Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is getting a lot of praise from critics, and one standout part of the series is the Academy itself. The franchise is known for constructing intricate sets that give the actors a true sense of space and objects to interact with. From the atrium to the classrooms, it looks amazing on screen, and listening to actors Oded Fehr and Robert Picardo praise the sets compared to their previous shows really drove home how impressive it is.

I had a chance to speak to Fehr and Picardo recently, both of whom reprise their respective roles of Admiral Vance and The Doctor, having appeared on previous Trek shows. Given that, I had to know how the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy set measured up to Discovery and Voyager, and both men had a lot to say on the matter.

Oded Fehr Had Nothing But Positive Praise For Starfleet Academy's Set

Oded Fehr made his debut on the 2026 TV schedule to return to the role of Vance following his time on Discovery, where the admiral worked heavily with Michael Burnham and others in Starfleet. Now, he's in and out of the series, checking up on the Academy as it gets back up and running, and Fehr couldn't believe the set when he showed up to filming:

I'd heard before it premiered that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy built a school to serve as its set, and it appears that was not a complete exaggeration. While it may not be a full-blown facility, a three-story set for the Academy is pretty damn impressive, and something I'd love to see brought to a convention, or even one of the Universal Parks Fan Nights. I doubt it'll happen, but I'd love to walk through it!

The Admiral Vance actor added that he also enjoyed seeing the Athena bridge, where Captain Ake holds dominion, and compared it to the Discovery bridge. Even as a Trekkie, I never thought to compare the two, so I was fascinated by the ways he spoke about how they differed:

It's nice to hear someone point out the differences in a constructive way, rather than the current discourse surrounding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which even encouraged Whoopi Goldberg to speak out. Those who want more of the same can always revisit old shows with a Paramount+ subscription. We should embrace the differences the new shows give us.

Robert Picardo Believes The Entire Voyager Set Could Fit In The College Set

Of course, I had to ask the most-veteran Star Trek actor on the cast about Starfleet Academy, and how it measured up to the sets he worked on during Voyager. Robert Picardo had previously spoken about some of the changes he made for this series in his return, but he seemed pleased overall with what he saw of the set. So much so that he had a suggestion for fans who watch, if they truly want to embrace just how great the school looks:

It's a lot to take in, and there are certainly points where I forgot these students aren't in an actual building, but a massive set on one of the biggest soundstages. Creating a ship like Voyager, or Discovery, or even the Enterprise, is a big deal, butI think making an academy is an entirely different feat we should all appreciate.

Catch new episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Thursdays on Paramount+. As someone who saw the first six episodes in advance, I can promise that there are some pretty big stories on the way that fans won't want to miss!

As Shazad Latif's Nautilus officially arrives 20,000 leagues below the 2025 TV schedule on AMC and AMC+, Star Trek: Discovery fans will get a chance to see the actor finally be a captain. Unfortunately, the odds don't appear stacked in favor of him showing up in any upcoming Trek series, but that's not to say offers weren't on the table. The actor confirmed to CinemaBlend that he was approached about Ash Tyler returning, which is reassuring, but explained why that return didn't happen (yet).

Before Star Trek: Section 31 was a straight-to-streaming movie available with a Paramount+ subscription, there were grander plans in store. The feature was originally conceived as an episodic series, and there was a point at which Shazad Latif's Ash Tyler was primed to be one of its stars. Plans changed, however, and when I asked the actor about Tyler returning, he mentioned Nautilus and other projects ended up getting in the way of his potential return:

It's interesting to hear that Star Trek's powers that be did indeed approach Shazad Latif about returning as Ash Tyler, as we'd heard confirmation in early 2024 that he wasn't attached to Section 31 anymore. One might imagine the Michelle Yeoh-starring movie would've been entirely different had Ash Tyler been involved, given that Georgiou returned to a later era in the finished product.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I'd wonder if Shazad Latif was relieved he spent that time filming Nautilus' submarine scenes in a water tank rather than appearing in the critically panned Star Trek: Section 31. Of course, the movie might've fared better with his involvement, as he would've added another link to Discovery in a movie that seemed to distance itself from it as much as possible.

But as the actor explained, the request came at a time when he was already busy with other things. As he put it:

If Shazad Latif was truly interested in returning to Star Trek, there is an avenue for him to do so. Strange New Worlds, which recently announced it will end with Season 5, takes place in the same timeline as when Ash was first introduced in Discovery.

When we last saw the character, Ash had accepted a position at the head of Section 31 in Starfleet. As a Klingon who radically transformed his body and mind to appear and become human, there were definite struggles with him having to acclimate to either society once he fully became aware of his two selves. Section 31, however, saw great benefit in his unique experience and brought him on willingly. It would be great for Strange New Worlds to bring him back for an episode, assuming it doesn't need too many episodes to wrap up its own storylines.

We don't know when or if we'll ever see Shazad Latif in Star Trek again, but he is on AMC's Nautilus, which airs on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. It's worth a watch for anyone looking for a new adventure series to get through these summer months.

It's been a long wait, but finally, the wait for upcoming Star Trek shows is almost over. Pretty soon, we'll be spending a summer watching new adventures with a Paramount+ subscription, but that's not the only thing Trekkies should be checking out on the 2025 TV schedule.

A new sci-fi show from Discovery star Shazad Latif is coming to AMC, and damn, does it look good! While it's not set in space, the spirit of traveling into the great unknown in search of adventure is still alive, and I can't wait to see the actor I'm sad didn't appear in Section 31 back in action.

Shazad Latif Will Star In Nautilus, Which Is On AMC This Summer

Shazad Latif stars as Nemo in an adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea in Nautilus. This story will follow Nemo's plot for revenge against the East India Mercantile Company. With the help of some fellow prisoners, they steal a prototype submarine and set out to find a fabled Viking treasure. It sounds wild enough, but the trailer really drives home how awesome this series might be:

It's been so long since I've seen Shazad Latif as Ash Tyler that I forgot how great of an actor he was. It'll be great to see him as a lead in a series in Nautilus, in a captain's role we never really got to see during Discovery. Hey, this might even lead to him being welcomed back to the franchise should the decision-makers at Paramount see him thrive in this new series at AMC set for June 29th.

Latif's Series Adds To The Excitement For Star Trek Shows This Summer

In addition to Nautilus and all that fun, we're finally getting the return of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Season 3. The Season 2 finale ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, and I know I've been dying to find out what will become of the crew when they go head-to-head with the Gorn.

There's a lot to look forward to in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, especially since Season 4 is already confirmed and has been in production. Plus, we also have Starfleet Academy coming in 2026, so the future is looking bright for Trek once again.

Much like Trekkies have embraced shows like The Orville as Trek-adjacent shows we can love, I hope the same happens for Nautilus. Shazad Latif had no shortage of admirers in the fandom when he was a part of the Discovery crew as Ash Tyler, and the new AMC series seems to have the same adventure vibes as the standard Trek series. It's always said that we've explored the ocean less than space, so you might even say Nautilus will "boldly go" a direction the space series hasn't before.

As mentioned, Nautilus premieres on AMC on June 29th, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 is coming to Paramount+ on Thursday, July 17th. I know I'm psyched for the possibility of a double feature viewing of both shows each week, and I encourage others to check it out and see if they wish to do the same.

Star Trek: Discovery's cancellation was unexpected, and while fans were originally grateful Paramount+ gave the series extra time to film a proper ending to conclude all the stories, they may change their tune after hearing this. Sonequa Martin-Green recently revealed that she and others in charge of the series wanted to close things out with a movie, and I wish we had gotten that.

Syfy Sistas' Tamia Harper hosted a panel with members of the Star Trek: Discovery cast for TrekTalks 4, and surprisingly, we learned that Alex Kurtzman and showrunner Michelle Paradise had bigger plans that differed from the Burnham-centric series finale we received. She shared a bit about it below:

The Star Trek: Discovery team wanted more time to try and close out the series, but Paramount+ wouldn't budge on what was allowed. Ultimately, the cast and crew were mostly pulled together for a marathon shoot over three days that tried to close out the story as best they could.

Keep in mind, Discovery had already wrapped on Season 5, and the cancellation was truly unexpected. So much so that Doug Jones told CinemaBlend he was blindsided and found out on a fan cruise, and despite it working out pretty well, all things considered, Sonequa Martin-Green said she couldn't help but feel disappointed about how little they were given:

It was unfortunate for Star Trek: Discovery to have to end that way, but as Alex Kurtzman pointed out, the show had a helluva run. Sure, there was once a time when shows in the franchise received over 100 episodes, but times have changed. Even the biggest shows on streaming haven't ran as long as many hit shows of '80s and '90s, so it's impressive that it hit five seasons.

At the same time, imagine a world in which we saw Discovery end with a two-hour movie, and how much more satisfying that would've been to see as a fan? That said, we saw the reviews for Star Trek: Section 31, so maybe Sonequa Martin-Green should be happy no one took a crack at closing out the series with a feature film.

I also wonder why Sonequa Martin-Green is being more candid about this news now than she was when Star Trek: Discovery first ended. Perhaps it was out of respect for the show, not wanting to overshadow the ending fans received, or maybe she was hoping the series would get a spinoff or two, allowing for more stories to help make up for that ending. Whatever the case, I'm glad that we have this information now and can see how Kurtzman and others fought for the fans, even if it was unsuccessful.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+. It never received a movie, but I guarantee anyone who streams the series from start to finish will not regret doing so if they check it out.

As it's aired through the decades, Star Trek has worked diligently to present an idealized and progressive look at our future. It's often ahead of its time in the portrayal of societal, ethical, and other issues and has championed the use of technology in advance as well.

As upcoming Trek shows are always being developed, now is the perfect time to remind readers of when the franchise was ahead of the curve and very progressive. Here are some of the more notable moments, though I think it's fair to say there is a good deal of moments beyond just these entries.

Kirk And Uhura's Interracial Kiss

While the Civil Rights movement was near its tail end when "Plato's Stepchildren" aired, there was much discussion surrounding William Shatner's Kirk sharing an interracial kiss with Nichelle Nichols' Uhura. The moment preached equality at a time when many were still apprehensive of change, and will remain one of the key moments of the late actress' legacy.

Data Pads Were The Original Smart Tablet

Many fans may overlook this because of how commonplace it is now, but Star Trek: The Next Generation accurately depicted smartphone and tablet technology decades before that tech was commercially viable. While I'm sure pocket computers were long a dream of tech makers, it's cool to see how well the series got it right.

Barclay Becomes Addicted To A Fictional Reality

In a world in which social media can entice people to fall in love with the idea of a person, Barclay did that with holodeck simulations in Star Trek: Voyager's "Pathfinder." While his efforts to learn about the crew via simulations ended up being helpful, it's a cautionary tale in that having all available information on a person does not make them your friend.

Geordi Was Seeing With Vision Tech Before Laser Eye Surgery

Before we were improving people's vision in the real world, Star Trek: The Next Generation was ideating technology to help Geordi La Forge see. While his visor and eventual bionic eyes are a far cry from laser eye surgery and the advancements in seeing that have developed over the years, it's cool to see how the series imagined it shortly before real people were getting vision enhancements.

Star Trek Had AI Control People's Lives In A Twisted Way

In a world where A.I. ads run where people ask their computer for dream interpretations and advice for job interviews, Star Trek featured a truly twisted use for the technology way back in the day. A Taste Of War highlighted a planet in which computers simulated battles between two people, and once the results were determined, the "casualties" would be reflected in real people willingly sending themselves into incineration machines. It's a future I hope we never experience, and a wild one at that.

Star Trek Tackled Gender Identity In The 90s

In the modern era where gender norms and pronouns are being called into question, Star Trek: The Next Generation tackled this issue head-on in 1992. "The Outcast" featured a species where gender specificity was forbidden and even had Riker enter a romance with a member of the species. Pretty progressive, especially since the franchise wouldn't cast its first nonbinary actor until decades later in Discovery.

Star Trek Used Voice Activated Computers Long Before We Did

Star Trek has long championed voice-activated computer actions, and used Gene Roddenberry's late-wife Majel Barrett as that voice. In fact, Rod Roddenberry told CinemaBlend that Apple and Google both reached out to Barrett before her death and approached her to be the voice of their own virtual assistants.

B’Elanna Addressed Problems With Her Mental Health

B'Elanna Torres went through a lot of emotions after finding out her former comrades in the Maquis were killed in a conflict. Star Trek: Voyager tackled PTSD at a time when those types of issues weren't touched on as heavily as they are now.

Star Trek's Pilot Put A Woman On The Bridge

It isn't progressive now, but "The Cage" putting a woman in a position of command was so radical that Captain Pike had to mention it even though it was the distant future. Credit to Gene Roddenberry for pushing the envelope, even if he later scratched the role in order to keep Spock in Star Trek.

Facetime Was On Star Trek Way Before iPhones

While video phones existed in some form during Star Trek: The Next Generation, the series portrayed a much more modern vision for the technology closer to what we now use in FaceTime or Zoom. Unfortunately, we can't use our tech to Facetime Klingons, as hilarious as that could be.

Voyager Pondered The Ethical Quandary Of Using Knowledge Gained From Terrible Events

Star Trek: Voyager's "Nothing Human" tackled knowledge gained from immoral methods. A Cardassian hologram whose real-life counterpart was responsible for experimenting on Bajorans against their will is used to save Torres' life. The Doctor ultimately deletes the program, deciding that using it further would be morally wrong given how his skills were obtained.

Strange New Worlds Proved Ideals Can Also Prevent Interfering In Wrongdoing

Captain Pike is put in an impossible position when a non-Federation planet uses Starfleet aid to track down a child. It's only after finding the child it's discovered they're intended to be used for ritualistic sacrifice, as the people of the planet believe it'll keep their planet from falling. Pike is disgusted by his actions, and the audience is reminded that even the best intentions can occasionally lead to ill results.

Riker’s New Toy Highlights Addiction To Technology

In an age where we collectively as a society are glued to our smartphones, one can't help but look at The Next Generation's "The Game" and wonder if we have already fallen victim to another species' plot for world domination. This episode highlights addiction to technology and only gets better with age. Side note, did you know Kelvin Kirk actor Chris Pine only got a smartphone a couple of years ago?

Star Trek Ideated MRI machines and other advanced medical tech before it was available

Not to give Star Trek too much credit, because in reality, I can't imagine it's that hard to ideate putting metal around a character and calling it a device that can do things previously thought impossible by medical science. Still, fiction often inspires reality, and it's hard to deny Bones' devices don't resemble MRI and other machines in the industry.

Star Trek Addressed Racism Very Directly In The 1960s

Fresh on the heels of the Civil Rights movement in the United States, Star Trek aired one of its most iconic episodes. "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" tackles the absurdity and self-destructive nature of racism, as we hear the story of an alien species bitterly divided depending on the pattern of their skin.

Trip Tucker’s Consciousness Is Saved By A Clone Host

Star Trek: Enterprise presents a scenario in which Trip Tucker is able to be saved by a clone, but only after said clone reaches accelerated maturity. "Similitude" asks the question of morality when it comes to the rights of a clone as an individual, and fortunately, we as humans haven't had to cross that bridge yet.

Uhura’s Ear Piece Felt Like The Closest Predecessor To Bluetooth

Uhura's earpiece once reminded me of a miniature version of a classic microphone, but really it's more akin to Bluetooth headsets. Amazing to see this type of technology be envisioned decades ahead of its time, even if headphones were already around.

Voyager Tackled The Ethical Dilemma Of Assisted Suicide

Assisted suicide remains a taboo topic in the modern era, but some countries have set parameters to legalize it. Star Trek: Voyager tackled this topic with "Death Wish," and a Q who didn't wish to live any longer. It's a heavy episode to watch, but a great one.

Star Trek Was Thinking About Universal Translators Long Before Google

Star Trek has long used "universal translators" in its storytelling, and really it's just a convenient way to explain why aliens across the galaxy can understand each other without issue. These days we have easier ways of understanding others with Google Translate and other licensed technology, but nothing quite as advanced as what we've seen in the franchise.

Deep Space Nine Highlighted Terrible Decisions For The Greater Good

In one of the more morally questionable moves in Starfleet history, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine shows Sisko and Garak devise a plan that tricks the Romulans into aligning with the Federation in war with the Dominion. The plan is successful and likely prevents the death of scores of people, but the lie and deception feel like a tremendous burden to shoulder.

Voyager Tackled The Downfalls Of Healthcare

The EMH is hijacked by an alien planet in "Critical Care," and is placed in a hospital in which healthcare is provided to people based on their perceived value to society. It certainly features some parallels to healthcare issues worldwide and is worth a watch for those who don't remember it.

Holodecks Paved The Way For Advances In VR Technology

We're still pretty far removed from the holodeck technology highlighted in Star Trek: The Next Generation and other shows, but strides are being made. Fortunately, AI still isn't smart enough to give a virtual Moriarty sentience, so at least we have that going for us.

Star Trek Tackled Attributing Sentience To Select Beings

Star Trek deals with a lot of species, but even then, it can occasionally get caught up in the ethics of what treatment is right for others. When Data discovered machines on board capable of learning to avoid danger, he requested they be removed from repair duties that put them in harm's way. There's a big lesson to be learned here, and should be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

Star Trek Had Flat Screen Televisions Decades Before Viewers

Ironic that as many people watched Star Trek over the years they were watching Captains watch flat-screen televisions on a tube TV. Fortunately, we've since modernized, and we'll all have view screens before too long in our living rooms.

Janeway Made The Controversial Call To Save Two Lives Over One

If there ever comes a day when two humans inexplicably get turned into a third entity, Star Trek: Voyager already set the precedent on how to handle it. There's a lot of controversy about whether the decision to "kill" Tuvix to restore Tuvok and Neelix to their natural states was the right call, so we'll punt to the first time it happens in the real world and see how people respond.

The Maquis Shows How Policy Can Turn People Against Each Other

The Maquis aren't always portrayed fairly in Star Trek, considering they were abandoned by The Federation as part of a peace treaty. Unfortunately, there are sometimes casualties of agreements and a deeper story behind all parties in the real world who some might just consider the "bad guys." Though they were once Starfleet, the Maquis grew to be a small oppressor to the Federation.

Enterprise Showed How Intolerance Would Make Starfleet Monstrous

Star Trek: Enterprise imagined an alternate history in which Zefram Cochrane shot the Vulcans at First Contact, ushering in a united age where humanity mercilessly hunted the species of the galaxy. "Terra Prime" is horrifying to watch as a Trek fan, and really illustrates just how monstrous intolerance can make a people.

Deep Space Nine Tackled Class And Abuse Of Power

While "Past Tense" is an iconic science fiction story for other reasons, it's a great look at modern times where Star Trek travels to our present and puts a spotlight on homelessness and abuse of power. There are many messages to take out of this one, many we're still learning today.

A.I. Rights Were Talked About

"The Measure Of A Man" tackles the rights of artificial intelligence, namely that of Data, who is a synthetic being. As we work more with this technology, it's a fascinating episode to watch in order to work out what we're creating, and what rights those beings have once they reach a degree of sentience.

