WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery’s finale, “Life, Itself”.
Summary
Star Trek: Discovery’s finale revealed that the enigmatic Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) was an older version of Crewman Daniels (Matt Winston), so who wasStar Trek: Enterprise’s time traveler? Since the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century, they’ve occasionally come under Dr. Kovich’s jurisdiction, most notably during season 5’s hunt for the Progenitors' technology. Kovich has always been an enigmatic figure, leading many to question the Federation scientist’s motivations inStar Trek: Discoveryseasons 3 to 5. As a reward for successfully completing her Red Directive mission, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) got to learn Kovich’s true identity.
By revealing that Kovich was actually theStar Trek: Enterprisecharacter, Daniels, the ending ofStar Trek: Discovery’s finale brought the show full circle in one key way.Discoveryseason 1 was set between the end ofEnterpriseand the start ofStar Trek: The Original Series, meaning that it could only refer to the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the Enterprise NX-01. For example,Discovery’s Mirror Universe arc heavily referencedEnterprise’s two-parter “Through a Mirror, Darkly”, involving the original USS Defiant. By revealing that Kovich was actuallyEnterprise’s Temporal Agent Daniels,Discoveryreaffirms its strong links to the Scott Bakula show.
Star Trek: Enterprise’s Daniels & Temporal Wars Explained
Daniels first appeared inStar Trek: Enterpriseseason 1, episode 11, “Cold Front”, in which he was revealed to be a Temporal Agent from the far future. Daniels had infiltrated the Enterprise NX-01 prior to the leader of the Suliban Cabal, Silik (John Fleck) coming aboard. The Suliban Cabal were in the employ of one of the main powers in the Temporal Wars that started in the 29th century and rippled back through history. By capturing Silik, Daniels had hoped to reduce the Cabal’s influence, but he was killed in the course of his mission.
InStar Trek: Discovery, Kovich refers to himself as “Agent Daniels, USS Enterprise”, but Archer’s Enterprise wasn’t officially redesignated that untilStar Trek: Picardseason 3.
When Daniels returned inStar Trek: Enterprise’s season 1 finale, he told Archer that he had died “in a manner of speaking” which suggeststhe Temporal Agent retained knowledge of aborted timelines. This would also explain Kovich’s reference to living “many lives” inStar Trek: Discovery’s finale. As the Enterprise NX-01 was a vitally important starship in the history of Starfleet and the Federation, it was a prime target forTemporal Wars powerswho wanted to rewrite history without the Federation in it. Therefore, Daniels and Archer regularly worked together, ensuring that the course of history ran its correct course.
Krenim Imperium
What Doctor Kovich’s Reveal As Daniels Means For Star Trek
There are some interesting ramifications for the wider franchise created by the revelations about Doctor Kovich inStar Trek: Discovery’s finale. Kovich always had an impressive amount of knowledge about the Temporal Wars and its damaging effects on the barriers between the alternateStar Trektimelines. Now that audiences know he’s an older Agent Daniels, they know he’s seen these effects first-hand, and is not merely repeating the archival information in the Federation databanks. More widely, however,Discovery’sStar Trek: Enterprisetwistcreates the possibility of future appearances by David Cronenberg.
While time travel was apparently banned by the Federation in the 32nd century, Dr. Kovich has proved time and again that he answers to a higher power. It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility, therefore, for Kovich to instigate a Red Directive mission that sees him enlist the services of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. After all,SNWseason 2, episode 3, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” revealed thatStar Trek: Enterprise’s Temporal Wars are still ongoing. Therefore,Star Trek: Discovery’s reveal that Daniels is still in active service could now reignite the conflict elsewhere in the franchise.
All episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Enterprise are streaming now on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Discovery
Cast
Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.
