michael burnham's mother star trek discovery

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: Prime Video's 'Jackpot!' +...

Peacock Has Removed Raygun and the Entire Olympics Breaking Competition...

'WWHL': Bowen Yang Says One Terrible 'SNL' Host Once Made "Multiple Cast...

Peacock's Gary Coleman Doc Questions The Late Child Actor's "Suspicious"...

11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2024's Freshest Films to Watch

'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' Star Josh Flagg Gives Update On His...

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia...

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: August 2024's Top Upcoming Series to Watch

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finally Revealed The Red Angel

Where to Stream:

• Star Trek: Discovery

Spoilers for  Star Trek: Discovery “The Red Angel” past this point.

I think it’s safe to say that Star Trek: Discovery ‘s reveal of the mysterious, time traveling Red Angel didn’t go the way anyone thought — but then, that’s par for the course for  Discovery , isn’t it? Every time eagle-eyed fans have figured out one of the show’s mysteries, they swerve, and throw  another mystery on the pile. That happened last season when Ash Tyler’s (Shazad Latif) identity was a misdirect for the season’s big Mirror Universe reveal. And this year, fans — including yours truly — had become completely convinced that The Red Angel was the show’s star Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). For 99% of this week’s episode, we were all totally correct… Until that very last moment when it turned out The Red Angel is a Burnham, but it ain’t Michael: it’s her mother.

Part of the reason it was impossible to figure out The Red Angel’s identity is that a good chunk of information crucial not just to this season’s mystery but the overall plot of the show was held in reserve until halfway through this episode. We’ve known pretty much from the pilot that Burnham’s parents died during a Klingon attack on the planet Doctari Alpha, which led Burnham to take rash action against the aliens the next time they showed up, and ostensibly kicked off the Klingon/Federation War that consumed Season 1 of the show. According to Burnham, after begging her parents to stay on the planet to watch a supernova, the Klingons attacked. She had hid in a closet while the Klingons killed her parents, so she didn’t actually see them die. But of course, since they stayed on the planet for her, she carried the weight of the responsibility for their demise.

Guess what? It’s actually black-ops unit chief Leland’s (Alan van Sprang) fault they died. Turns out, Burnham’s parents were in charge of a secret operation called Project Daedalus tasked with building The Red Angel’s time travel suit, part of a temporal cold war. In order to power the suit, Leland needed to steal a time crystal from the Klingons. The Burnhams were stationed on Doctari Alpha to build the suit, the Klingons were coming after their property… Leland led to Michael’s parents’ deaths.

By the way, in case you were shaking your head at “time crystals,” they’ve actually shown up on  Discovery previously. Specifically in the excellent Groundhog Day -esque Season 1 episode “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”. There, scoundrel Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Rainn Wilson) used a crystal obtained by mysterious means to gain revenge on Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and the crew. Does the origin of Mudd’s crystal tie into the Burnham’s crystal? Given the Short Trek episodes that aired before the season started have heavily teed up various aspects of Season 2 (Saru’s homeworld, Tilly having a “shadow,” an AI with a mind of its own), and the last one was all about Mudd, I’d go with a strong “yes” on that guess.

In any case, all of this is predicated on the reveal at the very beginning of the episode: that The Red Angel’s brainwaves match Michael Burnham’s, so ergo The Red Angel  is Michael Burnham. Now that the crew knows Michael is traveling through time to key moments in her own life in order to prevent her own death, they decide they need to capture her — since every time The Red Angel travels from the future, she opens up a wormhole that allows a rogue Artificial Intelligence trying to destroy all sentient life into their universe.

This show… Is complicated.

The bait for the trap is Michael, naturally. If they put her in physical danger, The Red Angel will come to save her in order to preserve its own timeline. Reasonable, I guess, though nobody mentions that if The Red Angel is Michael Burnham from the future, wouldn’t she know about the trap? I guess time is malleable and whatever, but still. Come on.

