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A Guide to the Different Uniform Colors the Characters Wear in ‘Star Trek’

Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966. And in the year 2022, the franchise doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon. Currently, there are several ongoing television series with a new film and series recently announced.

I was a toddler when Star Trek: The Next Generation came out in 1987, making Picard’s Enterprise crew one of my earliest memories. I still love the series (as I sip out of my Chateau Picard wine tumbler). But the meaning of their uniform shirts eluded me for the longest time. Honestly, I thought you just picked your favorite color outfit when you joined a crew. After the “redshirt” trope (where a redshirt team member was more likely to die on a Star Trek away mission) became known, I thought there might be more to it. Apparently, there is a whole color-coded system in place. And the meaning of the colors changed slightly through the various shows.

The Original Series

For the original Star Trek series and the Enterprise prequel that came later, the uniform color breakdowns are:

Red – Engineering, Security, and Communications

Blue – Science and Medical Staff

Gold – Command Staff

Green – Command Staff Formal

The original series is where the redshirt trope comes from. It always seemed like if a random character in a red shirt went on an away mission, then they were not making it back to the ship. The largest group of people wore red uniform shirts, which would make it more likely that a person who died or got injured would have a red shirt on.

The Next Generation

When The Next Generation arrived, the series changed several things from the original, including the uniform colors:

Red – Command Staff

Gold – Operations and Security Staff

TNG , more so than the original series, set the template for most future shows. Even though the uniform styles changed, the color classifications stayed the same in Deep Space Nine , Voyager , Discovery , Picard , and the animated show Below Decks .

However, every season contained at least one character who wore their own take on the uniform that did not line up with the standard Starfleet look. Examples being: Deanna Troi from TNG (to relate to her patients better), Odo and Kira Nerys from Deep Space Nine (because of their connection to the Bajoran military), and Seven of Nine in Voyager (because of her cyborg physiology).

Now that we are clear on which uniform color means what, which color would you pick?

(feature image: Paramount)

What Do the Different Uniform Colors Mean on ‘Star Trek’?

By jason serafino | mar 30, 2023, 3:23 pm edt.

Gene Roddenberry may have dreamed of a perfect future when he created Star Trek , but parts of his vision were firmly rooted in the real world, specifically in the physical makeup of the crew of the Enterprise itself.

Roddenberry, along with the show’s producers, decided to take numerous cues from the United States Navy when creating the official ranks on the show, including a captain overseeing a crew made up of a commander, a handful of lieutenant commanders, lieutenants, and several subordinate roles. But it’s the different colors of the Starfleet uniforms that really tell the story of how the Enterprise operates.

Fans know the basics: an array of blue, red, and gold shirts line the bridge of the ship every episode. Those colors weren’t just randomly picked for the sake of diversity, though. They actually correspond to the ship’s various service roles . The gold shirts are worn by the command division, which includes Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Sulu, and Pavel Chekov. Red uniforms belong to the engineering/communications division, including chief engineer Scotty and communications officer Uhura. The blue shirts are worn by the science/medical staff, including McCoy and Spock .

As with everything in Star Trek , though, it’s a lot more complicated than all of that. In addition to the red shirts belonging to engineers and communications personnel, they are also assigned to the security division. What’s the purpose of the security division on the Enterprise ? Well, they’re usually the supporting characters who are immediately killed whenever the crew is confronted by a new enemy. This is something of a running gag for fans of the franchise, as whenever one of the “Red Shirts” is seen on screen, you know they’re not long for this world .

Also, those gold shirts worn by Kirk and crew might not have been so gold after all. According to an interview with Star Trek ’s costume designer, William Theiss, the idea was for the show’s uniforms to be red, blue, and green. In fact, on the set, Kirk’s outfit certainly looked to be an avocado (or lime) green, but the end result was a little different when the studio lights finally hit the uniform.

“It was one of those film stock things,” Theiss said, “it photographed one way—burnt orange or a gold. But in reality was another; the command shirts were definitely green.”

This might come as a surprise to Trek fans until you remember that Kirk actually did wear green on a few occasions, including the times he was in formal dress and his seldom-seen alternate green get-up, seen in the clip below.

These alternate uniforms were all the exact shade of green Theiss describes, but they were made from a different material than the standard Enterprise shirts and apparently had no issue retaining their natural color scheme when lit on set. The gold shade may have been a production mishap, but the color has since entered the Trek canon as the official hue of Kirk and his command staff. So, in the Star Trek universe, Kirk wears gold; in the real world, though, the bridge of the Enterprise was designed with a completely different color palette in mind.

It gets more confusing when you look at the later Trek series, like The Next Generation , which had the command staff in red and operations in yellow—basically the reverse of the original series. Then, of course, the movies switched costumes and colors with nearly every entry, including the powder blue monstrosities worn in Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Roddenberry’s eye for detail was unique for sci-fi TV at the time, and everything on the Enterprise had a specific purpose. Despite some production fumbles, ill-fated redesigns, and inconsistencies later on, the colors that make up Starfleet’s uniforms tell a story that many viewers probably never even noticed.

A version of this story originally ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2023.

Star Trek: Debunking The Red Shirt Myth

Does your uniform color influence your survival chances in Star Trek? Here are some hidden meanings within Federation fashion.

Star Trek has achieved many things since its creation in the late 1960s, from influencing modern technology , to creating a vast and blossoming universe that has been the inspiration for the plethora of Star Trek TV shows and movies. While the shows have changed a lot over the year, veering away from the classic show that Gene Roddenberry envisioned right from the start , that’s not to say the effect of The Original Series is not felt today.

The good old days of space pioneering is referenced a lot within the modern iterations into the franchise, but they are also referenced a lot with modern day culture. From memes about Spock , to that famous, albeit misquoted, "beam me up Scottie," they’re all common knowledge to those who haven’t even seen the shows. However, there is one misconception that has spread through the internet like wildfire: A red shirt means death.

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Where The Red Shirt Curse Comes From

The misconception has produced various memes and even catchphrases to those watching The Original Series , and stems from the perception that if a crew member was wearing a red uniform, they are far more likely to die than the other members of the crew. (This is specific to The Original Series specific, as in later additions into the Star Trek universe, the uniforms changed: red became the color of command positions, with yellow switching to security.) It’s often joked that in a scene where there is an officer in red, they will most likely meet their demise in whatever mission they were being sent on. Fans joke that crew members would tremble in their boots upon hearing they are not only going to be going to fight some deadly Gorn for example, but that they were going to be donning the cursed red uniform.

To a certain extent, this is true. The Original Series shows the untimely demise of 25 redshirts in total over the three seasons that it aired, where only 10 gold-attired officers, and eight blue-uniformed officers died. While this may seem like confirmation of the redshirt curse, it’s important to remember what these uniforms meant. In The Original Series, as well as the Kelvin timeline Star Trek films , gold uniforms were reserved for those in positions of command, including the one and only Captain Kirk, and helmsman Lieutenant Sulu. Blue uniforms were worn by the science officers, including the medical staff and the ever so cheerful Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Lastly, red was for the real nitty-gritty, hard workers of Starfleet. This included engineering and, most notably, security.

It makes sense, then that with security in red, the redshirts were more likely to perish. Simply put, they were the ones whose job it was to be in harm's way. When Kirk would need a team of people to scout a planet or area out, he wasn't going to send down a whole load of doctors; he would send the highly trained and often deadly team of security officers. While these people were not quite at pre-heartbreak Worf levels of greatness , these were still the best fighters Starfleet had to officer. It was also a great way for the show writers to show how dangerous a situation was, to kill a non-vital character who just so happened to be a security officer. It’s also worth noting here that the red uniform color was also shared with engineering. Both the the groundbreaking Uhura and tough nut Scotty survived the entire show, despite their red attire.

Why The Curse Isn't Real

So why is the redshirt curse a misconception, despite it being proven that more redshirts die than any other color? This comes down to the wonderful world of mathematics and statistics. While 25 redshirts sounds like a lot, the crew of the USS Enterprise comprised, at least to begin with, 239 redshirts on active duty. This means that approximately 10% of the redshirts perished during the three seasons. Compare this to the 55 yellow-shirted command officers, 10 of whom died — this makes the mortality rate of yellow uniforms around 18%, almost twice as high as the redshirts. It seems to be far more dangerous to work in command during these dangerous Federation missions. Meanwhile, only 6% of blue shirts died during the show — it seems this is the safest color.

Star Trek has created a world rich with history, a lot of it taking on a life of its own and transcending the confines of the fiction world into the real one. With warp drives being researched seriously in modern science, and the almost universally recognized hand gesture for living long and prospering, it’s only fair that over the years things will have been exaggerated somewhat. While a lot of red shirts do die during the show, donning the red uniform strangely gives one a greater chance of survival than being in command. They really should have told Kirk about this before his expedition started.

MORE: Star Trek: What Happened Between The 25th and 31st Centuries?

Star Trek's Redshirt Death Trope Explained

When braving the farthest reaches of space, you'd hope that something as simple as your outfit wouldn't impact your likelihood of survival. We're not talking about spacesuits that keep your eyeballs getting sucked from their sockets. We mean the color scheme. Unfortunately, that was precisely the case in the early days of "Star Trek," when wearing a red shirt aboard the Enterprise meant a sealed fate for some. As part of the security or engineering departments, cracking out the crimson threads really was like having a bullseye on your back, just waiting to be hit by the phaser blast or alien threat that Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and crew were dealing with that week.

Their deaths weren't in vain, though. These red-wearing crew members who went down in the line of duty were thrown into the crossfire to demonstrate the severity of the situation. How would audiences find out how lethal the creature of the week was or how evil the newest foe of Starfleet could be without someone getting iced? What's the alternative? Kill one of the core cast, like the captain or Spock (Leonard Nimoy)? Are you out of your Vulcan mind? These walking warning signs had to take the hit. But while these casualties of space exploration may have become synonymous with being killed off on one of the most iconic entries in science fiction, it turns out that redshirts weren't as cursed as fans might think.

Goldshirts had a higher risk level than redshirts in Star Trek

While redshirts were seen as guaranteed casualties in the original "Star Trek" series, some clever calculations reveal that these officers were luckier than the higher-ups in Starfleet. According to one study from mathematician James Grime, who gave a talk at the Museum of Mathematics in 2017 (via Space.com ), wearing gold came with a more considerable risk than wearing red. During the event, which was brilliantly titled "Star Trek: The Math of Khan," Grime revealed that after going off "The Star Trek Technical Manual," which logs 239 redshirts who appear on the show, only 25 die — a pretty minimal 10% of that division. However, when it comes to the 55 goldshirts that appear on the series, 10 never make it through an episode, which equates to 18%.

By Grime's calculations, then, redshirts, while high in casualties on the show, have a lower loss rate from their group in comparison to goldshirts. Even so, it did very little to shake the stigma that had, by that time, stuck with "Star Trek" for about 50 years. Now, "redshirt" remains a pillar in pop culture terminology. If there's a keen crew member of a sci-fi or fantasy series waiting to get in on the action, it won't matter who they're fighting for. In the eyes of a "Star Trek" fan, they're wearing only red.

The Real Math Behind Star Trek's Redshirts Theory

Being a "Red Shirt" on the USS Enterprise has long been considered a kiss of death in the Star Trek universe. Security personnel and engineer characters seemingly died so frequently in the original Star Trek series that the term Redshirt was coined for stock characters introduced into an episode or film simply to have someone to kill off and heighten the drama. While popular, if the math behind a recent theory is to be believed, our boys in red may not have the riskiest job in Star Trek after all.

Enter mathematician James Grime, who has been exposing the legit science behind Star Trek with his lecture "Star Trek: The Math Of Khan." Via Space.com , we now have facts from an actual mathematician that prove wrong everyone who thought the original series' crimson-clothed security personnel and engineering were the most doomed. Avid Star Trek fans may jump to the episodes for evidence, since there are technically more redshirt deaths shown, but Grime points out that we're only seeing half the story from that perspective, and we have to look at the total crew numbers of each profession to get an accurate reading of the ship's actual mortality rates.

