Star Trek: Discovery season 5 looks set to feature the mysterious Kovich in a more prominent role, perhaps holding the key to the season's true villain. Played by legendary director David Cronenberg, Kovich is a 32nd century Starfleet operative whose motives and general mission remain unclear. He took a special interest in the Mirror Universe version of Philippa Georgiou, having been a student of Terran history. With the assistance of Dr. Hugh Culber, he was an important factor in returning Georgiou to the past before her temporal and dimensional displacement could kill her.

In Discovery season 4, Kovich served as an advisor to the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. After Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly led a group of cadets on an unexpectedly dangerous mission, Kovich offered her a teaching position at the Academy, which she accepted. The Discovery season 5 trailer sees Kovich send Captain Michael Burnham on her new quest to find an ancient power that's been lost for centuries. He almost certainly knows more about this power than he's revealing to Burnham, and could possibly hold the elusive answers about season 5's true villain.

Star Trek: Discovery Teases A Bigger Role For Kovich In S5


Kovich has been a presence on Discovery since the ship arrived in the 32nd century in season 3. Despite his importance in both the Burn mystery and the Dark Matter Anomaly crisis, Kovich has revealed very little about himself and his motivations. He's displayed a dark side on multiple occasions, notably in his interrogation of Georgiou and in his suggestion to Admiral Vance that Discovery be destroyed to keep the spore drive out of Emerald Chain hands.


Kovich looks primed to play a bigger role in Discovery season 5. Not only does he give Burnham her new mission, he can be seen on the Discovery bridge in the season's trailer, suggesting he might be tagging along for at least part of the quest. Kovich's presence on Discovery would be a welcome bit of tension on the ship, which has become perhaps a little too warm and cuddly since its jump to the 32nd century.

Kovich Can Introduce Discovery Season 5's Real Villain


Discovery season 5 will also feature the duo of Moll and L'ak, former couriers who are seemingly looking for the same ancient power as Burnham and crew. It seems highly unlikely that the pair are the big villains of the story - one of the more frequent criticisms of season 4 was its lack of a compelling antagonist, with ostensible villain Ruon Torka coming up short. There's no way Discovery is going to make that mistake two seasons in a row.

The shadowy, amoral Kovich may hold the answer to the villain question. It could be Kovich himself, but it seems more likely that's a piece of information he's holding onto for his own murky reasons. No matter the outcome, Star Trek: Discovery is a better show when Kovich is around, discretely maneuvering in the darker corners of Starfleet.