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Star Trek: Discovery found love in a hopeless place. Really!

A visit to another universe has realized all of the show’s early promise.

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Every week, we pick a new episode of the week. It could be good. It could be bad. It will always be interesting. You can read the archives here . The episode of the week for January 21 through 27 is “Vaulting Ambition,” the 12th episode of the first season of CBS All Access’s Star Trek: Discovery .

What is Star Trek ?

That question has dogged Star Trek: Discovery — the first new Star Trek TV series since Enterprise closed up shop in 2005 — since it began. The show’s darker tone and consideration of the difficulties of building and maintaining utopia seemed to be firmly at odds with the franchise as a whole, which has famously posited a future in which humanity is a peaceful species, exploring the cosmos and constantly striving to build a better universe.

Discovery is dark. It’s occasionally pessimistic. In the pilot, several of its characters more or less commit war crimes. The show has spent much of its season with the United Federation of Planets fighting the Klingons, and it has argued forcefully several times that the ends justify the means — an idea that, to put it mildly, would seem to cut against the philosophy of Star Trek . (On the micro level, though, Star Trek has never been all that consistent when it comes to its ideals.)

Indeed, the simultaneous presence of The Orville , Fox’s more forthrightly optimistic Star Trek: The Next Generation homage starring Seth MacFarlane, has spurred a debate in some circles of the internet: Which series better captures the “real” spirit of Star Trek ?

My usual contribution to these debates is to declare that Star Trek is whatever we say it is, but that tends to make people unhappy. So instead, I’ll advance the argument that Star Trek is an essentially hopeful story about what it would mean to build a better world. That has been more or less true across all of the franchise’s TV series, movies, and assorted other products.

It’s true of Star Trek: Discovery , too, as the series’ most recent story arc hammers home.

As the idea of “hope” changes in our world, it changes in Star Trek ’s world, too

Star Trek ’s optimism undergoes fundamental shifts, depending on which iteration of the franchise you’re looking at. The overriding principle of the original 1960s TV series was that hope stems from humanity overcoming its differences, so the bridge of the USS Enterprise included people of all races and even a Soviet.

The 1987-born Star Trek: The Next Generation , arriving in a more conservative political climate, sometimes seemed almost wistful for Gene Roddenberry’s original dream of a more progressive future. (For a show set in the future, it’s weirdly nostalgic.) Deep Space Nine , which debuted in 1993, asks whether this sort of galactic multiculturalism is even possible in a setting where the characters can’t fly away in their spaceship at the end of every episode.

Optimism and hope for a better future shift as our times shift. Some periods of history lend themselves well to full-throated, brightly colored adventures, while others are better suited to darker deconstructions. Star Trek has and can encompass both tones, so long as it prescribes that humanity must strive to be better .

Thus, it makes sense that Discovery would be darker, even, than Deep Space Nine or the misbegotten Enterprise (which was kinda sorta a War on Terror allegory at times). It takes place both in a dark era within the Star Trek timeline — roughly a decade before the events of the 1960s series — and in our own reality.

It’s easy to become convinced that what light is left in the Discovery universe emerged from a dying star, not from something being newly born. Discovery is a show about how you hold fast to your ideals when you don’t know whether tomorrow is coming.

The “not my Star Trek” arguments against Discovery , then, have always struck me as a little silly. The characters on the show might be tempted, and they might occasionally screw up. But they always, always find some way to return to the optimism of Starfleet and the Federation.

Contrast this with The Orville , which retreats, constantly, toward the past, whether in its blatant Next Generation homages or its humor centered on 20th-century pop culture — it’s not a show about a better future, but about some memory of a better future that we left in the past and need to reclaim. Like so much modern entertainment, it is poisoned by nostalgia.

Contrast this with Discovery ’s genuine weight and moral intrigue; this new Star Trek could devolve into dry philosophical discussion but for the strength of its characters. Especially its protagonist, the mutineer–turned–unlikely beacon of hope, Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ). The series needed to push Michael down as low as it could in its early going, to help her understand just how much her ideals meant to her.

All of these qualities of the show are thrown into sharp relief by its latest storyline, which I’m about to spoil completely , so before you read on, you’d better be okay with learning about a bunch of big twists.

star trek discovery season 1 episode 12 recap

Discovery has found a new gear by hanging out in Star Trek’ s famed “Mirror Universe”

CBS split the first season of Discovery into two batches of episodes, with nine airing in the fall of 2017 and six airing in the winter of 2018. When the first half of the season ended, it did so on a cliffhanger that deposited the USS Discovery in a corner of space no one had ever seen before.

That corner of space turned out to be the “Mirror Universe,” a famed, occasionally visited Star Trek locale where humanity evolved not into a peacefully progressive species of space-farers, but into a brutally authoritarian species known for hunting down other alien races, who have banded together to resist the “Terrans.”

Almost as soon as Discovery ’s characters were stranded in the “Mirror Universe,” the show began unleashing a long series of twists. Throughout the second half of the season, some characters die, while others are lost in a kind of hallucinatory dreamscape and must try to find their way back to reality. Michael’s love interest, Ash Tyler ( Shazad Latif ), is revealed to be the Klingon warrior Voq (who haunted the season’s first handful of episodes), modified to appear human.

In “Vaulting Ambition,” the Discovery’s captain, Gabriel Lorca ( Jason Isaacs ), is revealed not just to be from the Mirror Universe but someone who came to the prime Star Trek universe specifically to find Michael. He wants to bring her back to the Mirror Universe, where he’s been “grooming” the Mirror Universe version of Michael since her childhood. (The episode does not specify for what, but the heavy implication is sexual abuse.)

These twists do much to destabilize whatever status quo Discovery had built up, and they’ve better crystallized the ideas at the heart of the show, too. Michael pretends to be the harsher, harder, more ruthless Mirror Michael, to gain the trust of other Mirror Universe inhabitants who have information about how to get back to her universe. But she worries constantly she is losing some part of herself in the process.

The alien character Saru ( Doug Jones ) now finds himself in a place where his species is hunted for food. The Discovery’s science officer, Paul Stamets ( Anthony Rapp ), becomes lost in a strange other world built by spores, where he has to figure out how to get back to reality with the help of his Mirror doppelganger. And Ash struggles to reconcile his humanity and love for Michael with the Klingon memories suddenly taking up residence in his mind.

Lorca suffers endless amounts of torture just to get closer to the emperor he would depose in a coup (which unfolded at some unspecified point before the series began, but which he intends to revive now that he’s back in the Mirror Universe).

But only he feels as if he is single-minded, rather than exploring the chasm within. He thinks he knows what’s his, and he’s relentless in his pursuit of it. (In this sense, the Mirror Universe arc makes a surprisingly suitable companion to Black Mirror ’s season four Star Trek riff “USS Callister.” )

The divide between our best and worst selves, then, is the core of Discovery . The utopian future of Star Trek is not preordained. Even those who live within it can find that it’s far too easy to slip into authoritarian modes of thinking when exposed to them for too long. There are no guarantees in this world, only things worth fighting for.

Hope isn’t something fragile that you cup carefully in your hand to bar it from escape. It’s just over the horizon, over there, and to reach it, you’re going to have to pursue it endlessly and pray you have the strength to find it. It’s the pursuit that makes it worth it, the means and not the ends.

Star Trek: Discovery is available on CBS All Access in the US. (Yes, I know . B ooooo , h isssss.) It’s on the Space Channel in Canada and on Netflix in all other non-US , non-Canadian countries with Netflix.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 Episode 12

Vaulting Ambition

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Aboard a shuttle heading to the Imperial flagship, the I.S.S. Charon, Burnham and Lorca discuss the data Saru was able to decrypt about the U.S.S. Defiant. Burnham administers an analgesic to Lorca to numb the pain receptors in anticipation of more agonizers and Lorca reminds her that all the information they need will be held in the palace, which is the Charon.

On board the Discovery, Tilly and Saru discuss Stamets' condition. He is still unconscious but neural activity and other body functions have increased. Sick bay pages Saru for a medical emergency and Saru leaves Tilly with an order to "fix him," reminding her that if Lorca and Burnham cannot uncover the Defiant's coordinates, the spore drive is the only way home.

Inside Stamets' head, he wanders the mycelial forest with his Mirror-self. Mirror-Stamets displays a goofy sense of humor. Mirror-Stamets walks him through the surroundings (which look like the Discovery), explaining his Mirror existence. He didn't conduct his mycelial research on the Discovery. Instead, he was conducting his experiments on the Charon when there was an accident and he ended up in a coma himself. He'd tracked Prime-Stamets' spore navigation and tried to reach out and make contact, flashing Prime-Stamets glimpses of his universe which Prime-Stamets had thought signs of madness. When the surroundings glitch, Mirror-Stamets informs Prime-Stamets that there's a corruption in the network that is extremely dangerous to get swept up in. When Prime-Stamets tries to reach Engineering, the corruption flashes him the message that "the enemy is here" and they have to run to avoid the wave of corruption. They reach Engineering where Prime-Stamets believes he'll find a way out for them. Mirror-Stamets looks skeptical.

Aboard the I.S.S. Charon, Burnham brings Lorca into the Emperor's throne room. The Emperor offers Burnham the choice of three Kelpians. Burnham chooses one and he is led away. Burnham presents Lorca as a gift to the Emperor and when Lorca refuses to bow, she stabs him and beats him down and condemns him to the agonizers. He is taken down to the brig and the Emperor welcomes Burnham back with genuine warmth and affection. She orders Burnham to join her for dinner.

In sick bay on the Discovery, Tyler is unsedatable and has caused much damage to the equipment while thrashing and yelling in Klingon. When Saru approaches, he suddenly becomes calm and asks him about Burnham and then asks for help before the Voq madness takes over again.

Lorca is placed in an agonizer on the Charon while Burnham sits down to a dinner with Georgiou made from the Kelpian she'd selected in the throne room. After eating a bit, Georgiou questions Burnham's absence from her side and then reveals that she knows that Burnham and Lorca had conspired together to take her throne. She orders her guards to take Burnham to the throne room where she intends to execute her.

The two Stamets are looking for a way out but Prime-Stamets discovers that the coordinates of the last jump aren't in the computer. Mirror-Stamets keeps scratching at his arm and reveals that he's been infected with a fungus from being in the network too long. Just then, Prime-Stamets hears his name called and catches a glimpse of Culber. He chases after Culber despite Mirror-Stamets' protests that he needs to focus on the job at hand.

The Emperor is about to execute Burnham before many witnesses in the throne room when Burnham explains that she is from another universe and that she is not the Burnham Emperor Georgiou knows. She gives her Prime-Georgiou's com badge as proof. The Emperor tests it and confirms what Burnham stated and then immediately kills all but one of the witnesses in the throne room.

On the Discovery, Saru delivers food to L'Rell's cell and tells her that Tyler thinks he is a Klingon. L'Rell explains that he is Klingon and how he has given everything to win the Klingon conflict. In turn, Saru explains that they are now in an alternate dimension and here, the Klingons lost and the conflict is over. He asks for her help to ease Voq/Tyler's suffering. She responds that Voq chose this path and his suffering is part of what he chose.

In Stamets' head, he chases after Culber through dark Discovery corridors. A door opens and he enters their quarters but it seems empty. He tries to leave but the door closes and Culber appears. Stamets asks if he's caught in the mycelial network as well and Culber has to break the news that he's dead.

Burnham tries to convince the Emperor to give her the information on the Defiant so that her ship can return to their universe. The Emperor tells her that interphasic space travel drove every member of the Defiant's crew mad and wonders why the same thing didn't happen to her ship and crew. Burnham tells her they came a different way and this perks the Emperor's curiosity as to what powers the Discovery that could send it across dimensions. Burnham tells her it travels using a spore drive and the Emperor demands the engine schematics in exchange for the Discovery's freedom.

Saru shows L'Rell the damage Voq/Tyler has done to himself when he managed to break free of his restraints. When L'Rell again refuses to help him, Saru orders Voq/Tyler to be transported into her cell. As he walks away from the cell, L'Rell cries out that the procedure can be undone but she must do it herself.

Lorca is visited in the brig by the Charon's captain, Maddox. Apparently, he has a personal grudge because of something Lorca did to his sister. He holds up a vial of some alien DNA that doesn't mix well with human as a threat. Another prisoner is brought in who recognizes Lorca and he amazed that he is alive. Maddox smashes his face into the floor and demands that Lorca say his sister's name or he will inject the prisoner with the DNA. Lorca tries to talk him down and the prisoner is injected and disintegrates in agony.

In the Discovery's sick bay, L'Rell is performing the procedure on Voq/Tyler while several security officers hold drawn weapons on her. While she operates, she and Voq/Tyler converse in Klingon. As the procedure ends, Voq/Tyler only speaks in English.

Prime-Stamets and Culber discuss Culber's murder. Stamets remembers seeing Tyler kill Culber and Culber remembers Stamets' arms around his corpse. Culber tells him that Mirror-Stamets exploited the network and was the one that caused the corruption that is infecting everyone, including himself. He encourages Stamets to save the network in order to save Discovery. He gives him directions to help him wake up from the coma.

Mirror-Stamets wakes up from his coma and rejoins his crew on the I.S.S. Charon. Prime-Stamets opens his eyes on the Discovery and insists that TIlly come with him to Engineering's mycelial forest where they find the forest withered and sick.

