enterprise star trek discovery

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A Closer look At The USS Enterprise In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

| February 17, 2018 | By: Matt Wright 379 comments so far

The reveal of the USS Enterprise as led by Captain Pike was a big twist in the season finale of Star Trek: Discovery . The inclusion of the ship has led to a lot of fan debate. While we can’t settle any of those debates today, certainly not before we see what they’re planing to do with the Enterprise in season two, we can do what Trekkies do best, which is to analyze the new “Disco” design of the most famous ship in the Star Trek franchise.

The new tweaks to the classic design are certainly interesting, and contain a variety of influences, primarily of course the final version of the classic Enterprise model that was used for The Original Series. There are also details from the pilot version as seen in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” and the later refit version first seen in The Motion Picture . Also in the mix of influences are the NX-class from Star Trek: Enterprise , and yes, a dash of the Kelvin-universe USS Enterprise as well.

The original Enterprise (s)

For those who may be unaware, the filming model for The Original Series’  USS Enterprise looked somewhat different in the first pilot “The Cage.” It was updated again for the second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” and was then more dramatically re-worked a third time when the show was picked up for series.

The classic series version of the Enterprise

The season finale of  Discovery  takes place in 2257, which sets it in between the two pilots, with the “The Cage” set in 2254 and the second pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before” set in 2265. The two pilot versions of the Enterprise are fairly similar. One of the easiest differences to spot between the pilot and series versions is the look of the nacelle caps (Bussard Collectors in TNG-era parlance). In the pilots they were a simple reddish-brown and had a spike protruding, matching the spike in the deflector dish. Speaking of the deflector dish, it was quite a bit larger than it would be in the final series version. There were some other differences too; the back of the warp nacelles initially had minimal detail in “The Cage,” and later in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” had a simple grille that looked like vents, rather than the funky and futuristic-looking balls they would have in the series. The bridge modules were also different; in both pilots they were taller. Various hull markings were changed between each pilot and the series as well.

The second pilot version of the Enterprise

Comparing originals to Discovery’s Enterprise

Nacelle caps.

Let’s start with two of the most obvious attributes of the pilot versions. The nacelle caps are not spiked. Realistically I didn’t expect them to keep this feature of the pilot model, it was done for simplicity’s sake in 1964 and certainly isn’t the iconic look we all know. What’s more, in Discovery  they need as many light sources as they can get, since they render the space scenes pretty dark. The nacelles’ spinning lights are less colorful than the TOS version, but they are overall similar to it.

Get a load of those nacelle caps

Deflector Dish

Moving down to the deflector dish, the Discovery team chose to go with the smaller, more detailed, version seen throughout the series. It would have been nice if they’d used the larger version, but again, the iconic design is the series filming model, which they’ve stayed pretty true to in this area of the ship.

Deflector dishes a plenty

Saucer Section

While we’re observing the bow of the ship, the saucer is pretty similar to the classic Enterprise. It does have a steeper taper on the edge, making it somewhat unique to this interpretation, but is otherwise pretty close, including the same long triangular markings on the underside.

A classic TOS shot that shows off the bow of the ship

A good look at the saucer and the deflector dish.

Swinging around to the stern of the ship, let’s look at the engines. In “Where No Man Has Gone Before” there was simple vent grating at the back of the warp nacelles. This one was a nice surprise —  in the back of the nacelles of the Discovery version we find a glowing grid of vent holes.

Vents R’ Us

This last detail is more obscure: only in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” do the impulse engines have multiple nozzles in the back. While not exactly the same, you can see the Discovery impulse engines have three segments on each side.

Let’s get Impulse-ive

Details that connect to the past and future

Nx nacelles.

One nice bit of design that ties this version of the USS Enterprise to what came before are the nacelles. These seem to be heavily influenced by the design seen in the NX-class of Star Trek: Enterprise . The glowing blue on the inside flank of the nacelle, the more obvious “clamps” around the nacelle caps, and even the thicker pylons that hold up the nacelles, all echo the NX-01.

Refit and ready to “Disco”

Of course the other influence that is readily apparent is the (future) refit of the Constitution-class. The lines of the bottom and aft of the engineering section on up to the shuttle bay are very similar to the refit. Likewise the nacelle pylons come out of the hull in much the same manner as they do in the refit. The refit also introduced a number of extra spot lights to better show the hull texture and the Starfleet identification markings in the darkness of space. These same kind of floodlights are present in the Discovery version.

The refit USS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture

A similar view of the Discovery Enterprise

Thick necked

One change that affects the lines of the ship is the new neck. While somewhat reminiscent of the refit, it appears to be a little bit shorter and about 50% wider, making it look a bit stubby and less graceful than either the original or refit Enterprise. We’ve seen this kind of stubby and wide design before, but it comes from an alternate universe. Thankfully this general design idea is all that’s taken from the Kelvin-universe.

Necks of USS Enterprise

Uniquely “Disco”

Let’s get this one out of the way: Yes this Enterprise has a window on the bridge, like all Starfleet starships in Discovery . The top of the saucer is similar to the original series version, but the bridge module is even flatter and wider than the classic series version. It seems like this was done to make a wider bridge which would accommodate that window.

The window is lit up, right where you’d expect it, under the bridge dome.

So far we’ve seen how the Discovery  USS Enterprise melds influences from the rest of the franchise, but there are two totally unique oddities with this new design. For reasons I can’t fathom, there is a slit with rounded corners in the nacelle pylons. This seems to be pure “Discoization,” and people online are already calling this detail “the potato peeler.” No other ship we’ve seen in Discovery has this kind of cutout in the pylon. Even more unusual is the extended platform for the shuttlebay; we’ve never seen a shuttle craft actually need an extra landing strip before, and it gives the design an awkward “lower lip.”

The pylon “slit” and the shuttlebay “lip”

What do you think of the USS Enterprise redesign for Star Trek: Discovery ? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Star Trek: Discovery  is available exclusively in the USA on  CBS All Access . It airs in Canada on the Space Channel and is available on Netflix everywhere else.

Keep up with all the  Star Trek: Discovery  news at TrekMovie.

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I think they did an amazing job on the Enterprise, and I look forward to seeing the interior. Anyone who complains about these minor cosmetic changes is taking things WAAAAAY too seriously.

i totally agree. it’s still The Enterprise. you can instantly see that. a few minor changes make for the series unique interpretation. If it was exactly as in the 60’s version i bet there would be far more complaints about ‘lack of imagination’ etc. I love it and can’t wait for the Eaglemoss Star Trek Starships model version of it !

You’re absolutely right. Besides. This is 2257…we shouldn’t expect it to get refit to how it looked in TOS until 2265.

Why would a refit make the ship look older and crappier? Nobody has ever taken their car in and paid for it to look worse.

The continuity here does not work, period. I don’t mind that provided the producers aren’t insisting that it DOES work, but they are, so the series just feels like a really weird, purposeless, low-grade lie to me. And there’s no need for it to be, which makes all the weirder and more annoying.

Han Solo apparently did! Obviously I get your point though, of course they would not refit their ship to make it look crappier. The bottom line is nobody, including yourself really believe that the 60’s models and sets could seriously pass for a real starship in this day and age. If they’re still making Star Trek in 2067 they won’t be using 2017 fx either.

Exactly! I get people hate change for sake of change but in this case they really are doing it because the old ship would look ridiculous next to the very advanced and stylish looking Discovery. Look at the old 1701 and then look at all the ships that has been introduced in Discovery including the Shenzhou (which IS suppose to be ‘old’ btw) and tell me the sixties model would even pass in the same universe as those?

It wouldn’t. It would just look ridiculous to anyone who hasn’t been watching these shows for decades. It had to feel like it belonged in the same universe, thats just the reality.

No the ship would not look ridiculous & as for the Discovery looking “Advanced & Stylish” ? – it is flat & chunky, it looks like a few planks of wood Glued together- The original Enterprise had more grace & its been proven with fan made art that the original model with external lighting, glowing nacelles & the same Discovery era CGI lighting the old model matches the Discovery perfectly. Might clash with the Shenzhou style ships though- but the design is 15-20 years old at that point so why would you expect it to match newer designs.

Where can these renderings be found?

There’s always some idiot that chimes in with “If you don’t like it, don’t watch.” Thanks, moron. That skips over the actual discussion and point anyone is trying to make.

@Horft — that’s because the point is moot. The sooner Trek fans hung up on the look of a TV show from the 1960s drop off the franchise, the better for the future of the franchise.

Brandon, look here: https://vimeo.com/254676203/97fd22677b

I’m quite happy with it @Trekboi, I know they’ve made a few tweaks but it still feels like the Enterprise to me. I get what your saying as well though and I can totally understand your viewpoint as inconsistencies in canon can take you out of the story and I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the Klingon redesign. I guess the way I rationalise it is that this is what the Klingons should have looked like in TOS due to the eugenics mutation and that by TMP they’re back to something closer to there true look. As much as I love Trials and Tribulations I sometimes wish that they’d picked an episode without Klingons for the Defiant to travel back to.

I guess I should’ve said advanced and stylistic which is what I really meant. I’m not really talking about its aesthetics and mostly about how its design fits a totally different look from what TOS was clearly trying to do. I have seen plenty of art and videos of the old 1701 next to the Discovery and nothing about the two feel like they remotely belong in the same era. The Enterprise is not suppose to be that much older and as said the Shenzhou is also older and yet it looks NOTHING like the 1701 either.

To me its like trying to compare a Mustang from the 60s to a Mustang today. You can tell they were made by the same company but they are different looking cars with some similarities. But no one is trying to pretend they were both made in the same era.

The Discovery looks totally wrong. That’s the problem. Again, Rogue One is the perfect example of how to stay absolutely true to the original era (A New Hope) and yet apply such skill and production values that while looking authentic it also looks cutting edge. No one complained about Rogue One looking too retro. Yet you can run it with A New Hope as a double feature and the mesh between the two is visually seamless.

@zoe — it’s apples and oranges. Happy for you that you’re stuck in the past, but I prefer the future … you know like Gene Roddenberry?

Rogue One doesn’t exist in ‘our’ time, it was based on a galaxy a long time ago far, far away. The difference with TOS is that its suppose to be presenting OUR future several centuries from now and yet their computers are bulkier than ours 300 years in the future. Their ship interior looks like a campy sixties set compared to today. People are wearing bee hive and go go boots. It just doesn’t gel with an advance looking future. Maybe at the time, sure, but certainly not today and thats the issue.

I will agree they did do a great job with RO setting it to ANH but their mandate was different because RO was purposely meant to capture the nostalgia of ANH in every way possible (which is entirely the movie even exists). What is weird about Discovery is they weren’t setting it in the period to create nostalgia the way SW is doing. They went about creating a new story set in a familiar era. But I will argue it was never really about nostalgia until the Enterprise showed up, it was mostly a way to market to old fans but it wasn’t to show them all the things they loved about TOS like RO did with ANH.

The long time ago, far far away galaxy is not that far away and wasn’t that long ago for us. You can see a galaxy-class federation starship in the skies of Coruscant in Ep. I and an Astromech flying away during the Kelvin attack. It’s a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away for the narrator of the story and it’s not supposed to be neither an earthling (or terran) nor a milkywayan (lol).

They most certainly could. In the remastered version of TOS the ship looks great. There is nothing unacceptable about the design of the ship by today’s standards. Look at Star Wars Rogue One. They kept the look so true to A New Hope that you can run A New Hope immediately after Rogue One (the one flows right into the other) and the look totally fits. The people in charge of effects made Rogue One look both cutting edge and utterly true to the New Hope era. They kept the old designs but applied top production values and a huge budget to execution. Discovery could have done this regarding not just the Enterprise, but the look of the entire show.

Well, that’s apples and oranges. Rogue One ends approximately 10 minutes before Episode IV begins. It is, for all intents and purposes, the same era, so they couldn’t really do anything new in terms of designs. What is new is the all-CGI ships and architecture, allowing the filmmakers to stage battle scenes with much greater depth of field (in a virtual camera), more moving elements, simulated weather conditions, dust clouds, better compositing, smoke and explosion effects, etc. But the look and feel of the _universe_ isn’t dramatically different.

Compare to the prequel trilogy, where we span approximately 23 years from 32 BBY (The Phantom Menace), to 22 BBY (Attack of the Clones) to approximately 19 BBY (Revenge of the Sith; birth of Luke and Leia), where we see designs evolve from the handcrafted N-1 starfighters to the pointy Delta-7 Jedi starfighters, to the multi-finned Eta-2 interceptors, which are ancestors to the TIE fighter.

It’s very like the evolution from WWI biplanes to the P-51 Mustang to 1960s interceptors, over a span of roughly 40 years. It’s easy to see the design lineage today.

With other science fiction it’s not so easy. Take 1936’s THINGS TO COME (based on the novel by HG Wells), which posited a post-WWIII ‘1980’ that we would find ridiculous today, from a production design standpoint.

That’s why I think we need to take the visual legacy of Trek seriously, but wear it lightly.

The formula for ‘The Enterprise’ is so simple a child can draw it – a circle and three tubes and some sticks to connect them. Between TOS, TMP, the B, C, D, E and J, this formula is the same, but reinterpreted to depict decades of design and technological evolution. And as we’ve accumulated visual canon over the decades, what is “accurate” is up to the producers to decide. A 2250s Enterprise with NX-01 style nacelles and angled pylons, and a bridge window? If it makes sense in context, why not? I think it’s just another marvel of imagination.

Practically speaking, 50 years on from the original, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, ‘it’s got to be recognizable as the Enterprise, but also has to make sense within our contemporary production design.’ This ship, even briefly glimpsed as it is, fits with what we’ve seen so far. Future Trek shows will reinterpret it differently too, based on our changing understanding of technology and design.

One could also say it solves the problem Bernd Schneider writes about, which is that the TMP refit is unbelievable, as the design is so different, and nothing really lines up with the original – unless you think Starfleet would tear the ship down to a few beams and rebuild it from scratch rather than just build a different one!

Do you discount The Original Series for changing the look of the Enterprise from “The Cage?” Do you discount every episode after “The Corbomite Maneuver” for changing the uniform colors? Do you discount all of the movies for not being set in the 26th century, which “The Squire of Gothos” had set for TOS, or the 22nd century, as claimed by “Space Seed?” Do you discount “Day of the Dove” because the Klingons’ look changed from “Errand of Mercy” so that they were all swarthy and had pointed eyebrows? Do you discount The Motion Picture because the Klingons became identical lobster-heads? Do you discount Star Trek III because the Klingons now sported entirely different head appliances? Do you discount Star Trek VI for the very same reason? Do you discount The Next Generation for forgetting that an entire planet of androids exists, and for giving the Romulans head bumps? Do you discount Deep Space Nine for forgetting that several entire planets of shape-shifters exist? Do you discount Voyager for forgetting that no one knew about the Borg before “Q Who?” Do you discount Enterprise for bringing time travel and holodeck technology into the franchise too early in the timeline?

No, of course you don’t. Star Trek has ALWAYS contradicted itself. It’s par for the course. But fans love to bitch about nothing.

Agree 100%. This list could go on forever. Remember when the NCC-1701-D got a new, smaller but more detailed model during TNG’s run? The ship looked different, but folks kept watching and accepted :)

The Enterprise D bridge changed quite a bit between TNG Season 1 and 2. There was even a Starlog Magazine article about it (which I no longer have, unfortunately).

Nobody complained as far as I can recall.

Heck, so did Worf’s head!

Because it was a progression forward not going back & changing things- can you not see the distinction?

FLB, I thought it was a disimprovement to the bridge, myself. But I was so unenthused about nearly everything TNG 2nd season (outside of Q WHO and MEASURE) that I quit watching the show for a time, and it was only finding out about the 3rd season ‘open door’ submission policy that got me watching again.

Actually no, Even though they were small inconsistencies between models not a redesign Fans noticed, complained & when they made Generations they went back & refurbished the Original 6 Foot model to use for all the Enterprise shots (exccept a couple CGI Warp-outs)

Trekboi, That was because ILM was doing the VFX for GEN (after building the model and doing most of the shots for FARPOINT before giving way to the regular in-house team), not because of complaints by fans.

However, the 4 ft model was glaringly different to my eye from its first appearance, and I found its appearance problematic throughout, because even with the increased detail, it still seemed small, especially in close flybys, owing to what I call the model-size-to-taking-lens relationship.

