Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

Summary

• Tribbles are no trouble on the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.
• Discovery's Tribble was neutered so there is no threat of it breeding and taking over the ship.
• Tribbles can be safely kept as pets in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 after genetic alterations.

The sight of a Tribble aboard the USS Discovery should be alarming, but Star Trek: Discovery season 5 explained this Tribble is no trouble at all. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" brings the USS Discovery to Trill, where a clue to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors is hidden. While Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leads an away team to Trill, she orders new First Officer Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) to connect with Discovery's crew, where he learns about Discovery's pet Tribble.

Tribbles are Star Trek's most adorable menace. Introduced in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles", the furry creatures are easily mistaken for pets. However, Tribbles are essentially born pregnant, and the more food they consume, the more they proliferate. One Tribble can easily multiply into hundreds or thousands in a matter of days. The Klingons considered Tribbles a threat to the Empire and they once laid waste to the Tribble homeworld. However, Tribbles are far from extinct, and they occasionally pop up throughout Star Trek. There is one Tribble confirmed to live aboard Star Trek: Discovery's eponymous starship.

Star Trek: Discovery Explains Season 5's Tribble & It's Not A Threat

Discovery's Tribble is as safe as Tribbles can be

A Tribble was seen crawling up the hall of the USS Discovery as Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) walked by in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, "Red Directive." However, Burnham and Book paid the Tribble no mind as it fell to the floor and scurried away. Obviously, Discovery's Captain is aware there is a Tribble aboard her ship and Michael isn't the least bit concerned about the threat of a Tribble takeover of the Disco.

It's a relief to know that Christopher's Tribble can't procreate and take over the ship.

Commander Rayner found out why the USS Discovery's Tribble is not a threat in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3. Meeting with Discovery's crew against his will, Rayner ordered each Starfleet Officer to reveal something personal in 20 words or less. Lieutenant Christopher (Orville Cummings) told the new Number One, "When Nilsson left for her new post on Voyager, she gave me her pet Tribble, and... Oh, don't worry. It's been neutered." For Discovery's sake, it's a relief to know that Christopher's Tribble can't procreate and take over the ship.

Lt. Commander Nilsson (Sara Mitich) was an operations officer aboard the USS Discovery who transferred to the USS Voyager-J after Star Trek: Discovery season 4.

Star Trek: Discovery Has Had A Tribble Since Season 1

Is this the same Tribble since Discovery season 1?

The USS Discovery is no stranger to having Tribbles aboard. There was a Tribble in Captain Gabriel Lorca's (Jason Isaacs) ready room in Star Trek: Discovery season 1. Lorca's Tribble was also, apparently, not a threat to the ship, so it was likely also neutered. It may even be possible that after Lorca was exposed as a Mirror Universe imposter, and all of his trophies and belongings were removed from the USS Discovery, the Tribble came under the care of Lt. Commander Nilsson.

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) does not know that Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his time-traveling Star Trek: Deep Space Nine crew saved him from an exploding Tribble in DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ations."

The Star Trek: Short Trek episode "The Trouble With Edward" revealed that a foolish Starfleet scientist named Lt. Edward Larkin (H. Jon Benjamin) genetically altered Tribbles to increase their breeding capabilities. This led to the destruction of the USS Cabot in the mid-2250s. In effect, Larkin was the cause of the Tribble menace, but his experiment worked both ways since Tribbles can also be neutered. Thus, Tribbles are safe to own as pets in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+