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Michael Ansara (Kang)

Michael George Ansara (15 April 1922 – 31 July 2013; age 91) was the Syrian-born actor best-known to Star Trek fans for playing Kang in three Star Trek episodes, each from a different series, namely the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Day of the Dove”, the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Blood Oath”, and the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Flashback”. He later appeared in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “The Muse” as Lwaxana Troi’s Tavnian husband, Jeyal.

He was one of eleven actors to play the same character (Kang) on three different Star Trek TV series. The other actors who hold this distinction are Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Mark Lenard, George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Armin Shimerman, John de Lancie, and Richard Poe.

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Published Mar 27, 2017

9 Things To Know About "Blood Oath"

Kor, Kang and Koloth together again... for the very first time. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had its share of great episodes, but for pure entertainment, pretty much nothing beat " Blood Oath ," an hour filled with humor, drama and honor as it brought together new-look versions of the legendary Klingons embodied by Jon Colicos, Michael Ansara and William Campbell. Hard as it may be to believe, "Blood Oath" aired on March 27, 1994. In the episode, Jadzia Dax risks her life and her future with Starfleet in order to fulfill a blood oath that Curzon Dax made with the trio of ancient Klingons.

Here are 9 facts and anecdotes about "Blood Oath"

DS9 Minus Three

A trio of DS9 regulars did not appear in "Blood Oath," specifically Siddig El Fadil, Cirroc Lofton and Colm Meaney.

Seven Samurai Meets the Magnificent Seven

The script—inspired by Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven —at first did not feature the Klingons, but rather new characters. It was (writer-producer) Robert Hewitt Wolfe who suggested using Kor, Kang and Koloth.

Music to Their Ears

Director Winrich "Rick" Kolbe had Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" played on set to heighten the mood.

Kor, unlike Kang and Koloth, survived the events of "Blood Oath," enabling Colicos to return as Kor in the DS9 episodes " The Sword of Kahless " and " Once More Unto the Breach ." Ansara actually reprised Kang in the Voyager hour " Flashback " and played Jeyal in the DS9 episode " The Muse ."

Even More on Kor

Speaking to Ian Spelling of the New York Times Syndicate in 1995, Colicos said that he received the "Blood Oath" script in acts as they were completed, but that he nearly turned down the gig because Kor was depicted as an overweight, drunk, rather Falstaff-ian buffoon. "(Executive producer) Michael Piller told me Kor, Koloth and Kang become heroic in the end, and that one of us might be kept alive," Colicos recalled. "I said, 'I'm Ishmael, who lives to tell the story, otherwise I ain't interested.'"

Klingon Kompadres

Campbell had a great time working with Colicos and Ansara. "I'd always known John's work as an actor, but I didn't know him personally before this. He's a terrific guy," Campbell told the Philadelphia Daily News back in 1994. "I knew Mike and he looked superb. We really had a lot of fun working together. We traded a few Trek stories, but we all have bodies of work that have nothing to do with Star Trek . So we found ourselves talking more about all the other things we'd done."

Really, Frank Lloyd Wright?

Exteriors shots for the Albino's fortress were shot at the Millard House in Pasadena. The textile block house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Prequel…

The novel Forged in Fire , penned by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin, is a prequel that fills in details about the Albino and Curzon Dax's bond with Kang, Kor and Koloth.

A Party in Sto-Vo-Kor

All three Klingon actors sadly have passed away. Colicos died in 2000, followed by Campbell in 2011 and Ansara in 2013.

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Kang (Star Trek)

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Kang, son of K'naiah was a Klingon of great reknown in the 23rd and 24th centuries. He was first seen in the Star Trek episode Day of the Dove .

Kang was named after an active volcano on Qo'noS . A Quch'Ha Klingon, Kang was a smooth headed Klingon descended from Klingons who had been infected with the augment virus a century earlier. He was good friends with Kor and Koloth.

By the 2260s Kang was married to a Klingon female named Mara and commanded a D7 class starship named the IKS Kolode . Mara served on his ship as a science officer. The Kolode was severely damaged by the Beta XII-A entity . Most of Kang's crew died in the Beta XII-A entity's assault on the Kolode . Kang and his fellow survivors were beamed aboard the Enterprise , where the entity sealed off most of the crew, equalizing the number of combatants on both sides. The entity tried to provoke never ending combat between the crew of the Enterprise and the Klingons, but Kirk and Kang put aside their differences and called a truce. During this encounter, Kang informed Kirk that the while the Klingons had no devil, they understood the ways of the human devil.

Kang and the Klingon survivors returned to the Empire. Kang was given command of another D7 ship, which was named IKS Klolode II. This ship was sent to destroy the IKS Devisor after a retro virus was unleashed on the crew of that ship. Kang interceded on behalf of his friend Koloth, who was in command of the Devisor , keeping the ship from being destroyed until the survivors could be quarantined. It was soon revealed that the retro virus was created by Anntaak's grandson Dr. Hurghom to reverse the effects of the augment virus. Koloth and many other Klingons were cured of the augment virus, and regained their forehead ridges as a result. Unfortunately Kor and Kang both proved resistant to that particular cure - it would be another 20 years before a cure was developed that was effective on them.

Kang was one of the Klingon delegates to peace talks on the Korvat Colony. On the Federation side was Sarek, Captain Styles and Commander Hikaru Sulu of the Excelsior , and Curzon Dax. Kang began a long winded speech on his opposition to peace with the Federation. Owing to his research on the Klingons, Curzon realized the most effective way to respond to Kang's bluster was to leave the room.

Curzon got up and walked out of the room right in the middle of Kang's speech. Kang was not happy, as Jadzia would later put it no one ever had the kajunpak't to turn their back on Kang before. Kang nearly killed Curzon that day, but was soon interrupted when a bomb went off in the conference. Sarek was seriously injured and Captain Styles died from the bombing.

Kang, Kor, Koloth, Curzon Dax, and Hikaru Sulu attempted to capture The Albino for bombing the conference. While they were unsuccessful in capturing the pirate, they significantly curtailed his operations and were largely able to mitigate a biological attack on Qo'noS that the Albino had carried out. A friendship began between Kang and Dax that would last until Kang's death in 2372.

After the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon Kang was in command of the Klingon ship IKS HaH'vat . Patrolling the Federation-Klingon border he prevented the USS Excelsior from rescuing Captain James T. Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy .

An older Kang in 2372.

In 2295 in retaliation for their actions against him the Albino murdered the children of Kang, Kor, and Koloth, including Kang's very young son DaqS. At the funeral of his son Kang declared that he would cut out the heart of the Albino and eat it while forcing the Albino to watch. Kor, Koloth, and Curzon Dax joined him in his blood oath, vowing to hunt down the Albino. They invited Sulu - whose daughter Demora was very nearly killed as well - to join them, but Sulu turned them down.

In addition to pursuing the Albino Kang continued his career in the Klingon Defense Force. In 2346 Kang was in command of the IKS Sompek and was taking Chancellor Kravokh and most of the High Council on a tour of the Empire. After Kravokh insisted on chasing down a faked distress call at the expense of the Klingons on the Khitomer outpost, Kravokh was challenged by councillor K'mpec to a fight to the death. Kang made it clear that he would be the next to take on Kravokh should he defeat K'mpec. However K'mpec won the battle and Kang immediately accepted his authority as chancellor.

Kang continued his pursuit of the Albino as time permitted. Meeting with an ex wife of the Albino he gained some valuable intelligence on the Albino. The Albino would eventually contact Kang to say that he was tired of the pursuit, and offered Kang a chance to have a glorious fight to the death facing him and 40 of his guards. In 2372 Kang brought the other members of the blood oath together and they took off in pursuit of the Albino - Dax joined over the explicit objections of Benjamin Sisko . While enroute to the Albino's compound on Secarus IV Kang admitted that he had in contact with the Albino and of the supposed bargain the Albino had made with Kang.

What Kang did not realize was that the Albino never intended to keep his bargain though, planning to kill the Klingons with a mine at the entrance to his estate. What the Albino didn't count on was Curzon's successor Jadzia Dax accompanying the Klingons.

Upon arrival on Secarus IV Dax found the mine at the entrance to the Albino's compound. Kor chided Kang for making a deal with the devil before they came up with an alternate plan.

