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Tonight, CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery is ending far, far too soon. After 15 stellar episodes, the season is wrapping up. And now fans are already wanting to know just how long they’ll have to wait to see Season 2. Well, there’s good news to start. Discovery has been renewed for a second season, so this definitely isn’t the end for the new Star Trek series. And the show has some more surprises in store for fans, too, including a brand-new overarching theme for the next season and more points that canon-loving fans are going to enjoy seeing. Some of your favorite characters will also be returning. Here’s everything we know so far about the second season of Discovery. Warning: This post has spoilers for some key parts of Star Trek: Discovery that occurred before the Season 1 finale.
1. Star Trek: Discovery Will Return in Early 2019
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In October, it was announced that Star Trek: Discovery was renewed for a second season. But sadly, it’s going to be a while before Star Trek: Discovery returns. We won’t see it again until 2019. Alex Kurtzman, executive producer, said when Season 1 premiered that he hoped Season 2 would return in the early part of 2019.
We don’t know how many episodes we’ll have, but fans are hoping for a longer season that lasts beyond the 15 episodes of Season 1. But a lot goes into making these episodes. Each one can take three to four months, counting production and VFX.
Originally, Discovery was imagined as an anthology series with each season being self-contained and completely different. Season 1 would be a prequel and each season would continue through the eras of different series (Voyager, TNG, Deep Space Nine), and then beyond. But that idea was abandoned a long time ago. Bryan Fuller, who envisioned the anthology idea, eventually stepped down because of disagreements with CBS over budgets, production schedule, and crew.
2. Work Has Already Started on Season 2, Which Might Include More Andorians and Tellarites
CBS InteractiveAsh Tyler on Star Trek: Discovery
Work on Season 2 has already started. In November, the cast shared that work on developing the second season was starting in just a couple weeks. And now we know that the writing staff went officially back to work in December. As of January, they had sent an outline of the premiere to the producers and were three episodes into development, SlashFilm reported. During a panel in the UK with actors and crew, Aaron Harberts revealed that each season of the show will be treated as a novel. Season 1’s novel was about war and the Klingons, but Season 2 won’t be.
We also know that we might see some more Andorians and Tellarites in Season 2, which fans are excited about. (Some fans are really hoping they’ll bring back Jeffrey Coombs as an Andorian again.)
Note that Aaron Harberts’ tweet was made in November, and plans certainly can change. We did see Andorians already in Season 1, so it’s unknown if he was just referring to this. But fans are hoping this is “canon” for Season 2 and means they’ll have a bigger role.
3. Season 2 Will Focus on Science vs. Faith
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In a decision that has many fans remembering the days of Lost, it looks like Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery is going to focus on science vs. faith. Producer Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts talked about it during a panel in January. The next season won’t be focusing on war again, but will instead tackle themes of faith versus science. Harberts said: “We’re interested in different points of view on that and we’re still hashing out what we want to tell. The second season is not a war season… There are a lot of things in terms of TOS canon that we want to do some nods to and we’re still figuring it out. This next season is going to be jam packed with stuff that we wanted to do [the first season].”
4. Some of Fan’s Favorite Cast Members Are Returning
Looking onward and upward (literally) as wellness coach @NewBreedAtlas gets me back on a safe movement/exercise plan now that my shoulder has healed enough. I have to look totally hot for season 2, right?!?
(All new season 1 episodes of @startrekcbs continue airing tomorrow!!!).
Of course, exactly who is coming back won’t be known until the finale airs, but some cast have already revealed their return, including Doug Jones who plays Saru.
In addition, there’s hope that we’ll see Georgiou again. Her interview with Indie Wire makes it appear like Michelle Yeoh may have a longer life with the series to come.
Some fans are still holding out hope that a prime universe Lorca will somehow emerge, or that MU Lorca somehow survived. Here’s what Jason Isaacs had to say about that:
For all those asking if mirror Lorca makes it, if he or prime Lorca will be in season 2 or if this is the end of the mirror universe in #StarTrekDiscovery, why would you trust me? I’ve been lying to you from the beginning!
#BelieveMe #LiarInChief
Season 2 is going to tackle a big idea that the executive producer and writing staff have been considering since October. Kurtzman told The Hollywood Reporter: “We have a…big idea that emerged mid- to late-season one for something we want to do for season two. That’s now become the spine of what we want to do for season two.”
5. Season 2 Will Likely Take Place in the Same Time Period and May Have More Away Missions and Canon Moments
GettyAnthony Rapp and Shazad Latif attend “Star Trek: Discovery” panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2017 in San Diego, California.
It also looks like Season 2 will take place in the same time period as Season 1. During a panel in January, Harberts said that there were still a lot of things to explore in the pocket of time from Season 1 — nine to 10 years before The Original Series begins.
The new season will likely also have features that man Trek fans love, like new planets, more away missions, and other similar stories within canon, Harberts said. “We have time this year, so we have time to do things like more away missions, newer planets, stories that might fall a little bit more into a framework of allegory that people love to get from Trek. But we will always continue to have that overarching serialized thread.”
CBS still plans to air Season 2 on CBS All Access, when it does premiere, This means that you’ll need a subscription again. You can either get a subscription directly through CBS All Access and watch through their apps, or you can get a subscription through Amazon Prime and watch through Amazon’s streaming services. If you’re outside the U.S., then you’re in luck. You’ll be able to watch Season 2 on Netflix the day after they air in the U.S.