devidians star trek episode

Star Trek: Who Are The Devidians?

Haunting specters from Star Trek, the Devidians' eerie existence and insatiable hunger for neural energy defy conventional bounds.

The Devidians may not bask in the limelight like Star Trek 's most prominent species do, but their lack of screen time doesn't stem from a dull backstory. Quite the opposite, in fact. These beings boast an alluring yet macabre aspect to their existence, making them an enthralling subject for exploration. Their peculiar eating habits add a chilling twist, weaving a wildly intriguing tale.

Originating from the Devidia II, the Devidians manifest as ethereal beings, their forms reminiscent of swirling mists or haunting specters. Feeding upon the neural energy of their prey, the Devidians engage in dark, parasitic communion with unsuspecting humanoids . It is during moments of death that the Devidians feast most voraciously, savoring the surge of neural energy that accompanies the transition from life to the great unknown. This aspect distinguishes the Devidians as creatures entwined with the grim, their appetite for the essence of life leading them down a sinister path.

RELATED: Star Trek: Who Are The Talaxians?

Background & Origin

The Devidians made their entrance into the Star Trek universe in The Next Generation 's two-part episode "Time's Arrow." Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his intrepid crew find themselves face-to-face with Guinan, portrayed by the remarkable Whoopi Goldberg. Guinan's extraordinary perception and astute awareness of temporal irregularities roused the curiosity of the Enterprise-D crew. This served as the catalyst for their discovering evidence of the Devidians' presence in Earth's past.

In their innate state, the Devidians stood at a height of two to three meters, devoid of discernible eyes. However, their apparent foreheads bore an orifice resembling a mouth. These peculiar physical traits set them apart from the common humanoid species. Furthermore, the Devidians existed in a phase incongruous with most other life forms , displaying a positive phase variance of 0.004. Their uncanny ability to navigate through time further intensified their mystery.

The Devidians' sustenance relied solely upon the neural energy produced by human beings. To acquire this vital life force, they drained their victims of their neural energy, ultimately killing the unfortunate subjects. The Devidians honed their predatory skills by preying upon unsuspecting humans in 19th-century San Francisco, disguising their murderous acts thanks to the cholera epidemic that ravaged the era.

Skills & Abilities

The Devidians' primary motivation stems from their insatiable hunger for neural energy. By preying upon humanoids, they tap into the life force that emanates from sentient beings. Their ability to feed on the neural energy generated during moments of death marks the Devidians as true parasites, exploiting the vulnerabilities of their victims. In their pursuit of sustenance, the Devidians utilize their time-traveling capabilities to open temporal portals. This allows them to venture to different eras where they can find abundant sources of neural energy.

While the Devidians' feeding habits paint them as ruthless predators, their unique abilities have also granted them a degree of subtlety. By adopting humanoid forms, they can blend seamlessly with their surroundings, concealing their true nature from unsuspecting victims. This shape-shifting prowess enhances their predatory strategies, enabling them to strike at the most opportune moments.

In a pivotal moment during 2369, the Enterprise-D took decisive action. They launched modified photon torpedoes at the Devidians' subterranean habitat, striving to halt their continued incursions and predation upon other humanoid life.

Devidian Legacy

The Devidians' impact on the Star Trek universe extends beyond their introduction in "Time's Arrow." In the Deep Space 9 episode "Time's Orphan," the Devidians make a smaller yet notable appearance. Here, their role is intertwined with the story of Molly O'Brien, the young daughter of Chief Miles O'Brien and Keiko O'Brien. Stranded in time and forced to survive alone, Molly encounters the Devidians as one of the challenges she faces.

The Devidians' enigmatic nature has ignited fervent debates among avid Star Trek enthusiasts. Speculation runs rife, with some musing over the prospect of future encounters, yearning to unearth their origins and explore their motivations. As these elusive beings possess unpredictable powers, the potential for interstellar alliances or conflicts tantalizes fans, adding yet another layer of intrigue.

Regrettably, the more recent iterations of Star Trek have omitted these peculiar creatures . Nonetheless, the knowledge that the franchise will likely outlast us all offers a peculiar sense of solace. In the ever-expanding universe of Star Trek , the Devidians might find their rightful place in future arcs, where they can once again send shivers down spines and provoke contemplation.

The Devidians stand as a profound testament to its boundless imagination. Their non-corporeal form challenges conventional perceptions of existence, while their mastery of time travel unshackles them from the constraints of linear chronology. The unnerving predation on neural energy not only sets them apart as formidable foes, but also delves into the intricate web of life and death, invoking profound contemplation. The allure of the Devidians lies not only in their captivating abilities, but also in their potential for narrative richness. As their legacy endures, the themes they embody will continue to resonate.

MORE: Star Trek: The Next Generation's Most Boring Episode

• Missions with career path-specific objectives
• Delta Recruitment Event
• Temporal Agent Event

Mission: What Lies Beneath

• VisualEditor
• View history

• [ Triolic Pattern Enhancer ]
• 2.1.1 Federation
• 2.1.2 Klingon
• 2.3.1 Federation
• 2.3.2 Klingon
• 3.2.1 Devidian
• 3.2.2 Arachnid
• 3.2.3 Photonic
• 4 Accolades
• 5 Walkthrough
• 6 Mission Replay
• 7 Feature Episode Notes

Synopsis [ | ]

With the access codes from Ze'mara , the player heads into the unused maintenance levels of Drozana Station in search of the Devidian 'nest'. When the turbolift stops at the wrong deck, they exit to investigate only to find themselves fighting for their lives against a killer who can move through walls and appear and vanish at will. After managing to survive, they make it to the computer core level where they find the Devidian portal, guarded by a nest of Devidians that must be defeated to learn where the portal leads...

Outline [ | ]

Mission text [ | ], federation [ | ].

It's clear that the Devidians are more of a problem than we initally thought.

We know they're in the Neutral Zone. Now we know that they're on Drozana Station as well, and according to Ze'mara there have already been deaths there. In addition, she indicated that the lower levels of the station were a trouble spot.

Those levels aren't used as part of the club there, and they haven't been maintained for years. And the Ferengi are, of course, quite reticent to put any effort into any maintenance that isn't absolutely necessary. That means we don't really know what's down there.

Ze'mara's code should get you access. Take a lift down and check it out. Previous Starfleet encounters with Devidians have indicated that they will create "nests" around the temporal portals they use, so keep an eye out for anomalies. If we find the portal, we'll know where – and when – the Devidians are feeding.

Oh, and I expect it to be messy down there. Don't forget to take an emergency beacon.

Klingon [ | ]

It's clear that the Devidians are more of a problem than we initially thought.

We know they're in the Neutral Zone. Now we know that they're on Drozana Station as well, and according to Ze'mara there have already been death there. In addition, she indicated that the lower levels of the station were a trouble spot.

Those levels aren't used as part of the club there, and they haven't been maintained for years. And the Ferengi are, of course, quite reticent to put any effort into any maintenance that isn't absolutely necessary. That means we don't really know what's down there. I want you to take a lift down and find out.

I have access to Starfleet records of encounters with Devidians that have indicated that they will create "nests" around the temporal portals they use, so keep an eye out for anomalies. If we find the portal, we'll know where – and when – the Devidians are feeding.

Objectives [ | ]

• Go To Drozana Maintenance Levels
• Find the Maintenance Lift
• Take an Emergency Flashlight (Optional)
• [Engineering] Reroute Coupling on Stuck Door (Optional)
• Unlock the Maintenance Lift
• Take the Lift to the Computer Core
• Repair Relay #1
• Reroute Relay #2
• Bypass Relay #3
• Activate Backup Relay #4
• Look for the Encryption Key
• [Science] Activate Remote Override on Plasma Ejectors (Optional)
• Defeat the Killer and Find His Encryption Key
• Reach Core Access Door

• Use Secondary Security Console to Access Core
• Descend to the Computer Core

• [Tactical] Activate Computer Core Defenses (Optional)
• Regulate Core Power Systems (Optional)
• Regulate Core Field Systems (Optional)
• Scan the Devidian Portal
• Depart System
• Go To Deep Space K-7
• Report to Franklin Drake
• [Engineering] Bypass Power Conduits for Stuck Door (Optional)
• Go To Ganalda Space Station
• Report to K'Men

Allies [ | ]

Enemies [ | ], devidian [ | ], arachnid [ | ].

• Talarian Hook Spider
• Large Talarian Hook Spider
• Kartellan Cave Spider

Photonic [ | ]

Accolades [ ], walkthrough, mission replay [ | ].