Dax and the Klingons blew up the Albino's armoury, then disabled scanners and communications. Arriving in the main hall Kang told the Albino that he was a killer of children and to look upon his executioners. In the fight that ensued Koloth was severely injured and died not long after. Kang also was mortally wounded in the attack, but before the Albino could finish him off he found himself held at bat'leth point by Jadzia Dax.

Dax hesitated when the time came to deliver the coup de grace . However she delayed the Albino just long enough for Kang to put a knife in the back of the Albino. The Albino was dead by the time he hit the ground. Kang realized that Dax wasn't able to bring herself to kill the Albino, but with his dying breaths he helped Dax save face by thanking her for letting him have the honor of finishing off the Albino. Kang died a few minutes later, saying it was a good day to die, after he died Dax replied it was never a good day to lose a good friend. Singing a dirge Kor set about setting Qagh's compound on fire.

Over the next three years Kor would tell stories of his old friend Kang until his own death in combat against the Dominion in 2375. Kang was seen as a hero to many in the Empire.

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One Prospective Kang Replacement Reveals the Obscure Superhero He'd Rather Play in the MCU

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Marvel Studios is still on the hunt for a new actor to portray Kang the Conqueror, the big bad of The Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately for the studio, one potential replacement for Jonathan Majors, Them star Luke James, has taken himself out of the running.

In an interview with The Direct , James shared that, despite some interest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom , he had no interest in replacing Majors as Kang the Conqueror, although he would consider joining the franchise in a different role. "Marvel as a whole? Yes. Kang the Conqueror? No. But I wouldn't not not take the meeting," the actor said. "There are so many characters I would love a take at." One character that has yet to debut in the MCU that James would love to take a crack at is Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher , who first appeared in Thor #411 in 1989. "As a kid, I loved Thrasher, especially when I was introduced to him via Spider-Man," he explained. "I just thought that was really cool. I skateboard. I thought it was really sick."

Baron Zemo's MCU Future Gets 'Very Confident' Update From Daniel Brühl

Baron Zemo actor Daniel Brühl doesn't think Marvel fans have seen the last of his anti-hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After debuting as the character in Loki , Majors was initially set to return as Kang the Conqueror, and his many variants, in both Avengers 5 (formerly subtitled The Kang Dynasty ) and Avengers: Secret Wars . Similar to Thanos being the big bad of The Infinity Saga, Kang was being set up by Marvel to be the main antagonist of its Multiverse Saga.

However, after Majors was charged with and found guilty of assault and harassment , Marvel Studios parted ways with the actor. The hunt is now on for a replacement, with John David Washington and Coleman Domingo reportedly two names Marvel is interested in meeting with for the role.

Luke James Also Open to DCU Role

James is also open to joining James Gunn's forthcoming DC Universe , which will begin later this year with the animated series Creature Commandos . He told The Direct that Nathaniel Adam/Captain Atom would be one superhero that he would be interested in bringing to life on the big screen, referring to him as "such a unique character." He continued, "Adam is really powerful. I think that would be really [cool]... Right now, I see him hooked up to this reactor... They're draining him; they're using his power to create these radioactive beings that they're using. I forget what animation that was..."

Tom Hardy Hints That Venom: The Last Dance Might Ditch PG-13 Rating

Venom: The Last Dance star Tom Hardy strongly suggests that the upcoming Marvel threequel may receive an R-rating.

What's the Latest on Avengers 5?

According to trusted insider Daniel Richtman, the untitled Avengers 5 movie is expected to begin principal photography in the United Kingdom in January 2025 . While plot details remain under wraps, Richtman noted that Avengers 5 will feature a "more grounded" story, though the sequel will still have Multiversal elements. Marvel Studios is still searching for a filmmaker to direct Avengers 5 . Shang-Chi helmer Destin Daniel Cretton was originally tapped to direct the movie but departed in November 2023 to focus on Shang-Chi 2 . Shawn Levy, who directed the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine , is reportedly the top choice for the gig now, although Marvel is meeting with other directors while awaiting a final answer from Levy .

Avengers 5 is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026 , followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

Source: The Direct

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• Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

Blood Oath (episode)

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Three old Klingon warriors reunite on Deep Space 9, seeking Curzon Dax, with whom they entered into a blood oath to one day exact revenge on an enemy for killing the warriors' firstborn sons. Finding Jadzia as worthy a warrior as they felt Curzon to be, she joins the Klingons in completing their vendetta.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Reception
• 3.4 Cast trivia
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt doubles
• 4.6 References
• 4.7 External links

Summary [ ]

In his bar , Quark complains to Odo that an elderly, drunken Klingon is monopolizing one of the holosuites , endlessly re-fighting the Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt , a battle the Klingons won over the Romulans a century ago . He has only paid for an hour, but has been in the holosuite for three. With Odo standing by, Quark shuts off the power, and the Klingon, Kor , storms out with a bottle of Breshtanti ale in his hand. He lunges drunkenly at Quark, but Odo pacifies him by telling him a "victory celebration" is awaiting him, and leads him to a holding cell to sleep it off.

Koloth , Kor's friend, comes to bail him out; however, when he sees Kor is still quite drunk, he furiously tells Odo to keep him. Shrugging, Kor passes out again, while Odo rolls his eyes.

Act One [ ]

In Ops , Odo brings a report to Major Kira and apologizes for being late, as it's been a "Klingon afternoon." He goes on to explain how he put Kor in a cell for public drunkenness and Koloth's failed attempt to bail him out. Odo tells Kira that the Klingon is singing battle songs and has announced himself as "Kor Dahar master of the Klingons". Dax overhears the name at her station and has Kor released. Dax and Kor go to the Replimat where they find Koloth eating cake and Kor comments on him practicing his fighting skills with his food. Koloth says that " a sharp knife is nothing without a sharp eye " and Kor just calls it luck. Koloth says it is insulting that the Federation would send a lieutenant to greet him. Dax comments that Koloth never liked the Federation and calls him by his nickname in Klingon, " Iceman Koloth". Kor asks Koloth if he recognises Dax, and Dax reveals to him and Koloth that she is their old friend and comrade, "Dax" – Curzon Dax having been the last host of the symbiont now inside her. Kor is delighted that their old friend now inhabits a beautiful woman's body, but Koloth protests that some mistake has been made. Dax realizes that their meeting has been arranged by another old friend, Kang , who arrives and tells them that he has finally found " The Albino ."

Eighty-one years ago , the three Klingons and Curzon swore a blood oath to hunt down and kill the Albino, no matter what. After Dax convinces Kang that she really is Dax, Kang explains he has finally tracked him down to a hideout in the Secarus system – and, to ensure that no warning causes the Albino to flee before they can reach him, Kang killed the traders who disclosed the location to him.

Act Two [ ]

Walking alone with Dax on the upper level of the Promenade , Kang muses that times have changed, and nothing is quite the same as it was in the Klingon Empire , not even a blood oath. With that in mind, he tells Jadzia that she has no obligation to honor her past host 's commitments, and formally releases her from Curzon's oath.

" When you take someone's life – you lose a part of your own, as well. "

While on duty in Ops, Dax asks Kira about her experiences in the Bajoran Resistance and how she felt when she killed Cardassians. Kira is very uncomfortable talking about those days, but after a moment, jokingly asks if Dax is planning to kill someone. When Dax hesitates in answering, Kira takes her by the arm and leads her away from the main work area, insisting that Dax explain herself. Dax reluctantly explains: the Albino was a heinous criminal who led pirate raids on several Klingon and Federation colonies, until a task force commanded by Kang, Kor, and Koloth destroyed his power base. Although many of his followers were captured, the Albino escaped and promised revenge on the firstborn children of Kor, Koloth, and Kang. Four years later, he managed to keep his promise by infecting each of the three Klingons' firstborn sons with a deadly genetic virus. Curzon was godfather to Kang's son , who was named Dax in his honor, and swore a blood oath alongside the other three. Kira tries her best to dissuade Dax from her mission, reminding her that it was Curzon's godson who died, not Jadzia's and that she should not be expected to keep her former host's commitments. Dax is unswayed, telling Kira she still remembers the boy's funeral and how she felt when her godson died. She feels like she owes it to Curzon to fulfill the oath, even if the other Klingons don't expect her to. Kira finishes by answering Dax's original question: " when you take someone's life, you lose a part of your own as well. "

Dax talks to Kor at Quark's, who is as joyful as ever: " Oh, of course you should come! The splendor of fighting and killing, a bloodbath in the cause of vengeance; who wouldn't want to come! " But when she asks him to speak with Koloth and Kang on her behalf, he hesitates, calling himself an old man whose influence and power are long past.

