I know this episode is supposed to be about the trauma of war, but to me it was also such a close and powerful portrayal of the dynamics of relationship abuse. The specific discomfort of proximity, the gaslighting, the false concern of the abuser, the paralyzing terror of being touched, the cringy way that well-meaning people just don't get it. If this was just about war, Pike should be able to understand M'Benga's feelings better: while he wasn't in the universe for most of the Klingon War, he's seen terrible things and has lost people in battle. I don't know if I've ever seen these emotions and dynamics written and played so precisely. It was both hard to watch and maybe a little healing to watch a fictionalized version. I know that earlier in my life I would have thought that M'Benga opening up the knife box was 100% wrong, but the person I've become is glad he did, and it was helpful to see how clear that change in me is.
The choice to leave the exact events of the climax ambiguous is a fascinating one. It really asks the audience to think through the resolution's moral and emotional dimensions. Watching viewers' disagreements about what happened and what should have happened further drives home the distance between Pike's emotional landscape and M'Benga's in this episode. It makes me think that maybe there are things you really can't understand if you haven't been through them.
M'Benga as super assassin comes out of nowhere and the idea is kind of goofy (maybe it's foreshadowed by the action sequence in S2E1, but that was so stupid I tried to pretend it didn't happen). But it's TV-show dumb - clearly not planned for until this plot needed it. It makes diegetic sense that it hasn't been talked about, if not really narrative sense.
The flashback technique clued me into the key twist before it properly arrived, but it was enough of a good mystery that I still found the reveal satisfying.
Magnificent guest acting from Robert Wisdom (the ambassador) and Brendan Jeffers (the young ensign born on the moon), and, in the main cast, particularly strong turns from Jess Bush, Anson Mount, and of course Babs Olusanmokun. Jeff Byrd's direction is immaculate and Davy Perez's script is efficient and precise.
A riveting courtroom drama from early-career Aaron Sorkin, one that's absolutely stuffed with taut suspense, gripping dialog and A-list actors delivering lifetime performances. Not bad for a first-time screenwriter. It's an intelligent film that smoothly toes the line between spelling things out and relying on legalese to skim the details. The audience gets a thorough understanding of the issue, the limits of the law and the goal of both teams, but that information is slowly rationed and rarely over-explained.
We see vivid flaws in our heroes and earnest values in our villains. Each important player gets their chance to shine, and boy, do they all smack the ball out of the park. None moreso than Jack Nicholson, whose "You can't handle the truth" outburst has become synonymous with the picture. That speech still holds incredible power today, not just for the substance of the words (which remain pertinent, nearly thirty years later) but for the raw, unguarded emotion of Nicholson's delivery. It's easy to overlook the fact that he's scarcely on-screen for fifteen minutes, that climactic delivery resonates for so long. Tom Cruise and Demi Moore also bring their very best - I don't think Jack's moment burns quite so bright without Cruise there to egg him on - and a whole mess of supporting players are equally motivated, but that's just water under the bridge. It's all about getting to that speech, about earning that speech, and then basking in the afterglow of what it meant.
Daring, unflinching, passionate moviemaking that keeps us guessing to the very last breath. It's still every bit as good as I remembered.
Ahh, the sound of the nattering naybobs of Trekdom furiously trying to clap with one hand. You see, unless a program meets the narrowly specific parameters of what they will accept as "proper" Star Trek lore. Reminds me of those YouTube videos of entitled 16 year old's getting a new Lamborghini or BMW, and then pitching an absolute fit because it wasn't the color they desired. "This is NOT the Trek I was looking for"...... OK Obi Wan Kensnobby you win, we'll all go sit in the basement and watch reruns of the original series, or better yet, just the SPECIFIC EPISODES in each series that meet with your awesomely discerning taste. They rest you may send to the cornfield!!!!
Personally, I thought the producers and writers did a pretty good job of giving us a brand new crew, a brand new ship, an at least interesting situation as far as the story arc, while maintaining the connection to traditional "Trek" with appropriate amounts of fan service and character call backs. The animation, stylistically, is light years ahead of what is offered on "The Lower Drecks, er...Decks", and, the storytelling is aimed more toward the dramatic rather than the comedic. If that's not your thing, cool, but, neither should it be dismissed out of hand.
Personally, I found the amount of tension, thrills and FUN just about right, and the mix of immediate story and long arc balanced enough to hold my attention and leave me wanting more. Again, for a show aimed at the Nickelodeon demographic, that's no small feat IMO.
So yeah, I plan to continue watching it, and, it will be interesting to see if this version of the "Trekverse", can go where the others haven't gone before, or if the naybob's will be successful in stirring up enough negativity to eject the warp core and leave the crew stranded.
Season 4 improves on the series but takes the lessons learned from S3 really well. My main issues with S3 were the multitude of characters all getting prominent screen time and their stories taking center stage too much that ended up making the time for Maeve, Otis, and Eric shortened. There were also some silly plot points that didn't amount to much. S4 improves by taking just the (dare I say) interesting characters from Moorsdale to the new school that's way more open and accessible about sex, gender and identity. I appreciated that the new characters felt more like additions to existing characters' stories rather than making new stories that would crowd up the season. Plus, I feel like I've seen these character evolve. They already addressed certain issues for each character earlier, now this season allows each character to serve as an example for other issues one might face in their adolescence or young adulthood. I really appreciated Jackson's new role dealing with anxiety and health, Eric dealing with merging faith and family with his sexuality, and Cal's continued exploration of gender and body dysmorphia with people like Aisha and Romeo assisting. The season is the last, and so we know it has to close up the main story and can't leave anything loose. I feel like episode 7 did the heavy lifting for most of the storylines so that episode 8 could focus on cleaning up and ending the new storylines presented in this season. Overall, S4 did a good job of keeping up the qualities that make this series heartfelt, eye-opening, and educational. Definitely a good watch.
