This episode stinks. This show has really lost its edge. I loved the first two seasons. This one? I'm getting really annoyed with all the crying and CHEESE. It is DRIPPING with cheese. Uggghhhh
120 Reviews
Cheesy and overly sentimental
schuwomann9 November 2020
Star Trek: Andromeda
greenhavenall5 November 2020
I already pointed out the similarities between the third season of Discovery and Andromeda in another episode review, but since they just filled in the last piece, let me list this again...
A civilization ending event (The Long Night / The Burn) The once great but now fallen System that has to be restored (The Commonwealth / The Federation) The time displaced hero adapting to a strange time (Dylan Hunt / Michael Burnham) The charming rogue with their own ship that neatly fits in the larger vessel's cargo bay (Becca Valentine / Booker), The valuable aly that could stab you in the back at any moment (Tyr Anasasi / Philipa Georgio) The brilliant but young and unstable Engineer (Harper / split into Stamet and Tilly) The wise and peaceful Alien struggling with his own internal aggression (Rev Bem / Captain Saru) The mysterious young woman who is knowledgeable beyond her years and Not what she seems (Trance Gemini / Adira) And, as of this episode, the Sentient Ship who's primary concern is her captain and the crew (Andromeda / sphere augmented Discovery). Nice to see that the show is getting MUCH better this season. To bad, but NO surprise, that actually using/stealing some of Roddenberry's material is what is making it better.
A civilization ending event (The Long Night / The Burn) The once great but now fallen System that has to be restored (The Commonwealth / The Federation) The time displaced hero adapting to a strange time (Dylan Hunt / Michael Burnham) The charming rogue with their own ship that neatly fits in the larger vessel's cargo bay (Becca Valentine / Booker), The valuable aly that could stab you in the back at any moment (Tyr Anasasi / Philipa Georgio) The brilliant but young and unstable Engineer (Harper / split into Stamet and Tilly) The wise and peaceful Alien struggling with his own internal aggression (Rev Bem / Captain Saru) The mysterious young woman who is knowledgeable beyond her years and Not what she seems (Trance Gemini / Adira) And, as of this episode, the Sentient Ship who's primary concern is her captain and the crew (Andromeda / sphere augmented Discovery). Nice to see that the show is getting MUCH better this season. To bad, but NO surprise, that actually using/stealing some of Roddenberry's material is what is making it better.
Michael 'I am the Chosen One!' Burnham Strikes again.
Uzer_error4046 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Whew, where to start...
For one, Michael had absolutely no reason for being in this episode. Her involvement is so mind-numbingly pointless it's ridiculous. You know who the focus of this episode should've been? Dr. Culber. From the jump, this episode was setting itself up to be from Dr. Culber's perspective, and it advertised itself pretty clear that he'd be the one to join Adira on her quest. He's the logical choice, after all, he knows how it feels to be the odd one out. He shares an experience no one else on Discovery could relate to, and he suffered trauma because of it. But then he found his way back to a healthy state of mind. Dr. Culber was the tic-for-tac go-to guy to accompany Adira on figuring out why she and her symbiont were different. Someone who could relate with her unrelatable predicament. Heck, even Stamets would had been a good choice.
But why use any of them when you got a Michael Burnham on hand?
Michael Chosen One Burnham ends up going down to the trill homeworld with Adira because... honestly, I don't know why. Seriously, these Michael centric episodes grow tiresome. I feel in this instance it was just way too obvious. I hate how literally every single crewmember is stuck on the Discovery doing absolutely nothing whilst Michael gets to go down with the once in a lifetime human/symbiont hybrid and nobody bats an eye?
A human/symbiont hybrid was seemingly impossible... yet some random medic bots were able to transfer a symbiont from its trill host to a human and the operation is successful? The host doesn't die, the symbiont doesn't die. So much for being impossible.
So then what exactly have the trill been doing in the last thousand years? How haven't they discovered this for themselves? Yeah, yeah, The Burn messed them up, but you mean to tell me in the several centuries prior to The Burn, there haven't been any instance of non-trill hosts being discovered in the galaxy. Not one? This makes no sense.
In the end, I found this episode to be mediocre. Cut out Michael and replace her with characters that are in desperate need for more development and growth and this would have been a winner.