Michael “dies,” The Red Angel shows up, revives her and gets captured (oh, and unbeknownst to everyone the rogue AI sneaks through in the process, seemingly killing Leland)… And when she pops out of the suit, the face revealed isn’t Michael’s at all. Stunned, nearly dead, Michael looks at the woman (played by The Wire star Sonja Sohn!) and says one word: “Mom?”

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Star Trek: Prodigy' Season 2 On Netflix, Where The Ragtag Group Of Teen Starfleet Trainees Join Janeway On A Dangerous Mission

'star trek iii' at 40: the story of how (and why) leonard nimoy brought spock back after being killed off in 'the wrath of khan', new shows & movies to watch this weekend: 'mary & george' on starz + more, r.i.p. kenneth mitchell: 'star trek: discovery' and 'captain marvel' star dead at 49.

So there’s gonna be a lot of ‘splainin to do next week. The twist is well set up in the episode, as it’s noted that the Red Angel suit had disappeared/was damaged, when clearly Mrs. Burnham just commandeered the suit to save her daughter. We’ll also need some sort of explanation about how Burnham’s junior and senior have the same exact brainwaves, though that’s easily pushed aside by a classic  Star Trek pseudo-science spew by Stamets (“don’t you see, if the mycelial dilithium is reversed through a warp drive using tachyon particles” etc.).

The bigger questions left behind are how Mrs. Burnham survived the Klingon attack, why she’s traveling through time, where the time crystal originally came from, what created the rogue AI, why it’s coming back in time, what will happen with Michael now that her Mom is back… Oh, and how does this all connect to the massive sphere  Discovery found earlier in the season that contains the records of nearly everything that’s ever happened in the universe?

Last season’s final five episodes were a non-stop thrill ride with massive twist after massive twist; and given what’s set up here, with four episodes to go, it looks like we’re about to hop on that rollercoaster, one more time. Punch it.

Star Trek: Discovery airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on  CBS All Access

Stream  Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access

• CBS All Access

Andy Cohen Implies That He Never Wants To See Or Hear From Bethenny Frankel Again On 'WWHL'

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, 'The Madison' Spin-off Updates, And More

Is 'The View' Going Off The Air?

Where's Kelly Ripa This Week? 'Live' Co-Host's Absence Stretches Into Week Two

Peacock Has Removed Raygun and the Entire Olympics Breaking Competition Off The Platform

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg Snaps At Joy Behar While Defending Harrison Butker's Controversial Commencement Speech: "Stop That!"

Star Trek Discovery: All About [SPOILER]'s Surprise Return

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

15 Saddest TV Episodes of All Time

'did she die': twin peaks star addresses 34-year-old tv mystery, the gentlemen in buffy, explained.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 7, "Unification III," now streaming on CBS All Access .

Throughout  Star Trek: Discovery 's third season, Michael Burnham has been searching for "home," whatever that may mean. In Season 3, Episode 7, " Unification III ," Michael certainly gets a dose of home with the surprise return of her mother, Gabrielle Burnham.

Gabrielle first appeared in  Discovery as part of its second season. She was one of the key cogs in the season-long twist about the mysterious "Red Angel." Prior to Season 2, she was assumed to have died in a Klingon attack on Mars years ago. However, Gabrielle and her husband had been working for the shadow organization Section 31 as part of "Project Daedalus," a time-travel research initiative.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery - Burnham May Have Just Made a Dangerous New Enemy

Instead of dying, she used the Red Angel suit she created to travel through time. She planned to go back one hour initially to stop the Klingon attack, but she wound up 940 years in the future, in a universe eradicated of sentient life by the A.I. Control. Gabrielle proceeds to make hundreds of jumps in time to try to prevent this dystopia, and her warning is heard when she reunites with Michael the first time. Unfortunately, their reunion is brief, as the Red Angel suit pulls her back to the distant future.

