Star Trek: Discovery 2.07

[selenak]

Am currently having trouble with my internet and phone provider and thus reduced to public hotspots, thus, in brevity:




Talos IV, is it? Go figure. I do hope this retcons Pike’s eventual fate to something better than „lives in a mental illusion because his physical state is so painful“. Also, since the Talosians never showed up in on screen Trek other than in The Cage/ The Menagerie, there’s ample room for the writers with to play.

Speaking of playing with previous canon: the whole „haven’t spoken since their big argument about Starfleet“ thing about Sarek and Spock from Journey to Babel was kept in letter – Spock isn’t in a state for a conversation or to remember – but if you ask me, him switching from coordinates to Alice in Wonderland quotes at the precise moment Sarek and Amanda were having their argument would point to him being aware at least on some level and sticking it to Dad. Incidentally, I continue to love we’re getting more of Amanda and her pov on this show than in any other previous screen canon.

Section 31: trusting Leland or Georgiou is really a Scylla versus Charybdis thing. Based on what Section 31 will be like in the future, I’m entirely prepared to believe MirrorGeorgiou was telling the truth about them wanting to extract Spock’s memories in a way that would destroy his mind, but I’m also prepared to believe she was either making that up or having suggested it in the first place in order to play rescuer and thus further her connection to Michael. And of course her own ascension as boss of Section 31 over Leland. As to her blackmail material - given Michael was around when Klingons killed her parents, I assume she meant Leland would have been able to warn that colony in time but didn’t, and/or did something provocative that triggered the Klingon attack?

Pike and Tyler doing the time warp again: was an okay „two parties distrusting each other forced to bond over shared danger“ plot. Seriously, though, Tyler continues to be a terrible spy. If you want intel from a commander who doesn’t want to give it to you, you don’t do so by throwing your organisation’s weight around in front of the entire bridge, Ash!

Red Angel being from the future: they dumped the whole time war thing on Enterprise after two seasons, more or less, and I don’t think anyone regretted that much, so I doubt we’ll go back to it. Currently, my money is on the angel, if it’s benevolent, being future Spock, trying to prevent whatever catastrophe is impending by appearing to himself and friends at key points of the time line. If it’s villainous, it might be a future Section 31 leader.

Comments

[felis]

hope this retcons Pike’s eventual fate

My thoughts exactly! I recently watched The Cage/The Menagerie and the more I like Discovery's Pike, the less I want to imagine The Menagerie as his ending. So, please, if you have to resurrect Talos IV, do something good with it, show!

Tyler continues to be a terrible spy

Well, he isn't really a spy at this point, he's an official liaison. Doesn't make his behaviour any more professional or even effective, though. He really annoyed me with his pushiness, disrespect, and entitlement - it's not like Pike doesn't have a right to be wary, both regarding Section 31 and Tyler personally. His jealous ex vibes re: Michael weren't helping either.

[selenak]

Here's hoping for a better fate for Pike, indeed!

re: Tyler, I was going to say he'd never have pulled that kind of stunt with Lorca, but then that was before he (T) knew who either of them were. Presumably he thinks he's got to prove he's really really really human and knows best, but still, this was just a dreadful way of going about it.

[mizstorge]

I'm wondering if the Red Angel is Q; he seems to like red.

[selenak]

True, but a) if the Red Angel needs a suit (which Saru saw), he/she/it's not yet on a Q-Level of power and b) Q's stunts usually involve an element of prank/mischief, even when he's putting humanity on trial. That's lacking here.

[alethia]

I, too, think the red angel is gonna turn out to be someone connected to Pike or Spock. That s/he keeps showing up proximate to them implies a personal connection and because Tyler and Section 31 think s/he is bad, I think it'll turn out to be the opposite.

Tyler was such a little shit this episode I can't even. I don't think they earned his story with Pike and honestly, just wish he'd go away, he's so bad at basically everything. I don't understand his purpose in the show anymore.

[selenak]

Presumably there will be some development at some future point where he's necessary, otherwise I'd have thought leaving him on Kronos with L'Rell as in last season would have wrapped up his storyline.

[kernezelda]

I was tired of Tyler before the end of the first couple of episodes he was in. He feels like a weak link in the crew. I mean, he feels like a weak character, or maybe it's the way the actor plays him, but I get no sense that he's necessary to the show, and thought it was good riddance to send him off with L'Rell, never to be seen again. But, ugh, he's back and as useless as ever.