Star Trek: Discovery’s Biggest Future Mystery Is Finally Answered

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS For Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange." ​​​​

Summary Star Trek: Discovery finally connects the dots between the show and the Short Treks episode "Calypso."

"Face the Strange" explores time loops and a Breen attack that destroys the Federation.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 sets Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso" in an alternate future timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery finally answered one of the show's biggest mysteries about the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso." In its fifth and final season, Discovery has incorporated more references and connections to past Star Trek than any previous season. Following a classic Star Trek plot, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" finds Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) stuck in a time loop caused by Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) that shockingly connects to the Short Trek "Calypso."

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Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose, "Face the Strange" reflects on Star Trek: Discovery's history and how much the characters have changed since Discovery's earliest seasons. Since Burnham and Rayner were transporting just as the time jumping began, they remain aware that they are in a time loop, as does Stamets, due to his Tardigrade DNA. As Burnham, Stamets, and Rayner try to determine the cause of their time jumping, they visit Discovery's past, present, and future. In one of the jumps, Burnham and Rayner end up on the empty USS Discovery first seen in Star Trek: Short Treks season 1, episode 2, "Calypso."

Related 9 Star Trek Characters Who Can Hide Discovery Season 5 Treasure Hunt Clues The race is on for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt, and the remaining clues could be hiding with characters from Star Trek's past.

Star Trek: Discovery Finally Answers Short Trek’s “Calypso” Mystery

Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner jump to 3218, 27 years after Discovery season 5.

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In Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso," a human soldier named Craft (Aldis Hodge) is rescued from his escape pod by the USS Discovery's sentient computer, Zora (Annabelle Wallis). Zora reveals that she has been alone for nearly a thousand years and has spent the time evolving herself. Zora falls in love with Craft, and the two connect over old movies, particularly 1957's Funny Face. Craft eventually makes the difficult decision to use Discovery's lone warp-capable shuttlecraft to attempt the long journey back to his home, unsure if the shuttle will even make it that far.

Zora shows Burnham and Rayner the wreckage of the destroyed Federation headquarters, telling them they must find a way out of the time loop to prevent this future from happening.

Star Trek: Discovery's season 5, episode 4 finally reveals that the USS Discovery ended up abandoned in "Calypso" because of Star Trek: Trek: Deep Space Nine's villains, the Breen. When Burnham and Rayner jump to a point about thirty years into their future, they follow the sound of old show tunes to Discovery's empty bridge. A surprised Zora reveals that, in this timeline, the Breen acquired the Progenitors' technology and used it to attack the Federation. Zora shows Burnham and Rayner the wreckage of the destroyed Federation headquarters, telling them they must find a way out of the time loop to prevent this future from happening.

Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner visit Zora in 3218, 27 years after the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 in 3191.

Short Trek’s “Calypso” Will Never Happen After Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Captain Burnham and her crew will ensure the Breen never get the Progenitor technology.

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It's unlikely Star Trek: Discovery will end with the destruction of the Federation, and it's safe to assume that Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery's crew will find the Progenitors' treasure and prevent the Breen attack. This means that the Federation will not be destroyed, the Discovery crew won't be killed by the Breen, and Zora will not be abandoned for a thousand years. Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso," then, takes place in an alternate timeline where the Federation lost, and the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will render that potential future - and "Calypso" - null and void within Star Trek's Prime Timeline.

"Calypso" taking place in an alternate future also helps explain any discrepancies between the Short Treks episode and Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek has played with alternate timelines before (most notably with J.J. Abrams' Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies). Zora and Craft will still have their moment in another reality, but one that is not part of the Prime Universe Star Trek timeline. "Face the Strange" feels like classic Star Trek in the best way, and though Discovery season 5's writers did not know about the show's cancelation, it already feels like they are tying up loose ends. Thankfully, Star Trek: Discovery finally addressed Zora and the USS Discovery's future in "Calypso." It's great to have the answer, at last, that the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 set Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso" in an alternate future.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.