For one, Michael had absolutely no reason for being in this episode. Her involvement is so mind-numbingly pointless it's ridiculous. You know who the focus of this episode should've been? Dr. Culber. From the jump, this episode was setting itself up to be from Dr. Culber's perspective, and it advertised itself pretty clear that he'd be the one to join Adira on her quest. He's the logical choice, after all, he knows how it feels to be the odd one out. He shares an experience no one else on Discovery could relate to, and he suffered trauma because of it. But then he found his way back to a healthy state of mind. Dr. Culber was the tic-for-tac go-to guy to accompany Adira on figuring out why she and her symbiont were different. Someone who could relate with her unrelatable predicament. Heck, even Stamets would had been a good choice.
But why use any of them when you got a Michael Burnham on hand?
Michael Chosen One Burnham ends up going down to the trill homeworld with Adira because... honestly, I don't know why. Seriously, these Michael centric episodes grow tiresome. I feel in this instance it was just way too obvious. I hate how literally every single crewmember is stuck on the Discovery doing absolutely nothing whilst Michael gets to go down with the once in a lifetime human/symbiont hybrid and nobody bats an eye?
A human/symbiont hybrid was seemingly impossible... yet some random medic bots were able to transfer a symbiont from its trill host to a human and the operation is successful? The host doesn't die, the symbiont doesn't die. So much for being impossible.
So then what exactly have the trill been doing in the last thousand years? How haven't they discovered this for themselves? Yeah, yeah, The Burn messed them up, but you mean to tell me in the several centuries prior to The Burn, there haven't been any instance of non-trill hosts being discovered in the galaxy. Not one? This makes no sense.
In the end, I found this episode to be mediocre. Cut out Michael and replace her with characters that are in desperate need for more development and growth and this would have been a winner.
Check please!
yeejczt4 February 2021
And just like that, I'm off this show.
I really enjoyed the stories up until this point even though the characters could seem to be a little forced at times. However, with this new character Adira and the God awful acting of the person playing it (actor, actress? I'm not sure of the proper word)... I found myself fast-forwarding through any of their scenes and only watching what took place on the ship which was also a train wreck of children fighting.
I looked at the story lines of upcoming episodes and it seems as though this new character is going to be pushed to the front so I'm heading out. I cannot take
I really enjoyed the stories up until this point even though the characters could seem to be a little forced at times. However, with this new character Adira and the God awful acting of the person playing it (actor, actress? I'm not sure of the proper word)... I found myself fast-forwarding through any of their scenes and only watching what took place on the ship which was also a train wreck of children fighting.
I looked at the story lines of upcoming episodes and it seems as though this new character is going to be pushed to the front so I'm heading out. I cannot take
OK Episode. Better Actors and Better Dialogues are Needed.
aylinpatacsil5 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Not the best episode, but it's a welcome slowdown from the usual action. Sadly, -new- actors are not very good, they have very little life experience to pull from. The good newbies are mostly theater pros, not complete newbs like Blu del Barrio. There is something intrinsically wrong with the direction and dialogues too, it's obvious that both writer and director have very little social skills.
Being fascinated with Trill culture, I was happy they showed the caves, even the bulky tools in the milk pools, but really, Michael DIDN'T NEED to be there. Any other officer could have protected Adira. And, a human host can now meet all the past lives in Avatar-esque fashion (also with Avatar State glow), unlike having a Zhian'tara session with friends. The similarity could have been avoided if they stuck with the lore, but the writer doesn't realize that too many geeks have seen too many shows. Overall, 'OK episode'. Not the best, but not the worst, and at least tiny steps are taken to move the story forward.
Being fascinated with Trill culture, I was happy they showed the caves, even the bulky tools in the milk pools, but really, Michael DIDN'T NEED to be there. Any other officer could have protected Adira. And, a human host can now meet all the past lives in Avatar-esque fashion (also with Avatar State glow), unlike having a Zhian'tara session with friends. The similarity could have been avoided if they stuck with the lore, but the writer doesn't realize that too many geeks have seen too many shows. Overall, 'OK episode'. Not the best, but not the worst, and at least tiny steps are taken to move the story forward.
Among the best so far
milivojb5 November 2020
This was a true Star Trek episode, and in some ways, even better. In the past Trek shows, many times some very traumatic event that the crew has been through used to be forgotten by the next episode - not here, and it works. It shows that the members of the crew are real living beings, not some idealized fearless perfect beings. Also, show is starting to feel like it has an true ensemble cast, which is good.
I won't go into details to avoid any spoilers, however there are couple of very important moments in this episode that I feel will be very important in the future episodes.