Dax confronts Koloth in a holosuite while he is practicing his bat'leth techniques. He believes she is too young and fragile to accompany them, so she challenges him to a duel to show him that she still retains Curzon's skill with the weapon. After a few rounds, Koloth concedes that her presence will do honor to their cause, but Kang remains adamant in his refusal.

Act Three [ ]

Outside the holosuite in Quark's, Dax presses the matter; ultimately, Kang does not have the right to deny her vengeance against the Albino, who killed Dax's godson. Angrily, Kang agrees to allow her along, storming, " come and be damned! "

As Dax packs in her quarters , Commander Sisko arrives to preemptively deny her a leave of absence, telling her that he cannot condone murder in the name of vengeance, nor can he understand why Jadzia feels the need to do so to honor a commitment Curzon made. Dax tells him that Curzon is a part of her, and Curzon understood and embraced the Klingon concepts of honor and vengeance. When Dax begs him not to make her disobey a direct order, Sisko does not prevent her from leaving, but warns her that she shouldn't expect to just return to the station like nothing has happened. Dax responds that the consequences she faces are up to him.

Act Four [ ]

Aboard Kang's ship , on the way to the Albino's hideaway, the Klingons and Jadzia discuss their strategy. Kang advocates a surprise frontal assault on the compound's main gate. His intelligence indicates that the Albino only has forty guards, and the shock and awe of their appearance will give them a decisive advantage. Koloth and Kor endorse the plan and march out of the room triumphantly to sharpen their blades but Dax stays to confront Kang. Unlike them, she can see that the plan is suicide, and demands to know what Kang is really up to. In fact, she says, if she didn't know better, she'd think Kang had been paid to lure them into a trap.

Kang admits that when he first learned the Albino's location, he visited the system to see if it was true, and was contacted by the Albino. The Albino offered Kang a "glorious" battle against forty of the Albino's best warriors and Kang accepted, believing that if he could not kill the Albino, he could die trying.

Believing that Klingons embrace death too easily, Dax urges him to consider an alternative strategy. Kang insists that the Albino's defenses cannot be penetrated by the four of them, and victory is impossible. But Dax has the idea of disabling the guards' phasers , by reconfiguring the ship's disruptors to bombard the compound from orbit with tetryon particles. The resulting dampening field will disable any energy weapons inside. Although the Klingons will likewise be unable to use their hand disruptors, they will have a significant advantage over the guards in hand-to-hand combat. Kang agrees, saying, " perhaps it is a good day to live. "

Act Five [ ]

After beaming down to Secarus IV , Dax scans the area with her tricorder and detects a gravitic mine buried inside the main entrance; the Albino obviously never intended to keep his bargain with Kang. On the other hand, the booby-trap gives them the advantage, since the Albino will be focusing his defenses on the main gate. The four of them quickly work out an alternate plan of attack: Dax will create a diversion by sabotaging the compound's armory, drawing a fair amount of the guards away from the main house, while the Klingons disable the power station, knocking out the Albino's communications and scanners.

However, Kor points out that if the Albino lied to Kang about facing him down honorably, he might not be in the compound, or even on the planet. Koloth tells everyone to wait for a few minutes while he goes and asks somebody. The others wonder if he's gone insane, but sure enough, he comes back a few minutes later, having stealthily ambushed a "very helpful" guard, who has confirmed the Albino's presence. The four warriors prepare to split up to fulfill their roles in the attack, and Kang locks hands with his fellow Klingons: " May Kahless guide us on this day of vengeance! " After a moment's hesitation, Dax puts her hand on the others'.

When the armory explodes, the Albino realizes that his trap has been outmaneuvered. Before he can order his guards to draw back into the house, the power station is sabotaged, leaving him trapped inside his main hall with his Markalian aide and only a few guards, with no way to signal the others and no functioning phasers. The Klingons and Dax storm into the hall and fight his guards hand-to-hand. Koloth is mortally wounded when a guard stabs him in the back, while Kang fights his way up the stairs through to the Albino.

The Albino manages to mortally wound Kang, but turns to find Dax's bat'leth at his throat. She introduces herself as the former Curzon Dax, and he smirks that she doesn't have it in her to murder him, alluding to the traditional consuming of the enemy's heart once they have been slain. She hesitates, and meanwhile Kang stabs his knife into the Albino's back. He falls to the bottom of the stairs to his death. On the surface, he thanks Dax for the act of friendship in "letting" him have the death blow, but the knowing eyes between long friends hints at the deeper reality: that Kang has saved Jadzia from being forced to make the decision to kill the Albino. Kang utters, " It is a good day to die, " before dying. Dax murmurs sadly, " It's never a good day to lose a friend. " The only Klingon left standing, Kor, sings in honor of his fallen comrades, as he stands over the body of the dead Albino.

Dax returns to the station and resumes her post; however, it is clear from the looks of both Kira and Sisko that they may not be able to regard her the same way again.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Shut off the power. " " He'll kill you! " " No, he said he'll kill you – shut it off. "

" How did you get in here? " " I am Koloth. " " That doesn't answer my question. " " Yes, it does. "

" I do not go into battle with one whose honor is washed away in Breshtanti ale… keep him! "

" Security reassignments, Major. Sorry it took so long; it's been a Klingon afternoon. " A Klingon afternoon? " " Every time Klingons visit the station, I wind up with a Klingon afternoon – but this is definitely one I'll cherish forever. "

" I don't have to tell you what this oath meant to Curzon. " " Jadzia Dax took an oath, too, when she joined Starfleet. You're subject to orders, Lieutenant. " " Don't do it, Benjamin. Don't make me disobey a direct order! "

" This is a mistake! Kang must not have known… " " Ah, but what a beautiful mistake! "

" Is Kang coming? " " Of course he's coming; he's brought the four of us together after eighty-one years! " " Could it possibly mean that he's… " " Yes… that is exactly what it means: I have found The Albino. "

" This time, we will reach the Albino! And when we do, I will cut his heart out and eat it, while he watches me with his dying breath! "

" The Korvat colony. First day of negotiations, I walked out on you, right in the middle of that long-winded speech of yours. You should have seen the look on your face. Nobody had ever had the kajunpak't to show their back to the great Kang before Curzon did. " " I almost killed Curzon that day. "

" You've said to yourself, 'Every new life for a Trill has to be a new life'! If not, you'd wind up paying off old debts forever. These Klingons can't possibly expect you to keep this oath! " " No, they don't… that's just it! They say I have no obligation to them… but I do ! I know it – I feel it!… if not to them, then to Curzon. "

" Quark, you devious little Ha'DIbaH ! Bring wine. "

" I-I was once, if you remember, far less than you see. And far more than I've become. "

" There is tension on your face, Koloth! You ought to drink more. "

" Of course you should come! The splendor of fighting and killing; a bloodbath in the cause of vengeance; who wouldn't want to come! "

" You say they promised you an honorable battle hand-to-hand combat at the main threshold." " That's right. " "Take a look at this. This indicates a gravitic buried at the main threshold." "Yes, and he plans to detonate it the moment we enter the compound." " That's what you get for making a deal with the devil, Kang. "

" Wait here. " " Where are you going? " " I'm going to find out if he 's inside. " " And how do you intend to do that? " " I'll ask somebody! "

" May Kahless guide us on this day of vengeance! "

" Look upon your executioners, killer of children! "

