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Why Star Trek: Discovery going back to Talos IV is totally nuts and utterly classic

Credit: CBS

The opening monologues of both the original  Star Trek and The Next Generation  mention the idea of exploring “strange new worlds.” But what was the first alien planet the USS Enterprise ever visited? Well, in terms of when Trek stories were written, the very first alien planet was Talos IV, first visited in 1965 pilot episode “The Cage,” and then again in the classic 1966 two-parter, “The Menagerie.” And now, in the newest  Star Trek: Discovery   episode, “Light and Shadows,” the Trek franchise is going back to Talos IV for the third time, but for Spock, it’s actually only the second time. Here’s why the Talos IV thing is a big deal, and why it’s also ... fascinating.

**SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery , Season 2, Episode 7, “Light and Shadows.”**

At the very end of the latest episode, after Michael Burnham has rescued Spock and stolen a shuttlecraft, she determines that the numbers Spock has been repeating are actually coordinates to a planet. After she puts the coordinates into the computer, the ship tells her that this is the location of Talos IV. Startled, Michael asks, “Where are you taking us, Spock?”

At this point in Trek history, it makes sense that Michael wouldn’t know about Talos IV, and that’s because all knowledge of the planet is theoretically totally classified. In terms of the fictional chronology, Pike and the Enterprise visited Talos IV in “The Cage,” which happened in 2254, three years prior to 2257, which is when Discovery is happening right now. By 2267, during the original series, Talos IV will be totally off-limits for any spaceship, because, presumably, the mind-powers of the Talosians who live there are just too damn strong. In “The Cage,” we learn that the Talosians are such strong telepaths that they can actually make people hallucinate all sorts of things. Imagine what Thanos can do with the Mind Stone in Avengers: Infinity Wa r; the Talosians are like that, only like times a hundred. In “The Cage” they convince the crew of the Enterprise that an entire encampment of spaceship crash survivors is on the planet, when, in fact, no one is there at all.

Spock wants to go to Talos IV so bad in the original episode "The Menagerie" that he even neck pinches this guy. (CREDIT: CBS)

In “The Menagerie” Spock hijacks the Enterprise t o take the hopelessly crippled Captain Pike back to Talos IV because he knows the Talosians will likely take care of Pike and allow him to live in a world of illusion where he can imagine that his body functions again. However, all of this stuff is in Discovery’ s future. Right now, as far as we know, Talos IV is where Captain Pike’s story eventually ends. According to Anson Mount, Discovery is showing us “Act II Pike,” meaning “The Cage” is Act I and “The Menagerie” is Act III. But the fact that Spock is going to Talos IV in Discovery right now is interesting, because it means something else — outside of “The Cage” and “The Menagerie” — must happen with the Talosians to make Starfleet super-afraid of the planet.

In the original series episode “The Menagerie,” Commodore Mendez tells Captain Kirk that visiting Talos IV is the only way Starfleet will give anyone the death penalty. Weirdly, Mendez cryptically says, “Not even this report explains why.” Prior to Discovery, the assumption most viewers made was simply that the report didn’t include all the crazy mind-control stuff from “The Cage.” But now that Spock is going to Talos IV with Burnham, it seems like Discovery  is poised to explain this whole death penalty thing a little bit more. And there’s another wrinkle: In “The Menagerie,” Kirk hangs out with Commodore Mendez for a long-ass time, only to find out Mendez himself is also the result of the Talosians messing with everyone’s mind.

Kirk's super-secret file on Talos IV in the original series episode "The Menagerie." (Credit: CBS)

So, if Discovery is bringing back Talos IV, that also means the series is reintroducing aliens — the Talosians — who are capable of making characters believe they are seeing things that aren’t actually there. Potentially, this could end up meaning that a few key details about this season of Discovery have, in fact, been hallucinations. Neither “The Cage” nor “The Menagerie” fully explains the range of the mind-powers of the Talosians. But, if Spock’s brain is getting messed with, and the Talosians are behind it, it’s possible they can send signals from across the galaxy.

Beyond what we saw in the original series, the Talosians have never actually appeared in any version of Star Trek again. This makes Burnham and Spock’s trip to Talos IV a kind of Trek homecoming. But it’s also a moment for revelation. Before now, we knew almost nothing about Talos IV and its history, which, depending on what happens next, could totally change Trek 's history and what we know about canon forever.

• Star Trek: Discovery
• Star Trek: Discovery Season 2

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

If Memory Serves

• Episode aired Mar 7, 2019

Spock and Burnham head to Talos IV, where the process of healing Spock forces the siblings to confront their troubled past. Stamets desperately tries to reconnect with an increasingly discon... Read all Spock and Burnham head to Talos IV, where the process of healing Spock forces the siblings to confront their troubled past. Stamets desperately tries to reconnect with an increasingly disconnected Hugh, while Tyler struggles to shed the crew's suspicions of him due to his past as... Read all Spock and Burnham head to Talos IV, where the process of healing Spock forces the siblings to confront their troubled past. Stamets desperately tries to reconnect with an increasingly disconnected Hugh, while Tyler struggles to shed the crew's suspicions of him due to his past as Voq.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Bryan Fuller
• Alex Kurtzman
• Sonequa Martin-Green
• Anthony Rapp
• 60 User reviews
• 23 Critic reviews

• Cmdr. Michael Burnham

• Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets

• Ensign Sylvia Tilly

• Dr. Hugh Culber

• Specialist Ash Tyler

• Captain Christopher Pike

• Talosian #2

• Starfleet Psychiatrist
• (as Alisen Down)

• Lt. Cmdr. Airiam

• Lt. Keyla Detmer

• Lt. Gen Rhys
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia When Burnham first arrives on the surface and silences the singing plants by holding onto their leaves she mirrors the actions of both Pike and Spock when they first landed on the planet in The Cage (1966) .
• Goofs Information on Talos IV is supposed to be classified to prevent anyone from attempting to exploit the abilities of its population, yet Burnham is able to pull up information on the planet, with explicit reference to the native inhabitants' mental abilities.

Captain Christopher Pike : You allowed the fight to proceed?

Saru : Well, I believe the confrontation was a necessary and unavoidable catharsis for both men.

Captain Christopher Pike : But... hardly an example of by-the-book conflict resolution.

Saru : The Starfleet manual offers no regulatory guidelines for interactions between humans with Klingons grafted to their bones and a ship's doctor returned from the dead.

• Connections Features Star Trek: The Cage (1966)

User reviews 60

• lolcatmcblue
• Mar 8, 2019
• March 7, 2019 (United States)
• United States
• Lafarge Quarry, Dundas, Ontario, Canada (Talos IV planet surface)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 54 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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If Memory Serves (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Story and script
• 4.2 Cast and characters
• 4.3 Production
• 4.4 Visual effects
• 4.5 Music and sound
• 4.6 Continuity
• 4.7 Reception
• 4.8 Production history
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Special guest star
• 5.3 Guest starring
• 5.4 Co-starring
• 5.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.6 Stunt doubles
• 5.7 Stand-in
• 5.8 Uncredited co-stars appearing in the original Star Trek episode " The Cage "
• 5.9 References
• 5.10 External links

Summary [ ]

Aboard NCIA-93 , Leland and Georgiou confer with members of Starfleet Command ; Admiral Patar tells Leland that Spock is to be apprehended as soon as possible, and that in helping him escape, Burnham has committed another act of mutiny . Leland accepts responsibility for the security breach ; the admiral concurs with this, and emphasizes that Spock's foreknowledge of the Red Angel and the red bursts constitutes vital intelligence. The Andorian Admiral asks if they are tracking Burnham's shuttle, to which Leland replies that they only had a trajectory lock for a few minutes before losing its signal; Georgiou adds that Burnham disabled the transponder, and would likely hide the shuttle's warp trail . As Spock is in need of medical attention, Georgiou concludes their list of destinations would be limited, and suggests looking into any off-world Vulcan medical facilities. Patar adds that Control 's threat assessments would prioritize them, and asks for any further suggestions – clarifying that her question was for Georgiou when Leland makes to answer. Georgiou suggests putting out a Federation -wide alert for Burnham's shuttle, with the exception of the USS Discovery . When the Tellarite Admiral asks why, Georgiou points out that they don't want personal entanglements to complicate the search, and that Burnham is likely to reach out to Pike for help. Patar asks Leland if he has an agent aboard Discovery ; Leland confirms that Specialist Tyler is aboard. The admiral instructs Leland to inform them if Burnham contacts Discovery before closing the channel. As they return to the bridge, Georgiou admits to Leland that she's bothered by the reliance on computerized threat assessments, and that in her universe , the artificial intelligence answered to her rather than the other way around; Leland sarcastically asks how that worked out for her. Since she was "on a roll", he adds, perhaps she could find a reason for Discovery to stand down and relay the orders to them.

Georgiou contacts Pike and Tyler, telling them that Section 31 would find Spock and Burnham, and will have a "lovely time" answering questions. In the meantime, since Discovery was forced to destroy the modified probe , Georgiou instructs Pike to comb through the debris to find out what it was made from and why it was trying to access the ship's computer. Pike is skeptical, asking if Georgiou was sure that Burnham received the hails from her ship and deliberately ignored them. When Georgiou asks why she would lie, Tyler replies that Burnham always had a logical motivation for her actions. Georgiou emphasizes that, no matter how Tyler may feel about Burnham, she is aiding and abetting a Starfleet officer accused of murder . Pike points out that Spock is also Burnham's brother, and that there were many approaches to the issue – and that Discovery could be a more valuable asset to the search. Georgiou makes clear that Discovery 's job is to find more intel on the probe, adding almost as an aside that Section 31 needs to know immediately if Burnham contacts them, before cutting the transmission. Pike tells Tyler that his patience for discretion is worn thin, and demands to know his exact relationship with Burnham. Tyler replies it is one hundred percent professional, but admits that at one point he had been in love with her, and that she was "not entirely disinterested" in him. However, he felt he violated her trust because he wasn't who she thought he was (referring to his "dual identity" as Voq ), and she moved on. Pike is concerned that Tyler's feelings could get in the way of the mission, to which Tyler is emphatic that they won't.

Meanwhile, aboard her shuttle at high warp, Burnham reviews the information on file about Talos IV – how it had a thriving population until it was devastated by nuclear war , and that the surviving indigenous population developed powerful psychokinetic abilities; the computer also adds that travel to Talos is prohibited by Starfleet. Burnham administers a hypospray to Spock and tells him they are approaching Talos, and that she hopes he finds what he is looking for. As they enter the restricted space, Burnham is astonished to find they are approaching a black hole , and attempts to reverse course to escape it. Spock rushes to the controls and holds Burnham back, taking the shuttle towards the singularity . As the computer counts down to structural integrity failure, the black hole disappears, showing the planet before them; the black hole was a Talosian illusion . Burnham realizes it was a test, and comments they were "really on the other side of the looking glass now".

