“Jinaal”
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 – Debuted Thursday, April 11, 2024
Written by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Wilkinson
Directed by Andi Armaganian
Strong performances and fun moments of lightness and lore make up for a mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode.
Yes, you can come on the mission… to the friend zone.
WARNING: Spoilers below!
RECAP
“Connection isn’t a skill, it’s a choice.”
As Discovery preps to head to Trill for the next quest clue, the crew settles into their season positions. Culber and Book brief the captain on the adversaries, with new details on Moll thanks to Book recognizing a personal connection in the previous episode. Michael’s felonious ex is trying hard to get his life back, so he really wants in on the Trill landing party even though he isn’t Starfleet—as if that has ever stopped them before. Adira and Tilly have identified a Trill spots pattern on the map puzzle piece found last week, leading them to a 24th-century Trill named Jinaal (episode title alert), and maybe his Bix symbiont is still around. Former Captain—now Commander—Rayner comes aboard, and Burnham orders her new first officer to get to know the crew whether he likes it or not. As for Stamets, he continues to be a bit lost, so he’s focused on trying to unlock the secrets in Dr. Vellek’s old tricorder, ignoring Adira’s clear discombobulation over seeing Gray again. It takes Reno going full “woo-woo a-hole” to snap spacedad out of it. So things are more or less running smoothly until they arrive on Trill, when Guardian Xi goes full Monty Python bridge-keeper. Thankfully, Michael answers the riddle quickly (it’s Betazed!) and she pops down to the Caves of Mak’ala with Adira, Culber, and (of course) Book… where they meet what may be the oldest Trill ever.
Kalzara Bix tells the gang she has been waiting nearly her whole life for a “worthy seeker.” For more questions, they can ask Jinaal directly via that Trill ritual we all remember from DS9. Culber steps up as a temporary vessel since “Emotionally overwhelming is what I do best.” Et voilà, Hugh is a whole new man, who immediately comments about how he really works out (someone has been tracking his Gram). This very jaunty Culber-Jinaal says the next clue is nearby, and today is a great day for a walk, so he takes Burnham and Book with him. Upon their arrival at the canyon, Jinaalber opens up with some exposition about himself, Dr. Vellek, and four other scientists who found the Progenitor tech but decided it was way too dangerous to hand over to the Federation in the middle of the Dominion War. So they created a fun quest, planting a “path” of clues to be followed. He’s skeptical the 32nd century is ready for the awesome power (despite Starfleet’s snazzy new uniforms), but Michael makes the case that the good outweighs the bad. BTW, they are being hunted by giant “Intronok” predators, so the quasi Trill recommends phasers ready. Once they arrive at the clue’s location, a plasma-spewing monster gets in their way… and Hughbix peaces out. Dude!
You two go ahead… I’ll just strategically hide behind you.
“We literally used to be connected.”
Back at Starfleet HQ the newly minted Ambassador Saru is settling into his new office with a little help from his Vulcan fiancé. They plan their wedding announcement before heading into a resource meeting, where he successfully argues for more allocations to the small worlds he represents, forging a compromise with others who are worried about the Breen (hmm). T’Rina’s aide Duvin takes Saru aside to say he is concerned about how the wedding announcement will impact delicate Ni’Var politics, but when the Kelpien brings this up with his beloved, she doesn’t take it well. “What would have given you the impression that I am in need of a caretaker?” she asks. Ouch. Navigating Federation diplomacy (and a starship) was a lot easier than understanding a Vulcan heart.
On the Disco, Saru’s replacement isn’t having it any easier. For some reason, temporary science consultant Tilly is organizing Rayner’s one-on-ones. He really doesn’t want to do them, but agrees for the sake of “crew cohesion” and gives everyone “20 words” to reveal something interesting about themselves. Cue the montage as we learn fun new tidbits for the folks at Memory Alpha to add to the pages for Rhys, Christopher, Linus, Pollard, et al. When Stamets shows up and actually shows some enthusiasm for the first time this season (he was able to crack Vellek’s PADD), Rayner practically ignores him and Tilly has finally had enough. She lets the new XO know he is being a giant… well she ran out of her 20 words so we will have to fill in the blank.
