I probably shouldn't have watched this so soon after seeing the magnificent Mindhunter.
The episode shows the main character being offered a job, sending the people away and then deciding to do the job anyway TWICE.
An FBI agent literally spells out the reason they call the Unabomber the 'Unabomber' to a room full of FBI agents. In detail.
Said FBI agent later seems to blame the main character for being correct in his assumptions and threatens to destroy him.loading replies
@lefthandedguitarist That is my problem too, probably. Mindhunter was something new and it was really well done, while this episode was a collage of scenes already seen in other American TV Shows. I am so tired of this. I'll keep watching because I am a fan of Paul Bettany, but Mindhunter is way superior in its writing.
There are points here where I completely forgot I was watching puppets. Incredibly high artistry just as in the original film. Mission accomplished.
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@lefthandedguitarist that's so true! Story is great. I'm drowning in it.
Review by LeftHandedGuitarist
EDIT: I changed my mind. Looking back, I liked this show more than I say I did. The cast are fun and likeable, even if I never fell in love with their characters.
Hey, everyone, I made it! I got through my least favourite Star Trek show for the first time after numerous attempts. And I have to say, I didn't completely hate the journey.
But, this is how it ends? That's it? What a thoroughly disappointing way to finish things. The finale introduces some random new plot elements that really don't work and just come out of nowhere (Tuvok's disease and the Chakotay/Seven relationship - which did have some hints but they were completely from Seven's imagination, so this feels jarring), and worst of all we get no proper resolution to so many things.
Voyager arrives back home and there's zero emotional payoff; we don't get to see their welcome back or any reunions with family and friends. Tom's father is on the screen when they make it back and doesn't acknowledge his son sitting right there. What's going to happen to the Maquis crew members now? B'Elanna gives birth but we don't get introduced to the baby or even find out what they name her. Seven asks to have the Doctor perform the procedure on her which will "unlock" her ability to feel the full range of emotions, but we don't even know if he actually does that. In just the previous episode, the Doctor declared his love for Seven but that's not addressed at all.
Instead, the final episode decides to spend its time on another dull Borg story that feels like it lacks any impact. Voyager has defeated these guys so many times now that it feels pointless for them to keep encountering them (and this time they have convenient future tech). Yes, it's nice to have Alice Krige reprise her role as the Borg Queen, but the episode doesn't actually do anything interesting with her. The entire bullheaded mission of future Admiral Janeway is dubious at best and depicts her as extremely selfish.
The entire show was a missed opportunity to do something interesting, and it chose to stay as safe as possible all the way through. Any time the series did do something good, it was forgotten about and not mentioned again (remember when Seven's nanites were discovered to be a cure for death? Sure would have been useful to do that again. Remember the previous episode when the Delta Flyer's communications were destroyed so Janeway transmitted a message through the deflector? Why hasn't that been used in the uncountable times communications were down?).
The show had some really good characters, though. The Doctor was the standout by a long way and the introduction of Seven was a good move. Captain Janeway is inconsistent in her actions and motives, but Kate Mulgrew was never less than fantastic in the role. I just wish everyone had some evolution across the show. Harry, Tom, Tuvok, Neelix, Chakotay: they really never changed their personalities (and this even applies to the Doctor and Seven). There's an argument that everyone became a better person, but I say that nothing about them actually evolved. The fact remains that I just don't care about characters like Tuvok or Chakotay, because they never felt like real people.
Still, it is an easy and entertaining watch and in the end it is Star Trek and delivers a lot of the storytelling and universe that makes me feel cosy. I just probably won't watch it again (hmm... maybe if it's given an HD upgrade and released on blu-ray). I know the show has a lot of fans and if you like it then that's great, but I don't think I'll ever quite understand why.
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@lefthandedguitarist aw, man... Voyager is my second favourite Star Trek series (yes, TOS is third, what a shocker). I'm so disappointed that you dislike it. I've rewatched it right before I joined Trakt, so I'm not planning on watching it again anytime soon. But the next time I watch Voyager I'll make sure to come here to criticise your bashing on this great show :P
Season 3 kicks off well, but it's the background story that manages to be the more interesting. Dr. Crusher (a welcome return) and Picard have a wonderful heartfelt discussion early on which feels more relaxed and natural then anything seen on the show so far. The same happens later, although much more confrontational, between Wesley and his mother. Good writing and performed pretty well.
Dr. Stubbs, meanwhile, is a bit over the top and difficult to stomach; why was he even in the staff briefing?
Anyway, from here on the show has a noticeable step up in quality. Better looking uniforms (the old ones will remain on background characters for quite some time) and a change in overall cinematography style/camera lenses makes a huge difference.