If you are going to complain about how it's too inclusive and too many "lgbthdtv" characters then 1. this show has been gay from the beginning 2. this inclusion wasn't meant for you, it was meant for others.
while it was a bold step to include a lot of diversity (like beyond what already existed), it was handled in such a great way and I believe that the directors were able to use the big platform of the show to show marginalized groups (disabled, POC, queer) that they do matter and their opinions matter. while Cavendish college is very very fake the problems that the students face are real and handled in a fantastic manner.
on the ending, people who think Maeve and Otis should have ended up together dont understand the maturity required for relationships, Otis has shown over the course of the show that he is immature and Maeve isn't someone who is going to be able to fix that for him. Maeve has grown so so much over the show and is an inspiration and it's great to see her moving forward to achieving her dreams, as all young people should strive to do.
this show has grown up with me, from watching on my phone so that my parents wouldn't see when I was 15 to now watching it as a university student, the characters have changed for better and for worse and so have I and I couldn't think of any better way to end it <3
As a Turkish person i thought that it is really non-sided and great everything was good the costumes the acting the special effects the battle sequences there was some flaws of course i thought Guistiniani had more screen time than it should have and Aksemsettin was not present in the show at all (he was always with Sultan he was his teacher and mentore he convinced the Mehmed to capture the city when Mehmed thought of giving up) other than that it was great i recommend you to watch it it feeds you with information.
The both empires were great; Ottoman and Byzantium. In this Tv serie there might be some problems about historical reality... I mean we cannot consider the tv serie is a historical documentary. But as a tv serie it was good. As a Turk, I believe all countries make movies or tv series that their army so great, so mercy and so strong. Yes it is good to watch if you are a nationalist and your nationality so great in the movies. But we should of course know the reality. If we can't see the reality we can't be friend. I see all countries find bad stories about their enemies. Actually governments like it, because nationalism is a key for strong governments. In real we are just humans, we cant decide that which nationality we can have. So there are two type peoples. Bad people and good people.
This season has gotten worse and worse. What is the main plot exactly? Because it’s episode 6 and it seems like all episodes feel meandering, pointless, and aimless. The writing is disjointed and nothing is really happening.
Episode 6 is comically bad:
No offense meant here, but I don’t watch Yellowstone for a Jimmy spin off. Will he ever become a cowboy? Because the guy has been ranching for 3 seasons now and still looks like the new guy. I get on my phone during his scenes because it’s just scenic background music with Jimmy looking dumb.
Unpopular take: Beth Dutton gets less and less interesting every episode. Basically everything she says and does now is eyeroll inducing and ridiculous. Her ‘badass-ness’ is tiresome and predictable. Just the writers feeling 'what mean girl line can we come up with this time'. It feels redundant. Her lines to Summer Higgins were a new level of cringe-worthy for this series, wishing any type of cancer on anyone is a bridge too far. And I’m really over her and Jaime. Their scenes basically are: Jamie: “You’re going to destroy me” Beth: _“I’m going to destroy you”. This storyline needs to be resolve immediately.
Summer Higgins is the most stereotypical 'annoying animal activist, vegan girl' ever. It’s just lazy writing because this could have been an interesting and nuanced interaction between these characters who are completely different, but instead her character was built upon a foundation of clichés. And I know they were trying to make her requests seem absurd, but all they did was make John Dutton's chef look dumb. Yes, you can be a cowboy’s chef and still know what gluten is. Any cook who uses flour knows what gluten is.
Will ‘Boy’ ever shower, wash his hair? Because every week I'm like ‘he's still in the same clothes?’ And it seems like Beth completely forgot about him.
Every time I think Jamie is going to do something right, he chokes. He is so weak, it's cringe.
Kill off Monica. Let Kayce be a tragic sexy widower. I give Monica two episodes before she hates their new house, too.
Lloyd vs Walker - Had to fast-forward through that fight. I don’t know why they needed to waste so much screen time on it, so unnecessary. Not to mention how it was possible for Walker to fight like he is Mike Tyson after getting stabbed in the left shoulder the previous night.
Ok so I've read the books, and I didn't want to be that guy...but what was this episode??? Time to be that guy!
I loved the first 5 episodes, even if they took some creative freedom and altered some characters. I'm no "book purist". Episode 5 in particular gave me goosebumps even though I knew what was coming. The particular combo of episodes 4 and 5 left on such an insanely high note...only to plunge straight down into this slog of an episode, with practically none of it being in the source material.
If there's one thing the show directors are known for, it's for butchering projects when they attempt to write original material shudders at the last Game of Thrones season. Despite the criticism, they do a very good job when they stick to the source material. This is a complete trilogy, so there was no need for them to deviate. Ep 1-5 covers book 1, ep 6 was completely made up. Ep 8 seems to cover the beginning of book 2 based on the episode title.
Book 1 got 30, yes, thirty one hour episodes in China's version of Three Body released last year. Much of the depth and nuance is lost in this version, and until this episode, I've been cutting them some slack with the 8 episode time allotment in mind. Given a budget for 8 episodes, these directors decided to cram book 1 into five episodes, write two of their own shitty episodes, then (hopefully) end with a strong ep 8 based in the book. They could have easily done book 1 ep 1-7 instead of this absolute momentum killer. The slow and powerful reveals in the book were reduced to one-liners in the show. For what. So they could add two original episodes that sucked? Learn from your mistakes, morons. Stick to the script.
Even the science they tried to introduce in this episode was laughable compared to the book. Like a slap in the author's face. Ugh.
Then the cheese love triangle. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Anyway, this concludes my rant. I hope episode 7 isn't as bad as I'm expecting, but I'm still excited to see them get back to the source material in the 'Wallfacers' episode.
Having read the trilogy, I have small runts regarding the adherence to the book (from what I've seen so far it tracks the first book of the series, or part of it). Seen around 7 episodes, so here goes nothing:
Basically, I'm being let down by certain cinematic selections:
Actors seem to act in this theatrical way. From what I've seen in the last 10 years, in Chinese movies (also Korean and Japanese) this is some sort of de facto way to play on screen. Personally, it alienates me. Would love to see those people talking/acting like actual people. The hardened cop in the book becomes almost a comic relief element. FFS, there is no need to insert to a sci-fi story with a huge drama element these shots of witless humor.
