star trek discovery season 4 episode 6 review

Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 6 review: "Finally delivers on the promise of season’s primary antagonist"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Star Trek: Discovery finally delivers on the promise of season four’s primary antagonist, as the Anomaly backs the crew into a compelling scenario that even their fancy 32nd century tech can’t solve.

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Warning: This Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 6 review contains major spoilers – many of them set to stun. Boldly go further at your own risk…

For a show that’s supposed to have the idea of boldly going where no one has gone before hardwired into its DNA, Star Trek: Discovery’s fourth season has been strangely reluctant to explore new frontiers. Six episodes in, however, ‘Stormy Weather’ reignites the spirit of James T. Kirk’s famous mission statement, warping the crew into a scenario that feels genuinely disconcerting and weird. 

The episode is based around a conundrum that would have given the crews of both the Enterprise and Voyager – their successors in Starfleet are both mentioned in comms early on – plenty of sleepless nights. Discovery has been dispatched on a forensic mission to investigate the subspace tear Anomaly leaves in its wake, but the investigation is so far from routine that any CSI: DMA spin-off would be doomed from the start – there’s absolutely nothing to see. The sensors? Dead. Background radiation? AWOL. And with no external reference points to lock on to, there’s no way for the crew to find their way out of a very dark hole.

Total nothingness is supposed to be a scientific impossibility but it’s even worse news for the unfortunate DOT Burnham dispatches to gather data. Having watched the droid disintegrate in such a visceral, slow-motion manner that the crew swear they can hear its tortured cries, they quickly realize that the destructive ‘edge’ of the rift is getting closer by the second – and that, if they don’t find a way out, it’s likely to tear through Discovery’s hull in similarly unpleasant ways.

It’s the sort of headscratcher the best Star Trek stories are made of, but – even more importantly – it’s such a big threat to the crew’s existence that it forces the episode’s disparate plotlines to coalesce into one organic narrative.

That makes a big difference, because – with a diplomatic mission here and a visit to the ship’s counselor there – recent episodes have felt like a mish-mash of barely linked storylines. In ‘Stormy Weather’, however, there’s a sense that everyone’s pulling in the same direction, even if they’re coming at the problem from different angles.

With the mycelial network severely disrupted by the Anomaly’s awesome power, not even Discovery’s traditional ‘get out of jail free’ card – AKA the spore drive – can provide an escape route. Book learns this the hard way, when his attempt to pilot the ship to safety results in a massive overload that leaves him seeing vivid hallucinations – or are they something more? – of his late father.

Sadly, this isn’t a joyful reunion with a loved one, because Book Sr. is the sort of problematic parent who forces his kids to doubt everything they think and do. Are his searching questions about Burnham’s command based on Book’s own doubts? Or is there something more substantial to this very convincing apparition? Could the creators of the Anomaly be unleashing psychological warfare on the Federation?

Book isn’t the only one facing a crisis of confidence, either, because ship’s computer Zora is struggling to deal with her newly awakened emotions. This is, it turns out, a major inconvenience when you need Discovery performing at maximum efficiency – how to coax a starship into doing something it doesn’t fancy is not something they regularly teach at Starfleet Academy.

Anomaly aside, this is by far the most intriguing plot development of this middling season. Machines gaining sentience has long been a popular theme in Trek, from The Motion Picture’s destructive V’Ger probe to The Next Generation’s Pinocchio-esque Data arc, but the ship’s computer becoming self-aware – effectively turning Discovery into a living entity – feels like a new twist on a familiar trope. You also have to credit the showrunners for seeding the premise as far back as 2018, when Short Trek episode ‘Calypso’ transported us to a distant future where Zora piloted a deserted Discovery. Subtle updates to Zora’s ‘personality’ have been drip-fed into the series ever since.

Zora’s struggles also give Gray a belated reason to become a useful member of the crew, a welcome development for a character whose primary function until now has been acting as a sounding board for Adira. His conversations with the anxious computer bring out the best in both characters, and make us optimistic he won’t necessarily be backed into the sort of Neelix-shaped corner where the writers are constantly thinking up reasons to keep him on board.

While the use of audible sonar pings to find an escape route suggests the writers have forgotten some very rudimentary physics – Alien was quick to remind us that in space, no one can hear you scream – the solution requires a trip to the nerdier corners of Trek lore. The fact that “pattern buffers” are never properly explained suggests that attracting newbies is no longer a priority in the writers’ room, but this obscure component of transporter tech is nonetheless called into action as a way to keep the crew in stasis as they exit the void – a similar plot device allowed Original Series legend Scotty to crop up 75 years later in The Next Generation.

After a trio of episodes that have felt like Trek-by-numbers, ‘Stormy Weather’ again embraces the invention and intelligent sci-fi ideas that have made Trek one of the most successful franchises of all time. It may not be a coincidence that the show rediscovering its mojo coincides with Jonathan Frakes taking the helm for the episode – having played Commander Riker and directed numerous Trek movies/episodes, the man has Starfleet in his blood.

Now that we know the Anomaly’s creators originated outside our galaxy, Discovery has once again set its coordinates for genuinely new frontiers. Hopefully, this is the moment when a middling season starts to burn as fiercely as Discovery’s hull during its escape from the rift.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 4 beam onto Paramount Plus on Thursdays in the US and Crave in Canada. UK viewers can watch episodes on Pluto TV .

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

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Star Trek: Discovery review – Season 4, Episode 6: Stormy Weather

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4.

Last week we learned that the DMA – the anomaly at the heart of Season 4’s story – is an artificial construct. Following up that big revelation was the challenge that befell Stormy Weather and director Jonathan Frakes, and I’m happy to report that Discovery rose to the occasion. Stormy Weather was a tense, dramatic, and incredibly exciting episode, one that has set a high bar for the rest of the season to reach.

Unfortunately, due to inexcusable corporate nonsense from ViacomCBS, Star Trek: Discovery is unavailable to many fans around the world. This short-sighted, self-defeating decision has been rightly condemned by Star Trek fans, but we need to keep the pressure on and continue to call out this misbehaviour at every opportunity. Star Trek is not the sole preserve of any one group of fans – it’s something all of us should be able to enjoy together. Denying that opportunity to even one Trekkie would be unacceptable; to deny it to millions in dozens of countries and territories around the world is just offensive.

So let’s take a look at Stormy Weather – an episode named for a song from 1933. There have been some connections between Discovery and sister show Star Trek: Picard , but one of the most unexpected thematic connections came in the form of this song. Picard Season 1 prominently featured the song Blue Skies , written in 1926, and to hear another older, slow-tempo jazz song in Discovery was an unexpected but interesting way to bridge the gap between these two very different parts of the Star Trek franchise.

Stormy Weather featured Captain Burnham prominently, and we’ll look at her contributions in a moment. But where the episode did remarkably well, in my view, was through a series of smaller moments that showed off several members of Discovery’ s secondary cast – many of whom have had less to do so far this season than in Season 3 last year.

Commander Owosekun had a big centre-stage moment, objecting on the bridge in front of her colleagues and leading to a sweet moment later on between her, Detmer, and Saru. Dr Pollard, making her first major appearance of the season, got two significant moments in the spotlight, including one incredibly dramatic moment as a crewman was blown out into space through a hull breach.

Ian Alexander, who plays Gray, and Annabelle Wallis, who voices Zora, were Stormy Weather’ s breakout stars for me. Gray had already given us one of the season’s emotional highs when he completed his transfer into a new synthetic body, but there was definitely a question mark surrounding his next steps. Adira was a commissioned ensign, but Gray didn’t really have a role aboard the ship – something that Discovery acknowledged this week when Gray found himself alone in the lounge as the crew scrambled to their posts.

There’s always something very relatable about this kind of storyline. Anyone who’s ever dealt with feelings of helplessness or loneliness should be able to empathise with Gray in this moment, and it’s certainly something I’ve been through before on more occasions than I perhaps care to admit! As everyone on the ship attended to their duties, Gray was left alone – and this led to a really touching sequence between he and Zora that ended up playing a major role in the story.

Zora was a background presence for much of Season 3, and it was only really last week when the revelation that she can feel emotions came out that she emerged as a major player. Zora’s interactions with Gray this week have done more to humanise her and lay the groundwork for future character development than any episode has since Calypso – and if Discovery chooses to, the show could now make Zora a major presence on the ship going forward.

I can’t be the only one noticing an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey , right? Zora’s line to Captain Burnham when she refused to follow an order felt like it had come straight from HAL 9000! Of course, Zora went in a different – and thankfully far friendlier – direction shortly thereafter, but the reference was appreciated nevertheless.

The development of Zora’s emotions brings the character one step closer to her portrayal in the Short Treks episode Calypso , but at this point I’m still not sure how – or even if – the stories will line up. As we’ve discussed previously, for every step made toward Calypso since Season 2 we’ve seen at least one step away – and with Discovery in the far future already, the further development of Zora still leaves the show with significant hurdles to overcome if a full connection to Calypso is on the cards. But I guess that’s a conversation for another time!

Gray and Zora were able to share a connection as two passengers on the ship who felt out of place and unsettled. There was a subtle continuation of the transgender theme present in Gray’s earlier incorporation story, as Gray made reference to choosing his own name; something Zora could relate to. Despite Gray’s incorporation feeling somewhat rushed at the beginning of the season, it’s been great to see him as a character in his own right, able to interact with others aboard the ship. Pairing him up with Zora was unexpected but an absolute delight.

Discovery has continued Star Trek’s use of storytelling by metaphor and analogy, and we see that again with Gray. His struggle to become visible, his comments about getting used to his new body, and again this week through his conversations with Zora all had serious things to say about the difficulty of transitioning, coming out as transgender, finding acceptance, and other trans issues. But they were told through a science fiction lens in the very best tradition of Star Trek. It’s hard to think of a more understandable and relatable depiction of a trans individual in all of entertainment, and the writers deserve a lot of credit – as does Ian Alexander, who stepped up this week and put in his best performance of the season so far.

Discovery as a whole is a series with a cinematic feel to it. That isn’t something unique among television shows any more, as we can see many other high-budget productions pushing hard for similar visuals and effects. But Stormy Weather definitely veered hard into the cinematic, with all manner of special effects thrown into the episode’s forty-five minutes. We had silent slow-motion sequences, stunning CGI visual effects – including a striking shot of the USS Discovery itself inside the void, tightly-focused shots of characters in motion, close-ups of faces, and a whole lot of fire and flame to name but a few. Such a varied mix of visuals, coupled with Jonathan Frakes’ clever cinematography, gave Stormy Weather a sense of weight, of gravitas, far beyond what the franchise usually manages outside of its feature films.

