star trek short treks list of episodes

Star Trek: Short Treks

Premiering in October 2018 , the four live-action episodes of the first season were released monthly, running approximately fifteen to twenty minutes each. The six-episode second season premiered in October 2019 .

In 2023 , it was followed by Star Trek: very Short Treks , a new series of non-canon animated shorts.

• 1 Production history
• 3 Episode list
• 5 Publicity
• 6 Related topics
• 8 External links

Production history [ ]

The series was announced in July 2018 at San Diego Comic-Con, [1] [2] and details of the four initial shorts were revealed in September 2018 . [3]

Following the conclusion of the second season of Discovery , it was initially announced that two new animated Short Treks would air in the spring of 2019 . [4]

In a June 2019 interview, Alex Kurtzman stated that a total of six more episodes would be produced and air in the period prior to the premiere of the third season of Discovery . [5]

The series was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series. [6]

Although a third season of Short Treks has not been announced, in August 2020 producer Alex Kurtzman said that he hoped more would be made. [7]

Each episode of ST has its own unique cast and the series does not carry over cast members. The following have been credited in multiple episodes of ST:

• Jenette Goldstein as USS Enterprise computer voice ( " Q&A ", " Ephraim and Dot " )
• Anson Mount as Christopher Pike ( " Q&A ", " The Trouble with Edward ", " Ask Not " )
• Ethan Peck as Spock ( " Q&A ", " Ask Not " )
• Rebecca Romijn as Una ( " Q&A ", " Ask Not " )
• Robert Verlaque as Aradar ( " The Brightest Star " ) / Principal ( " Children of Mars " )

ST credited cast by episode:

• Mary Wiseman (as Sylvia Tilly )
• Yadira Guevara-Prip (as Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po )
• Mimi Kuzyk (as Siobhan )
• Geet Arora as Worker Bee #2
• Milton Barnes as Deck Crew #1
• Joe Delfin as Worker Bee #1
• Julianne Grossman as Discovery Computer
• Aldis Hodge (as Craft )
• Annabelle Wallis (as Zora )
• Sash Striga as Zora Holo-Dancer
• Doug Jones (as Saru )
• Hannah Spear (as Siranna )
• Robert Verlaque (as Aradar )
• and Michelle Yeoh (as Philippa Georgiou )
• Lisa Auguste as Female Villager #5
• Krista Deady as Female Villager #4
• Clayton Scott as Male Villager #3
• David Benjamin Tomlinson as Male Villager #1
• Adam Winlove-Smith as Male Villager #2
• Rainn Wilson (as Harcourt Fenton Mudd and Harcourt Fenton Mudd (android) )
• Dan Abramovici as Guard
• Harry Judge as Tellarite
• Barbara Mamabolo as Bounty Hunter
• Myrthin Stagg as New Guard
• Jonathan Watton as Federation Officer
• Rebecca Romijn (as Una )
• Ethan Peck (as Spock )
• Anson Mount (as Christopher Pike )
• Samora Smallwood as Lt. Amin
• Sarah Evans as Upjohn
• Jenette Goldstein as Enterprise Computer
• Rosa Salazar (as Lynne Lucero )
• H. Jon Benjamin (as Edward Larkin )
• Lisa Michelle Cornelius as Sarah
• Matthew Gouveia as Noel
• Krista Jang as Rob
• John Jarvis as Admiral Quinn
• Loretta Shenosky as Cabot Computer
• Amrit Kaur as Thira Sidhu
• Steve Boyle as Security Officer #1
• Colette Whitaker as Starbase 28 Computer
• Kirk Thatcher (as narrator )
• Jenette Goldstein (as USS Enterprise computer voice )
• Kenric Green (as Mike Burnham )
• Kyrie McAlpin (as Michael Burnham )
• Joy Castro as Mom
• Andrea Davis as Teacher
• Jason Deline as Dad
• Ilamaria Ebrahim as Kima
• Alix Kell as Secretary
• Sadie Munroe as Lil
• Robert Verlaque as Principal

Episode list [ ]

ST Season 1 , 4 episodes ST Season 2 , 6 episodes

Promotional logo for the series

• Alex Kurtzman – executive Producer, co-writer ("Runaway", "Children of Mars")
• Jenny Lumet – co-writer ("Runaway", "Children of Mars")
• Maja Vrvilo – director ("Runaway")
• Michael Chabon – writer ("Calypso", "Q&A")
• Olatunde Osunsanmi – director ("Calypso", "The Girl Who Made the Stars") [8]
• Bo Yeon Kim – co-writer ("The Brightest Star")
• Erika Lippoldt – co-writer ("The Brightest Star")
• Douglas Aarniokoski – director ("The Brightest Star")
• Mike McMahan – writer ("The Escape Artist")
• Rainn Wilson – director ("The Escape Artist")
• Mark Pellington – director ("Q&A", "Children of Mars")
• Graham Wagner – writer ("The Trouble with Edward")
• Daniel Gray Longino – director ("The Trouble with Edward")
• Kalinda Vazquez – writer ("Ask Not") [9]
• Sanji Senaka – director ("Ask Not") [10]
• Michael Giacchino – director ("Ephraim and Dot") [11]
• Kirsten Beyer – co-writer ("Children of Mars")

Publicity [ ]

For season 2, CBS All Access released an artwork series based on the old Pocket Books TOS covers from the 1980s.

Related topics [ ]

• ST directors
• ST performers
• ST studio models
• Character crossover appearances
• " Runaway " and " The Brightest Star " are included as part of the Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 DVD and Blu-ray releases.
• All four episodes from Season 1 and the first five episodes from Season 2 were released on 2 June 2020 on DVD and Blu-ray .
• " Children of Mars " is included as part of the Star Trek: Picard Season 1 DVD and Blu-ray releases.

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Short Treks at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek: Short Treks at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: Short Treks at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Star Trek: Short Treks

Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Sep 7 - 9, 2023, Hunt Valley, MD

• Web Channels
• Star Trek: Short Treks
• Episode Guide

Star Trek: Short Treks - Episode Guide

Episode List

Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Oct 4, 2018 (15 min)

Onboard the U.S.S. Discovery, Ensign Tilly encounters an unexpected visitor in need of help. However, this unlikely pair may have more in common than meets the eye.

Episode: 1x02 | Airdate: Nov 8, 2018 (15 min)

After waking up in an unfamiliar sickbay, Craft finds himself on board a deserted ship, and his only companion and hope for survival is an A.I. computer interface.

The Brightest Star

Episode: 1x03 | Airdate: Dec 6, 2018 (15 min)

Before he was the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, Saru lived a simple life on his home planet of Kaminar with his father and sister. Young Saru, full of ingenuity and a level of curiosity uncommon among his people, yearns to find out what lies beyond his village, leading him on an unexpected path.

