star trek season 6 episode 25

Star Trek: Voyager

The Haunting of Deck Twelve

Cast & crew.

Manu Intiraymi

Marley McClean

Zoe McLellan

Kurt Wetherill

Cody Wetherill

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The Best Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6

Every episode of star trek: the next generation season 6 ranked from best to worst. discover the best episodes of star trek: the next generation season 6.

Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.

Season 6 Highlight

The best episode of " Star Trek: The Next Generation " season 6 is " Time's Arrow (2) " , rated 8.2 /10 from 3675 user votes. It was directed by Les Landau and written by Jeri Taylor . " Time's Arrow (2) " aired on 9/21/1992 and is rated 1.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, " Realm of Fear " .

# 1 - Time's Arrow (2)

Season 6 episode 1 - aired 1992-09-21.

Stardate: 46001.3. The away team's investigations are hampered by a nosy Samuel Clemens. Picard discovers that he originally met Guinan in the 1890s on Earth.

Director: Les Landau

Writer: Jeri Taylor

# 2 - Realm of Fear

Season 6 episode 2 - aired 1992-09-28.

Stardate: 46041.1. Lt. Barclay's fear of using transporters is eerily justified when he sees bizarre aliens within the transporter beam.

Director: Cliff Bole

Writer: Brannon Braga

# 3 - Man of the People

Season 6 episode 3 - aired 1992-10-05.

Stardate: 46071.6. Deanna becomes attracted to an alien ambassador. Shortly thereafter, she starts ageing rapidly and starts becoming violent.

Director: Cliff Bole , Winrich Kolbe

Writer: Brannon Braga , Frank Abatemarco

# 4 - Relics

Season 6 episode 4 - aired 1992-10-12.

Stardate: 46125.3. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott is discovered suspended in a transporter beam 75 years after he disappeared. After the Enterprise crew re-materialise him, he has a hard time adjusting to the new society.

Director: Alexander Singer

Writer: Ronald D. Moore

# 5 - Schisms

Season 6 episode 5 - aired 1992-10-19.

Stardate: 46154.2. Members of the crew are secretly abducted from the Enterprise to be used in bizarre experiments where they are dismembered and re-assembled without anyone's knowledge - including their own. The only signs that anything is wrong is a strange form of tiredness and no recollection of having slept well the night before.

Director: Robert Wiemer

# 6 - True Q

Season 6 episode 6 - aired 1992-10-26.

Stardate: 46192.3. A young intern visiting the Enterprise captures the interest of Q when she starts displaying Q-like powers.

Director: Robert Scheerer

Writer: René Echevarria

# 7 - Rascals

Season 6 episode 7 - aired 1992-11-02.

Stardate: 46235.7. A transporter accident transforms Picard, Ro Laren, Guinan and Keiko O'Brien into small children who appear to be about 12 years old. Matters are complicated when the Ferengi seize the Enterprise.

Director: Adam Nimoy

Writer: Michael Piller

# 8 - A Fistful of Datas

Season 6 episode 8 - aired 1992-11-09.

Stardate: 46271.5. Worf and his son, Alexander, become trapped in the holodeck when their Wild West program malfunctions. However, they must find a way to defeat the holographic bandits who have Data's appearance and abilities.

Director: Patrick Stewart

Writer: Robert Hewitt Wolfe , Brannon Braga

# 9 - The Quality of Life

Season 6 episode 9 - aired 1992-11-16.

Stardate: 46315.2. Data discovers that the maintenance robots built by Dr. Farallon may have become sentient.

Director: Jonathan Frakes

Writer: Naren Shankar

# 10 - Chain of Command (1)

Season 6 episode 10 - aired 1992-12-14.

Stardate: 46357.4. Picard resigns as Captain of the Enterprise to lead a top-secret espionage mission into Cardassia with Worf and Dr. Crusher.

# 11 - Chain of Command (2)

Season 6 episode 11 - aired 1992-12-21.

Stardate: 46360.8. Picard is captured and tortured by the Cardassians, while Riker tries to prevent a Federation attack on Cardassia.

Writer: Frank Abatemarco

# 12 - Ship in a Bottle

Season 6 episode 12 - aired 1993-01-25.

Stardate: 46424.1. While performing holodeck maintenance, Barclay accesses the stored hologram of Professor Moriarty, who wreaks havoc on board the Enterprise.

# 13 - Aquiel

Season 6 episode 13 - aired 1993-02-01.

Stardate: 46461.3. Geordie falls in love with a lieutenant who is the prime suspect in a murder case.

Writer: Jeri Taylor , Brannon Braga , Ronald D. Moore

# 14 - Face of the Enemy

Season 6 episode 14 - aired 1993-02-08.

Stardate: 46519.1. Troi is abducted and surgically altered by the Romulans as part of a ploy to smuggle intelligence operatives into the Federation.

Director: Gabrielle Beaumont

Writer: René Echevarria , Naren Shankar

# 15 - Tapestry

Season 6 episode 15 - aired 1993-02-15.

Stardate: Unknown. A mortally wounded Picard is forced into re-living a time of his life when he was back in Starfleet Academy, with the intervention of Q.

# 16 - Birthright (1)

Season 6 episode 16 - aired 1993-02-22.

Stardate: 46578.4. While visiting Deep Space Nine, Worf learns that his father is still alive and being held captive in a secret Romulan prison camp.

Director: Winrich Kolbe , Les Landau

Writer: Brannon Braga , Ronald D. Moore

# 17 - Birthright (2)

Season 6 episode 17 - aired 1993-03-01.

Stardate: 46759.2. Worf is captured by the Romulans where he learns why the other captives did not attempt an escape years before.

Director: N/A

# 18 - Starship Mine

Season 6 episode 18 - aired 1993-03-29.

Stardate: 46682.4. The crew evacuates the Enterprise when the ship needs to be cleaned of particles that have built up over the ship's hull. However, Picard accidentally stumbles over a terrorist group who plan on destroying the ship. He only has a short time to stop their attempts before the ship is swept by a beam of radiation to remove the particles that is lethal to all forms of life.

Writer: Morgan Gendel

# 19 - Lessons

Season 6 episode 19 - aired 1993-04-05.

Stardate: 46693.1. Picard must choose between love and command when he must make a decision that could place the woman he loves in a potentially deadly and high-risk mission.

Writer: Ron Wilkerson , Jean Louise Matthias

# 20 - The Chase

Season 6 episode 20 - aired 1993-04-26.

Stardate: 46731.5. Picard's old archaeology professor is found murdered, the crew try to complete his research. Soon, the crew must compete with Romulans and Klingons and Cardassians to uncover the truth behind his discoveries.

Writer: Joe Menosky , Ronald D. Moore

# 21 - Frame of Mind

Season 6 episode 21 - aired 1993-05-03.

Stardate: 46778.1. Riker questions his sanity when his reality seems to shift between an alien psychiatric hospital and a play he is performing with other members of the crew.

Director: James L. Conway

# 22 - Suspicions

Season 6 episode 22 - aired 1993-05-10.