239 redshirts were employed on the Enterprise , and 25 died in the original series, which only nets them a 10% mortality rate. Gold shirts, on the other hand, had 55 members on the ship, and with 10 deaths, they earned a mortality rate of 18%, making command and helm personnel the deadliest profession to hold on the USS Enterprise . But even though the odds are higher overall for gold shirts, Grime adds that there is still a way to declare the Redshirt theory objectively true if you take the engineers out of the equation:

There is some truth in the old Star Trek myth if you look at security officers ... 20 percent of security officers died. So I think the moral of the story is, if you're on the Starship Enterprise and you want to survive, be a scientist.

That makes sense, and not just because we know only 6% of Star Trek 's blue-shirted scientists died. You won't often send a scientist with zero combat training on a mission where confrontation and violence will be a factor. It also makes sense that gold-shirted crew, who are often in ranks of command, will find themselves in the line of fire more often than not. Essentially, we just need to change the Redshirt theory to specify that the combat type of Red Shirt has a higher mortality rate, and then everything can return to normal in the Star Trek universe.

So how will this groundbreaking revelation change the world of Star Trek ? Most likely it will be ignored until you find the perfect opportunity to whip it out in a geeky conversation. Make sure to place a large bet on it, so it's really worth everyone wondering exactly how much time you spend watching and reading about science fiction. Rather than judging you, we encourage you to find more! Check out our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere schedule to see what all is on the horizon.

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

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Star Trek "Red Shirts": the Harsh, Statistical Truth

Being a "Red Shirt" on the USS Enterprise is one of the most dangerous jobs in any (imaginary) military. Don't believe me? SiteLogic founder Matt Bailey crunched the numbers : 13.7% of Kirk's crew died during their three-year televised mission. 73% of the deaths were Red Shirts.

What might save Red Shirts' lives?

Besides not getting involved in fights, which usually proved fatal, the crewmen could avoid beaming down to the planet's surface, which is inherent to their end. However, that could result in a court-martial for failure to obey orders. * Besides not beaming down, another factor that showed to increase the survival rate of the Red Shirts was the nature of the relationship between the alien life and Captain Kirk. When Captain Kirk meets an alien woman and "makes contact" the survival rate of the red-shirted crewmen increases by 84%. In fact, out of Captain Kirk's 24 "relationships" there were only three instances of Red-Shirt vaporization.

Andy Greenberg

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Star Trek: Who Was the First Redshirt? (It's Complicated)

Redshirts have become a beloved, if satirical, part of Star Trek, but determining who the first was depends on a lot.

Redshirts -- anonymous Star Trek crew members who always seemed to die so that the series regulars might live -- didn’t develop overnight. The trope started as an in-joke among hard-core Star Trek fans , who noticed that the preponderance of these crewmen wore red shirts. The fan joke turned into a trend, then a trope, and now it is a signature part of Star Trek 's universe .

It was an inadvertent side effect of The Original Series ' process of world-building, and it didn't become apparent until later in the show's run. That leaves the origins of the term a little muddied. Not to mention the question of who the first redshirt was and how they died. It depends on how the term is defined and the way it applies to Star Trek . Thankfully, the candidates and their respective demises aren’t difficult to chart.

Redshirts are loosely defined as characters specifically created to be killed to demonstrate the nature or intensity as a threat. Such characters never last more than a single episode, and series regulars don’t mention them once they’re gone. The term stems from the preponderance of crewmen fitting the description who wore red uniforms instead of yellow or blue ones.

RELATED: Star Trek: What The Next Generation Did During the Dominion War

This was largely for in-universe reasons. In The Original Series , security and engineering personnel wore red uniforms. Since they faced the greatest dangers and hazards, they suffered the highest casualties. 26 red-shirted extras were killed in the series compared to seven characters wearing blue shirts and eight wearing yellow. Not every character killed in the classic “redshirt” manner wore a red shirt in The Original Series . Indeed, crewmen wearing red shirts weren’t killed any more or less often than any other crewmen in the series’ first season. Only four literal red shirts were killed in Season 1, compared to four blue shirts and seven yellow shirts. The other 22 died in Seasons 2 and 3, meaning that the trope didn’t really get started until later in Star Trek’s run.

All of this leads to four distinct answers to who the first Star Trek redshirt was and, thus, how they died. The most straightforward answer is Lieutenant Lee Kelso in the show’s pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” He served as the ship’s navigator and was strangled by helmsman Gary Mitchell under the influence of the strange energies of the galactic barrier. Kelso served in the ship’s operations division. While the uniforms in the pilot were less distinctive than they became on the regular series, it qualifies him as the first redshirt.

The pilot, however, features several incongruities with the show’s eventual incarnation. As the originating show, any characters' death blurs the distinction between a redshirt and a more developed supporting cast member. Without previous context, it’s hard to differentiate Kelso from Mitchell, who was not a redshirt as the episode’s antagonist.

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Jumping forward into the regular series clarifies matters somewhat. Season 1, Episode 5, “The Man Trap,” featured Crewman Darnell, a medical assistant who beams down to the planet’s surface with Kirk and McCoy. Although the three of them appear while Kirk’s voiceover explains their mission, it doesn’t mention Darnell, only McCoy. The salt vampire murders Darnell before the opening credits, confirming the first redshirt's birth. The only difficulty is that Darnell’s uniform is blue, not red, making him a symbolic rather than literal redshirt.

That comes in Season 1, Episode 9, “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” when two security officers -- Matthews and Rayburn -- beam down with the away team and are murdered by the planet’s resident android. Matthews is dispatched first in the order, but his death takes place offscreen, while Rayburn is the first of them killed in full view of the audience.

The question of who came first is further muddled by the release date since “The Man Trap” aired before “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” despite being produced later. Syndication compounded the matter, meaning that many of Star Trek's early fans couldn't be sure which redshirt was first. It’s indicative of the strange way Star Trek developed and how its universe was refined slowly over time, reflecting the unvarnished nature of the series in its early days.

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Red Directive (episode)

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Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious 800-year-old Romulan vessel; until the artifact hidden inside is stolen, leading to an epic chase. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime, and Tilly's efforts to help pull her into a tangled web of secrecy.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 4.1 Reception
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Guest starring
• 5.3 Co-starring
• 5.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.5 Stunt doubles
• 5.6.1 Star chart references
• 5.7 External links

Summary [ ]

On board a ship going at warp, Captain Michael Burnham is hanging on to the outside of the hull, excited by the turn of events. Saru contacts her on his status as she reassures her before telling him to focus on his team while she goes inside the ship to get back something that was taken from a vault. As she uses her phaser to cut her way in, the ship's warp bubble starts to fail, prompting Saru to try and rescue her. Burnham grumbles that this wasn't what she expected when the night started.

Burnham is gathered with Adira Tal , Paul Stamets , Hugh Culber , and Sylvia Tilly as Adira is finishing a joke. A waitress approaches them with Tonic 2161 and explains that this is to celebrate a millennium of the Federation being active, give or take a few decades due to The Burn . Stamets, however, is in a sour mood: Culber reveals that they're shuttering the spore drive program thanks to Ruon Tarka 's theft of the prototype device during the Dark Matter Anomaly crisis and its destruction along with Booker's ship . Adira tries to reassure their parents that it just means Discovery is now one-of-a-kind, but Stamets would rather be someone other than "Scientific Luminary". Burnham is rattled by the mention of Booker, but she shakes it off and reassures Stamets that he'll do something just as great. Thankfully, her awkwardness is stopped when she is asked to meet with some of the dignitaries around.

As she leaves, Stamets regrets mentioning Cleveland Booker as Tilly laments that Burnham hadn't talked to Booker in months. Culber thinks she's hiding something the way she's acting. Tilly goes to add something, but she spots someone in the distance and awkwardly apologizes as she leaves. With that, the Stamets-Culber family decide to go mingle. Elsewhere, Saru is dancing with T'Rina , who realizes that he has something on his mind. Saru reveals that President Laira Rillak has asked him to be Federation ambassador for a coalition of smaller planets, not wanting to make the mistakes of the past as the Federation continues to heal and expand. T'Rina agrees as the planets are close to the Tholian Republic and the Breen Imperium . However, this means that Saru needs to resign his commission from Starfleet, but deep down, he's worried about his relationship with T'Rina. Elsewhere, Burnham is confronted by Admiral Vance , who gives her an infinity-shaped device. " You're done shaking hands. "

Burnham and Vance are taken to a blank white room, the Infinity Room , where Kovich is waiting for them. Vance explains that an 800-year old science vessel has been discovered at the edge of the Beta Quadrant and they need Discovery to drop there and secure it. Burnham realizes that she's being deliberately told very little, forcing Kovich to reveal that this is a Red Directive , stopping Burnham's questioning and agree to assemble her crew.

On the Discovery , the crew is gathered and the ship is prepared for departure. Burnham arrives with Kovich and gives everyone the details of what's going on before jumping to the location of a Romulan science ship .

At the ship, two figures teleport inside and race towards their destination, blowing open the door to a science lab. After stealing a few items, they open their helmets, though Moll hates the smell. She sees that the USS Antares is on their way with L'ak pointing out that another ship (the Discovery ) is coming. He suggests they have about eight minutes before they arrive and Moll discovers the source of the backup power's path. To L'ak's shock, the new ship arrived super quickly. He suggests bailing, but Moll convinces him to keep going.

At Discovery , as they bring up the Romulan ship, Joann Owosekun notes there were two lifesigns that suddenly disappeared. Linus hopes that they just left, but Keyla Detmer thinks they actually cloaked. Burnham orders Gen Rhys and Owosekun with her, phasers on stun, but Kovich surprises them by saying that might not be enough. Burnham thinks that's excessive, but Kovich makes it quite clear that he wants the mission successful by any means necessary.

Act One [ ]

On the Romulan ship, Burnham, Rhys and Owosekun take the science lab with Rhys noting that their targets were there recently. Following their path, they reach another room, where they discover the corpse of a dead Romulan. Rhys finds a vault that had its cloaking device taken out. They open the vault to find it empty. Burnham realizes that Romulan tech takes a long time to decrypt, Rhys realizing they're still here. They quickly turn and open fire, forcing Moll and L'ak to drop their cloaks. They imprison Rhys and Owosekun in a strange bubble, forcing Burnham to chase them herself.

A firefight ensues, forcing Burnham to change her phaser pistol to a phaser rifle to force them to stop and try to talk. However, they approach Burnham with a strange device. L'ak tosses it at her, causing a small black hole to eat up the hull and launch Burnham out into space, saved by her suit changed to a spacesuit. She contacts Saru to tell him to rescue Rhys and Owosekun, but when she spots the thieves' ship, she flies off to it. As she activates the suit's magnetic clamps, the ship comes into view and warps out.

In the present, Burnham attempts to use her phaser to disable their engines when the ship is hit with a tractor beam. It's the Antares , captained by Rayner , who notes Burnham started without him. However, the ship's warp bubble is dropping rapidly; Rayner refuses to let the ship go and the Antares can't just stop it as it doesn't have pathway drive tech. Saru has Detmer bring Discovery in to save Burnham, but the ship is getting rattled and Kovich isn't happy. However, Burnham and Rayner are arguing as Burnham wants him to drop the tractor or they're all dead and Rayner refuses. Ultimately, he relents and drops the lock. As they drop out of warp, the other ship tosses out a number of probes before warping away as Burnham floats back towards Discovery , teleported back on the bridge and she drops into the captain's chair exhausted. Rayner contacts Burnham, letting her know that stunt now has 20 different warp signatures to try and figure out which one's the real one. Kovich sarcastically asks if she has a bright idea and she does.

As the Discovery spore jumps to another planet, Burnham arrives in the cargo bay, where she meets a familiar face – Booker.

Act Two [ ]

As Burnham and Book walk down the hallway, they discuss why they were there, though Burnham congratulates Book on the work he's done for the refugees of the DMA and he wants to make sure he does his best to make up for what happened.

