We now have official word on the debut of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery, arriving on April 4, the eve of First Contact Day. There is also new key art and new details on the world premiere panel at SXSW in March.
Disco is back on April 4
Paramount+ just announced that Season 5 of Discovery will arrive on Thursday, April 4 with a two-episode debut. New episodes of the 10-episode season will follow each Thursday 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.
Returning for season 5 are Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), and Blu del Barrio (Adira). Callum Keith Rennie joins the cast as Captain Rayner. Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).
Season 5 cast photo (Paramount+)
Decoding an ancient mystery
Paramount+ also released a brand new key art poster for the season…
The key art features a new logo style for the series along with symbols that are tied into the season plot about a hunt tied into an ancient mystery. From the official synopsis:
The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well…dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.
You can see those symbols on a puzzle box featured in the trailer released at NYCC 2022…
The official synopsis for the premiere episode (“Red Directive”) offers more detail:
Captain Burnham and the U.S.S. 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.
You can see that artifact with the symbols in this clip from the first episode, which was released at SDCC 2023…
SXSW panel
We also have more details on the previously announced world premiere event at SXSW in Texas. Today SXSW announced the featured session ” Paramount+’s Star Trek Discovery: The Trailblazing Journey to the Fifth and Final Season” which will be held on March 12. The season 5 premiere episode will be screened at SXSW along with a panel discussion with co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise and cast Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, David Ajala and Blu del Barrio.
Here is the official panel description:
The hit Paramount+ Original Series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY prepares to embark on its fifth and final season this April 2024. Since its debut in 2017, DISCOVERY has earned widespread acclaim for its dedication to diversity and for redefining the Star Trek franchise for a new generation. The show’s unique strength lies not only in its captivating narrative and award-winning world-building but also in the groundbreaking representation it brings to the forefront. As the lead of the series, Sonequa Martin-Green made history as the first Black woman to helm a Star Trek series and last season broke additional barriers as she became the Captain of the series’ main starship, the U.S.S. Discovery. The show boasts an ethos of inclusivity, also blazing trails in LGBTQIA+ representation in sci-fi storytelling and TV in general, featuring the first on-screen intergalactic same-sex couple as well as multi-dimensional non-binary and trans characters. This final season will see our beloved crew embarking on a new adventure and celebrate the show’s bold storytelling over its past four seasons as it continues to honor Star Trek’s legacy of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations.”
For more details visit sxsw.com.
Discovery seasons one through four are currently streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons two and three also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. In Canada, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel. STAR TREK: DISCOVERY is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Keep up with news for the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com
Finally! Can’t wait.
I love that season five will continue the theme of deciphering languages. Communication is Trek’s central theme, and season four was a great example of that, using real-world METI and lincos techniques.
That second poster and its glyphs in a circle sure looks like an homage to STARGATE. (Which is a very good thing, in my book.)
Ha! I didn’t see your comment before I posted my own. It would be very cool if it were an homage to Stargate.
Don’t get too excited, kids… I already cracked it. It reads: “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”
No I’m pretty sure the message translates to ‘this is a Discovery poster’.
When I translated it I got “Campbell’s Plomeek Soup is the only logical choice.”
That was a great movie.
It would need to translate as ‘here there be dragons’ to get me back. Or even ‘stand back.’
Come on it obviously translates as “So long, and thanks for all the fish” :))
As far as synopses go, it sounds intriguing, anyway.
I’d be willing to bet on it being the Iconians as Discovery offhandedly revealed they aren’t all extinct.
Wait when did they do that?
Had to look it up: “The Examples” in season 4. When they try to figure out where the DMA came from, it’s mentioned the Iconians as having the technology to create it. They specifically said “surviving members,” which could mean actual or hypothetical people. So maybe they are still extinct.
Love this show and that poster is gorgeous. Sad it’s ending but glad the cast and writers got the chance to give the show closure.
No one can deny the fact that the show was a successful with 5 seasons and 65 episodes. Sure the show has it’s haters just like all Trek show but just like all Trek show the haters are in the minority.
It’s just a shame that Paramount is suffering major financial trouble that led them to cutting costs and cancelling the show along with over 2 dozen shows in the last 12 month as well and firing over 8oo people recently. Than there is them looking for someone to buy them too which is concerning.
Still i hope we see this wonderful cast of people again someday and i also hope we will see more shows other than Starfleet Academy set in the 32nd century.