Stardate: 46830.1. Dr. Crusher puts her career on the line when she tries to clear the name of a murdered scientist whose invention could allow starships to pass through a sun's corona.

Writer: Naren Shankar , Joe Menosky

# 23 - Rightful Heir

Season 6 episode 23 - aired 1993-05-17.

Stardate: 46852.2. While on a quest to summon a vision of Kahless, Worf questions his faith when the real Kahless rises from the dead to lead the Empire.

Director: Winrich Kolbe

# 24 - Second Chances

Season 6 episode 24 - aired 1993-05-24.

Stardate: 46915.2. Riker discovers that eight years ago, an exact clone of him was created when he beamed through a planet's surface while returning to his starship. This clone, named Thomas Riker, has secretly remained on the planet for the past eight years, and still has romantic feelings for Troi.

Director: LeVar Burton

# 25 - Timescape

Season 6 episode 25 - aired 1993-06-14.

Stardate: 46944.2. Picard, Geordi, Troi and Data return from a Federation conference to find the Enterprise frozen in time and under attack from a frozen Romulan Warbird.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 6, Episode 25

The sound of her voice, where to watch, star trek: deep space nine — season 6, episode 25.

Watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 6, Episode 25 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Avery Brooks

Capt. Benjamin Sisko

Rene Auberjonois

Michael Dorn

Lt. Cmdr. Worf

Terry Farrell

Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax

Cirroc Lofton

Colm Meaney

Chief Miles O'Brien

Episode Info

VOY Season 6

• View history
• 3 Background information
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest and co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited
• 5 Media releases
• 6 External links

Episodes [ ]

Summary [ ].

Star Trek: Voyager 's sixth season was the first to be televised without running concurrently with seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and can be characterized as having the feel of being oddly disconnected from seasons four and five that preceded it. As a result, Voyager's season six could be said to have more in common with the story-telling of season one , being populated by numerous episodes with story lines wholly independent of each other and the greater series arc, which by this point, was very well established. There are of course exceptions, most notably in " Pathfinder " when real-time communication is made with Starfleet, with the help of an obsessed Reginald Barclay . However, it was not until the end of the season in " Life Line " that this significant plot development was revisited.

Numerous new aliens were introduced throughout the season, again indicative of the reliance on wholly independent story lines. However, the Hirogen make a re-appearance in " Tsunkatse ", the Klingons in " Barge of the Dead ", the Borg make a (by now familiar) resurgence in " Survival Instinct ", " Collective ", " Child's Play " and the season finale " Unimatrix Zero ". The Vidiians also return in " Fury ", as does a vengeful Kes intent on sabotaging the ship, killing B'Elanna Torres in the process. Only one of the newly introduced alien species (the Hierarchy ) reappeared later, in the seventh season episodes " The Void " and " Renaissance Man ".

Worthy of particular note in the sixth season is the introduction of the treacherous Vaadwaur in " Dragon's Teeth ". While being vaunted as a possible season six nemesis for Voyager during a conversation towards the end of the episode, it was perhaps a missed opportunity on the part of the show's producers that the possibility of having the Vaadwaur return later on, was never taken up;

" I doubt we've seen the last of them ."

Despite Janeway's warning, and aside from a couple of conversational "nods" in the season seven episodes, " Nightingale " and " The Void ", the Vaadwaur were in fact, never seen again.

" Collective " halfway through the season added a significant development to the evolution of the series as Voyager 's crew manifest grew by four with the introduction of the "Children of the Borg". Season six storylines featuring the children served as an addition to Seven of Nine 's learning curve, as she took on the role of surrogate mother to the lost, and disconnected children. Although never directly spoken of in the script for either episode, with the knowledge of hindsight it is possible to note that in " Child's Play ", a surreptitious link to the series finale " Endgame " is planted when Icheb 's parents send him back to the Borg full of neurolytic pathogen . It is this same pathogen that Admiral Janeway uses when assimilated by the Borg Queen during the climax to the series finale, which infects the Collective and disables the transwarp hub, enabling Voyager to return home, and deal a crippling blow to the Borg at the same time.

A couple of small "jumps" closer to home were realized in the episodes " Dragon's Teeth " and " The Voyager Conspiracy " but nothing like the huge leaps which helped characterize the previous two seasons, and for the majority of season six, any significant "jumps" forward were missing, again likening the sixth season to the first.

The process of overcoming the difficulty in portraying Janeway as both authoritative and feminine that had dogged most of the first four seasons may have begun with season five's " Counterpoint " and her dalliance with the Devore Imperium 's Kashyk , but the dilemma finally found some resolution with the introduction of another of Tom Paris ' holodeck programs and the character of Michael Sullivan . In " Fair Haven " and " Spirit Folk " Janeway is finally able to let her hair down (in more ways than one), and the issue of fraternizing with her subordinates is happily laid to rest. This resolution however, was not without its detractors, including Kate Mulgrew herself.

" When I read that one, I went right over to (Rick) Berman's office and I said "What are you smoking?" I mean, how desperado is this broad! "

Voyager 's sixth season culminated in the assimilation of Janeway, Tuvok , and Torres, as the crew again went head to head with the Borg Queen, this time to assist an underground Borg Resistance threatened with annihilation.

Background information [ ]

• This is the first Star Trek season since TNG Season 6 , in 1992, to premiere on its own. This coincided with the end of the seven season run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in June 1999.
• Discounting season premieres/finales, this was the first season since season 2 not to feature a two-part/movie length episode during its run.
• " Barge of the Dead " featured Karen Austin as B'Elanna Torres' mother, one of the actresses apparently short-listed for the original role of Kathryn Janeway.
• "Survival Instinct" is the first time since "Living Witness" in Season 4 that Jeri Ryan appeared in a full Borg outfit.
• When asked what stood out about season six, Robert Beltran commented that he didn't have fun during this season, calling it " dreary and tedious " for him. [1]
• Characters that " crossover " from other incarnations of Star Trek : Deanna Troi and Reginald Barclay (" Pathfinder " and " Life Line "); Admiral Hayes (" Life Line "); Borg Queen (" Unimatrix Zero ")

Credits [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Garrett Wang as Harry Kim

Guest and co-stars [ ]

• VOY Season 6 performers
• Rick Berman
• Brannon Braga
• Joe Menosky
• Michael Piller
• Jeri Taylor
• Peter Lauritson
• Merri Howard
• Robin Burger
• J.P. Farrell

Co-Producer: Dawn Velazquez Associate Producer: Stephen Welke Executive Story Editor: Bryan Fuller Story Editor: Michael Taylor

• Robert Doherty

Unit Production Manager: Brad Yacobian Production Coordinator: Diane Overdiek

• Jerry Fleck
• Arlene Fukai
• Michael DeMeritt
• David Trotti
• Cosmo Genovese
• Jan Rudolph

Science Consultant: Andre Bormanis Production Designer: Richard James Art Director: Louise Dorton Senior Illustrator/Technical Consultant: Rick Sternbach Scenic Arts Supervisor/Technical Consultant: Michael Okuda

