What to Expect in 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 2 

After the unexpected and classic ending of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, fans are already wondering, what’s next? Could Mr. Spock actually appear? The showrunners of Discovery tell Inverse that they are literally writing the first episode of the second season right now, but that they can’t say anything specific … yet.

Spock would certainly disapprove of much conjecture without actually having facts, but there are still a few predictions we can make about the next season at this point. We know the USS Enterprise has appeared, and we know some of the characters who are living there. We also know what some of the actors on Discovery have said about the future of the show. So, with that in mind, let’s boldly dive into predictions for Season 2 of the next big Trek.

Spoilers ahead for season one of *Star Trek: Discovery. But you knew that already.

We’ll See Spock

Despite the fact the creative team of Discovery is being a little evasive about questions concerning Spock directly, it seems like we’ll probably still catch a glimpse of the most beloved Trek character ever. Even if it’s just the back of his head while he’s looking into one of those scanners.

The USS Discovery Bridge Crew Will Become Central

Bryce, Airiam, Rhys, Detmer, and Owosekun all became increasingly more and more important as the first season of the show unfolded. But, the vast majority of people actually running the starship Discovery aren’t actually listed as major cast members. But, these characters have become super-popular with fans and will likely get a lot more screentime in Season 2.

Culber Will Return … Somehow

The sudden death of Dr. Culber was not only shocking, but concerning. Many fans worried that a tired trope of LGBTQ characters being killed off was suddenly infecting the new Star Trek.

But, Culber actor Wilson Cruz assured fans that this was just the beginning of a complicated and “epic love story” between the good doctor and Stamets. And, he was live-tweeting with a lot of the cast and crew during the finale, making it seem like he’s back for Season 2. So far, Culber has only appeared as a kind of ghost in Stamet’s mind, meaning it still feels like we’re owed a total and complete comeback, which based on all the IRL Cruz action, seems really likely.

Pike Will Be the New Captain

The year in which Discovery takes place is 2256, give or take a maybe nine-month jump into 2257. In old Trek lore, Pike finished his five-year-mission aboard the USS Enterprise around this time. He won’t be wounded until 2267 during the events of “The Menagerie.” So, we’ve got ten years to figure out what Pike did in between the Enterprise and getting the fancy title of Fleet Captain. Discovery showrunner Aaron Harberts has described Pike as “selfless” and “heroic.” Could we see more of him in action for one season? Maybe Discovery is creating a tradition where every season the ship gets a new Captain. But who will play Pike? Will Bruce Greenwood return and reprise his role as Pike from the reboots? Or will there be someone new?

There Will Be More Classic Connections

Though Discovery will continue to explore its indigenous characters and themes, the second season will probably reference even more of the Trek canon than ever before. There are a lot of alien races from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine that probably existed around the time of Discovery. Plus, we didn’t see much of Earth in this season, which might be something that will change in Season 2. Either way, as Star Trek TV series go forward, they have a tendency to get a little more confident in connecting the dots with the rest of Trek. If Discovery’s Season 1 finale is any indication, this will continue to be the case in the second season.

Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for a second season. There is no airdate confirmed as of this writing.