I think we’ll get more Burnham somewhere along the line.
Good bet is she can show up in the Academy show.
Nah, five seasons is about the typical length for a streaming series, so they want to clear the slot for the Academy series, that’s all.
Paramount+ is hurting but it’s nice we still have at least three shows. But I d o wonder whenever the next one is cancelled will that replace that one or just keep it down to two shows?
Trek is probably considered very expensive these days so who knows?
I’m pretty sure some of the characters will pop up on the Academy show like we saw the TNG characters appear on DS9 and VOY.
I think we’re looking at two live action series moving forward. Twenty episodes come in at about $140 million a year and money is tight over there. Star Trek will continue to have a presence but it isn’t carrying Paramount+ anymore.
This maybe somewhat naive of me to suggest, but when I compare the writing of Nu-Trek to other shows such as ‘For All Mankind’, ‘The Expanse’, ‘Altered Carbon – S1’, ‘BSG’, ‘Firefly’, ‘Stranger Things’ I just feel that those shows are better written and their characters more likeable, realistic and fleshed out. We got a glimpse of that talent in S3 Picard – I actually felt like I knew the bridge crew better on the Titan then I ever did on Discovery.
Yes, the shows I’ve mentioned are different and flawed in other ways. But the point I’m making is that if Nu-Trek was just a little bit more smartly written, there wouldn’t be the need for flashy special effects. The shows will be more popular and less expensive.
Even the representation of minorities and honoring diversity is done in a less ham-fisted way. The Expanse has same sex couples – it’s subtly interwoven into the story & is honored. ‘For All Mankind’ has women in leadership roles as well as portraying compelling antagonists and protagonists without the “Hey! Look! A women is in charge!” moments (beyond some casual references to the Patriarchal neanderthals in S1/S2. Important change in attitudes towards women and homosexuals were tackled with deference to ALL sides of the debate. We can see the same deference in Stranger Things and BSG.
It broke my heart that for the first time in 38 years I couldnt finish a season of Star Trek. It has happened in Discovery Seasons 3 and 4 and Picard Season 2. It wasn’t because there was a black captain, it wasn’t because there were several gay couples, I really REALLY don’t care about that on it’s own. What I care about is when these people and their stories are written in such a ham-fisted way that it distracts from what could be their compelling narratives and gives fodder to the regressive who genuinely have a beef with representation in Nu-Trek.
I thought Felix Gaetor (BSG) was an amazing character. I knew he was gay but he was also someone who went through great trauma and had a compelling and eventually heart breaking arc. Ellen Wilson (For All Mankind) is an example of how sexuality can be the focus of a story in Sci-Fi done right and it was also educational because it was an intelligent way to consider ‘what if…’ gay rights were tackled with the same energy and vigor as civil rights in the 1960s. Molly Cobb (For All Mankind) was my 2nd favorite character on Season 1. She has a terrific arc, was a kick-ass pilot and her surprising and ultimately endearing relationship with the Beta-Male in her life portrayed both characters with utter sublime complexity. Geordi LaForge was a black blind man… who cares? He was a terrific engineer and that’s what mattered. Sulu was a gay man, but not even Takei believed it was worth making a fuss over – he just wanted to be Captain.
In short, all the shows I have mentioned elevates characters who are ‘different’ NOT at the expense of other groups. Patriarchy, racism, homophobia are not ignored, but tackled elegantly, tasteful and with the potential to change minds instead of a string of ‘gotcha! look how stupid he is!” moments. The reduction of Capt. Pike in the final few episodes of Strange New Worlds to a guy who just doesn’t know what he’s doing all of a sudden is an example of a hamfisted way to elevate other characters.
Anyway, I hope that my appreciation of diversity is shown in my text. I like it, I want it, I am not afraid of it. I just don’t like bad writing wrapped up in CGI.
Red and blue, the only two colours that exist on Star Trek Discovery
You okay?
To be fair, there’s been a huge trend for a number of years to design movie posters with this same orange/blue motif.
Movie posters yes. Not entire films/tv shows like Discovery.
So?
Couldn’t be worse than the “malfunction at the printing shop” Star Trek 2009 poster.
Trek has been into primary colors for decades now….
The colour green exists in other Trek shows. Not on Discovery.
“multi-dimensional non-binary and trans characters”
Adira and Gray? Multi-dimensional?? Ooookkkaaayyyyyyy……
I think they must mean that they are physically three-dimensional. Can’t argue with that!
