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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at ... Read all On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace. On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace.

• Nicholas Meyer
• Gene Roddenberry
• Leonard Nimoy
• Lawrence Konner
• William Shatner
• DeForest Kelley
• 251 User reviews
• 86 Critic reviews
• 65 Metascore
• 2 wins & 9 nominations total

• Lt. Valeris

• Excelsior Communications Officer

• Admiral Cartwright

• Chief in Command

• Federation President

• (as Rosana DeSoto)

• Chancellor Gorkon

• Klingon Ambassador

• Klingon Defense Attorney
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Michael Dorn plays Colonel Worf, the grandfather of his regular character Lieutenant Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) .
• Goofs Uhura's lack of knowledge of the Klingon language is at odds with her being Communications officer, since she should at least have some working knowledge of the language of the Federation's greatest rival. She once spent three months effortlessly handling the communications station on board the captured Klingon Bird of Prey in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) , where all the controls were written in Klingon. (The filmmakers argued about this: see trivia.)

[last lines]

[Kirk's final Captain's Log]

Captain James T. Kirk : Captain's Log, stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun, and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man... where no *one* has gone before.

• Crazy credits At the beginning of the end credits, the signature of each of the principal cast members is written one by one as a final send-off for their characters.
• Alternate versions The Blu-ray release from 2009 is the first home media release to include the 110 minute theatrical version instead of the 113 minute special edition seen on all previous DVD, laserdisc, and VHS releases. The Blu-ray is also the first release to present the movie in its proper 2.40:1 aspect ratio instead of the opened up 2.00:1 ratio seen on previous releases.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek TV Series Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 251

• Jan 7, 2012
• How long is Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country? Powered by Alexa
• What is 'The Undiscovered Country' about?
• Who returns from previous "Star Trek" movies?
• In what year does this film take place?
• December 6, 1991 (United States)
• United States
• Startrek.com
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
• Knik Glacier, Chugach State Park, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $30,000,000 (estimated)
• $74,888,996
• $18,162,837
• Dec 8, 1991
• $96,888,996

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 50 minutes
• Dolby Stereo
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

1991, Sci-fi, 1h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

The Undiscovered Country is a strong cinematic send-off for the original Trek crew, featuring some remarkable visuals and an intriguing, character-driven mystery plot. Read critic reviews

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Capt. James Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the USS Enterprise are carrying Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) to Earth to negotiate a peace treaty with the United Federation of Planets. The ship appears to fire on a Klingon vessel, and Gorkon is killed in the subsequent confusion. Kirk and the ship's doctor, Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), are arrested for murder, leaving Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to figure out who is behind the attack and save the negotiations.

Genre: Sci-fi

Original Language: English

Director: Nicholas Meyer

Producer: Steven-Charles Jaffe , Ralph Winter

Writer: Leonard Nimoy , Lawrence Konner , Mark Rosenthal , Nicholas Meyer , Denny Martin Flinn

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1991  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2009

Box Office (Gross USA): $71.7M

Runtime: 1h 49m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Paramount Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Surround, Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

View the collection: Star Trek

Cast & Crew

William Shatner

Captain James Tiberius Kirk

Leonard Nimoy

Captain Spock

DeForest Kelley

Commander Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.

James Doohan

Captain Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott

Walter Koenig

Commander Pavel Andreievich Chekov

Nichelle Nichols

Commander Nyota Uhura

George Takei

Captain Hikaru Sulu

Kim Cattrall

Lieutenant Valeris

David Warner

Chancellor Gorkon

Christopher Plummer

General Chang

Mark Lenard

Vulcan Ambassador Sarek

Grace Lee Whitney

Commander Janice Rand

Brock Peters

Admiral Cartwright

Leon Russom

Chief in Command

Kurtwood Smith

Federation President

Rosanna DeSoto

Chancellor Azetbur

John Schuck

Klingon Ambassador

Michael Dorn

Colonel Worf

Paul Rossilli

Brigadier Kerla

Christian Slater

Excelsior Communications Officer

Nicholas Meyer

Lawrence Konner

Mark Rosenthal

Screenwriter

Denny Martin Flinn

Brooke Breton

Associate Producer

Marty Hornstein

Co-Producer

Steven-Charles Jaffe

Executive Producer

Ralph Winter

Alexander Courage

Additional Music

Cliff Eidelman

Original Music

Narita Hiro

Cinematographer

Ronald Roose

Film Editing

Mary Jo Slater

Herman F. Zimmerman

Production Design

Nilo Rodis-Jamero

Art Director

Mickey S. Michaels

Set Decoration

Dodie Shepard

Costume Design

News & Interviews for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

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Critic Reviews for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Audience reviews for star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

Star Trek's attempt at a murder mystery/political thriller. Story was the idea of Leonard Nimoy's and the entire movie seems pretty flat until the end when the crew of the Enterprise has to race to stop an assassination. Guess the entire original cast needed one big send off before the Next Generation cast took the torch.