The books are gloomy. The music fails to reproduce this, having even happy sing-along songs about the end of the world as we know it. Most of the episode duration is dressed with some sort of anxiety-raising beat. Seriously, silence can speak volumes
Finally there's a lot of scene repeats. Pretty useful for thick-heads like me, since I totally forget what I've seen some episodes ago, but the level of repetition is too much.
[6.1/10] The knock on Star Trek: Discovery is that everything is too big. Everything is a world-ending calamity. Every emotion is cranked up to eleven. Every mission is the most serious and important challenge Starfleet has ever faced.
“Red Directive” does nothing to shed that rap. We open with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) yahoo-ing while surfing on the back of an enemy ship in warp drive, before cutting to a cliched “four hours earlier” bit of drama-mortgaging. A pair of smugglers named Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), with the MacGuffin du jour, get into a standard issue bout of fisticuffs with some nameless/faceless goons. Burnham, Book (David Ajala), and new frenemy Captain Rayner (Battlestar Galactica veteran Callum Keith Rennie) dodge boulders and other debris in an immersion-breaking artificial sandscape pursuit of the pair of pirates. And the ensuing rockslide which threatens to crush a nearby village is only halted by Discovery and another Federation vessel diving nose-first into the sand to block the onslaught, with neither the ships nor their crews seemingly any worse for wear.
Look, this is a season premiere. Some fireworks are expected. And in a stretch for the franchise where new kid on the block Strange New Worlds seems to have stolen much of Discovery’s thunder as the franchise flagship, you can practically feel the creative team pulling out all the stops to keep viewers excited and invested, even if it means leaning into accusations of always going big.
That includes invoking The Next Generation. The item Burnham and company are chasing is no mere trinket or weapon. It is, instead, the technology used by the Progenitors from 1993’s “The Chase” to create all humanoid life as we know it. This top secret mission, issued by Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg), mirrors the one embarked upon by none other than Captain Picard centuries earlier, with clues to follow laid by an important Romulan scientist/background player from the decades-old episode.
In that, “Red Directive” falls into two familiar traps. The first is one shared by Strange New World, specifically the need to tie nearly everything into some familiar piece of franchise lore rather than starting fresh. Only, Discovery’s issue is that much more damning given its “millennium into the future” timeframe, with the whole point being a chance to refresh and reset rather than staying constrained by canon from fifty years earlier.
This episode is not above such pandering connections. In fact, the seedy antiques dealer Moll and L’ak do business with is a Data-esque synth named Fred who shares the famous android’s aesthetic and penchant for speed-reading. In a painful scene, Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz) even remark that Fred’s serial number reflects the initials of Altan Soong, a long lost Soong baby and Star Trek: Picard’s most unnecessary character (which is saying something).
Earned canon connections are the thrill of existing within the same storytelling universe, particularly one that has lasted more than half a century. But these ties come off more like cheap fanservice and strained ties to more beloved properties than organic connections to Discovery’s ongoing project.
That might be a forgivable excess though if “Red Directive” didn’t fall into the second trap, of near constant escalation in Discovery’s stakes. Kovich remains cagey about Burnham’s mission for most of the hour, beyond a “recover this item at all costs” sense of dramatics to it all. Even Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) isn’t under the tent on it. And when Kovich finally spills the beans, after more blunt underlining of what a big deal this quest is, he calls it a search for “the greatest treasure in the known galaxy.”
The best you can say is that the season 5 premiere aims to keep the volume lower for its interpersonal relationships. A cringeworthy scene where Tilly (Mary Wiseman) awkwardly attempts to flirt with a wet rag colleague she has an obvious crush on is about the worst of it. But the adorably chaste romance between Saru (Doug Jones) and T’Rina (Tara Rosling) continues apace and fares much better. The Kelpien chooses to resign his commission to take a job as a Federation ambassador that would keep him closer to his lady love, and in response, T’Rina offers a Hank Hill-esque marriage proposal. The writing isn’t subtle, but the sweetness and underplaying from the performers wins out.
Hell, even the reunion between Michael and Book is relatively restrained, if not necessarily overwhelming. In truth, since Book hasn’t been away from the show for any period of time, the sense of distance between them doesn’t fully land. But the sense of simultaneous familiarity and alienation between them does. While a situation involving couriers that just so happens to require Book’s expertise comes off a tad contrived, and the quips about past jobs and plans are a touch forced, I appreciate Discovery taking some more time to unpack their relationship after the schisms of season 4.
Who knows if their exchange about how there are some things you cannot move past will stick. The show has generally seemed intent to jam the couple together from the first time they met. But either way, the restraint in this early hour is admirable.
The same can't be said for newcomer Captain Rayner. If you’ve watched Star Trek for any length of time, Rayner is a familiar archetype. Rayner preaches risk-taking while Burnham wants to take caution. Rayner will do anything for the mission while Burnham will do anything to protect innocent lives. Rayner puts the objective first while Burnham puts her principles first.
There’s something to be said for the clash of ideals between a Starfleet captain who lived through the era of The Burn, versus one weaned on the headier days of the Federation. And Book’s joking pronouncements of what they have in common suggests a “We’re not so different, you and I” reconciliation somewhere down the road. But for now, the philosophical and personality conflicts between them come off as stock and shallow.
Nevertheless, the mission is set -- follow the clues to the Progenitor tech before it falls into the wrong hands. The players are in place, from Burnham and the Discovery crew, to Rayner and his team, to the pair of chummy smugglers racing to find the same prize. And rest assured, humble viewers, terrified at the prospect of serene outings full of boardroom debates and ethical meditations, there’s plenty of explosions and firefights and feats of derring-do to keep you occupied.
But as it embarks on its final season, Discovery stumbles over some of the same hurdles it struggled with from the beginning. Season 4 was a big step in the right direction, with a strong central idea and themes that vindicated the heart of the franchise. That earns this show plenty of leeway to prove it can do the same in its last at-bat. But with “Red Directive”’s hollow action, world-ending stakes, and strained canon ties, the ultimate leg of its five-year mission gets off to a rocky start.