As fans find out from "Unification III," Gabrielle winds up in a different future. After making a crash landing back in the 32nd century, she is nursed back to health and taken in by the Qowat Milat. The group is a set of Romulan warrior nuns, and she is inducted into their sect. It's as a Qowat Milat that Gabrielle reunites with her daughter for the second time, serving as her advocate during her philosophical trial.

Despite being ecstatic to see Michael again, Gabrielle does not stray from her job during the "T'Kal-in-ket." Seeking absolute candor, she pushes her daughter to not withhold her mixed feelings about Starfleet, warning that the Vulcans and Romulans in the room will be suspicious of her. Despite her pressure bordering on cruel, she's able to get Michael to open up and get data on "The Burn" that she so sorely needs.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Just Quoted The Wrath of Khan

In the end, after hand-delivering the data herself, Gabrielle admits she will not move on with Michael. Instead, she will continue to stay on Ni'Var and serve the Qowat Milat, but the occasion is still sweet. For the first time in years, the two have found each other, with no intention of further time traveling anywhere in the future. As Gabrielle herself says, "you always know where to find me," and that couldn't be more true after this episode.

Streaming on CBS All Access, Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Commander Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber, David Ajala as Cleveland "Book" Booker, Blu del Barrio as Adira , Ian Alexander as Gray, Tig Notaro as Chief Engineer Reno and Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou. New episodes of Season 3 air on Thursdays.

KEEP READING: Star Trek: Discovery Drops Another Major Clue About the Burn

• CBR Exclusives

Mike Burnham

In the early 2230s , the Burnham family resided on a starbase . One night, young Michael was afraid of the dark; to calm her fears, Mike told her the story of the girl who made the stars . ( ST : " The Girl Who Made the Stars ")

In 2236 , the three resided on Doctari Alpha , where posing as a xenoanthropologist , he worked as an operative for Section 31 . ( DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars ", " The Red Angel ", " Perpetual Infinity ")

During that time, they had originally planned a vacation to Mars , but a young Michael begged them to stay three more days to witness a nearby star go supernova . However, during their extended stay, Doctari Alpha was attacked by the Klingons . Michael's father attempted to barricade the kitchen door , while her mother hid Michael in a cabinet . Michael did not witness the deaths of her parents, but she heard everything happen, saying that they killed her father quickly, but took longer with her mother. The Klingons then sat down at the table , ate the dinner the family had prepared, and laughed. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " Will You Take My Hand? ")

Mike Burnham was played by Kenric Green , the real-life husband of Sonequa Martin-Green .

Prior to him being named in canon , Sonequa Martin-Green decided that her role of Michael Burnham had been "named after [her] biological father." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 190 , p. 20)

The novel Desperate Hours calls him "Calvin".

• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Bell Riots

Screen Rant

10 great star trek episodes written by women.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 Ending & TNG Treasure Explained

10 best star trek episodes directed by jonathan frakes, all 10 star trek: tos episodes written by d.c. fontana, ranked worst to best.

• Women writers have always been integral to Star Trek, paving the way for diversity and inclusion on screen and behind the scenes.
• D.C. Fontana, Phyllis Strong, and other talented women have penned some of Star Trek's most iconic episodes, shaping the series for generations to come.
• Episodes like "Damage," "Red Directive," and "The Measure of a Man" showcase the depth and impact of women's contributions to the Star Trek universe.

Throughout Star Trek 's long and varied history, several incredible episodes have been written by women. Since Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966, the franchise has championed diversity on screen. While this philosophy did not always extend to the people working behind the scenes, Star Trek: TOS did have several women writers, including D.C. Fontana as a story editor. As trends in the entertainment industry began to shift, more women have become writers and directors across television, including Star Trek .

From Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura to Kate Mulgrew's Captain Kathryn Janeway to Sonequa Martin-Green's Captain Michael Burnham, women have always played a vital role in Star Trek. It's important, then, that Star Trek champions women behind the scenes, as well. D.C. Fontana was the first woman to write for Star Trek, penning the second episode of TOS, "Charlie X," based on an idea from Gene Roddenberry. Fontana went on to write nine more Star Trek episodes throughout TOS, several of which were based on her own original ideas, helping to pave the way for all the women writers who came after her. Here are 10 great Star Trek episodes written by talented women.