The Star Trek series has had its fair share of ups and downs with the previous 5 films, but luckily 'The Undiscovered Country' rights some of the wrongs of past entries all while presenting a fitting finale to the original crew's story. The film sees the return of the entire original Enterprise crew for one last ride. Much like the previous 5 films, it developed its own distinct story. Instead of saving wales, the crew were thrust into a mystery surrounding the death of the Klingon leader. The mystery behind why Kirk and Bones were charged with his murder is really what I appreciated most about the film. Instead of a largely comedic take or a space bound CGI fest, it was grounded with real mystery leaving the enterprise crew with one last epic task. Now the mystery doesn't necessarily last all that long if you realize how the film set up the story, but that also doesn't take away from the execution. As cheesy as the last 15 minutes are, it's hard not to feel a rush of emotion and a great sense of finality. I also appreciated how they took the Klingon side of things and brought it full circle as Kirk's regret and anger towards his son's death definitely plays a role. Even amongst the heavy mystery, we do get some great space action with improved visuals the 3rd act. As much as I think there have been much better entries in the series, The Undiscovered Country is about as fitting of a send-off for Shatner and crew as any Trek fan could have asked for. With an added intelligent script with important themes explored within the context of an epic conclusion, there's more than enough good material for fans and non-fans alike. +Satisfying conclusion +Mystery centric +Involvement of the Klingons -Cheesy -Some clumsy elements 7.2/10

After the somewhat lacking The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country manages to retain a new found vigor in storytelling in the franchise. I found this film to be the best since the Wrath of Kahn and it was a well crafted Science Fiction film that had a vibe that this one had something to prove. Although I didn't mind the previous film in the franchise, I felt that there was something missing. With this entry, the filmmakers manage to deliver a picture that adds what was missing, and it's an exciting, thrilling feature that has a good story, effective performances and memorable thrills. The Undiscovered Country is a much more refined sequel, one that is a return to form of the first few films, and in doing so, the filmmakers also add much needed depth to the story, which makes for a truly interesting film. This is a highly engaging film, one that is sure to delight fans of the franchise as well as genre fans. Considering that this is a sixth entry, the film manages to work well to entertain viewers and offer everything you'd expect from a Star Trek film. I think that this is one of the strongest efforts in the franchise, and not since the second film, has a film in this series been this good. The film may not be perfect, but it's nonetheless worthwhile entertainment for viewers that want an effective and memorable Science Fiction film to watch. There are plenty of good moments to be had here, and The Undiscovered Country is a strong entry in the franchise, and like I've said, one of the best since The Wrath of Kahn. With great effects, good performances, a well developed script, this film is a highly entertaining film going experience, one that is sure to entertain you from start to finish.

When Praxis, the Klingon moon and site of their energy production facility, explodes, the Klingons decide they must come to a peaceful agreement with the United Federation of Planets in order to survive. Much to his chagrin, Kirk (Shatner) is ordered to take the Enterprise to meet with Gorkon (Warner), the Klingon High Chancellor, and escort him to Earth to begin negotiating peace. After sharing a meal with the Klingons, someone on the Enterprise fires torpedoes at Gorkon's battlecruiser, disabling the anti-gravity mechanism. Two assassins in Starfleet suits, equipped with gravity boots, beam aboard and kill Gorkon. When Kirk and McCoy (Kelley) beam aboard to explain they weren't responsible, the Klingons refuse to listen, placing the pair on trial for Gorkon's murder. The original series of 'Star Trek' was known for tackling the contemporary issues of the day through a science fiction filter. While 'The Voyage Home' had addressed environmental issues, it did so in a blatant manner rather than an allegorical one. For the sixth film, Leonard Nimoy suggested a plot-line which would mirror the ending of the cold war, as the Berlin wall had just come down in 1989. The relationship between the Federation and the Klingons had always been a thinly veiled allegory of that of the U.S and U.S.S.R so it made sense to now bring the onscreen cold war to an end. With the preceding three movies directed by Nimoy and Shatner, the director of the series' best installment, 'Wrath of Khan', Nicholas Meyer, was brought back. As a result, this movie has a level of class that had been absent from Nimoy and Shatner's work. Despite working with the same level of budget, Meyer's film looks like a much larger scale movie, utilizing the relatively modest sets (many of which were borrowed from 'The Next Generation') to great effect. It's a shame Meyer never went on to bigger things as few of today's Hollywood directors have either his talent or integrity. Should you ever get the chance to listen to one of his DVD commentaries, I thoroughly recommend it, as he provides some great insights into the story-telling process. This was the final film to feature the original crew in its entirety and, although he would return in a reduced role in the next installment, Shatner really milks his screen time here, putting in a tour de force like only he can. Kirk had fought himself in the original series and does so again here, thanks to the shape-shifting alien played by Iman. The dialogue here references the actor's notorious ego as Kirk exclaims "I can't believe I kissed you", only for his adversary to reply "Must have been your life's ambition!". The legendary Plummer is fantastic as the Klingon, Chang, replete with an eyepatch nailed into his skull. Cattrall, relatively unknown at this point, is perfectly cast as a deceitful Vulcan. Youthful composer, Cliff Eidelman, took over soundtrack duties, providing one of the series' best. The opening credits theme is a rousing riff on Gustav Holst's 'The Planets', at Meyer's suggestion. There's little reference to previous Trek themes as Meyer wanted the score to feel like a "fresh start". This is the sort of Hollywood movie that's all too rare now, fun without being dumb, involving without being convoluted. It's a shame the cast found themselves at an age too advanced to be taken seriously any longer as, under Meyer's guidance, this film feels like a new beginning, with Trek just hitting its stride as a big-screen franchise. Although 'Generations' ends the story-line of Kirk, it's 'The Undiscovered Country' which really acts as a farewell to the original crew. A fitting farewell.

