In March 2023, Paramount+ made the surprise announcement that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 would end the series. However, Paramount+ funded 3 extra days of filming that allowed the cast and crew to return to Toronto for a special 12-minute epilogue to give Star Trek: Discovery a definitive ending and a form of closure. However, not every character’s story could be wrapped up since season 5 was not produced to be Star Trek: Discovery‘s final season.
Star Trek: Discovery cast members Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Raven Dauda, Ava Blackwell, and David Benjamin Tomlinson appeared at a panel on the Star Trek Cruise moderated by Star Trek science advisor, Dr. Erin Macdonald. On the subject of how the actors feel about Star Trek: Discovery being over, Anthony Rapp explained how he and his cast mates expected to have at least “one more season” together, and he mourned not just the show, but the inability to bring Commander Paul Stamets’ story to a close. Read Anthony’s quote below:
Anthony Rapp: “I think it’s known now publicly that we didn’t know that season 5 was going to be the end of it until after we did it, so that was a hard thing, to not have the chance to really close all of the circles. At the end of season 5, there’s this wonderful new question: What now for Paul? Because for such a brilliant scientist, his major life’s work is gone. The spore drive is being retired for understandable reasons, because of ethical concerns, etc. He’s now part-tardigrade, etc.
‘Now what?’ is such a great question for any human being, let alone a brilliant scientist. So I had to kind of mourn the loss of that chance to do that, as well as mourn the loss of [the show]. We thought we had at least one more season where we could all be together and close all those chapters. So that took some time. Thankfully, wonderful things happened in my life in the meantime…
It was such a gift to be able to be part of [Star Trek] in general, but also to be able to play a character over the course of years. That was new to me… To get to start Paul where he’s grumpy Paul, and then to be a little less grumpy… But to earn softness, earn love, that was really cool. To get to build this family with Blu [del Barrio] and Wilson [Cruz] was really amazing. To get to see all the growth of my fellow actors, to be a part of something that changed and grew over time, that was such a gift. I thought maybe we had one more chance.”
Doug Jones had a different experience when Star Trek: Discovery ended as his character, Ambassador Saru, received what he feels was a complete arc and a sense of closure to the Kelpien hero’s journey. Read Doug’s quote below:
Doug Jones: “Boy, what a journey Saru had, right? Going from a fearful little Kelpien to ‘Action Saru.’ And married to the lovely President T’Rina. Honestly, for me, when season 5 came to a close, and we found out afterward that that was the last of our show, unlike you [Anthony], I feel bad for you. I do! I do! Saru’s story came to a lovely closure, I thought.
He got a promotion as an Ambassador for the Federation to represent planets of his size, welcoming them into the Federation. My wedding was the last episode, with T’Rina. So he’s got his love life in order, he’s got his career in a [good] place. I’m 65 years old now, so I like to think that Saru wanted to slow down and get off the ship with the dangers coming at them every day. He can be a dignitary now. I love that for him. Between his dignitary duties, you saw his quarters, he’s probably gardening a lot now. A lot of plant life.”
Watch Star Trek: Discovery‘s panel on the Star Trek Cruise courtesy of UltimatDJz Playz’s YouTube:
As Anthony Rapp alluded to, Commander Paul Stamets learned that the United Federation of Planets opted not to pursue augmenting Starfleet with spore displacement hub drives and chose a different form of warp drive instead. For Stamets, this was a crushing professional disappointment as the spore drive was his life’s work.
Still, as Rapp points out, Stamets enjoyed a rich and happy personal life in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Paul was in a loving marriage with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and they were surrogate parents to Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). Sadly, Stamets’ story was left open-ended by the abrupt conclusion of Star Trek: Discovery.
Initially, Star Trek: Discovery expected to run for seven seasons to match the Star Trek series in the 1990s that were executive produced by Rick Berman. Star Trek: Discovery’s creative team believed they would at least return for season 6. However, Paramount+ began canceling many of its Star Trek series as Paramount Global prepared to be purchased by Skydance Media.
Although Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, a direct spinoff continuing Star Trek: Discovery‘s timeline, only has one more season produced, there is hope that that Stamets and other Disco characters could still appear in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2. Given that Starfleet Academy season 2’s filming has wrapped, any Star Trek: Discovery actors involved will be keeping their appearances top secret.
- Release Date
-
2017 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Alex Kurtzman
- Writers
-
Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller