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Star Trek: Discovery - Full Cast & Crew

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• Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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Star Trek: Discover team up with Captain Christopher Pike on a mission to explore seven signals. The crew work together to uncover the meaning of the Red Angel while Michael considers the return of Spock.

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Special effects, executive producer, co-producer, co-executive producer, cinematographer, production company.

Discovery's Most Mysterious Character Finally Explained - And It's A Star Trek Deep Cut

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of "Star Trek: Discovery."

After nearly seven years on the air, "Star Trek: Discovery" has come to a satisfying end with this week's series finale, titled "Life, Itself" — though not without answering a lingering question or two along the way. The galaxy-spanning trail of breadcrumbs has led to the final hiding spot of the Progenitors' lifegiving technology, with Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery successfully flinging the dangerously powerful MacGuffin safely out of reach into the center of a black hole, the threat of Moll (Eve Harlow) handing the weapon over to the Breen having been neautralized. Fans were even given a glimpse of Burnham's blissful life together with Booker (David Ajala) decades in the future, putting a nice and tidy bow on characters we've spent the better part of a decade getting to know and love.

And yet, one decidedly unsentimental supporting figure has lurked in the background for three seasons now, alternately helping and annoying Burnham over the course of her missions in this 32nd Century setting:  the mysterious Dr. Kovich, played by filmmaker David Cronenberg . Shrouded in secrecy by the very nature of his Starfleet job, the character didn't necessarily demand any answers as to his backstory or, as it turns out, his true identity. But for one last parting gift, the "Discovery" writers decided to drop a bombshell at the very last minute and, in the process, tie this "Trek" series together with another through one heck of a deep-cut reference.

Yup, we've actually seen Kovich before ... in a manner of speaking. "Enterprise" fans, it's your time to shine! Because, as it turns out, Kovich was none other than the temporal operative known as Agent Daniels all along.

Agent Daniels is a blast from Star Trek's past

Leave it to "Star Trek" to take familiar concepts, flip them sideways, and throw a curveball at you. In this franchise, chess is of the fifth-dimensional variety. Alternate universes exist, but beware the one where your parallel self sports a sinister-looking goatee. And, most importantly, there's always a Cold War rampaging all around us — but one with little regard for time and space. In one brief coda of a scene wrapping up the (at times) rocky dynamic between Burnham and Kovich, "Discovery" took  the Temporal Cold War  concept and tied it together by uniting the mysterious Kovich with a certain Agent Daniels who popped up at various times throughout "Enterprise." Wild, I know.

For those in need of a refresher, Daniels was portrayed by actor Matt Winston and first appeared in the season 1 episode "Cold Front." At the time, he appeared to be a simple crewman aboard the Enterprise but, in actuality, had been sent back in time from the 31st Century to capture a high-priority target attempting to tamper with the timeline. (Sorry, Marvel, you're not the only one to come up with a spin on the Time Variance Authority .) The futuristic figure returned to plague Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) on numerous occasions, sending him back through time on dangerous missions or preventing him from certain actions that would alter the timeline too significantly. More than once, Daniels showed a knack for cheating death through unexplained means, once even alluding to the idea that he was only "more or less" human.

Viewers haven't seen Daniels since his last appearance early in season 4 of "Enterprise" ... or, well, so we thought. Who knew he'd eventually end up returning in the form of Kovich centuries later?

In Discovery, Kovich was Daniels all along

As far as plot twists go, does the Kovich reveal truly shake up the events of "Discovery" all that much in retrospect? Not really, if we're being honest. Is it basically little more than blatant fan service in a finale that was noticeably light on any major developments in terms of the grander lore? You bet. Does any of that make this reveal less fun? Nope!

David Cronenberg's casting as Kovich instantly imbued the character with an air of authoritative mystery entirely on its own, all but daring protagonists like Burnham to pry him with pesky questions about his personal business at their own peril. Those defenses finally came crashing down in the finale, however, allowing Burnham the briefest of chances to ask Kovich about himself. His response: Kovich is his code name and his real name is Agent Daniels of the USS Enterprise ("and other places"). That goes a long way towards explaining the character's "resourceful" nature, as he vaguely put it to Burnham earlier in season 5, and certainly helps strengthen the continuity between otherwise disparate shows in the franchise. (It does make a certain amount of sense to tie "Enterprise" together with "Discovery," given that the last few seasons set far in the future roughly line up with Daniels' own origins.)

And so "Discovery" ends exactly as it began: by being itself . The finale had a little bit of everything, from universe-ending stakes to highly-charged emotional moments to a dollop of fan service and nostalgia. After five total seasons, we'd say this series earned every inch of its final victory lap. If you're so inclined, every episode of "Star Trek: Discovery" is now streaming on Paramount+.

The Entire Star Trek: Discovery Timeline Explained

For a series ostensibly about exploring the galaxy and meeting new lifeforms in the hopes of sharing knowledge and resources, there sure is a lot of time travel in "Star Trek." It's been present from the very beginning, as even Kirk and crew visited the past multiple times . Two of those adventures resulted in the iconic episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Star Trek 4: The Adventure Home."

Modern "Star Trek" adventures have embraced this aspect of the universe, as time travel was also the direct cause of the Kelvin Timeline featured in the 2009 "Star Trek" film and its sequels. When the Romulan Nero traveled back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing James Kirk's father, he accidentally contributed to the creation of a new universe running parallel to the prime timeline. Ultimately, time travel has become every bit as important to "Star Trek" as exploration.

