Discoverys Cast Discusses Season 5 & the End of the Series
The Big Picture
- Collider's Steve Weintraub sits down to chat with the crew of USS Discovery for the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 world premiere at SXSW 2024.
- Cast members Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, David Ajala, and Mary Wiseman emotional farewell at SXSW highlights the impact the show has had on fans, inspiring personal growth and positive change.
- The cast shares emotional stories about meeting fans and what the show means to people around the world.
Back in 2017, the ever-expanding final frontier took fans on a new adventure in Star Trek: Discovery. Five seasons later, viewers will say goodbye to this chapter in the final fifth season, which introduced us to a brand-new crew of starfaring adventurers. What better way to celebrate the finale and the U.S.S. Discovery’s last mission with us than the world premiere of Season 5, Episode 1, “Red Directive,” at SXSW 2024?
While at SXSW, lead and Season 5 executive producer Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, David Ajala, and Mary Wiseman joined us in the Collider media studio for their world premiere farewell. It's an emotional conversation where the Discovery crew shares special moments from filming Season 5.
'Star Trek: Discovery' Comes to an End in Season 5
"It means as much to us as it does to them," Martin-Green says of their time on the series.
It was clear that saying goodbye to Discovery was a struggle for this cast. Not only are they bringing their journey with one another to an end, but with the fans, as well. They reflect on their characters' growth, the highs and the lows, and also share the impact that the fandom has had on their lives.
Of her interactions with fans, Martin-Green recalls the unforgettable moments she's had:
"‘I decided not to take my own life because of your show.’ ‘My family has been brought together because of your show.’ ‘I know how to end the cycle of racism in my family because of your show.’ ‘I will go into STEM because of your show.’ ‘Now I’ll speak up at work because of your show.’ ‘Now I’ll follow my dreams because of your show.’ It has been so many stories. There are too many for us to say."
Cruz goes on to say:
"To see young LGBTQ+ fans wearing that white uniform, trying to emulate Culber in some way, having young queer people saying, ‘I want a career in medicine because you’ve inspired that in me,’ that’s why we do this kind of work — to inspire people to do better, to be better. This franchise has always done that for people, but to now be the cause of someone’s inspiration in that way is overwhelming. I love meeting the fans. I love that there is such passion in the fandom for this show. We never claimed to want to be everything to everyone, but we wanted to be the best version of ourselves for people who are going to receive it in that spirit, and we’ve done that."
Check out the full interview below or tune into the video above with Steve Weintraub for Season 5 teases, what they took from set, memories, and tons more. It's a great and emotional conversation.
COLLIDER: Everyone, this is Steve with Collider, and I am here in our SXSW studio with the great folks behind Star Trek: Discovery. How are you guys all doing?
CAST OF ‘STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’: Great. Thank you. So good. Good. You?
Listen, I'm doing great. I love Star Trek, and I love that the fact that I'm talking to all of you guys in a studio. This has to be like both incredibly exciting and also so bittersweet because you are promoting something you're a part of, but also the ride is over. You've filmed the finale, you know? What is it like to be at SXSW and the end of the run, if you will?
DOUG JONES: Celebratory. We had a lot of back patting today like, you know what I think we did okay. But the bitter part of course is obvious, no one wants to see a good thing come to an end. But the sweet part is, is that we got five seasons out of a great show and we found each other through it all.
What do you think fans are going to say after they've seen the series finale? What do you think fans will be feeling emotionally?
WILSON CRUZ: Oh man, they should have got two more seasons. [Cast of Star Trek: Discovery laughs] That's what they're going to say. I think it's.. I mean, I'm not just saying this. I think it is really, if not the strongest season, one of the strongest seasons we've had. Just story-wise, the performances, the special effects, the entire thing was just beautiful. And I've been saying like if this was going to be the last season, this is a good one to go out on. We went out on a high note. You know, I think we leave them wanting more.
COLLIDER: Anyone else want to add anything?
DAVID AJALA: Yeah, and I hope the fans are like, you know what, man, after that season finale, I'm going to buy the Blu-ray and DVD. Yeah! I see you, Tracy. [Cast of Star Trek: Discovery laughs]
COLLIDER: In all seriousness, I think that physical media is awesome. It would be great for the fans. I'm sure most of you have done conventions, you know that sci-fi fans are very passionate people. I would imagine that at least some of them are interested in like a box set of all the seasons with extras and all that stuff in 4K.
WILSON CRUZ: I'm sure that's coming. I'm sure of it.
COLLIDER: I don't trust any studio at this point. I want physical media. I keep pushing for it. So for each of you, one of the things that fans love is the relationship between you two. [points to Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala] What can you tease about, because things were left, in a way, at the end of last season. What can you tease about the relationship this season?
