With its combination of ambitious storytelling and classic Star Trek tropes reimagined for the 21st Century, Star Trek: Discovery has kicked off a second Renaissance of Trek shows, just as Star Trek: The Next Generation did in the 1980s. For three seasons, fans have watched Michael Burnham go from a convicted prisoner to captain of the Discovery, and her crew from 23rd Century pilots of a singular vessel to 32nd Century saviors of the Federation.
Season 4 has been slated to run on Paramount+; part of a staggering pack of five Star Trek shows running more or less concurrently on the streaming service. Here’s what fans know so far about the new outing, including storyline, release date and trailer.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was updated Oct. 9, 2021, to include the Season 4 trailer for Star Trek: Discovery.
What Is the Story Going into Star Trek: Discovery Season 4?
Season 3 made the bold choice of moving the crew from the mid-23rd Century – shortly before the events of The Original Series – into the late 32nd Century. That freed them from potential entanglements with previously established canon, while giving them an entirely new galactic political landscape to explore. A cataclysmic event called the Burn all but shattered the Federation, and the Discovery spent the bulk of Season 3 attempting to restore it. Season 3 ended with Michael Burnham assuming the captain’s position, with Sylvia Tilly as her new Number One. 32nd Century characters such as Adira seem to have integrated with the rest of the crew, and with the criminal empire of the Emerald Chain in ruins, Discovery has the singular ability to reconnect the broken parts of the Federation and restore it to its former strength.
Season 4 appears to follow the same format of the first three seasons, with a single central arc defining each storyline. The season's teaser promises a gravitational anomaly – not necessarily something created by an enemy, but a possibly natural phenomenon – and attendant interstellar havoc. But beyond that, the specifics of the plot are under wraps, though cast members were able to reveal some details during Star Trek Day on September 8. Doug Jones's Saru is confirmed to return, and show promise to cover both Grey's efforts to manifest in a physical body, and the family dynamic formed by him, Adira, Paul Stamets and Dr. Culber.
Season 3 left several character arcs in a state of limbo – such as Detmer’s ongoing PTSD, and the still astonishing connection between Adira and Grey – and Season 4 will presumably explore them with the same thoughtfulness it approached the first three seasons with. Little else is known, but considering the redrawn landscape of the 32nd Century, there are all kinds of intriguing possibilities for Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery. The show hasn’t yet delved into the status of the Klingons, Cardassians or Borg, as well as multiple other species of the Alpha Quadrant. Whether or not any of them will appear -- and how -- is yet to be seen.
Does Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Have a Trailer?
The first Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 teaser was released on April 5, and details a massive gravitational anomaly wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Specifics are scarce beyond that, though Burnham’s status as captain seems secure, and the Discovery appears to have taken its place among a reborn Federation.
UPDATE: A new trailer for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 was released on Oct. 9, in conjunction with a panel of cast members at New York Comic Con. It provides more details about the galaxy-threatening "anomaly" that serves as the season's central problem, and implies the Discovery crew will defy orders in order to stop it.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Release Date
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 will debut on Paramount+ on Nov. 18, 2021.
Season 4 was confirmed right after the launch of Season 3 – Oct. 16, 2020 – with shooting beginning that November and continuing into 2021. COVID-19 restrictions delayed production in Toronto, but an Aug. 2 tweet from actor David Ajala confirmed that his work on Season 4 was complete.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, Ian Alexander and Emily Coutts.