At the security briefing, Rayner reveals Moll and L'ak's identities to them. The item they stole was a Romulan puzzle box that no one knows what's inside and Kovich refuses to reveal. When Kovich asks Book for his help, he easily picks out the right warp trail, leading to Q'mau or "Fred". Vance orders Burnham and Rayner to make their way to Q'mau, though it's quite easy to see that the idea of working with Burnham is not a thrilling one for Rayner. As they leave, Burnham tells Saru that the secrecy of this mission is so strange that even Vance is out of the loop. Saru decides the best thing to do is to ask someone outside of Discovery' s chain of command, which Burnham understands. She also tells him that she'll miss him if he takes the ambassadorial position. He understands, but there's still so much to consider. For now, Fred.

Elsewhere, a very obviously drunk-on- Andorian champagne Tilly is rambling to her male companion about various subjects as she arrives in her room, confusing the poor man. Whatever plans he had are stopped when she decides to send him out with a promise of more talking. As she plans to just sit back and nurse her hangover, Burnham calls asking for her help, but she suggests she says no. Tilly's in.

Down on the planet, Burnham and Book teleport down, causing Book to reminisce about their times as couriers. Rayner drops in soon after and teasingly needles them as he notices that they're having trouble. Elsewhere in the trading outpost, Moll and L'ak make their way to a home which uses a scanner to confirm their identities before they go in. Stripped of their weapons, they meet with Fred, a Soong-type android . They offer their various items, ending with the puzzle box, which surprises Fred. With ease, he solves the puzzle box and reveals its contents: a journal. He flips through it quickly, but stops and focuses on a set of pages with a mysterious design on it. He offers three bars of latinum , but Moll and L'ak refuse, realizing that he reacted to the pages. They want higher. He refuses, and also refuses to return the items, demanding they leave.

Instead, a fight breaks out. In the process, Fred is able to get a phaser pistol working and shoots Moll, prompting an enraged L'ak into blasting Fred. Moll is alright and finishes off the android. Meanwhile, Burnham, Booker and Rayner reach Fred's home to find the place in a shambles. After finding Fred's body, Burnham suggests they stick together as Book knows where things are but Rayner quickly runs out, suggesting splitting up. After requesting Saru beams up Fred's body, Booker and Burnham realize their next move: the sand runners .

In medbay, Stamets and Culber take notice of Fred and marvel at his engineering. Even his memory drive is made in honor of Altan Soong . However, the components are so old, it'll take time to get everything just to try and get it out, more or less trying to download his memory. However, Stamets is a packrat and rushes off to get what he needs.

On the planet, Rayner catches sight of Moll and L'ak and lets Burnham and Booker know. They arrive quickly, prompting Rayner to ask how they got there so fast. However, as they board their own Sand runner, Rayner races off ahead, infuriating Burnham before she and Booker give chase.

Act Three [ ]

In Tilly's room, Tilly is busy hacking into the Starfleet database when two security officers race in, demanding she stop. However, Vance enters, relieving the two and taking over. Vance realizes Burnham asked her to do this and Tilly responds that she didn't, but they do need to know what's so incredible about an eight hundred year old Romulan ship. Vance agrees and the two prepare to finish the job. They reveal a hologram of the dead Romulan, Vellek , revealing he found something very dangerous, the damaged message mentioning cryptic clues and that everything he wrote was in a journal and that whatever it was must not be placed in the wrong hands.

Back on the planet, Rayner, Booker and Burnham try to chase Moll and L'ak before they reach their ship. Realizing they were getting close, Rayner races ahead, but they are too late as their ship takes off and begins firing on them. Booker realizes they're planning on heading into the tunnels, which annoys Burnham as this was the first time he mentioned such a thing. They figure Discovery and the Antares can meet up and block them off. She asks Owosekun for scans, but she's already certain they know which one they're going to take as it has a charge set up. Saru says that Zora estimates the chances of an avalanche at 30%, which Rhys warns would destroy the outpost. Burnham wants to be teleported over to it so she can disarm it, but Rayner tells her it'll disintegrate her before she can even pull up her holograms. He orders the Antares to lock on and fire, but Burnham doesn't want this to happen as they are on a non-Federation planet on a secret mission.

The Antares fires and destroys the tunnel entrance, forcing the ship to pull up. Rayner cheers before Burnham tells him that they're arming photon torpedoes, confusing Rayner in surprise. The ship triggers an avalanche, forcing the three to turn back and race away. Zora contacts Burnham and lets her know how fast and how large the avalanche is; there's no way to save the outpost's people by transporting them in time. Trying to figure out plans, Adria suggests throwing Discovery down to block it. Stamets says it’s not enough, but the Antares is suggested to help out. They would have to arrive at the same time, but it could work. However, Antares refuses as Rayner's ordering them to stay the course. Burnham forces Rayner to consider the people rather than the couriers, forcing him to give Burnham control.

Act Four [ ]

As Burnham, Booker and Rayner race back to the city, Discovery and Antares arrive in the atmosphere. As they do, they discover two civilians in the way. They can't get a transporter lock with all the dust, so Burnham uses their exact coordinates to pick them up before she passes them. Raising shields, the two ships dive into the ground, blocking the avalanche with their hull and shields. The outpost is saved and the citizens cheer their victory. However, Moll and L'ak escape, infuriating Rayner as he teleports back to his ship. Alone, Burnham and Booker talk and they realize their time apart has changed them, suggesting they may not be an item anymore. However, Tilly contacts her and reveals that what she has learned is crazy.

Discovery returns to spacedock, mooring itself once arriving. Watching outside a window, T'Rina is joined by Saru, the former having learned what happened. Saru admits to T'Rina that the incident made him realize his mortality and his relationships. As much as Discovery is his home and family, T'Rina is that and so much more; he wants to accept the offer and to be with her. T'Rina wants to codify their relationship, which Saru realizes that she's asking him to marry her, which he accepts.

Arriving at medbay, an exhausted Burnham meets up with Stamets and Culber and wants to know what they found. It turns out they have had a good look at the journal. Burnham realizes one of the pages shows twin moons in the Vileen system . She knows something's up and decides to confront Kovich.

On a ravaged world, Burnham confronts Kovich, demanding to be brought into the know. He refuses, stating that the information is classified and has been for hundreds of years, that it's bigger than her. He reveals that he's planning to relieve her for his own specialized team. However, Burnham convinces him that doing so means that team is going to be hopping twin moon planets for hundreds of years. Chuckling, he agrees and reveals he knew Tilly was hacking into the database and was glad Vance failed to stop her. The planet is revealed to be a hologram and he begins to reveal the backstory of what's going on: Vellek was a Romulan scientist that was part of a group that included Captain Jean-Luc Picard that discovered a message from a race of ancient aliens known as the Progenitors , who seeded life in the galaxy. Vellek had discovered the machine that allowed this to happen and Moll and L'ak are on their way to get it.

Tossing her the infinity-shaped device, he tells Burnham that the greatest treasure in the universe is out there and what is she waiting for? She replies "Let's fly."

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Never a dull moment! " " Captain, are you all right? " " Surprisingly, I'm not dead yet! Focus on our team, I'll try to take out their engines. "

" It's good to see the Federation back, isn't it? And at peace. " " It really is. " " Yeah. "

" It's a new world, Paul, and you will find new purpose. We all will. "

" An 800-year-old science vessel was just found at the edge of the Beta Quadrant. Dr. Kovich needs Discovery to jump there immediately and secure it. " " What's on board? " " Something vital to the security of the Federation. " " That doesn't answer my question. " " I'm aware. " " Sir, I cannot… " " Captain, this is a Red Directive. "

" That cherry that they just dropped on our shit sundae left us with twenty warp signatures all charting different courses! "

" Shut up, champagne! Why did they wait till all the after-parties to give that to us? They should have been passing it out to the delegates before they left, you know? Just a little diplomacy. Is it warm in here? "

" In my youth, I struggled often with… love. How to embrace those who were destined to be taken from me in the cullings. Until I met you, I did not understand the degree to which that fear had constrained me. "

" If I may, I do believe it would be only logical, given this development, for us to codify our mutual commitment in a more official capacity. " " T'Rina, are you asking me to marry you? " " I believe that is the language some cultures use for it. "

Background information [ ]

• By 1 January 2024 , this episode's title was revealed by the Writers Guild of America West. [1] (X) [2]
• The title was officially confirmed on 14 February 2024 . [3] [4]

Story and script [ ]

• This episode's synopsis was revealed on 11 January 2024 . [5] [6]

Production [ ]

• This episode is the first to introduce a new Star Trek intro animation featuring the Discovery jumping onto the screen. [7]
• The science lab aboard the Romulan scout ship is a redress of the Discovery mess hall set.

Continuity [ ]

• Although referenced being at the Millennium Celebration, President Laira Rillak does not appear in the episode.

Reception [ ]

Links and references [ ], starring [ ].

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

Guest starring [ ]

• Oded Fehr as Charles Vance
• David Cronenberg as Kovich
• Annabelle Wallis as Zora (voice)
• Tara Rosling as T'Rina
• Eve Harlow as Moll
• Elias Toufexis as L'ak

Co-starring [ ]

• Emily Coutts as Lt. Cmdr. Keyla Detmer
• Patrick Kwok-Choon as Lt. Cmdr. Gen Rhys
• Oyin Oladejo as Lt. Cmdr. Joann Owosekun
• Orville Cummings as Lt. Christopher
• David Benjamin Tomlinson as Lt. jg Linus
• Victoria Sawal as Lt. Naya
• Natalie Liconti as Lt. Gallo
• J. Adam Brown as Fred
• Gregory Calderone as Lt. Jax
• Mei Chung as UFP Presidental Aide
• Michael Copeman as Dr. Vellek
• Julianne Grossman as EV Suit Computer
• Addison Holley as Cadet Ross
• Nicole Nwokolo as FHQ Security officer

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Lena Banks as Romulan officer ( archive image )
• Salome Jens as ancient humanoid ( archive image )
• Simon Northwood as Fred's Guard #1
• Maurice Roëves as Romulan captain ( archive image )
• Leatrim Stang as Romulan officer ( archive image )
• Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard ( archive image )
• Unknown actor as Young Vellek ( archive image )

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Louis Paquette as stunt double for Elias Toufexis
• stunt double for David Ajala
• stunt double for J. Adam Brown
• stunt double for Eve Harlow
• stunt double for Sonequa Martin-Green
• stunt double for Callum Keith Rennie

References [ ]

24th century ; 26th century ; ambassador ; Antares , USS ; avalanche ; Beta Quadrant ; Booker's ship ; Breen Imperium ; cocktail ; dignitary ; driving ; Federation database ; Federation Headquarters ; gravitational well ; graveyard ; holodeck ; Infinity Room ; jumja stick ; Lurian ; Lyrek ; Milky Way Galaxy ; Millennium Celebration ; mind meld ; pathway drive ; peace ; probe ; Progenitors ; Q'mau ; Red Directive ; resignation ; Rigel V ; Romulan ; sand runner ; Scaptar ; sector ; Security Protocol Six Alpha ; Simulation Week ; Soong, Altan ; spice market ; spore drive ; Starfleet ; tan zhekran ; Tellarite ; term of endearment ; Tholian Republic ; Tonic 2161 ; tribble ; United Federation of Planets ; vault ; Vileen system ; Vintar IV ; warp bubble

Star chart references [ ]

