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5 takes you need to know for Opening Weekend

Why Trek-Segafredo is ready for the first classics of 2021

1. It’s open season!

For the uninitiated, the much-anticipated Opening Weekend heralds the start of the Classics Season. It begins on Saturday with Omloop het Nieuwsblad, the first WorldTour classic, followed by Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, a 1.Pro-level race on Sunday.

In case you might have forgotten (but how could you?) it was at last year’s Omloop that Jasper Stuyven claimed a stunning victory over Yves Lampaert.

The course remains virtually unchanged for the third year in a row. The race departs from Gent’s historic city and for 200 kilometers snakes around the brutal Flemish landscape before it arrives in Ninove. Thirteen infamous Flemish bergs and nine cobbled sectors characterize the 2021 edition. The one-two punch of the Muur-Kapelmuur and Bosberg is struck in quick succession in the closing 20 kilometers and is guaranteed to provide fireworks.

Omloop’s weekend counterpart, Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, is a relatively different race. While it also features several cobbled climbs, there are no major obstacles in the final 50 kilometers, which often means the peloton remains mostly intact. Despite this, in recent years the winner often came from a late attack, such as in 2016 when Stuyven won solo after a bold move.

Jasper opens his season Saturday.

2. Our young guns step up

Our weekend lineup will mostly feature familiar faces. One name you may not yet recognize is 22-year-old Jakob Egholm , who is in his first year with Trek-Segafredo. This weekend, Jakob will step up to race his first big classic and first WorldTour race in support of compatriot Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven. Jakob is picking up experience, hoping to define his skills better, although he has already expressed a preference for the gritty classics.

Charlie Quarterman , 22, is another rider making the jump into the classics. In his second year with Trek-Segafredo, ‘The Quarterback’ has proven himself a hard-working and dependable teammate. Charlie is a strong time-trialist with a big engine – precisely what’s needed to keep our leaders in position at crucial points.

A big test for Jakob Egholm - but he's ready!

3. The strength of the Team

When it comes to big engines, the strength of our opening weekend lineup is deepened by cobble connoisseurs Alex Kirsch, Ryan Mullen and Edward Theuns. The trio is at home on the rough Belgian roads and has the talent to animate the race, which gives Trek-Segafredo a versatile hand at the table.

Kirsch has established himself as one of the savviest, thanks to his positioning skills and innate ability to read a race. His presence is a huge asset to the team. Likewise, Mullen is one of the biggest motors in the peloton. His punch gets the team to the front when they need to be, deep into the race. Theuns is a proven race winner whose experience and turn of speed make him a threat in any situation, be it a late attack or sprint.

Three classics amigos.

4. Mads is keen 

The classics are Mads Pedersen’s territory, and he’s ready. He commenced his 2021 season at the start of February at Etoile de Bessèges. An uphill sprint on the first stage gave the Dane a chance to stretch his legs, and he narrowly avoided a late crash in Stage 2 with some skillful evasive maneuvers.  Pedersen then joined his teammates in a training camp to finalize the classics’ preparation.

“Now we are heading into the first classics of the season, starting with Omloop on Saturday. We traveled straight from Dénia, where we had an excellent training camp with the whole classics group together. Our team was looking strong out there, and now we want to put it into practice. Of course, we didn’t get much chance to race before Opening Weekend, but that’s the same for everyone.

“We had a chance to do some training races against each other, and the whole squad looks in great shape. Yesterday, we did a good recon of some of the important sectors, and it felt nice to be on the cobbles again. So, we arrive at Opening Weekend with a good feeling, and we really believe in ourselves. We have high ambitions for this spring so let’s start this campaign with a top result!”

Now Mads wants a win.

5. Jasper’s ready to defend

Jasper Stuyven is the only active rider to have won both Opening Weekend races, Omloop het Nieuwsblad in 2020 Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne in 2016. Returning to Omloop as defending champion means Stuyven will race with the No. 1 bib.

“My winter training was really nice; I spent most of the winter at home because we didn’t have a team training camp in December. Since January, we have had two team camps, and I also did an altitude camp in Tenerife, which I really like to do as part of my own preparation.

“The last week with the team has been a hard training week with some race simulations and it was pleasing, not only to see that I was feeling well, but also everyone else was going well too.

Who can forget last year?

“It doesn’t bother me that Omloop is my first race of the season. I’m not convinced that you need to have raced already to be competitive there. I think the team anticipated well with contingency training camps set up even before [Volta ao] Algarve was canceled, so we didn’t have to scramble to find something to fill the gap.

“Maybe the stress of the peloton will be a bit strange for the first 10 minutes, but it’s something you easily get used to again. I’m looking forward to racing in Belgium again; it’s not a secret that the classics group is a good group of friends, and we have fun together. We’re looking forward to racing together again and going out there to try to win the race.

“Returning as defending champion and wearing No. 1 is always an enjoyable experience. Winning the race just once is a challenge, but I would love to go back and win again!”

  Trek-Segafredo Opening Weekend Lineup:

•   Jasper Stuyven (BEL)
• Mads Pedersen (DEN)
• Jakob Egholm (DEN)
• Alex Kirsch (LUX)
• Ryan Mullen (IRE)
• Charlie Quarterman (GBR)
• Edward Theuns (BEL)
• Steven De Jongh (NED)
• Luc Meersman (BEL)

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>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/ruth-winder-takes-photo-finish-win-at-brabantse-pijl/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Ruth Winder snatches photo-finish victory at Brabantse Pijl"}}'> Ruth Winder snatches photo-finish victory at Brabantse Pijl

Well-timed bike-throw delivers victory for Trek-Segafredo star out of a small breakaway group at the Flemish race.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/the-bunnyhop-episode-1-lizzy-banks-and-ruth-winder/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "The Bunnyhop, Episode 1: Lizzy Banks and Ruth Winder"}}'> The Bunnyhop, Episode 1: Lizzy Banks and Ruth Winder

The very first episode of a brand new monthly cycling show, The Bunnyhop takes a fresh look at the women's pro peloton.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/teamwork-makes-the-dream-work-as-trek-segafredo-womens-team-sweeps-uci-rankings/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Teamwork makes the dream work as Trek-Segafredo women’s team sweeps UCI rankings"}}'> Teamwork makes the dream work as Trek-Segafredo women’s team sweeps UCI rankings

Deignan and Longo Borghini top the Women's WorldTour rankings off the back of a uniquely selfless yet ruthless race style in the team.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/trek-segafredo-finalizes-womens-2021-roster-includes-lizzie-deignan-elisa-longo-borghini-tayler-wiles-ruth-winder/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Trek-Segafredo finalizes women’s 2021 roster, includes Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo-Borghini, Tayler Wiles, Ruth Winder"}}'> Trek-Segafredo finalizes women’s 2021 roster, includes Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo-Borghini, Tayler Wiles, Ruth Winder