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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The Klingon moon Praxis explodes following an accident. A key energy production location, the explosion leaves the Empire in dire straits and suddenly amenable to achieving a lasting peace with the Federation. Kirk and his crew are dispatched to escort the Klingon chancellor to peace talks, but there are those within both the Klingon Empire and Federation who are conspiring against peace.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Stream and Watch Online

Watch 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' Online

Fancy watching ' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ' in the comfort of your own home? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Nicholas Meyer-directed movie via subscription can be a huge pain, so we here at Moviefone want to take the pressure off. Below, you'll find a number of top-tier streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the fundamentals of how you can watch 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' right now, here are some details about the Paramount action flick. Released December 6th, 1991, 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' stars William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan The PG movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 49 min, and received a user score of 70 (out of 100) on TMDb, which put together reviews from 1,201 top users. Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter." 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, and AMC on Demand .

'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' Release Dates

Star trek: the original series collection.

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection contains the first six Original Series films starring the U.S.S. Enterprise's cast and crew from the 1960s TV series of the same name.

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: The last voyage of the Starship Enterprise will determine the fate of the Universe as Kirk and his team try to broker peace.

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The last voyage of the Starship Enterprise will determine the fate of the Universe as Kirk and his team try to broker peace.

Cast and Crew

Starring: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan , Walter Koenig , Nichelle Nichols , George Takei , Kim Cattrall , David Warner , Christopher Plummer

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Where to watch star trek: discovery free — final season is underway.

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The newest season of Star Trek: Discovery is officially underway. Season 5 marks the final season of the Star Trek spin-off, and it's shaping up to be an action-packed swang song. Whether you're looking to stream the new episodes or get caught up on the past four seasons, we've got everything you need to know about the show, including where to watch Star Trek: Discovery free via a TV channel abroad. 

Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017 and follows in the decades-long tradition of Star Trek stories. The series is set about five years before the original Star Trek, which chronicled Captain Kirk's five-year journey. In Star Trek: Discovery, the U.S.S. Discovery travels through space on a mission of exploration. Season 5 sees Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the U.S.S. Discovery crew on the hunt for an ancient power that others are also seeking.

The first three episodes are currently streaming. Keep reading to learn how to watch the series no matter where you are in the world.

• Where to watch American Horror Story | Where to watch 9-1-1 | Where to watch Game of Thrones

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in the US

New Season 5 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery land on Paramount+ on Thursdays. The premiere week included two episodes, and now one new episode will drop weekly. Episodes should be available starting at about 3 a.m. ET. All four past seasons are available to stream through the service. Subscriptions start at $5.99 a month and come with a one-week free trial.

Paramount Plus' Essential tier is a steal at this price and only has limited ads. It features tons of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. And you get NFL and Champions League soccer live streaming. There's a 7-day free trial, then it's $6 a month or $60 a year. The only way to ditch the ads is by opting for the Showtime bundle.

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in Canada

Paramount+ is also the home to Star Trek: Discovery in Canada. Plans start at CAD$6.99 and come with a one-week free trial. All episodes are available to stream here.

Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in New Zealand

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream for free on TVNZ+ . You'll need to create a free account to start streaming. In addition to new season 5 episodes, Seasons 1-4 are also streaming on the site. New episodes are available on Thursdays.

