I’m really looking forward to the two final episodes. Nothing helps solidify a divisive TV season like a series of plot twists that shake everything up! I am a tiny bit worried they won’t execute the resolutions to the twists the best way (mainly in regard to Voq), but there’s only one way to find out!
We open to a shot of two workers in EV suits repainting the ‘U’ on to the hull of the ship (I love how that’s a priority here – the Klingons have won the war but we definitely need to make sure our branding is correct!). Saru walks into the transporter room and is shocked to see Georgiou there. He orders her transported to guest quarters and confined there, and then threatens the teleporter officer with treason if he tells anyone (woah Saru! A bit harsh there!!!!). The facial expression Doug Jones has Saru do when he calls out Burnham for lying about there being no Kelpians in the Mirror Universe is amazingly on point (and that’s always worth bringing up, considering the amount of prosthetics he’s wearing).
Saru is very understanding (as he should be) of Burnham’s actions as they walk to sickbay. The ship is damaged by the jump back to the Prime Universe. They are heading to sickbay to see if Tyler has recovered (I guess we’re suppose to understand that, rather than ‘Tyler’ being a disguise, they actually did just combine two different people into one being, and so that person is equally the human Tyler as he is the Klingon Voq … I’m not sure if I like that development or not …, it does have the potential of having too neat a resolve). Burnham refuses to see him. Tyler (who isn’t restrained or anything anymore) appears pretty sane, saying he can easily recall Voq’s memories, but doesn’t have any of his personality anymore. Tyler graphically describes the procedure to turn Voq Human. Saru is more than happy to let Tyler be free based on his intuition, even though he is literally a proven sleeper agent. But whatever.
Suddenly a Federation ship appears and without answering the Discovery’s hails, raises its shields, charges weapons and beams aboard (????). I mean two problems here. One: How did they beam aboard when they’re shields are up?? [Actually – correct me if I’m wrong, I think only post-TNG shields need to be down for transport – I seem to remember a forum discussion I read recently which revealed that TOS shields didn’t have that attribute] and two: Why did no one raise shields when they realised they were being boarded?!?! The security on these ships man …
Cornwall beams aboard and utters a code which apparently turns over security access of the ship to her (along with atmospheric flashing lights – coz, tbh, if you could, why wouldn’t you program that in).
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| I’d program my office to make a fancy sound every time I entered if I could |
Sarek mind melds with Saru and gets an in-universe ‘Previously on Star Trek‘. Which is super convenient (though to be fair, Sarek does the same thing in Search For Spock so …).
The titles play and interestingly Jason Isaacs is credited. Bearing in mind he was credited even before he appeared in the first two episodes, but then again so was Shazad Latif, who did in fact appear in those episodes …
Cornwall disintergrates a bowl of Lorca’s cookies (which is definitely poor weapon discipline …) and then rants about being deceived. Cornwall reveals that she has seen wreckage of the Discovery from 9 months prior, which they now believe was the ISS Discovery. They also assume Prime!Lorca was trapped in the Mirror Universe and is assumed KIA. Cornwall says they’ve distributed the discovery Discovery made in regards to how to break their cloak, but it may be too late as the separate Klingon factions have launched devastating attacks throughout. The Klingons are competing for control of the Empire by being the most ruthless. Cornwall commands the crew to keep the knowledge of the Mirror Universe classified and destroyed.
Cornwall, Sarek and Bunrham go to meet Georgiou, who demands to be sent home. Cornwall admits they don’t know how to, so they are left with only being able to confine her humanely. Staments accidentally bumps into Tyler, and Anthony Rapp does a brilliant job with his reaction. The look of pure rage on his face is performed brilliantly. He’s not overly frantic or overcome, as someone who is able to bury his trauma, but that doesn’t stop him exhibiting anger as he chews out Tyler, leaving him with a bitter ‘maybe you’re human after all’ when Tyler confirms the feeling guts him.
Tyler walks into the mess hall and immediately everyone falls silent (in a scene very reminiscent of how Burnham first entered the ship). And of course, Tilly, being the beautiful character she is, goes over to sit with Tyler when he sits on his own. Immediately other members of the crew go to join them and everyone starts chatting normally and I’m not CRYINY YOU’RE CRYING!!! I don’t care if we don’t see a proper resolution to Voq’s character arc, this is A BEATIFUL MOMENT
The ship approaches Starbase One, when Saru’s ganglia flare up. The station is destroyed, with a Klingon crest sprawled on it. Cornwall freezes with shock, causing Saru to order the ship to leave. I really love the looks each character gives to each other in these small moments throughout. The writers have said we will see the characters bond as a crew in these episodes and it’s amazing.
Cornwall goes to see L’Rell – who hasn’t seen her since their attempted torture and escape mission. Cornwall reveals that even though the Klingons are winning, the Klingons aren’t unified like T’Kuvman wanted. She also says that the Klingons haven’t made any demands, so she asks L’Rell when would the War end. To which she reveals it won’t, unless the Klingons are conquered.
Burnham reveals that Sarek was her adopted parent much like Georgiou was Mirror!Burnham’s. Burnham wants Georgiou to tell her how she defeated the Klingons. Georgiou tells Burnham that the reason she saved Georgiou, to make up for letting Prime!Georgiou die, weakens her. Georgiou tells Burnham to destroy the Klingons she needs to attack them at the source.
Cornwall proposes attacking Kronos directly, using the fleet to conduct enough damage that the Klingons would have to withdraw. They will avoid being shot out of the sky by jumping INTO the planet’s cave system. Which is your typical Star Trek crazy. While aesthetically this show is still a way off looking like Prime!Star Trek, it definitely grows more to feel like Star Trek, especially now that Lorca is gone.
Georgiou has requested Sarek’s presence. They discuss Burnham briefly before Georgiou reveals she has more information about how to beat the Klingons, information she knew Burnham wouldn’t use.
Sarek councils, and comforts, Burnham about the events that have transpired with her recently, in particular with Tyler, before giving her a very heartfelt farewell, for a Vulcan.
Burnham worries that it felt final so she goes to speak with Tilly, and they have a very heartfelt discussion about their expectations – again showing how brilliantly Star Trek: Discovery examines its own crew’s nature, rather than new ground. Tilly persuades Burnham that she should speak to Tyler, who does not have much a future, even if its a goodbye.
Staments terroforms a dead moon to grow a new crop of mycellium. Burnham finally meets Tyler. Tyler apologises, but Burnham (very naturally) feels betrayed. Tyler then calls out (????) Burnham for abandoning him even though the other members of the crew have re-accepted him, so why hasn’t she, who knows him the best. Erm … maybe it’s because you’re so close that’s why she feels so betrayed??? It makes perfect sense for her to have been hurt by it more??? Tyler admits that the only reason his conditioning didn’t break through cleanly was because of his love for Burnham. Burnham tells him that him finding himself will be hard, and it’ll be solidarity, and says goodbye and leaves.
Sarek informs Cornwall that the Council has been briefed on their new plan, and they have no choice. Cornwall reveals Georgiou has been made Captain of the Discovery.
For some reason she decides to pretend that this is Prime!Georgiou recently rescued from a prison ship … even though everyone on the Discovery knows they’ve been the the Mirror Universe … So surely it’s much more obvious that she’s Mirror!Georgiou???
Ermmmmmmmm?
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