Less than 25% of the way through the episode. We have a classic example of what in my opinion is how to do an episode of Elizabeth poorly. I realize this is no longer a legal show now that we're not the good wife. This is now a police procedure. But Elizabeth as a character is still a lawyer. She's a lawyer who due to her (coded autistic) brain notices things.
This is a great hook. It's a reasonable ask for the viewer to buy into your world. But then when you do stuff like this episode, it completely falls apart. I'm even willing to tolerate seeing the murder. How why? And when happened before Elizabeth even shows up. Generally speaking, I like a little mystery to my mystery show, but that isn't necessarily the problem here. The problem is that Blair Underwood who is wasted here, is a killer who talks like no one else has ever talked before in life. Immediately he starts phrasing things as if everyone knows he killed the victim. As if he's on trial defending himself. When no one knows he's even involved. But because he talks in the dumbest most guilty defense way possible, Elizabeth is somehow the only one to catch on. This isn't exactly what I was looking for when I expected her to notice things. Other episodes have been better than this. I don't think any have been worse
[7.8/10] I’m going to offer “Whistlespeak” some high praise -- it feels like a meat and potatoes episode of 1990s Star Trek, updated for the modern day. The visit to a pre-warp planet where our heroes have to blend-in, the moral dilemma of whether to observe the Prime Directive or save the lives of innocents and friends, the contemplation of what belief means in the shadow of tremendous scientific advancement, were all the bread and butter of The Next Generation, and Voyager and sometimes even Deep Space Nine. Seeing Discovery replicate those rhythms, and in some instances even improve on them, is a sight for sore eyes after an up and down season.
For me, this is a better spin on the type of story TNG aimed to tell in “Who Watches the Watchers”, where Starfleet officers were captured by a community of Bronze Age proto-Vulcans, and Picard had to save his crewmembers without letting the locals believe he was a god. “Whistlespeak” isn’t exactly the same. But the principles, of pretending to be a local, rescuing an ally from their potentially deadly practices, and reconciling your advancement with their beliefs are at the heart of both episodes.
The premise sees Burnham and company following the trail of an ancient Denobulan(!!!) scientist to a comparatively primitive planet called Hemenlo, to find the next clue. To secure it, they must blend in with the locals and work their way to a weather tower disguised as a mountain than Hemenloites revere as a holy place. That means taking part in a ritualistic race, meant to mirror one of the community’s hallowed myths, where the winner gets to tread the holy ground and complete the ritual to ask the gods for rain.
It’s a good setup! One of the best parts of Star Trek has long been the “new life and new civilizations” part of the mantra. While the outlines are familiar, meeting a new forehead-accented community with a unique form of communication, vibration-based curatives, and their own distinctive set of cultural practices is invigorating. The premise of Burnham and Tilly needing to hunt down the clue without being discovered or disrupting the locals’ rites adds a sense of tension to the proceedings. And as in classic Trek, we get a parent and child, named Ovaz and Rava, to help bring the planet to life in a personal sense, each of whom gets meaningful interactions with our heroes.
For Tilly, that means running the famed Helemna thirst race and bonding with young Rava. In truth, the show has underbaked the story of Tilly’s struggles to find the right connection with her students at Starfleet Academy. But I like that her interactions with Rava, both before and after the big reveal, show that she’s capable of forging that kind of mentorship connection. It’s a simple gesture, but her choosing to refill Rava’s bowl, re-qualifying her to finish the race, is gracious and powerful. Seeing her compassion, and the two women lifting one another up to reach the finish line, does a nice job of selling why Tilly makes sense as a Starfleet instructor at a time of uncertainty for her.
Honestly, the interpersonal interactions, which are typically a weakness for Discovery in my book, were one of the highlights here. If nothing else, this episode brings back the friendship between Burnham and Tilly in a way that's shown and not told that I love. The two have an easy, playful rapport that befits the show’s longest-running friendship. Their joking with each other, banter, and breaking all the rules to save one another fits the two people who’ve been in each other’s corner for the longest. Hell, even their racing together comes with echoes of the famous “Disco” shirts and jogs along Discovery’s corridor.
It’s not limited to that, though. One of the best parts of this episode for me is Adira getting their chance to step onto the bridge, and pushing past their nervousness with the help of Commander Rayner. I like it on two fronts. On the one hand, Adira has sneakily become one of my favorite characters on Discovery. They are basically what Wesley Crusher was meant to be -- a talented but untested young ensign -- except that Adira is more endearing through their anxiousness and stumbles, which are more relatable than the young wunderkind on the Enterprise-D.
At the same time, this is a good episode for Rayner, clearly changed after the events of “Face the Strange”, the way his usual calm but firm demeanor is used not to demean his subordinates or give them the short shrift, but rather to show a steely confidence in Adira, makes him feel like a good Team Dad rather than a recovering Team Jerk. It’s a good look for all involved.
Not for nothing, this may also be the most I’ve liked the interactions between Dr. Culber and Stamets. In truth, I’ve never fully bought their relationship. It’s long seemed to miss that spark that turns on-screen relationships from script-mandated pairings into something the audience can invest in. But I don’t know what to say -- they felt like a genuine married couple here, familiar in their way with one another, a little playful but caring, and tender in an area where they’re nervous to tread. There’s a relaxed sweetness between them that we don’t always see, and it helps sell Dr. Culber’s ongoing storyline of personal discovery.
I’ll admit, I have my qualms about that storyline. Star Trek is no stranger to spiritual awakenings (hello Deep Space Nine fans!), and my assumption is that it will tie into the ongoing storyline in a plot-relevant, not just personal way over time. But I’ll admit to appreciating the humanist spirit of the franchise, and I’m always a little leery when creative teams veer away from it in ways that don’t feel fully baked. (Hello Voyager fans!) Still, both Stamets and Book telling Dr. Culber not to fret over his newfound sense of attunement to something greater, but rather just enjoy it and let it wash over him, is a solid start.
