“Red Directive,” the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, is available to watch for free on YouTube in the US for a limited time, Paramount has announced. Paramount+ subscribers can also stream the second episode (“Under the Twin Moons”) of Star Trek: Discovery’s final season beginning today; a new episode will be available every Thursday until the season finale on May 30, 2024.
Full episode and synopsis:
Red Directive – Discovery investigates an ancient Romulan vessel where they face-off with some unexpected guests and uncover a vast mystery that sends them on a race across the galaxy. Meanwhile, Saru is presented with a unique opportunity.
Some quotes from the cast:
- Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham)
- “This season, we can expect a wild ride. One of the things that they wanted to do was that they wanted to have a tonal shift. They wanted it to be adventurous, they wanted it to be fun, they wanted it to be kind of like the Indiana Jones season.”
- “…we really did that. We really did that. The artistry is on another level.”
- “In Season 5, we did some stuff we should not have been able to do; we did some stuff that we’ve never done before…it is just on another level. It’s a huge, huge season. People have a lot to look forward to.”
- Doug Jones (Saru)
- “Saru had been captain of the ship for Season 3. And Season 4, he then kind of took a step to First Officer again, because of his loyalty to Michael Burnham, and the special task we were on throughout the season.”
- “Well, now he’s [re-evaluating] his purpose there. Has it run its course? His relationship with President T’Rina, played by the lovely Tara Rosling. She does come into the equation with how he makes his decision.”
- Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets)
- “This season, you can expect a new level of inquiry for Paul about what’s next for him in terms of the work that he wants to do.”
- “He’s an incredibly driven and brilliant human being with this mind, that’s some level of genius. You get to see him like stretch himself in new ways.”
- “…[Eve Harlow (Moll) and Elias Toufexis (L’ak)] brought a beautiful energy to the company to being a part of our show and being a part of our story…this idea of this kind of like maverick couple that’s on the run is a cool one. And there’s a reason it’s iconic.”
- Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber)
- “Where we first find Culber in Season 5, he’s in a really good place…he’s really embodied this new version of himself, and is ready and willing to take on whatever he’s confronted with.”
- “This season, he is confronted with an experience that forces him to ask even more existential questions that kind of blows his mind. It starts him on knowing about all of the mysteries of the universe.”
- “This whole mission really makes him question a lot of things. We see him process a lot of that throughout the season.”
A preview for the rest of the season:
In the final season, Captain Burnham and her crews uncover a mystery that sends them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been hidden for centuries.