Act One [ ]

Paul Stamets takes his still-disoriented partner, Dr. Hugh Culber , through the corridors of Discovery , commenting that things should still feel familiar. " More or less " is Culber's quiet reply. Stamets believes that they should take advantage of this opportunity, adding that Culber wouldn't believe how much personal time he had accumulated. Culber believes full well, as Stamets was always in his lab, even weekends and nights; Stamets awkwardly notes that it was "good news" his memory was fully intact. At that moment, both men spot Tyler – the man who had killed Culber – walking the corridors. Stamets promises to make a formal request to have Tyler's quarters moved from that deck, so that Culber wouldn't have to see his face every day. As they arrive at their quarters, Culber does not follow Stamets inside; he watches Tyler walking into a nearby turbolift , and they briefly make eye contact before the turbolift doors close.

On the bridge , Pike asks Airiam about the audit of the ship's data core . Airiam reports that the probe used multiple SQL injections , but she was finding no compromised files. Saru hands Pike a list of facilities he had asked for; Pike orders him to start with Quiliam Station , and work from there. Tyler recognizes Quiliam as a Vulcan hospital, meaning that Pike is looking for Spock and Burnham despite Georgiou's orders to collect debris from the probe. Pike replies that they are collecting debris from the probe, and directs him to Tilly , who invites Tyler to step into her "office". She reviews the footage of DSC 05 being attacked by the squid -like probe, followed by footage post- self-destruct . They had recovered one metric ton of material from the debris – and all of it is from the shuttle, with none at all from the probe. Pike remarks that they don't know how that's possible, but points out they're doing the job they were given. Pike understood that Section 31 wanted them to stay put, but he was not going to ignore a crisis involving his officers.

On Talos IV, Burnham lands the shuttle, telling Spock she was going to have a look around; Spock remains silent, as he has throughout the trip. Burnham grabs a phaser pistol and steps out onto the surface. All around her is a chiming sound from blue-leaved plants in the vicinity; when she touches the leaf of one, the chiming stops for a moment. She suddenly sees a woman approaching the shuttle, and hurries back down. Burnham holds her at phaser point and asks if she is Talosian; the woman replies that she is Human , but a "permanent resident". She turns to Spock, identifying herself as Vina , asking if he recognized her. When Burnham demands to know who she is, Vina explains she was an old "friend" of Captain Pike, and asks if he was coming back as well. She explains she had been on a survey ship that had crashed on Talos long ago, and that the Talosians "put her back together". The Talosians communicate with her psychically, and Vina relays to Burnham to transport herself and Spock below the surface so they could examine him. Burnham realizes that this was why Spock brought them here, and asks Vina for the coordinates.

Beaming into the Talosians' refuge, Burnham is surprised to see Vina walk up to them, and asks if she is real – to which the Keeper answers that she is very real, as he materializes with two other Talosians. The Keeper apologizes for the difficulty entering the atmosphere, as illusion was their best defense. Burnham asks if they could only speak telepathically; the Keeper replies aloud that they would use the "ancient way" if she preferred. Burnham then asks why Spock would risk their lives coming here; scanning him telepathically, another Talosian says that Spock is experiencing time as a fluid rather than linear construct, and that conventional logic is unable to help him interpret such an experience. Burnham realizes that Spock knew the Talosians could help him; the Keeper confirms that Spock knew conventional medicine would not be able to help him, and that if the variance continued, he would lose his mind, permanently. When Burnham asks how this change of experience could have happened, the Keeper replies that it would be easier to show her his thoughts rather than explain it, and asks for something in return: The memories of what caused the rift between Spock and Burnham on Vulcan, the full experience of their childhood conflict. Burnham is incensed, asking if they wanted to experience her and Spock's pain for their entertainment. The Keeper explains that this was how they understood, how they had survived. " Survive another way, " Burnham bluntly replies. The third Talosian explains that there was no other way to save Spock's sanity. Vina advises Burnham not to resist; the Talosians dive deeply into "our minds, our hopes, our memories, our fears, even our dreams". One of the Talosians removes the illusion of Vina's youth and beauty, showing her to be scarred and deformed. She explains this was how the Talosians found her, and gave her the choice – live as she was now, or as she had been before. To save Spock's mind, the Talosians would have to disengage him from logic, but Burnham must be the one who pays the price. The Keeper asks if they may watch Burnham relive the memory. Burnham reluctantly concedes, but demands to see Spock's mind first. The Keeper agrees.

Within his memories, Spock explains to Burnham that he had begun the night she had run away, braving the dangers of the forests of Vulcan's Forge . That was when the Red Angel appeared to him the first time; he had thought it was a dream or a premonition, because the Angel had shown him Burnham's death – killed by a beast of the wilds. Spock went to Sarek and Amanda and explained where he had seen her, allowing Sarek to rescue her. Years later, the Angel appeared to him again, guiding him to a remote ice world where it showed him "the end". Spock performed a mind meld with the Angel, showing him the red bursts and powerful projectiles causing devastation to numerous planets. As the memory fades, Burnham collapses next to Spock, stunned and pained by what she had seen, and looks up at Spock. " Now you see, " he tells her, before she passes out.

Act Two [ ]

In his and Stamets' quarters on Discovery , Culber looks at his reflection in the mirror as Stamets enters with dinner . Culber is surprised that Stamets kept all of his things. Stamets had wanted to send some things back to Culber's mother, but found it was too hard; he wasn't ready to let Culber go. He then serves up the first course – asopao , based on Culber's recipe. Culber admits that he has the memory of it being his favorite food, but it felt unfamiliar to him; all of his senses still feel disconnected to him. Stamets tries to rationalize his disconnect as a kind of "neutralizing shock", and tries to "normalize" things; Culber is incredulous at any of it being "normal", remarking that Stamets had never prepared dinner in their quarters before. Stamets again asks how he can help. Culber explodes, admitting that he doesn't know what to do, but that Stamets kept pushing him to "feel something", expecting him to pick up where they left off as if nothing happened. A shaken Stamets admits that losing Culber was the worst thing that had happened in his life, but he was trying to treat it as it was: a miracle, one he had dreamed about, but is unable to say it had been since Culber died; he asks why Culber is so angry with him. Culber coldly replies that was a good question, before storming out of their quarters.

In his ready room , Pike pours two drinks for himself and Tyler, while reminding the Section 31 liaison that it was his ship and, more importantly, his crew, and that he would not call off the search and leave two of them out there, particularly when one is accused of a crime Pike is not convinced he committed. Tyler, speaking from experience, replies that when one is not in their right mind, they were capable of anything. Pike agrees that may be so with Tyler, but not with Spock. Tyler warns Pike that the entirety of Section 31, not just Leland and Georgiou, have their eyes on Pike and Discovery , and that the search would help them find Spock and Burnham and "bury them". He advises that Pike should trust Burnham's instincts. Pike is confused: If Tyler trusts Burnham more than he does Section 31, why does he work for them? Tyler replies that he knows 31 works in gray areas, and he knows they're dedicated people working for the safety of the Federation; given what he's been through and what he has become, he believes he can be of service. Later, walking the corridors, Pike is approached by Saru, who tells him that someone onboard has accessed the transceiver array and sent out three encrypted, and unauthorized, subspace transmissions – large bursts with petabytes of data. Saru is unable to determine where it was being sent, but Pike believes they can find out who, as not just anyone could access the array. Whoever it is, Saru assures him, they will find out.

On Talos IV, Burnham awakens with a start, with Spock standing some distance away from her, once again controlled and lucid. She mentions how he had seen the Red Angel. " First as a child, then again a few months ago, " Spock confirms. She asks who or what it is; Spock replies that if he knew, they would not be there. Burnham clarifies she was asking rhetorically, to which Spock tells her to at least ask something he hadn't asked himself already. He wonders if he has a "valuable question", to which she sarcastically asks about his beard. Burnham then becomes serious, thinking on the devastated planets they had seen, including Andoria and Earth , wondering if the Angel was a time traveler . Spock believes the engineering comprehension needed to build its suit made it likely, as well as the fact that some of the events the Angel had shown him had not yet happened – possible futures, which could be determined by the actions of both himself and Burnham. When Burnham begins to say there was so much she wanted to talk to him about, Spock coldly rebuffs her, telling her he was not there to absolve her, and that it was not about her feelings. Burnham is indignant, saying she had risked everything to bring him there. Spock is not surprised that she feels that way, but states it was he who brought her there to see what he had seen. When Burnham asks how her seeing helped him, he replies he required someone with "context" of his timeline, and of him personally. In other words, Burnham says, he needed family. " An interesting choice of words, coming from you, " Spock replies, before continuing, as they had a "great responsibility at hand". He explains that the Angel had a quantum field around it he was unable to infiltrate, but the thoughts he received from it in the mind meld were in fact Human, much to Burnham's surprise. Spock adds that there was loneliness and desperation, and that she would need to see more. Vina explains that their "hosts" would safeguard her mind, offering to let her rest before they continued. Burnham waves that off, telling them to show her more.

Spock's memories turn now to the psychiatric unit on Starbase 5 , as he furiously scribbles equations, maps, and other data on the floor of his cell. A psychiatrist enters his cell, accompanied by two security officers. The psychiatrist explains to Spock that there have been signals detected across the galaxy, just like the ones he described. Spock is taken aback to realize that it wasn't a hallucination at all, but a premonition; when asked what he thinks the signals are, he believes they are an attempt to communicate. The psychiatrist believes that perhaps it's something that has happened before, since Spock was a Starfleet science officer with access to the historical record. Spock replies that history would not provide her an answer, and that she should be asking how it was he could remember "tomorrow". He now sees it was a mistake to commit himself, and decides to leave. The psychiatrist says it would be premature, as Section 31 officers were waiting to take him to a specialized facility because his mind was "in crisis", and that the Vulcan part of him needed time to heal. Spock replies that she was correct: time had something to do with it. He then knocks out the psychiatrist and both the security guards. Burnham, silent up to now, asks what happened after that, as Section 31 believes Spock killed these people. Spock replies that her faith in his character has not changed since they were children – she was inside his mind, and yet still wanted confirmation. He asks her if she saw murder here, before leaving his cell.

Back aboard Discovery , an agitated Culber enters the mess hall and approaches Tyler's table, kicking the chair across from him aside and knocking his food tray across the room. As Saru, Tilly, Airiam, and others watch in stunned silence, Tyler apologizes and tries to explain how it was not him who killed Culber. The doctor acknowledges that it was Voq, and demands that Tyler "bring him out". Tyler tries to explain that it didn't work like that; Culber replies that he knew how to bring Voq out. He then knocks the table aside and shoves Tyler as he comes to his feet. As Tilly tries to intervene, Saru holds her back, telling her that "this must be allowed to play out". Culber tackles Tyler across the room, both giving as good as they get; Culber screams at Tyler to "let him out". As their fight winds down, Culber admits he doesn't know who he is anymore. " Who do you think you're talking to? " Tyler asks him, more in understanding than in actual question, before letting him go and leaving the mess hall. Culber slumps into a nearby chair.

Act Three [ ]

In the turbolift, Pike questions why Saru allowed the fight to proceed. Saru explains he felt the confrontation was "a necessary and unavoidable catharsis" for both Culber and Tyler. When Pike points out it was not necessarily "by-the-book conflict resolution", Saru replies that the Starfleet manual has no guidelines for dealing with "Humans with Klingons grafted to their bones and a ship's doctor returned from the dead", which requires them to make things up as they go along. Pike comments that perhaps before his own evolutionary change , Saru might have made a different call; Saru concedes that is likely. Given the unusual circumstances, Pike is willing to overlook the incident, but makes clear he does not want it to happen again, and that all crew onboard, Saru included, are to resolve any conflicts within the uniform code of conduct .