Just ignore the haters ranting and leaving poor ratings, DIS has managed to find its footing and is becoming better with each episode. Rating: 10 out of 10.
Just ignore the haters ranting and leaving poor ratings, DIS has managed to find its footing and is becoming better with each episode. Rating: 10 out of 10.
Worth watching 'The Host' (TNG), 'Dax', and 'Invasive Procedures' (both DS9) beforehand
snoozejonc12 April 2021
The Discovery crew go to Trill for Adira to connect with the symbiont's previous hosts.
This is an interesting and memorable episode and one of Star Trek's most progressive character arcs.
The plot is fairly good, character driven, and reflective, with strong themes on mental health issues, leadership and gender identity. For me, using the Trill/Symbiont world to explore the identity of non binary characters is a great idea. It is a clever way to portraying multiple identities trapped within a physical form and continues themes of diversity and inclusivity within Star Trek stories. Additionally crew members dealing with their emotional stress is another good idea, as the situation warrants acknowledgment of the loss the crew would be going through and how their captain and doctor would attempt to deal with it.
For me what does not work is the emotional tone of the episode. Personally, I did not connect with it, primarily because Adira is so new to the series that I have not spent enough time to develop the level of empathy required. Also the use of Michael Burnham distracts from Adira's journey. The writers must have doubted using Burnham in this way because they included the terribly contrived scene where Culiber explains her coming role in the plot.
The scenes with the crew members dealing with their emotional stress is very well performed, but I once again struggled to empathise as so little effort has been made by the writers in previous episodes to get to know the characters. I think one of the problems with Discovery, particularly as it's far more emotional and character driven than previous Trek shows, is the writers have never effectively balanced character focus since the show started. There has been so much focus on certain characters it has resulted in overexposure to some, such as Burnham, and made too little time for the others. This hurts episodes where you are suddenly expected to invest in the emotions of a character like Detmer and the other members of the bridge crew. Unfortunately, I found myself empathising more with Georgiou's eye-rolling pain of having to suffer through it all, which surely is not the intended outcome.
All that being said, as a stand-alone story this is quite memorable and feels like one that forges its own path using themes relevant in contemporary society as opposed to just reusing old Trek formulas week in week out for the sake of appeasing Trekkies and those obsessed with past shows.
Technically it is very good with some beautiful imagery.
Performances of the cast are strong, aside from some ropey exchanges from the actors playing the Trill leaders who meet with Burnham and Adira.
This is an interesting and memorable episode and one of Star Trek's most progressive character arcs.
The plot is fairly good, character driven, and reflective, with strong themes on mental health issues, leadership and gender identity. For me, using the Trill/Symbiont world to explore the identity of non binary characters is a great idea. It is a clever way to portraying multiple identities trapped within a physical form and continues themes of diversity and inclusivity within Star Trek stories. Additionally crew members dealing with their emotional stress is another good idea, as the situation warrants acknowledgment of the loss the crew would be going through and how their captain and doctor would attempt to deal with it.
For me what does not work is the emotional tone of the episode. Personally, I did not connect with it, primarily because Adira is so new to the series that I have not spent enough time to develop the level of empathy required. Also the use of Michael Burnham distracts from Adira's journey. The writers must have doubted using Burnham in this way because they included the terribly contrived scene where Culiber explains her coming role in the plot.
The scenes with the crew members dealing with their emotional stress is very well performed, but I once again struggled to empathise as so little effort has been made by the writers in previous episodes to get to know the characters. I think one of the problems with Discovery, particularly as it's far more emotional and character driven than previous Trek shows, is the writers have never effectively balanced character focus since the show started. There has been so much focus on certain characters it has resulted in overexposure to some, such as Burnham, and made too little time for the others. This hurts episodes where you are suddenly expected to invest in the emotions of a character like Detmer and the other members of the bridge crew. Unfortunately, I found myself empathising more with Georgiou's eye-rolling pain of having to suffer through it all, which surely is not the intended outcome.
All that being said, as a stand-alone story this is quite memorable and feels like one that forges its own path using themes relevant in contemporary society as opposed to just reusing old Trek formulas week in week out for the sake of appeasing Trekkies and those obsessed with past shows.
Technically it is very good with some beautiful imagery.
Performances of the cast are strong, aside from some ropey exchanges from the actors playing the Trill leaders who meet with Burnham and Adira.
