How to watch Star Trek: Discovery – What's it about? Who's in the cast and can I watch it on Netflix?
As Star Trek goes where no man has gone before, can you watch the sci-fi prequel show on Netflix?
By Tom Chapman
There are some new and some not-so-new faces in Starfleet as Star Trek: Discovery boldly takes viewers where no man (or woman) has gone before. Taking the legacy of Gene Roddenberry's world of Star Trek, Discovery is the first show since Star Trek: Enterprise aired its finale in 2005.
Hitting warp into a new era of Trekkie history, Star Trek: Discovery gets behind the helm of the titular USS Discovery and tasks a new crew of human and aliens alike with saving the universe. Including nods to Trek old and new, Star Trek: Discovery has been beaming fans up since 2017.
Where to watch Star Trek: Discovery in the UK?
All 29 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery are available to stream on Netflix
Season 1-2 is also available on are available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
You can also buy Star Trek: Discovery on iTunes – Buy now
What is Star Trek: Discovery about?
Moving away from the tried-and-tested formula of the Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery starts its story in the midst of the Klingon-Federation war. A covert science ship finds itself with a new recruit when Sonequa Martin-Green's disgraced Michael Burnham is accused of mutiny aboard the USS Shenzhou.
As a human raised on Vulcan, Burnham is used to challenging the norms and authority in Star Trek: Discovery. Season 1 unfolds as Burnham struggles to adjust to the strange ways of the Discovery and the loss of her former mentor. She's taken under the wing of Captain Gabriel Lorca, however, everything isn't quite as it seems on Discovery. It isn't long before the ship is dragged into something much larger than the Klingon War.
Season 2 continues the trials and tribulations of Discovery as the crew intersects with some familiar faces from the world of Star Trek canon. Burnham continues to struggle with the ghosts of her past and is forced to put family differences aside when a dangerous power called the Red Angel makes her question her very existence.
Who is in Star Trek: Discovery?
The Walking Dead's Sonequa Martin-Green plays Michael Burnham. The character was created specifically for the show, with co-creator Alex Kurtzman citing that Burham is the first Star Trek lead who isn't the rank of captain. Doug Jones plays loyal Kelpien Saru, who is the first of his kind to enter Starfleet.
Burnham is also joined by Mary Wiseman as downtrodden cadet Sylvia Tilly, Anthony Rapp as the super-smart Paul Stamets, and Shazad Latif as Ash Tyler. While Tyler serves as Burnham's potential love interest, it soon becomes clear his troubled past will soon catch up to him.
Higher up the ladder, Michelle Yeoh is the formidable Captain Philippa Georgiou and Jason Isaacs portrays Captain Gabriel Lorca – a "brilliant military tactician". Finally, Anson Mount stars as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Spock.
Where is Star Trek: Discovery in the timeline (of the show)?
Charting the days before James Tiberius Kirk was lauding it over the Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery kicks things off in the year 2256. Season 2 continues the timeline in 2258-259 as the crew collides with a certain famous Starship everyone has heard off.
Unlike J.J. Abrams' "Kelvin Timeline" that was kick-started by Star Trek in 2009, Discovery takes place in the "Prime Timeline" alongside the various other movies and TV shows.
Discovery isn't quite the earliest prequel series, thanks to the Scott Bakula-led Star Trek: Enterprise. Set 100 years before Star Trek: The Original Series, Enterprise just pips Discovery to the post.
It's unknown where Star Trek: Discovery goes next, but as the show has already shown its fans, time travel isn't completely out of the question.
How many episodes of Star Trek Discovery are there?
So far, Star Trek: Discovery has run for 29 episodes. Premiering on September 24, 2017, Star Trek: Discovery aired 15 episodes in its first season. This was followed by season 2 on January 17, 29 and another run of 14 episodes. The second part of "Such Sweet Sorrow" aired on July 18, 2019 and set the scene for what comes next.
How many seasons of Star Trek Discovery are there?
In February 2019, CBS picked up Star Trek: Discovery for a third season. Michelle Paradise has been promoted from co-executive producer and writer to serve as co-showrunner with Kurtzman. Elsewhere, Kurtzman will continue his role as overseer of the expanding Trek-Verse.
Speaking of which, there are a number of Star Trek TV shows in the works. Each show will focus on different characters but tie into the Prime Timeline.
As well as the long-awaited return of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard for his own spin-off series, Yeoh is poised for her own Georgiou standalone. Mike McMahan is working on an animated comedy called Star Trek: Lower Decks and Kurtzman has already expressed interest in a spin-off show for Captain Pike.
When does Star Trek: Discovery return?
Star Trek: Discovery was commissioned for a third season in February 2019. The Season 2 premiere debuted 11 months after the Season 1 finale, but it's unclear when the show will return. While fans patiently wait to beam back aboard the Discovery, CBS' expanding Trek-Verse looks like it's setting up its own MCU.
The climactic ending of season 2 once again puts the discovery on a different path to the Enterprise, teasing that Star Trek: Discovery will get some of its identity back in season 3. The big question is, will there be another new captain at the helm?
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