Michelle Paradise: Seasons 3 and 4 covered rebuilding Federation arc; seasons 5 onward = new

[Quinton]

Apologies for the sloppy thread title. Had to fold it all together like a warmed-over omelet. Paradise also says the fourth-season finale was never intended to serve as a potential series finale despite how it comes across.

One more thing for those of us keeping score on the likelihood of x number of seasons: she uses the phrase "season five and beyond." By no means does this confirm further seasons - that's not on her - but it reaffirms a willingness and desire.

Plenty of good stuff in this TrekMovie interview. Here's the operative snippet re: my thread title.

This season finale felt like you guys were really trying to tie everything up, including having a big character coda at the end. It almost felt like a series finale. Was it made with that possibility in mind, or did you know there would be more Discovery?

No. We expected that there would be more. It was never intended to feel like that. But I think where it might have that feel to it is that we knew going into season three that the underlying story thread from the last two seasons has been the state of the Federation itself.

When we come into season three, the Federation itself is very much in disarray. Many member worlds have left including Earth. We always knew that if we come into that space, that rebuilding the Federation has to be part of the story, but there was no way to do that in one season. It just would not feel realistic. So we always envisioned that as a two-season arc. And especially when, in episode 303 [“People of Earth”], we set up that Earth is not a member.

That’s what was teeing up the season four finale when Earth is going to come back. So the completion of that arc, coupled with the triumph of the DMA going way and we’ve communicated with 10-C and all those sorts of things, it did feel a bit like an ending. But it was never intended to be like this was going to be the end of the series itself.

A lot of fans are curious about the larger Trek universe in the 32nd century. This episode had a passing mention of the Borg and the Klingons have been mentioned, but we still don’t have a good sense of what’s going on with either. Have you been reluctant to focus on things in the greater galaxy, and now that you’ve kind of fixed the Federation, might you start looking over the border a little bit more as you look forward?

Well, I can’t say what is to come in season five, but I will say that yes, again that underlying story thread for seasons three and four had been what happened to the Federation? And how do we fix the Federation? And then we bring it back together again. Those were sort of the basics of that. That was very much our focus. In terms of what happens in season five and beyond, I can’t tell, or someone will slap my hand.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I do hope we find out what happened with the Klingons.

 

[Jayson1]

Or the Enterprise of this time period.

 

[XCV330]

I hope we move beyond Klingons and everything in the local neighborhood. we've left the galaxy but did not go far. maybe with the 10c's knowledge and Zora's help, Discovery can really start to go to new places, new galaxies.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I just want the Klingons to rejoin the UFP and move past the traditional "Klingons are the Warrior Race Baddie".

They should've evolved past that mind set by the 32nd century.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I do hope we find out what happened with the Klingons.

Or the Enterprise of this time period.

The Enterprise of this time period is crewed by Klingons.

 

[fireproof78]

I just want the Klingons to rejoin the UFP and move past the traditional "Klingons are the Warrior Race Baddie".

They should've evolved past that mind set by the 32nd century.

I agree and hope they have more evolved sense. Perhaps ascended.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I agree and hope they have more evolved sense. Perhaps ascended.

There are ways to evolve the "Warrior Race" without delving into the "Space Vikings" that are the traditional Klingon Empire that we've seen countless times.

We only need to look at the Japanese Bushido and the Samurai era or countless other human Warrior Culture era's that evolved into the modern era and look at their transition.

You can still be a "Warrior Race" without resorting to the typical Barbarism that we see from normal Klingons of the 23rd/24th century.

Like a more modern Intellectual Warrior.

 

[fireproof78]

There are ways to evolve the "Warrior Race" without delving into the "Space Vikings" that are the traditional Klingon Empire that we've seen countless times.

We only need to look at the Japanese Bushido and the Samurai era or countless other human Warrior Culture era's that evolved into the modern era and look at their transition.

You can still be a "Warrior Race" without resorting to the typical Barbarism that we see from normal Klingons of the 23rd/24th century.

Like a more modern Intellectual Warrior.

I don't think they need to be a warrior race at all but you make some interesting points.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

The Enterprise of this time period is crewed by Klingons.

Makes sense to me. 100% of the hero ships in 90s Trek had a Klingon on the crew.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I just want to know what the state of the Empire is. They've been very conspicuous by their absence.

 

[Ketrick]

I would like to see a USS Defiant be it H, I, J, or whatever letter it happens to be. I would also love to see more of the Galaxy and outside of it.

 

[starfleettanner]

Can't WAIT to find out the season long arc will ONCE AGAIN be about...SAVING THE UNIVERSE FROM ANOTHER EXISTENTIAL THREAT!!! Wake me up when they finally come up with something original. I'm done.

 

[FederationHistorian]

I would like to see a USS Defiant be it H, I, J, or whatever letter it happens to be. I would also love to see more of the Galaxy and outside of it.

Isn't the Defiant at S now? As S refers to Sisko, like J for Voyager-J refers to Janeway.

I suppose that means that Enterprise is at P for Picard.

 

[Quinton]

Can't WAIT to find out the season long arc will ONCE AGAIN be about...SAVING THE UNIVERSE FROM ANOTHER EXISTENTIAL THREAT!!! Wake me up when they finally come up with something original. I'm done.

 

[Annorax849]

I hope we move beyond Klingons and everything in the local neighborhood. we've left the galaxy but did not go far. maybe with the 10c's knowledge and Zora's help, Discovery can really start to go to new places, new galaxies.

I mostly agree. Maybe a brief mention that they joined the UFP and now re-joined (or haven’t yet), but I’d leave the stories for Klingons, Dominion, Borg etc to Picard or something of that era

 

[valkyrie013]

Would like to see the klingon go towards warrior monks, like the Sholin or something to that effect. They already have plenty of monistries.

I think the Borg will be taken care of by Picard in the next 2 seasons so I doubt any mention.

 

[Finn]

The Discovery visits Talax, on Liberation Day, where Talaxians celebrate the overthrowing of the Haakonians.

Kovich helps reunite Odo with a holoimage of Kira on a updated Vic program.

 

[StarMan]

Can't WAIT to find out the season long arc will ONCE AGAIN be about...SAVING THE UNIVERSE FROM ANOTHER EXISTENTIAL THREAT!!! Wake me up when they finally come up with something original. I'm done.

The season-long plot arcs are all misdirects. The universe/galaxy-ending threats merely serve as a backdrop for the real meat of the series - the deep, intense exploration of these incredible characters.

Will you take my hand and join me? This is not a TV show; this is an experience. Let it wash over you like the warm rays of sunlight breaking a cold, overcast day.

Hope and fear. Adversity and triumph. Love and loss. Trials and tribble-ations.

Star Trek Discovery.

 

[fireproof78]

The season-long plot arcs are all misdirects. The universe/galaxy-ending threats merely serve as a backdrop for the real meat of the series - the deep, intense exploration of these incredible characters.

Will you take my hand and join me? This is not a TV show; this is an experience. Let it wash over you like the warm rays of sunlight breaking a cold, overcast day.

Hope and fear. Adversity and triumph. Love and loss. Trials and tribble-ations.

Star Trek Discovery.

This is probably sarcastic but I feel this way about Discovery sincerely.