One person who misses out on this (not) quality time with Rayner is Adira. They are busy reconnecting with Gray on Trill, who is loving life as a trainee Guardian. Now that each of them has their own body, they realize they both have been growing apart and following separate paths. So season 5 gets its second breakup following Mike and Book… could T’Rina and Saru be next? Noooooo.
What do you mean, no diving?
“Analyzing is not the same as connecting.”
Back to the important stuff, Book tries his glowing forehead empathy connection but all he gets from the monster is that it’s “really pissed off.” Duh. In a replay of the action from last week, Book does some distracting under fire while Michael heads to the rock with the clue symbol on it to get the big prize. Things do not go as planned, and he gets hit. They are pinned down as a second monster shows up. But the creatures aren’t looking at the Starfleet duo as food, just protecting their nest of monster eggs. Aww. Time for Plan B. Michael again remembers her xenoanthropology and holsters her phaser, showing respect to the now calming Intronoks. Book does the same and communicates they just want to leave as they slowly back off… and soon enough they find Dr. Hugh Jinaal casually lounging on a rock, quipping, “I see you survived.” Michael sorts it out: He drew them to that nest after suggesting they arm phasers. By connecting instead of shooting, they passed another test. He was willing to let them die just to see if there was “goodness” in them, but they survived, so they win the prize: the clue and the second map piece, hidden under a totally different rock. Sneaky Trill.
After Culber gets swapped back he heads back to the ship to decompress from a big day of being possessed. Michael catches up to him in the lounge, where they contemplate the spiritual implications of the journey they are on, seeking the technology of the gods. Tilly is also there, and Rayner arrives to let her know he gets it—there is some value in showing respect to the people under his command. Oh and back at HQ, Saru apologizes to T’Rina for Kelpiensplaining Vulcan politics, and she’s totally cool about it, so they’re fine. Things wrap up in the Trill caves with Bix returning to the symbiont pool and Adira and Gray saying goodbye as well. But wait, what’s that? It’s Moll! Disguised as a Trill, she surreptitiously puts something onto Adira’s sleeve before the ensign beams back to the Disco. Dun dun duuun!
What about a four-shift rotation?
ANALYSIS
Connect 4
After two strong episodes, things are more mixed for episode 3. The blend of plot, character, and action was not as finely balanced, mostly due to carrying the load of four separate storylines. This kind of multi-POV storytelling has always been a challenge for Discovery, but there were some big highlights that kept the episode a winner overall. The MVP is Wilson Cruz, who finally got the opportunity to step out of his Hugh Culber and play a different character, a time-honored Trek tradition. His Jinaal was believably a unique individual, down to his speech pattern and gait, with a clear motivation. This storyline tied into all of the others with the not-very-subtle theme of connection; however, there was a more nuanced exploration for Culber and Burnham about the season’s bigger questions about science and faith that was more interesting. And the riddle for passage bit was a nice classic quest beat, evoking ancient adventures. The action sequences felt a bit repetitive after last week, but they made up for it with some fun as Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala again demonstrated their playful chemistry.
The Rayner storyline was also a high point. He continues to be a great addition to the show, bringing all sorts of Jellico, Lorca, and even some Shaw vibes, but still being his own man (sorry, Kellerun). Callum Keith Rennie and Mary Wiseman showed they have their own delightful dynamic. It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy), but all of these scenes were still refreshing as we got to add little bits of dimension to members of the crew from Linus’ pride over three clutches of eggs to Rhys lusting over the fine curves of old Constitution classes… and the gruff-off between Rayner and Reno was all too brief. But there was a point to all of this, showing welcome growth for both Rayner and Tilly and the rest of the gang too, although it is not clear why the new characters of Gallo and Asha had to sub in for Owo and Detmer.
Contemplating the meaning of life?… Or if he can skip leg day?
Things started going off the rails with the Saru and T’Rina storyline, which started to feel like an unnecessary distraction. Giving him this new post as ambassador is a good way to shake things up as well as to do some world-building for the show, something that may prove useful for the upcoming Academy series as well. But instead of Federation West Wing, things got more alien I Love Lucy with Ambassador Saru having some ‘splaining to do. Doug Jones and Tara Rosling did their best with the material but the rigmarole about their marriage announcement was low stakes at best, even if this bit about Vulcan purists is setting something up for later. As for the Gray and Adira storyline, it felt like this was mostly just going through the motions, but at least it established that Adira is now fully independent, confirming their new agency. Blu del Barrio’s performance was grounded, making all of this more relatable. But trying to balance these two extra storylines definitely did not help the episode when it came to pacing.