This mission is repeatable through Mission Replay , although the Rewards for completing will be reduced. Items scale to a player appropriate level ( Scaling Rewards ), as followed:

• [ Polyalloy Weave Armor Mk IV [Dis] [HP] ] [Lv 13–19]
• [ Polyalloy Weave Armor Mk VI [HP] [Pla] ] [Lv 20–29]
• [ Polyalloy Weave Armor Mk VIII [HP] [Tet] ] [Lv 30–39]
• [ Polyalloy Weave Armor Mk X [Ap] [HP] ] [Lv 40–49]
• [ Polyalloy Weave Armor Mk XI [HP] [Pol] ] [Lv 50]
• [ Energy Dampening Armor Mk IV [Dis] [HP] ] [Lv 13–19]
• [ Energy Dampening Armor Mk VI [HP] [Pla] ] [Lv 20–29]
• [ Energy Dampening Armor Mk VIII [HP] [Tet] ] [Lv 30–39]
• [ Energy Dampening Armor Mk X [Ap] [HP] ] [Lv 40–49]
• [ Energy Dampening Armor Mk XI [HP] [Pol] ] [Lv 50]
• [ Current Lock Box ]

Feature Episode Notes [ | ]

• Third of five missions, of the second Feature Episode The Devidians released in fall 2010. The missions were later included in the Federation storyline episode Klingon War , but still form the separate episode Spectres in the Klingon and Romulan Republic storylines.
• For the first Featured Episode Rerun week (May 12-19, 2011) new mission rewards were added to this episode, including making the rewards previously only available through mission replay ( [ Polyalloy Weave Armor [Dis] [HP] ] and [ Energy Dampening Armor [Dis] [HP] ] ) available for selection on the first run and adding the choice of level-appropriate badges for the duration of the Rerun week.

Notes [ | ]

• Being released close to "Halloween", the mission uses lighting, voice-overs and enemy groups that create a dramatic atmosphere.
• Career specific objectives
• Display of dialog in HUD interface
• Optional objectives that impact the difficulty of other objectives
• Reaction/time based obstacles
• Player-controlled dynamic light sources
• Sliding doors
• "What Lies Beneath" is the first mission designed by Jesse Heinig .
• There is a possible bug where during the fight with Gein, a Devidian may remain stuck in the ceiling fans. It can still be shot at from the centre of the room by looking upwards and shooting through the fan blades, allowing the mission to progress.
• Gein is possibly named after Ed Gein, a serial killer.
• As of Season 4 the mission is no longer available at level 6 and above, but level 21 and above.
• To access the mission with a Dominion character first find " Spectres " from Admiral Quinn/appropriate contact in the available tab. This will start the Spectres story arc .
• 2 Playable starship
• 3 Delta Recruitment

• The best laptops for 2024
• Best Buy Geek Squad layoffs
• The best gaming TV for 2024
• Google's Find My Device launched
• Best Mint alternative

Captain's Log: Wrapping up STO's second series of feature episodes

Space can be a dangerous place, as villains and ne'er-do-wells lurk in every corner. Last time, the Breen invaded the Defera system . Now, the Devidians seek to destroy an entire sector. I'm talking, of course, about Star Trek Online's weekly episodes. The second series wrapped up on Saturday, and because it should be the last major bit of content we get from Cryptic Studios until Season 3 , I thought we might check out a play-through of all five episodes. Does STO's second set of feature episodes live up to the fun of the first ? Actually, the Devidians blow the Breen out of the water!

Episode I: Skirmish When you enter the Eta Eridani sector, Sir Francis Drake Franklin Drake, some Section 31 dude with a scar on his face, "suggests" you stop a True Way fleet from wreaking havoc on the Donatu System. Because I'm playing the mission on Sunday morning, that sounds too much like the Donut System for me to resist leaving to get something to eat. Ooh, fleet fight, cool! I warp into the middle of a three-way fight among Federation ships, Klingon ships and the True Way fleet I'm here to clobber. Sadly -- perhaps because I'm busy taking screenshots -- the bad guys do all the clobbering, and soon I'm alone against the True Ways. Knocking out the few enemy ships and disabling the boss ship isn't so hard once I start paying attention, though.

Then my away team and I beam down and -- ugh -- we have to blast our way through groups of Cardassian guards. Whoever designed the interior of the ship, though, has done a bang-up job. I hope we can make maps look this cool using the Foundry tools. Anyway, my team engages in some standard zap-zap-meh until we realize we're not alone! Some weird, semi-cloaked creatures kill a Cardassian before beating a hasty, blue-lit retreat. More blue lights and dead Cardassians greet us as we investigate further. One of my officers, who moments earlier acknowledged the presence of strange creatures, wonders aloud whether something is wrong with "the environmentals" on the ship. Moron. So, after performing a tiny bit of science, I brilliantly deduce that those creatures have infested the bridge... which is, like, the only place left intact, so I'm not sure why I had to scan for triolic waves to figure that out. Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 Innovation Factor: 4 out of 5

The episode earns high marks for a fun -- but not drawn-out -- space battle, beautiful scenery, incorporation of light science elements and fabulous new models. The Devidians are gorgeous and pack some neat powers and effects. And a time-traveling comet? Super! The mission sets up the second series splendidly and takes the time to plug my column , too! Episode II: Spin the Wheel Drake informs me that one of his deep-cover operatives might be in trouble at the neutral-faction bar in the Drozana System. He "suggests" some shore leave, so I'm sure nothing untoward will happen! On the station, Belan the Ferengi plays coy when I ask about my missing operative. He complains the power has gone wonky and mentions blue mood lighting (hint hint), so I'm off to investigate, which leads me to a power-restoring puzzle. Neat.

In a nutshell, you have to relay power through different systems, such as environmental controls and the defense grid, to turn the replicators back on for Belan. Scanning different consoles and power relays in the room offer hints, and a little trial and error should yield the proper results. For the more impatient among you, I'll give you the answer (so look away if you want to figure it out yourself): replicators > environment controls > gravity controls > defense grid > environment controls > replicators. Yes, ignore the holosuites console altogether. Overcome with gratitude (ha), Belan reluctantly directs me to my missing agent, who turns out to be a paranoid nut. She makes me play Dabo and wait for a signal to get her off the station. One bet later, Ze'mara says she'll find her own way, and I head to Deep Space K-7 to find out more about the Devidian presence in the sector. Fun Factor: 3 out of 5 Innovation Factor: 3.5 out of 5 Verdict: While not the most exciting mission, this episode earns a bump for an intelligent puzzle and cool, James Bond-y vibe (because of the espionage). The trip to K-7 seems superfluous, though. Why bother inventing interstellar communication if I have to schlep across half a sector just to have a three-minute face-to-face conversation with a scientist? Let me text the guy next time. Episode III: What Lies Beneath Back on Drozana Station, my away team and I descend into the maintenance levels. The third episode premiered on Halloween weekend , so it's meant to be extra-creepy fun. The folks at Cryptic lovingly crafted the desolate, rundown corridors below the Ferengi space station, with dark passages and swaying chains. It reminds me of the Nostromo from Alien . Ha! I even get a tiny flashlight. Well done. Fun Factor: 5 out of 5 Innovation Factor: 3 out of 5 Verdict: Brilliant. Loved it. The atmosphere, the scenario, the voice acting -- everything in this mission is spot-on. And of course the Ghostbusters -esque proton rifle is genius. I've never enjoyed ground combat in STO this much.

Episode IV: Everything Old is New Time travel! Again? Seems like that happens a lot in STO . Still, Drake "suggests" my crew and I zip on back to the 23rd Century to stop the Devidian threat, so whatever. One of my officers tells me we need to find parts to build a Devidian detector. Too bad the station is on medical lockdown for some reason. Shortly after I enter the past, I run into a quick puzzle to overload some computer memory banks. I have to flip switches on three separate consoles to engage the computer's three circuits, or something. Solving it requires like 45 seconds and little thought. Meh. As I set off into the station, I encounter a patrol of Federation officers. Because of the lockdown, they'll zap me for wandering the halls, but I have the option to lock them into a side room instead of fighting them. Nice touch! Unfortunately, I miss locking one guy in the room, so I have to stun him. Sorry. I encounter a few other neat tricks on my mission, including the option to talk or fight my way trouble and a miniature puzzle to access a console for parts. Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 Innovation Factor: 4.5 out of 5

Verdict: The devs really put a lot of care into this mission, which offers a lot of choices and moving parts you don't find in most other missions. I especially like that you can choose to talk, sneak or blast your way through the station -- a choice I'd love to have more often. Plus, you get to hang out with someone famous! Episode V: Night of the Comet To prevent the Devidians from hijacking the entire Eti Eridani Sector, I have to pilot the U.S.S. Ziggy into the 23rd Century and blow up a comet -- the same chroniton-charged comet mentioned in the first episode. And of course Drake has a shady system for time travel all set up already. That guy creeps me out. One slingshot later, and I'm back in the 23rd Century, trying to defend Drozana from Devidians and destroy the offending death comet. And from a giant bar brawl. But once I defeat the Devidian boss, it's comet-blasting time, right? Not so much. Fun Factor: 3.5 out of 5 Innovation Factor: 3 out of 5 Verdict: The final mission requires a suitable amount of firepower without dragging on or growing tedious -- the mania of the bar fight helps. Sadly, it loses its way after you clear the station of Devidians. The hunt for "nerve tonic" (a warm, sour, honey-topped pick-me-up in a stemmed glass) is awfully anticlimactic, and then the random appearance of angry Klingons feels so... random. Even so, the guys at Cryptic pulled out all the stops for their second series of weekly episodes. They really improved these episodes, in everything from the settings to the combat, over those of the first series. Makes me wish we didn't have so long to wait for the next set of episodes.

