I can't believe they cancelled the Star Trek: Discovery finale movie

Star Trek: Discovery was one of those shows that broke barriers, brought emotional depth to sci-fi, and redefined Star Trek for a new generation. But when Season 5 wrapped filming in November 2022, the cast and crew had no clue it would be their last. Imagine filming what you think is just the latest chapter of a story, only to be told it was the end. That’s what happened to Discovery.

Right after the cameras stopped rolling on Season 5, the cast is expected to be back for Season 6. But Paramount+ seems to have had other plans. Without any advance warning, the show was cancelled. Boom, just like that, Star Trek: Discovery was no more.

What made it sting even more? The team did want to give fans a big sendoff. A movie finale, no less. Something to match the grand scale the series had built over five seasons.

Sonequa Martin-Green, who played Captain Michael Burnham and was also a producer from Season 4, spilled the beans during the annual Trek Talks livestream:

“I remember from the moment we found out that the show was going to be ending and we were in talks with Paramount Plus about how we were going to wrap the show up. What they wanted was an additional episode to really be able to touch everyone’s stories, to really be able to close this thing out.”

But Paramount wasn’t having it. Not even in a short, extra episode.

“So they said, it’s not going to be an additional episode. It’s not going to be, I think what Alex and Michelle, originally wanted was a full two-hour movie finale kind of thing, right? And it was like, no, we’re not going to be able to do that. And it’s like, okay, well then what about an extra episode? No, we’re not going to be able to do that. Okay, what about like an extra like half of an episode or something like that?”

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12 pages to say goodbye

What they ended up with was ultimately 12 pages. That’s all that the writers were given to tie up the story. Martin-Green added:

“I remember being really sad when I found out about that because suddenly our options were very limited of what we were going to be able to touch in that short period of time.”

The solution? A 16-minute coda was filmed five months later. It was a sweet, emotional wrap-up that gave Burnham a graceful ending, but left out so many others. It was the best they could do under pressure, but it felt more like a band-aid than a finale.

Martin-Green admitted:

“I was happy that we at least got some sort of ending, just saddened it wasn't about the full cast, only focusing on Burnham.”

David Ajala, who played Book, Burnham’s love interest, shared how hard it was emotionally:

“In my mind, in a really weird kind of slightly selfish way, I haven’t watched this, it means that the show hasn’t ended.”

Relatable, right? Sometimes, not watching the end makes it easier to pretend it’s not over.

Here’s the kicker: Every other Star Trek show got a proper finale. Even Enterprise, which fans often criticize, had a wrap-up episode. TNG, DS9, and Voyager all had satisfying conclusions. So why didn’t Discovery?

Discovery’s 32nd-century setting was one of its greatest strengths. It dared to explore Starfleet's distant future, where the galaxy was rebuilding, trust was being forged, and new worlds were on the horizon. That story isn’t over. The upcoming Starfleet Academy show might pick up the pieces, but let’s be real, Discovery built that world and deserved to finish it.

Season 5 was like a space adventure puzzle. Burnham and her crew were chasing ancient tech left behind by the Progenitors, an idea first teased in TNG’s “The Chase.” At the same time, we saw the emotional high of Saru’s wedding to Ni’Var President T’Rina. So much heart. So much build-up. And then… the credits rolled.

There could have been so many avenues for writers to explore in Season 6. The Progenitors’ story could’ve been expanded. More aliens, more discoveries, deeper exploration into the unknown. But the plug was pulled before any of it could be filmed.

Let’s not forget: Discovery was the first original Star Trek series on CBS All Access, before it became Paramount+. It led the charge. Without it, we might not have Picard or Strange New Worlds. The show had guts and vision and brought a cinematic grandeur to Trek that other series have since followed.

The Trek Talks livestream established one thing for sure: the cast loved this show, and the fans still care. There’s a real demand for that proper finale. Will it ever come? Maybe not. But the conversation around it lives on.

Star Trek: Discovery was bold, emotional, and groundbreaking. It pushed the Trek legacy into new territory, but never got the ending it deserved. That 16-minute epilogue was heartfelt, but it wasn’t enough to bring closure to a story that meant so much to so many. And so one thing’s for sure: Discovery’s legacy will endure, even if its journey ended too soon.

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