Let’s talk about the storyline itself. This week, everything was tied together. There were secondary plotlines with Gray and Zora and with Book, Stamets, and the doctors, but they all came together and connected with the main story in significant ways as Captain Burnham led the USS Discovery inside a subspace rupture that the DMA had left behind.

We learned something major about the DMA: that it’s of extragalactic origin, or has, at the very least, passed through the galactic barrier. This would seem to narrow down Unknown Species 10-C to a handful of suspects, assuming that the galactic barrier depicted in past iterations of Star Trek remains generally impermeable to residents of the Milky Way. There were comments from Book and Stamets that this evidence all points to Unknown Species 10-C being someone that “the Federation has never encountered,” but I don’t think we can be certain of that just yet. The Burn seemed to be connected to Ni’Var’s SB-19 project in Season 3… until it wasn’t! We’re barely halfway through the season, so there’s plenty of time for hypotheses to be debunked! In this week’s theory post I’ll go into more detail about what this revelation could mean for Unknown Species 10-C, so stay tuned for that!

Venturing inside a rift in subspace was a dangerous assignment, but one that was certainly necessary for understanding more about the DMA. There really isn’t much to nitpick on this side of the story, and Captain Burnham handled it about as well as any other captain could have. Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, or Archer would all have made similar choices under the circumstances, and we can point to many moments in past Star Trek shows where similarly dangerous scientific missions have gone awry despite the best efforts of the various captains.

Discovery has some very expansive sets when compared to past iterations of Star Trek, with the bridge in particular being larger and wider than basically any other to date. But despite that, this week I felt a real sense of claustrophobia in the style of old war films set aboard submarines. Stormy Weather was basically a bottle show – an episode set almost exclusively aboard the ship making use of existing characters. Rather than that being a limitation, as it sometimes has been in past iterations of Star Trek, the episode leaned into this in the best way possible, drawing on the inherent strengths of that style of story to create a genuinely dark and unsettling atmosphere aboard the ship.

This began with Gray and Zora alone in the lounge and culminated in Captain Burnham staying behind on the bridge, with only Zora for company, as the desperate last-ditch attempt to escape the void came to a head. Discovery has made interesting use of fire this season, and I’ve seen some criticism of the way the pyrotechnics come across on screen. But here, the combination of CGI plasma and jets of real fire worked exceptionally well, building up a sense of genuine danger that Captain Burnham, and indeed the whole crew, were in.

At this point, after more than three seasons of Discovery , we know that the show has a tendency to blitz through some of the technobabble and sciencey stuff to get to the drama and action, and so it proved again in Stormy Weather . As happened last week, when the DMA’s artificial origin was confirmed in a short scene with a few lines of dialogue, its extragalactic origin was likewise only included in a pretty short sequence. I liked the concept behind it – that the energy surge that hit Book left behind trace particles that could be used to uncover another piece of the puzzle. That setup was interesting. But the conclusion was once again very quick, almost rushed, and I feel more could’ve been made of both of these points.

Another point of criticism I had concerns Dr Pollard’s sequence in the hallway. I said before the season began that killing off a known character can be a great way for a show like Discovery to communicate the stakes involved. And as Dr Pollard raced to the hull breach, there was for a brief moment a feeling that she might’ve been running to her demise. In the end, though, it was a redshirt who ended up being killed – and the death was far less impactful as a result.

Now I’m not on some anti-Pollard crusade wishing death upon the character! But hers is the latest example of how Discovery wants to have its cake and eat it too: the writers want all of the emotional impact of a character death but without being willing to commit to making it someone significant. We saw this in Season 2 with Airiam, and again in Season 3 when practically everyone survived despite the dangerous situations the crew found themselves in. The danger in flirting with character deaths but failing to follow through is that the show is slowly building up a sense of plot armour; there’s a developing feeling that basically no one who gets so much as a speaking line in an episode will be in any real danger. And that will have an effect as the season progresses – potentially making similar moments feel less impactful or tense in future episodes.

To be fair, past iterations of Star Trek had this problem too – but television storytelling has evolved since then. In a world where shows like Lost , Game of Thrones , and The Walking Dead pioneered a concept that I call the “disposable cast,” where even major characters can be killed off at the drop of a hat, Star Trek has to take note. Audience expectations are shifting in some respects, and if Discovery wants all of the trappings of modern television storytelling, it has to be willing to boldly swing the proverbial axe on occasion.

Last week, the addition of wonderful guest star Shawn Doyle as mad scientist Ruon Tarka meant that I didn’t really feel Tilly’s absence . Stormy Weather was different, though, and I think we’re seeing the first real effects of her departure. Tilly suffered with anxiety, and doubtless would have found the void a difficult situation to deal with. But even at her most nervous, she had a way of lightening the mood and ever so slightly lowering the tension. Perhaps a story like Stormy Weather needed her absence to function as intended – and I concede that argument. But at the same time, I look back on the episode and wonder what Tilly might’ve said, how she might’ve found a way to break through some of the more tense moments with Captain Burnham, Stamets, Book, Zora, and everyone else. Adira fills Tilly’s shoes in several key ways – but no one can truly replace the lighthearted energy that she brought to Discovery .

In a fast-paced sequence at the beginning of Kobayashi Maru , we got to see the crew working under Captain Burnham’s command as one well-oiled machine. After that, though, Discovery took the captain on several smaller adventures off to the side, and it wasn’t until Stormy Weather that we saw her in such a tense situation, having to really feel the burden and weight of command. Like Star Trek captains past, she stepped up. I was reminded of the scene in the episode Booby Trap where Captain Picard takes the helm and pilots the Enterprise-D as Captain Burnham arrived on the bridge, alone, to sit in the captain’s chair and guide her ship and crew to safety.

Speaking of The Next Generation , it was neat to see an oblique reference to the episode Relics . In that episode, Scotty was found alive in a transporter pattern buffer, and it was this method that the crew of Discovery were able to use to survive the dangerous journey out of the void. Discovery hasn’t been shy when it comes to harkening back to past iterations of the franchise this season, which has been fun to see. Shooting so far forward in time has expanded the number of callbacks and references that the show is able to do, and the writers – who are clearly big Trekkies themselves – have taken full advantage.

Along with Ian Alexander, we also have to praise Sonequa Martin-Green for her performance this week. Captain Burnham had a complex role this time, one that required her to put any thoughts of failure to one side and to focus on getting her ship and crew to safety. But she also had to find time for empathy, to share her feelings with Zora to help the AI deal with her own newfound emotions. On both sides Sonequa Martin-Green really nailed it, and Stormy Weather is one of the absolute best Captain Burnham episodes as a result.

The themes of trauma, empathy, and unexpected connections were all present in Stormy Weather as they have been all season. This time it was Zora who needed the most help, in a manner somewhat reminiscent of Data in Generations . Developing emotions for the first time led to Zora’s first experience with fear, just as installing his emotion chip did for Data, and both found themselves overwhelmed and struggling to cope. Just as Data’s friends rallied around him, so too Zora found help from both an old friend in Captain Burnham and a new friend in Gray.

It fell to Captain Burnham and, to a lesser but still significant degree, Saru, to remain level-headed as the situation deteriorated. Captain Burnham had to find a way to connect with Zora in order to convince the AI to go through with the plan to escape. Likewise, Saru had to calm Commander Owosekun when tensions on the bridge threatened to boil over. We’re seeing again the very different ways that people respond to trauma: in this case, Zora almost completely shut down, feeling overwhelmed and unable to do anything, whereas Owosekun wanted so badly to do something that she became angry. These themes are almost certainly going to run through the rest of the season, and will go a long way to keeping Discovery grounded in its characters rather than being lost in sci-fi wonders.

One scene in particular hit close to home for me. After Book had been hit by the energy surge and was recovering in sickbay, he had a moment with Doctors Pollard and Culber where he tried to ask if he was losing his mind, going crazy, and if the hallucinations he was experiencing would last. Having been in a similar position in hospital, struggling and not knowing where my mental health issues began and ended, I found David Ajala’s performance very emotional in that moment.

Book’s hallucination of his father stemmed from the fact that it was his father’s birthday – and we know that mental health issues can absolutely manifest from things someone is already thinking about or dealing with. His line to his father that he hoped he was real, because it would mean his spirit still exists and thus Leto, Kyheem, and others might still exist somehow too, was another deeply emotional line. Though the episode didn’t focus on Book, this presentation took him to completely different emotional places, and I found it resonated with me in a very personal way.

So I think that’s it for this week. Stormy Weather really has set a high bar for the rest of the season to reach! It would have been easy for an episode like this one to come across as feeling like mind-numbing action, but Discovery’ s tight focus on characters and emotions elevated it to being so much more than that. Little moments with the show’s secondary cast were greatly appreciated, and almost everyone got a line or two of dialogue this week. It felt like the plans to escape the void were a real team effort – and not just another “Burnham saves the day” story that we might’ve seen in Seasons 1 or 2.

There was some disappointing news yesterday, though. At the last minute, it’s been announced that Discovery is taking a mid-season break after next week’s episode, going off the air for around six weeks before resuming in February. ViacomCBS and Paramount+ need to do better at communicating with fans, because this is the latest in a long line of unnecessary blunders. Fixing Star Trek’s scheduling conflicts has to be a priority, too – Prodigy only aired four episodes before taking a break, now Discovery gets half a season before it too has to take a break. It’s possible that there are behind-the-scenes delays, perhaps with post-production work on Picard or Strange New Worlds – but it’s not a good look for a company trying to market a big franchise and an expanding streaming platform. Fixing these problems needs to be a priority for Star Trek’s corporate overlords.

Next week looks to bring back Ruon Tarka, which should be a lot of fun! Stay tuned in the days ahead for my updated theory list – including several ideas about the DMA and its possible creators. And if you celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas Eve! I hope your holidays are successful and fun!

Star Trek: Discovery  Season 4 is available to stream now on Paramount+ in the United States, Scandinavia, Latin America, and Australia. The show is on Pluto TV in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and other parts of Western Europe at 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Individual episodes or the full season can be purchased on iTunes, Amazon Video, and possibly other platforms in the UK, parts of Europe, and select other countries. The Star Trek franchise – including  Discovery  and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of ViacomCBS. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

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Star Trek: Discovery heads into the void and finds cause for alarm

A dangerous nullity, an unneeded confession, and an a.i. with heart make for an awkward episode.

Discovery ’s approach to serialization is (like so much of the show) rarely subtle. This week’s cold open is a good example of how things typically work: just in case we’d completely forgotten the previous five episodes, we get a conversation between Michael and Booker, and then a conversation between Michael and Saru, reminding us of the existence of the DMA and stressing how much they still need information about it before explaining the new mission–going into the subspace rift left behind by the DMA when it travels to a new location. Then we get a montage of everyone getting called to the bridge, because why the hell not, I guess.