• Wendy Drapanas
• James Van Over

Construction Coordinator: Al Smutko Property Master: Alan Sims Set Decorator: Jim Mees Director of Photography: Marvin Rush , A.S.C. Chief Lighting Technician: Bill Peets Key Grip: Randy Burgess Special Effects: Dick Brownfield Stunt Coordinator: Dennis Madalone Video Supervisor: Denise Okuda Hair Designer: Josee Normand

• Charlotte Parker
• Viviane Normand
• Gloria Montmayor

Make-Up Designed and Supervised By: Michael Westmore

• Tina Hoffman
• Scott Wheeler
• James Rohland
• Suzanne Diaz

Costume Designer: Robert Blackman Wardrobe Supervisor: Carol Kunz

• Susie Money
• Matt Hoffman
• Lazard Ward
• Steve D'Errico

Casting Executive: Helen Mossler

• Junie Lowry-Johnson

Original Casting By: Nan Dutton , C.S.A.

• Daryl Baskin
• Bob Lederman

(Not a complete list)

• Jay Chattaway ("Equinox, Part II", "Riddles", "Dragon's Teeth", "Pathfinder", "Collective", "Spirit Folk", "Fury", "The Haunting of Deck Twelve")
• Dennis McCarthy ("Survival Instinct", "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy", "The Voyager Conspiracy", "Virtuoso", "Tsunkatse", "Ashes to Ashes", "Life Line", "Unimatrix Zero")
• David Bell ("Barge of the Dead", "Alice", "Fair Haven", "Memorial", "Child's Play", "Muse")
• Paul Baillargeon ("One Small Step", "Blink of an Eye", "Good Shepherd", "Live Fast and Prosper")

Music Editor: Gerry Sackman Visual Effects Producer: Dan Curry

• Ronald B. Moore
• Mitch Suskin

Sound Mixer: Alan Bernard Post Production Coordinator: Monique K. Chambers Pre-Production Coordinator/Script Coordinator: Lolita Fatjo Assistant Script Coordinator: Maggie Allen

• David Rossi
• Maril Davis
• Michael O'Halloran
• Nicole Gravett
• Eric Norman
• Terry Matalas
• Rodney Dugins
• Christopher Petrus
• Gerald Saavedra

Transportation Captain: Stu Satterfield

• Larry Dukes
• Cameron Calder
• Ray McLaughlin

Location Manager: Lisa White DGA Trainee: Melissa St. Onge

Filmed with Panavision cameras and lenses

• Santa Barbara Studios

Post Production Sound by: 4MC Sound Services Digital Optical Effects: Digital Magic Special Video Compositing: CIS , Hollywood Editing Facilities: Four Media Company

• Foundation Imaging
• Digital Muse

Uncredited [ ]

• Emmerson Denney - Voice/Dialogue Coach for Albie Selznick ("The Voyager Conspiracy")
• Jo Ann Phillips – Hair Stylist ("Dragon's Teeth")

Media releases [ ]

• VOY Season 6 UK VHS
• VOY Season 6 DVD

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Voyager season 6 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: Voyager Season Six Credits at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek Voyager Season 6 episode reviews  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 3 Ancient humanoid

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Episode Guide - Season 6

Right, so if you’re living in the 21st century and going through the entire Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series but you’re not binge-watching season 6, well … you’re either Vulcan or well more strong-willed than your typical non-Augment.

This season starts the viewer on seat’s edge: Dominion ships have been creeping into the Alpha Quadrant, prompting Sisko to mine the wormhole, and ultimately for war to be declared. The result is probably the single darkest of all ST seasons (though Enterprise season 3 is in the running), 26 episodes of tense ‘n’ compelling stuff that further pushed forward the notion of heavy continuity on American television.

Also of note: “In the Pale Moonlight” and “Far Beyond the Stars” are both in this season of DS(, and both are among the greatest ST episodes ever – all hail the mighty acting skills of Avery Brooks, too.

1. A Time to Stand – Three months later. Deep Space Nine is controlled by the Dominion. While Odo remains chief of security now under his third (fourth?) distinct chain of command, Jake has gotten an assignment with the Federation News Service, what with his proximity the front line and all. Sisko et al, increasingly resembling their mirror-universe counterparts, meanwhile take a Jem’Hadar ship to destroy a key manufacturing facility. ***

2. Rocks and Shoals – Sisko, Dax, Bashir, O’Brien and Nog crash-land their stolen Jem’Hadar ship on an alien planet … not far from a like-crashed Jem’hadar ship with a crew dangerously low on White. Meanwhile, Kira feels angst and that maybe she shouldn’t be working under the Dominion anymore. (Duh.) ***

3. Sons and Daughters – Worf’s son Alexander (Remember him? Worf blew him off for a good long while, didn’t he?) returns, as he seeks to join General Martok’s ship along with Worf in the fight against the Dominion. In a subplot, Kira, Odo and even Dukat (!) work in establishing a resistance to Dominion control. ***

4. Behind the Lines – Exactly what the title says: Sisko looks to take out some key Dominion technology, while most of the rest of the former Deep Space Nine bridge crew work on subverting Cardassian/Dominion relations from aboard the station. ***

5. Favor the Bold – As Martok’s ship and Dax’s Defiant play cat-and-mouse with Jem’Hadar ships, Siksko rallies them to retake Deep Space Nine. ***

6. Sacrifice of Angels – Holy Fek'lhr, this one includes the mother of all Star Trek space battles: Six hundred Federation ships take on 1,200 Jem’Hadar and Cardassian ships in the effort to keep the wormhole mined and to retake Deep Space Nine. ****

7. You are Cordially Invited … -- Worf wants to marry Dax, but must answer to the matriarch of Martok’s family, as he’s been initiated into that Klingon house. ***

8. Resurrection – Okay, this is officially the point at which the Star Trek franchise stretched the mirror universe concept beyond its breaking point, giving us the counterpart of a DS9 fourth banana. Said banana takes Kira hostage and … ah, whatever. **

9. Statistical Probabilities – Bashir is tasked with helping four genetically altered peers of his better adapt to greater society. ***

10. The Magnificent Ferengi – When the Dominion captures Quark’s mother, the Grand Nagus offers a sizeable reward – 50 bars of gold-pressed latinum – for her safe return. Quark thus sets out to rescue here with a crew made up of essentially every other key Ferengi character on DS9. ***

11. Waltz  - Sisko meets with the former Cardassian leader Gul Dukat, now a prisoner, as he awaits a war crimes investigation.***

12. Who Mourns for Morn? – A funny in-joke becomes a hilarious and suspenseful episode. The station is informed that Morn, DS9’s resident barfly, has died. On top of this, Morn’s will calls for his incredibly large estate to be bequeathed unto Quark. This in turn leads to several interested parties, including two fish-looking dudes doing Jack Nicholson impressions, coming out of the woodwork to try and bag part of Morn’s massive stash of latinum. ****

