TV Review: Star Trek: Discovery (2024)

~ Liam

In what should be a long-term project, I plan to watch and review every Star Trek television show and movie in the order that they were released, plus new shows as they are released.

Title: Star Trek: Discovery
Release Date: April 4, 2024 – May 30, 2024
Production Company:  Secret Hideout | Roddenberry Entertainment | Living Dead Guy Productions | CBS Studios
Episodes:  10
Summary/Review:

And so we reach the final season of Star Trek: Discovery.  It wasn’t planned to be the final season, but I think it’s a good decision to end the story here as after one more high-stakes adventure, I don’t think they would be able to up the ante any more.  This season’s adventure is finding the secrets of creating sentient, humanoid life from the Progenitors, as introduced in The Next Generation episode “The Chase.”

Personally I think that quest would be exciting enough for a season arc, but Discovery once again introduces unnecessary antagonists in a pair of couriers, Moll and L’ak.  The show really grinds to a halt any time these two characters get much screentime.  On a brighter note, the crew is joined by Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) a reckless and antisocial officer seeking redemption.  We also get to spend time with some of my favorite characters like Saru, Tilly, Stamets, Culber, Adira, Booker, and Jett Reno. Some other characters aren’t given much time (Detmer and Owosekun are sent off for most of the season, and Gray breaks up with Adira early on).

Discovery will never be my favorite Star Trek series, but it did come into its own in the final three season after the jump to the far future.  Despite a penchant for dramatic plot twists, action for action’s sake, and unnecessary antagonists that I feel cheapen the storytelling, it has always been a well-acted, character-driven show, soso I’m glad that several of their story arcs are completed in a satisfying way.

NOTE: The capsule reviews below the cut presume familiarity with the episodes and contain SPOILERS!

Episode #: 1
Title: Red Directive
Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Writer: Michelle Paradise
Thoughts:

We’re introduced to the season arc and it follows up on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Chase.” I didn’t like the “Ancient Aliens” undertones of that episode, although after meeting the physically strange Species Ten-C, it does fit that so many of the sentient species in our own galaxy are humanoid.  The episode also introduces this season’s aggressive asshole Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie of Battlestar Galactica fame), the arrogant captain of another Federation ship who butts into the Discovery’s mission.  And we meet the seasons’ antagonists, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), a couple of couriers trying to steal the Progenitors’ secret for profit.  They’re not all that much impressive, and Moll looks derivative of every cyberpunk “hot girl” ever.  At least Tilly is back on the ship, although it looks like Saru is leaving!

Grade: B+

Episode #: 2
Title: Under the Twin Moons
Director: Doug Aarniokoski
Writer: Alan McElroy
Thoughts:

On a final mission with Burnham, we get to see “Action Saru” on a planet defended by automated AI.  It’s a nice farewell moment for Burnham and Saru, although hopefully not permanent.  Meanwhile, Burnham and Booker are breaking up.  And Booker is related to Moll? Rayner is punished for his actions in the previous episode, but on the advice of Saru to get a first officer who will push back, she makes him her Number One.  Rayner is already seeming a little more complex than his “aggressive asshole” debut.

Grade: B

Episode #: 3
Title: Jinaal
Director: Andi Armaganian
Writer: Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Wilkinson
Thoughts:

The search for the Progenitors’ message lead the Discovery to Trill.  The consciousness of a Trill symbiont host Jinaal Brix is allowed to occupy Dr. Culbert (which Wilson Cruz performs with great flair) who leads Burnham and Book to the next clue.  The mission turns out to be a test of their worthiness involving attacks by large, insectoid creatures.  They pass.  Oh, and now Adira and Gray are splitting up too!  At least, Saru and T’Rina are able to work through a stumbling block in their relationship.

Grade: B+

Episode #: 4
Title: Face the Strange
Director: Lee Rose
Writer: Sean Cochran
Thoughts:

Moll plants a “time bug” that puts the Discovery into a time loop in which Burnham and Rayner, as well as Stammets are the only ones aware it is happening.  They visit several periods in Discovery‘s past and thematically it shows Rayner the advantages of the closeness among the crew members.  Burnham also has to literally fight against her past self (Steve Rogers style) showing the growth of her character over the course of the show.  It’s a great time loop story and as part of the final season show’s how far Star Trek: Discovery has come.