"My emotions!!!" Troy Barnes, Community
che-2334167 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I've been grinding my teeth through this season thus far, but I actually think I may be done. I have been a Star Trek fan since I was a young teen when DS9 was on every Thursday night on BBC. I have since watched every series and movie, and have grown to have a deep love for almost all of them - my favourite being TNG. I have tried and tried and tried and tried to enjoy this show, view it open-mindedly and to not focus on its drawbacks. I disliked S1 on the whole and found S2 a mixed bag, but S3 for me is just getting progressively more difficult to watch without eye-rolling every few scenes, and it's for one main reason: it's ALL about emotions at the expense of interesting scientific or ethical exploration! I can't handle it anymore. Every scene involves crying, heart-to-heart chats, dramatic scores (seriously, does every scene have to have a score?!) and the most un-Starfleet like behaviour that we have ever been privy to in a Stark Trek series.
I am a woman with young kids and can usually cry at pretty much anything because since having them, apparently I have no self-control when it comes to my sentimentality (I can weep buckets at ridiculous movies such as Mama Mia for instance), but even I cannot handle the constant, overly-trite emotional quagmires these people find themselves in every scene. Gone are the days of serious, matter-of-fact discussions in the captain's ready room. Gone are the days of senior crew members gathering round a table to discuss/debate a crisis where the drama is manufactured with the crisis, rather than the wobbly camera angles, the score and the emotional chaos these supposedly-rigorously-trained professionals find themselves in. It is wall to wall emotion and dramatic music. Now, I do understand they have gone through something traumatic; but so too had the crew of voyager when they found themselves suddenly in the Delta Quadrant. And yes, Janeway's crew could focus on getting home, which gave them purpose and duty, which is something these characters do not have, but at the same time, these characters made the choice to strand themselves in the future and have a much greater purpose in trying to save the Federation - so I think they probably tie in terms of motivation to not lose control and focus on the greater good/end goal.
At the end of the day, these crew members do not behave like Starfleet officers. Saru is the least captainly-captain I can imagine. He has great elements and is an interesting character, but lacks the authority needed in a captain, which to my mind gives him no credibility. Can you imagine Picard, Sisko or Janeway putting up with Georgiou's (and even Michael's, last episode) insubordination and breaking of Starfleet rules? She would have been confined to the brig by this point (imagined rank or not). In this episode, when Saru goes to speak to Stamets about finding an alternative to his navigating the spore-drive, he lets Stamets whine and moan (in an incredibly unprofessional manner) and never stamps down his authority on this sort of behaviour. Can you imagine Picard giving Geordi Laforge an order and accepting whining and moaning in return? I can imagine this is going to become part of Saru's arc this series (about learning to lead) but if he hasn't even got the basics of authority, presence and discipline at this point, then he simply isn't a credible captain.
And it's not just Saru, it's ALL of them. Which one of them actually behaves like a Starfleet officer? I cannot name a single one. Culber occasionally comes close, but never quite makes it (such as in this episode, sending Michael with Adira to Trill for...no good reason other than, you guess it: emotions!). That's not to say there are not redeeming qualities in these characters, as there are (I love Tilly, just don't expect me to believe that is how a Starfleet ensign would behave with senior officers), they just feel like they're on the wrong show. I feel like I've blinked and I'm in a much mushier/tamer/less-cerebral version of Farscape (which I loved). I love sci-fi. After fantasy, it is my favourite genre, but I am struggling to find the hook to keep me interested right now because it's basically like watching Eastenders in Space. We've had 4 episodes, but barely any real technological/anthropological/ethical issues to sink our teeth into - all we've got thus far is emotions after emotions after emotions (and ridiculous scores in every scene).
I didn't intend to write such a long rant. I apologise. Some episode specific comments:
One last niggle, and I preface this with saying that I am a left-wing, older millennial who has absolutely no problem with the diversity in this show, but at this point I am beginning to feel as though the almost-forced-diversity is becoming distracting from the actual plot of the show. It feels a little like tokenism at this point (as though they are checking boxes rather than being inclusive in a meaningful sense), which is surely not the message they are going for.
I am going to try one more episode and then I'm out.
Again, sorry for the rant.