"Star Trek: Discovery" is no exception to this. Initially a prequel series set ten years before the original series, it soon became a sequel set further into the future than any other "Star Trek" installment. Time travel tends to muddy the narrative progression of a story, so we will be looking at where "Star Trek: Discovery" started to shed some light on where it ended up. Here is the entire "Star Trek: Discovery" timeline explained.

A visit to Talos

"Star Trek: Discovery" is set ten years before what is now referred to as "Star Trek: The Original Series." However, one episode of "The Original Series" actually occurs before "Discovery." In many ways, it is the beginning of the entire "Star Trek" franchise. While most viewers back in the late '60s probably remember it as the story told in the exciting two-parter "The Menagerie," which reuses the footage captured for the original "Star Trek" pilot called "The Cage."

We have to begin here because these events play a crucial role in "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2. "The Cage" sees the Enterprise crew, led by Captain Christopher Pike, visiting Talos IV, encountering a strange alien race. These are the Talosians, telepaths who experience life by manipulating beings they keep in their menagerie. By forcing Captain Pike to endure multiple illusions of their creations, they hope to understand love, anger, fear, excitement, and other emotions they forfeited by choosing to further develop their mental abilities.

Years later, after Captain Pike temporarily assumes command of the USS Discovery, he is forced to revisit Talos IV to cure Spock of his current mental disorder. Not only is it a chance to save Spock's life, but it also allows Pike to seek out closure regarding his past experiences on the planet.

The Battle at the Binary Stars

"Star Trek: Discovery" officially begins with a huge two-part story called "The Vulcan Hello" and "The Battle at the Binary Stars." This is where we meet the star of the show, Commander Michael Burnham, the first officer of the USS Shenzhou. While most "Star Trek" shows tend to be ensemble pieces, "Discovery" belongs to Burnham and it is her arc that we follow.

This opening episode sees Starfleet encountering Klingons for the first time in about a century. An extremist group of Klingons led by the xenophobic T'Kuvma engaged in a devastating battle with the USS Shenzhou after an altercation with Burnham resulted in the death of one of their own. This opening battle becomes a war between the Federation and the Klingons, the effects of which are still being felt during "The Original Series" and the six original "Star Trek" movies .

Following this battle, Michael Burnham is stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison — which leads to the true beginning of the show.

Six months later

Following Michael's sentencing, the show jumps ahead six months. While being transferred to a new prison, there's an emergency and the Discovery arrives to save her. While on the ship she meets its captain, a dark and elusive man named Gabriel Lorca, and its crew. She also reunites with her old friend from the Shenzhou, Commander Saru. Healing their relationship following her mutiny is a major part of the first two seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery." 

Lorca believes that Michael's knowledge and experience could be of some use to them on the Discovery, so he invites her to unofficially join them as a specialist. The reasons behind Lorca's decision to go out of his way to save her, and why he wants her working with him on the Discovery, is another major element to the first season. His character comes off as a little strange right away, as Starfleet captains tend to be fairly approachable and diplomatic. However, Lorca is intimidating, conniving, and a little too adept at war to fit the typical captain archetype.

Taking Control

To correctly understand the timeline of "Star Trek: Discovery," we next need to dive into some events that are revealed during Season 2 but take place in Season 1. 

Section 31 is the secret Black Ops division of the United Federation of Planets . They operate in the shadows, carrying out missions the Federation doesn't want to be made public. They feature heavily in "Star Trek: Discovery" and its second season. Following the events of "The Battle at the Binary Stars," Section 31 starts using a threat assessment artificial intelligence called Control in the hopes of preventing wars.

The idea is the Federation would give Control information regarding potential threats, and Control would then provide suggestions on how to proceed. As often happens in science fiction when artificial intelligence is involved, things go haywire when Control decides it no longer needs human beings to implement its suggestions. Instead, it assumes "control" of human beings to enact its agenda. This leads to the massive time jump the USS Discovery would take into the future during the end of Season 2.

Into the Mirror Universe

The USS Discovery has an experimental new system called a spore drive. It allows the Discovery to travel along a microscopic network spread throughout the universe, effectively making instant travel possible. It's an incredibly complex system, one that Forbes notes was inspired by a real-life mycologist, which can be used to break the barriers between realities.

The idea is proposed to astromycologist Commander Paul Stamets by Captain Gabriel Lorca. Stamets is considering leaving Starfleet, but Lorca convinces him to stay on to try one final experiment to see if it truly is possible to visit alternate realities. The experiment works, and the entire crew of the USS Discovery is transported into the classic evil dimension of the "Star Trek" universe — the Mirror Universe .

In the "Star Trek" Mirror Universe the heroes are villains and the villains are heroes, and it is soon revealed that this is where Lorca is from. He arrived in the prime timeline, took over the original Gabriel Lorca's life, and orchestrated events to unite with Michael Burnham — who was his lover in the mirror universe — and use the spore drive to return to his universe and overthrow Emperor Georgiou.

While the time the crew spends in the mirror universe might seem brief, it turns out that nine months pass during that time. 

Nine months later

When Gabriel Lorca dies in the mirror universe, the crew of the USS Discovery returns to their native universe — but they've brought the emperor with them. 

One of Michael Burnham's defining character traits is parental issues. She lost her human parents at a very young age. She was then adopted by the Vulcan Sarek and his human wife, Amanda. They raised her on Vulcan with their son Spock, effectively making her Spock's human step-sister .

