*In an exclusive interview, we chatted with executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise about “Star Trek: Discovery’s” highly anticipated fifth and final season.
As the visionary minds behind the series, Kurtzman and Paradise shared insights into the creative process, the evolution of beloved characters, and what fans can expect from this epic conclusion to the Discovery journey.
The series finale finds Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) “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,” per the official synopsis.
During our exclusive conversation with Martin-Green, she discussed her emotional journey amid the final season.
“I feel grateful. I feel grateful that we were able to tell the story that we did over the course of the entire show, and then especially how we ended,” Martin-Green shared with EUR exclusively. “I think that people will be moved. I think they’ll be touched, I think they’ll be satisfied, and I think that they will be left with hope. It’ll be the sort of final fragrance that they take in on the way out.”
“Michelle and I were co-showrunners for a long time, but she really deserves the credit for the last two seasons. She’s been amazing, amazing,” Kurtzman told us.
“I think that in our time together, we’ve talked so much about where we wanted to take our characters, and every season isn’t just sort of the discovery of a new world,” Kurtzman continued. “It’s the discovery… What the people themselves are discovering. I think we ask a really sort of huge question in this last season, which is, where do we come from? “It feels like a very fitting idea for the final season.”
The “Star Trek” fan base is famously passionate and diverse. We asked the EP’s how crucial it was to balance honoring its rich history and introducing new elements to keep the series fresh and relevant.
“Both of those things are hugely important,” Paradise stated. “It’s every iteration of Star Trek. To be Star Trek it has to honor where it all began. And fortunately, Gene Roddenberry set a template that is a wonderful template to follow, a diverse cast, these wonderful adventures, an underlying feeling of optimism and hope, and that we can overcome any challenge if we do it together,” Paradise continued. “And action, adventure and fun and humor. And then of course, in our time, we want to see … what areas can we push things even further? What kinds of characters can we bring in, what kinds of stories we can tell. All of course, honoring where this all comes from and making sure it feels part of the Star Trek universe.”
The “Star Trek: Discovery” season five cast members include 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). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll), per the release.
The fifth and final season premieres on April 4, 2024, exclusively on Paramount+.
Watch our conversation with Kurtzman and Paradise below.
