Eyyyy we can take screenshots again!!! Found a workaround, so hopefully we can pepper this article with some caption humour!
We start off with Culbert counselling Georgiou on her flashbacks (I don’t think we’ve seen them paired off before so this should be fun!). The best part is how Wilson Cruz alters how he plays Culbert based on who he is speaking with – he recognises Georgiou doesn’t want friendly assistance, so he comes across confrontational and assertive.
Book tells Burnham that his home is in trouble from the Orions, so they go to speak to Vance, who is convinced to allow them to go. Meanwhile Osyraa kills Tolor for allowing his workers to escape.
Oooooooh boi it’s a Jonathan Frakes directed episode. Noice.
Tilly is in her role as XO – something of much discussion in the fandom. A few people pointed out that promoting her made sense as a training exercise, which – yeah I can see that spin on it. Will just have to see it go. I do find it amusing one of her jobs was finding a catchphrase for Saru.
Staments and Tal find the point of origin for the Burn and that there is a signal. It is the song we have heard before. They dig through it, and find a Federation distress signal, which means an encoded message.
Discovery jumps to Booker’s home, where an Orion battlecruiser is 30 mins away. Burnham and Book beam down. Meanwhile Georgiou gets sedated and advancew scanned
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| I wish our x-rays did this |
Mean while on the planet…
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| … we meet the cousins of those things from Avatar |
Book and Burnham are taken by Book’s brother. Georgiou has an episode, we see more of the flashback before she wakes up and storms out. Book and Kyheem argue about how he has old out to the Orions. Kyheem says the Orions want Ryn, a demand they make to Discovery when they arrive. Saru and Osyraa argue about slavery, before she gives him 5 mins to surrender Ryn or she’ll raise the planet.
Osyraa demands Kyheem hands over Book, manipulating him with the idea of his child starving from the locusts that the Syndicate are helping protect them from. When that doesn’t convince him, she starts bombing the planet. When Ryn refuses to tell Saru why he is important to them, Saru decides to defend the planet and recover Burnham. Georgiou meanwhiile hacks into the ship’s computer.
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| A thousand years into the future and they don’t censor the passwords on highly visible public screens … |
She looks like at her medical record and reveals to Culbert, who has caught up with her with security (possibly after learning from his last mistake of confronting a killer on his own), that she knows she is dying. Saru prepares to fire on the Orions, with his crew pointing out this will start a war against the Federation – until Tilly points out they could do so with a non-Federation ship and a ‘rogue’ pilot. Detmer flies out on Book’s ship, with Ryn, As they attack the Orion ship, Grunge jumps onto Ryn’s lap crying, shocking him (he doesn’t know what a cat is) – but he still instinctively holds Grunge and comforts her against him and I approve.
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| This cat is fictional and I would die for her |
Detmer asks Ryn to be brave for a few more minutes, as they both face their fears and she takes manual control to do another pass against the ship.
Kyheem and Book fight on the planet. Book gives him the chance to give him to the Orions – he can’t. Detmer hits the ships weak points and takes it out of combat. The Orions warn Discovery there will be retaliations and leaves. Book and Kyheem combine their empathic abilities, with Discovery’s help, to convince the locusts to leave and return to sea. Ryn tells Tilly the Orion’s secret: They’re running out of dilithium.
WE end on a cute moment of Book expressing an understanding and appreciation of what the Federation stands for and does – the show’s way of affirming it’s current message and path. We are seeing our characters build hope out of a cynical world.
Discovery shows us once again, it is the Trek that we need right now.
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