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So, yeah, it’s not subtle. Not always bad–I appreciate the show treating every new episode like it might be someone’s first, and there’s something to be said for directness–but not subtle. Still, it can occasionally tease out an idea over multiple episodes before said idea comes to a head; we saw that earlier this season with the build to Tilly’s departure, and we see it in this week’s episode, “Stormy Weather,” with the runner about the ship’s computer (merged with the sphere data) developing an artificial intelligence with its own personality. Throughout season four (and possibly last season, although I can’t remember for sure), there have been a handful of moments designed to suggest that something was going on. The computer voice has changed, and it (she? No gender identity provided) has… opinions. Computers aren’t supposed to have opinions.

If you’re a Trek fan, or even just someone with a passing familiarity of science fiction tropes, these moments should’ve made you nervous. They come to fruition this week, as the AI’s shakey emotional state has actual (if temporary) consequences during a dangerous mission. Zora (the AI’s name) can now experience stress, over-stimulation, confusion, and guilt, and none of those things are reassuring when they’re coming from the machine that makes sure you have air to breathe. (No one wants an existential ventilator.) They’re especially not reassuring when Discovery passes through the rift and finds–nothing. A void. A scary nullity, and one which it will take our heroes considerable resources and courage to escape.

Not a bad set-up, right? It makes dramatic sense for Zora’s personality crisis to hit at the worst possible time, and the visual–or rather, lack of visual–impact here is striking and unsettling. I didn’t love “Stormy Weather,” but as of writing this, I’m unsure exactly why I didn’t love it, beyond the usual complaints about the show’s incredibly heavy-handed approach to emotional beats. I’m a sucker for “ship in distress” storylines, and this one does a reasonable job of keeping the pressure up throughout, something that’s absolutely critical for a Discovery episode. And hell, the fact that Zora getting up stuck in her head about stuff happening at such an awkward moment could be read as at least a slight pushback to the show’s general Let’s All Have Feelings All The Time And That’s Good lifestyle.

It’s just the details that leave me wanting. I made this joke on Twitter, but for a show that’s so relentlessly fixated on foregrounding the internal lives of its ensemble, it’s weird that no one on Discovery besides Saru seems to have matured past mid-adolescence. I’ve been reviewing Voyager on Patreon for a while now, and one of my routine complaints is the ship’s complete lack of an on-duty counselor; here, though, we get nothing but counseling, and yet it seems to do little more than regurgitate the same problems week after week. That might be realistic (in that even good therapy doesn’t “solve” issues so much as it gives you to the tools to manage and work with them over time), but it makes for irritating television, a show where a diverse cast flies through time and space just to find slightly different ways to talk about themselves.

The worst example of this in “Stormy Weather” borders on a self-parody: a member of the bridge crew tries to take too much on herself, Saru orders her to stand down, there’s some minor tension, and then she accepts the order. Later, she tells Saru that the reason she was so upset is due to a personal trauma from her past that makes her desperate to help people. I appreciate that the show is still trying to give its ensemble more to do, but this is absurd–it feels like a direct copy-and-past of the crew-member who talked about how his past is directly connected to the current problem, and it turns the complicated, intricate workings of the human mind into a simple if A then B logic puzzle. It’s healthy and good to treat the feelings of others and yourself with respect, but has no one in the future ever heard of “a time and place for everything?” Some basic professionalism in the face of planet-destroying catastrophes, that’s all I’m asking for.

Speaking of planet-destroying catastrophes, “Weather” gives us another clue as to the possible origins of the DMA, and it’s… well. Booker gets some particles in his brain after a doomed attempt to jump out of the rift–this leads to several conversations with his dead father, and also the discovery that the particles come from the Galactic Barrier, the thing at the edge of the universe. Which means that the DMA comes from outside the galaxy . You know that place that has everything we know in it? Well, it’s just to the left of that.

This is what’s known as escalation inflation. We’ve had the Burn, we’ve had the galaxy  in danger–so what’s bigger than the galaxy ? Something outside the galaxy . I guess it’s impressive, but at a certain point, this exponential approach to the raising of stakes becomes too absurd to actually register in a meaningful way. Discovery expects us to be wowed by the scope of its problems, but in a show that still feels like it has maybe twenty people that matter, tops, it’s hard to get that excited. Part of the reason that “giant eye” visual is so cool is that it managed to instill something that nearly four years of the show has only occasionally stumbled upon: a legitimate sense of awe. But the awe is fleeting, especially when it comes with the knowledge that regardless of whatever else we learn about the DMA this season, the solution is inevitably going to have something to do with “love.”

As for right now: Gray leads Michael down the right track to deal with Zora, the ship escapes the rift by putting every briefly into the transporter buffer (an impressive solution made slightly less impressive by the fact that no one remarks how risky and terrifying it is; I’m sure there’s an in-show explanation for how the computer could hold onto such a staggeringly large volume of data, but I would’ve appreciated at least a quick “wait, seriously?”), and in the end, the AI creates its own family tree featuring the crew of the Discovery. It’s pleasant, I guess, but I don’t think it means much.

Stray observations

• Due to low readership, this is will be the last regular Discovery review–there’ll be a write-up of the finale, and maybe a pre-air when the next season drops, but that’s it. Thank you to everyone who stuck it out for the past few years of what must’ve seemed like increasingly repetitive reviews.

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Review: Season 4 Looks Better than Any ‘Trek’ to Date

Christian blauvelt.

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Roger Ebert was never a fan of the “ Star Trek ” franchise, whether the movies with the “Original Series” cast, the “Next Generation” cast, or the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot. But he saved his most withering barb for the franchise in, oddly enough, his glowing review of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.”

“As for the bad rap about the characters,” the late critic wrote of George Lucas’s opus, “Hey, I’ve seen space operas that put their emphasis on human personalities and relationships. They’re called ‘Star Trek’ movies. Give me transparent underwater cities and vast hollow senatorial spheres any day.”

Ouch. But here’s the thing: “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4 has reached that level of eye-tickling worldbuilding and has done so seamlessly. The season premiere, titled “Kobayashi Maru,” actually has a couple scenes set in a transparent underwater city that’s gorgeous to behold. Eat your heart out, Gungans.

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“Discovery” went from being a prequel to “The Original Series” to a show suddenly set 900 years later, with the title ship traveling through time to the far-flung 32nd century in its third season. And it proved an opportunity to shake up the look of the whole franchise. If “Star Wars” always featured planets defined by one climate, “Star Trek” all too often featured planets defined by one very set-looking set. Suddenly, though, the show featured location photography in Iceland! A new time period as its setting meant the need for a new aesthetic.

In Season 4, the visual palette gets yet another new addition: the Toronto-based production featured an AR wall (from the VFX and virtual production company Pixomondo) for the first time, as “Trek” franchise guru Alex Kurtzman previously told IndieWire , and it’s responsible for that underwater city set. The location? Kaminar, aquatic home of the Kelpiens and Ba’ul, now united after centuries earlier having been locked in a prey-and-predator relationship. Saru (Doug Jones), the Spock-like character of the show who always found himself between worlds, has settled on his home planet once again. But, of course, his heart remains with Starfleet.

Home, where we find it and what happens when we lose it, is a major theme of the new season. When Saru left Kaminar to join Starfleet he thought he’d never be able to return again. That’s the situation the entire Discovery crew found themselves in when they jumped to the 32nd century. All their loved ones? Dead for over eight centuries. Nothing but a blank slate was before them, but what better way to write on it than with the structure and discipline and meaning that comes from wearing a Starfleet uniform?

The show’s star, Michael Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green ), given the most transformative four-season arc for any “Trek” series lead in the franchise’s history — from war-igniting traitor to a beloved captain, from a logic-obsessed Vulcan wannabe to someone embracing her full humanity — is finally in the captain’s chair. Home for her is Starfleet Command, which she and her crew discovered last season to be a shell of its former self in this strange future. Months after Discovery defeated a pirate threat, the peaceful galactic government is now on the rebound. It’s even added some new worlds back under its aegis, aided by the discovery of a dilithium planet that’s about to make interstellar travel easier than it’s been in over a century.

When we meet Burnham to start Season 4, “Discovery” gives us a cold open where she and her friend, lover, and honorary Discovery crewman Book (David Ajala) are trying to extend an olive branch to a species of “butterfly people.” It’s like the James Bond–style openings of “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Star Trek Beyond” — it doesn’t have a ton of relevance to what comes next, but it sure is a lot of fun. And it allows for a perfect Trekkie gracenote: the hostile butterfly people are hostile for a reason, and Burnham and Book can use a little Starfleet levelheadedness to save the day for them too.

Book is also “home” for Burnham now. This is the best romance for a “Star Trek” captain since Sisko and Cassidy fell in love on “Deep Space Nine” in the ’90s. She allows herself to be vulnerable with him in ways that she never would have in earlier seasons, and it serves to highlight the remarkable performance Martin-Green has given over the (just!) 40 episodes of the series to date. The Vulcan steeliness she exuded at one time has melted away completely.

For his part, Ajala’s Book continues to defy sci-fi archetypes: initially he seemed to be a Han Solo type, a courier running missions in his zippy starship to make a few bucks and running afoul of trigger-happy gangster aliens along the way. But, other than his cat, he’s a loner and something of an enigma. Han Solo always had Chewbacca — imagine the scruffy smuggler as literally a “cat person” instead. And also unlike Han Solo, Book still has a strong connection to his homeworld, Kwejian, and his brother and nephew who live there. What happens with his family in Season 4 will summon up memories of Picard and his brother and nephew. Sad times are ahead.

The other character to get the spotlight in Season 4’s first few episodes is Mary Wiseman’s Lt. Tilly — with a poignant episode devoting a subplot to Blu del Barrio’s Adira and Ian Alexander’s Gray. There’s also ample screentime given to the Federation’s enigmatic new president, Rillak (Chelah Horsdal), whose partial Cardassian heritage symbolizes a lot of the changes for the better that have taken place since the 24th century. A lightyears-spanning “anomaly” of mysterious origin (the MacGuffin for the season and a kind of heir to V’Ger) threatens all of that.

But, as his been the case with “Discovery” from the start, almost no time is reserved for the rest of the bridge crew: Nilsson, Bryce, Rhys, Owosekun, Detmer. Who doesn’t want to learn at least a few more details about each of these characters? Remember how Riker was really into jazz and played the trombone? How Data loved to paint? How Tom Paris was into 1930s sci-fi serials? How O’Brien and Bashir would reenact the Battle of Britain or the last stand at the Alamo on the holodeck? Capt. Archer once saved Earth from being blown up then unwinded by watching “Rosemary’s Baby.”