20 Awesome Women In Star Trek

Throughout its nearly 60-year history, the Star Trek franchise has introduced an incredible cast of women and iconic female characters.

10 "Damage" - Written By Phyllis Strong

Star trek: enterprise season 3, episode 19.

As part of the season-long Xindi arc in Star Trek: Enterprise season 3, "Damage" features Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) facing a tough choice when the Enterprise NX-01 suffers heavy damage and losses. When Archer returns to the Enterprise after being captured by the Xindi, he learns that his ship needs a new warp core. Archer tries to negotiate with a nearby Illyrian spacecraft, but the captain refuses to give up his own warp core.

Desperate to save Earth from destruction at the hands of the Xindi, Archer decides to attack the Illyrian ship and steal their warp core. Sub-Commander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) reacts emotionally to Archer's decision, eventually revealing to Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley) that she hid a three-month addiction to Trellium-D. With a tense plotline, "Damage" takes some unexpected turns and shows another side to Captain Archer.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Not available

9 "Red Directive" - Written By Michelle Paradise

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 1.

Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season gets off to an explosive start with "Red Directive," sending Captain Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery on an intergalactic treasure hunt. With the introduction of Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and the villains Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), "Red Directive" sets the stage for an action-packed final season. Burnham and Rayner must work together on a mysterious Red Directive mission to investigate an 800-year-old Romulan ship.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere dropped a bombshell that ties all the way back to Star Trek: The Next Generation. We break it down.

Moll and L'ak manage to evade capture and visit an android named Fred (J. Adam Brown) , who bears a striking resemblance to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner). In the end, Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) lets Captain Burnham in on the secret Red Directive mission, revealing the search for the powerful technology the Progenitors used to create humanoid life. With spectacular scenes of sci-fi action and several nods to past Star Trek shows, "Red Directive" got Star Trek: Discovery's final season off to a thrilling start.

Star Trek: Discovery

8 "all our yesterdays" - written by jean lisette aroeste, star trek: the original series season 3, episode 23.

In the penultimate episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) find themselves trapped 5,000 years in the past on a planet in the middle of an ice age. Spock and McCoy soon encounter a woman named Zarabeth, the only other humanoid on the planet. As Spock grows increasingly emotional, reverting back to the barbarism of the ancient Vulcans, he begins to experience feelings for Zarabeth.

Spock falls in love with Zarabeth, and the Vulcan Science Officer wishes to remain in the past. McCoy, however, eventually convinces Spock that they must return to their own time, and Spock reverts back to his stoic self after the return trip. A Star Trek fan herself, Jean Lisette Aroeste penned "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" and "All Our Yesterdays" and sold the scripts with no prior television writing experience. They remain her only television writing credits.

Star Trek: The Original Series

7 "author, author" - written by phyllis strong & mike sussman, story by brannon braga, star trek: voyager season 7, episode 20.

Throughout Star Trek: Voyager's seven seasons, Robert Picardo's Doctor became one of the show's most compelling characters, and "Author, Author" gives him the spotlight. When the Doctor creates a holonovel entitled Photons, Be Free, his rights as a hologram are called into question (much like the rights of Data were questioned in TNG's "The Measure of a Man"). Voyager's crew members take issue with the Doctor's holonovel, as the characters resembling them are not particularly flattering.

Writer Phyllis Strong co-wrote four episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and twelve episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise . She also served as a story editor throughout Enterprise season 1.

The Doctor goes to edit his story, making it more fictionalized, but soon discovers that his holonovel has already been distributed without his permission. An arbiter eventually determines that while the Doctor is not considered a person under Federation law, he is an artist and has control of his art. With hilarious portrayals of Voyager's crew and clever meta-commentary about Star Trek: Voyager as a show, "Author, Author" remains an incredibly fun and entertaining episode.