Burnham send the flagship's coordinates to Saru to bring the Discovery to despite Saru's misgivings. The Emperor talks with Burnham about her Mirror-self's relationship with Mirror-Lorca who began as a father-figure and became more. As the Emperor describes Mirror-Lorca and his personality, Burnham suddenly realizes that Lorca has been using her to get onto the Charon. Down in the brig, it looks like Lorca's been killed by the agonizer but when Maddox goes to resuscitate him, it turns out he was faking and turns the defibrillator paddles back on him. Burnham realizes Lorca has been Mirror-Lorca all along as he tells the captain his sister's name was Ava and then kills him.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 Episode 12 Quotes

Lorca: Your Georgiou is dead. She's a ghost. Burnham: Haven't you ever been afraid of a ghost? Permalink: Haven't you ever been afraid of a ghost? Added: January 21, 2018

Logic tells me she's not the woman that I betrayed. But this feels like a reckoning. Burnham Permalink: This feels like a reckoning Added: January 21, 2018

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 Episode 12 Photos

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Star Trek: Discovery – Season 1, Episode 12

Vaulting ambition, where to watch, star trek: discovery — season 1, episode 12.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1, Episode 12 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

"Vaulting Ambition" sticks its landing, skillfully balancing philosophical musings of Trek past with fresh character development of Discovery present.

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Cast & crew.

Sonequa Martin-Green

Michael Burnham

Jason Isaacs

Captain Gabriel Lorca

Shazad Latif

Lieutenant Ash Tyler

Anthony Rapp

Paul Stamets

Michelle Yeoh

Captain Philippa Georgiou

Critics Reviews

Episode info.

Star Trek Discovery season 1 review: "Discovery works for today’s audience in a way Kirk and co never would"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

While hardcore Trekkies will struggle to love it, and plot holes abound towards the end, Discovery is the Star Trek we need right now.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

In recent years we’ve come to expect almost everything we’ve ever loved being rebooted in some form or another. So the announcement that a new Star Trek series was being developed way back in 2015 wasn't that shocking. It had been a decade since Enterprise had finished and the (then) upcoming 50th anniversary of the show had everyone thinking it was maybe time to boldly go again. Years (and many delays) later, Star Trek Discovery warped onto our screens in September 2017 with a fresh outlook on the future which was almost unrecognisable but, after 15 episodes with the USS Discovery and it’s crew, it’s clear that there’s a place for a darker Trek in our viewing schedules. While it’s not without its flaws, and hardcore Trekkies continue to struggle with how different it is from the original, Discovery proves that it’s possible to merge a beloved sci-fi classic with everything that works about modern television.

No sooner had the series premiered than the proclamation ‘This is not Star Trek!’ echoed around the internet. And so started a fan war of disagreements, which was perhaps only surpassed by the whole Star Wars: The Last Jedi ‘debate’ at the end of last year. The truth is that Discovery is just a very different Trek series to past iterations, and if you’re looking for more of the Original Series or The Next Generation... well, you’re better off rewatching those series than giving Discovery a go because you won’t find many monster-of-the-week or space anomaly style adventures here. However, if you’re open to the idea of the franchise changing for a completely new era of television, and perhaps even - shock, horror - introducing a new audience to the world of the Federation, then Discovery fills that role perfectly. While hardcore Trekkies may never see the value of the series (and that’s fine - we don’t all have to like the same thing), Discovery found its audience mostly in people who had never watched a Star Trek TV show before in their lives. With its darker version of the future and lack of traditional space exploration hijinks, Discovery is the Trek series we need in this day and age, and it’s brought a beloved, yet outdated, series into the present golden age of television.

8 questions we have after watching Star Trek Discovery season 1

Unlike previous Treks, the action centres on First Officer Michael Burnham (although she doesn’t remain First Officer for long) who, while human, was raised Vulcan by Spock’s parents. Through her misguided logic she inadvertently starts a war with the Klingons who aren’t yet the united Empire we know from the Original Series, and so we see the Federation as we’ve never seen it before; not as explorers but as soldiers at war. It’s not hard to see why this doesn’t sit well with some fans, but the television landscape (and the world) has changed a lot since Gene Roddenberry first imagined Star Trek and Discovery works for today’s audience in a way Kirk and co never would. Burnham joins the crew of the Discovery under the leadership of Captain Lorca who is desperate to make a new form of transport work to give the Federation the edge in a war they are clearly losing, all the while Klingons Voq and L’Rell attempt to unite the 24 great Klingon Houses under one rule. From Burnham’s mutiny and the development of the DASH drive, to getting lost in Terran space and Lorca’s true identity, it really is incredible how much is packed into the first season of Discovery and while it can sometimes feel a little over-stuffed (especially towards the end), almost every episode is standout television. Expertly combining the rich and varied world of Star Trek and modern audience’s love of fan theories and twists, Discovery’s plot keeps you glued to the screen from episode-to-episode, despite a few annoying plot holes which crop up from time to time. It also doesn't rely too heavily on its well-known background and although there are plenty of Easter eggs and fan pleasing moments, they remain just that, never creeping too far into the narrative and taking over.

Every member of the cast holds their own, including lead Sonequa Martin-Green (despite the difficulties of her character which I’ll get to in a moment), but there are a handful of performances that really are spectacular. It’s a joy to see actor Doug Jones getting the recognition he deserves after years of playing characters with heavy prosthetics. His role as Saru in Discovery is no different, but the industry is finally sitting up a noticing how much work goes into playing a character like this and his performance as the mild-mannered yet highly intelligent Kelpien is far from the one-dimensional Star Trek aliens of the past. Shazad Latif could be praised simply for playing two characters on the show (Voq and Tyler) and keeping it a secret until the big reveal, but he does so much more than that. Both performances are strong and well-rounded but it’s when they come together and merge as Tyler discovers his true identity that you realise how much work goes into portraying someone with dual personalities. However, it’s Jason Isaacs who steals the show as Gabriel Lorca - a Captain with depth and mystery, and one that plays everyone from the beginning. There is always something a bit off about his character, but it isn’t until his true motivations are revealed that you notice how much Isaacs has subtly been planting the seeds for his arc the whole time.

Houston, we have a problem

Sadly, the main problem with Discovery is that its least interesting and endearing character is also - unfortunately - its main character: Michael Burnham. While most fans were intrigued by the idea that Discovery would be the first Star Trek series whose main character wouldn’t be the Captain of the title ship, the series failed to produce a strong enough substitute. This is mainly down to the fact that Burnham is human, but raised Vulcan which makes for an incredibly tricky character for actress Sonequa Martin-Green to get a handle on. Due to the dispassionate nature of Vulcans, they’re never a viable series lead, and while we may love Spock and the occasional Vulcan-focused episode is a joy, we can’t root for a race which is so emotionally different to our own. It’s as if the showrunners wanted to created a character that services fans without alienating them too much (Vulcan + Human = Burnham), but instead ended up making someone who’s emotionless and boring one moment and reckless and naive the next. In essence, Burnham is just too inconsistent as a lead and the series suffers for it despite its many other compelling characters.

Discovery’s other problem is another issue of inconsistency, this time, in the form of pacing. It’s easy to dismiss or forget how important pacing of a show (or movie) can be, but you sure as hell notice it when it’s off. While Discovery started off at a gentle trot (Burnham didn’t even make it onto the USS Discovery until episode 3 and the long promised Mirror Universe plot made its debut in the mid-season finale), by the time we got to the end of the season, everything had gone a bit Game of Thrones season 6 with characters teleporting all over the place and major deaths getting little reaction time. While teleportation is actually a thing in the Trek universe (unlike Westeros), we still needed more time to adjust to a lot of what happened in the second half, especially when the first half had allowed us to do just that. The showrunners clearly use the first half to set everything up and let us get accustomed to this new Trek, but then there just isn't enough time to do justice to everything they’d promised in the second half. Lorca only gets to be the baddie/true Terran for one full episode before being killed off, the Tyler/Voq storyline still doesn’t feel like it ever got it’s well-deserved payoff, and even minor characters - such as Mudd, who made some of the best moments from the beginning of the series - were never heard of again. After putting in so much time and effort to set up some truly compelling plot points, fan theories, and interesting twists, it’s disappointing that ultimately most of them don't get the screen time they deserve.

Star Trek Discovery - every Easter egg and secret reference hidden in season 1

No doubt, Discovery redefines what Star Trek is for a new audience, and not everyone is going to like that. The good news is that if you love the traditional Star Trek of yesteryear, there’s still plenty of that for you to rewatch and enjoy, but if you want a new science fiction show which is a bit more gritty, amps up the action, and actually gives the Federation something to complain about, Discovery pretty much nails it. While it probably shouldn't have made it’s main character Vulcan-like, and could have benefitted from a bit more breathing room for some of its storylines, the series stands out in an age of exceptional television to become one of the best shows of recent times. This is a Star Trek series which knows its past, but isn’t beholden to it… basically, a near perfect reboot then.

Lauren O'Callaghan is the former Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar+. You'd typically find Lauren writing features and reviews about the latest and greatest in pop culture and entertainment, and assisting the teams at Total Film and SFX to bring their excellent content onto GamesRadar+. Lauren is now the digital marketing manager at the National Trust.

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Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”

| April 11, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 59 comments so far

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 – Debuted Thursday, April 11, 2024 Written by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Wilkinson Directed by Andi Armaganian

Strong performances and fun moments of lightness and lore make up for a mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode.

Yes, you can come on the mission… to the friend zone.

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Connection isn’t a skill, it’s a choice.”

As Discovery preps to head to Trill for the next quest clue, the crew settles into their season positions. Culber and Book brief the captain on the adversaries, with new details on Moll thanks to Book recognizing a personal connection in the previous episode. Michael’s felonious ex is trying hard to get his life back, so he really wants in on the Trill landing party even though he isn’t Starfleet—as if that has ever stopped them before. Adira and Tilly have identified a Trill spots pattern on the map puzzle piece found last week, leading them to a 24 th- century Trill named Jinaal (episode title alert), and maybe his Bix symbiont is still around. Former Captain—now Commander—Rayner comes aboard, and Burnham orders her new first officer to get to know the crew whether he likes it or not. As for Stamets, he continues to be a bit lost, so he’s focused on trying to unlock the secrets in Dr. Vellek’s old tricorder, ignoring Adira’s clear discombobulation over seeing Gray again. It takes Reno going full “woo-woo a-hole” to snap spacedad out of it. So things are more or less running smoothly until they arrive on Trill, when Guardian Xi goes full Monty Python bridge-keeper . Thankfully, Michael answers the riddle quickly (it’s Betazed!) and she pops down to the Caves of Mak’ala with Adira, Culber, and (of course) Book… where they meet what may be the oldest Trill ever.

Kalzara Bix tells the gang she has been waiting nearly her whole life for a “worthy seeker.” For more questions, they can ask Jinaal directly via that Trill ritual we all remember from DS9. Culber steps up as a temporary vessel since “Emotionally overwhelming is what I do best.” Et voilà, Hugh is a whole new man, who immediately comments about how he really works out (someone has been tracking his Gram ). This very jaunty Culber-Jinaal says the next clue is nearby, and today is a great day for a walk, so he takes Burnham and Book with him. Upon their arrival at the canyon, Jinaalber opens up with some exposition about himself, Dr. Vellek, and four other scientists who found the Progenitor tech but decided it was way too dangerous to hand over to the Federation in the middle of the Dominion War. So they created a fun quest, planting a “path” of clues to be followed. He’s skeptical the 32 nd century is ready for the awesome power (despite Starfleet’s snazzy new uniforms), but Michael makes the case that the good outweighs the bad. BTW, they are being hunted by giant “Intronok” predators, so the quasi Trill recommends phasers ready. Once they arrive at the clue’s location, a plasma-spewing monster gets in their way… and Hughbix peaces out. Dude!

You two go ahead… I’ll just strategically hide behind you.

“We literally used to be connected.”

Back at Starfleet HQ the newly minted Ambassador Saru is settling into his new office with a little help from his Vulcan fiancé. They plan their wedding announcement before heading into a resource meeting, where he successfully argues for more allocations to the small worlds he represents, forging a compromise with others who are worried about the Breen (hmm). T’Rina’s aide Duvin takes Saru aside to say he is concerned about how the wedding announcement will impact delicate Ni’Var politics, but when the Kelpien brings this up with his beloved, she doesn’t take it well. “What would have given you the impression that I am in need of a caretaker?” she asks. Ouch. Navigating Federation diplomacy (and a starship) was a lot easier than understanding a Vulcan heart.

On the Disco, Saru’s replacement isn’t having it any easier. For some reason, temporary science consultant Tilly is organizing Rayner’s one-on-ones. He really doesn’t want to do them, but agrees for the sake of “crew cohesion” and gives everyone “20 words” to reveal something interesting about themselves. Cue the montage as we learn fun new tidbits for the folks at Memory Alpha to add to the pages for Rhys, Christopher, Linus, Pollard, et al. When Stamets shows up and actually shows some enthusiasm for the first time this season (he was able to crack Vellek’s PADD), Rayner practically ignores him and Tilly has finally had enough. She lets the new XO know he is being a giant… well she ran out of her 20 words so we will have to fill in the blank.

One person who misses out on this (not) quality time with Rayner is Adira. They are busy reconnecting with Gray on Trill, who is loving life as a trainee Guardian. Now that each of them has their own body, they realize they both have been growing apart and following separate paths. So season 5 gets its second breakup following Mike and Book… could T’Rina and Saru be next? Noooooo.

What do you mean, no diving?

“Analyzing is not the same as connecting.”

Back to the important stuff, Book tries his glowing forehead empathy connection but all he gets from the monster is that it’s “really pissed off.” Duh. In a replay of the action from last week, Book does some distracting under fire while Michael heads to the rock with the clue symbol on it to get the big prize. Things do not go as planned, and he gets hit. They are pinned down as a second monster shows up. But the creatures aren’t looking at the Starfleet duo as food, just protecting their nest of monster eggs. Aww. Time for Plan B. Michael again remembers her xenoanthropology and holsters her phaser, showing respect to the now calming Intronoks. Book does the same and communicates they just want to leave as they slowly back off… and soon enough they find Dr. Hugh Jinaal casually lounging on a rock, quipping, “I see you survived.” Michael sorts it out: He drew them to that nest after suggesting they arm phasers. By connecting instead of shooting, they passed another test. He was willing to let them die just to see if there was “goodness” in them, but they survived, so they win the prize: the clue and the second map piece, hidden under a totally different rock. Sneaky Trill.

