I just have a hunch that this character will die

[Citiprime]

This seems like a deliberate middle finger to Discovery. Other Treks could have that ending with the ship warping off having restored the status quo (TMP, TUC, mostly). Discovery is treated different again.

I don't think a character or characters have to die, but if at the end of the day, all of this running around for clues to open a treasure that gets destroyed in 5 minutes and only leads us back to a place where the Breen go home and the Discovery crew just go back to Starfleet HQ, what exactly would be the point of all this?

What did we learn about these characters that we didn't know before?

In TMP, the entire mission is about accentuating characters trying to find purpose while dealing with V'GER. Kirk pushing to get the Enterprise back to reclaim purpose after being behind a desk, Spock trying (and failing) to purge out emotion in order to be more Vulcan, Decker finding an opportunity to be something more with what's left of the woman he loves.

In TUC, the entire story is about letting go of biases and the past. "The Undiscovered Country" of the title is the future, and the main throughline of the story is Kirk going from someone that calls the Klingons "animals" and saying "let them die" to the person who realizes the value of peace.

Neither one of those movies re-establishes a status-quo. Who those characters are at the beginning are fundamentally different from who they are at the end. That's the reason why I hope it's not a ho-hum ending. If the people involved in this show have a vision for it, and want to make a statement, I hope they go bold with it and they use the opportunity to say whatever else they want to say about this series and characters.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't think a character or characters have to die, but if at the end of the day, all of this running around for clues to open a treasure that gets destroyed in 5 minutes and only leads us back to a place where the Breen go home and the Discovery crew just go back to Starfleet HQ, what exactly would be the point of all this

Entertainment and an adventure.

That's all it is. I felt with Michael the thrill, the frustration, and the ups and downs. I'm invested in the outcome of what they learn but if it returns the crew back to their exploration duties after the fact then that, to me, is exactly what Trek always freaking does.

 

[flandry84]

They use the tech to remake Book’s planet where hopefully they can maroon him there forever.

 

[Uhura's Song]

The final scenes is going to be all of them having a big group hug on the bridge except, Tilly and then the ship will explode because nobody was at their stations to notice a big asteroid about to hit the ship which it does and then, BOOM! Tilly will then be seen looking out a window crying before you hear the sounds of students. The camera will push in and see she was simply taking a break to ponder the ships fate in the middle of one her Starfleet Academy classes, then the camera will pull out to show a wide shot of future San Francisco.

That sounds like LD.

 

[Uhura's Song]

They use the tech to remake Book’s planet where hopefully they can maroon him there forever.

With Moll and Spock, er L'ak.

 

[Rahul]

The way the finale is building, the event of the wedding being a joyous event and all eyes on Discovery, I have a vibe that it will all be marred by sorrow with Saru dying.

The meeting with the Breen seems the obvious way, but I fear it will be something else that causes the wedding to not go ahead, leaving us with a bittersweet anti-climax with the wedding turning into a memorial.

I mean, yeah, the whole situation gives tons of "last duty shift before retirement" vibes.

Also Doug Jones seemed to want to get away from the role, seeing how he left the (core) team already and is barely there this season.

If it were the early shiwrunners, and if they had known this was their last season, Saru 100% would end the episode six feet under.

However. This is not what the current showrunners will do.

My guess: He WILL actually bite the dust. But both he and L'Ak will be surrected by the progenitor tech. L'Ak will take over the duty as the Breen leader & make peace with the Federation. Saru will talk about how this "experience" changed his perspective, and will move to Vulcan/Nivar with T'Rina.

Also 50/50 weather the writers forgot that Culbert has also been resurrected from the dead - or there will be a very awkward scene between Culbert & Saru which really doesn't amount to anything, expect to signal the viewers that the writers were aware.

 

[DarKush]

From what I've heard, Jones was away because of his commitment to Hocus Pocus 2 this season, not because he was tiring of the role. I'm not sure why we have seen so little Owosekun and Detmer this season though, maybe they also had other commitments too. I can see Saru dying and be resurrected, though I think that would be Book or Michael instead of Saru. Granted, Michael has already died once, when she was a kid, but she could die again, and that could give her a chance to reunite with Sarek, Amanda, or Spock to have a final scene with her family before she's brought back. I still see T'Rina getting the ax more if they wanted to create some tragedy. T'Rina is one of the more popular side characters and people have been rooting for her romance with Saru, so I could see the writers ripping them apart as a way to give this season lasting consequences.

 

[Jayson1]

I can see them killing Saru and just bringing Jones back as a new alien. Or even his rare chance to play a human. At least maybe that was the idea before they found out the show wouldn't be back.

 

[NCC-73515]

Turns out

Spoiler

nobody

does

 

[MikeS]

Your hunch was incorrect.

 

[fireproof78]

The way the finale is building, the event of the wedding being a joyous event and all eyes on Discovery, I have a vibe that it will all be marred by sorrow with Saru dying.

The meeting with the Breen seems the obvious way, but I fear it will be something else that causes the wedding to not go ahead, leaving us with a bittersweet anti-climax with the wedding turning into a memorial.

What did you end up thinking?

 

[WarpTenLizard]

If only.

 

[JoseNoodles]

Ambassador Saru, who did not die...

 

[Dukhat]

So his guess was wrong. Give him a break.