Less trustworthy than a Ferengi loan shark and more useless than a neutered Tribble, Ryan Greene beams Captain's Log straight into your mind every Thursday, filling your brainhole with news, opinions and reckless speculation about Star Trek Online . If you have comments, suggestions for the column or insults too creative for Massively's commenting policy, send a transmission to [email protected] .

Latest Stories

X won’t let users hide their blue checks anymore.

X will no longer allow users to hide their blue checks, regardless of whether they paid for premium or not.

A four-pack of Chipolo One Bluetooth trackers is on sale for $60 right now

The Chipolo One is our favorite Bluetooth tracker. A four-pack is on sale for $60, which is a record low price.

Prime members can play Fallout 3 and New Vegas on Luna for the next six months

Fallout games are having a moment in the wake of its new TV series adaptation. Amazon has added two of the series’ best games to Luna, its cloud streaming service, and a current-gen console update is arriving for Fallout 4.

Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok

Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok after a ten-week hiatus. There’s no specifics regarding the deal, but it doesn’t extend to other Universal artists.

Instagram's status update feature is coming to user profiles

Instagram’s status update feature, Notes, will soon be more prominent in the app.

Apple may start releasing AI-centric, M4-powered Macs later this year

Apple is reportedly preparing to start releasing M4-powered Macs later this year. The next-gen chips are said to place more focus on artificial intelligence.

Apple TV+'s Dark Matter series takes on one of Blake Crouch's best books

Apple just dropped a trailer for a new sci-fi series. Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly and premieres on May 8.

Yale unveils its first retrofit smartlock and keypad

Yale has unveiled its first smart lock and keypad system that can be retrofitted onto most standard deadbolts.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is only $40 right now

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device is on sale for $40. That’s a record low for Amazon’s top-of-the-line streaming stick, which usually costs $60.

Pick up one of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs for only $40

One of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs is on sale for $40 via Amazon. That’s a discount of $10, or 20 percent.

Sony's new ULT Bluetooth speakers are bringing back the '90s bass boost button

Sony just announced a trio of new speakers in a new line of audio products called the ULT Power Series. These speakers include an ULT button that provides a bass boost.

Sony ULT Wear headphones review: Brain-shaking bass

Sony’s ULT Wear headphones are a better implementation of bass boost than previous models along with considerable updates to ANC, features and overall design.

You can now listen to Substack podcasts on Spotify

Substack shows are coming to Spotify. The partnership lets Substack podcast creators add Spotify distribution for their programs with only “a few clicks.”

iPhones will soon be repairable with genuine used components, but parts pairing persists

Apple plans to expand its self-repair program by allowing consumers and repair shops to use genuine used parts to fix busted iPhones. As ever, though, there are pros and cons to the company's approach.

Smart rings are meant to be invisible, and that’s the problem

Samsung is building a smart ring, Apple might join in too, but neither are likely to succeed.

The best gaming laptops for 2024

There's never been a better time to buy a gaming laptop. These are our top picks that we've tested and reviewed that will fit all kinds of use cases and budgets.

Instagram will test nudity protection in messages to fight sextortion

Meta is bringing nudity protection tests to Instagram and restricting messages from potential abusers.

DJI Avata 2 FPV drone review: A cheaper, more potent tool for creators

The Avata 2 improves just about everything from the very popular original while shaving some dollars off the cost.

Uber makes its safety tools easier to access and customize

In Uber's new safety preferences page, users can choose to activate its safety tools for every ride or just for rides after 9PM.

DuckDuckGo unveils a $10 Privacy Pro plan with a no-log VPN

DuckDuckGo has announced a Privacy Pro service that includes a VPN, personal information removal and identity theft restoration service. The offering is US-only for now and costs $10 per month.

Verify Your Credentials

Arc Defender

Looks like you are logging in with a new computer or browser. For your security, please verify your account prior to logging in. We have emailed you a pin to verify you are the owner of this account.

Please enter the pin we emailed you above

What is this and why am I seeing it?

Star Trek Online

You are leaving arcgames.com.

Heads up, you are now leaving Arc Games! Remember to not share ac- count information as the site you are attempting to reach is not affiliated with Arc Games.

Continue to link and leave Arc Games.

Take me back to Arc Games.

Feature Episode - Spectres

By LaughingTrendy | Wed 14 May 2014 12:00:00 PM PDT

With the Feature Episode Series replay event, familiarize yourself with some of the past episodes. During the event, playing these episodes can earn you awesome rewards like the  Ophidian Cane!

Thousands of Starfleet officers and KDF warriors have died in the battles in the Neutral Zone. The destruction has drawn the attention of the Devidians, unseen predators who use chaos as a cover for their kills. This time, however, their plans involve more than simple survival. You must stop the Devidians before they can change the face of the quadrant forever!

It would appear that a True Way fleet, composed of Cardassians and Jem'Hadar have entered the Neutral Zone engaging Klingon and Federation vessels. You'll need to join them in the Donatu system to secure your faction's hold in the Neutral Zone.

Investigate reports of a True Way fleet entering the Neutral Zone. An unexpected enemy returns when your ship is called to battle in the Neutral Zone. 

A deep cover intelligence operative on Drozana Station needs your help. Dabo!

Something more than Devidians haunts the lower levels of a 200-year-old space station. Will you survive long enough to learn the truth?

Follow the mystery back to a place where everything is familiar, but nothing is the same. Get the help of a legend and find out what the Devidians have planned.

Even help from old friends may not be enough to stop the Devidian threat in time.

Click here to learn more about Legacy of Romulus, our free-to-play expansion for Star Trek Online. Advance your journey of rebuilding the Romulan legacy with a Legacy Pack purchase! Click on the logo below to learn more about it.

Want more game details, screens, and videos? Like Star Trek Online on Facebook for more exclusive content and follow us on Twitter – tweet us your questions! And, subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest Star Trek Online videos.

Discuss in the forums

sto-news , star-trek-online ,

Follow / Subscribe

Most Recent More

hover media query supported

Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

• ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Getting Bloody, Live-Action Film ‘The Last Ronin’ 10 hours ago
• Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series 1 week ago
• ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show’s Unexpected Final Season, the ‘Pressure’ of Representation and Taking the ‘Trek’ Cruise 1 week ago

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot developments in Season 5, Episode 1 of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” now streaming on Paramount+.

Popular on Variety

Kovich’s explanation evokes the classic “ Star Trek: The Next Generation ” episode “The Chase” from 1993 in which Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) — along with teams of Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians — learn that all humanoid life in the galaxy was created by a single species that existed billions of years earlier, and seeded thousands of planets with the DNA to pass along their legacy. (Along with presenting a profound vision of the origins of life, the episode also provided an imaginative explanation for why almost all the aliens in “Star Trek” basically look like humans with different kinds of forehead ridges.)

Kovich tells Burnham that the Romulan scientist was part of a team sent to discover exactly how these aliens — whom they call the Progenitors — made this happen; the object they’re seeking winds up being one part of a brand new “chase,” this time in the 32nd century, to find the Progenitors’ technology before it can fall into the wrong hands. 

“I remember watching that episode and at the end of it just being blown away that there was this huge idea where we all come from,” Paradise says. “And then they’re going to have another mission the next week. I found myself wondering, ‘Well, then what? What happened? What do we do with this information? What does it mean?’”

Originally, Paradise says the “Discovery” writers’ room discussed evoking the Progenitors in Season 4, when the Discovery meets an alien species, the 10-C, who live outside of the galaxy and are as radically different from humans as one could imagine. “As we dug deeper into the season itself, we realized that it was too much to try and get in,” Paradise says.

Instead, they made the Progenitors the engine for Season 5. “Burnham and some of our other characters are on this quest for personal meaning,” Paradise says. Searching for the origins of life itself, she adds, “feels like a big thematic idea that fits right in with what we’re exploring over the course of the season, and what our characters are going through.”

That meant that Paradise finally got to help come up with the answers to the questions about “The Chase” that had preoccupied her when she was younger. “We had a lot of fun talking about what might’ve happened when [Picard] called back to headquarters and had to say, ‘Here’s what happened today,’” she says. “We just built the story out from there.”

More From Our Brands

The 26+ passover gifts to bring to seder dinner this year, one of jay leno’s favorite mechanics was just arrested for theft and fraud, american flag football league delays men’s pro launch to 2025, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, grey’s recap: pregnant pause — plus, what’s ailing mer and derek’s son, verify it's you, please log in.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• View history

Devidian individuals.

All items (8)

• Devidian Lord

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Is Based on This Unforgettable 'Next Generation' Episode

EPs Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise talk Season 5, their process when approaching new seasons, & tease upcoming Star Trek projects.

The Big Picture

• Collider's Steve Weintraub sits down with Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise to discuss the final season.
• Kurtzman and Paradise discuss the inspiration behind Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, the themes of the final season, and share behind-the-scenes Star Trek details.
• Kurtzman also teases upcoming Star Trek projects like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3.