The Escape Artist

Episode: 1x04 | Airdate: Jan 3, 2019 (15 min)

Harry Mudd, back to his old tricks of stealing and double-dealing, finds himself in a precarious position aboard a hostile ship – just in time to try out his latest con.

Episode: 2x01 | Airdate: Oct 5, 2019 (14 min)

Ensign Spock's first day aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise doesn't go as planned when he and Number One are unexpectedly stuck together in a turbo lift.

The Trouble with Edward

Episode: 2x02 | Airdate: Oct 10, 2019 (15 min)

Newly minted Captain Lynne Lucero is excited to take command of the U.S.S.Cabot, until she meets Edward Larkin, an ornery scientist who believes he has found a revolutionary new use for tribbles...

Episode: 2x03 | Airdate: Nov 14, 2019 (10 min)

When an attack on Starbase 28 leaves a surprise prisoner under Cadet Thira Sidhu's watch, she is faced with making a decision that may threaten her standing in Starfleet.

Ephraim & Dot

Episode: 2x04 | Airdate: Dec 12, 2019 (9 min)

Ephraim, a humble tardigrade, is flying through the mycelial network when an unexpected encounter takes her on a bewildering adventure through space.

The Girl Who Made the Stars

Episode: 2x05 | Airdate: Dec 12, 2019 (8 min)

When a lightning storm in space scares a young Michael Burnham, her father aims to ease her fears with a mythical story about a brave little girl who faced her own fears head on.

Children of Mars

Episode: 2x06 | Airdate: Jan 9, 2020 (8 min)

12 year-old classmates Kima and Lil find themselves at odds with each other on a day that will change their lives forever.

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The Best Order to Watch All of Star Trek

Whether you’ve overlooked Star Trek for the past 60 years, looking to finally catch up, or are a die-hard fan setting out on a new binge, this list is here help you figure out the best order to watch everything the long-running sci-fi series has to offer.

There are really three ways to approach a binge of this size and complexity: chronologically, by release, or the mythical “best.” Here we’ll provide you with the full list of how to do each one and you can choose for yourself from there.

How to Watch All of Star Trek in Release Order

Watching by release date is probably the easiest way to do this, though it might not deliver the best overall experience. Considering this is how much of the fanbase got hooked, however, it’s a perfectly valid way to get into Trek . It also helps with the times when later shows reference earlier ones, ensuring you’ve seen everything that’s being referenced. It should be noted here that many series and films — especially the current Paramount+ ones — overlap. For these moments, which are noted below when shows/movies were on at the same time, it might be wise to stagger your viewing of the seasons as there may be overlap in their storylines.

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• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974) — (Note: Maybe not canon but maybe also is.)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) — (Note: some characters overlap with TNG )
• Star Trek: Generations (1994) — (Note: Overlap with TNG )
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) — (Note: While rare, some characters overlap with DS9 )
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024)
• Star Trek: Short Treks (2018-2020) — (Note: Bridges gaps between Discovery seasons)
• Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-Present) (Note: Overlaps with SNW )
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2021-Present)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present) — (Note: Overlaps with Discovery and Lower Decks )
• Star Trek: Very Short Treks (2023) — (Note: Not canon)

How to Watch All of Star Trek in Chronological Order

Watching a franchise with as many entries as Star Trek in chronological order can be pretty tricky since some newer shows and films take place in the earlier in the timeline while older shows take place later. There’s also the films starring Chris Pine that take place on a different timeline entirely (the Kelvin timeline). That’s not to mention that time travel is an accepted and heavily regulated science in-universe and a popular plot mechanic, so almost every crew has, at some point, done it. That raises the question of where to put films like The Voyage Home , which has the TOS crew traveling back to the 1980s, or something like Discovery , which starts in the TOS era, spends half its first season in a parallel dimension, and then jumps millennia forward. Let’s not even get started on the ending of Enterprise . The point being is that chronological order is a terrible way to watch this franchise. If you must, though, here is the correct order, based on what time period each crew called “home” originally.

• Star Trek: Enterprise (Stardates: 2151-2156)
• Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Short Treks (First two seasons: 2256-2258, Final three seasons: 3188-?)
• Star Trek (2258-2259 Kelvin Timeline)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2259-2260 Kelvin Timeline)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2259-??)
• Star Trek Beyond (2263 Kelvin Timeline)
• Star Trek: The Original Series (2265-2269)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (2273)
• Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (2285)
• Star Trek: The Search for Spock (2285)
• Star Trek: The Voyage Home (2286)
• Star Trek: The Final Frontier (2287)
• Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country (2293)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)
• Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378)
• Star Trek: Generations (2371)
• Star Trek: First Contact (2373)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (2375)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2379)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380-??)
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-??)
• Star Trek: Picard (2399-2402)
• Star Trek: Very Short Treks — (Not canon)

How to Watch All of Star Trek in the Best Order

As you can tell from the two very long lists above, there is a lot of Star Trek to watch. Those lists don’t even do it justice considering that even without all the new streaming shows and movies, there are 709 episodes. That is a lot of time to dedicate to one franchise (and it is totally worth it), but if you’re going to do it, you’ll want an order that gets you hooked. Release date order may work for some, but it’s not the best way to get into great Trek right away. Instead use the method below to enjoy your journey through Star Trek to its fullest.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Start with what is easily the most accessible series and, for many, still the best. The first two seasons can be a little rocky, but they build the foundations for basically all Trek to come. The majority of Star Trek’s greatest episodes reside within this series, making it easy to get into and stick with. The episodic nature also makes it a good series to binge in free time to get your addiction kicked off without paying 100% attention. Yes, there are references and cameos from TOS , Voyager , and DS9 but not enough to not recommend simply watching TNG on its own straight through.

Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek movies I-VI

Now that you’re hooked, go back to the start. TOS may be a bit dated and wonky, but it’s all Trek , and it’s incredibly ahead of its time. The contrast between Kirk and Picard as Captains will also play off each other by watching these series back-to-back. Once you’re done, jump into the TOS films, which will keep things chronological for a good while as none of these films cross over with the TV shows in any way.

Star Trek Kelvin Timeline Films

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter where you watch Star Trek , Star Trek Into Darkness , or Star Trek Beyond as long as you’ve watched TOS and its films already. The movies are heavily connected to that series but kick off an entirely different timeline from every other show and film. Since they’re separate, you can really watch these at any point post- TOS , but watching it right after will give you the best experience of Star Trek ‘s “What if…?” storylines.

Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and TNG Films

Here’s where things get a little mushy. You can quite easily binge these three completely separately as they have minimal impact on each other. However, the best experience is probably to watch these as audiences of the time would. That means binging Deep Space Nine for two seasons, then alternating between episodes with Voyager while watching the TNG films during the seasons they came out before capping it all off with Star Trek: Nemesis . This order should give a good variety through a very long stretch of what can be some fantastic television and film. Fair warning, however, that the groundbreaking, serialized, final season of DS9 is going to be very hard to pause for even one episode of Voyager .