When you see the TOS 11′ fly into camera, it absolutely overwhelms the frame, flying over and under the lens with apparent immensity. When you see the TNG shots with the 4′ – it is more like RELIANT in TWOK, when the size of the otherwise well-made model doesn’t seem to withstand such a close pass. There are shots of the 6′ that have blown scale issues, but that is owing to rushed lighting (you have to light the 6′ TNG ship very carefully to bring out the subtle stuff, otherwise it comes off shiny and flat.)

Dana, you deserve a medal. I toast my Romulan Ale to you.

Ah,as the Bard Shakespear might have paraphrased about his plays: “The SPIN’S THE THING.” But the plays script writer must be fluent in the word continuity & it’s cousin corollary.Otherwise weekly ratings(the bane of many a good show)lets the plot thicken with too much prior knowledge of future good plot lines. Stick with the storyboard and maybe not the scripts. Just sayin’😎🙊🙉🙈📖📚📙📓📘📕📗

Well said Dana. All true and I’m sure there are many more contradictions. Unfortunately social media gives everyone a voice.

Unfortunately social media gives everyone a voice.

Including you.

>Unfortunately social media gives everyone a voice. No, fortunately it DOES give everyone a voice. People can agree or disagree. IDIC = Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

Well said!!!!!

Nailed it. Absolutely.

Wise words!

Wow Dana, you just wasted a lot of words totally, willfully missing the point repeatedly- All those changes were on a progression of the show- Discovery is based in a time period when everything is established so there is no room to change anything like they did with the Klingons. It makes no sense & is jarring, brakes any suspension of disbelief & makes it unwatchable for anyone who has seen any of the other Star Treks & remembers the Klingons as they were.

I thought they would make them one of the houses who are genetically different but they just changed the whole race to match.

In all those examples they were improving or updating the show as irt progressed, Discovery just re-wrote everything which now contradicts everything else.

If it really upsets you that much, then don’t watch.

I stopped after episode 5.

Zoe, if you stopped watching after episode 5… why do you bother to still read about a show you don’t like and you don’t watch? You are either lying or you’re a troll.

Has it occurred to you that even those who don’t much care for the show are still fans of the franchise overall and want what is, in their opinion, best for it?

I always find the “just don’t watch it/walk away” arguments silly for that reason. We are here because we are all Trek fans, not just Star Trek Discovery fans.

Then they should stop whining and complaining. Or yes, if they don’t like what they see, don’t watch. Stop torturing yourself by watching something you don’t like.

“Stop torturing yourself by watching something you don’t like”

Who said I didn’t like it. My view is mixed. Something I have already told you today.

You do like straw men and telling lies about the people you’re talking to, don’t you?

English isn’t your first language,is it? I was referring to the haters in general that say that. Not you. I was responding to you post.

Zoe, you have stopped watching the series. Why still comment on it? Please leave it to people who have watched the entire 1st Season.

Yeah they placed the show in the past (relatively speaking) then refused to adhere to the proper look in any way. If this is what they wanted they should have placed the show after Voyager in the timeline.

The proper look in 2256 and 2257 was never established in canon. Until now.

@zoe — you mean the proper look to blend with a series produced in the mid-1960s, because style, and technology have moved on since then?

Style and technology are relative. Berman era Trek is already out of date to some degree. Discovery’s is already out of date because it still tries to fit into canon to SOME degree. For instance, it has communicators bigger than the TOS ones, despite being set two hundred and fifty years after the invention of the smartphone. Yet, I don’t see any of the “Discovery can do no wrong” crowd criticising that as being silly.

Re: smartphone?

I am unaware of any smartphone that is able to successfully communicate with any person moving at a significant percentage of the speed of light at which those ships travel. Even modern day satphones, which communicate via moving satellites in orbit, are bulkier than the compact smartphone whose small size fascinates you so.

But Curious Cadet you yourself has argued the show doesn’t feel like it fits the era and have complained they have advanced the technology too much like having the ability to do site to site beaming and Klingons already having cloaking technology amid other things. I’m not bothered by those but clearly you and others are so yeah the argument is valid even if you can get over the look of it the technology is more advance than it should be.

That is a lie. I have seen all past Treks and find Discovery very watchable.

Also, Discovery is not set in a period that was established. It’s set in between THE CAGE and TOS…not during…

Just because you and I pictured it to look differently at that time doesn’t mean anything…our assumptions are not canon, only what is shown on screen.

Marc, what is shown on screen is that the Enterprise from The Cage and The Enterprise from the rest of TOS is the same design with very minor changes. Your argument is that between the two the ship was completely refitted and then rolled back to iot’s previous version in time for Where No Man Has Gone Before. Does that make sense to you?

God I hope the next show is in a post-Voyager era. None of these arguments would exist if Discovery was there today. Not one. But since its not, people just have to accept that the show has to appeal to a younger and newer demographic. Not EVERYONE watches or has seen TOS. Many people probably never have because it looks so old to them. And to a lot of people the old Enterprise looks too outdated. They had to redesign it somewhat which looks mostly like the movie version and last time I checked most people liked that version and while its also old it still feels modern enough to fit with Discovery and this universe.

Guys its a visual reboot, either you accept that or you don’t. They have starfleet officers not in groovy color tops and go-go boots but in military style uniforms talking to hairless Klingons on super size bridges through holographic communication. None of that fits in with TOS. And you’re upset the Enterprise had its pylons changed?

If this bothers you THAT much you are simply watching the wrong show at this point. The producers probably have a mandate from CBS to make the show actually look different and actually modern from the old show. There is only so much they can do when compared to TOS.

Re: None of these arguments would exist if Discovery was…(in a post-Voyager era.)

You’re still hawking that bilge-water? All of the series, and some odd motion pictures did scripts where they traveled back in time introducing back all these arguments that you claim absolutely would not exist merely by their settings start by being forward of the first series.

One or two episodes is not the same as an entire series. I have made this argument why going back in time to see the Enterprise in 1960s form WORKED in DS9 for example because they did everything to keep that universe in tact like the actual show. And that was a good idea btw. But it was clearly a one time nostalgia thing.

But with Discovery they have basically set the entire series in this time period and they have to make it look more advance (which I 100% agree with) BUT that would naturally conflict with all the outdated stuff from TOS which clearly upsets a lot of fans. I know the producers said they plan to ‘reconcile’ the two but lets be honest outside of throwing in a reference here and there to TOS this is just a very different universe visually and it would feel lame if everything reverted to TOS by the end. It would feel like they are literally going backwards so I hope that’s not the case.

But yeah they should’ve put the show in another time period. Maybe it didn’t have to be post-Voyager but as many said post-TUC would even feel a bit better and some of the technology could feel like its catching up to TNGs time although in this show a lot of it is more advance than that time as well. Having it here just feels too distracting for some people. But I have also said THIS is the show so you accept it or you don’t at this point and I do.

But it is a fantasy, this belief that sentient civilizations, and their technologies and fashions would solely progress ever forward without looking back. Human civilizations and their histories are rife over the centuries with retrogrades, fallbacks, Renaissances, “everything old is new again” designs and fashions, etc. They rise and FALL.

And one would imagine with replicators common place, fashion and design fads would churn at a pace that’d make us dizzy with their pace two hundred years from now.

I’m not sure what any of that has to do with stuff that is clearly out of canon? During the Cage era they wore essentially the same uniforms we saw on TOS, just cheaper looking. On Discovery they have completely different uniforms. What does that have to do with your point about ‘fads’ and ‘looking back’? Some of this stuff does not simply jive with the era its supposedly in. If we’re told a technology was not created until a later date but its shown earlier then it simply does not mesh with that canon.

I get some of your point but its clearly a lot more than that. Discovery does not look or feel like anything from TOS outside of the phasers. And yet in a decade later we have to somehow pretend the ships will look less advanced and everything smaller. Suddenly big tactitle color buttons will be the ‘in’ thing I guess and holocomunication will just be a relic…in ten years. Women will go from very military grade uniforms to now wearing mini-skirts and go-go boots.

Yeah some of it you can suspend your disbelief on for sure but if people are trying to somehow bridge this show with TOS, its a really tall order and unrealistic to a major degree.

But oddly enough if you put this show after TUC, while a lot of it will still not quite work, a lot of it would, especially how the ship interiors are designed.

Re: During the Cage era they wore essentially the same uniforms

What are you smoking?

The Cage era female personnel uniforms were radically different from the first series’ era:

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/stmagazine/uniforms-2254-2.jpg

And I don’t recall anyone on the first series ship ever wearing a combat uniform or a landing party jacket?

And the first series certainly never used Pike’s transporter personnel uniforms:

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/stmagazine/uniforms-2254-3.jpg

And I don’t ever recall Kirk’s nurses ever wearing those medical personnel uniforms. I do recall M’Benga and McCoy wearing something along those lines occasionally but the under shirt was different and there weren’t any insignias over the left chest.

And all THE CAGE’s uniforms were devoid of pips.

LOL can we split hairs any more than this? Its essentially the same uniform as TOS, yes with some changes. My god, are you suggesting that looks like anything in Discovery? You got my point man, the Discovery uniforms are NOTHING like the Cage ones, especially since you seem to be making the point the Cage uniforms were so different from TOS which is not the case. Its the same style its just a variance of that style. Its nice the girls weren’t running around in mini-skirts though so that is definitely a big difference.

Disinvited, sometimes I feel you just want to pick silly fights with me over the tiniest things. You are now talking about the UNDER shirts? OMG, its time to move on.

Re: Discovery uniforms are NOTHING like the Cage ones

And pantsuits are NOTHING like miniskirts and there never was a military functional explanation for that radical change in uniform styles. It seems to have just been a fad which I have already pointed out likely spin rapidly in and out of fashion by that era.

Re: sometimes I feel

Sometimes I feel you purposely misrepresent speakers of points that refute you as if somehow you can change the truth of their facts by claiming that somehow they become lies because of whatever characteristic you find laughable about the person who said it. Truth doesn’t work that way. What’s true is true, even if the devil himself doth spake it.

One conclusion upon which our different approaches do converge, once you demonstrate, as you have, that you know nothing about costuming, fashion styles and their differences, it’s time to move on, as you clearly know nothing about that upon which you seek to pontificate.

Spot on Trekboi.

As a fan who was around when the original series aired, I have had the pleasure of seeing Star Trek evolve. Discovery is a part of this. Times ARE far different and how the show can be presented has grown. What is being done just makes the franchise all the richer while keeping an updated look that was never possible in the 60’s.

This is a brilliant post. All the snark about “Discovery Can Do No Wrong” crowd is ridiculous. I could call those people the “I Can’t Accept Change” Brigade, but that serves no purpose.

Discovery isn’t perfect, but it’s damn good. AND it’s Trek. *shrugs*

I get your point but:

“Nobody has ever taken their car in and paid for it to look worse.”

Idk. There’s whole subredfits about literally this.

It’s a visual reboot.

The series is a total mess.

Crappier? That hurts my feelings…I loved the TOS design. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, it could have intentionally been given a retro look.

If you can’t accept that as canon, that’s too bad…I feel sorry for you, because it is canon.

@Marc Henson — it’s a kind of canon, but not THE canon.

Not sure what you mean, but the policy of canon has been clearly defined, and what is shown on screen, is canon, set in the prime universe unless otherwise indicated.

Edit: And just to clarify, I’m not saying that everyone’s complaints about the look of the show is not understandable, everybody’s entitled to their own opinion, (I for one am not a fan of the new Klingon look) but when you start preaching that the show is set in another timeline or universe, that’s when you start speaking untruths. I may be a canon thumper but somebody has to be.

It is best described as canon on script, visual reboot on screen. Totally canonical it is not as canon is not just what is on a script…and if the show is said to be part of the original universe then canon requires it be consistent as best as possible.

Personally I think they’d have won a lot more fans on side if they’d just stick to the older designs for already existing things and just added more surface detail. They could have simply enhanced the Klingons a bit. Same with The Enterprise. The TOS design was fine. Just give in the Discovery colouring, metallic look with a bit more surface detail and job done. There really is no reason to start doing things like changing the pylons and impulse engines. Once they start doing that they cause problems for themselves as it means they have been lying to the fans for 18 months with the insistence the show is canon.

I think the Discovery makers would have made it a damn sight easier for themselves had they simply said it was a loose reboot that casually fit on with prime universe canon, sort of how Superman Returns was a loose sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies. Instead they promised those of us who like canon that this would be canon, and I think that’s what irks me a little.

@Marc — canon is the story … not necessarily the way things look, unless that’s part of the story. Canon is whether Han shot first, not what his gun looked like. One change deserves concern, the other doesn’t.

“Older and Crappier” is extremely subjective. Whose to say that the tastes of people living in the 2260s don’t begin to favor a simpler, sleek metal design over the flashy lit up design? Whose to say the changes aren’t made in the name of stealth? (Those lights have to consume a lot of power) Maybe they develop new hull playing that masks a certain percentage of the power emissions. And what if in the course of this next mission the Enterprise gets so badly damaged that a complete refit is absolutely necessary? Honestly there are just so many possible reasons for the change, all that would fit perfectly with canon.

And you pretty much just made the producers’ point for them. “Nobody has ever taken their car in and paid for it to look worse.” Does anybody really think that in 2018 a studio is going to pay millions of production dollars to make a ship that looks “Older and crappier” than other modern science fiction shows? Seems to me you made their point for them.

Good call.. In fact, you could look at the progression of the uniquely shaped colorful aircraft of WWII to flat shaped gray aircraft of today..

“I don’t mind that provided the producers aren’t insisting that it DOES work, but they are”

My sentiments exactly. They would have a lot more leeway had they not insisted it worked. What they should have done was speak about how the show may not match up exactly into TOS but that they tried to maintain the spirit of Trek in certain instances.

Which is why I am still confounded as to why they made Discovery a prequel. It would work just fine after Nemesis. Probably much better.

CBS AFTERTREK already mentioned a company taking preorders….but forget it’s name.

Me too, I’m obviously expecting a much more modern take on the interiors but I hope they still find a way to honour the spirit of TOS.

All hands brace for fanhate!

I tried. My guess for the interier is bright yellows and pale blues….

Dana, I completely agree. This Enterprise is the PERFECT blend of TOS to fit in the Disco universe. They also nailed the phasers & communicators. But I can’t stop staring at this new version of the 1701. Wow.

So, I imagine the biggest complaint among the hardcore TOS is the Klingons. Let me just say, I agree that these Klingons don’t match at all, and they haven’t even tried to address it. That being said, these are my favorite Klingons. I love the depth & variety of the houses. I feel like we finally can see them as complete characters. I am almost 45 years old & grew up on TOS. Still my favorite. If I can accept these changes, then other people need to let go of their nitpicking. If you want old Trek, it’s all out there on bluray & streaming. I love this new Trek. It’s on par with TOS & TNG, but for different reasons. Let’s be honest, it took TNG until the 3rd season to be worthy Trek. Disco nailed it within the 1st 4 episodes.

Dig it. Keep em coming. :)

Of *course* they have addressed it! Between generations, Star Trek has had ongoing issues with the changing look of the Klingon race, & Discovery is the first series to provide a reasonable explanation for it. This even explains why Worf said the topic was a shameful taboo.

These old Klingon Houses are deeply variegated in appearance, & they take such matters very seriously. Even so, their spies (one of whom has just taken power) have managed to put a Klingon in a human body; how could that possibly *not* relate to their changing appearance?

Then there’s foreshadowing of the genetic dysfunction as put forward in DS9 continuity.

And the fact that (much like the Kzin in Niven’s Known Space novels) the majority of the most alien & aggressive Klingons keep getting killed off, applying a brutal selection weighted toward the homogeneity these Discovery Klingons fear so much.

Now there are not one, not two, but *three* reasons why their look may eventually change; & keep in mind, this appears to be closer to the reboot universe than TOS one, so any historical differences are effectively ret-conned from the outset.

You obviously never watched Enterprise. They explained the Klingon look of TOS vs everything else. So if Discovery uses the fact they can change a Klingon to make them look human as the reason why TOS Klingons look the way they look they Are ignoring canon and the show (no matter how much they insist it is) is not in the prime universe at all.

Yeah, not true. We were NEVER told that the Klingons in TOS were the same as the augment Klingons. Indeed there’s nothing that proves that is the case. Moreover, there are TNG era Klingon characters with ridges who did not have ridges when they first appeared in TOS. So, no, this proves nothing.

I thought Enterprise had already explored the cause for physical appearance differentiation throughout the series…

Discovery has provided no such explanation. The writers have hinted at it off screen, but not on screen and so far every single Klingon on the show has been the new version.

