Boldly Go…Again!
When a war breaks out between the Federation and Klingons partially due to her insubordination, First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) finds herself stripped of her rank, imprisoned, and disgraced. When she is picked up by an experimental ship called the USS Discovery, Michael discovers that Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and his faith in her could be a shot at redemption. The Discovery houses a secret and it is a secret that could change the face of the Federation forever!
Star Trek: Discovery—Season 1 aired on the CBS All-Access on-demand channel weekly beginning on September 24, 2017. Following Star Trek: Enterprise which ended in 2005, the series was met with praise from critics and fans.
We’re gonna need a bigger ship…
Star Trek was always a rocky relationship with me. I loved the idea of Star Trek more than the series and growing up in the age of Star Wars, real science-fiction fantasy didn’t have the action and explosions I wanted. As the years past, Star Trek gained in stature and storytelling where I feel Star Wars didn’t evolve. The J.J. Abrams movies were fun popcorn action-adventure films with little science-fiction and didn’t feel in the true vein of Star Trek in many ways. Star Trek: Discovery finds the happy-medium between the recent movies and the TV series which gives it amazingly wide appeal.
While Star Trek often is central around the captain, it is often about the entire crew of the ship (or space station in Deep Space Nine), but Star Trek: Discovery primarily wraps the story around Michael who isn’t the captain and isn’t even a member of Starfleet for most of the season. Giving the series a face was a smart move by producers because it gives someone for the viewers to immediately identify with…and Sonequa Martin-Green does a great job with that.
I want the further adventures of Ripper the Tardigrade!
Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael is both headstrong but likable. Unlike a Spock character who only releases emotions on rare occasions where it is forced out of him, Sonequa feels like she’s a mass of emotions that rumbles under the surface of her character. She’s joined by a strong cast that almost plays like The Walking Dead in that it seems like no one is really safe with multiple deaths of major characters occurring throughout the season. When Star Trek: The Next Generation did that with Tasha Yar, it was a shock…here, you don’t know if any of the characters could live to the next episode. Guest appearances by Rainn Wilson as original series character Harry Mudd and James Frain as Sarek also work to make the series feel more connected.
Keep on Truckin’
The series also looks good. It doesn’t quite look up to the level of the movies, but it is strong and sleek. I do like the design of the Discovery which resembles the Enterprise with a new twist (literally). Unlike the original Star Trek (which this series takes place before), the show is more effects heavy and the aliens look more alien.
If you were on the fence about Star Trek: Discovery, you should definitely give it a chance. The series raises a lot of questions in the first couple episodes (like why doesn’t the Spore Drive exist in later movies), and it provides answers to most of these questions during the course of the season. With a big reveal at the end of the final episode, Star Trek: Discovery—Season 2 promises to be another interesting twist on the classic mythology which is now over fifty years old. Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before…Again!
Star Trek: Discovery—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“The Vulcan Hello”
1.1 The Vulcan Hello Release Date: 09/24/17
The Shenzhou finds itself called to examine a damaged deep space interstellar relay and discover that something more might be occurring. When Vulcan raised First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) encounters a hidden Klingon ship, she realizes that the danger of the Klingons might have returned to threaten the Federation. With her Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) not believing the threat, Michael might have to take actions into her own hands.
“Battle at the Binary Stars”
1.2 Battle at the Binary Stars Release Date: 09/24/17
Michael has been imprisoned for treason as the Federation faces off against the Klingons. With T’Kuvma (Chris Obi) trying to unite his people, a battle for dominance begins and it is a fight that the Federation might not be ready for…and it could cost Michael everything.
“Context Is for Kings”
1.3 Context Is for Kings Release Date: 10/01/17
When her prison transport is intercepted by the U.S.S. Discovery, Michael finds herself recruited to help with scientific research by Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs). Michael is reunited with Saru (Doug Jones) of the Shenzhou and assigned to Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) with Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) as her roommate. As she tries to uncover the mystery of Discovery’s mission, Michael finds herself on a dangerous assignment to reclaim research from Discovery’s sister ship the U.S.S. Glenn.
“The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry”
1.4 The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry Release Date: 10/08/17
Chief of Security Commander Ellen Landry (Rekha Sharma) and Michael are assigned to discover the secrets being held by the creature known as “Ripper” as a base finds itself under attack from Klingons. Voq tries to restore T’Kuvma’s ship and his legacy but finds a challenge from Kol (Kenneth Mitchell).
