WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, now streaming on CBS All Access.
Well into Star Trek: Discovery's third season, the series has grown considerably, finding confidence, surer footing and telling some great Star Trek tales. It's still loosely serialized with Burnham's overarching search for the cause of the Burn, but Season 3 has been able to tell more episodic stories that feel just like the right direction for the show. And what this has proven is that Discovery doesn't really need a big villain to tell an interesting story.
That's not to say that Discovery has lacked in compelling, formidable long-term antagonists. Season 1 had L'Rell and the Klingons, as well as Emperor Georgiou and Lorca's betrayal. Season 2 attempted to move away from the overarching villain and decided to center on solving the mystery of the Red Angel, but even then, Section 31 and Control emerged in the latter half of the season as the Big Bads.
Season 3 has been dropping narrative breadcrumbs about the Emerald Chain, a criminal syndicate that is meant to be the Federation's greatest threat. The big player in the Emerald Chain was teased to be an Orion named Osyraa, with her nephew bragging about being related to the dreaded gangster. Now, in the Season 3 episode "The Sanctuary," fans finally meet Osyraa and see what the show wants them to consider a primary antagonist. The Orions date back to TOS, and while it's fun to see them again, there are just so many other interesting things happening to really feel the menace.
In her debut, Osyraa feels more like a means to a narrative end and not that huge of a threat. Her role in that episode boils down to providing an action set piece, introducing Booker's estranged "brother" and, in a roundabout way, provide another clue to the Burn. She leaves the episode with a promise of returning to settle her score, but compared to all the other elements at play in Discovery's third season, her threat just doesn't come off as a priority.
Discovery has quickly evolved beyond the need for a primary antagonist, even as it leans into overarching storylines. That's not to say Osyraa's return won't be compelling, it's just that Discovery doesn't need a Big Bad to be great. It's already doing that with its daring choice to send the franchise into truly uncharted waters, the increased emphasis on the chemistry of the crew and a clearer focus on the importance of Starfleet's mission and ideals.
Star Trek has a wonderful history of recurring villains like the Borg, Cardassians and Q, but they also have an even longer history of one-shot dud antagonists intended to be much more. Discovery has taken a break from overwhelming villainous threats and the episodes focusing on how the crew is adjusting to their strange, new future have been some of the series' best.
Streaming on CBS All Access, Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Commander Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber, David Ajala as Cleveland "Book" Booker, Blu del Barrio as Adira, Ian Alexander as Gray, Tig Notaro as Chief Engineer Reno and Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou. New episodes of Season 3 air on Thursdays.