“Let’s Fly!” With those words, newly minted USS Discovery Capt. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) issues her first command as the starship heads out on a new adventure, after Season 3’s bloody conclusion. Welcome to Star Trek: Discovery’s exciting fourth season (premiering November 18 on Paramount+).
Look out for dangerous new enemies, the return of a favorite character, and the newly corporeal presence of a familiar one in Season 4, which introduces a never-before-encountered toxic entity that threatens not only the starship, but the universe in the 900-plus year future in which the Discovery crew now exists. As Burnham says in the trailer, “Today we seek to understand a threat like none our galaxy has faced before.” It’s a good thing they now have a batch of the ship-fueling dilithium that could help in their survival, and in reconnecting far-flung worlds once again.
While details are still under wraps, executive producer Michelle Paradise previewed a bit of what we can expect.
What can you tease about where the U.S.S. Discovery crew is when the new season opens?
Michelle Paradise: We’re picking up a few months after the end of Season 3. I can’t say what they doing, but I will tell you that the opening of our season is quite a ride!
We know they soon come across the mysterious anomaly, an entity that may have killed beings on various planets. What can you tell us about this enormous threat?
We don’t know anything about the anomaly at the start. That will be part of the journey for our heroes in the early part of the season. Figuring out what it is, understanding the degree of threat it poses.
It sounds like a season where the crew is in mortal peril and each character must push through their fears to, of course, save the universe.
The anomaly is a threat unlike any they’ve faced, but since they don’t know precisely what it is or where it might strike next, the uncertainty that it creates will have an impact on everyone. This season is also a lot about coming together… and how we handled something that threatens Federation/non-Federation worlds equally.
The trailer reveals some info about various characters. Michael and former courier Book (David Ajala) are lovers; Gray (Ian Alexander), the boyfriend of Adira (Blu del Barrio), has a real body; and Commander Saru (Doug Jones) is back from sabbatical!
All of our characters have quite a season ahead. Saru is definitely back. A lot of people were worried about that after he went to Kaminar at the end of Season 3. I can’t tell you how he returns to Discovery but I can promise you’ll see him in the premiere. For Gray, we will absolutely fulfill Dr. Culper’s (Wilson Cruz)’s commitment for him to be truly seen and he’ll definitely have a corporeal form. And, of course, we’ll see much more of Burnham and Book [together]. Also: The Federation is continuing to grow, led by a new president (Chelah Horsdal). I should also add that Grudge (Booker’s enormous cat) is back and she’s as cranky as ever. She may even growl at someone early in the season, and let’s just say that individual learns their lesson.
Can you talk a bit more about the uncertainty?
It’s one of our big themes. We’ll explore how it impacts our characters individually and in relation to one another. And as they move throughout that over the course of the season, they’ll grow and change in unexpected ways. That’s pretty vague, I know.. but I don’t want to spoil anything!
Star Trek Discovery, Season 4 Premiere, Thursday, November 18, Paramount+
