Discovery: The Federation's DMA Mistake Could Severely Impact Star Trek
Star Trek: Discovery finally acknowledged the franchise’s focus on humanoid life forms, and it may usher in a drastic change in Star Trek’s future.
Star Trek: Discovery has toyed with much of the sacred Star Trek canon over its first three and a half seasons, but revelations that were made in "The Galactic Barrier" and the Federation's DMA mistake may have serious consequences. Early in the episode, a group of delegates form to discuss the plan for first contact with the mysterious civilization known as 10-C that created the DMA. Discovery's Dr. Kovich, head of the Federation's intelligence agency, Section 31, fears that those making first contact won't be able to communicate with the 10-C aliens. This comes as a surprise to many of the delegates, as the Federation and Star Fleet use universal translators that translate all languages. But Dr. Kovich reveals that isn't necessarily true, and his admission - and its implications - could drastically change Star Trek lore.
Universal translators have always been one of the ways that Star Trek explains away the difficulties that would present themselves if humanity were truly to explore space and meet new life forms. Along with replicator technology, warp core engines, and holo-technology, universal translators allow many different species and life forms to coexist without difficulty. Everyone miraculously speaks English, eliminating the need for subtitles or awkward translation mishaps. But Discovery has already proven that there are sentient life forms that cannot communicate through the universal translator, such as Ripper, the giant tardigrade who originally taught them to travel the mycelial network in Star Trek: Discovery season 1. According to Dr. Kovich, the Federation and Star Fleet have always known that there are probably life forms that they've yet to encounter or make contact with because of the confirmation bias that has them only looking for life forms that are similar to their own biology - meaning humanoid.
It has long been accepted that most of the aliens encountered in Star Trek would appear humanoid, based upon the budget constraints of the early shows and the inaccessibility of inexpensive special effects at the time. This has even been supported by the fact that ancient lifeforms, the Progenitors, seeded the galaxy with humanoids. What's interesting about Kovich's acknowledgment on Star Trek: Discovery is that he seems to be indicating that he and possibly all the higher-ups at Star Fleet believe that there may be countless life forms within the known galaxy that they've basically ignored because they don't understand their biology and nature. While several such creatures have been encountered throughout the canon, including the free-floating energy source in "Galaxy's Child" (The Next Generation) and the silicon-based lava puddle the Horta in "The Devil in the Dark" (The Original Series), these have always been viewed as an anomaly, rather than common. But now that Star Trek: Discovery is moving beyond the galactic barrier, that could change.
Nothing is yet known about the alien species 10-C, except that they have very advanced technology and they come from beyond the known galaxy. That Kovich mentioned the issue with universal translators, as well as the fact that the Progenitors didn't seed any life beyond the galaxy they existed in, means that 10-C has the potential to be a life form like Star Trek viewers have never seen before. Acknowledging the confirmation bias of their research and exploration opens up the future of Star Trek exploration. More practically, the lower cost of special effects and CGI means that audiences could start to experience a wider range of alien life forms in the future.
Discovery has made it clear that while the heart of Star Trek still lives on in the form of Gene Roddenberry's vision for peace and diplomacy, the new generation of Star Trek will be both bolder and darker. Star Trek: Discovery has already made known its dedication to social diversity clear, with a culturally varied cast and nuanced gender portrayals. Hopefully, the destruction of the DMA and the Federation's encounter with mysterious 10-C will continue that practice, leading to the inclusion of a wider variety of diverse alien life forms in the Star Trek universe, as well.
Star Trek: Discovery releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.