Although she tried to live like a Vulcan, her human emotions were far too powerful. As a result, when she joined Starfleet and was assigned to serve on the USS Shenzhou, she gravitated to its human captain Phillipa Georgiou, seeing her as a maternal figure. Tragically, Georgiou died in the Battle of the Binary Stars, and the guilt of her loss has tortured Burnham ever since. Upon arriving in the mirror universe and finding another Georgiou, she can't help but try and bring her back to the prime timeline, hoping to correct her biggest regret.

Back in the prime timeline, they discover that nine months have passed and the war has not been going well. Discovery is boarded by Sarek and Admiral Cornwell, who informs the recently-returned crew that the Klingons have almost won the war.

The mystery of the Red Angel

By the end of Season One, the Klingon War is over, and there is an uneasy peace between the two sides. However, the crew of the Discovery doesn't have long to reflect on these events, as they soon encounter the Enterprise and are boarded by Captain Christopher Pike. Pike has been directed to temporarily assume command of the Discovery to research red burst anomalies that have been popping up all over the galaxy.

The red bursts are caused by an entity referred to as the Red Angel. The identity of this entity and the reasons for its actions are complex but intimately related to Michael. It turns out that there are two Red Angels — one is Michael Burnham's mother, Gabrielle, and the other is Michael herself. The form of the angel is actually a suit capable of traveling through time developed by Michael's parents as a project for Section 31.

At some point, Gabrielle decides to use the suit to escape an attack from Klingons but winds up in the distant future. She sees that the AI system Control has taken over the galaxy, so she uses her suit to jump around in time in the hopes of preventing Control from evolving and spreading across the galaxy. Michael then uses the suit to send signals that appear as red bursts for the crew of the Discovery to follow, defeat Control, and travel to the future.

The all-knowing Sphere

Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery" is full of big, wild ideas that could serve as the basis for a film or an entire series. The first, of course, is the threat of Control. The second is the Red Angel. The third is a sentient, planet-sized lifeform called the Sphere.

This Sphere has spent hundreds of thousands of years exploring the galaxy, collecting information and experiences. It has existed for such a long time that it is now dying. With such a wealth of knowledge and experience, it doesn't want to be forgotten, so it transfers its memory to the Discovery's computers.

As wonderful a find as this is, it is also incredibly dangerous. When Airiam, a cybernetic member of the Discovery crew, is infected by a future version of Control, she is directed to transfer all the sphere data on artificial intelligence to the current form of Control. With that information, Control will be able to gain full sentience and take over the galaxy — just as seen in Spock's vision from the Red Angel.

Defeating Control

For any "Star Trek" fans upset that "Star Trek: Discovery"  takes place 10 years before "The Original Series" but the technology is significantly more advanced — or that Spock never mentioned having a human step-sister — their fears were partially quelled when the ship made the jump ahead almost one thousand years.

By the end of Season 2, Control was defeated, the mystery of the Red Angel was solved, and the need to get the sphere data to a safer time period arose. With the data merging to Discovery's computers, the decision was made not to try and delete the data but take it into the future. Using the Red Angel suit, Michael Burnham drags the USS Discovery into a time in a future not yet explored by the "Star Trek" franchise .

Once Discovery is gone, the Federation decides to clear the ship's existence from all Starfleet records and never speak of it, the crew, or its mission again. Thus, Michael Burnham is never mentioned, nor is the Discovery or its experimental spore drive. 

The future of Starfleet and the Federation

The jump to the future is successful, but Michael arrives there alone. Since she was towing the ship, not riding in it, the trip was different for her. Immediately upon arriving, she rams into a ship piloted by Cleveland Booker before being pulled in by a nearby planet's gravity, regaining control of the Red Angel suit only seconds before splattering on its surface.

At first, she is panicked that Discovery won't answer her call but is soon thrilled by the knowledge that there is life on this planet. She eventually meets Cleveland Booker and discovers that the Federation barely exists anymore. The reason for its diminished size and influence was something called the Burn. In the 31st century, nearly every warp core installed in Federation ships exploded, wiping out swaths of life and nearly destroying the Federation. Exactly what caused this "burn" is the central mystery of Season 3. 

One year later

In this new world, where dilithium is more precious than ever, Michael travels the galaxy, trading it for goods and services. She spends an entire year recording her experiences and searching for any sign of the Discovery. Finally, her search efforts pay off, and she is reunited with her crew. In a completely new headspace, Michael isn't sure about serving on the Discovery any longer. True, she earned back her respect and rank but is she is more interested in solving the mystery of the Burn and restoring the Federation rather than limiting herself to a single ship.

By the end of Season 3, the mystery surrounding the Burn is solved, the Federation is in the early stages of reconnecting with its lost members, and Michael joins the crew of the Discovery again. This time, however, she isn't a specialist or a first officer — she is the captain. 

Season 4 is still set in the 32nd century and Michael is now known as Captain Michael Burnham. Her arc mirrors the real-life arc of the show. She started as a first officer who lost everything and worked her way back to a command position, while "Star Trek: Discovery" began life as a prequel with a dubious connection to canon and became a sequel that takes the franchise to brand new heights.

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Director Fesses Up To Unplanned Cameo In Episode 502

| April 9, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 8 comments so far

The second episode of season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery debuted last Thursday and featured an away mission to a jungle planet. It turns out “Under the Twin Moons” also featured an unexpected cameo from the episode’s director.

Director gets into the action

The USS Discovery visited the jungle planet Lyrek, where Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Saru (Doug Jones) searched an ancient necropolis for clues to solve the season’s big mystery . As Burnham and Saru were being chased by drones from an automated defense system, they found shelter beneath a giant stone hand from a fallen statue. And for less than a second, you can spot something a bit unexpected in the alien forest: a person wearing a baseball cap.

Spot the hat in the upper left

Eagle-eyed fan Jörg Hillebrand noticed the hat and posted about it on Twitter/X, noting how Discovery had joined a Trek tradition of crewmembers inadvertently finding themselves in the shot.

There's indeed a crewmember briefly visible in this shot in #StarTrekDiscovery 's "Under the Twin Moons"⬆️⬅️, as first pointed out by @MD_Builds . Well, let's just say: he's in good company! 😜 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"➡️ #StarTrekTNG 's "Unification I"↙️ + "Birthright I"↘️.😅 pic.twitter.com/cOrU1JvCZL — Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49) April 6, 2024

Hillebrand suggested the hat belonged to episode director Doug Aarniokoski, and it turns out he was right. Aarniokoski fessed up with “guilty as charged,” apologizing for the error not being spotted and removed in post-production, adding “shit happens – it’s a jungle out there.”

I know that baseball hat !!! Jorg – guilty as charged – nice spotting sir – Apologies this wasn’t caught and removed – shit happens . It’s a jungle out there 😬 — Doug Aarniokoski (@dougaa) April 7, 2024

It is not known if Paramount will later digitally remove Doug and his hat from the episode. That is how Disney dealt with “jeans guy” spotted in an episode of The Mandalorian .

Spotting members of the crew on camera is a subgenre of the larger pantheon of flubs. The site Ex Astris Scientia has an extensive gallery of Trek’s visual bloopers .

Shooting a jungle in Toronto

Paramount has released a behind-the-scenes video feature on how the jungle of Lyrek was created by redressing a forest in a Toronto park .

The fifth and final season of  Discovery  debuted 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.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Worst show ever!

Nah, it’s all good. If it happens this rarely, it’s not a big deal to me. Maybe they nix him from the Blu-Ray, hah.

They may remove him from the episode now. Disney did when they found the person in that Mandalorian episode.

Nothing worse than that GoT Starbucks cup.

Season 5 DISCO time travel confirmed! LOL (not really)

This is hilarious. Can’t imagine all the jokes now between them. He will always be remembered! :D Go Sox!

Paramount posts a video of how they recreated a jungle in Canada that isn’t available to view in the country of Canada

That’s just silly of them. 🤫 Pssst, you can always use either 9convert.com or yt5s.com to get them!

It is a long and stories Trek tradition. :-)

Kovich's True Identity Revealed In Series Finale Of Star Trek: Discovery

It wasn't always the plan for David Cronenberg's mysterious character.

*Warning! Major spoiler alert for Star Trek: Discovery 's Life, Itself !*

"My real name is a bit of a Red Directive in and of itself,"

Kovich tells Captain Burnham in his office. Kovich hesitates, but then, shaking Burnham's hand, he adds,

"Agent Daniels, USS Enterprise, and other places. Nice to meet you".

We should have known the moment he revealed his penchant for augmented reality spaces.

From his first appearance in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode Cold Front to his last in Storm Front, Part II , Daniels was always a mystery. Now that he is (also) Doctor Kovich, the mystery only deepens. Just exactly what did he mean by " USS Enterprise," for example? The J? One of the other letters in the alphabet? What exactly is Kovich/Daniels up to now in 3191? How old is he? And what is the form and function of that Infinity Room? We wouldn't say no to a spin-off about the Temporal Wars either! This is time travel, after all. Fire up those time portals again, Daniels/Kovich! The end, we all hope, is just the beginning!

Jack Kiely is a writer with a PhD in French and almost certainly an unhealthy obsession with Star Trek.

How Star Trek: Discovery Recaptured One Aspect Of The Original Series

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Star Trek Discovery: 9 Best Episodes (So Far)

Dexter: original sin has a big problem with dexter's origin story due to the original series, kevin feige explains the flattering reason why marvel studios poached a star trek writer for one upcoming series.

When the original Star Trek first hit screens back in 1966, the concept was pitched to audiences as "a wagon train to the stars." The Enterprise and its crew were soaring off into an unknown, unexplored universe, not unlike the explorers of the old Wild West. There were no rules out here in the vast expanse of space, and even Starfleet protocol was still in its infancy. Kirk, Spock, and the rest often had to improvise to get out of dangerous situations with their lives.

But as the franchise grew, so did the in-universe institutions of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets . Treaties were signed, conflicts broke out, negotiations ensued, terms were settled — and the cycle began again. Starfleet's mission of exploration became more strictly defined, and so too did its rules and regulations. There were fewer unknowns in the galaxy, and by the time of The Next Generation , it was no longer a chaotic place. Starfleet still faced conflict in Deep Space 9 and explored uncharted territory in Voyager , but now, in addition to mysteries and alien threats, there was often bureaucratic red tape and political intrigue to deal with. Through it all, Starfleet and its members were disciplined, confident, and ready to spread a brighter future throughout the galaxy.

These episodes of Star Trek: Discovery are (so far) some of the highlights of the show.

