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Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 4 Review: All Is Possible

Tilly finds a new path as Michael brokers a compromise in an episode of Star Trek: Discovery that feels perfectly balanced.

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The following contains spoilers for STAR trek: discovery

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 4

It’s not yet clear whether “All is Possible ” will really be Sylvia Tilly’s goodbye on Star Trek Discovery , especially since the episode makes such a strong case for the necessity of her perspective and worldview. In many ways, her character is a kind of personification of what makes Star Trek as a concept so appealing, just a big-hearted, open embrace of possibility along with a nerdy love of science and seemingly boundless faith in the innate goodness of others. The idea of the Discovery without her – and the show without the talents of Mary Wiseman – is legitimately upsetting and, quite frankly, just feels wrong.

Yet, Discovery has been remarkably honest about Tilly’s struggles to adjust ever since the crew arrived in the 32nd century and her recent elevation to lieutenant has revealed how deeply unhappy she truly is, reflecting a realistic tension many striving overachievers often encounter when they finally reach a goal and discover it wasn’t precisely what they thought it would be. It’s scary to get what you want – or thought you wanted – and discover it actually makes you miserable. And there’s something brave about showing us someone stepping back for their own good, choosing their own happiness over chasing professional accolades they’re not sure they want anymore. (Maybe it’s just me, but the idea of reevaluating what work means and how it fits into your life  in the aftermath of a traumatic event feels like it hits differently these days.)

But if this is to be an end, of sorts, for Tilly, then she at least got a great episode to go out on. “All is Possible” feels like Star Trek: Discovery firing on all cylinders, easily balancing multiple moving plots, several solid character moments, and the rise of my new favorite onscreen duo in Mr. Saru and Ni’Varan President T’Rina. (Please give them lots of reasons to have more deep chats about politics and meditation techniques in the future, show!) 

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The episode actually explores some of the unique tensions prevalent in a world that survived The Burn but doesn’t remember what life was like before it, when the universe was more open and integrated than it is now. And even though this is the second episode in a row without a Grudge appearance (!!). Discovery continues its surprisingly deft attempt to weave Book more fully into the world of the show beyond his relationship with Michael. (Which turns out to be good for Hugh Culber too, who has also found himself fairly isolated on this canvas in recent seasons That’s another budding friendship I’m very interested in seeing more of.)

Tilly’s Starfleet Academy training mission certainly has hints of Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Galileo Seven,” in which a group of Enterprise crew members unexpectedly crash land a shuttlecraft while on a reconnaissance mission. Tilly and her crew of cadets end up on an icy moon rather than an alien M class planet when their training simulation goes awry, but the bones of the story feel familiar enough. And, similarly, she, Adira, and a quartet of new recruits are all forced to learn to work together, whether they like it or not.

As adventures go, it’s pretty compelling TV (and pure Star Trek down to the ground), allowing the cadets to find mutual respect as well as recognize and learn to combat the innate biases they’ve all been raised with. (This episode is also the most I have ever liked Adira, just saying, and I think that has something to do with the fact that it actually admits that while she may have access to much knowledge, she still has a lot to learn.) 

Tilly is such a poster child for why Starfleet matters – and the good it can do in the world –  that on some levels her decision to become an instructor at the Academy makes perfect sense. She’s great with the entire team of cadets throughout this hour, and though she does occasionally come off as the most annoyingly cheerful camp counselor ever, there’s a nice bit of symmetry to the idea that even though this is where her time as a Discovery officer ends, she’ll still get the chance to share her love of the work, of what Starfleet stands for with a new generation. Hope is more important than ever in a world like this one, and if any Discovery character is primed to be that hope, it’s Tilly.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 3 Review: Choose to Live

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 3 Easter Eggs and References

Plus, since Michael and basically the entire crew of the Discovery seem to be being groomed as politicians as much as they are being allowed to be explorers or scientists, there’s certainly bound to be plenty of opportunities for Tilly to see her old crewmates again. They’re spending as much time now at Federation HQ as they are out on missions, and that’s something that’s likely to increase further that Michael’s part of this consortium meant to oversee various reconstituted Federation relationships with other worlds. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either – there’s something kind of appealing about the idea of expanding Discovery’s canvas to include occasional storylines about the restoration of these key institutions that aim to put a fractured world back together again. (And any reason for us to see more of David Cronenberg’s Kovich and his giant glasses is a win in my book.) 

Is it a bit painfully convenient that it’s Michael and Saru that come up with a conveniently simple compromise that allows both NiVar to rejoin the Federation and T’Rina to save face among the more hardline factions of her people? Absolutely. And one has to wonder why President Rillak keeps assigning Michael to these important, high-level tasks when she seems to have so little confidence in her beforehand? I mean, it’s Michael, so we all know she’s most probably going to pull whatever it is off, but Rillak’s insistence on her lack of fitness for various tasks would be more believable if she didn’t, you know, keep assigning her those tasks anyway .

That said, Discovery’s turn to the more thoughtful and overtly political – the necessity of difficult compromises, a populace that lacks faith in shaky institutions that haven’t served them in the past and don’t hold the same power or appeal as they did in the Discovery crew’s original time – is rather intriguing, especially if the show can find a way to balance the politics with the more entertaining science-based adventures that this season has proved so adept at telling thus far.

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4.3 out of 5

Lacy Baugher

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

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 4, 'All Is Possible,' Recap & Spoilers

The Discovery crew finds itself in the middle of a diplomatic crisis. Here's a spoiler-filled recap of the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 4, "All Is Possible," streaming now on Paramount+ .

Though the United Federation and Starfleet have been steadily rebuilding in the 32nd century of the Star Tre k Universe, these reforged alliances are not without their snags. While relations between the Federation and Ni'Var have been improving, the crew of the USS Discovery find themselves in the midst of a diplomatic crisis that only Captain Michael Burnham can solve. And while Burnham is occupied, Sylvia Tilly and Adira Tal face a disaster of their own, grouped with inexperienced cadets and cut off from Starfleet support.

In the wake of the Discovery's joint mission with the Qowat Milat , Ni'Var has fast-tracked its reintegration back into the United Federation while the crew of the Starfleet vessel remain uneasy by recent events . Burnham mandates her crew take some much-needed downtime while she is called to represent Starfleet for Ni'Var's induction back into the Federation. Meanwhile, Tilly and Adira serve as mentors for a group of cadets from the reestablished Starfleet Academy , with Tilly hoping this will stir her from her deep-seated ennui. Burnham isn't thrilled about having to play compliant diplomat but doesn't have a choice when Admiral Vance is reported ill, forcing her participation.

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Federation operative Kovich informs Tilly that the cadets are visibly uncomfortable working together as they're overwhelmed by the number of different species they have never encountered before; Kovich theorizes the future of Starfleet depends on cadets being able to overcome this and work together. However, a routine training mission goes wrong when the shuttlecraft carrying Tilly, Adira and the cadets crashes on a faraway moon with a hostile environment while tensions between the cadets begin to surface and impede them working together. When the crashed shuttle is attacked by a native beast that can detect energy signatures, Tilly decides the crew must leave the crash site and contact a nearby Starfleet vessel from a safe distance.

At Ni'Var's induction ceremony into the Federation, the gathered diplomats are shocked when Ni'Var President T'Rina insists on it receiving an unconditional exit clause should the need arise, citing the disharmony in the Federation leading up to the Burn. Federation President Rillak refuses to offer this concession, understandably fearing this will lead to other member civilizations obtaining similar clauses to erode the unity between the Federation's various members while Ni'Var reconsiders rejoining the Federation due to this refusal. Burnham and Saru are suspicious if their presence at this diplomatic meeting is some elaborate orchestration, feeling that Rillak and T'Rina are both grandstanding for their own political capital with their respective delegations.

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With the cadets caught in the middle of a lightning storm as they traverse a glacier to reach an elevated point to contact Starfleet, Tilly and Adira help the cadets reconcile their differences so they can finally work together before they freeze to death overnight. Tilly distracts the beasts long enough for Adira and the cadets to make it to the ridge safely, with the USS Armstrong arriving in the nick of time to rescue all the survivors of the crash. Kovich congratulates Tilly on leading the cadets, offering her a teaching position at Starfleet Academy whenever she likes as the cadets now stand together.

Burnham and Saru remind the attending diplomats of their complicated pasts and how far they've gone from their previous divisions. Burnham offers to be a liaison between the Federation Council and Ni'Var, citing her upbringing on Vulcan in the 23rd century, until Ni'Var is comfortable with becoming a full member to the Federation once again; both Rillak and T'Rina agree to this proposal. Burnham is grateful she was able to help the Federation and Ni'Var resolve their differences but chides Rillak on not being entirely honest with her. As Burnham and Tilly compare notes on the Discovery, Tilly confesses an officer role may not be for her, opting to accept Kovich's offer to teach at Starfleet Academy, promising her old friend she may return if needed while setting out on a new future for herself.

Developed for television by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Episode list

Star trek: discovery.

S4.E1 ∙ Kobayashi Maru

S4.E2 ∙ Anomaly

S4.E3 ∙ Choose to Live

S4.E4 ∙ All Is Possible

S4.E5 ∙ The Examples

S4.E6 ∙ Stormy Weather

S4.E7 ∙ ...But to Connect

S4.E8 ∙ All In

S4.E9 ∙ Rubicon

S4.E10 ∙ The Galactic Barrier

S4.E11 ∙ Rosetta

S4.E12 ∙ Species Ten-C

S4.E13 ∙ Coming Home

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All Is Possible (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.2 Continuity
• 4.3 Reception
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Guest starring
• 5.3 Co-starring
• 5.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.5 Stunt double
• 5.6 References
• 5.7 External links

Summary [ ]

The USS Discovery remains in orbit around Ni'Var a week after Captain Burnham 's mission with the Qowat Milat . Ni'Var is fast-tracking negotiations to rejoin the Federation , but Burnham notes in her log that she is unaware of where things stand. Acting on advice from Dr. Culber , she has mandated downtime for the crew in order to ensure their psychological and emotional wellbeing, but Commander Stamets remains at work, unable to let himself rest until he solves the mystery of the Dark Matter Anomaly , particularly for Booker . Burnham also notes her concern about Booker, noting that while the mind meld he had with T'Rina had given him peace at the time, it had proved fleeting. She has recommended he sit down with Dr. Culber, but feels Booker is pulling into himself, a natural reaction to grief.

Burnham meets with Captain Saru , who tells her that President Rillak has requested their presence at the negotiating table down on Ni'Var. According to Rillak, Fleet Admiral Vance has become ill with a Malindian stomach worm , and the medical advice was to allow the worm to gestate before extracting it, which would require 24 hours. Burnham and Saru are to replace the admiral in his diplomatic capacity. While Burnham admits she would like to be present when Ni'Var rejoins the Federation, the analysis of the DMA must take priority. Saru clarifies that Rillak was not giving them a choice, and that they were to "remain silent and look official, nothing more".

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Tilly meets with Dr. Culber, admitting she still feels lost. She tells him that the mission with Burnham and the Qowat Milat helped, and that she applied their " Way of Absolute Candor " to herself. She believed that she was on a straight-line path to the captain's chair and had been trying to get there as fast as she could, but that now she was looking for a detour, remarking on her efforts to step outside her "comfort zone": hunting down J'Vini , eating foods that she hated (noting a particular disgust for Rigelian rutabagas , much to the doctor's amusement). But she considers these to be "baby steps", and is looking for a real way to challenge herself, like working in astrometrics or studying medicine. Culber suggests clearing her mind before making any choices, but Tilly admits that was the problem – she couldn't clear her mind, especially now with the threat from the DMA. Culber mentions he had been contacted by Dr. Kovich , who is consulting with Starfleet Academy ; he had requested a member of Discovery 's crew to accompany a group of cadets in a team-building exercise, believing they had something special to offer since they had served before the Burn . When Tilly questions how she could leave the work with Stamets to lead an exercise, Culber points out that Captain Burnham had mandated downtime for the crew, and this could count as Tilly's. When Tilly agrees, Culber asks for a favor.

In their quarters, Ensign Adira Tal wonders why Tilly has ordered them on this mission, as they were already a commissioned officer. Gray, who believes the Academy is "awesome", points out that it would be part of Adira's responsibility as Tal 's host, to add new experiences from both them and the symbiont. Adira mentions that Jovar had taught at the Academy before the Burn, so Tal already had that experience, but Gray retorts that there was always something new to learn... and besides, orders were orders. When Adira asks what he would do besides his zhian'tal exercises, Gray expresses a desire to check out the crew games in the forward lounge. Adira is somewhat concerned, since Gray doesn't know anyone on the crew, but Gray is confident; he would just walk in and say hello, then he would know someone. He suggests it would be the same for Adira and the cadets. Adira jokes that they can't even eat soup without scanning it first, and admits they haven't done anything new without Gray there in some form. Gray tells them it was their chance to learn, and playfully ushers them out the door.