Give a smattering of older style Klingons in the background, or even just some what hair, and you’d go a long way to making it all fit together and for the fans who liked the older versions. But this apparently is too hard to contemplate, both for the showrunners and the “Discovery can do no wrong” crowd, the latter of whom take it upon themselves to ridicule anyone who would like to see it all fit together.

I don’t think that they have to explain the klingons. They simply have evolved over time.

They already did explain the Klingons. They took great pains to explain the change in appearance across a two-episode arc of “Enterprise” dedicated to this issue. The final season of the most recent Star Trek series before Discovery explained that the Klingons used to be ridged, but during the Enterprise era (the show Enterprise) they stole from the Federation the technology used to make the supermen (like Kahn), but this technology only made them look like humans (removed their ridges). It did not make them super strong. So, from this point through Kirk’s era Klingons had smooth foreheads. DISCOVERY is placed smack dab in the middle of this time period during which Klingons had smooth foreheads — but they ignore it.

Think about it. The very most recent Trek series went to the trouble to make a motion picture length drama about why Klingons starting with Archer’s time developed smooth foreheads that they maintained through Kirk’s era. Yet Discovery pees all of this carefully crafted canon. It’s crap like this that makes it impossible for me to respect or enjoy Discovery.

Changes to The USS Enterprise are trivial by comparison.

@zoe — that “carefully crafted canon” as you call it it was the worst possible thing a producer could have done for the franchise, IMO. It’s lazy writing, from talent-less Berman-era hacks, turning fan fiction into canon. So sorry your dependence on visual canon upsets your enjoyment of an otherwise entertaining chapter in the Star Trek franchise.

You’re saying that Manny Coto was a “talentless hack”? That “hack” made the single best season of Trek since DS9 ended.

Oh, and canon issues is a minor problem with Discovery. Discovery’s biggest problem is the very thing your are telling Zoe she should ignore, underwhelming and inconsistent writing that has given us some good moments but also some utterly atrocious garbage (such as mirror Georgiou’s prime universe storyline).

Zoe, don’t waste your time. Enterprise and canon are dirty words to the “Discovery can do no wrong” brigade.

Chup… yes. There are a number of posters who seem to be of the opinion that DIsco is perfect and anyone who questions or criticizes it are just haters with no substance whatsoever behind their thoughts. It’s unreal but not unexpected on internet threads.

Thank you! They spew vitriol at anyone who criticizes “their” show- even if the criticisms are valid and reasonable.

But Zoe is WRONG, it was explained the ridge Klingons were still around after the virus on Enterprise, so Discovery isn’t wrong on that front. The difference is we haven’t seen them from TOS but BOTH exists according to Enterprise. And those can still pop up in future seasons.

Just to make the point farther:

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Klingon_augment_virus

In fact I also remembered reading that page they showed the Klingons with ridges in STID and remember that also followed Enterprise canon so yeah, they still had them, period.

But you seem to ignore the FACT they also explained on Enterprise that the ridge-less Klingons was only one segment of the population the was effected by the virus. Other Klingons would still have the ridges we simply didn’t see those on TOS so it actually fits just fine in Discovery.

Now if you don’t like the look of these thats fine but their ridges DO fit into canon.

so I guess we’ll have to wait for another reboot reimagined series to explain why they’re bald.

@nytehawk — nope, they were always bald, it just didn’t appear that way in the television episode you were watching.

The entire Klingon race did not develop smooth foreheads just because a few Klingons screwed around with a super human cocktail.

@NCX-1701 — Yup. That’s exactly right. The Klingons we saw in TOS had ridges, they just couldn’t afford to show them to us in 1966.

So true. I wish that those who are critical of Discovery should realize that Roddenberry didn’t have the budget in 1966 that later incarnations had shown. I hope that this issue is addressed in Season 2.

“A few Klingons”, you mean the MILLIONS of Klingons who were infected by the Augment Virus, before being cured with the side-effects being that they would look Human?

Thank you, finally a voice of reason.

Looks more like they have de-evolved. I guess the Augment virus magically disappeared or was cured since Enterprise. Another miracle of screwing up the timeline by the rocket scientist’s at CBS.

With respect, there was more depth and variety of houses in Berman Trek than there is in Discovery. In Discovery we have only really learned about T’Kuvma’s little sect.

I don’t know if anyone else has thought this through, but I think Ash Tyler explains the difference between TOS Klingons and all the other Klingons we have seen. they created a class of Klingon that is more acceptable in the TOS universe To the TOS occupants. Therefore the “real” Klingons dealt with their own problems, and sent the genetically altered versions into Federation space. What do you think?

I’m glad somebody said it!

They really nailed it, it looked fantastic.

I second this! I am no fan of the JJ-prise, but this one I like! :)

The JJ Prise evolved in a more scary Universe. Nemo’s ship puttee fear into the Federation because of its size and destructive power, accounting for more resources being devoted to the possibility that it was a seeker ship in our area with a possible armada waiting just somewhere outside of the Federation space. The JJ Prise had to be a much more powerful ship for just such an eventuality. Sort of like if the Borg had peeked in on an incursion instead of Nemo-same reaction the Prime Universe Feds took in prep in Picard’s era-

I agree Dana. I love the new design as well.

I too thought they did a good job reinventing the TOS Enterprise, although aesthetically I don’t care for the NX-ish nacelles. The NX similarities do make the 1701 look older, however, and maybe that was their intent.

The article here actually makes me appreciate the design more—someone designed this ship knowing fans were going to tear it apart no matter what they did, and I honestly think they were pretty attentive to keeping a lot of details.

Minor? Are you blind?

Never liked the JJverse version of the Enterprise (or the movies, tbh). The Discovery guys did an amazing job without overdoing it – i love it!

JJs is the worst Enterprise I think. Enterprise E is my favourite. It’s posh, but also strangely gritty as well. I’d love to serve aboard her above any of the others myself.

It’s fun to pretend. Also that is the WORST design.

Enterprise E is probably my favorite as well. I never loved the KT version but its OK.

Point of fact, they DID overdo it. The potato peelers alone speak to that.

That is not a point in of fact. It is your opinion only.

It is a fact they changed the ship noticeably & not just changed the struts but made them weaker with pointless slits.

Love this all. Bringing back childhood memories of line drawings in notebooks, trying to get the Enterprise just right.

Oh, my gods, how I would try to get the Enterprise *just right*

Yes, you nailed it, that’s exactly what the DSC version is: a picture drawn by a kid who doesn’t have the original readily available for reference, thus having to draw it “from memory”. A kid can be excused for not remembering everything right. What excuse do THEY have, with all dimensions and proportions carefully measured; with all those reference images of every single detail of the Enterprise readily available, single mouse click away? There is no excuse for a sloppy job like this.

Though admittedly, it is still parsecs ahead of the swollen, tumour-like Abramsverse abomination.

The pylons and neck really are the only minor things I disagree with. Other than that I like it. A shorter neck makes it less graceful as mentioned.

@Nelson — I don’t agree about the neck. It’s always seemed too long and awkward to me, particuarly the asymmetrical front-to-rear design. TMP finally fixed it by effectively shortening it with the photon torpedo launcher. Whether they extend the engineering deck up into the neck, or shorten it overall, it’s an improvement for me.

I agree,I have no problem with the neck,and love the ship.

I think it looks great! Fits very nicely in the discovery universe and is a very nice homage to the original. Well done.

I’d hazard a guess that the “potato peeler” element of the nacelle pylons is a earlier version of the flush vents/thermal regulator assembly that we see in the TMP refit.

I love it. They took a bit of everything, while being true to the original (more than the JJverse ENT).

And I also love the extended platform in front of the shuttle bay. Voyager has it too, like a bunch of other ships. Hopefully landing lights are integrated in the platform..

I like it but I feel like it’s too squashed. The front profile looks odd to me, the Enterprise should be tall and graceful. Otherwise I love all the new details. It evokes the refit, which is my favorite sci-fi design ever.

Fyi though, the bridge window originates from 1964 on the pilot version of the Enterprise, not the Kelvin movies. https://goo.gl/images/EZ8YPK

Excellent work digging out that window/screen photo on The Cage model! I really was not aware of this detail. This really changes my perception of KU and Disco designs.

If you look at the bridge which was actually used in “The Cage” and “WNMHGB” you’ll also see a black rectangle which is almost exactly where the bridge viewport is supposed to be. It was removed after the two pilots.

That’s not a window. It’s a light beacon. Yes coincidentally it’s in about the same spot a window would be. Also that’s from “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, they that added detail for the 2nd pilot. For “The Cage” there was no internal lighting to the model at all.

The two links I have in the article under The original Enterprise(s) section will give you a ton of information about all the changes between The Cage, WNHGB, and then the series configurations.

Semantics really, it looks exactly the bridge windows we see on the Kelvin and DSC ships. Obviously the bridge is situated above the light/window, but it’s aesthetically the same thing.

@Reign1701A — I agree. From the moment I saw “The Cage” Pilot with its black “window” on the front of the bridge module, I’ve always wondered if they hadn’t thought of having a viewport window where the view screen was. Especially because the Cage model wasn’t lit, it could easily be a window. Despite adding that giant light (which is way too large for scale), all of the shots in WNMHGB do not have it, though the model is lit, yet that black “window” is not. Regardless, for those who are adhere to visual canon, the precedent is theoretically there.

The Enterprise is a gorgeous ship in all her various incarnations, including the latest one. I find her much prettier than the Discovery and a thousand times prettier than, say, the Millennium Falcon.

Agreed, but the hunk of junk Falcon isn’t supposed to be pretty.

She may not look like much but she’s got it where it counts.

Seems like a descendant of the NX-01 refit. Lots of elements are similar, like the back of the saucer, secondary hull, pylons and nacelles, and the way the neck and pylons are lower. As a retcon following that continuity, I think it works quite well.

Yeah those nacelles are a neat way of showing the design evolution from the NX-01 to the Enterprise.

Looks sweet !! I love the old bird, but this was done in and with respect. I would love to see the bridge layout to be just like the original but with updated more modern accompaniments.

yes keep the layouts and colours the same but update the visuals and tech

This is how it should have been in 2009. If Gene had the technology today this is how the E would have looked like. A great visual update!

It was pure fan service, but this fan feels thoroughly–uh–serviced. Seriously, it’s a beautiful design and a great TOS/DSC/refit/ENT blend as the article describes. I look forward to seeing (and having, I hope) a model of it.

I don’t see it as fan service. Fan service implies that there is no reason other than the fans to do something, while this ship is meant to be a ship we’ve already seen. Fan service would have been keeping the 1701 looking exactly like the original, in my opinion.

@mwz — it also means introducing characters and items fans have a high admiration for, which may have little impact on a general audience watching the series for the first time. There’s likely no reason to introduce the original 1960s series Enterprise into the story, other than fan service. And it’s really hard to imagine what story they would tell that would involve the two crews meeting, much beyond seeing Pike in hologram form communicating with Saru. We know from canon that Sarek and Spock can’t meet. So that leaves Number One, which again begs what kind of story would they tell with limited crew interaction. So it’s all purely fan service, unless they give us an incontrovertible reason the ship couldn’t be anything other than the Enterprise, and the meeting between the two ships is critical to the entire season plot arc. Otherwise, it’s no different than Dr. McCoy inspecting the Enterprise in TNG’s pilot — which was nothing but pure fan service, so right now, it appears to be nothing but fan service, the way the Defiant was used in the MU when they didn’t have to mention it at all, much less show it.

Yep. See: Two episodes featuring Harry Mudd and one+ on Sarek.

I’ve been very critical about the things I’ve disliked about STD, and there have been many of them. In a few instances, like the phaser and communicator and tricorder designs, they have absolutely nailed an update with more details and improved quality while retaining the lines and spirit of the original. This Enterprise hits that target.

In fact, in a lot of ways this design incorporates the improvements made for the TMP refit (which is the best looking ship in Trek history and one of the very best in all of sci-fi) and looks better than the original. She’s beautiful, to be honest.

The one thing I really hate is the dull grey-silver hull material and the generally dark way the filming is done. It’s a good model, let us see it! Brighten up the hull material to a more pearly white like she should be and film with a decent light level and this model should really shine.

But the Discovery universe is dark. >;>}

Somebody forgot to pay the electric bill.

Space is dark. Very dark.

trellium, Understood about the dark part. Why is DSC space BLUE carrying a blue tinge? And why does it seem murky instead of sharp? Space is SPACE, no atmosphere to attenuate the clarity.

@kmart – Artistic license? I’m really not sure why they like to show space as blue. Interstellar dust? Who knows.

I do like how the ships aren’t completely illuminated from all angles and need to depend on their running lights more to be seen. That is a bit more realistic. I just wish the space effects were more crisp. The ships seem blurry to me.

I would love to see a contrast – that the ship would be seen in bright harsh sunlight in-system, then transition to the self-lit look in deep space, but sans all this gloom/murk. I honestly think pulling this off is a sticking point for VFX that aren’t being done at GRAVITY-level credibility, at least with turnaround times being what they are …. and yet ORVILLE just about pulls it off for a decent percentage of the time.

TMP Enterprise is really beautiful. I am surprised that design has avoided looking outdated through the years, or maybe I am biased as that was the ship I grew up with. She did lose her luster a bit in the other films because the effects people couldn’t deal with the pearlescent paint.

I love this version of the Enterprise. It really looks more in line with and plausible for the refit version we see in TMP. As far as the neck being shorter than the refit version, don’t forget that the neck of the ship in TMP is sitting on the newly installed torpedo tubes, so it will look longer than it did just sitting against the secondary hull. Also, The shuttle bay “lip” makes sense as a loading dock and isn’t really that distracting.

She is still a beauty when viewing her from the rear. :)

This new design looks great. One observation: Is that “potato peeler” element only visible on the starboard nacelle strut?

I am happy as can be with this version of the Enterprise. Miss the pointy nacelles and big deflector dish of Pike’s original version, but this is just fine. It’s the Captain and crew I hope are done justice next year, including an overly emotional Mr. Spock and Dr. Boyce with his bag of martinis.

John Glover as ‘Bones’ Boyce!

@AJinMoscow — other than Pike, there’s no reason to expect any of “The Cage” crew to appear in this Enterprise. Canon even gives Spock a window where he might be on some kind of extended leave which coincides with this period. Boyce could have already been replaced with Piper (or someone in between the two). Sulu might already be on board — now that might have some interesting story developments with Stamets). Number One could be gone already, and Pike could be off the ship as well. It all depends on how integral this appearance of the Enterprise is to the plot. The danger here, is the more they tell us about the Enterprise from this period, the more limited any future series based on Pike’s enterprise may be by canon.

This universe’s Enterprise is not bad. As much as I appreciate the original Enterprise, the neck has always too long and too thin; subsequent designs have tended to shorten and thicken it, which makes the ship look sturdier and tougher, so that is consistent with the Discovery design theme. The detailing is good. I don’t mind the potato peeler. I hate the window in the bridge, like I hate the window in any bridge. I expect the bridge will the same JJ look as the other bridges. But overall, not bad. . . . (Ray Liotta as Pike – cliche I know but all the more reason…)

What did I miss? What is that a cliche?

Don’t worry, it isn’t. C.D. apparently doesn’t know what the term “cliche” means.

I am not the first to recommend it. Ray Liotta was often suggested as Pike for the 2009 movie, including on this very site as a matter of fact. But I was kidding anyway.

How is that a cliche choice? You’re probably the first person to recommend it.

Plus, Liotta is way too old–he’s 63. Pike would be around 38 at this point.

I’ve thought this before, and have heard others say the same. Ray Liotta is the spitting image of Jeffrey Hunter. I thought he would have made a better-looking Pike than Greenwood. I’m not sure he could act the part as well, though.

Maybe 20 years ago. Now he’d be absurd as Pike.

@DF — …because?

@DF — why exactly is Pike around 38 at this point? Canon is pretty contradictory here, and has been convoluted by the Abrams movies. Liotta doesn’t read that old, so I wouldn’t say the character has to be the same age as the actor. But in any event, I think canon is unclear on Pike’s age.

I have no issues with this redesign of the Enterprise or it replacing the classic—I kind of like it. My issue is with the incessant boasting of the producers and writers that this show is in the Prime Timeline. It’s just not—and that would be fine that it is not. The film franchise rebooted and for all intents & purposes was successful. They should do the same with Discovery.

