‘Discovery’ watch – my thoughts and reactions – Part 57: ‘Lagrange Point’

My line manager Jack said this episode is very good so there we go.

ALSO

what dya mean this is the penultimate episode of the show?!! WHaaaaaaaa-

AH Saru our beloved is back! Aww he brought T’Rina flowers – which makes sense coz he’s a plant nerd. He is briefed on the situation – the rest of the Breen know about Moll’s takeover, and they ‘smell blood in the water’. One of the rivals is determined to capture Moll’s Breen group, to take over their army and strengthen their own position – but that would bring them into the whole Progenitor Tech race. Vance is mobilising ships to go support Discovery but obviously (as is the Trek way) they won’t get there in time to be relevant.

The rival Primarch, Tahal, is the one responsible for killing all of Rayner’s family, so he takes the news in a very vulnerable way which is a really nice tough from the show’s direction – he doesn’t go all masculine and assertive, he looks genuinely upset and traumatised. They’ve repaired their Spore Drive, but not entirely – there is a risk they might not arrive entirely where they want to be, but closer than they would’ve earlier so ……..

Oh they jumped into a black hole. Sure that’s fine … OH …. TWO black holes, well I mean uh ….

They use the gravity of the other black hole or something to help pull them out of the first one and they eventually struggle out. They’ve beaten the Breen, but it must be by minutes, so they don’t have long. The tech is in the ‘lagrange point’ of the black holes (I guess that means like … the middle of them or something). A small cylinder, much like the clue, lies in the middle. It’s the size of a shuttle, but the Breen have arrived and immediately tractor the tech (something which took Discovery at least a minute to find, but I guess bigger ship, bigger sensors – just seems a bit unfair – ah … STO memories unlocked).

The Breen take it on board – they have very much won, but Discovery ain’t giving up.

WOW I was so drawn into the episode I didn’t even realise we hadn’t hit our titles yet …. the second to last time we’ll ever see them.

Moll has the box and the key (the clue), but Burnham was told a phrase by the mindscape that Moll doesn’t have – “a message about building many from the few”Build the shape of the one between the many.”

A very Federation sentiment. Anyway this is now a Heist, and so Burnham lays out the plan that we see bits of on-screen, the set-up that will inevitably go wrong!

“This is crazy! So crazy … it might just work!” (That’s not what is said but it might as well be!)

Tal asks to go on the mission, as they have become familiar with Breen code for the hack. Staments objects, so there’s a moment where Burnham asks Tilly what they think and they consider before vouching for them – but I am sure Tal has been on missions before? Right? I get we’re playing into the new, young, vulnerable person growing coming-of-age type story but I don’t think they’re unproven???

Sadly Rayner is still on the bridge – was … was the actor just not allowed on any other sets???? Rayner asks Tilly to be the acting XO (is there not a 2O???? Tilly’s not even permanent Discovery crew!) which creates a moment of awkwardness between them I’m not sure about – maybe because of the last time they were interacting together during Rayner’s first day only there have been numerous better interactions between them since!?

They are all in disguise as Breen soldiers with replicated armour – a move so simple it’s bound to be the part that fails. They are given ten minutes prep time which is a The Apprentice level of prep to get ready for a plan only just improvised …

Moll opens up the device and gets another Breen to go take a look. He gets sucked in – apparently the device is a dimensional gateway.

The Away Team are forced to beam into a sector with two other Breen soldiers, allowing us to play out another Heist Trope of ‘disguised character acts as a tough superior officer, yelling and scorning someone before ordering them away’. It works (and not too egregiously)!

Tahal is leaving the FedPres on read, as they try to grab their attention so as to delay them from interfering with Discovery’s mission. They form a plan for a delegate to go in an experimental ‘Pathway’ shuttle (speedy boi) to go intercept – a shuttle would be a non-threatening way to force Tahal to either speak to them or at least stop and see what’s up. Saru volunteers – he is obviously the most qualified, but the show instantly wants us to go OH NO BUT WHAT IF HE DIES?!

I mean … the show is ending so he very well might!