Entering his ready room, Pike is shocked to see Vina standing in front of him, wondering how she was there. When he had come to Talos, she explains, she had been alone for a long time, but when the Talosians decided they were "unsuited" for one another, when he left, she felt a lot worse because she knew what she had lost. Pike admits he had thought about her a lot since then, and wished she could have come with him. She assures him she didn't need to; the Talosians "brought him back" for her, and she admits that he kept her sane, tethered to what she once felt. He is surprised to see her here, that "this was real". It was as real as it needed to be, Vina explained; the Talosians' ability to project across space was limited, and more difficult the further away they were. Then she tells him there was someone he needed to see; Pike turns, and is surprised to see Burnham, with three Talosians behind her. Burnham explains that she found Spock, and that he directed her to bring him to the Talosians, and that she had learned the truth: Spock was indeed innocent, and there were no murders. She was communicating via the Talosians' telepathy because subspace was likely to be traced. Pike relays what Georgiou told him about the escape; Burnham explains she had gone to Leland, who had planned to use Terran technology to rip Spock's mind apart. When Pike asks what Section 31 wants Spock for, Spock himself steps forward to respond that they wanted his memories of the future. He tells Pike he has seen the end of their current timeline, and to avoid it, they must follow the Angel's design. He admits that he never thought he would ask this of anyone, but nonetheless asks Pike to take him on faith, and tells him he must come for them immediately, if he can. The Talosians are unable to keep the projection up longer, as the image of Spock, Burnham, and the Talosians fades. Vina tells Pike to hurry for his friends, as they were counting on him, before her projection also fades.

In the wrecked mess hall, Stamets suggests Culber should have his injured hand looked at, but Culber refuses, as he can feel it, and he's not allowing anything he can feel to be "fixed". When Stamets suggests that he "come home", Culber rebuffs him, telling him that the version of him that called those quarters home was dead, and that Stamets should move forward and let him do likewise. As Stamets sullenly gives in, he is called to engineering, and he abruptly leaves the mess hall; Pike has ordered a black alert , intending to make a spore drive jump to Talos IV, despite it being in restricted space. Just as Airiam initiates the spore jump, however, the drive disengages, due to a failure in the spore hub . Tilly reports corruption in the duotronics … corruption that appears to have been introduced manually. When Pike asks if this has happened before, Tilly replies it was nothing like this; they ran level-three diagnostics of the spore drive every ten hours, so someone must have deliberately interfered with the system. At that moment, Tyler enters, wondering about the black alert. Pike explains the intention of going to Talos to retrieve Spock and Burnham, but someone appears to not want them to make that trip. When Tyler asks who, Security Chief Nhan replies pointedly that it was someone who wanted them to stay put; Saru also mentions the unauthorized transmissions. Tyler denies it was him, even though the transmissions were sent using his command codes . Pike mentions that he's learned Section 31 has begun using invasive neural techniques, and may have used it on Tyler without his knowledge. Tyler is unconvinced, certain he would know. Pike tells him he can't afford to take that risk, and neither can Tyler himself, before ordering Nhan to confine him to quarters. As he is escorted off the bridge, Tyler warns him that Section 31 will track him regardless. Pike orders Detmer to set a course for Starbase 11 at maximum warp , and to radio ahead that they needed repairs. Saru points out that Starbase 11 is only two light years from Talos IV. Pike confirms that was the point, to make Section 31 believe they were going there; midway there, they will alter course and run silent to throw off any pursuers. As Airiam returns to her station, the three lights that she had seen during the probe's attempted computer breach flash in her eyes.

Act Four [ ]

As she prepares to board the shuttle, Burnham thanks Vina for her help in saving Spock. Vina tells her that Discovery would be there soon, and there wasn't much time. However, Burnham still owes the Talosians her memory; Vina warns her about letting the Talosians "force payment". Spock says he has already shown Burnham all she needs to see; Burnham replies that now he has to share in one of her memories, the price she agreed to for his recovery. The Talosians awaken their memories.

A young Spock tries to stop Burnham from running away, but Burnham believes she is a danger to the family, as the logic extremists don't like Humans living on Vulcan . While Burnham tries to distance herself, referring to Spock's parents as "his" family and worrying about the separatists attacking "his" home, Spock insists on calling them "our" family, "our" home, and tells her they could fight the separatists together. Burnham, now appearing in the memory as her adult self, tells the younger Spock that he needed to grow up somewhere safe. Spock retorts that safe was a "relative construct" and had different meanings. When Burnham insists she is going, Spock tells her he is going with her. Choking up as she relives the memory, Burnham tells Spock she doesn't want him with her. Spock calls her his sister, before he too appears as his adult self, explaining that she was helping him learn to express his Human half. Burnham retorts that the Human part of him was so small, it would not make a difference to his life. As they shift between their child and adult selves, Burnham tells Spock she doesn't want a "freak" like him as a brother; when Spock tells her he loves her, Burnham dismisses him as being incapable of love, because he is Vulcan, "cold and distant, like a moon somewhere". Spock insists that Burnham promised him she would teach him about Earth, and that they'd live there one day. Burnham replies that she did not want him in her life, ending with, " Stop following me, you weird little half-breed. " Spock – in both his child and adult forms – is left tearful by her statement.

The memory fades, and Burnham tries to explain she did not mean any of it. Spock understood she was trying to sever their emotional attachment so that he would be less distraught by her absence, which he calls a "primitive tactic, but logical". Burnham insists it was more than that, that the logic extremists would have targeted her as long as she lived in Sarek's house, and that she did not want Spock hurt or killed, but admits she should have tried something, anything , other than what she did. Spock, to her surprise, expresses gratitude to her, as her words showed him how damaging his humanity could be; she rejects that idea, saying his humanity was "beautiful", and that she had only been a child. Spock calls her a "catalyst"; to escape emotion, to escape Burnham, he submerged himself in logic. But his "constant" has always been time itself, and now time, logic, and emotion have all failed him. Multiple civilizations and many millions of lives could be at stake, and he is not prepared. She asks if he is more angry at her for this, or at himself. Spock tells her not to psychoanalyze him, as "better minds" had tried and failed. And yet, Burnham retorts, he chose her for this journey, because he valued their connection, and that perhaps their relationship was the bedrock of his logic, a notion Spock dismisses as "absurd". He concedes, however, that she was right about one thing: It was foolish to idolize her, and he regretted it deeply. As Burnham looks shaken by this statement, Vina approaches to tell them that Discovery was approaching, with another ship close behind them, and that the Talosians wanted to warn them that they were in danger.

Discovery approaches Talos IV at maximum warp, with Leland's NCIA-93 close behind them. Bryce reports that the Section 31 ship is hailing; Pike knows that with Tyler confined to quarters, he wouldn't be the one telling Section 31 where they were. He tells Bryce to answer the hail; Leland tells Pike he knows where he's going, and orders him to stand down. Pike replies he'll obey that order when Leland starts telling him the truth, wondering if he wouldn't find out what he planned to do to Spock. " Last warning, Chris, " Leland replies, again ordering him to stand down before cutting the channel. Pike orders Detmer to take them out of warp over Talos IV; once in orbit, he instructs Owosekun to scan for their people. Owosekun quickly finds them and locks on with transporters . However, Tilly reports that the Section 31 ship also has transporter lock. Leland hails again, telling him to disengage his transporter beam or Spock and Burnham would be torn apart, atom by atom. Pike tells Owosekun to mute the screen, and stands in silence while the crew awaits his orders. Vina appears behind him, telling him to "let them go" – not just Spock and Burnham, but Vina and the Talosians as well, and that it was the only way. Pike grimly bids her goodbye, and orders Owosekun to disengage the transporter. As Burnham and Spock beam aboard his ship, Leland tells Pike his cooperation will be noted in his after-action report, and orders Pike to report to Starbase 11 for disciplinary action before cutting the channel; his ship then warps away. Georgiou notes that Leland looks "exceptionally pleased" with himself and wonders if he isn't surprised that Pike gave up so easily. Leland thanks her for her insight, but this time, he will do the talking.

In orbit of Talos, Saru detects a shuttle arising from the surface. Owosekun tries to scan it, but the scanners are being blocked. Bryce asks if he should hail. Pike, realizing what was happening, tells him not to, as "they" wouldn't want to risk their transmission being detected, ordering the shuttle brought aboard and telling Saru to accompany him to the shuttlebay .

Leland asks Burnham why she was on Talos; she does not answer, simply smiling at him. Leland tells her it would be easier if she answered him, or it could go harder. " I beg to differ, " Burnham replies. " Say goodbye, Spock. " Spock looks at Leland, and raises his hand in the Vulcan salute . " Goodbye, Spock, " he says, as both he and Burnham vanish into thin air; Leland is dumbfounded, and asks what is going on. Sure enough, in Discovery 's shuttlebay, the real Burnham and Spock step off the shuttle – the Talosians had projected them aboard Leland's ship. Pike asks if Spock is well, to which he replies he is better for being able to see his captain in person, with a hint of a smile on his face. Back on NCIA-93, Georgiou explains that the Talosians of her universe had tried their tricks on her once, and she wiped them out in response. Leland tells her she could have warned him about the scope of their abilities before, to which Georgiou smugly replies that she wanted to see how he would explain this to the admirals.

Back aboard Discovery , Pike asks Spock and Burnham to explain about the Red Angel, to which they say it is Human, and seeks to change the current timeline – a timeline in which all life in the galaxy will be eradicated. Because of Section 31's failure to secure Spock and Burnham, however, Discovery is about to become the most wanted ship in the galaxy. Pike half-jokingly asks Spock if the Red Angel told him anything to deal with that; Spock replies that it didn't, but suggests – based on his "limited experience" as a fugitive – that there was only one course of action available to them: Run. Pike begins telling the crew that he could not ask them to participate in an act of disobedience, but before he gets very far, Detmer asks him for a course heading; Tilly adds that it was probably best they got moving. The rest of the crew gives their silent support. Pike orders Detmer to take them away from Talos at maximum warp.

Log entries [ ]

• " Personal log , Captain Christopher Pike. Stardate 1532.9. Still no word from Commander Burnham, but I know she won't give up until she finds her brother Spock. As much as it pains me to think the worst of any Starfleet division, I do hope she locates him before Section 31 does. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" All this reliance on computerized threat analysis bothers me. In my universe, the artificial intelligence took orders from me, not the other way around. " " Really? How did that work out for you? Why don't you whip up a good reason for Discovery to stand down and relay the orders to them? Since you're on a roll. "

" Who are you? " " Where I come from, the one holding the phaser asks the questions. "

" Do you only speak telepathically? " " We will converse in the ancient way, if you prefer. "

" Now, do you see? "

" I don't know what to do! You keep pushing me to feel something! You want me to just pick up where we left off as if nothing happened?! You have no idea! "

" Why are you so angry with me? " " You know what, Paul? That's a good question. "

" Is there a valuable question in your arsenal? " " Yes. Do you actually think the beard is working? "

" History will not provide an answer to your query, doctor. Instead you should be asking me, 'How is it I can remember tomorrow?'"

