There are just three episodes left to go for season four of Star Trek: Discovery, with episode 11 (“Rosetta“) arriving on Thursday. But the show has already been renewed for a fifth season. And now the showrunner is offering some updates on where they are on that next season.
Just some VFX left for season four
On Tuesday Discovery executive producer and co-showrunner, Michelle Paradise took to Twitter to offer a quick update on work for season four, revealing that the last mix (meaning final edit) was for the season finale was completed on Monday night. All that was left was some visual effects shots to be added for the “awesome episode.” The season four finale will arrive on Thursday, March 17.
We did the last mix of season 4 last night! VFX gurus are still working like crazy to finish our finale and deliver an awesome episode for you. I can’t say enough about how incredible our #StarTrekDiscovery teams are…
— Michelle Paradise (@michelleparadis) March 1, 2022
Work “in full swing” for season 5
Paradise followed up her season four update with one for season five, revealing the writers’ room “has been in full swing.” and the creative team in Toronto was “up and running” working on designs for the upcoming season. The executive producer also added she was “excited” for fans “to (eventually) see what we’re working on.”
No release date has yet to be announced, but season five will likely arrive in 2023. Industry sources have reported that production is set to start in June in Toronto for the 10-episode season.
And for the curious, all that has been happening while the S5 writers’ room has been in full swing, with the creative team in Toronto now up and running as well on designs, etc. Excited for you to (eventually) see what we’re working on. But for now, season 4… #StarTrekDiscovery
— Michelle Paradise (@michelleparadis) March 1, 2022
There are no hints yet regarding the storyline for season five, although we have a theory.
More seasons of Trek in the works
Season five of Discovery isn’t the only upcoming season on order from Paramount. The third season of Star Trek: Picard has been shooting since last fall and should be wrapping up very soon. And even though Star Trek: Strange New Worlds won’t premiere until May, Paramount has already ordered a second season to go into production this year. The two animated series also have plenty of work ahead. Work is well underway on the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy with twenty additional episodes, which will arrive after the first season wraps up later this year. Work has also started on the fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, ahead of the debut of season three this summer.
And Paramount is already telegraphing they will be moving forward on two more live-action series, with announcements expected for a Section 31 series and a Starfleet Academy series.
Strange New Worlds poster
New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery premiere on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on Fridays where Paramount+ is available around the world. In Canada, it airs on CTV Sci-Fi Channel on Thursdays, and streams on Crave on Fridays. Discovery also streams on Pluto TV in select countries in Europe and is available as a digital download in additional international territories.
Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com.
2 months away and still no trailer for Strange New Worlds? C’mon! It is the show most are excited to see, besides Picard.
Your comment is off topic, and has already been brought up in other comments on our last SNW article. It is fairly normal to hold off a bit longer for marketing reasons.
Picard is the new show just being released this week, Paramount+ is in the middle of a big press push with the cast. They don’t want people to focus on SNW too much until Picard is under way.
Apologies but SNW was mentioned in this article along with a poster for the show so I thought it was acceptable to post about. Understandable they wouldn’t want to steal the thunder from other shows. I am looking forward to both Picard and SNW.
I get that the poster was in there, but the headline and all but one final section of this article is about Discovery. So in a sense this wasn’t specific to you, you just happened to be next person complaining about a lack of SNW trailer (which has come up a lot in comments on other articles). Your comment was also the very first comment on an article that is about DSC with only a small section at the end saying more seasons of all current shows are coming soon.
Understood. No worries.
Awfully nitpicky, admin. But, sure, whatever.
This is downright bizarre behavior from an admin. I’ve literally never seen anything like it. For a site that rarely enforces “on topic” rules to ban discussion of a topic in the article is absolutely mind boggling.
If you don’t want people talking about something in the comments, don’t talk about it in the article.
Yea, I mean the article has the freaking SNW poster IN THE ARTICLE.
?????
LOL, no worries though.
agree w/ Trellium’s followup. It’s bad form to include, not only a reference to SNW in the article but the second biggest visual element in the article is the SNW poster, and then they get locked for mentioning SNW
:|
The rules here are pretty fast and loose as to what gets you locked. Pretty much seems if you irritate the admin, you get the ruler across your arm.
(holds hands out to get them handcuffed as well) ;)
Just for clarity sake, I did not lock the discussion, another site admin did. So I unlocked it, as long as the discourse stays civilized I think it’s fine to leave open.
I’m just done with Discovery. It’s become a boring soap opera in space. Touchy-feely Trek. Predictable. But very much looking forward to SNW and more Lower Decks!
Yeah the soap opera stuff is a little too much. But there is much less crying from Burnham this season at least. ;)
I tried watching it when it came back from the break and I can’t make myself. I want to know what the new big bad species turns out to be, but not enough to watch the show apparently. Maybe that will change if the last couple episodes get good reviews from you guys.