The American-based squad currently leads the Women's WorldTour rankings.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/trek-segafredos-teamwork-has-powered-lizzie-deignan-and-others-to-big-wins/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Trek-Segafredo’s teamwork has powered Lizzie Deignan and others to big wins"}}'> Trek-Segafredo’s teamwork has powered Lizzie Deignan and others to big wins

Trek-Segafredo's team unity has helped riders like Lizzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini score top results throughout 2020.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/dygert-kuss-and-powless-lead-team-usa-at-2020-uci-road-world-championships/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Dygert, Kuss, and Powless lead Team USA at 2020 UCI road world championships"}}'> Dygert, Kuss, and Powless lead Team USA at 2020 UCI road world championships

Chloe Dygert, Sepp Kuss, Amber Neben, and Leah Thomas are among the elite riders chosen by USA Cycling for the 2020 UCI road world championships.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/aso-confirms-teams-for-la-course-2020/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "ASO confirms teams for La Course 2020"}}'> ASO confirms teams for La Course 2020

American squads Rally Cycling and Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank among those set to race August 29.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/winder-wiles-hall-to-line-up-for-virtual-womens-tour/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Winder, Wiles, Hall to line up for Virtual Women’s Tour"}}'> Winder, Wiles, Hall to line up for Virtual Women’s Tour

Three-stage race to feature 18 teams with action to be streamed online, Wednesday through Friday.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-culture/day-in-the-life-ruth-winder/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Day in the life: Ruth Winder"}}'> Day in the life: Ruth Winder

Checking in with road national champion Ruth Winder in between shifts in her kitchen and before her Everesting attempt.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/top-u-s-olympian-cyclists-support-decision-to-delay-tokyo/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Top U.S. Olympic cyclists support decision to delay Tokyo"}}'> Top U.S. Olympic cyclists support decision to delay Tokyo

Despite some disappointment and frustration, America's Olympic hopefuls agree it's best to postpone Tokyo Games.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/bad-weather-on-tap-for-omloop-het-nieuwsblad-and-kuurne-brussels-kuurne/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Bad weather on tap for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne"}}'> Bad weather on tap for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

The peloton faces rain and cold temperatures at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne this weekend.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/philippe-gilbert-anna-van-der-breggen-begin-classics-calendar-at-omloop-het-nieuwsblad/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Philippe Gilbert, Anna van der Breggen begin classics calendar at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad"}}'> Philippe Gilbert, Anna van der Breggen begin classics calendar at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Classics stars like Zdenek Stybar, Chantal Blaak, and Mads Petersen will be in Gent this coming weekend for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/lippert-outlasts-bunch-to-snag-wet-and-wild-great-ocean-road-race/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Lippert outlasts bunch to snag wet and wild Great Ocean Road Race"}}'> Lippert outlasts bunch to snag wet and wild Great Ocean Road Race

The budding Sunweb star avoided a late crash and held off chasing favorites to win the 2020 WorldTour season opener

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/cadel-evans-great-ocean-road-race-hopes-to-continue-growth/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race hopes to continue growth"}}'> Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race hopes to continue growth

New WorldTour status for the women's race and heated competition on the men's side see the CEGORR finding its spot on the calendar

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/winder-wins-santos-womens-tour-down-under/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Winder wins Santos Women’s Tour Down Under"}}'> Winder wins Santos Women’s Tour Down Under

Frapporti wins final stage of the race as Winder does enough to deny Spratt a fourth consecutive Tour Down Under title.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/winder-takes-stage-win-and-leaders-jersey-in-tour-down-under/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Winder takes stage win and leader’s jersey in Tour Down Under"}}'> Winder takes stage win and leader’s jersey in Tour Down Under

American champion Winder wins uphill finish, takes seven-second lead on GC with one stage remaining.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/spratt-takes-victory-in-stage-2-of-womens-tour-down-under/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Spratt takes victory in stage 2 of Women’s Tour Down Under"}}'> Spratt takes victory in stage 2 of Women’s Tour Down Under

Spratt takes GC lead after beating Winder and Lippert in sprint.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/gallery-giro-rosa-2019-in-pictures/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Gallery: Giro Rosa 2019 in pictures"}}'> Gallery: Giro Rosa 2019 in pictures

The Giro Rosa wrapped up on Sunday with a final stage into Udine. This year's race produced multiple high points, as Annemiek van Vleuten defended here overall victory from 2018, and Marianne Vos won four stages.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/gallery-chasing-the-stars-and-stripes-at-the-u-s-pro-championships/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Gallery: Chasing the stars and stripes at the U.S. Pro Championships"}}'> Gallery: Chasing the stars and stripes at the U.S. Pro Championships

Photographer Casey B. Gibson was on the ground in Knoxville, Tennessee, to document the men's and women's time trial, criterium, and road races at the U.S. Pro Cycling National Championships. Here, we showcase the best images from the many moments of intense racing action.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/qa-ruth-winder-on-her-victorious-solo-win-at-u-s-nationals/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Q&A: Ruth Winder on her victorious solo win at U.S. nationals"}}'> Q&A: Ruth Winder on her victorious solo win at U.S. nationals

Ruth Winder's gutsy attack helped her claim a first elite title in Knoxville.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/howes-and-winder-power-to-u-s-road-titles-daily-news-digest/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Howes and Winder power to U.S. road titles: Daily News Digest"}}'> Howes and Winder power to U.S. road titles: Daily News Digest

Check out Dane Cash's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/howes-winder-take-u-s-national-road-race-titles/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Howes, Winder take U.S. national road race titles"}}'> Howes, Winder take U.S. national road race titles

Alex Howes and Ruth Winder took dramatic victories at Sunday's U.S. Professional Road Race Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/winder-overcomes-puncture-to-win-womens-valenciana-stage-1/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Winder overcomes puncture to win women’s Valenciana stage 1"}}'> Winder overcomes puncture to win women’s Valenciana stage 1

After a late-race flat tire, Winder uses her descending skills to bridge to the breakaway and attacks solo in the final kilometer to win.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/winder-on-track-for-worlds-with-ardeche-stage-win/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Winder on track for worlds with Ardèche stage win"}}'> Winder on track for worlds with Ardèche stage win