Tilly and Adira arrive at Federation Headquarters , where they are greeted by Kovich. He directs Adira to Shuttlecraft 11 , where the team of cadets – Val Sasha , a Human , Harral , an Orion , and Taahz Gorev , a Tellarite – are waiting, and suggests introducing themselves to them. The cadets look distinctly uneasy, looking suspiciously at one another if they look in each other's directions at all. As Adira walks away, Tilly thanks Kovich for letting her bring Adira along, as Dr. Culber believed they could use some work in team-building. Kovich is all too familiar with that issue, as it was a problem seen in all of the Starfleet cadets, hence why he was a consultant; while they were the best their worlds had to offer, they had grown up isolated and disconnected, and found it hard to work as a team, especially with people they didn't know. Tilly sees the problem: with the threat posed by the DMA, Starfleet is desperate for new personnel, but how could they work at all if they couldn't work together? Kovich confirms this, and adds that this exercise could be seen as being about the very future of Starfleet itself.

Aboard the shuttle, now at warp, Tilly explains that the exercise was a typical survey mission . Their pilot, Lieutenant Callum , would bring them to Geryon , a class M desert moon orbiting Theta Helios , where they could conduct a full planetary survey. While Tilly presents an upbeat demeanor, trying to rally some excitement about new worlds and new lifeforms, the others (even Adira) maintain neutral expressions. Upon arrival, they would have six hours to complete the survey, by which point they would rendezvous with the USS Armstrong , which would return them to Federation Headquarters. Tilly notes they have been at the Academy for a couple of months, and must know one another by this point. Sasha replies that they really don't, and Harral adding that academics kept them busy. As it was supposed to be a team-building exercise, Tilly decides to start, introducing herself and remarking that she remembered her first training exercise, which involved dropping her utility kit down a methane vent. The others look at her for a moment, then back at their consoles. Callum reports they would be dropping out of warp in one minute, at which point Tilly gives out the assignments. Adira would handle the magnetospheric scan, Harral the geological, Sasha the microbial, and Gorev the atmospheric. Adira quietly expresses to Tilly that they thought they were just along as her aide to keep an eye on the cadets, but Tilly suggests they look at themselves as another cadet, as they had a lot to learn.

The shuttlecraft is thrown off course towards a moon

Just then, the shuttle violently shakes. Callum reports they have been hit by a rogue gamma-ray burst , which has disabled the engines and helm controls. Sasha volunteers to help as she was a pilot, but Tilly orders her back to her station. The shuttle deploys its emergency shield as Tilly asks Callum if he could bring up auxiliary systems. Callum reports he cannot, and that the shuttle was going down. Tilly orders them all to brace for impact.

Act One [ ]

Tilly comes to aboard the crashed shuttle, and asks if the others are alright. She hears Callum weakly call for help, and grabs the shuttle's emergency medkit , but by then it is too late – Callum is dead. Tilly attempts to contact the Armstrong , but Adira points out the gamma ray burst would have knocked out the communications. Deactivating the shield covering the viewports, they are all dismayed to see they have not landed on Geryon, but on Kokytos , a class L ice moon; the air was breathable, but the conditions were hazardous to sentient life. Harral thinks it was all part of the exercise, that they were in some kind of a holosimulation , but Tilly apologetically tells him it's not – the situation was real. The emergency distress beacon would have activated on impact, so Tilly sets Gorev to work on the life support , Sasha to try and activate the flight systems, and Harral to work with her to bring up the long-range comms. Adira volunteers to bring sensors back up. Gorev bumps into Harral on his way to the console, and both are clearly itching to fight before Tilly steps in between them. Trying to work on the team-building, Tilly tells them they should introduce themselves. Adira starts, mentioning growing up on a generational ship before being assigned to Discovery . Sasha grew up on Titan , and learned to pilot when she was 12 years old, and that she had never met non-Humans before the Academy. Gorev mentions his family was trapped in Emerald Chain territory after the Burn, and that they weren't treated very well – this being said with a glare at Harral. Harral finishes, saying that as an Orion he felt he had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, and was at the top of his class. Tilly notes that now they know each other a little better, as she looks worriedly out the viewport.

Meanwhile, the representatives of both Ni'Var and the Federation meet in Ni'Var's capital. Saru is pleasantly surprised when one of T'Rina's aides places a traditional Kelpien tea bowl in front of him. Burnham, noting the quiet interaction between T'Rina and Saru, notes that he appears to have a fan. Just then, Rillak rises to speak, noting that there have been several similar summits over the past four months, but now they had reached the end of the long process to return Ni'Var to the Federation. The Federation has looked over the agreement and is satisfied, and is ready to welcome Ni'Var back into the Federation. T'Rina then rises, stating that she too is glad to be nearing the restoration of their alliance. However, there is one final matter she wishes to settle on, remarking on the threat posed by the DMA. She requests an amendment be added to the agreement, allowing Ni'Var an "exit clause" – immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the Federation, should the need arise. Rillak notes that this was unprecedented, but T'Rina reminds her that before the Burn , Ni'Var and other member worlds felt the Federation was unable to see the individual needs of its member worlds, causing an erosion of trust. Ni'Var would not consider rejoining the Federation without some measure in place that would protect them should a situation arise again. Rillak points out that times had changed, but T'Rina remains firm. While the Federation accepts that they cannot force worlds to remain against their will – Ni'Var being an example – allowing unconditional withdrawal for Ni'Var would open the door for other worlds to request similar clauses, resulting in a weaker Federation. T'Rina believes it illogical to rejoin an organization that puts conditions on their judgment, and believes perhaps they have moved too quickly. Burnham then rises, noting that with the tremendous strides to reach that point, it was illogical to forfeit it all over a single issue. T'Rina reminds her that Ni'Var has endured without the Federation for over a century, but Burnham points out there is a difference between enduring and thriving. Rillak proposes a recess, and T'Rina agrees. Burnham is suspicious; the issues Ni'Var raises have existed for more than a century, before the DMA. She suggests to Saru that he speak to T'Rina to find out what was going on. Rillak then asks to speak to Burnham.

Back aboard Discovery , Booker meets with Dr. Culber at Burnham's suggestion. Burnham has told Culber that Booker is not sleeping, which Booker attributes to Grudge , saying she has been "especially needy" lately. Culber then begins to explain the concept of a "standing funeral ", an uncommon Earth custom practiced by his family, in which a deceased family member is embalmed and posed in a way that evoked their life. His uncle Cesar was a "card shark", and so his family posed him at a poker table, but Culber and his cousins snapped off Cesar's thumb trying to get the cards into his hand. Culber used his medical expertise to reattach it... and then snapped off the index finger, which caused them all to laugh throughout the funeral. He notes that in conventional therapy, he was not supposed to share such personal details, but as crewmates, they knew a great deal about one another anyway. Booker is initially dismissive, noting how grief was complicated, and how he had to let himself experience it when it came. Culber tells him he had been devastated when his uncle died, and had gone to the funeral angry, believing nothing would make him feel better. Culber suggests using their remaining time for a different approach. Booker agrees, so long as he could keep his fingers, to which the doctor jokingly shrugs, suggesting "maybe".

Saru meets with T'Rina, thanking her for the traditional tea. He is dismayed at how things have turned out, and offers his assistance however he can. Both express their desire to see Ni'Var and the Federation rejoined, but T'Rina is bound first and foremost by her obligations to her people, and can do nothing more if the Federation is unwilling to compromise, something Saru understands. T'Rina leaves to spend the remainder of the recess in solitary meditation. At the same time, Burnham speaks to Rillak, who notes that she and T'Rina represent not only themselves, but a host of other interests. Burnham insists there must be a way to compromise, but Rillak is adamant that compromise would be a sign of weakness, and that her hands were tied. With no other options, it seems, the Federation was done on Ni'Var. Rillak rejoins her aides and transports away. Burnham is then rejoined by Saru, and expresses her belief that Rillak wants them to find a solution. Saru confirms he had a similar feeling from T'Rina. Burnham is convinced that it was political theater, and that Vance's "illness" was a ruse. But Saru wonders – why them? Burnham believes that is what they have to find out.

On Kokytos, Gorev has brought life support back up to seventy percent, but Sasha reports the flight controls are fried, and Harral has been unable to find anyone on comms. Gorev notes that Theta Helios has 46 moons, wondering how a ship would be able to find a 12-meter shuttle in that large a space. Adira points out that panicking would not help, noting that their past lives showed it could be worse, earning sarcastic thanks from Gorev. Tilly asks about sensors, and Adira reports they are online – and detecting thousands of lifeforms right outside the shuttle. The shuttle is shaken up, leaving them to wonder what was outside. Just then, they see a creature pound against the viewport. " Whatever it is, " Adira sums up, " it's not good. "

Act Two [ ]

Adira brings up a tricorder and identifies the lifeform as a Tuscadian pyrosome , a colony species made up of thousands of interconnected zooid lifeforms, mostly preying on bioluminescent crustaceans , tracking them via electromagnetic signatures. Tilly sees that it was the same frequency as used by Starfleet equipment. When Gorev takes up his phaser , Tilly stops him, telling them all to shut down their equipment; if the pyrosome couldn't detect EM signatures, it couldn't see them. As the shuttle goes dark, the attack stops. It had gone away, but it would be back. They could not use the comms in the shuttle, and they would freeze before anyone found them. The best thing, Tilly suggests, is to get out of that valley, up onto the nearby ridge, and use their personal communicators to reach the Armstrong ; the vantage point would also allow them to see the "jellyfish from hell" before it attacked. Gorev protests at the idea, as does Adira, who believes the cadets are not ready. They would go alone, as they worked better by themselves anyway. Harral speaks up, saying he had survival training. Sasha considers them both to be crazy, thinking they should stay with the shuttle; Gorev bluntly tells them they can risk their lives all they want. Tilly firmly takes charge, telling them that whatever they did, they would all go together.

On Discovery , Booker expresses frustration at what he deems a "sad attempt" to replicate Kwei'tholum'Kwei , the Kwejian healing ritual. The problem is, those invoking the ritual were healed by Kwejian itself, using sand from the Mameckx'sha River , asking the Tuli Forests for their blessings, and the Great Storms of Naillem'kwai . What he was using was programmable matter to look like sand, and accuses Culber using "cheap tricks" from his holopadd to try and substitute his homeworld. Culber concedes that it would never be the same as the real thing, noting that Kwejian had been one of the most beautiful worlds in the known galaxy, and its loss was profound. He would never know the relief of Kwei'tholum'Kwei again. Booker is torn between anguish and humorless laughter, as he asks how long he was supposed to endure the pain. " A long-ass time, " Culber admits.

On Ni'Var, Saru approaches T'Rina in private. T'Rina asks if Saru is there as a friend, or as a representative of the Federation. Saru assures her he is there of his own volition, while Burnham seeks an audience with Rillak, believing they could change her mind. T'Rina has been meditating on a question: " Is trust in another's commitment to a shared goal enough, despite the scars of history? " Saru notes that trust is a journey. The DMA has awakened old and new fears alike, with some, like the Vulcan purists , gravitating towards isolationism. To continue their support for Ni'Var's coalition, T'Rina has had to present a logical framework to hold the Federation accountable, and that the exit clause provided it. Saru thanks her for her trust, and offers to leave her to her thoughts, but asks in the future if he could have some instruction in Vulcan meditative techniques. When T'Rina asks why, Saru explains that while she weighed political questions, he asked questions about place and purpose, and admits he finds it more challenging given the uncertainty. T'Rina instructs him in the thresh-tor kashek , or "shared mind", taught to children.

Aboard Discovery , Burnham orders Lieutenant Christopher to connect her to the President. Rillak tells her they were about to break orbit, so Burnham decides to be direct: Saru is meeting with T'Rina to convince her to return to negotiations, and when she does, the Federation needs a compromise. Burnham knows that both Rillak and T'Rina have taken positions in order to retain their political support, and cannot budge from them, but if a third party offered a compromise, they could just listen. Intrigued, Rillak asks to hear Burnham's proposal.

Dangerous spider lightning

On Kokytos, the cadets head to the high ridge, with Tilly instructing them to keep an eye out for the pyrosome. Just then, the sky crackles with lightning, which Adira (through the memories of Kasha Tal ) recognizes as " spider lightning ", which could travel for kilometers. Behind and below them, the pyrosome emerges, and splits its form into two before burrowing back down. It couldn't see them without their equipment active, and Tilly pushes them forward to the ridge. Gorev is concerned about the lightning, and Adira tries to tell them to stay ahead of the storm, but Gorev tells them to stop acting like they knew everything, because as far as he was concerned, they knew as little about the moon as the rest of them. Harral suggests finding a cave to get out of the elements, which Sasha sarcastically calls a "genius idea" that would allow the pyrosome to eat them. Adira, fed up with the fighting, offers to go off alone. Tilly asserts command again, saying she was usually an upbeat person, but right now her only concern was getting them all out alive. Just then, a lightning strike right next to them causes the ice to melt and flash-freeze around Adira's legs, trapping them in place.