I am a woman with young kids and can usually cry at pretty much anything because since having them, apparently I have no self-control when it comes to my sentimentality (I can weep buckets at ridiculous movies such as Mama Mia for instance), but even I cannot handle the constant, overly-trite emotional quagmires these people find themselves in every scene. Gone are the days of serious, matter-of-fact discussions in the captain's ready room. Gone are the days of senior crew members gathering round a table to discuss/debate a crisis where the drama is manufactured with the crisis, rather than the wobbly camera angles, the score and the emotional chaos these supposedly-rigorously-trained professionals find themselves in. It is wall to wall emotion and dramatic music. Now, I do understand they have gone through something traumatic; but so too had the crew of voyager when they found themselves suddenly in the Delta Quadrant. And yes, Janeway's crew could focus on getting home, which gave them purpose and duty, which is something these characters do not have, but at the same time, these characters made the choice to strand themselves in the future and have a much greater purpose in trying to save the Federation - so I think they probably tie in terms of motivation to not lose control and focus on the greater good/end goal.
At the end of the day, these crew members do not behave like Starfleet officers. Saru is the least captainly-captain I can imagine. He has great elements and is an interesting character, but lacks the authority needed in a captain, which to my mind gives him no credibility. Can you imagine Picard, Sisko or Janeway putting up with Georgiou's (and even Michael's, last episode) insubordination and breaking of Starfleet rules? She would have been confined to the brig by this point (imagined rank or not). In this episode, when Saru goes to speak to Stamets about finding an alternative to his navigating the spore-drive, he lets Stamets whine and moan (in an incredibly unprofessional manner) and never stamps down his authority on this sort of behaviour. Can you imagine Picard giving Geordi Laforge an order and accepting whining and moaning in return? I can imagine this is going to become part of Saru's arc this series (about learning to lead) but if he hasn't even got the basics of authority, presence and discipline at this point, then he simply isn't a credible captain.
And it's not just Saru, it's ALL of them. Which one of them actually behaves like a Starfleet officer? I cannot name a single one. Culber occasionally comes close, but never quite makes it (such as in this episode, sending Michael with Adira to Trill for...no good reason other than, you guess it: emotions!). That's not to say there are not redeeming qualities in these characters, as there are (I love Tilly, just don't expect me to believe that is how a Starfleet ensign would behave with senior officers), they just feel like they're on the wrong show. I feel like I've blinked and I'm in a much mushier/tamer/less-cerebral version of Farscape (which I loved). I love sci-fi. After fantasy, it is my favourite genre, but I am struggling to find the hook to keep me interested right now because it's basically like watching Eastenders in Space. We've had 4 episodes, but barely any real technological/anthropological/ethical issues to sink our teeth into - all we've got thus far is emotions after emotions after emotions (and ridiculous scores in every scene).
I didn't intend to write such a long rant. I apologise. Some episode specific comments:
- Going back to Trill was interesting, but they forewent what could have been an interesting angle with the Trill governance's refusal to accept Adira because she was human and trying to Star Trek their way out of that with some naval-gazing, high-brow intellectual or ethical discussions etc., to go with the 'emotions' plot line again. Just imagine that Operative Zee (or whatever his name was) flouting the leader of Trill's command like that and everyone just being okay with it 5 seconds later because Michael Burnham flashes her tear-filled eyes at them an a dramatic score plays in the background. Are they in their people's most sacred location or not that they were strictly prohibited from visiting? Is that just forgotten about because of...emotions?
- The Discovery side-plot would have landed much more weight if I could remember most of those characters names or had any idea about who most of them were (in terms of backstory...or even characteristics to be honest). I have quite a good memory, but the fact that I still barely remember any of their names is because at best, the bridge crew of Discovery are walking set-dressing and plot-devices. Also, once again, I couldn't get over the way they simply cannot manage their emotions. Their training prepares them for severely challenging situations (indeed, it prepares them for the ultimate sacrifice of dying while on duty), but none of these characters seem to be aware of that fact.
One last niggle, and I preface this with saying that I am a left-wing, older millennial who has absolutely no problem with the diversity in this show, but at this point I am beginning to feel as though the almost-forced-diversity is becoming distracting from the actual plot of the show. It feels a little like tokenism at this point (as though they are checking boxes rather than being inclusive in a meaningful sense), which is surely not the message they are going for.
I am going to try one more episode and then I'm out.
Again, sorry for the rant.
I genuinely enjoyed this episode.
jdgtc16 November 2020
Pain. Grief. Acceptance. Joy. And finally understanding through empathy. There is more that unites us, than divides us.
" Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human." ~ Admiral James Tiberius Kirk
" Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human." ~ Admiral James Tiberius Kirk
Forgot Me Not, Hmm?
wetmars5 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Burnham and Adira visit the Trill homeworld while Saru's efforts on the Discovery to help the crew reconnect yield surprises.
