Like we did last season, for the run of Star Trek: Discovery season two The Shuttle Pod will again transform into Shuttle Pod At The Disco with weekly podcasts discussing each new episode.
Shuttle Pod At The Disco – Season 2, Episode 3 – “Point of Light”
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 3
This week Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss “Point of Light.” There were lots of narrative threads to keep track of this week. We got to check back in with L’Rell and Tyler and get some classic Klingon politics. Poor Tilly breaks down on the bridge, and Amanda brings Michael a new piece of the puzzle to finding Spock. Oh yeah and Georgiou, now in the employ of Section 31, pops up too.
Amongst my many caveats, one of the things I did like about this show was the effective framing of the communications sequence above, which worked well from both a character and technical standpoint. Nice work, Discovery.
I too loved that shot! I particularly liked the smoke that bleeds between the two spaces, and the fact that her couch is partially in his world. I thought it was a great way to highlight the similarities and dissimilarities between the two of them.
Yes, the shot was well done but it felt totally out of place in Star Trek. It took me out of their universe.
SMDH god forbid Star Trek use quality cinematography and clever framing devices!
Except it wasn’t quality cinematography or clever framing. It was a tech that was totally out of place in the time frame and makes no sense to use given the situation to begin with even if it wasn’t.
I’d argue it was pretty clever.
They started apart from each other, ghosts in each other’s rooms. Then, as they reconnected, the sets merged, and neither was a hologram anymore. When they said goodbye, they became holograms again, and faded away.
I didn’t like the episode, but that part worked for me.
It would have worked had they been “dream talking” or some other like form. But as a standard communication? No. It took me completely out of the scene. Also I’m not feeling those two as a couple either (due to the idiotic Klingon to Human dna change) so that doesn’t help.
You’re letting your continuity nitpicks create a bias in how you enjoy the objective quality of the filmmaking. One can complain that the ships look like pre-TOS, for example, but you can’t say they’re not well designed for what they are.
We only ever had Sloan’s word that Section 31 had no buildings or substance in the real world. He had every incentive to lie. He wanted Bashir to stay in his mind as long as possible, and he wanted to throw them off the trail of the actual organization before he died, so he told Bashir that he would never have another opportunity to take down the organization.
I don’t think that it breaks canon to have an S31 starship. I mean, how did they get around space? By hopping from starship to starship like a space-faring parasite? That’s counterproductive IMO. I can’t imagine Sloan hitchhiking his way across the galaxy in order to reach a critical juncture in a mission.
And you’re right–Sloan was capable of great duplicity.
I can’t imagine Sloan hitchhiking his way across the galaxy in order to reach a critical juncture in a mission.
He doesn’t, he uses his fake credentials as Starfleet Intelligence to use whatever vessel serves his needs at that point in time.
But let’s say S31 have a few ships at their disposal just in case. They sure as heck shouldn’t look obviously unique, like what we saw in this episode of Discovery. They should be as inconspicuous as possible, say a run-of-the-mill cargo ship or a basic light cruiser or something. Now on the inside they can be tricked out, but they can’t appear to be unique in anyway from the outside or from other ships’ sensors.
My notes as I’m listening to this…
I’m feeling the same regarding having a hard time with Michael part of the Sarek family. I also agree that it is an interesting concept. But none of that has been tapped. And they still need a Sybok reference.
So L’Rell said this was a brand new ship. Perhaps this is a nit pick but Enterprise encountered a D-5 140 years earlier. I guess that would just be the latest in the series. But only 2 new models in 140 years?
Superficially I was fascinated with the TNG Klingons because it was the first time their society was fleshed out. Even if it was just the warrior caste we were seeing. In fact, that was an assumption I personally made as there was no way this society could exist with only warriors around.
The holographic communication worked far better in TLJ than it does here. It just sits wrong with me.
Speaking cloaking, I have to say that it’s another wrong thing that Klingons had cloaking tech in that time frame. And if Sec31 has it or something like it then why would Kirk 12 years later be ordered to abscond with one a Romulan one?
