Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery’s Series Finale - “Life, Itself”
Summary
Star Trek: Discovery’s ending set a record forStar Trekpromotions by creating two new Starfleet Admirals. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi,Star Trek: Discoveryseason 5, episode 10, “Life, Itself”, concluded the series by resolving Captain Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) hunt for the Progenitors' life-creating technology.Discovery’s finale also ended withan emotional coda that jumps 30+ years into the future where Admiral Michael Burnham led the USS Discovery on her final mission.
Star Trek: Discoverybecame known for having a musical Captain’s chairearly on in its 5-season run. Several people served asCaptain of the USS Discovery, including Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs), the Mirror Universe’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), Admiral Katrina Cornwell (Jayne Brook), Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) of the USS Enterprise, and Saru (Doug Jones). This instability built towards the promotion of Discovery’s final Captain, Michael Burnham herself. However, at the end ofStar Trek: Discovery, both Burnham and Saru rose even higher up Starfleet’s ranks.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide
As Burnham seeks the universe’s greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she’ll need help from a host of new and returning characters.
Discovery’s Burnham and Saru Set A Star Trek Record For Promotions
Neither Burnhan nor Saru will become Badmirals
By theend ofStar Trek: Discovery’s series finale, Michael Burnham and Saru were both promoted to Admiral. This means that in the course ofStar Trek: Discovery’s 5 seasons, audiences sawSaru and Burnham set aStar Trekrecord by starting off as Commanders and First Officers, becoming Captains, and finally Admirals - all during the run of their series. While other Captains like James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) became Admirals, their promotions came after theirStar Trekseries concluded. Each step of Burnham and Saru’s rise to Starfleet flag officers took place over the course ofStar Trek: Discovery.
Given the innate heroism of both Saru and Michael Burnham, it’s safe to predict neither will become Badmirals like so many other Starfleet Admirals who grew corrupted by power.
It wasn’t a direct climb up Starfleet’s ladder for either Saru or Michael Burnham. Captain Saru spentStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4 as theUSS Discovery’s First Officer, and he left Starfleet to become a Federation Ambassador inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5. ButSaru’s promotion to Admiral was official at the Kelpien’s wedding to President T’Rina(Tara Rosling). Of course, Burnham was infamously Starfleet’s first mutineer and served as a non-commissioned Specialist upon her release from prison inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 1. Michael was reinstalled as a Commander before becoming Captain at the end ofStar Trek: Discoveryseason 3, and finally, Michael became Admiral Burnham inStar Trek: Discovery’s series finale epilogue.
Career advancement is a staple of the USS Discovery
Star Trek: Discoverysaw more Starfleet promotions overall than any otherStar Trekseries.Nearly every crew member of the USS Discovery rose up the ranks throughoutStar Trek: Discovery’s 5 seasons.Ensign Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) became a Lieutenant and had two stints as Discovery’s First Officer, and Lt. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) became a Commander. The USS Discovery’s bridge crew members likeLt. Commanders Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts), Joann Owosekun(Oyin Oladejo), and Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) all got promoted as well. In this way,Discoverywas perhaps the most realisticStar Trekseries when it comes to career advancement.
Star Trek: Discovery’s series finale epilogue also introduced Captain Leto Burnham (Sawandi Wilson), the son of Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala).
Promotions certainly happened in otherStar Trekseries, but never so many in the same show. For example, Worf (Michael Dorn) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) received promotions inStar Trek: The Next Generation, while Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) became Captain and Colonel, respectively, onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.Still,Star Trek: Discoverytops theStar Treklegacy series when it comes to characters rising up the ranks. AndStar Trek: Discovery’s command duo of Michael Burnham and Saru impressively set aStar Trekrecord by jumping from Commanders to Admirals before their show was over.