13. Far Beyond the Stars – A just gut-wrenching out-of-continuity story (okay, so there’s the bookended intro and coda involving Sisko, but this makes up maybe 10% of the screen time) telling of a science-fiction writer with grandiose ideas for a story set on a far-off space station called “Deep Space Nine.” Problems ensue when the editor insists that the commander aboard the station be, likesay, White. *****

14. One Little Ship – A runabout with Dax, Bashir and O’Brien aboard runs afoul of a subspace phenomenon which shrinks the ship to four inches in length. The usual shrinkage-related hijinks ensue. Silly stuff. **

15. Honor Among Thieves – The Orion Syndicate, a band so often name-dropped on DS9, finally gets some quality screen time, as O’Brien goes undercover to investigate a Starfleet turncoat. ***

16. Change of Heart – Worf and Dax undertake an undercover away mission while Bashir and O’Brien train to beat Quark in a game of tongo. Things end badly for both mission and game, and somehow only afterward does it occur to Sisko that sending betrotheds alone on an away mission was a good idea… ***

17. Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night – A terrible title leads to the question, “Why does everything involving Kira turn into soap opera?” In this one, Dukat comes up to her and says, basically, “Oh yeah, your mother and I used to be reeeeeeeeeal close.” This leads to panicky time travel. Bleagh. *

18. Inquisition – Head trip for Bashir: One his way off to an interplanetary medical conference, Bahsir is instead arrested and interrogated by Federation law enforcement officials accusing him of spying for the Dominion. With a fairly major plot twist before every break, this one definitely keeps the viewer in suspense. ****

19. In the Pale Moonlight – Lest ye forget, Avery Brooks is a classically-trained actor. Watch him flex those thespian muscles in this frame story about political intrigue framed within a Shakespearean-style monologue. Sisko shoves ethical considerations aside as he teams with Garak to trick the Romulans into breaking their non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Nearly as brilliant as Brooks here is Andrew J. Robinson, whose Garak gets some nifty dialogue and monologues of his own. A highlight of the entire ST universe. *****

20. His Way – Introducing Bahir’s latest holosuite program, a 1960s Las Vegas lounge complete with lounge lizard Vic Damone, who, get this, consoles Odo on his love life. Bleagh. *

21. The Reckoning – An ancient tablet is discovered on Bajor; upon translation, it tells an apocalyptic story of doom to come. By episode’s end, the Pah-wraiths haunt the station for a bit, but the prospective bagging of Vulcan by the Dominion is far more distressing… ***

22. Valiant – While on a mission to Ferenginar, the Defiatn occupied by Jake and Nog is attacked by a Jem-Hadar ship which is in return destroyed by cadets manning a starship due to the war effort. These cadets naturally seek to be of further assistance. ***

23. Profit and Lace – Beguiled by Quark’s progressive-thinking mother, the Grand Nagus is under fire on Ferenginar for advancing the notion of equal rights for females. He comes to Quark, who really should be getting quite a bit more financial recompense than he does for assisting in these sorts of situations, for help.***

24. Time’s Orphan – Don’t get too invested in this episode, or you’ll end up as tormented as O’Brien. Little Molly O’Brien gets hit by the dreaded temporal anomaly. She then spends about 12 or 13 years living by herself on a hellish planet. When given a chance to reverse the effect of the anomaly, thereby preventing the incident in the first place, O’Brien must face an ethical dilemma. Lots of tear-jerky moments in this one. ****

25. The Sound of Her Voice – Captain Cusack of the doomed ship Olympia contacts the station, and several members of the bridge crew task themselves with keeping her spirits up, informing her about the war, etc., via com link. Except.. there’s a twist. ****

26. Tears of the Prophets – Some serious haranguing between Romulans and Klingons ultimately leads to these two plus Federation forces getting into a helluva space war with Dominion ships. Despite the victory, however, Sisko has a crisis of conscious and a cliffhanger of sorts has him firmly planted back in New Orleans. ****

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Episode list

Star trek: voyager.

S6.E1 ∙ Equinox, Part II

S6.E2 ∙ Survival Instinct

S6.E3 ∙ Barge of the Dead

S6.E4 ∙ Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy

S6.E5 ∙ Alice

S6.E6 ∙ Riddles

S6.E7 ∙ Dragon's Teeth

S6.E8 ∙ One Small Step

S6.E9 ∙ The Voyager Conspiracy

S6.E10 ∙ Pathfinder

S6.E11 ∙ Fair Haven

S6.E12 ∙ Blink of an Eye

S6.E13 ∙ Virtuoso

S6.E14 ∙ Memorial

S6.E15 ∙ Tsunkatse

S6.E16 ∙ Collective

S6.E17 ∙ Spirit Folk

S6.E18 ∙ Ashes to Ashes

S6.E19 ∙ Child's Play

S6.E20 ∙ Good Shepherd

S6.E21 ∙ Live Fast and Prosper

S6.E22 ∙ Muse

S6.E23 ∙ Fury

S6.E24 ∙ Life Line

S6.E25 ∙ The Haunting of Deck Twelve

S6.E26 ∙ Unimatrix Zero

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Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

• ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed for Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ to Conclude With Season 5 (EXCLUSIVE) 20 hours ago
• ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Getting Bloody, Live-Action Film ‘The Last Ronin’ 2 days ago
• Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series 1 week ago

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot developments in Season 5, Episode 1 of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” now streaming on Paramount+.

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Kovich’s explanation evokes the classic “ Star Trek: The Next Generation ” episode “The Chase” from 1993 in which Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) — along with teams of Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians — learn that all humanoid life in the galaxy was created by a single species that existed billions of years earlier, and seeded thousands of planets with the DNA to pass along their legacy. (Along with presenting a profound vision of the origins of life, the episode also provided an imaginative explanation for why almost all the aliens in “Star Trek” basically look like humans with different kinds of forehead ridges.)

Kovich tells Burnham that the Romulan scientist was part of a team sent to discover exactly how these aliens — whom they call the Progenitors — made this happen; the object they’re seeking winds up being one part of a brand new “chase,” this time in the 32nd century, to find the Progenitors’ technology before it can fall into the wrong hands. 

“I remember watching that episode and at the end of it just being blown away that there was this huge idea where we all come from,” Paradise says. “And then they’re going to have another mission the next week. I found myself wondering, ‘Well, then what? What happened? What do we do with this information? What does it mean?’”

Originally, Paradise says the “Discovery” writers’ room discussed evoking the Progenitors in Season 4, when the Discovery meets an alien species, the 10-C, who live outside of the galaxy and are as radically different from humans as one could imagine. “As we dug deeper into the season itself, we realized that it was too much to try and get in,” Paradise says.

Instead, they made the Progenitors the engine for Season 5. “Burnham and some of our other characters are on this quest for personal meaning,” Paradise says. Searching for the origins of life itself, she adds, “feels like a big thematic idea that fits right in with what we’re exploring over the course of the season, and what our characters are going through.”

