Star Trek: Discovery 2.13
Apr. 12th, 2019 11:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakPart I of the season finale. In which lonely martyrdom is not on, and I love it.
Also, it's the second time that something from the webisodes informs what's going on on the show (first time was when we visited Saru's home planet and met his sister). Given everything else that happened, I'm even more certain now that the webisode Calypso, set 600 years into the future and seemingly disconnected from the show by everything save it taking place on a seemingly abandoned Discovery will play its role as well. (The Mudd webisode, otoh, was just for the hell of it.)
Anyway: turns out the self destruct is not on, which did not surprise me (the first few times Kirk, Picard et al started it on their respective shows, it didn't end in the destruction of the ship, either), which leads to the other thing I was expecting, Michael and everyone else realising she'll have to make a (seemingly one way) trip to the future and become the other Red Angel (thus explaining the signals as well as the Red Angel being clearly identified as Michael, not just someone with whom she's sharing DNA. What I hadn't expected but shouild have, because it fits thematically so well, was the rest of the gang deciding to join her on her trip instead of letting her go all on her lonesome. I mean, here I was all set to grumble about the neglect of the Tilly-Michael friendship and them not getting a teary farewell scene (even if I was convinced it wouldn't remain a farewell), but no, Tilly, being Tilly, did of course not plan to let Michael become a time travelling hermit and enlisted the rest of the bridge crew to follow suit.
Flashback to the opening season episode and the Pke & Michael dialogue about being in Starfleet meaning never to abandon someone. Flashback even further, though, to Michael's entire story thus far from the pilot onwards. She lost everything, twice, started out on Discovery completely isolated and distrusted - and we've seen her connect to the point where now her shipmates are ready to come with her to an unknown future in the knowledge that they more likely than not won't be able to return. And I think this is yet another way in which the show's producers were smart to break format in making this the first ST show where the lead is not the Captain. Because Michael isn't the crew's leader whom the crew is following (which would be a different emotional implication) - they're coming with her on an equal level, because she's part of their community.
Not that Captains in general are neglected on this show. Pike returning to the Enterprise in this episode made me gulp and almost sniffle quite a few times. Of course, mileage may very etc., but I think the way the character was handled this season was an excellent illustration that yes, you can make a character in authority good and interesting at the same time. Mind you, I also think it's a smart decision to make it clear this was a one season only deal; Pike's future is set, after all, and long term wise, not to mention that I still want to see first Saru and eventually Michael in the big chair. But post Lorca (much as I was fond of his shady to evil ways in terms of entertainment), Pike turned out to be ideal for letting the crew recover and regain (deserved) trust to their commanding officer, and offer a counter example of Captain-crew interaction. That he endeared himself to me to the point where his eventual fate now really breaks my heart is only proof of the show's success, so: well done, there.
(BTW: loved that the last exchange between him and Georgiou revealed he'd deduced who she really was apparantly quite a while ago. Early in the season I had found it very bewildering that Pike was briefed on Lorca but not Georgiou, but of course he's smart enough to put two and two together.)
Amanda and Sarek showing up because Sarek sensed something (beyond the re- and disssappearance of Dr. Burnham) was up with Michael via shared katra: again, inserting Michael into Star Trek's most famous Vulcan/Human family had been one of the most controversional creative decisions before and early in the show, but to me, it paid off beautifully. They're my kind of messed up family, and I really approve of the fact that Michael doesn't see her refound biologcal mother, MirrorGeogiou and Amanda & Sarek as competing or needing an emotional hierarchy of lesser and greater - she does love them all.
(Incidentally: was amused that the writers found a way of squaring having-learned-his-lesson Sarek from Disco with not-having-talked-to-Spock-for-many-years Sarek from his TOS introduction episode Journey to Babel, as well as making it believable Discovery's Amanda, who goes after her son when he's a wanted fugitive and tells her husband when he's being an ass, would just stand by to this by retconning it so that the not talking until Journey to Babel is Spock's, not Sarek's decision. At least that's what I thought the big of dialogue between Michael and Sarek re: Spock was supposed to signal.)
Jet Reno: you better not kill her off, show, is what I'm saying. Resurrecting Hugh Culber does not give you license to kill another gay character, as you should know. Otoh, temperol replacement with option for surrprise return (since the actress isn't available for more than guest spots) is fine.
Her Highness Po: was delightful, and the way she serenely dealt with Georgiou's snark has to be a first.
The bridge crew recording goodbye messages was a good example of how the second season fleshed them out. Am not surprised Stamets turns out to have a sibling.
Speaking of siblings: letting Spock go with Michael and the Discovery is kind of a hint they won't be stuck in the future, considering he has the most canonically fixed fate of them all, but given the way the season developed their relationship it would have been ooc for him to choose otherwise.
Also, it's the second time that something from the webisodes informs what's going on on the show (first time was when we visited Saru's home planet and met his sister). Given everything else that happened, I'm even more certain now that the webisode Calypso, set 600 years into the future and seemingly disconnected from the show by everything save it taking place on a seemingly abandoned Discovery will play its role as well. (The Mudd webisode, otoh, was just for the hell of it.)