In both celebration and a farewell, the cast and creatives behind Star Trek: Discovery made their way from the final frontier to Austin, Texas for this year’s South by Southwest film and television festival. It was a bittersweet moment for all as they world premiered the first episode of 10 for the final fifth season, “Red Directive.” Ahead of the screening, Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to sit down with executive producer Alex Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise to have a conversation about how the duo approached this final season's storyline, and all things Star Trek .

With Discovery 's Season 5 now available to stream on Paramount+, fans have had the opportunity to join Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and her crew's final mission on an adventure to locate an ancient artifact with some seriously mind-boggling powers. As it turns out, they aren't the only ones searching for the mysterious object, pitting them in a race against time to retrieve the item before it falls into the wrong hands. In addition to Martin-Green, Season 5 sends off Doug Jones ( Pan's Labyrinth ), Wilson Cruz ( My So-Called Life ), Blu del Barrio ( The Listener ), David Ajala ( Fast & Furious 6 ), Mary Wiseman ( Marriage Story ), and so many more.

Check out the full interview in the video above, or the transcript below, to find out how Star Trek: The Next Generation inspired Discovery 's swan song, the behind-the-scenes planning for new Star Trek series and episodes, and what they hoped to explore in Season 5. Kurtzman and Paradise also share some teasers for upcoming projects like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , and more.

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.

Read Our 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Review

COLLIDER: I’ve seen the first four episodes, and the only thing I’m mad about is I don’t have more to watch.

MICHELLE PARADISE: [Laughs] We did that on purpose. We were hoping to make you angry before you interviewed us.

How many episodes is the final season?

PARADISE: Ten.

How does that number get determined for each Trek show? Is it the studio saying, “This is the number we want?”

ALEX KURTZMAN: Yeah, I think they're only making 8 to 10 [episodes] of all shows, not just Trek shows, from this point forward.

You’re talking about for Paramount+?

KURTZMAN: For Paramount+. Yes, that's my understanding.

Where Does a New Season of Star Trek Begin?

You finish the last season, you find out you're going to get to do another season. What is the discussion like in terms of, “What is going to be our next season? What's the arc we're going for?” How does that all work behind the scenes?

PARADISE: Well, we always start with our characters, and where did they end last season and where do we want them to go this season? In those kinds of discussions, a lot of things start to come out thematically in terms of things that feel thematically resonant across those different characters, the things that we want to explore. In the midst of all of that, we are also figuring out the big ideas for the season. So, thematically this season, we're exploring questions of purpose and meaning , which felt like a natural extension coming off of the DMA and out of COVID and the Season 4 stuff. “What is next for our characters?” That felt like an organic place to go. And just in the midst of talking about all of that, it kind of organically leads to questions of, “Who are the antagonists for the season? What is the thing that our heroes are doing this season?”

Coming into Season 5 we knew that we wanted to do a bit of a tonal shift. We wanted to lead with a bit more action and adventure, and make it slightly lighter than earlier seasons. That’s where the idea for a quest came from. And those are organic conversations that all feed into one another as we're figuring out what we want the season to look like. We really do a lot of work up front breaking out just the high level of what the season will be before we start diving into the individual episodes.

'The Next Generation' Inspired 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5

One tng episode paved the way for the discovery crew..

This season connects to Star Trek: The Next Generation , which of course makes me very happy. When you do something like that, how did that come about, and ultimately, who makes the decision, like, “You're allowed to do this?” Is it you? Is it the studio? How does that decision get figured out?

PARADISE: Well, in terms of where it comes from, we had actually been interested in the episode, “The Chase.” It’s something that has stuck with many of us from TNG just because it has such big ideas, big things that it's exploring — where does life come from? It was this single episode that explores these big things and then kind of moves on to the next episode, and it kind of lends itself to so many questions of, “Well, then what happened? What do we do then?” So we were actually looking at that and considering folding some of that into Season 4, but as we got into Season 4, we realized with the 10-C, there was just so much story, it was too much happening, and it didn't quite feel organic. When we came into Season 5 and started looking at where our characters were and where they were going to go over the course of the season, and what Burnham was exploring with respect to meaning and what's next and all of that, it really felt like that progenitor story as a quest felt like the perfect place to live thematically.

Then in terms of who allows us to do that, I mean, we talk about it and Alex says yes. Then, I don't know, do people above and beyond that…?

KURTZMAN: No. There's always a big conversation about whether or not that's something in canon. What you never want to do is just throw in an Easter egg to throw it in with no real reason. That is, I think, the worst mistake because it starts to feel like fan service and has the exact opposite effect of what you want. In this particular case, it's the root of the season, and it sets the season forward, and it asks a very fundamental question that becomes the question that we set out to answer for the season. So, from that perspective, it was the right choice.

At the studio, how does it actually work? Obviously, you are near the top of the food chain on Star Trek. Who do you talk to at Paramount+ in terms of working out budgets or working out what they want for Star Trek, which you then do? How is that structure figured out?

KURTZMAN: It's a communal conversation, meaning I talked to the head of the studio, David Stapf, who's been incredibly supportive from the beginning, from Discovery' s launch. Then we go, and we talk to the Paramount+ folks, and we tell them, “Here's what we're thinking. In order to get to this show, we're going to need to start planning, really, two years ahead, which means you have to start putting things in development.” It's actually a small group of people. And then once you figure out what show everybody wants to make, then it becomes a question of what it costs to make it.

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

I'm assuming you have a number for the budget for all 10 episodes. How does it work in terms of figuring out where and when you want to deploy additional resources, knowing you can only spend so much here and there?

PARADISE: I think it depends on the individual episode. So, for example, our premieres and finales have always tended to be a little bit bigger than pattern. We have a pattern budget, which is the number that we want to hit for any given episode. Because our premiere and finales are typically larger because we want to launch with a bang and end with a bang, we just know that if we go over the pattern in the episode, or in a particular area of the episode, that in later episodes we're gonna need to make that up. So, it's really a matter of just making sure that we are diligent about that and keeping track along the way, so that by the end of the season we have hit our pattern for all of the episodes, even if one or more went over.

Bottleneck Episodes Are Actually Beneficial to Television

"it's an essential part of it.".

How much in the writers’ room are you thinking, “It would be great, because we want to go big in two episodes, we really need a flashlight episode in Episode 6. That way we can take that money and use it somewhere else?”

PARADISE: We're very thoughtful about that. For example, going into any season, I don't even need to know what the season is about to know that our premiere and our finale are probably going to be bigger, because that's just how we tend to do it. So we always go in kind of knowing that. Once we start getting budget information, we get a sense of how much bigger the premiere will be, and then we just know, “Here's how much we have to make up along the way.” We're diligent about making sure that if we need to do a bottle episode, we do a bottle episode.

Flashlights.

PARADISE: We do flashlights, and no one gets to change their costumes suddenly. [Laughs]

I'm a huge Star Trek fan. If you watch Next Generation , every season there's a flashlight episode, or something that requires just sitting in one stage, just them talking, you know what I mean? And you know that the money's gonna be deployed somewhere else.

KURTZMAN: No, it's an essential part of it. In fact, I think from a dramatic perspective, it's great because it forces you to tell stories that are just focused on character, nothing else. If you say, “Sorry, you don't get any explosions this episode. You don't get anything, any of the bells and whistles, you just have to write people in a room,” it forces your brain into a different space than you're usually in, which is a great thing if you're doing it right. It's a great thing for character.

How 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Twin Peaks' Changed the Television Frontier

If you could only watch one TV show for the rest of your life, what TV show would it be, and why?

PARADISE: I might say The Twilight Zone , because it's one of those shows where there are different tonal elements in all the episodes. It did such a wonderful job of reflecting what was happening in society at times. It's an incredible mix of character work and genre, and just profound questions that it would explore. I remember growing up on that and just loving it. And every Thanksgiving they would have Twilight Zone marathons, and I would just sit and watch The Twilight Zone for hours and hours on end. I have The Twilight Zone companion at home. [Laughs] It's really wonderful, compact storytelling, and I think it endures for a reason.

It also led to where you're sitting.

PARADISE: Yes, that too. I mean, I don't think you can overlook the importance of that show in all of these.

100%. What about you?

KURTZMAN: Twin Peaks for me, which is weirdly very Twilight Zone adjacent. Twin Peaks made me want to make television. It just changed my understanding of what television could be. I remember seeing the premiere of the episode at a screening at LACMA when I was growing up. I was in high school, and I didn't understand what I was watching because at that point, television was cops, doctors, lawyers, right? And so you see that show, and he's just blowing up everything you understand about TV. It is endlessly entertaining to me, and the more you watch it, the more you begin to see that it's a case study on all the things that should be done on television, and then all the things that shouldn't be done on television when networks come in and start mandating certain things that sort of break the rules that was fundamentally so wonderful about an idea. So, I just think it's an amazing, amazing piece of art.