That changed, though, when Michael Burnham and her crew traveled 900 years into the future in the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Discovery . With the time jump at the start of Season 3, Discovery took Star Trek back into a lawless, chaotic galaxy.

The Early Federation: Two Different Sides

For the crew of The Original Series , meeting unknowns face-to-face often meant danger. Hostile aliens didn't always listen to reason, especially since the Federation wasn't quite an interstellar superpower yet. The crew of the Enterprise always had to be prepared to fire phasers set to stun, throw a quick punch to the jaw, or break out the tried-and-true Vulcan nerve pinch.

Michael Burnham and the crew of Discovery also came from the days of the Federation's infancy. But unlike the Enterprise, they weren't charting unknown space. In Season 1, they worked as part of the war effort, helping the Federation fight the Klingons and developing technology to do so. In Season 2, they tracked the seven red signals and tried to thwart the AI called Control.

Of course, there were still plenty of mysteries to uncover and things to learn — the mechanics of time travel , the mysteries of the mycelial network. But Discovery's early themes had less to do with exploring the final frontier. Through their sci-fi concepts, seasons 1 and 2 explored ideas like the ethics of war and the consequences of technological advancement. Other Star Trek shows had done the same before them.

There are plenty of legitimate real-world reasons why the show's creators may have decided on the time jump that Discovery took at the end of its second season. Perhaps the show's retcons were starting to make things complicated . Perhaps they didn't want to eventually overlap with the timeline of The Original Series . Maybe they simply recognized the need and the opportunity to shake things up, to take both the crew and the audience out of their comfort zones. Regardless, it was a bold decision, and one that reintroduced the idea of diving headfirst into the unknown.

How The Burn Reintroduced A Lawless Galaxy

When she lands in the 31st century, Michael Burnham quickly learns that this galaxy is vastly different from the one she left behind. Starfleet is a distant memory, the Federation is a shadow of its former self, and a criminal organization called the Emerald Chain has a chokehold on the majority of resources. All of this is the result of an event known as the Burn , which took place about a century before Discovery's arrival. All the dilithium in the galaxy went inert, and thousands of ships detonated. The result was mass death, and without dilithium, the inability to travel at warp.

After the Burn, interplanetary alliances crumbled, and planets left the United Federation one after another until it was barely a skeleton of what it once was. Its influence weakened, until it was no longer able to maintain law, order, and peace as it once had. With the Federation almost gone, the people of the galaxy were left to fend for themselves. Mercenary groups, smugglers, and independent contractors carved lives for themselves in space. The galaxy was, as it had been in Kirk and Spock's day, a wild frontier.

A World Full Of Unknowns

Michael, Saru, and their crew had to navigate a galaxy which they knew nothing about. The planets, alien species, and even a few of the factions might have familiar names, but they were vastly different from what the Discovery crew remembered. The planet Vulcan had become Ni'Var ; the warring Vulcans and Romulans were cultivating peace between their two societies. The Klingons, whom the Discovery crew remembered as the Federation's greatest enemy, had become their allies and then receded to being strangers again. Many people throughout the galaxy had more or less forgotten the Federation — or even spurned it, holding them partially responsible for the Burn.

Discovery's job, then, was to gather information, build bridges, and forge alliances in their search to solve the mystery of the Burn and restore the Federation to its former glory. Michael, like her brother Spock , had to know when to speak and when to spring into action. Saru, a formerly cautious man who was new to taking risks, had to learn to do so in a measured and calculated way. Tilly learned to take charge; Stamets learned to reach out for help and expertise. Like Kirk and his crewmates, they were thrust into unfamiliar situations time and again. Ultimately, just like in The Original Series, these trials not only brought out the best in the show's characters, but provided an adventure for viewers that was familiar, yet wonderfully refreshing.

Star Trek: Discovery

Screen Rant

Wilson cruz: star trek: discovery’s doctor culber explained.

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11 LGBTQ+ Characters New Star Trek Shows Gave Canon

Star trek’s next show can have data at starfleet academy (without brent spiner), patrick stewart & star trek legends bring discovery’s sonequa martin-green to tears with touching tributes.

• Dr. Hugh Culber brought LGBTQ+ representation to Star Trek, becoming a father figure to queer teens.
• Culber's resilience and compassion make him a standout character, embodying non-toxic masculinity.
• Wilson Cruz's portrayal of Culber made a memorable impact, bringing depth and diversity to Star Trek.

On Star Trek: Discovery , Wilson Cruz plays Dr. Hugh Culber, one of the USS Discovery's medical doctors. Unlike earlier Star Trek series, which often focused on a single character as the series' Chief Medical Officer, Star Trek: Discovery season 1 gave equal weight to both Dr. Hugh Culber and Dr. Tracy Pollard (Raven Dauda). At any given moment, either Dr. Culber or Dr. Pollard might be in attendance in Discovery's sick bay. As Star Trek: Discovery went on, Hugh Culber became a standout character, exemplifying physical resilience, emotional wisdom, and ongoing curiosity, with a poignant character arc resolving science and spirituality.

Dr. Hugh Culber is also notable for being one of Star Trek 's first gay series regulars , coupled with husband Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp). As a franchise committed to diversity from the start, it's surprising that Star Trek took so long to achieve LGBTQ+ representation, but Star Trek: Discovery makes up for the dearth of LGBTQ+ characters in Star Trek history . Culber and Stamets become de facto parents to Star Trek: Discovery 's queer teenagers, Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), and Gray Tal (Ian Alexander). Best of all, Stamets and Culber are real and relatable in their relationship.