" I was right, Dax. It is a good day to die. " " It's never a good day to lose a friend. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• Peter Allan Fields ' original story, entitled "The Beast", did not feature Kang, Kor, and Koloth. They were to be new characters, but Robert Hewitt Wolfe , a big fan of Star Trek: The Original Series , suggested using the three most popular Klingons from that series. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 131) The idea came up in a conversation between Fields, Co-Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr , and Executive Producer Michael Piller . ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., p. 186) Fields based "The Beast" on Akira Kurosawa 's 1954 film Seven Samurai and John Sturges ' 1960 remake of that film, The Magnificent Seven . He modeled Koloth after James Coburn 's character of Britt and Kang after Yul Brynner . Kor was based on William Shakespeare 's character of Falstaff , who appeared in Henry IV, Part II . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 131-132)
• John Colicos was approached by Michael Piller and allowed to give his own input to the script. Colicos commented, " When I started reading the script, I spoke to Michael Piller and said, 'I don't really want to play this character, because it's totally contradictory to the original Kor. I have a huge following from the original one, and if he becomes just a buffoon, then I'd honestly rather not do it.' He said, 'No, [Kor] starts out as a rather dipsy, Falstaffian character, but becomes quite heroic in the end.' I said, 'Let me see the last two chapters, before I commit myself finally.' And then there was a question of whether we should all be killed off, whether this was the last hurrah for the 'Over the Hill Klingon' gang. [Piller] said they were contemplating keeping one of us alive, and I said, 'Well, I better be the Ishmael who lives to tell the story.' When they gave me that, I said, 'All right, fine.' " ("The Sword of Colicos", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine , issue 8)
• The writing staff toyed with the idea of having the three Klingons appear as they did in the original Star Trek , but decided against it. When Michael Ansara asked why the Klingons now looked different, he was told, " Klingons live to be very, very old and that's a natural physical metamorphosis. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 131)
• Terry Farrell thought that it would have been interesting to have the episode end with Dax considering fulfilling Kang's promise to cut out the Albino's heart and eat it: " I thought it would have been cool if it ended not with me taking a bite, but holding the heart, so you didn't know if I was going to take a bite or not ". ( What Satellite TV Trek Special 1995, p 82)
• Several terms are used in the pronunciation guide in the script but not in the final script itself. These include " Cheron ", "becht" and "ghoptu".

Production [ ]

Jim Martin sketch of Albino's courtyard

• Before the episode entered production, Junie Lowry-Johnson and Ron Surma checked to see if Michael Ansara , John Colicos , and William Campbell were still acting. They found the first two easily, but had difficulty finding Campbell. He was actually doing Star Trek cruise conventions at the time. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 131) " We were quite pleased that all three of these […] actors were willing to reprise their roles, " stated Peter Allan Fields. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., p. 186)
• Regarding the start of filming, William Campbell commented, " I went down there not realizing that they had this age thing of 85 or 100 years later, I thought we would just be older, that we didn't evolve with the carbuncle on the head, and the other changes they've done. However, when I walked in there I said to Rick Berman , 'Somebody out there said we were going to have to put this make-up on, á la Michael Dorn .' And he said, 'Well, yeah. It's 100 years later, and don't ask me why they do it. This is the way Klingons look now, and you've evolved into this.' I said fine, but I had just thought we were going to to come back as the Over the Hill Gang-type thing. Of course it had a lot more significance than that. We were all senior officers, we were part of of this special quest. I thought they did a phenomenal job the the make-up, although Michael Ansara said to me, 'Bill, I haven't worked in six years, this is going to kill me! " ("The Honorable William Campbell", TV Zone magazine, issue 60)
• The interior of the Albino 's fortress was built on Paramount Stage 18 . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132) The fortress set was actually built on Stage 18 for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Masks ", as Masaka 's temple . TNG's Stage 16 was taken up by the Barkonian village set constructed for " Thine Own Self ". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion ,  ? ed., p. ? )
• The exterior of the Albino's fortress was a house in Pasadena designed by Frank Lloyd Wright . A model of it, which was blown up to show the destruction of the compound, was built on Paramount's Van Ness parking lot. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132)
• To set the mood for the fight sequence, Director Winrich Kolbe had Richard Wagner 's Götterdämmerung played on-set. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132)
• The episode's score was performed with extreme gusto. Composer Dennis McCarthy noted, " We just went for it. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132)

Reception [ ]

• The news that the three most well-known TOS Klingons would be returning to Star Trek in this episode was received with huge excitement from Star Trek fans. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., p. 186)
• The music of this episode proved to be very memorable for Dennis McCarthy ; " What I remember about the episode is the force of the music. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132)
• Terry Farrell is a big fan of this episode because it reveals a great deal of depth to Dax. Farrell felt that each of the three Klingons required a different approach from her, and that the character is capable of switching gears like that is something she is quite proud of: " With Kor, I had to convince him that he was a hero, and that in my eyes he would always be a hero, so that was philosophical. With Koloth, I had to prove that I was strong enough to go to battle with him, so that was physical. And with Kang, I had to prove to him that my desire and need to be a part of this blood oath was strong enough that I could not imagine staying behind, that I was mentally strong and capable enough. So I had to exhibit the honor, the physical strength, and the mental perseverance to go with them. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 132)
• Winrich Kolbe commented, " It was the closest thing to Beowulf that I ever saw. There was a mythological quality to it and these guys were real heroes. I played Wagner in my mind the whole day and it had a feel that was beyond episodic television. It was really The Three Musketeers on a smaller scale and I loved it. " ( The Deep Space Log Book: A Second Season Companion ) This statement would make Dax the "fourth" musketeer D'Artagnan, while Kor would be Porthos, Koloth would be Aramis, and Kang would be Athos.
• On the return of the TOS actors, Michael Okuda said, " At first, you almost didn't recognize them because they were in heavy Klingon makeup. But as soon as Michael Ansara opened his mouth, there was a powerful sense of déjà vu. Having the three original Klingons on the show was magical for everyone. " ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before )
• William Campbell commented that he, Michael Ansara and John Colicos all greatly enjoyed the episode, commenting, " When it was all over and we finally saw the finished show, we really loved it. " One particular scene Campbell enjoyed was the brief scene with Rene Auberjonois . " That was the scene when I walk in to get Colicos out of the drunk tank, and Odo turns around and says, 'How did you get in here?' I say him, 'I am Koloth!' and he says 'You're not answering my question,' and my reply is, 'Yes I did.' In other words, Koloth can do anything. An actor can't have a better intro than that, and all the fans who had seen the old show identified him immediately. " ("The Honorable William Campbell", TV Zone magazine, issue 60)
• William Campbell also said this episode was his most difficult acting job, and one he would have liked to do again. ( Deep Space Nine Chronicles )
• As a fan of the Klingons generally and especially the characters featured in this installment, Robert O'Reilly reminisced about "Blood Oath", " I was literally in ecstasy watching it. I was more excited to see that show than I was to see King Lear on TV, and I love Lear." ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 16 , p. 23)
• In her book Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before (paperback ed., pp. 184 & 186), J.M. Dillard described this episode as "compelling" and also remarked, " The return of Kang, Kor, and Koloth was moving and powerful. "

Cast trivia [ ]

• This episode "reunites" three Klingons from Star Trek: The Original Series , one from each season: Kor (from " Errand of Mercy " in season one ), Koloth (from " The Trouble with Tribbles " in season two ), and Kang (from " Day of the Dove " in season three ). This episode marks the deaths of Koloth ( William Campbell ) and Kang ( Michael Ansara ), although Kang later appeared in VOY : " Flashback " and Michael Ansara appeared in DS9 again, as Jeyal in " The Muse ". Kor ( John Colicos ) is the only one of the three Klingons to survive the events of this episode, though Colicos was the first of the three actors to pass away, on 6 March 2000. Campbell died on 28 April 2011, and Ansara on 31 July 2013. John Colicos reprised his role as Kor in season four 's " The Sword of Kahless " and season seven 's " Once More Unto the Breach ".
• Colm Meaney ( Miles O'Brien ), Siddig El Fadil ( Julian Bashir ), and Cirroc Lofton ( Jake Sisko ) do not appear in this episode.
• The late Christopher Collins previously played another Markalian , Durg , in " The Passenger ". This was also his last Star Trek episode, as he died from a cerebral hemorrhage seventy-seven days after the episode aired...
• According to Bill Blair , he filmed a scene on 7 February 1994 for this episode as a Klingon guard which ended on the cutting room floor. This would've been his very first appearance on Star Trek .
• " Trials and Tribble-ations " later touched upon the issue of the changes in the Klingons' physical appearance, while the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes " Affliction " and " Divergence " ultimately explained why Kang, Koloth, and Kor have the updated Klingon look in "Blood Oath".
• Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin 's novel Forged in Fire is a prequel of sorts to this episode, giving more insight into the background of the Albino (whose name, we learn, is "Qagh") and Curzon's relationship with the Klingons. There was a sequel, a comic book story called " Remembrance "
• When Kor pulls open the holosuite door at the beginning of the episode, the "whoosh" sound of The Original Series doors can be heard.
• Klach D'kel Brakt , referred to in this episode, is later revealed in ENT : " The Augments " to be the Klingon name for the " Briar Patch " seen in Star Trek: Insurrection