Hopefully Species 10c will be worth something to talk about because they have dragged it on long enough. I am intrigued obviously but it’s starting to feel really tedious in another. The next episode does look interesting though so hopefully a big reveal will come out of it.
You mean something as endlessly creative as Burnam being the Red Angel or the Burn being caused by a really really sad Kelpian? 😁
What are you talking about? Trek has always been an examination of our culture. Discovery is an important vehicle to discuss our relationship to each other as a broad culture.
Preach. Preach. Preach.
To be honest, after Discovery’s last two seasons where a lot of it felt like filler to stretch out the 13 episodes, 10 episodes will probably be a better option for it in season 5. Season 4 has been OK, with some strong episodes for sure, but it really is lagging overall for me.
I do wonder though if a shorter season with longer episodes would help? Picard had only the 10 episodes but the character development was lacking in some areas. Extending the time of the episodes to slightly over an 1hr might allow for greater storytelling while still keeping the story interesting enough to have people tune back in week to week. Then again some of the older trek shows had over 20 episodes and they still struggled to include some characters in a meaningful way.
I honestly don’t know. The biggest issue with both DIS and PIC is the pacing. PIC was only 10 episodes and yet as you said they still had problems developing the characters and plot better. Nothing really happened the first half of the season. I don’t know if adding more time would’ve done anything other than draw things out even more.
I will say with Discovery, the first two seasons had the opposite problem and it was TOO MUCH plot. It was obvious they threw in way too much story. But then the last two seasons, I think they are trying to do more character stuff, which is good, but then the main story is moving like a glacier. I like Salvador Noguiera idea, just do smaller arc stories and not have everything lead to some big galaxy type thing. Enterprise fourth season just did it SO WELL with 2-3 episode story arcs (and they had really big stories just not end of the universe stakes either) and I really wish they would do something like that again.
Interesting ideas all around. The world of tv series has changed for sure from the days of TOS / TNG and event Enterprise. But part of the strength of the old series – even Voyager and Enterprise – while they had long term arcs of what the overall theme of the show was, they had * so many * episodes to just live with the characters. Sure – sometimes that means you get ‘the dancing doctor’ episodes but that lived in quality is what helps endears the characters. When every single experience with the new characters is high stakes, high emotional drama, then nothing is high stakes and nothing is emotional. It’s just exhausting and becomes eye-rolling, another day with a high-maintenance, overly dramatic ex girlfriend that you just want to get away from.
I’d love to see two 5-episode arcs. That’s what’s been working for Marvel, more or less, and it could do wonders for Discovery. They could even build a cliffhanger between arcs with a midseason break…
That was the mistake of the last 3 seasons, it’s all one big build up to the mystery when it would’ve been better to build out 2-3 smaller arcs and not have to wait until episode 10 to get some big reveal; especially when the last two kind of felt like a let down.
It would be nice if they went with your idea next season and come up with several smaller stories in the season, but not holding my breath.
I think I’ve made my peace with the fact that Discovery just doesn’t work for me, and I’m now watching it just out of curiosity for whatever additions are made to Trek canon. But for those that love it, and look forward to each episode, more power to you.
I just think the creative approach to the series is fundamentally flawed and has been since the tumultuous beginning where things went off the rails behind-the-scenes. The problem for me is that the larger story-arcs are just window dressing on which to have an excuse for group hugs because the sad crewmember of the week needs emotional reinforcement, and Michael being near tears at some point nearly every episode because of the possibility of losing Tilly/Book/Georgiou.
In the current season, we’re 10 episodes into a story about a destructive galaxy threatening anomaly that has destroyed entire planets. That has huge implications for the balance of power across the Alpha Quadrant, the recovery efforts after The Burn, and could be used to show how people and societies react to the idea of the threat of an unknown force that can destroy everything in a moment’s notice. Think of “The Snap” from the MCU or the “sudden departure” from The Leftovers and how those properties used those events to expound on how people deal with destructive incidents they can’t explain. And yet, here we are 10 episodes later, and there’s been almost no introspection along those lines. Instead, the DMA is mostly a story macguffin to have drama in Book’s and Michael’s relationship.
And even with all of the focus on melodrama and soap opera, I don’t think the writing does well in defining the characters. The bridge crew beyond Michael, Saru, Stamets, and Culber feel closer to extras that’s more “crewman in yellow uniform” than defined members of the cast, and they’re less integral characters than any other Trek series that has come before it.
You’ve thoughtfully articulated my feelings about Discovery, and yet I hold out hope for this season’s payoff because Species 10-C could really bring to the universe something novel, and consequential as a science fiction idea. Or not. At the start of this season, I felt wary of another apocalyptic arc following “The Burn” but Paradise has shepherded a good build up this time. And I am invested in some of the characters (Saru, Vance, The Stamets Family), but it’s been hard finding breathing room with them with these overwhelming arcs and central focus on Burnham. I’d love a spinoff with some of this crew on a different ship. There are so many untouched aspects of this new century. But let’s get through this season first and then we’ll see if they’ve broken the pattern.