Nog Coped With PTSD

Nog escapes to the holosuite to help cope with PTSD after traumatic events, and credit to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for addressing an issue soldiers face following experiences with real combat or being in unsafe areas. Hopefully, VR can be a tool used to further real-life struggles with this complicated tradition.

Picard And Worf Become Part Of A Starfleet Witch Hunt

Worf and Picard come face to face with fanaticism as a Starfleet investigator begins a witch hunt of sorts on the Enterprise following an isolated incident. While cooler heads ultimately prevail, Picard is taught that even in the 24th century, people with good intentions can spiral out of control if given too much power.

The Time Star Trek Made A Pretty Clear Parallel To Vietnam

There's not much subtlety in classic Star Trek, and Starfleet's decision to arm a rival species after finding Klingons have provided weapons to their oppressors drew some pretty clear parallels to the Vietnam conflict. A bold statement for the time, and an episode that holds up despite its age.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Lower Decks finale, "The New Next Generation." Stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The 2025 TV schedule is just around the corner, which means there are new upcoming Star Trek shows on the way as well. Unfortunately, 2024 was bittersweet for the franchise, as fans said goodbye to both Discovery and Lower Decks. Interestingly, the latter animated series referenced the former in its final episode, though the wild reference may open a can of worms for the fandom, and we talked to showrunner Mike McMahan about it.

Fans with no idea what I'm talking about shouldn't feel bad. Lower Decks is so jam-packed with references, especially in these past two episodes, that it's easy for anything to slide under the radar. Here's a recap for those that missed it, and what CinemaBlend learned from the showrunner about this potentially franchise-altering moment.

How Discovery's Klingons Show Up In Star Trek: Lower Decks' Series Finale

"The New Next Generation" kicks off with a fleet of Klingons patrolling the edge of their territory when the fissure shows up and emits waves that mess with the universe. Before one of the ships is destroyed, one of the Klingons transforms from their regular style based on the TNG era to resembling the Klingons from Star Trek: Discovery.

It's an eyebrow-raising moment, and I'm sure many hardcore Trekkies noticed it because of what it suggests. While one could chalk this up to a weird glitch in the multiverse, it could imply that Discovery takes place in an alternate timeline that is not actually part of Star Trek's Prime timeline. So, what is Lower Decks telling us here?

What Mike McMahan Had To Say About The Multiversal Moment

Star Trek: Discovery sparked an overall polarized reception from the fandom, and with the upcoming Starfleet Academy series pulling in familiar characters from Discovery, I would be a little shocked if Lower Decks was fully allowed to throw such a definitive wrench into its Prime universe status. I asked showrunner Mike McMahan about the moment, and his response told me everything I needed to know:

McMahan's response may solidify this short scene's place in every fandom argument related to Star Trek: Discovery for decades. Essentially, he's confirming that fans can interpret that moment however they want and adding that it works both ways.

If you want to believe it was just due to realities messing up and that there was no deeper message about Discovery, there's evidence to support that. If you want to argue that Discovery (and I guess Strange New Worlds as well) don't take place in the Prime Timeline, well, maybe in a decade, we can talk more with him about that.

I think there's also an argument to be made that if Star Trek: Lower Decks established there's far more than just the Prime/Kelvin/Mirror universes, then there's probably at least one or two more universes where Klingons look like the Discovery variants. For all we know, that Klingon might not have had two genitals! Perhaps someone else can volunteer to check on that.

While there will undoubtedly be some ruffled feathers over that specific moment, I can't help but applaud Star Trek: Lower Decks for going out with a bang. Setting up a potential "What if" format for projects in the future was a great legacy to leave behind if the show never returns, even if we all are hoping it will. Here's hoping, and at least in the meantime, we can look back on the great series on streaming for the foreseeable future.

With the conclusion of Star Trek: Lower Decks, we're now looking ahead to the arrival of the Section 31 movie, which is set to drop on Paramount+ on January 24th. We also have a new season of Strange New Worlds, so stay tuned and get pumped for 2025.

It seems there will always be plenty of new shows in the Star Trek franchise, and that means even more potentially wild situations for members of Starfleet to get caught up in. Goodness knows there's been no shortage of wild incidents characters have been wrapped up in as far back as the original series, and we're here to highlight a good deal of them today.

Check out some of these bizarre things that happened to characters in the Star Trek franchise. I will say that because Lower Decks is a comedy series built on riffing on many of these scenarios, it's been left off the list. With that in mind, let's dive in!

Spock and T’Pring Swap Bodies “Spock Amok”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds "Spock Amok" found the Vulcan and his betrothed T'Pring attempting a couples ceremony that ended up having some gnarly side effects. With their consciousness trapped in the other's body, both ultimately ended up with a greater understanding of the challenges they face and ended up emotionally stronger as a couple for a little while.

The Deep Space Nine Crew is Forced Into A Weird Board Game

"Move Along Home" is a bizarre Deep Space Nine episode where Quark inadvertently puts the lives of the crew in danger by playing an alien board game. It's like Jumanji, but if Jumanji featured a girl playing hopscotch and repeating a phrase. I wouldn't dare type it out due to fear of having it stuck in my head.

The Voyager Crew Is Held Hostage In A WW2 Simulation

Of all the parts of human history the Hirogen could've tapped into to recreate a training exercise, they had to use Nazi-occupied France? "The Killing Game" puts the Star Trek: Voyager crew in the holodeck with neural interfaces that cause them to forget they're actually in a simulation. It's a bizarre adventure, especially given the aliens who set it into motion don't fully understand just how brutal this is.

Sulu Thinks He’s A Musketeer And Goes After Kirk

"The Naked Time" is an iconic episode of Star Trek, and not because it factors into the long-standing feud between actors William Shatner and George Takei. Sulu becomes infected with a space sickness that makes him believe he's a swashbuckling musketeer, and apparently, he thinks that's best done without a shirt on as well.

Commander Remmick's Head Explodes

Casual Star Trek fans may not remember Commander Remmick, but the more dedicated know him as the character involved in one of the most WTF moments of The Next Generation. When Remmick is found to be housing a parasitic host in his body, Picard and Riker's phaser fire makes his head explode like a tomato. To date, it's one of the goriest moments in the franchise.

Pike Sees His Own Future (And What Happens If He Prevents It)

Thanks to a Klingon time crystal, Pike sees the devastating accident that ends his Starfleet career and struggles to reconcile with it. It isn't until he meets a future version of himself and sees what happens to Spock if he tries to prevent his accident that he relents, and finds acceptance in his future.

Harry Kim Almost Died Having Hooking Up With An Alien

Star Trek: Voyager has done Harry Kim dirty many times over the years, but "Favorite Son" was especially egregious. Kim finds himself popular with the women from an alien planet, who seems very eager to "reproduce" with him. Unfortunately, it's all a ruse to steal his DNA, and Kim would've died had it not been for his crewmates saving him.

The Enterprise Starts Pranking The Crew

In one of the sillier adventures of Star Trek: The Animated Series "The Practical Joker," the Enterprise begins to play practical jokes on the crew after coming in contact with a gas cloud. Spock gets black ink on his eyes, utensils turn to rubber, and someone puts "Kirk Is A Jerk" on the back of the Captain's tunic. The Enterprise even deploys a fake inflatable version of itself to confuse Romulans. It's wild.

Trip Becomes Pregnant

"Unexpected" lives up to the hype in every way imaginable, as Trip Tucker learns he's pregnant after an encounter with an alien species. He eventually is able to get the embryo transferred to another host, but according to T'Pol, becomes the first human male in history to become pregnant.

Worf Attacks A Planets Weather System To Help His Relationship

"Let He Who Is Without Sin" could be a normal episode where Worf and Jadzia have a relaxing day on the pleasure planet Risa, if it weren't for his wild jealousy. After seeing Jadzia talking to another man, he destroys the weather system and ruins the fun for everyone. For some reason, he suffers zero consequences from Starfleet for doing so.

Riker Devolves Into A Caveman

Thanks to the weird genes of Lieutenant Barclay, "Genesis" finds the crew devolving after their dormant genes are brought to the forefront thanks to an infection rapidly spreading amongst the crew. The best of these is Riker literally becoming a caveman, which as one would expect, does not make for a good crewmate.

B’Elanna And Harry Are Held Hostage By An AI Clown

"The Thaw" is a premise that's both bizarre and terrifying, as B'Elanna and Harry are both held captive by an AI Clown while attempting to rescue others trapped in his virtual circus hellscape. It's a chilling episode, made all the more chilling when Janeway effectively scares the AI into non-existence.

Chakotay Communicated With Aliens Through Boxing

An alien species dove into the mind of Chakotay, and instead of trying to communicate with him through his ancestry, or like, learn human speech, they decided to try and communicate with him through an elaborate boxing match. It ended up working, but it helped make "The Fight" one of the strangest Star Trek: Voyager episodes ever.

Archer Offends Kreetassans By Eating

"Vox Sola" shows just how delicate diplomacy can be with cultures, as Captain Archer inadvertently does immense damage to the relations with an alien species after enjoying a meal in front of them. Eventually, it's learned that Kreetassans consider eating to be an act as intimate as humans consider hooking up, and they're able to move forward.

The Crew Encounters Megas-tu

"The Magicks Of Megas-tu" is an episode so bizarre you have to watch it to understand just how bizarre it is. The Enterprise crew transport from fantasy-like planet, to the Salem witch trials. Fans have tried to explain this episode and make it make sense within the canon for decades, but I'm not sure any explanation will ever suffice for this bonkers adventure.

Tuvok And Neelix Merged Into One Person

"Tuvix" is by far one of the most controversial episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, and explores a unique problem. Neelix and Tuvok fuse into an entirely different third person, and the EMH can't figure out how to separate them for months. When a solution is finally found, "Tuvix" argues for his right to live as a human being, but it is ultimately overruled by Janeway who has the two separated again. I'll save the debate for whether that was right for the fans.

Culber Is Reborn In A Cocoon

Hugh Culber was seemingly killed off in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 when Ash Tyler snapped his neck, but it's not so simple. Thanks to Stamets unique connection to the mycelial network, Culber's essence is pulled into it, and he's later reborn again out of a cocoon as a result of that. As someone who grew to love Culber, I tend not to think too deeply about it.

Beverly Crusher Falls In Love With A Ghost

"Sub Rosa" is one of the wildest stories of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Beverly Crusher falls in love with her grandmother's ex. It's even weirder than that sounds, if it can be believed, because he's a "ghost" which turns out to be an anaphasic alien. It's an episode fans love, but not because they think it's great.

The Doctor’s Daydreams Terrify An Alien Species

The EMH gets the idea to program himself to have daydreams in an effort to better understand the human condition. In doing so, he ends up inadvertently terrifying an alien species who believe they are spying on Voyager but are only being fed his wild fantasies of being a spy and saving the vessel from danger. Ultimately the alien observing realizes his error, but is afraid he'll look the fool to his superiors after reporting so much. Thanks to assistance from the Doctor he gets off the hook, and it ends up being a win for all involved.

Spock's Brain Is Stolen

Did you know Vulcans can live for twenty-four hours without their brains? It's true, and it gives the Enterprise crew just enough time to save Spock after his brain is surgically removed in "Spock's Brain." Fortunately, McCoy is able to reconnect it with the help of a machine, but notes that he regrets giving him the brain back when the Vulcan starts talking.

Tom Paris And Janeway Became Salamanders

"Threshold" will live on in infamy for Star Trek fans because many know it as the episode in which Tom Paris and Janeway became salamanders and had salamander children. There's really not much more to it than that, beyond the fact it was never acknowledged by Star Trek: Voyager again after it happened.

Riker Is Accidentally Cloned

Thanks to a transporter accident years earlier, Riker comes into contact with a man who is an exact clone of himself who he never knew was created. Both men are the same person, but for ease of naming purposes, the one introduced in the episode goes by Thomas. Ultimately, realizing they can't have the same life, Thomas takes an assignment on another ship to start a new journey.

Janeway Found Amelia Earhart In Space

The mystery of what happened to Amelia Earhart is revealed, and it turns out she was abducted by aliens. The Voyager crew finds her in cryostasis, and learns she's part of a human faction that successfully rebelled against their alien captors and was drifting along in the Delta Quadrant. It's a fun story, but imagine how weird it would be to find some cryptic figure in space hundreds of years after they disappeared.

An Anomaly Forces The Entire Enterprise Crew Into A Musical

Broadcasting a song into a subspace fold results in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crew only being capable of expressing their thoughts and feelings through song. Eventually, they find a way to fix it, but not before a group of Klingons humiliate themselves with a spirited boy band routine.

Data Is Possessed By A God

Data has had some pretty interesting days on the Enterprise, but getting possessed by the spirit of a god had to take the cake. As Masaka, the synth enacts all sorts of changes across the ship. Fortunately, Picard is able to pose as another god to trick the deity and set everything back to normal once again.

Tribbles Nearly Destroy The Crew

"The Trouble With Tribbles" is a reminder that even the cutest-looking aliens in Star Trek can be deadly, especially when you're on a ship. The Tribbles breed at an alarming rate, and while that's played for comedy, there's a very real danger of them taking down

The TNG Crew Almost Kills Each Other After Lack Of Sleep

"Night Terrors" is an ironic name for this episode, considering it's all about Star Trek: The Next Generation crew being unable to dream. The lack of R.E.M. amongst the crew causes mass hallucinations and irritability, with the crew inadvertently almost killing each other until they're able to find the cause behind this strange phenomenon.

Janeway Dies And Her Soul Is Almost Stolen By A "Ghost"

Captain Janeway dies in "Coda," and as opposed to following the spirit of her father into the light, she sticks around and tries to understand why nothing feels right. As usual, her instincts are spot on as her father is actually a non-corporeal being trying to steal her life force, and she's able to make it back to her body and survive.

The Next Generation Crew Is Turned Into Children

When a transporter accident transforms a bulk of the crew into children, "Rascals" shows Picard and crew attempting to protect the ship from pirate Ferengi. It's basically the closest Star Trek will ever get to The Goonies, and I absolutely loved it.

The Crew Lands On An Odd Fantasy Planet

You know a Star Trek episode is going to get weird when Bones comes face to face with the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland. "Shore Leave" shows the crew battling with their wildest fantasies in what is ultimately revealed to be an amusement park planet based on thought. It's a fun episode that gets less bizarre with explanation, but still a trip.

Kes Is Randomly Transported Through Different Times Of Her Life

Kes is a bizarre character in Star Trek: Voyager in general thanks to her species' unusually short lifespan of nine years. She got to experience her life, or at least some alternate version of it, in "Before And After" as she was thrust between times in her past and future with no ability to stop it until the crew was able to regulate her body with the normal timestream once again.

Picard Squares Off With A Sentient Sherlock Holmes Villain

Leave it for Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty, to break through the confines of his programming and become sentient. He squared off with Picard a couple of times, and, surprise, the Starfleet Captain came out on top. Take that classical literature!

After a long wait, the Star Trek series Strange New Worlds will finally debut Season 3 on the 2025 TV schedule, which will bring Anson Mount's Captain Christopher Pike back to our viewscreens for more adventures. In the lead-up to that, the actor recently uploaded his first audition for the franchise, and after seeing the Discovery character he originally intended to play, one thing feels remarkably clear to me.

Mount posted the first minute of the audition as his debut on the Bluesky platform, and it's worth a watch if you're a Star Trek fan. To start, I can't get over the fact he's rocking a mustache as opposed to the usual clean-shaven look. However, once fans see who he's playing, they may feel the same way I do when it comes to his role as Christopher Pike.

Anson Mount Shared His Audition For Discovery's Gabriel Lorca

I'd heard before that Anson Mount auditioned for the role of Gabriel Lorca, which ultimately went to Jason Isaacs in Star Trek: Discovery's inaugural season. Hearing about it is totally different from seeing it, however, as Mount certainly gives off a different energy than the Starfleet Captain, who ultimately turned out to be a villain from the mirror universe by the season's end.

Many fans loved Isaacs in the role, and there have been conversations over the years about bringing the "good" Prime version of his character back to Star Trek. What's funny is that I'm seeing the "good" version of Lorca in this audition from Anson Mount, which carries an entirely different energy than Isaacs brought to the role.

This Audition Just Proves To Me That Anson Mount Was Born To Play Christopher Pike

Even before learning about the acting trick he picked up from William Shatner, I've long believed that Anson Mount was born to play a captain in Star Trek. That said, after seeing his audition for Lorca, I have to say that he was specifically meant to play Captain Pike. It's not a bad audition by any means, but given the context of who the character becomes, I don't see the actor being someone I hate.

That should be apparent, considering so many fear Anson Mount exiting Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as the show marches toward Pike's debilitating accident. For now, it seems the actor is committed to sticking with the show for the long run, and the Season 4 renewal gives me optimism we'll still see him in the Captain's chair for at least a couple more years.

That said, I love that Anson Mount was willing to give Star Trek fans a peek behind the curtain and show an audition we might've never seen otherwise. As mentioned, I am grateful he ultimately landed in the franchise as Captain Pike, but seeing a different take on Lorca makes me appreciate the character he currently plays even more.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Discovery are now available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. I'm of the opinion that there's never a bad time to watch either of these shows, so for those wondering if they should, I say have at it.

I don't think there's any denying that Star Trek is an American product, but if someone were to claim it a Canadian export, I'd hear them out. A number of the previous and upcoming Star Trek shows have been filmed there, and quite a few Canadian actors have helped put the franchise on the map. Discovery's L'ak actor Elias Toufexis is one of those proud Canadians, and he shared the wild connection he has with another, William Shatner, during a recent conversation.

Toufexis was gracious enough to speak to CinemaBlend to help promote the upcoming digital and physical releases of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 on August 26th and 27th, respectively, and we talked about Canada's contributions to the franchise. Readers are likely well aware that Shatner is perhaps the most famous Canadian actor to star on the show, but Toufexis shared a wild fact that I hadn't previously known:

Those who follow Elias Toufexis on his social media will know he is a huge fan of Star Trek, particularly the original series. Now, it's all much clearer when realizing the actor grew up on the same block as his childhood hero William Shatner, and I'm so on board with the arc in which he eventually found his way to the franchise not once but twice. For those not familiar with his other appearance outside of L'ak, stream Season 1's "Context Is For Kings" with a Paramount+ subscription.

Not only that, but Elias Toufexis holds the honor of playing the first Breen to be unmasked and shown in Star Trek. While the actor was thrilled about the role, there were some difficulties. For example, I'm sure he would've rather L'ak lived rather than died in "Erigah," though he did compliment his death scene. Still, who wouldn't want the chance to appear on the cast of Starfleet Academy, which also takes place in the 32nd century?