" What happened after that? Section 31 thinks you murdered these people. " " I see your faith in my character has not changed since we were children. You are inside my mind, yet you still need confirmation. Do you see murder here? "

" I'm sorry. I don't expect you to understand, but it wasn't really me. " " It was Voq. " " Yes. " " Bring him out. " " It doesn't work like that. " " I can find him. "

" The Starfleet manual offers no regulatory guidelines for interactions between Humans with Klingons grafted to their bones and a ship's doctor returned from the dead. "

" Let your friends go. It's the only way. Let them go. Let us all go. Trust me. " " Goodbye, Vina… "

" This will go easier if you answer me. Or it could go harder. " " I beg to differ. Say goodbye, Spock. " (Spock raises his hand in the Vulcan salute) " Goodbye, Spock. "

" Greetings, captain. " " Spock. Are you all right? " " Much better for seeing you in person, sir. Even if we are riding into danger. " (Spock smiles) " Is that a smile I see on your face?" " I believe it is. Yes. " " Well, Welcome to Discovery . "

" Those Talosians tried this trick with me in the Terran Universe once, and I blew them, and their stupid singing plants, off the face of the planet. "

" I don't suppose the Red Angel offered you any advice on how to handle a situation like this. " " No. But my limited experience as a fugitive suggests only one course of action. " " And what is that? " " We run. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• Burnham and Spock's line, " Say goodbye, Spock. "/" Goodbye, Spock ", is a reference to a joke famously but incorrectly attributed to George Burns and Gracie Allen (" Say goodnight, Gracie. "/" Goodnight, Gracie "); [1] in fact, the routine comes from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In , with Dan Rowan and Dick Martin exchanging the lines " Say goodnight, Dick. "/" Goodnight, Dick. " The same joke, with the erroneous Burns and Allen attribution, was also featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " The Outrageous Okona " with Wesley Crusher and Data .

Cast and characters [ ]

• Melissa George becomes the second actor to portray Vina . Susan Oliver originated the role in TOS : " The Cage ".
• Rob Brownstein becomes the second actor to portray the Keeper . Meg Wyllie originated the role in TOS : " The Cage ", while Malachi Throne voiced the character. It is not explicitly stated, however, that Brownstein is actually playing the same individual as Wyllie.
• The opening teaser features archival footage from TOS : " The Cage " featuring most of the original pilot cast, most notably Jeffrey Hunter and Leonard Nimoy . This marks Hunter's first on-screen Trek appearance since TOS : " The Menagerie, Part II " (which also used archival footage) and Nimoy's first appearance in a TV episode since DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", also in archival footage. Including those two appearances in archival footage, this episode makes Nimoy one of only three actors to appear in four different live-action Star Trek television series in the same role (the others being Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis ). Majel Barrett , shown as Number One , makes her first on-screen appearance since DS9 : " The Muse " (discounting her voiceover work in numerous episodes and films).

Production [ ]

• The shots for Talos IV were shot at the Lafarge Quarry . The quarry was used previously for the planet Harlak in the episode DIS : " The Wolf Inside ".

Visual effects [ ]

• Editor Scott Gamzon has explained how the "The Cage" teaser was conceived, revealing the idea was originally intended as a flashback scene for Pike during the episode, " As I was cutting the episode I was wondering if we would revisit the footage from "The Cage" / "The Menagerie" and rewatched both multiple times. [Executive producer] Olatunde Osunsanmi suggested that we attempt some sort of flashback for Pike at the beginning of the episode utilizing the TOS footage in a hyper-stylized way. Ultimately, the flashback version proved a bit too confusing. Upon viewing, executive producer Alex Kurtzman suggested creating a recap using the TOS footage. I then incorporated the idea of also making this seem a flashback for Pike by using the match cut from Jeffrey Hunter's Pike to Anson Mount's Pike. Finally, I suggested using the original TOS score and Kurtzman came up with the vision of 1960s era transitions which our VFX team then created. " [2]

Music and sound [ ]

• This is the second Discovery episode to feature the original Alexander Courage theme from TOS, this time heard during the teaser.

Continuity [ ]

• The title echoes part of a line of dialogue from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , in which Spock says, " If memory serves, Regula I is a scientific research laboratory. " [3]
• By way of archival footage from TOS : " The Cage ", this is the first Discovery episode to explicitly tie to episodes of a TOS-era story.
• The four admirals who converse with Leland and Georgiou via holographic communication represent the four founding civilizations of the Federation: one Human , one Vulcan , one Tellarite , and one Andorian . A different quartet of the same species had previously appeared in " The War Without, The War Within " and " Will You Take My Hand? ".
• Lt. Owosekun states that travel to Talos IV is prohibited, and Captain Leland states that Pike and Discovery face disciplinary action, but no reference is made to the death penalty provision of Starfleet General Order 7 , leaving it unclear as to whether it was in place at the time of this episode.
• The Talosians are revealed to have the ability to transmit images across great distances, if only briefly. They projected the illusion of Commodore José I. Mendez in a similar way in TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I " and " The Menagerie, Part II ". This may tie in to how Spock made arrangements for Pike's care prior to the events of "The Menagerie".
• Young Burnham calls Spock a "half-breed". James T. Kirk uses the same insult (albeit only as a tactic both times) on him in TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " and " This Side of Paradise ".
• This is the first Star Trek episode to feature footage from the original series since DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ".
• Not for the first time, Vulcan, which was stated to have no moon in " The Man Trap ", is seen to have a moon-like object in its sky. Its appearance is unlike anomalous bodies previously seen in Vulcan's sky, looking more like Earth's moon.
• Vina states that after Pike left her, the Talosians provided her with an illusory version of him, and they spent a lifetime together. In The Cage , she was last seen leaving with this illusory Pike, after it became clear to the Talosians that the real Pike would not stay. The coupling was not referenced in "The Menagerie, Part I" or "Part II", and the footage of Vina leaving with the completely illusory Pike was reused to represent the real Pike, except healthy looking through Talosian illusion, walking away with Vina.
• In TOS : " Dagger of the Mind " – which is set nine years after this episode – Spock states that he has never used a mind meld on a Human. According to this episode, he melded with the angel as a child, which turned out to be a Human.

Reception [ ]

• TRR : " If Memory Serves " discusses the making of, and events in, this episode.
• It was this episode that won the series its first Emmy Award , for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special.

Production history [ ]

• 19 February 2019 : Title publicly revealed [4]
• 7 March 2019 : Premiere airdate on CBS All Access
• 8 March 2019 : International release date (outside Canada and the USA)

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber
• Shazad Latif as Ash Tyler
• Anson Mount as Christopher Pike

Special guest star [ ]

• Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou

Guest starring [ ]

• Melissa George as Vina
• Ethan Peck as Spock
• Alan van Sprang as Leland
• Rachael Ancheril as Nhan
• Dee Pelletier as a Talosian
• Rob Brownstein as The Keeper
• Alisen Down as a Starfleet Psychiatrist

Co-starring [ ]

• Hannah Cheesman as Lt. Cmdr. Airiam
• Emily Coutts as Lt. Keyla Detmer
• Patrick Kwok-Choon as Lt. Gen Rhys
• Oyin Oladejo as Lt. Joann Owosekun
• Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Lt. R.A. Bryce
• Julianne Grossman as Discovery Computer
• Arista Arhin as Young Michael Burnham
• Riley Gilchrist as Andorian Admiral
• Liam Hughes as Young Spock
• Harry Judge as Tellarite Admiral
• Jon De Leon as Section 31 Engineer
• Sara Mitich as Lt. Nilsson
• Tara Nicodemo as Admiral Patar

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Avaah Blackwell as Osnullus bridge officer
• Nicole Dickinson as Talosian #3
• Pamela Mars as Discovery bridge crew
• Unknown actor as Human admiral

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Daryl Patchett as stunt double for Alan van Sprang
• Melanie Phan as stunt double for Arista Arhin

Stand-in [ ]

• Stacy-Ann Buchanan as stand-in for Sonequa Martin-Green

Uncredited co-stars appearing in the original Star Trek episode " The Cage " [ ]

• Majel Barrett as Number One
• Peter Duryea as José Tyler
• John Hoyt as Phil Boyce
• Jeffrey Hunter as Christopher Pike
• Robert C. Johnson as Pitcairn 's voice (aka "Transporter Chief")
• Jon Lormer as Theodore Haskins
• Edward Madden as Fisher (aka "Geologist")
• Leonard Nimoy as Spock
• Susan Oliver as Vina
• Adam Roarke as Garison
• Serena Sande as the 2nd Talosian
• Georgia Schmidt as the 1st Talosian
• Meg Wyllie as the Keeper
• Bridge guard #1
• Bridge guard #2

References [ ]

after action report ; Alpha Quadrant ; Andoria ; artificial intelligence ; asopao ; beard ; Beta Quadrant ; black alert ; black hole ; carbon dioxide ; cephalopod ; Class C shuttlecraft ; class M ; Colby ; Columbia , SS ; confined to quarters ; Control ; CTP ; data core ; dinner ; DSC 06 ; duotronics ; Earth ; extinction-level event ; forest ; fugitive ; Grayson, Amanda ; half-breed ; hospital ; level 3 diagnostic ; light year ; logic ; logic extremist ; mind meld ; nitrogen ; nuclear war ; oxygen ; petabyte ; probe ; psychoanalysis ; psychogenic ; quantum field ; Quiliam Station ; Red Angel ; sabotage ; Sarek ; Section 31 ; shuttlebay vehicle ; singing plant ; SQL injection ; squid ; Starbase 11 ; Starfleet uniform (late 2230s-2250s) ; Starfleet uniform (2250s-early 2270s) ; Talos IV ; Talos IV (mirror) ; Talos system ; Talosian ; Talosian (mirror) ; telepathy ; Terran Empire ; Terran universe ; time ; time travel ; transponder ; transporter ; uniform code of conduct ; Voq ; Vulcan creature ; Vulcan's Forge ; Vulcan salute ; warp signature

External links [ ]

• " If Memory Serves " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " If Memory Serves " at the Internet Movie Database
• " (Re)Discovering Talos IV " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

'Star Trek: Discovery' Takes Us on a Journey Inside Spock's Mind in 'If Memory Serves'

Scanning for spoilers now, Captain…

So far, "Star Trek: Discovery" has fallen short of our expectations. Writers have put too much emphasis on technobabble to move the story along, and the pacing of each episode has been uneven, resulting in a finale that more often than not feels rushed. In fact, the storytelling as a whole has lacked focus on character development, ultimately disconnecting viewers from the characters. 

By this point in Season 1, we'd already had two episodes with the enigmatic, charismatic Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Rainn Wilson), including "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" (Season 1, Episode 7) — arguably one of the best episodes of the first season. No Season 2 episodes have yet stood out that much, and no other character has proven as memorable as Mudd.

Related: The Top 10 Star Trek Technologies

With Spock and Burnham taking us to Talos IV last week , we were left wondering how the story was going to negotiate this potential minefield of established "Star Trek" lore — and even why the story had taken us here. Is this just fandom for the sake of fandom, or was a trip to Talos IV really necessary? 

The answer to that will no doubt be debated for some time. While "Star Trek: Discovery" represents an updated "Trek" and an attempt to bring it to a new generation, is a throwback like this meant to gratify the established fanbase, or was it aimed at encouraging younger viewers to now explore the original series? Probably a bit of both. 

