Star Trek Discovery Season 4 Trailer Breakdown: 11 Story Reveals
Here's every major reveal from the first Star Trek: Discovery season 4 trailer. Premiering in October 2020, Star Trek: Discovery season 3 served as a soft reboot of sorts, relocating the action from Captain Pike's era to the 32nd century, where no Star Trek series has gone before... more or less Acclimatizing to their new timeline, the Discovery crew discovered a broken Federation and a galaxy deprived warp drive. Naturally, Michael Burnham and the gang used the power of friendship to restore order, solving the dilithium crisis and defeating the villainous Emerald Chain.
Star Trek: Discovery's season 3 finale saw Burnham finally take command of the titular Starfleet vessel, preparing for new adventures, but promising a very different flavor for season 4. Feeling more at home in the future, the core cast are no longer finding their footing in unfamiliar territory, bringing Star Trek: Discovery closer to the setups of old, where an eager and excited crew face an unknown future.
Star Trek: Discovery's upcoming run will also mark the franchise's first outing since CBS All Access rebranded to Paramount+, and having spearheaded Star Trek's transition to streaming, much is expected of the new season. This is what the First Contact day trailer tells us about Star Trek: Discovery season 4.
As the familiar surroundings of Discovery's bridge come into view, there's something distinctly less familiar about what the cast are wearing. For the duration of Star Trek: Discovery season 3, the time-travelers retained their blue 23rd century uniforms from the previous two seasons, but after Burnham was promoted to captain in the final scene, their gear was updated to match the rest of Starfleet in the far future. These gray, pajama-like uniforms weren't warmly received and, thankfully, haven't been retained. The Star Trek: Discovery season 4 trailer shows the main crew in bright block colors, echoing eras of the past, but with a thick black stripe. Burnham is clad in captain's red, while Lt. Owo wears traditional yellow, and it's a big improvement. Later shots reveal the blue of the science guys, and the white of the medical staff.
As part of First Contact day's Star Trek: Discovery panel, it was revealed that the previous ensemble was abandoned for clashing with the set, which is liable to happen when gray clothes meet a metal ship. Whatever prompted the makeover, season 4's new uniforms are much easier on the eye.
David Ajala's Cleveland Booker joined Star Trek: Discovery in season 3, striking up a romantic relationship with Michael Burnham and learning to trust Starfleet after spending years as a self-reliant and cynical courier. The Discovery crew prove themselves worthy allies, and Book resolves to become a officer in his own right, but when Star Trek: Discovery season 4 begins, the Kwejian apparently hasn't passed the entrance exam just yet. The trailer's first Discovery bridge shot shows Burnham and Owo wearing the aforementioned spanking new uniforms, while Book is still adorned in his black civilian getup. Maybe Book has been granted permission to remain aboard Discovery while completing his training - the perks of being the captain's boyfriend.
Star Trek: Discovery has included a wide variety of villains in its three seasons thus far, from Mirror Universe impostors to criminal Orions, via a sinister AI program. Alas, it seems Star Trek: Discovery season 4 will eschew the usual trope of a character villain in favor of Mother Nature. According to Anthony Rapp's Paul Stamets, Starfleet (and, indeed, everyone else) must face the prospect of a gravitational anomaly 5 light years wide. Tilly elaborates, explaining that the anomaly's movements are unpredictable and its victims won't necessarily have any prior warning, meaning ships or planets could be ripped apart in an instant. There's no word on how this anomaly formed or how to stop it, but season 4's troublesome space weather could present Star Trek: Discovery with its gravest threat yet.
Star Trek: Discovery's gravitational anomaly isn't quite the first of its kind, with other natural disasters featuring in previous stories. A massive supernova destroyed Romulus after Star Trek: The Next Generation, and would've done more damage were it not for Spock's heroics. Furthermore, Star Trek: The Motion Picture began with the emergence of a destructive energy cloud, serving the same narrative function as the gravitational anomaly now looming over Discovery.
If Star Trek: Discovery's season 4 trailer is anything to go by, Burnham's mob won't escape unscathed from this elusive floating gravity bomb. One shot sees the Discovery's bridge surrounded by flames and sparks, while the crew simultaneously float upwards in slow-motion. Were this an ordinary enemy attack, the bridge characters would be dramatically throwing themselves to one side, but the floating hints toward Discovery getting caught by the gravitation anomaly at some point during season 4, causing massive damage to the ship's bridge.
Other shots from the trailer support this theory. The footage reel opens with Burnham walking through a corridor that clearly hasn't passed health and safety protocols, and a Starfleet cargo hold (presumably the Discovery's) looks just as wrecked as the bridge. Blowing up the main vessel is par for the course in Star Trek, and usually allows for the main set to be revamped while the ship gets fixed off-screen, but it's possible that Burnham and her crew will be without the Discovery - and more importantly without their Spore Drive - in season 4. No more hopping from planet to planet in the blink of an eye?
