As Star Trek: Discovery hastens towards its fifth season, now is as good a time as any to look back at all the stories that got the series to this point. The CBS follow-up to the J.J. Abrams-directed film series which rebooted Star Trek for the modern generation, Star Trek: Discovery took a more serialized approach to its storytelling, bucking the series' trend of "adventure-of-the-week" episodes in favor of telling a more harmonious story.
This change was met with mixed reactions that continue to this day. Many long-time fans feel that the new direction betrays what makes Star Trek special. Meanwhile, new fans appreciate the more focused narrative that maintains the franchise's world-building while spending more time developing the characters that inhabit its world. While it may be divisive, for new and old fans looking to dive into the modern era of Star Trek, here are the best episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.
9 "...But To Connect" (Season 4, Episode 7)
While Star Trek flourishes when it comes to Starfleet's adventures in space, it's always good to come back down to Earth (so to speak) for a good ol' fashioned battle of wits and logic. "...But To Connect" gives viewers exactly this, as a strategy summit of Federation and non-Federation planets gather to debate the merits of attacking or communicating with the galaxy-destroying anomaly created by aliens known only as Species 10-C.
The debate boils down to a philosophical disagreement between Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker. Booker's home planet had just recently been destroyed by the anomaly, and his only goal is to prevent a similar tragedy from happening anywhere else. Meanwhile, Burnham sees the potential for a much greater conflict (and subsequent destruction) if the Federation attacks the anomaly without fully understanding it. This fundamental disagreement forms the crux of the episode, but the fallout from it persists for the rest of the season.
8 "An Obol For Charon" (Season 2, Episode 4)
This episode takes place amid the complicated process of the USS Discovery transitioning from its old captain - Captain Lorca - to the newly-assigned Captain Pike. However, the drama surrounding that change is quickly squashed by the arrival of a 100,000-year-old sphere, which rips Discovery out of warp and begins wreaking havoc on its systems, including its universal translator, which causes the entire crew of Discovery to lose the ability to understand each other.
There is a ton going on in this episode. Tilly goes on the Star Trek equivalent of a mushroom trip. Saru contracts a disease unique to Kelpiens called the vaharai and soon discovers the true extent of his own species' subjugation. Then there's the ancient sphere, which eventually identifies itself as an organic, living library, filled with a millenniums-worth of galactic data. All three plot lines run in parallel to each other, and each has a significant impact on both the show's characters and the season's story arc.
7 That Hope Is You, Part 1 (Season 3, Episode 1)
Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery boldly goes where the franchise has never gone before: to the far future. It's worth noting that, while Discovery is a prequel to the other Star Trek series, the "future" in question here is not in line with those other shows. We're talking far, far future, nearly 1,000 years beyond any other Star Trek series. This episode drops Michael Burnham out of a wormhole and right into the hot seat, as she encounters bounty hunter Cleveland "Book" Booker for the first time.
"That Hope Is You, Part 1" does a fine job of taking things slow. This is the Star Trek universe as viewers have never seen it before. Technology and alien races all exist in states that are completely different from how fans have known them previously. The viewers adapt to those changes along with Burnham, and it helps keep things relatable. There's also a cat, named Grudge, who steals most of his scenes. Hard to beat that.
6 "The Red Angel" (Season 2, Episode 10)
The central mystery of Discovery's second season revolves around the repeated appearances of a mysterious Red Angel across the galaxy, with the entity so named because of a vision Spock saw as a child that also features the Angel. As the season progresses, it gradually becomes clear that the Angel is a time traveler in a suit made of advanced technology.
That plot line comes to a head in "The Red Angel," where the identity of the suit's pilot is finally revealed, along with the motivations behind their actions. This episode does a fantastic job of grounding a seemingly-fantastical entity in the realm of science, and then tying it directly to Michael Burnham, making the ensuing conclusion to the Angel's story intensely personal to Discovery's lead character.
5 "Context Is For Kings" (Season 1, Episode 3)
The episode where Discovery truly gets the ball rolling as a series. Convicted of treason for essentially starting the Federation-Klingon War, Michael Burnham is picked up off a prison ship by the USS Discovery, where she is brought on board to consult on the science vessel's secretive project involving mycelium that may lead to a functioning warp drive.
Despite the episode being told almost exclusively through the perspective of Burnham, it introduces many of the characters that continue to grace the series to this day. No one sticks out more than the enigmatic Captain Lorca, however. He remains one of the most unique and unusual figures ever to Captain a Federation starship, and "Context Is For Kings" was the first glimpse viewers ever got of him.
4 "Species 10-C" (Season 4, Episode 12)
Finally coming through on the promise that Discovery's season 4 arc lays out in its early goings, "Species 10-C" introduces viewers to a truly alien alien: a species from another galaxy whose anomaly is feasting on the Milky Way's planets and destroying all life on them in the process. Discovery is finally able to make contact with these aliens. Then comes the tricky part: communicating with them.
As the anomaly makes headway towards Earth, Burnham and Discovery undertake the fascinating process of trying to determine how Species 10-C communicates, and how they can communicate back. It's part Arrival and part Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and it makes for a gripping hour of television that highlights all the features that set Discovery apart from the rest of the Star Trek universe.
3 "Terra Firma, Part 2" (Season 3, Episode 10)
Philippa Georgiou's return to the Mirrorverse (where she is known as Emperor Georgiou) concludes in grand fashion in "Terra Firma, Part 2." Despite her hardass nature, the effect that Prime Universe Burnham has had on Georgiou is palpable throughout her return home; from her newly-discovered penchant for mercy to her desire to provide Kelpiens with autonomy.
The whole thing is anchored by some fantastic acting by Michelle Yeoh (no surprise from the newly-minted Oscar nominee) which makes the campiness of the Mirrorverse far more believable than it might be otherwise. In the end, the episode marks a touching sendoff to one of Discovery's best characters. Godspeed Philippa.
2 "Project Daedalus" (Season 2, Episode 9)
For several episodes prior to "Project Daedalus," there are hints that there is a sleeper agent on board the USS Discovery. Finally, that agent is revealed, although their motives are far more horrifying than expected. Commander Airiam is not simply a spy, her systems have been commandeered by a probe from 300 years in the future.
Throughout the episode, viewers are given glimpses into Airiam's tragic backstory, including how she became the cybernetically-enhanced human that made her way onto Discovery's crew. Those same cybernetics are how the probe eventually takes control of her body and slowly turns her against her crewmates. It's a tragic end to a tragic character, but it makes for a fantastic hour of television.
1 "What's Past Is Prologue" (Season 1, Episode 13)
The conclusion to Captain Lorca's story arc is one for the ages. Once again in the Mirrorverse, Lorca is seeking to return to his position as Emperor after vanishing into the Prime Universe for years. His plans are not to kill his way to the top, however, but to lead through charisma and strength, something not often seen in the Mirrorverse.
The action setpieces in this episode are fantastic, from choreography right through to special effects, and that carries over to the ship battle taking place in the Prime Universe. Add to that actor Jason Isaacs having an absolute blast bringing Lorca to the conclusion of his story, and "What's Past Is Prologue" follows up Discovery's best narrative twist with an excellent payoff. Now one can only wonder where Prime Lorca wandered off to...
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is set to premiere sometime in 2023.