trek: Discovery" started to shed some light on where it ended up. Here is the entire "Star Trek: Discovery" timeline explained.

A visit to Talos

"Star Trek: Discovery" is set ten years before what is now referred to as "Star Trek: The Original Series." However, one episode of "The Original Series" actually occurs before "Discovery." In many ways, it is the beginning of the entire "Star Trek" franchise. While most viewers back in the late '60s probably remember it as the story told in the exciting two-parter "The Menagerie," which reuses the footage captured for the original "Star Trek" pilot called "The Cage."

We have to begin here because these events play a crucial role in "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2. "The Cage" sees the Enterprise crew, led by Captain Christopher Pike, visiting Talos IV, encountering a strange alien race. These are the Talosians, telepaths who experience life by manipulating beings they keep in their menagerie. By forcing Captain Pike to endure multiple illusions of their creations, they hope to understand love, anger, fear, excitement, and other emotions they forfeited by choosing to further develop their mental abilities.

Years later, after Captain Pike temporarily assumes command of the USS Discovery, he is forced to revisit Talos IV to cure Spock of his current mental disorder. Not only is it a chance to save Spock's life, but it also allows Pike to seek out closure regarding his past experiences on the planet.

The Battle at the Binary Stars

"Star Trek: Discovery" officially begins with a huge two-part story called "The Vulcan Hello" and "The Battle at the Binary Stars." This is where we meet the star of the show, Commander Michael Burnham, the first officer of the USS Shenzhou. While most "Star Trek" shows tend to be ensemble pieces, "Discovery" belongs to Burnham and it is her arc that we follow.

This opening episode sees Starfleet encountering Klingons for the first time in about a century. An extremist group of Klingons led by the xenophobic T'Kuvma engaged in a devastating battle with the USS Shenzhou after an altercation with Burnham resulted in the death of one of their own. This opening battle becomes a war between the Federation and the Klingons, the effects of which are still being felt during "The Original Series" and the six original "Star Trek" movies .

Following this battle, Michael Burnham is stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison — which leads to the true beginning of the show.

Six months later

Following Michael's sentencing, the show jumps ahead six months. While being transferred to a new prison, there's an emergency and the Discovery arrives to save her. While on the ship she meets its captain, a dark and elusive man named Gabriel Lorca, and its crew. She also reunites with her old friend from the Shenzhou, Commander Saru. Healing their relationship following her mutiny is a major part of the first two seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery."

Lorca believes that Michael's knowledge and experience could be of some use to them on the Discovery, so he invites her to unofficially join them as a specialist. The reasons behind Lorca's decision to go out of his way to save her, and why he wants her working with him on the Discovery, is another major element to the first season. His character comes off as a little strange right away, as Starfleet captains tend to be fairly approachable and diplomatic. However, Lorca is intimidating, conniving, and a little too adept at war to fit the typical captain archetype.

Taking Control

To correctly understand the timeline of "Star Trek: Discovery," we next need to dive into some events that are revealed during Season 2 but take place in Season 1.

Section 31 is the secret Black Ops division of the United Federation of Planets . They operate in the shadows, carrying out missions the Federation doesn't want to be made public. They feature heavily in "Star Trek: Discovery" and its second season. Following the events of "The Battle at the Binary Stars," Section 31 starts using a threat assessment artificial intelligence called Control in the hopes of preventing wars.

The idea is the Federation would give Control information regarding potential threats, and Control would then provide suggestions on how to proceed. As often happens in science fiction when artificial intelligence is involved, things go haywire when Control decides it no longer needs human beings to implement its suggestions. Instead, it assumes "control" of human beings to enact its agenda. This leads to the massive time jump the USS Discovery would take into the future during the end of Season 2.

Into the Mirror Universe

The USS Discovery has an experimental new system called a spore drive. It allows the Discovery to travel along a microscopic network spread throughout the universe, effectively making instant travel possible. It's an incredibly complex system, one that Forbes notes was inspired by a real-life mycologist, which can be used to break the barriers between realities.

The idea is proposed to astromycologist Commander Paul Stamets by Captain Gabriel Lorca. Stamets is considering leaving Starfleet, but Lorca convinces him to stay on to try one final experiment to see if it truly is possible to visit alternate realities. The experiment works, and the entire crew of the USS Discovery is transported into the classic evil dimension of the "Star Trek" universe — the Mirror Universe .