Many Star Trek: Discovery fans have been surprised by Sylvia Tilly's rapid rise through the ranks, speeding from rookie ensign to acting captain within the space of three seasons. Although her course has been slowed by the elevation of Michael Burnham to the big chair, Tilly still looks to be occupying a position of command in season 4. In a scene that could take place in the aftermath of the Discovery's near-destruction, Mary Wiseman's character can be spotted evacuating her fellow crew members. Tilly will likely act as Burnham's second-in-command until the return of a certain Kelpien.
The most prominent new character glimpsed in Star Trek: Discovery season 4's first trailer is an official looking blonde-haired woman with facial ridges. It's too early to tell for sure what species this character belongs to, but the ridges could be indicative of Cardassian DNA, albeit far into the future after their appearance has evolved. Whatever species she may belong to, this mystery figure appears to play a vital role in the Federation's ambassadorial duties, implying she could be the bloc's president. The true leader of the Federation was alluded to last season but never shown, with Admiral Vance assuming the role of authority figure. Effectively, this newcomer would be Admiral Vance's superior, and she's extremely keen on bringing old friends back to the Federation's side. Unlike Vance, Madam President won't be stuck behind a desk in her debut season - she appears to be floating in the background of a Discovery bridge scene.
Star Trek: Discovery season 3 revealed the surprising fate of Vulcan in the 32nd century. Inspired by the good work of Spock, the Vulcan and Romulan species joined forces, and the planet itself was renamed Ni'Var. When Burnham was first reunited with her adopted home world, relations between Ni'Var and the Federation were incredibly tense, with the Vulcans and Romulans both unsure whether Starfleet could still be trusted in the era of the Burn. However, Burnham's presence created a bridge between the two parties, and her mother, Gabrielle, convinced Ni'Var to rally alongside the Federation against the Emerald Chain, planting the seeds of reunification.
Those seeds have apparently started to grow strong shoots in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, as President T'Rina returns in an official capacity, saluting the aforementioned Federation newcomer in the traditional Vulcan way. Even more reassuring T'Rina asserts that Ni'Var and the Federation are "more than allies," proving the passage of time has finally healed old wounds. This philosophy ties directly into the trailer's overall theme of togetherness and cooperation. The gravitation anomaly threatens every living civilization without discrimination; unless all races can come together and settle their differences, none will survive. The days where every problem could be solved with a good, old-fashioned photon torpedo or two are long gone.
Star Trek: Discovery has defied convention in previous seasons, electing not to have the main character be captain. Instead, Discovery's command has shifted from one supporting character to the next, while Michael Burnham looked on, biding her time. The Star Trek: Discovery season 4 trailer proves that the show's captaincy merry-go-round has finally been decommissioned, as Burnham is told by the (potential) Federation President, "make no mistake, you are in charge." Unlike her predecessors, Sonequa Martin-Green looks to be in it for the long haul. In the midst of a beaten and broken Discovery, we also see Burnham return alone to her captain's chair, no doubt performing some reckless last-ditch maneuver to save the day.
The Star Trek: Discovery season 4 trailer features a brief exchange between Blu del Barrio's Adira and Ian Alexander's Gray. Adira will evidently continue as part of the main Discovery crew but, until now, Gray has been a mental projection - the result of Adira's inheritance of a Trill ancestral line. Effectively, this means Adira and Gray (who were lovers before the latter died) can speak to each other, but no one else can see when Gray is around. An exception was made in Star Trek: Discovery season 3's holodeck episodes, where Gray was able to manifest physically, but the character's status in the real world doesn't seem to have changed. At least the Discovery crew know that, should the need arise, Gray can be contacted by simply taking Adira to the holodeck and fiddling with the settings.
When Star Trek: Discovery season 3 concluded, Saru was given some sorely-needed time off from Starfleet. The outgoing captain intended to take the rescued Su'Kal under his wing, and educate his fellow Kelpien about life in the outside world. Fortunately, Saru returns to Starfleet revitalized in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Doug Jones' most prominent trailer shot shows Saru in Kelpien surroundings, wearing a non-Starfleet uniform, and surrounded by others of his kind. This scene could come early in season 4 while the character is still on Kaminar, since the structure gives the impression of a temple or school. Later in the trailer, however, a suspiciously Saru-like figure can be spied on the Discovery's bridge, and the trailer's final shot shows a pair of Kelpien hands gripping Burnham's. The red sleeves hint at Saru potentially returning to Discovery as Burnham's first officer.
Another scene featuring Tara Rosling as President T'Rina shows Book on the surface of a planet - most likely Ni'Var - and the president reaching toward Book's face. While they could be having a passionate love affair behind Burnham's back, it's far more likely that T'Rina is going for a classic Vulcan mind meld, connecting her thoughts directly to Book's. Due to Book's mysterious abilities as an empath, however, this would be no ordinary mind meld. Hailing from the planet Kwejian, Book is gifted with the rare ability to communicate with animals and plants. Were a Vulcan to plug into his head, Book could gain a deeper understanding of his host than a regular mind meld subject might. Exactly why such a connection is required in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 remains unknown, but perhaps this is how the people of Ni'Var come to trust the Federation again - using Book's empath abilities to prove their honest intentions.