Star Trek: Voyager

6 "seventeen seconds" - written by jane maggs & cindy appel, star trek: picard season 3, episode 3.

With the reunion of the main cast from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard season 3 was a nostalgic tour-de-force and a resounding success all around. In "Seventeen Seconds," Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) takes over command of the USS Titan, continuing the battle with the Shrike until the Titan gets pulled into a gravitational anomaly. Commander Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) uncovers a Changeling infiltrator aboard the Titan who has been sabotaging the ship.

In one of the TNG duo's best scenes, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) discuss their son, Jack (Ed Speleers), and why Beverly kept him a secret from Jean-Luc. Meanwhile, Worf (Michael Dorn) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) realize the Changelings had something to do with the recent attack on Starfleet. Star Trek: Picard' s "Seventeen Seconds" never lets up, jumping from one action-packed scene to the next, but still allowing for emotional character moments.

Star Trek: Picard

5 "the drumhead" - written by jeri taylor, star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 21.

After an explosion occurs on the USS Enterprise-D, Admiral Norah Satie (Jean Simmons) visits the ship to conduct an investigation. Although Data and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) determine the explosion was an accident, Satie continues to seek out traitors. She grows more paranoid, questioning Picard's actions as Locutus of Borg and whether he remains loyal to Starfleet.

Jonathan Frakes stars as Captain Will Riker in the Star Trek universe, but he has also become one of Trek's most beloved and prolific directors.

Captain Picard responds with words once spoken by Satie's father, saying: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." Starfleet's chief of security, Admiral Thomas Henry (Earl Billings), eventually puts a stop to the trial, condemning Admiral Satie's fanaticism. With a powerful speech from Picard and a message that is even more relevant today, "The Drumhead" remains one of TNG's strongest hours.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

4 "duet" - written by peter allan fields, story by lisa rich & jeanne carrigan-fauci, star trek: deep space nine season 1, episode 19.

When Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) suspects visiting Cardassian Aamin Marritza (Harris Yulin) of being a war criminal, she interrogates him about his time at a brutal labor camp called Gallitep. Marritza then claims to actually be Gul Darhe'el, the so-called "Butcher of Gallitep," but he later admits to taking on Darhe'el's identity. A file clerk at Gallitep, Marritza was so traumatized by the horrors he witnessed, that he now wishes to be prosecuted as a Cardassian war criminal.

Although the teleplay for "Duet" was penned by Peter Allan Fields, the idea came from a pitch by Lisa Rich and Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci, two interns on DS9's writing staff.

Kira begins to realize she may have misjudged Marritza and agrees to let him go. On the way off the station, however, a Bajoran kills Marritza, claiming that he is guilty simply because he is a Cardassian. Despite her earlier sentiment, Kira insists that being Cardassian did not make Marritza responsible for all of Cardassia's crimes. "Duet" remains one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's finest hours and a standout moment for Major Kira.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

3 "ad astra per aspera" - written by dana horgan, star trek: strange new worlds season 2, episode 2.

In one of Star Trek's best courtroom episodes , Strange New Worlds ' Number One (Rebecca Romijn) faces a court martial for lying on her Starfleet Academy application about being a genetically enhanced Illyrian. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) recruits Illyrian civil rights attorney Neera Ketoul (Yetide Badaki) to defend his First Officer, and she points out the unfairness of the law banning genetic manipulation. Una delivers a powerful speech about her childhood and why she chose to join Starfleet.

Neera points out to the judges that, in joining Starfleet, Una was effectively seeking asylum from the persecution she faced as an Illyrian . Although the judges do not alter the Federation ban on genetic engineering, they do accept Neera's interpretation of the law and acquit Number One. With strong performances and stirring speeches, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' "Ad Astra Per Aspera" celebrates everything great about Starfleet and Star Trek as a franchise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

2 "journey to babel" - written by d.c. fontana, star trek: the original series season 2, episode 10.