Ruth Winder wins stage 3 from the breakaway and takes overall lead, showing strong form ahead of world road championships.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/key-moments-at-the-2018-giro-rosa-crashes-the-zoncolan-and-grandmas-slippers/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Key moments at the 2018 Giro Rosa: Crashes, the Zoncolan and Grandma’s slippers"}}'> Key moments at the 2018 Giro Rosa: Crashes, the Zoncolan and Grandma’s slippers

Check out Simone Giuliani's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/tour-de-france/tales-from-the-tour-fifth-wheel-to-first/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Tales from the Tour: Fifth wheel to first"}}'> Tales from the Tour: Fifth wheel to first

Check out Caley Fretz's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/giro-rosa-stage-5-american-winders-late-birthday-present/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Giro Rosa stage 5: American Winder’s late birthday present"}}'> Giro Rosa stage 5: American Winder’s late birthday present

One day after her 25th birthday, Ruth Winder wins stage 5 of the Giro Rosa and became fourth Sunweb rider to wear leader's jersey.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/interviews-podcast-ruth-winder-steps-sunweb-remembers-olympics/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Interviews podcast: Ruth Winder steps up to Sunweb, remembers Olympics"}}'> Interviews podcast: Ruth Winder steps up to Sunweb, remembers Olympics

American Ruth Winder talks about her move to the Netherlands to race for Team Sunweb and her Olympic experience in Rio.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/american-ruth-winder-will-ride-sunweb-2018/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "American Ruth Winder will ride for Sunweb in 2018"}}'> American Ruth Winder will ride for Sunweb in 2018

Ruth Winder joins her compatriot Coryn Rivera on the Dutch Sunweb team for her first full-time European campaign.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/unitedhealthcares-mannion-winder-win-pro-road-tour-individual-titles/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "UnitedHealthcare’s Mannion and Winder win Pro Road Tour individual titles"}}'> UnitedHealthcare’s Mannion and Winder win Pro Road Tour individual titles

Gavin Mannion and Ruth Winder (UnitedHealthcare) took home the men's and women's individual Pro Road Tour titles, respectively.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/the-battle-in-belgium-you-probably-missed-wm3-vs-wiggle-high5-in-the-lotto-belgium-tour/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Photo gallery: The thrilling battle in Belgium you probably missed"}}'> Photo gallery: The thrilling battle in Belgium you probably missed

Check out Anne-Marije Rook & Jeanine Laudy's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/eisenhart-winder-lead-usa-cycling-pro-road-tour-at-halfway-point/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Eisenhart, Winder lead USA Cycling Pro Road Tour at halfway point"}}'> Eisenhart, Winder lead USA Cycling Pro Road Tour at halfway point

Young stars TJ Eisenhart and Ruth Winder lead the Pro Road Tour thanks to successful starts to the 2017 domestic season.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-culture/ruth-winder-on-her-stellar-2016-season/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Ruth Winder’s secret to newfound success"}}'> Ruth Winder’s secret to newfound success

Check out Anne-Marije Rook's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/photo-gallery-2017-redlands-bicycle-classic/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Photo gallery: 2017 Redlands Bicycle Classic"}}'> Photo gallery: 2017 Redlands Bicycle Classic

Check out Neal Rogers's author page.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/joe-martin-stage-race-carpenter-winder-win-prt-opener/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "Joe Martin Stage Race: Carpenter, Winder win PRT opener"}}'> Joe Martin Stage Race: Carpenter, Winder win PRT opener

Robin Carpenter and Ruth Winder won the first event of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour, the Joe Martin Stage Race, over the weekend.

>", "path": "https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/in-pursuit-of-gold-how-the-u-s-rebuilt-its-track-team/", "listing_type": "archive", "location": "list", "title": "In pursuit of gold: How the U.S. rebuilt its track team"}}'> In pursuit of gold: How the U.S. rebuilt its track team

The American track program was revamped for the Rio Games, with the team pursuit squad winning the 2015 world title.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’s Connection to ‘The Next Generation’ Explained

...And it involves a new crew.

The Big Picture

• The USS Discovery embarks on a red directive mission with ties to Star Trek lore, focusing on the Progenitors' technology.
• New faces join the crew on a mission to uncover an artifact related to the Progenitors in the Next Generation era.
• The technology to create life poses a powerful threat if misused, as Moll and L'ak aim to sell the artifact to the highest bidder.

The first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 are finally available on Paramount+, putting Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery back on the boldly going business. This time, they're not going another 800 years into the future, but instead, their mission has a connection to another time: the Star Trek: The Next Generation era. Back then, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) once led the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on a mission that uncovered the secrets of life itself as we know it . It may have been a one-episode story, but it's now getting the proper arc it deserves; the time has finally come to learn the secrets of the Progenitors.

Star Trek: Discovery

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

The Discovery Is Given a Red Directive Mission by Dr. Kovich

The final season of Discovery starts off with its foot on the door, with ties to past Star Trek lore and the return of Dr. Kovich ( David Cronenberg ), which always means business for the Discovery crew. This time, his mission is so important that it interrupts a Starfleet event, but can't be disclosed because it's a red directive (a mission of a highly classified and dangerous nature that takes precedence over all other tasks) . Captain Burnham doesn't like the idea of keeping secrets from her crew, but since the Discovery is the only ship that can take this mission thanks to its spore drive, she accepts it.

The secretive mission introduces some new faces to Discovery , including couriers, Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L'ak ( Elias Toufexis ), as well as U.S.S. Antares Captain Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ). The mission was to retrieve an artifact from a Romulan science ship that had been adrift for 800 years, but Moll and L'ak beat them to it, then take the artifact to the planet, Q'mau, where the synthetic antique dealer, Fred ( J. Adam Brown ), opens it up and reveals a diary written by the Romulan scientist, Vellek ( Michael Copeman ). Even though Moll and L'ak have escaped Starfleet in Q'mau, Admiral Charles Vance ( Oded Fehr ) helps officer Sylvia Tilly ( Mary Wiseman ) obtain information on Vellek.

As it turns out, Vellek was once part of a group that—under the leadership of Captain Jean-Luc Picard —attempted to solve the mystery of the planet Vilmor II. There, they found out about a race of humanoid aliens known only as the Progenitors , who have created life in its humanoid form and are the common link between all present humanoid species in the galaxy. The Discovery's mission, however, isn't about the Progenitors themselves, but rather about the technology they used to do what they did.

The Progenitors’ Story Comes From a Single Episode in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’

Season 6, Episode 20 of The Next Generation , "The Chase," is one of the wildest in the entire series. For the first time ever, a Star Trek episode shows Humans, Klingons, Romulans, and more together in the same scene. That's all thanks to one of the most interesting plots in the franchise, which sees these races coming together to discover the secret of their common origin. Unfortunately, The Next Generation didn't carry on with this plotline, but Discovery is finally giving it the sequence it deserves.