You’ve never experienced true pleasure until you’ve done it in six-dimensional space.
Seriously, the actor playing Gray sucks — so lackluster. The actor playing Adira does a fine job. How about an ep where Adira Gray kills Gray so that they can get back to this universe and Adira is the trans crew member! That’s a win-win in my book.
I’d…. be totally OK with all of that.
I’m confused… Is Gray still the symbiont in Adira? But Adira wasn’t trans they were non-binary. Gray was trans… Right?
Tal is the symbiont, Gray was the previous host.
Thanks.
Great news and hope S5 is a good one. IMHO over the last 2 seasons, Discovery morphed into a show that was targeting women and gender minorities. It may not be made specifically for me, but I am looking forward to watching the final season of the show. No, it will not be like Picard S3 which focused on TNG and satisfying legacy fans like myself, but let’s hope it is an improvement over a pretty much meh S4 and inconsistent S3.
No matter what, Discovery will always be the first of the NuTrek Shows that took chances (some successful and others not), but it helped spawn Picard, Short Treks, SNW, LDs and Prodigy and now S31. It also brought in Michelle Yeoh into the Trek family and that is no small accomplishment. Congrats to the cast and crew of Star Trek Discovery.
Glad you like the show, but I’m curious as to how the show targeted women and gender minorities in your view (seriously, not trying to start a fight).
From my point of view – merely including / representing people isn’t necessarily targeting, although, tbh, so much sci-fi to date was written with teen cisgender males as the audience, so anything other than that is kind of refreshing.
To me, the last season arc was about a first contact situation / Galaxy Ending Threat™, kind of along the lines of Star Trek IV! But its character arcs showed how emotions could get in the way of doing the right thing – Book wanting revenge, Tarka seeking to use the DMA as a way to get to his ‘paradise’ universe, Ndoye being conflicted, Burnham under pressure from the Federation President, etc.
There was one story about Gray being separated from the symbiont and transferred to a new golem body, which was an interesting if not exact parallel for gender/body dysphoria, in a science fiction context, but it was barely touched upon tbh.
My description was of course not met as a criticism, but my friend who has several gay friends specifically started to watch the show because it was more inclusive. She would have never given the time of day to watch any of the other franchise shows.
Of the primary cast, you have two gay men, a Trill who is played by a non-binary actor (btw I loved the Adira backstory episode. IMHO it was one of the best episodes of Discovery). Gray is also played by a non-binary actor and most of the rest of the primary cast are women. Since Pike left to go back to the Enterprise, there are no white alpha males. Once again, not meant to be a criticism as I am not a white male, its just an observation. Booker is someone many guys might be able to identify with.
No matter what, IMHO, the show does try to target women and gender minorities and that is great. I think most Trek fans are all wanting to see shows that are more inclusive, but I am not blind to the fact that many legacy fans also want to see a guy like Riker (or even Kirk) in a command role and for those fans, there is SNW. Just my two cents worth.
Bring on Discovery S5!
I’m calling it now (and I am always wrong so this won’t happen lol). Red Directive = Red Matter from Star Trek 2009
3 other sites have said the same thing…
Interesting.
Yeah, I’ve seen that theory. The Red Directive would be like the Omega Directive, but for red matter. I guess it’s possible, but it seems like a bit of a stretch.
It does but if you think about it, it sounds like a very Genesis like plot. Something used to save lives but its destructive force is unimaginable. Also, Discovery finds a Romulan science vessel from the TNG era and that’s where and when Red Matter was used.
I hope they show it somewhere in Sweden. Can´t remember where the previous seasons have aired, Prime maybe?
Seasons 1-3 aired on Netflix but Paramount+ pulled the show from Netflix shortly before the release of season 4. Paramount+ is not available in Sweden. You could check out SkyShowtime whether it has Discovery.
i mentioned this before but i find it so illogical… netflix was streaming disco overseas… paying paramount over 100 million for the rights. that paid for the entire budget. the show was free. but paramount dramatically ends the deal right before s4 started then bragged how they now own discovery all to themselves. they acted like it was a great asset. then a year later they make s5 all on their own then cancel it before it even airs. bizarre.
They probably thought it would get a lot more subs abroad if it was exclusive to the site… yeah bad call.
