Star Trek: Discovery’s Anthony Rapp Reflects On Series End & Wanting One More Season

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Anthony Rapp shared his sadness about the end of Star Trek: Discovery, explaining he and the cast had hoped for a sixth season. The show, created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, ran for five seasons with a total of 65 episodes on Paramount+ between 2017 and 2024. Discovery‘s popularity helped launch five additional Star Trek series and a streaming movie, effectively revitalizing the franchise.

In March 2023, Paramount+ unexpectedly announced that season 5 would be the last for Star Trek: Discovery. However, the streaming service provided funding for three additional days of filming, bringing the cast and crew back to Toronto to create a special 12-minute ending that offered a more conclusive finish and a sense of closure for the series. While they aimed to provide resolution, not every storyline could be fully completed, as season 5 wasn’t originally intended to be the show’s finale.

Actors from Star Trek: Discovery – Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Raven Dauda, Ava Blackwell, and David Benjamin Tomlinson – recently participated in a discussion on the Star Trek Cruise, led by science advisor Dr. Erin Macdonald. During the panel, Anthony Rapp shared that he and the cast had anticipated another season of the show. He expressed sadness not only about the series ending, but also about the unfinished story of his character, Commander Paul Stamets. Here’s what Anthony Rapp had to say:

Anthony Rapp explained that the cast and crew didn’t find out season 5 would be the last until after they’d finished filming, which made it difficult to wrap up the story properly. He pointed out that the season ends with a compelling question about Paul’s future: what does a brilliant scientist do when his life’s work—the spore drive—is discontinued due to ethical issues, and he’s been fundamentally altered by it?

It’s funny, even a smart scientist has to ask ‘What now?’ after something ends. I definitely had to take some time to process losing the opportunity to continue with the show, and to wrap up all the storylines we’d been building. We really thought we’d get another season to do that. Luckily, good things also started happening in my personal life during that time.

Being part of Star Trek was a real privilege, and I especially loved developing my character, Paul, over several years. It was new for me to start with a grumpy character and gradually show him becoming softer and more loving – earning those qualities felt great. Building a family with Blu del Barrio and Wilson Cruz was wonderful, and watching my fellow actors grow alongside the show was a true gift. I really hoped we’d have the chance to continue the journey.

As a huge cinema fan, I always appreciate when a character gets a proper send-off, and it sounds like Doug Jones felt that happened with his role as Ambassador Saru in Star Trek: Discovery. He believes Saru’s story had a full, satisfying arc and a real sense of closure – which is fantastic to hear! He shared his thoughts, and I’m eager to hear what he had to say.

Doug Jones reflected on Saru’s character arc, from a frightened Kelpien to a confident leader, and his happy marriage to President T’Rina. He felt the fifth season provided a satisfying conclusion to Saru’s story, and expressed sympathy to Anthony Rapp for the show’s cancellation, noting he personally found peace in Saru’s well-rounded ending.

He was promoted to an ambassador, tasked with welcoming planets similar in size to his own into the Federation. My wedding to T’Rina was the final scene we filmed with him. It’s nice to see he’s found happiness both in his career and personal life. At 65, I imagine Saru wanted a less dangerous, more peaceful life, and this new role allows that. He’s now a dignitary, which is wonderful, and it seems he’s enjoying a quieter life, perhaps spending time gardening and tending to plants.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery‘s panel on the Star Trek Cruise courtesy of UltimatDJz Playz’s YouTube:

As Anthony Rapp mentioned, Commander Paul Stamets discovered that Starfleet decided against using his revolutionary spore drive technology, opting for a more conventional warp drive instead. This news was deeply upsetting for Stamets, who had dedicated his career to developing the spore drive.

As Anthony Rapp notes, his character, Stamets, had a fulfilling personal life in the fifth season of Star Trek: Discovery. He shared a loving marriage with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) and acted as a parental figure to Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). Unfortunately, the show ended unexpectedly, leaving Stamets’ storyline unresolved.

When it first began, Star Trek: Discovery was planned to have seven seasons, similar to the Star Trek shows from the 1990s. The show’s creators thought they would definitely get a sixth season. Unfortunately, Paramount+ started canceling several of its Star Trek series because Paramount Global was about to be acquired by Skydance Media.

Even though only one season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which continues the story from Star Trek: Discovery, has been made so far, there’s still a chance we might see characters like Stamets from Discovery in the show’s second season. Since filming for Starfleet Academy season 2 is already finished, any actors from Star Trek: Discovery who are involved are likely keeping their roles a secret.

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2026-03-10 09:59