Hey, the actor managed to snag two separate roles in Star Trek thus far, so who is to say he wouldn't be able to get a third role on a future series? I'd absolutely be game for it happening, as there's nothing I love more than seeing people who are genuine fans of the franchise work on the show. Who are we to tell the man who grew up on the same block as William Shatner and idolized the actor his entire life that he can't have as many Trek roles as he wants?

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+, and again, look out for Season 5 to come to digital and physical media August 26th and 27th. We're in a bit of a lull with Trek at the moment, so now would be a perfect time to browse the 2024 TV schedule and see what's on tap for the fall season.

Star Trek: Discovery's final season celebrated the series and gave an ending that actors like Doug Jones felt gave them closure on their characters. That's not to say everyone felt that way, however, as actor Wilson Cruz recently revealed to CinemaBlend he felt there was more potential for Hugh Culber's story to grow. With several Discovery cast members joining the cast of Starfleet Academy, Culber could return, too, but would the actor show up?

Cruz was gracious enough to speak to CinemaBlend to promote the upcoming digital release of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 on August 26th, and on Blu-ray and DVD on August 27th. We discussed the totality of Culber's story in the series, which fans can rewatch with a Paramount+ subscription, and how Season 5 finally felt like the ship's doctor had conquered his inner turmoil and was ready to move forward. Cruz spoke about his feelings of the final arc and the potential it had:

Hugh Culber had a new zest for life he lacked after his resurrection, and it sparked a real change in him that would've been great to explore in another season. Of course, Star Trek: Discovery was canceled, so I feel we were robbed of what this new era of Culber on the show could've been.

Part of that transformation was thanks to the episode "Jinaal," in which Culber volunteered to be a temporary vessel for a Trill, Jinaal Bix, who had information the Discovery crew needed. Though the ritual made the process temporary, Wilson Cruz confirmed to CinemaBlend that there are echoes of Jinaal that remain in Hugh's body:

Imagine Culber maintaining some semblance of his boldness while being Jinaal and taking that with him on new away missions! It's killing me that we didn't get another season of Star Trek: Discovery to explore that, though I did think the series' conclusion was solid enough.

There is one upcoming Star Trek series that Hugh Culber could join, and it's already added Discovery characters to its cast. I felt like I knew the answer already, but for posterity's sake, I asked Wilson Cruz if he'd like to reprise Culber on Starfleet Academy for a chance to show off the new side of the character. He answered:

I have a feeling that once Star Trek: Discovery characters start to appear in Starfleet Academy, we're going to see a number of them pop in and out of the show. I definitely think that Wilson Cruz's character is an obvious choice, and that he could teach cadets a lot of things about medicine and counseling others on a ship.

Starfleet Academy is its own show, though, and with the massive cast it already has, it could be telling more stories about the 32nd century rather than continuing the story of Star Trek: Discovery. That's not to say there won't be ways for it to be connected, as even shows like The Next Generation found ways to work in The Original Series actors, in addition to its numerous guest stars, despite a 100-year gap in the timeline.

If an appearance in Starfleet Academy isn't in the cards, there are always novels and comic books to continue Hugh Culber's personal journey. After all, the story in Star Trek is never truly over for its characters when the show ends unless they die like Trip Tucker did in Enterprise's finale. Aside from that, however, I would expect to see Culber in more Trek adventures regardless of their medium.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream right now on Paramount+. I'm planning on re-watching Seasons 3-5 ahead of Starfleet Academy's release to get a refresher on life in the 32nd century, and am hoping a good number of fans get the same idea so we can revisit it together.

I think Doug Jones' role as Saru in Star Trek: Discovery is one of the best things he's done in his career, so imagine my disappointment when I saw him absent for a chunk of what would be the show's final season. The Kelpien was promoted off the ship to ambassador, while the demoted Captain Rayner took his place as Michael Burnham's First Officer. Given that, and the way the season ended with Saru's wedding, I'd wondered if Jones would've been written off the series had it returned for Season 6, but the actor shared the real story with me recently.

I had the honor of speaking to Doug Jones to promote the upcoming release of Star Trek: Discovery's final season on digital August 26th and physical DVD and Blu-ray on August 27th. I noted to the acclaimed character actor that Saru's storyline felt like a goodbye to the character if it returned for Season 6, but the actor assured me that it was a creative decision he requested the writers and showrunner Michelle Paradise develop:

Saru serving as Michael's closest confidant was all well and good, but as Doug Jones said, he was also a Captain. As such, it made sense to move him away from the sidekick role and put him in another position that could help him find his way into future upcoming Star Trek shows that will be available with a Paramount+ subscription. So, for those who felt like I did and assumed Saru would've left had Season 6 happened, we got this one wrong!

Jones initially told the public that promotion for Hocus Pocus 2 impacted his availability for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, but that wasn't the whole story. The 64-year-old actor revealed that after the long process of filming Season 4, he needed a break and wanted to spend some time with his wife:

As viewers at home, it's easy to forget that the characters on screen are actors with personal lives. I don't think anyone can fault Doug Jones for wanting to reduce his role in Season 5 so he could spend more time with his wife. A sweet sentiment, even if there were fans at home hoping to see more of Saru and T'Rina together.

Rest assured, however, that if Doug Jones had not found out on a cruise ship for Trekkies that the show was canceled, he would've been back in full force for future Star Trek: Discovery seasons. The actor shared he had a couple more seasons on his contract, so he was ready to do more:

Of course, being under contract for more seasons doesn't mean that they'll be granted, though it was interesting to hear that there was at least some hope Star Trek: Discovery would get that far. As Alex Kurtzman noted in a previous interview with CinemaBlend, five seasons in the modern age of streaming is a huge achievement all the same, but I would've loved to see it for a couple more years. At least we still have some of the characters joining the upcoming Starfleet Academy, and hopefully, Saru and others will pop up there in the future.

Star Trek: Discovery may be over, but it's still available to stream on Paramount+. I was just watching an episode on Pluto TV the other day and was thinking about how much fun it would be to rewatch, so I may just do that and fall in love with Saru all over again.

Before she started shooting Disney+’s The Acolyte, resulting in her becoming the first director to helm TV episodes in both the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises, Hanelle M. Culpepper contributed to the latter property helming episodes of both Picard and Discovery. Both series, which can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription, played big roles in giving Star Trek a foothold in the small screen realm again. Culpepper discussed the big difference between working on Picard and Discovery while speaking with CinemaBlend, but I was especially jazzed about how she shouted out the Trill during the conversation.

Hanelle M. Culpepper directed three episodes each in Picard and Discovery, but it was the Patrick Stewart-led series where she left the bigger imprint. That’s because she directed the show’s first three episodes, and as a result played an integral role in establishing the look and tone of the series that would stick over its three-season run. She explained to me:

Star Trek: Picard premiered back in 2020, 18 years after audiences thought they’d seen the last of the Next Generation crew in Star Trek: Nemesis. However, rather than this series serving as a mere revival of the Star Trek show that ran from 1987-1994, Picard instead teamed Jean Luc-Picard with a group of new characters, as well as Voyager’s Seven of Nine, for a grittier, more adult-oriented story. Viewers would get to see the Next Generation gang back together again in Season 3 (minus Wesley Crusher, who cameoed in the Season 2 finale and more recently appeared in Prodigy), but Picard was definitely meant to feel like its own thing rather than a direct continuation, and Culpepper helped make that happen.

As for Star Trek: Discovery, Hanelle M. Culpepper directed Season 1’s “Vaulting Ambition”, Season 2’s “The Red Angel” and Season 3’s “Forget Me Not”. It’s that last episode that gave her the opening to shout the Trill, the alien species that was introduced to this lore in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She said:

Although a Trill doctor named Naáshala Kunamadéstifee appeared in Picard’s second episode, Discovery marked this humanoid species’ return to prominence in the Star Trek franchise since Deep Space Nine, which featured Jadzia Dax as a main character for its first six seasons, followed by Ezri Dax in the final season. After the Discovery crew traveled to the 32nd century, they met Adira Tai, the first human to be joined with a Trill symbiont, and their late boyfriend (at the time) was a Trill named Gray Tal. Discovery carved out time in a handful of other episodes to expand upon Trill culture, and Culpepper was thankful she was able to contribute to this aspect of the series.

Picard and Discovery are both over, but there various upcoming Star Trek TV shows to look forward to on Paramount+, including Strange New Worlds Season 3, the final season of Lower Decks and Starfleet Academy, as well as the Section 31 movie. Browse through the 2024 TV schedule to see what non-Trek shows are currently airing or will premiere soon.

Starfleet Academy is arguably the most exciting upcoming Star Trek series on the way, and a lot of that is thanks to the spectacular cast involved. We have Oscar winners, Emmy winners and people who rank among the best Trek characters of all time coming together to tell a story centered on the education system all members of Starfleet must go through to find their way to service.

From Holly Hunter to Robert Picardo, we'll travel down the list of big stars in this series, and also highlight the young actors that will almost surely go on to be in the future of Star Trek. Here's a breakdown of who we'll see in the new series, which takes place in the 32nd century, around the same timeframe as the final seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.

Holly Hunter

Starfleet Academy casting Holly Hunter was the first sign this series was seeking big names to bring in, and who better to announce first? The Academy Award-winning actress has a large body of work for readers to watch to prove she's up to the task of chancellor of the prestigious academy.

Paul Giamatti

Starfleet Academy delivered a one-two punch fresh off the casting of Holly Hunter by announcing an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee will also join the cast: Paul Giamatti. Not only is Giamatti has consistently been one of the top names in Hollywood in his career, but he's also a pretty big Star Trek fan. Word is he'll be playing a villainous role in this show, but we'll have to wait and see exactly what that means.

Tig Notaro

After wrapping up her time in Star Trek: Discovery, Jett Reno is joining Starfleet Academy as a series regular. This means we'll likely be seeing more of Jett than we did in Discovery, similar to when Miles O'Brien went from The Next Generation to Deep Space Nine. Jett is kind of a jack of all trades and will make for a great instructor, though I expect she'll be overseeing the future engineering crews of Starfleet.

Robert Picardo

Robert Picardo became one of Star Trek: Voyager's most beloved characters as the EMH, and he had a wonderful return arc in Prodigy Season 2. Being a hologram has its disadvantages, but one advantage is you can be around 1000 years into the future and no one bats an eye. Picardo will play his EMH/The Doctor as an instructor in the new series and bring a wealth of Starfleet knowledge along with him.

Mary Wiseman

In what was perhaps the most obvious addition to the cast of Starfleet Academy, Mary Wiseman will reprise her role from Star Trek: Discovery as Sylvia Tilly. It seemed obvious considering she had joined the Academy as an instructor in Discovery, and even had an episode with her cadets that felt like a backdoor pilot for the spinoff. Her role is recurring, so we'll likely see her as an instructor every so often, and maybe she'll welcome some old crewmates to the classroom as well. Hopefully now that the news is out, Wiseman can forgive us for putting her on the spot about the casting.

Oded Fehr

As the Fleet Admiral of Starfleet, it's of little surprise that Oded Fehr's Vance is going to be involved in Starfleet Academy. He's been one of the biggest faces of Starfleet we've seen in the 32nd century, and a way of showing what's happening in the universe at large while these students are training at the facility. Fehr is a great actor, so it'll be nice to see more of him in the Star Trek show.

Gina Yashere

Gina Yashere may not be a name Star Trek fans are familiar with, but she's been a big part of CBS primetime for a while. She was the co-creator and a supporting character on the acclaimed comedy sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola, and has had recurring guest roles on shows like The Neighborhood as well. Now she joins Starfleet Academy in an undisclosed role, and I'm wondering if it will be comedic given her past work.

Kerrice Brooks

Actress Kerrice Brooks is one to watch for Starfleet Academy. She's set to be a part of the Aubrey Plaza-led movie My Old Ass later this year, and is a dancer who has appeared in music videos for Kelly Rowland and Billie Eilish. Unfortunately, we know nothing about her incoming character, but I'd love to see her dancing skills incorporated into the cadet.

Bella Shepard

We don't know much about Bella Shepard's character in Starfleet Academy, but she's no stranger to appearing on a show available with a Paramount+ subscription. She played Blake Navarro in the canceled Sarah Michelle Gellar series Wolf Pack, and while the show didn't last long, Shepard left a strong enough impression to snag a role in the Star Trek series.

George Hawkins

George Hawkins joins Starfleet Academy as one of its hopeful cadets looking to make a splash and join a ship by the time his education ends. He's no stranger to a series centered around cadets, as he was part of the ITVX series Tell Me Everything. I can't wait to see him in this role and wonder what he may be doing.

Karim Diané

A couple years after appearing on the streaming series One Of Us Is Lying, Karim Diané is now on Starfleet Academy. There's no word as to what his role will be on the series, but considering he first rose to prominence in the United States through fame on the series X Factor, I would hope there's some singing involved in his performance. Who knows, maybe there's a species that exclusively communicates in song in the 32nd century?

Sandro Rosta

Newcomer to Hollywood Sandro Rosta was added to the cast of Starfleet Academy, and as is the case with everyone announced so far, we know nothing about his role. I did happen to find a short film of him bullying a puppet, however, and he looked very physically imposing? Could he be the jock archetype of the academy? 

Zoë Steiner

Zoë Steiner is rolling right off of a performance in Significant Others right into Starfleet Academy, and rounds out the list of cadets we'll see in this series. As if it needs to be said at this point we have absolutely no clue what she'll be doing beyond being one of the characters featured in the series, but I do hope that all of these cadets interact with each other in some meaningful way.

Starfleet Academy is getting ready to start filming, but we don't have a release date for it just yet. Stick with CinemaBlend as we wait for more details on the series and, of course, report on all the 2024 TV shows that people should watch in the meantime.

Ever since it was confirmed that the upcoming Star Trek TV show Starfleet Academy will be set in the 31st century, there’s been chatter about if this means characters from Star Trek: Discovery will show up, as that show was set in that time period for its last three seasons. While there has been casting news over the last few months, including Holly Hunter playing the chancellor of the educational institution and Paul Giamatti playing the main villain, there wasn’t any mention of Discovery talent… until today. Coming straight out of San Diego Comic-Con, three Discovery alums from the recently-concluded Star Trek series are officially confirmed to be involved, and as an exciting bonus, an alum from the science fiction franchise who’s been a fan-favorite for decades will also appear.

On the Discovery front, Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr and Mary Wiseman will reprise their respective roles of Jett Reno, Admiral Charles Vance and Sylvia Tilly. Notaro will participate as a series regular, and Fehr will appear as recurring guest stars. Tilly and Vance’s involvement already makes sense since the former became a Starfleet instructor in Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 and the latter is Starfleet’s commander in chief. As for Jett, since she’s part of the main cast, it’s logical to guess she’s no longer an engineer aboard the USS Discovery and is now a fellow instructor at Starfleet Academy.

But here’s the especially surprising news: Robert Picardo, who played The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-2001, will join Tig Notaro as a series regular on Starfleet Academy. This news follows just a few weeks after Picardo was heard vocally reprising his unique version of the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription rather than a Paramount+ subscription like the other Trek shows. Picardo also cameoed as a different EMH in Star Trek: First Contact, as well as played Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of these holograms, in three Voyager episodes and a Deep Space Nine episode.

Because the USS Voyager’s doctor was killed during the show’s opening two-parter, “Caretaker, Robert Picardo’s Doctor became the ship’s chief medical officer for the entirety of Voyager’s run. As a result of being continually in use while the crew was stranded in the Delta Quadrant for seven years, The Doctor’s programming expanded and he became a complex individual with interests beyond medical science. He was also able to start walking outside of his lab and the holodecks when he obtained a mobile holographic emitter from the 29th century in Season 3.

Given that he’s an artificial intelligence, it makes sense that he’d still be around roughly 800 years after the events of Prodigy, and I can only imagine how much he’s evolved during that time, assuming he’s stayed on for all these centuries. As for how Starfleet Academy will explain why The Doctor looks older since he’s a hologram, it’d be easy enough for Robert Picardo’s character to share it’s among the ways he’s tweaked his programming. Having The Doctor teach students is also a fitting occupation after seeing him try to mentor Prodigy’s main characters in Season 2.

In addition to the aforementioned actors, Starfleet Academy’s main cast includes Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, Karim Diané and Zoë Steiner, all of whom are playing cadets, and Gina Yashere, who will play an Academy instructor as a recurring guest star. The series will begin production in August, and CinemaBlend will continue passing along key information about the project, including when it will start airing on Paramount+.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery series finale are ahead!

From the moment he was introduced in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, David Cronenberg’s Kovich was established as an odd member of Starfleet in the 32nd century, from him wearing glasses in a time period where such optical correction is no longer necessary, to putting in the effort to find a legal pad from the 21st century to write on. Well, by the time the Paramount+ subscription-exclusive show’s series finale, “Life, Itself” was done, viewers finally learned Kovich’s true identity. The character told Michael Burnham that his real name was Daniels, making him the time traveler who’d previously recurred on Star Trek: Enterprise. However, Dominic Keating, who played Malcolm Reed on Enterprise, was not impressed with this reveal, saying that it “pissed” him off.

Keating shared his thoughts on the Kovich twist while being interviewed by TrekNews alongside Connor Trinneer, who played Trip Tucker opposite him for the entirety of Enterprise’s run, and now these two host the web series The D-Con Chamber together. The actor explained that the reason he was dissatisfied with Kovich being Agent Daniels was because it reminded him of when the original version of the character, played by Matt Winston, would show up on Enterprise, that resulted in him and other main cast members being pushed to the side. He explained:

So as you can see, Dominic Keating doesn’t hold anything against Matt Winston, but after all these years, he’s still annoyed at how often Daniels was utilized throughout Star Trek: Enterprise to the detriment of some of the other series regulars. That said, Keating went on to note that feelings stem on this subject from a larger dissatisfaction from him and other cast members being “underused,” as well as him not enjoying the Temporal Cold War storyline that leaned heavily on Daniels. In his words:

The baseball refers to how Kovich had several items from past Star Trek TV shows on display in his office, including Benjamin Sisko’s baseball from Deep Space Nine and Geordi LaForge’s VISOR from The Next Generation. By the time the Discovery crew arrived in the 32nd century in Season 3, time travel technology had been banned, so the older Daniels played by David Cronenberg’s temporal missions were long behind him. His true name was also considered a “a bit of a Red Directive,” but he trusted Michael Burnham enough to share that information. She was pleased to hear it, but Dominic Keating, not so much.

Like all the Star Trek shows with the exception of Prodigy (which is now a Netflix offering), Enterprise can be easily streamed on Paramount+. Next up on the Star Trek front is Lower Decks’ fifth and final season, which will premiere sometime on the 2024 TV schedule. If you’re wanting to look further ahead into the future, consult our guide of upcoming Star Trek TV shows.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery series finale are ahead!

Although Star Trek: Discovery’s series finale mainly focused on Michael Burnham, Doug Jones’ Saru also got some time to shine. First, the Kelpien got one last “Action Saru” moment when he faced off against Primarch Tahal, and then weeks after the main conflict was resolved, friends and loved ones gathered for his and T’Rina’s wedding. Jones told CinemaBlend he was pleased with the way Saru’s story ended in “Life, Itself,” and also he shared with us his on-point envisioning of the characters future after the series finale.