Grade: A-

Episode #: 5
Title: Mirrors
Director: Jen McGowan
Writer: Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco
Thoughts:

The final season is kind of acting as a “greatest hits” for Star Trek: Discovery.  In this case, Burnham and Book find Moll and L’ak in a wormhole hiding on an abandoned version of the Enterprise from the Mirror Universe. L’ak is also revealed as Breen, kind of a boring uber-militaristic alien people who I thought were created for Discovery, but upon reading up learned that they actually go back to Deep Space Nine.  Either way, they still come across at generic Klingons/Cardassians.  Anyhow, the whole episode is circular with Burnham and Book failing to rationalize with Moll and L’ak and then getting into fights.

Grade: B-

Episode #: 6
Title: Whistlespeak
Director: Chris Byrne
Writer: Kenneth Lin & Brandon Schultz
Thoughts:

A recurring theme this season is Burnham going off on an adventure with one other crew member.  In this case it’s Tilly.  Together they are disguised as Halem’nites, a pre-warp society who have unknowingly been protected by the Progenitors weather-modifying towers.  These towers have become central to the Halem’nites religious beliefs and Tilly enters a race to be able to enter inside them, winning the race along a young Halem’nites named Ravah.  But Burnham has to violate the Prime Directive to save them.  This is a really good and imaginative story that really draws on the best of Star Trek.

Grade: A

Episode #: 7
Title: Erigah
Director: Jon Dudkowski
Writer: M. Raven Metzner
Thoughts:

After a brilliant episode without Moll and L’ak, returning to their story is such a drag.  L’ak is wanted by his uncle Ruhn for a succession to the throne plot.  Blah, blah, blah – yawn.  Ultimately L’ak sacrifices himself so Moll can escape with the Breen.  Now Moll and the Breen are racing against Discovery to find the Progenitors technology.  At least this episode has some good Jett Reno moments.

Grade: B-

Episode #: 8
Title: Labyrinths
Director: Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour
Writer: Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins
Thoughts:

As an archivist, I’m predisposed to love this episode, especially the bubbly archivist Hy’Rell (Elena Juatco).  Of course, Burnham will not be flipping through the pages of a manuscript collection, but enters into a mindscape guided by an AI who resembles Book, where she finds the next clue.  The Breen are hot on their tail and Burnham pulls a pretty cool trick to escape them. Moll stages a mutiny and takes over the Breen ship.

Grade: A-

Episode #: 9
Title: Lagrange Point
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Sean Cochran & Ari Friedman
Thoughts:

Burnham, Book, Adira, and Rhys stage a heist aboard the Breen ship, while Rayner commands Discovery.  Everything that can goes wrong goes wrong and Rayner has to save the day by ramming the Breen ship.  I’ve been a critic of the “action for action’s sake” aspect of this series, but this is an episode where a lot of action works for plot reasons.  A number of things that have been building up over the season are paid off in this episode as well.  And in the cliffhanger, Moll enters the portal to the Progenitors technology, swiftly followed by Burnham.

Grade: A-

Episode #: 10
Title: Life, Itself
Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Writer: Kyle Jarrow & Michelle Paradise
Thoughts:

After many fistfights with Moll, Burnham finds the secret to creating life. And determines that the sentient people of this galaxy are not ready for it, which seems a wise thing to do.  The tech cannot bring the dead back to life, so Moll’s quest ends in futility.  We learn who Kovich really is, except it’s a reference to another show I haven’t watched yet.  Saru and T’Rina are married.  And then we jump to the future where we see that Burnham and Book have lead a happy life and Discovery is taken far away for a final red directive mission.  It’s nice that we get a glimpse of the future but not too much is revealed of the rest of the characters’ lives leaving space open for spinoff series/crossovers.  The final moments of the show are a bit indulgent in saying farewell to the characters, but it is earned as the characters are the best part of Discovery.

Grade: A-

 

Published by Liam

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