Well, @balazs955 inspired me to leave a comment that this episode is just another disappointment. >70% of this episode was full of pathos and preceding weeping, terribly written and acted as (almost) always when STD gets emotional. What makes this even more absurd is that half of the weeping was pointless, as most of the crew decides to join the mission at the end.
I stopped watching at the 12 minute mark...happy that this STD had finally ended...good riddance...headcannon complete.
Wow, they decided to have a whole episodes filled with just awful parts of the show:overacting, fake drama, bad dialogue. And oh my god, reaction shots. Do we really need to to see every character reacting to every sentence someone else said?
90% of the this episode were emotional speeches and reaction shots.
The actual content would fit in 5 minutes.
Please be over and show people that fans don't deserve another trek for being a-holes. I really hope they cancel the show as they did with enterprise so we can have stupid people in the future complaining about how it was a good show and was still finding it's ways when it was cancelled. I pray for the ending of this franchise everyday so the fans only has to enjoy what they have - wich is always great and a lot ot content, despite they complaining otherwise - and never again see somebody try to do something for the franchise because they know fans are just to moronic to enjoy anything besides their own misconceptions of what trek should be.
I wanted to give it 4/10 but the only thing made me give it a +2 is the extra time we had with the Enterprise <3
This series is seriously fucked up! And again, for the trillionth time, I don't like Michael at all, I skip almost all of her acting scene! Damn, I am skipping a lot with each episode.
The episode was very weak, it felt fake...
I am not really watching any more I just let it run in the background but, man, what a yawn fest.
The dialog in this episode sounds like it was written by a 12 year old. I've read Star Trek fan-fiction from the 90s (written by actual 12-year-olds) that had better prose and more thought-provoking ideas than this.
The two most three-dimensional characters from the first season, Burnham and Tilly, are continuing to be under-minded by Shatner-esque overacting and unearned emotional moments. Instead of feeling what they're feeling and enjoying the moment, I'm just waiting for the scene to end so the episode can continue. No attempt is being made to convince me to empathize with anyone.
Discovery doesn't just not live up to the standard of humanization and story-telling of any other part of the Star Trek franchise, it's no longer even living up to earlier episodes of this very season. New Eden was not particularly an extraordinary episode of Star Trek, but it remains the high watermark for this series. What looked like actual progress and improvements and a willingness to grow at the beginning of the season turned out to be a small blip before settling back into its old mistakes. Just an anomaly in Discovery's now two-year-old subpar, by-the-numbers, over-saturated style that wholly vindicates the JJ Abrams movies as a superior and much more enjoyable reimagining of Star Trek.
Which is a real shame. Because in the hands of someone who cares and has any production talent, this feels like it could be an amazing story. Turns out Kurtzman is just as incompetent as Fuller.
I have no idea what's happening with this series going forward. I heard a while back that it had already been renewed for a third season but now I'm hearing contradictions to that claim. And the show seems to be very overtly building up to burying the history of Discovery and Burnham so that it doesn't interfere with known future historical events. But I honestly can't bring myself to care like I did when The Next Generation ended... or when Deep Space Nine ended... or even when Voyager or Enterprise ended. Seriously, I still want more episodes of Star Trek Enterprise. It would make me happy to spend more time with that crew again. As campy and clichéd as they were, they were people I wanted to be friends with and learn from. Whereas next week's finale of Discovery could be flat-out canceled, never to publicly air and I honestly don't think I would feel as though I had lost anything. Whenever Discovery ends, it won't leave me with pangs of separation, it will leave me with a sigh of relief that it's finally over.
...I certainly won't scrunch up my face and start dripping tears all over the place at the drop of a hat like the current version of Michael Burnham does with just about everything now. Stoic and stunned when her Captain and mentor of seven years dies right in front of her, sobbing uncontrollably and running into waiting arms like a teenager when her Section 31/Klingon spy lover, who got into her pants by lying to her face, fumbles with his goodbyes.
[5.8/10] I like what I’ve come to call “calm before the storm” episodes. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer was especially good at them.) They give shows a chance to take stock, to give you character moments before the fireworks to go off, to add meaning to the fisticuffs or dramatics in the offing prior to the volume going up to eleven. Good shows need that, setting the stakes for the final battle rather than just diving headlong into it.
