Star Trek: Discovery's final season is nearly here and a brand-new trailer has just arrived to give us another glimpse of this "last dance" for Captain Burnham and her crew. To celebrate this moment, we also had the chance to talk to a few members of the cast about what makes these remaining episodes and this show so special and what the future may hold.
The trailer, which you can watch above, is very much a time for the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery to reminisce about the "hell of a journey" they've all been on and how they've all become a family through their adventures, triumphs, and heartbreaks. It's also an action-packed look at the mission to search for one of the "greatest powers ever known" that could be "very dangerous in the wrong hands."
Discovery's final season will kick off on April 4, 2024, and Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), and Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets) shared with IGN what they will cherish most about their time on the show and where they hope Star Trek goes from here.
Rapp began by talking about how Season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery will boldly go where the show hasn't gone before while also honoring what made Star Trek into the global phenomenon it has become.
"In terms of the tone of the season, the sense of the quest and adventure vibe is probably a little different than some of the other seasons we’ve had," Rapp said. "The nooks and crannies of this adventure take us into some very interesting questions and territories which are very Star Trek. It’s able to bridge the gap of the fun adventure without sacrificing the moral complexity of what Star Trek has always been about as well."
The legacy of Star Trek: Discovery
As for what the legacy Star Trek: Discovery will be, Rapp thinks one of the biggest parts of it will be representation.
"Star Trek has always been about representation in a big way, but I think we took it to another level. I think that really mattered and has mattered to a lot of people. It was a long time coming. It was too long. They really did try to break down these barriers of queer representation back in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the powers that be said no. There was a lot more fear dictating these sorts of choices, so we were very fortunate in the late teens and early 2020s that we had forces behind us saying yes and recognizing that representation matters, that it makes a difference, and that it's important that the future reflects the way our world looks."
"To give our fan base something they've always wanted and to be those characters means a lot," Cruz added.
Burnham then discussed what being the first Black female captain in Star Trek meant to her and how the honor means more than words can hope to convey.
"It means so many things on so many levels," Burnham said. "It means so much to me artistically, culturally, relationally, and spiritually. And being able to be Captain Burnham as the first Black woman captain and to be part of Discovery as a whole, which had a lot of firsts in this franchise, means a lot. It means more than I can say, literally."
Lastly, Cruz took the time to look forward and share what he would love to see in the future of this beloved franchise that has always tried to push the boundaries and showcase the best of humanity.
"What is incredible relevant about Star Trek is the need for connection," Cruz said. "In this moment, where we are as a culture and politically, we couldn't need that lesson and message more. So, I hope that Star Trek continues to inspire us, to show us to appreciate each other's differences, to reach out to each other, and to build bridges and not walls."
For more, check out everything else Fan Fest, our explainer of where Discovery fits into the bigger Star Trek timeline, and our review of the tabletop game called Star Trek: Discovery - Black Alert.
Adam Bankhurst is a freelance writer at IGN.