That meant that Paradise finally got to help come up with the answers to the questions about “The Chase” that had preoccupied her when she was younger. “We had a lot of fun talking about what might’ve happened when [Picard] called back to headquarters and had to say, ‘Here’s what happened today,’” she says. “We just built the story out from there.”

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'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Is Based on This Unforgettable 'Next Generation' Episode

EPs Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise talk Season 5, their process when approaching new seasons, & tease upcoming Star Trek projects.

The Big Picture

• Collider's Steve Weintraub sits down with Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise to discuss the final season.
• Kurtzman and Paradise discuss the inspiration behind Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, the themes of the final season, and share behind-the-scenes Star Trek details.
• Kurtzman also teases upcoming Star Trek projects like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3.

In both celebration and a farewell, the cast and creatives behind Star Trek: Discovery made their way from the final frontier to Austin, Texas for this year’s South by Southwest film and television festival. It was a bittersweet moment for all as they world premiered the first episode of 10 for the final fifth season, “Red Directive.” Ahead of the screening, Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to sit down with executive producer Alex Kurtzman and executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise to have a conversation about how the duo approached this final season's storyline, and all things Star Trek .

With Discovery 's Season 5 now available to stream on Paramount+, fans have had the opportunity to join Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and her crew's final mission on an adventure to locate an ancient artifact with some seriously mind-boggling powers. As it turns out, they aren't the only ones searching for the mysterious object, pitting them in a race against time to retrieve the item before it falls into the wrong hands. In addition to Martin-Green, Season 5 sends off Doug Jones ( Pan's Labyrinth ), Wilson Cruz ( My So-Called Life ), Blu del Barrio ( The Listener ), David Ajala ( Fast & Furious 6 ), Mary Wiseman ( Marriage Story ), and so many more.

Check out the full interview in the video above, or the transcript below, to find out how Star Trek: The Next Generation inspired Discovery 's swan song, the behind-the-scenes planning for new Star Trek series and episodes, and what they hoped to explore in Season 5. Kurtzman and Paradise also share some teasers for upcoming projects like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , and more.

Star Trek: Discovery

Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.

Read Our 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Review

COLLIDER: I’ve seen the first four episodes, and the only thing I’m mad about is I don’t have more to watch.

MICHELLE PARADISE: [Laughs] We did that on purpose. We were hoping to make you angry before you interviewed us.

How many episodes is the final season?

PARADISE: Ten.

How does that number get determined for each Trek show? Is it the studio saying, “This is the number we want?”

ALEX KURTZMAN: Yeah, I think they're only making 8 to 10 [episodes] of all shows, not just Trek shows, from this point forward.

You’re talking about for Paramount+?

KURTZMAN: For Paramount+. Yes, that's my understanding.

Where Does a New Season of Star Trek Begin?

You finish the last season, you find out you're going to get to do another season. What is the discussion like in terms of, “What is going to be our next season? What's the arc we're going for?” How does that all work behind the scenes?

PARADISE: Well, we always start with our characters, and where did they end last season and where do we want them to go this season? In those kinds of discussions, a lot of things start to come out thematically in terms of things that feel thematically resonant across those different characters, the things that we want to explore. In the midst of all of that, we are also figuring out the big ideas for the season. So, thematically this season, we're exploring questions of purpose and meaning , which felt like a natural extension coming off of the DMA and out of COVID and the Season 4 stuff. “What is next for our characters?” That felt like an organic place to go. And just in the midst of talking about all of that, it kind of organically leads to questions of, “Who are the antagonists for the season? What is the thing that our heroes are doing this season?”

Coming into Season 5 we knew that we wanted to do a bit of a tonal shift. We wanted to lead with a bit more action and adventure, and make it slightly lighter than earlier seasons. That’s where the idea for a quest came from. And those are organic conversations that all feed into one another as we're figuring out what we want the season to look like. We really do a lot of work up front breaking out just the high level of what the season will be before we start diving into the individual episodes.

'The Next Generation' Inspired 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5

One tng episode paved the way for the discovery crew..

This season connects to Star Trek: The Next Generation , which of course makes me very happy. When you do something like that, how did that come about, and ultimately, who makes the decision, like, “You're allowed to do this?” Is it you? Is it the studio? How does that decision get figured out?

PARADISE: Well, in terms of where it comes from, we had actually been interested in the episode, “The Chase.” It’s something that has stuck with many of us from TNG just because it has such big ideas, big things that it's exploring — where does life come from? It was this single episode that explores these big things and then kind of moves on to the next episode, and it kind of lends itself to so many questions of, “Well, then what happened? What do we do then?” So we were actually looking at that and considering folding some of that into Season 4, but as we got into Season 4, we realized with the 10-C, there was just so much story, it was too much happening, and it didn't quite feel organic. When we came into Season 5 and started looking at where our characters were and where they were going to go over the course of the season, and what Burnham was exploring with respect to meaning and what's next and all of that, it really felt like that progenitor story as a quest felt like the perfect place to live thematically.

Then in terms of who allows us to do that, I mean, we talk about it and Alex says yes. Then, I don't know, do people above and beyond that…?

KURTZMAN: No. There's always a big conversation about whether or not that's something in canon. What you never want to do is just throw in an Easter egg to throw it in with no real reason. That is, I think, the worst mistake because it starts to feel like fan service and has the exact opposite effect of what you want. In this particular case, it's the root of the season, and it sets the season forward, and it asks a very fundamental question that becomes the question that we set out to answer for the season. So, from that perspective, it was the right choice.

At the studio, how does it actually work? Obviously, you are near the top of the food chain on Star Trek. Who do you talk to at Paramount+ in terms of working out budgets or working out what they want for Star Trek, which you then do? How is that structure figured out?

KURTZMAN: It's a communal conversation, meaning I talked to the head of the studio, David Stapf, who's been incredibly supportive from the beginning, from Discovery' s launch. Then we go, and we talk to the Paramount+ folks, and we tell them, “Here's what we're thinking. In order to get to this show, we're going to need to start planning, really, two years ahead, which means you have to start putting things in development.” It's actually a small group of people. And then once you figure out what show everybody wants to make, then it becomes a question of what it costs to make it.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’s Connection to ‘The Next Generation’ Explained

I'm assuming you have a number for the budget for all 10 episodes. How does it work in terms of figuring out where and when you want to deploy additional resources, knowing you can only spend so much here and there?

PARADISE: I think it depends on the individual episode. So, for example, our premieres and finales have always tended to be a little bit bigger than pattern. We have a pattern budget, which is the number that we want to hit for any given episode. Because our premiere and finales are typically larger because we want to launch with a bang and end with a bang, we just know that if we go over the pattern in the episode, or in a particular area of the episode, that in later episodes we're gonna need to make that up. So, it's really a matter of just making sure that we are diligent about that and keeping track along the way, so that by the end of the season we have hit our pattern for all of the episodes, even if one or more went over.

Bottleneck Episodes Are Actually Beneficial to Television

"it's an essential part of it.".