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@lefthandedguitarist you pretty much wrote exactly what I wanted to. I completely agree on all points. With season 3 TNG became of age.
Shout by LeftHandedGuitarist
Kind of bland all round, with the only interesting moments being a couple of tiny scenes with Wesley and the Gatherer leader. There's an attempt to look at hatred and prejudice, but it doesn't come across with any force or meaning.
That may be because of the focus on Riker's romantic interest in Yuta. She's far too much of a blank character to give this any weight.
There's also the big question of why he didn't just stun her at the end, unless I missed something.
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@lefthandedguitarist the first shot on stun had pretty much no effect. After that he raised the level to (I assume) heavy stun, which again didn't stop her. Third shot was on kill/desintegrate, he had little choice at that point. Althought not explained I think it was due to Yuta's altered DNA that stun had no effect which kind of makes sense in a sick way from the point of her creators. After all, she was a weapon.
Another Geordie-centric episode following straight on the heels of the previous one, but this is much more dynamic. Geordie is also far more interesting when the focus isn't his love life, plus we get to see him without the visor on. LeVar Burton has a very expressive face, so letting us see his eyes is always a good thing.
The very tense situation on the ship is the better side of the episode, though. Romulan intrigue is always entertaining, while Worf gets to make a bold character statement. The scenes he has with both Riker and Picard are wonderful, with the Captain showing him the respect he deserves by not ordering him to help the Romulan, despite the situation.
The fantastic Andreas Katsulas makes his first appearance as Commander Tomalok, and he always leaves an impression. We get to see the better production values of season 3 down on the planet's surface, it looks far more realistic than the cheap cardboard sets we've been stuck with from previous seasons.
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@lefthandedguitarist a lot of times I found the thoughts I had when I watched the episodes in your comments.
This one doesn’t sit well with me.
So we should blame big tech companies for making us addicted to their products, and the nasty consequences that come of it?
I very much question that morality.
Addiction is a problem of the individual, something you have to fix by yourself (with the help of others).
It’s not something that a company, seeking to make profit, should be held resposible for.loading replies
@jordyep That wasn't my take away from the episode at all. Did you miss the conversation between Billy Bauer and Christopher? Christopher reiterated to Billy that it was Christopher's own fault what happened to his fiancee, and that he realizes that. He's the one to blame. He wanted to tell Billy about his experience and the addictive nature of Smithereens. Which is when Billy jumped in to agree, likening Smithereens to a casino with the doors shut off, and how he himself felt that he'd lost control of his own company. That this wasn't how he'd wanted Smithereens to turn out.
So I'm very confused about how you came to feel like the message was that "big tech companies are to blame". Christopher stated that the consequences of his actions were on his shoulders, so I don't understand how you got the opposite of "Addiction is a problem of the individual" from the episode.
This may have been the most boring tv episode I have ever watched. This season was like, ok, we don't want to do this show anymore lets wrap it up as quick as possible, but the last episode lets just have everyone sit around and talk.
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Have entire seasons where 90% of every episode is people walking around a garden/talking to whores/writing letters via raven scheming
"Best show ever, so intellectual for them to spell everything out for me"
Have final season where all of the last four episodes have rapid, meaningful plot development and amazing character moments that change our view on who actually deserves to rule
"This is boring, why are they doing this. This doesn't make sense"
Lol I love this ending
The stunning photo-realistic visuals don't hide how horribly this objectifies women. What possible reason was there for her to naked throughout the whole thing? Anyway, the ending was a cool little moment.
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@maeron The issue people have is that her profession as an erotic performer had no real impact on the story in any way, so the nudity was technically unnecessary; you could have changed out her job for another nonsexual one, eliminating the need for nudity, and the story could be unchanged. I'm all for adult stories, including nudity/sex, but this was done purely for artistic and/or titillating reasons, which means it's totally reasonable for people to call it out as objectification.
Another strong offering from Jonathon Frakes, however this one is not entirely without its flaws. It shines in the character interactions but seems to stumble over some of the plot points.
- The whole Airiam story would have been far stronger if we had actually gotten to know her previously to this. I was delighted that we were finally given answers as to just what she is, so it seems an odd move to remove her now. I particularly liked the view of her memories just hanging out with Detmer and the other bridge crew. WE NEED MORE BRIDGE CREW. They are often more interesting than the main cast.
- Speaking of Airiam, her end didn't make much sense; she's wearing an EVA suit! Why disable the helmet? Why not just get blown out into space and them beamed into Discovery's brig until they can sort out what's going on with her?
- The Spock/Burnham stuff was electric here. Their discussion in her quarters was quite magnificent. His accusations towards her brought up things that viewers themselves have been voicing in the way her character works. It highlighted just how much work her character does need to fit in as a more natural crew member (the galaxy does seem to revolve around Michael Burnham), and I hope this is the beginning of it.
- The Spock/Stamets scene was surprisingly compelling too. We see a gentler side of Spock, in contrast to the aggressive side he showed with Michael.
- I noticed that Michael made no move to help Nhan, who was suffocating to death in the room with her.
- Kadis-kot!
- The evasive flight through the minefield didn't seem to be having any of the effects the crew seemed to think it was.
- Major Star Trek VI vibes when they arrive on the Section 31 HQ.
- Airam shutting down was straight out of Terminator 2. Great stuff!
- "Hit it." Pike needs his own show.
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@misnomer yap, I just read it myself. Figures, once I like something about DSC.... Had to happen because we knew Pike's fate.
But it's another blow as he really brought something to the table, both the character and the actor. I wonder who would want to replace him. So far the captains haven't lasted long on this show. DSC needs to become more of an ensemble show otherwise they should ultimately rename it Star Trek: Burnham.
Another strong offering from Jonathon Frakes, however this one is not entirely without its flaws. It shines in the character interactions but seems to stumble over some of the plot points.
- The whole Airiam story would have been far stronger if we had actually gotten to know her previously to this. I was delighted that we were finally given answers as to just what she is, so it seems an odd move to remove her now. I particularly liked the view of her memories just hanging out with Detmer and the other bridge crew. WE NEED MORE BRIDGE CREW. They are often more interesting than the main cast.
- Speaking of Airiam, her end didn't make much sense; she's wearing an EVA suit! Why disable the helmet? Why not just get blown out into space and them beamed into Discovery's brig until they can sort out what's going on with her?
- The Spock/Burnham stuff was electric here. Their discussion in her quarters was quite magnificent. His accusations towards her brought up things that viewers themselves have been voicing in the way her character works. It highlighted just how much work her character does need to fit in as a more natural crew member (the galaxy does seem to revolve around Michael Burnham), and I hope this is the beginning of it.
- The Spock/Stamets scene was surprisingly compelling too. We see a gentler side of Spock, in contrast to the aggressive side he showed with Michael.
- I noticed that Michael made no move to help Nhan, who was suffocating to death in the room with her.
- Kadis-kot!
- The evasive flight through the minefield didn't seem to be having any of the effects the crew seemed to think it was.
- Major Star Trek VI vibes when they arrive on the Section 31 HQ.
- Airam shutting down was straight out of Terminator 2. Great stuff!
- "Hit it." Pike needs his own show.
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@lefthandedguitarist about your first point, we need a Ten Forward, these characters hardly mingle with one another. About your second point, it was what bothered me the most about this episode. Was the transporter offline?
I also enjoyed Spock and Burnham interaction in this episode a lot more than in the previous one. Hopefully, they'll get that right from now on. And I was yelling at the screen for Michael to go help the other helpless suffocating Discovery crew member instead of being just there staring at a door! Damn you, dumb writers!
Still, I enjoyed this episode. As another sci-fi show, not as a Star Trek one (though I'm starting to feel there's no need to keep saying that anymore, it's already implied).
Oh, yeah, and captain Pike is, undeniably, the best thing aboard the Discovery, so they better not have him killed or transferred or gone from the show!
The stunning photo-realistic visuals don't hide how horribly this objectifies women. What possible reason was there for her to naked throughout the whole thing? Anyway, the ending was a cool little moment.
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why would I ever reconsider my opinion?
I'm not asking you to change your opinion, only to make your reply less abusive.
If you think that what I suggested in my prior comment applies to you
It seems pretty clear it was meant to be abusive toward @lefthandedguitarist.
The stunning photo-realistic visuals don't hide how horribly this objectifies women. What possible reason was there for her to naked throughout the whole thing? Anyway, the ending was a cool little moment.
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@wawowiwa Not a classy move, suggesting that your fellow Trakt user is a douchebag. You may want to reconsider this reply.
The stunning photo-realistic visuals don't hide how horribly this objectifies women. What possible reason was there for her to naked throughout the whole thing? Anyway, the ending was a cool little moment.
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@lefthandedguitarist Well, you seem to be taking some flak here, so I'll be the mensch who chimes in to agree with you. There's tasteful, story-relevant nudity, and then there's titillating sexuality for the sake of titillating sexuality. Especially when it's tied to a threat of violence. And particularly when the bounce physics on the softbody geometry of the Harley Quinn clone is cranked up so ridiculously high.
Fortunately, you and I are not the only thoughtful humans who feel this way:
'Love Death + Robots' has One Very Big Problem and it's Not Okay: http://tinyurl.com/y68dgcbf
'Love, Death + Robots' Was Made for Edgelords, and it Shows: http://tinyurl.com/yytjgt5e
Why Does it Feel Like 'Love, Death + Robots' Hates Women?: http://tinyurl.com/y2n895fj
'Love, Death + Robots' is Sexist Sci-fi at its Most Tedious: http://tinyurl.com/y4xp8oum
I thought this one was great fun. The actors here really made the characters work with their comedic timing, and the animation was just beautiful throughout. I have to also give credit to how great the backgrounds and environments were, overflowing with detail (definitely got a The Last of Us vibe at times). The climate change message wasn't exactly subtle, but that doesn't mean it's not needed.
I also love cats, so this worked for me.
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@lefthandedguitaristOkay, you weren't kidding about Last Of Us part, instantly thought that, awesome!
Another strong offering from Jonathon Frakes, however this one is not entirely without its flaws. It shines in the character interactions but seems to stumble over some of the plot points.
- The whole Airiam story would have been far stronger if we had actually gotten to know her previously to this. I was delighted that we were finally given answers as to just what she is, so it seems an odd move to remove her now. I particularly liked the view of her memories just hanging out with Detmer and the other bridge crew. WE NEED MORE BRIDGE CREW. They are often more interesting than the main cast.
- Speaking of Airiam, her end didn't make much sense; she's wearing an EVA suit! Why disable the helmet? Why not just get blown out into space and them beamed into Discovery's brig until they can sort out what's going on with her?
- The Spock/Burnham stuff was electric here. Their discussion in her quarters was quite magnificent. His accusations towards her brought up things that viewers themselves have been voicing in the way her character works. It highlighted just how much work her character does need to fit in as a more natural crew member (the galaxy does seem to revolve around Michael Burnham), and I hope this is the beginning of it.
- The Spock/Stamets scene was surprisingly compelling too. We see a gentler side of Spock, in contrast to the aggressive side he showed with Michael.
- I noticed that Michael made no move to help Nhan, who was suffocating to death in the room with her.
- Kadis-kot!
- The evasive flight through the minefield didn't seem to be having any of the effects the crew seemed to think it was.
- Major Star Trek VI vibes when they arrive on the Section 31 HQ.
- Airam shutting down was straight out of Terminator 2. Great stuff!
- "Hit it." Pike needs his own show.
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@lefthandedguitarist Interesting second point that would have made a lot of sense. Seems the logic thing to do. But I guess ultimately she had to be removed from the show so keeping her would have only prolonged it a little. I too enjoyed how Spock stood up against Burnham. She clearly doesn't like a taste of her own medicine.
And the last point, boy I couldn't agree more. At first I wasn't sure that bringing in the character of Pike was good or bad. Felt like throwing a bone to the old fans. But now I think he's become the best character in a very short time and I thought about how I would love to see him at the center of a show.
Absolutely excellent, probably the best episode of the season so far. Some real edge-of-your-seat enjoyment with stunning visuals.
- This very nicely followed up on Saru's episode of Short Treks (which is now finally on Netflix, although it's hidden away). It seemed to me that Saru was becoming a bit unhinged at moments here but I think he did know what he was really doing, and acted in the best interests of keeping his crew safe. Still, he really did put the ship in danger when he started mouthing off to the Ba'ul when Pike was trying to communicate with them!
- The design of the Ba'ul was incredible and effectively creepy. It reminded me a lot of the creature that killed Tasha Yar back in the classic TNG episode 'Skin of Evil'. I have to wonder if that was intentional.
- Dr. Culber is clearly extremely uncomfortable with his new body and being back on Discovery. I can understand why Stamets might not particularly notice, but the other doctor really should be aware that Culber is going through severe stress/panic psychologically and be trying to offer him help in that regard. No way should he be resuming normal duties yet!
- The Red Angel becomes more intriguing. A time travelling humanoid in a mechanical suit? Tell me more!
- I had assumed that all the plant life growing in Saru's quarters was a holographic projection in the previous episode, but it appears to all be real here.
- Tyler has settled in to a strange role, seemingly at one with the whole Section 31 philosophy mere days after joining up with them.
- I still really want to know what the hell Airiam is!
- Do humans drink tea? If Michael was British then she'd probably be correcting Siranna's brewing methods :p
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@lefthandedguitarist I was getting some serious Alien vibes from that Ba'ul creature (and then the long hair over the "face" made me fearful of Sadako/Samara, instead). But that Skin of Evil theory is definitely interesting and makes some sense. Anyway, I really liked your comment and I wholeheartedly agree that this was one of the best Discovery episodes, yet!