How to watch Star Trek: Discovery from anywhere

If you're not in New Zealand at the moment, you can access streams with a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs alter your electronic device's location so you can use websites that might not be available in certain regions. They're also solid ways to boost your online privacy. We recommend ExpressVPN , a user-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our ExpressVPN review for additional details and see below to learn how to use a VPN. 

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

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If you're sad that this is the final season of Star: Trek Discovery and can't get enough of the franchise, there are multiple other series you can check out. Star Trek: Picard wrapped its third and final season in 2023 and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery) is slated to release a third season next year. Like Discovery, Picard and Strange New Worlds are Paramount+ originals and are available to watch on the streamer. Paramount+ is also the streaming home to several other older Star Trek series, including the original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, and more. 

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Every Star Trek Movie Comic Book Adaptation, Ranked

• Star Trek movie comic book adaptations have been released by various publishers throughout the franchise's history.
• Some of the adaptations took liberties with the original scripts, but still featured awesome and poignant moments.
• The comic book adaptations provide fans with additional scenes and perspectives that were not in the final movies.

Comic books have been an essential component of the Star Trek franchise for most of its history. Publishers such as Gold Key, Marvel, DC and IDW have taken turns with the Star Trek license, giving fans new and exciting adventures in the final frontier. Nearly every incarnation of the franchise has appeared in comic book form, and some publishers have also created original material.

Another component of the Star Trek comic book experience is the movie adaptations. In the 1980s, it was common practice for major publishers to release books adapting popular movies—and Star Trek was one of them. Here are all the Star Trek movie comic book adaptations, ranked.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Published by dc comics, 1984.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is arguably the best of the odd-numbered Trek films, but its comic book movie adaptation takes some liberties with the script, namely in the sequencing of events. For example: the comic adaptation begins with the arrival of the USS Grissom at the Genesis Planet, an event that occurred a third of the way through the actual movie. However, the adaptation is not without awesome and poignant moments that did not make it into the final movie, including an epitaph spoken by Edith Keeler in “City on the Edge of Forever.”

Related: 2023 Proved Star Trek's "Deep Space Nine Sequel" More Than Deserves the Name

Star Trek: Generations

Published by dc comics, 1994.

The first Star Trek: The Next Generation movie adaptation would be the last published by DC Comics , as they would lose the license shortly afterward. Fan opinion on Generations remains divided, with its critics pointing to numerous plot holes, such as the Nexus. DC’s adaptation of Generations does not plug any of these holes, but is still an enjoyable read nonetheless. The comic book version of Generations is notable for including a scene not in the original cut of the film, such as Captain Kirk’s orbital sky-dive. While rough cuts of it are now available to watch, for many years this was the only way for fans to see it.

Related: Star Trek vs Alien Crossover Was Meant to Give Picard His Ultimate Challenge

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Published by dc comics, 1986.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is probably the most accessible of the original Trek films: a light-hearted romp with a serious environmental message. The Voyage Home’s comic book adaptation is a faithful one , largely sticking to the original film’s script. Writer Barr adds some dialogue, including a brief exchange between former Enterprise officers Doctor Chapel and Yeoman Janice Rand . Artists Sutton and Villagran are, like Barr, firing on all thrusters here. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is widely regarded as one of the best films in the franchise overall, and its comic book adaptation is worthy of the name.

Star Trek: First Contact

Published by marvel comics, 1996.

Star Trek: First Contact is a tense, nail-biting film , and its adaptation reflects that. Published by Marvel as part of their short-lived “Paramount Comics” imprint, Star Trek: First Contact stays faithful to Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore’s original screenplay, but is forced to cut some scenes due to spatial limitations. However, this does not deter one bit from the adaptation. Star Trek: First Contact’s movie adaptation was one of a few to receive a reprint years later from IDW, who currently holds the Trek comic license.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Published by dc comics, 1991.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was the last ride of the original crew of the Enterprise , a bittersweet end to a glorious run, and its comic book adaptation perfectly captures this tone. Part of the adaptation’s success can be attributed to Peter David , who has written numerous Trek comics and novels, many of which are fan favorites. David and artist Gordon Purcell, who also illustrated a good portion of DC’s Star Trek output, deliver a first-rate adaptation, one that flows just as well as the source film. The Undiscovered Country is one of Trek’s finest hours, and its comic book adaptation is just as good.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Published by dc comics, 1989.

Among fans, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is regarded as one of the weakest entries in the franchise, but its comic book adaptation shines. Peter David, who had just finished up on DC’s first Star Trek comic, turns in an excellent adaptation that makes the original shine. Drawn by James W. Fry, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’s comic adaptation hits all the right notes, perfectly distilling the film’s best parts. The comic book version of The Final Frontier was then used to inaugurate DC’s second line of Star Trek comics, which launched shortly thereafter.