Act Three [ ]

Tilly has Harral toss her the emergency kit, which contained a bandage roll. Tilly tosses one end to Adira, then instructs the others to take the other end while Sasha grabs Adira once they were free of the ice. Working together, they manage to break Adira loose, and bring them to safety. Tilly encourages them to continue up to the ridge and raise the Armstrong , but Harral is worried the pyrosome will come after them if they sense the EM signal. Tilly tries to encourage them to continue to work together like they did to save Adira. Gorev, however, believes it would be easier if they didn't have to rely on an Orion, accusing Harral of looking out only for himself. He reveals that when he was ten years old, he and his family had their replicators commandeered by an Emerald Chain raiding party, simply because they could. He watched his grandmother starve to death, and had to bury her himself because his parents were too weak, having given what food they had to him so that he could live. Tilly understands Gorev's grievances, but asks if he knew Harral's own history with the Chain. Adira reveals that Harral was the son of Bashorat Harral , an activist who had pushed for the slave emancipation clause in the proposed armistice that was eventually brought to the Federation the year before; he had died a political prisoner, before the armistice was even considered. Harral adds that his father had told him being an Orion meant they had even greater responsibility to speak out against the Chain's methods. Both Gorev and Sasha look at him with more respect now, with Sasha apologizing for shutting down the idea of finding shelter. Tilly, pleased to see the cadets bonding at last, again emphasizes heading to the ridge, and they are much more enthusiastic as they move out.

On Ni'Var, both sides reconvene, with Saru and Burnham standing between both delegations. Burnham notes that the fact they were both there meant they were ready to look forward. T'Rina replies that had never been in dispute, yet Burnham counters that she was allowing past mistakes to define the future. To T'Rina, logic dictated that the lessons learned should inform such choices, but Burnham points out hat choices were not always logical; emotions were always involved. Saru references his own history, particularly his personal challenges in trusting the Ba'ul after the culling of his family and ancestors, but that Kaminar was much stronger now that the Ba'ul and the Kelpiens had united. Burnham adds the same could be said of Ni'Var, how the millennia of mistrust between the Vulcans and the Romulans had led them to forget they had been one people, and yet they had reunited as well. She also points out Rillak's combined Human / Bajoran / Cardassian ancestry, and how Cardassia had waged war against both Bajor and Earth in the past, yet now all three were at peace because they chose to grow, to change. T'Rina commends Burnham for her inspiring words, but points out words were not sufficient, and remarks that both Burnham and Saru had a proposed compromise. Burnham explains that in Starfleet, disputes between high-ranking officers are settled by a committee, whose sole purpose is to provide objectivity and help both sides find a resolution; she proposes a similar body, independent of Federation leadership, to conduct regular reviews with all member worlds. Rillak protests that Ni'Var has already refused such oversight without one of their own members, while T'Rina asks if that was any more egregious than allowing Starfleet, more or less a military body, to have a voice in a civilian quorum. Burnham volunteers herself to serve on the proposed committee, as she is a citizen of both Ni'Var and the Federation, and could act as a bridge between the two until such time as a bridge was no longer needed. After an initial hesitation, both agree, T'Rina dubbing it an "elegant solution".

Back on Kokytos, the team reaches the top of the ridge. Tilly notes the storm will interfere with their personal transporters, which meant they would need sixty seconds before the Armstrong could get a lock onto them. Adira points out that sixty seconds would be long enough for the pyrosome to reach them, and volunteers to turn on their comms and run, distracting the creature. Harral believes this a terrible idea, and Gorev agrees. Adira points out the cadets had saved their life, and now they would save the others. Tilly knows Adira is right, but volunteers herself instead, as commander of the mission. Once Tilly is clear, Adira is to call for the Armstrong , and not stop. She assures them all of her confidence in them, and prepares herself.

Act Four [ ]

The Tuscadian pyrosome

Tilly steps back down into the valley, before looking back up at the ridge and asking if the others were ready; all confirm they are. She reminds them that the moment they get a signal, call the Armstrong . She then draws her phaser and activates her comms; within a few seconds, the pyrosome bursts out of the ice behind her. As Adira begins signalling, they see the pyrosome is too close to Tilly, and instructs the others to draw their phasers and try and draw its attention. To their dismay, the "other half" of the pyrosome bursts out and begins heading right up towards them, but Adira orders the others to maintain their fire. As the second begins climbing the ridge, Adira is relieved to hear Captain Imahara of the Armstrong respond, and shouts down to Tilly that they had made contact. Adira and the cadets are transported out first, as the first pyrosome approaches Tilly. Just as it reaches her, she too is transported to safety.

The Armstrong returns them to Federation Headquarters, where Tilly watches proudly while Adira and the cadets happily talk with one another. Kovich approaches, having read the Armstrong 's report. He notes the loss of Lieutenant Callum was a tragedy, and expresses surprise any of them survived. Tilly attributes that to the cadets pulling together when it mattered, and believes they would be an excellent addition to a starship crew – something, Kovich agrees, they would be able to thank her for when they got the opportunity. He remembers when Discovery first arrived , and how no one had trusted them. It hadn't just been the fact they had arrived in a 930-year-old starship and never heard of the Burn, but also the way they carried themselves, how they had grown up in a world where they believed anything was possible. Kovich admits the idea had stung at first, but believes that was the kind of attitude the new generation of cadets needed as the Federation rebuilds. He offers Tilly a teaching position at Starfleet Academy, though he notes that the recent experience would mean the idea was "unlikely to fall on willing ears". As Kovich leaves, Adira walks up to Tilly, and admits they were glad they came along; much to their surprise, they had befriended the cadets, although they wish they knew how to make friends without "nearly getting eaten by a blob". Tilly considers Adira one of the most brilliant people she had ever met, and asks why they always started with "I can't" when making new connections. Adira concedes it often feels impossible. To Tilly, looking at Adira and all they have been through, all they have accomplished, was a reminder that everything was possible.

Ni'Var rejoins the Federation

On Ni'Var, Rillak hands T'Rina a folded Federation flag and welcomes Ni'Var back into the fold. She notes that billions of futures had been changed because of what had happened today, and thanks Burnham and Saru for their contribution to the successful negotiation. Burnham thanks T'Rina for taking that first step with the Federation, then admits she has a matter on her mind. T'Rina recognizes that Burnham is wondering about the fate of J'Vini after her capture on the Abronian moonship . She tells Burnham that J'Vini would be taken to Pijar , a monastic world in the Pella system , to devote herself to deep rehabilitative meditation under the guidance of Burnham's mother Gabrielle , and that they would leave that night. J'Vini had been the one to help Gabrielle put her broken life back together, and now their roles were reversed; in time, T'Rina adds, J'Vini would make amends to the family of Patrick Fickett , the Starfleet officer she had killed. T'Rina then invites Saru to join her for tea, which he accepts. As they leave, Rillak comments to Burnham that, despite her aversion to politics, she showed an aptitude for it. Burnham asks if Admiral Vance had made a recovery from his "illness", and Rillak agrees he did look better last she saw him. She admits she had received intelligence that morning about the exit clause, and had to protect her source – T'Rina herself. Burnham tells her she would have helped if it had been asked of her, but the President admits she was unsure Burnham was right for the job. Burnham concedes that transparency was not always possible in Rillak's position, but that it was what she needed to serve both the President and the Federation, and makes it clear she would appreciate if Rillak were more forthcoming in the future. Rillak agrees, and tells Burnham she would see her back at Headquarters in a few days.

Aboard Discovery , Booker continues to work with Culber. Booker sees he has a lot to work out, and asks what he does with what he's crafted. Culber replies that once the mandala is finished, it can be just wiped away. Booker asks if Culber does this himself, if he has things that need to be "wiped away". Culber replies he does. Booker asks if he would like to talk about it. " Someday, " Culber replies.

Meanwhile, Tilly sits alone in her quarters when Burnham stops in to check on her, having heard what happened on the mission. Tilly jokingly calls it a "typical day", but Burnham sees something is on her mind. Tilly realizes they have not sat together like this since Burnham became Discovery 's captain, and thinks back to when they first became roommates . She admits she had been scared to bunk with a "famous mutineer", and constantly lay awake at night worrying that Burnham would stick a knife through her back. Burnham jokes that she had considered it given how Tilly snored when she slept, and that she had to get the computer to block out the sound frequency so she could sleep, but after a few days, she "kind of" started to like it. She recognizes that Tilly wants to go back to the Academy, and Tilly admits she does. She calls her promotion to lieutenant "the worst day of [her] life"; she had wondered how her mother could be a diplomat, given that she was a "hardass" at home, without compromise, and had planned everything out, even Tilly's own life - which changed when Tilly joined Starfleet instead of the Federation Diplomatic Corps . Tilly admits she had thought she was just doing it for herself, but when she got promoted, she suddenly realized her mother was 900 years in the past, and would never see her wear her rank pips; she wondered if a Starfleet career was really what she wanted, or if she just wanted to be seen, an experience she considered humbling… but also a good perspective for a teacher. Burnham tells Tilly she would miss seeing her face every day, but Tilly reassures her it was not forever, that she would be at Federation Headquarters, then jokes she could have Zora record her sleeping since Burnham enjoyed her snores so much.

As Tilly bids farewell to the crew, Adira is surprised to see Tilly's snowglobe , with the Enterprise NX-01 suspended within it, sitting in their quarters, with the words "All Is Possible" written on the base. They look out the window of their quarters at Tilly's shuttle, seeing her looking back, before the shuttle jumps to warp.

Log entries [ ]

• " Captain's log , stardate 865661.2. It's been a week since my mission with the Qowat Milat . Since then, we've stayed in orbit above Ni'Var , working with the Ni'Var Science Institute and the Federation task force that's tracking and studying the DMA . No other inhabited worlds have been threatened yet, but of course that can change at any moment. Ni'Var has fast-tracked negotiations to rejoin the Federation. I haven't yet heard how they're going. We're all living in uncertainty. Even for a crew as familiar with the unknown as this one, the stress is taking its toll. I'm following Dr. Culber's advice, mandating downtime to help with their psychological and emotional well-being. But Stamets won't let himself slow down, even for a second. He wants to solve this for all of us, especially Book. Book. Even though the mind meld with T'Rina helped at the time, the peace he felt has been… fleeting. I've encouraged him to talk to Dr. Culber, but I feel him pulling into himself. A natural response to grief, crisis, all of this. But he can't do this alone. None of us can."

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Thank you for letting me bring Adira along. Dr. Culber thought it could be beneficial. They could use a little work in the team-building department. " " It's a problem we're seeing with all of our Starfleet cadets. That's why I'm consulting. They may be the best their worlds have to offer, but they grew up isolated and disconnected. Many of them find it hard to function as a team with individuals they don't already know, especially those of species they've never encountered. " " But with the DMA… Starfleet needs personnel now more than ever, but if people can't even work together… " " Precisely. One might say that today's exercise is about the very future of Starfleet. "

" You know, I-I could never figure out how my mother became a diplomat. She was such a hardass at home. No compromise. She had everything planned out. She had my whole life planned out. So when I told her I wanted to join Starfleet instead of the Diplomatic Corps, sh… so I always thought that I was doing this for me. But then, when I got the pips… all of a sudden I realized, like, my mom is 900 years in the past. She's never gonna see me wear them. And I started wondering if this is what I really wanted, or if I just really wanted to be seen. You know? And that was humbling. But I think it could be a useful perspective for a teacher. "

Background information [ ]

• The title was noted in the photo stream released by ViacomCBS on 9 November 2021 . [1]

Continuity [ ]

• Kovich is identified in dialog for the first time. He is also stated to be a doctor .

Reception [ ]

• TRR : " All Is Possible " discusses the making of, and events in, this episode.

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber
• Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal
• David Ajala as Cleveland Booker

Guest starring [ ]

• Ian Alexander as Gray Tal
• David Cronenberg as Kovich
• Chelah Horsdal as Laira Rillak
• Tara Rosling as T'Rina
• Amanda Arcuri as Val Sasha
• Seamus Patterson as Harral
• Adrian Walters as Taahz Gorev

Co-starring [ ]

• Avaah Blackwell as Lt. Ina
• Orville Cummings as Christopher
• David Benjamin Tomlinson as Lt. jg Linus
• Patrick Haye as Ferin
• Piotr Michael as Shuttle Computer Voice
• Nck Name as Lt. Callum

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Avaah Blackwell as an Osnullus sciences officer
• Jayne Dineo as a Discovery sciences crewmember
• J. Adam Huggins as Discovery engineer
• Tanyta Aquilla Roe as Starfleet delegate
• David Benjamin Tomlinson as Saurian diplomat

Stunt double [ ]

• E. Nova Zatzman as stunt double for Mary Wiseman

References [ ]

2258 ; 40 Eridani A ; activist ; Agreement ; alliance ; analysis ; armistice ; Armstrong , USS ; Astrometrics ; ATW-11 ; auxiliary system ; Ba'ul ; Bajor ; Bajoran ; briefing room ; Burn, The ; Burnham, Gabrielle ; cadet ; captain's chair ; card shark ; Cardassian ; cave ; Cesar ; Cho ; citizen ; class L ; class M ; coalition ; colony species ; comfort zone ; Constitution -class ; creature ; crustacean ; Culber's cousins ; day ; desert moon ; diplomat ; DMA ; DOT-23 ; Dr. ; Earth ; Eisenberg -class ; el muerto parado ( standing funeral ); electrical storm ; Emancipation Bill ; embalming ; Emerald Chain ; emergency distress beacon ; emergency kit ; emergency ration ; emotion ; Enterprise NX-01 ; exit clause ; eye ; Federation ; Federation Diplomatic Corps ; Federation Headquarters ; Federation Task Force ; Fickett, Patrick ; finger ; food replicator ; forward lounge ; frequency ; friend ; Friendship -class ; funeral ; gamma-ray burst ; Gateway Arch ; generation ship ; Geryon ; Gorev's parents ; Gorev's grandmother ; gravitational anomaly ; Great Storms of Naillem'kwai ; grief ; Grudge ; hand ; Harral, Bashorat ; hell ; helm ; holoPADD ; holo simulation ; host ; hour ; Humanity ; ice moon ; Imahara ; index finger ; individual ; isolationism ; J'Vini ; jellyfish ; Kaminar ; Kelpien ; Kelpien tea ; kilometer ; Kokytos ; Kwei'tholum'Kwei ; Kwejian (planet); Kwejian (species); lifeform ; life support system ; logic ; Malindian stomach worm ; Mameckx'sha River ; mandala ; Mars -class ; medicine ; meditation ; meter ; methane ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind meld ; mission ; monster ; month ; moon ; Moore ; path ; mutineer ; negotiation ; Ni'Var ; Ni'Var Science Institute ; Noble , USS ; nun ; NX-class ; orbit ; order ; Orion ; Pella system ; phaser ; Pijar ; pilot ; poker ; political prisoner ; politics ; programmable matter ; protective shielding ; proximity scan ; public address system ; Qowat Milat ; raiding party ; representative ; ridge ; Rigelian rutabaga ; Romulan ; sand ; second ; sensor ; Siobhan ; sleeping ; snoring ; snow globe ; soup ; Spanish language ; species ; spider lightning ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Medal of Honor ; storm ; stress ; summit ; survey mission ; survival training ; Tal ; Tal, Jovar ; Tal, Kasha ; tea ; teacher ; team building ; Tellarite ; therapy ; Theta Helios ; thought ; thresh-tor kashek ; thumb ; Titan ; training exercise ( training mission ); tricorder ; Tulí Forests ; Tuscadian pyrosome ; UFP-02 ; UFP-05 (Shuttle 5); UFP-11 ( Shuttlecraft 11 ); UFP-02 -type ; utility kit ; valley ; volition ; Vulcan ; Vulcan language ; Vulcan purists ; warp ; week ; worker bee (23rd century); worker bee (32nd century); wound ; year ; zhian'tal ; Zora

External links [ ]

• " All Is Possible " at the Internet Movie Database
• " Discovering "All Is Possible" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 1 Star Trek: Discovery

• The Original Series
• The Animated Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Strange New Worlds
• Lower Decks
• Star Trek Movies
• TrekCore on Twitter
• TrekCore on Facebook

Following is “Anomaly” (402), as Starfleet, the Federation, and the wider galactic community begin to learn about their new situation.

For the first time in 800+ episodes, Star Trek finally repeats an title — “Anomaly” also served as the name of a third-season Star Trek: Enterprise episode where the NX-01 crew began to learn about the dangers of the Delphic Expanse.

The third and fourth episodes of  Discovery Season 4 are “Choose to Live” (403, airing December 2) and “All is Possible” (404, airing December 4), for which no images or descriptions have yet been publicly released.

(With their introduction last year and their appearance in the Season 4 trailers , it’s likely that “Choose to Live” — Elnor’s catchphrase on Star Trek: Picard — will include the Qowat Milat in some capacity.)

We also got a good view of Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) and Gray (Ian Alexander) in their Season 4 looks thanks to a social media post by the official Star Trek account early last week:

In addition to all that, Paramount+ also released a pair of behind-the-scenes images today — including another look at the show’s new AR wall in action.

Star Trek: Discovery returns for its fourth season November 18 on Paramount+ in the United States and on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada, followed by a return to Netflix in all other international territories.

• All is Possible
• Choose to Live
• DSC Season 4
• Kobayashi Maru
• Star Trek: Discovery

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TrekCore.com is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with Paramount, CBS Studios, or the Star Trek franchise. All Star Trek images, trademarks and logos are owned by CBS Studios Inc. and/or Paramount. All original TrekCore.com content and the WeeklyTrek podcast (c) 2024 Trapezoid Media, LLC. · Terms & Conditions

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Star Trek: Discovery – Season 4, Episode 4

All is possible, where to watch, star trek: discovery — season 4, episode 4.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery — Season 4, Episode 4 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Sonequa Martin-Green

Michael Burnham

Anthony Rapp

Paul Stamets

Mary Wiseman

Sylvia Tilly

Wilson Cruz

Dr. Hugh Culber

David Ajala

Cleveland Booker

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‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,’ a Likely ‘Discovery’ Spinoff with 32nd-Century Setting, Gets Paramount+ Series Order

Christian blauvelt.

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Starfleet wants you !

That, or whatever the Federation’s recruiting slogan would be, is something you’ll hear over the next couple of years, as Paramount+ has given a series order to a new live-action show, “ Star Trek : Starfleet Academy,” the streamer announced today just two days after confirming multi-season orders for “Strange New Worlds” and “Lower Decks.”

Paramount+ will not confirm this to be the case, but the “Starfleet Academy” series is likely a spinoff of “Star Trek: Discovery,” which will conclude in early 2024 with its fifth and final season. The speculation then is that it would be set in that show’s 32nd-century timeline. A Season 4 plotline on “Discovery,” in which Mary Wiseman’s Ensign Tilly served as the in-the-field instructor for a group of Academy cadets before leaving the show altogether to continue being their teacher, feels like a backdoor pilot.

Paramount+ is not announcing casting for the series, however. And is generally being cryptic about the show, something reinforced in franchise overlord Alex Kurtzman ‘s in-universe statement about it — he will be co-showrunning with “Nancy Drew” EP Noga Landau, with Gaia Violo writing the premiere episode.

Related Stories ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Kicks Off Final Season with David Cronenberg Posing a Moral Dilemma — Watch Clip Could We Ever Have Sci-Fi Tech Like the ‘Star Trek’ Transporter? A New Roddenberry Entertainment Podcast Finds Out

“Admission is now open to Starfleet Academy! Explore the galaxy! Captain your destiny!” began Kurtzman’s statement. “For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years (or species equivalent) who dream of exceeding their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who value friendship, camaraderie, honor and devotion to a cause greater than themselves. The coursework will be rigorous, the instructors among the brightest lights in their respective fields, and those accepted will live and study side-by-side with the most diverse population of students ever admitted. Today we encourage all who share our dreams, goals and values to join a new generation of visionary cadets as they take their first steps toward creating a bright future for us all. Apply today! Ex Astris, Scientia!”

Much reading of the tea leaves to be done here! The thing about the Starfleet Academy campus, famously located in “Trek” lore in San Francisco, being closed for “over a century” feels like a nod that the series will take place in the timeline of “Discovery,” either after the show wraps or in some way concurrent with Season 5. Again, this is speculation, and Paramount+ will not confirm, but it’s a likely connecting of the dots.

The Academy was closed for over a century following a cataclysm called “The Burn,” which limited warp drive across much of the galaxy and caused the Federation to fall apart until nothing but a small rump state was left — Earth itself seceded and was an independent planetary government. So it was not the home of Starfleet Academy for a long time.

Then in the Season 4 finale, the United Earth president, played by Stacey Abrams , pledged that our planet would rejoin the Federation. And so presumably now the Academy will reopen!

The 32nd-century setting was, until “Discovery” Season 3 and 4, a previously unexplored part of the “Trek” timeline, and is still largely “fresh snow” to explore, as Kurtzman told IndieWire in late 2020 . “There are so many extraordinary new opportunities and story options, that it feels like an endless well,” he said. “We’re also now separated from preexisting canon, which means we get to write the future of ‘Star Trek’ on this show, and it’s entirely fresh snow.” Hard to imagine that Kurtzman would abandon that blank slate to write on anytime soon.

Episodes of “Discovery” Season 4 that aired in December 2021 centered on a group of Academy cadets (pictured above), still primarily based at the mobile Starfleet Headquarters space station in deep space, who were mentored by Ensign Tilly and got into a bit of danger. They were a diverse group, including a green-skinned Orion and a Nausican, two alien species who aren’t usually depicted as being in Starfleet — reflecting how even much more inclusive Starfleet can now be at this time.

With Kurtzman and Landau as co-showrunners, Violo will also be an executive producer, alongside Aaron Baiers, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber.

It should be noted that a “Starfleet Academy” series is something fans have hoped for — for literally decades. Just such a series was rumored in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when Rick Berman oversaw the “Trek” TV franchise. If you were a subscriber to the glossy, perfect-bound “Star Trek: The Magazine” (RIP) you would have been tantalized by just such a prospect. There was an episode set at the Academy featuring Wil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher on “The Next Generation.” And there was even a PC game called “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” set earlier in the time of Kirk and Spock, which featured new footage of William Shatner in character, filmed for the game.

Now the dream of a “Starfleet Academy” series is finally being fulfilled.

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You may also like.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 4, Episode 4 ends with a surprise you won't see coming (recap)

There's a slight "Galileo Seven" vibe about this week's episode, as Tilly gets tough.

"Star Trek: Discovery" constantly comes under discussion and decisions made in the writers' room continue to divide fans, more so — it's safe to say — than any other incarnation of the longest-running science fiction franchise in history. And some on social media claim that "Discovery" isn't true "Trek" (whatever that means). However, I recently had reason to go back and rewatch some of Season 1 and the difference between what we watched back in October 2017 and what we're watching now is stark. Despite the disruption and revolving door of showrunners behind the scenes, from beginning to end, it is more enjoyable than any season of "Discovery" we've seen since. 

Once we're past the recap, which makes last week's episode seem much better than it actually was, this week's installment, titled "All Is Possible," opens with a beautiful establishing shot of the Discovery's hull that morphs into the corridor ceiling. It's reminiscent of just one of many gorgeous similar shots used in the first season, in this particular instance, the long-distance zoom-in from the episode "Context is for Kings" (Season 1, Episode 3). 

Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) provides the narration over a montage of clips showing the crew — particularly Stamets (Anthony Rapp) — still puzzled over the DMA (Dark Matter Anomaly) and Book (David Ajala), who is still suffering from the grief of losing, well, just about everything . Judging from what Burnham says, somewhere between three weeks and a month has passed since the destruction of Kwejian. So he sadly still has a long way to go, which will probably fill this season, as we've mentioned before .

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Following Burnham's recap, she is informed by Saru (Doug Jones) that Adm. Vance (Oded Fehr) is sick with a Malindian stomach worm and that President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) has requested that they replace him in a diplomatic capacity in the negotiations on Ni'var, regarding that planet joining the United Federation of Planets, thus setting up one of the primary storylines for this episode. 

Another storyline continues as we see Tilly (Mary Wiseman) have a counseling session with Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz). She explains that throughout her (still very much fledgling) career, she has been purely focused on getting to the captain's chair, but now she feels like she needs to take a detour. It seems that Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) is looking for Discovery volunteers to lead a team-building exercise for Starfleet cadets. However, as a favor, Culber asks if Tilly could request that Adira also join the mission. It's a shame Kovich has transformed from a Master of Spies to Head of the Academy, all his mystery and intrigue suddenly evaporated.

Plus, I still have some issues over the whole Trill story arc this season, topped off by the unnatural transference of consciousness last week. And what's happened to the actual symbiont, Tal, it must be still inside Adira? So, will Adira be able to communicate with past hosts? No mention was made, or advice given regarding these really rather important issues last week. Will they be able to take visible form to Adira following this new precedence set by Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise? This particular subplot has felt contrived and unconvincing from quite early on, so, fingers crossed they'll soon all be given more interesting parts to play in the grand scheme of things.

Kovich briefs Tilly in the docking bay at Starfleet HQ and touches upon an interesting issue, that there is an ongoing concern with Starfleet cadets who do not seem to be working well, in teams, as they haven't met any lifeforms different to their own…because of the burn, no warp drive, exploding dilithium thing. It's explored a tiny bit more as this episode unfolds, but without adequate explanation as to why these new cadets never read books, watched videos or participated in holo-simulations at school on their respective homeworlds, it just ends up being a slapdash, lazy and convenient reason as to why they're all so hostile to each other when the plot requires it a little later on. 

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All it would've taken is for Kovich, in his incomparable Cronenberg way, to utter a couple of lines in response to Tilly raising this issue, something like, "Holo-simulations, regardless of how realistic they may look, are just not as beneficial to a potential Starfleet officer's training. The best way to learn how to maintain a rational, focused state of mind under extreme circumstances is to actually be in that situation. That hasn't changed in hundreds of years and probably never will." Oh well.  

The mission is to fly to Geryon, an M-class desert moon orbiting Theta Helios and carry out a full planetary analysis. Joining Tilly and Adira is Cadet Harral, an Orion (Seamus Patterson), Cadet Val Sasha, a human (Amanda Arcuri) and Cadet Taahz Gorev, a Tellarite (Adrian Walters) plus the shuttle pilot, Lt Callum (Nck Name, yes really ) makes six.

When suddenly, there's a loud bang, the shuttle drops out of warp and the pilot shouts that they've been hit by a rogue gamma-ray burst . Hmmmm. Anyways, the engines are offline and the helm isn't responding so down they go. Roll opening credits. 

We head straight back to the downed shuttlecraft after the credits and straight away we see that poor Lt Callum didn't survive the crash. There's a little bit of an "Original Series" "The Galileo Seven" (Season 1, Episode 13) vibe to this story, which is nice. Of course there were only six to begin with and now with Lt Callum down, there's only five, but the constant bickering, plus the threat of being killed and/or eaten in a thoroughly unpleasant fashion by the local wildlife, has a familiar feel to it.