How much in the writers’ room are you thinking, “It would be great, because we want to go big in two episodes, we really need a flashlight episode in Episode 6. That way we can take that money and use it somewhere else?”

PARADISE: We're very thoughtful about that. For example, going into any season, I don't even need to know what the season is about to know that our premiere and our finale are probably going to be bigger, because that's just how we tend to do it. So we always go in kind of knowing that. Once we start getting budget information, we get a sense of how much bigger the premiere will be, and then we just know, “Here's how much we have to make up along the way.” We're diligent about making sure that if we need to do a bottle episode, we do a bottle episode.

Flashlights.

PARADISE: We do flashlights, and no one gets to change their costumes suddenly. [Laughs]

I'm a huge Star Trek fan. If you watch Next Generation , every season there's a flashlight episode, or something that requires just sitting in one stage, just them talking, you know what I mean? And you know that the money's gonna be deployed somewhere else.

KURTZMAN: No, it's an essential part of it. In fact, I think from a dramatic perspective, it's great because it forces you to tell stories that are just focused on character, nothing else. If you say, “Sorry, you don't get any explosions this episode. You don't get anything, any of the bells and whistles, you just have to write people in a room,” it forces your brain into a different space than you're usually in, which is a great thing if you're doing it right. It's a great thing for character.

How 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Twin Peaks' Changed the Television Frontier

If you could only watch one TV show for the rest of your life, what TV show would it be, and why?

PARADISE: I might say The Twilight Zone , because it's one of those shows where there are different tonal elements in all the episodes. It did such a wonderful job of reflecting what was happening in society at times. It's an incredible mix of character work and genre, and just profound questions that it would explore. I remember growing up on that and just loving it. And every Thanksgiving they would have Twilight Zone marathons, and I would just sit and watch The Twilight Zone for hours and hours on end. I have The Twilight Zone companion at home. [Laughs] It's really wonderful, compact storytelling, and I think it endures for a reason.

It also led to where you're sitting.

PARADISE: Yes, that too. I mean, I don't think you can overlook the importance of that show in all of these.

100%. What about you?

KURTZMAN: Twin Peaks for me, which is weirdly very Twilight Zone adjacent. Twin Peaks made me want to make television. It just changed my understanding of what television could be. I remember seeing the premiere of the episode at a screening at LACMA when I was growing up. I was in high school, and I didn't understand what I was watching because at that point, television was cops, doctors, lawyers, right? And so you see that show, and he's just blowing up everything you understand about TV. It is endlessly entertaining to me, and the more you watch it, the more you begin to see that it's a case study on all the things that should be done on television, and then all the things that shouldn't be done on television when networks come in and start mandating certain things that sort of break the rules that was fundamentally so wonderful about an idea. So, I just think it's an amazing, amazing piece of art.

Kyle MacLachlan Ushered in a New Era of Cool Detective in 'Twin Peaks'

I think, also, a lot of people don't realize the context of time of when it was on, just like you said.

KURTZMAN: People don't get it. It was funny, we had a whole conversation this week in the writers’ room about it because a lot of the writers’ assistants, who are of a totally different generation, just had no frame of reference for Twin Peaks . And so somebody, one of the writers’ assistants, asked, “Why should I watch? Why should I watch the show? What's so special about it?” And I said, “You’ve got to understand context, which is impossible for you to understand given the fact that you didn't live through it, but there was nothing like that that had ever existed. It was the first thing ever. And every show that you love now…” You can name 20, 30 of them. It was funny because we just finished Season 4 of True Detective , and I said, “There is no Season 4 of True Detective without Twin Peaks . It doesn't exist.” I mean, I can name 10 shows right now that don't exist without Twin Peaks . And so I think when he saw that, he went, “Oh my god, that's right. I didn't understand it. I apologize.”

Star Trek Fire Round With Alex Kurtzman

As the person near the focal point of Star Trek, I do have a few individual questions for you, if you don't mind. Just like Discovery , I'm a big fan of Strange New Worlds . I know you're filming Season 3. How's that going?

KURTZMAN: It’s going great.

Anything you want to tease?

KURTZMAN: No. [Laughs]

Got it. I am also a fan of Lower Decks . I think that Mike [McMahan] does such a great job with that. Do you know if Paramount's planning on renewing that? Do you know if it's near the end of its run? What can you say?

KURTZMAN: I don’t. What I can tell you is that I think we’ve had five amazing seasons. If it’s five amazing seasons then that’s amazing. The fact is that five seasons of anything in the streaming universe is almost unheard of at this point. It’s been such a delightful show. Mike, the whole staff, everybody on it — amazing. Tawny Newsome, who obviously plays Mariner on the show, is also in our Starfleet writers’ room, and so it feels like the spirit of that show has somehow also migrated into Starfleet in some ways. But if this turns out to be our last season I think we will all walk out heads high.

Filming Star Trek's 'Strange New Worlds' x 'Lower Decks' Crossover Was a "Dream Come True" for Tawny Newsome

Speaking of Starfleet Academy , not like I wasn't going to ask about it, h ave you started casting?

KURTZMAN: We haven’t started casting the kids .

Have you revealed when it takes place on the Star Trek timeline?

KURTZMAN: Not to you, no.

[Laughs] Right. Exactly.

PARADISE: Actually, to everyone but you. [Laughs]

100%. So is it gonna be another 10-episode show?

KURTZMAN: Yeah.

Is it like a six-month shoot, a nine-month shoot?

KURTZMAN: Yeah. It could end up not airing until 2026. We don’t know. Just building the sets alone is a massive endeavor, then six months of shooting, then six to eight months of post. If you recall, there was all this noise around Season 1 and Season 2 of Discovery because the streaming service, they were like, “Oh, it’s a cop show.” I’m like, “No, you don’t understand. It’s eight months of visual effects turnaround, and we’re not gonna rush that.” So, it’ll come out, but it’ll come out when it’s done.

'Absentia' Co-Creator Gaia Violo Working on ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Spin-Off Series for Paramount+

One of the main issues, and I talk about this with everyone at every streamer, is I don't understand how they don't keep writers’ rooms going all the time because it's like, get the scripts ready so at least if they green light, you can try to go as soon as possible.

KURTZMAN: We’re actually starting to have that conversation now. There’s a million reasons to do it. It’s not just that it keeps things fresh, but it also saves an enormous amount of money for your budget.

Absolutely. That’s why Netflix, with Avatar [ the Last Airbender ], just renewed two seasons. It’s great.

KURTZMAN: Yeah. You’re sitting here holding stages and you’re paying for those stages and nothing’s happening. Sometimes it takes four to six months to renew a show. The case that we’ve been making is if you take four to six months that’s just money off the screen and you’re burning money. Everybody hears it. Everybody understands. There’s no debate about it.

I know you haven't cast the kids, but what can you tease about the cast and the protagonists on the show?