In the "Star Trek" Mirror Universe the heroes are villains and the villains are heroes, and it is soon revealed that this is where Lorca is from. He arrived in the prime timeline, took over the original Gabriel Lorca's life, and orchestrated events to unite with Michael Burnham — who was his lover in the mirror universe — and use the spore drive to return to his universe and overthrow Emperor Georgiou.

While the time the crew spends in the mirror universe might seem brief, it turns out that nine months pass during that time.

Nine months later

When Gabriel Lorca dies in the mirror universe, the crew of the USS Discovery returns to their native universe — but they've brought the emperor with them.

One of Michael Burnham's defining character traits is parental issues. She lost her human parents at a very young age. She was then adopted by the Vulcan Sarek and his human wife, Amanda. They raised her on Vulcan with their son Spock, effectively making her Spock's human step-sister .

Although she tried to live like a Vulcan, her human emotions were far too powerful. As a result, when she joined Starfleet and was assigned to serve on the USS Shenzhou, she gravitated to its human captain Phillipa Georgiou, seeing her as a maternal figure. Tragically, Georgiou died in the Battle of the Binary Stars, and the guilt of her loss has tortured Burnham ever since. Upon arriving in the mirror universe and finding another Georgiou, she can't help but try and bring her back to the prime timeline, hoping to correct her biggest regret.

Back in the prime timeline, they discover that nine months have passed and the war has not been going well. Discovery is boarded by Sarek and Admiral Cornwell, who informs the recently-returned crew that the Klingons have almost won the war.

The mystery of the Red Angel

By the end of Season One, the Klingon War is over, and there is an uneasy peace between the two sides. However, the crew of the Discovery doesn't have long to reflect on these events, as they soon encounter the Enterprise and are boarded by Captain Christopher Pike. Pike has been directed to temporarily assume command of the Discovery to research red burst anomalies that have been popping up all over the galaxy.

The red bursts are caused by an entity referred to as the Red Angel. The identity of this entity and the reasons for its actions are complex but intimately related to Michael. It turns out that there are two Red Angels — one is Michael Burnham's mother, Gabrielle, and the other is Michael herself. The form of the angel is actually a suit capable of traveling through time developed by Michael's parents as a project for Section 31.

At some point, Gabrielle decides to use the suit to escape an attack from Klingons but winds up in the distant future. She sees that the AI system Control has taken over the galaxy, so she uses her suit to jump around in time in the hopes of preventing Control from evolving and spreading across the galaxy. Michael then uses the suit to send signals that appear as red bursts for the crew of the Discovery to follow, defeat Control, and travel to the future.

The all-knowing Sphere

Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery" is full of big, wild ideas that could serve as the basis for a film or an entire series. The first, of course, is the threat of Control. The second is the Red Angel. The third is a sentient, planet-sized lifeform called the Sphere.

This Sphere has spent hundreds of thousands of years exploring the galaxy, collecting information and experiences. It has existed for such a long time that it is now dying. With such a wealth of knowledge and experience, it doesn't want to be forgotten, so it transfers its memory to the Discovery's computers.

As wonderful a find as this is, it is also incredibly dangerous. When Airiam, a cybernetic member of the Discovery crew, is infected by a future version of Control, she is directed to transfer all the sphere data on artificial intelligence to the current form of Control. With that information, Control will be able to gain full sentience and take over the galaxy — just as seen in Spock's vision from the Red Angel.

Defeating Control

For any "Star Trek" fans upset that "Star Trek: Discovery" takes place 10 years before "The Original Series" but the technology is significantly more advanced — or that Spock never mentioned having a human step-sister — their fears were partially quelled when the ship made the jump ahead almost one thousand years.

By the end of Season 2, Control was defeated, the mystery of the Red Angel was solved, and the need to get the sphere data to a safer time period arose. With the data merging to Discovery's computers, the decision was made not to try and delete the data but take it into the future. Using the Red Angel suit, Michael Burnham drags the USS Discovery into a time in a future not yet explored by the "Star Trek" franchise .