"The Chase" starts off with Captain Picard meeting his old mentor, Professor Galen ( Norman Lloyd ), aboard the Enterprise-D. The scholar is there to recruit Picard for a long-term mission that will result in the most important scientific discovery of their time, but Picard can't give up his post on Starfleet. Picard decides to take the Enterprise-D and finish what Galen started. He begins by analyzing the data his mentor had gathered (large blocks of numbers laid out in a sort of sequence). Following this trail, he eventually discovers that the numbers are actually a DNA sequence. On the planet, Loren III, Picard intervenes and mediates their conflict upon learning that both of them are there for the same reason the Enterpreise-D is, calling for them to analyze the combined DNA strands they have. They learn that those are all part of a puzzle, with each sequence complementing one another, but that there are still missing pieces.

The Enterprise-D follows the Cardassians to Vilmor II with the Klingon emissary on board, and they find out the planet has lichen growing on the dried-up ocean floor. Discreetly, Dr. Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) inserts all the DNA samples they now have onto her tricorder, which then projects the recording of a humanoid woman ( Salome Jens ). Thankfully, everyone stops arguing to listen to the projection, as the woman explains that she belonged to a race of ancient aliens from 4.5 billion years earlier. Her species eventually came to terms with their extinction, but they sowed pieces of their own DNA on many planets where life could grow across the galaxy as a way of ensuring a lasting legacy . Their intention was for all those future species to come together upon discovering their shared ancestry . Cardassians and Klingons immediately resume their bickering, unable to accept that they have anything in common. Later, Picard ponders with the Romulans that one day, in the future, perhaps all species will learn to coexist for the sake of their shared ancestry.

Where Does This Leave Captain Burnham and the Discovery Crew?

The race of ancient humanoids is never named onscreen, but they are referred to as the Progenitors from then on. With Discovery finally finishing this loose thread in Star Trek lore, it's important to ponder that the Progenitors must have used powerful tech to sow their DNA across the galaxy, which is what the overall plot of the season is going to be. The technology to create life is powerful by definition , and can be used for terrible things if it falls in the wrong hands. Right now, Moll and L'ak have the diary, but they're unwilling to cooperate with the Federation after a failed negotiation attempt by Cleveland "Book" Booker ( David Ajala ). However, they're looking to sell the diary to the highest bidder.

After the events of the first part of the season premiere , "Red Directive," Captain Rayner has been discharged from his command of the U.S.S. Antares. As sad as it is to see an officer of 30-plus years being discharged, it's also very serendipitous, as Captain Burnham is in need of a new number one for the Discovery as Saru ( Doug Jones ) is about to take a new diplomatic post for the Federation. During their chase on Q'mau, Rayner mentions that he has history chasing Moll and L'ak, which will surely come in handy . Also, Book finds out he has a past connection to Moll that makes them all but family, which is another potential lead to finding her.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to watch on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Watch on Paramount+

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Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

The USS Discovery is on a mad chase across the galaxy for one of Star Trek’s biggest secrets

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Calling back to a single 30-year-old episode of television is a time-honored Star Trek tradition , one that’s led the franchise to some of its most fascinating detours. And in its two-episode season premiere, Star Trek: Discovery seems to be kicking off an entire season calling back to one particular episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

And not just any episode! The 1993 installment of Next Gen in question delivered a revelation so seemingly earth-shaking that it should have rewritten galactic politics on a massive scale. But then, as was the way in the 1990s era of episodic TV, nobody ever mentioned it again.

At least until now.

[ Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.]

Writer Michelle Paradise and director Olatunde Osunsanmi lay out the connection at the end of the first of two episodes released this week, “Red Directive.” Discovery’s mission is to follow a series of ancient clues leading to a cache of ancient technology, and to get there before a couple of professional thieves, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), do.

The technology, as Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) explains, belongs to the so-called Progenitors, a barely understood ancient spacefaring species that “created life as we know it […] every humanoid species in the galaxy.” Presumably such tech holds the key to understanding how the Progenitors did that, and how that power could be used again.

The Progenitors are from the Star Trek episode “The Chase”

Kovich also calls up a helpful video presentation of the moment the Progenitors were discovered by an assembled group of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, and Cardassian captains, including Jean-Luc Picard. But you don’t have to be a Star Trek lore nerd to know you’re actually just looking at clips from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Specifically, from the 20th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s sixth season, “The Chase,” in which Picard and crew discover pieces of a computer program hidden inside the DNA of species from dozens of different planets. Questions abound: What does the program do? And what kind of entity could have been so ancient and powerful that it had determined the genetic legacy of most of the known galaxy before sentient life had even evolved here — and then left no trace of its existence except the genetic codes themselves?

In a nutshell, the mysterious death of Captain Picard’s old archeology professor (did you know that if he hadn’t gone into Starfleet, Jean-Luc was studying to be a space archeologist? Well, now you do) sets the captain and the Enterprise on a search for the missing DNA fragments necessary to complete his unfinished work.

The action of the episode becomes a grand chase, as Klingon and Cardassian captains come to believe the program must be a great weapon or dangerous secret. Eventually Picard and his rivals all discover the lonely planet with the final DNA strain — and when they get there, some Romulans who’ve been secretly following all of them show up, too, just to make things even more tense.

In the end, the program isn’t a weapon or a secret, but a message from an ancient race of humanoids that apparently created sentient life in our galaxy as we know it.

Actor Salome Jens appears as a Progenitor hologram, and delivers a speech that’s stirring by any standard of Star Trek monologues, telling the story of a race of sentients that took to the stars and found them empty. They had evolved too early to meet other forms of sentient life, and knew that their time was too limited to ever expect to.

“We knew that one day we would be gone; that nothing of us would survive, so we left you,” Jens’ Progenitor explains. The Progenitors seeded humanoid life across the galaxy in their own image; life that tended to evolve into bipedal, tailless, largely hairless creatures with two eyes and two arms and five fingers on each hand. And they left clues in the genetic signature of their work, broken up among the stars.

Wait, was this really all about lampshading the limits of Star Trek’s alien design?

Kinda, yes! The writers of “The Chase,” Ron Moore and Joe Menosky, were inspired by elements of Carl Sagan’s Contact , but also by Menosky’s pet fascination creating an in-universe explanation for why all the common alien species in Star Trek are basically shaped like humans (albeit with latex on their faces).