After decades of allegorical representation, new Star Trek shows don't shy away from including complex, interesting, and realistic LGBTQ+ characters.

Star Trek: Discovery’s Dr. Hugh Culber Explained

Wilson cruz plays hugh culber as discovery's emotional center.

Far from being just a physician, Dr. Hugh Culber is a compassionate healer, loving father, and the emotional heart of the USS Discovery crew . Culber puts others' needs before his own and relentlessly pursues solutions — even at the cost of Hugh's potential burnout. Star Trek: Discovery season 3's jump to the 32nd century takes its toll on the mental health of Discovery's crew, so Culber takes on additional work as the ship's counselor . Culber is a shining example of non-toxic masculinity who is caring, optimistic, and responsible, valued for these qualities as well as his medical and psychological expertise.

A first-generation Puerto Rican-American, Wilson Cruz's high-profile roles before Star Trek: Discovery included Angel in West Coast and Broadway productions of RENT , Dennis Vasquez on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why , and Rickie Vasquez in the 1990s cult classic teen drama My So-Called Life. Cruz's portrayal of Rickie marked the first time an openly gay actor played a gay character on television. Recently, Cruz was an executive producer of Apple TV+'s docuseries Visible: Out On Television, exemplifying how Cruz has been an outspoken force for LGBTQ+ rights and representation in media and earned recognition from GLAAD and other organizations supporting LGBTQ+ and Latino excellence.

Dr. Hugh Culber’s Star Trek: Discovery Death & Resurrection Explained

Coming back to life changed culber for the better.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 1, episode 10, "Despite Yourself", Dr. Hugh Culber was murdered by Lt. Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) after Culber discovered Tyler was really a Klingon sleeper agent. Culber's death sparked backlash , with fans citing the "bury your gays" trope of needlessly killing off LGBTQ+ characters. Fortunately, Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 5, "Saints of Imperfection", saw Culber's resurrection, since Paul Stamets' connection to the mycelial network had preserved the memory of Hugh. An organic cocoon connected to the mycelial network brought Dr. Culber back to life with a brand-new body.

Culber's Discovery season 2 resurrection is possible thanks to the jahSepp, sentient organisms native to the mycelial plane, who took the form of Ensign Sylvia Tilly's (Mary Wiseman) old friend May Ahearn (Bahia Watson).

The experience of dying and coming back to life had a profound effect on Dr. Culber's outlook on life. Culber debated leaving the Discovery for the USS Enterprise, starting life over without Stamets, but Hugh eventually came back to Paul. After embodying the dead Trill host Jinaal in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", Hugh Culber began to question the role of spirituality within science .

Hugh's search for ways to balance faith in the unseen with his scientific background created the unlikely friendship between Dr. Culber and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). With his spiritual arc, Culber brought a rarely-seen perspective to Star Trek that was cut short when Star Trek: Discovery was canceled.

Wilson Cruz’s Dr. Hugh Culber Can Return To Star Trek

Cruz is open to returning in star trek: starfleet academy.

Although Star Trek: Discovery has ended its run with 5 seasons, Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber can return in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . The new Star Trek series is set in the 32nd century, with Discovery characters Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) already slated to return.

Wilson Cruz is open to the possibility of Dr. Hugh Culber making an appearance in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy but has yet to receive a call.

Near the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Dr. Culber began to experiment with holographic advisors, with his own guide taking the form of Hugh's deceased abuela. With Robert Picardo returning as Star Trek: Voyager 's holographic Doctor in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Culber's experiment might become a plot point for these two Star Trek doctors. Wilson Cruz is open to the possibility of Dr. Hugh Culber making an appearance in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy but has yet to receive a call.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 set up a Dr. Culber arc that's still incomplete , with Culber's spiritual journey and the ramifications that Hugh's newfound faith might have on his medical practice. Culber already leaned towards a more holistic approach to medicine by incorporating patients' mental health with his services as a physician in Star Trek: Discovery . Adding in the ability to be a spiritual guide for others in future Star Trek appearances would truly round out Dr. Culber's character.

Star Trek: Discovery

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'You Can't Tell It's Me': Legend of Zelda Voice Actor on Star Trek: Discovery Cameo

Legend of Zelda voice actor Patricia Summersett opens up about her Star Trek: Discovery cameo.

Per Collider , Summersett discussed her sly cameo as Primarch Tahal on the series finale of Star Trek: Discovery during a panel at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. Regarding the role itself, Summersett said, " I had to audition for it multiple times , then flew to Toronto several times for costume fittings, and then got to work with director Olatunde Osunsanmi and spend some time on the ship." She continued, "The funny thing about being on Star Trek: Discovery and making it on to the series finale is that I'm totally covered over, and you can't tell it's me ... you don't know it's me unless you look at the credits."

10 Most Controversial Star Trek: Discovery Episodes, Ranked

The groundbreaking Star Trek series changed the game for the franchise in its five seasons, but also caused a stir among fans more than once.

Though Summersett didn't make her film debut until 2013 in the short The Jogger , her career as a video game voiceover artist stretches all the way back to 2007's Beowulf: The Game . Summersett is best known for voicing Princess Zelda in 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its 2023 followup, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . She also reprised the role for the 2020 hack-and-slash spinoff/crossover, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity , which serves as both a prequel to Breath of the Wild and a spiritual successor to 2014's original Legend of Zelda / Dynasty Warriors mashup, Hyrule Warriors .