Continuity DOES matter—when you create a show—you want it to be successful right? You want it to get people fixated and keep it running with record breaking ratings? Then you maintain a continuity—even if you add twist & turns. It’s okay if they want to focus on newer viewers and disregard hardcore fans—but don’t disrespect the hardcore fans by invalidating their concerns—after all they are the ones that got us here—kept Trek alive for over 50 years. The studios only kept pumping it out because they knew there was an established fanbase—or else Trek would have fade into obscurity 48 yrs ago.

Solution: at some point in season 2 establish that Discovery is in an alternate reality/timeline. Or just have the studio establish this series as a reimagined show—it worked for BSG. I love both the original and SyFY versions. The same can happen for Trek. At least the Kelvin timeline movies established a reason for the differences between it and the original. With Discovery, the studio force changes on its fanbase—and you don’t want to bite the hand that has fed you. The Klingons? Bald? Really? That’s in the Prime Timeline? At least the older shows offered why their look changed—and that continuity helped the franchise endure. The technology and visual aesthetics in the show are more advanced than TNG/DS9/VOY and even the Kelvin Timeline movies. Holograms, spore drives, Windows instead of view screens? Just call it a reimagined show.

I 2nd the motion…

I don’t really mind the updated tech. The problem is that the tech change between 1964 and 2018 is bigger than the tech change between TOS and Voyager. The Enterprise is a good compromise. It looks good in 2018 while still looking pretty close to 1964. Because the Enterprise is refitted every 5 years, it wouldn’t actually be good in story to have the Discovery Enterprise look exactly like any of the other Enterprises. The only problem I have with Discovery from a canon perspective is a major war that’s just kind of forgotten about. The tech had to change in order to not look silly.

Fitting this war into the timeline is an interesting challenge. There’s certainly room in that period for this to happen, and the ensuing cold war makes sense by the time we get to TOS. It is a strange war as well in that it’s not really a war with the Klingon Empire, but against 24-ish separate Klingon Houses. It only takes adding a line or two to a couple of TOS episodes to make it work, perhaps they’ll George Lucas it in a future release. ;-)

@Beaux — You’re entire argument seems to be based on visual continuity between TOS and DISC. If that’s true, you should probably get out now. I’m one of those fans that kept Trek alive for most of its history, and I don’t have a problem with any of these visual continuity changes. When they start changing canon, otherwise, then there’s a problem.

Well congratulations on being one of millions that have kept Trek alive—and good for you if you like this series. Discovery is a reboot/reimagined series plain and simple—I like it—but, forcing all of us that have way more interest in story and design than you—it’s a bit much to label it “Prime”—it can be and is “Canon,” but not Prime. In DS9 and ENT, they revisited the TOS “Prime” Timeline/Universe and didn’t change any visual aesthetics and the current technology of the 1990’s & 2000’s was way more advanced than it was in the 1960’s. I have accepted STDISCO’s looks—but the studio keep saying it’s Prime? It’s not. Again, it can be consider “canon”—but not Prime. The Klingons endured a a mess of changes but in DISCO the hairless Klingons is a bit much. I don’t mind the look—but changes like that?—makes it a reimagined series. It would make it very awkward for going forward and doing anything new with Worf’s character, especially if they ever revisit TNG. Even the designs of the Federation starships are too racy and sleek for anything prior to 2372. They could have made DISCO after ST Nemesis—Burnham could have still had a connection with Spock and Sarek—DISCO’s Sarek could have been Sarek’s son with wife Perrin.

DISCO’s Hologram communication seems weird to make common in 2250’s—but then goes away until the Dominion Wars in DS9—it looks cool but out of sync with any Prime plot devices. I mean the 2nd Pilot had paper computer readout for God’s sake, yet a few years prior they were using holograms beyond the viewscreen teleconferencing?

Like I said, I like Discovery and its look, but it lacks the feel of the Prime Trek that had been established for 40yrs—at least JJ Abrams made continuity changes to the TOS but gave reason, DISCO does not. Again you can speak only for yourself on what you accept—doesn’t mean you are more of an authority on Trek anymore than the next person—same goes for me. But those that feel as I do, and there are plenty—the ones that have bent and accepted every drastic and subtle change to Trek over its vast history—DISCO being crammed into the Prime timeline, is too much. Looking at Trek as a whole (from the pilot through all the series and movies)—if it were one big movie? DISCO would be like George Lucas introducing midichlorians in the Star Wars prequels to ‘enhance’ how the Force works.

Discovery is a good show—but it’s like eating a mediocre version of your favorite meal (example: a Philly Cheese from Philly) that isn’t easy to come by—you eat it and enjoy it because you have been craving it for a long time, but you can’t say it’s the best recipe you have ever had. I like DISCO but it doesn’t taste like Prime Trek to me.

You can say you like it—and accept it, but that’s just you. I could care less what you like and accept—I just want to voice my opinion whether anyone likes it or not. I could care less if you agree with anything I say. Having a Trekkie handle name doesn’t make you more of a fan than me or anyone else. I know Trek and design & story continuity —consistency is key. Again, the show can’t be considered Prime—Discovery is a reboot/reimagined series. Canon? maybe, but not Prime. I can watch and enjoy it—but producers and writers insisting it’s in the Prime Timeline?—is just ignorant.

@Beaux — really, how much less “could” you care? Seems to me a lot less since you’re here trying to convince me and others of our folly. I couldn’t care less, btw — just thought I’d point that out.

Seriously?! lol. Dude you’re pathetic. hahahahahaha!

@Beaux — stated like a true troll.

If the producers say that it’s Prime, then that’s what it is.

Well of course it is—and I realize there have always been continuity inconsistencies—but the entire Klingons race being refitted (no hair) come on. It’s not canon or prime—it’s a reimagined series—plain and simple.

Why does it matter what Klingons look like…the Empire is comparable in size to the Federation…there would be many different races and subspecies of Klingons…they likely bred with subjugated races… this isn’t the first time we’ve seen different looking Klingons.

Sure, some explanations were given…but only after about thirty years or so. It doesn’t even matter.

And to be clear, I’m not a fan of the design, but I accept it as prime timeline canon, and to quote Charlton Heston from PLANET OF THE APES, you should too, “you’d sleep better.”

Beaux, you are really on to something here. Something that I believe cannot be simply dismissed with the equivalent of, “It’s 2018, get over it or take a hike!” It all depends on whether or not you believe someone with the stature of Alex Kurtzman when they state that Discovery, “adheres to canon”. I’ve personally weighed all the evidence available to date, and I don’t accept that. Other people, of course, are going to either agree, disagree, or not care one way or the other. I think Beaux’s argument goes beyond “visual continuity” issues. Discovery’s creators taking a second trip into prequel territory is already fraught with the potential for a lot of unforced continuity errors. The attempt at the series’ inception to graft it’s main character Burnham to the history of Trek’s arguably most beloved and recognizable character is only one example of what I see as an aggressive move to lend Discovery a measure of credibility out of the gate. Multimillions of dollars spent on merchandise is but the most tangible evidence of a longtime fan base that has, despite lots of official stumbles at times, believed in the minutia and history of Star Trek. Will Trek’s current keepers of the flame be able to grow the fanbase at a rate that mitigates the alienation of a significant part of it? That’s one of the central questions for me.

“Solution: at some point in season 2 establish that Discovery is in an alternate reality/timeline. Or just have the studio establish this series as a reimagined show—it worked for BSG.”

No. This is exactly the opposite of what should happen. They got it right by placing it in the prime timeline.

I’m, um… ambivalent about this. I understand what they were trying to do and why, and I realize it took them a lot of well-intentioned work, but I just can’t bring myself to appreciate it. It’s like a love letter that somehow manages to insult and hurt instead of bringing joy. Something that was not needed or necessary, something we could do without perfectly well. A distinctly “These Are The Voyages” moment.

I LOVE this iteration of the Big E!!! Eagle moss, make the replica!!!! Take my money!!!!!

Looks perfect!

I feel like the neck and shuttle bay lip are more like TNG Enterprise. I feel like they were trying to make an updated version that you could see easy see as coming from the NX Enterprise and going towards the TMP/TNG Enterprise. My wife, who isn’t a huge Star Trek fan instantly recognized it as “The Enterprise” even though she had no idea who Pike is or what the registration number is (so the early tease from distress call were lost on her). I think that’s exactly what they wanted. An Enterprise that no matter what version of ST you may have seen a few episodes of you knew this was “The Enterprise”.

I for one love it.

That’s awesome when non-fans so easily recognize the Enterprise. She is probably the most well known “character” from Star Trek.

Wow I never saw it that way but you could be right. Great catch and would make sense.

While I like the design, I think it doesn’t belong at this point in history. This would have been a good Phase II Enterprise, but I was bummed that they did this to an early-Pike Enterprise.

To those who insist that modern-day production technology requires updating the look of everything, I ask why we still have theatrical and stage productions of period pieces that don’t insist on ‘updating’ how everything looks just because our technical abilities have evolved since the days of, say, Shakespeare?

I doubt that the 23rd century is going to look like the 1960s. Star Trek really isn’t a period piece in the same way a Shakespeare stage production would be. Star Trek is an imagining of what the future will look like and those imaginings are constantly evolving as our current technology evolves. Each show is a product of its time and are visually influenced by the decades they are created in.

yes always has been a projection of the future from when the show was made

But if you go backwards in the storytelling, you can’t also just ignore the troublesome aspects of the story that you’ve gone back to. Not unless you simply do a full reboot, which is what this show ought to have been if it wasn’t going to be a next-next generation series.

The visual aesthetics and budgetary production limitations have very little to do with trying to stay true to the story. Even 1960s TOS couldn’t keep its story straight on occasion.

I’m pretty sure it wasn’t until half way through Season 1 that they nailed down the Enterprise was a Federation starship. I’m sure at one point that Kirk mentioned “Space Command”.

And ‘Space Central,’ too, which sounds like a faux news show.

@BB — what exactly troubling aspects of the story have they ignored?

Exactly. They seemed to copy the tricorders and communicators to a T, but everything else has this weird twist.

The Borg ship traveling back in time to pre-Enterprise days obviously affected the future. :-) Which means this is not Prime, but Prime-ish. I realize that’s not what the producers are really doing here, but it’s a ‘fun’ thought.

While we do have modern-day productions of old plays, we also have plenty of modernized versions. They see that the important part of the plays is not really affected by altering the costumes.

Er, I haven’t ever seen a staged version of Shakespeare where they’re wearing Elizabethan clothing.

Aside from a few brief moments of the stage production of Macbeth, in “The Conscience of the King” – Arcturian, don’t you know. :)

The glowing blue lights on the insides of the warp nacelles technically aren’t supposed to reference NX-01. There is an old book about the TOS 12ft model and her construction. It shows original memos from Roddenberry and production crews. In one of the memos, Roddenberry talks about adding lights to the insides of the “pods” (nacelles) but because of budget reasons they cut it. The blue lights he wanted weren’t done until the TMP model.

The TMP engines aren’t lit except for the inboard sides and ONLY while at warp. The steady-state nacelle lighting is a piece of TNG visual dumbness that just got repeated ad nauseam for the last three decades.

I have a lot of problems with Discovery, but the Fed ships, and in particular this interpretation of the Enterprise isn’t one of them. I love every bit of it, including the potato peelers.

Actually, I lied. One part does bug me — the apparent lack of scalloping under the primary hull. Like the Kelvin version, it’s just flat across. It makes the saucer feel too heavy to me.

I hated the JJ Enterprise. It’s proportions were all wrong… it always seemed bigger on the inside than the outside. It was a failure in both design and execution. On top of that, I hated Into Darkness so much that it finally broke me. Star Trek did not deserve that much control over my feelings. So, shrug. I don’t hold this series to the same standards that I would have held “Enterprise” to. I have accepted that the powers that be don’t want a faithful recreation of what came before. That’s fine.

THIS Enterprise is such an improvement over what the JJ films did, that I can’t help but love it. I hope that everyone who is gnashing their teeth over this can eventually find peace.

Wow, you perfectly articulated EXACTLY how I feel about Discovery.

Just want I wanted to see. The designers have done a cracking job of bringing the Enterprise into the 21st Century without compromising the original design. A sleek, elegant ship and far better than the Kelvin-verse version.

I would like to see the FX shots cleaned up and the ship lighting improved in the next season to really bring it all together.

Congratulations to all concerned for bringing Trek back to the small screen – it exceeded this old Trekkie’s wildest expectations.

If you’ve seen the Trek Yards review of the new ship, I had commented this: The one thing I kept asking myself watching this and other debates… why is everyone forgetting the 1701-A? I see a lot of influence of the A here, the secondary hull shape and struts. Everyone is upset that the 60’s look of the Enterprise has been established by canon… and it has… by misdirected cumulative nostalgia. Scotty should never have walked onto that primary coloured candy button set, it should have been written to have him walk onto the bridge of the A. Or, had the budget allowed, an updated, re-imagined version. They should have taken the opportunity then to establish things. Instead, Deep Space Nine hit, once again, let’s do some cool effects and put them into Candyland again. (Don’t get me wrong, one of the coolest episodes ever!), and Enterprise clearly had no choice. The boys here mentioned Star Wars honoured canon with Rouge One, because they could. What everyone seems to forget…. Star Wars was a movie… with a movie budget. 11 Million or so. Star Trek was a TV show on a shoestring budget, like $150k an episode. I’m sorry, but simple math, that budget doesn’t allow for as high-quality models and sets. You all built the models, use all the structural integrety fields you want, those nacelles were a pain in the ass and would fall of with a touch… there simply wasn’t enough thought put into actual engineering. The nacelle struts would never jut out straight as an arrow, and go into the secondary hull in the same shape.. the A, swept back and clearly reinforced attachment onto the secondary hull… evidence of actual engineering though. But you know what? They did have enough money to put into that when they made The Motion Picture and by god that was a beauty! And now they had money for fancy sleek consoles and such! THAT is what they should have done starting with the Next Generation… the nostalgia was great, but it set forth this argument and put a silly 60’s shoestring budget, embarrassingly retro set as canon for a show set 300 years in the future. I for one LOVE this Enterprise, its perfectly nostalgic while futurist looking… I cannot wait to see how they’ve chosen to update the insides!

Agree- Gene & team updated the look of everything when planning the Phase II show and The Motion Picture because they had the budget. The old sets/ships wouldn’t fly on a movie theater screen, let alone our 4K TV big screens of 2018.

The Discovery team has been very respectful and faithful to the original TOS Enterprise design. This looks like the NCC-1701, except with more detail and minor tweaks. I don’t see the issue.

This is the Prime Universe. Having a more detailed Enterprise doesn’t change that.

@WildcatDC — technically, the existence of the Kelvin Universe has not been established in canon. Therefore, with the exception of the Mirror Universe, there is only one universe all of Star Trek has taken place in, only different timelines.

Great point, Gene dumped the look of TOS as soon as he had a bigger budget.

Yes not only did he dump the look but completely moved away from it entirely in TNG. He clearly didn’t see that look or era as the end all and be all of Star Trek and thankfully it isn’t today.

TOS was a budget TV show in an era where make up and effects aren’t like today, he simply had to make do with what he had.

Definitely agree, the later shows made the wrong call when they canonized the TOS sets. It would be easier for fans to have accepted a retcon of the TOS look back then than now, now that other shows have referenced that look.

As I recall, it was a budget decision for “Relics.” They only had to recreate one section of the bridge, use a short clip from “This Side of Paradise” (the empty bridge) and borrow a fan’s full-size mockup of “the chair” and the helm.

I actually disagree. No one at the time EVER thought they would do another show or film based on that era. The point was to do it for nostalgia purposes, not for any real story points. It makes it special to see Scotty sitting on his old bridge in TNG because it told people TOS did exist as we saw it on that show. It wouldn’t hit home as much if he saw a bridge that looked cooler but different from the one he sat in all the time.

DS9 was clearly the same idea since it was celebrating TOS 30th anniversary, it was a nice way to represent the show AS we saw it. It would take away from it if it looked too different.

I think the mistake was was trying to base another show in the 23rd century or at least this part of the century. Prequels in general are usually a bad direction to go in and while I like Discovery nothing done in it has proven to me they had to set it in this era. Nothing. In fact the very opposite.

I think Discovery is the worst show ever. I have been a fan of the franchise for 38 years but it’s been going down hill for a long time. There are so many good stories in the material that we don’t need these new idiots making up really stupid crap like huge mystical space water bears or any other moronic nonsense.