That humanist spirit is more alive in Burnham’s adventures down on Helemna. It becomes necessary to break the Prime Directive and talk some future sense into Ovaz when it turns out the prize for winning the race isn’t just a visit to the sacred mountain, but rather the “privilege” of becoming a sacrifice to the gods in the hopes that they’ll bring rain. When it’s Tilly who’s suddenly on the chopping block (or, more accurately, the suffocation block), Michael is willing to throw the rules in the can like so many great Starfleet captains before.
I appreciate the twist! The episode runs a bit long for my tastes. But I like the fact that this triumphant moment of Tilly’s kindness and camaraderie with a young but aspirational soul quickly turns into a horror movie when you realize what their “reward” for winning is. The secret weather station containing a vacuum chamber that becomes a sort of altar creates a ticking clock as Tilly and Rava lose oxygen. And it creates urgency not only for Michael to disobey the Prime Directive in the name of her friend, but to convince Ovaz of the truth so that he’ll open the door and free her and his child.
What follows has shades not unlike the best part of “Who Watches the Watchers” -- a Picard-esque conversation between the wizened space-farer and the local mystic about what’s really going on. (Heck, Burnahm even shows Ovaz a view of the planet from above, a Jean-Luc classic.) I appreciate the idea of Michael rooting her pitch in both the practical and the personal. She explains to an already devastated Ovaz that his people can have their rain regardless of the ritual, and on the personal front, that Rava doesn't need to die for it. The explanation of the weather station and technology on the one hand,a dn the personal appeal on the other,shows the best of Michael.
And despite the on-the-nose “Here’s the lesson we learned from our treasure hunt today” ending that would make even Kirk blush, I like the theme about the evolution of belief more than the tacked-on theme of being cautious with technology. Burnham doesn't use her knowledge or technological advancement to invalidate Ovaz’s gods or tell him his rituals are no good. But she also recognizes that there is a hunger for the community’s beliefs to evolve and grow alongside the needs of the people and their evolving view of the world. The notion that ritual and tradition can sit comfortably alongside advancement is a heartening one, and it’s delivered with a blend of high-minded philosophy and personal compassion, and understanding nuance that would befit The Next Generation.
This is the kind of thing I want more of from Discovery even as we only have four episodes left. Even though it’s connected to the larger chase, this episode could stand on its own. It dusts off old franchise tropes but finds new spins on them, updating the lessons for current problems. And most of all, it puts our heroes hand-in-hand with another, with believable relationships and interactions among both the regular cast and the guest stars. As the episode’s own moral suggests, it’s never too late to keep the good from what’s old and blend it with the best of what’s new, and in an episode like “Whistlespeak”, it’s nice to see the show taking its own advice.
[7.5/10] I feel like there are two modes of Discovery: one where it aims to take a page out of classic Trek focused on problem-solving and geopolitics, and one where it aims to be a modern serialized drama with major turns and intense character beats.
In its final season, the show’s gotten pretty good at the former! “Eirgah” is, in many ways, all about finding unorthodox diplomatic solutions, understanding what even an alien enemy truly wants, using your resources -- not just technology, but people -- to reach a solution. And when it’s in that mode, it’s pretty darn good!
Sadly, even after five years of trying, it’s still not especially good at the latter. The ongoing race to find the Progenitors' technology is a yawn wrapped in dynamite. The breathless character relationships between Moll, L'ak, and Book are roundly uninvolving. And the attempts to turn every week into a high-stakes action movie rather than a measured, if heightened set of interactions between different peoples, continues to be unavailing.
Which is all to say that I love the initial diplomatic negotiations and internal considerations regarding the incoming Breen. On a basic narrative level, there are solid stakes. The Federation has L'ak. The Breen want him. L'ak’s people are known more for their reflexive decimation than their considered diplomacy, something multiple conversations remind us of. (Hello Deep Space Nine fans!) How to navigate the situation on that basis alone is tricky, which portends good things.
And then you have the pragmatic, the ethical, and the threat of apocalypse to manage. On a practical basis, L'ak might have important information Starfleet can use in the hunt for the Progenitor tech, and they certainly don’t want to hand a roadmap toward that kind of power over to the Breen. On a moral level, it’s against Federation principles to hand over someone to die, especially when they know L'ak wants nothing more to do with his people. And lurking in the background is the sight Burnham and Rayner had during the time travel adventures, of a Federation HQ destroyed by the Breen, laying out what could go wrong if this all, well, goes wrong.
What results is a tug of war. Do we attempt a peaceful solution here, as a pinch-hitting President T’Rina seems to suggest. Or do we bear down for battle because the Breen are brutes who can't be trusted, as Rayner suggests? And given the ticking clock and high stakes, can Burnham get the info she needs to help both the engagement with the Breen and the search for the Progenitor tech in time?
That's a great setup. It lays out dimensions of the problem that are practical, moral, and personal. It gives you a, dare I say, Deep Space Nine-esque quandary of whether to do the noble thing or the expedient thing with a serious threat hanging over your head. And it all requires reckoning with your own prejudices and principles to find a path forward. That is classic Trek.
I’ll admit, as much as I’ve loved Commander Rayner as an addition to Discovery, I have my qualms with the “Behind every bigot there’s a story of understandable trauma.” His xenophobic reaction to the prospect of dealing with the Breen is rightfully galling to T’Rina. But I do appreciate, from a storytelling perspective, that his skepticism is more than just garden variety prejudice. The idea that his people were brutally wiped out by the Breen, hence his prejudice against them, adds dimension to his sentiments. Rayner not letting those feelings, that hurt, get the best of him, and finding ways to contribute positively to the plan, are another sign of his growth.
Not for nothing, this may also be one of Michael Burnham’s finest hours, especially as a leader. As with “Face the Strange”, it’s her empathy and understanding that pay dividends here.
She doesn’t write off Rayner’s prejudices, instead speaking with him about his Breen experiences in a way that not only gives them the tools to better understand what these erstwhile aggressors want, but also brings Rayner back into the fold. And while her conversation with Moll and L'ak results in her nigh-magically divining what their deal is without them saying much, I’m willing to chalk it up to Michael being perceptive, and a commendable desire to gather as much info as possible before marching into a scary situation. That is real Starfleet stuff.
