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Much like the series it followed, Star Trek: Discovery was (is still being) used to launch a new network, this time CBS All Access. But a lot had changed since the days of Enterprise. After the end of that series, which lasted just four seasons, it seemed that Star Trek was dead in the water. After 2002, until 2009, there was no Trek on television, or in theaters.In 2007, however, Paramount gave the power to super-director J.J. Abrams to reimagine the franchise. Abrams, and collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller helped craft a new kind of reboot. Their version of Star Trek was more action oriented, which upset some fans. But the trick worked, and Star Trek (2009) spawned two sequels, Into Darkness and Beyond.
On television, after Enterprise was canceled, fans got to see a new kind of science fiction show, with roots in the 1970s. The reimagined Battlestar Galactica, which was created by Trek veteran Ronald D. Moore pushed the limits of what sci-fi could be on television. Moore’s new show was a saga, which spanned years, not mere episodes. Battlestar was a huge success. Could Trek do something similar?
Smelling a successful formula, CBS contracted with Fuller and Kurtzman to develop a new show, which followed the style of the successful film series, and not Enterprise. Fuller was taking the lead on developing the new show, but was eventually forced out, leaving Kurtzman in sole charge. It was Fuller who wanted to center the show around a Black female lead, and give a prominent part to an openly Gay character — both firsts for Trek.
Kurtzman delivered on Fuller’s plan. Discovery is led by Sonequa Martin-Green as the main character, Commander Michael Burnham, and features Lieutenant Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) as the openly Gay character. Oh, he’s also a science officer aboard the Discovery, responsible for running the “spore drive.”
Discovery was wedged between ST:E and TOS in the Trek timeline, which caused more heartburn for fans. But as of Season 3, the show and the ship have moved 930 years into the future, where Burnham and her team face a new situation.
No. | Episode Title | Air Date |
1 | The Vulcan Hello | Sept. 24, 2017 |
2 | Battle at the Binary Stars | Sept. 24, 2017 |
3 | Context Is for Kings | Oct. 1, 2017 |
4 | The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry | Oct. 8, 2017 |
5 | Choose Your Pain | Oct. 15, 2017 |
6 | Lethe | Oct. 22, 2017 |
7 | Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad | Oct. 29, 2017 |
8 | Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum | Nov. 5, 2017 |
9 | Into the Forest I Go | Nov. 12, 2017 |
10 | Despite Yourself | Jan. 7, 2018 |
11 | The Wolf Inside | Jan. 14, 2018 |
12 | Vaulting Ambition | Jan. 21, 2018 |
13 | What’s Past Is Prologue | Jan. 28, 2018 |
14 | The War Without, The War Within | Feb. 4, 2018 |
15 | Will You Take My Hand? | Feb. 11, 2018 |
No. | Episode Title | Air Date |
16 | Brother | Jan. 17, 2019 |
17 | New Eden | Jan. 24, 2019 |
18 | Point of Light | Jan. 31, 2019 |
19 | An Obol for Charon | Feb. 7, 2019 |
20 | Saints of Imperfection | Feb. 14, 2019 |
21 | The Sound of Thunder | Feb. 21, 2019 |
22 | Light and Shadows | Feb. 28, 2019 |
23 | If Memory Serves | Mar. 7, 2019 |
24 | Project Daedalus | Mar. 14, 2019 |
25 | The Red Angel | Mar. 21, 2019 |
26 | Perpetual Infinity | Mar. 28, 2019 |
27 | Through the Valley of Shadows | Apr. 4, 2019 |
28 + 29 | Such Sweet Sorrow | Apr. 11, 2019 |
No. | Episode Title | Air Date |
30 | That Hope Is You, Part 1 | Oct. 15, 2020 |
31 | Far From Home | Oct. 22, 2020 |
32 | People of Earth | Oct. 29, 2020 |
33 | Forget Me Not | Nov. 5, 2020 |
34 | Die Trying | Nov. 12, 2020 |
35 | Scavengers | Nov. 19, 2020 |
36 | Unification III | Nov. 26, 2020 |
37 | The Sanctuary | Dec. 3, 2020 |
38 | Terra Firma, Part I | Dec. 10, 2020 |
39 | Terra Firma, Part II | Dec. 17, 2020 |
40 | Su’Kal (formerly The Citadel) | Dec. 24, 2020 |
41 | There Is A Tide… (formerly The Good of the People) | Dec. 31, 2020 |
42 | That Hope Is You, Part 2 (formerly Outside) | Jan. 7, 2021 |
News from Discovery
We’ll bring you the latest updates and headlines on Star Trek: Discovery, and related news here:
- EXCLUSIVE: Actress Tara Rosling on T’Rina, Vulcans, and Discovery’s Season 4
- Let’s talk about that Discovery turbolift scene
- Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks all nominated for awards
- The Noah Averbach-Katz petition aims to get the beloved actor back on Discovery
- Behind the scenes with the multi-talented Avaah Blackwell
- He’s a one-man starship design house — meet Shea of Quantum Designs AZ
- An interview with Janet Kidder on Osyraa and why Star Trek is different
- “That Hope Is You” sets up interesting questions for Discovery Season 4
- Why 800 episodes of Star Trek matters so much
- Are the Terra Firma episodes Star Trek’s version of “A Christmas Carol?”