The burst has also knocked out the communications systems, so they take a peek outside and quickly learn that they're not on Geryon, in fact, they're not even close; instead they've crash-landed on Kokytos, an L-class moon, which means it has a breathable atmosphere but is environmentally hostile. 

Shock kicks in and the young trainee crew struggle to get to grips with their predicament. Tilly has a handle on it until the cadets start venting anger and frustration toward each other. They have six hours until their scheduled rendezvous with the USS Armstrong, so Tilly insists they start telling each other about themselves and it's a well-written and enjoyable set piece. 

We cut to the other major storyline for this episode (a much more sensible number of subplots this week), which are the negotiations on Ni'var between presidents T'Rina of Ni'var (Tara Rosling) and Rillak of the Federation. This is also the first proper look we've had, brief though it may be, of The Planet Formally Known As Vulcan — aside from the Science Institute…er, temple (?) we saw last week — and it has a certain Coruscant look and feel, which works well. (Also, there's a Saurian at the conference and despite his name being in the credits and he was seen in Burnham's voice-over montage at the beginning, it's surely not Lt Junior Grade Linus…unless he's someone's favorite spawn back at Starfleet?) 

Apparently, it's taken four months to reach this stage and they are just about to put pen to paper when T'Rina drops a spanner in the works. As a result of the impending doom threatened by the DMA Ni'var wants an unconditional Get Out Clause incorporated into the final agreement. According to T'Rina, the people of Ni'var feel that they stand a better chance of surviving economically without the Federation should the gravitational anomaly threaten the stability of the galaxy. Rillak does not agree and so this sets up a well-written and politically driven sub-plot that is unquestionably a highlight in this week's episode. 

Meanwhile, Subplot C concerns Book and he's gone to see Dr. Culber. They talk a little, sharing stories and Book attempts to replicate Kwei'tholum'Kwei, a Kwejian healing ritual. Unfortunately, you not only need sand from the bed of the Mameckx'sha River to do it properly, you must also ask the Tulí Forests for their blessings, not to mention requiring the Great Storms of Naillem'kwai for something equally as impressive-sounding. So, understandably, he gets a little upset and irate as he attempts to create a passable reproduction using programmable matter. 

Back on the Ni'var homeworld, the plot thickens a little. Saru and T'Rina bond and form an unlikely friendship, while Rillak and Burnham head off in a different direction to talk things through. This could've unfolded several ways; personally I expected Saru to take one side and Burnham the other, forcing a wedge between these two Starfleet officers. But instead, mercifully, the writers take us in a different direction and not one that's burdened with clichés. Granted this is not a Tom Clancy novel, but the dialogue is good and nothing is forced, effectively making this an enjoyable set piece and consequently the best episode of Season 4 so far. 

Both T'Rina and Rillak confide in Saru and Burnham, respectively and then the Discovery captain and her first officer talk to each other. And it turns out…this is precisely why the Federation President arranged everything, including Vance's "illness".

We alternate between the two primary stories, with Book's subplot in support. So next up we check in on our stranded Starfleet cadets who are beginning to fray a little at the edges. Unfortunately though, Helios has 46 moons and without functioning communications, the USS Armstrong is going to have a very difficult time trying to locate them. Added to which, they only have three days of emergency rations. And then they meet this episode's equivalent of the Taurus II anthropoid from "The "Galileo Seven" — a Tuscadian Pyrosome; a colony species made up of thousands of interconnected zooid life-forms. According to Adira, it primarily preys on bioluminescent crustaceans, tracking them via electromagnetic signatures, which happen to be exactly the same signatures produced by their equipment. Uh oh. 

It's going to be necessary to leave the safety of the shuttlecraft and venture outside, naturally. Along the way though, Adira very nearly dies and it takes the whole team to rescue her (by pulling them out of a sheet of deadly, killer ice, which I'm pretty sure they then all walk over to reach the ridge). The Starfleet Five make their way to higher ground in order to make contact with the waiting USS Armstrong, but Tilly must act as a distraction to buy the others more time to establish a clear line of communication. 

Thankfully, Tilly's "broaden her experiences" subplot has been gently bubbling away now for a few weeks, not like when Cmdr. Nahn was suddenly and unexpectedly thrust forward, front and center, to the primary plot in the Season 3 episode " Die Trying " (Season 3, Episode 5) so it was obvious that she either gets left behind or dies, just like Lt. Cmdr. Airiam in the Season 2 episode " Project Daedalus " (S02, E09). However, Tilly's generous amount of screentime and her solo, action-adventure-style antics in this episode do suggest, without even really trying very hard, that something is going to happen to her.

The Ni'var Negotiation subplot ticks along nicely. It's very dialogue intensive, with long scenes that require solid performances from everyone, not just Sonequa Martin-Green and Doug Jones. Much is learned about everyone's different cultures as Saru and Burnham do exactly what Rillak hoped they would: find a reasonable compromise, enabling a treaty to be signed and Ni'var rejoins the United Federation of Planets. 

Tilly gets beamed off Kokytos just in time and everyone makes it out safely, apart from poor Lt Callum of course. Kovich greets Tilly and makes her an offer to teach at the Academy. All the other subplots are wrapped up, including Book's, who finally manages to create a satisfactory Kwei'tholum'Kwei and thus feels like he's accomplished something, along with creating the foundation of a solid friendship with Culber, which he will only benefit from. 

Tilly has a heart-to-heart with Burnham in their old shared quarters…where she explains that she's going to take that teaching post at the Academy. And before you can even blink, we see a montage of Tilly saying goodbye to all the primary characters before she boards a shuttlecraft, wheeling her carry-on luggage, neck cushion and so on.

It's…unexpected to say the least. No way is this simply a she'll-be-back-like-normal-next-week thing, the montage of emotional farewells pretty much establishes that. So, what gives? Tilly is a fan favorite, so this is not permanent, we'll wager a pile of gold-pressed latinum on that. Rumors abound that Mary Wiseman left the show to go on maternity leave and while that's possible, these have not been confirmed. No doubt Twitter will be all about this today. But a representative for Paramount+ apparently confirmed to Decider that Wiseman would continue as a series regular in Season 4, so it's more of a "see ya later" than a "goodbye". Decider also interestingly notes that this reflects on recent events, specifically the pandemic and what's been coined The Great Resignation, where many workers in many different fields have used the lockdown and the remote working dilemma as the excuse they've needed to change jobs, even change careers, which is more or less what Tilly has done.

Section 31 ✓  

•  The pacing alone in this episode makes it the best in Season 4 so far  •  A potentially dull treaty negotiation set piece becomes very entertaining •  Dr. Culber is a much better ship's counselor than…er, others have been •  A new spin-off show could be Saru and Burnham opening a law practice •  We really hope things develop between Saru and T'Rina wink, wink

Section 8 ✗  

•  Not really sure playing if with programmable matter would resolve much •  Kinda obvious something significant was going to happen to Tilly •  Kovich has gone from mysterious spy-type to head of the Academy? •  If Tilly's still going to be a regular, why the emotional goodbye montage? •  Pretty sure everyone walked through that patch of deadly killer ice

Rating: 6.5/10

The first four episodes of Season 4 of "Star Trek: Discovery" are available to watch now and subsequent installments will drop every Thursday on Paramount+ in the US and CTV Sci-Fi or Crave TV in Canada. Countries outside of North America can watch on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel.

Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook .  

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

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Published Mar 28, 2024

Where We Left Off with Star Trek: Discovery

Here's a quick refresher before Discovery returns with Season 5 on April 4!

StarTrek.com

Star Trek: Discovery returns with its fifth and final season on April 4, and the series’ highly-anticipated conclusion promises a tale filled with adventure, intrigue, and a quest for an ancient power.

As we stand ready to reunite with Captain Burnham and the U.S.S. Discovery -A, let’s refresh our memories about each crew member’s journey through Season 4 and look back on where we left off with them at the end of last season.

Captain Michael Burnham

"Coming Home"

When the Dark Matter Anomaly (DMA) endangered a resurgent Federation and the galaxy as a whole, it also jeopardized the loving relationship that Captain Michael Burnham and Cleveland "Book" Booker had forged. Though her diplomatic approach to first contact with the DMA's creators put her at odds with Book, Captain Burnham successfully uncovered the cultural context necessary to communicate with the enigmatic Species 10-C and convinced them to halt their destructive mining efforts.

Initially believing her partner — her "one" — had been killed in the encounter, Burnham was elated to learn the 10-C revealed that they had rescued Book before his ship had been destroyed. A practical matter cut their rejuvenated joy short, as Burnham was forced to part with Book when the Federation sentenced him for violating numerous statutes. The captain resolved to see him again before turning to witness a momentous announcement — United Earth and Titan planned to rejoin the Federation. Having solved The Burn , overcome the DMA, and brought the galaxy closer, Captain Burnham expressed optimism and hoped to focus on exploring the stars.

During his leave from Discovery , Captain Saru guided Su’Kal on his return to their homeworld and encouraged the Kaminar High Council to embrace a return to its spacefaring ways. However, the threat posed by the DMA motivated him to go back to Starfleet and serve as Captain Burnham’s Number One. His steadfast support proved vital, and his regular presence aboard Discovery and at Federation Headquarters provided him with a chance to get better acquainted with Ni'Var's President T'Rina.

Saru played instrumental roles in bringing Ni’Var back into the Federation fold and establishing a meaningful dialogue with Species 10-C, and — by the time the crisis had been averted — he was finally prepared to let T’Rina know how he felt. As they both realized how much they meant to one another, Captain Saru and President T’Rina opted to begin spending their off-duty hours together, leaving many to wonder what the future may hold for their relationship.

Paul Stamets

Though much of his attention was dedicated to unraveling the mysteries behind the DMA, Commander Paul Stamets also navigated a series of interpersonal eddies that included opening up to Book about nearly losing his own family on the dilithium planet, collaborating with Tarka, confronting his uncertainty over trusting Zora, and showing concern for Dr. Hugh Culber's growing anxieties. Stamets strengthened his parental bond with Adira, as the two worked in tandem to bring Discovery through the Galactic Barrier and to the 10-C's hyperfield.

When the 10-C entrapped Discovery in an orb, Stamets developed a strategy to break the ship free that temporarily burned out the spore drive. As Captain Burnham stood before the 10-C to present her case, the astromycologist employed his research into the hydrocarbons obtained from the 10-C's original homeworld and oversaw the communication process from Engineering. Once a peaceful resolution was achieved, Stamets pivoted to personal matters. Having recognized signs of exhaustion and stress in Dr. Culber throughout the pursuit of the DMA, Stamets planned a much-needed retreat for the couple on Earth that would involve rest, relaxation, and non-replicated mavi.

Sylvia Tilly

Experiencing doubts about her path forward, Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly bravely asked Dr. Culber to counsel her in a professional capacity. Confident she needed to leave her comfort zone, Tilly embarked on missions to capture a Qowat Milat operative and accompany Starfleet Academy cadets on a routine survey. The latter undertaking proved fateful, as helping future Starfleet officers through a deadly trial led her to accept Dr. Kovich's offer to leave Discovery and become an instructor at the Academy.

As Discovery tried to converse with Species 10-C, Tilly joined Admiral Charles Vance in a last-minute struggle to evacuate as many people as possible from United Earth before the DMA could devastate the planet. She entrusted the admiral with the fact that she had found her purpose in life, ultimately sharing a grateful drink with Vance upon learning that the DMA no longer posed a threat to Earth. Tilly gathered with her friends at a celebration aboard Discovery , beaming at the sight of the progress Adira had made with social interactions.

Dr. Hugh Culber

"The Galactic Barrier"

While his medical training typically involved a cursory assessment of his patients’ psychiatric wellbeing, Dr. Hugh Culber added being a full-fledged "ship’s counselor" to his extensive repertoire in the wake of Discovery 's jump into the 32nd Century. In-between missions, Culber sat in sessions with Book and Tilly to discuss their mental health concerns and shepherded Adira through Gray's incorporation, but the overwhelming burden of counseling evacuees from an Akaali asteroid colony caused him to recognize that he had his own issues to explore.

Discovery 's voyage into extragalactic space afforded Culber a chance to visit an old 10-C nursery, where the species' emotion-inducing hydrocarbons propelled him to acknowledge that he was "not okay." Subsequently, his eyes opened by Captain Burnham’s pain when she believed she had lost Book at the 10-C's new homeworld, Culber chose to remain with Stamets and Adira — his family — as the crew departed to engage directly with Species 10-C. Upon their triumphant return to Federation Headquarters, Culber conveyed his thanks to Stamets for arranging a tranquil vacation to Earth.

Cleveland "Book" Booker

"Stormy Weather"

The 32nd Century courier known as Cleveland "Book" Booker thrived on his love for Captain Burnham and a newfound relationship with his family, but the DMA's arrival erased Kwejian from existence and took the lives of his brother and nephew. Book wrestled with his grief and guilt, eventually growing dissatisfied with the Federation's policies and allying himself with Ruon Tarka. Despite the fissure he created by aiding Tarka in his theft of the next generation spore drive and the deployment of an isolytic weapon, Book maintained faith in Burnham's leadership abilities.