Kyle MacLachlan Ushered in a New Era of Cool Detective in 'Twin Peaks'

I think, also, a lot of people don't realize the context of time of when it was on, just like you said.

KURTZMAN: People don't get it. It was funny, we had a whole conversation this week in the writers’ room about it because a lot of the writers’ assistants, who are of a totally different generation, just had no frame of reference for Twin Peaks . And so somebody, one of the writers’ assistants, asked, “Why should I watch? Why should I watch the show? What's so special about it?” And I said, “You’ve got to understand context, which is impossible for you to understand given the fact that you didn't live through it, but there was nothing like that that had ever existed. It was the first thing ever. And every show that you love now…” You can name 20, 30 of them. It was funny because we just finished Season 4 of True Detective , and I said, “There is no Season 4 of True Detective without Twin Peaks . It doesn't exist.” I mean, I can name 10 shows right now that don't exist without Twin Peaks . And so I think when he saw that, he went, “Oh my god, that's right. I didn't understand it. I apologize.”

Star Trek Fire Round With Alex Kurtzman

As the person near the focal point of Star Trek, I do have a few individual questions for you, if you don't mind. Just like Discovery , I'm a big fan of Strange New Worlds . I know you're filming Season 3. How's that going?

KURTZMAN: It’s going great.

Anything you want to tease?

KURTZMAN: No. [Laughs]

Got it. I am also a fan of Lower Decks . I think that Mike [McMahan] does such a great job with that. Do you know if Paramount's planning on renewing that? Do you know if it's near the end of its run? What can you say?

KURTZMAN: I don’t. What I can tell you is that I think we’ve had five amazing seasons. If it’s five amazing seasons then that’s amazing. The fact is that five seasons of anything in the streaming universe is almost unheard of at this point. It’s been such a delightful show. Mike, the whole staff, everybody on it — amazing. Tawny Newsome, who obviously plays Mariner on the show, is also in our Starfleet writers’ room, and so it feels like the spirit of that show has somehow also migrated into Starfleet in some ways. But if this turns out to be our last season I think we will all walk out heads high.

Filming Star Trek's 'Strange New Worlds' x 'Lower Decks' Crossover Was a "Dream Come True" for Tawny Newsome

Speaking of Starfleet Academy , not like I wasn't going to ask about it, h ave you started casting?

KURTZMAN: We haven’t started casting the kids .

Have you revealed when it takes place on the Star Trek timeline?

KURTZMAN: Not to you, no.

[Laughs] Right. Exactly.

PARADISE: Actually, to everyone but you. [Laughs]

100%. So is it gonna be another 10-episode show?

KURTZMAN: Yeah.

Is it like a six-month shoot, a nine-month shoot?

KURTZMAN: Yeah. It could end up not airing until 2026. We don’t know. Just building the sets alone is a massive endeavor, then six months of shooting, then six to eight months of post. If you recall, there was all this noise around Season 1 and Season 2 of Discovery because the streaming service, they were like, “Oh, it’s a cop show.” I’m like, “No, you don’t understand. It’s eight months of visual effects turnaround, and we’re not gonna rush that.” So, it’ll come out, but it’ll come out when it’s done.

'Absentia' Co-Creator Gaia Violo Working on ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Spin-Off Series for Paramount+

One of the main issues, and I talk about this with everyone at every streamer, is I don't understand how they don't keep writers’ rooms going all the time because it's like, get the scripts ready so at least if they green light, you can try to go as soon as possible.

KURTZMAN: We’re actually starting to have that conversation now. There’s a million reasons to do it. It’s not just that it keeps things fresh, but it also saves an enormous amount of money for your budget.

Absolutely. That’s why Netflix, with Avatar [ the Last Airbender ], just renewed two seasons. It’s great.

KURTZMAN: Yeah. You’re sitting here holding stages and you’re paying for those stages and nothing’s happening. Sometimes it takes four to six months to renew a show. The case that we’ve been making is if you take four to six months that’s just money off the screen and you’re burning money. Everybody hears it. Everybody understands. There’s no debate about it.

I know you haven't cast the kids, but what can you tease about the cast and the protagonists on the show?

KURTZMAN: This is my first official Starfleet Academy question. There are a lot of different kids from a lot of different places. Some of them want to be there, some of them don’t want to be there. It’s gonna be a fundamental reinforcement about all the things we love about Starfleet in general. You always want to ask yourself, “Why this show now?” I think that one of the big things that certainly my 17-year-old son is facing, which is kind of a fundamental Star Trek question, is, “How did we get here? How has this generation inherited the mistakes from the previous generation? And what are we gonna do to fix it to build that optimistic future that is Roddenberry’s essential vision?” That is very much going to be at the heart of Starfleet Academy .

One of the reasons why I'm excited for the show is because Star Trek cannot exist with just aiming at the older fans. You have to bring in new people. One of the reasons why Prodigy is great, and one of the reasons why I'm looking forward to Academy is because you can go after, maybe,15 to 19-year-olds. Do you know what I mean?

KURTZMAN: I do. So here’s the thing, I couldn’t agree with you more. I will also say, and I’m always very vocal about this with the studio, you can’t do that to the exclusion of OG fans. You have to make sure that you are also pleasing people who have been around and are die-hard TOS fans, die-hard Next Gen fans, whatever iteration of Trek is yours. You cannot alienate those people. You actually also have to invite them to the tent. So the challenge is how do you do that while also bringing in Trek to a new generation of fans that have no experience with those shows, has never watched those shows? So you need to make a show that you can drop into if you don’t know anything about Star Trek, but also a show that you can get a tremendous amount out of if you have all of that canonical history.

One of the things about the Academy is that you only go to Star Trek Academy for so many years. So, hypothetically you get to run for four seasons — do you see it that each season you would essentially be bringing in new people and people would be graduating, or are you aiming for the whatever-amount of years? Do you see what I mean?

KURTZMAN: Of course I see what you mean. [Laughs] We talk about it every day. Without spoiling anything, what I’ll tell you is I think the structure and the construction of the show is going to allow for both of those things to happen.

Do you know when you're going to announce the cast, or no?

KURTZMAN: It’ll be a while. We haven’t actually started the casting process, essentially. We’ve started generally for some of the adult characters. We haven’t even started with the kids.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 release every Thursday on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount

• The Inventory

Star Trek: Discovery Would Really Like You to Know What It's About

Discovery 's final quest continues in "jinaal," giving it an opportunity to yell loudly what the show has always been about, for those in the back.

Star Trek: Discovery has always been about one thing: at the end of it all, the only thing that matters, the only thing that will bring light in dark times, and save the day, is a connection and understanding forged between people, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. Sometimes, it’s more subtle about reminding us of this than others. This week was definitely one of the others.

Related Content

“Jinaal” is quick to get going after last week’s explosive two-episode premiere gave Michael and the crew a TNG -throwback mission to stop the mysterious Moll and L’ok getting their hands on Progenitor tech—and use their leg up on the duo wisely to get on to the Trill homeworld as soon as they can, in the search of the next clue to the Progenitor puzzle. It turns out, they’re actually looking for a person, so much as they are the clue—the titular Jinaal, a host of the Bix symbiont, who worked with the Romulan science team that discovered the technology’s existence eight centuries prior, at the height of the Dominion War .

Bad news: Trill don’t live for 800 years, and Jinaal is very, very dead. Good news: symbionts are much more lasting, and it turns out the Bix symbiont is still around with its host, Kalzara. Better(?) news: after answering a very simple riddle, Kalzara agrees to undergo a Trill ritual known as the Zhian’tara—a process seen in DS9 and Discovery that allows the consciousness of a past joined Trill to be put in another body for a period of time. After Dr. Culber eagerly accepts to be Jinaal’s organic AirBnB, the transfer is done, and Michael and Book are off on Culber-Jinaal’s tail to go find the clue.

If all this sounds like it’s going at an alarming pace, it is and it isn’t. While “Jinaal” certainly gets going very quickly, there is both not much else to the episode and also a big breath and pause, because Discovery gets ready to lay its forever thesis on thick . All of this—all of it, not just the main thrust of the episode but its parallel stories aboard the Discovery with new first officer Commander Rayner, and back at Federation HQ with now-Ambassador Saru—is in service of people facing something, momentarily struggling, and then realizing “oh, this is much more solvable when everyone talks to each other and connects. Hooray!” And like we said, not only does the episode slow itself down to make this point clear, it makes this point plainly and repeatedly for the rest of the episode.

Look, this is not necessarily a bad thing—it’s actually been for the most part very beneficial for Discovery for it to embrace that this idea, an intrinsic aspect of Star Trek ’s hope for the future, is the core of its identity. Star Trek ’s ideal is people from across different species, backgrounds, gender identities, linguistic barriers, adversarial pasts, even across lines of understanding of radically different forms of sentient life, coming together in the face of evil and standing against it as one. Coalescing itself around that idea has given Discovery both a certainty and a confidence in recent seasons that at its most frustrating points, it deeply lacked. But god, sometimes you just gotta chill on it having every character in every storyline of an episode saying that idea to each other back and forth.

