Listen: Saru And Michael’s Final ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 3 Logs Hint At What’s To Come In Season 4

The official “StarTrekLogs” account on Instagram this week posted two logs to finish out the season, one from Michael Burnham and one from Saru. Both talk about how the Star Trek: Discovery season three finale wrapped up, and offer hints on where they are headed in season four.

Michael ready to step into the light as Captain

The season finale saw Michael Burnham elevated to the rank of captain, and you can listen to her personal log after being promoted. In the entry titled “We can rebuild,” Michael can be heard saying giving her final personal log before taking command with a hint at her mission or rebuilding the Federation after discovering the source of the Burn, saying in part, “we finally have the answers we need… Now, we can rebuild,” also saying “I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish moving forward. It’s up to us, all of us, to leave the past behind, to step out of the darkness, and into the light.”

Saru ready to rediscovery Kaminar, hints at return to Discovery

Saru may no longer be in command of the USS Discovery, but executive producers have already confirmed that Doug Jones is returning in season four. For his official log titled “Return to Kaminar,” Saru starts saying this is his “final Starfleet log, for now.” He talks about giving up command into the “capable hands” of Michael so he can accompany Su’Kal to Kaminar, adding “Adjusting to life outside the nebula will not be easy for him, especially as the repercussions of the Burn become clear. I will help him acclimate into Kaminar society.” But Saru hints at a return, saying “I cannot deny that I am quite eager to rediscover my home world… and I am also comforted knowing that when I am ready to return to the stars, Discovery will be there.”

 


Find more Star Trek: Discovery news and analysis at TrekMovie.com.

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I really like the idea of Michael as a character, but after three seasons she still bugs the hell out of me. This personal log finally put into perspective exactly what it is that rubs me the wrong way – she is way, way to earnest; earnest to the point that it feels entirely fake. I’m not sure if this is a fault in the writing, the direction, or simply how SMG plays her, but it is beyond frustrating, I really want to be excited that Michael is finally the captain, and maybe things will be different in Season 4, but all I really want to do is role my eyes at how smug she comes across.

On the flip side, Saru is a phenomenal character, and his growth over the past three seasons has been amazing. His personal log has a similar tone to it of Michael’s – an earnestness and optimism for the future, but it feels real. Again, I don’t know if this is writing/direction/or simply how Doug Jones plays Saru, but his earnestness comes across as genuine and not smugness.

She overacts.

She did on The Walking Dead too, but not to this extent. I can’t stand the character of Burnham, horribly written.

Agreed 100 %

I think she’s great and I like the fact that she almost cries every episode, you’d never see that kind of emotion from Janeway or Archer. Plus, she’s super freaking hot. SUPERHOT.

So physical attractiveness is the deciding criterion? Crying every episode is definitely the sign of someone who is incredibly insecure and unstable.

I have not seen enough of this season to make up my mind about Burnham, I don’t agree with your conclusion though: Crying does not need to be a sign of being insecure and unstable. Crying can also be a sign of people being strongly in touch with their emotions. Also, it varies among different people how strongly they experience emotions, so one person may cry in a situation where another doesn’t. Just think of some people crying for joy or when watching a movie. Moreover, people who have lived for a long time with a disconnect to their emotions (e.g. by suppressing emotions, or by approaching life exclusively via ratio and thinking as opposed to feeling) may feel overwhelmed by emotions once they reconnect with them, and may need practice learning to regulate them. Crying in public is something that used to be made a taboo and equated with weakness in the upbringing of children, in particular boys. Crying in public unashamedly could actually be a sign of personal strength and independence from the opinions of others. I did not think one could write so much on the topic of bohoo, but there I have done it…

Some previous examples of crying in Star Trek:

  • Spock in The Naked Time (emotionally compromised by dangerous virus)
  • Spock in The Devil In The Dark (channeling the Horta’s pain via mind-meld)
  • Spock in TMP (obsessed with achieving Kolinahr)
  • Kirk in TWOK (because Spock is dead)