15 Sagittae ; 31 Aquilae ; 39 Serpentis ; 53 Aquarii ; 58 Ophiuchi ; 99 Herculis ; Aaamazzara ( Therbia , Epsilon Serpentis ); Alshain ; Antos ( Kappa Delphini ); Arbazan ; Argus ; Ascella ( Zeta Sagittarii ); Baham ( Theta Pegasi ); Balancar ; Balosnee ; Berengaria ; Cebelrai ( Beta Ophiuchi ); Deep Space 3 ; Deep Space 5 ; Delta ; Delta Aquilae ; Delta Sculptoris ; Deneb El Okab ( Zeta Aquilae ); Dopteria ( Kappa Coronae Borealis ); Eta Coronae Borealis ; Eta Serpentis ; Ferenginar ; Fesarius ; Gamma Coronae Australis ; Gamma Coronae Borealis ; Gamma Ophiuchi ; Gamma Serpentis ; Gemma ( Alpha Coronae Borealis ); Hornish ; Hupyria ( Tau Coronae Borealis ); Izar ( Epsilon Boötis ); Kappa Ophiuchi ; Kaus Borealis ( Lambda Sagittarii ); Kholfa ; Kohlan ; Lambda Coronae Borealis ; Lappa ; Lytasia ; Ludugia ( Rho Coronae Borealis ); Neural ; ( Zeta Boötis ); Nusakan ( Beta Coronae Borealis ); Omega Sagitta ( Madena , Altec , Straleb ); Omega Sagittarii ; Prexnak ; Rasalhague ( Alpha Ophiuchi ); Rhaandar ( Alpha Indi ); Rho Capricorni ; Rotanev ( Beta Delphini ); Rymus ; Sabik ( Eta Ophiuchi ); Sarin ( Delta Herculis ); Sauria ( Psi Serpentis ); Sepia ; Sigma Coronae Borealis ; Sigma Serpentis ; Tarahong ; Tau Piscis Australis ; Thalos ; Uncharted System 1702 ; Unukalhai ( Alpha Serpentis ); Upsilon Aquarii ; Zaran ( Mu Capricorni ); Xi Ophiuchi ; Zeta Microscopii ; Zeta Serpentis

External links [ ]

• " Red Directive " at the Internet Movie Database
• Red Directive (episode) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 3 Ancient humanoid

• April 12, 2024 | Interview: Wilson Cruz On How “Jinaal” Sets Up The Rest Of The Season For Culber On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
• April 12, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed For Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ To End With Season 5
• April 12, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Goes To Trill With ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ For “Jinaal”
• April 11, 2024 | Paramount Pictures Officially Confirms Star Trek Origin Movie For Its Upcoming Film Slate
• April 11, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”

Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Returns With New Vitality And A Lore-Fueled Quest In “Red Directive”

| April 4, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 96 comments so far

“Red Directive”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 – Debuted Thursday, April 4, 2024 Written by Michelle Paradise Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

A strong season opener resets the series with a new tone and a new sense of adventure.

We’re back!

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Surprisingly, I’m not dead yet.”

Things kick off in media space res action with Michael Burnham astride an unknown ship at warp telegraphing the pivot goal of this new season: “Never a dull moment.” Flashback to how her night started at a nice reception aboard the Disco celebrating Federation Day . The formal event is not unlike how the last season ended, but it’s been a few months, giving time for Tilly to settle in at the Academy, Stamets to get unsettled over the spore drive program being shut down, Michael to pretend to be over Book’s betrayal, and Saru and T’Rina (Sarina?) to master their cute couple dancing routine. The Kelpien has big news: he has been offered a job as a Federation ambassador, but he is conflicted about leaving Discovery versus spending more lovey-dovey time with the Vulcan prez. Vance kills the light jazz vibe by whisking Burnham away to Kovich’s super double secret “Infinity Room” for a briefing about a 24th-century Romulan science vessel found at the edge of the Beta Quadrant. She is being tasked with securing what Kovich ominously describes as “something vital to the security of the Federation,” brushing away any need to explain more by declaring the mission a “Red Directive”… Episode Title Alert!

Cut to the Rommie derelict with a couple of looters willing to risk a confrontation with the two Starfleet ships coming in hot knowing this must mean there is something “extra shiny” ( really? ) on board. Kovich orders Burham to use “any means necessary,” and she, Rhys, and Owo board, only to find nothing but an extremely dead Romulan and a very empty vault. Space Bonnie and Clyde come out of hiding and neutralize Owo and Rhys with a cool gun that shoots containment bubbles, leaving Michael and the duo with a phaser face-off: She will let them go if they hand over the old box they found. They choose door number 2 by blowing a hole in the floor, which sends Burnham flying (saved by programmable matter insta-space suit). She flies onto their cloaked ship and we’re back at the starting action. The USS Antares catches up; gruff Captain Rayner has a grudge with the thieves and won’t let go of his tractor lock, even though it risks getting everyone killed. Her attempts to stop the ship fail and she convinces Rayner to let go, allowing the baddies to escape within a flurry of 20 decoy warp signature drones. Kovich demands a “brilliant idea” and it’s time for Michael to get ominous: “I know someone who can find them.”  Who could that be?

Saru is wondering if the bridge is big enough for a Vulcan/Kelpien wedding.

“How can we make an excellent deal today?”

It’s Book, of course it’s Book. Michael awkwardly greets her former BF (and now Federation convict) so they switch to “very professional” mode. Rayner briefs them on Moll and L’ak, the former couriers and current MacGuffin possessors. Cleveland sorts out where they would go to unload the vintage knickknacks, so Vance orders the Antares and the Discovery to head to Q’Mau. Before she leaves, Michael enlists Sylvia Tilly to do some database snooping at Fed HQ to get around Kovich’s obtuseness.

The thieves head into a space bazaar to on the desert planet to find Fred the fence, who turns out to be an eccentric OG android . He is particularly interested in the puzzle box, which he opens with ease, speed-reading the old journal of Romulan scribbles and diagrams within. He offers 3 bars of latinum in a take-it-or-get-shot deal. Moll and L’ak choose to get shot, but it’s Fred’s goons who end up dead, and the synth is left with a big hole in his chest. The Federation trio arrives too late, but beam what’s left of Fred up to the ship as they split up to find the baddies. Back at the Academy, Tilly gets caught hacking but Vance saves her; he’s tired of Kovich’s mysteriousness, too. She finds an old garbled recording of a Romulan scientist talking about the secrets he has written into that same journal, dropping clues about “twin moons” and an “ancient technology” that “cannot fall into the wrong hands.” Jolan tru !

Michael, Book, and Rayner head out into the desert for a speeder bike chase, still finding time to bicker while under fire. Moll and L’ak get to their ship and plan to use some tunnels to escape. The trio has a fierce debate over how to counter this move, with Burnham warning Rayner that ordering the Antares to close the tunnel could trigger a town-destroying avalanche. Rayner decides to do it anyway, resulting in no avalanche, so no problem… except the thieves decide to trigger one anyway. Cue rapid-fire science chatter on the Disco to sort out how to save the town: The only solution is to use both ships as giant sand wedges to build a shield wall… that’s a new one. Mission-focused Rayner votes no, but reluctantly backs down, reminded Starfleet is all about saving the innocent and all that goody-goody stuff. With Detmer’s “I’m taking us in, brace!” the ships save the town, complete with exploding consoles, cool effects, triumphant music, and cheering locals. Rayner doesn’t join the jubilation as Moll and L’ak escape again, letting Burnham know he is definitely not her biggest fan. She and Book take a moment to decompress… and officially break up, just in time for Tilly to call: “Is this a bad time?” You think?

So Commander Data was your third cousin?

“I’ve got some answers for you and they are wild.”

Disco returns to space dock and Saru’s love life is headed in the other direction. The day’s events have reminded him of what is most important and he now realizes that his future lies with T’Rina. The stoic Kelpien is taking the ambassador job because she is also his family, “I want to be with you, always.” Aww. President girlfriend is moved (not to tears, she still is a Vulcan), so she does the logical thing, suggesting “we codify our mutual commitment in a more official capacity.” ICYMI, that is a Vulcan proposal. Still, aww. (He accepts, btw.)

In sickbay, Hugh and Paul have been sorting through Fred’s positronic brain, and thankfully Fred has a recording of the Romulan diary. Burnham spots a clue identifying the “twin moons” location, giving her leverage for a confrontation with Kovich who is looking at the wrong planet. She pushes past his obstruction for a mission that has been classified for centuries. Her little bit of blackmail works and he briefs her on what’s really going on. The long-dead Romulan scientist was named Dr. Vellek. He was one of those present when a certain Captain Jean-Luc Picard found a message left by ancient beings who created “every humanoid species in the galaxy.” Vellek found their technology and now “the greatest treasure in the known galaxy” is up for grabs and Moll and L’ak are already a step ahead in finding it… but not if Michael and the Disco can beat them to it. With a wry smile she readies for 9 more episodes of galaxy-trotting questing adventure with… wait for it… “Let’s fly.”

Michael tries to emulate how Picard used to sit in his chair.

Indiana Tones

Now that’s how you do a season premiere. “Red Directive” delivered on the promised pivot in tone for the series, introducing us to this new quest. Like with most Disco season premieres, there was plenty of action, but Olatunde Osunsanmi kept up a balanced pace, ramping things up for the set pieces while slowing things down for some poignant character moments. Surfing this wave ably was Sonequa Martin-Green delivering a standout performance. She helped set the new tone for the season as she added a layer of fun to Burnham, perhaps exemplified best by how she wrapped up the episode, trading in the usual existential dread with a sense of elation as she set out on the first stage of what is literally a treasure hunt. But she was far from alone, assisted by her co-stars, a strong musical score, and striking visual effects. It’s clear they want fans to come away feeling Indiana Jones vibes from the style of action to the music. The desert setting and Michael’s reveal that Kovich was looking at the wrong planet were clear homages but still not too heavy-handed. Speaking of planets, it’s a good start to actually visit a new one (Q’ Mau), which looked great, and there was even a little classic Trek vibe about how all the locals wore variations of the same outfit.

The episode still had a strong sense of Trek’s consistent theme of teamwork and being stronger together, from romantic unions like T’Rina and Saru to reluctant collaborators like Burnham and Rayner, with their ships and crews syncing up to save the day. Callum Keith Rennie is a fantastic addition to the cast, bringing back some of that gruff Lorca energy from season 1—as he came into conflict with pretty much everyone with a welcome layer of snark. The return of Mary Wiseman’s Tilly is also welcome, as she was sorely missed in the second half of season 4, and she can still deliver those fun lines, but the character has also grown through her time away at the Academy. Other character arcs were also reset, notably Cleveland Booker, who is facing the consequences for his actions last season. Some beats do feel like retreads: Paul Stamets still feels lost in a role that has become mostly a technobabble and exposition generator, but maybe there will be some payoff for the bit about collecting old wire? …probably not. Still, that Paul/Hugh moment was a nice bit of fun, as everyone seemed to be playing with the new tone. Even T’Rina is getting in on it, playfully threatening Saru with a mind meld. These 32 nd century Vulcans are picking up some naughty traits from their Romulan cousins.

Indy would have loved to have one of these.

Chasing Canon

The premiere nicely set up our season bad guys, Moll and L’ak, who are atypical villains. The stakes may be historic and galactic, but this pair is just in it for the LOLs and dolla, dolla bills latinum. They are sort of a dark reflection of Michael and Book, former couriers who have taken a different path now that the galaxy is flush with dilithium again, a fresh take for a series that often falls short when it comes to its villains. And this idea of how the galaxy has been changing since the Discovery crew ended “ The Burn ” at the end of season 3 was a nice bit of 32nd century worldbuilding, another area the series has been lax on. Rayner himself is a great example of a relic of the Burn era, no longer fitting in with this new world. There were even some lines about threats from the Breen and Tholians… dare we hope these things will actually be followed up later in the season? It’s always hard to tell what is being telegraphed, but it’s likely there are many bits of foreshadowing in this opening episode. While they were doing all this worldbuilding, would it have killed them to explain what exactly a “Red Directive” is? This may seem nitpicky, but understanding these parameters (like with General Order 7 or The Omega Directive ) helps set the dramatic stakes, which were hinted at with the conflict early on between Michael and Kovich over the use of lethal force.

And finally, Discovery is fully embracing the whole Star Trek of it all with more of links to franchise lore. The scene with Fred the android and all his quirkiness was delightful and hopefully, we will get more of actor J. Adam Brown’s “effervescent” takes on the 32nd century if Stamets can rewire him. Making Rayner a Kellerun is quite the deep cut, and Michelle Paradise tells TrekMovie they plan to build some backstory for the one-off alien race from DS9. Of course, the big thing everyone is going to be talking about is the “appearance” of Jean-Luc Picard, or at least a screencap from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Chase.” Turning a random background Romulan from that episode into this Dr. Vellek (now played by Michael Copeman) is just the right kind of retconning. Discovery is picking up a fascinating thread that TNG left dangling and unspooling it into a whole season, and I love it. And they really hung a lantern on their mystery box tendencies by literally introducing a puzzle box and then opening it up right away, showing us the canon goodies buried inside. This is a message: We get it, we are trying to do better.

