When we last saw Georgeau we saw her returned to the past in her own universe where she has a chance to change the past. There things begin to go vastly different than before threatening her position as Emperor of the Terran Empire. Meanwhile, Saru and team investigate a signal…that they have been investigating for some time it seems.
Is it a ‘Good’ Episode? LOTS OF SPOILERS HERE
I should subtitle this It’s A Wonderful Empire. I swear, does every single television series have an episode that is setup to ‘teach’ a character that they have grown or are better than they think? I mean, seriously. I really hate the ‘it was all a dream’ episodes of any series and that is what we get with this episode. Literally everything that happened (with the exception of the very little development happening on Discovery itself) didn’t actually happen, it was all a simulation(?) created by Carl who’s identity also feels a little contrived…we will discuss that in a bit though.
The story itself is actually really good, Emperor Georgiou leaning that her universe can be better by implementing some of what she learned from the Prime Universe. I mean, she is still very sadistic and harsh, but it is clear that her character has grown considerably despite herself. Michelle Yeoh is an incredible actor and it is sad to see her leave the series but this sets up something else…however, I am getting ahead of myself.
So, about that identity of Carl…is he a Q? No. Maybe even Trelane? nope…how about The Guardian of Forever? Huh? Yeah, Carl is really a sentient stone portal that decided to just get up and leave when the Temporal Wars were going on. I WISH I was kidding. I get it, the producers of Discovery really want to toss in some fan service and since this series started prior to the original series, why not give some continuity to some of the most iconic episodes…but the Guardian of Forever? Really? His ability to take a human form is not something that was established initially, but that is not my problem here, he might have just not wanted to do that, or he has evolved over time, but this seem like a completely random appearance of a character who has only shown up technically twice in the past, one on the Original series and one on the animated series. Is it a fun thing, sure, but seems like a real stretch even for this show, especially a series that is meant to bring in new viewers. I can imagine a collective…whahuh?…among non-Trekkies who were watching. Thousands of people took to Wikipedia and Memory Alpha going…what the heck was that?! Me, I was like…hmmm…okay.
Now, about Georgiou’s departure…so, she can’t stay in the future and she cant go back to her own past so the Guardian sends her ‘somewhere’ when the two universes are closer together. This event had some seriously incredible moments but it is very clearly a way to get this character back to the Prime Universe past so that they can establish the rumored Section 31 series that no one asked for. I swear, I am all about more Michelle Yeoh but Section 31 is best when it is in shadows, we really don’t need the Star Trek version of Legends of Tomorrow with Georgiou and other rando characters doing secret things and causing trouble. I mean, sure, I am sure it will be fun but lets not take the mystery out of such a cool organization? mmmkay?
Oh and then that signal thing…yeah, they find where the ship is and Saru gets chastised by the Admiral for not reporting his findings. Oh and Georgiou makes a mention that Burnham should be the Captain setting up something we know is going to happen…this is the Michael Burnham show after-all.
Overall, good story, but seems more of a setup for other things than an episode that pushed the plot forward for a non-episodic series. Discovery pushed the envelope when it established itself as a series that skipped the traditional ‘alien of the week’ style of storytelling yet somehow spends a lot of time doing everything but move the plot forward. When it does, they tend to tiptoe around the plot taking tiny steps forward while everyone else is waltzing around them. While this season is far better than season one, they seemed to be trying too hard to be something different after such an incredible season two. I hope these last few episodes pan out..but I fear we will get an empty finale that culminates in a pure Deus Ex Machina moment. Most Trek series take at least three seasons to gain their footing…lets just hope Discovery doesn’t get the Enterprise treatment only to fizzle out before it gets its footing.
Gleanings, Questions and cool bits: (slight spoilers here)
- Book proves himself…using unauthorized tech, but hey!
- Lorca is mentioned…A LOT. but never seen despite the fact that it would have been a really great moment. I guess they couldn’t afford Jason Issacs this season.
- So where did Georgiou go? I doubt she went right back to her the original timeline…so I bet we will see her in the STNG timeline or Picard one. Heck, she could be instrumental in season two of Picard? Maybe?
- Can we finally be done with the Mirror Universe now though…seriously. Enough…
- Oh and a peak at the next ep below!
Thanks for reading the SciFi TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you! Some teasers of next weeks episode below!
For more reviews: check out the weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more Trek goodness check out our Retro TV Reviews here.
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Late To The Game 10/15/2020
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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