Speaking at WonderCon 2018, the showrunners of Star Trek: Discovery have given fans an idea of what to expect from Season 2. It seems the second season intends to explore the spirituality of the Star Trek universe.

WonderCon 2018 was definitely an unmissable event for Star Trek fans. While CBS still hasn’t announced an official release date for Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, the showrunners did confirm that shooting will begin in April. They also reassured fans that they’re preparing to deal with the thorny issue of continuity, with Season 2 exploring how Discovery fits into the Prime Timeline. Most exciting of all, the Discovery panel saw CBS release a “secret scene” from Season 1, revealing the ominous presence of Section 31.

While attending WonderCon, TrekMovie had the opportunity to sit down with executive producers/co-showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts. They learned that Season 2 will focus on a major Star Trek theme; spirituality. As Harberts explained:

“What is the role of serendipity versus science? Is there a story about faith to be told? Leaps of faith. We are dealing with space. We are dealing with things that can’t be explained and you have a character like Michael Burnham who believes there is an explanation for everything.”


Harberts was quick to clarify that he isn’t just referring to religion. Spirituality, he explained, is about the patterns in our lives; the journey you take, and the relationships and beliefs you build up along the way. Although Star Trek is a science-fiction franchise, the series has always been willing to explore questions of morality and spirituality. The Vulcans in particular are a remarkably spiritual race; Tuvok, for example, was one of the most spiritual characters in Star Trek: Voyager. The balance between science and spirituality has always been a fascinating one, and it seems Discovery Season 2 will explore that.

It makes sense; the show’s star, Michael Burnham, was brought up as a Vulcan. There’s a profound psychic bond between Burnham and her adopted father, Sarek; that bond has actually caused conflict in the family, and fans are eagerly hoping Season 2 will introduce Discovery‘s version of Burnham’s half-brother, Spock. Meanwhile, the Klingons played a major role in Season 1, and are unlikely to disappear from the show. The Klingon religion has always been another window into Star Trek‘s spiritualism.

But don’t expect Discovery to take a black-and-white approach to spiritualism. Berg was keen to stress that the series will explore multiple points of view. “One of the joyous things about the Federation and Starfleet is so many different points of view are represented,” he noted, “and that is what we are going to continue to do on the show.”

Star Trek: Discovery may shine a light on the Federation’s darker history, raising troubling ethical questions about their presence in the galaxy. But in this, the series most definitely seeks to honor the Star Trek tradition.