In other hands, it would be hokey and trite, but even under heavy makeup, Jens sells the hell out of her single scene on voice and stance alone — it’s no wonder she was asked back to the Trek fold to play a major antagonist role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

“It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message, and if you can see and hear me, our hope has been fulfilled,” the Progenitor hologram concludes, with gentle compassion. “You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence. That was our wish: That you, too, would know life. [...] There is something of us in each of you, and so something of you in each other.”

But though “The Chase” carried a sweeping revelation, nothing ever really panned out from it. You’d think that a message of togetherness that fundamentally rewrote the origin of life in the universe would have to have tweaked Star Trek’s galactic politics a bit, right? Seems like this would give the Star Trek setting a radically different understanding of the origins of life than we have in the real world — this is literally intelligent design! At the very least there’d be some other characters talking about how humans and Vulcans, Klingons and Romulans and Ferengi and Cardassians and Trill and Bajorans, all share the same genetic ancestor.

But nope: The Pandora’s box of Progenitor lore remained closed. Gene Roddenberry’s successor and Trek producer Rick Berman seems to have been disenchanted with the episode’s reveal — and you can’t really blame him for not wanting to rock the whole cosmology of Star Trek in an episode that’s mostly about explaining how if you turn the DNA snippets like this they make a cool spiral. Now look at this computer screen with the spiral :

Except now, Star Trek: Discovery is opening the box and rocking the boat. This new mad, puzzle-box chase around the galaxy promises to expand on the Progenitors, an idea so big that not even The Next Generation was willing to touch it. It’s a tall order, but Discovery has never been more free to shake up Star Trek continuity than it is right now — we’ll have to wait for more episodes of the show’s final season to find out how free it intends to be.

Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

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Published Apr 10, 2024

A Brief History of the Progenitors in Star Trek

They designed life itself!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery 's "Red Directive ."

StarTrek.com

Captain Burnham's top-secret mission in the final season of Star Trek: Discovery has finally been revealed. But this time, the Discovery crew isn’t stopping a future-destroying A.I., or a lethal, extra-galactic force. Instead, they’re investigating the basic mysteries of why most species in the Star Trek universe look vaguely human.

As revealed in " Red Directive ," the search for technology used by ancient "Progenitors" sets-up a massive treasure hunt for the season. But, who are the Progenitors? What did Jean-Luc Picard know about the secrets of inter-species alien DNA? And how does all of this fit in with Gene Roddenberry’s earliest ideas for Star Trek ?

Here’s a brief history of the Progenitors, from the early 1960s, to the 24th Century, all the way to 2024, and the 31st Century.

The Real World-Origins of the Progenitors

"The Cage"

When the U.S.S. Enterprise first set out to seek out "new life and new civilizations," a huge swath of those alien lifeforms turned out to look a lot like human beings. And the primary reason for that, at least behind-the-scenes, was two-fold.

First, human actors are more affordable, and second, Gene Roddenberry wanted the classic Star Trek to avoid the sci-fi trope of "Bug-Eyed Monsters." And so, in one of the original 1964 pitch documents for Star Trek , Roddenberry floated the idea of "The Parallel Worlds" concept . The idea was that the format of Star Trek — from a writing and production standpoint — would generally deal with "...plant and animal life, plus people, quite similar to Earth. Social evolution will also have interesting points of similarity with ours."

Unlike a huge swath of science fiction on TV at the time, the promise of strange, new worlds, that were, in fact, populated by people , is something that set Star Trek apart, and was the cornerstone of what gave the series its humanist angle. But, the side effect of course, was an in-universe question — why were so many aliens humanoid?

The Old Ones, Sargon, and The Preservers

"The Paradise Syndrome"

The first two seasons of The Original Series are sprinkled with hints that, in the distant past, the galaxy was visited by super-powered aliens with technology far more advanced than anything in the Federation.

In " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ," we meet Ruk, an android built by "The Old Ones," an alien race capable of creating humanoid androids that were basically immortal. In " Return to Tomorrow ," the disembodied soul of Sargon, refers to humanity as "my children." While Dr. Muhuall says this idea flies in the face of evolutionary theory, Spock mentions the idea that aliens seeded life would "explain certain elements of Vulcan pre-history."

Then in Season 3, in " The Paradise Syndrome ," Bones and Spock tackle the question head-on. When they realize an ancient race of "Preservers" helped various humanoid species throughout the galaxy, the idea of an ancient alien race guiding and "seeding" a ton of humanoid species became less of a myth and more of a working theory. "I’ve always wondered why there were so many humanoids scattered through the galaxy," Bones says. To which Spock replies, "So have I. Apparently, the Preservers account for a number of them."

And then, the questions about an ancient humanoid species went answered. At least, until The Next Generation . 

"The Chase"

Directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky, " The Chase " was a sixth-season episode of The Next Generation , which, according to The Next Generation Companion , was considered in the writers' room the most "Roddenberryesque" episode of TNG at that time. The story itself took cues from Carl Sagan's novel Contact , and posited that yes, ancient aliens not only seeded most of the humanoid species, but also hid a message in the DNA of all those species.

Captain Picard's interest in archeology comes in handy during the quest to locate all the DNA strands and reveal the message, which was also represented metaphorically by the ancient artifact known as the Kurlan naiskos .

At the end of the episode, representatives from the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Federation, all witness the truth — an ancient Progenitor (played by Salome Jens) makes it clear that all the humanoid species in the galaxy don’t exist out of pure hubris, but instead, out of a kind of desire for legacy. "You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence…. Remember us."

Ronald D. Moore pointed out that there's no reason to believe that the Progenitors from "The Chase" and the Preservers from TOS aren't one in the same. Though not explicitly stated in the script, he said, "But this could be them, and be internally consistent."

Discovery Brings It All Home

"Red Directive"

While The Next Generation established a canonical fact that TOS only danced around, that only answered the question of why . With Discovery Season 5, a stranger, and more complex question is getting broached — how ?

"The Chase" told us why there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy, but we had no idea how the Progenitors specifically pushed life to evolve on various planets toward the exact form of life we’re all so familiar with. As the crew of Discovery — and other forces — are in pursuit of this ancient tech, Star Trek is boldly speculating on one of the biggest questions of all time.

If there was a supreme intelligence behind the creation of life, what was their method? While these kinds of questions are somewhat mind-boggling in real life, what Discovery is doing now is what Star Trek has done all along: Ask provocative questions that are beyond what we know now, so that maybe, in the future, we’ll be better prepared.