But good lord is this episode a whole lot of nothing. When the credits hit, I was legitimately surprised, because I assumed something would happen, some prelude to the big fight, some moment of genuine, if glancing, catharsis, rather than the big zilch we received. Because “Such Sweet Sorrow” has exactly two kinds of scenes: (1.) here’s our treknobabble to solution to our treknobabble problem and (2.) here’s a dialogue-heavy lovefest between various crewmembers.
The latter is no big deal. Discovery still deposits technological obstacles and technological fixes with very little build-up or time for our heroes to really puzzle over them, but that’s an issue that arguably has been with the franchise from the beginning. And there’s room in a “calm before the storm” episode for the latter, but by god, you can’t just stuff your episode to the brim with that sort of material, and you sure as hell need to do it better than Discovery did here.
Instead, my goodness, did I ever overlord on the schmaltz. I will cop to being somewhat of a sap, willing to forgive shaky narrative journeys if a show can deliver a strong emotional moment to knock me over. I’m an easy mark for this sort of thing. And yet, by the fifth time there some allegedly touching exchange between a pair of characters (probably involving Burnham), I was reduced to rolling my eyes and praying that the show would move on to something else. The series of partings (to which the title of the episode refers) was endless and samey, and those erstwhile momentous goodbyes came off convenient and unearned.
That’s partly due to the fact that there’s very little at stake here based on what we know from other clips and series. While I am always skeptical when a show wants the audience to take its main character risking her life seriously, I almost bought it for a little while here. It would be a bold move for Discovery to kill off Michael Burnham in its second season finale, or to at least strand her in the future with no probable way home. But the series is also aping other programs like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead (from whence Sonequa Martin-Green came) which have made similarly bold moves. And it strained to put almost every character she’d ever had a connection with in the frame to say a goodbye. It was plausible, if not probable, given the lengths the show went to and the fact that it was a solo mission, that this might be the end of Burnham.
Except that then every single major character on the show (including Spock!) agrees to stay on the Discovery to help her with her mission! They’re not going to kill off everyone! We know from the “Calypso” short trek that Discovery (or another ship very much like it) survives, which undermines the whole “self-destruct” sequence at the beginning of the episode. We can suspect that Discovery is not so bold as to kill off every major and minor character in the series in one fell swoop. And if that weren’t enough, we know that Spock and Pike survive the encounter with Leland, so putting Spock on the Discovery means that they’re pretty likely to find a way out of this pickle.
Inevitability doesn't have to be an albatross. You can get around predictable recoveries or victories if you can make the characters’ emotions and goodbyes feel real in the moment. But dialogue and emotion have never been Discovery’s strong suit, and stacking one tearful farewell on top of another just exposes those fundamental weaknesses when there’s nothing else in “Such Sweet Sorrow” to break them up or offer a change of pace.
Oddly enough, the goodbye I liked the most is for a relationship I’ve had the most trouble with this season. The exchange between Stamets and Dr. Culber still has some of Discovery’s clunky dialogue, but there’s subtle passion, wistfulness, and resignation in the scene. It’s the most restrained we’ve ever seen the players, and there’s a charged but rueful energy as each vocalize their plans for a life without the other. Who knows if it’ll stick, or if some “I almost lost you” event in the finale brings them back together, but for once I bought their post-resurrection struggle, and it’s one of the minor highlights of this episode.
Almost every other goodbye in the episode is far too pat and too unconvincing. It doesn't help that supposedly there’s this emergency situation stemming from Control’s impending doom-bringing from the end of the last episode, and yet there’s plenty of time to get to the nearest signal (which some time-dilated version of Burnham has presumably set herself to tie up the time loop), to say all these sad farewells, and Sarek and Amanda to venture on and off the ship without risk or incident. I’m all for extending shows, especially science fiction shows, a fair bit of leeway in the name of advancing story or character, but at some point you’re not only straining credulity; you’re undercutting the urgency of your supposedly uber-important final confrontation.