Once Discovery is gone, the Federation decides to clear the ship's existence from all Starfleet records and never speak of it, the crew, or its mission again. Thus, Michael Burnham is never mentioned, nor is the Discovery or its experimental spore drive.

The future of Starfleet and the Federation

The jump to the future is successful, but Michael arrives there alone. Since she was towing the ship, not riding in it, the trip was different for her. Immediately upon arriving, she rams into a ship piloted by Cleveland Booker before being pulled in by a nearby planet's gravity, regaining control of the Red Angel suit only seconds before splattering on its surface.

At first, she is panicked that Discovery won't answer her call but is soon thrilled by the knowledge that there is life on this planet. She eventually meets Cleveland Booker and discovers that the Federation barely exists anymore. The reason for its diminished size and influence was something called the Burn. In the 31st century, nearly every warp core installed in Federation ships exploded, wiping out swaths of life and nearly destroying the Federation. Exactly what caused this "burn" is the central mystery of Season 3.

One year later

In this new world, where dilithium is more precious than ever, Michael travels the galaxy, trading it for goods and services. She spends an entire year recording her experiences and searching for any sign of the Discovery. Finally, her search efforts pay off, and she is reunited with her crew. In a completely new headspace, Michael isn't sure about serving on the Discovery any longer. True, she earned back her respect and rank but is she is more interested in solving the mystery of the Burn and restoring the Federation rather than limiting herself to a single ship.

By the end of Season 3, the mystery surrounding the Burn is solved, the Federation is in the early stages of reconnecting with its lost members, and Michael joins the crew of the Discovery again. This time, however, she isn't a specialist or a first officer — she is the captain.

Season 4 is still set in the 32nd century and Michael is now known as Captain Michael Burnham. Her arc mirrors the real-life arc of the show. She started as a first officer who lost everything and worked her way back to a command position, while "Star Trek: Discovery" began life as a prequel with a dubious connection to canon and became a sequel that takes the franchise to brand new heights.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

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Star trek has forgotten its infamous pleasure planet.

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The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained

Captain kirk's "death" proves a truly dark fact about star trek's entire universe, star trek expands iconian lore with wild new link to the guardian of forever.

Risa has been forgotten in modern Star Trek, with only brief mentions in newer shows.
The franchise's ability to expand Risa's story is being sidelined, missing out on its potential.
Modern technology like the AR wall could help bring Risa to life like never before.

Despite its immense potential, the Star Trek franchise seems to have forgotten about its most infamous pleasure planet. Although Star Trek is mainly about space exploration and scientific discovery, all Star Trek TV shows have had an episode where the crew is allowed to blow off steam, and no shore leave planet has become more famous in the franchise than Risa . First introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3 episode, "Captain's Holiday," Risa has become synonymous with vacation and tourism, although it was only included in a handful of episodes across multiple series.

Over about four episodes, TNG and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showed the planet's status as a popular shore leave destination in the 24th century, with characters like Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) , or Worf (Michael Dorn) and Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) vacationing there. Star Trek: Enterprise also fleshed out Risa's backstory, showing that it had once been more inhospitable before the native Risians had terraformed their planet into a paradise with advanced technology. Risa had enormous potential for Star Trek , but in recent projects, the franchise seems to have sidelined it.

Star Trek's timeline spans a thousand years of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, with alternate realities and time travel galore.

Star Trek Has Forgotten Its Infamous Pleasure Planet Risa

Risa hasn't appeared in star trek for ages.

Aside from a brief appearance in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, modern Star Trek has completely forgotten about Risa as a setting for any of its episodes. The planet has been mentioned once or twice in episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard , and Discovery provided two more concrete references to it. These took the form of briefly showing the Mirror Universe Risa in Discovery season 3's "Terra Firma, Part 2" and the character of Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) , a native Risian, in season 4.

Although the Enterprise episodes that depicted Risa technically aired after DS9 , the events in them took place chronologically over a century before.

However, no Star Trek main character has been shown visiting the planet since Worf and Dax vacationed there in DS9 's "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." Although the Enterprise episodes that depicted Risa technically aired after DS9 , the events in them took place chronologically over a century before. The lack of Risa in newer and upcoming Star Trek projects is disappointing , especially because the franchise now has the ability to expand the planet and make it more interesting.

