With its premiere in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery ended a 12-year gap between Star Trek TV shows and was met with mostly rave reviews. By introducing an all-new starship, a complex crew, and a twisting, serialized plot, Star Trek: Discovery solidified its place in the Star Trek timeline as one of the franchise’s boldest and most fascinating stories. Along with new additions to the Star Trek canon, Star Trek: Discovery also reached towards Star Trek: The Original Series for familiar visuals, tropes, and characters. Star Trek: Discovery‘s first two seasons gave life to new characters while reintroducing familiar characters with new and younger faces.

After all, Star Trek: Discovery‘s characters are a big reason for the show’s success and contribute to the emotional stakes of its many twists and turns. These plot twists helped keep viewers interested, especially when Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks began airing in 2020. Star Trek: Discovery went back to the roots of Star Trek to boost its appeal, but as the show continued, things got a little more complicated with the introduction of 2018-2020’s Star Trek: Short Treks to bridge gaps for certain characters and set up storylines.. The Star Trek: Discovery saga spans thousands of years and several TV shows, so watching it in chronological order means going back and forth.

1

Star Trek: Short Treks: “The Girl Who Made The Stars”

This short is set during Michael Burnham’s childhood in the 2230s

Star Trek: Short Treks includes mini-episodes of one-off Star Trek stories set in many different places and time periods in the Star Trek canon, and they add to the complexity of other, larger stories by giving background information. In “The Girl Who Made The Stars,” an animated Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as a young girl has nightmares about being afraid. Her father, Mike Burnham (Kenric Green), tells Michael a story about a little girl who conquered her fears. Her father’s words would one day closely relate to Michael’s life: “Even though she was scared, she kept going.”

2

Star Trek: Short Treks: “The Brightest Star”

In 2239, Saru confronts his suspicions about the Ba’ul on the Kelpien homeworld of Kaminar

Commander Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory takes the spotlight in Star Trek: Short Treks, “The Brightest Star.” On the Kelpien homeworld Kaminar, Saru battles with his suspicions about a biological process called the Vahar’ai, a deadly condition signaling a Kelpien’s readiness to be harvested by the Ba’ul, the Kelpien’s predators. Saru’s suspicions are refuted by his father, who says it would be an honor to be chosen. Saru disagrees, and when he finds a broken piece of Ba’ul communication equipment, he sends a simple message into space. Lt. Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) responds, and Saru leaves with her to join Starfleet.

3

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1

Discovery Season 1 takes place in 2256 and 2257

Star Trek: Discovery season 1 melds classic Star Trek with modern production and sophisticated plot lines. A diverse cast of characters interacts with familiar faces, and the Star Trek canon is pushed to its limits with an alternate universe and a new, controversial form of warp travel. Although some fans accused its technological advancements of being too advanced for the timeline’s canon, Star Trek: Discovery included reasoning for all of its choices. The Klingon War is the focal point of Star Trek: Discovery season 1, with a multi-episode arc in the Mirror Universe introducing Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou.

4

Star Trek: Short Treks: “Ephraim And Dot”

This sweet, nostalgic tale takes place between 2266 and 2285

In one of the first animated Star Trek episodes to air since the end of Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1974, Star Trek: Short Treks goes on a nostalgic journey in “Ephraim And Dot.” A tardigrade named Ephraim tries to find a place to hatch her eggs, and when she sees the USS Enterprise, she finds a DOT-7 robot, “Dot,” who stops her. A chase ensues, and even after Ephraim finds a place for her eggs, Dot continues to chase her. During their chase, classic moments from Star Trek: The Original Series take place, unbeknownst to Ephraim or Dot.

5

Star Trek: Short Treks: “The Escape Artist”

Harry Mudd avoids justice in the 2250s

Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd, the infamous conman and swindler, was first played by Roger C. Carmel in Star Trek: The Original Series. Rainn Wilson would later play the role in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, and he returns in Star Trek: Short Treks, “The Escape Artist,” which follows Mudd through several sticky situations. In his Short Treks, Mudd avoids justice several times despite having neither the reason nor the resources to do so. This slippery nature connects to Mudd’s appearances in Star Trek: Discovery season 1.