The science in Star Trek has always been lame. A huge mystic space water bears is not anymore unrealistic than the warp drive or transporter or holodeck or any one of a hundred things in the show that were scientifically impossible. None of them would ever work in the real world. New stupid crap meet old stupid crap. But the old stupid crap was good because it was your stupid crap.

Really??? It’s a tv show. Let it go

What is the space water bear? You’re not talking about the gorgamander are you because that’s a whale man.

It’s a fictional television series.

Don’t watch it, pure and simple.

Worst. Show. Ever.

Gotcha. Even worse the that show with the GEICO cavemen?

This design is fantastic, cannot wait for the models

I think it looks great. Like to see Jeff Hunter’s son, Chris play Captain Pike!

I’m loving the new design. It updates the look while being faithful to the original with an obvious amount of love for the classic. Bravo!

“we’ve never seen a shuttle need an extra landing strip before”

Really what about Voyager?

Note I said a shuttle, as in we’ve never seen a shuttle need extra runway, they land in shuttlebays that are right at outer edge of a ship no problem. So there’s no in-universe reason to add the extended “lip” detail, it seems gratuitous.

I imagine having a staging area outside of the artificial gravity and atmosphere of the shuttle bay might come in handy from time to time.

Exactly, mwz. I can picture worker bees picking up and dropping off cargo outside the shuttle bay doors.

The shuttle in STV could have used a longer landing strip. Just sayin’ ;)

I really like the new design. I think we can consider it one of the many unseen refits the ship received over it’s many years of faithful service.

One big unanswered question… How *big* is Discovery’s Enterprise? The TOS and TMP versions of the Enterprise are around 300 meters long. The Kelvin versions are more like twice that length. It seems like the ships in Discovery tend toward Kelvin timeline size so it will be interesting to see this Enterprise in perspective with the Discovery.

The Discovery does not look anywhere near 600m long to my eyes. Is it? I’d peg it at about 250m, maybe a little longer considering the long tapering nacelles.

The STD Enterprise looks only a bit longer than the Discovery.

I’ve been breaking down in my mind the size of this Enterprise since the moment she and Discovery appeared on screen together. It’s been established for an extremely long time that the Constitution class in the 2260’s was 289 meters long, and as commented in a post below, Kirk’s Enterprise had a crew of 430. That said, the Crossfield class is listed with a compliment of 136, but amazingly a length of 750.50 meters. That number came from Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection, published by Eaglemoss.

Now this creates a problem to me, as there is no way the Disco is near 80 meters longer than the Sovereign class that won’t be launched for a good 110+ years. In that one 2 second shot we see of them face to face, the Discovery appears to be about the same length as the Enterprise despite the angle of the view. That said, taking the designs into account, Discovery is practically flat in comparison to the long neck and thick body of the Enterprise, only the lengths are comparable. That difference in internal area is enough to explain the difference in crew compliment. As an experimental science vessel with only two of the type known (why no mention ever of the U.S.S. Crossfield with an NX registry?), it is unlikely that this class is designed to be out on 5 year deep space exploration missions like that Constitution class.

Now I cannot speak to the highly unusual number that Eaglemoss published, but as a random aside, if you reinterpret the 750.50 meters to 750.50 feet, that mathematically comes to 228.75 meters, which is strangely and interestingly believable. Yes, I know Eaglemoss is a British magazine, so I doubt that is a realistic error. I just thought the math to be strikingly coincidental based on the visual we got, and for my own sanity’s sake, I’m personally running with it.

The only other explanation is the horrifying one. That we are encountering a Kelvin-verse styled up-scaling of everything, where no one will ever know the ship’s true size. After all, the Kelvin-verse Enterprise has been cited with many lengths over the years, ranging from 294 to 1524 meters, and many different things in between. I find that to be unacceptable.

Given that we’ve seen pull-out shots right from the Discovery’s bridge window, it shouldn’t be too hard to get some min/max on the size. From memory, my gut impression is that it’s in the same range as the Enterprise if you include all the way out to the tips of the nacelles. The bulk of the ship, though, seems much less massive.

I agree that 750 feet is much more palatable than 750 meters.

Can a size be determined from the shuttle bay?

Random thought… The potato peeler shouldn’t be in a section of “unique”. Look back at the Abrams 1701. Same potato peeler.

There’s no open section on the pylons in the Kelvin Enterprise. That’s detailing, not an open area.

I’m all about this design. I guess I would say that my favorite iteration is the Movie Refit. I’ve never been all in with TOS version of the ship, even thought TOS is the best series and Kirk and Spock is the best dynamic duo in all of fiction. My biggest problems were with the neck and pylons. But this is Beautiful.

The gratuitous changes such as the potato peeler and protruding lip are done in the same spirit as the Klingon “enhancements” – to piss off the diehards and generate social media chatter. As Lorca says in his bestseller “The Art of the Squeal,” bad publicity is better than no publicity.

If they made the JJ-prise look like this, I would have liked those movies a lot more, I can tell ya

It’s way closer than the awful JJ Prize, so I’m happy.

Note that the shuttle bay “landing platform” is actually somewhat reminiscent of Voyager. Even though in that case it was much more pronounced, like an actual landing pad.

I like the design. It takes cues from lots of ships from lots of eras (the “lip”) at the rear of the shuttle bay is kind of reminiscent of Voyage) but the proportions of the separate components appear to work well together from the angles we’ve seen.

I don’t expect a 100% faithful reproduction of the TOS design but this is sufficiently recognizable while still being allowed to have a few flourishes.

The enterprise is too small. Pike’s enterprise had 200 something crewmen. Kirk’s had 430 crewmen. Discovery 100 something. Either discovery is the greatest science vessel ever built, essentially bigger and more powerful than a constitution class, heavy cruiser star ship or, Discovery should be smaller than Enterprise. Even if discovery has arena size labs. Just my thought

Considering that the Discovery is capable of having over 300 simultaneous science missions on-board, that 100 number doesn’t sound right. Perhaps there are that many on-board during the show, but that doesn’t mean that number is the ship’s actual capacity.

Not my Constitution Class NCC-1701.

This one seems like a bad mixtape. It looks unfinished. It looks mid-refit. It doesn’t fit the canonical time period. And don’t fool yourselves, TOS *is* a period piece. Otherwise why call it TOS? Star Trek isn’t the Batman franchise. It isn’t James Bond. There is a rich history that ties together despite the contradictions. Once you start changing things for change’s sake, is when it all falls apart.

Don’t say you have a reverence for the material and then go and change it.

Absolutely. Lighting differences would have worked as well as a redesign. Like changing the Klingons for no good reason, this was a mistake for no good reason.

You can have reverence for something while not being beholden to it. Once you decide to not change things because “that’s the way it always was and should be” is when Trek dies. Some of us would like Star Trek to keep being in the conversation for the next 50 years, and the visual trappings are most certainly not the most important thing about the series.

I think it’s pretty darn gorgeous to be honest, but that might pose a problem! I must say I have been drooling over these images far more than I ever did with the USS Discovery! I love the show and I LOVE the spore drive effect but the flat/squat nature of the vessel still hasn’t clicked with me yet!

Looks fantastic

You Discovery sycophants are like Mikey in the Life cereal commercial. You’ll eat anything.

Or maybe people actually like the design? That’s a possibility, right? People not liking and/or disliking the same things that you do?

Umm… Mikey was a picky eater that hated everything. Just FYI.

Trolls gonna troll.

Simple question: Why all the Blue now?

danpaine, I’m gonna guess they were going for a ‘moonlight’ look (sarcasm dripping, NOT a fan of the look at all, way too stylized.)

Fire Engine Red would look funny.

The whole concept of a ‘visual reboot’ is crap, and I would have far and away preferred to see an unmodified Enterprise of the vintage seen in TOS, just like I would have much preferred uniforms and klingons that actually looked like TOS. Disconnected reimaginings are for islands. Continuity is for empires.

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Star Trek: Discovery

Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien. Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien. Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

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• Trivia The Starfleet vessels seen in the first season, including the Discovery, the Shenzou and the redesigned Enterprise, were all designed by production artist John Eaves. Eaves' work with Star Trek spans three decades. Probably his most notable contribution was the design of the Enterprise-E for Star Trek: First Contact (1996) .
• Goofs With Michael being the adoptive sister of Spock, the series has many flashbacks to their childhood and upbringing on Vulcan. Spock's Vulcan half-brother, Sybok, does not appear nor is mention during these scenes. In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) , Spock says that he and Sybok grew up together. However, since it's never stated when Sybok joined Sarek's home - only that he did so following his mother's death - or when he was exiled from the family, it's not impossible Sybok moved in after Burnham, and left before she graduated (the two extremes of the flashbacks). Also, since Sybok was never mentioned before Star Trek V, it seems reasonable the family never spoke of him again after his estrangement.
• Alternate versions The serif-font legends and subtitles in the "broadcast" episodes are absent from the DVD versions, where they are replaced with the standard DVD subtitles.
• Connections Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Female Lead TV Shows You Should Be Watching in 2017 (2017)

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• September 24, 2017 (United States)
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Star Trek: Discovery Finally Gave Us A Closer Look At The Franchise's Most Mysterious Villain

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Discovery."

"Star Trek" might represent an idealistic vision of a bolder and brighter future, but the last few seasons of "Discovery" have proven that there will always be bad guys with a penchant for muddying up those ambitions in unexpected ways — even in the 32nd Century. While the Borg, Romulans, and the warlord Khan often have a stranglehold on the title of "Best 'Trek' villains," one alien species in particular has remained shrouded in mystery for decades. First mentioned in foreboding whispers in "The Next Generation" and finally seen in the flesh (well, so to speak) in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the Breen have played a significant role throughout the franchise in the years since ... yet Trekkies still had to wait until now to actually see what lies underneath their distinctive helmets.

The advantage of never showing us a Breen's face, as it turns out, is that "Discovery" was able to hide one in plain sight all along.

So far, the addition of scavengers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) has felt like a shoe waiting to drop. The close-knit pair continue to frustrate Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the rest of the Discovery crew (nowhere more dramatically than in last week's time-traveling bottle episode ), remaining one step ahead of our heroes in their quest to recover whatever Progenitor technological treasure hides at the end of this galaxy-spanning rainbow. About midway through episode 5, titled "Mirrors," the writers unleashed their big twist. L'ak, thus far considered an unknown type of extraterrestrial, actually reveals himself as a Breen. Or, rather, an emotional Moll lets this information slip by accident during a particularly fraught moment. In the process, "Trek" finally unmasked its most enigmatic aliens.

Putting on a brave face (or two)

In the span of one episode, "Discovery" officially made "Star Trek" history.

Long treated as a mystery that left everything up to our own imaginations, the Breen reveal puts a specific face to what had previously only been a name ... actually, make that two faces. While Moll and L'ak come to a tense faceoff with Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on board the mirror-universe version of the USS Enterprise while trapped in multidimensional space (it's a long story), the writers treat this as the perfect opportunity to delve into the scavengers' shared past. In a series of flashbacks, we find out that L'ak was part of the Breen royal family and disgraced by his powerful Primarch uncle. Hoping to earn his way back to his people's good graces, all his plans are upended by a torrid romance with then-courier Moll. With their backs against the wall and nowhere else to turn, the lovers choose their own path altogether and, along the way, L'ak reveals his most private aspect of himself: his Breen face.

Of course, the episode adds another twist and introduces the concept of the Breen having two  faces — a solid, corporeal form they can present to others if they so choose, and a more translucent one. (Really, it can only be described as  squishier. ) In fact, this creepy and altogether unique visage symbolizes a much more meaningful difference, as we learn when L'ak's uncle calls his chosen face an "insult to your heritage." Apparently, most Breen have moved beyond this "weak" form and consider this some sort of societal faux pas. In just a few minutes, we discover more about Breen culture than we've ever known before.

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

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Star Trek: Discovery designer reveals how USS Enterprise bridge and colors returned 

Credit: CBS

Are the color accents on the classic USS Enterprise bridge red or orange? For Star Trek: Discovery production designer Tamara Deverell, this question threatened not only her sanity but the entire Trek canon. In the latest episode of Discovery , we get a look at the inside of the old-school starship Enterprise as it appeared in the Michael Burnham era.

And it turns out the journey toward making this set was as epic as the history of the famous ship itself.

**SPOILER WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery  Season 2, Episode 13, “ Such Sweet Sorrow .”**

When Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) steps onto the famous bridge of the USS Enterprise in "Such Sweet Sorrow," she openly mocks the funky retro '60s colors of the original ship, saying “Orange, really? Eh.” It’s a funny line, but for Deverell, it was a moment she worried about for one specific reason.

“Georgiou says ‘orange,’ but in my mind, it’s a shade of red,” Deverell told SYFY WIRE. “I mean, it’s an orangey red. When I saw that line in the script I was worried. I got in touch with the writers and said, ‘Maybe she should be saying ‘red’ and not ‘orange’?” But that didn’t really work. It’s funnier to say orange.” When fans watch the original series, there might be some debate as to the color of the bridge railings and turbo-lift doors of the classic bridge because, as Deverell reveals, she had to go through multiple color studies to match what is known as “Enterprise Red” with what exists in canon. The problem is that in the original series, “Enterprise Red” did, at some points, look orange.

Captain Kirk alone on the Enterprise bridge in the classic episode 'This Side of Paradise.' (Credit: CBS)

“There is a distinct Enterprise Red,” Deverell explains. “I actually took that color from the CBS archives ... and it was orange! In certain episodes of TOS , the red became more of an orange. I went insane looking at different color tests. It is red. But, in canon, it’s also orange. In the end, I think it was fine and everyone was happy.”

A longtime fan of the original series, Deverell says that her approach to designing and building the new version of the classic Enterprise came from a place of deep respect. “I wanted to echo and be sensitive to the original series,” she explains. “So we were looking a lot at the original bridge and its geometry and where everyone was sitting. Still, while we remained true to the design, there’s a new methodology. It was exciting, yes. Terrifying, a little bit, for sure. You can’t worry too much about the history of Star Trek when you work on stuff like this. You can only look at canon and try to follow it with our vision and our Discovery world in mind.”

The new USS Enterprise set was a brand new set for 'Star Trek: Discovery' (Credit: CBS)

Deverell also explains that though this is the first time we've seen the bridge and the corridors of the USS Enterprise  on  Discovery , the plans to recreate the interior of the iconic starship have been underway since the first season.

"Everybody really wanted to build, as a reveal at the end of Season 1. And we did reveal the exterior ship, but for a while there we were going to do the interior," she says. "We started drawing it up like a year ago. So when we came to build it, we already had it conceptualized for the most part."

Finally, for fans who are worried that this  Enterprise  set was a clever redress of the bridge of the USS Discovery or another ship seen on the series, Deverell wants to make it clear that is not the case. While it's true that some sets on  Discovery  Season 2 are modifications of old sets — Burnham's new science lab is a redress of Lorca's Season 1 ready room, for instance — the new  Enterprise  bridge is a completely new set. And, with the exception of the viewscreen, what you're seeing on screen is all a real, practical set.

"The  Enterprise set was completely new," Deverell says. "We got a new stage and away we went. There was not one single element of it that was reused. What you're seeing was really there."

So, do you see orange doors or red doors? We know because Georgiou is a Terran, from the Mirror Universe , she has a different sensitivity to light than those of us from the prime universe. So, depending on what color you see on the  Enterprise  bridge — orange or red — it might reveal which universe you're really from!

Star Trek: Discovery   only has one episode left in Season 2. That finale airs next Thursday, April 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS All Access.

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Star Trek: Discovery

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Bryan Fuller

Alex Kurtzman

Sonequa Martin-Green

Captain Michael Burnham

Anthony Rapp

Paul Stamets

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Moments of Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise Bridge

For Rebecca Romijn walking onto the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise was a dream come true.

"It was something I had watched on TV as a child, and I couldn't believe I was sitting there." Rebecca Romijn talks about fulfilling a childhood fantasy by working on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery streams exclusively on CBS All Access in the United States and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel  and OTT service Crave.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reveals Moll & L’ak’s Backstory — Plus, What’s Next?

Spoiler Alert

Where No One Has Gone Before

For exclusive news and updates, subscribe to our star trek: discovery newsletter :.

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for  Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors.”]

It’s far from a meet cute and in no way the start of a rom-com, but  Star Trek: Discovery does offer a look at how Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ) first crossed paths and what led them to become Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and her crew’s foes in the latest episode.

