Spoilers La'An - what's going to happen?

[UssGlenn]

Whatever made Kirk react to her name like that will happen in the Scotty survived timeline, or the writers wouldn't have teased it.

Kirk may have commanded longer than 5 years but in TMP he mentioned his "5 years out there" but you could justify that if needed. like if all the weird unknown stuff happened after the official start of the 5 year mission.

 

[Haunt Rod]

I'm assuming the year in the season finale was 2264 and that we got a glimpse of 2265. Has there been anything on screen to indicate that's not the case?

Near the beginning of Season 3, it was 2261. They then had their Season 3 adventures, with no specific timeframe given for how much time passed. The Season 3 finale happened, and we're told Pike kept the crew busy for six solid months, followed by whatever stretch of time took place throughout this season.

I don't see any reason why they couldn't be up to 2264 by now.

 

[Mudd]

I'm assuming the year in the season finale was 2264 and that we got a glimpse of 2265. Has there been anything on screen to indicate that's not the case?

Near the beginning of Season 3, it was 2261. They then had their Season 3 adventures, with no specific timeframe given for how much time passed. The Season 3 finale happened, and we're told Pike kept the crew busy for six solid months, followed by whatever stretch of time took place throughout this season.

I don't see any reason why they couldn't be up to 2264 by now.

I imagine you're right.

 

[No Grave Dug]

Whatever happens to La'an has to happen within 1 year of 2262. There's only 6 episodes left in Season 5. Assuming the first 3 episodes are in 2263 and the last 3 are in 2264, then if La'an meets the ominous fate she met in Tomorrow's Enterprise it would have to be in the first half of Season 5.

The final episode is definitely in 2265 - per the Producers. It's Kirk's 'first mission' in full Command of the Enterprise one year before TOS starts.

 

[Mudd]

And since they never give specific dates - a feature, not a bug, of "stardates" - time passes at whatever rate works for the series.

 

[Yistaan]

Starfleet Command: Jim Kirk, you're a fine officer and there's talk, even with your young age, of giving you command of the USS Enterprise. However, we have received uncomfortable rumors about a relationship between you and the chief security officer of the Enterprise. Starfleet Command cannot feel comfortable giving you command of the Enterprise while you are in such a relationship, as you have to understand that you would be forced to send your security officers into dangerous situations where they could be killed, and even an unintentional hesitation could be--

James T. Kirk: I heard you, she's dumped.

Starfleet Command: Thank you, the Enterprise is yours.

La'an:

 

[camdudetenger2018]

she will most likely get seduced to the dark side by either the khans or by the ghosts from that event horizon style episode and laan pulls a anakin skywalker where she goes to starfleet academy and attacks all of the starfleet crew and cadets there just like what anakin skywalker did when he went to the jedi temple and attacked all of the jedis at the jedi temple

or what if she gets a transfer to divison 12 and work with the starfleet supernatural group because of laans encounters with the ghosts on that ncc starship during that event horizon episode and how that ghost starfleet member almost seduced her to the dark side

or laan will get a job as a time cop because of her encounter with that time traveler cop then how she time traveled to the past to prevent a new timeline in the future

 

[Rose Harper]

she will most likely get seduced to the dark side by either the khans

She's already delt with that.

 

[Yistaan]

M'Benga goes back to Vulcan, Pelia's already gone, Ortegas will probably become a captain per this season's flash forward, La'an gets something ominous. What about Una? They have to provide an ending for her and also explain why she doesn't at least try to use her augment blood to help out Pike when he's in a wheelchair later on.

 

[Mudd]

and also explain why she doesn't at least try to use her augment blood to help out Pike when he's in a wheelchair later on.

They do not.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Pelia's already gone

No. Do we need to pull out the filming photos from S5 showing her most definitively there again?

 

[Yistaan]

Star Trek EPs Admit A Strange New Worlds Character’s Future Was “Undecided” In Possible Series Finale

Thankfully, SNW got season 5.

screenrant.com

The showrunners have admitted they didn't know what happens to La'an as of writing the S4 finale. So presumably they wrote in Kirk's reaction without knowing what exactly he was reacting about.

Presumably whatever they did decide in S5 they'll want to have it line up with why Kirk reacted the way he did in Tomorrow's Enterprise. Talk about writing themselves into a corner.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

A wordless pained reaction can be read as anything from "it ended badly" to "she died". Depending on the circumstances involved and the character reacting thusly, a reason which might be unbelievable ordinarily is entirely appropriate/expected.

Maybe she'll die instead of Edith Keeler and Keeler becomes a displaced DTI agent.

 

[Fire(BOO!)]

Maybe she'll die instead of Edith Keeler and Keeler becomes a displaced DTI agent.

​

 

[Rose Harper]

Star Trek EPs Admit A Strange New Worlds Character’s Future Was “Undecided” In Possible Series Finale

Thankfully, SNW got season 5.

screenrant.com

The showrunners have admitted they didn't know what happens to La'an as of writing the S4 finale. So presumably they wrote in Kirk's reaction without knowing what exactly he was reacting about.

Presumably whatever they did decide in S5 they'll want to have it line up with why Kirk reacted the way he did in Tomorrow's Enterprise. Talk about writing themselves into a corner.

Isn't that the Kirk from the dead Scotty future? Why would they beholden to anything he said?

 

[Jedi Marso]

Spoiler

Well, something must happen to La'an judging from Kirk's reaction when young Uhura mentions her in "Tomorrow's Enterprise."

But that was a splinter 'incorrect' timeline that was 'fixed.' You can't take anything there at face value, necessarily.

 

[Yistaan]

Kirk: Yeah, La'an spilled coffee on me on my first day as Captain and in a fit of stress I yelled at her and she requested a transfer. She's much happier where she is now. It's all my fault she left.

 

[Rose Harper]

Kirk: Yeah, La'an spilled coffee on me on my first day as Captain and in a fit of stress I yelled at her and she requested a transfer. She's much happier where she is now. It's all my fault she left.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

But that was a splinter 'incorrect' timeline that was 'fixed.' You can't take anything there at face value, necessarily.

It's wiggle room sure, but they went out of their way to show there weren't really any serious changes other than scotty's death. Erica is identical just not on the Enterprise at the time. Other than Erica's physical location nothing else changed. It seems clear whatever cause Kirk's solemn reaction is part of the timeline going forward.

There is the wiggle room as I said if they really really want to. But the intention is clear, especially if this was viewed as likely to be the final finale.

 

[Turtletrekker]

It's wiggle room sure, but they went out of their way to show there weren't really any serious changes other than scotty's death. Erica is identical just not on the Enterprise at the time. Other than Erica's physical location nothing else changed. It seems clear whatever cause Kirk's solemn reaction is part of the timeline going forward.

There is the wiggle room as I said if they really really want to. But the intention is clear, especially if this was viewed as likely to be the final finale.

In the season 1 finale, which was also in an "incorrect" timeline, they went out of their way to imply that Una was still in prison for lying about being genetically engineered and that was a clear misdirection.

And they have also said that they had to make several changes to the script after they found out they were getting a fifth season in order to not spoil what they had planned.