KURTZMAN: This is my first official Starfleet Academy question. There are a lot of different kids from a lot of different places. Some of them want to be there, some of them don’t want to be there. It’s gonna be a fundamental reinforcement about all the things we love about Starfleet in general. You always want to ask yourself, “Why this show now?” I think that one of the big things that certainly my 17-year-old son is facing, which is kind of a fundamental Star Trek question, is, “How did we get here? How has this generation inherited the mistakes from the previous generation? And what are we gonna do to fix it to build that optimistic future that is Roddenberry’s essential vision?” That is very much going to be at the heart of Starfleet Academy .

One of the reasons why I'm excited for the show is because Star Trek cannot exist with just aiming at the older fans. You have to bring in new people. One of the reasons why Prodigy is great, and one of the reasons why I'm looking forward to Academy is because you can go after, maybe,15 to 19-year-olds. Do you know what I mean?

KURTZMAN: I do. So here’s the thing, I couldn’t agree with you more. I will also say, and I’m always very vocal about this with the studio, you can’t do that to the exclusion of OG fans. You have to make sure that you are also pleasing people who have been around and are die-hard TOS fans, die-hard Next Gen fans, whatever iteration of Trek is yours. You cannot alienate those people. You actually also have to invite them to the tent. So the challenge is how do you do that while also bringing in Trek to a new generation of fans that have no experience with those shows, has never watched those shows? So you need to make a show that you can drop into if you don’t know anything about Star Trek, but also a show that you can get a tremendous amount out of if you have all of that canonical history.

One of the things about the Academy is that you only go to Star Trek Academy for so many years. So, hypothetically you get to run for four seasons — do you see it that each season you would essentially be bringing in new people and people would be graduating, or are you aiming for the whatever-amount of years? Do you see what I mean?

KURTZMAN: Of course I see what you mean. [Laughs] We talk about it every day. Without spoiling anything, what I’ll tell you is I think the structure and the construction of the show is going to allow for both of those things to happen.

Do you know when you're going to announce the cast, or no?

KURTZMAN: It’ll be a while. We haven’t actually started the casting process, essentially. We’ve started generally for some of the adult characters. We haven’t even started with the kids.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 release every Thursday on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount

REVIEW: Star Trek: Discovery Season 5’s ‘Jinaal’ Draws on Star Trek History for a Fresh Story

Star Trek: Discovery's latest episode, "Jinaal," uses a Trill ritual from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to take Culber, Burnham and Book on an adventure.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 3, "Jinaal."

In the premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham met Captain Rayner and learned the truth behind the "Red Directive" that sent them chasing after an 800-year-old Romulan vessel. The brusque captain is now her first officer, and together they have to race space-pirates Moll and L'ak for technology that could change the galaxy and, effectively, introduce them to "God." But before they can do that, they must deal with the long-dead Trill symbiont host who gave this episode its title: Jinaal.

In the second episode, Burnham and Mister Saru went "Under the Twin Moons" of a planet to find the first piece of the puzzle and a clue to the next one. Moll and L'ak, however, beat them to it, but they didn't find the entire clue. Instead, they were sent on a wild space-goose chase to the planet Betazed, while the real clue was hidden on the Trill homeworld. Meanwhile, on the ship, now-Commander Rayner has to bond with the crew of the USS Discovery, despite his wildly different style of leadership than the folks on the ship are used to.

Both stories speak to the theme of this episode and the season overall: the connections between individuals, even between those who share very little in common. But what made this episode truly memorable was how it linked itself to a previous Star Trek show. This was done in the way that Jinaal, the symbiont host who possesses the information Burnham and company need, revealed it to them comes directly from Star Trek 's past. Specifically, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Captain Michael Burnham Is in Peak “Star Trek Captain’ Mode

Captain michael burnham didn't let setbacks and personal problems slow her down, review: star trek: discovery season 5 premiere 'red directive' takes off at warp speed.

One of the most interesting things about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's third episode is very subtle. Throughout the season so far -- but especially in "Jinaal" -- Michael Burnham seems comfortable as the captain . While she was made for the center seat, Season 4 was a tough period of adjustment for her. This was especially true in light of the galaxy-destroying threat the Discovery faced last time. But at the start of this episode, Burnham was wholly in control of her ship and crew .

It's also worth noting that Burnham's authority remained steadfast even if her personal life wasn't in the best place. Ever since betraying her in Season 4 , Cleveland Booker's relationship with Burnham is on the rockiest ground it's been she first arrived in the 32nd Century.

Season 5's first episodes showed they no longer operated together with a near-symbiotic shorthand. Moll, it turns out, is the long-lost daughter of his mentor, who previously used the name "Cleveland Booker." Burnham isn't sure she can trust him. Still, the first scenes of "Jinaal" show her quickly and easily making decisions, including taking a leap of faith by trusting Booker to join them on the mission on Trill.

While it's unclear how much time has passed since Burnham became captain at the end of Season 3, Rayner definitely had more years in command under his belt. However, after Starfleet tried to force his early retirement, Burnham made him her new first officer. He accepted a demotion to Commander, and the two now have to figure out a way to work together. Yet, when Burnham welcomed him aboard, there was no doubt who is in charge.

In fact, it was no accident that she paired him with Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly. Of everyone aboard the USS Discovery, Tilly has the most personal connection to the crew, and she's also (obviously) not afraid to challenge her superior officers. After all, she was promoted to First Officer in Season 3 even if she was merely an Ensign.

The USS Discovery’s Away Mission on Trill Connects to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star trek: discovery used the zhian'tara ritual for more than a nostalgic callback, review: in under the twin moons, star trek: discovery shines brighter than ever.

Upon arriving at the Trill homeworld, Captain Burnham was asked a riddle as a security measure, though even Moll and L'ak likely could've answered it. The clue they found in the previous episode pointed to Betazed, which is presumably where the two pirates went. Burnham answered the riddle, and her team was taken down to the Trill symbiont pools where she then met the long-lived symbiont's host who knew where the clue was hidden. But in order for Burnham and company to get the piece of the puzzle they need, they had to be tested by Jinaal. This was thanks to the Zhian'tara, the Trill's ritual for closure, which was first created on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Facets (Season 3, Episode 25)," Jadzia Dax went through her zhian'tara, which allowed the memories of past hosts to be telepathically transferred into another's body. It's a ritual all Trill hosts go through once they are joined. In Star Trek: Discovery's case, Jinaal wanted a body to physically take Burnham and Booker to the clue, while testing them without their knowledge. He wanted to make sure that they were worthy of the powerful technology of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Progenitors. He led them to the nesting grounds of alien predators whose skin effectively served as cloaking devices.

Jinaal also wanted to see if they were willing to destroy innocent creatures to possess this knowledge. He was also willing to let "unworthy" seekers die to protect the secret. Thanks to Booker's empathic ability to connect to animals and the creatures' higher levels of intelligence, they passed the test. When Burnham discovered the creatures were only protecting their eggs, they agreed to abandon the hunt for the clue. When they reunite with Jinaal, he had the puzzle piece ready for them because they proved themselves worthy. This was yet another instance where Star Trek: Discovery took an element of past Star Trek canon and applied it to its own stories in a fresh, fun and meaningful way.