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy , having recently been renewed by Netflix , pops up in a weird place in the watch order because it’s just hard to place. Geared towards engaging younger viewers in Trek , it’s absolutely fantastic. Honestly, if you’re watching with a child, it could even be a perfect way to start your viewing. However, the Voyager cast play a large role in the first season, so watching it after Voyager is really helpful if you care about plotlines and canon like any well-respected adult should. Can you watch it any time after your Voyager binge? Sure, but why not dive into something really good before you start Discovery ?

Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Short Treks , and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

You have to watch Discovery to get to SNW , which is the only reason this list doesn’t have SNW higher. The second season of Discovery functions as a backdoor pilot to SNW while also being the best season of Discovery . Once the latter show jumps to the far future, they’re entirely separate so there’s no need to alternate viewing between the two if you feel like binging all of Discovery before moving onto SNW . You’ll need to watch Short Treks between the Discovery seasons they debuted before as they have some plot points in them you would miss otherwise.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Look, there’s very obviously a lot of not-so-great Trek to get through at the end of this list, but the goal is to be such a fan by this time that you’ll watch it anyway. Enterprise isn’t as bad as you may have heard, but it isn’t good either. Get through it. Enjoy the weird season set almost entirely in a hidden portion of the universe known as The Expanse, and then get just as angry as everyone else at its idiotic conclusion. At least you’ll be able to complain with the best of them once you’re done.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

We’re going to break up the suck with some of the best Trek on TV right now. Lower Decks is a Star Trek parody made by Star Trek . As such, you can’t really appreciate it until you’ve watched everything else. In fact, thanks to binging the rest, you may appreciate it more than most as you pick out deep cuts and references that those who watched the shows as they aired might miss. It’s a great reminder why you’re watching all of this before having to suffer through the final show.

Star Trek: Picard

One might expect that you’d just keep the good times rolling by watching Picard right after TNG . The show is, after all, a continuation of that series built on nostalgia and some unfinished plotlines. However, the first two seasons of Picard are so terrible that doing so would be like eating filet mignon and then instantly washing it down with some moonshine. Plus, the third and only decent season, is a massive nostalgia trip that can only be fully appreciated if you’ve spent the hours and hours and hours it takes to get through all of Trek . It’s the perfect victory lap for what you’ve just accomplished.

Bonus: Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: Very Short Treks

Is it canon? Is it not? Who cares. TAS is weird, dumb, poorly animated, and kind of hard to watch — but there’s some great episodes in there. You can avoid it entirely and be totally fine or slot it into any watch order you want post- TOS . Very Short Treks are just some fun YouTube shorts released in the style of TAS . Watch them whenever too.

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20 best episodes of star trek in tv history, ranked.

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Every Soong Character Brent Spiner Plays In Star Trek

Star trek guest star had 1 big problem with cardassian role on ds9, a ds9 classic sisko episode owes a weird debt to batman.

• The best Star Trek episodes balance social messaging with entertaining genres like comedy, horror, and romance.
• "Far Beyond the Stars" reflects on Star Trek's power to change societal attitudes about racial equality.
• "Darmok" is a profound story about communication and cultural connection.

With hundreds of episodes across 11 different TV shows, it's a tall order to pick just 20 of the best Star Trek episodes of all time. For almost 60 years, the Star Trek franchise has held a mirror to contemporary society with powerful stories that challenge audiences to do better. While that approach can sometimes run the risk of being too worthy, the best episodes of every Star Trek TV show strike a perfect balance between social messaging and populist entertainment.

Indeed, the Star Trek franchise's secret weapon is that the format enables writers to tell stories from a variety of genres, which is one of many reasons why Gene Roddenberry's vision endures to this day. The best episodes of Star Trek can be mini-movies, outlandish comedies, horror stories, or doomed romances. Across all these disparate genres, Star Trek 's best episodes are defined by a hopeful vision for the future, and a message of peace, love, and understanding between alien cultures.

The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained

From James T. Kirk to Jean-Luc Picard, from Kathryn Janeway to Michael Burnham, we're breaking down the full chronological timeline of Star Trek.

20 "Species Ten-C"

Star trek: discovery, season 4, episode 12.

Star Trek: Discovery often struggled to live up to its potential, but "Species Ten-C" is one of its finest hours . Star Trek is at its best when it's about the lead characters trying to form a connection with strange new life. This is particularly apparent in "Species Ten-C" in which the USS Discovery go beyond the Galactic Barrier to negotiate with the enigmatic aliens behind the Dark Matter Anomaly. Heavily riffing on Denis Villeneuve's 2016 movie Arrival , the scenes where Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) try to piece together the mystery of Species Ten-C are compuslive viewing.

Star Trek: Discovery

*Availability in US

Not available

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Discovery was never tired of telling people to " connect " with each other, but it has actual meaning in "Species Ten-C". It's only by finding a common language that the USS Discovery crew can avert a catastrophe. As an hour of TV, "Species Ten-C" is the perfect distillation of Discovery 's strengths, and adds one of the strangest ever alien creations to the Star Trek canon.

19 "Year of Hell"

Star trek: voyager, season 4, episodes 8 & 9.

"Year of Hell" puts the crew of the USS Voyager through the wringer in ways that the franchise had never done before . Pitted against the tyrannical temporal scientist Anorax (one of Kurtwood Smith's four Star Trek roles ), Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the crew of Voyager are pushed to the very brink. The time travel elements of "Year of Hell" mean that audiences know none of the damage done to characters like Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) will be permanent, but the strength of the performances means that the anguish still feels real.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

"Year of Hell" is a grueling Star Trek: Voyager movie that gets to answer the question of what happens when our heroes lose. With such a high death toll, and impossibly high stakes for the entire space-time continuum, it's one of the more ambitious of Voyager 's two-parters. It's not the sort of thing that fans want from a Star Trek show every week, but for a two-part epic, it really works and gives the Voyager cast a chance to flex their acting muscles.

18 "Those Old Scientists"

Star trek: strange new worlds, season 2, episode 7.

At its core, "Those Old Scientists" is a joyous celebration of what it means to be a Star Trek fan . Transporting Ensigns Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Mariner (Tawny Newsome) to the 23rd century version of the starship Enterprise allows Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to explore the idea of fandom and legacy. In the wrong hands, Boimler and Mariner's hero worship of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew would be grating, but writers Bill Wolkoff and Kathryn Lyn never lose sight of how that impacts the Strange New Worlds characters.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a television series that takes place before the events of the original series and follows Captain Christopher Pike as he mans the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show focuses on this previous crew of the Enterprise as they explore the galaxy with returning characters from Discovery.

"Those Old Scientists" is a warm and funny treatise on what it means to meet one's heroes. One of the best scenes in the episode is the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds characters' recognizing their own heroes, a joyous way to honor the legacy of previous Starfleet legends. "Those Old Scientists" is warm, funny, and has a touching story to tell about legacy and the pressures of living up to the expectations of others. It's also packed full of jokes that reward multiple rewatches, making it an instant classic.