DAVID AJALA: The course of true love never did run smooth.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: There it is. It's the old Facebook status is complicated. [Cast laughs] That's what I always say.
COLLIDER: I believe when you guys found out that it was going to be a series finale, you went back to do some additional filming. I'm curious, when you know you're going back, and it's the series finale, and this is it, how much are you stuffing your pockets? You know it's the end. So what can I take without them noticing? Because come on, I would have done it. So who took what? No one from Paramount is in the room...
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Look, wait now. What you trying to do? You're trying to trap them.
COLLIDER: No, no. They're not from Paramount.
DOUG JONES: I did it out loud with permission. I took my final Saru makeup prosthetics. That's at home now. And I also took my Kelpien High Council pin, my brooch.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: That's beautiful. I got to take two different chair backs. I got to take the Burnham chair back for my cast chair, and they also gave me my producer chair as well. And then I did become executive producer for season five. So I got to take that with me as well. That's in the heart. But yeah, I have those two chair backs.
MARY WISEMAN: I took all the memories. Five wonderful seasons of memories and friends.
DOUG JONES: Make us all sound trite why don't you?
MARY WISEMAN: And I also took some hair, Doug. I took some hair.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Nice. [Cast laughs]
MARY WISEMAN: It's not easy to match my color, so I took some hair. Blu?
BLU DEL BARRIO: I took also.. well, I didn't take it. I was given my chair back with Adira on it. And I took nothing else because I'm a wimp, and I was too scared to take anything else. And I..
MARY WISEMAN: You can also say you took Mary's hair. [Cast laughs]
BLU DEL BARRIO: I also took a lock of Mary's wig hair, and I have it on my keychain. [Cast laughs] No, I took nothing and I wish I did, but I'm too scared.
DAVID AJALA: What did you take?
WILSON CRUZ: I wasn't there.
DAVID AJALA: What do you mean by that?
MARY WISEMAN: Yeah, but you took stuff before.
WILSON CRUZ: I haven't taken anything. I wasn't there. I couldn't be there at the end because I had already taken a job. I was in Thailand, but they were lovely enough to actually call me from there and make me cry all my makeup off. The makeup artist there was really pissed. But I didn't get to go. So this is actually my last goodbye here now.
COLLIDER: Or could it be at a screening in the future? Fingers crossed.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: That's exactly right.
DOUG JONES: Perhaps at a Collider screening.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Perhaps.
DAVID AJALA: I took Grudge the Cat. [Cast laughs] And then I handed her back. She's high maintenance. I was like, y 'all can keep the cat. I took her for a day and I handed her back.
WILSON CRUZ: Did you really?
DAVID AJALA: No, like on set, I had her. I just spent a bit more time with her on set than I ordinarily would. She's high maintenance.
Cast Members Share Their Favorite TV Shows
COLLIDER: We're doing a super cut of everyone who's coming in. If you could only watch one TV show for the rest of your life, what would you watch and why?
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Come on!
COLLIDER: Everyone has answered. You'd be surprised.
DOUG JONES: I don't have to think about it: Golden Girls. Some of the best writing and acting I've ever seen, and making me laugh.
MARY WISEMAN: That is a good answer.
DOUG JONES: Thank you. Boom!
WILSON CRUZ: Only because it helps me imagine a better reality is... I would watch The West Wing for the rest of my life. I was gonna say Six Feet Under, but there's so much death.
DAVID AJALA: Any more for any more?
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Touched By An Angel? Was that what you was gonna say?
MARY WISEMAN: No, I thought you had a different answer and I was gonna give it to you because I thought you'd like it.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Really? You were gonna give me that?
MARY WISEMAN: No I was gonna give you a different one. I was gonna say [whispers in Sonequa Martin-Green's ear]
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Aww yeah!
MARY WISEMAN: There's so much there.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: There is so much there.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: You could say that one.
MARY WISEMAN: I know but I'm kind of torn. Did you have one too?
DAVID AJALA: Yeah. Two?
COLLIDER: Some people said two but you should push for one.
BLU DEL BARRIO: You don't get two.
DAVID AJALA: You don't get two! You don't get the answer sway! The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Yeah.
MARY WISEMAN: Did you get yours?
WILSON CRUZ: I did, because I want to imagine a better political reality.
COLLIDER: The West Wing.
MARY WISEMAN: OK, I'm going to say Buffy the Vampire Slayer because–
BLU DEL BARRIO: That's mine! That's mine! [Mary Wiseman laughs] You used it!
MARY WISEMAN: All part of my plan to fuck you over. [Cast laughs] There's so many seasons, and there's so many episodes per season. There's comedy and there's drama. So I'm thinking, like, if it's all I get for the rest of my life, like, that'll do her.