Even with all these character stories, there was some season plot development. We learned key bits about Moll, while L’ak remains a mystery, but that’s okay for now. The origins of the quest are also coming into focus with the story of the six scientists and a reasonable explanation for why they can’t just jump to the end. It feels like we will learn more about the other four scientists as we pick up more pieces of the map. And there was also a bit more worldbuilding as another hint of a coming Breen threat was mentioned. And dare we hope the mention of the Tzenkethi means we will finally see them in canon? Fans were rewarded with plenty of nods to lore, with the main plot structured around the Zhian’tara ritual from DS9’s “Facets,” and the addition of new Trill canon. Nods to Tongo and Bynars along with deeper cuts to Selay, Vavinit plants, cabrodine, Slug-o-Cola, bore worms, and more should have resulted in plenty of Rick Dalton meme moments, especially for Deep Space Nine fans. While it all seems like a lot, these were mostly Easter eggs to reward fans without turning into the dreaded “fan service.”
Now on the runway, Ambassador Saru sporting the new Diplomacy in Blue line.
Final thoughts
Even with all the juggling, episode 3 still was self-contained while carrying on the serialized story. While not as strong as the first two episodes, season 5 still remains entirely entertaining. The show has nicely pivoted with clearer themes, a fun tone, and better connections to lore while still servicing the characters and their emotional stories.
You can really taste the algae.
Bits
- A USS Locherer could be seen at Starfleet HQ, named in honor of camera operator J.P Locherer, who passed away in 2022.
- The previously unnamed bar lounge is called “Red’s,” possibly named for the Ferengi bartender, who got their first line in this episode.
- The Osnullus bridge officer’s name is Lt. Arev.
- Lt. Christopher confirmed that Lt. Commander Nilsson has been reassigned to the USS Voyager-J.
- Christopher also reassured Rayner his pet tribble (a gift from Nilsson) was neutered.
- The Trill canyon was shot at Lafarge Quarry, which Discovery (and Strange New Worlds) have used before on a few occasions.
- Trill spots are as unique as human fingerprints, as are Saurian dorsal ridges.
- In addition to the Selay, the ambassador meeting also included a Facian.
The Selay ambassador is upset this committee doesn’t warrant those cool floating chairs.
More to come
Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.
The fifth and final season of Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria. Discovery will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.
Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
I really enjoyed this episode it had alot of character moments/growth and it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter.
Wilson Cruz was on fire this episode as he really pulled off the charcter of Jinaal.
Raynar is still a bit of a jerk but hopefully what Tilly said to him get through to him.
Looking forward to the next episode and i hope we get to see the Tzenkethi.
“it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter.”
Wow, you don’t read that very often .
This made me smile some. Thanks.
I enjoyed this one, but anyone else thinking animals that can cloak themselves are becoming a bit too common?
I think in this era, current showrunners meet and share an idea and are tempted to grab it for another show. Synths, Picard and Discovery. Copy and Paste Starships, Picard and Prodigy. From previous shows is more natural, but for current productions is amusing.
It was more of a “cut and paste” Trek story idea. They watched the Devil In The Dark..Oh yeah! they’re protecting the eggs! That’ll satisfy the dumb Trekkies.
And even there the Horta was not just some animal. Spock even commented that it was not behaving like one at all.
The thing is, these are animals. In fact, they came across as borderline insects. They should not be reacting like a sentient being would. They would only be operating on instinct. There is no reason whatsoever they would let Book and Burnham go. They simply wouldn’t comprehend anything beyond ‘these creatures are near our eggs’.
Now if they were a sentient being who share the planet with the Trill, that would be another matter. But that’s not how they were presented to us.
See, using Dax here would have been perfect. Imagine it; Jadzia Dax finding the Progenitor tech with Vellek.
I feel this season they want to avoid all kind of risks. I would also would love to see Dax. But for sure, critics will complain about it.
Yeah.
Hitchcock said, “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out” – I think this was a wasted opportunity to not reintroduce the Dax symbiont and give Discovery an intimate connection to the greater Star Trek universe. For those who say it’d just be fan service: how does the ISS Enterprise get a pass , but a Dax at the Trill pools is jumping the shark? Just saying, it wouldn’t have been dull. And yes, if a quahog can live for hundreds of years in the ocean, I think Dax can survive 1,000 years in Hugh Hefner’s former grotto.
