If you wish to keep away from spoilers, look away now!
In 4 seasons the crew of the starship U.S.S. Discovery have began and ended a struggle with the Klingons, ventured into the Mirror Universe, escaped an evil artificial intelligence by travelling 900 years into the future, solved the thriller of The Burn and restored the United Federation of Planets, defeated the Emerald Chain, and travelled past our galaxy to make first contact with species 10-C, in doing so saving Earth and Ni’Var from the Darkish Matter Anomaly.
Phew! Absolutely the crew, led by Captain Michael Burnham, now deserve a break? Not in your life, they usually’ll be again for a fifth season of journey, thriller, and hazard that’s set to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 launch date
The fifth season was commissioned by Paramount in January 2022, with filming beginning on 13 June. Solely 10 episodes have been commissioned, following the pattern of Discovery’s seasons rising shorter (season 1 had 15 episodes, season 2 had 14 episodes, and seasons 3 and 4 had 13 episodes every).
After the excellent fourth season, probably one of the best season of recent (i.e. since 2017) Star Trek to this point, season 5 has so much to reside as much as. Whereas no premiere date has been confirmed but, all indicators level to the primary quarter of 2023.
What’s going to Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 be about?
Plot particulars are scarce, however primarily based on feedback from one of many present’s producers, we are able to surmise what route season 5 would possibly head in.
Upon their arrival within the thirty second century in season 3, the crew of Discovery discovered a fractured galaxy; a mysterious occasion known as The Burn had destroyed nearly all of the dilithium crystals within the galaxy. Dilithium is the important thing ingredient for warp engines, and its loss rendered long-range warp journey unimaginable, leading to main worlds being minimize off from each other. The Federation dissolved and what remained of Starfleet went into hiding. Discovery’s crew was capable of clear up the thriller of The Burn, and the method of rebuilding the United Federation of Planets may start.
By the tip of season 4, each Earth and Ni’Var (extra acquainted to us as Vulcan, renamed for the reason that reunification between the Vulcans and the Romulans) had rejoined the Federation. With warp journey now restored, and the Federation comparatively complete, Starfleet can get again to the enterprise of exploring the galaxy, moderately than being compelled to react to a gradual stream of threats.
Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery noticed the present actually discover its story-telling confidence to permit it to embody the human spirit that Star Trek is famed for. Olatunde Osunsanmi, who’s a director and producer on Star Trek: Discovery, has instructed ScreenRant (opens in new tab) that whereas season 5 won’t contain time journey, it “will return into the previous to get farther into the long run,” alluding to the present pulling influences from the exploration-driven nature of Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Which characters are returning?
Captain Michael Burnham, performed by Sonequa Martin-Inexperienced, will after all be again, joined by collection regulars Captain Saru (the superb Doug Jones), Astromycologist Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), Chief Engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro), and Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).
On the finish of season 4, Burnham’s love curiosity, Cleveland ‘E-book’ Booker (David Ajala), was sentenced to group service for his function in Ruon Tarka’s plan to destroy the Darkish Matter Anomaly towards Federation orders. Nonetheless, Martin-Inexperienced has alluded that E-book (and his Maine Coon cat, Grudge) will return in season 5 to proceed his relationship with Burnham.
It’s also hoped that recurring characters Lieutenant Commander Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts), Lieutenant Commander Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo), Lieutenant Ronald Bryce (Ronnie Rowe Jr.), Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr, an actor acquainted to audiences as Ardeth Bay in The Mummy motion pictures alongside Brendan Fraser), Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal), and Grey Tal (Ian Alexander) can even be again.
There’s additionally a giant query mark over Tilly’s function. In season 4 she departed Discovery to show at Starfleet Academy, though we additionally noticed her working with Vance through the evacuation of Earth within the season 4 finale. Will she stay on the Academy, or preserve working with Admiral Vance, and the way will her function in Starfleet tie into season 5’s presently top-secret plot?
With Earth and Ni’Var having now each rejoined the Federation, what of the opposite main powers within the galaxy? We’ve seen Ferengi serving in thirty second century Starfleet and among the many dignitaries despatched to make first contact with species 10-C, however what of the Klingons, the Cardassians, the Bajorans, and the Dominion, amongst others, on this period? They’ve had title checks to this point – will season 5 be the season once we see their thirty second century incarnations?
Lastly, there’s the wild card of the ship’s laptop, Zora (voiced by Annabelle Wallis), which gained sentience throughout season 4, resulting in some transient issues as Zora adjusted to her new individualism and her goals that typically led counter to the crew’s targets. Will Zora proceed to develop as a character in season 5, and can that after once more put her into battle with the crew?
For extra Star Trek content material, try our checklist of the best episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, learn our review of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, and really feel like a child once more with our evaluation of the excellent Playmobil USS Enterprise play set.