Before the Discovery series finale was released to Paramount+ subscription holders on the 2024 TV schedule, I had the pleasure of speaking with Doug Jones about his experience shooting this last hurrah. Remembering how the decision to cancel Discovery came after the cast and crew shot Season 5, with Jones learning about this on the Star Trek Cruise shortly before it was announced to the public, I asked him if he had any idea on what would have happened with Saru had Season 6 been made, and he told me:

Between the aforementioned events from the series finale and Saru resigning from Starfleet at the beginning of Season 5 to become an ambassador for the United Federation of Planets, like Doug Jones said, he seemed to find himself. That being said, the actor could also see Saru joining a Starfleet mission if his presence was needed. So in a reality where Discovery Season 6 moved forward, the writers could have needed to come up with that special circumstance that required him to step away from being an ambassador for a little bit and don his captain’s uniform again.

And then, of course, “Life, Itself” capped off with an extended epilogue set decades later that showed Michael Burnham sending the Discovery and its AI Zora on a Red Directive mission, thus serving as a tie-in to the “Calypso” Star Trek: Short Treks episode. Since there was no mention of what Saru was up to during that time period, assuming he’s still alive, I asked Doug Jones where he envisioned his character’s life going in those intervening decades, assuming he hadn’t already been told that information by someone like showrunner Michelle Paradise. Jones confirmed that wasn’t the case, saying:

Saru is definitely cut out for being a mentor, and with Tilly telling Michael and Rayner at the wedding that she’ll be setting up a mentorship program at Starfleet Academy, I can only hope that the Kelpien is one of the first people she approaches to join it, even in just a guest capacity. Speaking of which, the upcoming Star Trek TV show Starfleet Academy spinoff is confirmed to take place in the 32nd century, so the stage is set for Discovery characters to appear there, though Mary Wiseman wouldn’t tell us if she’s involved in the show.

However, earlier this year, Doug Jones confirmed to our own Mick Joest that following Star Trek: Discovery’s conclusion, he’s “pursuing more human characters” and won’t perform as many prosthetic-heavy roles. Still, with Starfleet Academy coming up, I was wondering if Jones would be willing to make that one of his exceptions and reprise Saru in the spinoff if the opportunity came along. He answered:

So while Saru’s life following the conclusion of the Star Trek: Discovery series finale’s main story will have to be left up to fans’ imaginations for now, at least the possibility remains that some of that curtain could be pulled back on Starfleet Academy. So far the only actor officially on board for the spinoff is Holly Hunter, who will play the captain and chancellor of the education institution. If it’s announced at any point that Doug Jones will appear on the show, we’ll let you know.

Until then, keep visiting CinemaBlend for more news concerning Star Trek TV and film plans. Next on the slate is Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, which premieres people with a Netflix subscription on July 1.

Back in the classic days of Star Trek, a shaking camera and the crew acting like they were being tossed around would emulate a Starfleet vessel being attacked. We have sparks and fireballs in modern shows, which I've always thought were awesome, but I was also very confused about them. How exactly are these effects done while ensuring the crew's safety and preservation of the set? Fortunately, frequent Trek director and actor Jonathan Frakes had an answer for me.

I spoke to Frakes toward the end of Star Trek: Discovery's run and realized he was the perfect person to ask this question. As the director of several episodes of modern Trek, all of which are available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, I asked how the crews manage to make sparks rain down to the floor without worrying about a fire breaking out. He answered:

So there's a mixture of both real and CGI sparks flying when the Enterprise, Discovery or a ship on the upcoming Star Trek shows gets hit. I agree that the sparks make the scenes pop and reflect damage to the ship in a way previous shows did not, so I can see why they've become a favorite of Jonathan Frakes and Disco EP Olutande Osunsanmi. The latter directed the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie starring Michelle Yeoh, so now I will look for sparks in the film.

And while Strange New Worlds and other new shows don't have some of the effects that made for some of the more WTF moments of The Next Generation, they do feature a lot of fire. Fortunately, it seems that the crew takes plenty of precautions to ensure that actors and actresses are protected from the flames, which are produced both practically and digitally like the sparks:

Jonathan Frakes added a bit of inside baseball that back in the day, a visual effects studio would use its ability to replicate fire and water as a calling card to the level of quality they could provide. It's not exactly something Star Trek fans need to know, but I appreciated hearing this aside from a Hollywood legend who I could listen to for hours talk about the process of making a show.

Jonathan Frakes' time on Star Trek: Discovery is over, but he's already wrapped work on his latest directed episode of Strange New Worlds Season 3. I would also imagine that he'll be asked to direct an episode of Starfleet Academy when the show officially goes into production and link up with the latest star of the series, Holly Hunter.

Now I'm wondering if the Starfleet Academy of the future can shoot sparks and flames in the same way a Starfleet vessel can. I'm sure there are enough electronics in that place to make it happen, though I'd hope the academy itself wouldn't come under attack. I guess we shall see before too long, and hopefully get more of Jonathan Frakes in the future of Star Trek ASAP.

We're currently living in a world without new Star Trek, though Prodigy Season 2 premieres on Netflix July 1st. All 20 episodes dropping at once should keep fans occupied for at least a day or so, and hopefully by then we'll have more teases and projects to look forward to!

Star Trek: Discovery is over and, unsurprisingly, there's been plenty of debate over how the series ultimately concluded. The coda scenes addressed what was happening with Michael Burnham and resolved the long-standing mystery of "Calypso." However, some fans wondered why the rest of the main cast didn't receve more of the spotlight. Well, wonder no longer, as Michelle Paradise shared with CinemaBlend just why the ending was so Michael-centric. 

Michelle Paradise was gracious enough to carve out some time to speak to me ahead of the finale. During our chat, we talked about the various ins and outs of the series capper, which is now available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. When asked about the coda scenes and the heavy emphasis on Michael compared to moments that included Saru, Tilly, Stamets, Culber, Adira, or others, the showrunner had this to say: 

The answer isn't entirely surprising, considering Michael Burnham is the central figure in Star Trek: Discovery. While it's true that many other characters had meaningful arcs, she's the lead, and it was important for the staff to give her a happy ending with Booker and show their son, Leto, who is now a Captain in Starfleet as well. 

While some might've liked to see Tilly in Starfleet Academy or maybe have seen how Adira's promising Starfleet career evolved, this has always been about Michael Burnham. Her journey from convicted mutineer to one of the most respected Starfleet Captains of the 32nd century is a arc, and she deserved a happy ending after experiencing so many personal and professional obstacles. 

While not every Star Trek fan may be a fan of how Discovery concluded, it's worth noting that the crew didn't really have a ton of time to film the finale. The series was cancelled after production wrapped, and Sonequa Martin-Green confirmed to CinemaBlend that it was a tenuous process to get the extra scenes filmed. We could've gotten no coda at all, which would've robbed fans of the confirmation that Michael went on to lead a happy life. 

Fortunately, the story in Star Trek is never really over for any crew. There will be plenty of opportunities for novels, spinoffs and comics that will revisit the stories of the Discovery crew. I would love to see any of the actors reprise their roles, playing substitute teachers at Starfleet Academy and helping the recently cast star Holly Hunter learn the finer details of starring in a Trek series behind the scenes. More immediately though, I'm just glad that Michael received the conclusion she deserved.

You can currently stream all five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery now on Paramount+. While it's sad the series is over, at least we now have yet another complete series of the new era to revisit and enjoy at any time.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery series finale are ahead!

Early on in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Doug Jones’ character Saru resigned from Starfleet to become an ambassador for the United Federation of Planets. As a result, he missed out on most of his old crew’s search for the Progenitors’ technology, but fortunately, he wasn’t left out of the action in the show’s final episode. As fans with a Paramount+ subscription saw last week, Jones got to perform one last Action Saru moment through his tense showdown with the Breen known as Primarch Tahal in “Life, Itself,” and the actor shared with CinemaBlend about what he “loved about that scene.”

In addition to sharing his thoughts about the Discovery series finale and revealing a touching epilogue moment he shared with Sonequa Martin-Green, among the other topics Doug Jones discussed in my interview with him was how it felt getting to show off the Kelpien’s badass side for the final time on Discovery, a.k.a. Action Saru. However, this time around, Saru had to be intimidating from after, as he and Primarch Tahal were communicating over a video call. As Jones recalled:

As Michael Burnham was finding the Progenitors’ technology with Moll, and as Rayner was leading the Discovery crew in repelling the Breen dreadnought once controlled by Primarch Ruhn, Saru, with Nhan as his pilot, was tasked with making sure Primarch Tahal didn’t arrive at the battle site to escalate the conflict, nor discover the advanced technology and seize it for herself. Initially, Saru approached the problem with diplomacy, telling Tahal that the Federation would establish a trade route between her border and the L’Tar Nebula if she turned around, which would improve her chances of taking the Imperium Throne.

Tahal didn’t accept Saru’s offer, but her response was enough to confirm to him that Tahal already had bases establish in the L’Tar nebula, otherwise she would have accepted his deal. So after getting her attention again with an insult, Saru declared that he’d established ties with numerous planets in that region, and unless he ordered them to stand down, they would attack those bases and Tahal’s forces would be weakened. The only way she’d get out of this mess would be by turning around, and Saru had to sell his bluff with arguably the most intense expression he’d ever delivered on Discovery. Tahal did indeed fall back, although she sent a scout ship to investigate the battle site, but Saru and Nhan clocked it coming.

Like Doug Jones said, this wasn’t a situation where Action Saru was going to be throwing punches or running to rescue a crewmate. He had to channel all those badass vibes strictly through dialogue and sell to Primarch T’Hal that he meant business. And as the actor also pointed out, this is a Saru who’s come a long way from the more timid version of the character in Season 1, so what better way to highlight that development by giving an opportunity to be arguably his most intimidating before Star Trek: Discovery wrapped up?

Star Trek: Discovery is over, but this era of the franchise’s timeline will continue to be explored through the spinoff Starfleet Academy, which has cast Holly Hunter as one of the lead characters. If Doug Jones ends up reprising Saru on that series, we’ll let you know. Meanwhile, look at the other upcoming Star Trek shows that are slated and catch up with current programming with the 2024 TV schedule.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Discovery finale "Life, Itself." Read at your own risk! If you haven't caught it yet, check it out with a Paramount+ subscription.

Star Trek: Discovery's final scene addressed a long-standing mystery surrounding the series tied to the Short Treks episode "Calypso." Unfortunately, some fans have found  they're not getting all the answers they want about how the mystery was resolved. I asked co-showrunner Michelle Paradise for details about how the scene was written and got her response about why the ending went down the way it did. 

What's The Mystery Anyway? 

In the short "Calypso," released between Seasons 1 and 2 of Discovery, viewers watched a man named Craft travel through the USS Discovery, which had been dormant in deep space for a thousand years. Fans have speculated for seasons now about how that was possible, particularly considering the crew arrived safely in the future at the start of Season 3. In fact, they were never away from the ship for any remarkable length of time. 

In the Coda, we saw Michael Burnham, much older and now an admiral, enter the Discovery, which had been deliberately retro-fitted to look like it did in "Calypso." Burnham explained she had a "Red Directive" to take this ship to deep space and leave it there, but there wasn't much said beyond that. Assuming I missed something, I asked Michelle Paradise for clarification, only to learn the scene was intentionally scripted to be mysterious: 

Michelle Paradise confirmed in an interview with Variety that Season 6 of Star Trek: Discovery had a broad goal of addressing "Calypso" in detail, but obviously, the Trek series' cancelation came before they could get too deep into that. As such, the finale ensured that the answer was given while it was careful not to create more loose ends with the explanation.

The Star Trek: Discovery audience isn't explicitly told why the Discovery needs to be left in deep space without a crew, but we know from Season 5's plot that a "Red Directive" is a highly classified mission deemed of utmost importance. Briefings of Red Directives are conducted in Kovich's "Infinity Room," and given we now know Kovich was just a codename for the famed Temporal Agent Daniels from Enterprise, we can assume the USS Discovery must remain in deep space for reasons vital to the timeline. 

Whether or not the mystery will be examined any further will depend on whether or not upcoming Trek shows want to acknowledge it. The Starfleet Academy show, which just brought on Holly Hunter, will be set the closest in time to Discovery's finale. Provided the show also brings on Tilly actress Mary Wiseman like the finale further hinted it would, I would see that as justification to further explain the Red Directive mission surrounding the ship at some point. 

It might not be as neat of an ending as Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it's also worth noting the circumstances were different. I applaud Discovery for being able to end on the high note that it did. Making a conclusive finale on such short notice is difficult, especially for a serialized series. And yet, I think it is still one of the better finales in Star Trek history, and I felt just as much closure watching it as actor Doug Jones did. 

Regardless, is it too early to start petitions for Paramount+ to greenlight a movie for this crew? I miss them so much already. 

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery series finale are ahead!

Another chapter of Star Trek history has come to a close. On Thursday, the final episode of Star Trek: Discovery was released to Paramount+ subscription holders on the 2024 TV schedule, and among the characters whose stories came to a close was Doug Jones’ Saru, who’s been part of the series since it premiered in 2017 on what was then called CBS All-Access. Although there were a handful of episodes Jones missed in Season 5, he still played an overall important role in the story through his new role as an ambassador for the United Federation of Planets.

Despite no longer being part of the Discovery crew, Saru thankfully wasn’t kept out of the action in "Life, Itself." After the conflict with the Breen was finished, the Progenitors’ technology was sent beyond the event horizon and that big Enterprise Easter egg was dropped, his wedding with T’Rina served as a celebratory event for his comrades to enjoy. Ahead of the Discovery series finale’s arrival, I spoke with Jones about his experience working on the episode. In addition to sharing his thoughts about how Saru’s story ended, he recalled an emotional moment he shared with Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Captain Michael Burnham, while they were shooting the epilogue that I thought was touching.

Doug Jones Is Pleased With How Season 5 Ended Things For Saru

Star Trek: Discovery was announced to be ending in March 2023, but the cast and crew didn’t know about this when they were working on Season 5. In fact, Doug Jones learned about this on the Star Trek Cruise shortly before the public heard about the show’s fate. That being said, the actor found capping off the main story with Saru and T’Rina’s wedding to be a beautiful creative choice, with the actor saying the following when I asked him what it was like shooting the ceremony:

T’Rina, the Vulcan president of N’Var, was one of the first people from the 32nd century with whom Saru formed a connection, and by Season 4, they admitted their romantic feelings for one another. Now these two are joined together in matrimony, and even though Doug Jones and the rest of Star Trek: Discovery’s cast and crew weren’t aware when they were shooting Season 5 that this would be the final hurrah, he was nonetheless with this putting a pin in Saru’s story if the show did indeed end there. As he explained:

This time, it was indeed the end, but in a show of generosity, Paramount+ gave the Star Trek: Discovery team additional time to shoot an epilogue for “Life, Itself.” This resulted in Doug Jones getting to return for his true final outing as Saru on this series, and earlier this year, he told CinemaBlend he felt “closure” when he watched the extra scene. Now we know why.

The Emotional Moment Doug Jones Shared With Sonequa Martin-Green While Shooting The Epilogue

Following the conclusion of the main story of “Life, Itself,” Star Trek: Discovery’s last episode jumped forward several decades, and we see that Michael Burnham is now a Starfleet admiral, she and Book had a son together who’s now becoming captain of his own ship, and the Discovery ship is being sent on a Red Directive mission tied to the “Calypso” Short Trek that will require the AI Zora to be on her own for centuries. While on the bridge and speaking to Zora for the last time, Michale envisioned reuniting with her cremates when they were younger, including Saru. Doug Jones started off by telling me how pleased he was to see how Michael’s life turned out with the words:

As one would imagine, Jones getting back together with his Discovery cast-mates on the bridge set was an emotional affair, especially when it came to his last scene with Sonequa Martin-Green. That kicked up a notch in between takes of the actors hugging each other in character, with Jones sharing with me the kinds words they kept repeating to each other:

Is anyone else suddenly feeling verklempt? Seriously, considering how many scenes Doug Jones and Sonequa Martin-Green shared with each other over Star Trek: Discovery’s five-season run, I’m glad they they legitimately developed an affectionate relationship with each other. It makes it all the more sad that it’s unlikely we’ll ever see Michael and Saru together again, although I suppose with the Starfleet Academy spinoff on the way, anything is possible.

Star Trek: Discovery may be over, but there are still plenty of upcoming Star Trek shows coming up. Along with the aforementioned Starfleet Academy (which stars Holly Hunter), Lower Decks Season 5 (which is also ending) and Strange New Worlds Seasons 3 and 4 are on the docket for Paramount+, and Prodigy Season 2 will premiere to people with a Netflix subscription sometime later this year. Let’s also not forget the the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 movie will also hit Paramount+, and filming on that project wrapped in March.

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery finale "Life, Itself." Watch it now with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Discovery is finished, but not before giving fans some big things to ponder as it bows. While upcoming Star Trek shows may eventually unravel the full story of the USS Discovery's fate, CinemaBlend was able to get the details on that fun little connection between this beloved series and another great one, Enterprise. As we learned in the finale, Kovich was actually a character from the previous show; we just didn't know it.

The big moment came when Michael Burnham met with Kovich and finally felt brave enough to ask what his "real" name was. The mysterious Federation figurehead stated that he was Daniels, also known as the Temporal Agent who kept in contact with Captain Archer during Enterprise. It was a fun twist I didn't see coming, so I asked showrunner Michelle Paradise how it came to be. She told me:

The showrunner praised David Cronenberg's portrayal of Kovich, and she's not the only one. Doug Jones confessed to CinemaBlend that he didn't recognize him the first time they worked together, but was so surprised by his performance. It turns out the acclaimed director behind so many great movies is also a great addition to Star Trek and a link between Enterprise and Discovery.

It's a fun connection and something I had to know more about. Michelle Paradise shared how the idea of Kovich playing Daniels came about, as well as the cool thing for Discovery fans to do now that it's over:

Kovich, being a well-known Temporal Agent, raises many questions, some of which I'd love to get answered in the spinoff Starfleet Academy if he appears. At this time, the only casting known for the series is award-winning actress Holly Hunter, and I happen to believe Mary Wiseman will be announced, especially after this nod in the finale that Tilly was the most tenured member of the Academy.

Ultimately, I would love to see more of David Cronenberg in Star Trek's future, especially with this connection. At the same time, I know he's not primarily known as an actor, so if he's fine with Discovery being his sole contribution to the franchise, I'm ok with that too. Still, with all the crazy time-related stuff happening in Strange New Worlds, wouldn't Daniels' re-emergence clear up some misconceptions on whether the Temporal Wars are over?