Also, what the hell is Airiam, indeed! I thought it was just my ignorance, not knowing the origin of that character, but I guess the ignorance is purposely generalised. Intriguing character!
[9.5/10] This is what I have been asking for, not just from Discovery, not just from Star Trek, but from science fiction writ large. Here is an episode of television that is thought-provoking, epic, action-packed, personal, character-driven, tension-filled, socially relevant, imaginative, connected to continuity, and filled with craft and creativity. It’s not that “The Sound of Thunder” doesn't have flaws, but they pale in comparison to the ambition and scope of what the episode manages to achieve in a little over fifty minutes.
The episode features the Discovery driven to Saru’s home planet by the red flashes that have been drawing the ship across the galaxy. Having recently been disabused of the notion that his next people’s next evolutionary phase results in death for members of his species, Saru is pulled between his responsibilities as a Starfleet officer, his righteous anger on behalf of his countrymen at the hands of their oppressors, and his complicated relationship with the family he abandoned in search of a different life.
I frankly don’t know where to begin to sing this one’s praises, but I’ll start with Saru himself. Doug Jones delivers his best performance of the series, and maybe the best performance in anyone. While draped in prosthetics, Jones manages to convey Saru’s sense of having started a new, freer life, his utter indignation and revulsion at what his people have and are put through, his devotion and guilt to his sister, and his determination and courage to stand up to his captain, his enemy, and his old way of life. Jones is the feature point of this episode, and he earns every second of it.
But I also just love the confluence of themes and ideas and tension points in the episode. “Should we interfere in this society that seems organized around something we find repugnant, but which is not our right to disrupt?” is a well-worn Star Trek premise, but it’s well done here. You understand the push and pull between Pike and Saru, the former clearly not enamored with Ba’ul but also understanding that there is a diplomatic process and greater needs at play, and the latter appalled (and emboldened by his transformation) that his captain would negotiate with these monsters.
At the same time, this is a family story. Some of the material is a little rushed, or depends on you having seen the Short Trek episode featuring Saru’s past, but there’s the root of something strong in the bittersweetness of Siranna’s reunion. The joy of seeing one another is tempered by the angst that Saru’s absence caused his family, and the frustration Saru had with his old life and the lie it was founded upon. The relationship with Siranna is sketched quickly, but also has an impact from how the characters react and respond to one another.
And of course, this being Star Trek, there is a twist that complicates the situation. The deus ex machina space anomaly from a few episodes ago reveals that the Kelpians were once the predators, and the Ba’ul once the prey, until technology allowed the almost extinct Ba’ul to turn the tide and prevent their counter-species from reaching their predatory phase. The “great balance” is not just oppressor propaganda to them; it’s a method of self-preservation from there perspective, which gives the baddies in this one some depth beyond their snarling, hostile ways.
The episode also gives them some fantastic design work. Much of the episode, like much of the show, takes place in gunmetal hallways with various flashing lights and the occasional lens flair. But much of “The Sound of Thunder” can wow you from both a cinematography and production design standpoint. As in Saru’s episode of the Short Treks, the scenes on Kaminar are sumptuous and full of bucolic, alien beauty in the landscape and setting.
But the real fireworks come from the Ba’ul. For one thing, their ships are striking (mostly figuratively but occasionally literally). The geometric column design is unusual for Star Trek, and helps give them an other-y quality in outer space that makes them seem like more of a threat based on design and spacing alone. Still, the real coup de grace is the Ba’ul themselves, a set of inky black, oozing and disturbing creatures who seem of a piece with both Armus from The Next Generation and characters played by Doug Jones himself in Pan’s Labyrinth. The episode makes you wait for their appearance, but pays it off with one hell of a creepy introduction.
Of course, beyond the visual design, the episode steps up the evil by having them try to eliminate the Kelpians rather than deal with them in their evolved fearless form. But even that ties in to the red angel, and notions the episode toys with of whether this mystical-seeming figure is saving people from crisis or is actually the cause of the crisis, with hints that advanced technology and time travel are involved. That mix between mystery box storytelling, heady sci-fi mysticism, and politically-relevant subtext makes this development strong.
The episode does leave me with one and a half complaints. The one complete fly in the ointment is the underfed parallel between Saru and Dr. Culber in their “I don’t feel like myself/I feel like who I was meant to be” thematic mirroring. There’s a stage-y quality to the performances in the Culber/Stamets portion of the show that make it hard for me to connect with the emotions of the scene, and the subplot is a bit too brief to be meaningful anyway.