We know Star Trek is not that popular outside of America with the exception of a few western countries. But the main issue IMO is that Star Trek is already spread on multiple sites in many countries and many people just probably just doesn’t want to pay for another one even if they are Trak fans
I know they were trying to solve that issue by trying to consolidate more shows to P+ but most people already have and like Netflix. Moving it to another streamer and one with probably less content at that isn’t that appealing for a lot of people.
I truly think taking it off Netflix is what doomed the show. But Paramount isn’t being run by the brightest people these days.
I can only imagine that they looked at the numbers for Discovery, but also the other Trek shows on Paramount+. We don’t have any information on Discovery’s numbers. We do know that both Picard and SNW made it into the streaming Top 10s during their most recent seasons. While that’s certainly nice it does not actually tell us whether these numbers are “enough” to justify the cost of the shows.
Honestly even though those shows made it to the top 10, they still seem pretty soft viewer wise when you see other expensive shows have 2-3 times more views.
I think the problem is Star Trek is obviously still a valuable IP for them but probably feel the money they are spending on it isn’t doing enough and I’m guessing all these shows have maximize the subs long ago and isn’t seeing a lot of new growth, just maintaining the viewers they have.
And they hit the top 10 at the time they streamed, they weren’t among the 10 most streamed shows of the year.
And you’re spot-on about Star Trek maintaining instead of expanding and where they have expanded was by bringing fans back into the fold with SNW and Picard S3.
I’m also not sure how well the shows are doing outside of the window they are being released.
Trekmovie reported on Prodigy making the Netflix Kids Top 10 after Christmas. While that is certainly good news, from what I saw the show flared out pretty quickly. Basically it shot up in the rankings right when it was released but fell out of the Top 10 within a few days (I haven’t followed whether it has returned to the Top 10 since then).
Unfortunately, this points towards an existing audience who had awaited the release and binge-watched the whole season within a short period of time, instead of a new audience discovering the show. I don’t have kids but my nephews wouldn’t be allowed to watch a 20-episode season within a few days. It would take them much longer.
There are no numbers but I suspect that there were more adults watching than kids.
Why have people forgotten the reasoning for this. Netflix’s contract had them with first rights to any spinoff from discovery. This would mean SNW, S31, academy all would have gone to Netflix and not P+. This is why they exercised the break clause.
Yes Netflix got royally screwed thanks to Paramount’s greed and can’t blame them. It’s why I was surprised they even took Prodigy but I guess the difference is that’s now officially their show and have direct control over. That was never the case with Discovery.
Paramount absolutely shot itself in the foot by taking the international streaming rights away from Netflix. Like you said – Netflix was paying for the show. I stand by my previous statements that this is why we aren’t getting a true planned farewell season.
I mean I am kind of happy that the producers at least got to go back and shoot an epilogue. Sure, it would have been better if they’d know this was the final season when writing it. But Paramount could have also waited until after the show had been released and then we wouldn’t be getting any closure.
My assumption is also that Paramount+ was hoping that Trek as a whole would perform better being exclusively available on P+.
Unless they go back to the licensing model with Netflix or Amazon Prime, any live action show going forward will have the problem that it must make back its cost solely via Paramount+ subscriptions (and maybe a small bit through home media sales).
As a devoted fan of Star Trek: Discovery, I want to express my immense gratitude and excitement as we gear up for the fifth and final season of this groundbreaking series. Since its inception in 2017, Discovery has consistently pushed boundaries, both narratively and in terms of representation, and it has truly redefined what it means to be a part of the Star Trek universe.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Discovery has been its unwavering dedication to diversity. From its diverse cast to its inclusive storytelling, the show has set a new standard for representation in sci-fi television. Sonequa Martin-Green’s portrayal of Michael Burnham has been nothing short of inspirational, and her journey from first officer to captain has been a triumph not only for her character but for Black women everywhere.
Moreover, Discovery has fearlessly explored LGBTQIA+ themes, introducing audiences to the first on-screen intergalactic same-sex couple and featuring multi-dimensional non-binary and trans characters. By embracing these diverse identities, the show has enriched the Star Trek universe and brought joy to countless fans who see themselves reflected on screen.
As we look ahead to the final season, I am filled with anticipation for the new adventures that await our beloved crew. I have no doubt that the upcoming episodes will continue to captivate us with their bold storytelling and thought-provoking themes. And while it saddens me to bid farewell to this incredible series, I am grateful for the memories it has given us and the legacy it leaves behind.
