Ever since the Original Series, stories in the Star Trek franchise have been motivated by curiosity, exploration, and uncovering more about the universe. Unique sci-fi concepts draw viewers in, but of course, these stories wouldn't be engaging without interesting characters. There are fan favorites across every iteration of the franchise, and watching characters from different backgrounds — and different planets — interact is one of the joys of Star Trek. From Kirk and Spock's unlikely friendship to the slow-burn love story between Riker and Troy, these relationships make even the most alien characters relatable. However, Discovery approaches these relationships differently than most shows.
Plenty of Starfleet crews have close ties with one another. Characters on Voyager, TNG, and Enterprise often find themselves in close friendships or even romances. Such bonds are unsurprising when people spend so much time working and living in close quarters. Discovery, however, feels a bit different. Its main characters form a close-knit group that is less like the friendships that develop through working together, and more like the dynamic of a found family.
Relationships Among The Crew
Michael's closest friends among the crew of Discovery are Tilly and Saru. With the former, she has an especially sisterly relationship. The two share quarters even at times when Michael far outranks Tilly, something that is pointed out in Season 2 as being quite irregular. They share quarters purely because they enjoy each other's company. Like sisters, they confide in each other, make each other laugh, and give each other advice on their love lives.
Saru, meanwhile, is a kind of confidante for Michael in a way that no one else is. Though she is usually quite guarded, she allows herself to be vulnerable in front of Saru. He, in turn, confides in her. Their relationship is purely platonic, but they're much more than casual work friends. They keep each other accountable, help each other with personal problems, and rely on each other throughout all the trials they each face on the show.
This theme extends beyond Michael's relationships, however. The bridge crew on Discovery are all depicted as close friends, referring to each other casually, without using titles as is common in Starfleet. When any one of the main cast faces a challenge, the rest act as their support system. Even Captain Pike, who takes command of the ship in Season 2, takes on his role in a slightly different manner than most Starfleet captains throughout the franchise. He is a guide and a mentor to those under his command.
The show's familial character dynamics are, of course, most explicit in regard to Paul, Hugh, and Adira (and later, Grey). Paul takes teenage Adira under his wing in Season 3, at first as an apprentice to learn about the ship's spore drive. Eventually, though, the two grow closer. Adira comes to confide in Paul about the struggles they face regarding their Trill symbiont, and he is the first person that they open up to about their non-binary identity. Paul, in turn, develops paternal affection for Adira, eager to be someone that they can rely on and to guide them into adulthood. By the end of the season, Paul and his husband Hugh consistently refer to Adira as their own child, having informally adopted them and taken on a parental role. They are, quite literally, a found family.
The Significance Of The Found Family Theme
The familial bonds between the crew are what prompt them to remain together even as they leap forward nine centuries into the future at the end of the show's second season. As they send messages bidding farewell to their loved ones, and prepare to head off on a one-way trip through time, there's a sense of togetherness that binds them. They are making this choice in part out of their sense of duty to Starfleet, but also — and perhaps more significantly — because of their bonds with one another. And those bonds are what keep them together during that hard time. It's not always smooth sailing — there are spats between crewmembers, times when tensions rise. But if anything, that only adds to the familial dynamic. Arguments are dealt with in less of an official capacity, and more through personal mediation.
The familial dynamics in the show are especially significant when one considers the main protagonist, Michael, and her history both before and during the show's run. She was orphaned as a child, and adopted into a Vulcan family — an environment that was literally alien to her. Though she has deep affection for her adoptive parents and brother, she often felt that she didn't quite belong in their world. In Season 2, she found her mother, after decades of believing she was dead. Michael's history with family is complex and fraught, but she has found one that feels like home with the Discovery crew.