Along with the two-episode premiere last week, Paramount+ also released a new preview for the rest of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery. There are some intriguing bits to pore over, so dive into the SPOILERS ahead!
This week on Trill
The official preview for this week’s episode “Jinaal” already revealed a return to Trill where “Captain Burnham, Book, and Culber must pass a dangerous test to prove themselves worthy of the next clue.” The new preview includes a few moments from the episode, including a walk around Discovery’s favorite location, the Lafarge Quarry.
Dr. Culber warns Michael and Book:
“Nothing is more important.”
It appears their test involves a translucent, plasma-spewing space monster…
We can also see a return to the Caves of Mak’ala where Trill Guardians watch over symbionts.
Captain Burnham comes face-to-face with an older Trill woman…
Clues to power
The season premiere revealed the quest for the season is to find the source of power of the Progenitors from the TNG episode “The Chase.” The preview features Stamets saying excitedly to Rayner:
“The technology, it could have incredible applications.”
In episode 2, the Disco team picked up the first piece of a five-piece map that could lead them to that source of power. The preview shows Stamets slotting another piece into place.
A shot in Stamets’ lab shows him examining a holographic image with Book.
And Captain Burnham examines the map symbol on a rock that looks like it may also be on Trill.
There is also an old-looking device being unlocked and removed.
Quest for love
The adversaries this season are former couriers Moll and L’ak, who are in a race with the Discovery. Before going in for a big kiss, Moll tells L’ak:
“We are going to find the Progenitors’ tech.”
Double trouble
Our analysis of the final trailer for the season in February spotted a shootout on the Strange New Worlds sickbay set that included symbols for the Terran Empire, a hint of a return to the Mirror Universe—and episode 5 is titled “Mirrors.” You can see part of that Terran Empire symbol on the wall behind Michael and Book in the new preview.
More tellingly, Michael and Book face off against two pairs of Moll and L’ak, suggesting a possible Prime/Mirror team up for the baddies.
It’s the Enterprise!
Perhaps the most intriguing shots from the new preview feature Michael and Book in a shuttle approaching a ship in what appears to be a nebula or other space phenomenon…
While it is hard to make out, it does appear this is the saucer for the Strange New Worlds Enterprise; you can (barely) make out the “NCC-1701” from the registry. It is possible (perhaps probable) that this is actually the ISS Enterprise, which would match up with the above shots in the Enterprise sickbay that appear to be set in the Mirror Universe and Terran Empire.
There is another wide shot of the Enterprise later in the trailer, where you can see it emit some kind of beam.
Fight club
There is more of Michael taking on Moll in a couple of different locations, including this shot from a violet-hued forest.
And again, they face off in this odd technology-infused environment.
An enhanced shot of a forest from above could indicate that this tech environment lies underneath it.
More forehead weirdness
That last trailer showed Tilly with some stuff on her forehead, and now we see Michael with the same stuff and something wonky happening with her right eye.
She can also be seen from behind at the same location wearing undercover garb.
This could be them about to beam down to this location before things get weird.
Rayner takes Command(er)
Episode 2 saw Michael invite Rayner to join the crew of Discovery as her first officer and he can be spotted throughout the promo, which includes a moment of bridge action with him in the big chair.
UNIFORM DETAIL: Rayner is no longer wearing captain’s shoulder boards, indicating his appointment to first officer comes with a demotion.
Commander Rayner tells the crew:
“We’re only going to get one shot at this. Make it count.”
Rayner and Burnham under fire on the Discovery…
In a different moment, he fires back with a weapon that looks like the type the Emerald Chain used.
More random moments
President Rillak says:
“It could be a suicide mission.”
Dr. Culber is going through some kind of sci-fi weirdness…
Book says:
“This is insane.”
Tilly says:
“It’s kind of beautiful, in a twisted sort of way.”
Adira beams out of the lab, telling Reno:
“Here we go.”
Saru and T’Rina share a moment in what may be his new quarters at Starfleet/Federation HQ.
Culber talks to Tilly about the stakes this season:
“We are on this quest to find the thing that created us.”
The preview ends with Book asking the big question, plus Michael’s response.
Book: “What happens when we finally put this thing together?”
Burnham: “I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.”
Watch the season preview
Discovery season 5 arrived last week with a two-episode premiere on Paramount+.
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 for the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
I can see going to Trill to speak with symbionts because, due to their long lives, they might know important information from the time of the Progenitors. Though symbionts don’t live millions of years, information from that time could have been passed down from one symbiont to another.
Maybe through the ritual Burnham went through when they were there the first time.
There really is no reason why that woman can’t be the current host to the Dax symbiont.
While the nod to DS9 would make me smile, I hope they do not name-drop the Dax symbiont and its current host. Obviously symbionts are long-lived, and we’ve never really been told HOW long they can live, but Ezri was Dax’s 9th host. The symbiont could likely be on it’s 18th host by now. That seems a bit of a stretch.
Certainly Dax would mean nothing to Burnham, but it would mean a lot to the audience. Specially if she name-dropped more Starfleet characters and such, like when they mentioned Bones in DS9.
It’s not out of the question that Burnham has encountered Audrid Dax for whatever reason at some diplomatic event or whatever. Audrid was a big deal on Trill and it would be nice for Burnham to meet someone from her time in the future.
It’s plausible, yeah.
It is important to keep in mind that at that time no one knew about the symbionts. I can’t recall if Burnham was surprised when she learned about them. Beverly certainly was.
If she knew, it’d be another indication that history changed…
Why does 18 hosts sound like a stretch? We have no idea how long they live. It very well could be millions of years. Remember, this is Star Trek— it’s science fiction. And trek has done this before: the first mention of Vulcans being longer lived than humans was simply to allow Sarek to appear in TNG. They can do likewise here for Dax if they want.
I’m very happy to see the ISS Enterprise again, I assume this must be post Pike era from what we saw in Mirror Mirror. Hopefully they don’t end up blowing it up I think it’s great to have a Constitution class in Discovery for some reason. I doubt it will be inhabited because of the Georgeiou mcguffin that Terrans can’t stay in an alternative reality and time. I’m interested to see how the free react to a “contemporary” starship they would have loved with.
I hate what Deep Space 9 did by overthrowing the Terrans, perhaps the Enterprise will go back to the 23rd/24th century with future tech that will change the Terrans outcome and re-establish the empire.
I should say how the discovery crew react, not “free.” Autocorrect, sorry.
curious how you could have a blue sky but completely purple light
Poor L’ak looks like the result of a transporter accident involving a man, a lizard, and a motorcycle helmet.
Are we sure that’s the Enterprise (USS or ISS)? And not another Constellation Class such as the Defiant that was in the Mirror Universe?
you can see a blurry 1701 on the hull
When you zoom in you can make out the name.
I did notice there appears to be a – after the 1.
Saru: You seem to be Circuitous.
Vulcan: circuitous?
Saru: Peckish,
Vulcan:Peckish?
Saru: You’re all ‘ugry like!!
Vulcan: Hungry!
Saru: In a nutshell