17 "The Trouble With Tribbles"

Star trek: the original series, season 2, episode 15.

Occasionally, and generally to its detriment, Star Trek forgets that it's allowed to be funny. There's a long tradition of the Star Trek comedy episode that begins with David Gerrold's "The Trouble With Tribbles" back in 1967. The classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode finds Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) dealing with a grain crisis. While that sounds painfully dull, Gerrold's script introduces the Tribbles, cute fluffy aliens that breed incessantly. So embedded in the cultural zeitgeist is "The Trouble with Tribbles" that it surely inspired the plot of Joe Dante's Gremlins .

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.

"The Trouble With Tribbles" doesn't have the thematic heft or dramatic stakes of other classic Star Trek episodes, but its cultural impact transcends all of that. David Gerrold's classic comedy is one of a handful of Star Trek episodes that has entered the popular imagination , breaking through into wider cultural conversations. Almost everyone knows what a Tribble is, even if they couldn't point to Sherman's planet on a star chart.

Star Trek: Discovery Explains Season 5’s Tribble Is Not A Threat

A Tribble was sighted aboard the USS Discovery, which should be alarming, but Star Trek: Discovery season 5 explains this Tribble is no trouble.

16 "Lower Decks"

Star trek: the next generation, season 7, episode 15.

"Lower Decks" is one of the standout episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's final season . As well as inspiring Mike McMahan's Star Trek: Lower Decks , the episode also provides a new perspective on TNG 's cast of characters , courtesy of the USS Enterprise-D's lower deckers. Centering on a group of lowly ensigns, "Lower Decks" reveals the harsh realities of what it means to be a Starfleet officer. By allowing an audience to get to know Ensign Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill) before she is brutally killed by the Cardassians, TNG puts the old redshirt trope to bed once and for all.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

The lack of the series regulars in "Lower Decks" may put people off, but in reducing their presence, the episode gets to provide an outsider's perspective . Audiences love Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) but to the officers that serve under him, he can sometimes be a cruel taskmaster. Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) may be a stoic Klingon warrior, but his mentorship of Ensign Sito allows him to show his vulnerable side. The final scene where Worf lets his guard down and shares a drink with the Lower Deckers is profoundly moving. It's the perfect way to keep the characters fresh in TNG 's home stretch.

15 "Scorpion"

Star trek: voyager, season 3, episode 26 & season 4, episode 1.

There are a lot better Star Trek episodes that deal with the difficult decisions faced by a Starfleet captain than "Scorpion". However, Star Trek: Voyager 's season 3 finale is the closest the show ever got to recapturing the thrill of watching Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Best of Both Worlds" . "Scorpion" is a hugely important two-parter in the development of Voyager , as it introduces the groundbreaking Species 8472 villains and debuted Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine. While Seven would endure far longer than Species 8472, they were still a landmark Star Trek creation.

"Scorpion" is a great Star Trek episode because it reveals that the franchise's heroes are fallible and capable of making mistakes . Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) makes a deal with the Borg Collective, because she understandably believes that Species 8472 pose a huge threat to the galaxy. The rug pull that Species 8472 were simply defending themselves is devastating and defines Janeway's mission going forward, as she seeks to atone for her mistake by ultimately bringing the Borg Collective to their knees.

9 Versions Of The Borg In Star Trek

So many versions of the Borg Collective exist in Star Trek, from TNG's original cybernetic villains to Voyager's offshoots and Picard's revivals.

14 "The Last Generation"

Star trek: picard, season 3, episode 10.

Star Trek: Picard 's finale was the final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie that the cast deserved, a fitting send-off that brought their characters' stories to a satisfying conclusion. "The Last Generation" is bigger than any Star Trek finale before or since ; an apocalyptic battle for survival that ultimately boils down to a father's love for his son. While Admiral Janeway weakened the Borg in the Star Trek: Voyager finale, it's only right that Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) gets to finish the job, resolving his decades-old trauma in the process.

Star Trek: Picard

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action. The series also brings back fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, such as Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

"The Last Generation" is everything fans could want from a final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie . There's the strong familial bond between Picard and his crew, thrilling action sequences such as the Enterprise's flight through an exploding Borg Cube, bags of humor and wit, and a handover to the Next Generation 's next generation. The only reason that Star Trek: Picard 's finale isn't higher on the list is that, as the conclusion of a ten-part story, it lacks the standalone appeal of other classic Star Trek episodes.

13 "Living Witness"

Star trek: voyager, season 4, episode 23.

"Living Witness" is an inventive episode of Star Trek: Voyager that brilliantly questions the role of Starfleet in the Delta Quadrant . Awakening in a museum in the far-future, the Doctor (Robert Picardo) is horrified to discover that the history of Voyager doesn't reflect his own experiences. "Living Witness" is an incredibly smart Star Trek episode about how unreliable narrators shape our understanding of history. Although "Living Witness" is a star vehicle for Robert Picardo, the rest of the Star Trek: Voyager cast also get their chances to shine.

"Living Witness" was the only episode of Star Trek: Voyager to be directed by Tuvok actor Tim Russ.

Star Trek: Voyager could sometimes take itself too seriously, so it's refreshing to see the cast let their hair down and play exaggerated versions of their characters. The comedy inherent in these exaggerations helps to emphasize the inaccuracies created by a lack of rigorous historical research. "Living Witness" is a classic Star Trek episode that uses a brilliant sci-fi concept - the futuristic museum - to discuss a huge philosophical point about understanding the past.

Star Trek: Voyager’s 15 Best Doctor Episodes

Star Trek: Voyager's holographic Doctor was one of the series' most popular characters, with a cadre of stellar episodes focusing on him.

12 "The Devil in the Dark"

Star trek: the original series, season 1, episode 25.

Nothing quite sums up the core ethos of Gene Roddenberry's vision like Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 25, "The Devil in the Dark." An episode about the importance of not judging other species by appearances, "The Devil in the Dark" is remarkable for making an audience care about a pile of rocks. It's testament to the power of Leonard Nimoy's performance as Spock that the scene where he mind melds with the Horta doesn't feel remotely ridiculous .

"The Devil in the Dark" has the dubious honor of being the only Star Trek episode that has no female speaking parts, something that Gene Roddenberry noted in a letter to writer Gene Coon after he reviewed the episode.

"The Devil in the Dark" establishes many elements that would go on to become Star Trek tropes in the decades that followed. From setting the framework for Star Trek episodes set in caves to the central idea of seeing beyond appearances to discover the emotional truth of apparent foes, "The Devil in the Dark" cements much of the franchise's core ethos. It's also a tremendous showcase for William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

11 "The Measure Of A Man"

Star trek: the next generation, season 2, episode 9.