Star Trek: Discovery Wrapped Up Its Five Season Run

Star Trek: Discovery originally aired on CBS back in 2017 and debuted to largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. The series picks up roughly ten years prior to the events of the 1966 original and follows Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham, a former Captain who inadvertently kicks off all-out war between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Over the course of 65 episodes across 5 seasons, Star Trek: Discovery brought its cast and crew to distant worlds, alternate dimensions, and even across time itself, all while leading to the creation of two followups of its own in the forms of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the hotly-anticipated, Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 live-action feature film .

Every Star Trek: Discovery Season, Ranked

Star Trek: Discovery brought this universe back to television and enjoyed five great seasons that ran the gamut from whimsical to dark and gritty.

Wilson Cruz, who stars as medical officer Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery , recently discussed the series' finale in an interview with CBR, as well as his character's personal journey from being killed off in the first season, resurrected in the second, and given another shot at life going forward. "Every season had its own tone change, and I think that was on purpose. I think that it needed to be dark at the beginning," Cruz said. "We needed that darkness to find out way through it, in order to find the light. The thing that was exciting about the series when we started is that it was different than any other Star Trek , in the sense that we were going to see these people become great."

Star Trek: Discovery is currently streaming on Paramount+ .

Source: Collider

star trek discovery

Did You Catch This 'Zelda' Actor in The Last Season of 'Star Trek: Discovery'?

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Actor Patricia Summersett had a blast appearing on the last season of Star Trek: Discovery , including the series finale — but you may not have even realized she was in it. Summersett starred as the Breen ruler Primarch Tahal in the final two episodes of the science fiction series, which ended earlier this year. She discussed the part FanExpo Canada in Toronto this weekend, during a panel moderated by Collider's Maggie Lovitt . Summersett was excited to get the part, as she'd grown up with Star Trek: The Original Series . She noted that getting on the show was a long, but enjoyable process:

"I had to audition for it multiple times, then flew to Toronto several times for costume fittings, and then got to work with director Olatunde Osunsanmi and spend some time on the ship."

However, she doesn't expect much recognition from the role, as she points out:

"The funny thing about being on Star Trek: Discovery and making it on to the series finale is that I'm totally covered over, and you can't tell it's me...you don't know it's me unless you look at the credits."

Who Is Patricia Summersett?

A graduate of Montreal's Concordia University, Summersett is a familiar voice to video game enthusiasts, with appearances in the Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series. However, her most prominent role to date is that of Princess Zelda in the Legend of Zelda series, beginning with Breath of the Wild ; she is the first-ever voice actor to play the princess in a video game. She has also made live-action appearances on the TV series Helix , The Bold Type , and The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair ; she also had a role in the controversial Darren Aronofsky film mother!

The Breen are a mysterious race who first appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as allies of the tyrannical Dominion. During their appearances in that series, they were constantly armored and communicated in a language that sounded like audio feedback. They reappeared in the final season of Discovery , where they were seen without their armor for the first time. Summersett's character, Primarch Tahal, is to-date the only female member of the species to be seen on-screen.

The final season of Star Trek: Discovery is now available to stream on Paramount+ . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Star Trek: Discovery

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

Stream on Paramount+

Star Trek directors

1. ralph senensky.

• Additional Crew
• Production Manager

2. Joseph Pevney

3. marc daniels, 4. vincent mceveety.

• Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

5. Robert Butler

6. james goldstone.

7. Joseph Sargent

8. harvey hart, 9. leo penn.

10. Lawrence Dobkin

11. gerd oswald.

12. Robert Gist

13. robert sparr.

• Editorial Department

14. Don McDougall

• Script and Continuity Department

15. Michael O'Herlihy

16. John Newland

17. herschel daugherty.

18. Gene Nelson

19. James Komack

20. john meredyth lucas.

21. Jud Taylor

22. marvin j. chomsky.

• Art Department

23. John Erman

24. herb wallerstein, 25. anton leader, more to explore, recently viewed.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Blu-Ray Review: The Final Season's Not Quite Starry Sendoff

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Key Takeaways

• The final season of Star Trek: Discovery on Blu-Ray lacks the magical heights of the show, missing some storytelling opportunities.
• Season 5 features big changes for characters and intricate plot twists that add depth to the evolving narrative.
• The Blu-Ray release offers standard bonus features, but fans may feel let down by the missed potential for more exclusive content.

The final season of Star Trek: Discovery was promoted as a momentous occasion -- and the Blu-Ray release doesn't quite reach those same heights. Star Trek: Discovery - The Final Season comes to Blu-Ray, DVD and digital as a collection that has everything fans will expect, but not enough of the things that make a home video release worthwhile. Especially for the last season of a Star Trek show , it's missing a little bit of magic.

Discovery Season 5 tells a serialized story about a secret "red directive" mission to investigate an 800-year-old Romulan science vessel. When something powerful is stolen off the ship before they arrive, the crew must pursue the couriers who committed the theft and decode the mystery surrounding the starship. The season features several major changes for the characters, which is part of what makes the Blu-Ray edition feel like it could do better.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Aims Understandably High

The final 10 episodes are big in every way, 'not quite ready to say goodbye': star trek: discovery's wilson cruz reflects on series' end.