Anyway: turns out the self destruct is not on, which did not surprise me (the first few times Kirk, Picard et al started it on their respective shows, it didn't end in the destruction of the ship, either), which leads to the other thing I was expecting, Michael and everyone else realising she'll have to make a (seemingly one way) trip to the future and become the other Red Angel (thus explaining the signals as well as the Red Angel being clearly identified as Michael, not just someone with whom she's sharing DNA. What I hadn't expected but shouild have, because it fits thematically so well, was the rest of the gang deciding to join her on her trip instead of letting her go all on her lonesome. I mean, here I was all set to grumble about the neglect of the Tilly-Michael friendship and them not getting a teary farewell scene (even if I was convinced it wouldn't remain a farewell), but no, Tilly, being Tilly, did of course not plan to let Michael become a time travelling hermit and enlisted the rest of the bridge crew to follow suit.
Flashback to the opening season episode and the Pke & Michael dialogue about being in Starfleet meaning never to abandon someone. Flashback even further, though, to Michael's entire story thus far from the pilot onwards. She lost everything, twice, started out on Discovery completely isolated and distrusted - and we've seen her connect to the point where now her shipmates are ready to come with her to an unknown future in the knowledge that they more likely than not won't be able to return. And I think this is yet another way in which the show's producers were smart to break format in making this the first ST show where the lead is not the Captain. Because Michael isn't the crew's leader whom the crew is following (which would be a different emotional implication) - they're coming with her on an equal level, because she's part of their community.
Not that Captains in general are neglected on this show. Pike returning to the Enterprise in this episode made me gulp and almost sniffle quite a few times. Of course, mileage may very etc., but I think the way the character was handled this season was an excellent illustration that yes, you can make a character in authority good and interesting at the same time. Mind you, I also think it's a smart decision to make it clear this was a one season only deal; Pike's future is set, after all, and long term wise, not to mention that I still want to see first Saru and eventually Michael in the big chair. But post Lorca (much as I was fond of his shady to evil ways in terms of entertainment), Pike turned out to be ideal for letting the crew recover and regain (deserved) trust to their commanding officer, and offer a counter example of Captain-crew interaction. That he endeared himself to me to the point where his eventual fate now really breaks my heart is only proof of the show's success, so: well done, there.
(BTW: loved that the last exchange between him and Georgiou revealed he'd deduced who she really was apparantly quite a while ago. Early in the season I had found it very bewildering that Pike was briefed on Lorca but not Georgiou, but of course he's smart enough to put two and two together.)
Amanda and Sarek showing up because Sarek sensed something (beyond the re- and disssappearance of Dr. Burnham) was up with Michael via shared katra: again, inserting Michael into Star Trek's most famous Vulcan/Human family had been one of the most controversional creative decisions before and early in the show, but to me, it paid off beautifully. They're my kind of messed up family, and I really approve of the fact that Michael doesn't see her refound biologcal mother, MirrorGeogiou and Amanda & Sarek as competing or needing an emotional hierarchy of lesser and greater - she does love them all.
(Incidentally: was amused that the writers found a way of squaring having-learned-his-lesson Sarek from Disco with not-having-talked-to-Spock-for-many-years Sarek from his TOS introduction episode Journey to Babel, as well as making it believable Discovery's Amanda, who goes after her son when he's a wanted fugitive and tells her husband when he's being an ass, would just stand by to this by retconning it so that the not talking until Journey to Babel is Spock's, not Sarek's decision. At least that's what I thought the big of dialogue between Michael and Sarek re: Spock was supposed to signal.)
Jet Reno: you better not kill her off, show, is what I'm saying. Resurrecting Hugh Culber does not give you license to kill another gay character, as you should know. Otoh, temperol replacement with option for surrprise return (since the actress isn't available for more than guest spots) is fine.
Her Highness Po: was delightful, and the way she serenely dealt with Georgiou's snark has to be a first.
The bridge crew recording goodbye messages was a good example of how the second season fleshed them out. Am not surprised Stamets turns out to have a sibling.
Speaking of siblings: letting Spock go with Michael and the Discovery is kind of a hint they won't be stuck in the future, considering he has the most canonically fixed fate of them all, but given the way the season developed their relationship it would have been ooc for him to choose otherwise.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-13 04:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-04-13 11:40 am (UTC)Also, thank you!
no subject
Date: 2019-04-14 10:21 am (UTC)Tilly, for example, is already a 1000 times better officer (although she will need more command experience before actually getting the Big Seat, but that's why command proceeds in measured steps so you can get the experience).
[First season Burnham could easily have been returned to the command track, although it would be a struggle for the run of the mill Star Fleet officers to accept her after what she did (that's OK, you need people to staff that quartermaster's depot on Starbase 3 too). But Star Fleet Captains are special stuff and would recognise her usefulness and capability, and allow her to work toward her redemption. Especially given Shadow-Georgiou could have easily vouched for her and eliminated the courts martial decision that she had disobeyed a superior's orders, rather than taking the correct initiative.]