Control just makes me think of Get Smart. If they use it for some sort of regular thing it will be impossible for me to take Sec 31 seriously. Great news to hear that the Sec 31 show has yet to be green lit.
The reason I thought for the flashing lights in the marathon was as a warning to the crew in the halls that runners are about to blow through. Didn’t the computer voice actually say that? I felt it was obvious it was the spore because the scene was referenced in the opening “previously on…” I don’t think the not talking to the spore thing was a nit pick. It was a plot error. It was definitely a non-Trek thing to do. SOMEONE would have thought to ask it what it wants. What is more of a nit pick is I agree and did wonder why Burnham was still bunking with Tilly.
Funny how the podcast for the episode is some 10 minutes longer than the episode itself.
As for 2 models in 140 years, the Klingon Bird of Prey was in use for around 100 years on screen, I believe. It makes sense, as I can imagine the Klingons being a people that would upgrade weapons, but might not care about design changes.
That’s assuming on-screen sizing is just creative license, isn’t it? Otherwise the BoP that we see in TSFS would barely even be visible when squaring off against the -D in Yesterday’s E and GEN. The original BoP is what, less than 100 meters? Would be pretty tiny unless right next to a 2000 ft starship. Maybe they just have a pantograph system to enlarge all components equally? That’s a scream.
Sizing or not, it’s still the same design.
Control is also the name of the head of MI 6 in LeCarre’s Smiley novels, which is probably where GET SMART pinched it from. DS9 stole pretty much all of the second s31 show from LeCarre’s THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, every character reversal, but I never give that ep crap because I like it so much.
Yep we mention LeCarre in the podcast.
I almost mentioned Get Smart (I had it my notes for the podcast) but decided not to, the LeCarre idea is more fitting to how it seems like they may be using it in Disco. But I do love Get Smart.
“I almost mentioned. . .” In other words, you missed it by that much. 😊
Perfect. You sir win the article’s comments for the day!
Reading posts this morning and I would have make that joke had I been on line last night!
I was desperately trying to find someplace where I could chime in with ” … and LOVING it!” another Classic Smartism.
:-D
Great podcast as always, guys. But I’m not following how the Albino couldn’t become notorious by the age of 33. Plenty of criminals and warlords from history have done that. Al Capone for example.
Not saying it’s impossible. The age isn’t really a major factor in-and-of-itself. What I was saying is that he’d have to have left the monastery, an exclusive place where few beyond the most devout even go (so even getting a ride off the planet would be hard), and for whatever reason he’s motivated to become a pirate against his own people, and once he gets out in space he needs to have had enough time to make a reputation for himself by the 2290s.
Okay… he learns about his true origin, murders a priest, fakes a distress call, takes over the ship, and joins a gang of space pirates. All before lunch. ;-)
Fair enough.
That brings up another issue though, that I didn’t really get into. How would he learn about his true origins? next to no one even knows who he is at this point. Kol-Sha and Ujilli are dead. L’Rell sure won’t be telling people, and neither will Tyler. He basically abandoned his baby on the doorstep of a monastery.
Hmm, good question. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to learn his origins in order to hate Klingons. Growing up in a monastery might be stressful enough.
“How would he learn about his true origins?” – well that’s a story that’s yet to be told (if he is indeed the Albino of DS9).
In terms of speculation –
He’s an albino so he’ll get the same discrimination and ostracisation as his father regardless of whether he’s with priests or not. So there could be an element of antipathy towards his own race in general.
If circumstances change L’rell or Tyler could easily reveal his true origins. And if L’rell or Tyler are killed by Klingons that antipathy and hatred could possibly only harden. Or he could hate his parents for abandoning him.
Georgiou, Leland, and Section 31 already know about him/origins and being the unscrupulous bunch they are, they could easily reveal that information or use him as a tool for their purposes when the time is right.
If it is the same Albino, we still don’t know why he vowed to kill each of the first born of Kang, Kor, Koloth. It’s obviously for a major reason, could they kill his parents down the line? The most interesting point is the method of killing utilised by the Albino on the children – a genetic virus. That’s something straight out of the Section 31 playbook much like what Sloan did to Odo and the Great Link.