In an interview with CBR, Star Trek: Discovery actor Wilson Cruz looks back on Hugh Culber's five-season arc across the Star Trek series.

• Olatunde Osunsanmi directs both the season premiere and season finale. Osunsanmi's Discovery credits go all the way back to Season 1, Episode 4, "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry."
• Season 5 comes to home video just shy of three months after the series finale premiered on Paramount+. The last episode bowed on May 30, 2024.

The fifth season delivers the same kind of storytelling that audiences grew to expect from Discovery over the previous four seasons . It has the same dramatic but ultimately hopeful tone, and characters doing just as much introspection as looking outward into the universe. The choice to do another season-long story arc means that Season 5 can be watched if not entirely caught up, but there's character development and some closure that is less effective for those fans who aren't familiar with the crew's whole journey.

With that in mind, there are plenty of plot twists within Season 5 that not only change the heroes, but change the way the audience considers them. One example is Season 5, Episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," which reveals the backstory Cleveland "Book" Booker shares with one of the season's new antagonists, Moll. In the very next episode, "Jinaal," Dr. Hugh Culber shares his body with the consciousness of the title character. All of these developments and the self-reflection they prompt are exactly what audiences are used to seeing in final seasons of TV shows. As a long-running story winds down, there's typically a lot of looking back, and Discovery tackles that idea better than most. It truly feels like it's time for the characters to move on.

Rayner: I love the feeling of interrupting something.

The best addition is the arrival of Battlestar Galactica alum Callum Keith Rennie as Captain Rayner, the commanding officer of the USS Antares . By the end of Episode 2, Rayner has joined the crew of Discovery , which introduces a variable within the tight-knit lineup. Rayner also has considerable development throughout the story -- more than one would expect from a character introduced in the final season -- and genre veteran Rennie turns in a strong performance. It's enough to make audiences want to see more of Rayner in the future.

And speaking of the future, it's not a surprise that the whole series ends with a jump forward in time to show fans where folks have ended up, while leaving the door open for what comes next. There's always something next with Star Trek. That hopeful ending and the general themes of Season 5 feel so very familiar, yet it's easy to forgive that because they also feel like they make sense for this particular group of adventurers. If only the Blu-Ray release had explored them just a little bit further.

Discovery's Season 5 Blu-Ray Special Features Are Missing Something

There's plenty of bonus content, but room for more, 'the star trek universe is in very good hands': jonathan frakes bids farewell to star trek: discovery.

In an interview with CBR, Star Trek legend Jonathan Frakes talks about taking the director's chair one last time for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5.

• Paramount Home Entertainment says the Discovery Season 5 Blu-Ray release has "nearly two hours" of special features.
• A Star Trek: Discovery - The Complete Series Blu-Ray and DVD collection is being released concurrently with this standalone Season 5 set.

There's a fine selection of special features available for Star Trek: Discovery 's final voyage. In fact, the set comes with more bonuses than were included in the home video release of Season 4 -- which just had a handful of deleted scenes, a gag reel and some behind-the-scenes footage. But given all that happens across the 10 episodes and wanting to go out on a high, it's a bit surprising that Paramount didn't cram these Blu-Rays full of new material. There's no shortage of subjects to cover.

The gag reel is back for Season 5, but there's only one single deleted scene included, and so it feels relatively inconsequential. The same can be said for a few of the featurettes, which are standard promotional material. "Being Michael Burnham" focuses on Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham, and the journey Burnham has taken across the whole of Discovery . Burnham certainly deserves an individual spotlight, both in terms of the character's growth and what Martin-Green has done with the character. However, it would have been nice for Paramount to have included some other character-specific features, instead of folding the rest of the crew into more broad features like one simply titled "Character Development," just because there's enough to say about a half-dozen different players.

Michael Burnham: Connection isn't a skill; it's a choice.

While it's awesome that Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 included an audio commentary track, it's likewise disappointing that there's just one, on the series finale "Life, Itself." An episode like "Jinaal" or Season 4, Episode 5, "Mirrors" would have been fun to discuss further. And within the included commentary, Martin-Green and David Ajala are the only cast members. They're joined by showrunner Michelle Paradise and director Olatunde Osunsanmi. The quartet provide a pretty good listen, yet it's impossible not to wish that more actors were involved to offer their stories and thoughts about the final episode, and because it would fit the "found family" feeling that Discovery has captured on-screen. Even considering the logistics of trying to get the actors back to record bonus material, if there's any set that would deserve that extra effort, it's this one.

It's also somewhat surprising that there's not more devoted to the show's place in the larger Star Trek universe. After all, this was the first Trek show to be exclusive to Paramount+, and a very different series in tone and style than most of its predecessors. Plus, this show introduced the character of Philippa Georgiou, who's now headlining Star Trek: Section 31 . That makes this release a prime opportunity to at least put in some trailers, whether it's for Section 31 or the upcoming final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks . Yes, they're available on YouTube, but why not do some easy additional promotion? Or at least take one last opportunity to talk about how Discovery shook up the Star Trek franchise. Season 5 comes to Blu-Ray having completed its mission, but it could have been a truly epic collection.

Star Trek: Discovery - The Final Season is now available on Blu-Ray, DVD and digitally on platforms including Apple TV .

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Blu-Ray

• Provides all of the expected special features fans will want.
• Misses opportunities to add even more bonus content.
• Only one commentary track and just one deleted scene.