After a bumpy first season, "The Measure of a Man" is when Star Trek: The Next Generation starts to come into its own. An early showcase of Brent Spiner's abilities as an actor, "The Measure of a Man" puts the focus on Data, as he's forced to fight for his individuality. A hugely influential episode, Data's fight for his rights would later be echoed in the struggle of Star Trek: Voyager 's Doctor and Seven of Nine's battle to be accepted by Starfleet. Tackling huge themes like individuality, and what it means to be human, "The Measure of a Man" is a classic Star Trek morality play .

Writer Melinda Snodgrass was an attorney, and she used her experiences in the legal profession to write "The Measure of a Man".

Fighting Starfleet's desire to study Data's android body in more detail is Captain Picard, which gives Patrick Stewart an incredible opportunity. The courtroom setting is perfect for Stewart's background on the stage, and he appears to relish the opportunity to deliver big speeches about humanity. The central performances and philosophical questions are just two of many reasons that "The Measure of a Man" continues to be so influential on Star Trek .

Besides playing Data and all of his siblings in Star Trek, Brent Spiner portrayed the android's creator as well as various other Soongs in history.

10 "Balance of Terror"

Star trek: the original series, season 1, episode 14.

Another hugely influential Star Trek episode is "Balance of Terror", which had a considerable bearing on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1. One of Captain Kirk's best episodes , "Balance of Terror" depicts a Starfleet vessel facing off against a Romulan Bird-of-Prey for the first time in a century. While "Balance of Terror" rightly gets plaudits for its tense submarine movie-style atmosphere, there's also much richer material in this classic Star Trek episode.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 1 finale, "A Quality of Mercy" replayed the events of "Balance of Terror" but with Captain Pike in command of the USS Enterprise.

"Balance of Terror" also has an astute point to make about prejudice and racism, as some Enterprise crew members let their historic hatred of Romulans impact their relationship with Spock. This would have been particularly pertinent in the decades following World War 2, and is still relevant now. Not only that, but while Star Trek: The Original Series had a reputation for its disposable "redshirt" characters, "Balance of Terror" kills off a minor character and gives the death some genuine dramatic heft.

9 "Duet"

Star trek: deep space nine, season 1, episode 19.

An early indicator of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's promise, "Duet" is a powerful two-hander between Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and a suspected Cardassian war criminal, played by Harris Yulin. Kira's determination to prove that Aamin Marritza is actually Gul Darhe'el is compellingly played by Nana Visitor, and Harris Yulin proves to be an incredible foil. The moment where he tells Major Kira that for him, genocide is " a day's work " is utterly chilling.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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

"Duet" is one of Major Kira's best DS9 episodes , but it's also demonstrable of what made Star Trek: Deep Space Nine so unique. There was a darker tone to DS9 's treatment of morality, and Marritza's motivations for pretending to be Gul Darhee'l are fascinating to pick apart. "Duet" is a powerful statement about the need to punish war criminals, and whether true justice can ever be found for historical horrors.

Harris Yulin played Cardassian Aamin Marritza in one of DS9's best early episodes, "Duet", but there was 1 problem Yulin had with his Star Trek role.

8 "Yesterday's Enterprise"

Star trek: the next generation, season 3, episode 15.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" is an incredible episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that takes place in an alternate timeline where the Federation is still at war with the Klingon Empire. TNG never did a Mirror Universe episode , so this is the closest that they come to giving audiences the USS Enterprise-D's darkest timeline. The cause of the timeline being changed is the disappearance of the USS Enterprise-C, commanded by Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neill). The Enterprise-C was supposed to be destroyed above a Klingon colony, proving to the Empire that the Federation fought with honor.

A younger Rachel Garrett, played by Kacey Rohl, will appear in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie on Paramount+.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" is an episode about destiny and personal sacrifice that also gives Denise Crosby's Lt. Tasha Yar a more meaningful death . By accepting their fate and returning through the temporal anomaly, the crew of the USS Enterprise-C sacrifice themselves for the future peace of the galaxy. Sacrificing the needs of the one for the needs of the many; there's nothing more Star Trek than that.

7 "The Best of Both Worlds"

Star trek: the next generation, season 3, episode 26 & season 4, episode 1.

"The Best of Both Worlds" is the gold standard of Star Trek 's season finales, ending on the greatest cliffhanger of all time. Revealing the full extent of the Borg threat. "The Best of Both Worlds" assimilated Captain Jean-Luc Picard and turned him against his former crew. "The Best of Both Worlds" is widely regarded as the moment when Star Trek: The Next Generation finally escaped the shadow of TOS , and it's easy to see why. The blockbuster stakes are like nothing that Star Trek: The Original Series could have achieved .

Between parts 1 and 2, rumors emerged that Patrick Stewart would be leaving Star Trek: The Next Generation , which only helped to promote TNG 's season 4 premiere even further.

By establishing the high-stakes season finale, "The Best of Both Worlds" changed the game for the Star Trek franchise. While the resolution may not live up to the set-up of the first episode, the assimilation of Picard, and the Battle of Wolf 359 had a lasting impact on the Star Trek universe. The iconic cliffhanger ending, where Riker orders the Enterprise to fire on its former captain, continues to be influential to this day.

6 "In The Pale Moonlight"

Star trek: deep space nine, season 6, episode 19.

Some of the best episodes of Star Trek question the cost of maintaining the utopian ideals of Starfleet and the Federation . This is best realized in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "In the Pale Moonlight", which forces Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to make a very tough call. At the height of DS9 's Dominion War , Sisko realizes that the Federation needs an ally like the Romulan Star Empire, and he'll stop at nothing to convince them to join the war effort.

"In the Pale Moonlight" was named after the quote from Tim Burton's Batman movie.

Sisko breaks several Starfleet regulations and actively engages in criminality in his attempts to convince the Romulans to join the Federation Alliance. However, Sisko's actions are done in pursuit of the greater good, proving that Gene Roddenberry's binary vision of a peaceful utopia is a great idea in theory, but doesn't always hold in practice. By upturning Star Trek 's core ethos, "In the Pale Moonlight" demonstrated how important it was to preserve Roddenberry's utopia by whatever means necessary .

One of the greatest Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes, "In The Pale Moonlight," owes its title to Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie.

5 "The Visitor"

Star trek: deep space nine, season 4, episode 3.

More than any other Star Trek show, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine explored the realities of balancing family duty with a commitment to Starfleet. The most powerful depiction of family and fatherhood in all of Star Trek is "The Visitor" , which depicts an entire alternate timeline in which Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) loses his father. While there's a strong sci-fi idea at its heart; a man scattered across time due to a temporal accident, "The Visitor" is really about the way that grief can take over our lives.

The balance of high-concept sci-fi with emotional realism in "The Visitor" is something that all the best Star Trek episodes aspire to, but rarely achieve.