We don’t know that the Progenitors exist in real science, but the "panspermia hypothesis," is a very real scientific concept. A friendly alien may not have consciously sparked life on Earth eons ago, but, in reality, it is possible that some building blocks for life itself may have come from the stars.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

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 101

"Star Trek: Discovery" makes a case for Michael Burnham as the last great Starfleet captain

Our "discovery" protagonist was never going to have it easy. the start of her last run solidifies her greatness, by melanie mcfarland.

Michael Burnham's " Star Trek " journey was destined to be among the franchise's toughest and most complex. Some of us knew this from the moment Sonequa Martin-Green was cast to play her, especially Black women who are sci-fi geeks. We have never been few, but until recently, we were far less visible than we are now.

To some, this visibility symbolizes everything that has supposedly gone wrong with this franchise and others. The reach of " Star Trek: Discovery " goes even further by assembling a truly inclusive cast that blew apart the original series' longstanding heteronormativity.

All this further angered culture war trolls and self-appointed arbiters of what is so-called "real" "Star Trek." These people have a vested interest in downvoting any such divergences from what has gone before.

Mainly it was — as it continues to be — the purists who wrote off "Discovery" as "not Trek" during  its first season in 2017 . Looking back from its final season — and from the perspective of Burnham's 900-year journey — we can say that despite how its thematic shading looked to us then , "Discovery" never abandoned Gene Roddenberry's optimism . It has simply evolved its interpretation.

In the first season, not even Burnham would believe this to hold true. A human raised on Vulcan by Spock's  father, Sarek, and as his sister, Burnham earns her first officer role through superior conduct and logic, divorcing herself from sentiment.

Burnham's smug sense of rectitude gets her superior officer killed. She is charged with mutiny, stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison.

From there, she stops a rogue galactic A.I. from annihilating the Federation and leaps nine centuries into the future (thereby largely freeing herself and the show from restrictive canon) to find a universe where Starfleet as it used to be is a dream, and the Federation and its ideals are broken.

"Discovery's" swansong season finds Burnham in the year 3191, with enough of the Federation's trust to take on a highly classified mission alongside Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), who has already earned the same commendations as Kirk and Picard. His reputation precedes him, in other words. Their quest relates to a Picard-era discovery that Starfleet fears can be used to eradicate all humanoid life in the universe.

"Discovery" never abandoned Gene Roddenberry's optimism. It has simply evolved its interpretation. 

Their success should place her on par with the greats, an honor that showrunner Michelle Paradise and the show's co-creator Alex Kurtzman have been driving toward all this time.

Some indicators of that goal aren't as obvious as others, like the sequence in which Rayner defies Burnham during an away mission, trusting in his overconfidence instead of her strategic acumen. His snap judgment endangers a planet's civilian population, leaving her to fix the crisis he has created.

Women watching this — especially Black women, I would wager — might have experienced a slight rage triggering in their soul that was mollified by Burnham pulling the very Obama-esque move of asking Rayner to replace her trusted friend Saru (Doug Jones) as her first officer. (The job was coming open, anyway; Saru is shifting into diplomacy mode and getting married.)

This is the move of a great leader. Then again, like Kate Mulgrew's long underappreciated Captain Janeway, it may not be appreciated by the fandom for many, many years.

Burnham's arc contradicts what we know about the great Starfleet captains profiled in this franchise, most of whom are white and male.

Burnham's arc contradicts what we know about the great Starfleet captains profiled in this franchise, most of whom are white and male, though if that were the extent of what differentiates her from the rest, it would barely be worth mentioning.

Records of their histories come to us as snippets of dialogue from secondary characters or contextualizing conversations from what the official logs have to say about past missions. We hear about who served under whom, granting legitimacy to the likes of, say, Christopher Pike to claim the captain's chair long before Anson Mount made us ecstatic to see that happen.

Burnham's path to the helm's command begins with what should be a life- and career-ending mistake. It's constantly defined by humility and doubt. No one is harder on Burnham than she is on herself — and nobody takes as many risks with their career or reputation to keep their crew alive. Her optimism is one guided by the hope that all obstacles can be overcome and all outcomes are possible, including for herself.

Despite all of this, it will take a lot of convincing for some people to consider Burnham among the top ranks of Starfleet captains in those occasional fan polls that tend to place Jean-Luc Picard or James T. Kirk in the top positions, though Captain Pike has offered stiff competition since "Strange New Worlds" first aired.

But our relatively newfound love of Pike and that show wouldn't be possible without "Discovery" venturing into the unmapped asteroid field that is the public's willingness to boldly go back to a dormant franchise in a wildly disunified era.

This doesn't merely refer to the role of "Discovery" introducing Mount's Pike, in addition to launching every other new "Trek" spinoff along with the streaming service currently known as Paramount+ . It did all this along with shouldering the more precarious mission of serving as the franchise's vanguard in a cynical age.

If you love "Lower Decks" and "Strange New Worlds," this is in part due to the producers' listening to the fandom's programming desires accordingly. Notice, for example, how unlike the first season of "Picard"  is from the third . Initially, "Picard" tried to do something different with the beloved character. It ended his adventures by reassembling the band for the spectacular last ride their films denied them. The new "Star Trek" series have a goal of delivering something for everyone, including kids. "Discovery" helped its custodians figure that out.

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And if you love "Discovery," its devotion to showcasing those who long felt unseen in this franchise may kindle that affection. "Discovery" gave us an Asian woman as a Starship captain in Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou and a happily married duo to root for in Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber in Anthony Rapp's Paul Stamets.

It introduced Tig Notaro in its second season as Jett Reno, a decision for which everyone should be grateful. The third gave us the franchise's first transgender and non-binary characters in Ian Alexander's Trill Gray and Blu del Barrio's Adira Tal.

Through it all, we have also entirely fallen for Mary Wiseman's Sylvia Tilly, a woman who also knew a few things about self-doubt and, therefore, values being understood.

What some would cite as humanizing traits, others might write off as maudlin, along with the fact that Burnham was able to experience a fully realized love affair that began with a partnership of equals with a courier named Booker (David Ajala).

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter , Crash Course.

It's only one of the many ways that "Discovery" is consciously disparate from "Star Trek" as we have long known it, daring to change everything from the look of the Klingons to its star character's role in igniting a war between them and the United Federation of Planets.

That was then. Hundreds of years after that moment, Captain Burnham has figured herself out, proving to the many who doubted her that she deserves to be there.

She has traveled the longest road through imposter syndrome of any Starfleet captain — most of a millennium, actually — and we have witnessed every major moment that forged her. Burnham may never win the major "Star Trek" popularity contests for favorite captains, but without a doubt, she's the last great one we may ride with in this universe.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Discovery" stream Thursdays on Paramount +.