Modern Star Trek Could Actually Make Risa More Inviting Than Ever

The franchise has better capabilities to depict risa than before.

Thanks to CGI technology and special effects abilities in 2024, newer Star Trek shows could flesh out Risa in ways that weren't possible in the 1990s. The recent slate of Star Trek streaming shows has adopted technology called the AR wall, which consists of large LED screens that allow shows to create enhanced visuals, letting actors see their surroundings unlike green screens, and building more interactive environments without the need to shoot on location. Using the AR wall to depict Risa would be a chance to make the planet feel more real .

While the visuals in the 90s-era Star Trek shows were cutting edge at the time, the production team often relied on 2D matte paintings for wide shots, and rarely shot on location, instead shooting on sound stages and artificial environments. This didn't help make Risa feel particularly fleshed out, but with bigger budgets and better technology like the AR wall, the possibilities for the planet in modern Star Trek are endless . If the franchise brought Risa back, it could finally depict the planet in all its glory.

Star Trek is one of pop culture's biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.

What ultimately happened to the USS Discovery in the 'Star Trek: Discovery' series finale?

Strangely, the Star Trek: Discovery ship's far-future fate was revealed in 2018 'Short Trek' episode 'Calypso'.

The USS Discovery from Star Trek: Discovery

What happens to Discovery at the end of season 5?

How is the uss discovery sentient.

What happens next?
What is Zora's final mission?

Over five seasons of "Star Trek: Discoverywe got to know Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery, but the show's final scene is reserved for its eponymous starship. In the series finale " Life, Itself ", self-aware computer Zora fires up the spore drive for the final time to embark on one last mission.

We still have no idea why she's given a top-secret Red Directive to wait indefinitely at these particular coordinates, but a 2018 " Short Trek " episode "Calypso" has already revealed the next stage of her journey. Here's what's in store for Zora and Discovery a millennium down the line — watch out for spoilers. (And if you need a refresher on all things Trek, check out our Star Trek streaming guide for how to watch nearly every series on Paramount Plus .)

Paramount+ Essential (ads): $5.99 /mo Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (no ads): $11.99 /mo

Catch up on the adventures of Michael Burnham and the crew of the Discovery on Paramount+. As the home of Star Trek, signing up means you'll also get access to an enormous library of other Star Trek shows and movies.

Admiral Michael Burnham in Star Trek Discovery Season 5, Episode 10

Several decades after the Discovery crew tracked down the Progenitor technology — long enough for Admiral Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker to see their son, Leto, rise to the rank of Starfleet captain — the ship is assigned one final mission.

Burnham arrives on the bridge to give the ship's sentient computer, Zora (voiced by Annabelle Wallis), her briefing. "I'm going to bring you to a set of coordinates in deep space," explains the admiral. "Then me and your crew will leave. After that, you wait."

"For what?" Zora asks, but she doesn't get a definitive answer.

"This is a Red Directive; we both know how transparent those are," replies Burnham, referring to the beyond-classified instructions that have become the mysterious Dr. Kovich's stock-in-trade. "I did hear a word in passing," the admiral adds. "'Craft'. I'm not sure if that's a person or a vessel or…"

That word will prove to be important, but as Burnham correctly predicts, she'll be long gone when Zora finds out what it means.

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After this emotional farewell, Discovery is waved off by an armada of Starfleet vessels and a few bars of Alexander Courage's iconic " Star Trek " theme. Then, Zora fires up the spore drive and jumps away to her mystery destination.

Related: Star Trek: Discovery is at an end: Here are 5 things season 5 needed to fix

An Illustration of the USS Discovery, the titular starship in Star Trek: Discovery.

Starships often come to feel like characters in their own right, but never has this been as true as it is for Discovery.

Zora is much more than some glorified Siri or Alexa substitute, thanks to Discovery's 23rd century computer merging with hundreds of thousands of years of data collected by an ancient alien Sphere. Discovery was protecting this precious information when it jumped forward to 3189.

The newly created super-computer gradually develops sentience, emotions and a personality, and decides to name herself Zora (which means "dawn" in several Alpha Quadrant languages). She's eventually recognized as a lifeform in her own right, and awarded the rank of Specialist by Starfleet.

What happens next? And what does it have to do with 'craft'?

