Almost seven years ago, Star Trek: Discovery ushered in a new series era for the legendary science fiction franchise. The streaming era at Paramount+ brought us some Star Trek highlights like Strange New Worlds, but also controversial entries like the first two Picard seasons. There will be more Star Trek supplies in the future, but we have to say goodbye to Discovery now.
Starting today, April 4, 2024, the first two episodes of Discovery’s 10-part finale will be available to stream on Paramount+. And Season 5 could even be the best yet. Because shortly before the end of the series, a lot has changed in Star Trek: Discovery – and it’s worth it.
Star Trek: Discovery becomes a sci-fi adventure in season 5
No Star Trek series has reinvented itself as often as Discovery. What began as a dark war series about the mutineer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) took new directions with each season. The biggest change took place at the beginning of season 3, which catapulted the crew of the USS Discovery into the distant future of the 32nd century. But the series almost always remained true to one thing: the dramatic and dark tone of the story.
Paramount+
The crew of the USS Discovery
That changes with season 5, which wipes away the sea of tears from the past and turns the characters into one Space adventure with unexpected fun shipped. But one thing remains the same: Once again, the focus is on a season-long mystery that sends the Discovery crew around Captain Burnham on a daring scavenger hunt through the quadrants.
About which “greatest treasure in the galaxy“What exactly this is about shouldn’t be revealed at this point for spoiler reasons. However, long-time Trekkies can rely on a very special connection to a specific Star Trek episode from the 90s look forward to what could change the future of the federation, which has only recently begun to flourish again. However, it has the enigmatic duo Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) after said treasure. The space race begins.
Less tears, more fun: The unplanned Star Trek: Discovery finale strikes a new note
What is particularly fascinating about season 5 (the first four episodes of which have been previewed) is the impending end. This was not planned at all during the production of the 10 new episodes. Only after filming had finished was the end decided by the streaming service Paramount+, which skipped a few additional days of filming in order to change the season finale into a satisfying series finale.
Although the new season was not planned as a finale, a certain mood of upheaval hovers over all events. Characters find themselves at crossroads and have to make important decisions for the future. In addition, Michel Burnham is given a new character, the tough Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie from Battlestar Galactica), who lets us look back at her entire development – from the stubborn mutineer to the responsible Starfleet captain.
Paramount+
New character in Discovery season 5: Rayner
But how good is Discovery Season 5? Right at the beginning of the new episodes there is a big surprise. In contrast to previous seasons, the tone of the series is noticeably relaxed. For example, the otherwise always depressed Burnham is allowed to float through space under fire in episode 1 and then surf on a spaceship at warp speed. Yes, really! But the series has never been short of visually bombastic blockbuster moments.
Thanks to the intergalactic search for (literal) puzzle pieces, Season 5 works despite the overarching plot, more episodic than before. This allows Discovery to experiment with new, exciting settings and scenarios that we haven’t seen before in the series. For example, when a huge sand avalanche on a planet has to be intercepted with two spaceships drilling into the earth.
The big sci-fi highlight of the previewed episodes, however, is episode 4. With the classic Star Trek motif of a time anomaly, Discovery explores the conflict between two characters who have to put aside their differences in order to solve the sci-fi problem together . Newcomer Rayner in particular becomes an unexpected highlight of season 5.
Over the years, Star Trek: Discovery has been harshly criticized by many fans. It’s all the more refreshing to see how the series finally seems to find its right tone as a modern Star Trek series. And it’s all the sadder that she only succeeds shortly before the end.
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When and where can I watch Star Trek: Discovery season?
Since then April 4, 2024 The final season of Star Trek: Discovery is airing on the Paramount+ streaming service. There are a total of 10 new episodes to watch, which are published weekly on Thursdays. The series finale will be available to stream from May 30, 2024.
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