After Culber gets swapped back he heads back to the ship to decompress from a big day of being possessed. Michael catches up to him in the lounge, where they contemplate the spiritual implications of the journey they are on, seeking the technology of the gods. Tilly is also there, and Rayner arrives to let her know he gets it—there is some value in showing respect to the people under his command. Oh and back at HQ, Saru apologizes to T’Rina for Kelpiensplaining Vulcan politics, and she’s totally cool about it, so they’re fine. Things wrap up in the Trill caves with Bix returning to the symbiont pool and Adira and Gray saying goodbye as well. But wait, what’s that? It’s Moll! Disguised as a Trill, she surreptitiously puts something onto Adira’s sleeve before the ensign beams back to the Disco. Dun dun duuun !

What about a four-shift rotation?

After two strong episodes, things are more mixed for episode 3. The blend of plot, character, and action was not as finely balanced, mostly due to carrying the load of four separate storylines. This kind of multi-POV storytelling has always been a challenge for Discovery , but there were some big highlights that kept the episode a winner overall. The MVP is Wilson Cruz, who finally got the opportunity to step out of his Hugh Culber and play a different character, a time-honored Trek tradition. His Jinaal was believably a unique individual, down to his speech pattern and gait, with a clear motivation. This storyline tied into all of the others with the not-very-subtle theme of connection; however, there was a more nuanced exploration for Culber and Burnham about the season’s bigger questions about science and faith that was more interesting. And the riddle for passage bit was a nice classic quest beat, evoking ancient adventures. The action sequences felt a bit repetitive after last week, but they made up for it with some fun as Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala again demonstrated their playful chemistry.

The Rayner storyline was also a high point. He continues to be a great addition to the show, bringing all sorts of Jellico, Lorca, and even some Shaw vibes, but still being his own man (sorry, Kellerun ). Callum Keith Rennie and Mary Wiseman showed they have their own delightful dynamic. It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy), but all of these scenes were still refreshing as we got to add little bits of dimension to members of the crew from Linus’ pride over three clutches of eggs to Rhys lusting over the fine curves of old Constitution classes… and the gruff-off between Rayner and Reno was all too brief. But there was a point to all of this, showing welcome growth for both Rayner and Tilly and the rest of the gang too, although it is not clear why the new characters of Gallo and Asha had to sub in for Owo and Detmer.

Contemplating the meaning of life?… Or if he can skip leg day?

Things started going off the rails with the Saru and T’Rina storyline, which started to feel like an unnecessary distraction. Giving him this new post as ambassador is a good way to shake things up as well as to do some world-building for the show, something that may prove useful for the upcoming Academy series as well. But instead of Federation West Wing, things got more alien I Love Lucy with Ambassador Saru having some ‘splaining to do. Doug Jones and Tara Rosling did their best with the material but the rigmarole about their marriage announcement was low stakes at best, even if this bit about Vulcan purists is setting something up for later. As for the Gray and Adira storyline, it felt like this was mostly just going through the motions, but at least it established that Adira is now fully independent, confirming their new agency. Blu del Barrio’s performance was grounded, making all of this more relatable. But trying to balance these two extra storylines definitely did not help the episode when it came to pacing.

Even with all these character stories, there was some season plot development. We learned key bits about Moll, while L’ak remains a mystery, but that’s okay for now. The origins of the quest are also coming into focus with the story of the six scientists and a reasonable explanation for why they can’t just jump to the end. It feels like we will learn more about the other four scientists as we pick up more pieces of the map. And there was also a bit more worldbuilding as another hint of a coming Breen threat was mentioned. And dare we hope the mention of the Tzenkethi means we will finally see them in canon? Fans were rewarded with plenty of nods to lore, with the main plot structured around the Zhian’tara ritual from DS9’s “Facets,” and the addition of new Trill canon. Nods to Tongo and Bynars along with deeper cuts to Selay , Vavinit plants , cabrodine , Slug-o-Cola , bore worms , and more should have resulted in plenty of Rick Dalton meme moments , especially for Deep Space Nine fans. While it all seems like a lot, these were mostly Easter eggs to reward fans without turning into the dreaded “fan service.”

Now on the runway, Ambassador Saru sporting the new Diplomacy in Blue line.

Final thoughts

Even with all the juggling, episode 3 still was self-contained while carrying on the serialized story. While not as strong as the first two episodes, season 5 still remains entirely entertaining. The show has nicely pivoted with clearer themes, a fun tone, and better connections to lore while still servicing the characters and their emotional stories.

You can really taste the algae.

A USS Locherer could be seen at Starfleet HQ, named in honor of camera operator J.P Locherer , who passed away in 2022.
The previously unnamed bar lounge is called “Red’s,” possibly named for the Ferengi bartender, who got their first line in this episode.
The Osnullus bridge officer’s name is Lt. Arev.
Lt. Christopher confirmed that Lt. Commander Nilsson has been reassigned to the USS Voyager-J .
Christopher also reassured Rayner his pet tribble (a gift from Nilsson) was neutered.
The Trill canyon was shot at Lafarge Quarry , which Discovery (and Strange New Worlds ) have used before on a few occasions.
Trill spots are as unique as human fingerprints, as are Saurian dorsal ridges.
In addition to the Selay, the ambassador meeting also included a Facian .

The Selay ambassador is upset this committee doesn’t warrant those cool floating chairs.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Pocket Casts , Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

The fifth and final season of Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria. Discovery will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Episode 504 With New Images And Clip From “Face The Strange”

Wilson Cruz interview from the Star Trek: Discovery season 5 premiere in NYC

Discovery , Interview

Interview: Wilson Cruz On How “Jinaal” Sets Up The Rest Of The Season For Culber On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

All Access Star Trek podcast episode 180 - TrekMovie - Star Trek: Discovery 503 "Jinaal"

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Discovery

Podcast: All Access Goes To Trill With ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ For “Jinaal”

Analysis , Discovery

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Preview Offers Intriguing Clues And The Return To [SPOILERS]

I really enjoyed this episode it had alot of character moments/growth and it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter.

Wilson Cruz was on fire this episode as he really pulled off the charcter of Jinaal.

Raynar is still a bit of a jerk but hopefully what Tilly said to him get through to him.

Looking forward to the next episode and i hope we get to see the Tzenkethi.

“ it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter. ”

Wow, you don’t read that very often .

This made me smile some. Thanks.

I enjoyed this one, but anyone else thinking animals that can cloak themselves are becoming a bit too common?

I think in this era, current showrunners meet and share an idea and are tempted to grab it for another show. Synths, Picard and Discovery. Copy and Paste Starships, Picard and Prodigy. From previous shows is more natural, but for current productions is amusing.

It was more of a “cut and paste” Trek story idea. They watched the Devil In The Dark..Oh yeah! they’re protecting the eggs! That’ll satisfy the dumb Trekkies.

And even there the Horta was not just some animal. Spock even commented that it was not behaving like one at all.

The thing is, these are animals. In fact, they came across as borderline insects. They should not be reacting like a sentient being would. They would only be operating on instinct. There is no reason whatsoever they would let Book and Burnham go. They simply wouldn’t comprehend anything beyond ‘these creatures are near our eggs’.

Now if they were a sentient being who share the planet with the Trill, that would be another matter. But that’s not how they were presented to us.

See, using Dax here would have been perfect. Imagine it; Jadzia Dax finding the Progenitor tech with Vellek.

I feel this season they want to avoid all kind of risks. I would also would love to see Dax. But for sure, critics will complain about it.

Hitchcock said, “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out” – I think this was a wasted opportunity to not reintroduce the Dax symbiont and give Discovery an intimate connection to the greater Star Trek universe. For those who say it’d just be fan service: how does the ISS Enterprise get a pass , but a Dax at the Trill pools is jumping the shark? Just saying, it wouldn’t have been dull. And yes, if a quahog can live for hundreds of years in the ocean, I think Dax can survive 1,000 years in Hugh Hefner’s former grotto.

An unnamed Romulan played by an unknown extra being given more importance than Jadzia Dax is weird…

I don’t think that’s weird. It speaks to a greater universe than just the named characters in the opening credits of those shows we know. Those on the periphery, they’re people too.

After the way Jadzia was unceremoniously killed off, though, she deserved better. This was a chance to increase her importance.

Add to that that by having her in Discovery in one form or another it would have really tied up several Trek series since she was also present during TOS twice; once as the host of the Dax symbiont at the time and again during Trials and Tribble-lations.

With the potential era of the initial investigation being the Dominion War it would’ve been awesome for Dax to be revealed as one of the scientists. It’s give her a stronger legacy than being killed by possessed Dukat.

Exactly. Having her literally take the secret to the grave would have been perfect.

I’d love to see Dax too, but I think it would have just been to unbelievable for Jadzia to have taken a sabbatical from DS9 during the Dominion War (and right after her wedding) to go on a secret mission with a bunch of scientists to set up an elaborate quest.

What about after the Dominion took over DS9? That is a large-enough window of time for her to have been off on such a mission.

I can’t see her leaving the Defiant at such a critical time.

Or Starfleet letting one of its officers most experienced with the Dominion/Jem’Hadar go off on sabbatical in wartime. But then again, Sisko did exactly that a year later.

The timetable would have been hard to work, as Jadzia was seen throughout the Dominion War on DS9 and wasn’t off on some quest for weeks/months.

Great episode. I really enjoy the new tone/vibe/pace of the show. The script as well. Big improvement from previous seasons.

We used to watch these relationship dynamics in almost every episode of Star Trek, but what I watched in this episode, reminds me STNG and DS9, with Discovery fast pace.

Really like these relationship/character growth balance between scenes. Great lines for Tilly, the writers nailed it giving all characters exactly what they needed.

Three great episodes. Can’t wait for episode 4.

Totally missed to add…great GREAT ending. They are wrapping up each episode nicely!

Didn’t we see Lt. Commander Nilson in a Twitter post?

After the exciting first 2 episodes, this one was a letdown.

I have to agree that this episode turned out to be a “mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode”.

Also, I’m still not liking the very unprofessional vibe of Discovery’s crew. That ship literally has no command structure as evidenced by Tilly’s example. It really destroys any feeling that they are even a Starfleet crew. But this is Discovery so whatever, I guess.

I hope the next episode is more coherent.

but they connect and feel and live their own truth so – like, that’s just your opinion man….

I can only speak from my experience, but when I was an Air Force officer, our unit’s general vibe was pretty similar to what we see on Discovery . I wouldn’t go so far as to say we had “no command structure” but things were pretty loose. As a matter of fact, we tended to get a bit annoyed when someone acted “too military”. I can give you an example: myself and another second lieutenant were walking into our wing HQ building when we passed a guy who had just “pinned on” first lieutenant. He demanded we salute him and we just kind of told him “c’mon, man” and went our way, because there’s just no real distinction between a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant. Broadly, lieutenants and captains (at least the ones a few years out from making major) tend to view each other as peers.

I guess I am too used to what has previously been shown on TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT as the standard of professional behavior on Starfleet ships, that the loose and casual office behavior on DSC seems out of place.

I Get it can be relaxed, as Will is relating.. but it’s not always one or the other. I woul like to see more nuance in all characters. Tilly doesn’t always need to be always funny and freewheeling. I’d like to see her be more professional. Most people in any walk of life aren’t one way all the time. But most of these are written as charactures and not actual people.

It’s a fair point about Tilly. She’s a lieutenant with limited experience and she’s telling off a superior officer in a way that would make even Will Riker blush. Imagine her meeting Captain Jellico…

I get it, although it could ebb and flow. One of the things Roddenberry supposedly didn’t like about the Gene Coon era of TOS was the characters’ loose, familiar attitude. During the brief period of time he actively worked on the third season, he insisted on changing all that. The characters are much more formal in season 3.

See I disagree with the review- I thought the episode balanced its four plot strands really well and it was a wonderful character focused episode. Each to their own, I guess.

It was a bit meh, but still better than most of Season 4.

This was a connector episode, and not a lot happens. I go back to.. when you only have 10 episodes, you better make best use of your time. This was a relationship stuff… it would help if it covered relationships I cared about, but it’s just overly emotive junk that isn’t interesting to me at all. Which is funny when you consider one of those relationships features a Vulcan. While I like Sara and T’rina as a couple, they are boring. Gray and Adira, it’s just a lot of awkward teen stuff. I get it.. they’re having trouble.. just way too much time spent on that. At least Stulber has chemistry.. Book and Burnham have chemistry. But this was a waste of an episode.

Gray and Adira were miscast physically. I’d like to explain that DSC is a big visual show. When there is a wide shot, both Gray and Adira seem too small and too far away. We get to see their acting talents in the scenes where they are in a two-shot or a medium-shot. In my opinion, Blu’s acting is MUCH better this year. Ian Alexander’s acting is just too small for me. It must be difficult to frame the shots he is in, due to his physical size, which is a testament to the show’s production challenges. When you see how athletic Culber is compared to Gray? It’s just too jarring for me. His character doesn’t grab your attention. Let me be clear: I’m beyond happy about the LGBTQ representation DSC is showing. I’m glad the LGBTQ community can see themselves on TV. FWIW, I notice the same things in SNW. Peck and Mount are very athletic buff actors. In a wide shot, they can tend to dwarf smaller actors.

Part of the issue is the widescreen format though. It makes it harder to get actors of disparate heights in a great shot together. SMG and Doug Jones have wildly different statures and often the camera isn’t able to be wide enough to make that not look awkward too.

Sorry was not a big fan of this one at all. So many cringy moments and it went back to the usual stalling with barely any real plot at all. I had so many problems with this one but happy others liked it.

But per usual it moved at a snails pace with a lot of mostly forgetful dialogue.