At Species 10-C's hyperfield, an imprisoned Jett Reno broke through to Book and emphasized Tarka's illogical rationale. Tarka locked Book out of the autopilot, so General Ndoye crashed a shuttle into the ship to prevent it from reaching the DMA's power source. Book’s signal disappeared mid-transport, leading Burnham to believe he died when his shuttle struck the hyperfield. Fortunately, the 10-C recovered his pattern and materialized the courier in front of an appreciative Burnham. Book recounted the destruction of Kwejian to the 10-C, convincing them to cease using the DMA altogether. Sentenced to help families displaced by the DMA, Book said farewell to Burnham with the Kwejian phrase Kwakoni Yiquan — indicating his intention to speak with her soon and reaffirming his love for her.

As an official member of Discovery 's crew, Ensign Adira Tal accompanied Gray as their partner was incorporated into a synth body, but their skepticism in regard to meeting new people and opening up to fresh experiences persisted. Being stranded on a frozen moon alongside cadets helped break the ice, but Adira endured another social hiccup when Gray decided to leave the ship and study on Trill. The ensign shared their doubts with Jett Reno, who encouraged Adira's interest in befriending Lt. Commander Detmer.

Mustering the courage to chat with Detmer benefited Adira on a personal level, but Discovery 's venture into extragalactic space saw them excel in a scientific capacity alongside Stamets in Engineering. They participated in devising a way to use the spore drive to break free of the orb in Species 10-C's hyperfield and transmitted an update language algorithm so Captain Burnham could converse with the 10-C. Once back at Federation Headquarters, Adira's social skills impressed Tilly at the party commemorating Discovery 's diplomatic victory, though the ensign admitted that socializing was still difficult on occasion.

The Future Frontier

Replenished dilithium supplies and an emboldened Federation granted Season 4's early moments with a buoyant tone, but the DMA's arrival threw the circumstances — both personal and political — into a state of chaos. Nevertheless, with that peril behind them, Discovery 's crew ended last season on a high-note and managed to become even more tightly knit.

How will Captain Burnham and her colleagues handle their next monumental task? We’ll find out when Season 5 premieres on April 4!

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

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

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After four seasons, 'Discovery' still isn’t interested in being a “normal” Star Trek

It is the michael burnham show, after all..

The following only contains slight spoilers for the first episode of season four of ' Star Trek: Discovery .'

Since its debut back in 2017 (and even before then , really), Star Trek: Discovery has been a divisive show. There was a long laundry list of complaints: the series is too dark, everyone is mean, everyone cries too much, the Klingon designs suck, it shouldn’t be set before the original series, Michael Burnham is an unlikeable main character. While some changes have been made to the show over the years to smooth these rough edges, the elevation of Michael Burnham to the captain’s chair for season four has made it clear that Discovery is still largely going to do its own thing, regardless of what the fandom thinks.

In the past, season four for Star Trek series has always been a turning point, the moment when a show finally figures out what it wants to be. Season four of The Next Generation started with the riveting “The Best of Both Worlds,” and produced a number of classic episodes like “Family,” “Clues” and “The Drumhead.” Deep Space Nine added Worf to its crew in its fourth year, while Voyager got Seven of Nine. Enterprise ’s final season is generally considered its best. So fans were curious to see if the pattern would continue in the Kurtzman era of Trek.

Things certainly looked promising at the end of last season. The crew of Discovery had jumped 900 years into the future, to a galaxy where dilithium fuel for space travel was in short supply and the Federation was in tatters thanks to an event known as “The Burn.” Burnham and the rest of the Discovery crew figured out the source of the disaster and solved the problem in last year’s finale, opening the doors to a show dedicated to rebuilding the Federation and its ideals. After three seasons of war, it finally looked like the USS Discovery could finally get down to Starfleet’s long-stated mandates of science and exploration.

Season four begins five months after the previous episode, with the Federation now in high gear reaching out to old members and allies. That’s where we join the USS Discovery , as Burnham and Cleveland Booker are attempting to give a shipment of dilithium to a species new to the Star Trek audience. The mission quickly goes awry, strongly reminiscent of the madcap opening of Star Trek Into Darkness .

The parallels to the weakest of the three Abrams-era films are not entirely an accident or even a homage: both Into Darkness and this week’s season premiere were co-penned by Star Trek head Alex Kurtzman . They exhibit some of the excesses of modern Trek like an emphasis on frantic action and quippy dialogue — at least there’s less lens flare this time around. And everyone seems to be in a good mood, a contrast to when everyone was just worn down in the 23rd century by years of war and secret experiments.

The season opener is largely dedicated to showing off a new optimistic status quo, with Starfleet Academy being reestablished, Booker traveling to attend his nephew’s coming-of-age ritual and a new Federation president getting sworn in. It all seems rather staid, but Star Trek has always had its share of pomp and circumstance so it was actually a nice change of pace for the program. But things do go awry when the Discovery is tasked with rescuing a station crew and have to make a few hard choices, thus the title of the episode: “Kobayashi Maru.”

For those unfamiliar with Star Trek lore, the Kobayashi Maru is a test that all command-track cadets must take at Starfleet Academy. In the simulation, the cadets are faced with the choice of rescuing a ship stranded in enemy territory. To cross the border to rescue the craft is to risk war, but to preserve peace means to consign that crew to death. It’s been called a “no win” scenario,” and the Academy is interested in how a cadet reacts to it rather than the actual outcome. Kirk is known as the only person to have actually beaten it, because he reprogrammed the scenario; he cheated.

Like Kirk, Michael Burnham also doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario. She always does what she feels is best, and it’s made her crew unfailingly loyal to her over the past few seasons. But it’s earned her a share of detractors off-screen, because Burnham often disobeys orders and ignores good advice. She’s the rebel cop who plays by their own rules. Except this is Star Trek, a franchise about teamwork. Michael’s actions — and the fact that they always succeed — often undermine her superiors and even her own crewmates.

Placing her in the captain’s chair should have alleviated some of this issue, since Burnham is now the one her crew has to listen to. But even then the show felt it needed some sort of conflict, bringing the Federation president along to question Michael’s judgment in front of her crew. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how before the show aired, the producers and writers were bragging about how they were going to break one of Gene Roddenberry’s key rules for the series: No inter-crew conflict. Watching that in action in this episode, however, was mildly uncomfortable and even a little embarrassing to see.

Not everything is rosy by the end of the adventure, but it’s still a better outcome than we’ve seen at the end of many Star Trek outings. But the new “happy” status quo is thrown out the door by an anomaly at the end of the episode. As seen in previews, this anomaly will be an ongoing concern for the USS Discovery and the entire Federation — not just as a threat to life, but as a threat to the Federation’s efforts to pull itself back together.

Unfortunately, this also means that Discovery won’t be doing a lot of discovering in its fourth season. Fans who love “planet of the week” adventures and were hoping for the show to embrace that format will come away disappointed for now. However, while episodes one and two are involved in setup for the ongoing anomaly plot line, episodes three and four still make room for some vaguely one-shot adventures, albeit ones designed to further character development.

But while Discovery doesn’t seem all that interested in changing how it does things, the environment around it has changed. It’s no longer the only Star Trek show on TV, thanks to the premieres of Picard and Lower Decks in 2020, last month’s kid-oriented Prodigy and the debut of Strange New Worlds next year. All of these shows tackle the Star Trek universe in their own way, and are not required viewing to understand what’s happening in other shows (though there are some references to Picard in the first episodes of Discovery ). Viewers can choose the Trek that suits them best, removing the pressure from Discovery to be all things to all fans and making it even easier to just do its own thing.

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How Did ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Become TV’s Most Boring Show?

A CRY FOR HELP

Ahead of the fifth—and final—season’s premiere, we look back at the many wrong turns of Season 4.

Geoffrey Bunting

Freelance Writer

Marni Grossman/Paramount+

It’s been a hot minute since Star Trek: Discovery last graced our screens. When the fifth and final season starts April 4 on Paramount+, it will arrive two-and-a-half years after the debut of Season 4. That’s a long gap for such a forgettable season of Star Trek . As The Daily Beast Obsessed’s resident Star Trek tragic—they won’t let me leave; please send help—the unenviable duty of reminding everyone what happened on Discovery Season 4 in preparation for Season 5, unfortunately, falls to me.

It goes like this: It’s the 32nd century, and a gravitational anomaly is on its way to Earth—except it’s not an anomaly; it's an alien mining device. Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery go and ask the aliens really nicely to stop mining and then everyone goes home and tries not to think about the billions of people it killed. That may seem a gross oversimplification of 13 hours of television, but it isn’t. Seriously—that’s it.

I need to eke out 800 more words out of this, however, so: Did you know lobsters can theoretically live forever, if nothing eats them and they don’t get stuck in their shells?

Doug Jones as Saru, Wilson Cruz as Culber, David Ajala as Book, and Sonequa Martin Green as Burnham.

Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Interesting stuff, right? Certainly more interesting than Season 4 of Discovery . If that brief rundown sounds like that should be, maybe, one episode of Star Trek instead of 13, you’re right. But this is Discovery ; it needs an overarching plot so this particular idea is spread over multiple slices of bread until all semblance of plot and pacing is functionally invisible.

If you really want to get into it, here goes: In Season 4, we join Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her beau, Book (David Ajala), on what amounts to a Federation outreach program. They’re delivering the Federation’s newly-acquired dilithium, before Book heads home to Kweijan for an alien bar mitzvah. Shortly after, it’s destroyed before his eyes by a strange anomaly. This sets up the big theme of Discovery Season 4: therapy. Everyone gets therapy this season, even the ship’s computer (Annabelle Wallis), which is sentient now, gets therapy.

Book is left to come to terms with his grief, because the Federation has a new president, Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal), and Michael Burnham, one-time mutineer—and cause of over a hundred million Federation deaths—is not happy. As Ni’var, the reunified Vulcans and Romulans, plans to rejoin the Federation and help tackle the anomaly, now christened the DMA, Burnham is forced to tag along with the galactic politics.

This also introduces us to President T’Rina (Tara Rosling) who we quickly learn has Kelpian Fever, baby! This is the most interesting part of this season, because this Vulcan is down bad for Saru (Doug Jones) and will not admit it. We also get a multi-episode arc featuring Gray (Ian Alexander) getting a new android body, while Adira (Blu del Barrio) has to contend with how that changes their relationship—helped by more therapy—before both mostly disappear from the season.

New face Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) has an idea of how to stop what he thinks is, in fact, an alien weapon: space-nuke it. It’s illegal but Tarka doesn’t care. He’s too cool for school, even when school says no nukes. This will be important later, but for now it’s time to debate whether it’s okay to space-nuke aliens.

It looks like things might get moving towards said aliens, but Burnham’s mother Gabrielle (Sonja Sohn) arrives because a rogue Qowat Milat (those pointless sword elves from Picard Season 1) has stolen some dilithium and it’s time to hunt them down. After some swordfights, it turns out the rogue space ninja stole the dilithium to save the Abronians—some random aliens who are there… for a bit.

Back on Discovery , everyone gets some time off and therapy from Doctor Culber (Wilson Cruz), who also gets therapy from another dude entirely because everyone telling him about their problems has him stressed. Book and Tarka, however, are done with therapy. They’re off to blow up the DMA, but we’ve still got five episodes to go, so that doesn’t work. Now, they’re off to find a new way to blow it up. Meanwhile, Discovery is jetting off to find the aliens who control the DMA, dubbed the 10-C, to negotiate. Both presidents come along— Rillak because it’s a political and diplomatic mission, and T’Rina to awkwardly eye-fuck Saru in Discovery ’s corridors.

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Doug Jones as Saru.

Then, Discovery does some pushing the boundaries of space travel (which is mostly sparks and actors wobbling in their chairs), has a quick away team acid trip, and 11-and-some-odd hours in, we finally see who’s behind the DMA. They’re big space whale insect things. At this point, the series basically becomes Arrival , as the crew of Discovery use math to communicate with the giant super-aliens behind the force-field of their shuttle bay because they are proper nerds. At the same time, we learn that the DMA is on its way to Earth and Ni’var.

Admiral Vance (who we all love, because he’s Oded Fehr) begins evacuating, helped by Tilly (Mary Wiseman) who is now teaching at Starfleet Academy, while fending off space debris pushed at Earth by the DMA. Despite the apparent time pressure, Burnham and company spend some time patting each other on the back while Book and Tarka rock up. But Book has second thoughts when he learns it might not be so safe … to blow things up.

Vance finally breaks off evacuation efforts as things get too dangerous, staying behind with Tilly to protect Earth. At which point he produces two flasks of whiskey to celebrate their impending death. That the dude in charge of Starfleet is packing two flasks is never addressed.

The 10-C briefly gets angry at Book and Tarka’s intervention and it looks like Book dies in the resulting conflict. But no, the 10-C saved him. Only Tarka, who wasn’t receptive to therapy this season, bites it. The 10-C stop mining, Earth (and Vance and Tilly) are saved, Saru and horny space president hold hands, Book gets some community service, and everything ends up back where we started.

It’s sad that Discovery is ending, but it’s sadder how much Season 4 represented a downfall for a series that weathered sad nerds getting upset because Klingons got better make-up in order to revive the series for new audiences. For its first two seasons, it maintained a careful balance between the humanity of Star Trek and the more action-oriented pace of the most recent Star Trek movies. Even Season 3 , which saw Discovery move to the far future, was a smart and effective shift after Season 2 had explored old ground.