Unfortunately, we won't be getting those answers from Star Trek: Discovery because it's over. On the bright side, we have a satisfying ending to celebrate and the opportunity to binge all five seasons all over again whenever we choose to do so. For those who need a little time before that, our 2024 TV schedule should be the first stop for anyone who needs something new to watch.

Star Trek: Discovery laid the framework for a new era of the long-running franchise, and some of its biggest swings happened while Michelle Paradise was helping steer the ship. The executive producer join the show midway into Season 2 and was the co-showrunner of the Sonequa Martin-Green-led series from Season 3 to its unexpected cancellation with Season 5. Now that her work on the show is over, Paradise's future with the massive IP is uncertain. So CinemaBlend asked her about possibly doing more with it following her show's series finale, and her answer was so perfect.

With many upcoming Trek shows on the way, it would seem that there are opportunities for Michelle Paradise to put her writer's cap back on and contribute to an episode or two. For instance, she could even lead one of those surprise projects Alex Kurtzman hinted at while speaking with CinemaBlend. I asked Paradise what her feelings were in regard to possibly joining another series on some level, or maybe even becoming showrunner of a different show. It wasn't too surprising that the veteran scribe's thoughts were respectful, but I also appreciate just how sweet they were:

I would be shocked if Star Trek didn't welcome Michelle Paradise back into the fold at some point. Not only did she play a key role in setting the tone for a new type of serialized storytelling within the franchise, but she also played a big part in creating the vast blank canvas for future creatives that is the 32nd century. Here, the upcoming Starfleet Academy series will feature Holly Hunter and others to showcase further how the universe has changed 1000 years after the TOS era. 

All in all, her comments are so great. Fans likely be excited to hear that she's up for more cosmic storytelling. Additionally, you have to appreciate the fact that even if she doesn't get another Trek opportunity, she's pleased with what she's been able to do and relishes her status as a member of this growing "family."

There are, of course, so many variables that could change with Trek over the next decade that make it difficult to say how exactly everything might shake out. For one, it seems increasingly likely that another studio will own the franchise in that time. 

Given that acquisition, new leadership could influence what eras are drilled down upon and which ones are forgotten. Star Trek: Discovery may currently hold the blueprint for the franchise's future, but some other company may feel differently. 

Regardless, I think there's value in bringing in Michelle Paradise back in whatever capacity other shows would have her. We know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is returning for Season 4, and it would be great to see her contribute to an episode of that show. I also think she'd bring a lot of experience to any Starfleet Academy episode, especially if other Discovery characters are in the series as CinemaBlend suspected when we talked to Tilly actress Mary Wiseman a month ago. And, even if Paradise doesn't come back, it's comforting that she's at peace with her legacy within the franchise up to this point.

After the series finale premieres on May 30th as part of the 2024 TV schedule, anyone with a Paramount+ subscription can watch Star Trek: Discovery in full. Whether she's part of the franchise in the future or not, I can't wait to see what's next for Michelle Paradise!

Star Trek: Discovery is ending with the fifth season's swan song, and few were as vocally upset about the initial cancellation news as frequent episode director, Jonathan Frakes. The Riker portrayer went on the record with CinemaBlend at the time to say Disco's cancellation sucked (preach), and part of his take was possibly tied to realizing his time with star Sonequa Martin-Green was ending, at least here. Frakes sang the actress' praises to us, and so revealed why he was grateful he didn't know he was directing one of Discovery's final episodes when it filmed.

Though "Lagrange Point," available to stream now with a Paramount+ subscription, wasn't originally intended to be the penultimate episode of the series, things played out that way in time. During my latest talk with the Star Trek icon about his experience on the episode, I first asked Frakes what it was like working with star Sonequa Martin-Green over the years:

Jonathan Frakes' response is not surprising, as I've heard nothing but positive stories about working with Sonequa Martin-Green from the cast and crew of Star Trek: Discovery over the years. Whether it's her warmth and positivity with everyone behind the scenes, or goofing around with co-star Mary Wiseman between takes, it always seems like Martin-Green did what she could to make working on the series a blast for all involved.

With Discovery ending, it's unknown at this point whether or not we can expect to see Sonequa Martin-Green on any upcoming Trek shows, presumably reprising the role of Michael Burnham. Of course, that kind of question wasn't even in consideration when "Lagrange Point" was being filmed, since all involved weren't treating it as a set-up for a finale.

Jonathan Frakes confirmed to CInemaBlend that, in retrospect, he's glad to have been in the dark on its unfortunate fate during the creative process, specifically when it came to working with the show's captain. In his words:

For now, we know there will be at least one Star Trek series where Michael Burnham can possibly appear. The upcoming Starfleet Academy series is also set in the 32nd century, and I could see Burnham showing up despite the series already securing A+ thesp Holly Hunter as its first star. I've also speculated Mary Wiseman will continue to teach at the academy like she has in Discovery, though Wiseman deflected when CinemaBlend asked her about it. 

Whatever the future holds for Michael Burnham, I do hope Sonequa Martin-Green (and Jonathan Frakes) remains attached to the franchise in some way. She's played a key part in setting the tone for this new era of storytelling with her attitude in Discovery, and I'd love to hear her aura positively impacts future Trek sets going forward, whether she's in front of the camera or not. 

Star Trek: Discovery's finale streams on Paramount+ beginning on Thursday, May 30th. Get ready for the final scenes of the series and for the future of what's to come after this beloved series finally bows, and our 2024 TV schedule will clue you in on what else will be starting soon.

Sometimes it feels like Star Trek: Discovery's Jett Reno is just Tig Notaro transported through time and faking her way through a successful career in Starfleet. That's not a bad thing, but I and others have wondered over the years how the stand-up comedian gets so much runway in her scenes when Trek productions are historically very against improv and going off script. I asked the actress if she had a hand in writing Reno's lines for the series, and her answer legitimately surprised me.

As we prepare for the end of Star Trek: Discovery, Tig Notaro was kind enough to talk to CinemaBlend about her time on the show. In addition to learning the awful first name Jett Reno had, there was also a chance to ask the actress why Reno feels incredibly similar to Notaro's other roles. I speculated that maybe she had a hand in the show's scriptwriting when it came to the character, but when I asked, I was shocked by the answer:

Tig Notaro has nothing to do with the scripts in Star Trek: Discovery, which means the writers are just that good at capturing what makes her great. It makes me sad the chances feel slim we'll see her in upcoming Trek projects, because Reno has become one of my favorite characters of the entire series. If she was somehow available for a series centered around Reno, I'd definitely watch it.

So if the actress has nothing to do with the lines before she reads them, how did the show nail her signature personality from the time she was added in Season 2 up to now? Part of that is thanks to her longtime friend and Star Trek top brass Alex Kurtzman, who went to pretty awesome lengths to get it right:

It's awesome of Alex Kurtzman to do that for Tig Notaro, and it's really paid off given all she's brought to Star Trek: Discovery in her limited screen time. The actress does have her main gig to commit to, after all, and it only takes a few minutes of watching her hilarious stand-up special on Max to understand why the world isn't ready to see Notaro commit to acting full-time.

As much as I love Tig Notaro's jokes, I do hope there's room for her to appear in the Star Trek universe after Discovery ends. We do know that there will be a Starfleet Academy series coming to those with a Paramount+ subscription, and I wonder if the comedian would be a good fit for the series. We do know that Jett Reno has worked a lot of gigs throughout her life, so I feel like she'd be a great substitute teacher for any cadets looking to make a career in Starfleet.

There are only a handful of episodes left in Star Trek: Discovery, and it remains to be seen how much of Tig Notaro's Jett Reno will be included. No doubt she can continue to be an asset as the crew races to obtain the Progenitors' technology before the Breen, as they're going to need all the help they can get. Can we just have the rest of the episodes right now?

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes of its final season on Paramount+ on Thursdays. CinemaBlend will continue to talk to the creative minds behind the series, and the details about the show that readers may not know about.

When ranking the coolest members of the crew on Star Trek: Discovery, I don't think it's much of a conversation about who is sitting in the top spot. Commander Jett Reno joined the crew in Season 2, and while she does pop in and out of the show due to real-life actor Tig Notaro's comedic pursuits, all her appearances result in awesomeness. I think part of it lies in the name itself, and my thoughts on that only strengthened when the actress told CinemaBlend the original name for her character and the cool origin for the finalized moniker.

I had the honor of speaking to Tig Notaro shortly before "Labyrinths" became available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, and I made a somewhat embarrassing confession in telling the actress there have been times when I mistakenly called her character "Janet Reno." You know, the same name as the first female U.S. Attorney General. I was ultimately happy about the admission, however. When I asked if she ever made the same mistake, she revealed the original name that was pitched for her character by Alex Kurtzman:

I 100% agree with her. I've seen a lot of Tig Notaro's movies and shows, and if she would've had the name "Denise" in any of them, it would've bugged me. It's certainly not a name that fits the cocky and capable demeanor of Jett Reno, who she's previously stated is based on Star Wars' Han Solo. Plus, the name makes me think of actress Denise Crosby, and I'm still upset about her character's exit in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Jett Reno is the best name, regardless of how similar it sounds to former employees of the United States government. As it turns out, there is someone that Tig Notaro based the name on, and it's a connection readers may be shocked they didn't put together sooner:

When it comes to badass women in pop culture, a rock icon like Joan Jett ranks pretty highly. It's no wonder then that Tig Notaro would like to have her character named after The Runaways guitarist, and the homage is just subtle enough I never really saw the connection until she brought it up. If only there was a scene where she tells another character to put another dime in the jukebox, baby.

It's good that Jett Reno got a moment to shine in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, especially considering that none of the cast and crew knew the show would be canceled until wrapping the initial production. Had they known, one would wonder if maybe additional concessions would've been made to put Saru into more of the season, as Doug Jones had press commitments elsewhere during shooting.

Many fans know by now that Discovery was granted extra filming after wrapping up production to film a coda to give the series a satisfying conclusion. We here at CinemaBlend can only speculate on what will be featured in the final scene of the series, but I know a good number of us hope it's a setup for more upcoming Trek shows down the road. Additionally, let's hope Jett Reno appears in at least one of them because I'm not done with seeing Tig Notaro in Star Trek just yet.

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Tune in for the final episodes of the series and, hopefully, some unexpected surprises for fans to really put a cap on this wonderful series.

Back in March 2023, it was announced that Star Trek: Discovery was ending with Season 5, and now we’re just a few weeks away from this era of the sci-fi franchise concluding on the 2024 TV schedule. Fortunately, Discovery’s cast and crew were given extra filming time to ensure the series could end on a proper note. As we enter this final stretch, Elias Toufexis, who played the Breen character L’ak this season, discussed with CinemaBlend why he thinks the show “wraps up really nicely” after being informed about what’s to come.

In addition getting his thoughts on the big L’ak twist that “Erigah” delivered, I asked Toufexis, who also voices Seraphim in Netflix’s Blood of Zeus, if he’d seen Star Trek: Discovery’s ending yet, and if so, what he thought about it. Although the actor hasn’t seen the final product, not only did he read how everything comes to a close, he was impressed by how Season 5 feels like the final hurrah despite the fact that it was intended to be from the start. As he informed me:

When Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 began filming, the possibility of Season 6 was still on the table. It was only after principal photography concluded that Paramount+ pulled the show’s plug, but looking back, Elias Toufexis is impressed with how some of Season 5’s episodes and status quo changes serendipitously feel like they belong in a final season. Like he noted, Saru resigned from Starfleet and is now an ambassador for the Federation, and Episode 4, titled “Face the Strange,” is a look back at times long gone by before we wrap things up.

Then as far as the show’s ending itself goes, Toufexis is confident that fans will be happy with it going off of what he read and learned from showrunner Michelle Paradise, and he’s just the latest Discovery actor to voice such thoughts to CinemaBlend. In January, Saru actor Doug Jones told us that he felt “closure” after watching the show’s epilogue, and in April, David Ajala, who plays Booker, said he was “excited” for fans to see “one very specific thing” that was filmed after the cancellation. Then this month, Callum Keith Rennie, who joined Season 5 as Rayner, said Discovery will deliver a “great finale,” and Tilly actress Mary Wiseman described what she read as “lovely,” although she won’t watch the entire thing until it’s released to the fans.

Star Trek: Discovery fans will finally get to know what the actors are talking about when they’re able to stream the series finale, titled “Life, Itself,” with their Paramount+ subscriptions on Thursday, May 30. As we count down the days until the big finish, look over the upcoming Star Trek TV shows that are slated.

Star Trek: Discovery is in the midst of airing its final season on the 2024 TV schedule, though that wasn't known by the cast and crew when they were in production. Unfortunately, the decision was made afterward. While Season 5 has naturally lent itself to one last adventure in many ways,  there are other instances in which some characters probably could've been highlighted more had writers known. Doug Jones, for example, has been missing for a chunk of this season, but it turns out he had a reason in addition to some good news from fans. 

With fans waiting to watch the series' final episodes with a Paramount+ subscription, some have reached out to Doug Jones, wondering where Saru is in these recent adventures. The actor took some time to reply to a curious viewer on X, explaining the reason why he hasn't been in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 too much: 

As a member of the original Hocus Pocus cast, Doug Jones was obliged to appear on the press tour for the Disney+ movie. It's a shame the timing lined up with when Star Trek: Discovery was in production. However, as CinemaBlend learned, Jones only learned the series was canceled when he was on a fan cruise long after production wrapped. 

The good news is that Saru will return later in the season, though Doug Jones didn't specify when that would happen. Last we saw him he was in the process of wedding planning with T'Rina. He's been largely removed from the action of Star Trek: Discovery, but that seems to be because the show knew Doug Jones would need time away elsewhere. 

With no idea what to expect from Saru in the final episodes, I know I'm hoping we'll get to see his marriage to T'Rina. The actor hinted ahead of Season 5 that Saru's relationship was headed in a direction fans wanted, and he also mentioned that seeing the epilogue of the series gave him closure. Could this be because he finally got to see the payoff for Saru's romance with T'Rina? 

It's possible, but I can also see Jones finding closure in a satisfying ending to a series that he dedicated years of his life to. The character actor has had some wonderful roles in Guillermo Del Toro movies, but I'd argue his greatest performance to date has been playing Saru. Whatever the ending for Doug Jones' character is, if he's happy with it, I'm sure I will be as well. 

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. With the Breen starting a conflict with Starfleet, I'm expecting the series to have its foot on the gas all the way until the end, and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up. 

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery episode “Erigah” are ahead!

After making a guest appearance as Cold in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Elias Toufexis returned for Season 5 to play L’ak, who’s been looking to acquire the Progenitor technology with his lover, Eve Harlow’s Moll, so they can finally stop being fugitives. L’ak stands out as the first Breen to have their face shown in the Star Trek franchise, but just a few episodes after that was revealed, the character is no more. “Erigah,” which just dropped on the 2024 TV schedule, saw L’ak accidentally dying by his own hand. While speaking with CinemaBlend, Toufexis opened up to us about how he “sussed out” this twist was coming early on and what made his scenes in the latest Discovery episode so difficult to film.

Why Elias Toufexis Figured L’ak Was Going To Die

L’ak was injured towards the end of Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth episode, “Mirrors,” and although he and Moll (whom some say looks like Ashoka’s Shin Hati) were able to escape from the ISS Enterprise in a warp pod, the Federation was able to recapture them in “Erigah.” He was in bad shape at the beginning of the episode, but there’s a chance he ultimately could have recovered. Unfortunately, L’ak decided to inject himself with a massive dose of tricordrazine as a distraction so that Moll could escape, but he ended up giving himself an overdose. Here’s what Elias Toufexis told me ahead of “Erigah” releasing to Paramount+ subscribers of how he reacted when he learned about L’ak’s fate:

So Toufexis was smart enough to predict that L’ak wouldn’t make it out of Star Trek: Discovery alive, and the death did indeed worsen the conflict between the Federation and Breen. Primarch Ruhn, L’ak’s uncle, arrived with his Breen troops to Federation headquarters demanding his nephew’s release. The situation was already incredibly tense, with Ruhn prepared to go to war with the Federation if he didn’t get his way, but L’ak’s death pushed him over the edge. As far as what shooting his final moments as L’ak were like, Toufexis said:

As for why Ruhn was so desperate to get L’ak back, it was revealed that the latter was the Scion of the Breen Imperium, i.e. a direct descendant of his species’ emperor. Ruhn needed L’ak in order to properly rule the Breen, but his nephews death ruined that plan. However, after watching the love of her life die, Moll informed Ruhn about the Progenitor tech that she and L’ak had been hoping to trade to the Breen to erase their erigah. Now she’s willing to help the Breen acquire that tech to use against the Federation, though she’s only doing this because she believes it can revive L’ak. In order to avoid war, inspiring captain Michael Burnham and her superiors agreed to hand Moll over, though Booker disapproved of this.

Why Elias Toufexis Had Difficulty Shooting His Scenes In “Erigah”

Whether or not L’ak will be brought back to life by the Progenitor tech remains to be seen, but if this is indeed the character’s last appearance, then it was a pretty inactive finish to his story. Because L’ak was so badly injured in “Erigah,” he was confined to a bio-bed, and as Elias Toufexis explained below, that didn’t make for an easy acting experience:

Yet despite all that discomfort, Toufexis was understanding of why it was necessary for him to be laying down throughout the entirety of this Discovery episode. Besides, he now has an interesting statistic for the role that he can share about his time on “Erigah.” In his words:

There are now just three Star Trek: Discovery episodes left, so head to Paramount+ these next three stories to see how this corner of the franchise comes to a close. If you’d rather look further ahead into the future, look through the lineup of upcoming Star Trek TV shows.

The latest Star Trek: Discovery episode was certainly bittersweet. While it was certainly cool to see Mary Wiseman and Sonequa Martin-Green's Tilly and Michael get a big episode with "Whistlespeak," we are officially in the back half of the series' final season. The end is near, and pretty soon, we'll see that big finale that was reconfigured post-cancellation. Having already heard several other co-stars' thoughts on it, Wiseman is the latest to share her thoughts with CinemaBlend on the upcoming coda. 

After watching an episode in which she appeared miserable running around dying of thirst (even though she was just peachy in reality), I had the opportunity to speak to Mary Wiseman about the ep, as well as the final season of Star Trek: Discovery overall. Knowing that Doug Jones found closure with the finale, I had to ask how the Tilly portrayer felt about it, and was surprised to learn she chose not to watch. That said, she did tell me what her thoughts were after reading the ending scripts, saying:

"Kismet" is a great word to describe the ending of Star Trek: Discovery, as it could apply to the fact that the cast and crew got to shoot it. As fans are likely aware at this point, the series had no heads-up about cancellation and only learned about it after the series wrapped production. Paramount+ gave the cast and crew the go-ahead and funding to shoot additional footage to slot out an actual ending, but even then, star Sonequa Martin-Green described the process as tenuous. 