So is the payoff with the Breen. They are as brutish, intimidating, and curt as advertised. Their unreceptiveness to our heroes’ entreaties makes it that much more impressive when the good guys unleash their savvy. Understanding what L'ak means to Primarch Ruhn, as a bargaining chip in a political contest, and using what Rayner knows about a rival contender for the throne, gives the good guys the knowledge to bluff Ruhn and play his rivals against him to not only maintain the status quo, but earn a peaceful resolution to the crisis du jour. Again, classic Starfleet.
And if things had ended there, I think I would have been happy. Is the story a bit simple? Sure. But it requires both guile and understanding from all involved to pull off, the kind of careful navigation of interpersonal and geopolitical minefields that were the bread and butter of the Star Trek I grew up with.
Instead, from there, we dive first into wild turn and crazy fight land, which is the mode of Discovery I’ve grown the most exhausted with.
Thankfully, along the way, we get some interesting reflections of the same kind of lateral thinking and recognition of the value of friends and allies that Burnham models here. Tilly and Adira work to figure out what the inscription on the Betazoid scientist’s clue means, while Stamets teams up with Book to figure out what the composition of the metal base points to.
Both are nice little subplots. It’s a treat to see Tilly and Adira problem-solving together, with Tilly’s attaboy for Adira’s growing composure and confidence being particularly heartwarming. The fact that they have to go to Jet Reno to piece together clues toward an ancient library is a good excuse to enjoy some of Tig Notaro’s distinct energy, and to tantalize us with the prospect of a sci-fi Library of Alexandria that might hold the key to the next destination. (Hello Avatar: The Last Airbender fans!)
On the Stamets side of things, we get more hints that Stamets is putting incredible stock into “the mission” despite the threat of destruction, because he remains motivated to cement his legacy apart from the spore drive. His devotion and low-key desperation shine through, and his recognition that an empath like Book might be useful in decoding a clue left by a member of an empathic species is a nice way to show his own type of lateral thinking and put Book to good use.
The way the two halves come together, with Team Tilly’s discovery of the library which might be the source of the inscription, and Team Stamets coming up with its possible locations, until they harmonize their findings to point the way, is more classic Trek problem solving. As mystery box stories go, this is the step that feels the most earned and true to the show’s roots. It requires teamwork, intelligence, and creative thinking. What more can you ask for?
For the episode to end there, I guess.
Look, here’s the big problem -- I just don’t buy the Moll and L’ak corner of the show. Moll and L’ok having some timeless, unbreakable connection to one another? I don’t buy it. Book feeling like Moll is his last bit of family? I don’t buy it. Eve Harlow’s affected acting through of this? I don’t buy it.
It’s not like Discovery hasn’t tried to do the work here. We had a Moll/L’ak backstory episode. We’ve had plenty of scenes where Book tries to explain his connection to and feelings about Moll. It’s just that none of it’s been convincing. SO when you have the two smugglers blowing this whole thing up so they can be together, or Moll basically defecting to the Breen so that she can use the Progenitor tech to bring back L’ak from the dead, it’s not like I don’t believe it, but I don’t really care. It’s not piercing or convincing enough to warrant my emotional investment. Instead, these theoretically gigantic moments become instances of, “Well, this is happening, I guess.”
And of course, we depart from the classic Trekkian diplomacy and problem-solving to have a series of the same choppily-edited, mushy fist fights we’ve seen time and time again in Discovery. I don’t need to see Moll punching out Hugh, or getting into gun battles with Commander Nhan, where the show tries to spruce up a pretty dully-directed hour with some strange overhead shots. The combat has lost all impact given how often they go to that well.
Instead, we’re in overhyped melodrama land, where characters make emotional decisions founded on sentiments the show hasn’t really earned, with wild swings in fortune that require extended boardroom conversations to half-justify. Risking the Breen getting the Progenitor tech may make the season’s endgame more exciting, but it seems like a pretty foolish choice given what’s at stake.
That's the problem. Once Discovery is out of its “Let’s solve the problem du jour” mode, that allows it to follow the rhythm of old, it loses its spark. Once we’re back to trying to make hay out of uninteresting and unconvincing new characters, and feed the show’s overblown blockbuster season arc, the whole thing falls apart.
The most frustrating episodes of Discovery aren’t the installments that are outright bad. They’re the ones where you see the show’s potential, but that potential runs aground when the series falls back into its old habits.
Disclaimer: I didn't play the game, so I can't comment on how well it was ported to a TV screenplay. Asides from that I really have to say that the show caught me off-guard in multiple episodes. Going in, expecting another bland post-apocalypse setting with people fleeing zombie hordes à la TWD, it soon became apparent that this will be an emotional and protagonists-centered series. And boy do they deliver. Despite essentially being a rebrand of the Mandalorian "deliver the child" plotline TLOU really shines from stellar performances of Ramsey and Pascal. Given the extensive acting career of Pascal, it's really Bella Ramsey who deserves all the praise for portraying genuine emotions all through-out the 7 episodes I've seen thus far. She really lives up to her earlier GoT appraisal.
One particular point I want to stress is how well the story deals with the LGBT topic. Even as a left-leaning millenial, I do support the conservative notion that this often feels forced into the script in recent (streaming) productions. Don't get me wrong. The exposure should be there for people of the community to identify with but not feel tokenized. TLOU really handled that gracefully and organically in Episode 3 and most recently 7 with Ellie's sad backstory. Episode 3 alone could've been a full-length feature film thanks to memorable performances of Offerman & Bartlett. People commented that the episode made them depressed but I honestly felt happy for a grumpy character (classic Offerman) who found true love after most of the world was already in shambles.
Having said that, I'm really looking forward to how the story plays out and hope that the chemistry between Joel & Ellie keeps on giving.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this series, even if it ultimately turned left where I was expecting it to turn right. Or, in the show’s terms, it interpolated (putting Lilly and Forest within the system) rather than exterpolated (exploring the idea of reality itself being a simulation from the start). The latter is something that was hinted around the edges in dialogue but never explicitly stated or explored. Are we supposed to think that Forest and Lilly are now living in a simulation but that Katie is controlling it from the “real world”, for example? Because I think Katie’s world, the world of episodes 1-7, is a simulation, too.