The lead characters of “Discovery” could use gracenotes like those. The genius of “Deep Space Nine” was that you felt you knew practically every character on that station, even someone like Morn who never spoke. “Discovery” reminds us of the level of characterization we’re missing in Season 4’s first episode by showing us a similarly wordless member of Morn’s species. Callbacks, not characters, appear to be prioritized now in this age of franchise storytelling, which places a premium on interconnectedness to other series within that IP over really developing its own characters meaningfully.

But if depth of character — other than Burnham — is still sorely missing from “Discovery,” at least there’s a lot of dazzle to feast on. Roger Ebert would finally have gotten his wish for “Star Trek” with this season of “Discovery,” which consistently looks better than even the last three “Trek” films. Hopefully, before long, there’ll be more than meets the eye too.

“Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4 premieres November 18 on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: Discovery: Season 4 Reviews

The problem with formulas though is that they tend to become stale, and Discovery’s fourth season is a case in point.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 3, 2023

Discovery seems to be boldly going on an action-adventure path not unlike the original Star Trek, times many more millions spent each episode.

Full Review | Aug 30, 2022

It’s not perfect, but it constantly strives to be more than it is… and as always… the effort yields its rewards.

Full Review | May 4, 2022

After four seasons, Star Trek: Discovery is in uncharted territory but represents the very best ideals that the franchise can offer.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 29, 2022

In short, despite certain imbalances, season 4 of 'Star Trek: Discovery' is off to a pretty good start. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Dec 2, 2021

"Discovery" has broached stories about division, war, and strife and now has finally come back to the original vision of the franchise by imbuing a sense of unity, hope, and camaraderie that helps elevate this to be the best season of the show yet.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Dec 1, 2021

An unstoppable force tearing its way across the galaxy is about to meet an immovable object in the form of Michael Burnham -- and the mess that's going to leave behind will no doubt make for some interesting fallout for this season to sift through.

Full Review | Dec 1, 2021

It's not easy to maintain the right balance between intimate character moments and events that span the galaxy. "Discovery," however, gets it right more often than not, though there are definitely moments that swing and miss.

Discovery has saved the universe multiple times. Can't they just, I dunno, fly around and hang out for a while?

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Dec 1, 2021

Discovery's action-packed season opener is unlikely to win over any new fans, but it's the ideal introduction to both this year's big threat and the challenges facing Burnham in the captain's chair.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 1, 2021

Fans might be forgiven for wondering just how many chances Discovery could possibly have to reinvent itself. But judging by Season 4's first episode, the fourth time just might be the charm.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 1, 2021

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 introduces an existential new threat that tests both the mental state of its characters and the ideals they uphold.

Full Review | Original Score: 9.5 | Nov 19, 2021

From comedic buddy adventure to tragedy, the journey encompasses multiple highs and lows, new characters, new settings, and new relationships. It's a lot to take in and promises a season full of exploration, mystery, conflict, and healing.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Nov 18, 2021

Discovery offers up [a premiere] that meets the high visual bar the show has set in previous years, while also lining up some new character dynamics that should prove fruitful moving forward.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Nov 18, 2021

If depth of character -- other than Burnham -- is still sorely missing from Discovery, at least there's a lot of dazzle to feast on.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 18, 2021

It feels like a rehash from the jump, but perhaps it will go somewhere different.

Full Review | Nov 18, 2021

In Season 4, the crew of Discovery is united, whole, and providing comfort and hope both to each other, and to a world that needs that right now. Maybe that's the most radical reinvention of all.

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 4 Leads With Its Heart

Where to stream:.

• Star Trek: Discovery

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Renewed For Season 4 At Paramount+

Bill maher applauds william shatner for controversial 'star trek' interracial kiss, patrick stewart was asked to wear a wig at his 'star trek' audition — a wig that flew by itself from heathrow to lax, tom hardy "never said 'good morning'" or "good night" while filming 'star trek: nemesis,' says patrick stewart.

When  Star Trek: Discovery premiered on what was then called CBS All Access, the show was a bold, dark, innovative reinvention of the  Star Trek franchise. Shows, and even some of the movies, had been serialized before. Discovery ‘s willingness, though, to seemingly obliterate its premise every episode led to jaw-dropping moment after jaw-dropping moment. It was purposefully alarming, purposefully divisive, but also helped launch Paramount’s next generation of Star Trek series that now includes  Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy and the soon to come direct spinoff series  Strange New Worlds .

But on the just debuted fourth season of  Star Trek: Discovery , the series isn’t dropping shocks-a-minute; instead, with the crew established and the characters beloved, the series is now taking the time to lead boldly not with surprises, but with tremendous amounts of heart.

In the new season (the first four episodes were provided for review), the crew of  Discovery is now firmly established in a far-flung future, nearly 1000 years after the events of Seasons 1 and 2. Last season, they figured out what caused The Burn, a massive event that isolated the galaxy and nearly wrecked the Federation. When we pick up in “Kobayashi Maru”, the Federation is slowly rebuilding, the galaxy is reconnecting, and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is captain of the ship .

Mind you, that doesn’t mean that Burnham isn’t still going on away missions and saving the day whenever she can. But thanks to the addition of a new character, Chelah Horsdal’s politically inclined Federation President Laira Rillak, she’s being challenged to think about things a different way. How can Burnham lead her crew if she’s also constantly throwing herself in the way of danger? Is making herself the only one who can solve problems a way of choosing the best resource; or is centering the narrative around herself a way of avoiding responsibility, by taking all of it? It’s a fascinating discussion that doesn’t just test Burnham, it also takes to task the rogue adventurer nature of every captain in the Star Trek franchise for the past several decades.

That’s not to say that  Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 is a political clash of ideologies, though that plays heavily into the season as it moves forward. Instead, the promising nature of the rebuilt Federation comes crashing to a halt thanks to the season premiere’s cliffhanger — and  spoilers past this point — which sees the destruction of Cleveland “Book” Booker’s (David Ajala) home planet of Kwejian. This isn’t the first time a planet’s explosion has kicked off a Star Trek plot, most notably the destruction of Vulcan in the 2009  Star Trek film. But here the tragedy isn’t the start of a rollicking adventure, it’s something that all the characters feel; most notably Book, though it touches every corner of the galaxy. And the fight here, at least in the early going, isn’t against some vengeful enemy or mad scientist; it’s a light years wide anomaly , which provides an impossible scientific challenge and stretches every member of the crew to their limits.

If you thought a massive, unknowable force coming for everyone is reminiscent of a certain pandemic we’re still in the middle of? You would be correct. That is, in fact, the direct analogue the show is working with this season, from the strapped scientists trying to solve the problem, to the populace of the galaxy reacting in big ways; some helpful, some extremely combative. But like the best of Star Trek , this season attempts to use COVID as a starting point, versus a one to one analogy. You can see the inspiration, but it’s not distracting.

What  Discovery gets right, though, is the enormous well of emotion that infused everyone, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic. It’s tough to watch at times, particularly when it comes to Ajala’s heartbreaking performance, or Anthony Rapp’s Paul Stamets desperately trying to fix this problem all by himself. But what you get more than anything else is that after fighting the Mirror Universe, villainous AI, and being flung into a future where everyone they knew are all long dead and gone, the crew of  Discovery are now each other’s family. There’s even families in that family, thanks to Adira (Blu del Barrio) and Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), who have essentially been adopted by Stamets and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz). But those bonds extend to the rest of the crew, too, including a more emotionally stable Saru (Doug Jones), and Tilly (Mary Wiseman), who is trying to find her own place during these tumultuous times. Even the rest of the crew on deck gets powerful one on one moments to express their feelings about what’s going on in the universe, to stand up and be counted and make a difference.

Mind you, it’s early going. The first four episodes definitely throw some twists at the crew as they try to figure out what the anomaly is, and how to stop it. And there’s every possibility that a vengeful enemy or mad scientist could be behind it, once the season continues. There also are big changes and shake-ups in store, but even those are treated with more depth of emotion and heart than you might have seen in the cold, combative first season of the show. When  Discovery began, they were at war with an enemy, but also with each other and their basic natures. In Season 4, the crew of  Discovery is united, whole, and providing comfort and hope both to each other, and to a world that needs that right now. Maybe that’s the most radical reinvention of all.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Where to watch  Star Trek: Discovery

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Review- Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 – A Journey To Empathy

Few tv shows can pride themselves in being both a prequel and a far-reaching sequel of a famed television franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery is one of these shows: after it established a new setting in the 32nd century, the show explores the possibilities of this unknown temporal period of the franchise and finally brings to life an idea that has been around for years-a Federation in disarray on the difficult path to reunification.

And, free from the creative constraints a prequel inevitably brings, showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise had enormous creative potential in front of them; and, after the third season of highs and lows, the show finally lived up to said potential – and did it greatly.

Rebuilding The Federation

Then the fourth season was released and, even with some surprising twists here and there (which we won’t spoil), the story beats are compelling enough but mostly familiar.

As the first trailers of the season were released, the supposed main plot of the season appeared to be an admittedly by-the-numbers Discovery story arc: a galactic-level threat whose true origins must be unveiled by the combined effort of the main crew and what is left of Starfleet. While the trailers introduced new characters, like Federation President Rillak and the President of Ni’Var T’Rina, and the return of familiar species, with the Ferengi getting a new look-, at first glance the show was set to cover an already explored ground.

Far from being attributable to a lack of creativity, however, this is indicative of the new focal point of the season: Discovery is, more than ever, about the necessity of communication. Most of the subplots and character arcs revolve around the need, the difficulties, the pain and the joy of communicating with each other, both on an intergalactic politics and on a personal level. This is revealed primarily from the interactions between characters, more urgent and dense than usual, and from the emphasis put on empathy and caring.

Star Trek: Discovery has always been a Trek show centred primarily on its lead: front and centre of the first few seasons was Michael Burnham, who took most of the character development. The third season however shifted to a more ensemble work, where each of the main cast has its moments to shine. But while more successful in introducing new characters and developing the older ones, that season still struggled in terms of storytelling and pacing, both of which never quite felt natural. Something this season mostly got right.

Beyond The Galaxy

The fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery isn’t the most ambitious or daring Star Trek season ever made, from a purely creative point of view. This is not to say the work on visuals, settings and VFX didn’t live up to the high standard set by the show, in fact, they’re excellent as usual with gorgeous shots, inventive starships designs and mesmerizing new locations (planet Alshain IV is really original, and the 10-C design is unique in the franchise).

But the exploration of those new worlds is not the main topic, and if some episodes offer a glimpse of the creativity we’re accustomed to, the season’s most memorable scenes happen on the ship and interiors it’s a natural consequence of the more introspective nature of the season. As we mentioned earlier, season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery is more than ever focused, on the relationship between the members of this crew.