Another Breen stops Burnham and Book and (in?)conveniently uses words that aren’t in their database (which I suppose makes sense), but fortunately Burnham recognises one and is able to think fast enough to answer seemingly correctly – their background as a xenoanthropologist coming in to play. Burnham uses this moment to have a talk with Book. Michael, darling, I love you BUT NOW IS NOT THE TIME IS THIS A TIME-SENSITIVE MISSION OR IS IT NOT?!

They say sentiments to each other that … I guess means more to them than it does to me, and Lillie, my kitten, clearly agrees because she walked up whining and then muted my computer using my pedals. But it’s okay because they get interrupted again by some marching Breen having a shift change and Burnham remembers they’re on a time sensitive mission.

Rhys and Tal go bully an ‘ensign’ away from a console. The moment seems odd – the officer ignores Rhys until Tal attempts to reinforce his order – you’d expect a more immediate and snappy response. Maybe I’m reading too much into the direction – or this is a sign that Moll is on to them.

Rayner paces (nervously and noticeably) around the bridge. Tilly points out it’s unnerving the bridge crew, and reassures him he can sit in the Captain’s Chair. In what is a sickenly adorable moment from Rayner, he snipes back that he asked Tilly to be his XO because she’s smart and skilled enough that he wouldn’t kill her if they were trapped together unless she gives him more warm encouragement. The smile that Rayner gives is yet again another example of why Callum Keith Rennie is winning at face acting.

Bravo team have reached the door to the shuttlebay. It’s security locked and guarded so either they get through or … nope, rejected, so Burnham and Book do the oldest trick in the book (yay more Heist Tropes) and fake a fight between them that immediately spins into beating up the guards. They hide the unconscious bodies – I guess we’re assuming the jelly Breen are massively susceptible to concussion and will be unconscious for a while?

The Breen are preparing to send someone in connected with a tether, which seems to snap through too. Book – the experienced smuggler he is – makes awkward small talk with a guard while Burnham sabotages the quarantine field. He … moves on to flirting, for … some reason??? I mean … I guess it’s distracting.

Unfortunately things are about to become more distracting – the missing guards have been noticed, so Moll does wise up now (I guess they weren’t before), and locks things down.

Saru and T’Rina have a moment before Saru leaves – and I like that they discuss the balance between logic, duty, love and emotion in a way which has them agree, rather than the way we’ve seen it in the past where it’s the differences connecting.

Discovery decides they need to buy the Away Team time and so to distract from the distraction they will distract with their own distraction of hailing the dreadnaught. One would thing this would confirm to Moll that they have infiltrates but seemingly Moll buys the distraction and answers. Rayner plays into the fear of Tahul, informing the Breen they will be being joined by Tahul soon. Rayner tries to offer protection but Moll just hangs up, distraction over.

Moll leaves and – I assume transports down to the shuttle bay because as soon as Burnham attaches the transport locks, they are shot at and Moll stops them, ripping off the transport lock. Moll is mocking Burnham and Book, so everyone has time to think of a plan B. Rayner is preparing to evac the team and abandon mission. Burnham gives a double-entendre coded message to Rayner – I think she is telling him to disable the forcefield in the shuttlebay, blowing them all out into space. I was right and everyone is crapping themselves at the gaul of the plan but Rayner goes ahead!

Discovery decloaks and fires all at the shuttlebay. Staments comes up with the exact right maths needed to penetrate the bay, and get everyone out. You can feel the tension as Book and Burnham fight to hold their position for as long as they can. Rhys does some badass fighting to buy them a few seconds before Tal and Rhys beam out. Discovery is seconds from ramming the shuttlebay, so Moll jumps into the portal just before Burnham reaches her.

She then gives a look slightly so unhinged it can only mean one thing:

Discovery rams in and a line of fire and destruction follows. Book is beamed out (and at some point takes the time to change his clothes?) but the device flies into space, where it implodes into the most demonic looking portal I’ve seen in Trek.

Rayner gives his crew a ‘failure is not an option’ speech and takes a seat in the Captain’s Chair.

What is also not an option is me being late for work so uh BYE!

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