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 20, 22 August 1994
• As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek - Crossovers Set : 6 November 1995
• As part of the DS9 Season 2 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Avery Brooks as Commander Sisko

Also starring [ ]

• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Bashir
• Terry Farrell as Lieutenant Dax
• Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
• Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Nana Visitor as Major Kira

Guest stars [ ]

• John Colicos as " Kor "
• Michael Ansara as " Kang "
• William Campbell as " Koloth "
• Bill Bolender as The Albino
• Christopher Collins as Guard

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Sam Alejan as Starfleet sciences officer
• Scott Barry
• Ivor Bartels as Starfleet operations officer
• Robert Bralver as Albino's guard
• Andrew DePalma ( stunt actor )
• Steve Diamond
• Chris Doyle as Albino's guard
• Sue Henley as Starfleet command officer
• Randy James
• Hubie Kerns, Jr. as Albino's guard
• Ken Lesco as Albino's guard
• Irving Lewis as Albino's guard
• Dennis Madalone as Albino's guard
• Robin Morselli as Bajoran officer
• Joe Murphy as Albino's guard
• Denney Pierce as Albino's guard
• Michael Wajacs
• Sandra Wild as dabo girl
• Unknown actress as dabo girl

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Chuck Borden as stunt double for Christopher Collins
• George Colucci as stunt double for John Colicos
• Caron Colvett as stunt double for Terry Farrell
• Yannick Derrien as stunt double for Bill Bolender
• Tom Morga as stunt double for William Campbell

References [ ]

23rd century ; 2271 ; 2289 ; 2290 ; 2330 ; 2345 ; 2363 ; Albino's discarded wives ; Albino's sanctuary ; baakonite ; Bahgol ; Bajoran Resistance ; Bajoran wormhole ; bat'leth ; blood oath ; Breshtanti ale ; calisthenics program ; Cardassians ; centimeter ; dabo girl ; Dahar master ; d'akturak ; Dax, son of Kang ; Dax, Curzon ; Dayos IV ; directed energy weapon ; d'k tahg ; eye contact ; Federation ; Ferengi ; firstborn ; Galdonterre ; genetic virus ; godson ; gravitic mine ; guest of honor ; heart ; holosuite ; host ; hug ; Ice-man ; Kahless the Unforgettable ; Kang's Bird-of-Prey ; Kang's warship ; kilo ; Klach D'kel Brakt ; Klach D'kel Brakt, Battle of ; Klingon captain ; Klingon death ritual ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon law ; Klingon ship ; Klingonese ; Koloth's warship ; Koloth's son ; Kor's warship ; Kor's son ; Korvat colony ; kuttar ; low orbit ; Markalian ; meter ; Milky Way Galaxy ; morality ; N'yengoren strategy ; orrery ; palate ; plasma leak ; Promenade ; QiVon ; Quark's ; racht ; Replimat ; rib ; riddinite ; Romulans ; sanctuary ; science officer ; scorcher ; Secarus IV ; Secarus IV traders ; Secarus system ; Starfleet oath ; stone face ; tennis court ; tetryon ; tetryon radiation ; trader ; tricorder ; Trill

External links [ ]

• " Blood Oath " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Blood Oath " at Wikipedia
• " Blood Oath " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Blood Oath" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Blood Oath " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

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'Star Trek: Discovery' ends as an underappreciated TV pioneer

Eric Deggans

Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham. Michael Gibson/Paramount+ hide caption

First, an admission: Though this column will offer a lot of discussion and defense of Star Trek: Discovery as a pivotal show, it won’t spend much time talking up the series’ current, final season or its finale episode, “Life, Itself,” dropping Thursday on Paramount+.

That’s because, for this critic, the last few seasons of Discovery have been a bit bogged down by the stuff that has always made it a tough sell as a Trek series: overly ambitious, serialized storylines that aren’t compelling; new characters and environments that don’t impress; plot twists which can be maddening in their lack of logic; big storytelling swings which can be confusing and predictable at once.

'Star Trek: Picard' soars by embracing the legacy of 'The Next Generation'

The show’s finale features the culmination of a sprawling scavenger hunt which found the crew of the starship Discovery bounding all over the place, searching for clues leading to a powerful technology pioneered by an alien race which created humanoid life throughout the galaxy. Their goal was to grab the technology before another race, ruthless and aggressive, could beat them to it, laying waste to everything.

It's no spoiler to reveal that Discovery ’s heroes avoid that nightmarish scenario, wrapping its fifth and final season with a conclusion centered on Sonequa Martin-Green’s ever-resourceful Capt. Michael Burnham and fond resolutions for a multitude of supporting characters (there’s even a space wedding!)

Still, this good-enough ending belies Discovery ’s status as a pioneering show which helped Paramount+ build a new vision for Star Trek in modern television – breaking ground that more creatively successful series like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds would follow years later.

And it all began with a singular character: Michael Burnham.

A take on Star Trek for modern TV

Discovery debuted in 2017 on CBS All Access — the streaming service which would become Paramount+ — facing a serious challenge.

As the first new Trek series in a dozen years, it had to chart a path which offered a new vision of the franchise without going too far — carving out a new corner in the universe of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock not long after the release of Star Trek Beyond , the third feature film produced by J. J. Abrams featuring rebooted versions of those classic characters.

Producers set Discovery ’s story 10 years before the days of Kirk and Spock (originally depicted on NBC for three seasons starting way back in 1966). The new series wouldn’t be centered on a starship captain, but its second in command: Burnham, a Black woman who also happened to be the hitherto unknown adopted daughter of Vulcan ambassador Sarek, Spock’s father (she would get promoted to captain of Discovery much later).

A Black human woman who was raised among the emotionally controlling, super-intellectual Vulcans? Who Trek fans had never heard of over nearly 60 years? Before I actually saw any episodes, my own feelings ranged from cautiously intrigued to cynically pessimistic.

But then I saw the first episode, which had an amazing early scene: Martin-Green as Burnham and Michelle Yeoh as Discovery Capt. Philippa Georgiou walking across an alien planet – two women of color marking the first step forward for Star Trek on a new platform.

People once sidelined in typical science fiction stories were now centerstage — a thrilling, historic moment.

Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou and Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham in the very first episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Jan Thijs/CBS hide caption

And it got better from there. Back in the day, Trek writers often felt hamstrung by creator Gene Roddenberry’s insistence that, in the future depicted by the show, humans were beyond social ills like greed, prejudice, sexism, war, money and personal friction. The writers chafed, wondering: How in the world do you build compelling stories on a starship where interpersonal human conflict doesn’t exist?

But Discovery found a workaround, putting Burnham in a position where logic led her to mutiny against her captain, attempting a strategy which ultimately failed — leaving humans in open combat with the legendarily warlike Klingons. Discovery also featured a long storyline which played out over an entire season, unlike many earlier Trek shows which tried to offer a new adventure every week.

'First, Last And Always, I Am A Fan': Michael Chabon Steers Latest 'Star Trek'

The show’s first season had plenty of action, with Harry Potter alum Jason Isaacs emerging as a compelling and unique starship captain (saying more would be a spoiler; log onto Paramount+ and check out the first season). Fans saw a new vision for Trek technology, leveraging sleek, visceral special effects and action sequences worthy of a big budget movie, with design elements cribbed from several of the franchise’s films.

Later in its run, Discovery would debut Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, classic Trek characters who eventually got their own acclaimed series in Strange New Worlds . So far, five other Trek series have emerged on Paramount+ from ideas initially incubated on Discovery – including a critically acclaimed season of Picard which reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Not bad for a series one TV critic eventually called among “the worst in the [ Trek ] franchise’s history.”

Discovery’s unappreciated legacy

Unfortunately, Discovery has taken some turns which didn’t work out quite so well. At the end of Discovery ’s second season, the starship jumped ahead in time nine centuries – perhaps to remove it from Strange New World ’s timeline? – placing it in an environment only distantly connected to classic Trek .

And while Discovery initially seemed cautious about referencing classic Trek in its stories, later series like Strange New Worlds and Picard learned the value of diving into the near-60-year-old franchise’s legacy – regularly tapping the show’s longtime appeal, rather than twisting into knots to avoid it.

