With an episode high on action, mystery and intrigue, Star Trek: Discovery – the latest addition to the five-decade-old franchise, airing on CBS All Access in the US and available on Netflix in India and around the world – closed the lid on the first chapter of its maiden voyage. The show will return with its second half of six episodes in almost two months’ time, on January 7. That makes this the perfect time to reflect on what we’ve seen yet, and predict what we can expect come 2018.

Unlike its TV predecessors, Discovery has opted for the high-octane pace and sleek stylishness that J.J. Abrams brought to Star Trek with his 2009 reboot, which has since spawned a trilogy with more on the way. It’s a much more recognisable form of Trek to recent fans – one that involves CGI streaks when a ship goes into warp, among other things – and it’s also why so much of the first season is based around a Federation-Klingon War, since that inherently increases the excitement…