And when did Trill turn into the cave and quarry planet? It’s a very developed planet with cities and people living in houses. But the two episodes we seen of it on this show you would think Trill is one big national park or something.

I think Trill’s budget was spent on the cloaking monsters.

Yeah I think that segment ran a bit too long for me. I feel like the point about the cloaking monsters could have been made sooner and they could have spent their time on giving some screen time to others.

Overall, this episode definitely struggled with too many plot points. The individual pieces weren’t bad but together they didn’t always form a cohesive whole. I like Rayner as a character and I like his more professional take on being a Captain vs. Burnham’s more personal take. Neither is inherently wrong, just different. I feel Tilly etc are too quick to judge him. He clearly had a reason for his 20 words or less and I got what that was. Although I didn’t like that the background actors only got some throwaway facts told about them. Then again they usually don’t get that! Culber did a great job portraying Jinal. He really felt like a different person. Adira and Grey wrapped up which I think is a good thing. They are better apart than they are together. I am still not sure about Book’s loyalty to the ship and its crew. Glad Saru and T’Rina are moving forward and we are getting some more backstory to this time period.

Stalling is a great way to put it. I think it boils down to if you like the characters and relationships they’re focusing on. If you’re going to focus on character, it had better be compelling but it was pretty banal and uninteresting. Saru and T’rina are focused on a wedding.. seriously? Gray and Adira are having your normal teenager type trouble. Both sets of circumstances were so blah.. if this were the best they can do with portraying whats happening with young people, Academy is in serious trouble.

Yeah this one frustrated me a bit. I am fine with a character episode but the character work was too telegraphed (Gray browbeating the theme of the episode at the end and Stamet’s ongoing arc where he obsesses over his legacy were feeling especially contrived). At least the Rayner scenes worked for me and made for a better use of Tilly than usual.

…although if they lead to Rayner just embracing the tactic of being an emotional support First Officer, I’ll be annoyed. Butting heads with Tilly worked, I just am probably on the losing side of, “His POV is valid and they could all learn a little from him. Not every connection needs to come from laying bare emotional trauma and being super chummy.” Characters who keep a professional distance but have personal depths that shine through are compelling and a Trek staple.

I actually liked this episode better than the first two. It felt more like a story and less like a bunch of action setpieces strung together.

I’m afraid I have to disagree with our eminent reviewer where he says, “ It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy).” No, that’s EXACTLY why it makes sense for HER to be the one to let Rayner know his style won’t work with this particular crew. She won’t have to work with him in the future, so she’s the one who can tell him he’s being a jerk without poisoning their future relationship.

I REALLY liked it that the true test wasn’t “Can you hike this canyon” but rather “Can you empathize with the creatures who live in it?” Very Star Trekky!

I loved the Saru/T’Rina stuff, both her standing her ground when Saru tried to be protective, since she’s the PRESIDENT of a freaking PLANET, for heaven’s sake. And also her saying that conflict was inevitable and not to be feared.

Wilson Cruz! So good! More of him, please.

I thought Rayner’s twenty-words thing was a little over the top; it made him seem like a parody of a crusty old guy, rather than a real person. I don’t mind being emotionally manipulated by Star Trek, but the wires shouldn’t be quite THAT visible. :-)

So, how could Moll possibly have gotten to Trill long enough before the Discovery to go undercover as one of those red-robed people? She and La’k didn’t dig up the thingy that gave them the fifth line of the poem until long after Burnham and Saru did, so how did they even know to go to Trill, much less get there so fast? Doesn’t Discovery’s spore drive get them places MUCH faster than any other ship?

The one thing I really didn’t like was that the lighting in the canyon was so dark that I couldn’t SEE anything during that whole scene. I’m glad the dialogue told me enough about what was happening that I didn’t have to actually see it to know what was going on.

Very astute observations Corylea, and well stated as usual. Couldn’t agree more!

Aw, thanks so much!

Oh.. and the repeat of the Fal Tor Pan ceremony really was annoying. They really could have mixed it up q lot better. It felt like a cliche.

Engaged couple bickering over their wedding announcement… This is exactly the sort of thing that’s kept me tuning in to Trek for all these decades…

And I don’t care how exaggeratedly mean the Rayner character is written, there is no way in real life that a Lieutenant speaks to a Commander/superior officer the way Tilly did. Totally strains credulity.

Starfleet is different from modern militaries. Starfleet officers’ feelings aren’t so fragile that they get upset when a subordinate speaks impolitely to them.

I think TMP nailed how these interactions are supposed to go down and it avoids this perception of insubordination: “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Done and done. The answer is almost always going to be yes.

I thought this was a very strong episode…and I didn’t like the first two of the season at all!

The character dynamics almost all worked for me this time. Burnham seemed like a real person rather than a screenplay with limbs; Rayner was great; Culber, who I have loved even when this series was at its worst, was great. Heck, I even liked Tilly this week, which is not typical. I got some chuckles out of Saru stepping in it, too.

I’ve loved and defended Disco since day one, but I have to say I’m having a hard time getting excited about this season’s Big Hunt For The Puzzle Pieces. But I was thrilled to see Wilson Cruz get to really shine as an actor in this one.

I believe this is the standard now, and it’s very very low .. the story is starting to be so boring .. always the same cave .. everybody keep sharing their emotions in every scene .. and the stubborn unfriendly character destined to change.

If only there wasn’t the “Star Trek:” in front of the series title I would had bailed long ago.

I am really loving this season. The latest episode really took on a lot, but it delivered for me. The pacing was good for each story and keep the mystery alive. Loved the adventure on Trill. Wilson Cruze did an amazing job in the episode with his portrayal of Jinaal. I absolutely love the addition of Rayner – the opposites of Rayner’s tough command style and the way Discovery is – works for me. Already looking forward to the next episode.

Yes, a very scattered episode. The twenty-word bit with Rayner was a poor writing choice. I don’t see how someone would rise to Captain without listening to his senior crew.

I think the bar scene got across that he was astute in learning about his crews quickly. He just didn’t hold their hands and talk about how much of a family they all are.

In other words, Discovery discusses their feelings ad nauseum yet again

I have never posted on one of these comment boards so I hope it is okay to share guesses for what might happen this season. I just wondered if it still canon that no one has ever seen a Breen (sans helmet). If that is true, and considering the dialog about helmets in the first episode of this season, I wonder if L’ak could be at least part Breen. Just a theory.

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Star Trek: Discovery Recap: Abstractions and Apples

Star trek: discovery.

In these times, more than ever, it’s important not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I had to remind myself of this as I struggled to get a bead on this week’s Discovery , which had no business going as hard as it did. As fans and critics alike will admit, this show seems physically incapable of slowing down. For better or worse, circumstances are always life-or-death, not to mention always emotionally crushing; nobody ever gets to chill and simply perform a poem about his cat , or take a couples vacation . Blame 13-episode seasons, blame an all-time-high number of TV shows vying for attention, blame increasingly thrill-seeking audiences — this is just how it is now, and you can’t really hold Discovery responsible for that reality. Yet somehow, for all this show’s uneven chaos, for its oft-distorted priorities and almost compulsive sentimentality, for however weakly this season may have set the stage to earn this week’s tête-à-tête…I think I loved the hell out of “There Is A Tide…” anyway?

Okay, that last criticism isn’t entirely fair. We have been getting hints from multiple sources that the Federation has indulged in some serious dirtbag behavior in the century since the Burn, even before it. Book told us, Ni’Var president T’Rina told us, even — rest his soul — poor Ryn told us. But I was genuinely surprised by all the new information we got this week about how pervasive the Emerald Chain really is: that so many people depend on its mercantiles; that it’s the biggest investor in scientific research in the known galaxy; that even the Federation’s deep-space stations have been compelled, willingly or not, to partake in its economy.

Until now I took the Chain as a sort of Space Wal-Mart, a monopoly of marketplaces with questionable business practices that serves a purpose in the absence of better options; the organized crime syndicate then easily functioned within that structure. Now, it looks like more of a Space Amazon, infiltrating every part of people’s lives to the point where the public embraces its dominance gladly, even as it exploits the vulnerable, weaponizes its scientists, and commits atrocities in the name of so-called progress. Where before it seemed like the Chain was a bunch of cruel, racist gangsters — I mean, can you blame me? The first time we meet Osyraa she’s breezily feeding a family member to a giant worm — now it seems that they’re kind of a garden-variety ruling class.

This gulf between my original understanding of the Chain and this reframing is probably to blame for how shocking it felt for Osyraa to waltz into Federation headquarters, sit down at a table with Vance, and suddenly propose that the Chain join the Federation. I was shocked that Osyraa would suddenly show any respect whatsoever for the Federation, but more importantly, that Discovery is now daring to dip its toes into Deep Space Nine territory, deconstructing Star Trek ’s comforting myth of perfectly benevolent imperialism. Yes, Osyraa is a true monster who has built an empire on slave labor and genocidal extortion, among other horrors, whose bid for peace ends at answering for her crimes. But look at the world around us: as much as America wants to believe it can be the Federation, it’s just as likely to become the Emerald Chain.

The Federation itself is deeply compromised at this point, too, though we haven’t quite seen the scope of its damage. If I wasn’t already a fan of Vance as a character, this episode would have converted me; he comes to the table with so much feisty shrewdness, laying bare how easy it is for one (me) to put one’s (my) trust in a genuinely decent leader and still end up complicit. One fan’s relatively popular Twitter thread after last week’s episode proposed that the Federation’s failure to rescue the Kia , and by extension Su’Kal, is what actually caused the Burn — its choice to prioritize the needs of the many over the needs of the one. I don’t really agree with this idea; I think it presupposes that the Federation’s response to the dilithium crisis was about greed, as though dilithium was oil and the Federation profited from it, even though it was a trolley problem decision made to save more lives. Nevertheless, I do think it raises a good question: if we accept that the inaction and mistaken priorities of the Federation can be just as ruinous as the Chain’s objectively heinous crimes, why is it so much easier for us to forgive the former?

Osyraa gives us the answer: abstraction. The Malachite Mafiosa is clearly attempting to launder the image of her organization, as well as her own personal reputation, in distinctly moblike fashion . But now that she’s at the negotiating table, she is making some absolutely devastating points. At this rate, I’m fairly certain Trek is aiming for Gul Dukat territory with our Verdant Villainess; despicable, yes, but still disturbingly human. (Er, so to speak.) She’s a far better fit for the role than her predecessor, Mirror Georgiou, anyway. Selfish and cunning, a true capitalist to the core, but I think I believe her when she says she wants the best for the plurality of Chain “citizens.” Her read of the Federation is completely true; as she points out, the face of the biometric lie detector ELI is entirely computer generated to appear neutral, but it also just so happens to take human form. (This smelled distinctly like a criticism of journalism’s myth of objectivity, but maybe that’s just me.) And as Invigorator Aurelio proves, an outsider would be more than forgiven to see the existence of Discovery’s spore drive as the Federation hoarding critical technological advances while the rest of the universe starves.

Speaking of Aurelio! Osyraa’s chief scientist, who has been tasked with figuring out how and why Stamets is the only one who can operate the spore drive, is his own little meta-miracle, because he’s played by none other than Discovery’s stealth alum, Kenneth Mitchell. Let’s rewind a bit.

Back in 2017, the disability activism community noticed that Discovery had finally included one (1) extra who used a wheelchair; it was the first time a visibly disabled actor had appeared in the Trek franchise. But background representation was nominal, at best. Then, this past February, Mitchell — who played Klingons Kol and Tenavik in the first and second seasons — announced he’d been diagnosed with ALS in 2018, and had been using a wheelchair since last year. The show already seemed to have parted ways with the actor organically; the story has veered from Klingon territory and it would’ve been easy to simply wish him well and move on. (Star Trek will basically always have its pick of actors who can work with heavily prosthetics; Mitchell has also since voiced several bit parts on Star Trek: Lower Decks .)

But Star Trek: Discovery has developed a charming habit of keeping its people close. (See also: recasting the Airiam actor as Nilsson, and now with the brief arc of Noah Averbach-Katz, AKA Mary Wiseman’s husband.) With Aurelio, it seems they’ve either invented or retooled a distinct role for Mitchell, one that specifically works with his new physical realities. While Aurelio might not stick around, his introduction gives us the first instance of a disabled foreground character played by a disabled actor in the Star Trek universe. (I highly recommend looking up the hashtag #CripTrek on Twitter, where disabled fans and critics have done tons of great work unpacking disability representation in science fiction; I’m looking forward to reading their thoughts on this.)

Anyway, Aurelio was born with a genetic defect and might have died if not for Osyraa choosing to step in, in some undefined way. Now, he’s a scientist, although how good he really is remains to be seen. It’s quickly made clear that Osyraa has groomed this guy to be her political puppet, a guileless, science-loving himbo who has no idea the crimes she and the Chain have committed, particularly with his own scientific breakthroughs. Stamets disabuses him of that notion, pointing out that he’s having a cheerful chat with a hostage, and also that his pesticide was dangled over a planet in exchange for species extinction. Now that he’s seen Osyraa execute Ryn in cold blood, right after he defies her with a stirring little speech about real bravery and love, I think we’re going to see some more fascinating choices from Aurelio in the finale next week. (Much like Osyraa’s “abstraction” comments roast journalism, this guy’s deal seems like a pointed stand-in for people who believe science can operate independent of sociopolitical context.)

