When Star Trek: Discovery returns for season 5, it's poised to bring a big change in tone that the show needed. The first teaser trailer for Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was unveiled at New York Comic Con 2022, and it reveals that Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery-A will be on the hunt for "the greatest treasure in the known galaxy." Disco season 5 is also introducing some new characters, including Starfleet Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), and Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), two former couriers who likely know Burnham and Cleveland "Book" Booker (David Ajala).

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's teaser is heavy on the series' trademark stunning visuals and explosive action. But the glimpse also conveys a different feel for Disco season 5 in keeping with the theme of an intergalactic treasure hunt. There's no indication of what "the greatest treasure in the known galaxy" is, but it's obviously something that the United Federation of Planets and other galactic parties want, including the seedy underbelly of the 32nd century. Much of Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3 and 4 were set on starships or Federation headquarters and involved scientific investigation and debate, but it looks like Burnham and her crew will get involved in lots of exciting action sequences on different planets in Disco season 5. The teaser literally caps off with Captain Burnham on the hull of Discovery riding her starship as it jumps into warp. Fun and adventure seem to be on Discovery season 5's menu like never before, and it's a welcome change in tone for the inaugural Star Trek series on Paramount+.

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All Four Prior Seasons Of Star Trek: Discovery Were About Galactic Threats

Chelah Horsdal as Rillak and DMA in Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery earned its reputation as the most grim and gritty Star Trek series. All four previous seasons of Discovery have centered on threats that could literally doom the galaxy unless Michael Burnham stopped them. Discovery season 1 was about the Klingon War of 2256-2257 that did a great deal of damage to the Federation. The series then upped the stakes in Discovery season 2 by introducing Control, Section 31's self-aware threat assessment A.I., which became self-aware and decided that interstellar Armageddon to eradicate all organic life in the galaxy was a logical course of action. The menace of Control set up Burnham and the USS Discovery's one-way time jump into the year 3188.

When Burnham landed in the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, she found a broken galaxy and a Federation shattered by a cosmic calamity called The Burn. Michael and the crew of the Discovery had to solve the mystery of what caused The Burn in order to bring warp travel back to the Federation. But the most dire threat of all came in Discovery season 4 in the form of the DMA, a massive anomaly that destroyed entire planets. Captain Burnham had to literally lead the Discovery into another galaxy to discover the source of the DMA and establish First Contact with its thoroughly alien creators, Species 10-C. While some levity creeped through and Star Trek: Discovery's characters always found a way to shine, the show desperately needs a bit of lightening up.

Discovery Season 5 Could Finally Be About Exploring The 32nd Century

Michael Burnham rides a bike in Star Trek Discovery Season 5  First Look.

After two seasons in the distant future, what Star Trek: Discovery sorely needs to do is allow Captain Burnham and her starship to actually explore the 32nd century galaxy instead of simply responding to the Big Bad of the season. Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt looks like a clever premise that will deliver exactly that. The search for Disco season 5's galactic prize is poised to bring Burnham to new worlds and seedy corners of the galaxy, which is where her experience as a courier will be vital. The 32nd century's galaxy has been ripe for 'discovery' since Burnham and her starship landed there, and Star Trek: Discovery season 5 could finally shed light on more of the final frontier a thousand years in the future.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is expected to stream in 2023 on Paramount+.