Thank you, Paramount+, for bringing Star Trek: Discovery into our lives. It has been an honor to journey alongside these characters, and I cannot wait to see how their story concludes.
Live long and prosper,
I’m glad the show made an impression upon your life, which I find to be a rare and special thing. Hope you enjoy the final season.
I’m really going to miss this show terribly. It’s been a bumpy ride for sure, but I’ve loved every minute of it.
I’m really hope you love the last season.
April fools?
That’s the 1st. This is the 4th.
every season i go into DSC with an open mind and with the exception of S2 i haven’t enjoyed it. theres something about it that just doesn’t work for me, either the crew doesn’t have enough chemistry together or the way the story is parsed out over each episode makes it clunky and uneven and can’t get a rhythm going
I’ve had the same problems. I think many have lol.
I will say I really enjoyed most of season 2 and why it’s still my favorite but by the time it got to the end of the last few episodes it became harder to watch.
But the other seasons has a much higher ratio of misses and the show just peters out for me by the halfway mark. I was also very excited about it going to the 32nd century but it only got worse.
I blame the show runner. I just think she has mostly bad ideas and can’t effectively produce a strong serilize story. So I’m very skeptical that season 5 will be anything great but I hope to be proven wrong.
Yeah, I’m watching it only because it’s Star Trek, but I don’t have high hopes it will be any better since the real show ended with the season 2 finale.
I agree Michelle Paradise must take the majority of the blame as season 3 and 4 was a real decline and I’m not sure this show is capable of a recovery! But hopefully I am wrong
Not only Michelle Paradise. They had so many issues since day 1. On top of that, the Pandemic arrived.
Absolutely agree 100% on this.
Good to know. Hopefully it will end on a high note.
Cool poster. Hopefully someone can uncover the clue that seems to be the alien writing arched above the head of the cast.
This is a job for Jörg Hillebrand.
Stargate address symbols. Now that’s a crossover I would like to see.
May the force be with you
That poster is quite beautiful and I’m really glad Tilly looks to be a main character again. I missed her in s4. I’ve always liked Discovery more than I’m seemingly meant to (the overriding Trekfan narrative is that it’s somehow the worst iteration in existence, which I strongly dispute even for its imperfections). I’ll miss it.
Like many , I couldn’t really get into Discovery other then maybe Season 2. That season I thought had a good mix of Sci-fi and drama. Last 2 seasons were too heavy on drama for my liking. Felt more like a workplace drama that happened to be set in space rather than a dramatic Sci-fi show.
I really hope they tone down the emotional angst this season. Will give it a try.
I think for me DSC can sometimes come across as a therapy session rather than good Star Trek or even good Sci Fi
I think the show over does the crying and I think there have been scenes where the urgency has been lost as they would rather talk about their emotions rather than dealing with them after the threat.
DSC has continued to remain my least favourite Trek show but it has led to stuff from the Kurtzman era I have liked.
I will always prefer TOS and the Berman eras but I still watch all because I like Star Trek and still hope despite my gripes.
I agree. Nothing wrong with crying but it is ( like most thjngs) something that can be over done. DS9’s The Vistitor is an example where it makes sense. If it’s done too often , the impact is lessened IMO. Sometimes when I see an “emotional” scene I picture the writers room whiteboarding notes saying ” insert emotional scene for audience pay off here” . It must feel more organic to me.
I’ve said since early on it sounds like they’re doing “To Attain the All”. Hope I’m right on that one!
PINCH ME, I THINK I’VE JUST DIED AND GONE TO DISCO HEAVEN.
That poster reminds me what an awful cast of characters the show has.
Absolutely 👍 the worst cast of any Trek show by a mile
With the exception of Saru, a character and new species which I thought was interesting and had potential, I absolutely agree with you.
Yes agreed
Actually some of the cast they had were not bad, its just the way they couldn’t use them that was the big problem. Lorca, Saru, Jett Reno were interesting characters, I also enjoyed Admiral Vance played by Oded Fehr and maybe my absolute fondness of David Cronenberg is blinding my judgment but I enjoyed his character too. I still can’t believe they got him to act but couldn’t get him to direct several episodes.
I hope it’s true that Discovery last season is going back to the origins, in the first two seasons it was actually a good show.
I am hoping they tie Season 5 with Calypso.
Sure it’s not April 1st?
Just waiting for this thing to end now. But maybe this season won’t suck.
I loved season four after hating the first three; here’s hoping this one works for me, too.