Fortunately, the scenes could be shot, and it just so happened that Season 5 worked out in a way in which it feels as though the writers went in knowing these would be the final episodes. Mary Wiseman will be watching them for the first time alongside the fans, and she explained why when I asked why she didn't take the opportunity to watch the finale in advance: 

Mary Wiseman isn't the only person in the Star Trek: Discovery cast exhibiting such a choice, as Sonequa Martin-Green also stated she'll wait to watch the finale. I give immense credit to both actresses for exercising the restraint not to buzz through all the episodes the ways fans would, but as Wiseman said, she may not have the same logic as others who have early access. Actors want to see how the fans respond, so it probably makes the most sense to watch the same day and then wait for responses to roll in. 

Once Star Trek: Discovery is over, the questions will undoubtedly begin from fans on whether they'll ever see these actors again in an upcoming Trek series. I've speculated that since Tilly still has her job as an instructor at Starfleet Academy in Season 5, she'll likely return for the spinoff series set in the same era as Discovery. 

As of writing, she hasn't been confirmed to return, but given that we don't have any casting news from the series thus far, I wouldn't rule it out just yet. While the fact that it's a show about Starfleet Academy would imply the cast will skew younger for the most part, I can totally see a couple of Discovery actors popping by the set to reprise their roles in an authoritative capacity. Tilly and David Cronenberg's Kovich feel like the ones that I most see doing that, but I wouldn't be shocked to see anyone from the Discovery crew as the series continues.  

 What I would do is continue to tune in for the final episodes of Star Trek: Discovery with a Paramount+ subscription. It's a shame for me to see the series ending now, considering I feel it's the best that it's ever been currently, but hopefully, we'll get some future novels or movies highlighting the adventures of this crew down the road. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Discovery episode "Whistlespeak." Be warned if you haven't yet watched with a Paramount+ subscription. 

Searching for the Progenitors' technology is challenging, but who would've thought it'd ever become a literal footrace to get the next clue? Tilly and Michael were tasked with a grueling run while facing excessive thirst in the latest Star Trek: Discovery and all I could wonder was if filming it was as miserable for the actual actors as the characters themselves. Fortunately, Mary Wiseman confirmed to CinemaBlend that it wasn't as bad as it looked, and her answer made me realize how much I'll miss this cast when the show is over. 

I had the pleasure of speaking to Mary Wiseman for Star Trek: Discovery's "Whistlespeak," and while I didn't attempt to get more answers out of her potentially returning as Tilly for Starfleet Academy, we did get the scoop about how real the experience of running through the forest while dying of thirst was. Fortunately, Wiseman assured me it wasn't as miserable as it looked and broke down what was and wasn't staged:

Props to the Star Trek: Discovery makeup team, because I was more fooled than I should have been, and thought Sonequa Martin-Green and Mary Wiseman were at least somewhat dehydrated and possibly desperate for water at the end of the shoot. It's obviously comforting to hear they're just good actors instead, and presumably weren't in any danger of fainting or something like that. 

The stakes were high as the Discovery crew needed to find the rest of the clues to that device, but it was all fun for the BTS crew, according to Mary Wiseman. The actress had heavy screentime with Sonequa Martin-Green, and as they often do on the set of the show, they were having a blast and made up their own scenario to help pass the time while filming in a Canadian park: 

During production, no one knew Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 would be the final season, so readers can understand the silliness that occurred on set. The cast and crew were informed after production wrapped, and some like Doug Jones were on cruise for fans when it happened. Had they known at the time, who knows if Mary Wiseman and Sonequa Martin-Green would've been coming up with survival ideas in the midst of filming? 

"Whistlespeak" set up some high stakes in which Tilly's life is saved by Michael being her often inspiring self in helping a pre-warp civilization understand ancient advanced tech on their planet. While the adventure did slow the rampant action Star Trek: Discovery has showcased since Season 5's beginning, at least this pre-warp civilization will no longer use unnecessary human sacrifice to get rain. 

Hearing about the fun Mary Wiseman and Sonequa Martin-Green had on set made my day but also bummed me out a bit. Obviously, Star Trek: Discovery is finished, and we have no guarantees that these two will work together again. With that said, there seemed to be a hint in this episode that they could link up in the Starfleet Academy show, which would be a great treat. if not there, hopefully, there's some unannounced upcoming Star Trek show that can reunite these two!

Until that gets announced, enjoy the rest of Star Trek: Discovery, which streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. I can't wait to see where the rest of the season goes and just how involved the Breen may get as we inch closer to the finale. 

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery episode "Mirrors." Watch the episode with a Paramount+ subscription before hopping in!

Star Trek: Discovery snuck in a significant reveal in its latest episode, and it answered a question that many fans have wondered for decades. We finally know what the Breen look like, and it turns out we've been looking at one almost the entire season. L'ak has the honor of being the first Breen face for fans to see, and actor Elias Toufexis had a great story of geeking out when he first learned about it.

For those who follow him on X, Toufexis is a massive Star Trek fan, but he didn't find out how significant his role as L'ak in the final season was until he was in a spot where, understandably, wild reactions and jerky movements are discouraged. The actor shared the details of when he first found out he was going to be a Breen and how he felt about it:

I can't express how much I love it when a big fan of Star Trek finds themselves in a role for the franchise. Being the first unmasked Breen may not mean a ton to every actor who would get the honor, but I know Elias Toufexis was as enthusiastic as he stated in the quote above. At the same time, what awful timing to figure it out when you're in the makeup chair and have to contain your excitement physically for a set period of time!

The Breen were first mentioned Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1990, and then six years later, the species would make its debut in the Deep Space Nine episode "Indiscretion" but remained unseen until just recently. According to a quote from showrunner Ira Steven Behr from the Deep Space Nine Companion, Breen were originally fully covered up because he "wasn't in the mood" to design a new alien race.

Fast forward to now, we've seen an unmasked Breen on the run from his species with his lover, Moll (who is nothing like Ahsoka's Shin Hati). The couriers are searching for the Progenitors' device in hopes they can exchange it with the Breen for freedom and no longer have to live as fugitives.

Michael Burnham, being the inspiring captain that she is, offered to protect L'ak and Moll from the Breen, but her offer was rejected. The two made their escape, are off to continue to search for more clues and, hopefully, evade the Breen capture.

It is cool to see Star Trek still surprising fans with reveals decades later, and I wonder if we'll see more unmasked Breen in upcoming Star Trek projects going forward. Perhaps whatever comes out of this conflict with the Breen will play a part in the story of the upcoming Starfleet Academy series, which is also set in the 32nd century. I can imagine we'll see at least one or two members of the Discovery cast there, though Mary Wiseman wouldn't spill the beans when I asked. Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying!

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. We're officially at the midpoint in the final season, so now would be a good time to remember what we've learned so far and gear up for the final episodes.

Like it or not, Star Trek: Discovery is weeks away from its finale. While the cancellation was unexpected by fans, the studio did allow the series to film some additional scenes to better wrap up the series rather than leaving fans with an unsatisfying conclusion to stream with their Paramount+ subscriptions. We here at CinemaBlend are jazzed to see how the series is wrapped up, especially after David Ajala's revealed that he's really "excited" for fans to see one specific scene. And I'm hoping that moment entails what I've been thinking about.

I spoke to Ajala ahead of the debut of Star Trek: Discovery's "Mirrors" episode and, while we talked about the installment, I also talked about how amazing it was that Season 5 has worked great as a final season thus far. When asked if there were any additional scenes filmed beyond the coda, he had some tidbits to share, which I believe readers will be interested in.

David Ajala Hinted At Additional Scene He's Excited About

David Ajala's Cleveland Booker has been tagging along for this latest Star Trek: Discovery mission, partly due to his skills as a courier and because of his connection to Moll via the mentor he gets his name from. As such, viewers have seen a lot of the character after Discovery's Season 4 ending implied he'd be gone. With that, I talked to Ajala about how great it was that he was able to be in the season given the unexpected cancellation. As mentioned, I asked if there were additional scenes filmed beyond the coda to wrap things up and, though Ajala didn't give a definitive answer, he did say this: 

I'm not 100% sure what that means but, if he's excited, I'm excited. This just adds to the hype of the finale, which Doug Jones said gave him closure. David Ajala's tease of one element he's eager for fans to see has me very optimistic that we won't be disappointed. And that would especially be true if it's related to his character's relationship with Michael Burnham. 

Why I'm Hoping This Scene Involves Booker And Burnham

I think that many of us are hoping get some sort of closure or resolution to Book and Burnham's romance storyline. Michael Burnham has struggled with love and connection throughout the entire series, so to see a scene where she and Booker are definitively together would be fantastic. It's also something I'm more optimistic we'll see now after David Ajala's comments above, and Sonequa Martin-Green telling CinemaBlend she was shocked that the early trailers showed Booker. Clearly, there's an understanding that fans are interested in those characters, so maybe she assumed his return was a surprise. 

Let's also remember that this could be the final time we see either character in live-action. Sure, there are upcoming Trek shows on the docket, and Starfleet Academy takes place in the 32nd century. Still, these actors have other gigs lined up and, with the exception of Mary Wiseman's Tilly, few of the characters have any reason to be hanging around Starfleet. I'm still guessing Tilly will be on the show based on the response Wiseman gave me when I asked. However, the chances of us seeing both Burnham and Book together for any extended amount of time feels slim. 

As such, if we're to get any sort of endgame for this couple, we're going to have to hope it is done in the scenes that were shot for Season 5. So far, this send-off season has been firing on all cylinders, and I wrote a while back that it's reminiscent of Star Trek: Voyager. Hopefully, it keeps that energy as we approach the midpoint and does indeed provide closure for Book, Burnham and the rest of the crew.

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays as part of the 2024 TV schedule. Here's hoping we get another step closer to the team figuring out where to find that artifact, and that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands before that. 

L'ak and Moll are quickly becoming some of the more beloved villains of Star Trek: Discovery, but only one of the two actors that make up the duo may know it. While Elias Toufexis is active on his X account and frequently interacts with fans, Eve Harlow shies away from the social media platform. The actress revealed to CinemaBlend that she hasn't seen some of the comments floating around about Moll on the web. And that's because of a previous experience she had on the former sci-fi series The 100.

This revelation came not long after I asked Eve Harlow about the comparisons made between Moll and Ahsoka's Shin Hati, only for the actress to confess she hadn't seen them. Harlow said she wasn't keen on reading fan reactions due to her experience of playing Maya Vie on The 100. Said situation was specifically tied to a key moment involving the character:

Eve Harlow might've gone from The 100 to have roles on Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Night Agent, but she cleary still hasn't forgotten the negative comments she got from fans of The CW series. As such, fans will just have to share their glowing thoughts on Moll with her should she make public appearances after or during the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, which is available to stream right now with a Paramount+ subscription.

It's not hard to see why fans are digging her character. It's a nice change of pace this season for the series to center on antagonists who aren't hell-bent on destroying the galaxy but rather just trying to find some peace. L'ak and Moll are two couriers in a romantic relationship, hoping to find the mysterious artifact -- which was left behind by the Progenitors -- that Discovery is searching for.

No fandom, even Trek's, is safe from fan toxicity. It's a shame that Eve Harlow was pushed away from social media for decisions her character made that she had no control over. Now is as good of a time as any to remind fans that as passionate as we are about our favorite franchises, that this is just a show at the end of the day. 

It's also a good time to remind readers that there aren't many episodes of Star Trek: Discovery left. With only six episodes remaining and Alex Kurtzman telling CinemaBlend the days when a series could go 100 episodes or more are done, it's good to embrace these shows while we have them. Fortunately, it seems like a decent possibility we'll see some of these Discovery characters in upcoming Trek shows once the series is over. As for what lies ahead for Eve Harlow's, that remains to be seen, but let's hope she truly gets to feel the love from the fans for this show -- and The 100 -- in some form or fashion down the road.

Star Trek: Discovery streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays as part of the 2024 TV schedule. I'm eager for the next installment, especially after learning what Callum Keith Rennie had to say to CinemaBlend about Rayner and Burnham's dynamic following their journey through time. 

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery episode “Face the Strange” are ahead!

The final season of Star Trek: Discovery has introduced a notable character to its main cast: Rayner, the former Starfleet captain-turned Michael Burnham’s new first officer, played by Callum Keith Rennie, who has previous sci-fi cred from Battlestar Galactica. A veteran of The Burn, Rayner’s command style sharply contrasts with how Sonquea Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham captains Discovery. However, the events of “Face the Strange,” which is now available for Paramount+ subscribers to stream, sees Rayner and Burnham overcoming their differences to deal with a time-twisty threat, and Rennie teased to CinemaBlend about not just what’s next for the two characters’ dynamic, but also how we’ll soon learn about Rayner’s backstory.

“Face the Strange” saw the USS Discovery being affected by a time bug, a weapon left over from The Temporal war designed to, as Rayner explained, “paralyze an enemy ship by cycling through time.” This particular bug took everyone through different points in Discovery’s past, present and future after Moll, who’s serving as Season 5’s main antagonist alongside L’ak, discreetly panted the time bug onto Adira on Trillin the last episode. Luckily, Burnham, Rayner and Paul Stamets weren’t impacted by its effects. The trio worked together to disable the bug, and now Rayner and Burnham are on better terms with one another.

So when I interviewed Rennie ahead of the episode’s arrival on the 2024 TV schedule, I asked him if this means it will be smooth sailing between the two or if more conflict could lay ahead, and he answered:

It didn’t take long for Rayner and Burnham to start clashing with one another at the beginning of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5’s newest episode, which started when the former bluntly shot down a suggestion from Rhees about how to track down Moll and L’ak. This led to them debating about the different ways they handle leading, as Burnham encourages the crew to be engaged and speak freely, whereas Rayner thinks this familiarity is detrimental to their effectiveness. By the end of “Face the Strange” though, Rayner realizes Burnham’s style has his merits, and from what Callum Keith Rennie told me, it sounds like we don’t need to worry about them getting into any more fights going forward, although that’s not to say they still won’t occasionally disagree.

Of course, as one notices when looking closely at Rayner, he’s not a human but rather a Kellerun, an alien species that’s only been shown once before onscreen, in the Deep Space Nine Season 2 episode “Armageddon Game.” Later in the interview, I inquired about if Rayner’s Kellerun background would be explored in Discovery Season 5, and he had this to say:

Because Star Trek: Discovery was cancelled after Season 5 finished filming, Callum Keith Rennie felt that decision led to “missed opportunities,” as he was getting used to working with this cast and crew. So it’s a shame that Discovery will just be a one-season affair for him, but it is good to hear that some light will be shed on Rayner’s past in the weeks ahead. As far as Discovery’s current events go, the end of “Face the Strange” saw the ship’s crew discover a warp signature that matches Moll and L’ak’s ship, although their trail has mysteriously disappeared. To complicate matters, Burnham and Rayner briefly ended up in a future where the Green obtained the Progenitor technology from Moll and L’ak and wreaked havoc with it, so now there’s extra incentive to stop the duo.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for our overage on Star Trek: Discovery’s last six episodes. It’s also important to remember that one of the upcoming Star Trek TV shows is Starfleet Academy, which will be set in the 32nd century too, so maybe that will allow certain Discovery characters to come back, including Rayner.

Star Trek: Discovery's final season has been rolling strong with an action-packed season on the 2024 TV schedule as the crew continues to track the two couriers who keep finding clues to the Progenitors' artifact. Fans with a Paramount+ subscription seem to love the Bonnie and Clyde dynamic of L'ak and Moll, and some have even likened the latter to Ahsoka's Shin Hati. I asked actress Eve Harlow about it, but Elias Toufexis popped in and had to give his strong response to those likening the two.

It's not necessarily surprising Moll and Shin Hati are compared, seeing as they're both sci-fi villains with blonde hair and prominent eye shadow. With that said, the comparison stops there, and L'ak actor Elias Toufexis wanted CinemaBlend to spread the word that in no way did Star Trek: Discovery copy Ahsoka. Here's what he had to say:

Ahsoka might've released before we had Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, but both shows began production at the same time. Disney+ confirmed on social media that the Star Wars show's shoot kicked off in May 2022, and it's fair to say neither show had any idea what the other had planned. That said, if we suddenly hear about an upcoming Star Trek show that features short stories similar to Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, I might get suspicious. I also wouldn't complain because I'd love to see what the Borg do when they aren't being thwarted by Starfleet.

Eve Harlow added that she generally doesn't look at fan reactions to her performances these days, but did have some insight to share on Moll's blonde hair and short cut. She talked about how she might've inspired the decision and added her thoughts about the situation just based on our conversation:

Star Trek: Discovery fans may mean well or make the comparisons in jest, but before anyone takes it too seriously, let it be known now that there is no real link between Moll and Ahsoka's Shin Hati beyond the fact that they're both badass women. That said, Star Trek has a legacy of strong and inspiring female characters like Michael Burnham and more.

As Discovery's final season rolls on over on Paramount+, we're slowly learning more about what the future of Star Trek looks like after its end. Alex Kurtzman told CinemaBlend future series of a hundred episodes and more are "unlikely," and weeks later, we saw evidence of that when Lower Decks was canceled. Fortunately, we're told surprises are on the way, so hopefully there will be a new show announced to replace it before too long.

Until that time comes, continue to tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Paramount+ on Thursdays. I can't wait to see how the series ends, and whether L'ak and Moll can continue to evade Discovery or if Michael and the crew will eventually catch up to her.

In March 2023, it was announced that Star Trek: Discovery would end after five seasons, and this was news that surprised even the cast and crew, including Saru actor Doug Jones, who learned about the cancellation while on the Star Trek Cruise. When they were shooting Season 5, there wasn’t any indication that Paramount wouldn’t let the show continue into Season 6, and Callum Keith Rennie, who’s playing the new character Rayner, summarized his disappointment over the decision as presenting “missed opportunities.” However, while speaking with CinemaBlend, the actor also had some interesting things to say about Discovery’s ending.

During my interview with Rennie about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, which is now underway for Paramount+ subscribers, in addition to learning from him how working on this show compared to his time on Battlestar Galactica, I was also curious how he reacted when he learned that Discovery had been cancelled. He answered:

As reported by THR, Star Trek: Discovery’s cancellation stemmed from Paramount deciding it would spend less on streaming content in 2024. This news understandably wasn’t music to Callum Keith Rennie’s ears, as he’d gotten used to being part of the Discovery cast. With the icebreaking out of the way, he was ready to return to the set with a more experienced perspective. So if the actor was prepared for more appearances on the Star Trek show, ideally that means we don’t have to worry about Rayner being killed off, though it’ll be a while until that mystery is solved.

But as one piece of good news, Star Trek: Discovery won’t leave fans with any kind of cliffhanger. Paramount allowed extra shooting time in order for the series to be properly concluded, and while Rennie couldn’t recall any specifics from when he’d seen the ending, overall, he sounds pleased with how everything wraps up, which pairs well with Doug Jones’ positive words about the epilogue. In his words:

With three episodes down from a 10-episode final run, Star Trek: Discovery will end on Thursday, May 30, with the show racking up 64 episodes total. Currently Rayner, who previously captained the USS Antares, is serving as the Discovery’s first officer after initially being forced to retire from Starfleet because of questionable actions he made, and he’s now getting used to the different work dynamic that Michael Burnham encourages among the crew members. Considering that the upcoming Star Trek show Starfleet Academy is also set in the 32nd century, maybe that will allow Callum Keith Rennie to reprise Rayner, even if it’s just for a guest spot.