COLLIDER: You can share the same show.
MARY WISEMAN: No, no, they can't have it. I got it. I got it. I'm so sorry. What do you want? Something different?
BLU DEL BARRIO: Fuck you. [Cast laughs]
DOUG JONES: Haven't heard of that one.
BLU DEL BARRIO: Oh man, I thought so hard, I thought so hard for so many minutes.
MARY WISEMAN: You can say that one, I'll pick a different one.
COLLIDER: You can go with Angel.
BLU DEL BARRIO: No.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: They're like, please no.
MARY WISEMAN: Yuck. No offense.
BLU DEL BARRIO: Oh, you know what? Nope.
MARY WISEMAN: Okay, they can have Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I'll take Deadwood. Okay. But it's only three seasons, so you see my dilemma.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: I'm gonna say something really gushy-mushy, just to tail end it.
COLLIDER: Wait, I thought you said Touched By An Angel.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: I did, but no, this is not necessarily an answer. It's a cheat. I know, I made you only have one. But listen, I would love to watch all of their work [points to her cast members] in perpetuity. Everything that they've done, I mean, I know that there's so much more work beyond Discovery with the people here, but their work on Discovery, I could watch it every day. I really could, I mean that.
COLLIDER: I'm almost out of time, but, I'm not sure, have all of you done Star Trek cons? I actually don't know.
CAST OF STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: *nods* Yes!
The Discovery Cast Discuss Star Trek Fandom and What the Show Means to People Around the World
CloseCOLLIDER: One of the things about Star Trek fandom is that Star Trek means a lot to a lot of people all around the planet. Not every show can like go to a con and have such passionate fans. What is it actually like being part of something that really means so much to so many people? And you really meet these people all around at these cons, and you know what I mean, like emotionally, it really matters to a lot of people.
WILSON CRUZ: You know I'll just start. I know for me to see young LGBTQ fans wearing that white uniform, you know, trying to emulate Culber in some way. You know, having young queer people saying, "I want a career in medicine because you've inspired that in me." I mean, that's why we do this kind of work, right? To inspire people to do better, to be better. This show, this franchise has always done that for people, but to now be the cause of someone's inspiration in that way is overwhelming. I love meeting the fans. I love that there is such passion in the fandom for this show. We never claimed to want to be everything to everyone, but we want it to be the best version of ourselves for people who are going to receive it in that spirit. And we've done that.
DAVID AJALA & SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Click, click, click, click.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: Yeah. I mean, it means as much to us as it does to them.
COLLIDER: Is there a certain convention that you've been to or a certain fan interaction that you've had that has really stuck with you through the time?
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: There's so many.
DOUG JONES: So many.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: That's the blessing. There's so many.
DOUG JONES: So many heartfelt stories we've heard from individuals over the years. A lot of them that touch me the most are when you've got someone who is, their Make-A-Wish Foundation gift is a trip to this convention to meet us, or someone comes up and says, "Watching your show reminds me of my dad. We watched it together. He's gone now." So we're a part of their family legacy as well as ours. Story after story after, so we've been a part of people's families and lives. I haven't found that in any other franchise or show I've been in before.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN: "I decided not to take my own life because of your show." "My family has been brought together because of your show." "I know how to end the cycle of racism in my family because of your show." You know what I'm saying? "I will go into STEM because of your show." "Now I'll speak up at work because of your show." "Now I'll follow my dream because of your show." It has been so many stories. So many. There's too many for us to say.
COLLIDER:I honestly can't imagine... I'm emotional hearing this. I can't imagine what it's like for you guys experiencing that and feeling.
WILSON CRUZ: I'll add one thing. I was in the airport maybe six months ago, and this older retiree aged couple came up to me and said, "Are you Dr. Culber on 'Star Trek: Discovery'?" I was like, "Yes." The mother turned to me and said, "I just want you to know that watching you and your chosen family has allowed me and my husband to understand our trans daughter better. It has given us something to talk about with her that we both have in common. You gave us our family back." You don't even know how to respond when someone comes up to you to say that, right? She's saying to me "We didn't have the vocabulary or the instincts to actually be able to speak to her in a way so that she could understand how much we supported her until we had that show to refer to." It was really beautiful.
COLLIDER: Thank you for sharing these stories as I'm very emotional sitting here. I really wanna say I really enjoy your work. I can't wait to see the rest of the last season, and good luck with the rest of your interviews at SXSW. Thank you for coming in.
Star Trek Discovery Season 5 returns with new episodes on Paramount+ on April 4.
Star Trek: Discovery
TV-14
Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.
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