Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 – “Mirrors”
Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors,” was a secret crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 sent Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into interdimensional space in pursuit of Moll (Eve Harlow), L’ak (Elias Toufexis), and the next clue to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors. Burnham never expected to find the derelict ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe within the dangerous wormhole.
Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, “Mirror, Mirror”, introduced the Mirror Universe and the ISS Enterprise, the alternate reality counterpart of the USS Enterprise. The ISS Enterprise hadn’t been seen since, but Star Trek: Discovery revealed refugees attempted to flee the Mirror Universe aboard the Constitution Class ship. The passengers, including Science Officer Dr. Cho, abandoned the Enterprise in interdimensional space and made it to Star Trek‘s Prime Universe. Later, Dr. Cho returned to hide her clue to the Progenitors’ treasure aboard the ISS Enterprise.
Although no characters from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 – which makes sense since the two series are set over 930 years apart in Star Trek‘s timeline – “Mirrors” was filmed on Strange New Worlds‘ USS Enterprise sets which doubled for the ISS Enterprise. Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds shoot in Toronto on adjacent soundstages and both shows have access to each other’s sets. In an interview with Screen Rant, David Ajala confirmed that Discovery filmed its scenes in late 2022 after Strange New Worlds season 2 wrapped production.
This type of ‘crossover’ between Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has happened before. Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, “Ad Astra Per Aspera” shot its courtroom scenes for Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley’s (Rebecca Romijn) trial in Discovery‘s Federation headquarters set. Sharing sets is a Star Trek tradition going back to the 1990s Star Trek series when Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine would film on each others’ sets as a cost-saving measure.
Star Trek: Discovery season 1’s finale and season 2 can be credited as the first Star Trek ‘crossover’ of the Paramount+ era when the USS Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One joined the show. The trio proved so popular, fans clamored for them to receive their own spinoff set aboard the Starship Enterprise, which became Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Star Trek: Discovery then jumped forward to the 32nd century, and it was a one-way trip that left the Enterprise and the 23rd century permanently behind. But can a Discovery and Strange New Worlds crossover still happen?
There won’t be a crossover with Star Trek: Discovery season 5 outside of Burnham, Book, Moll, and L’ak occupying the ISS Enterprise in “Mirrors”. Discovery season 5 has long since wrapped production and the hunt for the Progenitors’ technology doesn’t leave room for any time travel to see Strange New Worlds’ characters. Yet there are possibilities for a Discovery and Strange New Worlds crossover. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in production and the series is renewed for season 4. Perhaps a way could be found to have Captain Burnham see Captain Pike and Spock one more time. Or both show’s characters may meet on neutral ground through various sci-fi means on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to still crossover Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+