There’s just seven episodes left to go until we bid farewell to Star Trek: Discovery, so keep visiting CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. If you’re looking for other programming to watch, the 2024 TV schedule shows what’s currently airing and premiering soon.

Star Trek: Discovery’s final season is finally underway on the 2024 TV schedule, and there’s a newcomer who’d come aboard the main cast for this last hurrah. Callum Keith Rennie is starring as Rayner, a Kellerun Starfleet officer who thrived during wartime, but is having trouble adjusting to peace. Of course, Battlestar Galactica fans know Rennie well from having played Leoben, the #2 model Cylon, so with another major sci-fi credit on his resume, I was curious to learn how his experiences on the two shows compared to one another when I spoke to him for CinemaBlend. He described Discovery as having a “different energy” from Battlestar, and I see where he’s coming from.

Ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5’s third episode, titled “Jinaal,” to Paramount+ subscribers, I had the pleasure of chatting with Callum Keith Rennie about his experience in this massive corner of the sci-fi genre. The actor clarified what he meant by “different energy,” as well as shared what was similar about these professional experiences for him, with these words:

While Battlestar Galactica certainly had its fair share of fantastical elements, Callum Keith Rennie’s use of the term “earthy” is pretty apt. The show may have followed the remnants of humanity trying to follow a new home on Earth as the Cylons hunted them down across the galaxy, but revival of the same-named 1978 series was definitely more grounded compared to a lot of other sci-fi projects. This included through the dialogue, and I can understand why Rennie brought that up, because with Star Trek, there’s a lot more technobabble thrown in.

That aside, Rennie also noticed that camaraderie between the starring characters as a big similarity between Star Trek: Discovery and Battlestar Galactica. The circumstances and challenges these respective crews have to face out in space are quite different, but in the midst of that, they’re all there to support one another through these difficult times. As far as Discovery goes, here’s hoping that Rayner gets on board with that particular program soon now that he’s Michael Burnham’s first officer. Things run a lot differently there compared to when he was captaining the Antares, and as seen in “Jinaal,” Rayner’s going to have to adjust the way he interacts with those he commands in order to be an effective leader on this title ship.

There are now seven episodes left to go until Star Trek: Discovery is over, so keep visiting CinemaBlend for more coverage on this series and the upcoming Star Trek TV shows. Unfortunately, if you’re looking to revisit Callum Keith Rennie’s time as Leoben in Battlestar Galactica, that show currently isn’t streaming anywhere, so you’ll either need to purchase your own physical or digital copy of it.

Star Trek: Discovery is taking its final bow after five seasons, ending the longest-running series of the modern era. Thankfully, we know we can expect more upcoming Trek shows as well as a few surprises in the future, but even so, Voyager will hold onto the accolade of being the last show in the franchise to exceed 100 episodes. So, now the question becomes: Will a Star Trek series ever hit that milestone again? CinemaBlend talked about it with top brass Alex Kurtzman to get some answers. 

I had a chance to speak to Kurtzman ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on the 2024 TV schedule, and I asked if a day would ever come when a modern entry in the franchise could hit 100 episodes. It feels like a tall order, considering current seasons of current shows are only about ten episodes in length, but Kurtzman talked about another obstacle while giving his thoughts on the matter:  

Streaming has permanently changed the television landscape. There are more options to watch shows both new and old than there ever were before. As such, it's hard to keep audiences glued to their Paramount+ subscription when competitors are churning out other exciting new shows. As he said, the fact that Star Trek: Discovery received five seasons before the cancellation was a big feat, especially when considering the fact that some of streaming's most popular shows, like Stranger Things, will end with Season 5. 

While Alex Kurtzman likely has the details of what is in store for Star Trek's future, including the news on that rumored Jean-Luc Picard movie, he doesn't know what the future holds. He did offer his best guess at what the chances are of any current or upcoming Trek show hitting a hundred episodes and why he's happy with the way things currently are: 

I certainly can understand Alex Kurtzman's perspective, and I agree that some Star Trek filler episodes from the past were absolute stinkers. Then again, one has to wonder if The Next Generation had only ten episodes if we would have seen some of its more WTF moments unfold, or Tim Russ talking about  Voyager's "Tuvix" episode. There's a trade-off for the big-budget adventures, and a large part of it is the show needing to stay on task with the main story with the limited episodes it has. 

Of course, Star Trek has still found ways to include side stories in this new era, with Strange New Worlds focusing on character-driven serialization amongst daily adventures the crew faces. It's working well enough that Discovery reportedly mimicked the style in its final season, and it may just be the new normal for the franchise going forward. Who knows, it may even get the series, which is currently in production for Season 3, to a hundred episodes, which would be fantastic. Then again, in an age where there's no sign of Trek slowing down, do we need that? 

Fans may ponder this question as they tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Thursdays over on Paramount+. Those who aren't caught up need to do so, because this final season has been amazing thus far. 

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 finally premiered, and with its arrival came some big surprises about the final chapter in the series. It's also an exciting time in the franchise in general, as the recent confirmation that the upcoming Star Trek series Starfleet Academy will take place in the 32nd century ensures Discovery characters can appear in the new show. I asked Tilly actress Mary Wiseman about the project, and her response to me was all I needed to hear.

I've theorized Mary Wiseman would have a role in Starfleet Academy ever since her character took a teaching job at the school, and Season 4 featured what felt like a backdoor pilot to the spinoff. At the same time, I recognized that if Wiseman was involved in the spinoff, she likely couldn't tell me since the series' place in the timeline was not publicly known when I spoke to her at the junket for Star Trek: Discovery. As such, I mentioned how interesting it was that Season 5 established that she was still teaching at the academy, considering the spinoff was in development. I tried to get a response about her involvement by presenting a hypothetical about returning to Trek. After a short pause, Wiseman said the following:

Mary Wiseman didn't confirm or deny anything with her statement, and it should be stressed that her tone was more in jest than serious. Essentially, the way the question was worded made it hard to answer without acknowledging the possibility of her involvement. While I thought I could get her to comment on returning to Star Trek ahead of the possibility of it happening, she hit me with that instead. Touché to the actress, though; wouldn't she just say she wasn't involved if it wasn't on the table?

It would be a missed opportunity not to include any Star Trek: Discovery character in Starfleet Academy, and there isn't a more obvious character to include than Sylvia Tilly. As mentioned, the show has firmly established her as an instructor at the academy, and she has strong bonds with just about everyone on the crew. It's easy to justify anyone from Michael Burnham to Saru popping in to check on her in the show without it feeling forced or inorganic.

Previous seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription have shown she can step away to aid the crew when they adventure. As such, it makes more sense for her story to continue on Starfleet Academy rather than Michael Burnham leaving Discovery to become headmaster or something of that nature. With Alex Kurtzman telling CinemaBlend that surprises are coming up regarding Star Trek, I'd sooner see Sonequa Martin-Green's character out traversing the stars in case a movie is on the table.

While we don't know for sure whether Mary Wiseman is in Starfleet Academy, the hope of Star Trek: Discovery stars appearing in the spinoff makes the ending of the series feel less bittersweet. I wrote that Season 5 feels like Voyager in a way, but in fairness, Voyager never had a true spinoff. I'm keeping my fingers crossed Wiseman will be the connective tissue to the series, and we'll see more cast added down the line.

Of course, we shouldn't worry too much about Starfleet Academy when Star Trek: Discovery airs new episodes of its final season on Thursdays on Paramount+. Tune in to see this crew's "last ride" and more inspiring moments from Captain Michael Burnham.

For five seasons, Doug Jones has played Star Trek's first Kelpien, Saru, and done a bang-up job with the role. I'd rank the character my favorite of the new era of shows, and he's definitely in the conversation of one of the best Star Trek characters of all time. This is thanks, no doubt, to Jones' long history of acclaimed work as a character actor and someone who has spent most of his career in prosthetics. As the actor ages, though, what are his plans for these roles going forward?

I had the great opportunity to speak to Doug Jones about his plans post-Saru, ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5. The actor has hinted before that after the role was done, he'd be potentially retiring or stepping away from doing roles that involve heavy prosthetic work. So, when I asked him if that was still the case, he said the following:

It looks like after Star Trek: Discovery, we can expect to see Doug Jones prioritize roles using his actual face and not one that requires hours of makeup to achieve. Readers who have watched What We Do In The Shadows actor might've seen this already, as he played the vampire Baron Afanas, who we've seen revert back to his normal form. It appears we will see more of Jones in those roles going forward rather than some of the iconic characters he's played over the years.

It's big news, to be sure, considering the legacy Jones has as a creature actor. As Saru, fans watched him transform his character, leaving behind his anxious feelings and becoming a strong and capable captain in later seasons. He was so beloved as Abe Sapien in Hellboy that he almost had a cameo in the reboot, and who can forget his role as Amphibian Man in the Oscar-winning movie The Shape Of Water?

Those who don't have a Paramount+ subscription ahead of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 better get one because it might be one of Doug Jones' last performances in prosthesis. Many might also want to see the crew's final adventure, which I likened a lot to Voyager. I'm also very interested in the ending, which Jones said gave him closure over the series' unexpected cancellation. Hopefully other fans feel the same way and it gives us all a reason to be excited about upcoming Star Trek shows.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 kicks off on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on Thursday, April 4th. Tune in to see the possible last ride with the crew, and to potentially get a glimpse of what's in store for the future.

April is here, and with the beginning of the month comes a massive influx of new shows and movies as many streaming services gain a ton of new content while also losing nearly as much. With all the changes, some popular movies move from one streaming service to another, and others can be available in multiple places.

Every major streaming platform has something worth taking note of, but we try to cut through the noise and find the most interesting or exciting of what’s new. Here are the highlights for the first week of April 2024.

What's On Netflix This Week

Netflix is still the home for movies, as it has been since back in its DVD days. April 1 will bring lots of films to Netflix subscribers, including the original Matrix trilogy, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split and its sequel Glass, and more. But two Netflix original projects are worth noting this week.

Ripley - April 4

Patricia Highsmith’s Thomas Ripley has been adapted into TV and film before, but the new Netflix Original series Ripley, a series nearly a decade in the making, promises to be something unique. Andrew Scott takes on the role of the sociopathic conman in a black-and-white production that also co-stars Dakota Fanning.

Scoop - April 5

Britain’s Royal Family is an incredibly popular topic on both sides of the Atlantic. The story of Prince Andrew and his alleged relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is one that caused a massive scandal. Scoop is the story of how the BBC scored a major interview with the Prince that would become infamous in its own right. Gillian Anderson, Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper star as women who made it happen.

What's On Disney+ This Week

Disney+ subscribers looking forward to new episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch and X-Men ‘97 certainly won’t be disappointed, but this week, it’s another piece of Disney animation that may steal the show.

Wish - April 3

Wish was Disney Animation’s 62nd feature film in 100 years. The newest film was a celebration of all things Disney, but it struggled at the box office. It will be interesting to see if, like Encanto before, Wish finds a second life on Disney+ once more people get a chance to see it.

Bluey, "Ghostbasket" - April 7

Australia’s Bluey has been one of the most popular shows not just on Disney+ but in all of streaming, ever since it debuted. This week, Disney+ embraces that popularity by making sure viewers don’t need to wait to see the newest episode. “Ghostbasket” will arrive on DIsney+ at the same time it premieres elsewhere in the world.

What's On Paramount+ This Week

If you’re a Star Trek fan, then it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re also a Paramount+ subscriber. The sci-fi franchise is a huge part of the service’s original content offerings, which makes this week a big deal.

Star Trek: Discovery (The Final Season) - April 4

Star Trek: Discovery was the first original Star Trek series to premiere on Paramount+ (then called CBS All Access), and now, with the debut of its fifth season, the show will come to an end. Discovery started life as a prequel to The Original Series, but quite a lot has happened since then. Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnam has finally become the Captain of the U.S.S. Discovery, and we can be sure she will be tested in her new role immediately.

What's On Peacock This Week

Peacock is the domestic home for all things WWE. The service will see a documentary on the life of the late Windham Rotunda, known to WWE fans as Bray Wyatt, on April 1, but the following weekend will come the biggest event of the WWE, and likely one of its biggest events ever.

Wrestlemania 40 - April 6 & 7

40 years after Madison Square Garden hosted the first event, Wrestlemania 40 comes to Philadelphia, PA. As has been the case the last few years, the event will cover two nights and promises to pack them both full of action. We know we’ll see the return of The Rock on night one, while night two will see the long-awaited rematch between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes for the WWE Universal Title.

What's On Prime Video This Week

March saw Prime Video subscribers get a major movie release with the Road House remake. Anybody who isn’t into movies where bones are broken might be happier this month, as two new original films debut that are quite different.

Musica - April 4

Musica isn’t a musical, but the new movie by writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso looks to be just as creative as one. Mancuso stars as a man suffering from synesthesia, i.e. hears the rhythm of the world around him, as he struggles with his own life, trying to find direction and love.

How to Date Billy Walsh - April 5

Last month saw the release of the romantic drama The Idea of You with Anne Hathaway, which has seen surprisingly strong critical reviews. Now the platform goes full rom-com with How to Date Billy Walsh. The story follows teen Archie who has never told childhood friend Amelia how he feels about her. As a result, he's now found himself attempting to aid her in her chase of school heartthrob Billy.

What's On Apple TV+ This Week

April is a strong month for content on Apple TV+. This week will see the debut of a second season of Mya Rudolf’s comedy series Loot, but it’s another, much darker, show that has us curious.

Sugar April 5

While many are anxiously awaiting Colin Farrell’s return as Penguin on Max later this year, it won’t be his first major streaming series of 2024. In Sugar, Farrell plays a private detective who specializes in finding missing people. The limited series looks to be something of a modern noir detective story, and Ferrell looks perfect for just that sort of role.

While these are some of the highlights of this week’s streaming platforms, it’s only a fraction of what’s now available to watch Be sure to check out everything new on Netflix for a complete list of what’s now streaming there. You can also get a jump on everything upcoming on Disney+ as well as what’s new on Hulu, for everything that has been announced on those platforms as well.

The news of Star Trek: Discovery's cancellation came as a shock to many, including the cast. By now, it's well known the cast and crew of the Paramount+ series had no idea it would be ending with Season 5, but fortunately they were allowed to go back and film a proper ending. Had Saru actor Doug Jones known the show would be cancelled, he probably wouldn't have decided to be on a Star Trek-themed cruise when the announcement broke. Of course, that's not how things played out, but Jones told CinemaBlend it ended up being a beautiful experience.

I had the privilege of speaking to Doug Jones and David Ajala ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, and I remembered that Jones was on the famous Star Trek Cruise when the show's cancellation was announced. I asked the actor about the experience and found out how it played out for him while many others on board the cruise were blissfully unaware of what was coming:

I can imagine the anxiety Doug Jones had in that moment knowing what he was about to face. He had only just found out about Star Trek: Discovery ending, and before he could even process that, he had to go in front of crowd and do an interview as the news rolled out across the internet. Here he thought he'd probably drop some teases about Season 5's story or what's happening with Saru and T'Rina, and instead he could be in the hot seat with a lot of worried fans until the ship goes back to port.

Jones confirmed he was nervous about going to the panel, but faced the music anyway and sat in front of fans who, by that point, all knew Star Trek: Discovery's fate. He was dreading the experience, but shared with CinemaBlend why it ended up being beautiful:

As worried as he was, Doug Jones ended up having a lovely time with the fans in spite of the bad news. Good on Star Trek fans for not turning into an angry mob with pitchforks, though considering the franchise's overall emphasis on diplomacy as opposed to violence, I don't think it ever would've come to that. Still, it could've been a really miserable time for Jones being surrounded by disappointed fans on the Star Trek Cruise, but thankfully, it wasn't.

As for the ending of Star Trek: Discovery, Doug Jones has confirmed he's seen it and that the ending gave him some closure over the early conclusion. I'm sure he's also taking solace in the fact that it was recently confirmed that the upcoming Star Trek series Starfleet Academy will be set in the 32nd century.

This means that the door will be open for the cast to reprise their roles on the upcoming series, assuming they don't all die in some awful accident in the final scene. I don't think that will happen, especially given that Doug Jones seemed pleased by the ending. I guess he could just have a twisted sense of humor and think it's hilarious to see the show end that way, but I'm going to believe we're in for a pleasant ending for this series.

Catch the two-episode premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on Thursday, April 4th with a Paramount+ subscription. Having seen a few episodes of the upcoming season in advance, I can assure readers it's something they don't want to miss, and hopefully it'll end up being a great way to close out the series.

Star Trek: Discovery will premiere its final season soon, and with the flagship modern Trek show ending, it only seems natural fans are taking stock of where things stand. After all, we know the series ended prematurely, and the past year also brought cancellations of Star Trek: Prodigy and the official convention Mission: Seattle. Amidst the many questions about the future of the franchise, especially with rumors of Paramount going into a merger or selling off the franchise, Alex Kurtzman was able to share his thoughts with CinemaBlend.

Kurtzman and Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise were kind enough to speak to me during the junket for the series' final season which premieres for those Paramount+ subscriptions on April 4th. I mentioned Discovery's cancellation has led to worry Star Trek is in a downturn, and he assured me it's more just the common trend in streaming:

The future of Star Trek is bright, and as Alex Kurtzman said, there are a couple of surprises coming up after Starfleet Academy. We know that Patrick Stewart has openly talked about a Picard movie being written and that many fans are hoping it's a tie-in that follows up on the crew's adventures following Season 3. We also know Star Trek 4 took a major leap forward bringing in a new screenwriter, and there's even chatter of a new movie that will tackle the origins of the franchise.

We also know that Kurtzman teased some conversations happening tied to a Deep Space Nine project a while back, as well as Kate Mulgrew has pushed for a chance to appear as Janeway again in live-action. In short, there's no shortage of ideas or actors for Alex Kurtzman and the company to work with, so we'll just have to wait and see what these surprises end up being.

It all sounds very promising, but with rumors of Paramount entering a merger, plans can always change. There's even speculation about another company purchasing Star Trek, which could always put all current plans in flux while they meet with their new bosses and figure out which direction to proceed. Alex Kurtzman doesn't seem worried about that, however, as he assured me that the franchise will remain strong regardless of where it ends up when the dust settles:

If Kurtzman isn't worried about Star Trek going away, I would say it's safe for any readers to take a sigh of relief. As we recently learned, one out of every five people with Paramount+ is watching a Star Trek series.

