We are living in a golden era of Star Trek. When Enterprise went off the air in 2005, it left a vacuum that persisted for a dozen years. Although we were fortunate to have three sterling cinematic outings in that time, Trek has always belonged on the small screen. It didn't return to its medium of origin until 2017 with the debut of Discovery — which was followed quickly by Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds. In just five years, we saw Trek explode across five new series — a feat that previously took 29 years (from TOS in 1966 to Voyager in 1995).
However, all good things must come to an end: Picard concluded its planned three-year run in 2023, and this year alone, three more Treks went off the air. Discovery and Lower Decks both saw their fifth and final seasons, and, following a tumultuous inter-season network change from Paramount+ to Netflix, Prodigy wrapped up after just two seasons.
Bidding farewell to each of these shows hit me differently. Discovery's finale combined an incredibly tense action sequence with a thoughtful consideration of humanity's ability and drive to evolve and improve ourselves — something I sometimes feel is lacking in our modern reality, leaving me wondering just how far off the path we'll stray on our way to our own Federation. It was simultaneously inspiring and crushing to see the end of a show in a franchise that has always been about hope.
Discovery was also the first new Trek to air after my father passed away; saying goodbye to this crew felt like saying goodbye to a part of him, too. And just two days after the finale aired, my Star Trek podcast co-host rode off into the sunset as well. As someone who has started and ended several of my own podcast series, I understood and appreciated her desire to move onto something new. But it was yet another chapter that closed when Discovery went off the air, making for a challenging and transitional week. I'm thankful that I've been able to continue Transporter Lock with new hosts.
Just a month later, all twenty episodes in the second and seemingly final season of Prodigy hit the air simultaneously. Here again we saw our heroes evolve and self-sacrifice for the greater good, justifying what some viewers saw as the growing pains of the first season. Many Voyager alumni returned for the journey, creating a meaningful connection between generations old and new in this series aimed at a younger audience. One of the final moments — the culmination of the season — makes me cry every time I see it, reminding me of adventures so astonishing, so memorable, I wish I could live them again… a fitting final thought to any life well lived.
Finally, last week we saw the last of Lower Decks. Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford, and Tendy started as a crew that I couldn't believe was canon — how could anyone so incompetent, selfish, and silly serve in Starfleet? But by the end of their five-year mission, they'd cemented themselves as a fixture in Star Trek canon and as a ship and crew as fine as any we've seen. Nonetheless, it being the first Star Trek comedy series, I found it easier to say goodbye to this cast: I laughed with them for five years, and I loved the unexpected and wonderful cameos from previous series, but this show never brought me to tears.
There will be more Treks to come: a Section 31 movie, spun off from Discovery, will air in January; Strange New Worlds' third season will arrive in 2025, with a fourth season already confirmed; and Starfleet Academy will premiere sometime in the next year or two.
But there will never again be crews like the ones we lost in 2024. No matter how long these shows ran or how they drew us in, they were welcome and important entries into Trek lore. We may say goodbye to them for now — but each of these shows was based on casts and stars we already knew and loved. I wouldn't be surprised if that tradition continues, and the Discovery, Protostar, and Cerritos become the legends who make cameos in future shows, guiding the next generation into our hearts and souls.
My Christmas message to those crews: we'll always welcome you back — so please come home.