Yet, it feels apt that Season 5 will be the show’s last, given how much Season 4 felt like the backwash of Picard ’s love of references and name dropping, as opposed to the more interesting beginnings of Discovery , the suggestion that Elon Musk is a scientific luminary notwithstanding. If you’re one of the people that missed, or justifiably forgot, Season 4, however, now you know you’re not missing anything because it adds literally nothing to the series. Now, apropos of nothing, time to get some therapy—no idea what gave me the idea.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

READ THIS LIST

Star Trek: Discovery

Captain Burnham & the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are facing a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered. With Federation & non-Federation worlds feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown & work together to ensure a hopeful future for all.

Other seasons

Available on

Description, kobayashi maru.

Season 4, Episode 1 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

After months spent reconnecting the Federation with distant worlds, Captain Michael Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to assist a damaged space station - a seemingly routine mission that reveals the existence of a terrifying new threat.

Season 4, Episode 2 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Saru returns to help the U.S.S. Discovery uncover the mystery of an unusually destructive new force. As Burnham leads the crew, she must also find a way to help Book cope with an unimaginable loss.

Choose to Live

Season 4, Episode 3 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Burnham and Tilly hunt the killer of a Starfleet officer as Stamets and the science team race against the clock to prevent the anomaly from killing anyone else.

All Is Possible

Season 4, Episode 4 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Tilly and Adira lead a team of Starfleet Academy cadets on a training mission that takes a dangerous turn. Meanwhile, Burnham is pulled into tense negotiations on Ni'Var.

The Examples

Season 4, Episode 5 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Burnham and Book race to evacuate a group of stranded colonists in the anomaly's path as one of the Federation's brightest scientists comes aboard the U.S.S. Discovery to do high-stakes research with Saru and Stamets.

Stormy Weather

Season 4, Episode 6 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Seeking answers, the U.S.S. Discovery ventures into a subspace rift created by the Dark Matter Anomaly. Meanwhile, Book faces a strange visitor from his past.

…But to Connect

Season 4, Episode 7 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Tensions rise as representatives from across the galaxy gather to confront the threat of the Dark Matter Anomaly. Zora's new sentience raises difficult questions.

Season 4, Episode 8 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Following a hunch, Captain Burnham tracks Book to an old haunt from their courier days and gets drawn into a high-stakes competition for a powerful weapon.

Season 4, Episode 9 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Captain Burnham and the U.S.S. Discovery race to stop Book and Ruon Tarka from launching a rogue plan that could inadvertently endanger the galaxy.

The Galactic Barrier

Season 4, Episode 10 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Captain Burnham and her crew must go where few have gone before: beyond the Galactic Barrier. Meanwhile, Book learns the truth of what drives Ruon Tarka.

Season 4, Episode 11 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

While Captain Burnham leads an away mission to a planet that was once home to the aliens responsible for the DMA, Book and Tarka secretly infiltrate the U.S.S. Discovery.

Species Ten-C

Season 4, Episode 12 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

As the DMA approaches Earth and Ni'Var, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery attempt to make First Contact with the powerful species responsible before it's too late.

Coming Home

Season 4, Episode 13 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

In the season four finale, the DMA approaches Earth and Ni'Var. With evacuations underway, Burnham and the team aboard the U.S.S. Discovery must find a way to communicate and connect with a species far different from their own before time runs out.

Deleted Scene: Choose to Live

Season 4, Episode 101 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Choose to Live.

Deleted Scene: The Examples

Season 4, Episode 102 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

The Examples.

Deleted Scene: Rosetta

Season 4, Episode 103 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Audio Commentary by Michelle Paradise, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala

Season 4, Episode 104 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

The Toll It Took

Season 4, Episode 105 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

The toll it took.

Being Michael Burnham: The Captain's Log

Season 4, Episode 106 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

In Season 3, Sonequa Martin Green took us through the 3 season arc for Michael Burnham to finally own the Captain’s chair on the USS Discovery. She once again includes us in her personal journey to be Captain Michael Burnham with intimate selfie videos throughout the season combined with BTS and interviews.

Creating Space

Season 4, Episode 107 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

The Creating Space featurette returns with at the how the VFX department uses the AR wall to immerse the production in a space rather than shoot green screen and add the VFX later. The company refers to it as The Holodeck and the Season 4 finale creates the largest AR wall to date. We will explore the details of what it takes to create the virtual reality and combining it with practical sets to immerse the crew of Discovery into the various settings.

Star Trek Discovery: The Voyage of Season 4

Season 4, Episode 108 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

A continuation of the series as the writers and producers and see how their visions were realized by the cast, sets, costumes and props. Audio Commentary by Michelle Paradise, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala on 413 'Coming Home'

Season 4, Episode 109 TV-14 CC HD CC SD

Cast and crew

Sonequa Martin-Green

Anthony Rapp

Mary Wiseman

Wilson Cruz

Additional information, released year.

Parents strongly cautioned

Additional terms

• April 5, 2024 | Roddenberry Archive Expands With Virtual Tours Of Deep Space 9 Station And The USS Discovery
• April 5, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Reviews The First Two Episodes Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5
• April 4, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Embraces Second Chances In “Under The Twin Moons”
• April 4, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Returns With New Vitality And A Lore-Fueled Quest In “Red Directive”
• April 4, 2024 | Watch The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Premiere For Free On YouTube In USA

Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Premiere With New “Red Directive” & “Under The Twin Moons” Images

| April 1, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 11 comments so far

Just over two years since season 4 wrapped up, Star Trek: Discovery returns on Thursday with a 2-episode premiere. We have details and new photos to get you started. NOTE: Photos and descriptions include spoilers .

 Episode 1: “Red Directive”

The season premiere episode is titled “Red Directive,” written by Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi. It debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4.

Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious artifact hidden inside a 800-year-old Romulan vessel – but find that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime.

Paradise previously teased this episode saying, “Launching the mission. The mission is a red directive. An exciting mission that launches us onto our season, and it’s super-secret.”

NEW Photos:

Doug Jones as Saru (Michael Gibson/Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham (Marni Grossman/Paramount+)

L-R Elias Toufexis as L’ak and Eve Harlow as Moll (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham (Michael Gibson/Paramount+)

Previously released photos:

Elias Toufexis as L’ak and Eve Harlow as Moll (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Episode 2: “Under The Twin Moons”

The second Discovery episode for the week is titled “Under The Twin Moons,” written by Alan McElroy and directed by Doug Aarniokoski. It also debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4.

On Saru’s last mission as Captain Burnham’s Number One, the team ventures to a seemingly abandoned planet to hunt for what might be the greatest treasure in the galaxy.

Co-showrunner Michelle Paradise Paradise previously teased this episode saying, “A lovely Burnham and Saru episode.”

Blu del Barrio as Adira (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Doug Jones as Saru (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Doug Jones as Saru (Michael Gibson/Paramount+)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Doug Jones as Saru (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

Season Trailer

Here is the season 5 trailer released in February….

The fifth and final season of  Discovery  debuts with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on  Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery  will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Find more stories on the  Star Trek Universe

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Firstly, I’m SUPER excited for this.

Secondly, and I get that this is silly, but I really wish they’d stop using “Number One” and “First Officer” interchangeably. One’s a position, the other is a nickname/term-of-endearment for that role, and it’s weird seeing Number One used like First Officer. It’s like someone introducing their spouse as “my lovey dovey mcpooperson” or something.

I am hopeful they have new role for Saru, who deserves to stand on his own, after the second episode. He has long deserved and wanted to be the Captain of his own ship. Happy to see Admiral Vance back. He was a great character for the show to add for its last two seasons.

It would have been better to make Saru captain and keep Burnham as first officer since she is the one doing all of the dangerous away missions. The show could have ended with her becoming a captain. Journey from mutineer to captain would have been perfect bookends since the series is all about her.

I’m hoping that Saru gets his own ship and moves over to the Academy show, as they have said it won’t be solely planet based. Hopefully Saru’s ship is the one they cadets take to get to those missions that require it.

Great way to spoil the episode Paramount.

I kid because someone else would say it. I’m excited for these two.

The best way to avoid spoilers is to stay far, far away from websites like this. Me, I’m ghosting this site until after the season is over. Tiger will miss me.

Spoilers don’t actually bother me. I do have a habit of waking up extra early though so I can see the episode before I visit here on first run days.

I won’t say why, but I suspect Rayner will be condescending, full of himself, arrogant, foolish, with lots to learn. You know, that typical stereotype.

Burnham, the only fleshed out character on the show, on the other hand will be perfect.

Saru is getting Voyager

I just rewatched Season 4 and that’s my thought as well. The President did offer Michael Voyager in the finale of S4 so there would be precedent.

Wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’s getting the Enterprise either though.

Wait she did? Why don’t I remember that? Oh I probably already fell asleep by then.

Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' deserves more credit as a barrier-breaking series

Starship Discovery will soon be ending its mission, and what a journey it's been.

“Star Trek: Discovery,” which premiered in 2017, is entering its fifth and final season Thursday on Paramount+. And you’ll need the Captain’s Log to remember all the twists, turns and transformations the show has gone through since it began.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the hate the series has received from some Trek fans. (“Discovery” has an overall audience score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, a stark difference from the 87% critic rating.)

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While the show is far from free of legitimate criticism, many of the complaints seem unfairly – though perhaps tellingly – placed on the show’s focus on a Black woman commander, its LGBTQ+ stars and allies and its inclusive storylines. “Woke agenda” and other dog whistles frequently surface on Reddit and social media posts about the series.

That so much of the negativity is rooted in a backlash against inclusivity raises questions. After all, the "Star Trek" franchise has long emphasized and celebrated culture, diversity and humanity coming together and preserving the integrity of beings they meet across the galaxy.

"It doesn't make any sense, because (these fans) say they love this franchise," series star Sonequa Martin-Green says in an interview. The show “has always been about breaking those boundaries. It's always been about diversity and equality. And our world has changed since the last iteration of 'Trek.' We have a responsibility to push that needle forward and to stay true to that."

More: Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable. Here's why diverse shows are so important

The series is originally set before the events of NBC's original “Star Trek: The Original Series” (later jumping to the future) and follows Michael Burnham (Martin-Green), who became the starship’s captain, and the rest of the crew of the USS Discovery: first officer Saru (Doug Jones), chief engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), lieutenant and now Starfleet Academy teacher Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), medical officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), courier and Burnham’s love interest Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala) and ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).

Many more characters have stood on the bridge, battled with Burnham, or otherwise make up the world of "Discovery." The series had some trouble finding the right footing, but it’s always had heart, especially in its recurring theme of redemption. And it deserves more support for what it has meant for the entire "Star Trek" franchise.

Here’s why “Star Trek: Discovery” deserves more credit:

Prioritizing diversity and inclusivity

A Vulcan philosophy (and one espoused by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry) is IDIC, or “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” and many of the related series, movies and books underscore this belief. “Discovery” also has diversity at its core: the show focuses on a Black woman who becomes captain. Stamets and Culber are an openly gay couple, and engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) is a lesbian. And the show introduced a few franchise firsts: Adira Tal as the first nonbinary character in "Star Trek ," and their boyfriend, Gray ( Ian Alexander ), is the first transgender character , both introduced in Season 3.

More: 'Star Trek' documentary unveils star Nichelle Nichols' impactful NASA connection

Starting a new age of Star Trek

“Discovery” helped launch the CBS All Access streaming platform, a CBS subscription service that would eventually become Paramount+, as well as a new era of "Star Trek" series including “Lower Decks” and “Picard.” Before “Discovery,” the last Trek series was “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which ended in 2005.

Exploring strange new worlds

The second season of “Discovery” also served as a launching pad for the well-received spinoff, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which resurfaced popular characters from the original series including Spock (Ethan Peck), Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn).

Finding time for the simple things

In a few scenes scattered throughout "Discovery," we see characters like Culber and Stamets sharing a meal or talking about their day while brushing their teeth. It’s almost mundane, but there’s also something so lovely about watching LGBTQ+ characters who rarely are the focus in movies or television simply living their lives, being their whole selves. Burnham rocking braids at the beginning of Season 3 speaks cultural volumes. The subtle amid the big battles and overarching plots do have meaning, especially for those whose voices often go unheard.

Going boldly

The first season of “Discovery” went out of its way to highlight its connections to the original series: Burnham is Spock’s adopted sister, and there's a brief appearance by Spock’s father, Sarek. But it wasn’t always so neatly woven, sometimes seeming more like it was using franchise lore as a crutch. But “Discovery” wasn’t afraid to try new things, turning itself around after an overcomplicated first season and again after a very “TOS”-inspired second, slowly building up its own universe without relying too heavily on the old. 

The first episodes of Season 5 are a little rocky before it settles into a comfortable speed. 

"This time around, we wanted to bring in some levity," Martin-Green says. "But there's a grand sort of epicness to Season 5, even though we didn't know it was our last season when we were shooting it. I think looking back on it, and when we share it with the world, it'll seem that way because the season is so big. So people can expect a lot of fun. They can expect it to go really fast." 

It will be interesting to see if “Discovery” sticks the landing through the remainder of the season.