We see it on Trill, when it turns out Jinaal is leading Michael and Book into a nest of invisible, barb-shooting giant creatures—a test to see if, when faced with unintentional aggression, they reply in turn or seek to find a peaceful solution so every party gets what they want (hazard a wild guess which one Michael does, and therefore proves herself worthy of inheriting the next clue to the Progenitor tech). We see it back on Discovery , when the irascible Rayner, ordered by Michael to do one-on-one social introductions with the senior crew, treats everyone so brusquely that even Tilly has to snap at him and tell him to stop being a jerk trying to prove himself and actually get to know the people he’s now working with (Rayner’s “this meeting will last with you saying 20 words about yourself, max” attitude does at least let us give some of Discovery ’s awkwardly barely known crewmembers pockets of personality though, that’s nice). And we even see it back at Federation HQ, when Saru’s first day as an ambassador sees him forced to reckon with the political worries of whether or not his engagement to T’Rina will upset her career, after he learns of potential pushback to her husband-to-be from Vulcan purists.

In the end, all of these storylines end the same way: our heroes embrace understanding and seeking connection over aggression and division, and realize their problems are best solved when everyone talks to each other. Michael and Book get the clue (although we learn at the every end of the episode that Trill’s famously tight security of guys in red robes going “I dunno man, I’m just here to ask you a riddle” is in fact not so tight, after Mol sneaks in Guardian disguise to plant some kind of tracking device on Adira), having convinced the creatures and Jinaal alike that their intentions are peaceful. Rayner eventually realizes, after a drink and Tilly’s further prodding, that the only way he’ll get the respect of the Discovery crew that he had with his former one on the Antares will come when he offers himself openly in respect to them. And of course, Saru and T’Rina’s brief disagreement over their protectiveness of each other is quickly resolved when they actually talk to each other and make their feelings clear, instead of making assumptions and debating over it internally.

“Jinaal” then is not a bad episode. It’s breezy, it’s got some fun moments, Wilson Cruz gets to loosen up a little playing host to Jinaal’s consciousness for a while, and while the action here isn’t quite as on the scale of the premiere’s shootouts and chases, it’s still really fun (one of the best things about Discovery ’s jump to the 32nd century has been about how it plays with near-instantaneous, localized beaming, and it’s used greatly here). It just happens to be a distinctly unsubtle one in ways the show has only rarely dipped into being in the past. Nothing particularly advances here beyond the team getting the next bit of the Progenitor puzzle and moving on, there’s no real character work beyond little kernels setting things up to come, nor are Discovery ’s oft-hammered-home themes particularly challenged here: they are just repeated, very, very clearly, across multiple fronts.

Hopefully now that it’s sure everyone’s paying attention, it can hammer home those themes a little more gracefully as the adventure continues.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Teases A Muppets Episode, And We Hope They're Not Joking

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" might be considered the most lighthearted show in the vast canon of "Trek." It's a series that returned to an episodic structure, allowing its stories to conclude at the end of an hour, rather than stretching them across an entire season — and sometimes well past their breaking point. The old-world structure has allowed the showrunners to experiment with genre in ways not previously tried on "Star Trek." One episode may be a body-swap comedy, while the next is a terse horror tale. There are a few steely, soul-crushing wartime dramas sprinkled throughout, but their headiness is leavened by lightweight time-travel stories, party-animated crossovers, and an episode in which Spock becomes a human and eats too much bacon . The most notorious "Strange New Worlds" episode is likely "Subspace Rhapsody," a full-on musical . 

Trekkies who prefer more professional, mature characters may bristle a little at the constant levity of "Strange New Worlds," but the writing is slick enough on the show to offset any legitimate concerns. The characters are strong, the nostalgia is wielded correctly ("Strange New Worlds" features mostly legacy characters), and the plots are classically "Trek," no matter the genre. 

In a profile on the current state of "Star Trek" printed in Variety , the current regime of showrunners said that they're not done experimenting. "Strange New Worlds" is currently between its second and third seasons, and ideas are being floated for what might lie ahead. Director Jonathan Frakes noted that he's working on a murder mystery episode. And, although it was only a joke, executive producer Akiva Goldsman floated the idea of a Muppet episode. "As long as we're in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I'm not sure there is," Goldsman said with an impish smile. "Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!"

Given the tone of "Strange New Worlds," there's no reason this couldn't happen.

Pigs in spaaaaaace!

I'm sure Goldsman meant felt puppet characters on "Star Trek," and not literally the Disney-owned Muppet characters. My deepest apologies to those who wanted to see Captain Pike (Anson Mount) converse with Kermit the Frog, or Spock (Ethan Peck) butting heads with Sam the Eagle. Plus, the Muppets already had their own sci-fi segment via their "Pigs in Space" shorts that date back to the original "Muppet Show." The ship on "Pigs in Space" was called the Swine Trek, so the two franchises are already somewhat chummy. 

There was also precedent for a Muppet episode of a mainstream sci-fi/fantasy show in an "Angel" episode called "Smile Time" from 2004. In that episode, the titular vampire (David Boreanaz) is transformed into a living Muppet-like puppet creature by an eerie magical egg. As a puppet, Angel and his compatriots must do battle with the makers of a demonic children's show. Don't worry: Puppet Angel returns to normal after a few days. "Angel" is a show about vampires and spells, so turning a character into a puppet is more narratively organic than whatever situation might arise for it to potentially happen on a science-based program like "Star Trek." 

But then, if "Star Trek" can orchestrate technobabble to explain a musical episode, a puppet episode wouldn't be too far behind. The tone of "Strange New Worlds" matches the whimsical lightness of "Angel" anyway, so the showrunners have every excuse to make good on Goldsman's little joke. 

And, yes, Trekkies would love to see a silent episode. But a quick reminder: "Star Trek: Voyager" already did a few black and white episodes.

• Where to watch in the US
• Where to watch in Canada
• Where to watch in New Zealand
• How to watch from anywhere
• How to watch with a VPN

Other Star Trek shows

Where to watch star trek: discovery free — final season is underway.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

The newest season of Star Trek: Discovery is officially underway. Season 5 marks the final season of the Star Trek spin-off, and it's shaping up to be an action-packed swang song. Whether you're looking to stream the new episodes or get caught up on the past four seasons, we've got everything you need to know about the show, including where to watch Star Trek: Discovery free via a TV channel abroad. 

Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017 and follows in the decades-long tradition of Star Trek stories. The series is set about five years before the original Star Trek, which chronicled Captain Kirk's five-year journey. In Star Trek: Discovery, the U.S.S. Discovery travels through space on a mission of exploration. Season 5 sees Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the U.S.S. Discovery crew on the hunt for an ancient power that others are also seeking.

The first three episodes are currently streaming. Keep reading to learn how to watch the series no matter where you are in the world.

• Where to watch American Horror Story | Where to watch 9-1-1 | Where to watch Game of Thrones

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in the US

New Season 5 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery land on Paramount+ on Thursdays. The premiere week included two episodes, and now one new episode will drop weekly. Episodes should be available starting at about 3 a.m. ET. All four past seasons are available to stream through the service. Subscriptions start at $5.99 a month and come with a one-week free trial.

Paramount Plus' Essential tier is a steal at this price and only has limited ads. It features tons of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. And you get NFL and Champions League soccer live streaming. There's a 7-day free trial, then it's $6 a month or $60 a year. The only way to ditch the ads is by opting for the Showtime bundle.

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in Canada

Paramount+ is also the home to Star Trek: Discovery in Canada. Plans start at CAD$6.99 and come with a one-week free trial. All episodes are available to stream here.

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in New Zealand

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream for free on TVNZ+ . You'll need to create a free account to start streaming. In addition to new season 5 episodes, Seasons 1-4 are also streaming on the site. New episodes are available on Thursdays.

How to watch Star Trek: Discovery from anywhere

If you're not in New Zealand at the moment, you can access streams with a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs alter your electronic device's location so you can use websites that might not be available in certain regions. They're also solid ways to boost your online privacy. We recommend ExpressVPN , a user-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our ExpressVPN review for additional details and see below to learn how to use a VPN. 

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

How to watch Star Trek: Discovery with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch Star Trek: Discovery.
• Turn it on and set it to New Zealand.
• Go to TVNZ+ and create a log-in profile.
• Watch Star Trek: Discovery.

If you're sad that this is the final season of Star: Trek Discovery and can't get enough of the franchise, there are multiple other series you can check out. Star Trek: Picard wrapped its third and final season in 2023 and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery) is slated to release a third season next year. Like Discovery, Picard and Strange New Worlds are Paramount+ originals and are available to watch on the streamer. Paramount+ is also the streaming home to several other older Star Trek series, including the original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, and more. 

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

• Main content

Star Trek: Deviations

• View history
• 2.1 Creators
• 2.2 Cover gallery
• 3 External link

Summary [ ]

Background information [ ].

• It was collected in Deviations: Beta .

