Are Discovery's Finale Twists Too Inside Star Trek?

There's an argument to be made that the big twists from the Star Trek: Discovery finale were too "inside baseball" and obscure to make the desired impact on the casual viewer. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, Discovery's finale, "Life, Itself" was both a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase" and the culmination of five seasons worth of adventures for Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Discovery's series finale being a TNG sequel was emblematic of the larger issues with the big revelations in the finale's closing scenes.

The first big revelation was that David Cronenberg's Doctor Kovich was an older Temporal Agent Daniels (Matt Winston) from Star Trek: Enterprise. Daniels wasn't even a series regular on Enterprise, so the revelation may have been too leftfield for some viewers, particularly those who never saw the Star Trek prequel series. However, the most obscure revelation in Star Trek: Discovery's finale was the epilogue set in the 33rd century, which set up an episode of the short-lived anthology series Star Trek: Short Treks.

Discovery's Kovich Twist Relied On A Star Trek Show That Ended Almost 20 Years Ago

Star Trek: Enterprise ended in 2005, so it does seem odd for such a big revelation about a Star Trek: Discovery character to rely so heavily on a show that ended 19 years ago. It's even stranger given that Temporal Agent Daniels last appeared in Enterprise in season 4, episode 2, "Storm Front II", which aired in October 2004. While the majority of Discovery viewers will know about Daniels and the role he played in the Temporal Cold War, there will be a portion of the audience that haven't revisited Enterprise for years, or who never even watched it in the first place.

While Scott Bakula and Enterprise is getting a reappraisal, the show never tapped into the cultural zeitgeist in the way that Star Trek: The Next Generation did. That's why the TNG references in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 feel less jarring than Kovich's true identity. Kovich being Daniels is a fun twist, and explains a lot about his enigmatic nature throughout Discovery. However, David Cronenberg delivering the line "Agent Daniels" means absolutely nothing to those viewers that haven't dipped into Enterprise on Paramount+, nor is it an enticing tease for them to do so.

Star Trek: Discovery's Epilogue Means Nothing If You've Not Seen Short Treks

While Star Trek: Discovery's Kovich reveal was ultimately a throwaway Star Trek: Enterprise reference, the finale's epilogue is a much bigger issue. The decision to dedicate such a substantial amount of screentime to setting up Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso" made Star Trek: Discovery's finale underwhelming. Short Treks was a short-lived anthology series of shorts that wasn't always easy to access. And yet, because "Calypso" depicted the USS Discovery abandoned in the far future, a small section of fandom were determined that this Short Trek must be explained before Discovery ended.

However, there is merit in leaving some mysteries unsolved, especially as the alternate future in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" created a possible solution. Instead, Discovery dedicated almost 20 minutes to Admiral Michael Burnham embarking on the USS Discovery's final mission to abandon Zora (Annabelle Wallis) in the far reaches of space because "Calypso" dictated it. In doing so, the Star Trek: Discovery epilogue placed fan service over providing a satisfying ending for the show's audience and cast.