Throughout its five-season run, Star Trek: Discovery has been met with mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, but the series undoubtedly made many positive contributions to the Star Trek franchise. Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017 on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) with a dark story set about a decade before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.

The series kicks off when Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) commits mutiny and inadvertently sends the Federation into war with the Klingons. The first season then unfolds with complicated Klingon politics, experimental spore drive technology, and Mirror Universe shenanigans. Star Trek: Discovery would go on to reinvent itself every season, eventually making the jump to the 32nd century after the show’s second season. Freed from any obligations to established Star Trek canon, Discovery found a new rhythm in exploring what was left of Starfleet and the Federation in the far future.

Not everything about Discovery worked all the time, but, as with most Star Trek, when it was good, it was truly great. The USS Discovery established itself as one of Star Trek’s most unique ships, with a crew of compelling characters, some of whom will join the lists of Star Trek greats. Discovery introduced Star Trek to a new generation of fans, and will certainly be looked at as a success.

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Discovery Brought Star Trek Back To Television & Ushered In A New Trek Era

Modern Star Trek Would Not Exist Without Star Trek: Discovery

After the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, no new Trek shows aired on television until Star Trek: Discovery’s premiere in 2017. While J.J. Abrams’ commercially successful films proved that audiences were still interested in Star Trek, Discovery proved that the franchise could continue to flourish in the era of streaming television. With its connections to Star Trek: The Original Series, Discovery appealed to already established Trek fans, but it was also constructed to serve as an entry point for those new to the franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery became the most viewed original series on CBS All Access and Paramount+, and this success led to multiple spin-offs and more Star Trek content. While Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy are direct spin-offs of Discovery, it’s also likely that Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy would not have existed had Discovery been a flop.

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Discovery Offered A Look Into Star Trek’s Far Future

Discovery Ventured Into The 32nd Century — Further Into The Future Than Any Other Star Trek Show

At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, the ship traveled over 900 years into the future to prevent Control from destroying the known universe. This put Discovery further into the future than any other Star Trek had gone before, offering a fascinating glimpse of a very different Federation. This jump allowed Discovery to establish its own Star Trek canon, without any obligation to match up with what has already been established.

The 32nd-century setting made Discovery more unique and also allowed the show to introduce new aliens and explore more advanced technology. With its journey to the future, Discovery leaned into Star Trek’s optimism, showing a Federation that was working to rebuild after the devastation caused by the Burn. The USS Discovery brought hope to the future, helping Starfleet and the Federation reestablish themselves in the 32nd century.

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Discovery Gave Star Trek’s Visual Effects A Needed 21st-Century Upgrade

Discovery Includes Some O Star Trek’s Coolest Visuals

Star Trek: The Original Series has become known for its low-budget sets and simple alien make-up, but as technology has improved, each subsequent Trek series has incorporated more complex visuals. While there will always be a certain charm to the outdated visuals of early Star Trek, Discovery stepped up the game regarding visual effects. From exotic alien planets to incredibly advanced technology, Discovery’s look really makes it feel like it all takes place in the future.

Discovery also produced fewer episodes than any previous Star Trek series, allowing each episode more time to film, as well as a significantly higher budget. Beginning with Star Trek: Discovery season 4, the production team began using a massive state-of-the-art AR Wall to create stunning alien backdrops that look real. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also uses this Wall and will continue to bring both classic and new alien planets to life.

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Discovery Added Cool New Alien Species & Characters To Trek Canon

Kelpians & Kwejians & Non-humanoid Aliens Known As Species 10-C, Oh My!

Although the cast of Star Trek: Discovery included many members of previously established alien species, the show also introduced some fascinating new aliens to Star Trek canon. Most notably, Mr. Saru (Doug Jones) introduced viewers to the Kelpians, a humanoid alien species living on Kaminar with the predatory Ba’ul. As the first Kelpian to join Starfleet, Saru single-handedly changed his people’s future, as he also discovered that Kelpians did not have to be prey.