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• How "Strange New Worlds" uses Rebecca Romijn's Number One to place prejudice on trial
• "Pike made jambalaya": How "Strange New Worlds" Captain Pike expresses care and diplomacy with food

Melanie McFarland is Salon's award-winning senior culture critic. Follow her on Twitter: @McTelevision

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Can Any Modern Star Trek Series Reach 100 Episodes? Alex Kurtzman Shares His Thoughts

The head of Star Trek spoke at length about it.

Star Trek: Discovery is taking its final bow after five seasons, ending the longest-running series of the modern era. Thankfully, we know we can expect more upcoming Trek shows as well as a few surprises in the future , but even so, Voyager will hold onto the accolade of being the last show in the franchise to exceed 100 episodes. So, now the question becomes: Will a Star Trek series ever hit that milestone again? CinemaBlend talked about it with top brass Alex Kurtzman to get some answers. 

I had a chance to speak to Kurtzman ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on the 2024 TV schedule , and I asked if a day would ever come when a modern entry in the franchise could hit 100 episodes. It feels like a tall order, considering current seasons of current shows are only about ten episodes in length, but Kurtzman talked about another obstacle while giving his thoughts on the matter:  

I don't know, it's very hard. I mean, the fact that [Discovery went to] go on five seasons is sort of a miracle. I think most people watch two seasons of a streaming show, and they check out, you know, and that's not specific to Trek. I just think that's the watch pattern for television in the streaming world. It's hard to know.

Streaming has permanently changed the television landscape. There are more options to watch shows both new and old than there ever were before. As such, it's hard to keep audiences glued to their Paramount+ subscription when competitors are churning out other exciting new shows. As he said, the fact that Star Trek: Discovery received five seasons before the cancellation was a big feat, especially when considering the fact that some of streaming's most popular shows, like Stranger Things , will end with Season 5 . 

While Alex Kurtzman likely has the details of what is in store for Star Trek 's future, including the news on that rumored Jean-Luc Picard movie , he doesn't know what the future holds. He did offer his best guess at what the chances are of any current or upcoming Trek show hitting a hundred episodes and why he's happy with the way things currently are: 

My guess would be that it would be unlikely. But in some ways, I think what's lovely about that is– it's funny you can talk to old writers of old Trek series, and they're like, ‘Man, there's a bunch of filler episodes in there. We are just trying to get to 22 a season,’ you know, and, and we all know which of those episodes were [filler], we know the ones that were truly stellar from the ones that felt like they were kind of spinning their wheels. And so I think what ten episodes a season forces you to do is really make sure that every story counts as much as it possibly can. And I like that, you know, I like that. I like what that affords us now.

I certainly can understand Alex Kurtzman's perspective, and I agree that some Star Trek filler episodes from the past were absolute stinkers. Then again, one has to wonder if The Next Generation had only ten episodes if we would have seen some of its more WTF moments unfold , or Tim Russ talking about   Voyager 's "Tuvix" episode . There's a trade-off for the big-budget adventures, and a large part of it is the show needing to stay on task with the main story with the limited episodes it has. 

Of course, Star Trek has still found ways to include side stories in this new era, with Strange New Worlds focusing on character-driven serialization amongst daily adventures the crew faces. It's working well enough that Discovery reportedly mimicked the style in its final season , and it may just be the new normal for the franchise going forward. Who knows, it may even get the series, which is currently in production for Season 3, to a hundred episodes, which would be fantastic. Then again, in an age where there's no sign of Trek slowing down, do we need that? 

Fans may ponder this question as they tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Thursdays over on Paramount+. Those who aren't caught up need to do so, because this final season has been amazing thus far. 

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Star Trek Blu-Ray Box Sets Receive Steep Discounts, Come With Free Comic Books

By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings.

By Darryn Bonthuys on April 12, 2024 at 7:08AM PDT

With decades of stories, series, and movies under its belt, it's never a bad time to check out the Star Trek franchise. Especially when you can build a sizable collection thanks to these Amazon deals! Whether you're interested in the original series starring William Shatner as James T. Kirk or you want to explore more recent shows like the Picard spin-off, there's plenty to look at here. As an added bonus, spending $25 or more on these deals will earn you three free Star Trek digital comics to read.

• Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection -- $76 ($ 126 )
• Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Series - Steelbook Blu-ray -- $45 ($ 70 )
• Star Trek: Picard - The Complete Series -- $48 ($ 70 )
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Series -- $111 ($ 161 )
• Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Series -- $58 ($ 91 )
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series -- $60 ($ 112 )
• Star Trek: Voyager: The Complete Series (DVD) -- $63 ($ 112 )

Kicking things off is Star Trek: The Original Series . This fancy steelbook collection contains almost 69 hours of Star Trek episodes featuring Shatner and the rest of his crew--Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, George Takei, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, and James Doohan--as they explored the cosmos, and it's still a charming showcase of classic sci-fi.

The original TV series was followed by several movies. The quality might drastically differ between films, but overall, these are still some fantastic pieces of cinema with more highs than lows. They've all been bundled together into a sharp six-movie bundle on Blu-ray , remastered in 4K, and stacked with an impressive amount of extra behind-the-scenes content. From The Wrath of Khan to The Voyage Home, this is a must-have for Star Trek fans.

Moving forward, the '80s and '90s saw a Star Trek renaissance with the release of shows like The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager . Each Star Trek show ran for multiple seasons and took the franchise in bold new directions under the command of their respective captains. Star Trek: Enterprise is the black sheep of the family, as this series chronicled the voyages of the first Enterprise starship across four seasons. It's not as bad as it's made out to be, and if you can ignore the wildly out-of-place country and western opening theme for each episode, it's a surprising prequel series with plenty of enjoyable stories to tell.

Lastly, you can catch up with Jean-Luc Picard in his self-titled spin-off series . Set many years after Star Trek: The Next Generation, this show follows the former Starfleet admiral as he foils plots threatening the stability of the galaxy, explores a dark future timeline thanks to the machinations of Q, and crosses paths with an old foe in the final season. Like other recent Star Trek series, Picard is a high-budget sci-fi show full of surprise cameos and top-notch special effects.

Amazon also has deals on several other Star Trek shows , like the delightfully funny Lower Decks, TNG movies, and Discovery.

In case you were wondering about Grabthar's Hammer, the phrase comes from Galaxy Quest , the 1999 parody flick with a star-studded cast that has achieved cult status over the years.

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Star trek: discovery introduces its own data .

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduces an android who bears a striking resemblance to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data.