I’m also left with a few parts that either feel inadequately explained or felt off, like:
Stewart’s role, and what he meant when he asked “Who is Mark Antony?” last episode.
How did Katie get out of Devs, once the electromagnetic tram fell and she was on the inside? We saw a bridge later, but who put it there? I don’t think Stewart would have.
Pete, the homeless guy/Russian spy, was a Chekhov’s Gun the whole series so I wasn’t surprised that he fired in the last episode, but he certainly took me out of the moment. A spy would live homeless on the street for months, dancing in the park to the music of a busker with nobody watching, just because? That’s some dedicated spycraft right there.
Over a decade since it was released, and Kill Bill still holds up as one of the best "I've been done wrong, and I shall have my revenge" sagas ever committed to celluloid. With the release of "KB: The Whole Bloody Affair", the viewer is able to enjoy the entire saga in one fell swoop if so desired. As a bonus, this 215 minute version adds some scenes either missing or only alluded to in the original edits.
First up, the opening Klingon proverb, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." is gone and is replaced with a dedication to the late director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale). Then in the O-Ren anime sequence, which was already fairly gory, the young O-Ren's murder of yakuza boss Matsumoto is even bloodier, with a close-up of his stomach and intestines spilling out after she guts him like a hunter does an opening day deer. In the House Of Blue Leaves sword fight against the Crazy 88, which changed to black and white in the original after Beatrix rips out a henchman's eye, here, the entire battle is in shown in color, which amplifies the severity of the carnage with gallons of Karo and red dye number 40 as several dozen limbs are severed and the entire sound stage ends up looking like the vampire club scene in Blade. There are also several different angles and gory shots added into the sequence including a brief, earlier encounter with the young boy Beatrix ends up spanking with her sword. With that addition, her reaction at their second encounter pays off better.
There is also an additional scene with Beatrix and Bill's lawyer Sofie Fatale, which clarifies why she was so broken (if losing one arm wasn't bad enough) when Bill is consoling her in the hospital. And finally, as Beatrix enters Bill's house and finds out what happened to her daughter, its a much better reveal since that reveal hadn't been hinted at as in the original versions.
While recent rumors of a Kill Bill: Volume 3 have yet to be confirmed, there IS a potential path forward as set up in Volume 1. Seeing as Beatrix is hardly an innocent victim. She's an assassin who kills other assassins, including another killer turned mother, as she consolingly tells Vernita Green's little girl, "When you grow up, if you still feel raw about it, I'll be waiting." She says this knowing there yet may also come a time when she, too, may be taken to account for going beyond "justice", and "balancing the books" in favor of pure and simple revenge.
Uma has said she would work with Quentin Tarantino again if he wrote a great part. Maybe that part could be Kill Bill, Vol. 3. Tarantino has said he will retire after his tenth film and he has already made his ninth, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", which interestingly, did cast Thurman's daughter in an unspecified role. So what the future holds has yet to be written, but I for one, would look forward to revisiting the deadly viper assassin's world one more time.
Ah, Star Trek: Discovery, the show that boldly went where no one asked it to go. Picture this: it's like a hipster at a high-end coffee shop, sipping a kale-infused latte while wearing mismatched socks and waxing poetic about the existential crisis of artisanal toast. That's right, folks—Discovery is the artisanal toast of sci-fi TV. :avocado::bread:
Now, let's dive into the season 5 finale, titled "Life, Itself." Imagine you're at a fancy dinner party, and the main course arrives: a plate of lukewarm tofu, garnished with existential dread and served on a bed of plot holes. The Progenitors—the mysterious beings who apparently invented the universe's most confusing IKEA furniture—take center stage. They're like the cryptic barista who insists on explaining the hidden meaning behind every soy milk latte foam swirl. :milky_way::coffee:
Michael Burnham, our resident mutineer-turned-Starfleet-captain, grapples with the Progenitors' technology. It's like watching a cat try to assemble a particle accelerator using IKEA instructions written in Klingon. Spoiler alert: the technology ends up in a black hole, which is fitting because the plot also disappeared into one. :hole:
But wait, there's more! The crew of the U.S.S. Discovery gets about as much screen time as a background extra in a crowd scene. Seriously, they're like the forgotten side dish at a food truck festival—everyone's too busy Instagramming the gourmet tacos to notice them. :taco:
And let's talk about Moll, the character who makes Jar Jar Binks look like a Shakespearean thespian. Moll's decision-making process is akin to a squirrel crossing a busy street during rush hour: erratic, nonsensical, and ultimately doomed. :chipmunk:
As for the dialogue, oh boy. It's like listening to a self-help podcast hosted by a sentient mood ring. The characters talk so much that even the universal translator begs for a mute button. :speaking_head:
In summary, "Life, Itself" wraps up the season with all the finesse of a drunk Klingon doing the Macarena. It's a finale that leaves you questioning your life choices, much like that regrettable tattoo you got during spring break. :cherry_blossom::syringe:
So, dear viewers, as we bid adieu to Star Trek: Discovery, let's raise our glasses (filled with Romulan ale, of course) and toast to a show that stumbled, tripped, and face-planted its way through the final frontier. May it rest in peace—or at least find a better hairstylist in the afterlife. :vulcan::champagne_glass:
And remember, folks: in space, no one can hear you cringe. :stars:²⁵
I am not a Sean Penn fan, but, here, as the titular "madman" he deftly walks the tightrope between chewing the scenery, and sensitively portraying the inexplicable conflict and struggle one would have had keeping their demons at bay, if they were suffering from schizophrenia in the 19th century.
Mel Gibson, who has thankfully put many of his own personal demons behind him, portrays the professor, who pursues his own "white whale", that is, the seemingly impossible task of compiling every single word known to man at that time. How easy it is to take for granted, in a time where you can simply type a few letters into ones phone and be rewarded with a myriad of words and their definitions, that once we didn't even have ANY way to confirm the meaning or spelling or correct usage of a word. This is the task that James Murray took on, and that William Minor, in his battle to find a semblance of sanity aided him with.