In this classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode, the USS Enterprise transports several important Federation delegates to an important intergalactic conference. Among the VIPs are Spock's Vulcan father, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), and his human wife, Amanda (Jane Wyatt). Because Spock chose to join Starfleet rather than attend the Vulcan Science Academy, he and his father have been estranged for many years.

Dorothy "D.C." Fontana served as a script editor on Star Trek: The Original Series and wrote or co-wrote 10 episodes. While some of her episodes were based on the stories of others, Fontana herself originated the story that became "Journey to Babel."

When one of the delegates is murdered suspicion falls on Sarek, which exacerbates his heart condition. Sarek then needs emergency surgery, which requires Spock to act as a blood donor. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) eventually unmasks the murderer, but not before he, too, is attacked. Not only does "Journey to Babel" introduce two new Star Trek species in the Andorians and the Tellarites, but it also establishes the history of Spock and his parents, which continues to influence the character even today.

As a writer and story editor, Dorothy C. Fontana helped shape many aspects of Star Trek: The Original Series and wrote several iconic episodes.

1 "The Measure Of A Man" - Written By Melinda M. Snodgrass

Star trek: the next generation season 2, episode 9.

In one of Star Trek's most celebrated episodes, Data's very right to exist is put on trial. When Dr. Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) arrives on the USS Enterprise-D requesting to have Data dismantled for further study, Captain Picard fights for Data's right to make his own choices. With a background as a lawyer, writer Melinda M. Snodgrass wrote "The Measure of a Man" as a spec script that was picked up for the TNG's second season. Snodgrass later went on to work on the TNG writing team as a story editor.

With captivating performances from everyone involved, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Measure of a Man" offers a compelling commentary on what it means to be human. Data's trial continues to have repercussions even in modern Star Trek and Picard's passionate defense of his android officer remains one of his finest moments. Simply put, "The Measure of a Man" is a near-perfect episode of television that represents Star Trek at its very best.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

PHOTOS: Burnham is in for One Mother of a Surprise

New images drop massive hints for 'Perpetual Infinity.'

"Perpetual Infinity," the 11th episode Star Trek: Discovery 's sophomore season, will stream on Thursday. The story examines the fallout of the revelation that the person in the Red Angel exosuit was not Michael Burnham, but her mother. StarTrek.com is pleased to share a first look at several photos from the latest installment.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• All Previews
• Judging by the Cover
• BOOM! Studios
• IDW Publishing
• X-Men Monday
• Fantastic Five
• AIPT Comics Podcast
• AIPT Movies Podcast
• AIPT Television Podcast
• Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Reality Check
• Conspiracy Theories
• AIPT Comics
• AIPT Movies
• AIPT Television

Television Interviews

Television News

Television News Trailers

Television Trailers

Television MCU Trailers

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ — Doug Jones reminisces on the final season and Saru’s journey

“We will always be that family from this point forward. We were part of a really good thing,” said Ambassador Saru actor Doug Jones on the ending of Star Trek Discovery.

Stark Trek: Discovery premiered seven years ago, ushering  Star Trek into the streaming era. It’s been a terrific addition to the Star Trek canon, bringing new ideas and aliens — and even a new era — to the franchise while expanding on Star Trek ‘s core tenant of diversity and inclusion. Unfortuantely, all things must come to a close, and  Star Trek: Discovery  released its finale earlier this year after a five-season, sixty-five-episode wonderful run.

With both the fifth season and the complete series releasing physically later this month , AIPT had the chance to speak with Ambassador Saru actor and star of Star Trek: Discovery Doug Jones  about the final season, Saru’s journey, and just how much the cast matters to each other.

AIPT : With this being Star Trek: Discovery ’s final season, can you take us through what those final days of shooting were like?

Doug Jones : We didn’t know season five was going to be the end until after we had shot all of principal photography. We had finished up the last episode, gone home from Toronto, where we were filming, and a couple months later we got a Zoom call – “Everybody hop on a Zoom call, we have an announcement!” – and that was when they told us this would be our final season .