“The good outweighs the bad,” Burnham says in an upcoming episode about a mission, and that’s also true of “Discovery."

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" (two episodes now streaming, then weekly on Thursdays) streams on Paramount+.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' deserves more credit as a barrier-breaking series

When does the final season of 'Star Trek: Discovery' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch

It's time for U.S.S. Discovery's final mission.

Paramount+'s hit TV series "Star Trek: Discovery" is returning for its fifth and final season this week and there is a lot to look forward to.

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

"Star Trek: Discovery" debuted in 2017 and is the seventh in the Star Trek series. Here's everything you need to know about the final season of the series.

When does 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 premiere?

The finale season of "Star Trek: Discovery" is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4.

The first two episodes will be available to stream on the premiere date, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays. Paramount+ did not specify what time the episodes will be available on their platform.

'Star Trek: Discovery' on Paramount+: Subscribe

Kenneth Mitchell: 'Star Trek: Discovery' actor, dies after battle with ALS

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 episodes

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" has 10 episodes in total. The first two will be available to stream on April 4, with the remaining dropping weekly on Thursday on Paramount+.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 cast

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" brings back new and old faces along with recurring guest stars. Cast members include:

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber
• David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker
• Blu del Barrio as Adira
• Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner.
• Elias Toufexis as L’ak
• Eve Harlow as Moll

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 trailer

Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for Season 5 on Feb. 23.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 2 ending explained.

Saru has an eventful last day in Starfleet, while Burnham selects his surprising replacement as Star Trek: Discovery's treasure hunt continues.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons".

• Captain Burnham picks her new Number One as Saru departs after exploring a sacred planet in search of Progenitors' treasure.
• Rayner becomes Burnham's Number One after proving commitment to the mission, diverging from Saru's suggestion of Book.
• Discovery's next destination is Trill, setting up a reunion between Adira and Gray.

Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) selects her new Number One as Captain Saru (Doug Jones) leaves for pastures new at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons". Written by Alan McElroy and directed by Doug Aarniokoski, "Under the Twin Moons" depicts Burnham and Saru's " last dance " together, which takes them to the abandoned planet of Lyrek in the Vileen system in search of the Progenitors' treasure. Fighting off the planet's formidable security systems with assistance from Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) and a returning Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Burnham and Saru obtain the next clue in their hunt for the Progenitors' treasure .

Meanwhile, Book (David Ajala) and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) attempt to create a psychological profile for Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), which reveals some surprising information. While Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons" largely focused on Saru's action-packed last day as a Starfleet officer , it also provides tantalizing teases about the backstories for Discovery 's new heroes and villains. As the reshuffled crew of the USS Discovery head toward their next location, it will be interesting to see if these new dynamics will help or hinder the hunt for the Progenitors' technology as Discovery season 5 continues.

When Does Every Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode Premiere (& How Many Are There)?

Rayner is burnham's new number one, discovery's saru replacement isn't a yes man..

At the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) was severely reprimanded for his reckless actions on Q'Mau, jeopardizing his future as a Starfleet officer. However, despite this, Rayner reached out to the USS Discovery, helping Tilly and Adira find solutions to Burnham and Saru's predicament on Vleen . This impressed Burnham, who recognized that Rayner's gruffness and his recklessness on Q'Mau were borne out of an unwavering commitment to the mission at hand, and an overriding desire to protect Starfleet and the Federation.

Which is why, at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, Burnham requests to have Rayner assigned to the USS Discovery as her Number One . Burnham's decision is also inspired by Saru, who saw her potential way back in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, even when she was a convicted mutineer. Now that Saru has left the USS Discovery, she wants to honor his legacy by giving Kellerun Captain Rayner the sort of second chance that she too was afforded.

Elias Toufexis, who plays L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, also played Cold, one of Burnham's fellow prisoners in season 1, episode 3, "Context is for Kings".

Burnham and Rayner's dynamic should be fascinating to watch during Star Trek: Discovery season 5, especially as she's made it very clear that she doesn't want him to be a " yes man ", nor does Rayner wish to be one. More interesting still is that, by selecting Rayner, Burnham is ignoring Saru's initial suggestion of her ex-lover, Book, for the role of Discovery's new First Officer . Hopefully, later episodes will drill down into why the unpredictable and reckless Rayner is a better Number One for Burnham than the man that she used to trust with her life.

"Action Saru" Has Officially Left The USS Discovery

The kelpien lives up to his nickname on his final starfleet mission..

There are moments in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons" that play on the cop show cliché of the detective being killed on their last shift before retirement. Thankfully, Star Trek 's first Kelpien doesn't meet his end on the mission to Lyrek, even if he does sustain some minor injuries while living up to his "Action Saru" nickname. While Michael believes that the nickname was given to Saru by Booker, her Number One reveals that "Action Saru" originated with Discovery's acerbic engineer, Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) , who was impressed by how he handled himself in the 32nd century.

Saru's Kelpien abilities made him the ideal candidate to temporarily disable Lyrek's security systems for long enough to retrieve the next clue. Every skill that Saru possesses is on display in his final Star Trek: Discovery away mission ; moving through the jungle at speed, dodging phaser blasts, and shooting drone-destroying needles from his neck. All that's left is a final touching farewell between Saru and Burnham, in which he advises her on how to look after his garden, before he heads off to Federation Headquarters to take up his new diplomatic role.

While "Under the Twin Moons" sees Saru leave the USS Discovery, Doug Jones will continue to appear in the remaining episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery's 8 Best Saru Episodes

Moll and booker have a family connection, book's mentor was moll's father..

The end of Star Trek: Discovery season 4 saw Book sentenced to community service for his crimes against the United Federation of Planets and Species 10-C. After months of helping to resettle the refugees left homeless by the DMA, Book has now been assigned to the USS Discovery to track fellow Couriers, Moll and L'ak. Studying the intelligence that Discovery has acquired thus far, Book recognizes that they're a couple in love, not unlike Burnham and Book were at the start of Discovery season 3 . Convincing Moll and L'ak to talk to him, Book isn't able to lure the couple into his trap, as they once again evade Discovery.

However, Moll's birthmark reveals something more surprising; that L'ak's partner in crime is Moleen, the daughter of Book's mentor, Cleveland Booker IV . Book tells Culber that while he never met his mentor's daughter, he had seen a holo-image, suggesting that father and child were separated when Moll was around 7 years old. As Booker lost his entire family and home planet to the Dark Matter Anomaly in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 , Moll now represents the closest thing he has to a sister. However, it remains to be seen if this family connection will be enough to convince Moll to turn her back on her villainous ways.

Admiral Vance Has A History With Rayner

They saw action together after the burn..

It first becomes clear that Captain Rayner and Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) during the investigation into the events on Q'Mau. After Vance quietly chides Rayner for not helping his case, he later thanks Burnham for her words of support. Vance and Rayner's connection becomes clearer at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, when the Admiral reveals that the two men saw action together . Unlike Vance, Rayner is struggling to readjust to a time of peace in the Federation, warning President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) that " war is always a possibility. "

Vance and Rayner's friendship stretches back 30 years, meaning that they served together during the aftermath of the Burn. This 30-year bond enabled Vance to quietly convince Rayner to take early retirement, rather than leave Starfleet and the USS Antares, in disgrace. Admiral Vance was clearly touched when Burnham requested Rayner as her Number One , perhaps recognizing that she was the one officer who might get through to his wayward friend.

What DS9’s Kelleruns Can Tell Us About Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Tilly is back as discovery's science advisor, she's on loan from starfleet academy..

After showing signs of frustration with the current crop of Starfleet Academy cadets in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 1, Tilly gets assigned to her old ship in the second half of Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere . On loan from Starfleet Academy, Tilly is the USS Discovery's science advisor for the duration of their hunt for the Progenitors' technology. Given that it was Tilly who unearthed the recordings of Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) in the first place, this only seems fair. In episode 2, Tilly teams up with Adira - who is glad to have their friend and mentor back - to provide assistance to Burnham and Saru on their mission to Vleen.

Tilly's return to Star Trek: Discovery and her interactions with Captain Rayner's hologram suggest some fun material to come for both Mary Wiseman and Callum Keith Rennie. It's also fitting that, as Saru, one of Burnham's early champions, leaves Discovery, another of her closest friends and supporters comes back aboard. Tilly is also able to lend an ear to Adira's concerns about their relationship with Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), as they become more comfortable with their role aboard the Discovery. It's therefore hard to deny that Tilly being back aboard the USS Discovery is a very good thing indeed .

Discovery Has The First Piece Of The Treasure Map

All five pieces will lead to the progenitors' technology..

With the next piece of the puzzle - a piece of patterned stone - taken from Lyrek, Captain Burnham and the crew set to work figuring out what it means to Star Trek: Discovery 's treasure hunt. Consulting Dr. Vellek's journal once again, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) sees a link between the piece of stone and the illustrations in the journal. Producing a 3D version of the sketch, Stamets and Burnham realize that the stone segment fits neatly into one of the patterned slots like a jigsaw piece .

Burnham surmises that this is one part of a treasure map that will lead to the Progenitors' technology and the source of all humanoid life in the universe. Once all five segments are assembled, it will somehow show the USS Discovery the way to where the secrets of existence are hidden. While this is an exciting development, there are still four pieces left to find, and Moll and L'ak are hot on the trail as Star Trek: Discovery season 5 continues .

The Next Piece Of Season 5's Treasure Map Is On Trill

Adira and gray are about to be reunited..

As well as the piece of the treasure map, Burnham and Saru also found a poem that provided the next location. The full poem was obscured by one of Lyrek's many statues, meaning that Moll and L'ak only read the first verses, which would lead them to Betazed. Reading further, Saru recounted the next verses of the poem, and they were words that spoke to Adira and their thoughts about Gray.

"A world like no other, where two souls entwine, join as one..."

This, combined with the mention of water, invoked memories of the Trill homeworld for Adira. As the USS Discovery heads to Trill in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", Adira and Gray will be forced to confront their relationship. However, romantic reconciliations may need to take a backseat if Moll and L'ak are already heading to Trill to find the next piece of the Progenitors' puzzle.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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

Discovery Season 5 is Taking a Huge Swing With Star Trek Canon

Get out your space history books.

Why do so many Star Trek aliens look like humans? The real-world explanation is that way back in 1964, Gene Roddenberry said the format of Star Trek would focus on stories that took place on “parallel worlds.” This didn’t mean Trek was an alternate universe-hopping show, but that allegorically, the people encountered by the Enterprise were humanoid, thus making the stories easier to write and understand (and, from a budget perspective, easier to make). But there’s an in-universe explanation for this, too.

In 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation devoted an episode to answering this big question. And now, 31 years later, Star Trek: Discovery is doubling down with a Season 5 storyline that serves as a direct sequel to that story. Here’s what this means and why it matters. Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2.

The return of Star Trek’s Progenitors

The Progenitor’s message in the Next Generation episode “The Chase.”

At the end of Discovery Season 5, Episode 1, “Red Directive,” we learn that the data the crew has been assigned to protect is connected to discoveries made by a Romulan scientist in the year 2369. Season 5 happens roughly 820 years after that date, but as Kovich (David Cronenberg) tells Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), this information has been kept hidden for centuries. Why?

Well, in “The Chase,” Picard, Crusher, and the Enterprise-D crew — along with representatives from the Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans — discovered an ancient message coded within DNA that revealed everyone descended from the same ancient aliens. The Progenitors, as their message explains, “...seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy. The seed codes directed your evolution toward a physical form resembling ours.”

Captain Burnham is floored by this information, which makes sense since she’s originally from the 23rd century, and her pre-time travel adventures in Starfleet predate Picard’s by about 100 years. But Burnham’s ignorance of the Progenitors isn’t because she and the Discovery crew are time travelers. There’s another reason why this has all been classified.

Discovery’s new God-mode tech

Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is racing to find the most powerful Trek tech of all time.

The fact that most humanoid-looking life in Star Trek descended from an ancient alien species isn’t a new revelation to longtime Trek fans. Even Original Series episodes “Return to Tomorrow” and “The Paradise Syndrom” hinted that several species originated thanks to some kind of organized panspermia . What is new is that the technology the Progenitors used to create life on thousands of worlds has been found.

In Discovery’s “Red Directive,” the journal left by the Romulan scientist is just the first piece of the puzzle. The larger mission is to find the technology the Progenitors developed millions of years ago, and so Discovery has revealed the most powerful technology in all of Trek canon to date. In The Wrath of Khan , we got the Genesis Device , a tech capable of instantly terraforming planets. In Voyager’s “Year of Hell,” the Kremin weapon ship pushed entire planets out of the spacetime continuum, altering history in the blink of an eye.

But those examples of super-tech were unstable. What’s interesting about the ancient Progenitor tech is that it obviously works . Discovery’s imperative to find the tech is classic Trek: if the ability to seed life on a planetary scale falls into the wrong hands, the galaxy could be changed forever. In the grand tradition of Star Trek, the biggest superweapons aren’t planet-destroying superweapons, but something that could redefine and rewrite life itself.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 airs on Paramount+.

Ryan Britt's new book on the history of Star Trek's biggest changes. From the '60s show to the movies to 'TNG,' to 'Discovery,' 'Picard,' Strange New Worlds,' and beyond!

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