There are likely fans of Discovery who would disagree with this analysis. But I think it helps explain why the series has never quite gotten its due in the world of Star Trek , initially shaded by skeptical fans and later overshadowed by more beloved products.

Now is the perfect time to pay tribute to a show which actually accomplished quite a lot – helping prove that Roddenberry’s brainchild still has a lot of narrative juice left in the 21st Century.

Inside the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Series Finale: The Last-Minute Coda, the Surprise Easter Eggs, and What Season 6 Would Have Been About (EXCLUSIVE)

SPOILER WARNING: This story includes descriptions of major plot developments on the series finale of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” currently streaming on Paramount+ .

Watching the fifth and final season of “ Star Trek: Discovery ” has been an exercise in the uncanny. Paramount+ didn’t announce that the show was ending until after the Season 5 finale had wrapped filming — no one involved with the show knew it would be its concluding voyage when they were making it. And yet, the season has unfolded with a pervasive feeling of culmination. 

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“I think there’s more to it than just, ‘Oh, it was a coinkydink!’” the actor says with a laugh, before explaining that she’s thinking more about subtext than direct intent. “I’ve gotta give Michelle her flowers. She has always asked the deeper questions of this story and these characters. Those questions of meaning and purpose led to questions of origin and legacy, and, yes, that is quite culminating.”

Martin-Green and Paradise spoke exclusively with Variety about filming the finale and the coda, including the surprising revelation about the origins of one of “Discovery’s” most memorable characters and what Paradise’s plans for Season 6 would have been.

“It’s the Most Complicated Thing I’ve Ever Seen”

Once the “Discovery” writers’ room decided the season would be organized around a search for the Progenitor’s technology, they also knew that, eventually, Burnham would find it. So then they had to figure out what it would be.

“That was a discussion that evolved over the course of weeks and months,” Paradise says. Rather than focus on communicating the intricate details of how the technology works, they turned their attention to delivering a visual experience commensurate with the enormity and complexity of something that could seed life across the entire galaxy.

“We wanted a sense of a smaller exterior and an infinite interior to help with that sense of power greater than us,” Paradise says. Inspired in part by a drawing by MC Escher, the production created an environment surrounded by towering windows into a seemingly endless procession of alien planets, in which it’s just as easy to walk on the walls as on the floor. That made for a daunting challenge for the show’s producing director, Olatunde “Tunde” Osunsanmi: As Burnham battles with the season’s main antagonist, Mol (Eve Harlow), inside this volume, they fall through different windows into another world, and the laws of gravity keep shifting between their feet.

“It’s the most complicated thing I’ve ever seen, directorially,” Paradise says. “Tunde had a map, in terms of: What did the background look like? And when the cameras this way, what’s over there? It was it was incredibly complex to design and shoot.”

Two of those planets — one in perpetual darkness and rainstorms, another consumed by constant fire — were shot on different parking areas on the Pinewood Toronto studio lot.

“The fire planet was so bright that the fire department got called from someone who had seen the fire,” Paradise says. “It should not be possible to pull those kinds of things off in a television show, even on a bigger budget show, with the time limitations that you have. And yet, every episode of every season, we’re still coming in on time and on budget. The rain planet and the fire planet we shot, I believe, one day after the other.”

Martin-Green jumps in: “Michelle, I think that was actually the same day!”

“It Felt Lifted”

The last time a “Star Trek” captain talked to a being that could be (erroneously) considered God, it was William Shatner’s James T. Kirk in 1989’s “Star Trek: The Final Frontier.” The encounter did not go well.

“I had my own journey with the central storyline of Season 5, just as a believer,” Martin-Green says. “I felt a similar way that Burnham did. They’re in this sort of liminal mind space, and it almost felt that way to me. It felt lifted. It really did feel like she and I were the only two people in this moment.”

It’s in this conversation that Burnham learns that while the Progenitors did create all “humanoid” alien species in the galaxy in their image, they did not create the technology that allowed them to do so. They found it, fully formed, created by beings utterly unknown to them. The revelation was something that Martin-Green discussed with Paradise early on in the planning of Season 5, allowing “Discovery” to leave perhaps the most profound question one could ask — what, or who, came first in the cosmos? — unanswered.

“The progenitor is not be the be all end all of it,” Paradise says. “We’re not saying this is God with a capital ‘G.’”

“There’s Just This Air of Mystery About Him”

Starting on Season 3 of “Discovery,” renowned filmmaker David Cronenberg began moonlighting in a recurring role as Dr. Kovich, a shadowy Federation operative whose backstory has been heretofore undisclosed on the show.

“I love the way he plays Kovich,” Paradise says of Cronenberg. “There’s just this air of mystery about him. We’ve always wanted to know more.” When planning Season 5, one of the writers pitched revealing Kovich’s true identity in the (then-season) finale by harkening back to the “Star Trek” show that preceded “Discovery”: “Enterprise,” which ran on UPN from 2001 to 2005.

In the final episode, when Burnham debriefs her experiences with Kovich, she presses him to tell her who he really is. He reintroduces himself as Agent Daniels, a character first introduced on “Enterprise” as a young man (played by Matt Winston) and a Federation operative in the temporal cold war. 

This is, to be sure, a deep cut even for “Star Trek” fans. (Neither Cronenberg nor Martin-Green, for example, understood the reference.) But Paradise says they were laying the groundwork for the reveal from the beginning of the season. “If you watch Season 5 with that in mind, you can see the a little things that we’ve played with along the way,” she says, including Kovich/Daniels’ penchant for anachonistic throwbacks like real paper and neckties.

“I didn’t know that that was going be there,” Martin-Green says. “My whole childhood came back to me.”

“We Always Knew That We Wanted to Somehow Tie That Back Up”

Originally, Season 5 of “Discovery” ends with Burnham and Book talking on the beach outside the wedding of Saru (Doug Jones) and T’Rina (Tara Rosling) before transporting away to their next adventure. But Paradise understood that the episode needed something more conclusive once it became the series finale. The question was what.

There were some significant guardrails around what they could accomplish. The production team had only eight weeks from when Paramout+ and CBS Studios signed off on the epilogue to when they had to shoot it. Fortunately, the bridge set hadn’t been struck yet (though several standing sets already had been). And the budget allowed only for three days of production.

Then there was “Calypso.” 

To fill up the long stretches between the first three seasons of “Discovery,” CBS Studios and Paramount+ greenlit a series of 10 stand-alone episodes, dubbed “Short Treks,” that covered a wide variety of storylines and topics. The second “Short Trek” — titled “Calypso” and co-written by novelist Michael Chabon — first streamed between Season 1 and 2 in November 2018. It focuses on a single character named Craft (Aldis Hodge), who is rescued by the USS Discovery after the starship — and its now-sentient computer system, Zora (Annabelle Wallis) — has sat totally vacant for 1,000 years in the same fixed point in space. How the Discovery got there, and why it was empty for so long, were left to the viewer’s imagination. 

Still, for a show that had only just started its run, “Calypso” had already made a bold promise for “Discovery’s” endgame — one the producers had every intention of keeping.

“We always knew that we wanted to somehow tie that back up,” says Paradise, who joined the writers’ room in Season 2, and became showrunner starting with Season 3. “We never wanted ‘Calypso’ to be the dangling Chad.”

So much so, in fact, that, as the show began winding down production on Season 5, Paradise had started planning to make “Calypso” the central narrative engine for Season 6. 

“The story, nascent as it was, was eventually going to be tying that thread up and connecting ‘Discovery’ back with ‘Calypso,’” she says.

Once having a sixth season was no longer an option, Paradise knew that resolving the “Calypso” question was non-negotiable. “OK, well, we’re not going to have a season to do that,” she says. “So how do we do that elegantly in this very short period of time?”

“I Feel Like It Ends the Way It Needed to End”

Resolving “Calypso” provided the storytelling foundation for the epilogue, but everything else was about giving its characters one final goodbye.

“We want to know what’s happening to Burnham, first and foremost,” Paradise says. “And we knew we wanted to see the cast again.”

For the latter, Paradise and Jarrow devised a conceit that an older Burnham, seated in the captain’s chair on Discovery, imagines herself surrounded by her crew 30 years prior, so she (and the audience) could connect with them one final time. For the former, the makeup team designed prosthetics to age up Martin-Green and Ajala by 30 years — “I think they were tested as they were running on to the set,” Paradise says with a laugh — to illustrate Burnham and Book’s long and happy marriage together.