Tilly, meanwhile, is being Tested with a capital T. By some accursed miracle, that pirate Zareh actually survived the ice tundra, and is now here in charge of Osyraa’s “regulators” to humiliate Tilly like the ghost of shortcomings past, taunting her about how the ship was taken in all of 12 minutes under her command. But like Aurelio, Zareh’s qualifications are kind of sus, too. Before, he seemed fairly intelligent, deadly and street-smart on the ground as a Chain capo with his little gang. But the promotion — which he somehow received after being bested by three Starfleet officers, resulting in the death of his whole posse and his own near-death humiliation — has raised him to his level of incompetence. He has one job, yet fails on almost every count, his gestapo losing again and again to Michael and the bridge crew hostages, to the point where I’d put money on his dead pool next week. Tilly, meanwhile, is a case study for excellent leadership: expecting a brand-new first officer to outsmart the galaxy’s Chartreuse Corlione in their first few minutes at the conn, ever ? That’s a confirmation bias trap, that is. ( Girls are bad at video games. Look, she’s been playing this game for a week and I just handed her a controller and put her against the top pro gamer in the world and she lost! Girls are bad at video games! )

At any rate, she and the rest of the bridge gang escape the ready room to the armory and are about to make a Running Man rush for the bridge, when suddenly the Space Roombas I jokingly complained about last year appear. The Sphere data is officially Zora in all but name now, having evaded the hacking efforts of Osyraa’s crew by somehow compressing her entirety down into a file the size and shape of a Buster Keaton film. Now she’s split herself into these three maintenance droids and is ready to fuck up some space cops. Good for her.

The most upsetting element of this episode by far is — surprise, surprise — a Michael decision. She and Book have somehow zoomed unharmed through “courier subspace,” the deadly corridor-cum-ship graveyard which also seems to be how Osyraa got to them at the Veruben nebula in the first place, and manage to catch all the way up to Discovery, crash-landing into its hangar bay mere milliseconds before Vance lets the compromised ship through the Federation’s shields. Long story short, Michael crawls through the Jeffries tubes to engineering, where she stuns Aurelio and immediately sets about jettisoning Stamets from the ship, to ensure Osyraa can’t use the spore drive. Sounds like a good enough plan, if you assume that Michael Burnham is the smartest person in the room, which Michael Burnham definitely always believes. Stamets himself would prefer to simply jump back to the nebula to save Saru and Culber — and, much to his horror, also Adira, his semi-adopted child. Granted, he’s almost crazed with fear of potentially losing them, but this also doesn’t seem to be a bad plan, necessarily, just a risky one. All roads will lead back to the dilithium planet and the nebula, and Osyraa has proven she can get there without the spore drive. Had Michael known Tilly and Co. were freed and about to storm the bridge, maybe she would have made a different choice. But the way she turned on Stamets, even to save the many, wasn’t just heartbreaking — “my whole family is in that nebula!” — it was also a spooky echo of the Michael Burnham of the Battle of the Binary Stars, the mutineer who used the same Vulcan nerve pinch on her own captain in an attempt to wrest control and make the big call herself. It’s unclear whether the chief science officer can legally pull rank on the chief engineering officer, but it’s yet another demonstration of how, despite what we’ve been led to believe, Michael gets countless opportunities to outgrow the person she used to be, yet more often than not, she simply chooses not to. Discovery seems determined to ultimately get our protagonist in the captain’s chair, but at this point, does she really deserve it?

Personal Log, Supplemental

• Twice this week, Book assures Michael that Grudge is “safe and secured” despite literally crashing the ship. What the hell is that cat bed made of?

• This episode’s dialogue, written by Kenneth Lin, made me gasp several times, but the apple/shit scene absolutely killed me. What a beautiful dominance tango, made all the spicier by the GOAT, director Jonathan Frakes.

• Who is that unnamed white girl held hostage with the bridge crew who says, “I’m not dying in here because [Rhys and Bryce] are bored”? Is she like a night-shift crewmember, or something? Definitely a red-shirt in next week’s charge.

• Osyraa rescued Aurelio when he was ten, a reminder that Orions live substantially longer than humans — 150, on average — and thus probably why they look the same age.

• I know the pandemic has ruined my brain because as Vance and Osyraa discuss ELI while he sits there frozen, all I could think about was that one llama TikTok. ELI, you poor, sweet thing.

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Star Trek: Discovery

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 1, Episode 1: Engaging the Klingon

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By Sopan Deb

Sept. 25, 2017

Season 1, Episode 1: ‘The Vulcan Hello’

After multiple stops and starts the highly anticipated “Star Trek: Discovery” finally hit impulse speed on Sunday and this recapper set his phasers on disbelief.

The pilot, titled “The Vulcan Hello,” was full of promise, high-stakes and a few worrying signs for the rest of the series. We’re fighting Klingons again! There’s a mutiny from the show’s protagonist! Wait, what? But I thought the captain was the mutineer’s mentor? Shh, shh, “Star Trek” is on television again. (Not quite, though. If you want to find out how it all turns out, now you have to pay for CBS All Access.) The casting — especially Sonequa Martin-Green as the show’s protagonist, Michael Burnham — is well done. (The writing of her character, however — more on that later.)

For better or worse, “Discovery” is already a departure from past “Trek” series, both in style and serialized substance. This is not your Vulcan father’s “Star Trek.”

Usually, “Star Trek” pilots have some sort of handoff between characters from previous shows. For example, in the pilot for “The Next Generation,” Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), at this point an admiral, walked the halls with Data (Brent Spiner) exploring the new Enterprise (“You treat her like a lady. And she’ll always bring you home.”) Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) handed off the baton to Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) in “Deep Space Nine.”

Quark (Armin Shimerman), the bartender from Deep Space Nine, shows up in the pilot for “Voyager.” Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell), previously seen in the film “Star Trek First Contact,” sends off the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 in the first episode of “Enterprise.”

Instead of a character, though, the “Discovery” handoff seems to be lens flares . (O.K., fine, and Sarek, Spock’s father.) That’s the visual style that J.J. Abrams introduced to the universe with his 2009 “Star Trek” reboot . There are the tilted and shaky camera shots zoomed in on character’s faces in tense scenes. That movie was divisive among “Star Trek” fans, many of whom yelled at each other over whether it was actually “Trek” or not.

The newest iteration of TV “Star Trek” will engender those same discussions. But it has enough fan service to keep fans tuned in. Did I mention Sarek, Spock’s father, is here? A first officer is referred to as “Number one!” References to Kahless!

1. The opening theme

“Discovery” has the best opening credit sequence of any of the series. True, it doesn’t have anyone narrating that space is the final frontier. However, the theme song has the familiar pings from the original series opener before it seamlessly transitions into faster paced strings that evoke the score from the Bourne franchise , eventually crescendoing into a familiar “Trek” riff that has become ingrained in pop culture. Its overlaid with gorgeous animations like those of “Westworld” or “Game of Thrones.”

2. The look

Given the budget and advances in CGI, this is clearly the most visually stunning “Star Trek” pilot. It’s almost to the franchise’s detriment that the show is confined to being set before the original series, which, for obvious reasons, looks clunky in comparison. “Discovery” is going to have to get creative in showing off its cinematography while staying true to the timeline.

(On that note: What’s with the hologram technology? When Sarek is talking to his adopted daughter, Michael, remotely, is he walking around where he is and sitting on a desk at his location that happens to line up with Michael’s desk? Similarly, when Admiral Anderson (Terry Serpico) is dialed in remotely talking to Philippa, he turns his head to make a biting remark to Michael standing behind him. Did he turn his head where he was transmitting from? Is he sitting in his office randomly turning his head to no one in particular? And are you telling me that this technology would not have been used by characters from the “Trek” series that are set after this one? See what I mean?)

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3. Captain Philippa Georgiou and Commander Saru

We don’t learn too much about the crew itself here — one of the many departures from typical “Trek” pilots — but both Philippa (Michelle Yeoh) and Commander Saru (Doug Jones), give commanding performances with limited material. Ms. Yeoh’s Philippa is vulnerable, capable, caring and loyal. Mr. Jones’s Saru plays a different — and seemingly more frustrated — fish out of water than Spock or Data. And his ominous delivery of the most quotable line of the episode — “My people were biologically determined for one purpose alone: To sense the coming of death. I sense it coming now.” — was flawless.

What didn’t work

1. The mutiny

I’ll admit: Michael’s mutiny brought me up from my sofa. It was a truly surprising moment. But it puts Michael’s character in a big hole. She has been under Philippa’s command for seven years. Philippa seems to value her role as mentor to Michael, even to the point of saying that she believes that Michael should get her own command.

There isn’t much evidence that Michael would ever attack her superior officer irrationally for not attacking a Klingon ship — let alone a mentor.

(The episode’s title is “The Vulcan Hello.” Michael describes this as how the Vulcans came to find peace with the Klingons, by pre-emptively attacking their ships, a plot point I am skeptical of, and one Michael was unconvincing in conveying.)

And how is the audience to view any of Michael’s future actions? To already put the viewer’s trust in the main character on shaky footing was a risky move. Kudos to the creative team for taking the leap. We’ll see if it pays off.

2. Where is the ship?!

We don’t see the Discovery. Not even a glimpse of the ship that is the namesake of the show. This is another departure from previous Treks. For any fan, it’s an exciting prospect to — ahem — discover the newest “Star Trek” ship. I understand the show is serialized now, but tease us at least!

3. The long Klingon scenes

In previous “Trek” series, even when Klingons are talking with each other, they mostly — for the viewer’s benefit — dialogue in English. It was a contrivance (Why did Klingons often know English and Klingon, while humans knew only one of the two?) but a necessary one. In “The Vulcan Hello,” the writers made the decision to fix that hole and show the Klingons talking exclusively in their language with subtitles. It interrupts the pacing of the show when the scenes drag as long as they do, especially as you have to scrutinize subtitles for long periods of time.

Did you catch that?!

A few Easter eggs and callbacks (or rip-offs) that I’d like to point out:

1. Early in the episode, the crew of the Shenzou are sent to the edge of Federation space to find out what happened with a relay. An object appears. Philippa asks Saru: “What am I looking at?” Saru responds, “An object of unknown origin.” Philippa snaps back: “Let’s get more specific.” In the “Voyager” pilot, after the ship is hit with an energy wave, Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) says to Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), “Captain, there’s something out there.” Janeway responds, “I need a better description than that, Mr. Kim.”

2. When Michael rushes out of sickbay and to the bridge to warn Philippa about an impending Klingon attack, it was very similar to Kirk sprinting out of sickbay in the 2009 film to warn Captain Christopher Pike about an impending Romulan attack.

3. When Philippa says, “We have engaged the Klingons,” I chuckled as I thought of Picard, in one of the most famous “Trek” moments in history, instructing Worf to tell Starfleet, “We have engaged the Borg,” another deadly enemy of the Federation not seen for some time.

4. And if you are really keeping close track:

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Published Apr 5, 2024

RECAP | Star Trek: Discovery 501 - 'Red Directive'

There's never a dull moment for the U.S.S. Discovery!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery.

Graphic illustration of Captain Michael Burnham riding a racer vehicle in 'Red Directive'

StarTrek.com

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery opens with " Red Directive, " where Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious artifact hidden inside a 800-year-old Romulan vessel – but find that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Personnel

Michael Burnham
Hugh Culber
Paul Stamets
Sylvia Tilly
Laira Rillak
Charles Vance
Christopher
Joann Owosekun
Keyla Detmer
Cleveland "Book" Booker

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Locations

Federation Headquarters
U.S.S. Discovery -A
U.S.S. Antares

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Event Log

As a vessel traverses the stars at high warp, Captain Michael Burnham experiences exhilaration as she clings to its hull in her environmental suit. The captain quips that there’s "never a dull moment" and proceeds to use her phaser in a bid to knock out the starship's engines. Burnham notes that they need to retrieve an item taken from a vault over the comm channel. As her suit advises her that warp bubble stability is declining rapidly, the captain remarks that this is not what she expected to happen when the night started…

"Red Directive"

Four hours earlier, Burnham joyfully converses with Ensign Adira Tal, Lt. Sylvia Tilly, Commander Paul Stamets, and Dr. Hugh Culber at Federation Headquarters, where Cadet Ross introduces them to Tonic 2161 — the official cocktail of the millennium celebration. Though the Federation was founded in 2161, the Burn prevented any widespread festivities when the holiday actually occurred decades before in 3161. Paired with a blue liquid, the beverage’s "floaty bits" — which taste like Bajoran jumja sticks — honor the Federation flag and its starry features.

The captain offers a smile, stating that it’s good to see that the Federation is back and at peace. Stamets nevertheless comes off as melancholic, and Culber discloses that the astromycologist just found out that Starfleet is shuttering the spore drive program. Paul expresses trepidation over his new title of "Scientific Luminary," adding that the Federation’s new Pathway Drive "won out" as the propulsion system of the future. Adira chimes in, remarking that this means the U.S.S. Discovery -A will always be one-of-a-kind, but Stamets replies with skepticism, believing his legacy was destroyed along with Cleveland "Book" Booker’s ship.

Certain he would have figured out the spore drive's navigator problem one day, the scientist emphasizes the potential for rolling out the technology to the whole fleet. His friends exchange concerned glances, but Captain Burnham then assures him that they will all find a new purpose and raises a glass in a toast to change. An aide informs Burnham that her presence has been requested by Federation President Laira Rillak, leaving Stamets to chastise himself for mentioning Book as the captain departs. While Tilly assures him that Burnham has not even talked about Book in months, Culber applies his psychiatric expertise and highlights the significant difference between locking something away and moving on. Tilly notices a fellow officer and goes to visit him, and the rest of the group disperses to "mingle."

On the dance floor, Captain Saru chats softly with Ni'Var's President T'Rina, who recognizes that the Kelpien has news and playfully wonders if she'll be "forced" to mind meld with him in order to learn what has transpired. President Rillak would like Saru to serve as a Federation Ambassador to a coalition of smaller worlds, ensuring that their needs are addressed as the Federation continues to expand. T'Rina appreciates the government’s effort to avoid repeating its past mistakes and observes that the planets’ locations could leave them open to influences from the Tholian Republic or the Breen Imperium.