Star Trek: Discovery Took Some Detours Into Politics & Love

"jinaal" strengthened one of its core relationships but ended another, star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

Fans worried about not seeing Saru again after he left the USS Discovery will surely be pleased to see him appear, with his betrothed T'Rina, at Federation headquarters. He's been named an Ambassador for a number of smaller planetary systems, and he participated in his first diplomatic session with his colleagues. This was an interesting look at the inside dealings of Federation politics unlike any Star Trek series has shown audiences.

Rather than have crewmembers discuss ethical and political dilemmas during an action-packed mission, "Jinaal" set the clash of ideas in a boardroom. The discussions were exceedingly formal and exactly as "boring" as longtime fans would expect a utopian society's politics to be. In fact, Saru's greatest struggle wasn't with dealing with his potential political rivals, but with the woman he loves. Or, at least, her staff.

President T'Rina's aide spoke to Saru offline, explaining his reservations about their pending nuptials. Despite the Vulcan-Romulan reunification and the return of Ni'Var to the Federation, it seems there are still dissidents. These "Vulcan Purists" would object to Saru and T'Rina's marriage.

When Saru told T'Rina that they should delay their marital announcement, she understandably got angry with him . While Saru was trying to protect T'Rina by making this decision for her, he neglected to see that she'd already considered the issue. After they made up, she told him that not announcing their engagement would make it seem like she had something to hide, which would be more damning to her public image and personal convictions.

Star Trek: Discovery's Adira Is The Next Generation's Wesley Crusher Done Right

Conversely, on Trill, Adira Tal and Gray -- the former Tal symbiont host who was put into a new, synthetic body with the zhian'tara ritual -- saw each other for the first time in six months. The reunion was bittersweet because unlike Saru and T'Rina, who patched things up rather quickly, Adira and Gray broke up shortly after. This was a questionable decision for the history-making couple.

Gray is the first transgender character in Star Trek , while Adira is the franchise's first explicitly non-binary character. Their relationship was a foundational part of each character's lives. There are quite a few ongoing love stories in Star Trek: Discovery that are on shakier ground than Adira and Gray, but they're still together. Breaking apart this particular couple is a questionable decision at best, and insidious at worst.

Given how little screentime Adira and, especially, Gray already had on Star Trek: Discovery , it would've been better to allow their relationship to flourish off-screen . There is merit in showing struggle and even the end of nontraditional relationships in fiction. But given the many "firsts" that Gray and Adira represented and in light of current events, their breakup undercut the episode's and the season's themes of shared connection.

Everyone else in the series, even the standoffish Commander Rayner, found themselves drawn closer to others during this week's episode. Even ignoring the negative implications, driving Adira and Gray further apart doesn't add any suspense, tension or value to the series' wider story. This could be addressed better in later episodes but, for now, it's one of the series' weakest narrative decisions.

The Theme of Connection in ‘Jinaal’ Runs Throughout Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Star trek: discovery season 5 is beginning to tackle one of the oldest questions in history, star trek: discovery's mary wiseman, wilson cruz and blu del barrio hype finale.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation writers developed "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," the message the Progenitor hologram delivered was a classic moral for the universe. However, it was really included to offer an explanation to nitpicky fans as to why the vast majority of aliens in the universe had two arms, two legs and other humanoid characteristics. This in turn also meant that every species, including classic Star Trek villains , were related to each other on a foundational genetic level.

As corny and implausibly convenient as this primordial connection could be to some, it can also bring Star Trek's vastly different societies together in ways that even the Federation couldn't. Not only that, but as Burnham and Culber discuss at the end of the episode, the Progenitors' truth could also answer deeply spiritual questions. Specifically, "Why are we here?" Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 took one of Star Trek's most existential yet overlooked ideas, and explored it in ways that previous shows and movies didn't.

For the longest time, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted his characters to meet "God." While Star Trek V: The Final Frontier took an ambitious stab at this existential idea but fell short of expectations, it might just be Star Trek: Discovery that finally delivers a version of a higher power and its implications that Roddenberry himself would approve of.

Because instead of some mythical or mystical being, this show's version of the creator is merely an advanced race of humanoids who felt alone in the universe. Even though they knew their species wouldn't live to see the fruits of their creation, they wanted to make life in their own image and out of nothing but love.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery follows Michael Burnham on her journay from a mutineer in the 23rd Century to Starfleet captain in the 32nd. With its one-of-a-kind spore drive, the USS Discovery is a ship unlike any other, with a crew to match.

• Michael Burnham is at her best as a Starfleet Captain.
• The use of the zhian'tara draws connections to classic bits of Star Trek history.
• The episode blends action and character moments quite well.
• Breaking but Adira and Gray feels like forcing romantic tension where it doesn't need to be.
• While better than not seeing him, the Saru portion of the story risks unbalancing the central narrative.
• The cards-down approach to the Season 5 antagonists risks undercutting how cool they are.

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• ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed As ‘Lower Decks’ Sets Ending After 5 Seasons

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fourth season ahead of the show’s Season 3 premiere which is slated for 2025 and currently in production. Additionally, the previously announced fifth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks will serve as its final. New episodes of the final season, currently in production, will arrive this fall.

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“Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we’ve built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we’re working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off,” they added.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated comedy series following the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos. The crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes the voices of Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero; the bridge crew is voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore and Gillian Vigman.

The series is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers include Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Titmouse serves as the animation studio for the series which streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

It stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Babs Olusanmokun, along with special guest stars Paul Wesley and Carol Kane. The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

“On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds, we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can’t wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure,” said Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and Alex Kurtzman in a statement.

The expanded world of Star Trek on Paramount+ also includes the fifth and final season of Star Trek : Discovery, currently airing; the original film Star Trek : Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh, which recently wrapped production; and the new original series Star Trek : Starfleet Academy, slated to begin production later this year.

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When does the final season of 'Star Trek: Discovery' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch

It's time for U.S.S. Discovery's final mission.

Paramount+'s hit TV series "Star Trek: Discovery" is returning for its fifth and final season this week and there is a lot to look forward to.

"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," says Paramount+ about the upcoming season. "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" debuted in 2017 and is the seventh in the Star Trek series. Here's everything you need to know about the final season of the series.

When does 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 premiere?

The finale season of "Star Trek: Discovery" is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4.

The first two episodes will be available to stream on the premiere date, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays. Paramount+ did not specify what time the episodes will be available on their platform.

'Star Trek: Discovery' on Paramount+: Subscribe

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'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 episodes

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" has 10 episodes in total. The first two will be available to stream on April 4, with the remaining dropping weekly on Thursday on Paramount+.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 cast

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" brings back new and old faces along with recurring guest stars. Cast members include:

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber
• David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker
• Blu del Barrio as Adira
• Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner.
• Elias Toufexis as L’ak
• Eve Harlow as Moll

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 trailer

Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for Season 5 on Feb. 23.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.