When Paramount+ brought Trek back to television in September 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery's double-decker premiere event, it broke ground on a road that would see the rebirth of the Trek franchise.
Six years later, Star Trek: Discovery has saved the galaxy multiple times; traveled through the mycelial network, to the Mirror Universe and back, forward in time nine hundred years, and beyond the edge of the known universe; and spawned the highly successful spin-off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
In March, Paramount+ announced the fifth season will be the USS Discovery's final mission. We've gathered all the intel on what it'll entail, who's on board, and when you can expect to buckle up and hold on as Michael Burnham and her crew let 'er fly one last time.
What can we expect from the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 plot?
After making first contact with an extra-dimensional species and convincing them to stop sending their galactic mineral extractor through our galaxy, destroying planets and star systems willy-nilly, you'd think our intrepid time-traveling spacefarers would've earned a rest.
But no, the teaser for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 hints at a treasure hunt for a sought-after power that could — you guessed it — destroy the universe.
According to Paramount+, "The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries."
Of course, it's not so easy as just following the clues and bringing it home. There have to be obstacles and competitors. "But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it."
Who will be a part of the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 cast?
All of the core cast from Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 are expected to return for this last hurrah.
Cast Members Returning for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
That certainly includes Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Chief Science Officer Saru (Doug Jones), Chief Medical Officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Adira (Blu del Barrio).
We also expect to see the return of recurring characters Starfleet Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) and Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal), although probably not the United Earth President (Stacey Freakin' Abrams — yeah, that actually happened) due to other obligations.
It's unlikely Burnham would embark without her bridge crew, so Lieutenants Detmer (Emily Coutts), Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo), Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon), Bryce (Ronnie Rowe), and Nilsson (Sara Mitich) should all be present and accounted for at launch.
And no Discovery adventure would be complete without Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson) repping the Saurians and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) showing up for curmudgeons everywhere.
In addition, the footage that we've seen from Season 5 indicates Kovich (David Cronenberg) will be central to the plot's action. That looks like fun.
New Cast Members for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
Newcomers L'ak (The Expanse's Elias Toufexis) and Moll (The Night Agent's Eve Harlow) are exciting additions to the cast, competing with Burnham's crew on this treasure hunt.
Having seen Harlow hunt on The Night Agent as assassin Ellen, they could definitely prove problematic.
Harlow's Moll is described as "highly intelligent and dangerous, with an impressive strategic mind and a sharp wit. She goes into every situation with a clear plan and stays focused and clear-headed on her goal, even when things go awry.
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"She’s not intimidated by Captain Burnham or the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery and will face down anyone who stands in her way in order to get what she wants."
Sci-fi fan favorite Callum Keith Rennie as Vulcan Starfleet officer Raynor will also be spending time with us in space.
From The Umbrella Academy to Jessica Jones to The Man in the High Castle, Rennie consistently owns his space with confident intensity and will be someone to watch as the season unfolds.
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Now that the strike is over I can finally share this:
— ᴇʟɪᴀꜱ ᴛᴏᴜꜰᴇxɪꜱ 🖖 (@EliasToufexis) November 9, 2023
I have my own #StarTrek ship! That's absolutely bonkers to me brain. #StarTrekDiscovery pic.twitter.com/SKQREtWNhm