However, the most important takeaway from the latest episode, "If Memory Serves," is that it handled this questionable venture into "Trek's" past well — very well, actually — and has consequently given us the second-best episode of this season, closely following " New Eden " (Season 2, Episode 2).

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It begins with the "Previously on Star Trek" segment, which has been restyled as a retro look back at the events of the original series' pilot episode, "The Cage." It cuts nicely back to Pike (Anson Mount) on the bridge of the USS Discovery as he worries in his logbook monologue voice-over about Cmdr. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) finding Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) before the top-secret Starfleet unit Section 31 does. 

Speaking of Section 31, the power struggle between Capt. Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and Capt. Leland (Alan Van Sprang) continues to brew. Georgiou instructs Pike not to participate in the search for Burnham. Instead, she tells him to keep the USS Discovery where it is and to salvage parts of the modified probe that attacked the shuttle craft.

Pike has turned out to not only be a strong, standout character, but also one that the viewers have begun to warm to. He's firm but fair and has successfully carved out his own unique style of command — a significant accomplishment given that his peers include the likes of James Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn Janeway and Jonathan Archer.

He also seems to be adopting something of a father role for both Burnham and Lt. Tyler (Shazad Latif), as each deals with their own current set of issues.

Meanwhile, the shuttlecraft with Burnham and Spock approaches Talos IV, and they drop out of warp to find themselves staring down the throat of a black hole. Naturally, Burnham reacts and tries to pull up, but Spock steps up to the console and pushes her hand down on the throttle, taking the tiny spacecraft through the swirling vortex. 

As we suspected might happen, the Federation fugitives are not stretched by the forces of gravity until their bodies split apart. Instead, the black hole vanishes, and they find themselves in orbit around Talos IV … and the opening credits roll.

Related: Michelle Yeoh (and Section 31) Are Getting a 'Star Trek' Spin-Off

Aboard Discovery, poor Lt. Stamets (Anthony Rapp) is having a hard time getting Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz) to adjust to … well, being back alive. He's clearly not the same warm and fuzzy Dr. Culber we once knew, and he has some issues to work through, not the least of which is confronting Tyler — who, as Voq, was the one who snapped his neck in "Despite Yourself" (Season 1, Episode 10).

On the surface of Talos IV, Burnham tentatively steps out of the shuttle, unsure of what to expect. The modern re-creation of the planet is done well, down to the iconic singing blue plants — no Styrofoam sets here. While waiting inside the shuttle cockpit, Spock is visited by Vina (Melissa George), the last survivor of the crashed Federation survey ship, the SS Columbia, and the woman with whom Pike shared the events of the "The Cage." Burnham returns, phaser drawn, and Vina explains some of the background story, adding that the Talosians wish her no harm and would like to meet in their natural habitat, under the surface of the planet. 

Burnham and Spock beam down, and we see the modern interpretation of the Talosians, which again is tastefully done. Thankfully, exposition is kept strictly to the necessary amount, and the Talosians' prognosis is that Spock is "experiencing time as a fluid, not a linear construct, and conventional logic has not helped him interpret such an experience."

Straightforward medicine will not help Spock's condition, and he knew that the only option was to seek the assistance of the Talosians. They will put Burnham in Spock's mind so she can see things for herself, but they ask in return that they can observe the "entire conflict between them, during childhood, the defining experience, the wound that Burnham inflicted" for their own understanding. 

While keeping in line with the fact that the Talosians actually study life-forms in this way, as we saw in "The Cage," it also provides a convenient opportunity for us to observe this moment in the siblings' history. Reluctantly, Burnham agrees. 

Through the power of flashback, we learn that the Red Angel first appeared to Spock when he was a boy, shortly after Burnham had run away from home. It showed him that her death was imminent and exactly where to direct their mother and father to find her, thus changing her fate. Much more recently, it appeared to him once again, and this time, it showed him the end of all life in the galaxy.

There are a couple of subplots running simultaneously with the Spock story arc, the most interesting of which is Culber's struggle to readjust to normal life. However, another subplot that might prove to be significant later is that Lt. Saru (Doug Jones) discovers that someone aboard the USS Discovery has accessed the transceiver array and sent three unauthorized, encrypted sub-space transmissions. 

On Talos IV, Spock seems to be able to hold an exchange with Burnham. The dialogue is well written, as the conversation quickly turns to a confrontation over events past and present. Spock says that, during his last encounter with the Red Angel, he sensed that it was human and that it felt lonely and desperate. 

The Talosians can once again place Burnham inside Spock's mind. She sees him in his cell on Starbase 5. Two guards and a doctor enter, and Spock overpowers them, rendering them unconscious using the Vulcan neck pinch. But he does not kill them, confirming what Burnham and Pike believed all along: Spock is not a murderer. 

Back on the Discovery, Culber confronts Tyler and clearly wants a fight. In a scene that's handled well, the two square off in the ship's mess, and we find ourselves rooting for Culber to smack seven bells out of Tyler; after all, he deserves a little payback. What could've easily turned into an over-choreographed exhibition of unrealistic martial arts moves is actually portrayed as two normal people fighting, both of whom aren't terribly good at it.

Saru sensibly stops anyone from interfering and lets the fight run its course. Pike naturally has a few words with Saru for doing that, but the discussion yet again demonstrates why he's such a great captain. He's an intelligent and empathic mentor who offers sound advice based on the wisdom of his own experiences, and this is effectively conveyed through good dialogue. 

Related: 6 'Star Trek' Captains, Ranked from Worst to Best

We stay with Pike as he enters his ready room and Vina appears. It's an emotional moment for him — he hasn't seen her in two years. The scene is beautifully handled as Pike struggles with this utterly unexpected and overwhelming experience, but time is against them, as the Talosians can only project her so far for so long. They also project Burnham, who shares her information with Pike, and they wonder what ulterior motives Section 31 has.

Pike immediately orders the Discovery to Talos IV, but the spore drive has been sabotaged. Tyler is implicated in both this and the sending of those unauthorized, encrypted sub-space transmissions — though he says he didn't do it — so he's confined to quarters. The crew plots a course to Starbase 11 and plans to veer off halfway and run silent to the Talos system, hopefully throwing off any Section 31 vessel that might be tracking them. 

It's crunch time on Talos IV, as Burnham has to share her memory of the falling out that she initiated with Spock to "protect him," per her agreement with the Talosians. This is a part of the story arc that has never sat well. Why did Burnham have to be related to Spock? They could just as easily have been childhood friends, each one seeking the other out at Vulcan kindergarten because they were "different." But no, we have to go wading into "Trek" lore with our Starfleet size 10s and get tangled up in the threads of history. We accept this relationship now, largely because we have to — and because of good, believable performances — but it will always feel like something that was unnecessary.

The attempt to throw off the pursuing Section 31 vessel has been unsuccessful, and the Discovery has been followed to Talos IV. Both ships attempt to beam Spock and Burnham back at the same time, so one of them has to disengage their transporter lock before they're pulled apart at a subatomic level. Pike reluctantly backs down, so Spock and Burnham are beamed aboard the Section 31 ship. Obviously pleased with this result, Leland bids Pike adieu and hastily warps out of the system — except a shuttlecraft has been detected leaving the surface of Talos IV and approaching the Discovery. 

In a not-entirely-unpredictable-but-nonetheless-effectively-understated switcheroo, the Talosians project the image of Burnham and Spock onto the Section 31 ship, while the real Burnham and Spock escape in the shuttlecraft. Clever, clever .

This is an enjoyable episode that finally has us feeling impatient for more. 

We're now past the halfway point in the season, and just like Season 1 did at this stage, "Discovery" seems to be picking up the pace. However, unlike in Season 1, no one has any (credible) clue yet as to how this is going to unfold. You may remember that last year, theories about the relationship between Voq and Tyler were beginning by now, and some already speculated that Lorca might have been from the Mirror Universe. 

Fingers crossed, then, that the Red Angel turns out to be a worthy, well-thought-through surprise and not some ultra-esoteric whimper that leaves us deflated and disappointed. 

The first season of "Star Trek: Discovery" is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Netflix in the U.K. "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 1 is available now on Blu-ray. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery consists of 14 episodes with no midseason break. It airs on Thursdays on CBS All Access in the U.S. and on the Space TV channel in Canada; the rest of the world can see it on Netflix on Fridays.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Millennia ago, the Talosians were engaged in a war so devastating that it rendered the surface of Talos IV uninhabitable. The survivors retreated underground, where they concentrated on developing their mental abilities, to the extreme that, while they became extremely advanced telepaths , other skills, such as the maintenance of the machines left behind by their ancestors, had atrophied. By the twenty-third century, the planet's surface was only just beginning to support life once again. [1]

In 2236 , the S.S. Columbia disappeared after checking in near the Talos Star Group , where it crashed on Talos IV. Only one member of the expedition, Vina , survived, and while the Talosians were able to repair her body's injuries, they were unfamiliar with Human anatomy, and she was left disfigured. Nearly twenty years later, in 2254 , the Talosians lured the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 to Talos IV. The Talos Star Group had never been explored, and the Federation had no ships or colonies that far out at the time. The Talosians captured Captain Pike , hoping to use him and Vina as breeding stock to help repopulate their world. Their plan failed when they realized that Humans were too aggressive a species for their needs. They let Pike and the Enterprise go, but Vina chose to stay behind. [1]

In 2254, Talos IV, a Class M world, had an Oxygen - Nitrogen atmosphere that, according to Enterprise science officer Lieutenant Spock , was "[h]eavy with inert elements, but well within safety limits; Gravity 0.9 g ; barren surface with little vegetation." One blue-leafed plant caused a high-pitched humming noise from its vibrations, which had a pleasant effect on humanoids when touched, even eliciting a smile from Spock. According to Captain Pike, Earth was "in the stellar group at the other end of this galaxy." [1]

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Talos IV ( 2258 ) ( DSC 23 )

Surface of Talos IV ( 2258 ) ( DSC 23 )

Surface of Talos IV ( 2254 ) ( TOS 01 )

Notes and References

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Cage" . Star Trek , season 0, episode 0 (Production number 01). Directed by Robert Butler . Written by Gene Roddenberry . Released 1986 . Desilu Productions . 1965 .
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Star Trek Discovery S2.08 review: "A real sense of Star Trek history being made"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Star Trek Discovery mixes old and new to dazzling effect to create an episode, which spans generations, timelines, and more.

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More than almost any other franchise, Star Trek Discovery is always struggling to walk the line between its past and present. To pay tribute to its history, while carving a bold new path - and all the while keeping Star Trek canon and the various timelines intact! It’s a difficult challenge, but one which the show has risen to time and time again with stories that weave elements of old Trek amongst fresh ideas and perspectives. If Memory Serves is another superb example of how expertly Discovery mixes old and new to create some of the best story-telling on TV right now, and fans cannot fail to be impressed with how one of the most iconic moments from Trek history has been incorporated into the current Star Trek Discovery season 2 story. With some story spoilers from this point on, here’s our verdict on Star Trek Discovery season 2, episode 8. 