6

Star Trek: Short Treks: “Runaway”

In 2257, Tilly meets an unexpected visitor on the USS Discovery

After a distressing call from her discouraging mother, Ensign Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) wallows with an espresso. Unbeknownst to her, an unknown stowaway has escaped from the cargo bay and soon meets Tilly in the mess hall. The food synthesizers malfunction and spew food everywhere. Tilly learns that the intruder is a teenage Xahean named Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po, or “Po” for short. The Queen of Xahea, Po explains that her people stole her new invention in a greedy grab for warp technology despite it destroying their planet. Po and Tilly relate to each other regarding being unheard of and part ways as friends. Po’s appearance in Star Trek: Short Treks sets up why Xahea is so crucial to Star Trek: Discovery season 2’s ending.

7

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2

Captain Pike and the USS Discovery crew investigate the Red Angel between 2257 and 2258

Star Trek: Discovery season 2 picks up where season 1 left off after Captain Gabriel Lorca’s (Jason Isaacs) exit from the eponymous starship. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) replaced the lying captain and became a fan favorite due to his charm and kindness. Newly introduced iterations of Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and Number One, Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijin) also gave the season a nostalgic kick from Star Trek: The Original Series pilot, “The Cage.” Star Trek: Discovery season 2’s ending marked a monumental shift where the USS Discovery leaves the 23rd century for good to travel to the 32nd century 930 years in the future.

8

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

The USS Discovery crew ends up in 3188 and 3189 in season 3

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 permanently brings the crew of the USS Discovery over 930 years in the future. Discovery season 3 explores a distant future in which the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet have nearly been obliterated by a mysterious event known as “The Burn,” causing an explosion of the galaxy’s dilithium supply. Without fuel, starships were severely damaged, and the galaxy was quickly plunged into chaos. Discovery season 3 also introduces new and diverse characters, including Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala), as Commander Burnham and the USS Discovery solve the mystery of the Burn and bring warp travel back to the Federation.

9

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4

The 32nd-century adventure continues in 3190

Star Trek: Discovery season 4 revolves around a vast, mysterious gravitational anomaly called the Dark Matter Anomaly (DMA). The USS Discovery’s crew quickly moves to investigate the DMA because it poses a dangerous and immediate threat to the galaxy, causing catastrophic destruction on a planetary scale. The crew builds new alliances and faces individual growth through grief and love alike, eventually overcoming seemingly impossible challenges and circling back to the core values of Star Trek. By the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, the USS Discovery traveled to another galaxy and made First Contact with the DMA’s creators, Species 10-C.

10

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

The USS Discovery’s story ends in 3191

Star Trek: Discovery‘s final season has the twist of being a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Chase”. Discovery season 5 follows Captain Michael Burnham’s search for the Progenitors’ ancient technology. This search leads to exciting adventures that connect to Star Trek lore in surprising ways. The advanced technology is eventually destroyed by Captain Burnham, who deems it too dangerous for anyone to use. Star Trek: Discovery ends with a peaceful epilogue set 30 years in the future in which Burnham and Book’s son, Leto (Sawandi Wilson), is a Starfleet captain. Admiral Burnham sends the USS Discovery on its puzzling final mission: to wait in deep space.

11

Star Trek: Short Treks: “Calypso”

During or after the 42nd century, the USS Discovery is found abandoned.

Star Trek: Short Treks‘ “Calypso”, produced in 2018, is the true end to Star Trek: Discovery. A thousand years later, a wounded human named Craft (Aldis Hodge) flees to safety aboard the abandoned USS Discovery, which is still waiting in deep space. Discovery’s sentient AI interface, Zora’s (Annabelle Wallis), kindness toward the war-torn soldier sparks a romantic connection between the pair. Ultimately, Craft leaves to return to his estranged wife and child. The final act of the Discovery reunites a family, linking back to the ship’s roots as the home of found families from all over the universe. The end of the saga’s timeline perfectly encapsulates Star Trek: Discovery‘s core values, including family, love, bravery, and resilience.