You guys got any more self-sealing stembolts?

Final thoughts

The new tone and style set up what looks to be a more episodic adventure with the next clue and destination already queued up at the end of episode 1. The reduction to 10 episodes (to conform with all the other Paramount+ Trek series) is probably a plus for this show, since it tends to drag in the middle of its serialized seasons. After a two-year absence, Discovery’s return is a bit bittersweet as we know it’s the final season, especially as the show appears to be hitting its stride and picking up some of the best qualities of other modern Trek shows. But for now, we can just enjoy the ride and in this case, fans don’t have to wait for episode 2.

Think he is deactivated enough?

• “Red Directive” was released simultaneously with the second episode of the season (reviewed separately).
• The episode was dedicated “For JP, with love,” honoring J.P. Locherer , a camera operator for the series who passed away in 2022.
• The “Tonic 2161” cocktail celebrating the Federation’s first millennium is still popular in 3190… perhaps because it tastes “ like jumja sticks .”
• There is a new member of the bridge crew named Lt. Naya (Victoria Sawal), apparently replacing Lt. Nilsson.
• The guy Tilly was crushing on is named Lt. Jax (Gregory Calderone).
• Programmable matter bracelets can convert phaser pistols into phaser rifles.
• Andorians make champagne, and Tilly likes it.
• The spore drive program lost out to the Pathway Drive , a prototype propulsion system installed on the USS Voyager-J , first seen in season 3. Burnham was part of the short list of potential captains for the Voyager-J in season 4.
• The Romulan science vessel was the same design used in the TNG episode “The Next Phase.”
• There is at least one tribble running (rolling?) wild through the corridors of the USS Discovery.
• This is the third USS Antares in Trek canon; the last one seen was a Miranda-class in Deep Space Nine .
• Romulan Tan zhekran puzzle boxes were introduced in season 1 of  Picard.
• Tilly asks “I can’t crash all these kids onto an ice moon to teach them that, right, could I?” referencing how she got the cadets to work together in the season 4 episode “ All is Possible .”
• In addition to trying to sell the puzzle box, Moll and L’ak also had 24th-century isolinear chips , PADDS , and a self-sealing stembolt .
• Fred says he hasn’t seen relics like those for 622.7 years, indicating he has been in operation since at least the 26th century. It’s likely he’s even older than that, since his design was akin to Data and the Coppelius androids seen in the early 25th century.
• Fred’s serial number was AS0572Y, with Stamets guessing the “AS” as an homage to 24th century scientist Altan Soong .
• Linguist Trent Pehrson , who constructed the Romulan language for Picard, consulted for this episode.
• Portions of the Q’Mau desert sequence were filmed by a second unit in Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park .
• Kovich gave Burnham the key to the Infinity Room, which will probably be important later.

I know I like to say “Let’s fly,” but this is ridiculous.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

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

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

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Preview Offers Intriguing Clues And The Return To [SPOILERS]

The episode was fantastic i really enjoyed it and i find it to be the best season opener of Discovery and so far the best season opener of any of the modern Treks.

I loved the callbacks to the TNG episode The Chase and the little Easter eggs planted through the episode and this is how you do nostalgia correctly. You let it come naturally and not shove it into the cracks of a very weak/paper thin story that i felt Picard S3 did.

I loved seeing Tilly again and Admiral Vance again continues to shows that he is not a bad guy like some admirals have been.

I found Raynar to be a bit of a jerk but hopefully his character evolves through the season.

The CGI was as always fantastic and i loved the sequence of both Discovery/Antares being a shield wall against the avalanche.

Liked this one and really enjoyed the promo for the rest of the season.

Did my eyes deceive me or was the derelict in the Nebula in the promo the Enterprise?

Looked like the Enterprise or another Connie emerging from some kind of nebula and a beam was coming from it.

It helps if you view it using a ******.

When Michael and Book approach the green nebula the word Enterprise is visible as is 1701 in the ruin.

It almost looks like it says ISS, but couldn’t make that part out well.

That’s weird cause we know what happened with both the 1701 and 1701-A

I wonder if it’s some sort of portal in time and the Enterprise emerges through and now “hey here’s a chance for the Discovery crew to go home” on the Enterprise before the portal or wormhole closes.

But going back would defeat the fact that Discovery & her crew were wiped out of all records pre-TOS. In the 2nd Short Trek “Calypso”, the Discovery had been abandoned (going on memory I think it was parked in a nebula) 10,000 years with orders to remain until the crew returned. I guess they could have gone back to their time, but they would have to live with new identities and could never contact family or old friends.

welp – seems just like Enterprise they may have finally found the right formula just in time to get canceled.

Enterprise feels slightly less lonely. :/

The first season of Enterprise had some of the greatest episodes of Star Trek, and they werent as self referential. As a stand alone, f.e. Fight or Flight is really great.

Agreed. A lot of great episodes those two first seasons. It’s amazing how much I took that show for granted back then.

A Constitution in the trailer :)

I enjoyed it but it struck me how often the characters were quipping in deadly situations and with seconds to spare. There’s ‘being calm under pressure’ and treating the situation like it’s no biggie. I felt episodes 1 and 2 did more of the latter than the former.

I also noticed how often people entered rooms uninvited (normally due to Insta-transport) and how people have stopped announcing tbemselves when speaking though communicators: they just start taking through them whether the person on the other end is ready or not

These are obviously very nerdy nitpicks but I hadn’t noticed it to such a degree before!

Its a bit of a coincidence, but its not the first time the Romulans were interested in the technology of the Progenitors, because they did the same thing in the PC video game Star Trek: Hidden Evil and Salome Jens reprised her role as the Ancient humanoid aka Xa-Tal from The Chase, however she does get killed by the Romulans who are interested in the destructive powers of a coveted genetic seed

Now THAT was good.

It was truly amazing fun.

In the trailer it was the 1701… must have been A obscured.

I zoomed in. It may be the ISS Enterprise…

Ooh! Yes! That would also explain the sickback set seen in the trailer.

Interesting and possible link in the future (pun intended) to the S31 movie?

Fred reminded me of Data.

I am crossing my fingers that Stamets and Culber revive Fred at some point. He was way too much fun to off so quickly!

If his positronic brain was untouched, then what’s the deal? Fred should be fine. Just fix the hole in his chest. For a synth who has been around for centuries, his apparent demise should not have been quick or easy. Just seems like Fred would have been more durable, more prepared, and simply better than what we saw.

It’s funny cause his looks reminded me of Data but his demeanor reminded me of a Vorta. Like the Izzy Top one.

Is that an Iggy Pop / ZZ Top cover band?

Awesome! Finally one of my favourite NextGen episodes gets a season-long sequel. This is so essential.

Loved poor Fred. There was a German pop song back in the 80s and 90s during Trek’s heydays titled “Fred vom Jupiter” (“Fred from Jupiter”). I had to think of that one, too.

It was so good. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! I’m curious what’s up with L’ak. His head glimmered when he took off his helmet. Made me think. He kinda has some Romulan features, like the arched up brow bones and the shape of his ear area. He could be a Romulan/Reman hybride. Or maybe he’s from the parallel universe.

Overall a FANTASTIC episode!

I really loved so much about it especially the main twist it’s all built around The Chase, one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. I have known this twist for a few weeks now so was looking forward to the reveal and it did not disappoint. Like so much in Star Trek there are so many stories I wish they follow up and this is a pretty big one lol. The creation of life itself.

But this episode was just a lot of fun. Loved all the action sequences, especially the desert chase (but LDS did it first chasing down the Romulans in Crisis Point 2 ;)) and the opening with Burnham.

The two new villains are also cool and I’m seeing theories that Lak could be a shape shifter or even a Breen. Please bring the Breen back please!! Also loved Fred which I also knew about a head of time and loved how much he looked like Data. And Rayner was great. That dude comes off like a total hardass and I love it lol. Glad he’s going to be the first officer.

And they really used the 32nd century pretty well here. I liked seeing all the proto matter stuff with the weapons. And also cool we’re starting to learn so much more about it.

It still wasn’t perfect though. It’s still Star Trek: Discovering your feelings with all the touchy feely stuff and Book and Michael working through their stuff. I get it, that part was necessary but some of it still lingered too long for me. And the scene with drunk Tilly and her 16 year old crush on some guy was eye rolling. It’s crazy she’s supposed to be a teacher. But whatever.

Overall though it was a great episode and probably my favorite premiere episode for Discovery although Brother is still pretty great and pretty close to a tie. But this one edges it out with the cool Progenitors twist.

Hopefully we’re going to get a great season and it’s pretty strong out the gate. But I remember saying something like this the last three are too. 😂🙄

But I would love this season to be the Enterprise season 4 or Picard season 3 of Discovery and go out with a huge bang. Great start so far though.

I wasn’t Crazy about drunk Tilly either. Hacker Tilly was much better. Also liked that Staments found something to do in this episode now that the spore drive is going to go away. Vance and Kovich were great additions as always. Rayner has promise and I am glad that Rhys and Owo got something to do off the bridge. Saru as diplomat wasn’t my first choice but he would be great in the role.

Overall this was one of the better season starts for Discovery. I was surprised by that because I never felt like The Chase needed a follow up. Let’s hope they can sustain the mystery as the season goes on!

Heya! I never liked the Burnham Book stuff myself but we were warned fairly well on that no matter what becomes of this season Discovery will still be Discovery.

You could give me Saru and T’Rina romance scenes for the whole season because that is something they have really done well. When I think how badly SNW does romances it elevates how good this is.and how romances can be interesting rather than just really annoying. Also Saru is just a wonderful character and by far the best character on Discovery and SNW. Whish we had more like that, Hemmer was probably my second favourite in Nu Trek.

I wonder has anyone figured out what self-sealing stembolts are actually for after 800 years. Aside from O’Brien I don’t think anyone else actually knew.

Well, they were treated in this episode as a relic, and not even a prized one at that (Fred was apparently the only dealer who wants stuff that old). So they aren’t used for anything anymore, except as neat historical artifacts (and maybe to repair super old tech here and there, would laugh if they ended up taking it and using it later this season).

Back during DS9, they were obviously used for bolting objects together, without requiring manual sealing. lol, jk, someone find O’Brien

I know we’ve only seen the first two, but I have a renewed hope for this season.

Wow such an improvement! Really enjoyed Raynar really good character just what this season needed.

So is this the light hearted “action comedy” genre of Star Trek now?

Well that’s what you get when people complain Star Trek is getting too dark

Give me dark over light hearted action or SNW sit com any day. Like the awful reboot movies this is hard to take seriously at times. Pretty depressing road Star Trek is on, not too enthusiastic really and honestly I can see the Academy show being rubbish also. Jeez I know it’s a completely different show but I watched Shogun episode 7 back to back with Discovery season 5 01. I really wish we could have Star Trek that was on that level of just being a great series like Shogun is.

Blame the fact a large section of the fandom championed The Orville and the success of Lower Decks (among some fans, not me, alas) for the MCU quippy comedy tone of Trek now. I felt DS9 got the balance right. It was 85% serious, 15% goofy as hell. Trek is in danger of reversing that ratio. That said, I did enjoy this. It’s not at SNW levels of quippery yet.

Yep that’s why I get so frustrated and you’re right MCU quippy tone really sums it up. I enjoyed this episode on the whole but the light hearted action was not for me. The truth is DS9 just had much better writers than we have now with contemporary Trek. For all Discovery’s failings it is still much better than the TOS reboot movies for me which felt more Marvel than Trek.

It was an exciting episode. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the season.

It will be interesting to see if that nebula in the season promo ends up being the final resting place of the ISS Enterprise.

That was awful. Granted, I’ve rarely enjoyed the show (though I loved the fourth season). Still, just one ill-conceived idea after another after another. All seemingly built upon one of the absolute worst ideas TNG ever had! And the second episode was even worse.

Looking forward to being done with this series.

Not a huge fan of Disco – still too emotional and quippy for my tastes. So far these two eps are fine; usually how I feel about the premier of Disco (barring S1).