Related: 10 Biggest Changes to Star Trek Canon Delivered By Its Epic 'God War'

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Published by idw, 2009.

Despite being regarded as one, if not the best, Star Trek films, The Wrath of Khan never received a comic book adaptation when it was released in 1982, as Star Trek comics were in limbo at the time, with DC acquiring the license soon after. IDW rectified this problem in 2009, releasing a three-issue adaptation of the movie, which bucked the trend of Trek movie adaptations being one-shots. Thanks to the extra space afforded writer Andy Schmidt and artist Chee Yang Ong, this adaptation shines. Ong’s art especially compliments the movie’s dark tone.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Published by marvel comics, 1979.

The modern era of Star Trek comics began with Marvel’s adaptation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Initially released as the first three issues of Marvel’s Star Trek comic, The Motion Picture’s adaptation is easily the best of the franchise. Some of its success can be attributed to the legends that worked on it: writer Marv Wolfman and artist Dave Cockrum. Wolfman and Cockrum were on a roll in the late 1970s, and they brought this energy to the adaptation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Later released as a one-shot edition by Marvel, the adaptation was reprinted by IDW in the 2000s, giving fans the chance to experience this amazing book again.

The practice of adapting movies to comic book form has largely fallen by the wayside. While the Star Trek movie adaptations may seem relics of a bygone era, they are in fact an important part of the lore.

'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 2 sows the seeds of seasonal plot threads (Under the Twin Moons recap)

So far, this fifth and final season hasn't exactly exploded out of the starting blocks, but there's still time, so we remain hopeful

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 2

So, as you will have gathered from watching Star Trek: Discovery's episode 1 of season 5 ,  it would appear that the primary plot is based on a past episode of "The Next Generation" (TNG). Yes indeed, no new "Star Trek" show is safe from nostalgia — and very specifically — TNG-era nostalgia. Any storyline, from any previous incarnation of " Star Trek " could've been used, but it cannot denied that it feels like we're being given what Terry Matalas and the other executive producers who are still obsessed with living in the past want, which is to relive their teens. 

The thing is, there's nothing wrong with TNG and if you watch the episode that all of this seems to be stemming from, "The Chase" (S06, E20) it's actually a pretty good installment. And in fact, it has a " Babylon 5 " quality and uses dialogue and straightforward set pieces to tell an interesting, nuanced story. (Aside from at least from one significant plot hole that is not explained.) But that was then — April 1993, to be precise — and this is now. And while it might have been fun to revisit this in a TNG-era movie for example, this ship really has passed. If you're need a refresher on how to watch Star Trek: Discovery, you can check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus .

Watch Star Trek on Paramount Plus: <a href="https://www.space.com/everything-we-know-about-star-trek-discovery-season-5" data-link-merchant="space.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get a one month free trial 

Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Discovery and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

The episode "The Chase" is a fun explainer as to why all the humanoid aliens look the same. Obviously, it's all to do with budget in the real world, but in the Star Trek universe it's because a super-advanced race of aliens — unofficially referred to as Progenitors — opted to scatter different parts of our DNA across the galaxy, which when fully evolved over millions of years time, came to form humans, Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans and the rest. When DNA strands from all of these races are combined, it unlocked a ancient holographic message. 

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

"Life evolved on my planet before all others in this part of the galaxy. We left our world, explored the stars, and found none like ourselves. Our civilization thrived for ages, but what is the life of one race, compared to the vast stretches of cosmic time?" the unnamed humanoid alien said. "We knew that one day we would be gone, that nothing of us would survive. So, we left you. Our scientists seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy ... The seed codes also contained this message, which we scattered in fragments on many different worlds. It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message."

The potential of this was pretty big, but it was never followed up. It was rumored there might even be a connection to the Changling race and it was talked about in chat groups ... 15 years ago . And while this was a certainly an opportunity left open-ended, ready to be revisited after having been found by writers scrambling for ideas, it's also interesting to note that "The Chase" was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who as we know, is still very much involved with Nu-Trek.

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Back to "Discovery" season 5, episode 2 and possibly the biggest single, burning question is, will Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) met a death as utterly pointless as Captain Shaw, Huw and Cristóbal Rios? And now with Captain Saru (Doug Jones) leaving the USS Discovery and Raynor taking his place as first officer, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) now at least has an antagonist close by for this adventure.

 —   Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

 —  'Spaceman' sees Adam Sandler shine as a cosmonaut in crisis in Netflix's somber sci-fi film (review)

—  Star Trek's Seven of Nine returns in new novel 'Picard: Firewall' (exclusive)

This second episode feels a little less lost than the season premiere, although it relies rather heavily on the classic bureaucracy trope, something, you'd have to believe we'd really been able to get past in the 32nd century. Guess not. Staying with Rayner though, if his appointment to become the new First Officer of the USS Discovery just turns out to be another underused, Tarka-style antagonist, it will be a spectacular missed opportunity. But, "Discovery" does keep us guessing, that much is certain. Who'd have thought an socially awkward alien would cause all the dilithium in the galaxy to explode ? 