Not many modern-day shows would have the confidence to start an episode with footage from an old pilot made over 50 years ago, but that’s exactly what Star Trek Discovery does as episode 8 kicks off with a snapshot from The Cage - the original Star Trek pilot which had Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) as the lead instead of Kirk (William Shatner). Trek newbies might have been left wondering what the hell was going on, but hardcore Trekkies will have revelled in the Star Trek Discovery Easter egg to end all Easter eggs (after they double checked they were watching the right series, that is), which incorporates The Cage into the Discovery timeline.

Past, present, and future Pike

After that mind-blowing beginning, we flashforward to present-day Pike (Anson Mount) who is aboard the Discovery wondering what’s happened to Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) after her short trip to Vulcan. Section 31 is hot on her trail, with Leland (Alan van Sprang) in trouble with his higher ups for letting her and Spock (Ethan Peck) escape and Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) taking full advantage of the fact, but orders Discovery to stay out of it. Of course, Pike ignores this order and attempts to find his lost crewmen anyway. In the meantime, the newly reunited siblings arrive at the coordinates Spock has been repeating on a loop ever since he made his Star Trek Discovery debut (AKA, Talos 4), which is also the planet featured in The Cage, in case you didn’t know.

Here's what you need to know about Star Trek pilot The Cage - the Original Series episode featured in Star Trek Discovery

As we’re reintroduced to the Talosians and Pike’s love Vina (here played by Melissa George) - or introduced for the first time if you’ve never seen The Cage (it’s on Netflix now, get watching!) - there’s a real sense of Star Trek history being made. It’s a bold move to put such a strong focus on a Star Trek event from so long ago, but one that works as it weaves another bit of Trek legend into the new series. Burnham and Spock’s reason for visiting Talos 4 is a bit weak (basically, Spock just knows that the Talosians, with their mental abilities, will be able to help get his head straight so that he can continue doing… whatever he’s doing), but I can’t bring myself to nitpick it when it allows us to revisit such a historic Trek moment. The moments when Vina telepathically visits Pike aboard the Discovery to help him communicate with Burnham are beautifully sad, and Mount especially makes you feel like he left the love of his life on Talos 4.

Sibling rivalry

While Spock’s reason for bringing Burnham and himself to Talos 4 may be a little convenient for the story, it does at least lead to some real revelations about their relationship and we finally get the chance to see the two interact properly. If Peck was at all worried how fans would received his version of Spock (and let’s be honest, if he wasn’t, he’s very brave), he can breathe easy as his performance of the complex Vulcan is captivating. It helps that his character has already been developed a lot by this point, having had his complicated family life explored throughout the season so far, which allows him to show emotion that his Original Series counterpart would never have been able to. But even in the moments when he’s more of the reserved Spock we know and love, there’s a real sense of genius here.

The ying to his yang, Burnham’s emotional response to finally finding her brother and then dealing with his illness and the conflict between them is raw and unflinching to the point of painful. In seems that Discovery may have found the best way to make the emotionless Spock work for a modern audience: Surround him with emotional human mirrors. Burnham and Spock barely spend a few minutes of screen time together with Spock compos mentis and yet it’s easily the best bit of this episode and has me hoping that the rest of the season will see the two of them paired for adventure upon adventure.

The Doctor will see you now

Elsewhere on Discovery, Culber (Wilson Cruz) is dealing with coming back from the dead and suffice to say, it’s a lot for him to handle. He, understandably, struggles to fall back into his old life, despite how much Stamets (Anthony Rapp) might want him too, and before long he runs into his murderer Tyler (Shazad Latif). The whole thing results in a fight between the pair, which feels very un-Trek (something Pike points out after the fact), but at the same time, necessary for us to move forward in any helpful way. Now that the obvious fisty cuffs are done, the show can hopefully develop a healthier resolution for the pair.

Watch Star Trek Discovery online wherever you are in the world

The compelling thing about Culber’s current journey is that there could be a sci-fi reason for his change in behaviour (the show seems to be hinting that he might have come back ‘wrong’), or... it could just be that he died and came back. Of course you’d struggle after something like that happened to you! Part of me hopes that we won’t discover that Culber needs an alien exorcism, but instead that he’s just changed after going through a hugely traumatic life event. Spaceships and aliens are all well and good, but Star Trek Discovery really shines when it doubles downs on its humanity.

Once again proving that it’s got what it takes to be one of the best TV shows of all time, Star Trek Discovery knocks it out of the park with an episode which strengthens the show’s connection to the Original Series and acts as a fantastic introduction to a new Spock, despite him making his debut in episode 7 . With still so much more promised, I can hardly wait for the next episode. 

For more must-watch TV, check out the best new TV shows you should watch out for this year. 

Lauren O'Callaghan is the former Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar+. You'd typically find Lauren writing features and reviews about the latest and greatest in pop culture and entertainment, and assisting the teams at Total Film and SFX to bring their excellent content onto GamesRadar+. Lauren is now the digital marketing manager at the National Trust.

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Published Feb 4, 2022

The Star Trek: Discovery Season Four Mid-Season Primer

Everything you need to know ahead of the next episode

StarTrek.com

We’re a little under a week away from the midseason premiere of Star Trek: Discovery season four, and the excitement is reaching new heights. To celebrate, we’ve created a quick recap of the first seven action-packed episodes to help you get ready for the rest of season four. For a full rundown of all the twists, turns, and surprises, we highly recommend reading the full recaps of this season that we have on site, starting with “ Kobayashi Maru. ”

As the Discovery adjusts to life in the 32nd century and Burnham steps up as captain, their world is rocked by something called a Dark Matter Anomaly (or DMA for short). The DMA destroyed Book’s homeworld of Kwejian, killing his brother and nephew. As they race to save other Federation worlds from the same fate, the crew also searches for answers about the creators of the DMA, a mysterious race of aliens that Starfleet names Species 10-C.

Saru returns to the Federation after his sabbatical on Kaminar, and serves as Burnham’s advisor. Dr. Culber is still urging the crew to care for themselves in his role as ship’s counselor, and was able to give Gray a physical form to reunite with Adira. Stamets is hard at work trying to figure out what the DMA is and how to stop it, but that hasn’t stopped him and Culber from being both relationship goals and Space Dads.

In episode four, “All Is Possible,” Tilly — who has been struggling with finding her purpose — sets off on a mission with Adira and other ensigns. After the mission goes awry and Tilly leads the group to safety, she realizes that she has found her path. She departs the Discovery to teach at Starfleet Academy. We’re still emotional about her farewell to the crew .

Ni’Var, the Vulcan-Romulan homeworld first discussed in season three’s “Unification III” has officially rejoined the Federation, which is led by Cardassian-Bajoran President Rillak. Burnham’s abilities as a leader helped secure Ni’Var’s return, and Saru became closer with the Vulcan leader President T’Rina.

Zora, the sentient computer inside Discovery , is also hailed as a new species after lengthy debates about her existence and whether or not she poses a threat. Over the seven-episode first half of the season, Zora has grown her own personality, chosen her own name, and acts out of a desire to protect the crew, who she views as family. Only time will tell what the future holds for her, though we did get a peek at it in the Short Treks episode “ Calypso. ”

In the midseason finale, Dr. Ruon Tarka revealed that he had a weapon capable of destroying the DMA, but Burnham urged a diplomatic approach to deal with Species 10-C, as the weapon could be seen as an act of war. Determined to save other planets from his home’s fate, Book and Tarka head out with the intent to stop the anomaly, leaving Queen Grudge safely behind on the Discovery . Tarka also reveals to Book that he plans to use the DMA creators’ power source to travel to an alternate universe — one in which the Burn never occurred.

Of course, this leaves us with a lot of mysteries still left to solve. Who created the DMA? Where are they from, and what is their goal? Will Book return to the Discovery ? All these questions and more have kept fans guessing and we cannot wait to see what this next half of the season gives us.

Episode Preview | Star Trek: Discovery - All In

Share your theories and excitement with us on social media @StarTrek, and get ready to fly again with Burnham and the crew next week!

Star Trek: Discovery currently streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. Internationally, the series is available on Paramount+ in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics, and on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Discovery is distributed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5 episode 4 ending explained.

Moll and L'ak send Burnham, Rayner and Stamets hurtling through their past, present, and future as Star Trek: Discovery's treasure hunt continues.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange".

• Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner navigate through time to stop the time bug, showcasing their growth and teamwork.
• A Voyager connection reveals the menacing Krenim "time bug" and its catastrophic effects on the USS Discovery's crew and timeline.
• Burnham reflects on her journey as she faces challenges from her past while navigating through alternate futures in "Face the Strange."

Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) find themselves hurtling through the USS Discovery's past, present, and future in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange". Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose, "Face the Strange" demonstrates how far Burnham and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) have come since Discovery season 1 . It's also a chance for Burnham and her new Number One, Rayner, to finally work as a team, as they literally race against time to get Discovery 's hunt for the Progenitors' treasure back on track.

"Face the Strange" reveals that Moll (Eve Harlow) planted a Krenim " time bug " on Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3 . Having worked its way into the USS Discovery's systems, the time bug traps the crew in their own history, randomly cycling the ship through the past, present, and future, freeing Moll and L'ak to retrieve the next clue . Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets are unaffected and work together to get the USS Discovery back to the 32nd century in time to stop Moll and L'ak from completing the next step in Discovery 's treasure hunt.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

How burnham, rayner & stamets beat star trek: discovery's time bug explained.

The time bug in Star Trek: Discovery is a particularly nasty piece of temporal technology, which proves hard for Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets to beat. Their first attempt to nullify the device fails, because time inside the surrounding field is moving at a rapid pace. Anything that enters the field to remove the time bug will cease to exist within seconds , forcing Stamets to come up with a far riskier strategy.

the warp bubble is what protects the crews of Star Trek 's starships from the effects of relativity...

The trick to beating the time bug is to reduce the flow of time in the surrounding field , but to do that, the USS Discovery has to break the warp bubble and throw relativity out of sync. As they travel faster than the speed of light, the warp bubble is what protects the crews of Star Trek 's starships from the effects of relativity . Abruptly breaking the warp bubble means that the time bug has less time to readjust to relative time outside the USS Discovery. This would weaken the surrounding field for long enough for Rayner to remove the time bug.

The main issue with Commander Paul Stamets ' plan was that the time-traveling trio were in the worst possible time period when it comes to Burnham's standing aboard the USS Discovery. The time bug's final cycle took Burnham, Rayner and Stamets to an early point in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, when Michael was still seen as a dangerous mutineer. For Stamets' plan to succeed, Burnham had to make her way to the bridge, fight and incapacitate her younger self, then successfully convinced the bridge crew to follow the orders of their future captain .

A line of dialog places these scenes at some point between episodes 3 and 4 of Star Trek: Discovery season 1, as Commander Landry is said to still be alive.

Star Trek: Discovery's Time Bug Is A Voyager Connection

Commander Rayner reveals that the time bug is a " Krenim chronophage " left over from Star Trek 's Temporal Wars . The Krenim are a technologically advanced species first introduced in Star Trek: Voyager 's season 4 two-parter, "Year of Hell." The USS Voyager's first encounter with the Krenim went so badly wrong that it created an alternate timeline that descimated the majority of the ship's crew .

This forced Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to make the ultimate sacrifice to restore history. Hailing from the Delta Quadrant, the Krenim had devastating temporal weapons that were capable of removing entire species from existence. While Star Trek: Discovery 's time bug is much smaller, it can still have a devastating impact on its victims , as shown by what will happen if Moll and L'ak get their hands on the Progenitors' technology.