It has been a weird episode, hasn't it? Captain Saru was the best in this story. He wanted the crew of Discovery to not stress about what has recently been going on.
Adira has a terrible-life story. I'm not much into Star Trek's lore about the so-called "Trill symbiont" But I hope to see their character to develop.
It has been a weird episode, hasn't it? Captain Saru was the best in this story. He wanted the crew of Discovery to not stress about what has recently been going on.
Adira has a terrible-life story. I'm not much into Star Trek's lore about the so-called "Trill symbiont" But I hope to see their character to develop.
Burham, Burham and more Burham
paldet11 November 2020
This one was the perfect episode for Culber, Stamets or even Saru, two crew members could also have gone, one main character, and one more secondary.
After 3 seasons, I don't know the pilot's name, tactical officer's name, security chief's name...
After 3 seasons, I don't know the pilot's name, tactical officer's name, security chief's name...
This is the Trek I've been waiting for
jlhawort5 November 2020
This episode shirked all the criticisms of Discovery in one movement. We get serious character development, and some seriously emotional scenes. Hardly any action was involved. It almost seemed like the creators included the five seconds of action as a middle finger to all those who thought Discovery wouldn't amount to a serious show. It's exactly what I want in Star Trek, exploration of our humanity through a sci-fi lens, with epic overtones.
It's ok, i just don't understand...
tom9927 November 2020
First of all, I actually love Burnham the way she is right now! This episode is just fine, the only thing I don't understand is the relationship between the gay boy and the binary person :/. Being gay myself I think it's all very complicated.
Probably the worst episode in Trek history
DocDAT6 November 2020
Where to begin with this mess? It was so incredibly sappy and trite that I'd rather be in a dentist's chair than watch it again. Overly woke is an understatement - and I'm all for equal rights for all orientations and liberty to be who you want to be (as long as it doesn't harm others).
The crew is behaving like spoiled children and Discovery has now completely abandoned all notions of science and has crossed over into fantasy.
It's a shame since the first 2-3 episodes in this season were actually quite good. Especially the previous one directed by the awesome Jonathan Frakes.
Whoever wrote and directed this steaming pile of crap should be fired.
It's ironic that I used to vastly prefer Star Trek over Star Wars, because of it being Science Fiction and with some great ideas about how to better humanity whereas Star Wars was just a childish fantasy. Now the Mandalorian is so much better that it can hardly be compared to this.
The crew is behaving like spoiled children and Discovery has now completely abandoned all notions of science and has crossed over into fantasy.
It's a shame since the first 2-3 episodes in this season were actually quite good. Especially the previous one directed by the awesome Jonathan Frakes.
Whoever wrote and directed this steaming pile of crap should be fired.
It's ironic that I used to vastly prefer Star Trek over Star Wars, because of it being Science Fiction and with some great ideas about how to better humanity whereas Star Wars was just a childish fantasy. Now the Mandalorian is so much better that it can hardly be compared to this.
What's in the box?
Kevin-427 November 2020
This episode was weird because it almost felt like the writers were trying to maintain this forced dialogue with my mind.
"Can't you see all those emotions, the drama and the intense score? Why aren't you empathizing?" "Well, none of the characters really earned my empathy. You wasted two seasons showing the bridge crew as meaningless background props to the Michael Burnham Show and now you wonder why I'm not invested in those people." "Maybe, but don't you understand the emotional impact this situation is bound to have on them?" "Sure can....but in a way I remember that the purpose of Star Fleet was 'to boldy go' and face the galaxy. Consequently, I sort of expect Star Fleet officers to be able to handle their emotions in a professional manner. These people are psychological wrecks who have no real idea how to function as an effective crew and I don't think that a lame attempt at a group therapy session is 'leadership' by any definition of that word." "People are just like that. 'Old' Star Trek was unrealistic in its portrait of the human experience in the face of a complex and imperfect universe." "Yes.....and no. I just don't think that this problem is going to be resolved by letting the whole range of personality conflicts wash over me in destilled form in the shape of the Discovery crew. You want a Captain full of self doubt? A smart ensign with imposter syndrome? A first officer with a god complex trying to find herself? A navigator with anger management problems and anti-social tendencies? A chief engineer who is so all over the place that he might just have a borderline syndrome? A psychopathic former Empress? The cherry on top is an awkward teenager with suppressed multiple personalities and a post traumatic stress disorder. Is this a Star Fleet ship or a psych ward?" "Well, those are the people we wrote this show for!" "Ah, ok, now I get it. Why didn't you say so before?"