The authors haven’t corrected all of the issues from previous seasons, in fact, some still persist. Mainly, the show has still so many characters, themes and subplots the authors couldn’t manage to handle them all properly, and the biggest victims of this may be Adira and Grey: their relationship starts with a lot of promise, but they quickly fade into the background and Grey leaves by the half of the season.

There’s no doubt we’ll see more of them in the next seasons, but it’s a shame they hadn’t had much to do in this season. And the bad habit of giving a character tons of development just before they leave the show in an attempt to make their exit more emotional (Airiam in season 2, Emperor Georgiou in season 3) is still here, even if this season is somehow mitigated by the promise we’ll see them again.

What hasn’t lost its lustre however is the strong work from its ensemble cast: Sonequa Martin-Green is as great and charming as ever, displaying both a commanding presence in the captain’s chair as well as a fun, playful side in her interactions with Book. It’s not just her, since most of the cast show unexplored sides of their characters with sensitivity and grace.

Doug Jones can touch its most vulnerable chords with T’Rina (Tara Rosling), and Wilson Cruz finally has its time to shine as he confronts its crewmates’ traumas as well as his own. But the most memorable performance may be offered by David Ajala as Book: after his Han Solo type persona of the previous season, he manages to deliver as Book tries to cope with an unimaginable trauma in a long and painful journey.

The feeling this latest season of Star Trek: Discovery leaves with is that its authors finally managed to work on the show’s strengths after the -admittedly many- stumbles of its first seasons. The show’s at its best when it focuses on its primary themes: empathy, communication, and caring .

And it’s even more relevant when it becomes both the centre of its overarching plot and the main focus of most of the character iterations. It’s arguably one of the strongest seasons of Star Trek ever, and definitely the best season of Discovery so far. It’s also the most political of the bunch (but then again, Star Trek has always been political), and never afraid to stand up to its ideals and beliefs.

Despite some flaws, the fourth season of Discovery managed to both stay faithful to the core values of Star Trek and be unique and memorable in its own right, as it expands the Star Trek lore in intriguing directions and tackles with grace the timely themes it’s known for.

Star Trek: Discovery was renewed for a fifth season earlier this year and is due to begin production in June 2022. You can watch every episode on Paramount+ in the USA and other territories, Crave in Canada and Season 4 is currently being repeated on PlutoTV internationally.

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• Star Trek: Discovery Season 4

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 13, the DMA approaches Earth and Ni’Var. Burnham & the team must find a way to connect with Species Ten-C before it's too late.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 12, Burnham and the crew attempt to make First Contact with the powerful species responsible for the DMA before it is too late.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 11, Burnham leads an away mission to the previous homeworld of Species 10-C while Book & Tarka infiltrate Discovery

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 10, Captain Burnham and her crew must go beyond the Galactic Barrier. Meanwhile, Book learns the truth of what drives Ruon Tarka.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9, the Discovery races to stop Tarka and Book from detonating their weapon and triggering a galaxy-ending event.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 8, the Federation scrambles to reclaim the stolen spore drive and prevent Book and Tarka from detonating the anti-DMA weapon

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 7, tensions rise as representatives gather to confront the threat of the DMA. Zora’s new sentience raises difficult questions.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 6, the ship ventures into a subspace rift created by the DMA. Meanwhile, Book faces a strange visitor from his past.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 5, Stamets must collaborate with Ruon Tarka while Burnham undertakes a mission, leaving Saru in command.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 4, Burnham & Saru are ordered to fill a diplomatic role, while Tilly & Adira head up a cadet exercise. Gray makes himself at home

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 3, the investigation into the anomaly is sidetracked by attacks on dilithium deliveries by a Qowat Milat. Gabby Burnham returns.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 2, an anomaly is discovered, unlike anything the crew has ever faced before. They must find a solution before it's too late.

On Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 1, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery face a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered, affecting the galaxy

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Quotes

In truth, we are on an island together. We must ask ourselves, 'Do we honor our interconnection? Or do we curl inward, like a leaf folds from its tree?' Saru Permalink: In truth, we are on an island together. We must ask ourselves, 'Do we honor our... Added: November 17, 2021

Book: Why would you say 'carnivore' to the butterfly people? Burnham: They are NOT butterfly people. Why do you even have a pet? Why don't you just have a hologram goldfish? Book: I had one. Grudge ate it. Burnham: Who eats a hologram? Permalink: Who eats a hologram? Added: November 17, 2021

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Photos

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'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 4 uses time travel to remember the past 5 seasons

It's pretty obvious watching this episode that the cast and crew, at the very least, strongly suspected that this was going to be the last season of "Discovery" when it was written.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 4

With the news that "Star Trek: Lower Decks" is ending after its current season, that really only leaves "Strange New Worlds" as the last remaining Nu-Trek series currently airing on television. 

And, a word to the wise: If you're a die-hard fan of " Discovery ," make sure you have your own physical media, 'cause no one likes being at the mercy of whatever an overpaid television executive thinks. You're welcome. Moreover, after this final season of "Discovery," we're going to have until wait until next year for the next season of " Strange New Worlds ." It's all starting to feel a bit like "Game of Thrones" all over again.

Episode four, entitled "Face the Strange," is without a doubt the best entry so far in the fifth season, and one can't help but wonder after watching exactly when the cast and production crew were first informed that this would be the last season, because it was definitely before this episode was actually written. The reason? It is, for all intents and purposes, a 60-minute, time-travel-powered, postscript-style reminiscence of all elements of all five seasons — or as much as you can cram into an hour — and what a rollercoaster ride it's been.

So when Alex Kurtzman or Michelle Paradise or whoever it is that actually has authority in the writer's room entered said room, put down their grande iced sugar-free vanilla half-double decaffeinated half-caff latte with soy milk and a twist of lemon in their Paramount-branded 40oz Stanley Clean Slate Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ Tumbler and announced, "Wouldn't it be great to revisit chapters from seasons one, two, three and four?" no doubt everyone cheered. "And how will this be possible?" asked Kurtzman, to which an eager-beaver intern no doubt excitedly thrust their hand up into the air and exclaimed, "Why, time travel , of course!"

Related: ' Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

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"Quite right," replied Kurtzman (in our imaginations, at least), adding, "But it can be for one episode, so it has to be an isolated, self-contained form of time travel." Thus was conceived the "Time Bug," and with it came a ton of technobabble to precisely explain its parameters. Although quite why Zora didn't detect it was not addressed. Also, you know, transporters. 

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But this clever Time Bug, which can manipulate time in just about any way that's convenient for the writers to overcome any potential chronological complications — like life-changing paradoxes — came onboard the USS Discovery by way of that shifty Malinne "Moll" Ravel (Eve Harlow), who managed to infiltrate the Trill homeworld undetected, as we saw last week .

As a result, we get reminder glimpses of Michael Burnham's first coming aboard the USS Discovery way, way, way back in season one, complete with appropriate uniforms and everything. We get a fleeting reminder of the Red Angel and the battle with Control , naturally The Burn gets a mention, and there's even a not-very-subtle nod to the short-Trek " Calypso ." It's all a little bit like a Greatest Hits album that doesn't include any of the tracks that you actually liked, being played at 45 instead of 33. Remember vinyl?

Since it's now obvious that this season was written after the cancellation announcement had been made to the cast and crew, the single most important question is, Will the show benefit from that, or will it suffer? Are the remaining six episodes going to be a drawn-out epilogue, tied loosely together with a mostly lame plot? Or, will advance knowledge of the show's future actually serve the writers well, allowing them to produce something above and beyond the normal level of writing? 

There's even a very entertaining scene, in which 23rd-century Burnham must fight her 32nd-century self. Of course, the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator fitted to the space bug prevents any changes from affecting the timeline, so you know, phew . 

Most of the original Discovery bridge reappear, as close to how they looked seven years ago as possible, and even Lt. Cmdr. Airiam (played by Sara Mitich in the first season and Hannah Cheesman in the second) makes a cameo, so that's nice. Also, we can really see as Sonequa Martin-Green flips between her two Burnhams just how effective that dreadlock hair piece that she wears through this season actually is. Half the show's budget probably went to that. 

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

— Star Trek streaming guide: Where to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows online

—  Star Trek's Seven of Nine returns in new novel 'Picard: Firewall' (exclusive)

It's a fun filler episode, and, even if it doesn't advance the plot an inch, it does allow character development to take place, particularly between Burnham and Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie). Arguably the biggest surprise was that the writers were able to resist putting Captain Pike (Anson Mount) into this episode. 

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

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

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

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Episode Preview | Star Trek: Discovery - Face the Strange

Are you stuck in a time loop?

SPOILER WARNING: This clip may contain spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's fourth episode, "Face the Strange"!

In  Star Trek: Discovery  Season 5's fourth episode " Face the Strange ," on the way to the next clue, the U.S.S. Discovery is sabotaged by a mysterious weapon, leaving Captain Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets as the only crew members who can possibly save the ship in time.

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.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Rayner & Burnham Faced the Strange

By using a Time Bug, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 4 revisited the series' greatest hits, and deepened its heroes' characters and journeys.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 4, "Face the Strange," now streaming on Paramount+ .

In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham and her crew are in a race against a pair of space-pirates for the future of the Federation. Yet, with only five clues to find before getting to the finish line, there were bound to be some detours. "Face the Strange" is one such side-mission, but it's also a brilliant way to look back at the series' larger journey from being the new kid on the franchise's block to becoming a classic Star Trek series .

Producers said that Season 5 wasn't supposed to end the series, yet this episode is a perfect addition for its final mission. By using time travel as a framing device, the episode looked back at the journey the crew, and especially Burnham, embarked on ever since the show launched in 2017. This was exactly the kind of nostalgic and emotional trip down memory lane that one would expect a character-driven series like Star Trek: Discovery to do in its swan song.

Of course, time travel shenanigans are a classic Star Trek motif, and Star Trek: Discovery already had its share of such adventures. That said, what made this particular time-traveling escapade special was that it allowed for the return of a long-lost character, and it gave Commander Rayner a chance to further define and refine his character while also affirming his place on the Discovery's crew . While his connection to the crew is still a bit tertiary, this episode really showed that Burnham and Rayner made a fantastic and complementary duo.

Face the Strange Revisited Star Trek: Discovery's Greatest Hits

Captain michael burnham and commander rayner relived some of the show's best moments, star trek: discovery ending is a blessing in disguise.