There are some interesting set pieces in this episode, but let's hope we don't dwell on the whole breadcrumb-trail to alien artifacts theme too long. Also, where the blazes does the energy and the matter come from to instantly form replacement phasers? Just wonderin' like. But, on the plus side, Grudge is back and so is Zora.  

In other "Star Trek" news, production on the new "Star Trek: Section 31" television movie starring Michelle Yeoh has started principal photography. Paramount Plus posted a pic on Instagram and Variety released a still. In addition to Yeoh, the cast includes Omari Hardwick ("Powers"), Kacey Rohl ("Hannibal"), Emmy Award winner Sam Richardson ("Ted Lasso"), Sven Ruygrok ("One Piece"), Robert Kazinsky ("Pacific Rim"), Humberly Gonzalez ("Ginny & Georgia") and James Hiroyuki Liao ("Barry").

However, the most interesting news is that the story appears to be set in the "lost era" of "Star Trek" — between the events of the Kirk-era movie, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and the TV series TNG. Arguably the most underused and interesting field of opportunity within the "Star Trek" franchise...and Kacey Rohl ("Arrow") has also joined the project as a young Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the USS Enterprise-C, from the epic TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S03, E15) where the character was previously portrayed by Tricia O’Neil.

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US while "Prodigy" has found a new home o n Netflix.  

Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Star Trek: Discovery's Season 5 Reveal Is the Craziest Twist the Franchise Has Ever Attempted

Star Trek: Discovery's final season is picking up from a franchise-changing, long-ignored plot point introduced in the franchise over 30 years ago.

• Season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery picks up on a long-forgotten storyline from The Next Generation involving a common genetic origin for various species.
• The crew of the Discovery is on a mission to uncover ancient technology left behind by the Progenitors, creators of life in the universe.
• This final season aims to explore themes of creation and purpose, tying up loose ends while reflecting on a united future for various species in the Star Trek universe.

This article contains MAJOR Spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 kicked off in a big way. After a two-year hiatus after Season 4 concluded in 2022, Star Trek: Discover y is finally back on Paramount+ for its final season. The series debuted back in 2017 as the flagship series for the streaming network, then known as CBS All Access. Star Trek: Discovery originally was a prequel series to Star Trek: The Original Series set in the year 2256, but the Season 2 finale saw the crew of the USS Discovery jump forward in time to the year 3188, the furthest point in the Star Trek timeline on screen and has explored a new era for the franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 debuted on Apr. 4, 2024, with a two-part episode. The premiere date was timed one day before First Contact Day , an informal but fan celebration of the Star Trek franchise, which in the universe of the series marks the day that humans make first contact with an alien species, the Vulcans. While the premiere date being close to First Contact Day was a nice way to celebrate, the final moments show that the date might have been a deliberate choice as it ties in with Star Trek: Discovery 's shocking twist as the first episode of the season "The Red Directive" ends with the revelation that is following up a storyline from The Next Generation that no other entry in the franchise has.

What Was the Twist in Star Trek: Discovery?

Star trek: discovery.

Read Our Season 5 Review

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1, "The Red Directive," featured Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of Discovery being tasked with securing an unknown artifact that is important to the Federation. By the end of the episode, it is revealed that the secret treasure they have been chasing this whole time is, in fact, the diary of a Romulan scientist named Vellek. Vellek is retconned to be a background character from the iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase" and reveals that the major plot of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 will be about following up on that storyline.

Burnham learns about The Progenitors, a previously unnamed race from The Next Generation episode "The Chase," and discovers that they were the creators of sentient life in the universe and an explanation for why the various aliens in the Star Trek franchise all have humanoid features. This sets up the storyline for Season 5, as the crew is now tasked with locating the Progenitors' ancient technology, which could be the key to creating life.

This sets up the final season. Unlike previous seasons with a season-long mystery, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 has revealed the major revelation up front to set up an adventure described as an "Indiana Jones season" by star Sonequa Martin-Green . Just like Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan picks up from a storyline in the original television series, Star Trek: Discovery 's new storyline was set up years ago in a separate Star Trek series from over three decades ago.

The Chase and How It Changed Star Trek

As mentioned before, the seeds for the final storyline in Star Trek: Discovery were planted all the way back in 1993. In Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase," the 20th episode of Season 6, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the Enterprise discover an ancient puzzle that is compatible with DNA strands that have been recovered from different worlds all over the galaxy. They, along with the Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians, all get on the same page and realize that an embedded genetic pattern is constant throughout many different species.