Of that group, over 50% are watching two or more other new Trek shows (via Variety). Considering that the shows and other upcoming Trek projects are available to stream in the states and 200 international markets, the bottom line suggests there are plenty of people who prove this isn't a dying franchise. Personally, I'm thrilled to hear that because it means I can re-launch my campaign to get Voyager a feature film.

Star Trek is here to stay, though Discovery is going to say goodbye soon. Stream the two-episode premiere starting on Thursday, April 4th, and get ready for the final ride of this wonderful crew.

Sonequa Martin-Green has a big year ahead of her with the upcoming premiere of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery in the 2024 TV schedule. She's the headliner for the series that restarted the Trek franchise on TV, and came into that universe fresh off of five seasons of the original The Walking Dead. Now, as the latest TWD spinoff brings back other original series stars in addition to Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, Martin-Green has opened up to CinemaBlend about what it was like to leave the mega-successful zombie apocalypse show and join Discovery.

The actress joined The Walking Dead in Season 3 back in 2012, with Season 4 as her first full season. As fans likely remember, that was around when The Walking Dead frenzy was in full swing, and she exited as a regular at the end of Season 7 in 2017. While Sasha wasn't killed off because the actress wanted to leave TWD, the timing lined up with her joining the Trek universe. I spoke with Martin-Green at SCAD TVfest, and when I asked what it's like for her to look back at joining two massive TV universes, she shared:

The actress' time on The Walking Dead of course came to a tragic end, although Sasha's death in Season 7 was a change from the comics written. So, it was never likely to expect her in Rick and Michonne's The Ones Who Live spinoff like Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis and – spoiler alert for Episode 5 – Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel. Despite Sasha's long list of tragedies, the actress who played her only had good things to say about her coworkers and how they welcomed her to the zombie apocalypse.

Sonequa Martin-Green's casting for Star Trek: Discovery was actually announced before Sasha's demise on The Walking Dead, so the character's death didn't come as a huge shocker. The actress, who would debut as Michael Burnham on Discovery in 2017, went on to explain what it was like for her to go from the massive Walking Dead franchise to the franchise that has been a fan-favorite going back to the 1960s:

With the final season of Discovery set to premiere on April 4, I have to say that it was nice to hear Sonequa Martin-Green speaking so highly of her show family in the Star Trek universe. The series was cancelled after the fifth season had finished filming, and the actress explained that there were some "close calls" when it came to reuniting the cast to reshoot the ending. According to CinemaBlend's Mick Joest after watching the first four episodes, Season 5 feels bittersweet.

As for The Walking Dead, Sonequa Martin-Green addressed encounters she has with fans, and some of them are a lot younger than she expected. She said:

If you want to revisit The Walking Dead – and are over the age of four – you can do so streaming with a Netflix subscription. As for Star Trek: Discovery, the fifth and final season will premiere on Thursday, April 4 for fans with a Paramount+ subscription. There's also still some time to revisit the first four seasons of the first modern Trek show, and every episode of Discovery so far is streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery is headed into the final season, but the legacy of its characters will live on. Much of that is because of its strong lead protagonist played by Sonequa Martin-Green, the unflappable Michael Burnham. From her unfortunate beginnings in the series to her evolution into Starfleet Captain of the future, Burnham has found ways to inspire her crew and viewers in many different ways. 

Michael Burnham is an inspiration, and if you don't believe that, you clearly haven't been watching. As we prepare to stream Discovery's final season with our Paramount+ subscriptions, Womens' History Month feels like the ideal time to explore the character and some of her best moments as a member of Starfleet. Of course, nothing will be featured from Season 5 just yet, though anyone curious can check out my spoiler-free review on the first four episodes. 

Surviving Her Escape From The Brig

Michael Burnham has had some close calls in her Starfleet career, but I don't think any of them measure up to how she narrowly escaped dying when the USS Shenzhou was split due to a Klingon attack. For those who don't remember, Michael was in the brig during the attack, having been put there for mutiny after overriding Starfleet orders and attacking the Klingon ship. 

With only a force field separating her from the cold vacuum of space, Burnham is in a tight spot. After a brief pep talk with Sarek (via mind meld and use of katra), Burnham was able to convince an officer to open a hole in the force field, which propelled her to an adjacent compartment and got her to safety. It was a bold gambit, but the kind of inspirational move that makes you love her and her drive. 

Traveling Alone To The Future As The Red Angel

Traveling deep into the future was a perilous journey with plenty of unknowns, and I'd like to think if the literal fate of the universe wasn't at stake, no one on Discovery would've signed on for it. Doing it in a ship was wild enough, but what about traveling to the future in nothing but a time-travel suit? That just sounds bonkers, but Michael didn't think twice about it. 

To take it further, how horrifying must it have been to arrive on the other side and not have the rest of the crew right behind in the ship? A year doesn't sound like a long time, but that's quite a lot to go in a new time period, not knowing exactly when everyone you knew before will emerge on the other side. The upside is that it gave her some quality time with Cleveland Booker, whom we will see reunite with Michael in the final season. 

Turning Emperor Georgiou Into One Of The Heroes

Terran Emperor Georgiou was trapped in the prime timeline and, with little ability to return, was forced to assume the identity of her dead counterpart, Starfleet Captain Phillipa Georgiou. Initially, she seemed to be more or less committed to being the person she was in the Mirror Universe, yet slowly, but surely, Michael Burnham changed her. 

She did have an advantage in that Georgiou also had a soft spot for the Terran Michael. Even so, the two Michaels were incredibly different, and it's safe to say that the more time Georgiou watched Michael be better, she also worked to be a better person. Or at least, as good as a Terran raised in violence and responsible for an untold number of deaths can be. We'll see how well her will to do good sticks in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie. 

Convincing The Federation Not To Attack The DMA

Always count on a Starfleet captain when it comes to inspiring speeches, but it's truly impressive what Michael pulled off in Discovery Season 4. Imagine finding the source of a threat that's indiscriminately destroying entire planets, and better yet, there's a scientist capable of developing the exact weapon that could severely harm that species, if not eradicate them. 

In our real life, modern times, you'd have to think our world leaders would've unanimously voted to attack without question. The new Federation, which was still getting its legs, definitely had the temptation to do the same. It took an impassioned speech from Michael Burnham to swing the majority of votes to attempt to contact the species and get an explanation behind why this was happening, though her efforts were thwarted when Book and Ruon Tarka tried to use the weapon anyway. 

Gaining Saru's Respect And Friendship

The friendship Saru and Michael have toward the end of Star Trek: Discovery is not even close to that at the beginning of the series. Saru has absolute disdain for Michael due to her actions on the Shenzhou, and it didn't seem like anything she could do would ever be able to win his trust back. In his defense, Michael was the first person in Starfleet history to be charged with mutiny, so it's not like he didn't have valid reasons to distrust her. 

As the seasons went on, Saru's relationship with Michael grew, and they became friends. He trusted her enough by Season 3 to make her his Number One, and by the end of the season, he trusted his friend to take over the captaincy of Discovery. He was, to use the word of the feature again, "inspired" by Michael's journey and all he'd been through with her over the years. Saru is one of Star Trek's best characters, so I'm inclined to believe that if you can inspire him to have faith in you after all that, you're an inspiring leader overall. 

Is Star Trek: Discovery's Michael Burnham the only inspiring woman of the franchise? Absolutely not. Star Trek, as a whole, is loaded with strong women, and you'll find far more of them by watching any of the shows. With that said, there have only been two female characters who've led a Trek series, and I'd say Michael Burnham is just as inspiring as Janeway, if not a little more. 

Star Trek: Discovery's final season begins on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4th. Be prepared for an epic adventure and ten more episodes with the inspiring Michael Burnham, and hopefully, an ending that will set the stage for more adventures for the crew I hope we see in upcoming Star Trek shows. 

Star Trek: Discovery will soon premiere its final season, but because of the unexpected cancellation, fans may not get answers to all the questions they've had since the beginning. While the series did get to go back and film a finale to bookend the series, some of the more minor questions and details may be left unresolved. Fortunately, star Wilson Cruz was willing to sate some curiosities, which I'd consider canon, by finally answering a nagging question many have had for a while now about his character Hugh. 

Season 5 of Discovery won't debut its first two episodes until April 4th, but a handful of lucky fans were able to see it at SXSW before anyone with a Paramount+ subscription could. Wilson Cruz was on the red carpet along with other stars celebrating the final season, and was gracious enough to give his two cents to TrekMovie.com when asked whether or not Hugh Culber is the Chief Medical Officer of the Discovery. Here's how he put it:

Wilson Cruz has been around the block long enough to know when to dodge a gotcha inquiry from a Star Trek fan, but then also long enough to be able to confirm that Hugh Culber is indeed the CMO of the Discovery, at least in his own eyes. It only makes sense, considering he's one of the only prominent ship physicians we've seen throughout the show, though in latter seasons, his storylines have leaned more on him counseling others. 

If we were to liken Hugh to the crew roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he definitely feels like a mix of Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi. To be both the ship's lead physician as well as its counselor is doing quite some heavy lifting, but for someone who overcame his traumatic experience of death, he's handled worse. 

The self-appointed CMO of Discovery will need to be on top of his game for Season 5, as the first details about the final season said the crew heads off in search of a powerful artifact. We're still waiting to hear exactly what that artifact can do, but based on the show's run, it'll likely be something incredible and game-changing. 

Star Trek: Discovery did get a chance to film a final scene after its cancellation, and it sounds like it'll be a doozy. Doug Jones shared he found closure after watching the final scene during a recording session, and while Sonequa Martin-Green has seen bits and pieces of it, she felt it was special enough to wait so she could experience it alongside the fans. My personal hope is that it sets the stage for upcoming Trek shows we don't know about yet, but we'll just have to wait and see. 

As mentioned, Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on Paramount+ with two episodes on Thursday, April 4th. Tune in for the wild ride the series has in store for fans, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend as we share what we learned from the cast ahead of the final season soon. 

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 feels like the show's best season yet, and that's incredibly bittersweet. I was only given the first four episodes to screen of the upcoming Star Trek show, but it's clear that the final adventure of the Sonequa Martin-Green-led series is primed to be the best of the run. While watching, I couldn't help but feel it's bittersweet and be reminded of the same feelings I had when watching Voyager Season 5. 

I think in the years to come, a lot of comparisons will be made to both shows, especially since they're both available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Beyond the fact that they're both shows with women as captains of vessels, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 nails the comparison, similar to how I felt when watching the Season 5 episodes of Voyager. As a note, this is a spoiler-free analysis of the final season, so don't worry about having any bits tarnished before the big premiere on April 4th. 

Both Discovery And Voyager Hit Their Stride Late In The Run

If I've had any criticism regarding Star Trek: Discovery since its beginning, it was that it often suffered from uneven storytelling. Seasons 1 through 3 delivered on building anticipation and delivering some great episodes, but it always felt like the ending never quite lived up to the expectation of what was being built towards. Many times I was left feeling that the show reached a climax weeks ahead of the season finale, and the rest was good, but not quite as thrilling. 

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, in my opinion, was the first time one of this show's seasons appropriately built toward a satisfying ending that peaked at just the right time. Now imagine that same vibe in Season 5, except it's balls-to-the-wall right out the gate. As promised, the series is delivering on action in Season 5, but as Doug Jones told CinemaBlend, it's not sacrificing the parts people love about Discovery in the process. This is the perfect blend of action and emotion, and there's even some episodic fun likely inspired by Strange New Worlds' success. 

It feels like Discovery finally nailed its formula in Season 5, which is exactly how I felt about Star Trek: Voyager. The show gets a big boost with Jeri Ryan joining as Seven of Nine in Season 4, and then by Season 5, we have strong stories with her, The Doctor, Janeway, and everyone else. There's an argument often made that Season 5 of Voyager is the peak of Star Trek storytelling, even if other shows like The Next Generation were more consistently solid. 

That feeling is the same here with Discovery, in that when this show is good, it's phenomenal. Discovery didn't re-invent itself to find this formula either, it just found what will ultimately be the ideal framework for serialized storytelling in the franchise going forward. There's no denying some fans felt it stumbled along the way, but I'm confident they'll be fully on board with this incredible, thrilling adventure that puts them in search of a powerful artifact. 

The Strength Of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Will Have You Wishing We Had More Adventures

The massive downside of Star Trek: Discovery's incredibly strong start to Season 5 is that for every thrill you have, it'll be in the back of your head that this show is ending. I can't tell you the number of times in the first four episodes that I said to myself, "Damn, if they just had another season or two." I very much have the feeling that the show is going to end its run on top and leave audiences begging for a follow-up and when to expect it.

At the same time, I do have to wonder if Discovery would've kept this strong momentum or struggled in the same way in successive seasons as Voyager did. Voyager Seasons 6 and 7 certainly weren't bad if you overlook the weird Chakotay and Seven romance, but there's no denying Season 5 was the peak. I can't say Discovery would've followed the same pattern as Voyager, but I can say that if it did, I would've gladly watched the next two seasons and sooner had the show ended like that than get this abrupt ending. 

The good news is that while Star Trek: Discovery will end as a series, the story is never truly over for these characters. Assuming the final scene shot that gave Doug Jones closure isn't the entire crew dying in a violent explosion, there will be opportunities in the future for this crew to appear in other projects and adventures. We also already have the first spinoff movie in development, with Star Trek: Section 31's production kicking off, so it's not like the franchise is shying away from developing new projects based on it. 

And just to reiterate, these are just my thoughts and feelings on the first four episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5. Paramount+ did not provide the remaining six episodes of the season so far, though based on what is set up in these episodes, I'm optimistic the quality will continue throughout the rest of the season. There are some big surprises in store for viewers that make themselves known from the first episode, and it's the kind of surprise that, again, makes you wish there were just more episodes for more moments like this to happen. 

Star Trek: Voyager has yet to get a movie, though I'd argue now is the perfect time for one. Star Trek: The Original Series, however, ended up getting six movies years after its cancellation. I can't say for sure what's possible in the modern streaming market, but I would wager that if the fans want it and the cast is available and willing, there are going to be opportunities in the future to bring back the Discovery crew for movies set in the 32nd century. For now, we have ten more episodes to enjoy, and I think fans definitely will like them. 

Star Trek fans can stream the first two episodes of Discovery Season 5 when they premiere on Paramount+ Thursday, April 4th. Keep with CinemaBlend in the coming weeks as we talk more about the upcoming season and share all we learned from the cast in our interviews about the past, present and future of Discovery!

The Star Trek community continues to mourn the death of Discovery actor Ken Mitchell. As tributes pour in, we have even more evidence that Trekkies are some of the coolest and most wholesome people. A bunch of fans gathered together for the annual rave on the Star Trek Cruise and performed a Klingon death ritual in Mitchell's honor. And, yes, there's an awesome video of this wonderful moment. 

The House of Kor rave is an annual event on the Star Trek Cruise that Ken Mitchell and other Trek actors often played a part in. As such, his presence was felt. Given that he played Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha and Tenavik on Discovery, it felt appropriate for those in attendance to honor him with the Klingon death ritual first seen in The Next Generation's "Heart Of Glory." Take a look at the video of the moment below via @Tyranicus of X:

I can't express as a fan how much I love this moment and how it played out. It's awesome to see Mary Chieffo, a friend of Ken Mitchell's and one of the first Klingons cast for Star Trek: Discovery, leading the crowd in the death howl to inform Sto'Vo'Kor that another proud Klingon warrior is on the way. It may seem silly to the uninitiated, but this is an undeniably sweet tribute to an actor the Trek fandom loved dearly.

As condolences continue to pour in and others revisit the late actor's past work on Discovery (which is available with a Paramount+ subscription), the GoFundMe supporting his wife and children is nearing its set goal. In mere days, the cast, crew, and fans of Star Trek have raised over $80k in support of the family, which further speaks to their overall charity and willingness to help others. 

Discovery will begin its final season in April following a sudden cancellation, and I hope Ken Mitchell gets some sort of tribute. Seeing that he was an actor who had a solid presence in the series across different seasons, it would be great to learn that he had some secret role in Season 5 that hasn't been announced. As of writing, however, it doesn't appear that is the case, so at least a title card honoring his memory would be great. 

The Miracle alum passed away years after publicly announcing his ALS diagnosis in February 2020. Though he played Klingons during the early seasons of Discovery, he later returned in Season 3 to portray Aurellio, a human scientist who used a hover chair. The role once again highlighted the show's big emphasis on inclusivity, which was championed by past Trek actors like George Takei over the years. That's just one unifying element for Trekkies, and the same can definitely be said of the Klingon death ritual performed in the deceased star's honor.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4th as part of the 2024 TV schedule. All the while, we here at CinemaBlend, like so many others, continue to extend our thoughts to Ken Mitchell's family and friends during this time.

As fans wait to see Star Trek: Discovery's final season, the franchise devotees are sadly saying goodbye to one of its most-beloved actors. Kenneth "Ken" Mitchell, who played a handful of roles throughout the series' run (both alien and human), passed away at the age of 49 on Saturday following a long battle with ALS. The actor's death sparked a myriad of reactions across the community, ranging from big stars like William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes to various fans who met him at conventions. 

News of Ken Mitchell's passing arrived via his X account and on Instagram, and tributes began to flow in almost immediately. Even William Shatner had nothing but kind words to share about the late actor: 

Jonathan Frakes, who directed episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and was one of the first to say its cancellation sucked, also had kind words for the late Ken Mitchell. He spoke out on Instagram among the scores of comments for the actor, with a brief but thoughtful comment: 

Star Trek: Voyager actor Garrett Wang, who played frequently done dirty character Harry Kim, was also in the comments. He also shared a short message that fans far and wide can appreciate:

Ken Mitchell played a handful of characters across the run of Star Trek: Discovery. The Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik and would later return to play the human Aurellio. He also provided some voice work for the first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Fans around the world are likely revisiting his work with a Paramount+ subscription, as people like @Tyranicus talked about what he meant to the community:

As fans and stars donate to the Go Fund Me supporting his wife and family, questions are being asked about whether or not he is going to be a part of upcoming Trek shows. As of writing, there's nothing official about an appearance in the final season of Discovery, but the actor did not appear in Season 4. It would be great to see him in the final season, which apparently has a different vibe than previous seasons. 

As someone who saw Kenneth Mitchell in person at Star Trek: Mission Chicago, I can add my voice to the many around the Internet, speaking to his positive nature and glowing personality. @Klowenberg confirmed the various stories I heard throughout the convention, which claimed that he was as nice in person as he was talented: 

As fans gear up for the final season of Star Trek: Discovery by watching the latest trailer, I'm sure much more will be said about Ken Mitchell and the legacy he's left behind. Even if he isn't a part of the season, I would be shocked if the Paramount+ series doesn't honor him in some way, given its track record of showing empathy and care. 

We here at CinemaBlend wish the best to the family and friends of Ken Mitchell as we continue to read more and more stories about his life both inside and outside of Star Trek. Now, would be the perfect time to revisit his past roles, and I'd highly recommend honoring him by checking out his work as Aurellio on Season 3 of Discovery.