Saru cites the Federation's need to remain unified, but the post would require that he resign his Starfleet commission. However, as an ambassador, he would be based at Federation HQ, in close proximity to T'Rina and her own duties. Ni'Var's president interrupts her dance partner, stating that — despite their deep love for one another — it is only logical that their relationship not factor into Saru's decision, an observation which seems to unsettle the Kelpien.

Across the room, Admiral Charles Vance approaches Captain Burnham and hands her an infinity-shaped device. The two retreat to a secure location — a featureless, all-white area known as the Infinity Room — and rendezvous with Dr. Kovich, who acknowledges the facility’s over-the-top theatricality. Turning to Burnham, Vance explains that an 800-year old science vessel was just found at the edge of the Beta Quadrant. Discovery needs to jump there immediately, but Kovich will only say that the ship contains "something vital to the security of the Federation." Burnham begins to object, but Kovich silences any disagreement when he reveals that the mission is a Red Directive.

Saru beams into Discovery 's Bridge and receives status reports from Lt. Christopher, Lt. Linus, Lt. Commander Joann Owosekun, Lt. Naya, Lt. Commander Gen Rhys, and Lt. Commander Keyla Detmer. Burnham and Kovich transport aboard and share that the crew will be going on a Red Directive classified mission. Their target? A 24th Century Romulan science vessel that will most certainly attract the attention of scavengers and other nefarious characters. A second Starfleet ship is already en route, but Discovery will arrive first — or so they believe…

Across the quadrant, two helmeted figures pillage the derelict Romulan starship, ultimately removing their protective gear and taking in the ship’s breathable atmosphere. The female — Moll — comments that the U.S.S. Antares is on its way, and her male cohort L’ak sees a second Starfleet ship on their scanners. L’ak believes this means that the Romulan cargo must be "extra shiny," but he suggests they call it a day and enjoy a holodeck for two. Moll asks if L’ak wants "the pebbles or the mountain," convincing her partner to stay the course.

Discovery enters scanning range, and Owosekun detects two lifeforms on the Romulan ship — at least until their lifesigns suddenly vanish. Burnham gathers Owosekun and Rhys for the away team, but Kovich offers some disturbing insight — setting weapons to stun might not be enough, so they are authorized to use lethal force. Shock covers Burnham's face, and Kovich orders her to successfully complete the mission by any means necessary.

The three Starfleet officers beam over to the Romulan vessel's darkened corridors with phasers drawn and begin searching for the trespassers. Aerosolized water droplets notify them that the intruders had not been gone long, and Burnham advises Rhys and Owosekun to keep their phasers on stun. The trio continue on and locate an 800-year old Romulan corpse and an uncloaked — and empty — vault. Realizing the scavengers must be close, the Starfleet officers spin around and open fire. Moll and L'ak materialize in front of them, managing to capture Rhys and Owosekun in containment fields and making their escape.

Captain Burnham pursues, converting her weapon into a phaser rifle and exchanging volleys with her opponents. Moll and L'ak step forward, holding the prize they acquired from the vault and tossing an explosive charge toward the captain. As the intruders beam away, Burnham is tossed through an opening and into space. Fortunately, her programmable matter EV suit automatically activates, and the captain jets toward the outline of Moll and L'ak's ship. Burnham magnetizes her suit as the craft enters warp.

As Burnham works to sabotage the engines, the U.S.S. Antares follows and grabs the ship with a tractor beam. Captain Rayner signals Burnham, who notices the warp bubble has started to collapse and urges the U.S.S. Antares to release its hold on the fleeing vessel. Operating on Burn-era tech and lacking a state-of-the-art Pathway Drive, Rayner knows the Antares can’t pull the enemy craft out of warp. Having previously encountered Moll and L'ak, Rayner is hesitant to let them elude him

Checking in from Discovery 's center seat, Saru informs Burnham — who doesn’t want to miss her upcoming saxophone lesson — that Owosekun and Rhys are being treated in Sickbay. Detmer pilots the Crossfield -class vessel into position and Lt. Gallo prepares to transport the captain to safety. The ride is bumpy, but Kovich resolves to remain on the Bridge until the mission is completed. Burnham repeats her warning to Rayner, advising that the breakup of Moll's ship would also destroy the Antares . Believing that every mission is personal, Rayner pushes back on Burnham's own record, but he eventually concedes.

The three starships, as well as Captain Burnham, drop out of warp. The intruders' vessel spouts numerous probes, and they all leap to warp on different courses. Burnham is beamed right to Discovery 's Bridge, barely able to catch her breath before Rayner's hologram appears to discuss what he describes as the "cherry that they just dropped on our shit sundae." Appearing with a stern face and pointed ears, Rayner states that the probes left behind 20 warp signatures, meaning it will take days to determine which course Moll and L'ak actually took. Kovich voices his displeasure, but Burnham admits she knows someone who can help them find the thieves.

Discovery jumps to a ringed planet, and its captain nervously strolls into the shuttlebay to greet Cleveland "Book" Booker, who beams in and requests permission to come aboard. The somewhat awkward reunion shifts into Discovery 's corridors, where Burnham announces her suspicion that Moll and L'ak used to be couriers. The Federation is expanding and most of the old networks are closed, but Burnham hopes Book's experience, expertise, and insight can assist them in determining the correct warp signature. The two acknowledge that it has been a while since they spoke, and Burnham commends him for the work he has done with the refugees who were affected by the Dark Matter Anomaly. Book is eager to "make things right" in the wake of stealing the experimental spore drive for his own ship.

Burnham and Book confer with Saru, Kovich, Vance, and Rayner in the Ready Room, where the Antares ' captain briefs them on what is known about Moll — a human — and L'ak, a member of an unknown species. The duo, who showed up in the sector approximately two years ago, procured a tan zhekran — a traditional Romulan puzzle box — from the science ship. Kovich claims he is not at liberty to share details about the item and shifts the conversation to Book's detective skills. Factoring in the need to avoid Federation territory and the few fencers who would have interest in a 24th Century haul, Book determines that Moll and L'ak are headed to meet with a broker named Fred — just "Fred" — on Q’Mau. Vance orders Burnham and Rayner to investigate, insisting that they try working together.

The officers begin to walk out, but Saru stays behind to speak with Captain Burnham in private. Noting that a tan zhekran can contain almost anything, including a weapon or a pathogen, the captain is concerned that Kovich won't even tell her the name of the Romulan scientist who owned it. Saru slyly suggests that someone outside of Discovery 's chain of command with access to different databases might be able to assist. Burnham responds with a joyous smile, her expression turning serious as she remembers Saru could soon be leaving for another post.

Back at Federation HQ, Lt. Tilly enters her quarters in the midst of an energetic chat with Lt. Jax. Lamenting over a cadet who refuses to leave the lab during the Academy's Simulation Week, Tilly outlines collaboration's importance to Starfleet's future and — very briefly — ponders whether she could crash every cadet onto an ice moon in order to teach them that lesson. Tilly attributes her talkativeness to the champagne served at the after party, and the two officers exchange flirtatious gazes.

Tilly and Jax — who both love walking and talking — share a clumsy goodbye that nevertheless elicits a smirk from the Academy instructor. Now alone, Tilly orders up a coffee from the replicator. The respite is short-lived, as an incoming communication from Captain Burnham provides another boost to Tilly's energy reserves. Theorizing that Tilly must have had some Andorian champagne, Burnham adopts her "serious voice" and asks Tilly for her help. Always available for her friends, Tilly gleefully responds, "Whatever it is, I’m in."

Discovery arrives at Q’Mau, where Burnham and Book beam down to a small settlement that is surrounded by a desert landscape and rocky outcroppings. Book remarks that it feels like their old courier days, and Burnham asks about Grudge — the Queen is great, she says, "Hi." They disagree about who should have made more of an effort to contact the other, but Rayner's arrival disperses the mounting tension.

Elsewhere in the marketplace, Moll and L'ak are scanned and welcomed into Fred's establishment. Fred, who has the distinctive appearance of a synthetic lifeform, maintains a friendly demeanor, though his guards supply the room with an air of hostility. Fred notices Moll and L'ak's "togetherness," spiritedly contrasting the bilabial nasal of "Moll" with the voiceless velar plosive of "L'ak." The thieves present Fred with their recent finds — isolinear coprocessors, vintage PADDS and tricorders, self-sealing stem bolts, and the mysterious puzzle box.

Intrigued, Fred mentions that he hasn’t encountered such an item in 622.7 years. He unlocks the box by shifting its features into a new configuration, revealing a handwritten diary. The android skims the text, happily offering Moll and L'ak three bars of latinum for the entire lot. The duo replies with a laugh, unsatisfied with the price. Fred refuses to return their items, prompting the pair to burst into hand-to-hand combat with his guards. Moll is struck by an energy blast from the synth’s weapon, and — though her wound is not fatal — L'ak launches into a violent frenzy that results in Fred’s demise.

Book, Burnham, and Rayner locate Fred's lair soon after and confiscate the synth's body so that Discovery can scan his memory. Rayner hurriedly sets off on his own, but Book and Burnham remain to plot their next move. As they realize that Moll and L'ak must have cloaked their ship outside the settlement, Dr. Culber observes Fred's corpse in Sickbay. The android is an old model — dozens of generations before the tech used for Gray’s body — marked with the serial number "AS0572Y." Stamets deduces that the "AS" was intended to honor Altan Soong*, marveling at the 24th Century scientist’s legacy. The astromycologist needs wires to interface with Fred's memory drive, quipping that — luckily — Culber had married a packrat.

Down on the planet's surface, Moll and L'ak speed by Rayner on sand runners — swift transports used by locals to navigate the terrain. Thanks to their patience and foresight, Burnham and Book had anticipated the chase and already rented three of the vehicles. Rayner isn't impressed by Burnham's "strategic advantages," leaving Discovery 's captain to tell Book that she hasn’t disliked someone this much in 930 years.

Meanwhile, at Federation HQ, two security officers burst into Tilly's quarters as the lieutenant prepares to break the shifting fractal encryption which safeguards a secure Federation database. Vance marches in and intervenes, who astonishingly agrees that Captain Burnham deserves to know why her crew is risking their lives for an 800-year old Romulan ship. The admiral says that it is a "shame" he didn't get to stop Tilly in time and allows her to unlock the file. A shaky holo-recording manifests, depicting Doctor Vellek* — the Romulan whose body they had found. The Romulan scientist warns that his knowledge of an ancient technology beyond all comprehension — hidden in the "shadow of twin moons" — must not be lost or fall into the wrong hands.

On Q’Mau, the Starfleet officers close in on Moll and L'ak, but Rayner ventures ahead once again. Book teases Burnham by claiming that Rayner reminds him of another captain he knows, but the situation intensifies once the thieves reach their starship. Moll and L'ak set course for a nearby mountain's tunnel system so as to avoid detection by Discovery and Antares , and sensors detect an explosive charge in one of the tunnel's entrances. Aware that their foes planned ahead to distract their pursuers with an avalanche. According to Saru, Zora estimates there to be a 30% chance that the disaster would decimate the settlement.

Captain Rayner proposes an unorthodox plan — detonate the charge themselves and block Moll and L'ak's escape route. Burnham disagrees, yet her counterpart insists that she is letting stats get in the way of strategy — though possible, an avalanche is unlikely. As Rayner orders Antares to lock phasers on target, Burnham contends that they are on a non-Federation planet and undertaking a classified mission, but Rayner follows through with his plan. Phaser beams strike down from orbit and seal the tunnel, yet Saru confirms that scans show the mountainside remains stable… at least until Moll and L'ak launch a photon torpedo that sends the rattled cliff into a freefall.

Burnham, Book, and Rayner flee from the rising debris cloud on their sand runners, but Zora announces that the avalanche is reaching speeds of 200 kilometers per hour — there is not enough time to evacuate the local encampment. In Engineering, Stamets and Adira run through several solutions, ultimately landing on the idea of combining Discovery and Antares ' shields to serve as a "brake" for the avalanche. Will it work? Stamets thinks — no, hopes — it will work, finally deciding, "Let’s go with 'hope.'"

Captain Saru starts to organize the maneuver, but Rayner does not want Antares to leave orbit and lose track of Moll and L'ak. Burnham emphasizes that the safety of the civilians in the avalanche's path is now their primary mission, and Rayner relents. Discovery and Antares burst through the atmosphere in a tight formation, fusing their shields together and burying their forward saucers into the planet's desert. The avalanche ripples against the energy barrier, but the starships triumphantly hold the line and inspire cheers from the settlement. The relief is lost on Rayner, who watches as Moll and L'ak escape to warp.

Rayner beams back to the Antares , giving Burnham and Book a moment to enjoy each other's company and confess that they both should have called one another. Still bruised from the ordeal, Burnham takes her admission a step further and reveals that she's not sure how to be around him anymore. Book considers the statement, countering that some things are hard to move past. The heart-to-heart is interrupted by a transmission from Tilly, who tells the captain that she has "wild" answers to her pressing questions.

The Discovery -A employs its spore drive to return to Federation Headquarters, where Captain Saru resolves to have his own private conversation with his partner. T'Rina expresses concern over rumors of Saru's eventful mission. The Kelpien reflects on the danger the civilians had faced and recalls something Tilly had once told him — "life is just a blink." Saru struggles to elaborate, aware that fear had constrained him from embracing love while dealing with the cullings of his youth.***

Had he been endangered by the avalanche, Saru would only have been able to think of T'Rina, therefore their relationship must be factored in as he considers his future. T'Rina is his home, his family, and so much more, and he intends to accept the ambassadorship to be alongside her — always. T’Rina welcomes the news, pleasantly surprising Saru when she proposes they "codify" their bond through marriage.