An unnamed Romulan played by an unknown extra being given more importance than Jadzia Dax is weird…
I don’t think that’s weird. It speaks to a greater universe than just the named characters in the opening credits of those shows we know. Those on the periphery, they’re people too.
After the way Jadzia was unceremoniously killed off, though, she deserved better. This was a chance to increase her importance.
Add to that that by having her in Discovery in one form or another it would have really tied up several Trek series since she was also present during TOS twice; once as the host of the Dax symbiont at the time and again during Trials and Tribble-lations.
This.
With the potential era of the initial investigation being the Dominion War it would’ve been awesome for Dax to be revealed as one of the scientists. It’s give her a stronger legacy than being killed by possessed Dukat.
Exactly. Having her literally take the secret to the grave would have been perfect.
I’d love to see Dax too, but I think it would have just been to unbelievable for Jadzia to have taken a sabbatical from DS9 during the Dominion War (and right after her wedding) to go on a secret mission with a bunch of scientists to set up an elaborate quest.
What about after the Dominion took over DS9? That is a large-enough window of time for her to have been off on such a mission.
I can’t see her leaving the Defiant at such a critical time.
Or Starfleet letting one of its officers most experienced with the Dominion/Jem’Hadar go off on sabbatical in wartime. But then again, Sisko did exactly that a year later.
The timetable would have been hard to work, as Jadzia was seen throughout the Dominion War on DS9 and wasn’t off on some quest for weeks/months.
Great episode. I really enjoy the new tone/vibe/pace of the show. The script as well. Big improvement from previous seasons.
We used to watch these relationship dynamics in almost every episode of Star Trek, but what I watched in this episode, reminds me STNG and DS9, with Discovery fast pace.
Really like these relationship/character growth balance between scenes. Great lines for Tilly, the writers nailed it giving all characters exactly what they needed.
Three great episodes. Can’t wait for episode 4.
Totally missed to add…great GREAT ending. They are wrapping up each episode nicely!
Didn’t we see Lt. Commander Nilson in a Twitter post?
After the exciting first 2 episodes, this one was a letdown.
I have to agree that this episode turned out to be a “mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode”.
Also, I’m still not liking the very unprofessional vibe of Discovery’s crew. That ship literally has no command structure as evidenced by Tilly’s example. It really destroys any feeling that they are even a Starfleet crew. But this is Discovery so whatever, I guess.
I hope the next episode is more coherent.
but they connect and feel and live their own truth so – like, that’s just your opinion man….
I can only speak from my experience, but when I was an Air Force officer, our unit’s general vibe was pretty similar to what we see on Discovery. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we had “no command structure” but things were pretty loose. As a matter of fact, we tended to get a bit annoyed when someone acted “too military”. I can give you an example: myself and another second lieutenant were walking into our wing HQ building when we passed a guy who had just “pinned on” first lieutenant. He demanded we salute him and we just kind of told him “c’mon, man” and went our way, because there’s just no real distinction between a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant. Broadly, lieutenants and captains (at least the ones a few years out from making major) tend to view each other as peers.
I guess I am too used to what has previously been shown on TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT as the standard of professional behavior on Starfleet ships, that the loose and casual office behavior on DSC seems out of place.
I Get it can be relaxed, as Will is relating.. but it’s not always one or the other. I woul like to see more nuance in all characters. Tilly doesn’t always need to be always funny and freewheeling. I’d like to see her be more professional. Most people in any walk of life aren’t one way all the time. But most of these are written as charactures and not actual people.
It’s a fair point about Tilly. She’s a lieutenant with limited experience and she’s telling off a superior officer in a way that would make even Will Riker blush. Imagine her meeting Captain Jellico…
I get it, although it could ebb and flow. One of the things Roddenberry supposedly didn’t like about the Gene Coon era of TOS was the characters’ loose, familiar attitude. During the brief period of time he actively worked on the third season, he insisted on changing all that. The characters are much more formal in season 3.
See I disagree with the review- I thought the episode balanced its four plot strands really well and it was a wonderful character focused episode. Each to their own, I guess.