Most crucially, Paradise cut a few lines of Burnham’s dialogue with Book from the original Season 5 finale and moved it to a conversation she has with her son in the coda. The scene — which evokes the episode’s title, “Life Itself” — serves as both a culminating statement of purpose for “Discovery” and the overarching compassion and humanity of “Star Trek” as a whole.

To reassure her son about his first command of a starship, Burnham recalls when the ancient Progenitor asked what was most meaningful to her. “Do you know how you would answer that question now?” he asks.

“Yeah, just being here,” Burnham replies. “You know, sometimes life itself is meaning enough, how we choose to spend the time that we have, who we spend it with: You, Book, and the family I found in Starfleet, on Discovery.”

Martin-Green relished the opportunity to revisit the character she’s played for seven years when she’s reached the pinnacle of her life and career. “You just get to see this manifestation of legacy in this beautiful way,” she says. “I will also say that I look a lot like my mom, and that was that was also a gift, to be able to see her.”

Shooting the goodbye with the rest of her cast was emotional, unsurprisingly, but it led Martin-Green to an unexpected understanding. “It actually was so charged that it was probably easier that it was only those three days that we knew it was the end, and not the entirety of season,” she says.

Similarly, Paradise says she’s “not sure” what more she would’ve done had there been more time to shoot the coda. “I truly don’t feel like we missed out on something by not having one more day,” she says. “I feel like it ends the way it needed to end.”

Still, getting everything done in just three days was no small feat, either. “I mean, we worked ’round the clock,” Martin-Green says with a deep laugh. “We were delirious by the end — but man, what a way to end it.”

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When is the 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 finale? Release date, cast, where to watch

Warning: May contain spoilers .

U.S.S. Discovery's final mission is almost at its end, with the last episode of "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 5 scheduled to release this Thursday.

The fifth and final season of the hit TV series had followed Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncover a mystery that sent them on "an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries," according to Paramount+.

"Star Trek: Discovery" debuted in 2017 and is the seventh in the Star Trek series. Here's what to know about Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery," and when the final episode will be dropping.

When is 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 finale?

The final episode of "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 5 will release on Paramount+ on Thursday, May 30. Paramount+ did not specify what time the episode will be available on its platform.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Nine episodes of Season 5, and Seasons 1 to 4 are available to stream on Paramount+.

'Star Trek: Discovery' on Paramount+: Subscribe

Will 'Star Trek: Discovery' have another season?

No. Paramount+ had earlier announced that Season 5 will be the last in the "Star Trek: Discovery" series.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 cast

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" brings back new and old faces along with recurring guest stars. Cast members include:

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber
• David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker
• Blu del Barrio as Adira
• Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner
• Elias Toufexis as L’ak
• Eve Harlow as Moll

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 trailer

Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for Season 5 on Feb. 23.

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Star Trek (TV Series)

Day of the dove (1968).

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“Incredibly proud of this episode”: One Star Trek: TNG Legend is Leaving the Franchise after Final Strange New Worlds Season 3 ‘Murder Mystery’ Episode

Star Trek’s story has spanned decades and has had many who have followed it. From shows and movies to specials and even books, there have been many mediums to tell this beautiful tale. The latest addition has been that of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , taking the franchise into its next era. As the story takes its next steps, has managed to stay close to its roots, having several cast members from the original series.

A Temporary Goodbye

Jonathan Frakes recently gave an interview with CBR , where he talked about his exits from the Star Trek franchise. While the director clarified that his goodbye will not be permanent, there is no guarantee about when he will be back. This made his last days on set quite emotional. He talked about these exact feelings during the interview, mentioning his bittersweet farewells.

It would’ve been much sadder had I known when I was shooting it that it was going to be the end because it had the end of the episode feeling where everyone gives you a hug and says ‘I’ll see you next season.’ Now, I don’t know when I’ll see some of these actors and filmmakers again.

This made him feel quite melancholic, as he did not know when he would be coming back and seeing them again.

Jonathan Flake’s New Episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Jonathan Flakes recently gave an interview with ScreenRant , where he talked about his exit from the work of Star Trek . He was specifically asked about his new episode o f Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and has only positive things to say. He started by hinting a little about the plot itself, revealing it to be a murder mystery.

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Even though the process is still going on. He believes that fans are going to love what he has done, and has titled it to be a “winner”. It is safe to say audiences will love whatever he does and trust him to know what is best for the franchise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available for streaming on Paramount+.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is over. Now Alex Kurtzman readies for ‘Starfleet Academy’ and ‘Section 31’

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In “Star Trek” terms, and in the real world of “Star Trek” television, Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the 21st century franchise, might be described as the Federation president, from whose offices various series depart on their individual missions. Indeed, to hear him speak of it, the whole enterprise — honestly, no pun intended — seems to run very much on the series’ ethos of individual initiative and group consensus.

The first series to be launched, “ Star Trek: Discovery, ” has come to an end as of Thursday after five seasons on Paramount+. Others in the fleet include the concluded “ Picard, ” which brought “The Next Generation” into a new generation; the ongoing “ Strange New Worlds, ” which precedes the action of what’s now called “The Original Series,” from which it takes its spirit and several characters; “Lower Decks,” a comedy set among Starfleet service workers; and “Prodigy,” in which a collection of teenage aliens go joyriding in a starship. On the horizon are “Starfleet Academy,” with Holly Hunter set to star, and a TV feature, “ Section 31, ” with Michelle Yeoh back as Philippa Georgiou.

I spoke with Kurtzman, whose “Trek” trek began as a writer on the quantum-canonical reboot movies “ Star Trek ” (2009) and “ Star Trek: Into Darkness ” (2013), at Secret Hideout, his appropriately unmarked Santa Monica headquarters. Metro trains glide by his front door unaware. We began the conversation, edited for length and clarity here, with a discussion of his “Trek” universe.

Alex Kurtzman: I liken them to different colors in the rainbow. It makes no sense to me to make one show that’s for everybody; it makes a lot of sense to make a lot of shows individually tailored to a sect of the “Star Trek” audience. It’s a misnomer that there’s a one-size-fits-all Trekkie. And rather than make one show that’s going to please everybody — and will almost certainly please nobody — let’s make an adult drama, an animated comedy, a kids’ comedy, an adventure show and on and on. There’s something quite beautiful about that; it allows each of the stories to bloom in its own unique way.

Do you get pushback from the fans?

Absolutely. In some ways that’s the point. One of the things I learned early on is that to be in love with “Star Trek” is to engage in healthy debate. There is no more vocal fan base. Some people tell you that their favorite is “The Original Series,” some say their favorite is “Voyager” and some say their favorite is “Discovery.” Yet they all come together and talk about what makes something singularly “Trek” — [creator] Gene Roddenberry‘s extraordinarily optimistic vision of the future when all that divides us [gets placed] in the rearview mirror and we get to move on and discover things. Like all great science fiction, you get to pick your allegory to the real world and come up with the science fiction equivalent. And everybody who watches understands what we’re talking about — racism or the Middle East or whatever.

What specific objections did you find to “Discovery”?

I think people felt it was too dark. We really listen to our fans in the writers’ room — everybody will have read a different article or review over the weekend, and we talk about what feels relevant and what feels less relevant. And then we engage in a healthy democratic debate about why and begin to apply that; it seeps into the decisions we make. Season 1 of “Discovery” was always intended to be a journey from darkness into light, and ultimately reinforce Roddenberry’s vision. I think people were just stunned by something that felt darker than any “Trek” had before. But doing a dark “Star Trek” really wasn’t our goal. The show is a mirror that holds itself up to the times, and we were in 2017 — we saw the nation fracture hugely right after the election, and it’s only gotten worse since then. We were interpreting that through science fiction. There were people who appreciated that and others for whom it was just not “Star Trek.” And the result, in Season 2, Capt. [Christopher] Pike showed up, Number One showed up, Spock showed up, and we began to bring in what felt to people more like the “Star Trek” they understood.

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You’re ending the series after five seasons. Was that always a plan?