“Mirrors” takes Michael and Book ( David Ajala ), who has realized Moll is the daughter of his mentor, into a pocket of interdimensional space and onto the abandoned  ISS Enterprise , where they try to get through to Moll and L’ak with both pairs after the same thing: the next piece of the puzzle that will unlock the ultimate power everyone’s after this season. Book tries to get through to Moll, and L’ak ends up injured. But rather than turn themselves in, as Michael and Book try to convince them to do, Moll and L’ak set off as soon as they get the chance.

Read on for insight from Ajala, Harlow, and Toufexis about this episode, filming on the  ISS Enterprise set, and more.

When L’ak Met Moll

As flashbacks detail, Moll was a courier who met L’ak on one of her deliveries; he was the primarch’s nephew who’d been demoted to shuttle bay duty and ultimately took her side, leading the two to flee and now there’s a blood bounty on them. Both Harlow and Toufexis had hints about their characters’ backstory, but it wasn’t until the script for this episode that they got the full picture.

“I was bugging them for the script to 505 because they told me [the backstory] was [that episode],” Toufexis tells TV Insider of what he says is his favorite episode he’s in. “They gave me a little bit of background so I could play it in the other episodes, but when I saw the episode, I was so happy because I play a lot of bad guys on TV, and more often than not, you don’t get to find out why they’re bad or why they’re doing what they’re doing—not that these guys are bad inherently. The fact that we get to go back and literally show and play everything, almost everything, at least for the reasoning why they’ve made these decisions and why they are who they are—that combined with the love story was my favorite thing about these characters for sure.”

Playing a love story as an antagonist was different for him, he explains. “They very rarely have a counterpart,” he says. “I was really happy that I have this to play, this reason to go on is Moll for L’ak. And that love story is the most interesting part of it for me, just being in love. Especially in sci-fi, it’s really rare, especially for antagonists. I just want to be in love and free is original, I think.”

'Star Trek: Discovery' Stars Tease How Series Ends for Their Characters

Harlow, too, enjoyed getting to “run around being in love” as what she calls her favorite character she’s played. She recalls that the sides she auditioned with, while fake scripts, are situations like in Episode 5. “Every episode that came out was really exciting because we didn’t know what we were getting and [we were] seeing it unfold in such an interesting way and getting more layers,” she says. “These characters are nuanced.”

Can Book Get Through to Moll?

When the episode begins, Book thinks Moll can turn things around and he might be able to reach her, and he does try to do so when they’re split off from Michael and L’ak. But while her father was his mentor, to Moll, he was just the person who left her and her mom.

“It’s like Moll has now offered a bit of a lifeline, someone who’s known Cleveland Booker, who was this Cleveland Booker’s mentor, to kind of understand more about his character, which Book assumed would have been positive,” says Ajala. “But then to hear Moll speak so negatively about Cleveland Booker gives him pause for thought.”

Book wasn’t able to get through to Moll, and Harlow doesn’t think he stands a chance of ever doing so. “Anyone who has mommy or daddy issues knows, it’s years of therapy. I think that those parent relationships are really difficult and I think that always the knee jerk reaction is, ‘No, I don’t want to face it,’ until you’re forced to face it. It’s her own resistance and the way that Moll has survived is with this hatred and pushing away of her father. It would require a complete 180 [and] years of therapy,” she says with a laugh. “Spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery – Moll in Therapy .”

But even so, is that connection to Book something that L’ak might be worried about? Toufexis admits it’s not something he had to consider. “L’ak is very untrusting of anybody, especially people that show particular interest in Moll,” he shares before teasing, “The trust grows more between Moll and L’ak because of her decisions towards Book.”

John Medland / Paramount+

Still, Book isn’t willing to give up on Moll. “This season is all about second chances,” Ajala points out, adding that his character has received one. “He now wants to afford the same grace to Moll. It does get more challenging as the season progresses and it gets more complicated, but I feel that Book just has to try and see it through to make it worth it.”

For Book, the best-case scenario is this ends with “Moll finding favor amongst Starfleet and not going sown a destructive path,” says Ajala, but just because he wants this to work out doesn’t mean that it necessarily will—or that he doesn’t have a line when it comes to her. “If she makes a decision that she would never be able to come back from, that would be really, really sad.”

What’s Next for Moll & L’ak?

Last we saw the two, they were heading off with medical supplies and L’ak was injured. You’ll have to watch to see exactly what’s next but, “he’s fine,” says Toufexis.

As for the next time Book encounters Moll, “there will be drama,” Ajala teases. “It’s a very nuanced, complicated situation, and I think they’re both in very unfamiliar territory, but it’s going to be very important that they make the right decision or it will have a dramatic effect.”

What he’ll probably have to keep in mind is that there doesn’t seem to be anything that could make Moll or L’ak turn on the other and there isn’t a limit to how far they will go for one another. “This sounds so corny, but we only have each other,” says Harlow. “It’s us against the world.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t surrender. At one point, Michael tries to convince L’ak to do just that, and he asks if he and Moll would serve their time together.

“I remember specifically playing that and thinking, ‘Okay, he’s looking for at least a way out, recalls Toufexis, “but the end result has to be they’re free and together, or at least they’re together and safe. There are some rules that they both really need people to accept if they’re going to give in, and I don’t think they are.”

Harlow agrees that it would take “freedom and safety” for them to surrender, “and no one’s giving us that, so we have to get it ourselves in whatever way we can.”

Marni Grossman / Paramount+

Filming on the ISS Enterprise

Most of this episode takes place on the  ISS Enterprise , and as a big Star Trek fan, Toufexis was thrilled. Before getting the script for Episode 5, “I had heard a props guy or maybe a set deck guy talking [about] the Enterprise , and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, what was that? We’re going to the Enterprise ?'” he shares, admitting that he did take photos on the set that he will never publish. “I love being on that ship. I was texting my family, ‘Can you believe this? I’m on the freaking Enterprise . This is crazy.’ There’s footage of me at 15 years old doing a Star Trek TV show in my friend’s basement where we built an Enterprise out of cardboard. So the fact that I’m on the actual Enterprise now, that’s pretty crazy.”

Harlow chimes in to share that Toufexis surprised people on set by knowing what all the props were in the first episode of the season (see photo above).

Ajala chose to wait until he stepped on the set to film to see it. “I was quite intentional about that because I didn’t want to become too familiar and take this wonderful set for granted,” he explains. “I literally laid eyes on it when the camera was rolling. One would say that’s a slightly unorthodox way of working, but I found it really, really informative and it was a super special moment to just be in that space.”

What did you think of Moll and L’ak’s backstory? Let us know in the comments section, below.

Star Trek: Discovery , Thursdays, Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery where to stream

Star Trek: Discovery

David ajala, elias toufexis.

Discovery Was Built On Earth Like USS Enterprise In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange". Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange", reminds us that the USS Discovery was built on Earth, just like the USS Enterprise in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies. Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose , "Face the Strange" catapults Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) through the personal history of the USS Discovery. From its construction in the 23rd century to the crew being killed by the Breen in the 32nd century, Discovery season 5, episode 4, covers the full spread of the starship's history.

Star Trek: Discovery season 1 established that the USS Discovery was still a new and groundbreaking vessel in 2256 . It's unclear exactly when Burnham and Rayner's trip to the in-construction USS Discovery takes place, but deck seven hadn't quite been completed on schedule. However, it's very clear from a glimpse of the outside world where Burnham and Rayner have traveled to, the San Francisco Fleet Yards on Earth, drawing a direct link with J.J. Abrams' version of the starship Enterprise from the Kelvin Timeline movies.

Star Trek: Discoverys Enterprise Crossover Made 1 Of Burnhams Crew Very Happy

Uss discovery was built on earth just like uss enterprise in j.j. abrams’ star trek.

The USS Discovery was built at the San Francisco Shipyards, something first mentioned way back in Star Trek: Discovery season 1 . "Face the Strange" reveals the location of the shipyard, via a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. This places Starfleet's San Francisco Shipyards somewhere in or around Starfleet Academy and Federation Headquarters. A huge amount of space must be required to construct starships, so it's possible that specialist platforms have been erected in the area around San Francisco Bay. The height of Burnham's view means that the audience don't see the ground, suggesting that the Crossfield-class starship could be constructed on a floating platform.

The Kelvin Timeline version of the USS Enterprise was also built on the Earth's surface, at the Starfleet Shipyard in Riverside, Iowa . However, while the majority of construction took place in Iowa, the Enterprise itself was launched from the San Francisco Fleet Yards. This draws a direct link with Star Trek: Discovery , suggesting that the nature of starfleet construction in the 23rd century was largely unchanged by the destruction of the USS Kelvin. However, the USS Discovery and the Kelvin Timeline USS Enterprise are still unique, because the majority of Star Trek 's starships are built in space.

Star Trek: Discovery was the first Star Trek show in 12 years, released after the three J.J. Abrams movies, which may account for season 1's reference to the Earth-based construction seen in Star Trek (2009) .

Starfleet Ships Are Usually Built In Space

In the Star Trek universe, Starfleet's ships are generally built in space, either at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards above Mars, or in various space docks. The USS Excelsior, first glimpsed in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was being built and tested at Spacedock One. A century later, the USS Enterprise-D, USS Defiant and USS Voyager were all constructed at the orbital Utopia Planitia Shipyards. This makes the USS Discovery unique in the prime Star Trek timeline, as it's the only hero ship confirmed to be built on Earth. In fact, Discovery is unique among other starships in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century timeline.

Starships in the 32nd century are built and refitted at Starfleet's Archer Spacedock , unveiled in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. The USS Discovery has made several trips to Archer Spacedock for repairs following its encounters with the Dark Matter Anomaly and the avalanche on Q'Mau. All of which proves that, while starships can be constructed on Earth, it's far more convenient and efficient for them to be built and repaired in space so that they're primed to join Starfleet's armada at the nearest opportunity.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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.

Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.

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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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, shake hands over the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at the Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, view the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

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DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

AP AUDIO: Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage.

AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports on the return of the original model of the USS Enterprise from the TV show “Star Trek.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.

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In a recent interview with the Transporter Room 3 podcast, Eaves shared how his original concept artwork was submitted remotely to the  Discovery production team (as he works from his home), and during the transition from sketch to a fully-realized CG model, the changes to the nacelle design were implemented.

Unlike the Eaves-designed  Walker- class and  Crossfield -class starships, each which featured square warp nacelles — a design mandate from now-departed series creator Bryan Fuller — the  Enterprise retains its round, tubular nacelles from the classic Jefferies design, with some minor tweaks, such as visible blue warp plasma vents on the inner faces like the NX-Refit design, and rotated rear fins near the back of each nacelle.

While not textured, the rear of each nacelle features dotted markings which call back to the grilled vents at the back of the early-Original Series look of the  Enterprise .

In terms of the model’s construction, it’s a very solid build from Eaglemoss, with the top of the  Enterprise saucer, the neck and nacelle struts, and top half of the engineering hull all made from the company’s standard die-cast metal, and the nacelles and underside sections from injection-molded plastic.

Hull markings and registry numbers are the same typeface as seen on the  USS Discovery model, though on the top of the saucer one of the scored gridlines does interrupt some of the black application in the last “1” on the ship’s registry…. and yes, there are still issues with window alignment around the model, a staple of the Eaglemoss/Hero Collector line even after all these years. (We’ve certainly covered that enough in previous reviews. )

Once nice touch is that the deflector dish is painted a nice metallic gold, rather than the bright orange on the TOS-era  Enterprise model; the solid applications of red coloring around the nacelle pennants and impulse engines, and the blue warp plasma sections, both stand out as well.

(On the other hand, the segment of green on the bridge dome is a bit unexpected — we’ll have to see if that shows up on the “real” ship when  Discovery returns this month.)

Even though we’ve only seen about 30 seconds of this ship on screen to date, this  Discovery -era  Enterprise translates to a pretty solid physical model, one of many we’re sure to see over the next months and years after its run in  Star Trek: Discovery  Season 2.

While subscribers to the  XL Starships line should be seeing this ship arrive any day now, fans in the UK can order it directly for £49.99 , and fans in the US can preorder it for $74.99 for delivery once shipments begin.

Check back to TrekCore soon for our next  Official Starships Collection reviews, including the XL-sized  Enterprise- B and  Enterprise- C, and the long-awaited Spacedock model!

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'Star Trek: Discovery' S05, E05 is a quality installment, but it's weighed down by another anchor of nostalgia

This entire episode was more than likely written for the sole reason that the sets from "Strange New Worlds" could be utilized.

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

The chase across the galaxy for the Progenitors MacGuffin continues, offering chances to insert stand-alone, episode-length adventures along the way. And this week's installment, entitled "Mirrors" features a brief and very random reminder that the Mirror Universe exists. 

And that alone would've made an genuinely enthralling episode, but...Alex Kurtzman et al could not resist the temptation for an utterly pointless and thoroughly unnecessary throwback to the USS Enterprise. Honestly, these people have a serious problem, they should seek help. 

To put all of this into context, the crew of the USS Discovery continue their pursuit of Malinne 'Moll' Ravel (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and that chase leads them to er...well, you know, a giant, space-time swirly orifice that fills the viewscreen. Apparently, it's some sort of wormhole that's spectacularly unstable because of the constant matter/anti-matter reactions that are taking place at the opening. It's actually more than a little reminiscent of the inside of the V'ger spacecraft from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and that's just fine. 

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But it's what they find inside that grinds gears. Since the Discovery is too big to squeeze through the constantly opening and closing orifice, Capt. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Book (David Ajala) take a shuttle through only to find...the ISS Enterprise. Yes, indeed, last seen (and only seen, actually) in the epic "The Original Series" episode "Mirror, Mirror" (S02, E04).

While beaming back to the USS Enterprise during an ion storm, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura materialize aboard a almost-identical Enterprise in a parallel universe. Here, the United Federation of Planets has been replaced by the Terran Empire and its inhabitants are violent and cruel. Their only hope is to artificially reproduce the effects of the storm to facilitate a return to their own universe. (" I mperial S pace S hip replaces the traditional " U nited S pace S hip.")

And while the idea of finding a derelict, 900-year-old starship from the latter half of the 23rd century is a great idea, in the name of the Great Prophet Zarquon, why-oh-why did it have to be the Enterprise? There are — at least — 10 other Constitution Class starships that could've been potentially chosen and thus still allowing the updated sets from "Strange New Worlds" to have been used. 

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The USS Cayuga (NCC-1557), USS Constellation (NCC-1017), USS Defiant (NCC-1764), USS Excalibur (NCC-1664), USS Exeter (NCC-1672), USS Hood (NCC-1703), USS Intrepid (NCC-1631), USS Lexington (NCC-1709), USS New Jersey (NCC-1975) and the USS Potemkin (NCC-1657). And those are just the ones that are canon. Another new vessel could just as easily have been introduced as it's not unknown for Nu-Trek to bring brand new ships to the line.

And of course Burnham makes reference to the fact that her brother, Spock, served on this ship, which is probably another reason why the Enterprise was forced upon the writers. And according to some extremely rushed exposition, most of the crew escaped the weird wibblywobbly wormhole and went on to lead peaceful and productive lives — we assume somewhere not too far away given how long ago it happened and the current location in deep space — in a somewhat Space Seed scenario. Another interesting throwaway remark from Burnham was, "Crossing between universes has been impossible for centuries now," which shuts down that potential story avenue rather abruptly. 

But let's also focus on why this episode could've been near-faultless if only someone could counsel Paramount showrunners on how to ween themselves off of nostalgia addiction. This week we get to see the whole Moll and L'ak backstory...and it's rather good and to add to that, Book and Moll confront the fact that they're distantly related. You know, because that makes things much more absurd orderly. (See how Burnham had to be related to Spock.)

The pacing of this episode, and with the exception of using the Enterprise, when any other Constitution Class starship could've worked — and served to expand the Mirror Universe a little bit — this is an enjoyable episode. It's a shame though that this is following the same cookie cutter seasonal storyline template by relying very much on a quest to follow while having standalone episode-long adventures to fill in the gaps, but hey, it can't be much worse than last season. So, there's that.

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

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

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The long lost original model of the USS Enterprise has been returned

The model, in the opening credits of Star Trek , had been missing since the 1970s. It popped up on eBay last fall. The seller helped facilitate its return to the family of the creator of Star Trek .

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The long-lost original model of the USS Enterprise, the one that could be seen in the opening credits of the TV show "Star Trek," has been returned. Missing since the 1970s, the model popped up on eBay last fall. The seller eventually took down the item and helped facilitate its return to Rod Roddenberry, the son of the late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry, the son, says he now hopes to get the model into a museum for the public to enjoy.