Later in the episode, the various cultures come across a hologram from one of the ancient aliens who reveals that when their species first explored the galaxy, there was no humanoid life in the universe, so they spread their DNA around, making various species as a way to continue on their legacy. Aside from the revelation that multiple species in Star Trek , like humans, Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, Kelpien, Orion, and Cardassians, are all descended from the same source, the episode ending hints at an optimistic future for these species. The Progenitors revealed they left clues of their existence so that when the various species they created took to the stars, they would find out the truth together and realize their shared common origin.

Star Trek: Discovery Stars and EPs on Why There Would Be No Modern Era of Trek Without Discovery

This provides an in-universe explanation of why so many aliens in the Star Trek franchise are humanoid beings, covering up the fact that the original series had a very small budget and had to work with human actors in alien costumes instead of elaborate costumes with otherworldly designs. It also was a major revelation for the franchise, confirming an intelligent creator behind life in the universe and falling into the ancient alien's theory. Despite this major revelation, Star Trek has largely ignored it. This is a major revelation that the franchise has not touched in over 30 years, but Star Trek: Discovery looks to be building on it in a major way and might be the perfect show to pick up this thread.

Why Bring It Up Now in Star Trek: Discovery

Despite the significant universe ramifications from "The Chase," no entry in the franchise has picked up on it further. Star Trek: Discovery seems almost perfectly made to pick up this plot more than any past Star Trek programs . Seasons 3 through 5 have been about the recreation of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. The Progentator's dream was that the various species they created would someday unite, which is the goal of the Federation. Yet, in the 31st century, it is clear that the idea of unity between planets is further than it was in The Next Generation .

Star Trek: Disocvery 's third and fourth seasons served as a reflection of the real world as the franchise has in the past. Much like how Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was an allegory for the end of the Cold War, Star Trek: Discovery used the time jump and fractured Federation to comment on the growing trend in isolation and nationalism that has been sweeping the globe in the past 10 years. The world seems further away from the united utopia that Star Trek showed audiences in the 1960s.

Now, for the series' fifth and final season, the Discovery crew is tasked with facing down the ultimate question: Where do we come from? Now that they know their creators, what comes next? In the 24th century, the information was not enough to unite the world, but maybe in the 31st century, the knowledge of a common shared history will unite various species to make for an even stronger Starfleet than ever before.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 looks to be wanting to try and redo Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . That film was intended to be the final Star Trek adventure for the crew of the Starship Enterprise by having the crew confront the concept of God. Yet, that film was a box office and critical disaster, which resulted in one final attempt to give the original crew a more fitting farewell.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 now finds the crew of Discovery on a mission to find the keys to life's existence and what their purpose is, which will tie into the various characters finding out what their own purpose in life is in their final adventure together. Hopefully, this Star Trek entry which tackles the themes of creation fairs better than the previous one. Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+. Check out our interview with Star Trek: Discovery stars Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, and Blu del Barrio below.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is 7428 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 6825 places since yesterday. In Australia, it is currently more popular than Maiden but less popular than Syriana.

After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter.

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Star Trek Just Inched Closer to Its Biggest Movie Mistake Yet

The new Star Trek movie has a release date, but an origin story completely misses the appeal of Trek films.

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As much as we love them, the Star Trek movies have their share of mistakes. God stealing a starship, John Harrison revealing himself as Khan, McCoy shaving off his beard in The Motion Picture . But it looks like the movie franchise is about to outdo them all.

Paramount has officially added the next Star Trek movie to its 2025 release schedule. According to TrekCore , the project currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production this year, with Seth Grahame-Smith writing and Toby Haynes directing. The film will take place decades before the 2009 Star Trek reboot from J.J. Abrams .

And it’s a terrible idea.

First of all, there’s the question of the timeline logistics of the film. Although one would assume that the film will occur in the Kelvin Timeline, the alternate universe in which Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness , and Star Trek Beyond take place, the Kelvin timeline branched from the Prime Timeline when the Romulan Nero went back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing George Kirk and setting James T. Kirk’s Enterprise adventures on an alternate course.

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Because Nero destroys the Kelvin on the day of Kirk’s birth, that means that there was no Kelvin timeline a few decades before most of the events of the 2009 movie. So what the heck is the origin story going to be about? Is it about the origin of the Federation? We already saw that on Enterprise , which takes place a century before The Original Series . Is it about the Enterprise before Kirk? We got that in the first two seasons of Discovery and in Strange New Worlds .

To be sure, these entries didn’t completely mine all the possible stories of the era, but that generation has received so much attention already. Between movies, TV shows, and all of the non-canon novels and comics, fans have seen plenty of looks at the early days of Starfleet, the Federation, and especially the USS Enterprise.