The half complaint is that Pike, Burnham, and the rest of the crew to inflict an evolutionary change on a whole planet of people with barely 30 seconds thought. It feels like the kind of thing that Picard and company would debate for a whole episode -- the upturning of an entire society, without warning or consent, with predictably dangerous results from a hostile species in charge -- but the Discovery’s crew has an attitude of “sure, why not?” It initially made me bristle a bit (and, if nothing else, feels a little convenient).
But then I realized that this move was basically Captain Kirk’s calling card. Every third episode of The Original Series, Kirk would encounter some society ordered in a way he didn’t particularly like, and so he would call upon the Enterprise to basically blow up whatever machine or god or robot-machine-god was keeping the old structures in place. There’s a certain trademark Starfleet hubris in that, upending a whole society on moral principle without necessarily thinking about what happens next, and it feels true to form even if it’s an action I might disagree with (or at least disagree with it being taken in this way). As long as the show addresses it, and the consequences of that choice, in the future, then I’m on board.
Beyond the heady science fiction and social commentary subtext, it’s just a well-structured episode. While things move a little quickly here and there, Saru’s actions are well-motivated, and there’s tension in the standoffs between the Discovery and the Ba’ul, in Saru’s rescue mission, and in the planet-threatening attack with a crewman captured that makes all of these situation that much more delicate. All the while, there is the mirroring of Saru’s new life and his old one: his surrogate sister meeting his real sister, the values of Starfleet conflicting with the values of his home planet, his loyalty to his crewmen being tested against his loyalty to the people. It’s the kind of thematic tug-of-war, rife with exciting incident, that makes for good and satisfying television.
That’s frankly what Discovery has been missing for me along the way. It’s had high points and low points, bits that feel like classic Trek and something different and new from classic Trek. But I’m not sure any episode of the show thus far has felt both so true to the spirit of the franchise while also feeling like such a modern and riveting interpretation of it. This is Discovery’s finest hour, and let’s hope it’s a sign of more to come, for Saru and for us.
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@andrewbloom While I might disagree about your giving this particular episode of 'Discovery' a 9.5/10, I would not agree with the comment @chronosus made about "You always seem to nitpick about every detail and seem to be really economic with your scores." Your reviews are rarely nit-picky, and I say this as someone who often refers to your reviews to help tone down my own carpy and quibbly nature.
Absolutely excellent, probably the best episode of the season so far. Some real edge-of-your-seat enjoyment with stunning visuals.
- This very nicely followed up on Saru's episode of Short Treks (which is now finally on Netflix, although it's hidden away). It seemed to me that Saru was becoming a bit unhinged at moments here but I think he did know what he was really doing, and acted in the best interests of keeping his crew safe. Still, he really did put the ship in danger when he started mouthing off to the Ba'ul when Pike was trying to communicate with them!
- The design of the Ba'ul was incredible and effectively creepy. It reminded me a lot of the creature that killed Tasha Yar back in the classic TNG episode 'Skin of Evil'. I have to wonder if that was intentional.
- Dr. Culber is clearly extremely uncomfortable with his new body and being back on Discovery. I can understand why Stamets might not particularly notice, but the other doctor really should be aware that Culber is going through severe stress/panic psychologically and be trying to offer him help in that regard. No way should he be resuming normal duties yet!
- The Red Angel becomes more intriguing. A time travelling humanoid in a mechanical suit? Tell me more!
- I had assumed that all the plant life growing in Saru's quarters was a holographic projection in the previous episode, but it appears to all be real here.
- Tyler has settled in to a strange role, seemingly at one with the whole Section 31 philosophy mere days after joining up with them.
- I still really want to know what the hell Airiam is!
- Do humans drink tea? If Michael was British then she'd probably be correcting Siranna's brewing methods :p
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@lefthandedguitarist That second point you make - I was thinking about the same line. But remembering what Armus said about those who left him behind I'm not sure I could make a connection. But interesting line of thought.
Shout by Ahmed Hamdy
VIP4He brought me a banana.
Ed?
No, Isaac.
Oh, right.hahahaha, don't you feel that Isaac is like Sheldon? XDDDD
And that one
I prefer to hear from Commander Lamarr.
That was funny too XD
This episode was so much fun, I think it is one of the greatest one yet!
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@ahmedhamdy90 again, I agree with you, my man! This episode was, indeed, beautifully executed and it's my favourite episode of the season, so far. Heck, it's already one of my favourite episodes from this show!
Wish there was less dialogue & more action.
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@tuxedoville This is Star Trek Discovery on a good day. Star Trek sets itself apart by being thought-provoking and centered on the human experience. The whole science fiction/starships and aliens/OMGPHASERSPEWPEWPEW aspect is just a delivery vessel for something much more meaningful.