Y’know, maybe it’s just me but if I ever find myself as a crewmember on a starship exploring deep space and encountering a myriad of frightening and unknown lifeforms and experiences, the LAST thing I’ll want to see when I look at my commanding officers is them blubbing all the time with a complete inability to control their emotions…

It would also help if they invested in giving Burnham, you know, an actual personality. I mean, by the third season of each previous series, we had a pretty good idea what kind of people the respective main characters were, and their hobbies and personal quirks were an easy way to do that. Like maybe they had a fondness for chess. Shakespeare. Old books. Antiques. Coffee. Baseball. Water polo. You know, those little touches that make people people.

Maybe I’m overlooking something, but I can’t remember Burnham having anything along those lines. (And don’t anyone say she’s bland because she was raised by Vulcans. Even Spock liked to play his harp).

I had a similar thought, she seems like someone entirely defined by her professional function

This log was awful especially the way she spoke and puts that’s expression in she does.

Noraa, you have stated exactly what was on my mind without me knowing it. Spot on, on both counts.

Wow, SMG even overacts on a voice log….

You should hear her in Star Trek Online… It’s quite astounding how simultaneously intense & mumbly her dialogue is.

WTF? Saru sounds like Saru, but Burnham is so over the top it sounds like a parody.

agreed.

In fairness it sounds like both phoned it in (literally). Saru’s character is present in his voice, but it sounds like a Doug Jones / Saru hybrid – like he’s recording it out of makeup, which impacts how he sounds.

Saru help sukal adjust to kelpian society…. saru only knew an enslaved kaminar from 1000 years prior.

Good point. Something that I haven’t seen mentioned though is Saru’s role in Kelpian history. Technically, he is the one (or at least one of the ones) who led them from slavery. I wonder if that will play a role in S4?

Lorca, Saru…
Shows Best characters being cast aside, it beggars belief.
Saru was an excellent choice for captain and he had an air of Picard about him, grace and diplomacy.
Burnham and her bridge crew are just Beverley hills 90210 in space.

So far the weakest and poorly developed bridge crew in the franchise (exception to Burnham who is overdeveloped!)

Discovery is a very odd one for me. I am enjoying the story telling though I though the final dragged its way to the denouement but I have never been less invested in the Crew. Saru is heads down the most interesting character nuanced and heroic in a fine Star Trek way. I also think the Stamets/Culber liaison worked well this season and the latter came over with real authority. But the bridge crew are utterly forgettable and when placed under Tilly who is positively dreadful it feels like am dram. Oddly this crew to me is more of Now than the future than any other. The Trill story had potential though became sub sub plot relegated too far down and I thought Alexander looked great as a Vulcan up there with J.B.and also offered a beautiful ethereal reading against del barrio who was leaden, no mobility in the performance at all, was the actor permanently confused or the part being played?

One of the things that has plagued the show from the start is SMG is incapable of charismatic coupling. From the beginning she made Michelle appear wooden and Ajala who came on board with a nice laid back baked in approach flatters her it almost works. When you think Picard/Crusher or
Trip/T’Pol Ricker/Troy you smiled when they did there stuff. With SMG I am just bemused. Way to earnest and this maybe an English thing but I lose a lot of the dialogue when she does that fast talking authoritative thing.

Doug Jones is about the only one that can make SMG transcend that star trek geek as an actor thing she does.

Saru for long periods was the best character in the entire series. Burnham the worst.. Yet the people running this mess make opposite decisions.. It’s perplexing.

I read the comments first and I thought people were over reacting to Burnham’s log….and then I listened to it. Jesus, it just sounds so forced and fake. Did they only do one take? Listen to all the captain monologues and follow that model. None of them from Kirk to Janeway sound like they are emoting in a high school musical. When Shatner sounds more calm than her then that says a lot.

And finally, the line about being Federation/Starfleet, we get it already!

I think Burnhan is just channeling her inner Kirk from “The Omega Glory” here.

