Star Trek: Discovery gives a major character a huge promotion in the series finale

Star Trek: Discovery has officially closed the book on their adventure. The series signed off to close out May of 2024 and in doing so gave everyone a bit of closure. The series came to an end with a short scene that saw every member of the main crew saying goodbye to one another in a flashback sequence. The sequence was more of an amalgamation of moments and events that never happened on the show but could be used as a final farewell.

The events, of course, unfolded as a flashback in the eyes of the now much older Michael Burnham. The once-captain of the Discovery returned to the ships decades after their last adventure to help usher the ship to a brand new mystery. One that was not disclosed to fans, or even the AI that controlled the ship. When Burnham returned to take the ship on one final journey, she returned not just older, but far more prestigious.

She was no longer a captain, but an admiral. She said goodbye to her ship one last time and with a procession of other ships on hand, the Discovery teleported one final time, bringing the show to an end.

The decision to make Burnham an admiral was almost an expected one the minute we saw a time jump. Usually, this is the way things go, with James Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and Kathryne Janeway all being promoted to admiral at some point during their tenure with Starfleet. In the event of Picard and Janeway, having done so while their shows were still airing.

So for Burnham to also make that leap up the ranks, all while her show was still technically airing, makes all the sense in the world. The series may not have been as beloved as others but the folks running it at least gave Burnham a welcomed farewell with her promotion.