Star Trek: Discovery's upcoming series finale has a very high quality bar to clear in the wake of the triumphant end of Star Trek: Picard. Discovery and Picard were the first two Star Trek shows of the franchise's new television era, debuting on Paramount+ in 2017 and 2020, respectively. And while both shows have proved popular, they endured harsh criticism from both critics and viewers in their early seasons.

While Star Trek: Discovery has remained polarizing over its entire run, Star Trek: Picard's fortunes changed in season 3, its final season. Season 3 reunited Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, telling one final epic adventure of the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. Picard season 3 was greeted with rapturous reviews from critics and fans alike, and its final episode, "The Last Generation," was a deeply satisfying conclusion for Jean-Luc and friends. Discovery is ending with its upcoming season five, and it will have a tall task ahead of it if it wishes to wrap in as satisfying a way as Picard.

Picard’s Ending Sets A High Bar For Discovery Season 5’s Finale

Picard Finale Toast

Except for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, no 21st-century iteration of Star Trek has enjoyed a more positive reception than Star Trek: Picard season 3. Under the guidance of new showrunner and lifelong Star Trek fanatic Terry Matalas, Picard season 3 deftly mixed nostalgia with fresh, compelling drama. The returning Star Trek: The Next Generation cast has simply never been better, particularly Jonathan Frakes as an older, funnier Captain William Riker. The show's finale was not only a great sendoff for the TNG crew, it masterfully set up a potential spinoff featuring Captain Seven Of Nine (Jeri Ryan) called Star Trek: Legacy.

Star Trek: Discovery is at a distinct disadvantage here. Season 3 was long planned to be the end of Star Trek: Picard, while Discovery was essentially abruptly canceled after production on season 5 was mostly completed; reshoots were ordered to help make the season's ending feel more like a proper series sendoff. Discovery also can't lean on nostalgia the way Picard season 3 did; there's simply no version of beloved franchise icons like Worf (Michael Dorn) or Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) coming in Discovery season 5.

Discovery Will Likely Be Better Appreciated After The Series Is Over

Michael Burnham Starfleet Academy-1

Star Trek: Discovery has had a rocky history. After some well-documented pre-production drama, co-creator Bryan Fuller left the series before a single episode ever aired. Discovery season 1 was largely met with negative reactions due to its dark, violent tone and radical reinvention of the Klingons. Discovery improved significantly in season 2, but it's never attained the same level of popularity and fan appreciation that Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have enjoyed.

It seems likely Star Trek: Discovery will be reevaluated as time goes on. Franchise entries like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise endured similar issues during their initial runs, yet both have been reconsidered over the years and are now quite beloved - though admittedly, DS9 is still viewed quite a bit more favorably as a forerunner of modern serialized television. Whether it's capable of delivering a truly great ending, Star Trek: Discovery is an important part of the franchise that birthed Star Trek's renaissance on Paramount+, and it will likely find a greater level of appreciation once it's over.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 premieres in 2024 on Paramount+.