Star Trek: Discovery’s Red Angel Explained

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 5 - "Face The Strange"

Summary The Red Angel from Star Trek: Discovery season 2 was referenced in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4.

There were two Red Angels in Star Trek: Discovery season 2: Dr. Gabrielle Burnham and her daughter, Commander Michael Burnham.

As the Red Angel, Michael led the USS Discovery to the 32nd century and then destroyed the Red Angel time suit.

The Red Angel returned in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," after being an integral aspect of season 2 that literally brought the USS Discovery to the 32nd century. Discovery season 2 begins with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) taking over command of the USS Discovery to investigate a series of mysterious signals that have appeared across the galaxy connected to a being called the Red Angel. Starfleet has been unable to determine the origin of the Red Angel or even what kind of lifeform it may be, but Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her foster brother, Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), eventually uncover the truth.

The Red Angel briefly reappears in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose. When Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) get trapped in a time loop, they jump to different points in Discovery's past, present, and future, including experiencing the starship's journey to the 32nd century. From the bridge of the Discovery, surrounded by the unconscious crew members, Burnham and Rayner watch the Red Angel through the viewscreen, as she leads Discovery to the future.

Related Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2’s Original Red Angel Was Michael’s Mother, Dr. Gabrielle Burnham

Michael's parents developed the original Red Angel suit with Section 31.

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In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, the USS Discovery tracks the Red Angel to the wreckage of the USS Hiawatha. As they rescue the survivors, Michael Burnham gets her first glimpse of the Red Angel. Burnham also finds a log entry left by Spock that describes nightmares he has had since childhood of seven red burst-like signals and a red angel. In Discovery season 2, episode 8, "If Memory Serves," Spock reveals that he mind-melded with the Red Angel and learned that she is a time traveler trying to prevent the destruction of the galaxy. The full truth of the mysterious entity is finally revealed in the aptly titled Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 10, "The Red Angel."

As the Red Angel, Gabrielle then made it her mission to prevent this future, but she kept failing.

With Michael Burnham acting as bait, the Red Angel arrives and is revealed to be Michael's mother, Dr. Gabrielle Burnham (Sonja Sohn). The Red Angel time suit Gabrielle wears was built by Starfleet's covert agency, Section 31, as part of the Daedalus Project, a time travel research program created during a temporal arms race with the Klingons. Michael's parents developed the Red Angel suit but were believed to be killed when the Klingons attacked their research outpost. In reality, Gabrielle had traveled 950 years into the future and discovered that the artificially intelligent Control had wiped out all life. As the Red Angel, Gabrielle then made it her mission to prevent this future, but she kept failing.

Michael Burnham Became Star Trek: Discovery Season 2’s Second Red Angel

Burnham wore the new Red Angel suit to lead the USS Discovery into the 32nd century.

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When Gabrielle Burnham was captured in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 10, "The Red Angel," she provided Michael with information, including her personal logs. Unfortunately, Control destroyed the Red Angel suit. As the conflict between Discovery and Control continued to escalate, Discovery's crew came up with a plan to create a new Red Angel suit that could be used to send Discovery into the far future. After a run-in with an ancient sphere, Discovery gained access to a massive amount of data about the galaxy's history. If Control obtained that data, it would then be powerful enough to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy.

To prevent Control from accessing the sphere data, the USS Discovery planned to follow the new Red Angel into the future where Control would be unable to reach them. Michael Burnham became the second Red Angel, donning the new suit to travel back in time and set up the initial signals that would put Discovery on the right path and close the time loop. Michael created a sixth burst to lead Discovery through the wormhole into the future, and a seventh burst to let Spock and the USS Enterprise know that she had been successful. Michael arrived in the 32nd century in 3188, about one year before the USS Discovery would emerge from the wormhole and crash-land on an icy planet in 3189.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's "Face the Strange," Burnham and Rayner observe Discovery's journey from the ship's bridge, as Rayner observes: "We’ve gone back in time to when you went forward to the future? That’s a little confusing."

Related Michael Burnham's 10 Best Star Trek Discovery Episodes Star Trek: Discovery's main character and hero, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) has had plenty of standout episodes.

What Happened To Star Trek: Discovery’s Red Angel?

Burnham ensured Discovery's journey was a one-way trip.

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Upon emerging from the wormhole in the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery season 3's premiere, Burnham collides with the ship of Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), and she and the ship both crash-land on a nearby planet. When Burnham is unable to contact the USS Discovery, she uses the Red Angel suit to check for life signs to confirm that Discovery successfully prevented Control from destroying all life in the galaxy. Elated that their mission was successful, Burnham then sends the Red Angel suit back through the closing wormhole to relay the seventh and final signal. Michael then programs the suit to self-destruct to prevent anyone from following Discovery to the future.

The Red Angel also established the bond between Michael Burnham and her mother, Gabrielle, despite their tumultuous relationship.

The Red Angel was a pivotal component of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 that bridged the series from its 23rd-century origin point to the 32nd century. The Red Angel also established the bond between Michael Burnham and her mother, Gabrielle, despite their tumultuous relationship, as only Michael could accomplish the mission her mother was unable to complete. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was savvy in nodding to Michael Burnham's history as the Red Angel, since Discovery would not be in the far future without her. But the winged Red Angel time suit had to be destroyed to protect the 23rd century, ensuring Discovery's journey to the 32nd century was one-way and permanent.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+.