I Wish Star Trek: Discovery's Wedding Got An Entire Episode (2024)

Summary

Star Trek: Discovery missed an opportunity by only showing glimpses of Saru and T'Rina's wedding in the series finale.
The wedding could have highlighted the show's focus on character growth and relationships, particularly Saru and Burnham's friendship.
Despite constraints, a full episode dedicated to the wedding could have been a satisfying and celebratory ending to the series.

It would have been a great idea for Star Trek: Discovery to spend more time at the wedding of Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) and President T'Rina (Tara Rosling), and I wish a whole episode was devoted to their nuptials. The glimpses of Saru and T'Rina's promised nuptials in Star Trek: Discovery's series finale, "Life, Itself", were far too brief, with no time devoted to the ceremony itself. It's an unusual choice, given that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 built up the first Vulcan-Kelpien wedding as an important event with political ramifications for the couple's home planets of Ni'Var and Kaminar, and a personal goal for Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) to attend.

It's understandable that Saru and T'Rina's wedding wasn't given the spotlight in Star Trek: Discovery's finale. Saru was absent for most of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 due to Doug Jones' scheduling conflicts, making a Saru-heavy episode difficult to film. "Life, Itself" also needed to wrap up the season-long arc of Captain Burnham's race against the Breen for the Progenitors' technology. Once it was clear that season 5 would be Star Trek: Discovery's last, extra scenes were also added to close out the series. Without these constraints, however, Saru and T'Rina's wedding could have been the central focus of a satisfying ending for Star Trek: Discovery.

Saru Is Missing From Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Doug Jones Explains Why

Saru hasn't appeared in the last few episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, and Doug Jones explains why the Kelpien is missing.

Star Trek Wedding Episodes Are Celebrations

Star Trek: Discovery Has A Lot To Celebrate

Unity and joy are front and center as overarching themes in previous series' Star Trek wedding episodes, even as adversity threatens to derail the couples' big days. Keiko Ishikawa (Rosalind Chao) is anxious about marrying Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 11, "Data's Day". Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) faces scrutiny from Klingon traditions before marrying Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 7, "You Are Cordially Invited". Worries of opposition from T'Rina's political opponents, the Vulcan Purists, might have been Saru's minor hurdle in a low-stakes, lighter Star Trek: Discovery episode.

Star Trek Weddings	Movie/TV Show
Miles O'Brien and Keiko Ishikawa	Star Trek: The Next Generation
Odo and Lwaxana Troi	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rom and Leeta	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres	Star Trek: Voyager
Worf & Jadzia Dax	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
William Riker & Deanna Troi	Star Trek: Nemesis

Saru's Wedding Could Have Explored Star Trek: Discovery's Characters

Star Trek: Discovery's Strength Is Its Character Growth

Star Trek: Discovery's 5 seasons have been somewhat uneven, but an episode devoted to Saru's wedding would emphasize that Star Trek: Discovery's true strength is the consistent evolution of characters and their relationships with one another. Michael Burnham and Saru's friendship, in particular, is emblematic of Star Trek: Discovery's evolution. In Star Trek: Discovery season 1, Saru firmly believed that Burnham was dangerous, but Burnham proved herself time and again. Michael was at Saru's side during his vahara'i in Discovery season 2, and by the series' end, Saru and Burnham are trusted friends. Burnham's role in Saru's wedding could represent this evolution, but we never see it.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 4, "An Obol for Charon", Saru undergoes the vahara'i, the painful Kelpien biological process that sheds the threat ganglia and evolves Saru into a more confident character.

With other plot threads tied up, Star Trek: Discovery could slow down at the wedding and reception, giving space to explore who these people are to one another, comparing and contrasting with where they started. All of Star Trek: Discovery's characters might have been able to have their own moment in the spotlight toasting Saru or reminiscing. Instead, Saru and T'Rina's ceremony is a mere montage, the reception is rushed, and Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) seem to leave without saying goodbye, which is weird, given Michael and Saru's close friendship. With a full episode, we could've gotten so much more of Star Trek: Discovery's wedding.