The Wolf Inside A.K.A. the episode we finally get the reveal we all knew was the case but the writers still went to great lengths to act coy about it! I mean, the title would’ve given it away that this was the episode it is revealed in even if, in the time since the episode broadcast two days ago and today, there wasn’t multiple headlines about ‘THAT TWIST’ and ‘FAVOURITE FAN THEORY CONFIRMED’. Heck the preview for the episode, in typical American fashion, even shows a random clip of Voq from the very first episode that pretty much confirms it before the episode does.
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| Hello yes it’s me – surprise? |
So let’s hope this episode is as strong as the VERY good last week’s.
We open with Staments cradling Culbert’s body and chanting as an engineer, who was fixing a broken corridor, walks in on them. Not sure if they’re still in sickbay, and the engineer isn’t wearing Terran uniform, so not sure if this is real or a vision.
Burnham narrates her discontent around being in the Mirror universe as a Slave ‘Saru’ (although he doesn’t have a name here, being a slave) bathes her. She talks about how she fears the effect of having to act heartlessly will have on her, as she observes an execution where prisoners are beamed into space. She ends by telling Tyler that it’s becoming easier for her to act as one of them, just as she fears. It’s a nice continuation of the identity theme in Discovery. They call each other their tether, which makes me worry that we’re going to get a bit where after he becomes Voq again, the POWER OF LOVE will save him or whatever. I hope not. I hope we get a full irreversible change a lá Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Burnham reveals that she has the data but can’t transmit it, but lies to Saru about meeting his counterpart. Saru in turn doesn’t reveal Culbert’s death to her. The crew seem to believe Staments was the killer, in his addled state, and have him tied down. Tilly demands to help treat Staments as she believes its a spore issue.
Burnham is ordered to perform an orbital strike on a resistance group, but she elects to send a boarding party down to gain intel. And then the titles play which I honestly didn’t even realise we hadn’t had yet. I certainly didn’t miss it.
Burnham speaks to a very traumatised Lorca (Jason Isaacs does a beautiful job at portraying this), saying she doesn’t want to attack the rebels, believing that if she can speak to the Klingon leader about how they formed an alliance with the other rebels, they could use his to make peace at home. It’s a nice justification, because whilst I have no idea how I’d act in that position, it is a fact often missed that, when you think about it, Burnham giving the order to wipe out the rebels makes no difference – if she doesn’t do it, another member of the crew will, therefore she might as well and save face (the original Mirror episode kind of showed this when Kirk refused to bomb a planet).
Tilly tries to revive Staments by connecting him back to the spores. Tyler and Burnham beam over to the planet. They are immediately attacked by rebels. Burnham and Tyler surrender, as we get our first look at an Andorian in Discovery. The revel base uncloaks as they are escorted in. The leader of the rebels is Voq, which is super interesting because immediately Tyler has a reaction. Burnham speaks to Voq about her intentions. Voq brings out Sarek to perform a mindmeld in order to find out if she’s speaking the truth or not. Sarek sees Burnham’s past, and vouches for her. Burnham tries to get Voq to explain how he was able to unite the species (I would’ve thought the need to ally against the Terran Empire was reason enough but okay). Voq starts to speak about Kahless, which starts to trigger Tyler.
Speak of uniting with other species causes Tyler to scream out in Klingon and attack Voq. Voq beats Tyler, but Sarek spares them and again vouches for Burnham, allowing them to receive the fake intel and act out their plan, with Voq evacuating before Burnham destroys the base.
Staments flatlines despite the promise of the treatment, and other Tilly’s objections, Saru orders medical to take over and revive him. Meanwhile back on Shenzhou, Tyler receives more flashbacks as Burnham confronts him, including ones which depict him as … Voq, on the operating table. Tyler finally realises he’s not Ash Tyler. And then he realises he’s Voq.
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| Surprise? |
He tells Burnham he killed Culbert. When Burnham draws his phaser, he reveals he was there when she killed T’Kuvman. When he tells her about how she scratched his eye, she realises its him, as she hadn’t testified about that detail. Voq attacks Burnham, who is saved by Saru and subdued by the guards. His execution is ordered and Burnham does nothing to stop it.
On Discovery, Staments suddenly jerks to life as, in his brain he appears in the forest, where he meets his Mirror self. On the transporter of the Shenzhou, Tyler snarls Klingon at Burnham, who responds only with a punch to the stomach. Burnham beams Tyler off the pad and into space, where he is beamed onto the Discovery and taken under custody. It is revealed that Burnham had hidden the intelligence on Voq’s body.
Burnham wants to leave the ship, but Lorca feels they should stay on the ship until they’re certain they have a way out. Then, a cloaked vessel warps in and destroys the rebels before they had the chance to evacuate. It’s Empress Georgiou.
Because of course it is.
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| … surprise? |
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