At the end of "Jinaal (Season 5, Episode 3)," Moll slipped into the Trill symbiont caves and planted a strange device on Ensign Adira Tal's sleeve. When "Face the Strange" opened while affirming that the recently broken-up Gray Tal and Adira will remain friends, the spider-like device (later referred to as the Time Bug) crawled from their sleeve and onto the ship.

Meanwhile, Rayner's harsh style of command rubbed Burnham the wrong way. She asks him to join her in the ready room for a slight dressing down, which inadvertently proves to be the crew's saving grace. When the Time Bug does its dirty work, the captain and first officer use their personal transporters, which prevents them from becoming unstuck in time like the rest of the ship and crew. This allowed them to find a way to free the Discovery from its time-displaced prison, and to reflect on their lives.

There is a brief jaunt to the future, Burnham and Rayner learn that their crew died and that the Federation was decimated after a Breen attack. This was also the third mention of the Breen this season, and one of their heaviest bits of foreshadowing yet. Interestingly, this grim sequence evoked the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso (Season 1, Episode 2)," which featured a marooned soldier many, many tears in the future encountering an abandoned USS Discovery occupied only by Zora.

The two Starfleet officers then appear on the ship during its journey through the wormhole at the end of Season 2. Next, they were thrown back to the battle against Control, the evil artificial intelligence that wanted to merge with the "Sphere Data" that became Zora. They also traveled to the distant past before the Discovery was even launched. However, their most important trip to the past took place just a few weeks after Burnham joined the ship. The best thing about this sequence was that it allowed Airiam, the human-turned-cyborg who died in Season 2, to return for a brief few scenes. That said, this sequence was all about Burnham and her personal journey.

Captain Michael Burnham Confronted Her Past, Insecure Self in Face the Strange

It's been a long road for michael burnham, going from mutineer to captain, star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

As Rayner and Commander Paul Stamets try to figure out how to stop the Time Bug, Burnham encountered her past self in a turbolift. Past Burnham immediately thinks her future self is a shapeshifter. Nitpicky fans might wonder why Future Burnham didn't just drop some knowledge only they would know. However, in a universe with wormholes, time travel and the USS Discovery's spore drive , the possibility of a shapeshifter using their telepathic abilities to copy the memories of whoever they impersonated wasn't a big stretch. This led to a fun sequence where Burnham fought her past self.

After incapacitating her past self with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Burnham gave voice to the subtext of this entire journey. Burnham reminded audiences just how desperate things were for her back then. She was Starfleet's first mutineer, and her actions led to the death of her mentor, Captain Philippa Georgiou. Even though the Klingon leader, T'Kuvma, was going to start a war with the Federation, Burnham also blamed herself for this close call. The most unbelievable thing for the understandably self-loathing Past Burnham to accept was a future in which she not only had rank again, but was trusted enough to be given a ship.

While this makes Burnham Star Trek 's most relatable captain among the franchise's imperfect fans, the character herself can't believe she could attain new heights after falling so far. Yet, in trying to stop Rayner and Stamets, Burnham again proved her worth . She's determined to do the right thing to protect her ship, her crew and Starfleet itself. This episode underscored that Burnham's unique skill isn't her intellect or fighting prowess, but her commitment to higher ideals even when she thinks she's failed them in unforgivable ways.

Commander Rayner Finally Connected with the Crew in Face the Strange

Commander rayner learned new things about himself by visiting the past, star trek: discovery actors doug jones & david ajala prepare for their last adventure.

While Burnham is and always was heroic, it's actually Rayner who saved the day and the rest of time in this episode. Hearkening back to his previous attempts to know the crew, Rayner was now able to prove to Past Lieutenant Commander Gen Rhys that they do know each other. Rayner may have only given Reese 20 words, but these were enough to discover Rhys's affection for Constitution class ships like the USS Enterprise . Still, Past Burnham was not convinced. It's only through Rayner sincerely connecting with her and his own understanding of what it's like to fall from grace that seals the deal.

He told Past Burnham something no one but she could know. Specifically, that when she first stepped on the bridge of the Discovery, she felt like she didn't belong. Yet, he reaffirms that she does belong not just on the vessel, but in command of it. Yes, she's made mistakes, huge ones when compared to those committed by previous Starfleet heroes and captains. However, her heart is always in the right place. In Season 1, Burnham seemed more Vulcan than human, but her emotions were still there. In fact, she cared so much that she told Captain Gabriel Lorca she didn't deserve to serve on a starship.

Another touching moment between crew members in "Face the Strange" came via Rayner's collaboration with Stamets . He was already depressed this season since the spore drive is, effectively, dead technology. Rayner also killed his science-buzz upon realizing the potential of the Progenitor's technology. Yet, when Stamets was worried about being able to save the ship, Rayner motivated him by saying "old dogs" like them still had life-saving tricks up their uniform sleeves. Despite his gruff demeanor, this episode showed why Rayner was such a successful long-serving leader in Starfleet -- especially in a post-Burn galaxy.

Moll & L’Ak’s Time Bug Is a Brutal Weapon Tied to Star Trek Mythology

The time bug was used for more than just nostalgic fanservice, star trek: discovery's sonequa martin-green embarks on one final voyage.

Star Trek is full of near-magical and nonsensical technology like the transporters themselves , but even by these loose standards, the Time Bug is a little confusing. If Burnham, Rayner and Stamets weren't immune from its effects thanks to the latter's "tardigrade DNA," it's unclear exactly what the device does. Somehow, the present-day USS Discovery is incapacitated while the ship jumps back and forth through time. No one on the vessel is aware of this, and the crew complement changes with the times.

When Burnham and company arrive back in the 22nd Century, it's unclear what happened to folks like Commander Jett Reno or Adira, who were always in the 32nd Century. Trying to figure out how the Time Bug works is really a waste of time, since it's nothing more than a fun sci-fi concept that was used to drive an episode. The show gets around this when Rayner says the Time Bug is technology leftover from the Temporal War first introduced back in Star Trek: Enterprise, and wrapped up for good in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Khan episode .

In previous episodes, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 brought in connections to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," and it also built on the Trill mythology established in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Time Bug is yet another way the series used past Star Trek events to tell new, fresh stories instead of just dropping cute Easter Eggs. The bug was an illegal black-market weapon, but one that (despite its inconsistent details and lack of specifics) fit neatly into this six-decade-old universe.

While the crew lost six hours in their race against Moll and L'ak, they still came out ahead. They are now a more cohesive unit than ever before, meaning they will face whatever challenges come next as a tightly-knit crew. This was the way that any Star Trek crew should be.

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

Star Trek: Discovery

• Time Bug allows for the series to revisit past moments and characters in its final season.
• The focus on Burnham's journey from mutineer to captain underscores her remarkable journey over five seasons.
• The episode reveals more aspects to Rayner's character making him more well-rounded.
• "Face the Strange" is a near-perfect blend of action, sci-fi problem-solving, and character moments.
• The ensemble takes a backseat because of the time-travel nature of the episode's plot.
• Moll and L'ak return for a scene but are still not as present as in each episode as perhaps they should be.
• Saru and T'Rina don't appear making last episode's story with them feel more like an aside.
• Other than Ariam, past characters like Ash Tyler, Nilsson, Captains Lorca or Pike don't appear feeling like a missed opportunity for a final season victory lap.

Star Trek: Discovery review: Season 5 Episode 4, "Face the Strange"

In the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, we get some time-traveling action, ride an emotional rollercoaster, and learn that people can change. Let's talk about it.

By Camila Domingues | Apr 18, 2024

Another Thursday, another touching episode of Star Trek : Discovery ! "Face the Strange" picks up right where "Jinaal" left off: a sneaky and disguised Moll plants a weird blob-looking tiny thing on Adira's sleeve and they get ready to beam back up to the Discovery, causing us to raise an eyebrow and tap our feet waiting for an answer.

Well, search no further; let's talk about this emotionally charged episode.

SPOILER WARNING: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

"Face the Strange" opens up with Moll and L'ak killing a black market dealer, who gives them some artifact. The two of them share a kiss, but I must admit, I don't think Moll actually loves him. Something about her facial expression screams " I'm just using you because it's convenient " and I'm dying to see where this goes.

We then shift to the Discovery.

Commander Rayner, our resident rude character, is still adjusting to his new gig as the first officer on the USS Discovery, and he's about as comfortable as a tribble in a Klingon opera. Rayner's got that whole "new boss who doesn't do feelings" vibe, which clashes big time with Captain Burnham's all-about-the-feels leadership style.

We do find out what Moll planted on Adira's sleeve last episode before the Discovery left Trill, and it takes viewers for a spin. The Discovery gets hit with a time bug. (Yep, an actual bug that messes with time, because why not?) This little metallic critter traps the ship in a time loop, making the crew relive snippets from both their past and what looks like a rather gloomy future.

But the bug affects crew members differently. Burnham and Rayner, along with the always quirky Stamets, are caught in what I like to call the "in-between" moment. Burnham and Rayner were about to beam somewhere else on the ship when the bug hit, and so they were suspended in time. As for Stammets, he's stuck reliving the past. The three of them come together and realize they need to figure out how to squash this bug before it squashes them. The trio zips through time, popping up in iconic moments from the Discovery's history, from battling the sinister AI Control to the construction of the ship itself.

The highlight is definitely Burnham needing to constantly convince past versions of herself and the crew that she's actually her future self and that they should trust her to help save the day. Talk about an existential crisis. It's also really refreshing to see two completely different versions of Michael and see just how far she's come in these five seasons. Seeing Airiam alive and interacting with the crew tugged at my heartstrings a wee bit, as she sacrificed herself in season 2 to keep the rogue AI Control from taking over the Discovery and killing everyone on it. It was a really bittersweet moment where Michael has to share how she dies in order for the crew to trust her. I relaly wish Airiam hadn't been killed off so early .

In true Discovery style, this trip down memory lane is more than just a nostalgia fest. It's a crash course for Rayner on the importance of emotional bonds and trust, something he's been pretty iffy about. He decides to try Michael's way and uses personal information he knows about the crew to get them to trust him and allow the trio to do what they need to do, which is... something-something science things that destroy the bug's temporal shield so it can be destroyed and the Discovery can return to how things were. By the end of the episode, even he has to admit that sometimes, feelings can indeed make you a better leader, and I'm excited to see if this space grumpy pants has indeed learned a lesson.

This filler episode serves up a nice slice of character development and time-defying fun.. Camila Domingues, Winter-is-Coming. Star Trek: Discovery S5 E04, "Face the Strange". Discovery. B+

While the episode might seem like it's just spinning its wheels (or time loops), it actually serves up a hearty slice of character development and a side of cheeky fun. And despite being a bit of a filler episode, it reminds us why we keep coming back to the wild, weird world of Star Trek: Discovery: for the emotional moments that are actually applicable to real life.

