Paramount+ Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in season four of the Parmount+ series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
Ever since “Star Trek: Discovery” wrapped production on its fourth season a few weeks ago, fans have been eager to find out when the show will return. Since the beginning of 2021, fans knew that they’d see new episodes of the Trek flagship show before the end of the year. However, no specific timeframe was announced, let alone an actual release date.
That all changed on Star Trek Day 2021. The official release date has been announced, and new details about the fourth season were revealed.
Here’s everything you need to know:
New Episodes in November!
During the Star Trek Day 2021 “Discovery” panel, co-showrunner Michelle Paradise announced that the first episode of season four will premiere on November 18, 2021. So, new episodes are just over two months away! November 18 is a Thursday, so Thursdays will continue to be “new Trek episode” day through the end of 2021, at the very least.
Even more exciting was the news that as of November 18, two “Star Trek” shows will be on the air at the same time! “Star Trek: Prodigy” is set to release on October 28, 2021. So, for at least a month, Trekkers will get two new Trek-isodes every week.
There haven’t been two “Star Trek” shows on the air at the same time since the 90s. So, this is a big deal for true Trekkers.
New Details on the Relationships in Season 4
The panel featured “Discovery” actors Wilson Cruz (Dr. Culber), Blu del Barrio (Adira), and Ian Alexander (Gray Tal). “Star Trek: The Next Generation” alum Wil Wheaton, who moderated the panel, asked the actors about the chosen family their characters created in season three and what fans can expect from them in season four. He, like many “Discovery” fans, was particularly interested in the promise to make Gray visible.
Cruz confirmed that Gray will be truly seen in season four.
“I think what’s important to know is that when Dr. Culber makes a promise he keeps one. And at the end of season three… we promised Gray that he will be seen. And that it’s important for people to see him and understand all the amazing things that he’s capable of being. So, in season three we do keep that promise, I’m happy to say.”
Cruz continued, “I get to do a bit more parenting this season.” He said that Culber and his onscreen partner Dr. Stamets (Anthony Rapp), will be doing a lot of emotional labor to help Adira find themselves and grow. Cruz also promised that Culber and Stamets’ marriage would be a focus in the fourth season.
Alexander jumped in, hinting at how Gray will change in season four, once he’s visible.
“Being able to actualize as Gray has been so rewarding and amazing. I think we get to see him grow into himself more and blossom in season four, and I’m really excited for you to see it.”
del Barrio followed up, joking that they were relieved the rest of the cast could finally acknowledge Alexander on set. They revealed that they frequently had to redo takes because another cast member, often Cruz, accidentally looked at Alexander.
Exploring Families in Season Four
Wheaton then asked Paradise why she thought the “found families” in “Discovery” were so important to fans. She gave a poignant response and promised that there will be more found families in season four.
“I love that it’s resonating. We don’t choose the family that we come into, but we can choose the family that we live with… On our show this family unit [Culber, Stamets, Adira, and Gray] has been very, very important… and the entire ship is a found family in some ways. They spend so much time together… As a writer’s room we think about that a lot. And we look for ways to explore that, ways to explore new relationships… We’re looking for pairings that we haven’t seen before… For our show anyway, and I think for a lot of ‘Star Trek’ shows, the science is awesome, the adventure is awesome, and its the relationships that really stick and that people come for.”
So, fans can look forward to all kinds of new relationships and explorations of the concept of family in season four, much like in season three. And it’s all just a couple of months away!
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