“Choose Your Pain”
1.5 Choose Your Pain Release Date: 10/15/17
Michael discovers that Ripper is being tortured by the spore transport process and could be shutting down. When Captain Lorca is captured by the Klingons, Saru finds himself in control of the Discovery and forced to decide between the Tardigrade and Lorca. Lorca finds himself imprisoned with a man named Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson) and Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) and one of them might not be telling the truth about their imprisonment. Stamets decides he must make a big choice about the future of the spore drive.
“Lethe”
1.6 Lethe Release Date: 10/22/17
Tyler s now the chief security officer of the Discovery and immediately tasked to a rescue mission with Michael and Tilly. Michael finds Sarek (James Frain) near death and lost in a nebula on his way to a treaty negotiation with the Klingons and dives into her past to try to discover his location. Admiral Katrina Cornwell (Jayne Brook) comes to see Lorca about his recent behavior and comes to a decision about his future with Starfleet.
“Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”
1.7 Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad Release Date: 10/29/17
The Discovery is caught in a time loop and Harry Mudd is responsible. With a thirty minute reset, the only person who seems to know what is happening is Stamets and he must convince the rest of the crew before it is too late…but Mudd is one step ahead of the crew at every turn.
“Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”
1.8 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum Release Date: 11/05/17
The Federation is desperate to uncover a way to decipher the Klingon cloaking technology which leads the Discovery to Pahvo. With Michael, Saru, and Tyler in the party send down to the planet to find the key, Saru uncovers a secret tie to the planet and which changes his view of the world.
“Into the Forest I Go”
1.9 Into the Forest I Go Release Date: 11/12/17
The Discovery has a dangerous plan to protect Pahvo and gain the knowledge of the Klingon’s cloaking device. With a team of Michael and Tyler beaming aboard the Klingon ship while Stamets engages in multiple jumps, the key to ending the war with the Klingons could be discovered…or a greater adventure will begin!
“Despite Yourself”
1.10 Despite Yourself Release Date: 01/07/18
The Discovery has had a disastrous setback. The jump by Stamets has vaulted the ship into a parallel universe and left him nearly catatonic. With no means to return home, the crew finds the danger of the parallel universe could come from the Terran Empire. Lorca, Michael, and Tyler are forced to go undercover, but Tyler could be hiding a deadly secret that he doesn’t even know.
“The Wolf Inside”
1.11 The Wolf Inside Release Date: 01/14/18
Trapped in the Terran Empire universe, Michael finds herself captain of the ISS Shenzhou and attempting to retrieve the confidential documents on how to cross between worlds to save Discovery. Sent on a mission by the mysterious Emperor, Michael and Tyler face Voq…which causes Tyler to recall his past. The murder of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) on Discovery has been uncovered, and Tilly’s attempts to save Stamets could be fatal.
“Vaulting Ambition”
1.12 Vaulting Ambition Release Date: 01/21/18
The Emperor has been exposed as Philippa Georgiou, and Michael and Lorca are on a path to meet with her at her palace. Stamets finds himself with his parallel universe equivalent trapped in the Network and tries to find a way out. L’Rell (Mary Chieffo) learns Tyler is dying with his split mind and undergoes an attempt to save him.
“What’s Past Is Prologue”
1.13 What’s Past Is Prologue Release Date: 01/28/18
Lorca has been exposed as the Lorca from the alternate universe, and he seeks revenge on the Emperor. Stamets discovers that the Network is dying due to the drive in the universe and even if the Discovery can stop it, they could doom themselves to the alternate reality. With Lorca and his followers in control of the Emperor’s ship, Michael must make a desperate attempt to return to Discovery and save the universe.
“The War Without, The War Within”
1.14 The War Without, The War Within Release Date: 02/04/18
USS Discovery has returned to its dimension only to find it is nine months later and the Federation is losing the war against the Klingons. With little spores and few Federation outposts left, Cornwell takes control of the Discovery and debates the future of the mission. Tyler deals with his new persona and tries to accept his actions when he was Voq…including his relationship with Michael. Sarek and the Emperor meet about Michael’s past and the Emperor finds a new direction in the new dimension.
“Will You Take My Hand”
1.15 Will You Take My Hand? Release Date: 02/11/18
The Federation has placed the Emperor at the head of the Discovery posing as Captain Georgiou and tasked it with a mission to the Klingon home planet of Qo’noS. Tilly, Michael, Tyler, and the Emperor go on a recon mission on Qo’noS, but the real mission could test the boundaries of what the Federation stands for.
