Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Paul Stamets
1. Twist At The End
Star Trek has always relied on pushing the boundaries of credibility and possibility when it comes to science and technology, but the introduction of the spore drive in the first place, along with the very idea of an 'astromycologist,' was jumping the shark for some fans. That's not to mention the use and abuse of the tardigrade, and the continuity problems, which were not entirely resolved by the trip to the 32nd century (even after it was covered up harder than a holiday on Romulus for Luther Sloan). Still, as time went on, we grew accustomed as much to Stamets as to his enchanted and entangled mushrooms, and to those 'black alerts'.
Star Trek: Discovery's fifth season began for Stamets with the news that the Federation was abandoning the spore drive programme in favour of the pathway drive. Somewhat robbed of his legacy, Stamets found new meaning in the search for the Progenitors' technology. When that was also taken away from him at the end of the season, it left the character in a state of scientific limbo, a theme no doubt destined to be explored in parallel with his husband's more spiritual journey in the sixth season that will now never be. Looking back, however, Stamets has certainly left an imprint, alongside Culber, Adira, and Gray. On the show's legacy as it came to an end, Anthony Rapp told The Nightly newspaper,
The fact that we got to be the ones to finally break down that barrier, to have proudly, openly queer characters that are fully themselves is a huge mark of pride for us.
That final spin at the very end of Life, Itself also reminds us that all of Discovery, and whatever you think of the spore drive, was only made possible thanks to the work of Stamets and (deceased) friend of the USS Glenn. Not without one more Beatles reference, there's one thing we've learnt recently from the Star Trek-containing universe of another franchise: "There's always a twist at the end!" Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is about to start filming, and we've already had "tenure" for Tilly. There's still plenty of room for a surprise or two, and 'Paul Stamets, Professor of (astro-)mycology' could be precisely what we weren't expecting!