You know, we were surprised we didn’t continue, and yet it feels now that it was right. One of the things that happened very quickly as streaming took off was that it radically changed watch patterns for viewers. Shows that used to go 10, 12 seasons, people would tap out after two — like, “I got what I want” — so for any show to go five seasons, it’s a miracle. In ways I don’t think we could have predicted, the season from the beginning feels like it’s the last; it just has a sense of finality. The studio was wonderful in that they recognized we needed to put a button on it, we needed a period on the end of the sentence, and so they allowed us to go back, which we did right before the strike, and [film] the coda that wraps up the series.

“Discovery” is a riot of love stories, among both heroes and villains.

There’s certainly a history of that in “Star Trek.” Whether or not characters were engaged in direct relationships, there was always a subtext of the love between them. I believe that’s why we love the bridge crew, because it’s really a love story, everyone’s in a love story, and they all care for each other and fight like family members. But ultimately they’re there to help each other and explore the universe together. If there’s some weird problem, and the answer’s not immediately apparent, each of them brings a different skill set and therefore a different perspective; they clash in their debate on how to proceed and then find some miraculous solution that none of them would have thought of at the outset.

One of the beautiful things about the shows is that you get to spend a long time with them, as opposed to a two-hour movie where you have to get in and out quickly and then wait a couple of years before the next one comes along. To be able to be on their weekly adventures, it affords the storytelling level of depth and complexity a two-hour movie just can’t achieve in that way.

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It’s astonishing how much matter you got into these things. Some storylines that only lasted an episode I remembered as seasonal arcs.

The sheer tonnage of story and character we were able to pack into “Discovery” every episode was kind of incredible. The thing to keep in mind is that “Discovery” was made as streaming was exploding, so what I think you’re also seeing there is a lot of writers who were trained in the network world with an A, B and C story applying it suddenly to a very different kind of storytelling in a much more cinematic medium. And when you have that kind of scope it starts to become really, really big. Sometimes that works really, really well and sometimes it was too much. And we were figuring it out; it was a bunch of people with flashlights in the dark, looking for how to interpret “Star Trek” now, since it had been 12 years since it had been on a television screen.

Are you able to course-correct within a season?

Sure. You get people you really trust in the room. Aaron Baiers, who runs Secret Hideout, is one of my most important early-warning systems; he isn’t necessarily in the room when we’re breaking stories, but he’s the first person who’ll read an outline and he’s the first person who’ll read a script. What I value so much about his perspective is that he’s coming in cold, he’s just like, “I’m the viewer, and I understand this or I don’t understand it, I feel this or I don’t feel it.” The studio executives are very similar. They love “Star Trek,” they’re all die-hard fans and have very strong feelings about what is appropriate. It then goes through a series of artists in every facet, from props to visual effects to production design, and they’re bringing their interpretations and opinions to the story.

Did “Strange New Worlds” come out of the fact that everybody loved seeing Christopher Pike in “Discovery?”

I really have to credit Akiva Goldsman with this. He knew that I was going to bring Pike into the premiere of the second season of “Discovery,” and said, “You know, there’s an incredible show about Capt. Pike and the Enterprise before Kirk takes over; there’s seven years of great storytelling there” — or five years, depending on when you come into the storyline. I said, “We have to cast a successful Pike first, so let’s see if that works. Let’s figure out who’s Number One, and who Spock is,” which are wildly tall orders. I hadn’t seen Anson Mount in other things before [he was cast as Pike], and when he sent in his taped audition it was that wonderful moment where you go, “That’s exactly the person we’re looking for.” Everybody loves Pike because he’s the kind of leader you want, definitive and clear but open to everyone’s perspective and humanistic in his response. And then we had the incredibly tall order of having Ethan [Peck] step into Leonard [Nimoy’s] and [Zachary Quinto’s] shoes.

He’s great.

He’s amazing, just a delight of a human being. And Rebecca Romijn‘s energy, what she brings to Number One is such a contemporary take on a character that was kind of a cipher in “The Original Series.” But she brings a kind of joy, a comedy, a bearing, a gravitas to the character that feels very modern. Thank God the fans responded the way they did and sent that petition [calling for a “Legacy” series], because everybody at CBS got the message very quickly. Jenny Lumet and Akiva and I wrote a pilot, and we were off to the races. Typically it takes fans a minute to adjust to what you’re doing, especially with beloved legacy characters, but the response to “Strange New World” from a critical perspective and fan perspective and just a viewership perspective was so immediate, it really did help us understand what was satisfying fans.

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What can you tell me about “Starfleet Academy?” Is it going to be Earth-based or space-based?

I’m going to say, without giving anything away, both. Right now we’re in the middle of answering the question what does San Francisco, where the academy is, look like in the 32nd century. Our primary set is the biggest we’ve ever built.

So you’re setting this —

In the “Discovery” era. There’s a specific reason for that. As the father of a 17-year-old boy, I see what my son is feeling as he looks at the world and to his future. I see the uncertainty; I see all the things we took for granted as given are not certainties for him. I see him recognizing he’s inheriting an enormous mess to clean up and it’s going to be on his generation to figure out how to do that, and that’s a lot to ask of a kid. My thinking was, if we set “Starfleet Academy” in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it’s not going to speak to what kids are going through right now.

It’ll be a nice fantasy, but it’s not really going to be authentic. What’ll be authentic is to set it in the timeline where this is the first class back after over 100 years, and they are coming into a world that is only beginning to recover from a cataclysm — which was the Burn, as established on “Star Trek: Discovery,” where the Federation was greatly diminished. So they’re the first who’ll inherit, who’ll re-inherit, the task of exploration as a primary goal, because there just wasn’t room for that during the Burn — everybody was playing defense. It’s an incredibly optimistic show, an incredibly fun show; it’s a very funny show, and it’s a very emotional show. I think these kids, in different ways, are going to represent what a lot of kids are feeling now.

And I’m very, very , very excited that Holly Hunter is the lead of the show. Honestly, when we were working on the scripts, we wrote it for Holly thinking she’d never do it. And we sent them to her, and to our absolute delight and shock she loved them and signed on right away.

And then you’ve got the “Section 31” movie.

“Section 31” is Michelle Yeoh’s return as Georgiou. A very, very different feeling for “Star Trek.” I will always be so grateful to her, because on the heels of her nomination and then her Oscar win , she just doubled down on coming back to “Star Trek.” She could have easily walked away from it; she had a lot of other opportunities. But she remained steadfast and totally committed. We just wrapped that up and are starting to edit now.

Are you looking past “Starfleet” and “Section 31” to future projects?

There’s always notions and there are a couple of surprises coming up, but I really try to live in the shows that are in front of me in the moment because they’re so all-consuming. I’m directing the first two episodes of “Starfleet Academy,” so right now my brain is just wholly inside that world. But you can tell “Star Trek” stories forever; there’s always more. There’s something in the DNA of its construction that allows you to keep opening different doors. Some of that is science fiction, some of it has to do with the combination of science fiction and the organic embracing of all these other genres that lets you explore new territories. I don’t think it’s ever going to end. I think it’s going to go on for a long, long time. The real question for “Star Trek” is how do you keep innovating, how do you deliver both what people expect and something totally fresh at the same time. Because I think that is actually what people want from “Star Trek.” They want what’s familiar delivered in a way that doesn’t feel familiar.

With all our showrunners — Terry Matalas on “Picard,” the Hagemans on “Prodigy,” Mike McMahan on “Lower Decks,” Michelle Paradise, who has been singlehandedly running “Discovery” for the last two years, and then Akiva and Henry Alonso Myers on “Strange New Worlds” — my feeling is that the best way to protect and preserve “Star Trek” is not to impose my own vision on it but [find people] who meet the criteria of loving “Star Trek,” wanting to do new things with it, understanding how incredibly hard it is to do. And then I’m going to let you do your job. I’ll come in and tell you what I think every once in a while, and I’ll help get the boat off the dock, but once I hand the show over to a creative it has to be their show. And that means you’re going to get a different take every time, and as long as those takes all feel like they can marry into the same rainbow, to get back to the metaphor, that’s the way to keep “Star Trek” fresh.

I take great comfort because “Star Trek” really only belongs to Gene Roddenberry and the fans. We don’t own it. We carry it, we try to evolve it and then we hand it off to the next people. And hopefully they will love it as much as we do.

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Song Kang-ho discusses what drew him to Hulu's new K-drama, Uncle Samsik, and how he hopes to highlight the vulnerability of such a complex character.