With that Zoom call came the good news that CBS Studios and Paramount+ had given us the opportunity and the budget to go back to Toronto, open the studio up again, and film an epilogue that we could tack on to the last episode. It would give us some serious closure.

That’s a luxury most series don’t get, so we were very thankful for that. Being a part of that storyline – and it was mostly about [Captain Michael] Burnham, what became of her and her journey – and getting to have a little flashback that takes us to the bridge of the ship where she can hug on all of the crew members that she’s worked with over the years.

Ah! [ Gestures an embrace. ] That was a gut-wrenching, tear-jerking last day on the set for me, personally, and for a lot of us. I was the first one to greet [Burnham actor] Sonequa Martin-Green in that flashback, and hugging on her take after take after take from different angles…we started that hug whispering to each other, “I love you,” and I reply “I love you.” And then I would start the next one, “I love you .” [ Laughs. ]

As this went on for a while, she said, “I could do this all day. I love you.” And I said, “Me too. I love you.” We’re fighting back tears the entire time. What a great way to end the series…It’s like we created a family and we love each other and we will always be that family from this point forward. We were part of a really good thing.

Photo: Michael Gibson/Paramount+.

AIPT : What is your favorite takeaway from working on season five, or the show as a whole?

DJ : Saru’s personal journey through his fear into confidence and courage was a big thing for me personally that I took away a lot from. I [learned] a way to get around my own fears and anxieties in life, and watching Saru – his threat ganglia fell out, he went through vahar’ai; now instead of being a fear-based species, he now has confidence and courage – the world around him didn’t change, but his reaction to it did. I learned a lot from that, with my own imposter syndrome, and anxiety and fear of the unknown. Instead of being, “Oh no, here it comes!” I can be more, “We can get through this, because we can get through things when we’re working together.”

Saru had a lot of speeches, encouraging speeches with his crew over the years and those speeches always included the word “ together .” We said the world so many times, “We’re facing this together; if we band together, we’ll get through it together.” Teamwork, you know, makes the dreamwork. Saru’s living proof of that, and I took a lot away from that, personally.

AIPT : Nowadays, especially with franchise work, actors and characters are liable to return at any time. If the opportunity were to arise, would you be interested in returning as Saru and how would you see his journey continuing?

DJ : At the end of season five, at the end of Star Trek: Discovery , we leave him in a very “happily ever after” kind of place. He’s risen professionally to an ambassador, all the way through the ranks of Starfleet, and now he’s also romantically satisfied in a diplomatically, poised, and dignified relationship with [Ni’Var] President T’Rina. Them going through a lovely courtship in front of all the fans – they got married in the end and kissed for the first time on film, and that’s very happily ever after as well.

Where does he go from there? I don’t know, but I think Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the one show in the same timeline that he could guest star, and it would make sense now that he is working with the Federation as an ambassador to smaller planets. He’s good at bringing in different cultures, different worlds into a collaborative, peaceful, “Let’s get along together” kind of world.

He speaks 94 languages, and that helps him in his quest as well, so he could take that knowledge into Starfleet Academy and do a little workshop or lecture series and then deal with one cadet at a time on how to find peaceful solutions when they have conflict between cultures and species. He is very adept at that. That would be a good place for him.

AIPT : I hope to see you as a part of Starfleet again! In a couple years, I’ll be looking for your guest spot on Starfleet Academy .

DJ : Your lips to god’s ears.

DVD and blu-ray collections of  Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth season and for the complete series release August 27. You can stream the entire series on Paramount+.

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

• ❌ Remove all ads on the website
• 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
• 📗 Access to our monthly book club
• 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
• 💥 And more!

Sign up for our newsletter

Exclusive previews, reviews, and the latest news every week, delivered to your inbox.