It's better than you learn that now, so that you don't waste any more time hoping that this show returns to being The Walking Dead/Breaking Bad/The Fast & the Furious in Space again. Yeah, that's what Discovery was when it started, but it's recovering nicely.
not going to lie, i,m seriously worried about the direction the show is going in, not because we have a female doctor now, but because its pretty obvious that the BBC only cast her for political reasons. as long as they don,t keep constantly reminding us that she is a woman and they refrain from male bashing every chance they get, i,m ok with it, but i don,t trust the BBC to do the right thing
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They picked Jodie because Chibnall has worked with her and knows what an exceptional actress she is. Nothing to do with 'political correctness'
I'm still not sure about the story, but I adore the aesthetic. It's a real throwback to the early '80s. Even the end credits have a telecine wobble, what a nice attention to little details.
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@lefthandedguitarist in case you haven't already, you should check Legion. I'm getting very similar vibes from both shows.
I have to admit, I find myself quite perplexed at the dislike this episode seems to have received from all over the interwebs. While I was a bit put out when it began by the revelation that we weren't going to be picking up from the massive cliffhanger of the previous episode, I soon settled into what is easily one of the most emotionally powerful and interesting episodes of the season so far. What it lacks in thrills it makes up for with superb character development.
I could understand the hate a little bit more if this were a traditional show and we had to wait a week between episodes, but the series' format negates this entirely in that, at worst, this is a 50 minute diversion before getting back to the Hawkins plot.
Eleven's/Jane's story here was heartbreaking and riveting. The gang of outcasts she falls in with were a lively, interesting bunch and her "sister" is remarkable in that she's evolved along an opposite path to Eleven, having friends but never really being friendly with them in the same way that El has. Once the intercutting back to her friends in Hawkins began, it tied things together in an immensely satisfying way that had huge emotional payoff.
Loved it, and Millie Bobbie Brown was spectacular.
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@lefthandedguitarist I don't understand what people still see in Eleven. She was great in the first season, but in this one she's been completely useless and annoying. Like someone mentioned around here, they clearly don't know what to do with her character this season. 7 episodes in and she's contributed nothing to the story. Precisely because of that, they could have easily divided this whole episode into several scenes throughout the other 6 episodes; no need for a filler like this. Character development is a crucial part of any good story, but I feel it has been poorly done in this case (really, they've already had 6 episodes to do it). Also, anyone can do the whole "ET phone home" routine and look angry, which is all Eleven does most of the time. She really is, to me, the weakest link in this season, we've all been having quite a good time without her. But the worst thing is this episode didn't seem to share the same tone of the rest of the show. It felt out of place, it looked like a subpar episode of The Gifted. Sorry for ranting at you, but you're a familiar face and that makes stuff like this easier, ahah!
A wonderful moment to pause and an important episode for the show. No sci-fi, no drama, no high stakes, just a pure character focus. It's an episode that almost didn't get made, but it's beautiful and feels completely necessary after what Picard has just been through. Patrick Stewart gives a great performance and once again it feels like, as Picard, he lets the mask drop and becomes more himself. Of course, the lingering effects of the emotional damage caused by the Borg are still going to come back and haunt him down the line.
His breakdown while covered in mud is certainly a major turning point for him, and it helped no end that he had great chemistry with the actor playing his stern older brother.
While the focus is on the captain, I found Worf and Wesley's family matters just as interesting. Worf is clearly delighted to see his parents despite the protests he makes to Riker and O'Brien. And oh my God, I LOVE the Rozhenkos!
This episode does drive home what a horrible writing choice will happen later in the film Generations in regards to Captain Picard's family.
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@lefthandedguitarist I did enjoy the episode, it just didn't tickle me as much as it did you (and most people, judging by how high it's rated here). I prefer more sci-fi and less character bonding, though Star Trek is a franchise known for bringing those two factors together (meaning it's not just "pew pew sci-fi" - I just made this term up, but I'm not hopeful it will catch on). Anyway, I've always found the episodes spent on Earth rather dull (unless they're time travel episodes, of course, those are always fun). But I definitely agree with you, diversity makes life more fun and, even when we don't agree 100%, I often find your commentaries to be quite spot-on and, as such, I enjoy reading them.
A wonderful moment to pause and an important episode for the show. No sci-fi, no drama, no high stakes, just a pure character focus. It's an episode that almost didn't get made, but it's beautiful and feels completely necessary after what Picard has just been through. Patrick Stewart gives a great performance and once again it feels like, as Picard, he lets the mask drop and becomes more himself. Of course, the lingering effects of the emotional damage caused by the Borg are still going to come back and haunt him down the line.
His breakdown while covered in mud is certainly a major turning point for him, and it helped no end that he had great chemistry with the actor playing his stern older brother.
