Burnham recounts in a log of her year what she has learnt and done. She explains how she let Discovery go in order to move on, and we see her growth over a year, and her bond with Booker. We see the moment she gets signal that Discovery was found and the moment she beams back onto the ship for the first time in a year. It’s an emotional scene I teared up. Georgiou watches from a distance and walks off after Burnham smiles at her.
She fills the crew in on the Burn, and the death toll of millions. Burnham tells Saru he’s the rightful captain of Discovery, which he humbly submits. These are all such wholesome scenes I love it.
Oooh and this episode is directed by Frakes so I’m expecting great stuff!
Tilly and Burnham share a moment as Tilly accepts never seeing anyone or anything she’s ever known. “Cake is eternal”, Burnham assures her. Tilly comments Burnham seems lighter, and it’s nice she had a year’s character growth, it seems genuine. I like there’s this awkwardness from the time apart. Booker is greeted by Georgiou, and they have this cute meta-exchange about Burnham before he goes to collect the dilithium he was promised.
Saru and Burnham chat about her growth and her change, and her refusal of captaincy. Booker comes on board, hiding the dilithium in his ship. It’s a bit weird how at home he feels on a ship hundreds of years old, as the crew jump to Earth. Earth is obviously like ‘woaaah what’s happening here, who are you, why does literally nothing about your ship make sense’ and honestly I hope they just feel the need to come clean about being from the past soon otherwise this is gonna get old quickly like I’m struggling to accept suspension of disbelief that you can fake being from the past in the future this well. Their security team immediately board the ship as Burnham takes Booker to get into a uniform. They have a good chemistry as Georgiou and Burnham get used to being into a uniform again and discuss their place on the bridge.
Georgiou clocks on that Burnham feels like a stranger on her own ship. The Earth Defence Captain explains the Federation and Starfleet aren’t on Earth anymore, as Earth has separated from the Federation. Apparently the excuse that they are ancestors of the original crew is … believable and not easily debunked.
Raiders arrive and threaten Discovery as their request to come to Earth is rejected. Tilly and Staments discover sabotage as Burnham and Booker take the dilitihum in an unauthorised plan.
GRUDGE APPEARS YES WHAT A GREAR CAT
Discovery takes the hit for Booker’s ship, as Burnham puts her plan to action and (somehow) kidnaps the raider captain, delivering him to the Discovery bridge. Saru mitigates a discussion between the raider and the Earth Defence Captain, as they discover the raiders are humans.
Staments confronts the saboteur, who reveals they were fascinated with the ship and wanted to learn more so they can join the ship, saying they know the Starfleet officer Discovery is tracking.
The raider reveals they used to be from the Titain colony until an accident ruined their living enviroment. After feeling abandoned by Earth, they responded by becoming raiders. Saru and Burnham negotiate a peace between the two groups, bringing their Starfleet ideals to the future.
Adira, the saboteur reveals she is has a Trill symbiote, and is the new incarnation of the Starfleet officer Discovery is tracking. However as Adira is Human, she has difficulty accessing the information. Burnham accepts the XO position on the ship, as Booker leaves for his new life. The crew visit Earth during leave as Saru and Burnham observe from above. The bridge crew visit a tree they knew 900 years ago, albeit much bigger, which is a cute moment as they absorb the feeling of Earth again.
I like where this season is going. Whereas the last two seasons used the setting to give a more grounded cynical retrospect of human nature, after that grounding we are now able to take these ideals of the past and use it to depict the best parts of the Federation in a Federation-less future. How better to display the ideology again then to essentially rebuild the Federation. The message of diplomacy, trust and cooperation over fear is certainly a needed one.
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