Star Trek: Discovery is set in the 32nd century, which gives the series one clear advantage going into season 5 that other Star Trek shows don’t have.
Summary
- Star Trek: Discovery season 5 takes place in the 32nd century, making it the farthest point in Star Trek’s future.
- The move to the 32nd century allowed the show to establish that Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets last for a thousand years.
- The upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is rumored to be set after Star Trek: Discovery season 5, inheriting the honor of being the show set in the furthest point of Star Trek’s future.
Star Trek: Discovery enters season 5 with an advantage other Star Trek on Paramount+ shows lack. The final season of Discovery, season 5 sees Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) lead the USS Discovery on an intergalactic treasure hunt for an artifact tied to an 800-year-old Romulan ship. Discovery season 5 is also said to be a tonal shift to more adventure, whereas previous Discovery sagas centered on dire galactic stakes.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 continues the exploration of the 32nd century that began with the show’s 930-year time jump in season 3, distancing it from the rest of Star Trek‘s more convoluted timeline. It used to be much easier for audiences – both hardcore Trekkers and casual viewers – to keep track of when Star Trek series happen.Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the six movies that followed all took place in the 23rd century. Star Trek: The Next Generation then began the exploration of the 24th century, which was followed by four TNG movies, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. It was also relatively simple to track Star Trek: Enterprise, which was a prequel set in the 22nd century.
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 – Everything We Know
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Discovery Season 5 Is The End Of Star Trek’s Timeline
Star Trek: Discovery is the farthest in Star Trek’s future
Compared to the other four existing Star Trek on Paramount+ shows, Star Trek: Discovery’s move to the 32nd century in season 3 made keeping track of when the show took place exceedingly simple: Discovery is the farthest point of Star Trek‘s future. Jumping 930 years beyond Star Trek: Discovery‘s original mid-23rd century starting point allowed the Star Trek franchise to definitively establish that Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets last for a thousand years, although the Federation Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery found upon their arrival in 3189 was broken for a hundred years after The Burn.
| Star Trek TV Series & Movies | Setting In Star Trek’s Timeline |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise | 22nd century |
| Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 & 2 | 23rd century |
| Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 23rd century |
| Star Trek: The Original Series | 23rd century |
| Star Trek: The Original Series Movies | 23rd century |
| J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies | 23rd century |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | 24th century |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation Movies | 24th century |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 24th century |
| Star Trek: Voyager | 24th century |
| Star Trek: Lower Decks | 24th century |
| Star Trek: Prodigy | 24th century |
| Star Trek: Picard | 25th century |
| Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3, 4 & 5 | 32nd century |
When Star Trek on Paramount+’s other shows take place in the Star Trek timeline isn’t quite as cut and dry as Star Trek: Discovery, and it can all be confusting to keep track of. Star Trek: Picard began in 2399, at the end of the 24th century, and Star Trek: Picard season 3 finished up in 2402, ushering in all of the possibilities of the 25th century. Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ 4 seasons take place from 2380-2831 after Star Trek: Nemesis.Star Trek: Prodigy begins a couple of years later, in 2383. Meanwhile, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a way-back machine to the 23rd century after Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 but about 6 years before Star Trek: The Original Series.
It’s unclear when in the Star Trek timeline Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Section 31 movie takes place.
Starfleet Academy Explores Star Trek’s Timeline Beyond Discovery
Discovery’s advantage passes to Starfleet Academy
Although not yet officially confirmed by Paramount+, the newest Star Trek series in development, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, is purported to be set after Star Trek: Discovery season 5. This tracks with how Starfleet Academy was reopened in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 after it was shuttered for a century because of The Burn. In Discovery season 4, episode 4, “All Is Possible,” Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) became an instructor at Starfleet Academy and led a group of Cadets to survive a crash on a hostile ice planet. “All Is Possible” was effectively a backdoor pilot for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
If Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is indeed set after Star Trek: Discovery season 5, then it inherits the honor of being the show set in the furthest point of Star Trek‘s future. Starfleet Academy‘s position in the Star Trek timeline would make it easy to track, and the new series potentially has a thousand years of Star Trek history, characters, and canon to draw from. Star Trek: Discovery launched the hugely successful modern era of Star Trek on Paramount+, and it’s logical that the franchise will want to continue the unlimited potential the 32nd century offers.