Not a lot. For around 1,000 years, Zora sits and waits at the designated coordinates, getting some "alone time" inside some kind of interstellar storm cloud. Then she runs into an escape pod with a sole occupant — a man who calls himself Craft.

This "reluctant" soldier (played by Aldis Hodge) hails from Alcor IV, and has spent the last decade at war with the V'draysh, which — based on comments from criminal boss Zareh in " Discovery" season 3 — appears to be a Pidgin word for the Federation. (This may explain why the enemy vessel Craft has commandeered contains an extensive collection of Earth cartoons from "the long ago".)

During their time together, Zora introduces Craft to tacos, the concept of Tuesday, and her favorite movie, 1957 Audrey Hepburn/Fred Astaire rom-com "Funny Face." She falls in love with the visitor, but he ultimately departs in the hope of finding his wife and son. She refuses to give him a lift home in Discovery, however, reasoning that she has to maintain position to complete her mission.

All this was revealed in 2018 "Short Trek" episode "Calypso", though back then — before season 2 had aired — we had no idea that Discovery would depart for the 32nd century, that the Sphere data would help Discovery's computer evolve into Zora, or that Burnham (then a science officer) would be promoted to captain. These days "Calypso" makes a lot more sense.

So what exactly is Zora's final mission?

Dr. Kovich, played by David Cronenberg, in Star Trek Discovery.

Beyond waiting for a long, long time, that remains unclear. But, seeing as her mission has top secret Red Directive status, it's pretty much certain that Dr Kovich — now revealed to be Temporal Agent Daniels of " Star Trek: Enterprise " fame — has a plan for Zora, and that her bumping into Craft is no accident.

But whoever she encounters next, it's sure to have major ramifications for the galaxy — and perhaps beyond. Burnham promised a "new beginning" for Zora when she eventually comes back. Who knows what that might mean…

All five seasons of 'Star Trek: Discovery' and the 'Calypso' 'Short Trek' are now available to stream on Paramount Plus. To find out where to stream every other Star Trek movie and show, check out our Star Trek streaming guide .

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Richard's love affair with outer space started when he saw the original "Star Wars" on TV aged four, and he spent much of the ’90s watching "Star Trek”, "Babylon 5” and “The X-Files" with his mum. After studying physics at university, he became a journalist, swapped science fact for science fiction, and hit the jackpot when he joined the team at SFX, the UK's biggest sci-fi and fantasy magazine. He liked it so much he stayed there for 12 years, four of them as editor.

He's since gone freelance and passes his time writing about "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and superheroes for the likes of SFX, Total Film, TechRadar and GamesRadar+. He has met five Doctors, two Starfleet captains and one Luke Skywalker, and once sat in the cockpit of "Red Dwarf"'s Starbug.

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Hopefully, Star Trek learned a valuable lesson from Discovery's final season

S tar Trek: Discovery made the baffling call to build its entire final season around a subpar episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation. That episode is called The Chase, which sees several different groups racing across space to try and unlock the mysteries of a shared past. It was a bad concept that embraced the ideas of Scientology and didn't make a lot of people happy with the episode's conclusion.

We thought when the episode was over that Star Trek as a whole would forget about the ill-conceived story. It was, after all, a throwaway episode, written to be largely a tongue-in-cheek answer to questions fans kept asking, and not as an actual explainer for the entire Star Trek franchise. No one told Discovery that, however, as they built their fifth and what would end up being the final season around that very weak story.

Much like the episode, the fifth season didn't answer any real questions and over-relied on the tired Discovery trope of "emotions over intelligence" to solve problems. Many fans weren't too keen on the final season, with it getting its lowest critic's score on Rotten Tomatoes and its second lowest audience score. So regardless of which side of the line you're on, it's clear that both groups weren't as impressed with the concept the final season was built around.

Hopefully, this failure of a show ends Star Trek trying to stretch out poorly conceived concepts from a single episode and trying to make it into an entire series. No one thought this was a good idea from the start, and even series defenders like Jonathan Frakes were surprised that the series opted to take that episode and explore it further.

This is surprising, as Frakes himself directed the episode that inspired Discovery; The Chase. It was a bad idea, and their attempt to further explore the ideas that popped up in that episode was stretched thin. So thin that the payoff was never going to be worth the journey.

