Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 5 - "The Examples".
The unveiling of the USS Janeway in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 hints that how the celebrated Starfleet career of Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) ended. Star Trek: Discovery season 4's story involves a mysterious gravimetric anomaly called the DMA (Dark Matter Anomaly) threatening the United Federation of Planets. Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery are working to stop the DMA but the scope of the crisis requires the rest of Starfleet's help, including the USS Janeway.
Captain Janeway is already a Starfleet legend but she has taken on greater importance in Star Trek on Paramount+. For seven seasons of Star Trek Voyager, Janeway led her Intrepid-class starship, which was accidentally lost in the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Thanks to Captain Janeway's skill, intelligence, and daring leadership, the USS Voyager was able to make what should have been a decades-long voyage home in only seven years. After she brought Voyager back to Earth, Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral and she gave Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) his orders to go to Romulus in Star Trek: Nemesis. Just a few years later, the training hologram of Captain Janeway installed in the USS Protostar took charge of a misfit crew of alien teen heroes in Star Trek: Prodigy. Kate Mulgrew returned to the Star Trek franchise after nearly 20 years to headline Star Trek: Prodigy, restoring Kathryn Janeway to the forefront of Star Trek's Captains.
Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 5, "The Examples," opens with the reveal of the USS Janeway investigating the Dark Matter Anomaly, and this accolade hints that Admiral Janeway ended her Starfleet career ended as a great success. After all, the Federation doesn't name starships after disgraced Starfleet Officers. Although Kathryn Janeway, who was alive in the 24th and 25th centuries, died long before Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century, Starfleet honored her by naming a starship after her. Even in Star Trek: Prodigy's era of 2383, Captain Janeway already gained the reputation as one of the most decorated commanders in Starfleet. Admiral Janeway's post-Star Trek: Voyager career must have achieved even greater heights as one of the top figures in Starfleet Command since a starship was given her name.
Janeway is just the latest major Star Trek figure honored by Discovery after Captain Burnham's starship made its one-way leap to the distant future. Star Trek: Discovery season 3 revealed the USS Nog, named after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Nog (Aron Eisenberg). The first Ferengi in Starfleet, Nog was on route to becoming a Captain when DS9 ended its seven-season run. The fact that the USS Nog exists in the 32nd century proves that the Ferengi became a Starfleet legend and was honored with a starship in his name. Similarly, Star Trek: Discovery season 4's premiere unveiled the Archer Space Dock, named after Star Trek: Enterprise's Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), who commanded the first USS Enterprise NX-01, became a founder of the Federation, and served as its first President.
As part of its synergy with its companion Star Trek shows on Paramount+, Star Trek: Discovery is celebrating the fact that Kate Mulgrew is integral to the franchise once again. Discovery season 3 also revealed that the latest generation of Janeway's starship, the USS Voyager, is one of the 32nd century Starfleet's most important ships. But now the USS Janeway flies alongside Voyager as well. In addition, Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 5 showed the USS Janeway investigating the Dark Matter Anomaly alongside the NSS T'Pau, named after the legendary Vulcan who first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series' classic episode, "Amok Time." Hopefully, the USS Janeway will see some action alongside Captain Burnham's eponymous starship in Star Trek: Discovery season 4.
Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.