Summary
- Star Trek: Discovery's final episodes mirror the series premiere's binary star system, creating a symmetrical connection.
- The unintentional callback in season 5 adds satisfaction to the show's conclusion despite its cancelation.
- Discovery's small ways of tying the narrative together showcase growth and change over five seasons, despite mixed reviews.
Despite being canceled, I'm thrilled that Star Trek: Discovery's final episodes still managed to have a callback to the show's beginning. When it was announced in 2023 that season 5 would be Discovery's last, I was disappointed, if not surprised. Although the show has had a rocky run in terms of popularity, it has done so much for the Star Trek franchise since its premiere in 2017. Discovery kicked off Star Trek's modern era, reigniting the franchise's mainstream popularity and making it possible for the host of new shows streaming on Paramount+ to even exist.
Even with its many accomplishments and a solid five seasons, it's always sad when a show gets canceled instead of choosing to end on its own. Since Discovery's season 5 premiere, I've been acutely aware that the show's creative team didn't know they'd be saying goodbye after this season's 10-episode run. The unexpected cancelation has manifested itself with things like the disappointing lack of certain characters in Discovery's cast or the missed opportunity to bring back Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) in episode 4. However, these unintentional oversights made episode 9's subtle callback even more exciting for me.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Episodes Mirror The Series Premiere’s Binary Star System
Discovery began and ended with a pair of binary stars
The location of the Progenitor's technology in Discovery season 5, episode 9, perfectly mirrors the premiere episode's Battle of the Binary Stars. I'll admit, I didn't clock the connection the first time I watched "Lagrange Point," too focused on the dramatic moment when the USS Discovery jumped to the tech's location and found themselves nearly pulled in by the gravitational sheer of a black hole. However, upon rewatch, the gateway's placement between a pair of binary black holes stood out as significant when I remembered that Discovery's first two episodes also took place in a binary star system.
There's something wonderfully symmetrical about the first and last major series conflicts being set in very similar locations.
The Battle of the Binary Stars was arguably Discovery season 1's most important moment. The fight was started as the result of Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) mutiny and ignited the Klingon War, both of which became integral to season 1's plot. It seems only fitting to me then that Discovery season 5 should culminate with another fight at a pair of binary stars, or former stars as the case may be. There's something wonderfully symmetrical about the first and last major series conflicts being set in very similar locations.
Discovery’s Season 1 Callback Is Probably Accidental, But Still Great
Having Discovery be so symmetrical is very satisfying
In a season with very little finality to it, Discovery beginning and ending in a binary system has made me feel much more satisfied with how the show is wrapping things up. As far as I'm aware, there is no way that Discovery's creative team could have known they were making such a great connection to season 1 in "Lagrange Point." Had season 5 not been Discovery's last, the location of the Progenitor's treasure wouldn't have been nearly as significant, but now, the symmetry jumps out at me more profoundly.
Even with its somewhat mixed reviews, I've been a fan of Star Trek: Discovery since the beginning. Watching the show grow and change over seven years has been a genuine delight, and the range of storylines, characters, and firsts in terms of the diversity that the show has covered have made the franchise a richer, more inclusive place. Even if season 5 might not be everything Discovery envisioned as its final installment, I'm happy the show's narrative could still find small ways to come full circle, and I am looking forward to seeing what the finale has in store.