Which is exactly what happened. The end of Discovery left a sour taste in the mouths of many, as at the end of the day there was no change in the status quo. Just a predictable end that many people expected. Discovery promised the answers to one of the franchise's earliest questions and failed to deliver in that regard.

Its shortcomings should end the idea that any other past episodes should be further farmed for a season's worth of content.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Hopefully, Star Trek learned a valuable lesson from Discovery's final season .

Hopefully, Star Trek learned a valuable lesson from Discovery's final season

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MJ Lenderman Announces New Album ‘Manning Fireworks,’ Drops First Single

By Ethan Shanfeld

Ethan Shanfeld

‘Disclaimer’ First Look: Alfonso Cuarón’s Thriller Series With Cate Blanchett Sets October Premiere on Apple TV+ 24 hours ago
‘Nobody 2’ With Bob Odenkirk Lands ‘The Night Comes for Us’ Director Timo Tjahjanto, Filming to Start Late Summer 2 days ago
MJ Lenderman Announces New Album ‘Manning Fireworks,’ Drops First Single 2 days ago

MJ Lenderman will come knock, knock, knockin’ with another album titled “Manning Fireworks,” out Sept. 6 via Anti-.

The indie rock darling, who also lends his alt-country guitar chops to the band Wednesday, released “She’s Leaving You,” the first single for his next solo effort. In the music video, directed by Whitmer Thomas and Clay Tatum, Lenderman plays alongside magicians and cheerleaders at a talent show of sorts, for an unenthusiastic audience.

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Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Release Date Revealed With New Image
Start Trek: Discovery // Season 1 First Look
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Review -- "Despite Yourself" • TrekCore.com
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Trailer Challenges The New Captain
Star Trek: Discovery: Season Five to End Longest-Running Original