Jake Sisko's obsession with answering the question of what happened to his father completely changes the course of his life. Jake turns his back on a promising career as a writer to pursue his father across time, building to a devastating sacrifice. The older Jake Sisko is the best of Tony Todd's Star Trek roles , as the actor responds beautifully to the script. The balance of high-concept sci-fi with emotional realism in "The Visitor" is something that all the best Star Trek episodes aspire to, but rarely achieve.

4 "The Inner Light"

Star trek: the next generation, season 5, episode 25.

"The Inner Light" is another Star Trek episode that beautifully balances a high-concept sci-fi idea with something deeply profound and human. Captain Picard's encounter with an alien probe allows him to live through the dying days of an extinct civilization as Kamin, a humble iron weaver on the planet Kataan. It's never made clear whether Kamin was a real person, or if he was an amalgam of experiences assigned to Picard. Whatever the truth, Picard's experiences as Kamin have a profound effect on him, represented by his Ressikan flute.

"The Inner Light" has so many layers to it, making it one of the most thematically rich episodes of Star Trek ​​​​​​​ of all time.

Kamin's ambiguity gets more compelling when rewatching "The Inner Light", because it casts doubts on Picard's assertions that he never wanted a family. If Kamin is a simulation specifically designed for Picard, then the iron weaver's loving family reflects something Jean-Luc felt he could never have . "The Inner Light" has so many layers to it, making it one of the most thematically rich episodes of Star Trek of all time.

3 "City on the Edge of Forever"

Star trek: the original series, season 1, episode 28.

"City on the Edge of Forever" is an astonishing episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that still holds up nearly 60 years later. It's a classic butterfly effect conundrum, with Kirk and Spock traveling back to 1930s America to stop Dr. McCoy changing the course of history. However, "City on the Edge of Forever" is so much deeper than that, as it quickly becomes a romantic tragedy. Joan Collins' Edith Keeler is the most important of Captain Kirk's love interests , because you genuinely believe in their romance.

"City on the Edge of Forever" is a romantic tragedy that taps into the unique responsibilities of being a Starfleet officer to heartbreaking effect.

So it's devastating when it becomes apparent that Kirk's love interest and the march of history are on a collision course with each other. The climax of "City on the Edge of Forever", when Kirk is forced to stop Bones from saving Edith's life, is devastating. Kirk's inability to look at the accident is an astute acting choice by William Shatner, who turns in one of his finest Star Trek performances. "City on the Edge of Forever" is a romantic tragedy that taps into the unique responsibilities of being a Starfleet officer to heartbreaking effect.

2 "Far Beyond The Stars"

Star trek: deep space nine, season 6, episode 13.

"Far Beyond the Stars" is a powerful depiction of racism that doesn't rely on the usual Star Trek allegories. Directed by Avery Brooks , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's finest hour reflects on how far society has come since TOS tried to depict a racially diverse future, and how far it still needs to go to achieve it. "Far Beyond the Stars" doesn't shy away from racial slurs, or gut-wrenching violence to make the point that the dark days of segregation may be gone, but racist attitudes still persist.

It's often said that the past is another country, but in Star Trek terms, the racist 1950s are another planet for Captain Sisko.

In 2024, "Far Beyond the Stars" has lost none of its power, which says a lot about how far from reach Gene Roddenberry's utopia still is . It's often said that the past is another country, but in Star Trek terms, the racist 1950s are another planet for Captain Sisko. "Far Beyond the Stars" dispenses with the sci-fi allegories to give us an unblinking representation of racist violence in America's recent history, which proves that Star Trek 's message of acceptance and understanding is still as vital as ever.

1 "Darmok"

Star trek: the next generation, season 5, episode 2.

"Darmok" is the greatest episode of Star Trek of all time, because it's a profound mediation on communication and commonality. While it's technically a remake of Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Arena", retooled for Shakespearian actor Patrick Stewart, "Darmok" has much more to say about the need to find common ground. Star Trek always relies heavily on the universal translator technology, so "Darmok" flips that on its head by introducing the Tamarians, an alien species whose language doesn't reflect the universal dominance of American English .

The quest for deeper cultural understanding and relating to species that are unlike our own is pure Star Trek...

It's revealed that Star Trek 's Tamarians communicate via culturally specific metaphors. Therefore, Picard, Data, and Counselor Troi have to properly understand Tamarian culture to translate their language. The quest for deeper cultural understanding and relating to species that are unlike our own is pure Star Trek , which is why "Darmok" represents the franchise's finest hour in its near-60 year history.

All episodes of Star Trek are available to stream on Paramount+.

Den of Geek

Star Trek Discovery Ending Explained and How the Finale Connects to “Calypso”

Exclusive: Star Trek Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise breaks down the series finale and what the ending means for Michael Burnham and her crew.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

After five seasons, Star Trek: Discovery , the series that launched a new era of Star Trek programming on television, has come to an end with the finale “Life, Itself.” Leaning heavily on the science fiction action and prominently connecting with Star Trek elements introduced in the ‘90s, Discovery ’s fifth and final season brought the adventures of Starfleet officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) to a satisfying close. That conclusion includes a coda that was added after the creative team learned Discovery would not be renewed for a sixth season. The additional scenes were filmed to provide the finale with greater closure.

At the helm of the fifth season was Michelle Paradise, who has been an executive producer on the series since the second season and co-showrunner, with series co-creator Alex Kurtzman , since Discovery season 3. Paradise recently sat down with Den of Geek to go in full spoiler-y detail on wrapping Discovery and shares how far development on a potential sixth season had progressed before the team discovered they would not proceed with more episodes.

What Happens in the Star Trek: Discovery Series Finale

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was largely driven by a scavenger hunt across the cosmos, with Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery following clues to recover technology from the Progenitors, a mysterious ancient race that seeded all known humanoid life in the galaxy eons ago. Unfortunately, the Discovery was not alone in this race, with the wanted criminal Moll and the Breen, a vicious alien race introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , looking to recover the technology for themselves. Racing toward the finish line in the finale, Burnham and Moll (Eve Harlow) both entered a pocket dimension where Burnham spoke with a holo program of a Progenitor, not only obtaining a data drive from them but learning that the Progenitors created life from ancient technology they discovered from another unknown race.

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In the end, Burnham not only convinced Moll to stand down but her new first officer Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and the crew outmaneuvered the Breen warship, and though a quick analysis of the data revealed it could change all life in the galaxy, Burnham respected the Progenitors’ wishes by deciding to not share it with the Federation. Burnham’s Starfleet superior, Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg), was understandably annoyed by this but understood and respected her reasoning. In return, Kovich revealed his real identity as Agent Daniels , a time-traveling Starfleet officer introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise .

Returning home for the coda section of the finale, the crew assembled to celebrate the wedding of Saru (Doug Jones) and Ni’Var President T’Rina (Tara Rosling) where Burnham and her paramour Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala) also rekindled their romance. In an epilogue decades into the future that ties into the beloved Short Trek “Calypso,” an older Admiral Burnham sent off the Discovery and its sentient ship computer Zora (Annabelle Wallis) on an important mission. To commemorate its send-off, Zora was joined by holograms of the Discovery crew in their prime in one emotional final farewell.