On Discovery , Captain Burnham enters Sickbay to get an update on Fred from Culber and Stamets. They downloaded the last 15 teraquads of data from his ocular processing unit, giving them an extended look at the pages of Vellek's diary. A handwritten diagram depicting the Vileen system's "twin moons" catches the captain's attention, sending her on a mission to meet Kovich on a holographic representation of a barren planetary surface. Kovich admires her tenacity but claims this Red Directive has been classified for centuries. His threat to pass the assignment to another team doesn't phase Burnham, who knows she holds the key to their target's location.

On the surface of Vilmor II, a Progenitor disrupts an argument between the Enterprise away team, the Cardassians, Klingon, and Romulans in 'The Chase'

"The Chase"

Kovich lets out a sheepish grin, aware that Tilly and Vance played key parts in briefing the captain. He discontinues the holo, and — as the two stand in his office — he recounts the details. As one of the greatest scientists of his day, Dr. Vellek, was present when a Starfleet captain — Jean-Luc Picard — found a message left by a race of ancient beings — referred to as the "Progenitors" — who created every humanoid species in the galaxy.** Vellek discovered the technology that the Progenitors used to design life itself, but its location was lost when he disappeared 800 years ago.

Now, either Moll and L'ak know where this powerful find is or the diary is the first piece of the puzzle. Starfleet must track down this technology to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Burnham divulges that Lyrek, a planet situated in an outer sector of the Beta Quadrant within the Vileen system, has three moons — two of which move in perfect sync. Pleased, Kovich proclaims that the greatest treasure in the known galaxy is out there, lightheartedly asking the captain what she’s waiting for. Burnham flashes a smile and replies, "Let’s fly."

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Canon Connections

* " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 " — The dealer in Q'Mau, Fred, is a Soong-inspired synthetic possessed a memory drive that had a serial number with an attribution to Altan Soong. The self-described "mad scientist" is the son of Noonien Soong , the creator of Soong-type androids. Altan Soong would continue his work despite the Federation's ban on synths. His work (and Dr. Maddox's research), known as the Soong Method, on transferring sentience into an artificial golem body was what helped create Gray Tal's new synthetic body's design in "Anomaly."

** " The Chase " — This Star Trek: The Next Generation adventure was where Captain Jean-Luc Picard found himself in a race with the Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans to solve a four billion year old genetic puzzle. The Romulan Dr. Vellek, one of the greatest scientists of his day, was among those present when Picard discovered a message left by a race of ancient beings known as Progenitors, who created life as we know it — every humanoid species in the galaxy.

*** " An Obol for Charon " — Following Saru's survival of Vahar'ai , he discovered that the maturation process didn't signal death. It was in fact a biological event in the Kelpien's evolution that removed their suppression of fear. Concerned with their own survival, the Ba'ul who lived on Kaminar with Kelpiens exploited their binary nature to oppress the later group.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Log Credits

Written by Michelle Paradise
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Section Banner - Notes

"Red Directive" features a dedication:

For JP, with love.

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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The cast of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 assembled

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 Recap

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery is here, launching one last mission for Captain Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery. With so many moving pieces and major moments, here is a recap of the Season 5 premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Mission

Several months after the events of Season 4, the Discovery is still regarded as heroes for their role in saving the galaxy, but Burnham is still uneasy about the rupture of her relationship with Book. Sylvia Tilly is continuing to settle into her new role as an instructor at Starfleet Academy , reuniting with her friends at a gala back at Starfleet Command while Tilly flirts with a party guest. Saru, the Kelpien First Officer of the Discovery, meets with his paramour T’Rina, the President of Ni’Var, the reunified Vulcan/Romulan planet. The two ponder their future together, with Saru contemplating an offer to leave Starfleet in favor of a diplomatic position.

Burnham is called away to meet privately with Doctor Kovich, a Federation official who oversees the black ops side of Starfleet’s activities around the galaxy. Kovich tasks Burnham with leading the Discovery to a derelict Romulan ship in a debris field on the fringes of the galaxy to recover a valuable item without revealing what it is. Burnham leaps at the opportunity, especially since she is aware that the Discovery’s signature Spore Drive is set to be surpassed by Starfleet’s next line of starships.

New Enemies and Old Allies

Burnham rides a ship at warp speed. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

To Burnham’s surprise, Kovich personally accompanies the Discovery, underscoring the importance of the mission. Learning that Admiral Charles Vance is also unaware of the full scope of the mission, Burnham privately has Tilly use her access to the highest levels of Starfleet’s systems to learn what her assignment actually entails. Burnham leads a small landing party on the Romulan wreckage, encouraged by Kovich to shoot to kill if necessary in successfully recovering their target.

Burnham discovers they have been beaten to the target by two scavengers, Moll and L’ak, who incapacitate the rest of the landing party before making off with the object, a diary, in their own vessel. Burnham rides the exterior of the scavengers’ ship while it’s traveling at warp speed and tries to plant a tracker before safely returning to the Discovery, but Moll and L’ak anticipate this and flee to parts unknown. Kovich is understandably frustrated by this, but Burnham decides to enlist Book to use his illicit connections to locate the malevolent couple.

A Confrontation Gone Wrong

Burnham rides a speeder bike in the desert. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

Book returns to the Discovery, revealing his penance involves him helping underprivileged communities around Federation space that were affected by the singularity. Book identifies a planet outside of Federation jurisdiction where Moll and L’ak are likely to try to fence their ill-gotten goods. Determined not to let the relic slip through his fingers again, Kovich has the Discovery accompanied by the USS Antares and its commanding officer, Captain Rayner.

Book’s hunch pays off, with Moll and L’ak indeed at the planet he anticipated. Book, Burnham, and Rayner go down to investigate. After realizing how valuable the diary they hold is, Moll and L’ak kill their fence when he tries to claim it from them and run away again, with the landing party pursuing them across the desert in speeder bikes. Rayner tries to have the Antares intercept them, but Moll and L’ak trigger a massive landslide that threatens to engulf a nearby city. As Moll and L’ak make their getaway again, the Antares and Discovery use their deflectors to completely shield the city.

The True Scope of Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Season

L'ak and Moll at their fence's hideout. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

Kovich concedes that he should tell Burnham what exactly he is having her obtain and lets her know it’s a diary containing information about the Progenitors, an ancient species from Star Trek: The Next Generation . The Progenitors cultivated intelligent life in the galaxy, explaining why there are so many humanoid species around the cosmos. The diary in Moll and L’ak’s possession can lead them to Progenitor technology, capable of reshaping life in the galaxy, making it exceedingly important that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

As Burnham and Book have a chance to compare notes, they acknowledge that something has changed between them, with their reunion not as happy as they had hoped. After reflecting on his place in Starfleet and his relationship with T’Rina, Saru decides he will take the diplomatic position once his mission is completed, with the couple agreeing to marry. Deducing that Moll and L’ak have moved on thanks to Tilly’s research, Burnham leads the Discovery to track down the culprits and confiscate the diary from them.

And that’s a recap of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 1 Recap

Quick links, what happened in star trek: discovery season 5 episode 1, how does star trek: discovery season 5 episode 1 end.

The end is near for Star Trek: Discovery , as Season 5 premieres on Paramount Plus, with 10 more episodes before it's time to say goodbye to the popular spin-off series forever. Fans have had to wait over two long years for this season to arrive, and episode 1 really doesn't disappoint with some jaw-dropping action, and a more serialized story that looks set to end the show on a high.

Sonequa Martin-Green reprises her role as Captain Michael Burnham, alongside Callum Keith Rennie, Doug Jones, Elias Toufexis and Eve Harlow. The story sees an 800-year-old Romulan vessel found by Burnham, and the Discovery is sent to retrieve it, but the artifact inside of it is stolen, which brings about an epic battle to find it, and the prospect of them coming up against some of the most evil characters in the Star Trek universe .

Star Trek Discovery: 5 Biggest Retcons The Series Has Made

Episode 1 of Season 5 is titled "Red Directive" and it opens with Captain Michael Burnham on board an unknown ship.

It cuts to a flashback of the beginning of her night at a reception aboard the Disco celebrating Federation Day. T he Kelpien has some big news: he has been offered a job as a Federation ambassador, but he is conflicted about leaving the Discovery. Vance takes Burnham away to Kovich’s super double secret “Infinity Room” for a briefing about a 24th-century Romulan science vessel which was found at the edge of the Beta Quadrant. She declares the mission a “Red Directive”.

Elsewhere, Vance orders the Antares and the Discovery to head to Q’Mau. Before she leaves, Burnham gets Sylvia Tilly to do some database investigation at Fed HQ to get around Kovich.

The thieves head to the desert planet and find Fred, who it turns out is an eccentric android. He is interested in the puzzle box, which he opens and speedily reads the old journal of Romulan scribbles and diagrams. He offers three bars of latinum in a risky deal. Moll and L’ak choose to get shot, but Fred’s henchmen end up dead, and the synth is left with a big hole in his chest. The Federation arrives too late, but they beam what remains of Fred up to the ship as they split up to find the bad guys.

Back at the Academy, Tilly gets caught hacking, but Vance covers for her, as he’s growing tired of Kovich’s behavior as well. She finds an old recording of a Romulan scientist talking about the secrets he has written in the journal, dropping clues about “twin moons” and an “ancient technology” that “cannot fall into the wrong hands.”

Michael, Book and Rayner head into the desert for a bike chase, while Moll and L’ak get to their ship and plan an escape with the use of some tunnels. The trio debate over how to counter this move, with Burnham warning Rayner that if they order the Antares to close the tunnel, it could trigger an avalanche that could destroy the town.

Rayner decides to take the risk, and avoids an avalanche of epic proportions, but the thieves decide to trigger one anyway. They try to figure out a way to save the town, and figure the only logical solution is to use both ships as giant sand wedges to build a shield wall. However, Rayner isn't convinced about the plan, but agrees to it when she is reminded that Starfleet is all about saving innocent people. The ships save the town, and the locals cheer in relief. However, Rayner doesn’t join in with the celebrations as Moll and L’ak have escaped again.

Disco returns to the space dock and reflects on the day’s events and realizes his future lies with T’Rina. Meanwhile, in sickbay, Hugh and Paul are sorting through Fred’s positronic brain, when Burnham spots a clue that identifies the “twin moons” location, which gives her justification to confront Kovich, who is looking at the wrong planet. He briefs her on what’s really going on. Turns out, t he long-dead Romulan scientist was named Dr. Vellek, and he was present when Captain Jean-Luc Picard found a message left by ancient beings who created “every humanoid species in the galaxy.”

Vellek found their technology and now “the greatest treasure in the known galaxy” is up for grabs and Moll and L’ak are already in line to find it. However, Michael and the Disco are competing with them to get there first.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery recap: 'Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum'

Tension ramps up between the Klingons and the Federation as the midseason finale approaches.

As Star Trek: Discovery approaches its midseason finale — Sunday’s episode was the penultimate installment before it takes a break until January — the show has dabbled in plenty of the franchise’s plot staples. Discovery has devoted episodes to science and to intergalactic strife , to psychological drama and to the manipulation of time itself . But, perhaps because of the new series’ serialized nature, there hadn’t really been a disposable hour — until “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum,” that is. While the episode developed the plot in some significant ways, making it likely next week’s “Into the Forest I Go” will be a doozy, it wasn’t tremendously compelling in its own right.

That’s partly because the Klingons reappeared. So far, the Federation’s adversaries have proved most useful as specters lurking in the galactic background, driving the show through their mere existence. Stiff dialogue, flat performance, and a disjointed story line make scenes with characters like L’Rell and Kol a drag — and there were multiple such scenes in “Si Vis Pacem.”

At the conclusion of “ Lethe ,” Cornwell led a mission to Cancri IV (in Sarek’s stead) to negotiate with the Klingons, who captured her and murdered her companions. Now the admiral is imprisoned aboard the vessel of the Klingon leader Kol, whom L’Rell visits to offer her talents as an interrogator.

But L’Rell — who saved Voq from death at Kol’s hands in “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not For The Lamb’s Cry” — isn’t genuine: When she enters Cornwell’s cell, the Klingon says she wishes to defect and proposes that she and Cornwell escape. The plan goes awry when Kol and a companion see L’Rell and Cornwell walking through the ship’s halls — and to dispel suspicion, L’Rell murders Cornwell. L’Rell drags Cornwell’s corpse to an adjacent room, where she discovers corpses of some of her Klingon allies and swears vengeance upon Kol.

Later, when L’Rell meets with Kol aboard the Klingon vessel’s bridge, the leader chastises her for being “reckless” with their Federation prisoner. L’Rell swears fealty, but Kol sees through her deceit, instructing his minions to “show her how House Kor treats liars.”

In prior installments, thrilling Discovery stories have offset inert Klingon plots. But “Si Vis Pacem” mostly sidelines some of Discovery ‘s most compelling characters — Lorca, Stamets, Tilly, and Culber — in favor of a mission on the planet Pahvo. As Terral, the Vulcan admiral, explains to Lorca at the outset, after a particularly bloody day for the Federation, the mission is of utmost importance. Fine — but that doesn’t mean it makes for great TV.

Burnham, Tyler, and Saru have descended upon Pahvo to harness what they believe to be a crystal structure that’s a naturally occurring transmitter. By modifying its electromagnetic frequency, Starfleet hopes to use the structure to detect Klingon vessels cloaked in invisibility.

Predictably, things don’t go as planned. The Discovery crew thinks Pahvo is uninhabited, but they’re greeted by peculiar, amorphous beings — whom Starfleet’s technology doesn’t register as lifeforms. Saru, a self-described “first contact specialist,” initiates a dialogue with the Pahvans, creating a hairy situation: As Burnham explains, now that they’ve revealed themselves to these sentient beings, they can’t borrow or alter any Pahvan property without receiving consent — including the transmitter they wish to harness.

Initially, that doesn’t seem like it’ll be much of a problem. Saru laments that establishing a vocabulary with the Pahvans has been difficult, but remains optimistic. And in the evening, after Tyler shares his hopes of returning to Lake Shasta, going sailing, and catching fresh trout for Burnham, the two kiss. The whole thing feels like a cosmic campout.

