Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Discovery finale “Life, Itself.” Watch it now with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!
Star Trek: Discovery is finished, but not before giving fans some big things to ponder as it bows. While upcoming Star Trek shows may eventually unravel the full story of the USS Discovery‘s fate, CinemaBlend was able to get the details on that fun little connection between this beloved series and another great one, Enterprise. As we learned in the finale, Kovich was actually a character from the previous show; we just didn’t know it.
The big moment came when Michael Burnham met with Kovich and finally felt brave enough to ask what his “real” name was. The mysterious Federation figurehead stated that he was Daniels, also known as the Temporal Agent who kept in contact with Captain Archer during Enterprise. It was a fun twist I didn’t see coming, so I asked showrunner Michelle Paradise how it came to be. She told me:
It’s something that evolved. The way David [Cronenberg] plays Kovich is so interesting and mysterious, and we found ourselves any time he was on screen just leaning in and wondering like, what is this character? There is a mystery here and, and as writers, we wanted to figure out what is the most satisfying answer to that mystery?
The showrunner praised David Cronenberg’s portrayal of Kovich, and she’s not the only one. Doug Jones confessed to CinemaBlend that he didn’t recognize him the first time they worked together, but was so surprised by his performance. It turns out the acclaimed director behind so many great movies is also a great addition to Star Trek and a link between Enterprise and Discovery.
It’s a fun connection and something I had to know more about. Michelle Paradise shared how the idea of Kovich playing Daniels came about, as well as the cool thing for Discovery fans to do now that it’s over:
I don’t remember if it was Season 4 or 5. It may have been Season 4. Two of our writers. I think it was Carlos [Cisco] and Eric [J. Robbins] pitched, ’What if it was Daniels?’ Because they both watched everything. The minute they said that, it just hit us. Yes. That is it. And so, if you watch Season 5 back through now knowing that, you can see the little easter eggs along the way. He’s writing with pen and paper. Things like that ultimately will hint this is a guy who’s kind of out of time if you will.
Kovich, being a well-known Temporal Agent, raises many questions, some of which I’d love to get answered in the spinoff Starfleet Academy if he appears. At this time, the only casting known for the series is award-winning actress Holly Hunter, and I happen to believe Mary Wiseman will be announced, especially after this nod in the finale that Tilly was the most tenured member of the Academy.
Ultimately, I would love to see more of David Cronenberg in Star Trek‘s future, especially with this connection. At the same time, I know he’s not primarily known as an actor, so if he’s fine with Discovery being his sole contribution to the franchise, I’m ok with that too. Still, with all the crazy time-related stuff happening in Strange New Worlds, wouldn’t Daniels’ re-emergence clear up some misconceptions on whether the Temporal Wars are over?
Unfortunately, we won’t be getting those answers from Star Trek: Discovery because it’s over. On the bright side, we have a satisfying ending to celebrate and the opportunity to binge all five seasons all over again whenever we choose to do so. For those who need a little time before that, our 2024 TV schedule should be the first stop for anyone who needs something new to watch.