So we see a moment with Burnham and her adoptive parents where Amanda shows her love and Sarek shows some humility. We see Georgiou offer her concern in a characteristic way. We see Tilly (who reunites with her royal friend from another of the shorts) say they couldn’t bear a longer goodbye. We get one “last” kiss with Tyler, who’s presumably off to round up a Klingon cavalry and then probably drift away to the Section 31 spinoff. And that’s before Pike says goodbye to everyone, and there’s the big “we’re with you, oh so special Michael” moment, and plenty of other faux-emotional flotsam that doesn't pass the smell test.
Some of these scenes could work in isolation. Some of them could even work sprinkled over a few episodes. But packing them altogether like this is exhausting. Only the very best shows could stand such a lack of variety, and even then, it would take a herculean effort of writing and performance. Discovery has yet to show that it’s capable of that, and as the show gives us this extended preamble to its momentous, effects-heavy final battle, the whole effort is one giant thud, rather than the heartening capstone to the character relations and the exciting tease for the finale that it means to be.
The fact that apparently everyone (surely not) decided that they would abandon their loved ones and family and life outside work i.e starfleet, was ludicrous. If my work told me we’re all heading into the future 930 years I’d say ok cool, good luck with that. But I guess if nobody went it would just be the Michael Burnham show, well, no change there then.
What the fuck's going on with that prologue?
Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po had only previously appeared in ST:Short Trek S01E01 'Runaway'.
10/10
All Gold
"WHAT A FLAWLESS MASTERPIECE"
THIS EPISODE JUST LIKE THIS SHOW WAS PHENOMENAL AND PROVES WHY THIS SHOW IS THE BEST STAR TREK EVERRRRRRRRRR.
WOW...HOLY....FCUKING....WOW....
THIS WAS A SPECIAL SPECIAL EPISODE AND I LOST COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I STOOD UP IN MY LIVING ROOM TO POSTURE UP WITH THE CREW. I HAD CHILLBUMPS FROM THE VERY START TO THE VERY END. THEY JUST KNOCKED IT COMPLETELY OUT THE BALL PARK WITH THIS SHOW EACH AND EVERY SINGLE EPISODE AND THIS EPISODE WENT WAY BEYOND THAT.
NEVER MIND THE TIME SUIT, NEVER MIND THE SPHERE INFORMATION,
IF THE SPHERE HAS MERGED WITH DISCOVERY THEN WILL TAKE THE HOLE DAMN SHIP TO THE FUTURE...
HOLY SHIT I LOVE IT AND I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOW. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN ATTEMPTED IN ANY OVER TREK, NOT ON THIS SCALE AND NOT WITH THESE INCREDIBLY HIGH STAKES, THIS SHOW IS PERFECTION AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN AS EXCITED OVER TREK (and I've done them all) AS I HAVE FOR THIS SHOW AND THIS EPISODE.
TALK ABOUT BEING PUMPED.
I LOVED HOW EVERY ONE IS SUPPORTING OUR PHENOMENAL MICHAEL THE HERO,
THE SAVIOUR OF ALL SENTIENT LIFE IN
THE UNIVERSE, MAKING SURE
SHE GETS TO COMPLETE THE
BIGGEST MISSION IN STAR TREK
HISTORY. I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES
WHEN THE CREW ARE GIVING UP
EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW
MICHAEL INTO THE FUTURE.
I SWEAR THIS SHOW IS AWESOME AMAZING SPECTACULAR AND I AM SO HAPPY I CAN ENJOY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH ME OWNING ALL 5 SEASONS ON BLU RAY BOXSET.
THIS SHOW IS PROPER
STAR TREK AND WE HAVE
NEVER EVER HAD IT AS GOOD.
X FINAL THOUGHT:
AND NOW THE SEASON FINALE OF
STAR TREK DISCOVERY
(We are about to go further than any other
Trek show before)
"What Happens When You Go
Too Far",
let's find out.
"FORWARD MOTION"
So incredibly cheesy, makes it hard to watch.
The first episode is less a calm before the storm episode, and more a stationary bicycle. The wheels are spinning, but it's going nowhere. I've enjoyed much of this series, but this episode felt unnecessary. Even watching it, as I did, along with the season finale, it did little more than tread water. The big emotional moments felt rushed, when there was ample room for them to breathe, and the space talk and explosion bits felt laboured, and given that they were there only to foreshadow similar scenes in the episode to come, they felt overplayed.