But while Tyler and Burnham sleep, the planet’s noise overcomes Saru, who leaves their shelter. The Pahvans permeate him, and he has a strange dreamlike experience. The next morning, he’s chipper — but takes Burnham and Tyler’s communicators and smashes them, explaining that the Pahvans “have already achieved everything we say we seek through our exploratory and diplomatic efforts.” Saru’s been co-opted by the aliens and has determined the trio isn’t leaving the planet.

In response, Tyler — who asserts his status as commanding officer, now that Saru is incapacitated — instructs Burnham to proceed with the mission to harness the transmitter. She slips away to do so as Tyler distracts Saru, but the science officer sees through Tyler’s ruse and tracks down Burnham. They engage in combat until the Pahvans mysteriously transport Tyler to the transmitter’s site and offer to facilitate communication with Discovery. Saru urges them not to, because they could invite Klingon retribution, but Burnham convinces them otherwise.

Once they’re back aboard Discovery, Burnham talks to Saru, who is no longer under Pahvan influence. The Kelpian explains that he’d “never known a moment without fear” and the freedom associated with that until he melded with the Pahvans. The overwhelming relief was irresistible for him.

As the episode’s Latin title suggests — it translates as “If you want peace, prepare for war” — the Federation’s efforts were futile. The Pahvans try to “bring harmony to discord” at every turn and, as the episode concludes, it’s revealed that they’ve sent a beacon to attract the Klingons. The Pahvans seem inclined to facilitate peace negotiations between the two warring sides — even if such an outcome is more or less unfathomable.

Burnham explains the stakes to Lorca: Discovery is the only real defense the Pahvans have, so the ship must protect the alien planet. As Kol’s ship beams into the planet’s orbit, the credits roll.

With the midseason finale due next week, plenty hangs in the balance. In the short term, how will Discovery fare in battle with Kol? But more generally, what will come of the ship’s spore drive, which has played such a central role so far? In a maddeningly brief scene that’s left unresolved, Tilly confronts Stamets about the toll the drive has taken on him. He explains that the physical cost has been significant, but that he’s kept the health ramifications from Culber, who is both his partner and the ship’s medic. Should Stamets’ ability to power the ship’s spore drive dissipate — particularly as Discovery engages in a key battle with Kol — things could get nasty in a hurry.

Even if “Si Vis Pacem” didn’t live up to the high standard Discovery has established thus far, it set the stage for an explosive installment next week — and, if the season’s track record serves as any indication, the show should capitalize on the drama.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3 ending explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt brings the USS Discovery to Trill for the next clue, but Moll and L'ak may be one step ahead of Burnham.

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

Moll and L'ak are setting a trap on the USS Discovery - Adira may be in danger.
The Progenitors' treasure was safeguarded by six secret scientists in the 24th century.
Commander Rayner struggles to connect with the crew - Burnham seeks answers beyond the treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery one step closer to finding the Progenitors' treasure, but little do they know Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are making insidious moves against them. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 splits the action between the planet Trill and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Renne) and Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) having difficulty adjusting to their new assignments.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) pass a test created by Jinaal (Wilson Cruz) with flying colors. Jinaal was the host of a Trill symbiont who was alive in the 24th century, and he was part of a coalition of scientists, which included the Romulan Doctor Vellek (Michael Copeman) who hid the Progenitors' technology to protect the galaxy. A Trill ritual allowed Jinaal to occupy the body of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and the Trill took steps to ensure Burnham and Book were "worthy" of finding the Progenitors' treasure. However, Discovery's crew may unwittingly be walking into a trap set up by Moll and L'ak.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

What did moll attach to adira at the end of star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3, moll and l'ak are making a move on the uss discovery.

After Jinaal departed Dr. Culber's body and he, Captain Burnham, and Cleveland Booker beamed back aboard the USS Discovery, Moll secretly placed a device on the arm of Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). The Trills were warned by Burnham that Moll and L'ak would come seeking the clue hidden on Trill, but Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis) was certain Trill would withstand any aggressive act. But what the Trill didn't anticipate was Moll, who is human, infiltrating the Trill during their ritual and planting something on Discovery's young Ensign.

32nd-century technology in Star Trek: Discovery is made of programmable matter, which explains why Moll's device disappeared.

The tiny device Moll hid on Adira's arm quickly vanished, but there are a few possibilities for what the tech could be. The device could be a tracker of some sort ; since Moll knows Burnham found the clue on Trill, she could be ensuring that she and her lover, L'ak, will be able to follow the USS Discovery wherever it jumps to next. The device could also be some kind of communicator or a weapon that could incapacitate Adira. It may also be a tiny transporter that would allow Adira to be beamed to L'ak's ship where they could be held hostage.

Moll, who likely was incognito in the Trill caves for the duration of Star Trek: Discovery, probably overheard Adira's conversations with their love interest, Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), and their decision to break up. Adira, who is young and inexperienced, is the ideal target for Moll and L'ak to plant a device on. This may be the end of Adira and Gray's Star Trek: Discovery love story . Their breakup is also an interesting juxtaposition to Moll and L'ak, who are lovers themselves but are committed to each other and are on the same journey, unlike the young Trill and Ensign.

Everything Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Revealed About The Progenitors' Treasure

Great steps were taken to protect the ancient power to create life.

Jinaal provided a wealth of new information about what happened to the Progenitors' treasure after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase." According to Jinaal, in the 24th century, the President of the United Federation of Planets - possibly Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - secretly assembled a team of 6 Federation and non-Federation scientists , including Jinaal and Dr. Vellek. After years of researching the Progenitors' message, they found the ancient technology in a sector of deep space. One of the scientists died horribly when they tried to activate it.

The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology.

The scientists decided to hide the Progenitors' treasure instead of turning it over to the Federation. At this point, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War engulfed the Alpha Quadrant, and anyone could be a Changeling. Jinaal and his colleagues made a pact and lied to the Federation about the treasure while redacting themselves from every database. The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology, eventually creating a series of clues which they determined would deem whoever could find the treasure "worthy" of having it.

Meanwhile, on the USS Discovery, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) decoded Dr. Vellek's Romulant tricorder and learned more about the Progenitors' treasure. Stamets was excited about the applications of the Progenitors' technology, which is billions of years old. The Progenitors could "design new lifeforms, accelerate evolution, modify ecosystems." Stamets added, "If it can create life, then, in theory, it might also be possible to re-animate dead organisms."

The Progenitors' technology sounds like the Genesis Device from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but with even more potential to create - or destroy - life.

Saru Made A Faux Pas About Announcing His Wedding To T'Rina

Saru has a lot to learn about love and politics.

The newly-minted Ambassador Saru performed well in his first delegation meeting about the rising threat of the Breen , but he made a faux pas when it came to announcing his engagement to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). T'Rina's political aide, Duvin (Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon), became concerned about the optics of the President of Ni'Var siding with the Kelpien Ambassador, especially when the news of their engagement becomes public. Saru listened to Duvin and got cold feet about announcing his engagement to T'Rina.

Duvin feared T'Rina's Presidential power weakening among Vulcan purists if she marries an offworlder.

Ultimately, T'Rina made Saru realize that making a public announcement is better than news of their engagement leaking out, which would make it seem like the couple were hiding something scandalous. Saru confessed his inexperience in romance and politics, but T'Rina has enough savviness for them both. Saru and T'Rina's wedding is on, and will likely take place sometime during Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Commander Rayner Will Have Trouble Fitting In With The USS Discovery Crew

Rayner's not looking to connect and make friends on discovery.

Now demoted to Commander as the new First Officer of the USS Discovery, Rayner was ordered by Captain Burnham to meet with and forge connections with the USS Discovery's crew. But Rayner was more interested in hunting Moll and L'ak , and he only met with Discovery's crew members for brief, unfriendly intervals, to the disgust of Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Rayner made no real inroads in connecting with Discovery's personnel, although he paid attention and made insightful observations about each Starfleet Officer.

Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic.

Tilly was right that Commander Rayner, who was on a new ship after an embarrassing demotion, compensated by acting boorishly to hide how difficult it was for him. To Star Trek: Discovery season 5's credit, Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic than the Kellerun Starfleet Officer being welcomed with open arms. Rayner will have a long road to earning the respect of the USS Discovery's crew, and vice versa, although Captain Burnham may not be pleased with how her new Number One alienated himself from her friends and family aboard the Disco.

Rayner explained he purposely kept a professional distance from his crew when he was Captain of the USS Antares.

Captain Burnham Is Searching For Something Bigger Than The Progenitors' Treasure

Michael has big questions she needs answered.

At the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham confessed that she used to find purpose in her missions, but now she is searching for something more. A greater meaning. Jinaal assessed this about Burnham on Trill, and Michael related the same to Dr. Hugh Culber. For Burnham, the Progenitors' treasure isn't just technology that can alter the destiny of the Federation, but it could mean answers Michael is seeking about the meaning of life, itself.

Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound.

Interestingly, Captain Burnham's spiritual journey in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 loosely echoes someone from her adoptive Vulcan family: Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Spock's criminal older half-brother sought God in the mythical world of Sha Ka Ree. Sybok's quest was fueled by his own hubris, but the Vulcan truly did want to see and gain answers from the divine. Michael wants different answers than Sybok did, and Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound than its nature as an action-adventure Star Trek series.

Where The Next Clue To The Progenitors' Treasure Will Take Discovery

Discovery may take a pause in the treasure hunt.

Interestingly, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3's ending, doesn't directly lead to the USS Discovery's next destination after they depart Trill. Captain Burnham told Dr. Culber that the clue Jinaal gave them was being analyzed, but leads to the Tzenkethi system . However, Discovery is stymied by red tape as diplomats sort out the legalities of entering the Tzenkethi system. This could indicate a pause in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt in episode 4, "Face the Strange."

The Tzenkethi were a race that was never seen but was mentioned as enemies of the Federation on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , furthering Star Trek: Discovery 's DS9 connections.

However, it's a safe bet whatever Moll planted on Adira will lead to the next crisis Captain Burnham will have to contend with . With three more pieces needed to complete the map to the Progenitors' treasure and 7 more episodes to go in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Burnham's hunt may take its first, strange detour.

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Star Trek: Discovery recap: Season 1, Episode 12
Tyler — er, Voq — continues to struggle following his unveiling as a Klingon agent in "The Wolf Inside.". Saru, however, prompts L'Rell to aid the ailing human-Klingon hybrid. "I do ...
Star Trek Discovery Recap Season 1 Episode 12
This episode is just chockablock with twists and the promise of more twists to come. A recap of Star Trek Discovery season 1 episode 12 'Vaulting Ambition'.
Star Trek: Discovery season 1, episode 12: "Vaulting Ambition" recap
The episode of the week for January 21 through 27 is "Vaulting Ambition," the 12th episode of the first season of CBS All Access's Star Trek: Discovery. What is Star Trek? That question has ...
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'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 1, Episode 12: Man in the Mirror
Season 1, Episode 12: 'Vaulting Ambition' Now that was a plot twist. I'm not sure it made sense. I don't know how we got here. But revealing Lorca to be the Mirror Universe version of ...
'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 1 Episode 12: "Vaulting Ambition" Recap
Burnham gives Lorca something to numb his nerves when in the agonizer booths. Burnham is worried about facing Georgiou. On the Discovery, Tilly and Saru discuss Stamets' condition. His readouts ...
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 Episode 12
Recap. Aboard a shuttle heading to the Imperial flagship, the I.S.S. Charon, Burnham and Lorca discuss the data Saru was able to decrypt about the U.S.S. Defiant. ... Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 ...
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Tyler/Voq admits he killed Dr. Culber, "a necessary casualty. It dawns on Burnham that Tyler/Voq speaks the truth. Tyler/Voq then attacks Burnham, who is saved at the last moment by Slave Saru. Over on the Discovery, the spores seem to be working. "The veins and muscles of the universe…". Tilly observes.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1A Recap
The first half of Star Trek: Discovery's season 1 has already flown by at warp speed. The first Star Trek television series in over a decade, Discovery has dazzled fans with visual effects that rival the J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek feature films. Set in 2256, a decade before the events of the original Star Trek, Discovery has blazed its own unique creative direction while still honoring the ...
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Watch Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1, Episode 12 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV. "Vaulting Ambition" sticks its landing, skillfully balancing ...
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From $12.99. View. News Subscribe ... it's time to look back at the incredible Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending and recap where we left ... episode of season 2, before the Discovery zooms off ...
Star Trek: Discovery recap: Season 1, Episode 11
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recap: 'Despite Yourself'. The Discovery faces a new paradigm as it embarks on the second half of its debut season. The U.S.S. Discovery returned Sunday night after nearly two months away — for ...
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After putting in so much time and effort to set up some truly compelling plot points, fan theories, and interesting twists, it's disappointing that ultimately most of them don't get the screen ...
Star Trek: Discovery Season Finale Recap
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Recap/Review: 'Star Trek: Discovery' Tries Too Many Connections In
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Star Trek: Discovery Recap, Season 3 Episode 12
Discovery dips its toes in Deep Space Nine territory, and it … kind of works? A recap of 'There Is a Tide…" episode 12 of season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access.
Star Trek: Discovery recap: Season 1, Episode 9
recap: 'Into the Forest I Go'. Starfleet and the Klingons face off in an action-packed midseason finale. "When I took command of this vessel, you were a crew of polite scientists," Capt. Lorca ...
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RECAP
The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery opens with " Red Directive, " where Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious artifact hidden inside a 800-year-old Romulan vessel - but find that they're not the only ones on the hunt. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime.
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 1 Recap
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Star Trek: Discovery recap: Season 1, Episodes 3
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Ending Explained
Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery one step closer to finding the Progenitors' treasure, but little do they know Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are making insidious moves against them. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, the third episode of Star ...

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