Voyager Is Why Star Trek Is Replacing Discovery’s Spore Drive

Burnham and stamets’ time travel shows how much they've changed on star trek: discovery.

Burnham and Stamets are forced to relive some painful moments from their pasts, but these incidents remind viewers just how far the Star Trek: Discovery characters have come. Stamets hilariously draws on his angrier, snarkier past self from Discovery season 1, which helps him swiftly empty engineering. It's a fun callback to the person that Stamets used to be, before his tardigrade DNA made him more mellow, making him a better husband to Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) and a father figure to Adira. However, Stamets' tartigrade DNA has one drawback; he still experiences the pain of being impaled during the Battle of Control .

Burnham also gets a welcome reminder of how far she's come, courtesy of the Krenim time bug and some words of encouragement from Rayner. Rayner reminds her that she never gave up on her path from prisoner to starship captain , and so she shouldn't give up when faced with their bleak alternate future. Captain Burnham stirring the crew of the USS Discovery on the same day that her younger self came aboard as a prisoner is a strong affirmation of her journey between Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 5.

Burnham's awkwardness around Book seems more rooted in her suppressing her attraction than trying not to change the future

Burnham also gets a chance to reflect on her relationship with Booker (David Ajala), when she meets his past self, fresh out of the shower. Burnham's awkwardness around Book seems more rooted in her suppressing her attraction than trying not to change the future. It's another hint that Burnham and Book's Star Trek: Discovery love story isn't over yet.

Star Trek: Discovery Finally Solves Its Biggest Short Trek Mystery

In the fan-favorite Short Trek , a soldier, Craft (Aldis Hodge) was picked up by the USS Discovery after his escape pod had drifted through space for a month. Craft formed a bond with Zora (Annabelle Wallis) who had been left behind by the USS Discovery a thousand years earlier. For years, fans speculated over where "Calypso" fitted into the Star Trek: Discovery timeline, something that the showrunners promised would come further down the line. Now, Discovery season 5, episode 5 "Face the Strange" provides the answer. "Calypso" takes place in an alternate version of the 42nd century, a thousand years after the Progenitors' technology had fallen into the wrong hands .

Star Trek Needs To Bring Back Short Treks

Burnham and Rayner's jump into the future reveals that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Breen got hold of the Progenitors' technology and used it to destroy Starfleet and the Federation. As the USS Discovery hangs in space, Burnham and Rayner look out at a devastated Federation Headquarters, as Zora pleads with them to change the future. The use of a calypso version of Doris Day's "Que Sera Sera" is Star Trek: Discovery 's subtle confirmation that it's this catastrophe that left Zora abandoned for a thousand years before Star Trek: Short Treks .

Did Star Trek: Discovery Retcon Airiam’s Season 2 Sacrifice?

While convincing the crew of the USS Discovery to help with her plan to return to the 32nd century, Captain Burnham reveals that Lt. Commander Airiam (Hannah Cheeseman) will sacrifice her life to save her crew mates. Airiam accepts Burnham's future knowledge, because she knows that she would sacrifice her life in those circumstances. Airiam's knowledge of her own future is what eventually convinces her to follow Burnham's orders by breaking the warp bubble . In normal circumstances, knowledge given to her by a time-traveling Burnham would mean that Airiam will sacrifice her life in Star Trek: Discovery season 2 because she knows she has to.

However, due to the nature of the Krenim time bug, and Stamets' solution, Burnham telling Airiam about her tragic future doesn't retcon Star Trek: Discovery season 2. By removing the time bug before the next loop, Burnham, Rayner and Stamets negate everything that they did, meaning that, for example, young Burnham won't remember her fight with her future self. This means that Airiam will still make the decision to sacrifice her life in Discovery season 2, independently, not because she was inspired to do so by Captain Burnham .

Rayner Is Finally “Connecting” With USS Discovery's Crew

Callum Keith Rennie's Commander Rayner continues to go from strength to strength in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Following Burnham's orders to " connect " with the Discovery crew in the previous episode, Rayner demonstrates how much he was paying attention during his brisk one-on-one meetings. Not only does Rayner give Burnham the encouragement she needs not to give up, he and Stamets appear to bond over being " old dogs " who specialize in " gruff candor ".

Why I'm On Rayner's Side In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Rayner's most notable connection is with Gen Rhys, whose theory about Moll and L'ak he brusquely dismisses at the start of the episode . Thrown back into time when Rhys was just a lieutenant, Rayner gets through to the young officer by bonding with him over a love of Constitution-class starships. Rayner's connection with Rhys is enough to convince the officer to lower his phaser and let him and Stamets proceed with their plan. Back in the 32nd century, Rayner finally acknowledges the value of Rhys' tactical assessment that Moll and L'ak would just follow Discovery to the next clue .

Rayner also tells Rhys that he's lost his family, teasing more about the new Star Trek: Discovery character's backstory.

Where Have Moll And L’ak Gone In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5?

The Krenim time bug caused the USS Discovery crew to lose six hours to Moll and L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 . Returned to Tzenkethi space in the 32nd century, Lt. Commander Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) picks up Moll and L'ak's trail, but it quickly stops dead , meaning that they've seemingly disappeared. A starship trail that drops dead just before an episode called "Mirrors" would certainly play into Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Mirror Universe theory . Perhaps the reason that Moll and L'ak's trail stops dead is because they've phased into another reality altogether.

It's possible that Moll and L'ak picked up more than a Romulan puzzle box...

Alternatively, given Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Romulan connection, their ship could have used an interphasic cloak, first seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Next Phase". Interphasic cloaking technology effectively turned Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) and Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) into ghosts, unable to be seen by their crewmates. It's possible, therefore, that Moll and L'ak picked up more than a Romulan puzzle box in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere, meaning that they could have a considerable tactical advantage over Burnham and the crew in the next stage of the treasure hunt.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Preview: Star Trek: Discovery 504 “Face the Strange”

Star Trek: Discovery returns for the fourth installment of the series’ fifth and final season with “Face the Strange” this Thursday, April 18 . The episode is written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose .

Today, we have a clip along with two new photos from the episode — featuring Eve Harlow as Moll and Elias Toufexis as L’ak.

You can check out the new photos below. Please be aware of some minor spoilers.

Official description:

On the way to the next clue, the  U.S.S. Discovery  is sabotaged by a mysterious weapon, leaving Captain Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets as the only crew members who can possibly save the ship in time.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 castmembers include Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks, and more.

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By using a Time Bug, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 4 revisited the series' greatest hits, and deepened its heroes' characters and journeys.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 4, "Face the Strange," now streaming on Paramount+ .

In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham and her crew are in a race against a pair of space-pirates for the future of the Federation. Yet, with only five clues to find before getting to the finish line, there were bound to be some detours. "Face the Strange" is one such side-mission, but it's also a brilliant way to look back at the series' larger journey from being the new kid on the franchise's block to becoming a classic Star Trek series .

Producers said that Season 5 wasn't supposed to end the series, yet this episode is a perfect addition for its final mission. By using time travel as a framing device, the episode looked back at the journey the crew, and especially Burnham, embarked on ever since the show launched in 2017. This was exactly the kind of nostalgic and emotional trip down memory lane that one would expect a character-driven series like Star Trek: Discovery to do in its swan song.

Of course, time travel shenanigans are a classic Star Trek motif, and Star Trek: Discovery already had its share of such adventures. That said, what made this particular time-traveling escapade special was that it allowed for the return of a long-lost character, and it gave Commander Rayner a chance to further define and refine his character while also affirming his place on the Discovery's crew . While his connection to the crew is still a bit tertiary, this episode really showed that Burnham and Rayner made a fantastic and complementary duo.

Face the Strange Revisited Star Trek: Discovery's Greatest Hits

Captain michael burnham and commander rayner relived some of the show's best moments, star trek: discovery ending is a blessing in disguise.

At the end of "Jinaal (Season 5, Episode 3)," Moll slipped into the Trill symbiont caves and planted a strange device on Ensign Adira Tal's sleeve. When "Face the Strange" opened while affirming that the recently broken-up Gray Tal and Adira will remain friends, the spider-like device (later referred to as the Time Bug) crawled from their sleeve and onto the ship.

Meanwhile, Rayner's harsh style of command rubbed Burnham the wrong way. She asks him to join her in the ready room for a slight dressing down, which inadvertently proves to be the crew's saving grace. When the Time Bug does its dirty work, the captain and first officer use their personal transporters, which prevents them from becoming unstuck in time like the rest of the ship and crew. This allowed them to find a way to free the Discovery from its time-displaced prison, and to reflect on their lives.

There is a brief jaunt to the future, Burnham and Rayner learn that their crew died and that the Federation was decimated after a Breen attack. This was also the third mention of the Breen this season, and one of their heaviest bits of foreshadowing yet. Interestingly, this grim sequence evoked the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso (Season 1, Episode 2)," which featured a marooned soldier many, many tears in the future encountering an abandoned USS Discovery occupied only by Zora.

The two Starfleet officers then appear on the ship during its journey through the wormhole at the end of Season 2. Next, they were thrown back to the battle against Control, the evil artificial intelligence that wanted to merge with the "Sphere Data" that became Zora. They also traveled to the distant past before the Discovery was even launched. However, their most important trip to the past took place just a few weeks after Burnham joined the ship. The best thing about this sequence was that it allowed Airiam, the human-turned-cyborg who died in Season 2, to return for a brief few scenes. That said, this sequence was all about Burnham and her personal journey.

Captain Michael Burnham Confronted Her Past, Insecure Self in Face the Strange

It's been a long road for michael burnham, going from mutineer to captain, star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

As Rayner and Commander Paul Stamets try to figure out how to stop the Time Bug, Burnham encountered her past self in a turbolift. Past Burnham immediately thinks her future self is a shapeshifter. Nitpicky fans might wonder why Future Burnham didn't just drop some knowledge only they would know. However, in a universe with wormholes, time travel and the USS Discovery's spore drive , the possibility of a shapeshifter using their telepathic abilities to copy the memories of whoever they impersonated wasn't a big stretch. This led to a fun sequence where Burnham fought her past self.

After incapacitating her past self with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Burnham gave voice to the subtext of this entire journey. Burnham reminded audiences just how desperate things were for her back then. She was Starfleet's first mutineer, and her actions led to the death of her mentor, Captain Philippa Georgiou. Even though the Klingon leader, T'Kuvma, was going to start a war with the Federation, Burnham also blamed herself for this close call. The most unbelievable thing for the understandably self-loathing Past Burnham to accept was a future in which she not only had rank again, but was trusted enough to be given a ship.

While this makes Burnham Star Trek 's most relatable captain among the franchise's imperfect fans, the character herself can't believe she could attain new heights after falling so far. Yet, in trying to stop Rayner and Stamets, Burnham again proved her worth . She's determined to do the right thing to protect her ship, her crew and Starfleet itself. This episode underscored that Burnham's unique skill isn't her intellect or fighting prowess, but her commitment to higher ideals even when she thinks she's failed them in unforgivable ways.

Commander Rayner Finally Connected with the Crew in Face the Strange

Commander rayner learned new things about himself by visiting the past, star trek: discovery actors doug jones & david ajala prepare for their last adventure.