Pivoting to a Series Finale After Discovery Was Canceled

Principal photography on Star Trek: Discovery season 5 wrapped in November 2022 with the initial expectation that the series would be renewed for a sixth season. However, Paramount+ and CBS Studios announced the fifth season of Discovery would be its last in March 2023, with additional scenes filmed the following month. For Paradise, this chance to wrap the story in a more satisfying way and tie up loose ends was a unique one that she and the rest of the creative team greatly appreciated.

“It’s a rare opportunity, so we remain so grateful to Paramount+ and CBS Studios for letting us do that, because it almost never happens,” Paradise says. She and Kurtzman were joined by fellow series writer Kyle Jarrow to develop a coda for the entire series, which evolved into the flash-forward of Burnham launching the Discovery for its final voyage. Paradise notes the idea of having the Discovery crew in their prime appear on the bridge for the last goodbye was something Kurtzman had in mind for a while.

“Alex pitched that scene on the bridge,” Paradise confirms. “I don’t know how long he had that in his mind, but it didn’t start this season. He’s had that in his head for I don’t know how long. It’s just so beautiful and so emotional. Getting to see everybody as they are now feels like it gives the audience an opportunity to say goodbye to all of our beloved characters.”

Paradise wanted the coda to be anchored by two characters in particular, Burnham and the Discovery itself, through the personified perspective of Zora. With Burnham as “the heart and soul” of the show, Paradise wanted to provide her with a coda that confirmed and detailed her happy ending. This extended to the closing scene on the bridge conveying to the audience that “Burnham and Book are okay, our crew is okay, and Zora and Discovery are also okay.”

Connecting to Star Trek’s Past: The Breen, the Progenitors, and Agent Daniels

The 32nd century setting of Discovery that began with the show’s third season allowed the creative team to remix familiar elements of the Star Trek mythos. For season 5, the story connected directly and prominently not only with the Breen—we finally learned what they looked like under those creepy helmets—but the Progenitors, a race only seen in a one-off sixth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Although both the Breen and Progenitors appearing memorably in classic Star Trek series, Paradise felt they were relatively blank canvases to fill out creatively in writing Discovery season 5.

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“All we really knew about the Breen is that they were scary bad guys that had these really interesting suits that they wore,” Paradise reflects, noting they were simply known for being visually striking adversaries in DS9 . “We didn’t know much about them but, when you invoke the name of the Breen, you shudder a little bit. Getting to bring them into the season, just the name itself tells us that these are going to be formidable bad guys for our heroes, but didn’t want to just make them bad guys. It was also an opportunity to learn more about their culture.”

The Progenitors not only gave Discovery season 5 its MacGuffin but created a greater sense of mystery and tied into the season’s deeper existential themes of belonging and meaning. Paradise explains that the dark matter anomaly crisis in season 4 was analogous with COVID, leaving the crew searching for direction, with the theme highlighted by the Progenitor mission.

“It just felt right that all of our characters would be in that place, going on those journeys in different ways, but all exploring similar things,” Paradise observes. “It felt like having the Progenitors be a piece of that really spoke to the journey that they’re all on.”

The other big connection to past Star Trek series in Discovery season 5 was the unveiling of Kovich’s identity as Agent Daniels, a Temporal agent from the 31st century who encountered Captain Jonathan Archer in the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise . Inspired by David Cronenberg’s performance as Kovich, Paradise felt he added “layers upon layers” to the character and story and wanted to pay that off in a big way with the fifth season, even before learning that Discovery would not be renewed.

“Very early on, we knew we were going to have to answer the backstory of this character and who he is and that it had to be worthy of the character himself and the way David plays him,” Paradise recalls. “A couple of our writers who are very familiar with Star Trek: Enterprise suggested Daniels and the minute they did, all of our heads exploded a little bit because it just felt like that makes sense. We knew, coming into this season, that we wanted to answer that in what, at the time, we thought was the season finale.”

Tying Up Loose Ends, Discovery Season 6, and the “Calypso” Connection

Apart from the reveal of Kovich’s true identity and background, the other major plot thread that Paradise wanted to resolve was the timeline discrepancy created by the Star Trek: Short Treks episode “Calypso.” The short episode, released before the Discovery’s time jump to the 32nd century, revealed that at some point Zora had been without a crew for nearly a millennium when the ship encountered a lost soldier in the vastness of space. Before ending the series, Paradise wanted to tie up this loose end and clearly set up the events of “Calypso.”

“We always knew we were going to have to answer in the series somehow,” Paradise explains. “Finding a way to address that within the coda in a way that would feel satisfying for people who had seen [ Star Trek: Short Treks ], but not feel distracting or confusing for people who didn’t know it. Finding a way to satisfy both sides of the audience, it felt like our audience, even if they don’t know Short Treks , they’re now familiar with the ‘Red Directive’ term.”

Even though Paradise hadn’t initially planned for Star Trek: Discovery ending with its fifth season, plans for a potential sixth season had not substantially been formed by the time she learned Discovery would not be continuing. For Paradise, the important thing was that the show got the opportunity to resolve its biggest outstanding plot thread in its final scene.

“In terms of a possible season 6 and how we would’ve mixed things up further moving forward, I can’t really answer that because we didn’t really get farther down the road,” Paradise admits. “We were in the very early stages of thinking what a season 6 might be when we found out that season 5 would be our last.”

Even if Discovery season 6 will only ever exist in our imaginations, at least we got a moment to say a proper goodbye to our beloved crew before the end.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+.

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Everything Must Go In Final Master Replicas Sale Of Eaglemoss Star Trek Ship Models

| June 13, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 20 comments so far

Last year Master Replicas began selling the remaining stock the Eagelmoss Hero Collector Star Trek ship models, picking up after Eaglemoss went out of business in 2022. But Master Replicas only had a license to sell the Star Trek ship models until this year and that all comes to an end on Tuesday, June 18th. Master Replicas is launching a brand new sale for their final weekend of Star Trek ship models.

Everything must go!

Despite their financial problems, the extensive Eaglemoss Hero Collector line of die-cast Star Trek ship was very popular, and for years they were the most prolific Star Trek licensee, releasing new ships every month. Master Replicas still holds much of what’s left of their stock. And starting today (Thursday, June 13) at 8 PM BST (3 pm ET, noon PT) MasterReplicas.com launches their “End Of An Era” sale. The more you buy, the more you save, up to 60%. Here is how it works…

• Spend $100 save 20%
• Spend $150 save 30%
• Spend $200 save 40%
• Spend $500 save 50%
• Spend $1,000 save 60%

The sale will run until their license runs out at 9 am on Tuesday morning UK time (4 am ET, 1 am PT).