While the focus is on the captain, I found Worf and Wesley's family matters just as interesting. Worf is clearly delighted to see his parents despite the protests he makes to Riker and O'Brien. And oh my God, I LOVE the Rozhenkos!
This episode does drive home what a horrible writing choice will happen later in the film Generations in regards to Captain Picard's family.
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@lefthandedguitarist actually, I felt the Rozhenkos bit to be a tad '80s sitcom, I was always expecting to hear the laughing track every time they'd speak. It only contributed to the episode feeling like a filler, to me. The Picard part was good (credit due to Patrick Stewart and his passionate acting), but all the rest made me feel like the Enterprise itself in this episode: bored with repairs, waiting to get ready for the next adventure. Regardless, you wrote good stuff about this episode, as always.
This is a remake of an episode from the original series; like many remakes, it's inferior to the original. While this one has its moments, some disturbing content--especially implied sexual relations between Data and a human woman--messed this up for me. The language was actually rather clean...until the last scene or two; then they fouled it up.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Implied sex between a male-type android and a human woman; Data is stopped short before making a crude joke. 2/5
Nudity: A woman is seen wearing an outfit that displays her midriff, her back, and a bit of the lower part of her chest. 3/5
Language: Four or so d-words; one or two h-words; two or three misuses of God's name. 2/5
Violence: Sci-fi action violence throughout. 3/5
Drugs: It is said that the reactions that the crew has are like being intoxicated. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Plenty of emotional intensity; the ship nearly gets destroyed; Geordi is seen without his visor. 3/5Score: 3/5
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@dgw Just use the CSV EXPORT button to grab your entire Comments database, and then mine it for info.
To count your likes, throw it into Excel, and AUTOSUM the "like_count" column.
To count words, throw the "comment" column into Word.
You can even make a Word Cloud out of the most commonly-used words in your reviews.
Here's mine (made from my 119,625 words): http://i.imgur.com/CCAVIG2.png
The 1960s view of how computers work is charmingly quaint. A tight and focused episode, but no real tension. I enjoyed how worked up Kirk got.
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@lefthandedguitarist If I had just inadvertently attacked four Constitution-class starships and two of them were swinging around with the intent to destroy me, I would be a little tense. Commodore Wesley is a rare example in Trek of another starship Captain actually giving a situation as much thought and consideration as the show's own Captain would.
M5 is a outboard system bolted onto the ship (and the Captain's chair for some reason), so of course it's abilities are limited. At least the main display in Engineering is still cool to look at. Even Voyager had no idea just what computers would evolve into, the entire science fiction aspect of Star Trek is forever outmoded. But the Star Trek universe is still very stylish and is a decent enough of a vehicle to deliver an ongoing message of a better humanity (2018: ...In theory).
Chakotay stories are the worst. This one manages to mostly scrape by due to being Voyager's first real encounter with the Borg, and at this point the Borg were still pretty intimidating. It's all a bit silly, though. Chakotay's romance with Riley felt completely false, and Janeway's ethics are all over the place from episode to episode.
At the end, Harry was on the Borg cube and called for an emergency beam out for him and the rest of the away team. Cut to bridge, Paris reports that the away team are all safely back on board - and suddenly Harry is also on the bridge, manning his station. Pretty sure he wasn't beamed there (Janeway even addresses "MacKenzie").
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@lefthandedguitarist The episode definitely has its flaws, but the Harry part (kinda) isn't. During Paris' report you can hear the turbolift doors opening and a second later Harry walks past in the background towards his station. Still, he made his way from the transporter room to the bridge in record time. :)
Something I don't understand is what's going on outside of Westworld. I'm not sure how much time has passed since all hell broke loose, but even if it's only a few hours then people outside should still know by now that everything's going horribly wrong in there. I guess you could keep it a secret for a bit from the public, but there must be thousands of people who work for the park and they can't just all be dead.
So why are they storming in there with ~ 20 humans who don't even have helmets or bulletproof armor, in shitty open cars and basically run into the hosts? Where is the rest - Police, military, whoever would help in this kind of situation. I guess that will be the 600 or 800 people one of the park staff talked about, but I'm honestly wondering how long it takes them and why the others are going in there with such small groups. So far I guess they're just arrogant because "it's just robots in there", but it feels weird to me...loading replies
@haibara They won't call the police or the millitary. If you don't count all the illegal shit that is going on in their parks, then there is still the fact, that they are a private company or whatever, they want to keep their blueprints, datas and any information for theirselves.
They even said multiple times, that they can't get any signal out or whatever.
And yes, it is pretty hard to tell how much time has past with all these - at least 3 - timelines. :D