This is exactly how I am feeling. I liked Discovery a lot in seasons 1 and 2 despite it’s many flaws because it was at least trying something new. And in those seasons, the character work was carrying the water for the leaky plots. But starting in season 3 – with the huge but largely wasted potential of the new setting – I haven’t been engaged enough by the new characters (Book and Vance have been nice in spurts, but blah overall and Adira and Grey are so boring) and the plots remain creaky and boring.
I am looking forward to returning to episodic storytelling with SNW, because at least with that, if you have a dud storyline, villain, or main character you know it is only going to last 1 episode before there’s a chance things improve. Plus the writers will have to actually write a successful begining, middle, and end to each story (hopefully) instead of just kicking the can down the road to the next episode.
Can’t wait to see season five.
Still waiting for a Linus centered episode,lol!
I would love to see an episode on the Saurian home world. The technology now exists to actually create those worlds on a television budget, and I hope they will.
Disco is probably the weakest of all current Trek shows. Picard is quite better now in Season 2, Prodigy is fun and Lower Decks is just awesome. SNW will also probably be better than Disco since it’s not hard to be better than this boring melodrama with unlikable main character.
The jury is still out for season 2 of Picard, but yes I think first episodes satisfied a lot of us hardcore fans today! Certainly this fan! :)
But I said that about the first episode last season too, so not getting ahead of myself just yet. But definitely agree about LDS and PRO, both of those hit it out of the park for me first season. Prodigy probably the one the fanbase has gravitated the most to so far (or at least with the least amount of scorn…that’s how you have to rate the new shows with the fanbase lol). Who knew a ‘kids show’ would get so much fanfare. I feel Discovery has improved a lot, but its still lacking when compared to the others and it’s in its fourth season. It felt it was getting stronger midway through and just deflated again, this new episode included. I fell in love with all the other shows by their fourth season, especially DS9 and ENT. Discovery I’m just nowhere near at that level unfortunately and with just two more episodes of the season, I doubt I will be. But I do feel every season has been stronger than the last at least.
Which is funny because it’s meant to be the flagship show lol.
So we have 1 ep of Picard S2 and 0 eps of SNW S1 and you are claiming those seasons are better than DSC? Seriously, dude? I mean you have seen 1 out of 21 eps???
Nostradamus, you are not, my friend. ;-) LOL
I’m really watching Discovery out of habit now I’m sorry to say. The season-long story arcs just bore me, as much as I love the cast. The general production quality is outstanding, but I wish they’d just get on with it.
So having just sat through an hour of Picard and an hour of Discovery, one felt like an generously overfilled sandwich with exciting ingredients, the other felt like a wholemeal lettuce wrap.
I feel ‘spoilt’ (in a good way) with Picard, which unfortunately has left me feeling even more disappointed than normal with the Discovery episode.
I just hope when the Discovery writers room are planning their 10 episode season arc, they tighten things up, add a bit more excitement, take out some of the ‘lets sit down and do feelings’ and craft a truly satisfying story next season, because I feel a bit let down with Season 4.
Admittedly, its only one episode of Picard in and who knows how I will feel about it by the back end of that shows season, but certainly when it comes to this season of Discovery my frustration has grown episode by episode, and its becoming difficult to maintain enthusiasm for it, which is a shame, because I want to find enjoyment in of all the Trek shows, and its the first time I am finding myself really struggling to tune in and watch.
I heard from people who attended the digital premiere of Picard, that it had episodes 1 and 2, everyone agreed that the second episode was far more exciting than the first! What actually blows my mind if true.
Just watched Disco ep11, qnd Picard S2 ep 1. Discovery feels like they ran out of ideas and just stretch the runtime with standing around and talking about feelings and giving moral lessons. The episode could have been told in 15min.
Picard on the other hand moves quite quickly and every scene serves in pushing along the story, with trek acurate ships,…even the shields are shields and not skinn tight like in other new trek.
Every week I hope Disco will be better and solve their pacing problems, but it’s just emotions galore. My prediction for Disco: there will be no species 10c, just an automatic sistem that has to be shut down and in doing so Disco will be wormholled to another galaxy to turn it into Voyager.
Just about to say the same thing regarding the automatic system left over from a long dead race, maybe connected to the doomsday machine era
The way the last few episodes were constructed leaves me to think that a lot of what we are seeing was impacted by Covid protocols. Usually Star Trek writers can do more with less. But here… ?
I’m still sad that Book’s character basically got wasted. Star Trek really can’t handle refugee/survivor stories at all.