Anatomy of Design: Butch K. Mapa on ‘Kardak the Mystic’ #1

‘hamster & gretel’ season 2 guest stars include tim robinson, ming-na wen, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Watch: Thunderbolts* trailer leaks online

New ‘Black Canary: Best of the Best’ miniseries announced

Comic Books

Top 5 ‘X-Men ’97’ season 2 reveals at D23 2024

‘The Ultimates’ #3 is a good reimagining of the Hulk’s origin

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Arts & Lifestyle
• Competitions
• Games & Tech

Win ‘Star Trek: Discovery – The Complete Series’ on Blu-ray

Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery return when ‘Star Trek: Discovery – The Complete Series' arrives on 19th August on DVD and Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment.

‘Star Trek: Discovery' cast members include Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira), and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner).

‘Star Trek: Discovery' follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms. The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. 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. 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.

‘Star Trek: Discovery – The Complete Series' will be available on 19th August on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring all 65 episodes and over 15 hours of special features including a BONUS DISC that takes you on a never-before-seen journey through all five seasons with the cast and crew.

FINAL SEASON SPECIAL FEATURES

• Audio Commentary*
• Deleted Scene*
• Being Michael Burnham*
• Character Development*
• Star Trek: Discovery™: The Voyage of Season 5
• A Team Effort
• Discovery's Creative Force

*Exclusive to Home Entertainment

COMPLETE SERIES BONUS DISC 

• Series Roundtable
• The Art Of Discovery: Production Design
• The Art Of Discovery: Costumes

The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Sonequa Martin-Green, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers. Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise serve as co-showrunners.

Please note this competition is only open to UK residents. The full terms and conditions are available at the bottom of the entry widget. To celebrate the release we've got one copy of the boxset on Blu-ray to give away. Enter below for a chance to win…

EF newsletter sign-up

Choose which of our mailing lists you want to subscribe to. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

RELATED ARTICLES

Win ‘star trek: discovery – the final season’ on limited edition blu-ray steelbook, tom salinsky – ‘star trek: discovering the tv series: the original series, the animated series and the next generation’ review, win ‘star trek: discovering the tv series’ books, ‘star trek iii: the search for spock’: new poster art revealed for 40th anniversary.

Choose which of our mailing lists you'd like to subscribe to. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Post Malone talks new album, collaborators & working in Nashville

Review: morgan wade gets raw, rocky, romantic on new ‘obsessed’.

UK-based entertainment site offering news, reviews, interviews, features and much more!

[email protected]

Latest articles, how to promote your show in the final weeks of the fringe, popular categories.

• Music 10210
• EF Country 4944
• Games & Tech 4358
• Arts & Lifestyle 3516

© 2024 Entertainment Focus | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

I Thought Star Trek: Discovery Was Writing Doug Jones Off The Show In Season 5, But He Explained The Reasons Why Saru Wasn't Around Much

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:

No, actually Rayner coming in was kind of a collaborative conversation with the writer's room and me and Michelle Paradise. Our show was very, very gracious in hearing me out when I was like, Saru has Captain status, but he's acting as a first officer. How long can that go on professionally for him?’ So his promotion to ambassador made sense, story-wise, for Saru. And that also gave me a chance to go off and do a mission throughout the galaxy whilst Discovery was doing its thing.

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:

It gave me a few episodes off in Season 5 that I was kind of needing that year. Season 4 had been so brutal for all of us. With COVID stops and starts, it took us 11 months to film Season 4. Living away from from Mrs. Laurie [Jones was tough]. I was already in my sixties, and that's not how we envisioned our golden years playing out, being apart from each other for 11 months at a time. So, I asked if there was a way to lessen the load for me for Season 5.

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:

Season 6 and 7 I was contracted for, so I would have come back for the full season in 6 and 7. I, I think I would have been after the rest that I had in season 5, and it worked out perfect because Hocus Pocus 2 came out in theater during Halloween season. And that was the time that I had off so I was able to do the promotion and premieres and all that for the press junkets and everything for that without obstacles, you know, it was, it was great. It was good, good timing. It was good timing all around.

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.