That said, I take exception to you calling “The Chase” one of TNG’s worst ideas. Reverse evolution and Scottish ghost lovers would like a word. In fact, I think The Chase is one of TNG’s better ideas. Thematically, the idea that no matter our physical differences, we are all actually commonly human is exceptionally Trek. And the final scene between Picard and the Romulan commander is just the perfect cap to that episode – the idea that greater men and women can begrudgingly see the future they can’t accept yet, but maybe they can move toward it.

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it, but I think its actually one of those tonally on the spot TNG episodes that delivered what it wanted to – a huge chase, to discover that the great powerful secret was really just a fundamental truth of the human condition that no one wants to accept, except those humanists seeking an optimistic future.

Get ready for what I’m about to say – I enjoyed this episode a lot. There are soem issues, sure.. but overall.. I found it really intriguing, and the call back to The Chase.. I quite liked it. We’ll see if they can deliver on it’ spromise. I have a fear of some reductive reveal, but we’ll see. The only part I found outright cringey was the starships stopping the avalanche. Just felt dumb and certainly not organic. But overall, I’m in for this ride.

Agree about the starships stopping the avalanche. That bit jumped the shark a little for me.

Yeah, felt like an opportunity to show off effects, not anything that made sense.

Just finished watching the premiere… so far so good. Will PVR and watch E2 tomorrow. Cautiously optimistic! We shall see if they can keep it up.

Hey where is everybody?? This place is dead. I expected to be a lot more posts by now since this is the first Trek show we gotten since last year, it’s been off the air for two years, it’s final season and strong critic reviews.

But very few posts so far. Odd.

We were all busy enjoying the episodes!!

That’s the crazy thing. When episodes are great you usually get a ton of posts praising it.

Not this time. Just weird.

Maybe that should be your clue to how most people actually feel

I turned it off after about 5 minutes or so.

It only comes out in the UK today so won’t be watching till later after work.

Actually you’re right. I was a little surprised when I clicked on this thread this afternoon to only see around 20 posts. I come back tonight and it only jumped up by another dozen or so.

To see a comparison I went and saw how many posts did the first episode of Picard season 3 got and that had over 600+ posts. Obviously not all in one day but it probably got over 300 the first day alone though.

Then I looked at SMW season 2 opening episode and while not as big as PIC it still got over 400 posts.

But then I looked at Discovery season 4 opening episode posts and it only had 140 posts from over 2 years ago.

So I think that tells you a lot in terms of interest this show has these days. To be fair it still gets more than the animation shows easily but it has fallen off quite significantly over the years. In fact the first episode of the series, The Vulcan Hello, still has the most posts out of any episode or show here with over 700. That’s when the hype was enormous at the time obviously.

Five seasons later and the premiere looks like it may not even reach 100 posts which IS surprising.

But that may change later with future episodes if word of mouth is really strong. And of course it may not reflect actual viewing patterns but that’s mostly in the dark anyway.

Ok got more curious and looked at Discovery other season premieres.

Brother (season 2): 440 comments.

That Hope is you (season 3): 345 comments.

Kobiyashi Maru (season 4): 140 posts.

There’s been a drop every season, but looks like from season 4 on there was a big drop off. Again it’s hard to say how it reflects overall interest with this being such a smaller board but maybe it should tell us why the show got cancelled IF it does reflect overall interest or trend in fandom, even as a microcosm.

Again will probably never know.

This is exactly what I mean.

I didn’t start posting here until after season 4 of Discovery ended but I been lurking and reading here since the first season and it was certainly a lot more discussion around the show in the earlier seasons. I guess it does partly prove people are less interested in this show compared to the beginning at least. Same on boards similar to this one. Just not a lot of back and forth like the old days. More so on Reddit but even that’s lighter than usual in terms of traffic.

But maybe more people will show up if the season stays popular.

The Picard season 3 threads were fun! That’s what really got me to sign up here because I wanted to talk about that show as much as possible and this place didn’t disappoint during that season. A lot of wide spread discussions every week. I’m sure half those posts for the opening episode were mine though. 😂

To be fair, a lot of those 100+ post articles have been filled with bickering, and that’s simmered down a little. Also, I would guess the episodes people tend to like ironically don’t get talked about much.

Sure there is some of that but this is actually quite low in general. And there are actually threads where it’s gotten into the hundreds of mostly praise like every first season episode of Picard for example.

There seems to be a lack of interest here; especially for a show that’s been off the for so long. But that could be the other issue as well that it’s been off so long some have just moved on.

Lower Decks also didn’t get much engagement here last season. It’s a shame.

Yeah very true. But the animated shows never gets the same kind of attention as the live action shows anywhere except YouTube oddly, especially LDS. But pretty low to moderate in other places.

I don’t really keep track of that sort of thing. Wouldn’t know where to start gauging YouTube comments, that’s usually such a clusterf**k once you get past the first couple popular comments.

I can deal with Reddit and Disqus boards. The main Star Trek Reddit mods aren’t exactly chill, but it keeps things calm. I do think the tone of discord here in recent weeks could have been a tipping point for a good few people. Too many discussions got completely subsumed by what could politely be described as “personal distractions,” (I am not blameless there), and trolling can hit pretty hard here.

“Wouldn’t know where to start gauging YouTube comments, that’s usually such a clusterf**k once you get past the first couple popular comments.’

Yeah YouTube can feel like a swamp at times. But if you stick to the more balanced and more positive sites like Trekyards, Trekculture, etc the comments are more balanced. I stay from the ‘NUTREK IS TOO WOKE’ channels. 🙄

And thankfully those ‘personal distractions’ has now mostly disappeared since a certain someone has been banned.

The irony is all the whiny posts over people being overly negative about this show the last few weeks and yet the negative comments have been pretty subdued so far.. No one is attacking or berating each other and everyone is just giving their opinions and moving on. The views have been fairly balanced on both sides.

Only ONE person took everything so personally and tried to fight with everyone because they didn’t like other opinions.

They should’ve been banned long ago and was just too disruptive. Sorry just being real about it.

You’re not missing the “JUST WAITING FOR THE 35 L-O-U-D VOCAL HATERS HERE WHO REPEATS THEMSELVES 35 TIMES A DAY (ALTHOUGH I REPEAT MYSELF WORSE THAN ANY HERE) TO SAY SOMETHING MEAN ABOUT DISCOVERY SO I CAN GET TRIGGERED ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT ME!

AND BTW, I SAW THAT POSTER LEGACY SAY SOMETHING MEAN ABOUT DISCOVERY WITH JUST TWO LINES AND I DON’T LIKE IT. .SHE DOESN’T KNOW OR CARE WHO I AM BUT I’M GOING TO MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO STALK HER HARDER TO GET HER ATTENTION. I’M NOT A BITTER AND CRAZY OLD MAN WITH DEEP PERSONALITY ISSUES I’M JUST REALLY OBSESSED OVER A TV SHOW!!”

PS: “I STILL DON’T LIKE LDS! AND HATE IT’S CANON!!!!!!!!”

I mean look how dull the boards have become? People just discussing things calmly without the resident lunatic turning everything up to an 11. Who doesn’t miss the crazy? 😂

Lol fortunately no, I do not miss that lunacy. I think I speak for everyone here as well. 😉

And what’s more funny Legacy hasn’t even bothered commenting on any of the new episode yet. Looks like she just has no interest in it.

But judging by the lack of posts here she’s clearly not alone it seems.

That is what’s hilarious. The guy was losing his marbles over a new poster here who just gave a couple of opinions about the show but didn’t seem to care that much one way or the other. She seem way more interested in discussing in what she likes about Star Trek instead of what she hates.

But for some bizarre reason he took it as some personal front against him and all things holy and began giving her grief over it. Now the former resident lunatic lost his chance to be beligerant here for the entire season over someone who never had an inkling to talk to him, respectfully asked him to ignore her and makes about 10 posts here a week lol. It’s the final season and now he can only lurk here and locked out of the conversation. Poor baby.

Ok last time I bring it up I just find the whole thing utterly hilarious but also deliciously deserved. 😉

Ok back on topic! Yeah I thought the episode was good. Hopefully more people will post in the next episode.

Ha ha, I got caught up in the “watch it now” article and didn’t know this one was here. There are only 17 comments there so I got confused too.

Yeah it’s weird man. This place is a graveyard but it’s not much better on TrekCre either. Not even a hundred posts. This is definitely not the Picard season 3 crowd lol.

Marked improvement! The production values are hard to beat, and the space chase and ships stopping the landslide were pretty epic. The quest is set up well enough, and I don’t really mind it being a sequel to The Chase.

I do like Rayner, I’m a sucker for any no-nonsense character in this ensemble. Villains have some promise, liked the android, and I’m moderately invested in Saru’s romance still. The more laid back tone is welcome and fits with a version of Burnham we didn’t see nearly enough but know is there from early season 3.

Some expository dialogue was a bit clunky, I still don’t vibe with Tilly at all, and the new intrusive transporters will always be hilarious to me, but honestly nothing crazy to whine about. Hope this bodes well for the future.

Also, question for the people who know this show better: Burnham knew that planet from the diary right away because she’d been there in another episode?

I knew it was going to be a good episode when we finally got to see how CBS Studios did the animated STAR TREK pre-roll for Discovery for the first time. I crossed my fingers for it, I was really hoping they would do it, and they did: Disco materializes in front of the camera before warping off to trace the Starfleet shield. PERFECT!

Do I wish that this vibe had been there in seasons three and four? I do. Am I sad that we only have eight episodes left? I am! Will I savor and enjoy each one of them? I sure will, if they keep up this high level of quality that I saw tonight.

Let’s fly, Discovery!

I forgot Disco has never gotten its own pre-roll.

Lower Decks’ is still my favorite with the koala, but it goes to show how engrained this has gotten for me in such a short span of time – when they did the special one for “The Last Generation” I did an audible, “Aww!”

Why didn’t their mouths fill up with sand during the hover bike race through the desert? Now, I’m asking for a friend but personally that was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen.

They had shields. Only explanation I can think of.

Yeah. You see their shield bubble at one point.

This definitely was a great start to the season! A very solid episode overall that was actually fun and action packed with a great tie in to TNG.

I didn’t love this episode as much as others seem to but definitely good. I knew what the twist was ahead of time but didn’t feel spoiled at all. And it’s nice we didn’t have to wait 5+ episodes to know what it was like the last 3 seasons. And the Chase is an amazing story to follow.

That is the thing about Star Trek and TNG in general where they have stumbled upon these amazing discoveries just to totally move on to something else the next week.

That episode just felt like another Tuesday for the crew of the Enterprise and I think when I originally saw it literally was on a Tuesday lol when the show aired in my area.

Anyway it’s great we can get a full on story and being so far into the future makes it more interesting for me.

And I really enjoyed all the 32nd century stuff. We’re finally getting a deeper dive into it and it’s obvious they are setting up for Starfleet Academy.

Also all the new characters were fun to watch and really excited to learn L’ak backstory since the actor confirms he has another TNG connection. Rayner looks like he’s going to be interesting to watch too.

Oh and loved Fred. Some amazing Data vibes. Totally there for it.

I did have some downs, some of the Tilly stuff wasn’t great and the usual Discovery bringing up personal stuff in a crisis showed up but it was kept to a minimum.

But no real complaints. This was great overall and set up the season well with strong action, mystery, humor and FX. I just hope this keeps up which is ALWAYS this shows problem IMO, but we’ll see.

Score: 8/10

A couple of things:

Loved meeting Fred. Aren’t Coppelius class a druids conceived as twins?

Did anybody else spot the two shots of the Constitution-class ship in the trailer for the rest of the season?

I tried to like Disco for four seasons. I canceled my Paramount Plus after the end of the last season of SNW. I watched this ep free on YouTube, curious if there was any improvement. My thought are that the writer strike must have caused the show to pay less for worse writers. That was just awful. Bad writing. And bad acting. And bad directing. I can’t even understand how Burnam is a captain. She’s wrong about everything all the time and so full of herself. If she had listened to Leoben then they would have caught that ship. Tilly is written so poorly. You can be autistic and not be a cartoon. Same with Stamets. How is that guy such a supposedly accomplished actor? It’s like he and the guy who’s his husband are acting in a Cartoon. Over the top, silly, 2 dimensional. The cut of the scenes and action are hap hazard and plot remind me of the last two Star Wars movie. Made up as they went along and McGuffins to drive the plot instead of story and acting and relationships. RIP Disco. I won’t be renewing my membership till something else Star Trek comes back.

