Now that the first season of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ has wrapped, fans can get back to doing what ‘Star Trek’ itself has always done best: focusing on the future. Of course, the writers of ‘Discovery’ have a bit of a head start on that department. In fact, with production scheduled to begin in April, it’s safe to say that the future has been on their minds for quite some time.
And it was at WonderCon this past weekend that the public got some of the biggest teases yet for season two. In addition to several tidbits that were dropped during the convention’s ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ panel, including hints at the introduction of a more familiar uniform design, teasing the possible inclusion of a female same-sex couple, and confirming once again that the show is set in the Prime timeline, co-showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts spoke to TrekMovie regarding the upcoming second season. While they weren’t able to discuss the plot, we can now start filling in the blanks.
First and foremost, how many episodes will the second season have? Harberts was able to confirm that the series has been picked up for thirteen episodes in its sophomore year. That’s the same number CBS ordered for the first season before tacking on an additional two (for a total of fifteen) once production began.
And then there’s the big one: when will the second season hit? We still can’t answer that one, but if it helps neither can Berg and Harberts. Not in the sense that they can’t answer questions about the second season’s story arc yet, but rather because CBS has yet to set a target date for the season. In short, we’ll know when they do.
Though it’s purely speculative, the reason for the lack of a premiere date is probably twofold. On the one hand, CBS is making a concerted effort to beef up All Access’s slate of original programming. On the other, the first season of ‘Discovery’ infamously fell victim to more than one delay. CBS may well be trying to avoid a repeat of that scenario. Previously, Alex Kurtzman has estimated that the second season may not air until late 2018 or early 2019. With production set to commence in mid-April, either date is plausible, though if I had to guess I’d put my money on 2019. More than anything else, the timing will probably depend on the season’s post-production requirements.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is due to begin production of its second season in April. The new season, which will feature returning stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, and Anthony Rapp, is expected to begin airing on CBS All Access in late 2018 or early 2019.