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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USS Discovery

• View history

The USS Discovery (NCC-1031) was a Crossfield -class starship operated by the Federation Starfleet in the 23rd century , initially under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca and, later, Christopher Pike . ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ", " What's Past Is Prologue ", " Brother ")

After time traveling to the 32nd century , Discovery underwent a three week retrofit and was recommissioned with the registry NCC-1031-A under the command of Captain Saru , and later Captain Michael Burnham . ( DIS : " Far From Home ", " People of Earth ", " Scavengers ", " That Hope Is You, Part 2 "). Over time, owing to her fusion with the Sphere data , she became a fully fledged artificial intelligence. She experienced emotions, worked with the crew, and chose her own name, Zora . ( DIS : " The Examples ", " Stormy Weather ")

At some point, the ship was abandoned by her crew and remained empty for almost a thousand years. ( ST : " Calypso ")

• 1.1 Construction
• 1.2.1 Federation-Klingon War
• 1.2.2 The mirror universe
• 1.2.3 Return to the war
• 1.3.1 Investigating the red bursts
• 1.3.2 Control
• 1.4.1 Arriving in the 32nd century
• 1.5 Michael Burnham's command
• 1.6 Abandonment
• 2 Merge with Sphere data and sentience
• 3 Alternate timelines
• 4 Embarked craft
• 5 List of First contacts
• 6.1 See also
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2 Background information
• 7.3 Apocrypha
• 7.4 External link

Service history [ ]

Construction [ ].

The Discovery was built on the surface near San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge and then launched into service from the San Francisco Fleet Yards , Earth . Its motto was a quote from Galileo Galilei : " All things can be understood once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. " ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ", " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad ", " Face the Strange ")

By November of 2256 , it was still considered impressive and new, fresh out of the shipyards and equipped with some of Starfleet's most advanced technologies, in contrast to the older USS Shenzhou . ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Crew assembled in the shuttlebay, 2257

As a Crossfield -class starship, the Discovery was officially designated a science vessel . In 2256 , the ship had a crew manifest of approximately 136. ( DIS : " Choose Your Pain ") However, by 2257 , following the Federation-Klingon War the complement increased to over two hundred during the investigation of the Red Angel . ( DIS : " The Red Angel ") The ship's facilities were able to accommodate three hundred discrete scientific missions, a Starfleet record at the time. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Both the Discovery and its sister ship , the USS Glenn , were equipped with an experimental spore drive for field testing. Much research and refinement remained to be done as of late 2256, but if perfected, it had the potential to instantly traverse vast galactic distances in the blink of an eye. The Discovery only used it in short bursts while attempting to perfect it into a reliable drive system. In contrast, the crew of the Glenn took bolder risks to develop it more quickly, resulting in an accident which killed the entire crew and crippled the ship. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

The Discovery was built from the ground up to be a test bed for the experimental spore drive, based on the research of Paul Stamets and his colleagues. Stamets had intended his research to pursue purely theoretical knowledge and peaceful applications but, with the outbreak of war, the Discovery was rapidly constructed to perfect the military applications of his research. ( DIS : " The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry ")

A view of the Discovery 's ventral hull

Due to the top secret , and, in some cases, dangerous research projects being conducted on the Discovery , its internal security was much more rigid and compartmentalized than was regular protocol on Starfleet vessels; breath print identification locks were used to restrict access to different sub-sectors. It also possessed a disproportionately prominent and well-armed security detail, standing guard at various restricted access points throughout the ship. These guards were outfitted with tactical gear bearing a Section 31 "black star" uniform insignia , unlike the normal silver Starfleet delta insignia. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Several experiments conducted aboard Discovery had the potential to physically endanger the ship itself and its crew; hazardous situations caused by the black ops experiments being activated were addressed by declaring a " black alert " (which was not a standard protocol on Starfleet vessels). ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Gabriel Lorca's command [ ]

Federation-klingon war [ ].

Following the outbreak of the Federation-Klingon War , Discovery was placed under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca and given a clandestine mission to conduct black ops scientific research, developing top secret weapons and technologies that would help the Federation win the war. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Discovery rescues SPT 21

Six months into the war, Discovery rescued the prison shuttle SPT 21 from an infestation of Species GS54 during an interstellar storm . Among the prisoners being transported, former Commander Michael Burnham came aboard and was enlisted by Captain Lorca to serve as a specialist aboard Discovery . ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Discovery in a defensive position over Corvan II

In November 2256, Discovery received a distress call from Corvan II , under attack by Klingons . The only ship in range, Discovery attempted a spore jump to the Federation mining colony, ending up dangerously close to a star . Utilizing the tardigrade as a conduit through which to navigate the ship, the crew ultimately jumped Discovery to Corvan II in time to destroy the attacking Birds-of-Prey and save the colony from destruction. ( DIS : " The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry ")

The following month, Discovery , under the command of first officer Saru , was tasked by Admiral Katrina Cornwell with the rescue of Lorca following his abduction by the Klingons. Once again using the tardigrade as a living navigational computer , Discovery jumped into Klingon territory, but the creature was disabled in the process. Unwilling to subject the tardigrade to further injury, Lieutenant Stamets injected himself with the creature's DNA, allowing Discovery to recover Lorca and his fellow POW , Ash Tyler , and jump back to Federation space. ( DIS : " Choose Your Pain ")

One week later, Cornwell's cruiser rendezvoused with Discovery before departing for peace talks on Cancri IV . ( DIS : " Lethe ")

Discovery in orbit of a planet in 2256

On stardate 2136.8, Discovery encountered an injured space-dwelling lifeform known as a gormagander and conducted aid per the Endangered Species Act . This resulted in Harcourt Fenton Mudd boarding Discovery and activating a time crystal , creating a time loop in which Mudd repeatedly destroyed the ship in an effort to learn the secret of the spore drive and sell the ship to the Klingons. The loop was eventually discovered by Stamets, avoiding the permanent destruction of Discovery . ( DIS : " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad ")

On stardate 1308.9, Discovery engaged a Klingon destroyer in defense of the USS Gagarin . With the advantage of their invisibility screens , the Klingons succeeded in destroying the Gagarin forcing Discovery to withdraw. Discovery then proceeded to the planet Pahvo where it retrieved a landing party as the native Pahvans broadcasted a signal directed at both the Federation and Klingons. ( DIS : " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum ")

Discovery faces the Klingon Ship of the Dead at Pahvo

Encountering the Ship of the Dead in orbit of Pahvo, Discovery engaged in ship-to-ship combat with the Klingons. Discovery then conducted 133 micro-jumps around the cloaked Klingon vessel, allowing the crew to target and destroy the enemy's capital ship. ( DIS : " Into the Forest I Go ")

The mirror universe [ ]

After an apparent accident with the spore drive propelled Discovery into the mirror universe , it emerged that Lorca was in fact an inhabitant of that universe who had replaced his counterpart and deliberately brought Discovery to his home universe. Following Lorca's revelation, Saru assumed full command of Discovery . ( DIS : " Despite Yourself ", " Vaulting Ambition ", " What's Past Is Prologue ")

Battling the ISS Charon

In order to return to their universe, Discovery then launched an attack on the Terran flagship, ISS Charon , on stardate 1834.2. Flying through the Terran ship's superstructure, Discovery destroyed the super-mycelial reactor powering the Charon , and used the resulting mycelial shockwave to power the spore drive and cross back into normal space. ( DIS : " Despite Yourself ", " Vaulting Ambition ", " What's Past Is Prologue ")

Return to the war [ ]

Discovery returned nine months after its departure, having overshot its intended destination. In that time, the Klingons had captured a significant proportion of Federation territory. Boarded by a number of Starfleet officials including Vulcan Ambassador Sarek , Discovery was placed under the temporary command of Admiral Cornwell and brought to Starbase 1 , 100 au from Earth. Finding the station overrun by Klingons, Discovery warped away. ( DIS : " What's Past Is Prologue ", " The War Without, The War Within ")

With Klingon forces encroaching on Earth, Starfleet elected to use Discovery to prepare a strike against the Klingon homeworld, Qo'noS , and solicited the abilities of the Terran emperor , Philippa Georgiou . In order to make the jump to the Qo'noS, Discovery traveled to the Veda system where the crew terraformed the moon Delta 2 and replenished their supply of mycelium spores . ( DIS : " The War Without, The War Within ")

Discovery jumps into a cave on Qo'noS

Under the command of Emperor Georgiou (standing in as the deceased Captain Philippa Georgiou ), Discovery became the first Starfleet vessel to visit the Klingon homeworld since Captain Jonathan Archer and the Enterprise NX-01 visited the planet in 2151 . In order to avoid detection and conflict with Klingon planetary defenses, Discovery jumped into an inactive volcanic cavern large enough to accommodate a Crossfield -class starship beneath the surface of Qo'noS. A landing party to the surface ultimately concluded the mission and brought a peaceful resolution to the conflict. ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ")

Discovery rendezvous with the USS Enterprise

With the war over, Discovery returned to Earth, where its senior staff was honored. The starship was then ordered to Vulcan to retrieve its new commanding officer to take Ambassador Sarek home. ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ")

Christopher Pike's command [ ]

Investigating the red bursts [ ].

En route to Vulcan, a priority 1 distress call led Discovery to drop out of warp and respond to the call from Captain Christopher Pike on the USS Enterprise . ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ")

Discovery navigates an interstellar asteroid field

With Enterprise unable to continue its mission – the investigation of one of seven red bursts that were detected across the galaxy; Pike was ordered to assume command of the Discovery from Acting Captain Saru under Starfleet Regulation 19, Section C . Discovery then warped to an interstellar asteroid at the coordinates of the burst, where it located the wreckage of the USS Hiawatha . Unable to maintain shields while transporting survivors from the Hiawatha , the starship suffered severe hull damage from the fragmenting asteroid, before capturing a fragment of the asteroid in its shuttle bay using a gravity simulator . ( DIS : " Brother ")

Discovery executes a donut in orbit of Terralysium

Detecting a new signal in the Beta Quadrant , Discovery used the previously defunct spore drive to jump to the coordinates, but found no sign of a red burst. Instead, Discovery entered into orbit over Terralysium , a previously unknown Earth colony of World War III -era Humans. With the planet and its population threatened by radioactive asteroids, Helmsman Keyla Detmer piloted Discovery in a donut maneuver, using a dark matter asteroid to magnetically drag the radioactive debris away from the planet. ( DIS : " New Eden ")

Later, a Vulcan cruiser rendezvoused with Discovery , offloading Amanda Grayson . ( DIS : " Point of Light ")

While searching for Spock , Discovery was pulled out of warp by an massive sphere-shaped lifeform . Discovery 's computer system was overloaded by what the crew believed to be a computer virus . Eventually, the Sphere's intentions were discovered and Discovery subsequently became the recipient of a hundred thousand years of the Sphere's knowledge and memories. ( DIS : " An Obol for Charon ")

Discovery jumps partially into the Mycelial network

In order to rescue Sylvia Tilly from the JahSepp , Discovery executed a partial jump into the mycelial plane . The ship was almost instantly attacked by the JahSepp, who began to dissolve the hull. In order to keep from being destroyed, Discovery was assisted by Section 31 chief Leland aboard the NCIA-93 . ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Discovery stands off against the Ba'ul

After a red burst appeared over Kaminar , Discovery arrived in the system where it came into conflict with the Ba'ul . Using the Sphere's signal that had triggered vahar'ai in Saru, they helped the Kelpien race evolve beyond the limitations forced on them by the Ba'ul, and opened the way for the two races to somehow coexist. ( DIS : " The Sound of Thunder ")

Control [ ]

The red bursts, as well as an entity associated with it (known by the crew as the " Red Angel "), appeared to be tied to Michael Burnham's foster brother, Lieutenant Spock of the Enterprise , and Section 31 took an interest in capturing him. They caught up to Spock and Burnham on Talos IV , but they were revealed to be illusions projected by the Talosians ; the real Spock and Burnham had escaped to Discovery , which was declared a renegade ship and forced to go on the run. ( DIS : " If Memory Serves ")

The data from the Sphere also included information on artificial intelligence . An AI from the future infected Control , the threat assessment system developed by Section 31, and made it sentient. Control became obsessed with obtaining all of the Sphere's data on artificial intelligence in order to evolve into a true lifeform and wipe out all other sentient life. Discovery 's spore drive operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Airiam , was possessed by Control through her cybernetics, and forced to deliver the Sphere data to Control at Section 31 Headquarters . Airiam was killed and the base destroyed before it could take the entire archive. Before her death, Airiam told her colleagues to find " Project Daedalus ". ( DIS : " Project Daedalus ")

Daedalus proved to be a Section 31 project involving time travel , building a suit capable of taking its wearer through time. The suit matched the description of the Red Angel. The Angel appeared to be connected to Commander Burnham, and she was used as bait to attract it to Essof IV , where the Angel was revealed to be her mother, Dr. Gabrielle Burnham , who was believed killed by the Klingons on Doctari Alpha some two decades before. ( DIS : " The Red Angel ")

Finding that the Sphere data would not allow itself to be deleted from the databanks, the Discovery crew attempted to send the data back to the future with Gabrielle. However, the plan was sabotaged by Leland, who was possessed by Control through nanotechnology ; he destroyed the time crystal in Gabrielle's suit, which was pulled back along with Gabrielle to her anchor point in the future. ( DIS : " Perpetual Infinity ")

The USS Enterprise taking on Discovery 's crew

Discovery continued to investigate the red bursts while keeping ahead of Leland/Control, and detected a fourth signal orbiting the Klingon world of Boreth . There, they obtained a time crystal and began work to create a Daedalus suit of their own in order to take the Sphere data to the future, beyond Control's reach. However, they were surrounded by Section 31's fleet, which was fully under Control's domination. Pike summoned the Enterprise to take on Discovery 's crew before setting the ship to auto-destruct , in an effort to prevent Control from obtaining the Sphere data. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

The Enterprise and Discovery engage Section 31 vessels

However, they discovered that the Sphere data would also not allow the ship to be destroyed, leading to a change of plans: To bring Discovery itself into the future, and the data with it. Pike and other essential personnel returned to the ship to investigate a fifth red burst on the planet Xahea , where they welcomed aboard its queen , Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po , who had developed a dilithium incubator that could be used to charge the time crystal. Discovery began retrofitting its fleet of shuttles and landing pods with enhanced weaponry, joined together with similarly-modified craft from the Enterprise , to combat the Section 31 fleet. At the same time, work continued on preparing the Daedalus suit, to be worn by Burnham, as her mother's DNA was encoded into the suit schematics and she was the closest match. However, it was revealed that it would be a one-way trip, as the energy needed to charge the crystal with Po's incubator would make it unstable. The senior staff all chose to remain with Discovery and make the trip with Burnham. Pike relinquished command of Discovery back to Saru for the journey, and returned to the Enterprise to prepare for the battle to come. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ")

Discovery leaving the 23rd century

After a pitched battle with Control's forces, Burnham successfully opened the wormhole, taking Discovery through with her. Pike, his first officer Una , Spock, and acting Section 31 chief Tyler all reported to Starfleet Command that Discovery was destroyed with all hands. Spock furthermore recommended that in order to prevent such incidents with Section 31 from happening again, that all participants in the event were to be barred from talking about Discovery , her crew, or her spore drive under penalty of treason . ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

In 2259 , Captain Christopher Pike wore a USS Discovery pin for Starfleet Remembrance Day . ( SNW : " Memento Mori ")

In 2383 , Hologram Janeway showed the young crew of the USS Protostar an image of the Discovery while explaining the history of the Federation and Starfleet to them. ( PRO : " Starstruck ")

Saru's command [ ]

Arriving in the 32nd century [ ].

Upon exiting from the wormhole in 3189 , Discovery crash-landed on an ice planet known simply as " The Colony ". It was eventually rescued by Michael Burnham who had arrived in the future a year earlier. ( DIS : " Far From Home ")

After Discovery arrived in the 32nd century , shipboard computer developments caused some crewmembers such as Captain Saru to develop a theory that the integration of the vast quantities of Sphere data, central to their journey into the future, had prompted the development of a self aware protective instinct among the ship's computer systems. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

At Federation Headquarters , Discovery underwent a three-week retrofit, with all of her systems being upgraded on par with 32nd century technology. Part of this refit included the installation of programmable matter into all stations for better control and converting her warp engines to be detached for improved maneuverability and performance. During the refit, the ship was recommissioned with the registry NCC-1031-A. The change of registry was to also hide the fact that Discovery travelled through time, as time travel was outlawed after the Temporal Wars.