And that’s yet another reason that “The Omega Glory” is one of the most unwatchable episodes in the entire franchise.

The….shat,NEE,ree-an….school,of acting

Nah — if you listen to Shatner’s audio works – he is measured when needed, and actually BELIEVABLE.

Burnham’s log entry; blah!

Unless things change significantly in S4, I think the lasting legacy of Star Trek Discovery will be that the series not only brought back Star Trek to the small screen but it paved the way for a much larger universe of shows including Picard, SNW, Georgiou/S31, Short Treks plus two animated shows.
I’ve also come to the realization that the show will never be something familiar – the Discovery is not the Enterprise (or even Voyager). It’s a science vessel, crewed primarily by younger, inexperienced scientists and junior officers who are prone to errors in judgement and mistakes when it comes to command decisions, etc.
The only thing I truly don’t like about Disco is the less than stellar writing that seems to plague the show. I would say about half of the episodes are good, some are even quite good, but about half of them are really terrible and not worth rewatching. Whether or not I rewatch a show more than once is kind of my test of whether it was any good or at least enjoyable.
That said, I have come to accept the show for what it is. I am looking forward to a more familiar series when S1 of SNW hits the streaming universe and the airwaves up here north of the border along with S2 of Picard. The only thing is, we will likely have to wait until 2022 to see both.
Until then, S4 of Discovery plus LDs will have to do and I look forward to seeing what the producers come up with.

In 10,20,30 years people will still be watching re-runs of TOS, TNG, VOY, DS9, ENT and almost nobody will be re-watching Disco. It has no soul, it has no replayability, it’s not Trek.
Maybe Lower Decks will be added to that list, it started well.
With SNW and S31 being made by the same people, I expect it to be a disaster too.

Totally agree.

How something will hold up is hard to predict.

I’ve been enjoying the “cut for broadcast” season one of Discovery running on main CBS since September. One of our kids wanted to see it, and it’s holding up better than I expected. Discovery may have more long haul appeal for certain demographics than some of the other series.

Voyager does so much better in rewatching two decades later than I ever imagined.

Each season has had a different Captain for the good ship Discovery: Lorca, Pike, Saru, now Burnham. Captain Tilly for season five, anyone?

I’m starting to understand the dislike for Burnham even among long time Trekkies. Even I have to admit that as written the character just isn’t believable. Anyone that smart and competent wouldn’t go out their way to be insubordinate and counter productive CONSTANTLY.

Kirk knew when to ignore an order and go rogue but it was a big decision with consequences. Picard would always find an acceptable compromise, Janeway and Sisco would go rogue but they’d have to be pushed into it with no other alternative. Michael Burnham?
Her first answer to every obstacle is dereliction or mutiny.

She also really sucks the oxygen out of the room for the other characters. Tilly should have unwillingly beamed the rest of the crew off Discovery especially Stamitz. Then set about taking ship back like every other Captain would. She could fail and need Burnham to save her in the end but making the tough call to blow Stamitz out the airlock would have been more meaningful with her hitting the button. Did anyone doubt for an instant Michael would do it?

We all know what happens in season 4. Burnham saves the universe every day. The mop and bucket become chief engineer. The entire engineering staff have a big hug and cry for 20 minutes and there’s a fight scene every 10 minutes.

I’m sure they thought they were being clever & subtle with the obvious double meaning in Burnham’s log… They were mistaken.

God, even in a log she’s overacting. Sorry, but I just can’t stand at least Sonequa’s acting of Michael Burnham, if not her acting at all.

It’s sad to say that I can only pick out one solitary scene from three seasons of the show where there’s a hint Burnham might be relatable to the audience watching: as she jetpacks to the Klingon beacon in the first ten minutes of the pilot, she involuntarily laughs in unbridled excitement at the beauty of the universe and the unknown before her, a display that sums up everything that’s great about Star Trek.

Of course, within the next hour any of that potential is curbstomped to death.