Creators [ ]

• Donny Cates
• Josh Hood (interior and cover A art)
• Jason Lewis (color art)
• AndWorld Design (letter art)
• Rachael Stott (subscription cover art)
• Clay McCormack (retailer incentive cover art)
• Sarah Gaydos
• Chris Cerasi
• Neil Uyetake
• Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
• Special thanks to Risa Kessler and John Van Citters at CBS Consumer Products.

Cover gallery [ ]

External link [ ]

• Deviations at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 3 Ancient humanoid

REVIEW: Star Trek: Discovery Season 5’s ‘Jinaal’ Draws on Star Trek History for a Fresh Story

Star Trek: Discovery's latest episode, "Jinaal," uses a Trill ritual from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to take Culber, Burnham and Book on an adventure.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 3, "Jinaal."

In the premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham met Captain Rayner and learned the truth behind the "Red Directive" that sent them chasing after an 800-year-old Romulan vessel. The brusque captain is now her first officer, and together they have to race space-pirates Moll and L'ak for technology that could change the galaxy and, effectively, introduce them to "God." But before they can do that, they must deal with the long-dead Trill symbiont host who gave this episode its title: Jinaal.

In the second episode, Burnham and Mister Saru went "Under the Twin Moons" of a planet to find the first piece of the puzzle and a clue to the next one. Moll and L'ak, however, beat them to it, but they didn't find the entire clue. Instead, they were sent on a wild space-goose chase to the planet Betazed, while the real clue was hidden on the Trill homeworld. Meanwhile, on the ship, now-Commander Rayner has to bond with the crew of the USS Discovery, despite his wildly different style of leadership than the folks on the ship are used to.

Both stories speak to the theme of this episode and the season overall: the connections between individuals, even between those who share very little in common. But what made this episode truly memorable was how it linked itself to a previous Star Trek show. This was done in the way that Jinaal, the symbiont host who possesses the information Burnham and company need, revealed it to them comes directly from Star Trek 's past. Specifically, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Captain Michael Burnham Is in Peak “Star Trek Captain’ Mode

Captain michael burnham didn't let setbacks and personal problems slow her down, review: star trek: discovery season 5 premiere 'red directive' takes off at warp speed.

One of the most interesting things about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's third episode is very subtle. Throughout the season so far -- but especially in "Jinaal" -- Michael Burnham seems comfortable as the captain . While she was made for the center seat, Season 4 was a tough period of adjustment for her. This was especially true in light of the galaxy-destroying threat the Discovery faced last time. But at the start of this episode, Burnham was wholly in control of her ship and crew .

It's also worth noting that Burnham's authority remained steadfast even if her personal life wasn't in the best place. Ever since betraying her in Season 4 , Cleveland Booker's relationship with Burnham is on the rockiest ground it's been she first arrived in the 32nd Century.

Season 5's first episodes showed they no longer operated together with a near-symbiotic shorthand. Moll, it turns out, is the long-lost daughter of his mentor, who previously used the name "Cleveland Booker." Burnham isn't sure she can trust him. Still, the first scenes of "Jinaal" show her quickly and easily making decisions, including taking a leap of faith by trusting Booker to join them on the mission on Trill.

While it's unclear how much time has passed since Burnham became captain at the end of Season 3, Rayner definitely had more years in command under his belt. However, after Starfleet tried to force his early retirement, Burnham made him her new first officer. He accepted a demotion to Commander, and the two now have to figure out a way to work together. Yet, when Burnham welcomed him aboard, there was no doubt who is in charge.

In fact, it was no accident that she paired him with Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly. Of everyone aboard the USS Discovery, Tilly has the most personal connection to the crew, and she's also (obviously) not afraid to challenge her superior officers. After all, she was promoted to First Officer in Season 3 even if she was merely an Ensign.

The USS Discovery’s Away Mission on Trill Connects to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star trek: discovery used the zhian'tara ritual for more than a nostalgic callback, review: in under the twin moons, star trek: discovery shines brighter than ever.

Upon arriving at the Trill homeworld, Captain Burnham was asked a riddle as a security measure, though even Moll and L'ak likely could've answered it. The clue they found in the previous episode pointed to Betazed, which is presumably where the two pirates went. Burnham answered the riddle, and her team was taken down to the Trill symbiont pools where she then met the long-lived symbiont's host who knew where the clue was hidden. But in order for Burnham and company to get the piece of the puzzle they need, they had to be tested by Jinaal. This was thanks to the Zhian'tara, the Trill's ritual for closure, which was first created on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Facets (Season 3, Episode 25)," Jadzia Dax went through her zhian'tara, which allowed the memories of past hosts to be telepathically transferred into another's body. It's a ritual all Trill hosts go through once they are joined. In Star Trek: Discovery's case, Jinaal wanted a body to physically take Burnham and Booker to the clue, while testing them without their knowledge. He wanted to make sure that they were worthy of the powerful technology of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Progenitors. He led them to the nesting grounds of alien predators whose skin effectively served as cloaking devices.

Jinaal also wanted to see if they were willing to destroy innocent creatures to possess this knowledge. He was also willing to let "unworthy" seekers die to protect the secret. Thanks to Booker's empathic ability to connect to animals and the creatures' higher levels of intelligence, they passed the test. When Burnham discovered the creatures were only protecting their eggs, they agreed to abandon the hunt for the clue. When they reunite with Jinaal, he had the puzzle piece ready for them because they proved themselves worthy. This was yet another instance where Star Trek: Discovery took an element of past Star Trek canon and applied it to its own stories in a fresh, fun and meaningful way.

Star Trek: Discovery Took Some Detours Into Politics & Love

"jinaal" strengthened one of its core relationships but ended another, star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

Fans worried about not seeing Saru again after he left the USS Discovery will surely be pleased to see him appear, with his betrothed T'Rina, at Federation headquarters. He's been named an Ambassador for a number of smaller planetary systems, and he participated in his first diplomatic session with his colleagues. This was an interesting look at the inside dealings of Federation politics unlike any Star Trek series has shown audiences.

Rather than have crewmembers discuss ethical and political dilemmas during an action-packed mission, "Jinaal" set the clash of ideas in a boardroom. The discussions were exceedingly formal and exactly as "boring" as longtime fans would expect a utopian society's politics to be. In fact, Saru's greatest struggle wasn't with dealing with his potential political rivals, but with the woman he loves. Or, at least, her staff.

President T'Rina's aide spoke to Saru offline, explaining his reservations about their pending nuptials. Despite the Vulcan-Romulan reunification and the return of Ni'Var to the Federation, it seems there are still dissidents. These "Vulcan Purists" would object to Saru and T'Rina's marriage.

When Saru told T'Rina that they should delay their marital announcement, she understandably got angry with him . While Saru was trying to protect T'Rina by making this decision for her, he neglected to see that she'd already considered the issue. After they made up, she told him that not announcing their engagement would make it seem like she had something to hide, which would be more damning to her public image and personal convictions.

Star Trek: Discovery's Adira Is The Next Generation's Wesley Crusher Done Right

Conversely, on Trill, Adira Tal and Gray -- the former Tal symbiont host who was put into a new, synthetic body with the zhian'tara ritual -- saw each other for the first time in six months. The reunion was bittersweet because unlike Saru and T'Rina, who patched things up rather quickly, Adira and Gray broke up shortly after. This was a questionable decision for the history-making couple.

Gray is the first transgender character in Star Trek , while Adira is the franchise's first explicitly non-binary character. Their relationship was a foundational part of each character's lives. There are quite a few ongoing love stories in Star Trek: Discovery that are on shakier ground than Adira and Gray, but they're still together. Breaking apart this particular couple is a questionable decision at best, and insidious at worst.

Given how little screentime Adira and, especially, Gray already had on Star Trek: Discovery , it would've been better to allow their relationship to flourish off-screen . There is merit in showing struggle and even the end of nontraditional relationships in fiction. But given the many "firsts" that Gray and Adira represented and in light of current events, their breakup undercut the episode's and the season's themes of shared connection.

Everyone else in the series, even the standoffish Commander Rayner, found themselves drawn closer to others during this week's episode. Even ignoring the negative implications, driving Adira and Gray further apart doesn't add any suspense, tension or value to the series' wider story. This could be addressed better in later episodes but, for now, it's one of the series' weakest narrative decisions.

The Theme of Connection in ‘Jinaal’ Runs Throughout Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Star trek: discovery season 5 is beginning to tackle one of the oldest questions in history, star trek: discovery's mary wiseman, wilson cruz and blu del barrio hype finale.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation writers developed "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," the message the Progenitor hologram delivered was a classic moral for the universe. However, it was really included to offer an explanation to nitpicky fans as to why the vast majority of aliens in the universe had two arms, two legs and other humanoid characteristics. This in turn also meant that every species, including classic Star Trek villains , were related to each other on a foundational genetic level.

As corny and implausibly convenient as this primordial connection could be to some, it can also bring Star Trek's vastly different societies together in ways that even the Federation couldn't. Not only that, but as Burnham and Culber discuss at the end of the episode, the Progenitors' truth could also answer deeply spiritual questions. Specifically, "Why are we here?" Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 took one of Star Trek's most existential yet overlooked ideas, and explored it in ways that previous shows and movies didn't.