Adira Tal also included an upgrade to the spore drive reaction cube as well as converting the physical injector shunts into nanogel control interfaces.

At the same time, her mission orders were that of a rapid response craft based out of Federation Headquarters due to the unique nature of her spore drive. ( DIS : " Die Trying ", " Scavengers ")

As part of its refit, Discovery was equipped with a cloaking device , the turbolifts didn't run on tracks anymore, they hovered, and the systems hub section was upgraded. ( DIS : " Su'Kal ")

A holodeck was also among the renovations included in the refit. ( DIS : " All In ")

Discovery hijacked by the Emerald Chain

The Discovery was eventually hijacked by Osyraa and her Emerald Chain forces who used the ship to reach Federation Headquarters. ( DIS : " Su'Kal ", " There Is A Tide... ") During the battle that followed, Burnham killed Osyraa, reset the computer to its previous operating system and retook the ship. Discovery 's warp core was then ejected and detonated in order to destroy the Emerald Chain flagship Viridian while Discovery herself spore jumped away using Cleveland Booker 's empathic abilities in the absence of Paul Stamets .

Michael Burnham's command [ ]

Following the resolution of the crisis, Michael Burnham was promoted to captain of Discovery while Saru took Su'Kal home. The ship was then assigned to transport dilithium to various Federation worlds. ( DIS : " That Hope Is You, Part 2 ")

Discovery enters the domain of Species 10-C

With the threat of the Dark Matter Anomaly , Discovery was assigned to travel beyond the galactic barrier and make first contact with Species 10-C , bringing along a number of diplomatic representatives including the Federation President and the President of Ni'Var . The mission left the spore drive burned out, stranding the ship decades away from Earth at warp speed. However, the crew succeeded in convincing the 10-C to shut down the DMA just in time to save Ni'Var and United Earth and Titan from destruction. Before the 10-C shut down the DMA completely, they used the wormhole to return the Discovery to Earth. ( DIS : " The Galactic Barrier ", " Rosetta ", " Species Ten-C ", " Coming Home ")

USS Discovery seen in the windows of Rayner's Quarters

In 3191 , The USS Discovery was seen in the windows of Captain Rayner 's quarters in Federation HQ when Captain Michael Burnham went and had a chat with him. While they we're chatting, Rayner commented; "I got to say... she's a beautiful ship. They don't make 'em like that anymore." ( DIS : " Under the Twin Moons ")

Abandonment [ ]

Discovery one thousand years after its abandonment

At some point, the ship reverted to her pre-refit appearance and was abandoned by her crew . Discovery remained empty for almost a thousand years, when Craft came aboard. The ship's computer was under orders to maintain her position. ( ST : " Calypso ")

Merge with Sphere data and sentience [ ]

After Discovery 's encounter with the sphere-shaped lifeform and its subsequent downloading of its millennia worth of information, the data seemed to have a mind of its own. ( DIS : " An Obol for Charon ") It was repeatedly said to be "protecting itself", preventing its own deletion, not allowing the ship to self-destruct, and even raising the ship's shields when the USS Enterprise tried to destroy it with a photon torpedo in one possible timeline. ( DIS : " Perpetual Infinity ", " Such Sweet Sorrow ") It combined with Discovery 's systems in 3189 , and the computer's voice changed to signify this. Her first act that stretched the bonds of a normal computer was holding a movie night for the crew. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not "). When Osyraa hijacked Discovery , the Sphere data transferred itself to the DOT-23s , which then helped the crew of Discovery take back the ship. Most notably of her actions during that time, she rescued Owosekun from death by oxygen deprivation. ( DIS : " Su'Kal ", " There Is A Tide... ", " That Hope Is You, Part 2 ")

Zora's holographic avatar

By the 32nd century, the computer AI had assumed the name Zora . ( DIS : " Anomaly (DIS) ") A relatively short period of time after that, she had developed emotions. ( DIS : " The Examples ") She worked with the crew of the Discovery on a personal level to escape a subspace rift, struggling with the task due to having to manage her new emotions. ( DIS : " Stormy Weather ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

In an alternate timeline shown to Burnham by the time crystal , Control , in the body of Leland , successfully eliminated the Discovery bridge crew during the Battle near Xahea and took control of the ship and the Sphere data. However, after Burnham warned the crew of what she saw, they were able to alter the future with Control simply heading off to find the Sphere data after a brief engagement on the bridge. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ", " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

In another alternate timeline, Discovery was abandoned and nearly wrecked near the debris field of Federation Headquarters . When Burnham and Commander Rayner arrived on this Discovery in 3218 from a time jump, they found the ship covered in dust and only Zora left who had lost most of her memory. Zora revealed that Discovery had been rescued from its time cycling by Starfleet too late to stop Moll and L'ak from finding the Progenitors technology and selling it to the Breen who had destroyed the Federation and killed everyone, including Discovery 's crew. Zora helped the two figure out the pattern of the time cycling and begged them to make things right before Burnham and Rayner were sent to another time period. This future was averted when Burnham, Rayner and Paul Stamets , with the help of the Discovery crew of an alternate 2256 , stopped the time cycling six hours after it began. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ")

In an alternate timeline, Burnham, Rayner and Stamets enlisted the help of the Discovery crew of 2256 to break the ship's time cycling, revealing to them details of the future in the process. The bridge crew aided in the process by breaking the warp bubble at maximum warp after Burnham revealed her personal knowledge of each of them, particularly of Airiam 's death. In engineering, Rayner used his personal knowledge of Gen Rhys and Burnham -- who had already encountered her future self -- to convince them both to stand down. This timeline was erased when the time bug was removed before it could reset the cycle again as the changes made in each time period wouldn't become permanent until the bug reset. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ")

Embarked craft [ ]

Discovery carried a complement of Class C shuttlecraft and worker bees in its shuttlebay . In 2257, the shuttlecraft were upgraded with enhanced phasers in preparation for battle with a Control -led Section 31 fleet. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ", " Such Sweet Sorrow ")

Discovery also carried four landing pods , first developed for a mission to Kim-Tara , though two were destroyed in 2257. ( DIS : " Brother ")

List of First contacts [ ]

Over its four years of service, the Discovery made first contact with the following species:

• Pahvans , 2256 ( DIS : " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum ")
• Species 10-C , 3190 ( DIS : " Species Ten-C ")

Command crew [ ]

Discovery under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca in 2256

Discovery under the command of Acting Captain Saru in 2257

Discovery under the command of Captain Christopher Pike in 2257

Discovery command crew under the command of Captain Michael Burnham in 3189

• Gabriel Lorca ( 2256 - 2257 )
• Katrina Cornwell (2257) (acting)
• Philippa Georgiou (2257)
• Saru (2257, 2258 , 3189 ) (acting, later promoted)
• Christopher Pike (2257-2258) (under Starfleet regulation 19, section C )
• Michael Burnham (3189-) (acting, later promoted)
• Saru (2256-2258, 3189, 3190 – 3191 )
• Michael Burnham (3189)
• Sylvia Tilly (3189–3190) (acting)
• Rayner (3191)
• Ellen Landry (2256)
• Ash Tyler (2256-2257)
• D. Nhan (2257-2258, 3189)
• Cleveland Booker (3189-3190) (consultant)
• Michael Burnham (2257-2258, 3189)
• Linus (2257-2258, 3189-)
• Arav (2256-2258, 3189-)
• Adira Tal (3189-)
• Keyla Detmer (2256-2258, 3189-)
• Haj (3189) (acting)
• Asha (3191)
• Milton Richter (2256)
• R.A. Bryce (2256-2258, 3189-3190)
• Christopher (3190)
• Joann Owosekun (2256-2258, 3189-)
• Airiam (2257) (acting)
• Gallo (3191)
• Hugh Culber (2256, 2257-2258, 3189-)
• Tracy Pollard (2257-2258, 3189-)
• Gen Rhys (2256-2258, 3189-)
• Paul Stamets (2256-2258, 3189-)
• Airiam (2256-2257)
• Nilsson (2257-2258, 3189-3191)
• Linus (3191-)
• Jett Reno (2257-2258, 3189-)
• Sylvia Tilly (2256-2258, 3189)
• Hugh Culber (3190–)

See also [ ]

• USS Discovery personnel
• Unnamed USS Discovery personnel

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Context Is for Kings "
• " The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry "
• " Choose Your Pain "
• " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad "
• " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum "
• " Into the Forest I Go "
• " Despite Yourself "
• " The Wolf Inside "
• " Vaulting Ambition "
• " What's Past Is Prologue "
• " The War Without, The War Within "
• " Will You Take My Hand? "
• " Brother "
• " New Eden "
• " Point of Light "
• " An Obol for Charon "
• " Saints of Imperfection "
• " The Sound of Thunder "
• " Light and Shadows "
• " If Memory Serves "
• " Project Daedalus "
• " The Red Angel "
• " Perpetual Infinity "
• " Through the Valley of Shadows "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "
• " Far From Home "
• " People of Earth "
• " Forget Me Not "
• " Die Trying "
• " Scavengers "
• " Unification III "
• " The Sanctuary "
• " Terra Firma, Part 1 "
• " Terra Firma, Part 2 "
• " There Is A Tide... "
• " That Hope Is You, Part 2 "
• " Kobayashi Maru "
• " Anomaly (DIS) "
• " Choose to Live "
• " All Is Possible "
• " The Examples "
• " Stormy Weather "
• " ...But to Connect "
• " Rubicon "
• " The Galactic Barrier "
• " Rosetta "
• " Species Ten-C "
• " Coming Home "
• " Red Directive "
• " Under the Twin Moons "
• " Runaway "
• " Calypso "
• PRO : " Starstruck " (digital image)
• SNW : " Strange New Worlds " (archive footage)

Background information [ ]

Bryan Fuller chose the Discovery 's registry number, 1031, because he loves Halloween . [1]

Before the show premiered, Aaron Harberts described the ship as "the latest and greatest ship to roll off the assembly line" ( SFX , issue 292, p. 80)

The set used for the Discovery 's interior was a reused set which, with just a few changes, had previously served as the interiors of the USS Shenzhou and the USS Glenn . ( AT : " Context Is for Kings ")

In " Choose Your Pain ", Saru , while commanding the ship, says he has 134 souls to protect, strongly hinting at the size of the ship's crew. The statement is made while captain Lorca and the shuttle pilot are off-ship, one episode after Ellen Landry is killed, and before Ash Tyler joins the crew, suggesting the complement is 136 at that time.

Apocrypha [ ]

USS Discovery appears in Star Trek Online in an ending cutscene for the players taking the "Discovery" route, where it mentions the crew and the special mission Discovery was to undertake. Later, in the mission "The Measure of Morality", Discovery is again mentioned when the player comes in contact with Michael Burnham. In that scene, it is mentioned that the Discovery was lost with all hands at some point in the past.

External link [ ]

• USS Discovery at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Screen Rant

When star trek: discovery takes place in star trek's timeline (every season).

Star Trek: Discovery is a rare Star Trek show that takes place in two different eras of the Prime Timeline. Here's when each Disco season happens.

• Star Trek: Discovery takes place in two different eras of the Star Trek timeline: seasons 1 and 2 are prequels set in the mid-23rd century, while seasons 3, 4, and 5 take place in the 32nd century.
• Star Trek: Discovery faced controversy and creative changes but ultimately became the vanguard of Star Trek's distant future.
• Star Trek's 32nd century will likely be continued after Discovery season 5 by Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Discovery takes place in two different eras of the Star Trek timeline. Premiering in 2017, Discovery was the first new Star Trek TV series in 12 years, since Star Trek: Enterprise 's 2005 cancelation. Discovery helped launch the CBS All Access streaming service, which was rebranded as Paramount+. Controversial since its inception, Discovery was nonetheless successful enough to spin off multiple Star Trek series on Paramount+. Discovery is also the first Star Trek series to run for five seasons since Star Trek: Voyager , although the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery s eason 5 is also the show's last.

Created by Bryan Fuller, Star Trek: Discovery was originally conceived as an anthology that would take place in different eras with different characters. Behind-the-scenes creative conflicts saw Fuller leave the series before Star Trek: Discovery premiered, and season 1's showrunners were also replaced by Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise for season 2, with Paradise later becoming sole showrunner. Star Trek: Discovery is canonically part of Star Trek 's Prime Timeline , although the show's visual style and story created doubt in some fans' minds. Star Trek: Discovery has deep roots in the era of Star Trek: The Original Series, but Discovery is now the vanguard charting the farthest point of Star Trek 's distant future.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Ending Explained (In Detail)

When star trek: discovery season 1 & 2 take place, discovery began as a prequel to star trek: the original series.

Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 are prequels set in the mid-23rd century, approximately a decade before the five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Star Trek: Discovery season 1 takes place in 2256 and 2257, depicting a devastating war between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets that was partly instigated by Commander Michael Burnham, the adopted daughter of Vulcan Ambassador Sarek (James Frain). Discovery season 1 covers the beginning of the Klingon War into its conclusion, with a spectacular multi-episode detour into the Mirror Universe that brought Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) into Star Trek 's Prime Timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery season 2 was better received than its debut season , thanks to the introduction of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn). Pike left his post on the USS Enterprise to Captain the USS Discovery on a mission to uncover the Red Angel and save the galaxy from Section 31's genocidal A.I. called Control. Star Trek: Discovery season 2 ended with the shocking exit of the USS Discovery and Michael Burnham from the 22nd century as they permanently traveled 980 years into the future. Pike, Spock, and Number One, meanwhile, proved so popular, they received their own spinoff, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 picks up in 2259, a few months after Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery's one-way journey to the 32nd century.

When Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, 4 & 5 Take Place

Discovery traveled to the uncharted, distant future.

Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3, 4, and 5 take place in the 32nd century, which is the farthest known point in Star Trek 's Prime Timeline . Commander Burnham arrived before her starship in 3188 and waited a year until she was joined by the USS Discovery. In Star Trek: Discovery season 3 , Burnham and the Discovery found the 32nd century Federation shattered by a galactic cataclysm called The Burn that eliminated warp drive from the galaxy. Burnham and her crew solved the mystery of The Burn and returned warp travel to the Federation.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, which takes place in 3190, Captain Michael Burnham and her starship faced the Dark Matter Anomaly, a planet-killing entity that threatened the Federation. The USS Discovery ultimately crossed the Galactic Barrier into another galaxy to make peaceful First Contact with the DMA's creators, Species 10-C. The upcoming Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will be a brand-new adventure as Captain Burnham and the Discovery will venture to all corners of space on a hunt for "the greatest treasure in the known galaxy" tied to an 800-year-old Romulan vessel from Star Trek: The Next Generation 's era.

Why Star Trek: Discovery Changed Timelines

Discovery soft-rebooted itself in season 3.

Star Trek: Discovery 's series trajectory is perhaps the most unusual of any Star Trek series, which are historically each based in one particular era, be it the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, or 25th centuries. While Star Trek: Discovery season 1 found plenty of fans, there was a hostile pushback from longtime Trekkers because of the series' irreconcilable anachronisms and technology, like the USS Discovery's game-changing spore displacement hub drive . Ultimately, t he decision was made to change Discovery 's timeline , which ended complaints about the series violating the 23rd-century Star Trek canon.

The 23rd-century prequel era was turned over to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which has been far better received than Discovery was.

Jumping 900 years forward into the 32nd century gave Star Trek: Discovery a renewed status as the first Star Trek series of an expanding universe on Paramount+. Discovery was the flagship of Star Trek on Paramount+, and setting up shop in the 32nd century gave Captain Burnham and Discovery the honor of charting Star Trek 's future . Star Trek: Discovery doesn't end where or when it began, but Captain Michael Burnham is now an anchor of two opposite points in Star Trek 's vast timeline.

What Happens To The 32nd Century After Star Trek: Discovery Ends?

A new star trek series looks to continue discovery's 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is the final season of the Captain Michael Burnham-led series, but what happens after Discovery airs its final episode? Although not yet confirmed by Paramount+, the next Star Trek series is likely a continuation of Discovery 's 32nd-century era. Announced in April 2023 and in development now, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce a new young cast of hopeful cadets in the distant future . Starfleet Academy reopened its doors in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, a hundred years after The Burn devastated the Federation. Like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is expected to be the latest spinoff from Star Trek: Discovery and will keep exploring the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premieres in April 2024 on Paramount+.