Pretty sure it’ll be a story thread for the Section 31 series to pick up on.
Can’t there be more than one albino Klingon in the universe? Why does this kid HAVE to turn out to be that character? I don’t see the logic of that.
Also … are we 100% sure the Albino (meaning the character in “Blood Oath”) actually IS Klingon? He doesn’t look all that Klingon to me, to be honest. Doesn’t speak much like one, either; or dress like one. Or act like one.
Also … are we 100% sure the Albino (meaning the character in “Blood Oath”) actually IS Klingon?
Not at all. It’s totally just fan speculation. The episode never said what species he was. He just looks vaguely Klingon.
I watched the episode recently (watching along with Mission Log) and it didn’t even occur to me that he was Klingon. Then I was hearing people talk about it like it was a given and I thought maybe I’d just missed something.
We’re just having a bit of fun speculating how it would fit if he was the Albino. He was only a one-off character anyway. It’s nothing to be taken seriously.
Some fans do seem to be taking it seriously. The idea that he might be some kind of Klingon subspecies or mutant has been floating around since the episode aired as I recall. So this just connects to those 25 year old fan ideas for them.
There’s even a novel that uses that idea, which of course is non-canonical
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Albino
Interesting. Thanks, Matt!
A quick jump back to Season 1. While it was technically magnificent (aka, PURDY!), it was tonally lost. No, Spock is not a survivor of emotional trauma. His internal conflict comes from his duel heritage (and some a-holes at school). I don’t fault the actors, but I’m done done done with Voq & L’Rell. And dead baby heads?? WHO thought that was a good idea?
“His internal conflict comes from his duel heritage (and some a-holes at school).”
It couldn’t possibly be more than that could it? Nah. It’s only what we’ve seen before, they can never add to canon.
They can, but they shouldn’t, especially if they’re going to do it as poorly as they’ve done it so far on this series.
Indeed, it’s the quality of the production. This Spock is shaping up to be virtually identical to far too many teen-oriented characters in plot-lite emo shows.
…which is exactly how I expected they would depict him.
Section 31 = Psy Corps.
An idea best left for “Babylon 5.”
Probably why I had trouble taking it seriously on DS9.
A captain who’s stationed on a space station isn’t a captain. Captain is a position, not a rank, though it’s the only position that’s able to override rank. That’s why Sisko was called Commander until he was given command of a ship during the Dominion War.
TL;DR If you don’t have command of a ship, don’t call yourself “captain”.
It’s worse than dumb, it’s a mistake. Star Trek knows better.
Yep. As we said in the podcast, what they did just doesn’t make sense.
Captain is a position, not a rank
Actually it’s both. But yes, you’d call yourself the commander of the station.
I feel much appreciation to everyone for these podcasts. I enjoy your breakdowns of the episodes and the Easter eggs I might have missed. I find delight in the different viewpoints and different areas of expertise each of the four of you brings to the discussion. As soon as an episode of Discovery is over, I eagerly await the following Wednesday to hear what you all think. So please know that this comes from a place of love.
*Stamets voice* Matt, repeat after me. I will say …
“I will say …”
fewer things.
“fewer – oh.”
The strength of the Shuttle Pod is in the chorus, but this week felt like a solo. Matt, I enjoy your impressive knowledge of cannon and insightful observations. Just don’t forget to invite the other three (or two) hosts to give input often and then remain quiet for a time while they do. 🙂
A little behind-the-scenes bit about that day — I was asked to kind of help carry the show. The other two guys didn’t have as much to say and were tired (we’re all in different timezones), and Kayla was unavailable.
Under normal circumstances I try not to dominate (though don’t always succeed).
We hope to have one or two more staff members as alternates in a case like this week, when people weren’t feeling it, they could opt out, but haven’t quite gotten there yet.
Heard, and I apologize.
Oh no need to apologize. How could you have known? :-)
Just wanted to be sure you knew it was purposeful, I’d hate for listeners to think I stomped on “the chorus.” I’m sure the other Shuttle Pod members will appreciate your kind words about their input too.
What Matt said.
🙂