"Can't you see all those emotions, the drama and the intense score? Why aren't you empathizing?" "Well, none of the characters really earned my empathy. You wasted two seasons showing the bridge crew as meaningless background props to the Michael Burnham Show and now you wonder why I'm not invested in those people." "Maybe, but don't you understand the emotional impact this situation is bound to have on them?" "Sure can....but in a way I remember that the purpose of Star Fleet was 'to boldy go' and face the galaxy. Consequently, I sort of expect Star Fleet officers to be able to handle their emotions in a professional manner. These people are psychological wrecks who have no real idea how to function as an effective crew and I don't think that a lame attempt at a group therapy session is 'leadership' by any definition of that word." "People are just like that. 'Old' Star Trek was unrealistic in its portrait of the human experience in the face of a complex and imperfect universe." "Yes.....and no. I just don't think that this problem is going to be resolved by letting the whole range of personality conflicts wash over me in destilled form in the shape of the Discovery crew. You want a Captain full of self doubt? A smart ensign with imposter syndrome? A first officer with a god complex trying to find herself? A navigator with anger management problems and anti-social tendencies? A chief engineer who is so all over the place that he might just have a borderline syndrome? A psychopathic former Empress? The cherry on top is an awkward teenager with suppressed multiple personalities and a post traumatic stress disorder. Is this a Star Fleet ship or a psych ward?" "Well, those are the people we wrote this show for!" "Ah, ok, now I get it. Why didn't you say so before?"
For those who criticise the diversity in Discovery, remember your canon
libodyssey11 November 2020
I had to write this review because other reviewers complaining about the lack of straight white men made me so angry. There are some weaknesses in this episode but it's not the presence of LGBTIQ+ characters. Star Trek is and always has been groundbreaking when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Remember the first onscreen inter-racial kiss? Ahura. The first crew had a Japanese American actor twenty years after the end of WW2. Sulu. And how about representations of women in positions of power? Captain Janeway, always calm under fire. Star Trek first contact principles have always been not to colonise. Those of you who are complaining about Discovery being too woke for the canon have forgotten your roots.
Even people in Star Trek suffered from PTSD.
shemarine6 November 2020
FORGET TREKLORE AND LOVE STORIES, PLEASE!
douglasjordane10 November 2020
THIS EPISODE THEME SEEMED RUSHED, AT BEST, AND NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT IF YOU PURSUE A MORE PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF THIS STORY ARC. I THINK THIS EPISODE ATTEMPTED TO SHOW THE VULNERABILITY OF THE CREWS' INTERACTION DYNAMIC WITHIN AND BEYOND SHIP PROTOCOL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE EPISODE SEEMED TO RECONNECT WITH EVERYTHING THAT ONLY DIEHARD TREKKIES WOULD EMBRACE EXUBERANTLY.
THERE IS THE ISSUE OF INTRODUCING TRANS AND NON-BINARY CHARACTERS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE STAR TREK FRANCHISE CONTINUES TO BE DIVERSE AND INNOVATIVE ON DEPICTING SUCH SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS. WHILE IT, IN ITSELF, IS A HISTORIC AND MOMENTOUS SHOWING; IT FELT LIKE A DISCONNECT ON ITS STORY DEVELOPMENT. TO WIT, IT WAS NOT WELL WRITTEN TO BLEND HARMONIOUSLY INTO THE FABRIC OF THE NARRATIVE. THE CREATIVITY IS MISSING ALBEIT THE SOCIAL NOTEWORTHINESS IS BEAUTIFUL TO MANIFEST.
WHENEVER THE WRITERS GET AN IDEA OF RECONNECTING STAR TREK LORE TO THE FUTURE, YOU INEVITABLY INVITE BACK THE MEDIOCRITY OF WHICH PREVENTED THE SHOWS LONGEVITY. NOTHING ABOUT THIS EPISODE IS CONVEYING A BOLD, NEW AND INDEPENDENT TREK ADVENTURE.