It was a bit meh, but still better than most of Season 4.
This was a connector episode, and not a lot happens. I go back to.. when you only have 10 episodes, you better make best use of your time. This was a relationship stuff… it would help if it covered relationships I cared about, but it’s just overly emotive junk that isn’t interesting to me at all. Which is funny when you consider one of those relationships features a Vulcan. While I like Sara and T’rina as a couple, they are boring. Gray and Adira, it’s just a lot of awkward teen stuff. I get it.. they’re having trouble.. just way too much time spent on that. At least Stulber has chemistry.. Book and Burnham have chemistry. But this was a waste of an episode.
Gray and Adira were miscast physically. I’d like to explain that DSC is a big visual show. When there is a wide shot, both Gray and Adira seem too small and too far away.
We get to see their acting talents in the scenes where they are in a two-shot or a medium-shot. In my opinion, Blu’s acting is MUCH better this year. Ian Alexander’s acting is just too small for me. It must be difficult to frame the shots he is in, due to his physical size, which is a testament to the show’s production challenges. When you see how athletic Culber is compared to Gray? It’s just too jarring for me. His character doesn’t grab your attention.
Let me be clear: I’m beyond happy about the LGBTQ representation DSC is showing. I’m glad the LGBTQ community can see themselves on TV. FWIW, I notice the same things in SNW. Peck and Mount are very athletic buff actors. In a wide shot, they can tend to dwarf smaller actors.
Part of the issue is the widescreen format though. It makes it harder to get actors of disparate heights in a great shot together. SMG and Doug Jones have wildly different statures and often the camera isn’t able to be wide enough to make that not look awkward too.
Sorry was not a big fan of this one at all. So many cringy moments and it went back to the usual stalling with barely any real plot at all. I had so many problems with this one but happy others liked it.
But per usual it moved at a snails pace with a lot of mostly forgetful dialogue.
And when did Trill turn into the cave and quarry planet? It’s a very developed planet with cities and people living in houses. But the two episodes we seen of it on this show you would think Trill is one big national park or something.
I think Trill’s budget was spent on the cloaking monsters.
Yeah I think that segment ran a bit too long for me. I feel like the point about the cloaking monsters could have been made sooner and they could have spent their time on giving some screen time to others.
Overall, this episode definitely struggled with too many plot points. The individual pieces weren’t bad but together they didn’t always form a cohesive whole. I like Rayner as a character and I like his more professional take on being a Captain vs. Burnham’s more personal take. Neither is inherently wrong, just different. I feel Tilly etc are too quick to judge him. He clearly had a reason for his 20 words or less and I got what that was. Although I didn’t like that the background actors only got some throwaway facts told about them. Then again they usually don’t get that! Culber did a great job portraying Jinal. He really felt like a different person. Adira and Grey wrapped up which I think is a good thing. They are better apart than they are together. I am still not sure about Book’s loyalty to the ship and its crew. Glad Saru and T’Rina are moving forward and we are getting some more backstory to this time period.
Stalling is a great way to put it. I think it boils down to if you like the characters and relationships they’re focusing on. If you’re going to focus on character, it had better be compelling but it was pretty banal and uninteresting. Saru and T’rina are focused on a wedding.. seriously? Gray and Adira are having your normal teenager type trouble. Both sets of circumstances were so blah.. if this were the best they can do with portraying whats happening with young people, Academy is in serious trouble.
Yeah this one frustrated me a bit. I am fine with a character episode but the character work was too telegraphed (Gray browbeating the theme of the episode at the end and Stamet’s ongoing arc where he obsesses over his legacy were feeling especially contrived). At least the Rayner scenes worked for me and made for a better use of Tilly than usual.
…although if they lead to Rayner just embracing the tactic of being an emotional support First Officer, I’ll be annoyed. Butting heads with Tilly worked, I just am probably on the losing side of, “His POV is valid and they could all learn a little from him. Not every connection needs to come from laying bare emotional trauma and being super chummy.” Characters who keep a professional distance but have personal depths that shine through are compelling and a Trek staple.
I actually liked this episode better than the first two. It felt more like a story and less like a bunch of action setpieces strung together.
I’m afraid I have to disagree with our eminent reviewer where he says, “It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy).” No, that’s EXACTLY why it makes sense for HER to be the one to let Rayner know his style won’t work with this particular crew. She won’t have to work with him in the future, so she’s the one who can tell him he’s being a jerk without poisoning their future relationship.