COMMENTS

Star Trek: Discovery
Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for CBS All Access, the story of "Star Trek: Discovery" begins roughly a decade before Captain Kirk's five-year mission -- as portrayed in the original ...
Star Trek: Discovery: Season 4
Episode --. Season 4 - Star Trek: Discovery. 2021 Sci-Fi Drama List. 88% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 21% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for CBS All Access ...
Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1
Eric Deggans NPR This show has boldly tried re-inventing and updating Trek, and, after the first episode, it works. Nov 25, 2019 Full Review Hugo Rifkind Times (UK) Star Trek doesn't leave any gaps.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Finale Ending & Shocking Epilogue Explained
Star Trek: Discovery's stunning season 5 and series finale concludes the hunt for the greatest treasure in the galaxy, and the extended finale's emotional epilogue finally answers one of Discovery's biggest questions as it says goodbye to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunname, Star Trek ...
Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series 2017-2024)
Star Trek: Discovery: Created by Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman. With Sonequa Martin-Green, Anthony Rapp, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman. Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.
Star Trek: Discovery
Kirk - no family captain deceased. Picard - 4 star admiral retired has son but divorcee is an android. Sisko - space Jesus ,captain widow remarried has 2 sons but no longer in the mortal realm. Janeway - divorcee no family vice admiral. Pike - no family disabled fleet captain.
Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series 2017-2024)
Sun, Oct 15, 2017. While on a mission, Lorca is captured by the Klingons and unexpectedly finds himself in the company of prisoner of war Starfleet Lieutenant Ash Tyler and notorious criminal Harry Mudd. 7.3/10 (5.7K) Rate. Watch options.
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery is an American science fiction television series created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+).It is the seventh Star Trek series and was released from 2017 to 2024. The series follows the crew of the starship Discovery beginning a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series in the 23rd century.
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV "Star Trek" channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain ...
Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series 2017-2024)
The U.S.S. Discovery battles against Control in a fight not only for their lives but for the future, with a little help from some unexpected friends. Spock and Burnham discern vital new connections between the red signals while Burnham faces one of life's harshest truths: the right decisions are often the hardest to make. 8.2/10. Rate.
Star Trek: Discovery
The show's title was revealed by Bryan Fuller at the San Diego Comic-Con on 23 July 2016 with a clip of the title ship, the USS Discovery (NCC-1031). The promo was produced in three weeks and scored by Fil Eisler as an audition for the show. It greatly resembled the Ralph McQuarrie concept art for the canceled film Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, which the staff could not confirm at the time ...
Star Trek: Discovery Season Finale, Epilogue Explained
The last time a "Star Trek" captain talked to a being that could be (erroneously) considered God, it was William Shatner's James T. Kirk in 1989's "Star Trek: The Final Frontier." The ...
How to watch Star Trek: Discovery season 5
How to watch Star Trek: Discovery season 5. All previous seasons of Star Trek: Discovery are available to watch on Paramount Plus. Season 5 will be streaming weekly on Thursdays from 4th April ...
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 release schedule
With the first eight episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 now available to stream on Paramount Plus, here is a full schedule of when the remaining two episodes will be arriving on the ...
Star Trek: Discovery season 4
The fourth season of the American television series Star Trek: Discovery follows the crew of the starship Discovery in the 32nd century, more than 900 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, as they help rebuild the United Federation of Planets following a cataclysmic event and face a space anomaly that causes destruction across the galaxy. The season was produced by CBS Studios in ...
Watch Star Trek: Discovery
After a century of silence, war erupts between the Federation and Klingon Empire, with a disgraced Starfleet officer at the center of the conflict. Watch trailers & learn more.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5
The fifth and final season of the American television series Star Trek: Discovery follows the crew of the starship Discovery in the 32nd century, more than 900 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, on a galactic adventure to find a mysterious power that has been hidden for centuries and which other dangerous groups are also searching for.The season was produced by CBS Studios in ...
'Star Trek: Discovery': Alex Kurtzman on the finale and what's next
The series finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" is now streaming on Paramount+. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) By Robert Lloyd Television Critic. May 30, 2024 3 AM PT. In "Star Trek ...
The Entire Star Trek: Discovery Timeline Explained
When the Romulan Nero traveled back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing James Kirk's father, he accidentally contributed to the creation of a new universe running parallel to the prime ...
Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series 2017-2024)
80% Adolence Drama + 10% Extra Stupidity + 10% Star Trek = ST Discovery. Compared to ST TNG / PICARD / ST New Worlds this series unfortunately has all the ingredients of high school summer camp. The actors / actresses are great, it's the plot writers that seem to focus the topic with realistic actions. Current plots and individual interactions ...
is it just me, or season 4 is terrible? Rotten Tomatoes gave ...
I loved Seasons 1 and 2 and was happy that Discovery was my first Star Trek TV series that I had watched. For me I noticed a dip at the start of S3 and I wasn't enjoying it anywhere near as much. I got to S03E04 and that broke me, I wasn't enjoying it at all then...
Star Trek Has Forgotten Its Infamous Pleasure Planet
Aside from a brief appearance in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, modern Star Trek has completely forgotten about Risa as a setting for any of its episodes. The planet has been mentioned once or twice in episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard, and Discovery provided two more concrete references to it. These took the form of briefly showing the Mirror Universe Risa in Discovery ...
List of Star Trek: Discovery episodes
Star Trek: Discovery is an American science fiction television series created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+).It is the seventh Star Trek series and was released from 2017 to 2024. The series follows the crew of the starship Discovery beginning a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series in the 23rd century.
What ultimately happened to the USS Discovery in the 'Star Trek
Strangely, the Star Trek: Discovery ship's far-future fate was revealed in 2018 'Short Trek' episode 'Calypso'. Over five seasons of "Star Trek: Discoverywe got to know Michael Burnham and the ...
Star Trek: Discovery season 2
En route to Vulcan to pick up its new captain after Gabriel Lorca betrayed the crew during the Federation-Klingon War, the USS Discovery receives a distress call from the USS Enterprise.Captain Christopher Pike takes emergency command, explaining that the Enterprise suffered catastrophic damage while investigating seven mysterious signals scattered across the galaxy.
Hopefully, Star Trek learned a valuable lesson from Discovery's ...
S tar Trek: Discovery made the baffling call to build its entire final season around a subpar episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation. That episode is called The Chase, which sees several ...
MJ Lenderman Announces New Album 'Manning Fireworks'
MJ Lenderman will come knock, knock, knockin' with another album titled "Manning Fireworks," out Sept. 6 via Anti-. The indie rock darling, who also lends his alt-country guitar chops to the ...

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One year later

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

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