Star Trek: Discovery hopes to buck the trend of other famous shows that end up having bad endings.
It’s probably harder to wrap up a well-done show than it is to start one. We’ve seen time and time again multiple shows failing to deliver on an ending that actually works and sticks to what fans both want to see happen and also an event that shocks them to their core. Sometimes it’s easy, The Next Generation and Picard ending with the crew enjoying one another was a perfect way to write off the shows. Voyager, with the crew getting home, expected but earned.
Then there are some less-than-awesome endings like Enterprise’s ending being set during the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and the whole episode playing out in the holodeck with Will Riker reliving the moments of the ship’s final days.
Then we have shows like Game of Thrones or Dexter (both endings), where the show was riding high and then just…stopped. Or the Sopranos, where the final scene is left on a cliffhanger, never to be resolved. It’s hard to end a show, especially one that, like Discovery, hasn’t always been properly embraced. But fans of Discovery shouldn’t worry, as the goal appears to end the show right.
Star Trek: Discovery is aiming to have a satisfying ending
Speaking to the crowd at CCXP in Sao Paulo (via TrekMovie), series showrunner Michelle Paradise and series star Sonequa Martin-Green spoke about how the series was canceled after filming was complete. The show was not written or shot with the idea it would be their final season, so Paramount+ allowed there to be new scenes shot to help finalize the series.
Paradise explains this, saying;
"We did not know going into Season 5 that it would be our final season. We found out after we were done shooting the season. So thankfully, Paramount+ and CBS Studios gave us the ability to go back and shoot some additional scenes. So really, at that point, it was about wrapping it up in the best way and having it feel wonderful for all of the people who love Star Trek."
Then Matin-Green added,
"Michelle and the team put together an addendum shoot that Paramount+ and CBS Studios allowed us to do. And so we went back and wrapped it up. When you see it, it is beautifully culminating… I really believe it was satisfying. It really ties up really well."