When this series is on, it's really, really on. "Despite Yourself" offers the best of Trek in all it's techie, backstory-rich, high-concept, high-adventure, character-driven greatness. And as always, this show looks amazing. The revisit of a story line that ties this series to a thread started with Classic Trek work effortlessly. Nothing feels forced here. Tilly is used to excellent comedic effect when she has to take on a role she is uncomfortable with. And, everyone shines, really. One of the things I appreciate about this series is that the plot is always moving forward. The writers don't set up a mystery and drag on the reveal for months of twists and turns. This episode is replete with plot movement, making it very satisfying after the cliffhanger before the holiday break.
My only gripe was that the tech and Trek history references were so thick that I had to hit "pause" a few times to explain things to my +1 who is not a Trek fan, but has been watching with me since "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" (the one with Dwight from The Office in it haha). A couple times she was like, "Whaaaaattt in the h*** are they talking about?" Yay for smart sci fi. But, man. All the science.
For me, "Despite Yourself" worked on every level. Star Trek: Discovery is earning it's place as one of the strongest Trek outings yet!