• Discovery season 5 introduces a Soong-type synth similar to Data, connecting to TNG and Picard storylines.
• Fred, a synthetic with ties to Data's creator, Noonien Soong, showcases advanced technology in the 32nd century.
• With themes of humanity and artificial intelligence, Star Trek: Discovery continues to explore interesting connections and mysteries.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 - "Red Directive"

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere introduced a Soong-type synth who looked a lot like Data (Brent Spiner) from Star Trek: The Next Generation . Throughout TNG , Data became one of Star Trek's most popular characters, with his child-like curiosity and lifelong quest to explore his humanity. Created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner) in the 24th century, Data was the most advanced android of his time. With his enhanced strength and ability to process massive amounts of information in seconds, Data proved invaluable as a crewmember on the USS Enterprise-D.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 begins with a bang, as Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery are thrown into a galactic treasure hunt hundreds of years in the making. In Discovery season 5, episode 1, "Red Directive," Discovery sets out in pursuit of a mysterious Romulan artifact from 800 years ago. When their target is stolen by couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), Michael reaches out to Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) for insight as to where the couriers might try to unload their haul. This leads Discovery to a fence named Fred (J. Adam Brown), a synthetic with the same distinctive pallor and yellow eyes as Data.

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

Star trek: discovery has its own data-like android named fred, in only one episode, discovery season 5 has more connections to tng than any previous season..

Moll and L'ak reach Fred first in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere with their prize of a Romulan puzzle box. When they present the Romulan artifact to Fred, he remarks that he has "not encountered one of these for 622.7 years," revealing a clue about the android's age. Fred makes quick work of the box, as well as the handwritten journal found inside. After reading the entire contents of the book in mere seconds (as Data often did on TNG ), Fred makes an offer that's too low for L'ak and Moll. Sensing Fred's upcoming double-cross, L'ak remarks that "it's been a while since we've seen a synth anxious."

When Fred attempts to keep the book, Moll and L'ak attack, eventually killing the android fence. Michael and Book arrive too late to catch Moll and L'ak, but they beam Fred to Discovery to look through his memories. As Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) examines Fred, he discovers the android's serial number to be AS0572Y, remarking that AS must stand for Altan Soong (Brent Spiner) , the son of Data's creator, Noonien Soong. Introduced in Star Trek: Picard season 1, Dr. Altan Inigo Soong created a population of synths on the planet Coppelius, all using one of Data's positronic neurons.

Data returned in Star Trek: Picard season 3, with a newly upgraded synthetic body, as well as the ability to experience organic emotions and physical touch. These upgrades brought Data as close to being human as he could possibly be.

Discovery Already Has A Synthetic Like Picard

Jean-luc picard received a golem body in star trek: picard, as did gray in star trek: discovery..

While it appears that Fred is dead (unless Stamets can find a way to revive him), Star Trek: Discovery already has another, more advanced synthetic in Gray (Ian Alexander). The partner of Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), Gray was thought to be dead, but they were later revived when their consciousness was transferred to a synthetic golem body. Gray followed in the footsteps of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who received the same kind of synthetic body in the final episode of Star Trek: Picard season 1, after succumbing to a terminal brain condition.

Even if Fred remains dead, here's hoping Star Trek: Discovery reveals more information about the intriguing android and his connection to Data.

Even during the 25th century of Star Trek: Picard , synthetic and android technology improved significantly since the creation of Data, although very few beyond the Soong family understood the science behind it. Still, Picard's golem body , like Gray's, was indistinguishable from a human (or a Trill, in Gray's case). It's unclear why and how a synth resembling the earliest version of Soong's androids would exist in the 32nd century, and Fred's admission that he is over 600 years old certainly raises some interesting questions. Even if Fred remains dead, here's hoping Star Trek: Discovery reveals more information about the intriguing android and his connection to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery air Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star trek: the next generation.

Netflix Movie Inspired by True Story Did Not Accuse Diver of Murder, Judge Rules

By Gene Maddaus

Gene Maddaus

Senior Media Writer

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A judge has sided with Netflix in a legal conflict launched by a famous diver, who claimed that a movie inspired by his life falsely accused him of murder.

Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki granted Netflix’s motion to throw out the lawsuit Tuesday, finding that the diver, Pipin Ferreras , could not prove that the fictional film was about him.

“ No Limit ” was released on Netflix in September 2022. It tells a story “inspired by real events” of a couple, Pascal Gautier and Roxana Aubrey, who engage in free diving, plunging to extreme depths without an oxygen supply. Roxana dies on a record attempt, with the clear implication that Pascal has sabotaged her equipment.

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Ferreras is never mentioned in the movie, which includes a standard disclaimer that it is a work of fiction and that “any resemblance with reality is coincidental.” However, the film ends with a tribute to Mestre, displaying a title card with her photo and a one-sentence account of her death.

Netflix filed a motion to throw out the lawsuit in November, arguing that while the film was inspired, in part, by Mestre’s story, it was not meant to be a literal account of her death.

The writer-director, David M. Rosenthal, said in a court declaration that he learned of Mestre’s story by watching an ESPN documentary; he then read more articles and books about the case. But Rosenthal said he was also inspired by “Le Grand Bleu,” a 1988 film about rival free divers directed by Luc Besson, as well as by films and novels depicting dangerous romantic relationships.

“The film was not intended to depict any particular person, but rather explores my imaginings of how a particularly toxic relationship might unravel in a unique, high-pressure environment like the world of no limit free diving,” Rosenthal wrote.

He also argued that the film’s ending is “intentionally vague,” as the viewer is left to decide whether Pascal killed Roxana or not.

“The drama created by uncertainty is far greater than any created by an obvious villain,” he wrote.

The judge disagreed with that, finding there was no ambiguity about whether the character of Pascal was to blame. But Iwasaki also held that Pascal was not the real-life Ferreras — and that therefore the film is not defamatory.

“No reasonable viewer would find that the Film portrayed Plaintiff,” the judge wrote.

Iwasaki wrote that many of the parallels between the movie and Ferreras’ life story would be common to any movie about free diving. And he found significant differences, noting that the abusive and controlling relationship depicted in the film bears no resemblance to Ferreras’ account of a harmonious marriage.

Ferreras’ attorney, Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, said he would appeal. He has argued there are 22 similarities between the fictional portrayal and the true story, making it abundantly clear that the film is about his client.

“I think this is one of the strongest libel-in-fiction cases I’ve come across,” he said.

Rufus-Isaacs has also sued Netflix on behalf of real-life figures represented in “Inventing Anna” and “The Queen’s Gambit.”

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Lidl - Trek (WTW)

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• LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
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• Team status: WTW
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• License country: United States

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