One of the USS Discovery’s bridge officers, Lt. Arav (Avaah Blackwell), was a member of the Osnullus, although little is known about this strange-looking species. After Discovery jumped to the 32nd century, Captain Burnham encountered a Kwejian named Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). Although basically indistinguishable from humans, Book possessed an empathic ability to communicate and influence plants and animals, a trait that was rare even among Kwejians.

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Discovery Adapted Star Trek For The Streaming Era With More Serialized Stories

Star Trek Had To Find A New Way To Tell Stories For Modern Television

When Star Trek: The Original Series began in 1966, the television landscape was vastly different than it is today. Television shows consisted almost exclusively of standalone episodes that could be watched in any order. Even in the 1980s and 1990s, shows were mostly episodic, with only a few multi-part stories or connective story threads. Today, however, most television shows, particularly those on streaming services, are much more heavily serialized.

From its first season on, Star Trek: Discovery was more serialized than any previous Star Trek show, bringing the franchise into the era of streaming television. Although shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and even Star Trek: Lower Decks have a more adventure-of-the-week format, they still contain elements of serialization. Discovery established what Star Trek would be in the modern era of television, influencing every Trek story that followed.

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Discovery Introduced Anson Mount’s Pike, Ethan Peck’s Spock, & Rebecca Romijn’s Number One

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Wouldn’t Exist Without Discovery

Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, becoming so popular that he went on to lead his own spin-off. Following the adventures of Captain Pike and his crew on the USS Enterprise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds quickly became the most highly praised show of modern Trek. Pike, along with Number One and Spock, leads a phenomenal ensemble cast that includes both classic and new characters.

Pike, Spock, and Una shoock up the dynamic of Discovery, breathing new life into the show for its second season, while also providing more solid connections to Star Trek: The Original Series. Discovery season 2 explored Spock’s struggle with his human and Vulcan sides, as well as Pike’s glimpse into his dark future, both of which become major storylines on Strange New Worlds.

In its two seasons so far, Strange New Worlds has produced some of the greatest and most unique stories of modern Trek, including Star Trek’s first musical episode.

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Discovery Included More LGBTQ+ Representation Than Ever

Commander Stamets And Dr. Culber Remain One Of Star Trek’s Best Couples

As a franchise, Star Trek has always been ahead of its time in terms of social commentary and representation. Discovery continued that trend, with its incredibly diverse cast of characters from all walks of life. In particular, Discovery introduced several amazing queer characters into the franchise, showing that the 23rd (and 32nd) century has room for all kinds of relationships.

Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and his husband, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), became one of Star Trek’s best couples and the first established gay couple in the franchise.

After the USS Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) joined the crew, eventually revealing that they identified as nonbinary. With their boyfriend, Grey (Ian Sutherland), Adira brought more representation to the cast, becoming another relatable character fans could see themselves in. While all of these characters were unapologetically queer, they were also whole individuals outside of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Discovery’s Michael Burnham Continued What Captain Janeway Started

Burnham Was The Second Female Captain To Lead A Star Trek Show And The First Woman Of Color

Following in the footsteps of Captain (and later, Admiral) Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Sonequa Martin-Green’s Captain Burnham became the second female captain to lead a Star Trek show and the first Black woman to do so. Women (and in particular Black women) have always been a part of Star Trek, beginning with Nichelle Nichols’ portrayal of Lt. Uhura on TOS, and Burnham got to continue that legacy, eventually rising to become a four-star Admiral in Discovery’s finale epilogue.

Michael Burnham’s success as Captain and Martin-Green’s compelling performance opened the door for more strong female characters. On Star Trek: Lower Decks, the USS Cerritos is also commanded by a strong Black woman in Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis), who is consistently the most capable character on the show.

Discovery also gave Star Trek one of its best villains/anti-heroes in Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who leads the cast of the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 film. In Star Trek: Discovery, Captain Michael Burnham not only built on the legacy that came before her, but also helped pave the way for those who would come after.