I though Season 4 was the worst. Now they proved me wrong. This first episode was barely watchable, all flashes and feelings, but zero Star Trek. What a shame this series had become after the first 2 seasons.

Strange, I didnt enjoy the episode as much, have only seen the first one, yet. My mistake was, I dabbled in the first season last few weeks and must say Lorca is dearly missed. Shroomdrive aside, still stuff in S1 that irks me, but I came around and rewatching is fun. Maybe DSC S5 has to sit a few years until I come around to it as well. As with ENT, at the time somehow terrible, but in hindsight and fresh rewatches comes across very smooth as dutifully executed Berman Era Trek.

Well and The Chase, positive message (TV was different back then) but a throwaway episode. Dont have to explain why almost all actors dressed up as aliens have a head and two arms and two legs in-universe, no need to explain the klingon ridges as with that Augment virus. But whatever, take it as your starting point. Threshold is another Episode, Id like not to be reminded of. Hopefully the Pathway drive remains under that speed limit that will… well you know. Or this might have been Discovery Season 6. Liked parts of S3, liked most of S4. Lets see what happens. .

Kind of a minor thing, I suppose, but after the ship they were chasing does its flippy thing that throws off all those false warp signatures…couldn’t they simply follow the one that they visually saw the ship take? Like..that-a-way…

I vote for a moratorium on desert planets for the next 20 years at least. It’s officially cliche. :D

Scientifically and statistically speaking, there are probably way more frozen, rocky and desert planets than Earthlike ones. I’m surprised that they don’t go to more places with lower / higher gravity and thinner / denser atmospheres, but that’s hard to do in live-action.

I’m impressed they got in that second unit photography in Brazil to help. After years of easy-access to deserts in California, those are now ironically pretty exotic to shoot with a Toronto-based series. It’s only the conversation at the end between Burnham and Book where the AR wall didn’t look so convincing.

I haven’t seen the show since season 1 and I watched the first episode for free on YouTube. I have a few thoughts and questions:

– why is Michael Burnham doing everything as the captain? She’s never on the bridge sending away teams on missions and all of the bridge officers never leave their bridge chairs.

– why is the federation sending a 900-year-old ship on away missions? That would be like us asking Ghengis Kahn’s army to fight against drone warfare.

– if the objective was to prevent the Sith looking girl from Asohka and her boyfriend from leaving the Romulan ship, why didn’t they just blow it up?

– the technology used to spread humanoid DNA throughout the galaxy is probably fairly self evident from a scientific perspective. It’s probably some kind of gene sequencing methodology that was done by the progenitors, which unfolded over millions of years. I don’t see why it’s a mystery or a such a big deal to get a hold of. That’s like trying to find the technology that created the Grand Canyon. It was the Colorado River. I’m not going to chase down two people just because they bottled some of it and ran away.

– The speeder bike scene was when I started tuning out. They were yelling some exposition about an avalanche and I was so bored. None of this was intellectually stimulating or thought provoking in the slightest.

All in all, my rating is D+ for the episode.

To your first points:

The in-universe answer to why Burnham does everything could be explained as that just being the way they did things in the 23rd century. Archer often led away teams, and Kirk led most of his. Maybe Admiral Vance should give her a talking to about how that snot how it’s done anymore, but if Captain Rayner is any indication, things may have reverted a little since The Burn.

Discovery has been given a full refit while being familiar enough for this crew to acclimate. They’ve been pretty generous with how quickly everyone form the 23rd century has adjusted to 900 years of advances, there’s no denying that though.

Not really sure how blowing up the Romulan ship solves the main objective of securing the ship and what’s on it…

Thanks for answering my question. I still wouldn’t ask Ghengis Kahn to break a Pentagon encryption, so I’m not sure why Starfleet is relying on Tilly to do so. Did they all have to go back to school to catch up?

I’m also still not clear about why finding the tech that the progenitors used to spread life is such a big deal. It’s not like our society is in a race to capture the stardust that derived carbon based life. Makes no sense.

I’ve always had an issue with how easily everyone picked up on how to handle 32nd century… everything. Tech, history, politics, social cues… they’re smart, but in the span of what, 3 years? They’re all caught up? it’s one of those things that’s been a frustration as it’s tied into how little all of that has actually been explored on the show – the Federation and its borders have felt very claustrophobic. I don’t even remember anyone but Burnham researching their long-deceased families. For a show that’s all about self-care and exploring feelings, that was kinda glossed over.

As for Genghis Khan being called upon to decrypt something… I’ll go one better – it’s silly to bring back Khan Noonien Singh to basically do the same. Into Darkness had bizarre logic too.

As for the tech… yeah I dunno. Logically you’d think that every society has progressed beyond the tech of the Progenitors in the last few million years. But that was also baked into the motivation of everyone in “The Chase” too. The galaxy is rebuilding, so perhaps its just the allure of a possible shortcut to regaining a technological edge?

The motivation for everyone in “The Chase” was to solve a puzzle, which they did. The prize was finding out the common origin of humanoid species. The progenitor hologram basically stated how they did it, and that was that.

But remember that the Cardassians and Klingons both went into it thinking the prize would be an all powerful technological secret – one thought it was a weapon, the other an unlimited power source. So the same logic applies – modern species thinking long lost technology from millions of years ago would give them a massive advantage over their rivals.

I was glued to my seat. Otherwise I’d have got up and switched it off.

Myself, I was bored. Bored by the stupid action and plot devices that made no sense. Like a paralysis ray that paralyzes your body but not your mouth? Or starships of considerable mass that can fly into the atmosphere and saucerplant into the ground but cause no residual damage anywhwere to the terrain or the city? Or the effects of an apparently unshielded body being on top of a ship travelling at warp? Or getting hit by a chunk of space debris?

I’ve been looking past Disco’s flaws because I like and actors and mnay of the characters. But at this point the flaws are vastly outweighing the good parts.

“Maybe you didn’t notice it, but your brain did.” Mr. Plinkett

I suppose Altan Soong may be the best possibility, but it could have been Adam or Arik. At least they didn’t have Brent Spiner playing him. :-) Although that might have been interesting.

Just got to see this today (Sunday), because I’ve been sick, so I’m late to the party. I hope everyone hasn’t gone home already. :-)

I thought the chase sequences went on way too long and weren’t actually very interesting. I’d rather watch Michael talk about ideas than watch her ride a motorcycle across the sand for a really. long. time.

So, Michael went against orders AGAIN by setting her phaser to stun and trying to talk things out. I mean, normally, I’m all in favor of talking instead of violence, but the one person who knows what’s going on says getting the thingy back is so crucial that phasers should be set to kill. If the one person who knows what’s going on says that, maybe Michael could consider believing him?

But how cool that they’re following up on “The Chase!” I’d be excited about that if I thought the season would mostly be about the ideas, but it’s probably just going to be more explosions and car chases. *sigh*

Something about the closeups in this episode felt clumsy to me. I don’t know enough about filmmaking to use the right language, but they didn’t feel organic; it felt like HERE’S A CLOSEUP NOW. Eric Cheung, you know way more about all this stuff than I do — what’s the right terminology for what I’m trying to say here?

Although there were things I didn’t like about the episode, to me, the entire episode was worth it for the scene of two starships stopping an avalanche by driving their noses into the ground and extending their shields. I’ve never seen a starship DO that before, and that’s so cool! To me, that’s worth WAY more than characters riding on stupid motorcycles. Cool idea, Michelle Paradise!

It made me smile to see the character named “Moll”. In the early 20th century a female companion of a gangster, was called a Moll or Gun Moll.

Two Federation starships crashing into a sandy planet, head first, to cause a barrier to stop a landslide. So idiotic and over the top, just like everything on Discovery.

Never Heard Of Star Trek: Discovery’s Red Directive Before? There’s A Simple Explanation

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

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 introduces a new Red Directive mission, showcasing unprecedented secrecy and urgency in Starfleet protocols.
• Captain Burnham embarks on a dangerous intergalactic treasure hunt that's a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Chase".
• The Red Directive mission in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 revolves around seeking the technology of the Progenitors, with high stakes involved.

Captain Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) new mission in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is classified as a Red Directive, which hasn't come up in Star Trek before. Written by Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere, "Red Directive," launches Burnham and the USS Discovery on a mission to a derelict 800-year-old Romulan starship. This kicks off an intergalactic treasure hunt that sets Discovery season 5 as a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "The Chase."

Captain Burnham is summoned to her Red Directive mission by Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) and Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere. Burnham is given her orders in a secure location called the Infinity Room. The USS Discovery's Red Directive mission must succeed at all costs , and Dr. Kovich even personally oversees Captain Burnham's efforts. Even as Burnham and the crews of the USS Discovery and the USS Antares led by Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) risk their lives, Kovich maintains the Red Directive's secrecy until Burnham finds her own answers to force Kovich into cooperation.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Everything We Know

Why discovery’s red directive hasn’t been heard of in star trek before, it's a different starfleet in the 32nd century.

There's a simple explanation for Star Trek fans who may be wondering why they've never heard of a Red Directive before: the Red Directive is an invention of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 . There have certainly been countless Starfleet priority one classified missions, but a Red Directive takes secrecy and urgency to another level. Red Directives are also indicative of how different Starfleet is in the 32nd-century era of Star Trek: Discovery , which would naturally have different protocols following crises like the Temporal Wars and the Burn.

During Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Burnham and Discovery's crew were integrated with the 32nd-century Starfleet.

Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery know of Red Directives despite being time-traveling transplants from the 23rd century. This is likely because, during Star Trek: Discovery season 3 , Burnham and Discovery's crew were integrated with the 32nd-century Starfleet. Discovery's crew gained new uniforms and tech like personal transporters, and their ancient Crossfield Class starship was upgraded with detached nacelles and programmable matter. Discovery 's crew got up to date on current Starfleet protocols , especially Burnham following her promotion to Captain.

What Star Trek: Discovery’s Red Directive’s Rules Are

A red directive can't be questioned.

Star Trek: Discovery' s Red Directive might be the most severe and uncompromising protocol seen in Starfleet yet. The mandate for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive comes from the United Federation of Planets itself, and Starfleet Officers were kept in the dark about the actual details of their mission. Not only did Captain Burnham not know what her actual mission was, but Dr. Kovich had the authority to withhold vital information from the head of Starfleet, Admiral Vance .

Admiral Vance authorized Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) to break into the secure Federation database to learn the truth about the Red Directive.

The imperative of a Red Directive is that the mission must succeed and anyone and anything can be sacrificed to make it so. Lethal force is also authorized and is a first resort. Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive is indeed a jaw-dropper. With Captain Burnham searching for the technology of the Progenitors, the Ancient Humanoids introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase" who created all humanoid life in the galaxy, whoever controls the Progenitors' secrets can decide the course of life itself. There can't be bigger stakes for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is streaming on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prioritizing diversity and inclusivity

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

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

Starting a new age of Star Trek

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

Exploring strange new worlds

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

Finding time for the simple things

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

Going boldly

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Star Trek “Origin” Movie Is Finally Going Into Production

The new Star Trek prequel movie is set to be revealed on the big screen. Probably.

For 30 years — from 1979 to 2009 — the longest wait between new Star Trek feature films was seven years. And, for most of that period, from the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) to Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), there was almost always a new Star Trek movie in theaters every two to four years. But after the wildly successful J.J. Abrams-directed reboot film in 2009, the release clip for Trek movies went from maximum warp to impulse power, to glacially slow. And now, by the time the next Star Trek movie hits theaters, it will have been about 10 years since the previous one — Star Trek Beyond — beamed into cinemas in 2016.

Since that time, for Trekkies, updates of a new Star Trek film have been very similar to the game football Lucy plays with Charlie Brown; just when a hypothetical movie sounds real, it gets snatched away. But now, there’s a glimmer of hope. Thanks to reports out of CinemaCon 2024, it looks like, the next Trek film is scheduled for release in either 2025 or 2026. But what’s it about? And will it really happen?

Star Trek 14 is “an untitled origin story”

The new “origin story” will be set before the 2009 reboot. But how many decades before?

During CinemaCon 2024, Paramount confirmed several in-development projects including a live-action GI Joe / Transformers crossover (teased in 2023’s Rise of the Beasts ), a hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie, a remake of the sci-fi thriller The Running Man (from Edgar Wright), the confirmation of an Avatar trilogy, and the assertion that a new Star Trek feature film will go into production this year, with a release date soon to follow.

Since 2016 to now, there have been at least five different attempts to make a new Star Trek film, either as timey wimey direct sequel to Beyond (“Star Trek 4”) a one-off space mobster movie (Quentin Tarantino’s script) or something else entirely (Noah Hawley and Matt Shakman’s attempts that remain undisclosed). But now, although Paramount is reportedly developing a sequel to Beyond — which would feature the reboot cast from the 2009 film one last time — the next Star Trek movie is not that sequel, but instead, as previously reported , an “origin story” that “takes place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film that rebooted the franchise.” This movie has been confirmed to be directed by Toby Haynes ( Andor, Doctor Who ) with a script from Seth Grahame-Smith ( The Lego Batman Movie , Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter) .

Wait? Wasn’t the 2009 film an “origin story?” While the answer to this question is technically a “yes,” the 2009 film (just titled Star Trek ) was also partially a time-travel sequel to the canon established in The Next Generation , and literally everything else in the Trek franchise up until that point. By saying the new prequel film takes place “decades before” the first reboot, this could hypothetically mean that the movie takes place in both the Prime and Kelvin timelines simultaneously.

TLDR: The Trek timeline diverged in the first reboot movie, beginning in the year 2233, so, a story set even a few decades before that divergence, in the 2210s or 2220s or earlier, would be consistent with all versions of Trek's future history. Presumably, the “origin story” won’t take place in the two decades between the prologue of the 2009 film (2233) and the main story (2258), because honestly, even for hardcore Trekkies that’s a big canon headache. So, sometime in the early 2200s, but before the 2230s is probably the best bet. And, even if the movie was set a bit earlier than that — say in the late 2180s or 2190s — we’d still be dealing with a very early point of Starfleet history that has never been depicted and that we know almost nothing about. Hence, if you squint — and don’t think about the prequel series Enterprise (2151-2161) too much — then yes, we’re looking at an origin story in which pretty much anything could happen.

Star Trek “origin” movie release date

One of the earliest shots of the USS Enterprise — from the 1964 Star Trek pilot episode “The Cage.” The new prequel film will likely be set half a century before this moment.

While some tweets out of CinemaCon seemed to indicate that the new Star Trek movie could hit next year in 2025 , TrekMovie confirmed that the “Untitled Star Trek Origin Story,” is on the Paramount slate for 2025 or 2026. TrekMovie also predicted that 2026 is more likely, writing, “If Paramount can move fast enough they could get the origin movie into theaters by 2026 — in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.” Then again, 2025 is not impossible, it’s just cutting it a little close.

It should also be noted that the entire corporate entity of Paramount is reportedly close to a merger that would see it purchased by Skydance Media, the same production company behind the three existing J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek reboots. If that deal is finalized soon, then, yes, this Star Trek feature film might actually happen very quickly. And if it doesn’t, there will still be plenty of new Star Trek shows streaming , not to mention the first direct-to-streaming standalone Star Trek movie, Section 31 , starring Michelle Yeoh, which will hit Paramount+ sometime later this year.

All the reboot Star Trek films (2009-2016) are currently streaming on Paramount+. The previous ten films (1979-2002) are all on Max.

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

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

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

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

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

At least until now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'Star Trek: Discovery' opens its 5th and final season in unremarkable fashion (Red Directive recap)

Hello smartmatter, my old friend, I've come to watch you once again. Because no item is impossible, it makes the story unbelievable... ♬

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 1

Well, here we are. Again. It's the fifth and final time around for "Star Trek: Discovery" and the single biggest question every sci-fan will be asking themselves is, will this season actually be any good. The tragic thing is, no one can really remember what happened in season 4 and that speaks directly to the fact that "Discovery" is not exactly a high-scoring show when it comes to rewatchability.

It's been two years and two weeks, give or take a day, since we last saw the crew of the USS Discovery risk everything to save all life in the universe, again. During that time, we've seen a lot of sci-fi, both awesome and awful, including two seasons of " Picard " and " Strange New Worlds ," the third and final season of " The Orville ," season 1 of " Andor ," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Ahsoka" and the less said about "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the better. If you're wondering where to see all that Trek, check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus and more.

Not to mention, the vastly underrated second season of "Invasion" and "Halo" seasons 1 and 2, plus, the first mind-blowing season of "Silo" the second and sadly last season of " Avenue 5 " and two seasons of " For All Mankind ." The point is that the standard has, for the most part, been refreshingly high. And frankly before we even get into season 5 of "Discovery," it's worth remembering that what executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman  and Michelle Paradise have given us up until now, has not exactly been a consistently high quality of sci-fi writing. In fact, it's been rather disappointing.

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

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Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Discovery and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

Are we in-store for another cookie-cutter season of what's-in-the-box plot threads that deliver misdirected build ups with unsatisfying pay offs...you know like we have for the past two seasons plus all three seasons of "Picard"..? Even "Andor," despite its peak and trough-style of repetitive set-piece storytelling, was impressive and that was down to how well those set pieces had been fleshed out along with well written character development and dialogue. Less can very easily be so much more. 

Moreover, now we're in the 32nd century and we've seen that transporter technology can be used to replace stairs and even change outfits, so to be perfectly honest, there really isn't a single story idea that cannot be solved by a simple combination of transporter and replicator technology. Not to mention smartmatter. Ah, hello smartmatter, my old friend. Because this is what happens when you throw three seasons of a "Star Trek" series 1,164 years into the future.

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Regardless, it would seem that within the story, between four and six months have passed since the events of last season , where you may remember, the United Federation of Planets was desperately trying to save all life as we know from being accidentally exterminated by species 10-C, all while Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) was still hell bent on using the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator to destroy the dark matter anomaly. Book (David Ajala) gets killed when his ship explodes then bought back to life before he faces repercussions for siding with Tarka. General Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) seems to get away scot-free despite sabotaging the Discovery's warp drive and everyone lives happily ever after. 

 —   Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

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Coming in at nearly 60 minutes long, the premiere episode is titled "Red Directive" and drops at the same time as the second episode, entitled "Under The Twin Moons." Michelle Paradise wrote the former, which could explain why it's so dull, and Olatunde Osunsanmi directed. The latter was written by Alan B. McElroy and directed by Douglas Aarniokoski, so fingers the second installment might be a bit better. Aarniokoski directed the season 3 premiere episode of "Picard" and while the rest of that was a disappointing, drawn out, nostalgia-fueled, 10-episode long epilogue to another series that ended three decades ago, the premiere installment was actually okay. 

The gang seems mostly all here, including Lt. Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Adira (Blu del Barrio) and there are some characters who don't seem to have made it back, some of whom will be very much missed, like Grudge, while others won't be. No sign of Zora yet either. It's also entirely likely that the amazing talents of Callum Keith Rennie, who plays a Starfleet Captain named Rayner, will be spectacularly underused, much like Todd Stashwick was in season 3 of "Picard."

Credit to the production team though, as they're are really making the most of their Volume-esque video wall soundstage. There are a couple of interesting choices in terms of editing, much like there were in the second season premiere where Alex Kurtzman showed us what he'd learned in the Vince Gilligan School of Cinematography. It's doubtful we'll ever see them again, just like we didn't before. 

To conclude then, the opening episode of the final season "Star Trek: Discovery" is a far, far cry from strong openings that this show has demonstrated it's capable of in the past. And that's a sentence we've had to write far too many times. The TNG throwback right at the end is...well, disappointing, mostly because of the extent that nostalgic fan service has been dialed up since the first episode of Nu-Trek aired in September 2017. However, it could still provide an interesting story thread — we will just have to wait and see.

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

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Screen Rant

Star trek points out what’s off about discovery’s starfleet uniforms.

The Trill Jinaal makes an offhand remark about Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd-century uniforms that pinpoints something different about the costumes.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

• The 32nd-century Star Trek: Discovery uniforms are formal but modern.
• Starfleet uniform evolution incorporates designs with division colors and rank insignia.
• The most practical and stylish Starfleet uniforms for missions are the red tunic and TNG later season styles.

Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) hosts an 800-year-old Trill consciousness named Jinaal Bix in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", who points out something odd about the 32nd-century Starfleet uniforms. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armagian, "Jinaal" sends the USS Discovery crew to Trill for the next clue to finding the Progenitors’ technology. Jinaal leads Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on a dangerous journey to prove their worthiness and retrieve the next clue.

Jinaal tells the Starfleet Officers, “ I love what you’ve done with the uniforms. A little formal, though .” Indeed, Star Trek: Discovery ’s 32nd-century uniform designs are a departure from previous Star Trek shows, embracing a more formal and stylized look. Attempting to maintain and develop the uniform continuity of the Star Trek multiverse timeline yet also deliver something fresh, Discovery 's season 4 and 5 outfits are reminiscent of the "monster maroon" uniforms in the Star Trek: The Original Series movies. Discovery 's 32nd-century outfits incorporate modern technology and are significantly different from the uniforms in other Star Trek series.

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

What’s off about star trek: discovery’s 32nd century uniforms, the uss discovery crew's blue uniform changed to grey in season 3.

Star Trek: Discovery 's uniforms were originally an sleek update of Star Trek: Enterprise 's blue jumpsuits. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Discovery 's crew donned tailored grey uniforms with colored stripes denoting rank that drew comparisons to the uniforms showcased in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Already an odd choice, Discovery ’s updated uniform design incorporated a stiffer, thicker fabric and featured a division color swatch down one side. Discovery' s grey uniforms appeared unnecessarily formal, seemingly more suited to a political environment than the bridge of a Starfleet starship.

Starfleet's chronological evolution of uniform designs is a fascinating study.

Starting with season 4, Star Trek: Discovery 's uniforms switched to the franchise's traditional color-blocking. Discovery 's newest uniforms feature a black stripe down one side with the standard black pants and boots. The asymmetrical tunics denoted division - red for command, blue for sciences, white for medical, and gold for operations. While a clear improvement on Discovery season 3 style, the current Star Trek: Discovery uniforms are still not generally among fan-preferred uniform designs, and they haven't proven popular with cosplayers. Starfleet’s chronological evolution of uniform designs is a fascinating study, with designs veering regularly from the early blue jumpsuit style to primary color jumpers and jumpsuits to more formal jackets with undershirts and pants – and back again.

Which Starfleet Uniform Is Best For Star Trek Missions?

Starfleet's command gold transitioned to command red between the 23rd & 24th centuries.

Though each iteration of Starfleet’s signature style offers something valuable, it can be argued that some designs are certainly better and more appropriate for their purposes than others. Somewhat subjective, each Star Trek uniform design updates and expands on previous versions. Undoubtedly, the early Star Trek: Enterprise blue jumpsuits offer the most practicality (and come complete with pockets), though perhaps not the most interesting or aesthetic overall design. The slightly ill-fitted designs from Star Trek: The Original Series and early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation offer a more standardized look to Starfleet’s finest but a little less practicality. The same can be said of Star Trek: Discovery ’s options for each season.

With a view to Star Trek missions, however, two clear front-runners emerge based on practicality: the red Star Trek: The Original Series movie uniforms and Star Trek: The Next Generation' s uniforms from seasons 3-7. Iconic, sleek and practical, these designs provide a good balance of functionality and style, offering a clear representation of Starfleet along with a comfortable and immediately usable ease of movement . However, Star Trek: Discovery' s black away mission uniforms offer a rugged balance to the more formal style of the current season 5 Starfleet uniforms.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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

...And it involves a new crew.

The Big Picture

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

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

Star Trek: Discovery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Does This Leave Captain Burnham and the Discovery Crew?

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

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

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

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