(More on this two-parter in Star Trek: Discovery "Such Sweet Sorrow: Part Two")
It has become interesting the preparation of the season finale, I hope something big. The problem is that this chapter can be counted the 10 minutes being generous
I wish there was more diversity in the cinematography. Sure, there is a lot of spinning around and upside angles, but I feel like we never get to see the Discovery from a completely different angle, like what it feels like to walk through those halls as Georgiou, as Tilly, as Pike, or as Saru. To feel the structure of it all empower you, or make you feel small and timid.
Hello Hollywood! The next time some lazy ass writer suggests time travel...shoot him. This crap is just so boring, illogical and shitful of plotholes. Not to mention all those useless boring worthless emotional and sentimental fillers.
What a great episode to lead i to the season finale. Those involved with Trek, today, are killing it and i cant wait for all the new series and properties to come out for more goodness.
Take away the sappy and overdone goodbyes for a character we know isn't going anywhere and you have about a 30-minute episode...
What a mess of an episode
IT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!!!!
I thought this episode had its ups and downs. There were several things I liked. The docking of the ships. The color contrast between the two crews and ships. We've seen that before but never to this degree. The interactions between Michael and Georgiou. "I thought there were no bad ideas?" Most of Georgiou's scenes were really good. The bit with her and Pike at the end was great. Number One bringing along some strike fighter. The whole shuttle/fighter scene was very reminiscent of Star Fleet Battles the game. That gives it a bonus point.
Some things I liked less. All the goodbye speeches. I just don't feel enough for most of the characters for this type of thing to work. We know most of the characters not from Enterprise will continue to see each other. I hated being reminded of Micheal's mother building a super time travel suit that seems to be behold Next Gen technologies. The Vulcan telepathic hologram mind power also fit the category of things I try not to remember.
I'm sure I could add to both lists but it's enough.
At first I was like "muhuh" and then was like "oh?" which quickly made me go "Wahah yeah". Then I was like "pft" which turned into "sigh" and made me go "urgh". I eyerolled so much my eyeballs almost dropped out of my sockets, thankfully for me (and all my unborn offspring) my other balls firmly stayed where they were unlike most male characters' in this episode (however few there are).
I'm 35 minutes in now and I'm almost bursting into tears... Not due to all the emotions they are attempting to show in every single scene but due to the "fact" (I'll put these " " here just for the heck of it) it's so godawful I fear the era of descent True Trek is gone. I'm in agony as it keeps going and going and going and going... You're my rock Dazzy! You're... * insert gif of man scraping his skin open from Hellraiser 2*
Was I not raising a couple of children with wooden swords and a good balance of emotions and "sucking it up" I'd fear for the future. Thankfully there's still hope...
and still for what reason ever people on Trakt rated Std good. insane.
I am actually shocked that they did not spend an entire 45 minutes of this episode to show every each of Discovery’s crew members, which we met through two seasons, saying their goodbyes.
I am not a big star trek fan, I barely know the old one. This show has been globally a good show for me to watch on the train while commuting. It has flow, it has good point but overall it is an enjoyable show with nice visual and a messy story but that is not worst than most of others shows.
But this episode was a pain to watch. It is full of goodbye that doesn't work, doesn't impact anybody emotionally because the fact that they are written in a very cliché way and that we also all know that none of what they say will happen.
So the episode just end up being a top 10 of the most cliché goodbyes ever seen in movies. and to be honest, it pointless to watch.
Also, I was starting to be annoyed about Burnam recently, being overly powered in all the show.
But I am definitely done now. The character stand out way to much compare to any other. The show should have been name Star Trek Burnam, not Discovery. This character really became unlikable over the episodes because she is to strong in everything, she do whatever she want she is like an entity alone way above Star fleet and all the "captains".
This episode made it even worst because you get +10min (that I ended up skipping) about the crew explaining how Burnam is amazing and will be missed and she is the best blabla. This is to much, this character has been so overly pushed that it became totally unlikable and unbearable. I enjoy MUCH more the scenes where Burnam is not there.
Anyway probably the worst episode of the season, nothing happen, only pointless talks.
Shout by Balazs JonasBlockedParent2019-04-13T13:57:28Z
Just a heads up for y'all. Nobody cares if you don't like this episode, season, series. Maybe stop watching and complaining under every episode and just get out of here.