For the longest time, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted his characters to meet "God." While Star Trek V: The Final Frontier took an ambitious stab at this existential idea but fell short of expectations, it might just be Star Trek: Discovery that finally delivers a version of a higher power and its implications that Roddenberry himself would approve of.

Because instead of some mythical or mystical being, this show's version of the creator is merely an advanced race of humanoids who felt alone in the universe. Even though they knew their species wouldn't live to see the fruits of their creation, they wanted to make life in their own image and out of nothing but love.

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

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery follows Michael Burnham on her journay from a mutineer in the 23rd Century to Starfleet captain in the 32nd. With its one-of-a-kind spore drive, the USS Discovery is a ship unlike any other, with a crew to match.

• Michael Burnham is at her best as a Starfleet Captain.
• The use of the zhian'tara draws connections to classic bits of Star Trek history.
• The episode blends action and character moments quite well.
• Breaking but Adira and Gray feels like forcing romantic tension where it doesn't need to be.
• While better than not seeing him, the Saru portion of the story risks unbalancing the central narrative.
• The cards-down approach to the Season 5 antagonists risks undercutting how cool they are.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 1 ending & tng treasure explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere dropped a bombshell that ties all the way back to Star Trek: The Next Generation. We break it down.

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

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 reveals a bombshell treasure hunt that ties back to Star Trek: TNG "The Chase."
• Mysterious villains Moll and L'ak create chaos, leaving behind a trail of destruction on Kumal.
• Captain Saru to become a Federation Ambassador, leading to the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding in Star Trek history.

The ending of Star Trek: Discovery 's exhilarating season 5 premiere dropped a jaw-dropping bombshell that the treasure Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is hunting for comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase." Written by Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Discovery 's season 5 premiere, "Red Directive," introduces three new major characters, the villains Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and Starfleet Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), and sets up Discovery season 5 as a sequel to the classic TNG episode about who created humanoid life in the galaxy - and how .

Moll and L'ak escaped the clutches of Captain Burnham, Captain Rayner, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on the desert world of Q'Mau. After a synthetic merchant named Fred (J. Adam Brown) opened a Romulan puzzle box Moll and L'ak stole from an 800-year-old Romulan starship , Fred double-crossed Moll and L'ak and was killed by the renegade lovers. L'ak and Moll then detonated an explosive in the mountains, creating an avalanche. The combined shields of the USS Discovery and the USS Antares protected the people of Kumal, but Moll and L'ak escaped with the Romulans' journal. However, Captain Burnham knows more than the rogues do about the treasure thanks to Discovery's crew. And, as Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) said, the answers are wild.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Everything We Know

Star trek: discovery season 5's treasure & progenitors explained, who were the progenitors in star trek: tng's "the chase".

"The greatest treasure in the known galaxy" in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is the technology Ancient Humanoids used to create sentient humanoid life. A hologram of an Ancient Humanoid (Salome Jens) was encountered by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), members of the USS Enterprise-D crew, as well as a group of Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase". The Ancient Humanoid revealed that her long-dead race seeded the galaxy billions of years ago to create humanoid life forms in their image, and that the humanoid species in Star Trek 's galaxy share a common ancestry.

"The Chase" was Star Trek: The Next Generation 's attempt to explain why so many aliens in Star Trek are essentially humans with bumpy foreheads and physical variations.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere reveals that the United Federation of Planets and Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) dubbed the Ancient Humanoids "The Progenitors". 800 years ago, a Romulan scientist named Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) found and hid the Progenitors' technology, which can literally create life and would be catastrophic if it fell into the wrong hands . However, Moll and L'ak (and, logically, whoever hired them) learned about the Progenitors' technology. The ability to create, and possibly destroy, humanoid species is an existential threat to the galaxy, which is why the Federation needs Captain Burnham to find it first.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) said the Tholian Republic and the Breen Imperium are rising, and they could be looking for the Progenitors' technology.

Moll & L'ak Keep Escaping, But Who Are They?

Star trek: discovery's new villains are a mystery..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's version of Bonnie and Clyde, the villainous Moll and L'ak are mysterious former couriers who have had several past encounters with Captain Rayner of the USS Antares. Moll is human but L'ak is an unknown species with no known information in the Federation database. They are also hired guns, so they must have an employer yet to be revealed.

While little is revealed about Moll and L'ak, what is clear is they are lovers with deep affection for each other. Cleveland Booker doesn't know Moll and L'ak from his years as a courier, but he could tell by the way they escaped from the USS Discovery and USS Antares that L'ak and Moll are in love and are having fun together. In a way, Moll and L'ak are an echo of what Book and Michael Burnham were like when they were couriers traveling the galaxy together in the year before the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century.

Saru Will Become A Federation Ambassador & Marry T'Rina

Wedding bells are coming to star trek: discovery..

Captain Saru accepts Federation President Laira Rillak's (Chelah Horsdal) offer to become a Federation Ambassador. Saru has been serving as First Officer of the USS Discovery despite his higher rank since Star Trek: Discovery season 4, but being Captain Burnham's Number One is not really a role that utilizes the Kelpien's skills and potential. Saru also chose to leave Discovery and become an Ambassador to be closer to his love, President T'Rina.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will soon have the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding and the first wedding between 2 major Star Trek characters in 22 years.

Originally, T'Rina told Saru not to factor her into his decision to take the Ambassador position, but she actually wanted Saru to leave Discovery, which would allow them to spend more time together. And T'rina went a step further and proposed to Saru in a very Vulcan-like fashion, suggesting they "codify our mutual agreement in a more official capacity". Saru seemed to say yes, which means Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will soon have the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding and the first wedding between 2 major Star Trek characters in 22 years since Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) married Deanna Tro i (Marina Sirtis) in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Burnham & Book Are Still Broken Up

They should have called each other..

Star Trek: Discovery 's top love story, Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker , didn't quite heat up in season 5's premiere. Burnham and Book have been separated (but with no hard feelings) ever since Book commenced his penance for the Federation after breaking multiple laws to destroy the Dark Matter Anomaly in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Burnham turned to Book for his courier expertise to help her catch Moll and L'ak , and if she's honest, because she wanted to see Book again.

Michael and Book agreed not to restart their relationship.

Book remains penitent and is committed to righting his wrongs with the Federation and with Michael, but there is now an understandable awkwardness between them. Book has a role to play on the USS Discovery as long as Moll and L'ak are at large , but on Kumal, Michael and Book agreed not to restart their relationship. However, this isn't the end of Burnham and Booker's love story, and it's hard to imagine they won't get back together at some point in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Captain Rayner Is No Fan Of Burnham

What is rayner's problem.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner of the USS Antares as a new series regular character, and he brings a new dynamic to the show. Gruff, impatient, and no-nonsense, Rayner evokes previous hardliner Star Trek Captains like Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Rayner is also resentful of Captain Burnham for some reason , and he finds humor in mocking Michael, asserting his command authority, and countermanding her orders.

Rayner seems jealous of the USS Discovery's spore drive, and he mentions his displeasure that he doesn't have a Pathway Drive on the USS Antares.

Although it wasn't mentioned or factored into Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, Captain Rayner is a Kellerun , a species first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2's "Armageddon Game". Rayner's interest in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is fulfilling his Red Directive mission objective, which is retrieving the treasure, as well as capturing Moll and L'ak, whom he has tangled with before. There is plenty more to learn about Captain Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery Now Has Their Own Data

Fred could be good for commander paul stamets..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere introduced Fred, a Soong-type synthetic who is a merchant and fence on the planet Q'Mau. Fred obviously evokes the most famous Soong android, Data (Brent Spiner), which is another link between Star Trek: Discovery season 5 and Star Trek: The Next Generation , L'ak and Moll killed Fred after he double-crossed them, but after Fred's body was beamed onto the USS Discovery's medical bay, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) determined from his serial number, AS-7502Y, that Fred was built from the design of Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) from Star Trek: Picard .

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, Stamets lamented the Federation's scuttling the spore drive program in favor of the Pathway Drive . Although Fred was "killed", it's possible Stamets and his husband, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), can reactivate Fred. The 600-plus-year-old android may contain other secrets and answer many questions about events between Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery 's era. There are intriguing possibilities for Fred in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 , and it would be odd if Fred really is dead after his lone appearance.

The USS Discovery is now "one of a kind" since it has the only working spore drive in existence.

The Next Clue In Discovery's Treasure Hunt

Discovery is going to a planet with twin moons..

The USS Discovery's next stop on the treasure hunt in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," is Lyrek, a planet in the Vileen system, on the outer sector of the Beta Quadrant, that has 3 moons, 2 of which move in perfect sync. Captain Burnham figured this out after seeing images of Dr. Vellek's Romulan diary pages retrieved from Fred's database. One of the pages had a circular image which could be a literal treasure map, and the clues point to the Vileen system and the planet with twin moons . What Burnham will find on Lyrek remains to be seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, but the chase is on to answer one of the biggest questions left behind by Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is streaming on Paramount+