That’s even true of some of the best current Star Trek series. While Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks have a lot of fun putting new twists on familiar ideas, they offer little new to the larger tapestry of Star Trek stories. Contrast those in-jokes to learning about Janeway looking for her one-time Voyager shipmate Chakotay on Prodigy , or seeing a mature Seven of Nine take the Captain’s chair at the end of Picard . Look how much better Discovery became after launching into the undiscovered country of the 32nd century instead of filling gaps (or making new gaps) in the TOS era.

These constant returns to the past violate the basic premise of Star Trek . Sure, some of the best Trek entries involve trips to the past. But the core mission of the franchise is about moving forward, boldly going into a future we can only imagine in the present. Viewers don’t want to see a past that’s already been explored so thoroughly over the last few decades. We want to see how this universe has progressed, how the actions of Kirk, Picard, and the other Captains have affected the universe in ways good and bad.

In short, a Star Trek origin movie is wrong headed, mining nostalgia and references instead of seeking out new life and civilizations.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Screen Rant

Ds9’s sisko was better for avoiding 1 tragic star trek captain trope.

The majority of Star Trek captains share the same tragedy in their pasts, but Sisko bucked this trend in DS9, making the character better as a result.

• Captain Sisko's unique portrayal as a family man sets him apart from other Star Trek captains, adding emotional depth to the show.
• The presence of Sisko's father Joseph in DS9 provides positive representation of fatherhood, contrasting with other Star Trek series.
• Joseph Sisko's character is a unique addition to the Star Trek canon as the only living father of a lead character in the series.

Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Broooks) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine avoided a tragic trope that affected his fellow Star Trek captains, making the character and the show better as a result. DS9 's Sisko was a unique figure in the Star Trek TV shows of the 1990s, as he juggled his duties as a Starfleet captain with those of being a father, a husband, and a religious icon. This marked Sisko out as different from Captains Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) each of whom placed their commitment to Starfleet above all else .

Unlike Picard and Janeway, Captain Sisko was a family man, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's cast of characters included various members of his wider family. Captain Sisko's father, Joseph (Brock Peters) grounded him, and imparted various pearls of wisdom over jambalaya at Sisko's Creole Kitchen. Unfortunately for Picard and Janeway, and other Star Trek captains that followed, they weren't able to seek advice from their own fathers as they had died years before they took command of their respective starships .

Captain Sisko's 10 Best Star Trek DS9 Episodes

Sisko & star trek: ds9 was better because his father was still alive.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager , alien intelligences use the images of Picard and Janeway's fathers for their own ends. Q (John de Lancie) technically conjured up the image of Maurice Picard twice, deliberately in TNG 's "Tapestry", and accidentally in Star Trek: Picard . Both times that Maurice appeared in Star Trek were attempts to get Jean-Luc to confront his issues with his father and his traumatic upbringing . Meanwhile, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) blames the career disappointments of his late father on the Vulcans in Star Trek: Enterprise , creating a prejudice that could often be quite ugly.

By contrast, the portrayal of fatherhood in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is much more positive, thanks to the introduction of Sisko's father in season 4. While Captain Sisko had talked of Joseph in the past tense in earlier DS9 episodes like "Paradise", season 4 confirmed that Joseph was very much alive. Watching the three generations of Sisko men interact was always a joy, and it gave DS9 an emotional reality that was missing from other Star Trek shows of the time. Without Joseph, the revelations about Sarah (Deborah Lacey) and the birth of Captain Sisko in DS9 season 7 wouldn't have had the same impact .

Brock Peters had previously played Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

DS9’s Joseph Sisko Is A Unique Star Trek Character

Joseph Sisko holds the distinction of being the only father of a Star Trek lead character to both be alive, and part of the recurring cast . Picard, Janeway, Archer, the Kelvin Timeline's Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) all lost their fathers years before their respective TV shows and movies began. It was later revealed that George Kirk, the father of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was still alive during Star Trek: The Original Series , but he never appeared on-screen . Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Joseph Sisko is, therefore, a unique character in the wider canon.

Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 19, "Q2" revealed that George Kirk was still alive when Captain Kirk took command of the USS Enterprise.

Interestingly, Joseph Sisko and Maurice Picard are the only fathers to Star Trek captains who weren't serving Starfleet officers themselves. Joseph pursued a career as a professional chef, and ran Sisko's Creole Kitchen in New Orleans for decades, teaching his children to cook. Maurice oversaw the production and distributon of Chateau Picard Wine , a business he wanted Jean-Luc to inherit. This means that, despite their differences in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot, Sisko and Picard do have something in common; their respective family's links to the food and drink industries.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.