6 OF 10 STARS
EDITED LAST PARAGRAPH REPEAT ERROR
THERE IS THE ISSUE OF INTRODUCING TRANS AND NON-BINARY CHARACTERS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE STAR TREK FRANCHISE CONTINUES TO BE DIVERSE AND INNOVATIVE ON DEPICTING SUCH SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS. WHILE IT, IN ITSELF, IS A HISTORIC AND MOMENTOUS SHOWING; IT FELT LIKE A DISCONNECT ON ITS STORY DEVELOPMENT. TO WIT, IT WAS NOT WELL WRITTEN TO BLEND HARMONIOUSLY INTO THE FABRIC OF THE NARRATIVE. THE CREATIVITY IS MISSING ALBEIT THE SOCIAL NOTEWORTHINESS IS BEAUTIFUL TO MANIFEST.
WHENEVER THE WRITERS GET AN IDEA OF RECONNECTING STAR TREK LORE TO THE FUTURE, YOU INEVITABLY INVITE BACK THE MEDIOCRITY OF WHICH PREVENTED THE SHOWS LONGEVITY. NOTHING ABOUT THIS EPISODE IS CONVEYING A BOLD, NEW AND INDEPENDENT TREK ADVENTURE.
6 OF 10 STARS
EDITED LAST PARAGRAPH REPEAT ERROR
What on earth did I just watch?
jgoddard-155347 November 2020
I have enjoyed Discovery immensely, and as a lifelong fan of Star Trek I have felt it really has gone boldly in taking the fiction to somewhere that feels fresh, relevant and exciting. I can therefore only assume temporary madness on behalf of the team responsible for making this utterly woeful episode that somehow demands I care about a character I've known for five seconds, an episode so focused on presenting an agenda that it forgets to be interesting, exciting or even though-provoking. Some terrible acting too, and a general air of weirdness that felt uncomfortable and forced. I really hope Discovery gets back on track after a slow, muddled and disjointed start to the season.
best episode of this series so far
z-619945 November 2020
Star Trek: Burnham
philhemstock-117827 November 2020
Wasted opportunities again to develop other characters. Why has this become the Michael Burnham show?? No need for her to even be involved in this episode, she brought nothing to the table.
The show is becoming vomit inducing with its emotional story lines. The writers are also crowbarring so much 'wokeness' into the series that it's ridiculous. Do we really need it forcing down our throats? Really?
I thought episode 3 was a step in the right direction but this just moved right back to square one. I long for the old shows where storyline made sense.
The show is becoming vomit inducing with its emotional story lines. The writers are also crowbarring so much 'wokeness' into the series that it's ridiculous. Do we really need it forcing down our throats? Really?
I thought episode 3 was a step in the right direction but this just moved right back to square one. I long for the old shows where storyline made sense.
The Trill have issues...
WKYanks6 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Very good, but not great. Great "Hue episode". Nice to see him being something other than Stamet's boyfriend. Too many contrivances and unanswered questions with regard to the Trill. Why did Culber want Burham to escort Adira? Why aren't there enough hosts? Can't symbionts just hang around in the pools while hosts are found? It's been 125 years since the burn, if hosts were such an issue you'd think it would have been a priority to make some baby Trills. I like Blu el Barrio and am glad she's part of the show, but I thought Ian Alexander acted circles around her. Ian has quite the screen presence. It was good to address the stress the crew is carrying with them. Stamets snaps at Tilly, Detmer and Stamets get into it... lots of the crew living on the edge. Detmer finally asks for help! Love the movie at the end harkening back to 'Enterprise'. Nice to see the crew laughing. Saru needs to address the "other voice" in the computer. Very "Star Trek" episode of Discovery.
This show just can't help itself
patric-flueck5 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I can't take this seriously anymore. They will use any excuse to focus on Burnam no matter what.
This time it's so on the nose, they even have to make Colder explain why he, the chief medical officer, is less suited to accompany Adira to Trill.
Adira reconnecting with the former hosts was done well. The on-ship conflict side plot felt really disconnected. Maybe because we are in season three and I still barely know anyone's names.
Adira reconnecting with the former hosts was done well. The on-ship conflict side plot felt really disconnected. Maybe because we are in season three and I still barely know anyone's names.
Lots of emotional depth, if you are in to that sort of thing. I am!
cj-torres7 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I just wanted to say thank you to those who were moved by this episode (i.e. milivojb)! My wife and I certainly were as well! It's no "Inner Light" but it is definitely on the right track!
I've probably watched all the Trill episodes in the Star Trek Universe but this episode gets a little more "inside" the symbiont's relationships.
I agree that giving the characters a little more depth and understanding that they are human too is helpful. Perhaps the audience will get a little more interested? I know I am! I am starting to be a little more interested in Dr. Hugh Culber character, his emotional depth and intelligence.
Keep these types of episodes coming!
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