Beam me up for more, because this ride is far from over; make sure you tune into Paramount+ next Thursday, April 25, for another episode of Star Trek: Discovery.

Next. Star Trek: Discovery review: Season 5 Episode 3, "Jinaal". Star Trek: Discovery review: Season 5 Episode 3, "Jinaal". dark

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'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5's Captain Rayner Ran His Ship Like a Pirate

Callum Keith Rennie also discusses coming into 'Discovery's final season, getting into prosthetics, and how much he has in common with Rayner.

The Big Picture

• Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner brings conflict and depth to Star Trek: Discovery 's final season.
• Rennie discusses his experience on Star Trek: Discovery , praising the supportive cast and crew, despite the initial challenges of joining an established series for its last season.
• In Season 5, Episode 4 "Face the Strange," Burnham and Rayner must work together within a time bubble to save the universe.

As Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) embarks on one last adventure with her crew, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is bringing a few new characters along for the ride. Chief among those newcomers is the blunt, war-worn Captain Rayner. Played by Battlestar Galactica alum Callum Keith Rennie , Rayner is Burnham's new second in command on the Discovery , taking over after Saru ( Doug Jones ) took a different position at Starfleet.

Having lived through The Burn, Rayner doesn't have time for niceties and butts heads with Burnham almost immediately — so naturally, she takes it upon herself to give him a second chance when Starfleet is ready to cut him loose. Last week's episode saw him, rightfully, put in his place a bit as Tilly ( Mary Wiseman ) attempted to help him connect with the crew, much to his chagrin. In Season 5 Episode 4, "Face the Strange," Rayner and Burnham are thrown into a time bubble, forcing them to work together if they ever want to get back to the correct timeline and prevent the universe from being destroyed.

Ahead of the episode, I sat down with Rennie to dig into Rayner's backstory, what we can expect from him in the rest of the season, and what it will take for Rayner to truly connect with the crew of Discovery . During our conversation, we also discussed Rennie's history with sci-fi, what it was like joining Discovery for the show's final season, and what he's taking away from the whole experience.

Star Trek: Discovery

*Availability in US

Not available

Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.

Rennie is no stranger to science fiction, having had roles in such series as The Umbrella Academy , Jessica Jones, and Battlestar Galactica. As Battlestar Galactica was the series that turned me into a sci-fi fan, and perhaps Rennie's most recognizable role, I had to ask him about being a part of such massive and beloved franchises within the genre. "It's amazing," he said. For Rennie, even though Battlestar was also a reboot of a classic series , the show's success was a lot less predictable than the mainstay that is Star Trek . He explained, "Like, say Battlestar , when I started on that I had no idea where that one was gonna go. Discovery was already very established , but I actually didn't let any of that into my [head], because I went, “That's not gonna help.” So, I didn’t. Now, I'm feeling the world of it. Now, I'm sensing what the world of Discovery is and how many people love it, and how it fits. "

Discovery also isn't his first experience with Star Trek , "I watched the original. That was my thing, and that was it," Rennie told me. While he may have missed some of the series' in between, saying, "There's big chunks of time where I just didn't watch a lot of TV, so I missed all of the other stuff," he'll always make time for The Original Series when he comes across it, "even if the old Star Trek comes on, I'll still watch it because that was my Star Trek . Jim Kirk, and all of that. "

While we've gotten a pretty good sense of who Rayner is in these first four episodes, most of his backstory remains a mystery. Rennie revealed that "some backstory comes up in a few episodes." Part of his gruff exterior will be explained as we'll "get a sense of why he's maybe got a chip on his shoulder and has some unprocessed resentments about a bunch of things that maybe have played out in his work in a negative way."

Rennie Calls 'Star Trek: Discovery's Latest Episode "Amazing"

"Face the Strange," is such a classic Star Trek episode, employing the ever-entertaining sci-fi trope of sticking our main characters in a time loop, both to put an obstacle in their path as well as to bring them face to face with some of their own demons. For Rennie, the episode really put the science in science fiction. "It was like, 'Whoa! What's happening? I don't get it.' There's just so much science stuff and talk, so much jumping about to places and history and stuff." But he had high praise for his fellow castmates as well as the crew behind the camera." Lee [Rose] being the director, you're in great hands. Being in scenes with Sonequa, you know that you're gonna be in it , and it was great. I watched it again last night, and there’s just an amazing amount of stuff in there. It was just an amazing episode. "

In this episode, Burnham and Rayner are tossed back in time to the first season of Discovery , bringing them both face to face with the version of Burnham who's fresh off her own demotion in Starfleet . Throughout the episode, it becomes quite clear that Burnham and Rayner have a lot more in common than either of them might have realized. When asked if this experience might put them more on equal footing, Rennie confirmed that "he's learned an understanding of the crew." He went on to point out that we haven't seen the relationship that Rayner had with his own crew.

He explained: "We're not on the Antares talking about his crew, which I think is an important part that we missed, where you go, 'How did I see my people on my particular ship? And how well did I know them?' No one's asking me how well I knew everybody because I did, but if I've only been there a brief time, you're only gonna have facts." He admits that it is important for Rayner to connect past the surface level. "Through that particular episode, you learn and go, 'Yes, it is good to know what people are up to and where they're from,' because in that particular instance, it saved us. So, I learned a thing, and I give a, 'Yes. Got it. Thank you.'"

Rayner Will Have to Shorten the Distance Between Himself and the Discovery Crew

While it doesn't sound like we'll be getting any flashbacks to Rayner's time on the Antares Rennie believes that he'd spent a similar amount of time with that crew as Michael has with hers. "We didn't get to inhabit that, I get to make it up in my own mind," he said. "But for me, it was more like a pirate ship that I had. " While Rayner comes off as the more stubborn, stick-to-the-mission Captain between him and Burnham, Rennie doesn't think he was quite so strict on his own ship. He said:

"That's the way I perceived it. It wasn't some rigid, completely stoic, boss fest, but a little bit of a wild card ship. We're gonna go into things that nobody else wants to go into, or knows how to deal with, but we would. "

While the walls around Rayner are still pretty high, Rennie explained that we will see him "shorten the distance" he's put between himself and the crew of the Discovery. "There's a great bit, there's an episode where Burnham leaves me again to take control of the ship. There's an interaction with everybody in a certain way because they don't like me yet. [Laughs] And I need some help a little bit, but I've created a distance, and I have to shorten that distance between everybody." He went on to say there are plenty of "fun dynamics" to look forward to and Rayner's insistence on keeping everyone at arm's length will likely come back to bite him.

Star Trek has quite a long list of original alien species created for the franchise, and Rayner just happens to be a Kellerun, a race that hasn't been seen since Deep Space Nine . In classic Trek fashion, Kelleruns appear mostly human with the most visible difference being the shape of the ears. As he follows in the footsteps of the likes of Leonard Nimoy and any actor who has ever played a Vulcan or a Romulan, I asked Rennie about getting into prosthetics for the role. "Those guys are great. Rocky [Faulkner] was great, Nicola [Bendrey] was great." While it was certainly an extra step the process was brief enough that it didn't bother him to come to set a bit earlier than usual. "That was probably an hour, and I really didn't think about that enough to go, 'Oh, that's right. I have to get up earlier.' But I think we got it down to an hour and a bit for just the ears because there’s a lot of stuff on them."

Despite the agonizing wait of sitting in front of a mirror for an hour, Rennie noted that Faulkner and Bendrey made the make-up experience as fun as it could possibly have been. He said: "I don't love just sitting there looking at myself for an hour, but there's music and great company and coffee, and it became a really sweet part of the day, and then another sweet part of the day where I download. " It wasn't his first time getting into prosthetics, but his previous experience had been brief. After playing Rayner across an entire season, Rennie admitted by the end, removing the glue actually started to feel like you'd expect pulling costume glue off your ears to feel. "There was a point near the end where the glue-on, glue-off became quite painful for a while."

The Support of the Cast and the Fans Are Highlights of Rennie's 'Star Trek' Experience

While this is Rennie's first season on the show, it's the final bow for Star Trek: Discovery . When asked what he'd be taking away from this experience, he had nothing but high praise for the cast and crew. As a newcomer on a well-established show, jumping into the fifth season had a bit of a learning curve. "I found that coming into the show was difficult for me because it was unlike a show that I'd been on before. It was already very well established." He went on to say:

"I pat myself on the back because I made it through, and there was this wonderful group energy that helped me do that. The good naturedness of the show was something that I maybe haven't worked on. There was a wholehearted goodness about it, which was quite nice, which overlapped into how people treated each other and mutual respect. Also, I kind of blocked out all Star Treks in my mind, so I'm there not thinking of Star Trek history. I'm just doing scene-to-scene and working on this stuff, and then it finishes, and then I forget that there's an incredible vast following of the show that somehow you are now part of it like that. All of that, this is all relatively new to me."

As a new addition to an already established group, I pointed out that it seemed as though Rennie's experience mirrored that of his characters, and he agreed. "I'm excited for people to see the season. And then, coming into it playing, “I don't want to be liked. It doesn't matter if I'm liked. I'm there to do my job, like Rayner, and I'm doing it. And then there's the after-effect of an incredible fan base that seems to be very supportive ."

You can watch our full conversation in the player above, and catch the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery now on Paramount+.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Review: One Hell of a Final Ride

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 Review – Face the Strange

A twisty time loop offers a teachable moment for Commander Rayner as Discovery tumbles through its past—and future

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This Star Trek: Discovery review contains spoilers .

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4

Time travel has been a staple of science fiction ever since the genre was invented. And Star Trek has always been curious about the concept—from the basic rules of how it works to the widespread impact caused by the tiniest of changes to history. From The Original Series’ classic “The City on the Edge of Forever” to Strange New Worlds’ more recent Lower Decks crossover “Those Old Scientists” , the franchise is full of time travel stories. But Star Trek: Discovery has played around with the concept more than most, from season 1’s Harry Mudd episode “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” to the headache (and potentially paradox) inducing Red Angel plot that saw the Discovery launched hundreds of years into the future at the end of season 2. 

To be fair, season 5’s “Face the Strange” time travel shenanigans are a bit more straightforward, if not particularly subtle about the larger aims of the episode. Rayner’s still going through what might be called an adjustment period as he settles into his new role as Discovery’s first officer, and finds Burnham’s insistence on feelings and meaningful emotional connection to be an annoying and inefficient way to command.

