The Discovery Finally Joins A Star Trek Starfleet Tradition

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 2 – “Anomaly.”

The USS Discovery gets a new upgrade in Star Trek: Discoveryseason 4 that brings it in line with a Starfleet tradition. Ever since Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the Discovery jumped to the 32nd century, they’ve had to acclimate to the all-new futuristic technology and myriad of changes to Starfleet in the United Federation of Planets. However, the Discovery’s newest addition is actually a throwback to a starship tradition kicked off by Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: TNG season 2 introduced Ten Forward, a bar situated in the forward section of the USS Enterprise-D. Ten Forward even had a proprietor, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), and the ship’s bar was part of how the Academy Award-winning actress came aboard TNG. Ten Forward was the site of many classic TNG scenes, and the novelty of a bar where Starfleet Officers could unwind with a glass of (non-alcoholic) synthehol and the occasional real liquor was repeated on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. DS9 featured Quark’s Bar, a tavern, restaurant, and gaming hall owned by the Ferengi Quark (Armin Shimerman) that was open to Starfleet Officers and any alien visiting the space station. Quark’s Bar also hosted numerous pivotal moments on DS9 and contained the holosuites where some of the show’s most popular episodes took place. Although Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise‘s eponymous starships didn’t have their own bars, Star Trek: Lower Decks reintroduced the ship’s watering hole with the USS Cerritos’ bar.

Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 2, “Anomaly,” revealed the USS Discovery now has a bar of its own as well. The Disco was completely refitted during Star Trek: Discovery season 3. However, there was no mention of the ship getting a bar when it was upgraded with programmable matter technology and detachable nacelles. It seems either Discovery’s bar was already there and just not shown or it’s another new revamp, perhaps even a reward after Captain Burnham and her crew solved the mystery of The Burn and saved the Federation. Either way, the Disco now has a watering hole as its social hub, replacing the Mess Hall where the crew gathered to eat their meals from the ship’s replicators.

Ship bars are an understandable invention by Star Trek: The Next Generation. They are an interesting counterpoint to another major TNG innovation, the ship’s counselor, which is a duty that Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) has taken on in addition to his role as the USS Discovery’s Senior Medical Officer. Being in Starfleet usually means spending years away from loved ones in deep space and tackling all manner of scientific calamities while exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life. Starfleet Officers are under a great deal of daily pressure – especially the USS Discovery’s crew, which careens from galactic crisis to galactic crisis. This is why it makes sense the Disco now has a common area for the crew to let off steam and socialize with a drink.

It’s likely Discovery’s new bar primarily serves synthehol like its Starfleet counterparts from the other Star Trek series. Synthehol already appeared in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, which was a strange anachronism because the non-alcoholic substitute isn’t supposed to be available on a 23rd-century starship like the Discovery. Synthehol is a Ferengi invention that came into widespread use by Starfleet in the 24th century. However, Discovery’s bar could stock real top-shelf alcohol from alien worlds as well. Star Trek: Discovery season 4 already referenced Romulan whiskey, which was first introduced on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Now that the USS Discovery has a bar, it will no doubt be the setting of compelling scenes in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 going forward, although the Disco’s logo won’t literally be a martini like Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ USS Cerritos.

Star Trek: Discovery season 4 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

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