Paramount+ 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 4 key art - Captain Burnham and the captain's chair
On Saturday, October 9, the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery gathered on the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con to talk about season four. The cast, plus co-showrunner Michelle Paradise, dropped hints about the new season, shared stories about filming during a pandemic, and watched a brand new trailer for the upcoming season for the first time.
Heavy was at the panel, gathering all the details.
Watch the Trailer
Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly), Blu de Barrio (Adira), David Ajala (Cleveland Booker), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), Anthony Rapp (Lieutenant Paul Stamets), and Paradise (co-showrunner) kicked off the panel by revealing the key art for the fourth season. The image showed a proud Captain Burnham standing behind the captain’s chair, ready to take the seat she’s earned.
Right after, Martin-Green announced that they had something else to show the audience. She revealed that there was a new trailer for the fourth season that even the cast hadn’t seen yet. The lights dimmed and the trailer above rolled.
When the lights came back up on the stage, Cruz said that the trailer was over too quick and that he needed to see it again to fully absorb it. He asked the crowd if they wanted to see it again and they cheered. So, they played the trailer again.
Highlights From the New Trailer
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To Cruz’s point, there is a lot to absorb in the new trailer. Let’s break down some of the biggest reveals.
Saru is back on the U.S.S. Discovery!. But he’s not in the captain’s chair. At a few different times in the trailer, Saru is on the bridge, at his old tactical station. In the very last scene of the trailer, he addresses Burnham in the captain’s chair, asking her for direction. So, Saru will not spend season four on Kaminar. He’ll be back on the bridge serving under Burnham.
The Federation President is Cardassian, Bajoran, AND human! The first trailer for season four featured a new character that has been the subject of much speculation. Many posited that she is the Federation president. Many zoomed-in paused images of her and came up with the theory that she’s Bajoran and Cardassian. Today, all of that speculation was confirmed.
Paradise revealed that this new character is, in fact, the Federation president. She also confirmed that she is Bajoran, Cardassian, and human. Paradise said that one of the best things about jumping so far into the future is that the writers can show familiar species in completely new ways. A Bajoran, Cardassian, human mixed-species woman is a big deal given the canon history between these planets. The fact that she’s the Federation president is also a really big deal.
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The Ferengi got a ‘Discovery’ makeover. The new trailer gave fans a quick peek at the very first Ferengi in the “Discovery” era. “Discovery” is famous (or infamous?) for giving familiar species makeup makeovers and it appears that the Ferengi are no exception. “Discovery” Ferengis are more textured overall. The ears are scalloped instead of totally round. The nose ridges are more pronounced, and their skin is more textured. Though they’re still completely recognizable, it’s a grittier look for the Ferengi.
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So, what rank is Tilly now? After watching the trailer, the moderator of the “Discovery” panel, Karama of The Blerd Gurl podcast, asked Wiseman whether Tilly was back to being an ensign in season four. Last season, Tilly went from ensign to the first officer to acting captain, then all the way back to ensign. It’s not quite clear where she’s at right now.
Wiseman declined to answer to avoid spoilers. However, later in the panel, she said that Tilly is “moving up the ranks of leadership.” This could be a reference to her work in the Command Training Program, or it could be a very subtle hint at a promotion for Tilly.
Heavy scoured the trailer for a good shot of the rank on Tilly’s uniform, but couldn’t find one that showed it clearly. In the image above, it doesn’t look like Tilly has any pips on her collar, but she must have at least one to be an ensign. So, fans will just have to wait and see.
The Discovery is headed into the gravitational anomaly. The first trailer for season four revealed that the major threat of the season will be a gravitational anomaly over five lightyears wide. The crew of the Discovery, and their special ship, are obviously going to play a major role in saving the universe because that’s just what they do. This new trailer revealed that the ship will be headed directly into the anomaly on another heroic, life-threatening mission.
Burnham will have a close call. The trailer starts with Burnham talking about how life can go by “in the blink of an eye.” The scene cuts to Burnham being thrown around on a ship after an impact. Later, Culber and Book stand over her, asking if she’s still with them. So, it appears Michael will face grave danger this season. But she’ll pull through like she always does.
The trailer is packed with little details that fans will be breaking down for days to come, so stay tuned for more info as it comes!
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