What Discovery doesn’t seem to understand, however, is that part of the reason Rayner is so interesting as a character is precisely because he’s such a fish out of water amongst this group of people who regularly engage in the professional equivalent of braiding each other’s hair at sleepaway camp. (Let the man be cranky, for goodness sake!) And let’s not kid ourselves, despite the fact that it all works out for them this week, he’s also not wrong . Michael’s crew is undisciplined and overly familiar and don’t respect things like “chain of command” or “basic boundaries.” Yes, for the most part that’s worked out pretty well for them. But it’s also not exactly aspirational, or even particularly safe behavior, and Rayner’s not a bad person for pointing that out (or not liking it). 

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That said, no one is likely all that surprised that this episode is essentially a Teachable Moment from start to finish and pretty much solely exists to Impart the Value of Emotional Connection to a man who doesn’t enjoy engaging in small talk. But, thankfully, it also offers an intriguing twist on the always delightful time loop trope, and in doing so is much more entertaining to watch than it probably should be. Yes, everything gets resolved in peak Discovery fashion—Rayner must convince a disgruntled season 1 era version of Michael to trust that her journey ultimately gets better—but it’s also a surprisingly deft way to examine just how far this series’ central character has come from her first moments onscreen. 

The premise of the hour is pretty simple: Determined to beat the Discovery crew to the next clue, L’ak and Moll have smuggled a time bug on board the ship, a creepy-looking insect-like device leftover from the temporal war. It paralyzes ships by freezing and cycling them through time until it runs out of power, a process that could take weeks or months to play out. Thanks to this little (literal) bugger, Discovery’s now stuck hurtling through various snippets of its own history in the same place, and Burnham and Rayner—who were in the process of transporting just as the first loop hit and thus are unaffected by it—have to learn to work together to stop it before their enemies beat them to the next clue. 

Well, the two of them and Stamets, who also exists out of time because of his tardigrade DNA and is aware of the looping going on, a sentence that is truly as ridiculous to type as it is to read. This show sometimes, y’all. Rayner’s expression when told about the tardigrade situation is how I often feel if I think too hard about the specifics of some of these plots.

Anyway, while our heroes try to figure out the pattern to the various time jumps and how long each will last, we’re bounced through some of Discovery’s greatest narrative hits. Burnham and Rayner find themselves on the bridge of the ship during its trip through the wormhole to the 32nd century, in dry dock as it’s being built, and in the midst of the crew’s battle with Section 31’s sentient AI, Control, before being yanked away again. There’s a blast back to Gabriel Lorca’s time in the captain’s chair (though, sadly, Jason Isaacs doesn’t make an appearance) and even a quick trip to the future—one that’s apparently full of destruction and death because Moll and L’ak managed to snag the Progenitors’ secret technology and sell it off to the highest (presumably terrible) bidder. All the more motivation for our heroes to figure out how to dislodge the time bug without destroying the ship or killing themselves in the process!

They’re successful only when Michael realizes she has to tell the Klingon War-era crew that she’s from the future and trust that the bonds she’s forged with them will be enough to convince them to help her. It works, of course, because this episode exists to teach Rayner a Valuable Lesson, but not before Michael must confront some uncomfortable bits of her past: namely, her obvious lingering feelings toward Book—that David Ajala basically appears in this episode solely to be shirtless is peak fan service—and her messy personal past as a mutineer. Michael, undoubtedly, has come a long way from the rash, furious girl who accidentally got her mentor killed and started a war. (And no matter how insufferable you might find Burnham now, whew, this is a timely reminder that she used to be so much worse . Growth is possible and real!) 

That Rayner ultimately uses the personal information Michael gave him—and the very specific story about how lost Michael had felt when she first came aboard Discovery— to convince her past self to allow him to save the future is this show at its most try-hard. But at this point, that either works for you or it doesn’t, and “Face the Strange” is an entertaining enough hour that the convenience of its resolution isn’t even as annoying as it probably ought to be. 

With just 10 episodes in its final season, your mileage may (and likely will) vary when it comes to the usefulness of including an episode like this one, which doesn’t do much in terms of moving the larger story along. (In fact, it’s very clearly filler meant to cover for the fact that with just five pieces in the puzzle the crew is chasing, they literally can’t find a clue in every episode!) Technically, almost nothing of any significance happens during this hour.

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Adira seems remarkably fine for someone who just went through a surprise break-up. Saru and T’rina are entirely absent, so it seems safe to assume their engagement news didn’t cause some intergalactic political incident. And I guess Dr. Culber must still be sleeping off the whole Trill symbiont possession thing. We learn nothing new about the Progenitors or the tech they left behind. And though Moll and L’ak at least appear in this episode, all we learn is that they want to be free and together, and somehow the payday from finding the god-like technology before Michael and the Federation do is going to ensure that. Can’t wait for the flashback episode that fills us in on that particular misunderstood backstory, is what I’m saying.

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 Recap

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Discovery sees Burnham and Rayner team up to save the Discovery and its crew from a time travel wormhole.

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Episode 4 of Star Trek: Discovery aired on Paramount Plus this week,as it approaches the halfway mark in the fifth and final season. The sci-fi spin-off series consists of ten episodes, with one airing each week until the finale on May 30. The show began in 2017, and Season 5 has been praised for its serialized storytelling and exciting visual effects. Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Callum Keith Rennie, Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp.

The fourth episode of Star Trek: Discovery 's final season sees Burnham and Rayner put their differences aside when they realize they are in a wormhole and have traveled back in time. They must fight to save the Discovery and the crew on board, by facing off with bounty hunters, Moll and Lák.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 Recap

Star Trek: Discovery Episode 4 sees Moll and L’ak meeting with a dodgy dealer. They hand him a bag of the latinum and the dealer tries to raise the price of it, and it turns out Moll has poisoned the latinum, and takes the item from the dying dealer. L’ak is uncertain. But Moll assures him they’ll get ahead of the USS Discovery . She continues that once they have the Progenitor’s tech, they’ll be free. She tells him they have to hurry to catch Discovery on Trill. It is revealed that the device obtained from the dealer is the same one planted on Adira Tal in the final moments of the previous episode.

Elsewhere, the device activates in Adira’s quarters on the Discovery, and the device hops off the uniform and runs across the room and disappears into a girder.

In his lab, Stamets spots the bug and watches as it disappears into the wall. Captain Michael Burnham gets a report from Owo, revealing that she’s picking up some odd readings, and something has broadcast a signal from the ship. Burnham and Captain Rayner try to beam to the bridge, but they go nowhere.

The ship is moving but the lights flicker and a klaxon sounds. Rayner asks if they are under attack, as Burnham tries to contact the bridge but nothing seems to be working. Burnham and Rayner head to the bridge on foot and find the rest of the crew unconscious and wearing 23rd-century Starfleet uniforms. Rayner and Burnham realize they’re in a wormhole and have traveled back in time. Discovery follows Burnham as she goes through the wormhole into the future. Turns out, they haven’t just traveled back in time, but they’re actually jumping through time.

Burnham arrives in the future and explains the situation, and that she's undertaking an important mission for the future Discovery . Burnham demonstrates her personal knowledge of several crew members to prove her story , as Airiam, Tilly and the rest of the crew are confused at her appearance.

They remain skeptical of Burnham’s claims, but she says she will convince Airiam, and everyone will trust her judgment in the end. Burnham reveals she saw Airiam die, and she recounts the climax of “Project Daedalus.” Airiam convinces the rest of the crew of Burnham's legitimacy, and asks what help Burnham needs from them. Elsewhere, in the lab, Rayner and Stamets prepare to tackle the temporal shield, but a phaser wielding TB and Rhys interrupt their plans.

YB orders Stamets to shut down the warp core, but Rayner suggests Burnham come down, but there’s no time for that, and she urges Rayner to handle the situation. Rayner convinces Rhys they’re from the future with the knowledge he learned during interviews, but YB is still not convinced.

Rayner tells the story about Burnham arriving at the bridge and not feeling like she belongs. He tells YB she deserves to be there, and pleads with her to trust her instincts, which he knows are currently telling her to stand down, with YB seemingly convinced. Discovery ’s warp bubble is broken, and Rayner puts the device on the chronophage. Another time jump occurs, and they arrive back to the present day, which is fully intact.

Burnham orders Rayner to go to see Culber to tend to his hand injury, while Rayner states that it isn’t lost on him that what made them successful was their closeness with the crew. He admits he can be stubborn like Burnham used to be, but Burnham concludes they make a good team.

Star Trek: Discovery episode 4's ending sees the rest of the crew caught up on the chronophage. In the six hours since the time jumps began, the DOTs have found a warp signature that matches M’ak’s ship. Rayner compliments Rhys on his theory, which proved to be accurate. However, M’ak’s trail disappears, as Burnham orders the bridge crew to get to work on solving the mystery.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star trek 4: paramount needs to let this sequel die.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed for Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ to Conclude With Season 5 (EXCLUSIVE)

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

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“ Star Trek : Strange New Worlds,” currently in production on its third season, has been renewed by Paramount+ for Season 4. Meanwhile, “ Star Trek: Lower Decks ,” the first animated “Star Trek” comedy, will conclude its run on the streamer with its fifth season, which will debut in the fall.

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“Lower Decks” charted brand new territory for “Star Trek” when it debuted in 2020, as both an animated comedy and a series that focused on the junior officers of the USS Cerritos: Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). Set in the years following the feature film “Star Trek: Nemesis,” the series has included voice cameos from many beloved “Star Trek” alumni, like George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie, Will Wheaton, Armin Shimerman, Nana Visitor and Robert Duncan McNeill.

Given its premise, concluding “Lower Decks” make sense considering the main four characters all received promotions in Season 4. But in a message to fans, Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Mike McMahan left the turbolift doors open for continuing the characters’ stories following their time at the bottom of the Starfleet pecking order. 

The “Star Trek” TV universe, overseen by Kurtzman through his Secret Hideout production company and produced by CBS Studios, has enjoyed a robust expansion since “Star Trek: Discovery” first premiered in 2017. Along with “Strange New Worlds,” the made-for-television movie “Star Trek: Section 31” recently concluded production with star Michelle Yeoh, and the new series “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” will begin shooting later this year.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to continue to build the Star Trek universe, and we’re so grateful to Secret Hideout and our immensely talented casts and producers,” said Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of Programming at Paramount+. “‘Strange New Worlds’ has found the perfect blend of action, adventure and humor. Similarly, ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ has brought the laughs with an ample amount of heart to the franchise across its four seasons. We can’t wait for audiences to see what is in store for the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos in this final season.”

“‘Lower Decks’ and ‘Strange New Worlds’ are integral to the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, expanding the boundaries of the universe and exploring new and exciting worlds,” said CBS Studios president David Stapf. “We are extraordinarily proud of both series as they honor the legacy of what Gene Roddenberry created almost 60 years ago. We are so grateful to work with Secret Hideout, Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and the cast, crews and artists who craft these important and entertaining stories for fans around the world.”

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