Natalie Dormer shines as Eliza, the illiterate wife who now finds herself struggling to survive with her children, after her husband falls victim to Dr. Minor's madness. Yet, somehow she is able to transcend her hate and anger, see the humanity in the madman, and find forgiveness in her heart for his transgression.
Yes, the story unfolds slowly and deliberately, but, if you are a lover of words, and great acting, then, this one is worth the watch.
OK, so everyone saw the blinking stars, but not any measure instruments, it seems it would be something directly shown to people's brains, like the countdown and the game, but at a whole other scale... Then that's weird, since there's been so many scientists already dead, and apparently others quitting, why did they have to put up such a show for her ? Was she so much harder to convince than the others ? Was what she was doing more important ? Also, just her saying "shut it down", when it already works, would be enough to actually stop it ? That's totally stupid, that's not how a company works.
Also whatever does this is able to directly hack basically every human brain at once, but not measure instruments ? But it's weird, we know they can... since the woman does not appear on cameras. And also the weird physics results might be that. There's no actual weird results. It's either hacking the instruments or the scientists brains. Makes more sense, since subatomic particles behaving weirdly would have unimaginable macroscopic effects.
As expected the flashbacks are a bit slow compared to the rest. However, like the intro, the scene with the girl that killed her dad is quite intense. She can change the giant antenna target, like that, and no one notices ? Come on. Anyway, we know where the advanced tech comes from now. And wow, she is so utterly despaired by the way China works that she invites an apparently openly hostile alien species to invade Earth! This is even worse than the other scenes, how did it ever pass censorship in China ?? Anyway as first contact scenes goes, this one is quite original.
Also as expected the game part is really fun! Rehydratable people! That's quite something. And it looks gorgeous. Also the way the characters are acting, but still have to break character in an annoyed tone to explain how the game works to players :) Jack hasn't been invited, so he gets immediately killed. However Jin has not been invited either, and had no trouble, even though she's using Vera's headset. Another proof that Ye Wenjie is still involved and her giving the headset counts as an invitation. Did Vera even actually use it ?.
A big lol at the great investigator uncovering the Wow signal like it was a hidden mystery though :)
Even if it's insinuated that this is all fake, I'm inclined to think the weird woman talking about her father being shot in the head is real. Basically same trauma as Ye Wenjie, with same results.
Still very interesting. Many theories, many possibilities, hoping it's not disappointing later.
That, was weird. Little made sense in this one. Even if it's interesting to see the story progress, for a show that started about very smart people, with complex stories and concepts, this episode is a full-time shit show of stupidity.
Why did they not bother making it look like a suicide this time ? Specially since he was tightly playing with another player. And that the mastermind personally knew both of them.
The ... the what exactly ? It's not clear what agency they're working for. Anyway, basically Wade and Clarence to simplify. They did not think that it would be very suspicious to infiltrate her as if the alien lovers didn't just murder her friend ? Well, turns out that they don't think it's suspicious, which is even weirder.
They just gathered all these people they want to recruit and they just go full cult on them directly, without any prior warning or explaining. I mean we left at "it's an alien species that needed a place" and next time it's already "we welcome our new alien overlords". WTF. Are all the new recruits supposed to be into that shit immediately ? The "lol, it's weird it makes us look like a cult" remark is priceless. Girl, if it was only that that make you look like a cult... Also announcing the San Ti are coming to save us, while talking to people who have been through the game and have seen that they're actually just escaping their own world.
Then there's the raid. Ye Wenjie just tells everybody to calm down and let it happen because it's the Lord's will. But most are not cult followers, they're potential new recruits that have no idea what is happening and why they're involved in it. Why could they calmly obey ? Then they just immediately single out the mole and make her a target, again: what. the. fuck. How insanely stupid is that ?
Now about Evans. Looks like he's been talking and reading stories to the Lord for years, probably decades. Are you gonna tell me that it's never come up that stories are not real ? That he never once spoke with metaphors or in an imaged way ?
It kinda look like it's made to be a turning point, maybe make us think that the aliens had good intentions before, and that's when they realize they need to get rid of us, but... the first message was actually "shut up, it's bad for you if we find you", so...
So yeah, everyone turned stupid in this episode. This really feel like a letdown after the start... Hoping this was just a bad writer and doesn't go on this way.
The boat scene is amazing. Did it cost half of the show budget ? And yet it's so stupid. 2 days to recreate in extreme conditions and at a x500 scale something that has been done once in a lab ? That was the only sure way to get a disk off that boat ? Really ? The chances something failed were huge. And even if it works... What were the chances that it would be naturally cut off ? That they would have time to react and destroy it ? That it would not survive the destruction ?
We still don't know what is Wade's agency, but it's looks like it's not top secret, and it's better than MI5.
The Sophon is a bit wtf, but it is great too, since it actually offers an explanation for almost everything:
- The blinking stars (but not why they did that for her only and no one before)
- The reason for stopping scientists. The "We'll only arrive in 400 years and by then you'll have the means to stop us, so we'll just cripple your science" is a pretty smart move.
- The broken physics of the first episode. It made no sense (if subatomic particle start behaving differently, reality itself falls apart), but since it's only interfering with lab results, that's a great explanation.
- How they communicate (but not who built the actual physical headset for the game. Though maybe it's not even doing anything. We've seen they can hack people's brains directly, like with the countdown, so we could assume they can put anyone in the game at any moment with or without headset)
Still a bit confused on their motives. It seemed like the Lord thing had been going on for decades, but on the other hand, real communication would have only started at the arrival of the Sophon, so about a month. Still, by being able to observe the whole of Earth, wouldn't it have discovered lying almost immediately ? At least we know they immediately started to kill scientists, so, were there ever a moment with good intentions ? And let's not forget the original message. Also, they actually may never have said they were going to save anybody, that could actually be entirely made up by the cult.