I REALLY liked it that the true test wasn’t “Can you hike this canyon” but rather “Can you empathize with the creatures who live in it?” Very Star Trekky!
I loved the Saru/T’Rina stuff, both her standing her ground when Saru tried to be protective, since she’s the PRESIDENT of a freaking PLANET, for heaven’s sake. And also her saying that conflict was inevitable and not to be feared.
Wilson Cruz! So good! More of him, please.
I thought Rayner’s twenty-words thing was a little over the top; it made him seem like a parody of a crusty old guy, rather than a real person. I don’t mind being emotionally manipulated by Star Trek, but the wires shouldn’t be quite THAT visible. :-)
So, how could Moll possibly have gotten to Trill long enough before the Discovery to go undercover as one of those red-robed people? She and La’k didn’t dig up the thingy that gave them the fifth line of the poem until long after Burnham and Saru did, so how did they even know to go to Trill, much less get there so fast? Doesn’t Discovery’s spore drive get them places MUCH faster than any other ship?
The one thing I really didn’t like was that the lighting in the canyon was so dark that I couldn’t SEE anything during that whole scene. I’m glad the dialogue told me enough about what was happening that I didn’t have to actually see it to know what was going on.
Very astute observations Corylea, and well stated as usual. Couldn’t agree more!
Aw, thanks so much!
Also, part of Tilly’s job at the Academy is to read the students and how they are behaving and reacting to spot problems. Same as what she’s doing with Rayner.
Good point!
Oh.. and the repeat of the Fal Tor Pan ceremony really was annoying. They really could have mixed it up q lot better. It felt like a cliche.
Engaged couple bickering over their wedding announcement… This is exactly the sort of thing that’s kept me tuning in to Trek for all these decades…
And I don’t care how exaggeratedly mean the Rayner character is written, there is no way in real life that a Lieutenant speaks to a Commander/superior officer the way Tilly did. Totally strains credulity.
Starfleet is different from modern militaries. Starfleet officers’ feelings aren’t so fragile that they get upset when a subordinate speaks impolitely to them.
I think TMP nailed how these interactions are supposed to go down and it avoids this perception of insubordination: “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Done and done. The answer is almost always going to be yes.
As a married person, I can tell you that pre-wedding disagreements and partners protecting the other without the partner wanting it is spot on target. :D
I thought this was a very strong episode…and I didn’t like the first two of the season at all!
The character dynamics almost all worked for me this time. Burnham seemed like a real person rather than a screenplay with limbs; Rayner was great; Culber, who I have loved even when this series was at its worst, was great. Heck, I even liked Tilly this week, which is not typical. I got some chuckles out of Saru stepping in it, too.
I’ve loved and defended Disco since day one, but I have to say I’m having a hard time getting excited about this season’s Big Hunt For The Puzzle Pieces. But I was thrilled to see Wilson Cruz get to really shine as an actor in this one.
I believe this is the standard now, and it’s very very low .. the story is starting to be so boring .. always the same cave .. everybody keep sharing their emotions in every scene .. and the stubborn unfriendly character destined to change.
If only there wasn’t the “Star Trek:” in front of the series title I would had bailed long ago.
I am really loving this season. The latest episode really took on a lot, but it delivered for me. The pacing was good for each story and keep the mystery alive. Loved the adventure on Trill. Wilson Cruze did an amazing job in the episode with his portrayal of Jinaal.
I absolutely love the addition of Rayner – the opposites of Rayner’s tough command style and the way Discovery is – works for me. Already looking forward to the next episode.
Yes, a very scattered episode.
The twenty-word bit with Rayner was a poor writing choice.
I don’t see how someone would rise to Captain without listening to his senior crew.
I think the bar scene got across that he was astute in learning about his crews quickly. He just didn’t hold their hands and talk about how much of a family they all are.
In other words, Discovery discusses their feelings ad nauseum yet again
I have never posted on one of these comment boards so I hope it is okay to share guesses for what might happen this season. I just wondered if it still canon that no one has ever seen a Breen (sans helmet). If that is true, and considering the dialog about helmets in the first episode of this season, I wonder if L’ak could be at least part Breen. Just a theory.