While Burnham is and always was heroic, it's actually Rayner who saved the day and the rest of time in this episode. Hearkening back to his previous attempts to know the crew, Rayner was now able to prove to Past Lieutenant Commander Gen Rhys that they do know each other. Rayner may have only given Reese 20 words, but these were enough to discover Rhys's affection for Constitution class ships like the USS Enterprise . Still, Past Burnham was not convinced. It's only through Rayner sincerely connecting with her and his own understanding of what it's like to fall from grace that seals the deal.

He told Past Burnham something no one but she could know. Specifically, that when she first stepped on the bridge of the Discovery, she felt like she didn't belong. Yet, he reaffirms that she does belong not just on the vessel, but in command of it. Yes, she's made mistakes, huge ones when compared to those committed by previous Starfleet heroes and captains. However, her heart is always in the right place. In Season 1, Burnham seemed more Vulcan than human, but her emotions were still there. In fact, she cared so much that she told Captain Gabriel Lorca she didn't deserve to serve on a starship.

Another touching moment between crew members in "Face the Strange" came via Rayner's collaboration with Stamets . He was already depressed this season since the spore drive is, effectively, dead technology. Rayner also killed his science-buzz upon realizing the potential of the Progenitor's technology. Yet, when Stamets was worried about being able to save the ship, Rayner motivated him by saying "old dogs" like them still had life-saving tricks up their uniform sleeves. Despite his gruff demeanor, this episode showed why Rayner was such a successful long-serving leader in Starfleet -- especially in a post-Burn galaxy.

Moll & L’Ak’s Time Bug Is a Brutal Weapon Tied to Star Trek Mythology

The time bug was used for more than just nostalgic fanservice, star trek: discovery's sonequa martin-green embarks on one final voyage.

Star Trek is full of near-magical and nonsensical technology like the transporters themselves , but even by these loose standards, the Time Bug is a little confusing. If Burnham, Rayner and Stamets weren't immune from its effects thanks to the latter's "tardigrade DNA," it's unclear exactly what the device does. Somehow, the present-day USS Discovery is incapacitated while the ship jumps back and forth through time. No one on the vessel is aware of this, and the crew complement changes with the times.

When Burnham and company arrive back in the 22nd Century, it's unclear what happened to folks like Commander Jett Reno or Adira, who were always in the 32nd Century. Trying to figure out how the Time Bug works is really a waste of time, since it's nothing more than a fun sci-fi concept that was used to drive an episode. The show gets around this when Rayner says the Time Bug is technology leftover from the Temporal War first introduced back in Star Trek: Enterprise, and wrapped up for good in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Khan episode .

In previous episodes, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 brought in connections to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," and it also built on the Trill mythology established in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Time Bug is yet another way the series used past Star Trek events to tell new, fresh stories instead of just dropping cute Easter Eggs. The bug was an illegal black-market weapon, but one that (despite its inconsistent details and lack of specifics) fit neatly into this six-decade-old universe.

While the crew lost six hours in their race against Moll and L'ak, they still came out ahead. They are now a more cohesive unit than ever before, meaning they will face whatever challenges come next as a tightly-knit crew. This was the way that any Star Trek crew should be.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Discovery

• Time Bug allows for the series to revisit past moments and characters in its final season.
• The focus on Burnham's journey from mutineer to captain underscores her remarkable journey over five seasons.
• The episode reveals more aspects to Rayner's character making him more well-rounded.
• "Face the Strange" is a near-perfect blend of action, sci-fi problem-solving, and character moments.
• The ensemble takes a backseat because of the time-travel nature of the episode's plot.
• Moll and L'ak return for a scene but are still not as present as in each episode as perhaps they should be.
• Saru and T'Rina don't appear making last episode's story with them feel more like an aside.
• Other than Ariam, past characters like Ash Tyler, Nilsson, Captains Lorca or Pike don't appear feeling like a missed opportunity for a final season victory lap.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 Recap

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Discovery sees Burnham and Rayner team up to save the Discovery and its crew from a time travel wormhole.

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What happened in star trek: discovery episode 4, how does star trek: discovery episode 4 end.

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Discovery aired on Paramount Plus this week,as it approaches the halfway mark in the fifth and final season. The sci-fi spin-off series consists of ten episodes, with one airing each week until the finale on May 30. The show began in 2017, and Season 5 has been praised for its serialized storytelling and exciting visual effects. Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Callum Keith Rennie, Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp.

The fourth episode of Star Trek: Discovery 's final season sees Burnham and Rayner put their differences aside when they realize they are in a wormhole and have traveled back in time. They must fight to save the Discovery and the crew on board, by facing off with bounty hunters, Moll and Lák.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 Recap

Star Trek: Discovery Episode 4 sees Moll and L’ak meeting with a dodgy dealer. They hand him a bag of the latinum and the dealer tries to raise the price of it, and it turns out Moll has poisoned the latinum, and takes the item from the dying dealer. L’ak is uncertain. But Moll assures him they’ll get ahead of the USS Discovery . She continues that once they have the Progenitor’s tech, they’ll be free. She tells him they have to hurry to catch Discovery on Trill. It is revealed that the device obtained from the dealer is the same one planted on Adira Tal in the final moments of the previous episode.

Elsewhere, the device activates in Adira’s quarters on the Discovery, and the device hops off the uniform and runs across the room and disappears into a girder.

In his lab, Stamets spots the bug and watches as it disappears into the wall. Captain Michael Burnham gets a report from Owo, revealing that she’s picking up some odd readings, and something has broadcast a signal from the ship. Burnham and Captain Rayner try to beam to the bridge, but they go nowhere.

The ship is moving but the lights flicker and a klaxon sounds. Rayner asks if they are under attack, as Burnham tries to contact the bridge but nothing seems to be working. Burnham and Rayner head to the bridge on foot and find the rest of the crew unconscious and wearing 23rd-century Starfleet uniforms. Rayner and Burnham realize they’re in a wormhole and have traveled back in time. Discovery follows Burnham as she goes through the wormhole into the future. Turns out, they haven’t just traveled back in time, but they’re actually jumping through time.

Burnham arrives in the future and explains the situation, and that she's undertaking an important mission for the future Discovery . Burnham demonstrates her personal knowledge of several crew members to prove her story , as Airiam, Tilly and the rest of the crew are confused at her appearance.

They remain skeptical of Burnham’s claims, but she says she will convince Airiam, and everyone will trust her judgment in the end. Burnham reveals she saw Airiam die, and she recounts the climax of “Project Daedalus.” Airiam convinces the rest of the crew of Burnham's legitimacy, and asks what help Burnham needs from them. Elsewhere, in the lab, Rayner and Stamets prepare to tackle the temporal shield, but a phaser wielding TB and Rhys interrupt their plans.

YB orders Stamets to shut down the warp core, but Rayner suggests Burnham come down, but there’s no time for that, and she urges Rayner to handle the situation. Rayner convinces Rhys they’re from the future with the knowledge he learned during interviews, but YB is still not convinced.

Rayner tells the story about Burnham arriving at the bridge and not feeling like she belongs. He tells YB she deserves to be there, and pleads with her to trust her instincts, which he knows are currently telling her to stand down, with YB seemingly convinced. Discovery ’s warp bubble is broken, and Rayner puts the device on the chronophage. Another time jump occurs, and they arrive back to the present day, which is fully intact.

Burnham orders Rayner to go to see Culber to tend to his hand injury, while Rayner states that it isn’t lost on him that what made them successful was their closeness with the crew. He admits he can be stubborn like Burnham used to be, but Burnham concludes they make a good team.

Star Trek: Discovery episode 4's ending sees the rest of the crew caught up on the chronophage. In the six hours since the time jumps began, the DOTs have found a warp signature that matches M’ak’s ship. Rayner compliments Rhys on his theory, which proved to be accurate. However, M’ak’s trail disappears, as Burnham orders the bridge crew to get to work on solving the mystery.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek 4: Paramount Needs To Let This Sequel Die

REVIEW: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Episode 4 – “Face the Strange”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 begins with L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ) and Moll ( Eve Harlow ) taking center stage. As they continue their quest for the Progenitor’s secret, it is revealed that they are lovers on the run. Their relationship could serve as a mirror to the various relationship storylines unfolding this season. The most intriguing to witness would be the showdown between L’ak and Moll and Captain Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and Booker ( David Ajala ). Moll’s determination matches Captain Burnham’s and given Moll’s connection to Booker’s mentor, tension is steadily building toward confrontation. Throughout the series, viewers know the lengths Booker and Burnham will go to protect their loved ones. Now, what would lovers Moll and L’ak do with limitless power?

Back on Discovery, the bug that Moll planted on Adira Tal ( Blu del Barrio ) on Trill begins to wreak havoc on the ship’s systems. The spiderlike nano-bot serves as a reminder of how far technology has advanced since the period most Star Trek fans are accustomed to. The bug not only can meld into the ship but also somehow causes Discovery to jump through different points in the ship’s history – past, present, and future. Unfortunately, Captain Burnham, Commander Stamets ( Anthony Rapp ), and Commander Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ) are the only ones aware of the loop the ship is caught in.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 becomes a race against time to stop the time bug from looping the Discovery. L’ak and Moll have surged ahead in their pursuit of the secrets of the Progenitors. If “ Jinaal ” showed us anything, it’s that the technology they are all seeking likely shouldn’t belong to anyone, let alone two fugitives. Finding the time bug becomes crucial in preventing an unthinkable future.

As Discovery jumps through time, fans embark on a nostalgic journey through the show’s history. It’s a heartfelt reflection on the progress made by Burnham, the crew of Discovery, and the ship itself through five seasons. Despite the Temporal Prime Directive, the Starfleet trio receives assistance from the crew at different stages of their journeys. However, this highlights why this season has been disappointing so far.

The action has been toned down, with science and history driving much of the recent storyline. The temporal sci-fi elements at play are fascinating. However, it’s intertwined with rehashing similar plotlines featuring different characters. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 quickly becomes another iteration of the “this ship’s not big enough for two captains” scenario. Further, as two captains vie for dominance, the episode also attempts to impart another basic lesson to Commander Rayner.

So far, Commander Rayner has learned to open up to people. Now, he’s tasked with learning how to collaborate with others, which seems contradictory given his extensive experience as a Starfleet officer. I can’t help but feel that the effort spent developing Commander Rayner’s character arc could have been more effectively used focusing on the character we’ve known for four seasons. It’s particularly troubling when Commander Rayner is just grappling with basic empathy.

Additionally, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 once again highlights why Captain Burnham is worthy of leading Discovery despite her initial arrival as a prisoner. However, it plays more like a clip show than nearing the halfway point in the final season. After five seasons, Burnham has solidified her place as the captain. However, instead of pushing the boundaries of the Star Trek genre in terms of action and representation, there’s a heavy focus on reminiscing about that journey.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 affirms that the series is hesitant to make significant plot moves until later in the season. Instead, it opts for a recap-like feel, with the writers guiding us through character development we’ve already witnessed over four seasons. Frustratingly, this occurs alongside the series’ exploration of compelling sci-fi concepts. By the episode’s end, the only anticipation lies in discovering what transpired during the time of the Discovery’s loop. That’s a considerable effort for one episode, especially when many of the lessons learned are ones the show has already taught.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 is streaming exclusively on Paramount+ with new episodes every Thursday.

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