There are hundreds of different die-cast ship models still available from all across the franchise from the classic TV shows, the movies, and the new Paramount+ shows as well. This includes a few dozen different XL-sized ship types, but stock is dwindling fast.

This clearance only applies to the Eaglemoss products at Master Replicas. They will still be offering other Star Trek products. The recently released (and quickly sold out) a Lower Decks Moopsy plush and they are promising more fun releases to come.

TrekMovie is giving away a golden Enterprise

One of the ship models still available is the Gold USS Enterprise-D (which sells for $66). We will reveal how you can win this special ship during our weekly All Access Star Trek podcast , which arrives on Friday morning. This week our special guest is Laurence Luckinbill (Sybok), just in time for the 35th anniversary of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .

Golden Enterprise-D

To learn more and take advantage of the final sale of Star Trek ship models, visit masterreplicas.com .

Find more news and reviews of  Star Trek merchandise .

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So, what’s on everybody’s wish list?

I would love to get the Defiant, original Jeffries Enterprise, TMP Enterprise, and the Enterprise E. And maybe a D-7 or Romulan Bird of Prey.

OK WHO BOUGHT ALL THE D-7 BATTLECRUSIERS?!?

No K’tingas either…. I fear Qo’nos is preparing for war.

Reminds me of when there were cute rubbery-plastic Micromachine replicas to collect back in the day.

I have a box of those! Borg cube, Romulan warbird (TOS and TNG), Klingon BoP, D7, Excelsior, Enterprise TOS,

The fat ones? Nobody wants those.

Ha! Good one.

If they want to shift this junk, they need to lower the prices. Apparently, there was a glut of unsold DSC ships.

Definitely! Otherwise they’ll turn into dust

Who can tell what any of the other ships on Discovery look like! All the space scenes are muddy, overly contrasty and blurry. There’s almost no starship p0rn on that series.

agree! so disappointing!

For real, that show is an absolute joke when it comes to space VFX. Can’t see or appreciate anything happening with these ships, so it’s not wonder at all that Disco models didn’t sell (which I knew when they made them larger and at a higher price point than the standard ships).

I have what I need.🙂 https://photos.app.goo.gl/r91gALT6Z3nQApH68

No F? No NX? Still it looks great.

Thank you..

Master Replicas lost me when they introduced the Collectors Club, which only benefitted the price gougers on eBay and made the really desirable ships harder to get hold of.

this did not apply to the trek ships that were on the site before. their rules applied to only new products to the site. wasnt member, but almost got everything i wanted. Anyway this was a good exercise in scalping. if youre fast enough, buy two of what you wanted. UK is outside EUs customs zone and not everyone in the EU wanted the hassle. I often scored two of the XLs i liked and sell one of it at inflated prices on ebay to a market that doesnt know or care about masterreplicas, covering my costs (price + customs/taxes + delivery) or even turning a profit. I had lots, sold a B XL, C XL, D XL, E XL, F Fed Livery, even bought Voyager-Js on a drop they werent listed out of spite because what i wanted was gone in seconds, bought two of them and sold both.And i always stayed under the insane prices of the commercial sellers who tried to sell a voyager xl at up to 400 Euros. I sold at 200. So only half insane. Dont get mad, theres surely some Rule of Aquisition covering that so its fine.

Also got me some BSG Vipers (Mk I,II,III) on a discount, but they seem more plastic-cheap than trek. Was a fun year.

Glad this is happening, I have over 60 of these little things and there are still more that I wanted, namely the shuttles and the XL versions. I just spent 400 bucks 😰 but I saved 400 bucks too, honestly can’t believe I got this stuff for so cheap. I’m gonna have the entire damn Starfleet on my bookshelf (or in boxes if I can’t find the room)

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Star Trek's Scott Bakula Showed Up For The Franchise's Latest Award, And I’m Psyched For A Couple Of Reasons

Star Trek remains an acclaimed IP and continues to collect accolades in 2024. Just recently, many franchise stars were on hand to celebrate the series being the recipient of the Institutional Peabody Award at the organization's 84th awards ceremony. There's one particular franchise alum that truly caught my attention, though. Enterprise star Scott Bakula was on hand for the event and his appearance, in particular, has me psyched for a few reasons.

Scott Bakula famously played Captain Jonathan Archer on Enterprise , which had a controversial ending that even its co-creator won't defend . With so many upcoming Star Trek shows on the way, I can't help but wonder if there are plans for the actor to make a return based on his appearance onstage at the event (which was posted on YouTube ) and a couple of other key reasons.

Almost Everyone On Stage Has Been Recently Involved With Star Trek, So Why Is Scott Bakula There?

As mentioned, Scott Bakula was far from the only Star Trek actor in attendance at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards. Yet he was one of the only ones who hasn't worked in the franchise in recent memory. Here's a rundown of who all showed up to support the franchise on the acting side of things:

Patrick Stewart

Anson Mount

Rebecca Romijn

LeVar Burton

Tawny Newsome

Wilson Cruz

Sam Richardson

Scott Bakula

Two interesting factoids stand out about this list. One, Scott Bakula was the only actor featured who hasn't worked on a Star Trek project in recent memory. Two, Sam Richardson was invited but hasn't officially debuted yet as part of the Section 31 cast .

If one actor was invited to appear despite their latest project not having aired yet, would it also be possible for Scott Bakula to have received an invite for some future project we don't know about yet? Sure, he might've been invited simply to have some Enterprise representation but, if that were true, wouldn't we see someone from Deep Space Nine on the stage as well? Bakula's presence could be insignificant but, as a fan who just saw him sidestep any involvement in the Quantum Leap revival , I think it's interesting to see him in this context.

Alex Kurtzman Hinted At Surprises Coming To Star Trek

Another detail that has me suspicious about Scott Bakula representing Star Trek at the Peabody Awards is that Alex Kurtzman confirmed surprises were on the way that fans don't know about. As much as I love watching old episodes of Enterprise with my Paramount+ subscription , I am bummed it never received a proper finale and wish the franchise would fix that.

Given that this IP is now loaded with stars who are Star Trek superfans, I would reckon I'm not alone. With another live-action show like Discovery finished, there's room for a miniseries or movie starring Jonathan Archer that could give a more conclusive ending to the Enterprise series than the one we received decades ago.

Even if nothing is currently on the table, I'd like to think that Alex Kurtzman or at least one of the other creatives in attendance have broached the subject with Scott Bakula. Fans want to see Jonathan Archer again and, with so many stars being welcomed back in recent years, why shouldn't he be offered the same opportunity? With so many ways to bring him back in shows via holodeck or temporal distortion, this feels like something that would be easy to work out. Assuming the actor is interested and other tricky variables aren't at play here, there's no reason Trek couldn't pursue this.

Until Scott Bakula is announced to be returning to Star Trek , we can only continue to stream Enterprise on Paramount+. Who knows, maybe conversations are happening behind the scenes that could result in fans seeing more of Captain Archer in the future, along with others members of his crew.

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